Author's Notes: I'm so sorry for not updating for so long! I've been busy with work and I had a huge writer's block. This will probably be the last update for a while too, because I leave for my summer job in a couple weeks. Oh, and I got accepted into a Japanese university! So I get to go there for the fall semester of the coming year! ^_^ Yay! I WILL update over the summer, just not nearly as often. But don't worry, I won't abandon this the way I did with my poor "The Cost of Weakness"… I need to find a way to end that fast. Reviewing multiple times to tell me to update will do you no good if I'm not even here to see your reviews, but it WILL help me get 100 reviews in five chapters. ^_^
No, Shadi wasn't a vampire in the last chapter! Remember in Three-In-One Combo when he went to see Pegasus in the hospital? Ankh made him invisible. He was doing the same thing, but Shadi didn't know it.
I KNOW Shadi's always antisocial. ^_^ So am I, but I still have days where I feel even more antisocial! Ooh, and what mean ideas to get him to be social!
Neema didn't burst into flames when she held the Ankh because Ankh's nice like that. And I think between people like his father and Neema, and then later Ankh and Scale arguing constantly in his mind, Shadi is the most patient person you'll find!
In this first scene, no matter how great Yami might have been, there's no disputing that Ankh's far nicer!
This is very much a chapter for Ankh and Scale. Lots of cool stuff here for them and Shadi. I like it! ^_^
The dream of the past is a little random, but I think it'll serve its purpose to Shadi, and also set up some family ties. If you don't know what's going on in the Ancient Egypt arc of the manga right now, you might want to find out.
Scale: *glares* Indigo doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh, so go away!
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Millennial Inheritance
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"Well let's see…" Shedsunefertum mused, staring at his son. "You're really coming along with the Ankh and Scales. You can sense other people, and read their minds to some extent. If they don't know how to block you. You can tell a truth from a lie. You still need to learn how to enter minds and change them with the Ankh, and judge a soul with the Scales, but you're doing pretty well. In fact, I want to try something else with them today. Feel up to a challenge?"
Shadi was weighing things on the Scales. He was convinced that they were broken, because when he put the Ankh on one side and a single Puzzle piece on the other side, the Ankh's side always rose slightly. His father had agreed that the Scales were quite warped, but they usually worked at judging souls. He looked up and nodded, tired of the Item's obviously skewed balance.
"Good, that's the spirit," his father said approvingly. "Now you know the Items' raw energy can be used to do a lot more than their specific tasks, right?" Shadi nodded. "Well the guardians developed a spell a long time ago to move across great distances."
"They can make people fly?" Shadi asked doubtfully, regarding the solid Ankh and cumbersome Scales.
"No, no. Just the opposite. You pass through the ground, but not really." At his son's blank look, Shedsunefertum shook his head in irritation. "I'm no good at explaining. You gather your Items' energy and get a destination in mind. You've got to be really specific, too. It helps if you can focus on a place or person you know well, or on a strong source of power like an Item. Then you make yourself sink into the floor, and just come up where you want to be. Make sense?"
Shadi blinked at him in confusion. "Not completely…"
His father reached down and grabbed the Ankh and Scales, making Shadi scramble for the Puzzle piece he had been weighing. He was gradually growing numb to its overwhelming power, but holding it still wasn't a pleasant task. He tossed the piece quickly into the box with the others and watched his father intently.
"You'll probably have to do a lot of preparation for this the first couple times, but here's the end result," Shedsunefertum said. He clasped a hand around each Item and closed his eyes for a moment. As the guardian took a deep breath, an unearthly breeze shot out from the ground under him. The floor suddenly turned misty, and white ripples spread from his feet. Shadi watched in awe as his father sank slowly through the ground, chanting something. After a split second, the other side of the room began to emanate white ripples, and Shadi watched his father resurface. He opened his eyes again, and grinned at Shadi's wide-eyed stare.
"That's the transport ritual. Or transportation spell, if you want to be more accurate. It can take you to the other side of a door, or the other side of the world."
"Can… you teach me to do that?" Shadi asked in admiration.
"Yeah, but it's not easy. This might be too advanced for you, but we can try it," his father said, eyeing Shadi critically.
