Author's Notes: Eee, reviewers, how I've missed you. ^_^ I squeal with joy at each and every one of you. Sadly, since I took so long to update, I'm afraid that my Shadi-following had dropped drastically… Arg, I'll have to fix that! And it took so long to build up, too! *sigh* Oh well…
Yeah, don't be fooled into thinking that Ankh's really as weak and useless and Scale says… He can fight for himself too, he just usually chooses not to.
Vykky, I think tales of Crazy Uncle Ahmed will have to become more of a regular thing. At least until he loses all his limbs. ^_^ Hm, Ankh and Scale in each others' clothes…? That would be interesting… Though I'm not sure if they'd fit each other very well! I'll ponder drawing that for a while, then probably be lazy and forget about it… ^_^ Heh, looks like poor Ankhkare's got a fangirl! And by the way, you're going to post the funny things that Seena says you've written. That's an order, not a request.
Crossover Authoress, you're right about Ankh's sealing… Kind of. Not completely, though. I'll have to write stories for Ankhkare and Senui some time, because at this point Ankh still doesn't remember anything much, and Scale's not telling what he knows.
Yep, Seena and Queen of Games are doing an amazing job with the rants… Though they don't like it much. And I'm seriously contemplating stopping the rants. They're not so popular anymore anyway, so would anyone be crushed for life if I didn't update them anymore?
Seena, thanks for fixing my quotation marks and apostrophes and such! ^_^ I tried to do it, but it ignored my attempts. Oh, here's where Senui saw you talking about taking Chibi to the Underworld! I guess he got the two times mixed up. Heh, that ought to confuse people enough for the moment. ^_^
This chapter is pretty short, and again, not the funniest, but it's still good! Much cuteness!
Scale: *glares* First of all, Indigo doesn't own anything. She thinks she owns me and the freak in the Ankh, but I'd say it's the other way around. Everything she says here is a lie. And as you read this, pay close attention… …Because then you won't see me sneak into your house to swipe your chocolate. Which you don't deserve anyway, you pathetic mortals! Go fall off a camel!
-
Millennial Inheritance
-
Shedsunefertum was out for the day. He had gone to visit a "business partner"… Shadi wasn't sure what kind of business they did, but he didn't mind. He had his own plans for the day.
Shadi had decided to visit his mother, who lived on the other side of the Nile. His father didn't like him to see her, but over the past year he had gone whenever he had a day to himself. She was very nice, but she always tried to get Shadi to stay with her. He and his father both knew that he had to learn how to be a Guardian competently, though. Shadi had been taught that this was the most important thing in his life. It WAS his life. His mother didn't agree with that for him, or for his father either. She hadn't been willing to take the back seat to a set of gold artifacts, no matter how powerful, so she had gone back to live with her parents when Shadi was very young. Shadi, agreeing at least marginally with both of them, stayed on the good side of both with very little difficulty.
Unfortunately, Shadi couldn't just leave the Items alone all day while he went. His father would be furious! So he had to bring them with him. The Ankh was no problem, it would even me useful. He could try the transportation spell again, and concentrate more this time. But the Scales were very big, and hard to carry inconspicuously. So after a few failed attempts to tuck them under his robe, Shadi finally just grabbed a bag he could carry on his back, and put them in there.
Shadi spent a long time preparing for the transportation ritual. He centered and focused his energy, drawing on the Ankh and Scales as well. The Ankh obeyed him, though the Scales seemed reluctant. Finally, chanting the spell, Shadi sank through the floor, thinking as hard as he could about his mother and grandparents' house. He tried to do it himself as much as he could, but found himself having to rely heavily on the Millennium Items for help.
****************************************************************************************************************************
Shadi rose back up in the sunlight, frightening a few passersby. He felt extremely drained of power, but smiled at his success. He took a moment to straighten his rob and tuck the Ankh under it before knocking at his mother's door.
