Author's Notes: Eee, reviews… ^_^ Thanks! Especially the ones who gave me ideas! Gah, I'm so sorry this takes so long. I've been really busy. And I get my best inspiration only when I should be doing something else.
Someone saw Shadi with a purple eyebrow? I want to see that picture! I'll try to draw a young Shadi, too.
Ah, I'm sorry! I assumed that everyone would have read "Three-In-One Combo," so I didn't repeat the stuff I said there… But the Ankh is called the Key in the dub, and the Tauk is called the Necklace. But don't be fooled! And I messed the timeline and events up so much… Just go along with what I say. I know I have things mixed up…
Heh, a few of you suggested losing a piece of the Puzzle. And I like that idea, but in this chapter there's something else to lose… ^_^
Yeah, I'm not sure if Shadi's dad is really slightly insane, or just confused and stubborn. He's mean either way, though.
Seashell, that's a good idea about Ankhkare (and about everything else too!). But he wouldn't go THAT far out of control. Though I'll probably use something like that. Cool, thanks for all those great ideas! That should give me another few chapters! ^_^
I got "Shedsunefertum" from the same website I found Ankhkare and Senui's names. I needed something long, hard to pronounce, and that was vaguely like Shadi's.
Just to warn you, this chapter meanders far too much and doesn't finish all the stuff it starts. I'll try to do better next time.
Shadi: *dancing around, kicking sand around, but then stops and stands perfectly still* Indigo does not own Yu-Gi-Oh. She owns the Ankh and Scales spirits, if there are any. That remains to be seen. *looks around with narrow eyes and slips away to play away from the view of readers*
-
Millennial Inheritance
-
Shadi sat copying scrolls, glancing up every once in a while to watch is father pace back and forth. He had been extremely on edge lately.
"Are you finished yet?" the older man snapped.
"Nearly." Shadi calmly continued to write. He derived some small, mischievous pleasure from knowing that he was making his father wait, and remaining calm about it seemed to make it more fun. He didn't want to do it for too long, though.
"Well hurry it up. We have things to do."
"Yes, father. What will we do today?"
"I've been watching that damned Ishtar with the Ankh. He's got the Rod, you know. He's up to something, I can tell…"
"Will you have a Shadow Game with him?" Shadi had only heard about the Games of Darkness, but they sounded very interesting.
"If that's what it takes. I can't understand why the Rode would have chosen him! But I'll get it back."
"But if the Rod chose him, then it must be his destiny to have it…"
"Don't talk about things you know nothing about! Are you finished there?"
Shadi sighed. "Yes father." He put away the scrolls and ink.
"Good." Shadi's father grabbed up the Scales and Ankh. "Let's go."
Shadi followed his father back to the well in the ruins of an ancient city, where he had sensed the family before. They once again knelt beside it, but far enough away so they could not look directly down into it.
"Listen," the frowning guardian said in a low voice. "You know the Scales can judge and condemn a person's soul, but they can judge in other ways too. They can just tell you if a person's good or evil, even if they're worthy of an Item or not sometimes. Or if someone's lying."
"Like the Ankh, then?" Shadi asked with a slight frown. The Items' various powers often seemed to be shared, from what he had seen.
"Yeah, maybe a little," his father said dismissively. "Now when I point the Scales into this devil-pit, all I see is unworthiness. You try."
Shadi gingerly took the Scales and faced the house. He blinked a few times "I can feel some good and some evil. But… I see very little true unworthiness."
"You're just not trying hard enough, then. There are four people in that house, so there should be more than enough unworthiness to go around."
"If you are so sure, why did you ask me?" Shadi asked, slightly irritated. He was still looking at the Scales. They were angry as ever, but he thought he could feel the judgments fairly clearly.
"This is supposed to be a learning experience for you, boy…" Shadi's father rolled his eyes. "But I guess you're not ready. The Scales aren't as easy to bend to your will as the Ankh is."
"Oh…" Shadi frowned. He hadn't realized that he had ever even tried to really bend either Item to his will. Then he thought of something. "If a person was not worthy to hold an Item, would he not be burned alive? Or plunged into madness?"
"Yeah, most of the time. But sometimes the Items don't reject who they should. Or they reject someone who's obviously supposed to have them." The older man shook his head and muttered something about stupidity.