They spent the next few hours preparing. Shadi had used the Ankh and Scales separately before, but never together. Right away the Scales resisted and the Ankh seemed to seek to meld its powers with the Scales' and Shadi. Shadi finally managed a tentative hold over them both, though. Next he had to memorize a spell in the ancient language which he barely understood while still maintaining control over the two Items. It was trying work, and he had to stop for some rest and food after a while. But finally, all that was left to do was for Shadi to fix a location in his mind. Since it was his first time, Shedsunefertum told him to just go from one side of the tablet that held the Items to the other.
Shadi was nervous as he held the Ankh and Scales. His father watched closely, though without the Items, Shadi thought there would be little he could do if something went wrong. The boy took a deep breath and ran though the spell's words one last time before gathering the Ankh and Scales' energy and beginning the chant. Shadi took on a blue aura that was so bright it was almost white. His father blinked and nodded in approval. Mist began to cover the floor as ripples of whiteness sprang from the ground. All of a sudden Shadi felt the floor under his feet soften. It was like sinking through a very thick fog. It was very strange. It made Shadi feel dizzy and slightly nauseous. And suddenly he was watching the darkness close over his head when he realized that he hadn't been thinking at all about where he would be resurfacing. His thoughts leapt to the other side of the tablet right before he passed out…
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When Shadi woke, he had no idea where he was. He felt very tired, and was grateful for the blanket covering him, because the air on his face was cold. He heard two quiet voices talking somewhere nearby, but he didn't have the energy to sit up and look.
"Do you think he's all right…?"
"You worry too much, you green goon! He won't freeze with your cape on him, and unfortunately we can't let the Shadow beasts eat him."
"I guess so… He just seems so unnaturally tired."
"That's because the little buffoon ended up in limbo instead of back in his house. Of all the weak-minded fools…"
"That's true. This is as safe a place as any to let him sleep…"
Shadi yawned and brought his arm up to rest his head on. He'd figure out who these people were later. For now, even staying awake took more strength than he had.
There was a muffled curse. "By Set, shut up! He'll hear us, and there'll be hell to pay when he tells his nitwit father!" The voice was a mere hiss. Shadi didn't even have time to think to himself that he wouldn't tell anyone before he fell asleep again.
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Shadi dreamed that he was watching two men talking. One was tall, with tattoos on his bald head, and wearing a simple robe and the Millennium Ankh. The other was short, with a starburst of multicolored hair. He wore a lot of gold jewelry including the completed Millennium Puzzle, rich robes, and a regal air about him. The more simply-dressed man was speaking.
"I know of my nephew's crimes, my Pharaoh. And in these dark times, no treason must go unpunished. But sealing him inside one of our sacred Items… It seems a bit too much, if you will forgive my saying so. And Karimu will not be pleased at such an inhabitant of his Item." The tattooed man cast his eyes down humbly.
"He imprisoned one of my most trusted friends! I made it quite clear that he should be found innocent, and your treacherous relative took my money and betrayed his ruler. That is unforgivable and you know it, Shadah. Karimu will have to make do with what he is given. Or would you care to be punished in your nephew's place?" The Pharaoh narrowed his eyes dangerously, and the one called Shadah, whom Shadi felt somehow attatched to, bowed quickly and put a hand almost instinctively to the large gold Ankh at his chest.
"Forgive me, my Pharaoh. I did not seek to anger you." He paused as if choosing his words carefully. "My nephew should have thought his actions through more thoroughly. I have heard that his punishment is being meted out in the dungeons as we speak. It was… wise of you to do so. He is stubborn and arrogant, but if you release him, I am certain that he will –"
"Release him!?" the Pharaoh interrupted incredulously. "So he can betray me again? Never! Let him bleed until he is weakened enough, and then he will make a far better source of power than a servant of justice."
"But great one, he is barely grown yet! His lack of years and experience make him only a boy!" the man pleaded. "Please… Give him another chance. I promised his parents that I would watch him while he was here, and he is not at all pleasant to be with, but he is my own blood…"
"Silence!" the Pharaoh snapped. His eyes were blazing and the Puzzle around his neck was beginning to glow slightly. Shadi felt as if the Pharaoh was glaring at HIM. It made him want to run away and hide. Shadah was immediately silent, repressing his own shiver.