His grandmother, a woman of medium height with silver hair tied back in a bun, answered the door.
"Shadi! It's so good to see you! I was just fixing lunch. Let me get your mother. Will you have time to join us for lunch? We're having roast chicken, and there should be plenty." The old woman ushered Shadi inside as she spoke. She took his bag with the Scales, but that didn't bother him. "Your grandfather's out at the market, but he should be back for lunch. Oh, Inaya, Shadi's here!"
His mother looked up from the loom she was sitting at and smiled, coming over to greet him. She was just a little taller than average, with sparkling blue eyes, dark skin, fine features, and long black hair bound back in a braid.
"Shadi!" she exclaimed, hugging him. "It's been so long! I've missed you…"
They spent a while catching up on news with each other. Shadi was tactful about what he mentioned. His mother looked at him with a critical eye and suggested that he needed a haircut, and he should wash his hands before he ate. Shadi nodded, knowing that he would wash his hands, but he probably wouldn't get his hair cut for a while.
Soon lunch was ready, and Shadi sat respectfully as his grandfather offered a prayer to the gods. Though he and his father worshipped the gods just as much as his mother and her family, this was a ritual they didn't normally do, but Shadi didn't have a problem with it. The chicken was very good, and he told his grandparents many of the same things he had told his mother. He also answered quite a few questions.
After lunch, Shadi's grandfather went back to the market to give his assistant a lunch break. They lived close enough to the market on this side of the river that he could come home for meal breaks. As he got up to help wash dishes, Shadi remembered something. He dug in his pocket and brought out a small, egg-shaped piece of amber with a tiny, perfectly-preserved leaf inside.
"I remembered that this was your favorite, and your birthday was two weeks ago…" he said, shyly offering the shining orange stone to his mother. She looked surprised and amazingly pleased, exclaiming over it a bit more than Shadi thought was necessary. She hugged him again and told him that he was the sweetest boy ever born, much to his embarrassment.
"I'm glad you like it… but I should go now…" Shadi said, blushing slightly. He wanted to be home before his father returned. His mother frowned at this.
"You don't have to go back, you know. You could live here with me, Shadi," she pleaded, as she did every time. And as always, Shadi considered it… but as usual, he shook his head.
Being used to the routine, his mother gave a resigned sigh. "All right. Come back soon, though."
Shadi nodded, and his grandmother went to get his bag. When it clanked as he took it form her, his mother's eyes gained a suspicious glint. She knew what was in there, and she didn't like it. The reason why he hadn't been hot or sweaty when he arrived also became clear. She knew what the Millennium Items were capable of, and she didn't approve.
"Let me walk with you to the ferry," she suggested. Shadi knew he should practice the transportation spell again, but seeing her expression, he knew better than to argue.
"All right," he said rather meekly.
Shadi and his mother walked down a few residential streets and through a large marketplace on their way to the river. They waved at his grandfather as they passed him. Finally they arrived at the docks, where the ferry would be leaving soon. His mother bent to give him a kiss and tell him she loved him. Shadi blushed, embarrassed by all the people around, and muttered that he loved her too.
"Shadi?" a voice called. Shadi turned quickly to see another, taller boy walking towards him carrying a leather ball, a hair clip encrusted with blue stones, and a large jar of live eels.
"Rishid!" he exclaimed, glad to see the other boy but hoping he hadn't been watching earlier.
"Is this a friend of yours?" Shadi's mother asked, smiling at Rishid.
"Kind of," Shadi answered, not really sure. Rishid smiled and bowed slightly in greeting.
"My name is Rishid. It's nice to meet you," he said quietly.
"I'm glad to meet you too, Rishid," Shadi's mother said. "Shadi needs more friends! Oh, the ferry's about to leave." She said goodbye to Shadi once more and gave each of the boys a piece of candy before she left and they scrambled onto the crowded boat to cross the wide river.