Shadi frowned. That went against everything he knew. "I do not think…"
"No, you don't! You'd better start." His father shook his head in frustration. "I'll never get anything done here. Especially not with you around. Go… go into town and play with your friends!"
Shadi blinked. "Who?"
"There are loads of kids running wild around town. Go… play tag with them. Or raid a candy store. Or terrorize the old folks' home. I don't know, whatever it is you kids like to do."
Shadi was now visibly worried. "But… surely…"
"Out of my sight!" his father commanded. "You're distracting me!"
Shadi swallowed and nodded. He reluctantly trudged away towards town.
Shadi had every intention of going straight home. However, the neighborhood children had other plans.
"Hey look, it's Shady! And his crazy dad's not with him!" Shadi suddenly found himself boxed in by a crown of children, ages ranging from four to eleven.
"Please, I only wish to return home…" Shadi became more formal when he was nervous, but this only made the others give him more trouble.
"Why're you in such a hurry, SHODDY? Gonna run home to your daddy and play with all his gold jewelry?" An older boy shoved him.
"I just want to go home…" Shadi muttered. He looked at the others with a blank expression, his pupiless blue eyes seeming to stare through them. "I did not mean to interrupt your game. Please forgive me and let me pass."
"Ha, looks like you need somebody to walk you home. And you can give us your dad's gold stuff as payment!" one of the oldest boys said, smirking. The younger ones agreed, laughing.
"I… cannot. They are not mine to give. And it is dangerous. You do not understand. Please, I have nothing." Shadi kept walking, careful not to meet anyone's eyes again. He hoped they would get bored and leave, but they followed, laughing derisively and throwing things that only hit him occasionally. They weren't really trying. The few times they bothered him like this, it wasn't anything much more serious than this was. Shadi didn't like it, but just as with his father, he tolerated it. They never really hurt him.
So Shadi walked home with his escort of neighborhood children. After he got over his initial reaction, it wasn't too bad.
"Okay, give us that gold!" one of the girls said when Shadi arrived home.
"I really cannot," Shadi sighed. He really wished he had the Ankh with him. He had watched his father change many minds with it.
A ball flew at Shadi's feet, and he kicked it away. The others watched in surprise as it shot away, ricocheting off the corner of a building, then another, and coming back to hit the boy who threw it in the back.
"Hey, cool!" said a little girl. "How'd you do that?"
Shadi shrugged. The boy he had hit with the ball frowned and grabbed it from the ground.
"That was just lucky. Do it again," the boy said. He threw the ball and in a few seconds it came down right on his head. The other children laughed, and Shadi was pleased. He didn't often get a chance to show off for an audience.
So Shadi managed to impress the crowd until they got bored and left, and then he went in.
Shadi poured himself some cold water and gulped it down. At least they had left! He'd have to remember to try to impress them again. What a hassle, though…
The boy found himself walking over to the tablet. The Puzzle box and Tauk gleamed there. He stared at them, wishing the Ankh and Scale were there.
Suddenly, Shadi felt a strange tingling sensation on his forehead, and in his head. In the dim light he could see some sort of golden glowing coming from his head. And then he found himself in a completely different place. It seemed large at first glance, but it was hard to tell the actual size of the area. The walls seemed to be made of stone like some sort of ancient temple around him. But on the other side of the room, it looked like a mural of a desert, with some mountains close by. He could feel the walls, but the desert walls felt hot, and he could see the heat shimmering on the sand. As he blinked in surprise, the desert walls seemed to melt away at his touch. Shadi found himself really standing in a desert. He felt the sand under his shoes. He saw a stream and some lush vegetation behind the first foothills of the mountains. It was somehow hot and mild at the same time. Looking back, he saw a low bed, a desk, and some books and toys in the stone room.
Despite his wish to explore, Shadi had no idea where he was or how he had gotten there. However, he saw a wooden door in the stone wall, so he went over to it. Now that he had been in this place for a minute, he was starting to get a headache. There was some kind of oppressive pressure bearing down from somewhere above, and from the door especially. Shadi tried to open the door, but he was pushed back as if by a reverse magnetic force. Frowning, he tried again, but it did no good. He tried to reach out as if he was holding the Ankh, but without the golden Item it was no use. He could feel SOMETHING, but it wasn't really a person. More like a presence bearing down on him. It was strong, and had an angry yet arrogant feel to it. He could just barely sense a presence behind that, and it felt wrong somehow… He didn't like it at all.