"He may be young, but his boy is old enough to be admitted into the high court. He will take responsibility for his actions. He would not serve his Pharaoh in life, so he must try to do better in his own twisted afterlife. His second chance will last for all eternity. Watch your tongue in the future, Shadah…"
Shadah swallowed nervously. "My Pharaoh, you know that I am forever your loyal servant…"
The Pharaoh smiled slightly. "I know. I would have given you the eternal life your nephew goes to, had you not declined. I am saddened that you will not join my eternal rule. But be grateful that your family shall live on beyond this time." He gave Shadah a generous smile.
Shadi felt a flash of hate towards this smug Pharaoh, and saw Shadah repress a look of anger and despair as he bowed low. "Yes, my Morning and Evening Star…" The Pharaoh looked on expectantly. Shadah lowered his eyes in shamed submission. "…Thank you for this great honor to my family…"
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Shadi's eyes shot open to stare into a pair of shining green eyes looking down at him. The concern in the other pair of eyes quickly turned to fear as a young man all in green scrambled to his feet and backed away quickly. He had pale skin, long straight green hair and green eyes. On his head was a cylindrical green hat with a gold cobra and the Eye of Horus on it. He wore a green shirt and loose green pants, with a green sash at his waist. There was a Millennium Ankh around his neck.
"Osiris take you, you clumsy oaf! Did you wake him up!?" There was another young man standing a few meters away. He wore a plain black robe with a blood-red turban and cape over it. His skin was as dark as Shadi's or perhaps a bit darker. Bits of black hair stuck out of the turban, and his eyes were smoky blue and without pupils, like Shadi's. He stalked angrily over to the green-haired one and hit him across the head.
"No! No, I didn't wake him! I was checking on him and he just opened his eyes!" the green-eyes man wailed, his voice trembling slightly.
"Excuse me," Shadi said quietly. Both sets of eyes turned to him. "Who are you? What happened? Where am I?"
The dark man in the turban glared and turned on him. "Who we are is none of your business!" He advanced menacingly on Shadi. You're in the Shadow Realm because you're too stupid to concentrate when you're casting a spell."
Still shaken from his nightmare, Shadi quickly held up the Scales. "Don't come any closer! I'll send you to Anubis!"
The man gave a short, humorless laugh. He pulled out another set of Millennium Scales from his robe that looked a bit shinier, but otherwise identical to Shadi's. "I have one too, moron. And unlike you, I know how to use it. Want to test your soul against Ma'ats feather?"
Shadi lowered his Scales nervously. "Where did you get that? And how would you know if I didn't know how to use them?"
The man grinned. "They're mine. I have more right to them than you, you lump. And I know far more than you could ever guess at!" he sneered.
Shadi narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?" he asked again suspiciously.
"I am the judge of your soul, little mortal," the turbaned man said in an ominous voice. He raised the Scales a bit more. "I ask the questions here."
"No, don't!" Shadi had almost forgotten the other man, with the green and gold hat. "You can't do that to him. He's only a child! Please! The risk is too great! And think what his father would do…"
"Shut up, weakling!" the one with the Scales glared over his shoulder, then turned back to Shadi. "So you worthless lump f a tapeworm… What will you do when you're guarding the Items?"
Shadi gulped, sensing danger. Both young men were quiet, waiting for his answer. "I… I'll try to keep the Items safe. And give them to their rightful owners. And I must serve the Pharaoh…" He shivered slightly, remembering his dream. "…sometimes. Are you… a guardian too? Or the Scales' owner? I thought they belonged to my father." Nervous as he was, Shadi realized that lying would be pointless. As he spoke, he felt a chill run down his spine. A white mist came from his mouth and settled in a small cloud on one side of the Scales as a white feather came to rest in the other balance. The feather sank. Shadi felt a sudden warmth accompanied by relief flooding through him. The green-clad man sighed shakily and smiled.
"I'm no guardian," the other one said roughly. He turned. "Go into his mind and wipe all memories of us. Then we're taking the dirty brat back."