"You said you hadn't seen your mother since you were little," Rishid reminded Shadi. "She's very nice." He unwrapped his piece of candy and put it into his mouth, careful not to drop anything he was holding.
"I started going to see her this year," Shadi explained. Then he frowned slightly. "You said you weren't allowed outside, didn't you?"
Rishid shrugged. "I'm the lowest of the low in my house. Useless servants like me can go out to do things sometimes. That's the only good thing about not being a real part of the family." Rishid shifted the jar of eels, making them swim around in frantic circles. "Today I have a ball for Malik, a clip for Isis's hair, and 'master' Ishtar's precious freshwater eels… Though he may decide that he's always asked for and gotten salt water ones." Rishid made a face somewhere between disgust and resignation.
Shadi's eyes widened, and he dropped his bag in shock. The Scales fell to the deck with a clatter. He hadn't realized that Rishid lived with the Ishtars. He quickly bent down and picked the Scales up, putting them in their bag again, but not before Rishid had gotten a good look.
"The Eye of Horus… It's the same on our Millennium Rod and Tauk." Rishid frowned. "Where did you get that?"
Shadi panicked for a second because of what he had just learned, and couldn't think of a lie quickly enough for it to sound natural, so he had to tell the truth.
"My father… is the Guardian of the Millennium Items. We're supposed to keep them safe for their owners. And the Pharaoh, eventually." Anyone not brought up in the old ways would probably laugh, but he figured that Rishid would understand.
"The Guardian!?" Rishid's eyes widened. "I didn't know you were HIS son! Mr. Ishtar's always cursing him!"
Shadi nodded. "I didn't know you lived with Mr. Ishtar either. My father hates HIM just as much…"
"So… our families are mortal enemies…?" Rishid said quietly, staring at his eels. There was a long, awkward silence.
"But… just because they hate each other doesn't mean WE have to be enemies," Shadi said, looking hopefully at the other boy.
Rishid looked relieved. "No, we don't have to. We just can't tell them, that's all."
Shadi agreed quickly as the ferry docked on their side of the Nile. The would have liked to be able to talk more, but Rishid had to get home fast, and Shadi didn't want to risk arriving later than his father either. They smiled and waved to each other as they parted ways, hoping to see each other again soon. Shadi bought a meat pie to eat on his way home, and was smiling in his sleep when Shedsunefertum returned late that night.
*******************************************************************************************************************************
Later that night, the two voices met in the guardian's mind as usual.
\\Don't tell me, you're glad the little worm has a friend and a mother and all that crap, right?\\ the derisive voice sneered.
//Of course I'm glad!//
\\You're so predictable...\\
//…But I was going to say, maybe when we're in his possession, he won't mind if we talk a little.//
\\Tch, I'D be glad for something sweet right about now… And don't count on that! It's not like he'll be the guardian any time soon, anyway!\\
//He's getting a lot better…//
\\Heh, don't think of him as competent just yet!\\
//Of course not. He's still young. Give him some time though, and he will be.//
\\Don't count on it! Heh, I'm just waiting for our idiot and Ishtar to kill each other so their stupid children can all fight for power.\\
//I wouldn't be too surprised if that happened. Hopefully not too soon, though. Shadi still needs more experience, and who knows what the Ishtar children are like… We've only seen the boy who was adopted. He seems nice though, so I'm sure the others can't be too bad. Hopefully they'll ALL be all right in the end.//
\\Ha, only a fool like you would worry about both sides. Go away, I think he's waking up.\\
//…You're right. I'll see you tomorrow!//
\\Unless he finally screams us out of existence! You know that's what he's going for!\\
There was a sigh, a dark laugh, and the sound of two doors closing.
-
Endnotes: Yeah, not long enough, but still good. I liked this, what about you?
