Hello again. I'm still waiting for my fifteen reviews, but I decided, heck, why not give them a few chapters? Actually, just one, but it should be good enough. Anyway, I've become resigned to the fact that people will only review for the stories by their favorite authors and obviously, I'm not one of them. I'll just write until the end and wait on it until then.
Disclaimer: Don't own a single thing except my soul and even that's not good enough for reviews. Oh well, on with the story.
Angel of Light
Chapter Nine
Parting of Ways
Another year passed for Seth and Celestia until they were on the brink of finishing their book learning. Since the day in the garden, they never were quite the same around each other, which many rejoiced in. Celestia was more subdued and Seth was more arrogant but they still strived for the top position.
"How am I supposed to ever tell him that I'm his sister if he won't even believe that I found the spell for changing objects into a different form purely by accident?" Celestia glanced longingly at the uniform that she would soon be able to wear.
"And you used it on his favorite book to change it into a lizard purely by accident?" Mas-Ne-Ra said, amused.
"No. That was on purpose, but he wanted to be the first one to try it out." She smiled with glee at the disgust on her brother's face when he reached for a bundle of dry papyrus but instead touched a scaly, moving creature. No amount of money would induce her to forget it and she took great pleasure in reminding him of that fact.
"When will I begin my journey throughout Egypt?" she asked, changing the topic. The goddess sighed, they had been over this several times, but Celestia never tired of it.
"For symbolic purposes, you will receive your uniform and necessary supplies when the next full moon rises. Your brother leaves the day before that while you leave the day after. That gives you four whole days to review everything you've learned, so get to it!" Celestia scowled at the small stone tablet which held a Kuriboh's spirit in it.
"I don't see when I'll need to use a Kuriboh to defend myself," she muttered but did it anyway with the barest flicker of power. A brown ball of fuzz with green limbs and huge eyes blinked at her a second later. "Okay, Kuriboh summoned, next thing?" she whisked the Shadow Monster back into its stone tablet and sent it back to the archive in her friend's palace which held thousands of tablets of the Shadow Monsters.
Mas-Ne-Ra made two tablets containing Monsters of considerable power appear before her. "Combine these two monsters to form Thousand Dragon," she commanded. Three seconds later, a miniature version of the Shadow Monster stood before her because the full-sized version would have crowded everything in the sanctuary.
"Last test, summon the Cosmo Queen without the tablet." A minute later, the female galaxy ruler stood before her and Celestia had a slightly smug look on her face. The Shadow Monster disappeared and they both sat down on chairs.
"Does this prove that I'm ready now?" the preteen demanded.
"I was just testing you: a priestess isn't a priestess just because of the monsters she can summon,"
"Need I list the number of things I've done?" Celestia began counting her deeds on her fingers. "I restrained that runaway Summoned Skull that broke free of its tablet, defused that ugly Gate Guardian, subdued hundreds of those nasty Kuribohs at a time, dealt with Osiris that one time he was looking for you, which, I must remind you, you still owe me a favor for." She stopped. "Should I go on?"
"No, I think you're ready now," Mas-Ne-Ra hastily said. "I just want to tell you something."
"I'm listening."
"I've been observing you over the years, as you surely know," she said. "I've come to the conclusion to make you the equivalent of a demi- goddess."
"That's certainly better than saying, take the horse and get out of my sight," Celestia said weakly. "Exactly how am I going to be made one of the pantheon?"
"I will adopt you and formally make you my daughter before witnesses; you will serve as my voice and will bow to no one except Ra or me."
"I can't do that!" Celestia exclaimed. "I have to show allegiance to the Pharaoh! To not bow to him is treason and punishable by death or banishment!" She walked around, waving her hands around to accent her point. "Even if I was a goddess, I would still be loyal to Egypt. And the Pharaoh is Ra on Earth, so how would I get out of that?"
Mas-Ne-Ra rolled her eyes. "The Pharaoh is an embodiment of Ra; he's not the real thing," she pointed out. "He might have the powers of the gods, but he won't be a god until he passes on and becomes Osiris. An imitation and the real thing can't compare, Celestia."
"Won't the other gods object?"
"No. I know that you'll live up to it just fine. I'll be guiding you some of the time, so just know that you won't be alone."
"Comforting, I'm sure. I still get privacy, don't I?"
"Yes, yes." She waved the matter away impatiently. "Have you said your goodbyes yet?"
"Yes I have. The adults weren't so very nice and the children my age frankly were jealous. Malik I didn't bother with and Seth, he's going to have to say goodbye to me before I do to him." Celestia looked one last time at the uniform and it beckoned to her. She looked away.
"Nice to know that you'll be missed."
"Missed because they won't have anyone to pick on anymore," Celestia snorted with derision. "Still, I really will miss the sanctuary and the garden. My room has too many pranks in it to be fond of."
"Remember that while you travel, you'll have to look out for thieves."