The quieter man approached him hesitantly, taking his own Millennium Ankh from around his neck.
"Who ARE you?" Shadi asked, shaking his head in confusion. "And why do you have my father's Items too?"
The green-haired man smiled a little sadly. "Well we can't let you remember this meeting, so I guess it doesn't matter… We were sealed into the Ankh and Scales long ago. We're bonded to them forever."
Shadi's eyes widened. "So there ARE spirits in the Items! Then you know everything that goes on around you?"
The Ankh spirit's smile faltered a little. "Yes, we do… And I know you won't remember soon, but thank you so much for your kind treatment of our Items."
The angry Scale spirit growled softly. "Get on with it. His idiot father's trying to pull us back."
"Ah, of course." The lighter spirit smiled once more at Shadi. "It was a pleasure to meet you, master Shadi. Now you won't feel a thing, I promise." He pointed the Ankh to Shadi's forehead, turning it ninety degrees.
As the boy and the spirit of the Ankh faced each other, the Scales' spirit paced impatiently, gathering his Item's own power within him. After a moment the boy fell into a light sleep, and the green-haired man caught him and gently lowered him to the ground.
"All right, I took out any memories of us…" the pale spirit said. Are you ready?"
"Of course I am, camel-spittle! And you'd better be ready too!"
The Ankh's spirit nodded. Both of them became golden streams of light, flowing back into their respective Items. The two Items glowed, and the sleeping boy vanished from the Shadow Realm.
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"Thank Ra boy, I thought you'd been lost forever!"
Shadi opened his eyes to see his father smiling in relief. "What happened?"
"You almost didn't come back. I don't know what happened, but you're here now. Don't try that again for a while… Praise the Pharaoh for good fortune!"
Shadi felt a chill run down his spine. The Pharaoh… He vaguely remembered a dream about him.
"Ah, you look like you could use some food after that," Shedsunefertum suggested. "Come on, I'll get you some soup or something." Shadi got up and followed his father to the kitchen. The Ankh and Scales lay on the ground where he left them, gleaming in the torchlight.
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Late that night, two voices that Shadi wouldn't have recognized anymore met in his father's mind.
//I'm glad Shadi's back home safely with his father…//
\\How can you SAY that!? Are you really that brainless?\\
//He still needs him. You know that. And he isn't treated as badly as we are.//
\\Tch, well we'll have him in time…\\
//Please don't be so mean to him when the time comes… You saw yourself that he's a good person! His soul rose against Ma'at's feather!//
\\That's because he's just a kid, you fool! He hasn't had time to make his soul heavier yet! But he will, you'll see. He'll be just like the others. Or worse, he'll be like that freaky little gnome of a Pharaoh!\\
//…I don't think so. He'll do some regrettable things, of course. No one can escape that. But I don't think he'll change too drastically. Give him a chance!//
\\I've given them chances before, and look what it got me! Never again… And if you had an ounce of sense, you'd do the same!\\
//But each person is different! Some day, there has to be a guardian who won't be that way… I can't give up on ALL of them. People can be nice…//
\\You're living in a dream world. Wake up and look around you! You're just in denial. I've always known what people are like, and when you find out and come crawling back, I'll be here to say I told you so!\\
There was a sigh. //I just wish…//
\\What you wish doesn't matter! Face reality for a change! Rrg, get lost before I have to throw you out.\\
//I'm going. I hope… well, I hope things turn out all right. Some day…//
\\Keep hoping. It won't do any good.\\
One door slammed, and another closed quietly.
-
Endnote: Poor Scale's feeling fatalistic… After they were in most of the main part of the story, I didn't think I really needed the last bit, but I decided to put it there anyway. It's a nice way to complete things.
Sorry if that dream seemed a little random! I wanted to use the idea of Shadi meeting the Pharaoh, but obviously he can't do that! And I don't want him to REALLY meet Ankh and Scale yet. I think I'll save that for when his father dies, though there could be some nice conflict if it happened before that. Also, I figured that since Senui is Shadi's ancestor, but Shadah is also, they had to be related somehow. So poof, instant family connection! And Ankh wiped out all Shadi's memories of him and Scale, but since the dream didn't directly involve either of them, he still mostly remembers it. And also, "Morning and Evening Star" was a title for the Pharaoh, not some lover's name or anything! Ha, I know how you people think...