…But this powerful presence felt like a Millennium Item. None that he was familiar with, but maybe --
Suddenly Shadi felt a sharp tug at his mind, or something like that, and found himself leaning into the well the Ishtars lived in, the Millennium Tauk dropping through his fingers, despite futile attempts to grab it back. He saw a flash below, but did not hear the Tauk hit the ground.
"What the hell are you DOING!?" Shadi's father shouted.
Shadi was already leaning a bit too far into the hole in the ground, and the sudden loud voice startled him. He lost his balance and fell forward into the well with a strangled cry.
Shadi's father grabbed his son's shirt and hauled him up again. He plunked Shadi down on the ground and began screaming at Shadi, something about the Tauk, being a traitor, and Ishtar. Shadi couldn't really concentrate. He had a terrible headache, as if something had been holding his head tightly together and had suddenly let go, causing the pieces to fall apart. He moaned softly and tried to blink back tears of pain.
"…so explain yourself!" Shedsunefertum demanded, glaring and panting for breath.
Shadi took a few deep breaths himself. "I… I got home, and I took a drink of water, and I looked at the Puzzle and Tauk, and then my forehead started glowing and I was somewhere else, with a stone room and a desert… And I could feel another Item, and I tried to get out, but I couldn't… and then I felt the Ankh and Scales, and I was here…" Shadi said, trying to keep the pain from his voice.
"ISHTAR!" Shadi's father bellowed, making his son wince. "Damn it, I'll send him to Anubis! Is nothing sacred!? My own SON! Oh I'll kill him with my bare hands…"
"But father… Won't the Tauk just burn him to death if he's not meant to have it?" Shadi asked. He didn't at all like the idea of the Items burning people alive, but he was a bit preoccupied with his own pain at the moment, and just wanted his father to stop yelling.
"Oh we can only hope. But probably not, unless he tries to use it. That's more the Ring's style. Besides, he's got guardian blood in him, from back when his clan split off from ours. The stupid thing will probably be content to STAY with him…"
"I'm sorry… I could not stop him. Please forgive me, father…" Shadi knelt before his father apologetically, knowing that he had committed the worst sin a guardian could… Death would be a suitable punishment, and Shadi knew it.
Shadi's father gave a yell of impotent rage and whacked his son sharply.
"If you weren't my son, Ra help me, I'd kill you! I'd banish you to the Shadow Realm! I'd send you to Anubis!" his father raged. "You're too damn weak-willed! You should be able to fight that!"
"I apologize…" Shadi said very quietly, eyes glued to the ground.
"Oh… I can't deal with this right now!" the older Egyptian shouted. "Just… go home! Go to bed! You're grounded until further notice!" He threw the Ankh and Scales at Shadi and stormed off towards town, yelling over his shoulder, "If you lose these, Ill throw YOU to Ishtar!"
Shadi slowly got up, rubbing his arm where the Ankh had struck him. He picked up the two Items and clutched them tightly as he walked home with his head down. What he had dome was unforgivable… even if he wasn't sure exactly what happened.
As Shadi walked home quickly, he was grateful that the only attention he received were a few strange looks at the two large gold artifacts he was carrying. His father wasn't there, so he was probably either out walking, beating up something or someone, or at the tavern. Normally Shadi would have enjoyed this time to himself, but he was feeling far too guilty for that. He put the Ankh and Scales back in the tablet with the Puzzle box, looking at the Tauk's place guiltily but taking some comfort from the Ankh as he touched it. He wasn't hungry or interested in doing anything… Being grounded would probably have no effect on his life besides some extra work, but it still made him feel awful. He hated it when his father was angry at him. With a last glance at the gently shining Items, Shadi curled up on his pallet and eventually fell asleep.
******************************************************************************************************************************
Late enough that night to be considered early the next morning, two voices met as usual in the older guardian's mind-space.
