Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The One Who Inherits The Light ❯ A Summons To Waset ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Karen A
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.31.2005 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.1K | Visits: 252 | Status: Completed

Chapter 1
A Summons To Waset
 
By the next morning the storm had passed and the desert skies were clearing...
Seto was up moments before dawn. After washing, dressing in his favorite green shirt and trousers and straightening up his room, he made his way out to the front courtyard to greet Ra as it rose from the Nile and climbed higher and higher into the morning sky...
Si-amun, Mutnodjmet and the girls were already up as well. The elderly man was tending the front vegetable garden, making sure none of the plants and vegetables had been ruined by the storm, and his wife was busy sweeping the leaves the storm had blown all over the courtyard into a neat pile. Nearby, Mariasha, Khu and Kiya were picking up all the blossoms and petals the storm had blown lose from the flower garden and putting them into little makeshift bouquets and garlands for their hair and around their necks.
"Ahh! Good morning, Seto, dear," Mut called to him.
Si gave him a brief wave. "Morning, son."
Kaiba smiled at the two people he almost dared to think of as his second parents now. "Morning."
"Niisama!," Asha called out in greeting. Though a Japanese word, she insisted on calling him that.
Khu and Kiya laughed and held up all the flowers they'd gathered. "Look at all the pwetty flowers the storm blew around, Uncle Setty!," Khu announced.
"Pwetty pwetty flowers!," Kiya giggled.
"Now you three remember to only take the flowers the wind blew off the trees and bushes, alright?," their grandmother reminded them.
The young former CEO found a pile of clean wet laundry, put inside the other evening so the storm would not blow it away, and soon began pinning the clean linens up on the clothes line…
After a few moments, Nephthys came out into the courtyard to join them. “Good morning, everyone,” she said as she straightened the head band she wore so her hair would not fall into her eyes.
“Good morning!,” Si, Mut and the girls greeted her cheerfully.
Seto smiled. “Morning, Vixen.”
The Lady of the house soon joined him in pinning the wet clothes up to dry. “As soon as we're finished with this I'll start making some breakfast. Any more trouble sleeping, Anu?,” she asked with a knowing look. Just as he still called her “Vixen” and “Kitsune”, her nickname for him had also stuck.
“No,” he answered. That orange spice tea of hers was just what he had needed to set him right again. “But it's strange… Last night was the third time this week I've had that dream…”
The same dream three times this week?. She raised an eyebrow with interest. “Well, that is news.”
“Oh, please,” Kaiba scoffed as they pegged the last of the linens onto the line to dry. “Don't tell me you believe in those idiotic superstitions.”
Nephthys shook her head with an amused smile. What was she going to do with him?. “In case you've forgotten, Mister one-time President of Kaiba Corporation, those “idiotic superstitions” are the very things that brought you here.”
The young former CEO nodded ruefully… “I suppose that's true…” he admitted…
 
 
Breakfast was milk, sweetened with honey, several fruit juices, eggs, fresh fruit and bread, delicious fruit and honey pastries and little cakes.
“So, why don't you tell us about this dream of yours, Seto dear?,” Mutnodjmet urged as she finished off a honey cake. True, she was no Yosef(1), but she and the family were willing to offer any input and advice they could.
Holding his cup of honeyed milk in his hands, Seto looked around the table at all of them, looking at him with interest… Nephthys, Mariasha, Si-amun, Mutnodjmet, Khu, Kiya and that fleabag, Kuribo… In less then two years they had all been a better family to him then Gozaburo was for nearly six… He wasn't usually the type to talk about his dreams or nightmares with anyone, but if he was going to, then it should be them…
“Well,” he started hesitantly. “It's probably nothing… Just a memory of something from when I was that priest… Set…” Here he looked at Nephthys. “You know allot of memories have been coming back since I decided to stay here.”
Since before that too, The Lady of the House thought with a nod. Not that he would have admitted it then though. “Please, do continue,” she urged.
Kaiba looked down at his cup… “I didn't see it very clearly…. But I saw myself… No, Set… He was holding someone… It looked like a young woman or a girl…” His voice trailed off…
Nephthys rested her small chin in her hands with a coy smile. “Anu, your attempt at seduction is pathetic.”