Well, what are you waiting for? Review! Give me a nice long one! ^_^ With lots of ideas and such that I can use, if you can!
No, Shadi wasn't a vampire in the last chapter! Remember in Three-In-One Combo when he went to see Pegasus in the hospital? Ankh made him invisible. He was doing the same thing, but Shadi didn't know it.
I KNOW Shadi's always antisocial. ^_^ So am I, but I still have days where I feel even more antisocial! Ooh, and what mean ideas to get him to be social!
Neema didn't burst into flames when she held the Ankh because Ankh's nice like that. And I think between people like his father and Neema, and then later Ankh and Scale arguing constantly in his mind, Shadi is the most patient person you'll find!
In this first scene, no matter how great Yami might have been, there's no disputing that Ankh's far nicer!
This is very much a chapter for Ankh and Scale. Lots of cool stuff here for them and Shadi. I like it! ^_^
The dream of the past is a little random, but I think it'll serve its purpose to Shadi, and also set up some family ties. If you don't know what's going on in the Ancient Egypt arc of the manga right now, you might want to find out.
Scale: *glares* Indigo doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh, so go away!
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Millennial Inheritance
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"Well let's see…" Shedsunefertum mused, staring at his son. "You're really coming along with the Ankh and Scales. You can sense other people, and read their minds to some extent. If they don't know how to block you. You can tell a truth from a lie. You still need to learn how to enter minds and change them with the Ankh, and judge a soul with the Scales, but you're doing pretty well. In fact, I want to try something else with them today. Feel up to a challenge?"
Shadi was weighing things on the Scales. He was convinced that they were broken, because when he put the Ankh on one side and a single Puzzle piece on the other side, the Ankh's side always rose slightly. His father had agreed that the Scales were quite warped, but they usually worked at judging souls. He looked up and nodded, tired of the Item's obviously skewed balance.
"Good, that's the spirit," his father said approvingly. "Now you know the Items' raw energy can be used to do a lot more than their specific tasks, right?" Shadi nodded. "Well the guardians developed a spell a long time ago to move across great distances."
"They can make people fly?" Shadi asked doubtfully, regarding the solid Ankh and cumbersome Scales.
"No, no. Just the opposite. You pass through the ground, but not really." At his son's blank look, Shedsunefertum shook his head in irritation. "I'm no good at explaining. You gather your Items' energy and get a destination in mind. You've got to be really specific, too. It helps if you can focus on a place or person you know well, or on a strong source of power like an Item. Then you make yourself sink into the floor, and just come up where you want to be. Make sense?"
Shadi blinked at him in confusion. "Not completely…"
His father reached down and grabbed the Ankh and Scales, making Shadi scramble for the Puzzle piece he had been weighing. He was gradually growing numb to its overwhelming power, but holding it still wasn't a pleasant task. He tossed the piece quickly into the box with the others and watched his father intently.
"You'll probably have to do a lot of preparation for this the first couple times, but here's the end result," Shedsunefertum said. He clasped a hand around each Item and closed his eyes for a moment. As the guardian took a deep breath, an unearthly breeze shot out from the ground under him. The floor suddenly turned misty, and white ripples spread from his feet. Shadi watched in awe as his father sank slowly through the ground, chanting something. After a split second, the other side of the room began to emanate white ripples, and Shadi watched his father resurface. He opened his eyes again, and grinned at Shadi's wide-eyed stare.
"That's the transport ritual. Or transportation spell, if you want to be more accurate. It can take you to the other side of a door, or the other side of the world."
"Can… you teach me to do that?" Shadi asked in admiration.
"Yeah, but it's not easy. This might be too advanced for you, but we can try it," his father said, eyeing Shadi critically.
They spent the next few hours preparing. Shadi had used the Ankh and Scales separately before, but never together. Right away the Scales resisted and the Ankh seemed to seek to meld its powers with the Scales' and Shadi. Shadi finally managed a tentative hold over them both, though. Next he had to memorize a spell in the ancient language which he barely understood while still maintaining control over the two Items. It was trying work, and he had to stop for some rest and food after a while. But finally, all that was left to do was for Shadi to fix a location in his mind. Since it was his first time, Shedsunefertum told him to just go from one side of the tablet that held the Items to the other.