\\Did you see that little runt lose the Tauk? He should be killed for that!\\
//Thank Ra his father wouldn't do that… But don't blame Master Shadi, it was Mr. Ishtar with the Rod. You felt it too, when we broke his control.//
\\Don't call HIM master! He's not even the guardian, or our holder yet!\\
//I know… We can only wait for now. But then… things will get better, don't you think?//
\\Damn right! Because then I'LL be in charge!\\
//Yeah, you'll be in sharg… Wait, no! I still won't let you manipulate or hurt him! 'Specially if he doesn't do that to us!//
\\Oh as if you'll have anything to say about it… Heh, not too observant tonight, are you? I know it's more disgusting in here than usual, but you're even more of an oatmeal brain than you always are!\\
The quieter voice sighed. //I know… you feel it too though, don't you? It's just… harder for me because I can sense him more clearly.// There was a groan. //Ohh… I think I'm going to be sick…//
\\Heh, can't hold his liquor?\\
//And I suppose you're the alcohol champion or something?// There was a weak laugh.
\\Well I'd do better than YOU. Not turning sarcastic are you, jelly-spine?\\
//I'm sorry… I'm doing my best to block it out, but I'm just not myself tonight. I should probably just go to sleep. I'll have to cure his headache in the morning. I'd much rather help Ma… Shadi…//
\\No one cares what you want. You'd BETTER just go to bed! Ra knows you're not good for anything else… I don't see why you even come here! Go back to your own room.\\
//I know… but if I didn't have someone to talk to, I think I'd lose my mind…//
\\You're in sad shape you know that? Get lost, scarab knees.\\
There was a thump like someone falling on the floor, and a door slammed. A soft rustling was heard, and quiet footsteps staggered across the floor, ending when another door swung shut.
-
Endnotes: Well… Hopefully that'll be the worst chapter. I haven't started the next one yet, though I have a bunch of ideas. I always need more, though! So don't expect another update soon, though if you give me some good ideas that might help!
I'll try to draw a chibi Shadi some time, too. Even though I'm bad at drawing chibis. ^_^
If you'd like something new to write, I'd love to see some chibi Ankh, Scale, and/or Shadi stories! ^_^ It's not really a contest (because no one asks for prizes anyway), but I'd love to see any and all stories you can come up with about them!
Someone saw Shadi with a purple eyebrow? I want to see that picture! I'll try to draw a young Shadi, too.
Ah, I'm sorry! I assumed that everyone would have read "Three-In-One Combo," so I didn't repeat the stuff I said there… But the Ankh is called the Key in the dub, and the Tauk is called the Necklace. But don't be fooled! And I messed the timeline and events up so much… Just go along with what I say. I know I have things mixed up…
Heh, a few of you suggested losing a piece of the Puzzle. And I like that idea, but in this chapter there's something else to lose… ^_^
Yeah, I'm not sure if Shadi's dad is really slightly insane, or just confused and stubborn. He's mean either way, though.
Seashell, that's a good idea about Ankhkare (and about everything else too!). But he wouldn't go THAT far out of control. Though I'll probably use something like that. Cool, thanks for all those great ideas! That should give me another few chapters! ^_^
I got "Shedsunefertum" from the same website I found Ankhkare and Senui's names. I needed something long, hard to pronounce, and that was vaguely like Shadi's.
Just to warn you, this chapter meanders far too much and doesn't finish all the stuff it starts. I'll try to do better next time.
Shadi: *dancing around, kicking sand around, but then stops and stands perfectly still* Indigo does not own Yu-Gi-Oh. She owns the Ankh and Scales spirits, if there are any. That remains to be seen. *looks around with narrow eyes and slips away to play away from the view of readers*
-
Millennial Inheritance
-
Shadi sat copying scrolls, glancing up every once in a while to watch is father pace back and forth. He had been extremely on edge lately.
"Are you finished yet?" the older man snapped.
"Nearly." Shadi calmly continued to write. He derived some small, mischievous pleasure from knowing that he was making his father wait, and remaining calm about it seemed to make it more fun. He didn't want to do it for too long, though.
"Well hurry it up. We have things to do."
"Yes, father. What will we do today?"
"I've been watching that damned Ishtar with the Ankh. He's got the Rod, you know. He's up to something, I can tell…"
"Will you have a Shadow Game with him?" Shadi had only heard about the Games of Darkness, but they sounded very interesting.