Oh, and I think bringing Isis into the story (before big things start happening) would be fun, but I'm not sure how I'd do that… any ideas? Please leave me a long, interesting, inspiring, though-provoking, laughter-inducing, tear-jerking review that will keep me on the edge of my seat. See some of the previous long reviews for reference guides. Thanks! ^_^
Yeah, don't be fooled into thinking that Ankh's really as weak and useless and Scale says… He can fight for himself too, he just usually chooses not to.
Vykky, I think tales of Crazy Uncle Ahmed will have to become more of a regular thing. At least until he loses all his limbs. ^_^ Hm, Ankh and Scale in each others' clothes…? That would be interesting… Though I'm not sure if they'd fit each other very well! I'll ponder drawing that for a while, then probably be lazy and forget about it… ^_^ Heh, looks like poor Ankhkare's got a fangirl! And by the way, you're going to post the funny things that Seena says you've written. That's an order, not a request.
Crossover Authoress, you're right about Ankh's sealing… Kind of. Not completely, though. I'll have to write stories for Ankhkare and Senui some time, because at this point Ankh still doesn't remember anything much, and Scale's not telling what he knows.
Yep, Seena and Queen of Games are doing an amazing job with the rants… Though they don't like it much. And I'm seriously contemplating stopping the rants. They're not so popular anymore anyway, so would anyone be crushed for life if I didn't update them anymore?
Seena, thanks for fixing my quotation marks and apostrophes and such! ^_^ I tried to do it, but it ignored my attempts. Oh, here's where Senui saw you talking about taking Chibi to the Underworld! I guess he got the two times mixed up. Heh, that ought to confuse people enough for the moment. ^_^
This chapter is pretty short, and again, not the funniest, but it's still good! Much cuteness!
Scale: *glares* First of all, Indigo doesn't own anything. She thinks she owns me and the freak in the Ankh, but I'd say it's the other way around. Everything she says here is a lie. And as you read this, pay close attention… …Because then you won't see me sneak into your house to swipe your chocolate. Which you don't deserve anyway, you pathetic mortals! Go fall off a camel!
-
Millennial Inheritance
-
Shedsunefertum was out for the day. He had gone to visit a "business partner"… Shadi wasn't sure what kind of business they did, but he didn't mind. He had his own plans for the day.
Shadi had decided to visit his mother, who lived on the other side of the Nile. His father didn't like him to see her, but over the past year he had gone whenever he had a day to himself. She was very nice, but she always tried to get Shadi to stay with her. He and his father both knew that he had to learn how to be a Guardian competently, though. Shadi had been taught that this was the most important thing in his life. It WAS his life. His mother didn't agree with that for him, or for his father either. She hadn't been willing to take the back seat to a set of gold artifacts, no matter how powerful, so she had gone back to live with her parents when Shadi was very young. Shadi, agreeing at least marginally with both of them, stayed on the good side of both with very little difficulty.
Unfortunately, Shadi couldn't just leave the Items alone all day while he went. His father would be furious! So he had to bring them with him. The Ankh was no problem, it would even me useful. He could try the transportation spell again, and concentrate more this time. But the Scales were very big, and hard to carry inconspicuously. So after a few failed attempts to tuck them under his robe, Shadi finally just grabbed a bag he could carry on his back, and put them in there.
Shadi spent a long time preparing for the transportation ritual. He centered and focused his energy, drawing on the Ankh and Scales as well. The Ankh obeyed him, though the Scales seemed reluctant. Finally, chanting the spell, Shadi sank through the floor, thinking as hard as he could about his mother and grandparents' house. He tried to do it himself as much as he could, but found himself having to rely heavily on the Millennium Items for help.
****************************************************************************************************************************
Shadi rose back up in the sunlight, frightening a few passersby. He felt extremely drained of power, but smiled at his success. He took a moment to straighten his rob and tuck the Ankh under it before knocking at his mother's door.
His grandmother, a woman of medium height with silver hair tied back in a bun, answered the door.