Shadi was nervous as he held the Ankh and Scales. His father watched closely, though without the Items, Shadi thought there would be little he could do if something went wrong. The boy took a deep breath and ran though the spell's words one last time before gathering the Ankh and Scales' energy and beginning the chant. Shadi took on a blue aura that was so bright it was almost white. His father blinked and nodded in approval. Mist began to cover the floor as ripples of whiteness sprang from the ground. All of a sudden Shadi felt the floor under his feet soften. It was like sinking through a very thick fog. It was very strange. It made Shadi feel dizzy and slightly nauseous. And suddenly he was watching the darkness close over his head when he realized that he hadn't been thinking at all about where he would be resurfacing. His thoughts leapt to the other side of the tablet right before he passed out…
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When Shadi woke, he had no idea where he was. He felt very tired, and was grateful for the blanket covering him, because the air on his face was cold. He heard two quiet voices talking somewhere nearby, but he didn't have the energy to sit up and look.
"Do you think he's all right…?"
"You worry too much, you green goon! He won't freeze with your cape on him, and unfortunately we can't let the Shadow beasts eat him."
"I guess so… He just seems so unnaturally tired."
"That's because the little buffoon ended up in limbo instead of back in his house. Of all the weak-minded fools…"
"That's true. This is as safe a place as any to let him sleep…"
Shadi yawned and brought his arm up to rest his head on. He'd figure out who these people were later. For now, even staying awake took more strength than he had.
There was a muffled curse. "By Set, shut up! He'll hear us, and there'll be hell to pay when he tells his nitwit father!" The voice was a mere hiss. Shadi didn't even have time to think to himself that he wouldn't tell anyone before he fell asleep again.
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Shadi dreamed that he was watching two men talking. One was tall, with tattoos on his bald head, and wearing a simple robe and the Millennium Ankh. The other was short, with a starburst of multicolored hair. He wore a lot of gold jewelry including the completed Millennium Puzzle, rich robes, and a regal air about him. The more simply-dressed man was speaking.
"I know of my nephew's crimes, my Pharaoh. And in these dark times, no treason must go unpunished. But sealing him inside one of our sacred Items… It seems a bit too much, if you will forgive my saying so. And Karimu will not be pleased at such an inhabitant of his Item." The tattooed man cast his eyes down humbly.
"He imprisoned one of my most trusted friends! I made it quite clear that he should be found innocent, and your treacherous relative took my money and betrayed his ruler. That is unforgivable and you know it, Shadah. Karimu will have to make do with what he is given. Or would you care to be punished in your nephew's place?" The Pharaoh narrowed his eyes dangerously, and the one called Shadah, whom Shadi felt somehow attatched to, bowed quickly and put a hand almost instinctively to the large gold Ankh at his chest.
"Forgive me, my Pharaoh. I did not seek to anger you." He paused as if choosing his words carefully. "My nephew should have thought his actions through more thoroughly. I have heard that his punishment is being meted out in the dungeons as we speak. It was… wise of you to do so. He is stubborn and arrogant, but if you release him, I am certain that he will –"
"Release him!?" the Pharaoh interrupted incredulously. "So he can betray me again? Never! Let him bleed until he is weakened enough, and then he will make a far better source of power than a servant of justice."
"But great one, he is barely grown yet! His lack of years and experience make him only a boy!" the man pleaded. "Please… Give him another chance. I promised his parents that I would watch him while he was here, and he is not at all pleasant to be with, but he is my own blood…"
"Silence!" the Pharaoh snapped. His eyes were blazing and the Puzzle around his neck was beginning to glow slightly. Shadi felt as if the Pharaoh was glaring at HIM. It made him want to run away and hide. Shadah was immediately silent, repressing his own shiver.