"If that's what it takes. I can't understand why the Rode would have chosen him! But I'll get it back."
"But if the Rod chose him, then it must be his destiny to have it…"
"Don't talk about things you know nothing about! Are you finished there?"
Shadi sighed. "Yes father." He put away the scrolls and ink.
"Good." Shadi's father grabbed up the Scales and Ankh. "Let's go."
Shadi followed his father back to the well in the ruins of an ancient city, where he had sensed the family before. They once again knelt beside it, but far enough away so they could not look directly down into it.
"Listen," the frowning guardian said in a low voice. "You know the Scales can judge and condemn a person's soul, but they can judge in other ways too. They can just tell you if a person's good or evil, even if they're worthy of an Item or not sometimes. Or if someone's lying."
"Like the Ankh, then?" Shadi asked with a slight frown. The Items' various powers often seemed to be shared, from what he had seen.
"Yeah, maybe a little," his father said dismissively. "Now when I point the Scales into this devil-pit, all I see is unworthiness. You try."
Shadi gingerly took the Scales and faced the house. He blinked a few times "I can feel some good and some evil. But… I see very little true unworthiness."
"You're just not trying hard enough, then. There are four people in that house, so there should be more than enough unworthiness to go around."
"If you are so sure, why did you ask me?" Shadi asked, slightly irritated. He was still looking at the Scales. They were angry as ever, but he thought he could feel the judgments fairly clearly.
"This is supposed to be a learning experience for you, boy…" Shadi's father rolled his eyes. "But I guess you're not ready. The Scales aren't as easy to bend to your will as the Ankh is."
"Oh…" Shadi frowned. He hadn't realized that he had ever even tried to really bend either Item to his will. Then he thought of something. "If a person was not worthy to hold an Item, would he not be burned alive? Or plunged into madness?"
"Yeah, most of the time. But sometimes the Items don't reject who they should. Or they reject someone who's obviously supposed to have them." The older man shook his head and muttered something about stupidity.
Shadi frowned. That went against everything he knew. "I do not think…"
"No, you don't! You'd better start." His father shook his head in frustration. "I'll never get anything done here. Especially not with you around. Go… go into town and play with your friends!"
Shadi blinked. "Who?"
"There are loads of kids running wild around town. Go… play tag with them. Or raid a candy store. Or terrorize the old folks' home. I don't know, whatever it is you kids like to do."
Shadi was now visibly worried. "But… surely…"
"Out of my sight!" his father commanded. "You're distracting me!"
Shadi swallowed and nodded. He reluctantly trudged away towards town.
Shadi had every intention of going straight home. However, the neighborhood children had other plans.
"Hey look, it's Shady! And his crazy dad's not with him!" Shadi suddenly found himself boxed in by a crown of children, ages ranging from four to eleven.
"Please, I only wish to return home…" Shadi became more formal when he was nervous, but this only made the others give him more trouble.
"Why're you in such a hurry, SHODDY? Gonna run home to your daddy and play with all his gold jewelry?" An older boy shoved him.
"I just want to go home…" Shadi muttered. He looked at the others with a blank expression, his pupiless blue eyes seeming to stare through them. "I did not mean to interrupt your game. Please forgive me and let me pass."
"Ha, looks like you need somebody to walk you home. And you can give us your dad's gold stuff as payment!" one of the oldest boys said, smirking. The younger ones agreed, laughing.
"I… cannot. They are not mine to give. And it is dangerous. You do not understand. Please, I have nothing." Shadi kept walking, careful not to meet anyone's eyes again. He hoped they would get bored and leave, but they followed, laughing derisively and throwing things that only hit him occasionally. They weren't really trying. The few times they bothered him like this, it wasn't anything much more serious than this was. Shadi didn't like it, but just as with his father, he tolerated it. They never really hurt him.
So Shadi walked home with his escort of neighborhood children. After he got over his initial reaction, it wasn't too bad.
"Okay, give us that gold!" one of the girls said when Shadi arrived home.
"I really cannot," Shadi sighed. He really wished he had the Ankh with him. He had watched his father change many minds with it.