“Not you, Vixen!,” he gave her a little half-grin in return.
Everyone chuckled to themselves at this, and the young former CEO continued. “There was a tablet in front, like a giant stone duel card…”
“And what was on it?,” The Lady of the House asked.
At this, he frowned and his brows knotted together in concern and confusion. “If I didn't know any better, I'd say it looked like The Blue Eyes White Dragon…”
Surprised, everyone looked at each other…
“You mean your favorite Monster Card?,” Nephthys asked. He'd told her all about how the kas from Khemet had been drawn on paper, just as they were carved on tablets, in order to play the game in the future.
Seto nodded…
“Well… Perhaps the Dragon is trying to tell you something?...” young Asha spoke up.
“Like what?,” Kaiba crossed his arms and leaned back from the table. “What could The Blue Eyes be wanting to tell me?.”
The girl shrugged. “I don't know, Niisama, but maybe it's like me and Mystical Elf when I…”
She hadn't gotten to finish her sentence before there was the sound of chariot wheels outside…
“Now, what on Earth…” Nephthys exclaimed as she rose from the breakfast table. Quickly, she and the former CEO went to the door and opened it to look out into the courtyard…
There were two female figures on the chariot, and the driver slowed their horses to a steady trot, then a walk…
“Holy Asar!,” The Lady of the House cried, rushing out the door. “Esetnefret! Mana!.”
It was indeed the High Priestess of the Millennium Torque(2) and the young sorceress in training!. Little Mana had grown up at the royal palace at Malqata and had been especially close friends with Per'aa Atem and the sorcerer, Mahaado in childhood, eventually becoming Mahaado's prize pupil in magic.
But right off, Nephthys could tell something was wrong. Esetnefret looked unusually somber in contrast to her usual easygoing manner, and Mana, whom she remembered as always smiling and laughing, now her face was full of sadness…
The chariot halted and both young women got off. Mana held the horse's reins as Esetnefret reached out her hands to greet Nephthys.
“Esy, Mana, dears, what is the matter?,” The Lady of the House clasped her old friend's hands. This should have been a pleasant occasion, as they had not seen the young woman and the girl for a long time.
Esetnefret embraced Nephthys with tears rimming her eyes. “Nefy! Oh, Nefy! Thank the Gods you are all safe!.”
The Lady of the House drew back, startled. “Safe? Why? What's happened?.”
Esetnefret and Mana looked at each other sadly…
The Priestess of The Millennium Torque then turned back to Nephthys. “Per'aa Atem, Living Forever… Nisu-Bity(3)... Ankh-Heru(4)... Si-Ra(5)... and all of the Millennium Priesthood but Mana and I… They have gone on to the afterlife…”
“What?!,” cried Nephthys. “You mean to tell me that Atem, Mahaado, Shaadi, Kareem, Set and Akunadin are all…?”
Upon hearing Mahaado's name, Mana had burst into tears. “My poor Lord Teacher!. Now, all that's left of him is his Black Magician ka!.”
Esetnefret closed her eyes for a moment... “Yes, all but Set have departed for the journey through Duat(6)… May they… May they pass every test safely, as I am sure they will… May Heru become one with Asar...” (7)
All but Set?... Nephthys and Seto looked at each other…
As if reading their thoughts, Esetnefret nodded. “Yes, Set survived the catastrophe, although I am not sure weather you are glad to hear that or not, Nefy.”
“Well, I can't say I'm disappointed,” was the honest reply. Then she thought of something and her throat tightened… “Esy… If Set, you and Mana were the only members of the Millennium Priesthood to survive… then… that must mean one of you…”
“Yes, one of us will be the new Per'aa, Living Forever, Nisu-Bity... Ankh Heru... Si-Ra...”
“Yes, yes, I know all the titles, Esy,” Nephthys cut her off.
Esetnefret gave her friend a disapproving look.
Meanwhile, Kaiba had been drawing closer to the conversation, curious to hear what poor moron would replacing the self righteous pointy haired midget on the throne...