"The thieves would probably find it in their best interest to ignore me. I had lessons for four years in defense and I know that they don't want to face a demi-goddess in a Shadow Game."
"Don't tell anyone about your family,"
"What family? Orphan, remember?"
"And don't forget about-"
"Don't worry, I'll be fine. You have taught me plenty of spells and I'm sure that I'll have a chance to use them." Celestia felt brave, but if she had any idea of what was ahead in her future, she would have listened to all of her friend's tips.
"And now, we proclaim you, Seth, a priest of Set, and send you on your way with many blessings and hopes of success!" the Head Priest said loudly. Seth stood on a slightly raised platform and his face was inscrutable. Celestia stood at the very back of the courtyard where the shadows were darkest, hoping to avoid attention. In spite of this, Malik still saw where she was and quietly stood next to her. She contemplated punching him away, but that would attract attention, one thing which she didn't want.
"Guess what I found in a spell book?" he asked mockingly.
"A spell to turn your hair into a bunch of snakes, I hope," Celestia snapped.
"So sorry to disappoint you," he said, his voice oily and thoroughly detestable. "I can manage something to make your face scaly, though." The girl edged away from him.
"What do you want, Malik?" she asked wearily. "And don't say ultimate power because surprisingly, that's one thing that only Ra has."
"Ever heard of the Power Transfer spell?" he asked. Celestia sighed loudly and said,
"No, and I don't want to know." She stepped farther away. He moved closer, hemming her in. "Has anyone told you that your breath smells really bad?"
"The spell allows me to absorb anyone's power by drinking a mouthful of their blood. Unfortunately, the person dies afterwards." Malik smiled. "Guess who I'm thinking of?"
Celestia froze. "That's sick, Malik. I didn't think you would stoop that low." Malik laughed darkly and moved an inch. Celestia saw a flash of moonlight on metal and dived to the side. A second later, a knife struck savagely at the space she had occupied previously.
Thank you so much for teaching me to anticipate attacks in the dark, Celestia said silently to her defense teacher. I didn't think that an attack would come from a student! She rolled to the side as he struck again and got to her feet.
"In the name of Osiris, I bind you!" she whispered quickly and formed a circle with her fingers. Malik's arms and legs snapped together as his knife dropped to the floor. Celestia picked up his knife and threw it away, glad that it hadn't touched her flesh.
"You won't be protected by your goddess friend forever!" Malik whispered hoarsely. "And the second that her protection lifts from you, I'll be there. I swear!" Gravel crunched under Celestia's feet as she backed away from the wall. Moonlight fell amidst the shadows and illuminated Celestia's face and Malik's. His eyes widened.
"You!" he exclaimed. "You look just like him! An illusion spell?!" he looked ready to shout out the news to all and would have if Celestia didn't kneel by his side and say,
"You will not tell anyone of this night until I am either dead or have given you permission to speak of my secret!" she bound him with a powerful memory spell and he fell unconscious. Celestia emerged from the shadows again as a black-haired, brown-eyed girl who looked nothing like Seth.
I have to be more careful, she thought. This night almost unraveled all that I had worked for!
"Hurry up, girl! You have to say something nice to Seth!" someone shouted. She walked unnoticed over to her twin and tapped him on the shoulder. He wore blue robes and a gold and blue headdress.
"That headdress can't be comfortable," she said to him in greeting.
"It wasn't at first, but now it's fine," he said quietly. His voice was almost drowned in all the noise around them. Celestia saw he was pale and drawn.
"What's the matter?"
"My father wants me to return to Memphis immediately, as in right after the ceremony. He wants to start me on my duties right away and I'll have to face the nobles again." He shuddered.
"You don't like them?" she asked, surprised. After all, he was one of them, and she would have been one too if Akenadin didn't abandon her in the desert.
"Not really, but I detest the girls. They talk and flirt too much for my taste. The only one I could stand for a long period of time was you, but you're not a noble. The only decent child my age is Atem, the prince, and he's so serious." He looked at the moon, knowing that the next time he did so, he would be on the balcony of a city home.
Celestia privately rejoiced in the fact that Seth thought she wasn't annoying. "There's not much ambition in you, huh? That's one thing that separates you from your father."
"You're right. I really don't want to be like him, always scheming for my next promotion like a weasel. If he tells me to, I'll do it, but I won't enjoy it."
"Good. Here's my word of advice then." Seth looked at her. "Remember that the higher you climb in life, the longer and harder you'll fall. Just think on that while you endure the crowds of chattering, amorous girls of noble blood." She smiled and went back into the crowd, leaving Seth to ponder her words.
The next morning, she was riding a horse across the hot desert dressed in her full uniform. The previous night, she had been accepted as a priestess and was on her way to the village of Kuruelna, rumored to host thieves.
Okay, that's all of it. Will I get fifteen reviews this time? You'll know if another chapter appears!