"Shadi! It's so good to see you! I was just fixing lunch. Let me get your mother. Will you have time to join us for lunch? We're having roast chicken, and there should be plenty." The old woman ushered Shadi inside as she spoke. She took his bag with the Scales, but that didn't bother him. "Your grandfather's out at the market, but he should be back for lunch. Oh, Inaya, Shadi's here!"
His mother looked up from the loom she was sitting at and smiled, coming over to greet him. She was just a little taller than average, with sparkling blue eyes, dark skin, fine features, and long black hair bound back in a braid.
"Shadi!" she exclaimed, hugging him. "It's been so long! I've missed you…"
They spent a while catching up on news with each other. Shadi was tactful about what he mentioned. His mother looked at him with a critical eye and suggested that he needed a haircut, and he should wash his hands before he ate. Shadi nodded, knowing that he would wash his hands, but he probably wouldn't get his hair cut for a while.
Soon lunch was ready, and Shadi sat respectfully as his grandfather offered a prayer to the gods. Though he and his father worshipped the gods just as much as his mother and her family, this was a ritual they didn't normally do, but Shadi didn't have a problem with it. The chicken was very good, and he told his grandparents many of the same things he had told his mother. He also answered quite a few questions.
After lunch, Shadi's grandfather went back to the market to give his assistant a lunch break. They lived close enough to the market on this side of the river that he could come home for meal breaks. As he got up to help wash dishes, Shadi remembered something. He dug in his pocket and brought out a small, egg-shaped piece of amber with a tiny, perfectly-preserved leaf inside.
"I remembered that this was your favorite, and your birthday was two weeks ago…" he said, shyly offering the shining orange stone to his mother. She looked surprised and amazingly pleased, exclaiming over it a bit more than Shadi thought was necessary. She hugged him again and told him that he was the sweetest boy ever born, much to his embarrassment.
"I'm glad you like it… but I should go now…" Shadi said, blushing slightly. He wanted to be home before his father returned. His mother frowned at this.
"You don't have to go back, you know. You could live here with me, Shadi," she pleaded, as she did every time. And as always, Shadi considered it… but as usual, he shook his head.
Being used to the routine, his mother gave a resigned sigh. "All right. Come back soon, though."
Shadi nodded, and his grandmother went to get his bag. When it clanked as he took it form her, his mother's eyes gained a suspicious glint. She knew what was in there, and she didn't like it. The reason why he hadn't been hot or sweaty when he arrived also became clear. She knew what the Millennium Items were capable of, and she didn't approve.
"Let me walk with you to the ferry," she suggested. Shadi knew he should practice the transportation spell again, but seeing her expression, he knew better than to argue.
"All right," he said rather meekly.
Shadi and his mother walked down a few residential streets and through a large marketplace on their way to the river. They waved at his grandfather as they passed him. Finally they arrived at the docks, where the ferry would be leaving soon. His mother bent to give him a kiss and tell him she loved him. Shadi blushed, embarrassed by all the people around, and muttered that he loved her too.
"Shadi?" a voice called. Shadi turned quickly to see another, taller boy walking towards him carrying a leather ball, a hair clip encrusted with blue stones, and a large jar of live eels.
"Rishid!" he exclaimed, glad to see the other boy but hoping he hadn't been watching earlier.
"Is this a friend of yours?" Shadi's mother asked, smiling at Rishid.
"Kind of," Shadi answered, not really sure. Rishid smiled and bowed slightly in greeting.
"My name is Rishid. It's nice to meet you," he said quietly.
"I'm glad to meet you too, Rishid," Shadi's mother said. "Shadi needs more friends! Oh, the ferry's about to leave." She said goodbye to Shadi once more and gave each of the boys a piece of candy before she left and they scrambled onto the crowded boat to cross the wide river.
"You said you hadn't seen your mother since you were little," Rishid reminded Shadi. "She's very nice." He unwrapped his piece of candy and put it into his mouth, careful not to drop anything he was holding.