Mana brushed her tears from her eyes. “We wanted to come here and tell you before you heard any street gossip or public proclamations,” she started nervously. “We... We weren't sure how you would feel about it... but Per'aa Atem named The High Priest of the Millennium Rod his successor.”
At this, The Lady of the House felt her legs threaten to give way beneath her and the young former CEO's face turned nearly white.
“What?!,” the young man barely managed to get out. `You don't mean to tell me that I... that he... we...?”
“It is true,” Esetnefret nodded somberly. “By the will of Per'aa Atem, Living Forever, Lord Setekh, High Priest of the Millennium Rod, is to receive the Pschent crown(8) as Khemet's next ruler.”
 
 
Minutes later, Seto, Nephthys, Si-amun, Mutnodjmet, Esetnefret and Mana were seated at the table in conference while the children had been sent into the garden to play.
“I still don't believe it!,” Kaiba exclaimed. “Yugi... eh... I mean the Pharaoh, chose that pompous idiot to rule Egypt?!.”
Esetnefret and Mana shot him angry glances and The Lady of the House put a hand to his arm in restraintive warning. “Anu, you are speaking of your own past self.”
“Hmmph!. You should talk. Don't tell be you're actually defending that snake?.”
“I am neither defending him or excusing what he did,” she replied firmly. “But whatever I have to say about Set, I can't say that he never had Khemet's best interests in mind, if not at heart.”
Not knowing how to reply to that, the young former CEO said nothing...
“She is right,” Eset spoke with a regal nod of her head, the Egyptian sunlight sparkling on her golden headdress. “We must give Set a chance, as Per'aa Atem, Living Forever, wished.”
“That's right!,” young Mana piped up eagerly. Then she pulled out something from beneath the front of her tunic... Nephthys, Seto, Si and Mut all let out an exclamation of surprise when they recognized The Millennium Ring!.
“Mana, dear!. Where did you get that?,” Mut asked with a startled blink.
Now, tears slowly trickled down the girl's young cheeks... “The King of Thieves, Akefia(9)... When he... When he destroyed my lord teacher he took the ring, but we were able to defeat him and get it back again.”
Nephthys nodded in understanding. “I see, so you were asked to take the responsibility of the ring and be it's new priestess. I'm sure Mahaado would have wished that.”
“Yes,” Eset put a consoling hand on Mana's shoulder as the young priestess brushed the last of her tears away. “Her teacher, whose ka remained to protect Khemet as The Dark Magician, would have been very proud of her. She is practicing her magic religiously, and growing more skilled by the day.”
“But we still need your help, Lady Nephthys,” Mana continued, fingering the ring around her neck.
“My help?,” The Lady of the House tilted her head and raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Well, I don't know what help I could be, young lady. I chose to give up my position as Priestess of the Millennium Torque to Esetnefret.”
Eset shook her head. “It is not magic we need from you, Nephthys, but aid.” Her face clouded with sadness as she explained. “Akefia and his ka, Diabond, were not the only threats to Khemet. We believe he was being controlled, at least for the most part, by a greater evil; A dark, destructive monster of Hell itself called Zork Necrophidius. It attacked Waset and destroyed a good part of the city before it could be stopped. Many citizens were gravely injured and left homeless.”
Nephthys nodded understandingly. All of this explained the terrible unnerving storm last night. “I see, and the city has need of an extra physician?.” She thanked the Gods this Zork hadn't been able to reach the town or her home.
“Yes,” Eset answered. “The clinics in Waset are doing everything they can, but a physician with your experience in the royal court could help a great deal.”
“Alright then, Seto and I will come back to Waset with you as soon as you're ready.”
Kaiba crossed his arms. He hated the idea of having to go to Waset again, no matter what the circumstances. “Ahem! Excuse me, but don't I get a say in this?.”
“No,” Nephthys and Esetnefret both said together.
“Hmmph! It figures!.”
It was then that Mutnodjmet spoke... “Lady Esetnefret, Mana,” she asked with a frown, “You said that Waset was under attack by Akefia?.”
“That's right, and to Set with him!,” Answered Mana angrily.
Eset nodded in agreement. “Yes, it was Akefia the tomb robber who committed the most serious crimes against Maat. Why do you ask?.”