"He may be young, but his boy is old enough to be admitted into the high court. He will take responsibility for his actions. He would not serve his Pharaoh in life, so he must try to do better in his own twisted afterlife. His second chance will last for all eternity. Watch your tongue in the future, Shadah…"
Shadah swallowed nervously. "My Pharaoh, you know that I am forever your loyal servant…"
The Pharaoh smiled slightly. "I know. I would have given you the eternal life your nephew goes to, had you not declined. I am saddened that you will not join my eternal rule. But be grateful that your family shall live on beyond this time." He gave Shadah a generous smile.
Shadi felt a flash of hate towards this smug Pharaoh, and saw Shadah repress a look of anger and despair as he bowed low. "Yes, my Morning and Evening Star…" The Pharaoh looked on expectantly. Shadah lowered his eyes in shamed submission. "…Thank you for this great honor to my family…"
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Shadi's eyes shot open to stare into a pair of shining green eyes looking down at him. The concern in the other pair of eyes quickly turned to fear as a young man all in green scrambled to his feet and backed away quickly. He had pale skin, long straight green hair and green eyes. On his head was a cylindrical green hat with a gold cobra and the Eye of Horus on it. He wore a green shirt and loose green pants, with a green sash at his waist. There was a Millennium Ankh around his neck.
"Osiris take you, you clumsy oaf! Did you wake him up!?" There was another young man standing a few meters away. He wore a plain black robe with a blood-red turban and cape over it. His skin was as dark as Shadi's or perhaps a bit darker. Bits of black hair stuck out of the turban, and his eyes were smoky blue and without pupils, like Shadi's. He stalked angrily over to the green-haired one and hit him across the head.
"No! No, I didn't wake him! I was checking on him and he just opened his eyes!" the green-eyes man wailed, his voice trembling slightly.
"Excuse me," Shadi said quietly. Both sets of eyes turned to him. "Who are you? What happened? Where am I?"
The dark man in the turban glared and turned on him. "Who we are is none of your business!" He advanced menacingly on Shadi. You're in the Shadow Realm because you're too stupid to concentrate when you're casting a spell."
Still shaken from his nightmare, Shadi quickly held up the Scales. "Don't come any closer! I'll send you to Anubis!"
The man gave a short, humorless laugh. He pulled out another set of Millennium Scales from his robe that looked a bit shinier, but otherwise identical to Shadi's. "I have one too, moron. And unlike you, I know how to use it. Want to test your soul against Ma'ats feather?"
Shadi lowered his Scales nervously. "Where did you get that? And how would you know if I didn't know how to use them?"
The man grinned. "They're mine. I have more right to them than you, you lump. And I know far more than you could ever guess at!" he sneered.
Shadi narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?" he asked again suspiciously.
"I am the judge of your soul, little mortal," the turbaned man said in an ominous voice. He raised the Scales a bit more. "I ask the questions here."
"No, don't!" Shadi had almost forgotten the other man, with the green and gold hat. "You can't do that to him. He's only a child! Please! The risk is too great! And think what his father would do…"
"Shut up, weakling!" the one with the Scales glared over his shoulder, then turned back to Shadi. "So you worthless lump f a tapeworm… What will you do when you're guarding the Items?"
Shadi gulped, sensing danger. Both young men were quiet, waiting for his answer. "I… I'll try to keep the Items safe. And give them to their rightful owners. And I must serve the Pharaoh…" He shivered slightly, remembering his dream. "…sometimes. Are you… a guardian too? Or the Scales' owner? I thought they belonged to my father." Nervous as he was, Shadi realized that lying would be pointless. As he spoke, he felt a chill run down his spine. A white mist came from his mouth and settled in a small cloud on one side of the Scales as a white feather came to rest in the other balance. The feather sank. Shadi felt a sudden warmth accompanied by relief flooding through him. The green-clad man sighed shakily and smiled.
"I'm no guardian," the other one said roughly. He turned. "Go into his mind and wipe all memories of us. Then we're taking the dirty brat back."
The quieter man approached him hesitantly, taking his own Millennium Ankh from around his neck.
"Who ARE you?" Shadi asked, shaking his head in confusion. "And why do you have my father's Items too?"
The green-haired man smiled a little sadly. "Well we can't let you remember this meeting, so I guess it doesn't matter… We were sealed into the Ankh and Scales long ago. We're bonded to them forever."