A ball flew at Shadi's feet, and he kicked it away. The others watched in surprise as it shot away, ricocheting off the corner of a building, then another, and coming back to hit the boy who threw it in the back.
"Hey, cool!" said a little girl. "How'd you do that?"
Shadi shrugged. The boy he had hit with the ball frowned and grabbed it from the ground.
"That was just lucky. Do it again," the boy said. He threw the ball and in a few seconds it came down right on his head. The other children laughed, and Shadi was pleased. He didn't often get a chance to show off for an audience.
So Shadi managed to impress the crowd until they got bored and left, and then he went in.
Shadi poured himself some cold water and gulped it down. At least they had left! He'd have to remember to try to impress them again. What a hassle, though…
The boy found himself walking over to the tablet. The Puzzle box and Tauk gleamed there. He stared at them, wishing the Ankh and Scale were there.
Suddenly, Shadi felt a strange tingling sensation on his forehead, and in his head. In the dim light he could see some sort of golden glowing coming from his head. And then he found himself in a completely different place. It seemed large at first glance, but it was hard to tell the actual size of the area. The walls seemed to be made of stone like some sort of ancient temple around him. But on the other side of the room, it looked like a mural of a desert, with some mountains close by. He could feel the walls, but the desert walls felt hot, and he could see the heat shimmering on the sand. As he blinked in surprise, the desert walls seemed to melt away at his touch. Shadi found himself really standing in a desert. He felt the sand under his shoes. He saw a stream and some lush vegetation behind the first foothills of the mountains. It was somehow hot and mild at the same time. Looking back, he saw a low bed, a desk, and some books and toys in the stone room.
Despite his wish to explore, Shadi had no idea where he was or how he had gotten there. However, he saw a wooden door in the stone wall, so he went over to it. Now that he had been in this place for a minute, he was starting to get a headache. There was some kind of oppressive pressure bearing down from somewhere above, and from the door especially. Shadi tried to open the door, but he was pushed back as if by a reverse magnetic force. Frowning, he tried again, but it did no good. He tried to reach out as if he was holding the Ankh, but without the golden Item it was no use. He could feel SOMETHING, but it wasn't really a person. More like a presence bearing down on him. It was strong, and had an angry yet arrogant feel to it. He could just barely sense a presence behind that, and it felt wrong somehow… He didn't like it at all.
…But this powerful presence felt like a Millennium Item. None that he was familiar with, but maybe --
Suddenly Shadi felt a sharp tug at his mind, or something like that, and found himself leaning into the well the Ishtars lived in, the Millennium Tauk dropping through his fingers, despite futile attempts to grab it back. He saw a flash below, but did not hear the Tauk hit the ground.
"What the hell are you DOING!?" Shadi's father shouted.
Shadi was already leaning a bit too far into the hole in the ground, and the sudden loud voice startled him. He lost his balance and fell forward into the well with a strangled cry.
Shadi's father grabbed his son's shirt and hauled him up again. He plunked Shadi down on the ground and began screaming at Shadi, something about the Tauk, being a traitor, and Ishtar. Shadi couldn't really concentrate. He had a terrible headache, as if something had been holding his head tightly together and had suddenly let go, causing the pieces to fall apart. He moaned softly and tried to blink back tears of pain.
"…so explain yourself!" Shedsunefertum demanded, glaring and panting for breath.
Shadi took a few deep breaths himself. "I… I got home, and I took a drink of water, and I looked at the Puzzle and Tauk, and then my forehead started glowing and I was somewhere else, with a stone room and a desert… And I could feel another Item, and I tried to get out, but I couldn't… and then I felt the Ankh and Scales, and I was here…" Shadi said, trying to keep the pain from his voice.
"ISHTAR!" Shadi's father bellowed, making his son wince. "Damn it, I'll send him to Anubis! Is nothing sacred!? My own SON! Oh I'll kill him with my bare hands…"
"But father… Won't the Tauk just burn him to death if he's not meant to have it?" Shadi asked. He didn't at all like the idea of the Items burning people alive, but he was a bit preoccupied with his own pain at the moment, and just wanted his father to stop yelling.