The elderly lady closed her eyes for a moment... “Well... I knew a little boy once... He was an orphan because of the royals attack on his village... My late husband and I took him in, even though we were so poor we could scarcely provide for ourselves and our own children... We tried to care for him and teach him right from wrong, but he was just to filled with hate for the ruling class...”
Si-amun looked at his wife in surprise. He had known about Mut's first husband, but not about this boy they had taken in!. “What... What happened to him, my love?...” he asked, afraid to hear the answer...
A tear trickled down Mutnodjmet's aged face... “He... He ran away and joined a group of bandits and tomb robbers... I never saw him or heard what had become of him until recently...”
“Akefia...” Nephthys murmered...
“Yes... I suppose it was mostly our fault... How could Amenpenafur and I teach that poor child that hatred and thievery were wrong when he'd seen nearly his entire village and family slaughtered in front him by the royals, and when my husband had to steal goods from tombs of the rich just to keep us alive?.”
Her husband put a comforting arm around her. “No, it was not your fault, darling. You mustn't blame yourself for the boy's own bad choices.”
“That's right,” Mana declared, clenching her ring tightly in her hands. “Why, that heretic is lucky he got such a painless death in battle!. If I had my way, that tomb robber would have been...”
“Put in jail and tortured until he confessed how many others were involved?,” Nephthys cut her off, narrowing her eyes in disapproval. “Dragged to Deshret,(10) or perhaps just some local garbage dump and impaled, left to die on the spikes until the animals ate his flesh, just like Mut's husband?.”
Mana's face grew red... She bit her lip and lowered her eyes from Nephthys...
“Now, Nefy!,” Eset chastised. “You know that neither Atem nor Setekh had anything to do with the attack on Kuru-Eruna or the death of Amenpanufer, why even Per'aaAkunamukanon, Living Forever, was not fully responsible.”
The Lady of the House brushed her bangs out of her eyeswith a sigh. “No, Akunamukanonjust sat his royal behind on the Heru Throne and let himself be a puppet to snakes like Akunadin who were running the country for him!. But this is not the time or place to debate politics, Esy. Right now we need to gather everything we need for Waset.”
 
 
Unseen, he watched from nearby as the small group of Esetnefret, Mana, Nephthys and Seto headed out of the town and on the way to Waset, taking whatever provisions and supplies they might need to treat the injured in the city tied onto several pack animals...
His white hair blew in the desert wind and a wicked smile spread across his tanned, scarred face... Khemetwas weaker then it had ever been now... Now that the boy king, Atem, was gone, sealed forever into the MillenniumPuzzle, and a new one barely seated on the Heru Throne, this would make a second attack on the royal city all to easy...
He chuckled darkly to himself as he turned and left to make his own way back to Waset... Soon... Soon every last royal, courtier and noble in Khemetwould pay for the pain and suffering they had caused him and those like him... After all, he may be dead thanksto that pampered, overindulgedwhelp that called himself Per'aa, but that did not mean he was gone...
 
 
(1) Hebrew name for the biblical Joseph, who was said to have saved Egypt by interpreting the Pharaoh's dreams.
(2) I decided to stick with the manga/canon on this instead of the anime, since so many of the other priests died in the Egyptian Arc already.
(3) He of the Sedge and the Bee, one of the Pharaoh's many titles as the sedge represents upper Egypt and the bee represents the lower.
(4) Living Heru/Horus, another title as Pharaoh was supposed to the reincarnation of the God.
(5) Son of Ra, yet another title, due to the royal line's supposed desendance from the Sun God
(6) Egyptian word for the world of the afterlife, which was said to be an idealized version of Egypt itself.
(7) The Per'aa/Pharaoh was believed to be the God Heru on Earth, but upon his death he was said to become his father, Asar/Osiris, King of the Afterlife.
(8) Double crown combining the white and red crowns of upper and lower Egypt, symbolizing rule over the two lands.
(9) I am told this was Yami Bakura's name in ancient Egypt, though I'm not really sure where this is mentioned in the Egyptian Arc... If anyone has any idea, please let me know!.
(10) Known as “The Red Lands”, the vast desert region.