Shadi's eyes widened. "So there ARE spirits in the Items! Then you know everything that goes on around you?"
The Ankh spirit's smile faltered a little. "Yes, we do… And I know you won't remember soon, but thank you so much for your kind treatment of our Items."
The angry Scale spirit growled softly. "Get on with it. His idiot father's trying to pull us back."
"Ah, of course." The lighter spirit smiled once more at Shadi. "It was a pleasure to meet you, master Shadi. Now you won't feel a thing, I promise." He pointed the Ankh to Shadi's forehead, turning it ninety degrees.
As the boy and the spirit of the Ankh faced each other, the Scales' spirit paced impatiently, gathering his Item's own power within him. After a moment the boy fell into a light sleep, and the green-haired man caught him and gently lowered him to the ground.
"All right, I took out any memories of us…" the pale spirit said. Are you ready?"
"Of course I am, camel-spittle! And you'd better be ready too!"
The Ankh's spirit nodded. Both of them became golden streams of light, flowing back into their respective Items. The two Items glowed, and the sleeping boy vanished from the Shadow Realm.
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"Thank Ra boy, I thought you'd been lost forever!"
Shadi opened his eyes to see his father smiling in relief. "What happened?"
"You almost didn't come back. I don't know what happened, but you're here now. Don't try that again for a while… Praise the Pharaoh for good fortune!"
Shadi felt a chill run down his spine. The Pharaoh… He vaguely remembered a dream about him.
"Ah, you look like you could use some food after that," Shedsunefertum suggested. "Come on, I'll get you some soup or something." Shadi got up and followed his father to the kitchen. The Ankh and Scales lay on the ground where he left them, gleaming in the torchlight.
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Late that night, two voices that Shadi wouldn't have recognized anymore met in his father's mind.
//I'm glad Shadi's back home safely with his father…//
\\How can you SAY that!? Are you really that brainless?\\
//He still needs him. You know that. And he isn't treated as badly as we are.//
\\Tch, well we'll have him in time…\\
//Please don't be so mean to him when the time comes… You saw yourself that he's a good person! His soul rose against Ma'at's feather!//
\\That's because he's just a kid, you fool! He hasn't had time to make his soul heavier yet! But he will, you'll see. He'll be just like the others. Or worse, he'll be like that freaky little gnome of a Pharaoh!\\
//…I don't think so. He'll do some regrettable things, of course. No one can escape that. But I don't think he'll change too drastically. Give him a chance!//
\\I've given them chances before, and look what it got me! Never again… And if you had an ounce of sense, you'd do the same!\\
//But each person is different! Some day, there has to be a guardian who won't be that way… I can't give up on ALL of them. People can be nice…//
\\You're living in a dream world. Wake up and look around you! You're just in denial. I've always known what people are like, and when you find out and come crawling back, I'll be here to say I told you so!\\
There was a sigh. //I just wish…//
\\What you wish doesn't matter! Face reality for a change! Rrg, get lost before I have to throw you out.\\
//I'm going. I hope… well, I hope things turn out all right. Some day…//
\\Keep hoping. It won't do any good.\\
One door slammed, and another closed quietly.
-
Endnote: Poor Scale's feeling fatalistic… After they were in most of the main part of the story, I didn't think I really needed the last bit, but I decided to put it there anyway. It's a nice way to complete things.
Sorry if that dream seemed a little random! I wanted to use the idea of Shadi meeting the Pharaoh, but obviously he can't do that! And I don't want him to REALLY meet Ankh and Scale yet. I think I'll save that for when his father dies, though there could be some nice conflict if it happened before that. Also, I figured that since Senui is Shadi's ancestor, but Shadah is also, they had to be related somehow. So poof, instant family connection! And Ankh wiped out all Shadi's memories of him and Scale, but since the dream didn't directly involve either of them, he still mostly remembers it. And also, "Morning and Evening Star" was a title for the Pharaoh, not some lover's name or anything! Ha, I know how you people think...
Well, what are you waiting for? Review! Give me a nice long one! ^_^ With lots of ideas and such that I can use, if you can!