"I started going to see her this year," Shadi explained. Then he frowned slightly. "You said you weren't allowed outside, didn't you?"
Rishid shrugged. "I'm the lowest of the low in my house. Useless servants like me can go out to do things sometimes. That's the only good thing about not being a real part of the family." Rishid shifted the jar of eels, making them swim around in frantic circles. "Today I have a ball for Malik, a clip for Isis's hair, and 'master' Ishtar's precious freshwater eels… Though he may decide that he's always asked for and gotten salt water ones." Rishid made a face somewhere between disgust and resignation.
Shadi's eyes widened, and he dropped his bag in shock. The Scales fell to the deck with a clatter. He hadn't realized that Rishid lived with the Ishtars. He quickly bent down and picked the Scales up, putting them in their bag again, but not before Rishid had gotten a good look.
"The Eye of Horus… It's the same on our Millennium Rod and Tauk." Rishid frowned. "Where did you get that?"
Shadi panicked for a second because of what he had just learned, and couldn't think of a lie quickly enough for it to sound natural, so he had to tell the truth.
"My father… is the Guardian of the Millennium Items. We're supposed to keep them safe for their owners. And the Pharaoh, eventually." Anyone not brought up in the old ways would probably laugh, but he figured that Rishid would understand.
"The Guardian!?" Rishid's eyes widened. "I didn't know you were HIS son! Mr. Ishtar's always cursing him!"
Shadi nodded. "I didn't know you lived with Mr. Ishtar either. My father hates HIM just as much…"
"So… our families are mortal enemies…?" Rishid said quietly, staring at his eels. There was a long, awkward silence.
"But… just because they hate each other doesn't mean WE have to be enemies," Shadi said, looking hopefully at the other boy.
Rishid looked relieved. "No, we don't have to. We just can't tell them, that's all."
Shadi agreed quickly as the ferry docked on their side of the Nile. The would have liked to be able to talk more, but Rishid had to get home fast, and Shadi didn't want to risk arriving later than his father either. They smiled and waved to each other as they parted ways, hoping to see each other again soon. Shadi bought a meat pie to eat on his way home, and was smiling in his sleep when Shedsunefertum returned late that night.
*******************************************************************************************************************************
Later that night, the two voices met in the guardian's mind as usual.
\\Don't tell me, you're glad the little worm has a friend and a mother and all that crap, right?\\ the derisive voice sneered.
//Of course I'm glad!//
\\You're so predictable...\\
//…But I was going to say, maybe when we're in his possession, he won't mind if we talk a little.//
\\Tch, I'D be glad for something sweet right about now… And don't count on that! It's not like he'll be the guardian any time soon, anyway!\\
//He's getting a lot better…//
\\Heh, don't think of him as competent just yet!\\
//Of course not. He's still young. Give him some time though, and he will be.//
\\Don't count on it! Heh, I'm just waiting for our idiot and Ishtar to kill each other so their stupid children can all fight for power.\\
//I wouldn't be too surprised if that happened. Hopefully not too soon, though. Shadi still needs more experience, and who knows what the Ishtar children are like… We've only seen the boy who was adopted. He seems nice though, so I'm sure the others can't be too bad. Hopefully they'll ALL be all right in the end.//
\\Ha, only a fool like you would worry about both sides. Go away, I think he's waking up.\\
//…You're right. I'll see you tomorrow!//
\\Unless he finally screams us out of existence! You know that's what he's going for!\\
There was a sigh, a dark laugh, and the sound of two doors closing.
-
Endnotes: Yeah, not long enough, but still good. I liked this, what about you?
Oh, and I think bringing Isis into the story (before big things start happening) would be fun, but I'm not sure how I'd do that… any ideas? Please leave me a long, interesting, inspiring, though-provoking, laughter-inducing, tear-jerking review that will keep me on the edge of my seat. See some of the previous long reviews for reference guides. Thanks! ^_^