"Oh we can only hope. But probably not, unless he tries to use it. That's more the Ring's style. Besides, he's got guardian blood in him, from back when his clan split off from ours. The stupid thing will probably be content to STAY with him…"
"I'm sorry… I could not stop him. Please forgive me, father…" Shadi knelt before his father apologetically, knowing that he had committed the worst sin a guardian could… Death would be a suitable punishment, and Shadi knew it.
Shadi's father gave a yell of impotent rage and whacked his son sharply.
"If you weren't my son, Ra help me, I'd kill you! I'd banish you to the Shadow Realm! I'd send you to Anubis!" his father raged. "You're too damn weak-willed! You should be able to fight that!"
"I apologize…" Shadi said very quietly, eyes glued to the ground.
"Oh… I can't deal with this right now!" the older Egyptian shouted. "Just… go home! Go to bed! You're grounded until further notice!" He threw the Ankh and Scales at Shadi and stormed off towards town, yelling over his shoulder, "If you lose these, Ill throw YOU to Ishtar!"
Shadi slowly got up, rubbing his arm where the Ankh had struck him. He picked up the two Items and clutched them tightly as he walked home with his head down. What he had dome was unforgivable… even if he wasn't sure exactly what happened.
As Shadi walked home quickly, he was grateful that the only attention he received were a few strange looks at the two large gold artifacts he was carrying. His father wasn't there, so he was probably either out walking, beating up something or someone, or at the tavern. Normally Shadi would have enjoyed this time to himself, but he was feeling far too guilty for that. He put the Ankh and Scales back in the tablet with the Puzzle box, looking at the Tauk's place guiltily but taking some comfort from the Ankh as he touched it. He wasn't hungry or interested in doing anything… Being grounded would probably have no effect on his life besides some extra work, but it still made him feel awful. He hated it when his father was angry at him. With a last glance at the gently shining Items, Shadi curled up on his pallet and eventually fell asleep.
******************************************************************************************************************************
Late enough that night to be considered early the next morning, two voices met as usual in the older guardian's mind-space.
\\Did you see that little runt lose the Tauk? He should be killed for that!\\
//Thank Ra his father wouldn't do that… But don't blame Master Shadi, it was Mr. Ishtar with the Rod. You felt it too, when we broke his control.//
\\Don't call HIM master! He's not even the guardian, or our holder yet!\\
//I know… We can only wait for now. But then… things will get better, don't you think?//
\\Damn right! Because then I'LL be in charge!\\
//Yeah, you'll be in sharg… Wait, no! I still won't let you manipulate or hurt him! 'Specially if he doesn't do that to us!//
\\Oh as if you'll have anything to say about it… Heh, not too observant tonight, are you? I know it's more disgusting in here than usual, but you're even more of an oatmeal brain than you always are!\\
The quieter voice sighed. //I know… you feel it too though, don't you? It's just… harder for me because I can sense him more clearly.// There was a groan. //Ohh… I think I'm going to be sick…//
\\Heh, can't hold his liquor?\\
//And I suppose you're the alcohol champion or something?// There was a weak laugh.
\\Well I'd do better than YOU. Not turning sarcastic are you, jelly-spine?\\
//I'm sorry… I'm doing my best to block it out, but I'm just not myself tonight. I should probably just go to sleep. I'll have to cure his headache in the morning. I'd much rather help Ma… Shadi…//
\\No one cares what you want. You'd BETTER just go to bed! Ra knows you're not good for anything else… I don't see why you even come here! Go back to your own room.\\
//I know… but if I didn't have someone to talk to, I think I'd lose my mind…//
\\You're in sad shape you know that? Get lost, scarab knees.\\
There was a thump like someone falling on the floor, and a door slammed. A soft rustling was heard, and quiet footsteps staggered across the floor, ending when another door swung shut.
-
Endnotes: Well… Hopefully that'll be the worst chapter. I haven't started the next one yet, though I have a bunch of ideas. I always need more, though! So don't expect another update soon, though if you give me some good ideas that might help!
I'll try to draw a chibi Shadi some time, too. Even though I'm bad at drawing chibis. ^_^
If you'd like something new to write, I'd love to see some chibi Ankh, Scale, and/or Shadi stories! ^_^ It's not really a contest (because no one asks for prizes anyway), but I'd love to see any and all stories you can come up with about them!