Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Three-In-One Combo ❯ Scrolls are Useless ( Chapter 22 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Indigo Tantarian 
Will Shadi ever find a way to get his spirits back to normal? Definitely not in the scrolls...
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 02.17.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 247 | Status: Work In Progress
Will Shadi ever find a way to get his spirits back to normal? Definitely not in the scrolls...
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 02.17.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 247 | Status: Work In Progress
Author's Note: LOTS of notes today… Well now I know how to squeeze the reviews out of you. Wow, that was quite a potent threat! ^_^ Just think of that next time you don't feel like reviewing.
Would anyone object to Ankh and Scale being called by their real names (Ankhkare and Senui) for a while? I don't know about for the rest of the story, but just a little bit? And we'll see about after that. Let me know how you feel about it, and what you'd like in the long run.
Now's as good a time as any to describe how Shadi, Ankh, and Scale fit together. I don't see Shadi as a "light" the way I see Ryou and Yuugi, and even Malik. He's just not particularly light-like. Nor could Ankh be seen as anyone's dark side. So I see Scale as the Yami, Ankh as the Hikari, and Shadi as the… Kage, I suppose? The Shadow between darkness and light.
Wow, I have a male reviewer! Cool. ^_^ And here I thought all I had was a bunch of fangirls! Ooh, let's all stare at Sapphire… Nah, but I'm glad you like it!
Heh… Shadi did make a pretty good parent, but he may not be quite as good at it in these next couple chapters.
Hmm, how much would you give me for them, Tatsuhime…? ^_^ (Chibi Scale: HEY! You can't get rid of us! I don't want to go with any of those scary people!) Heh, just kidding. ^_^ They're not for sale.
Unrealistic, I can't wait to see that Scale/Box of Chocolates fic. That could be very interesting. ^_^ And I hope you remember your suggestion soon!
Chibi Scale: *starts mixing dangerous chemicals that Avalon gave him, planning to pour them on chibi Ankh, but they spill into the sand* Hmph… *eats the one chocolate-covered cherry from Avalon instead* *also grabs the chocolate-covered cherries from Seena and Chibi* I'll weigh your soul later. I'm eating now! Mmm, SilverShadow got me more chocolate. And stuffed animals. Ooh, more weapons and chocolate from Yami Li… Mmm… Heh heh… *swings the safety-sword around, but suddenly shrieks* I don't wanna get whipped or have a dog collar on! Leave me alone! (Indigo: C'mon, he's just a little kid! None of that!)
Chibi Ankh: Oh, thank you for all the chocolate! ^_^ Here Scale, you can have some! *gives about half to Scale* And thank you for the hug too. And the CD player, but I don't think Shadi has any CDs! Neither do I. That's okay, though! And thanks for all the chocolate-covered cherries, Seena and Chibi! Mistletoe from Li and her Yami? Hee hee, thanks! ^_^ Actually, Indigo might do something like that later on. But not really. I'm glad you like me, Yami Nikki! ^_^ Scale's not so bad once you get used to him. Ooh, more chocolate from SilverShadow. And… Stuffed animals! *shrieks in delight*
Shadi: Li, I appreciate the chocolate, medicine, clothing, shoes, fan… and referral to a psychiatrist. I may need it… *gets the hug and peck on the cheek* Um… Thank you, I suppose… And SilverShadow, I appreciate the headache pills and earplugs, though I hope they will not be like this long enough for me to need a nanny… *hands High Crystal Guardian some of his aspirin*
Indigo: Warning #1: Sibling rivalry, or something like it. Warning #2: Becoming a chibi has really brought out Scale's human side. I've been trying to think of him as a person, not just a mean spirit, and here's the perfect way to do just that. Warning #2.5: Scale is… NICE!? Talk about disturbances in the cosmic balance… Oh, and Warning #3: Slightly strange situations towards the end. Oh, and no I won't bonk Scale on the head. He's being so good! And he's cute too. ^_^
Chibi Ankh: Indigo won't ever own Yu-Gi-Oh, and she didn't before either. But she owns us, and now we've got enough chocolate and fun stuff to last forever! ^_^
Three-In-One Combo!
Shadi woke up with two small, warm bodies a bit closer than he was accustomed to . Ankh was snuggled into his side, holding his arm like a stuffed toy. Scale lay across his chest, sucking two of his own fingers. Despite Shadi's best attempts to slip out of his spirits' embrace undetected, they both woke up quickly.
"Mmm? Sorry Shadi," Ankh said sleepily, sitting up and letting go of his host's arm, rubbing his eyes.
"At least no one had an… accident… during the night," Shadi said uncomfortably. Ankh nodded in relief.
"Eew, only babies do that," Scale said, wrinkling up his nose.
"…Perhaps. Only mortal ones, anyway," Shadi said. "I suppose you'd like some breakfast."
"Yes, please," Ankh said with a smile.
"Now!" ordered Scale.
Shadi sliced some bread for the three of them. He spread some peanut butter on it and handed two slices to each spirit. Ankh ate enthusiastically and relatively neatly. Scale ate quickly, somehow managing to cover the ground in crumbs while keeping himself immaculately clean. And Shadi ate slowly and calmly.
After Shadi cleaned up after them, he got out his ancient scrolls of magic. He left his spirits alone until he felt a sharp kick in the shin. He looked up, frowning at Scale, who was staring insistently at him.
"What are you doing?" Scale demanded.
"Reading the ancient scrolls." Shadi responded, looking down to read again.
"What scrolls?"
"The ones telling of magic."
"What kind of magic?"
Ankh spoke up eagerly. "I can make hurts better with magic, wanna see?"
"Shut up, scarab breath. What magic?" Scale asked again. Ankh pouted slightly.
"The kind of magic that can turn 3000-year old spirits into children," Shadi answered, not looking up.
"Why? So you can do it to the Pharaoh and the high priest and the tomb robber and them?" Scale asked, extremely interested.
Shadi looked up and stared at him for a long moment. "No. So I can change you two back."
"Aw, you're boring," Scale muttered.
"I do not recall ever claiming to be exciting. And would you like to stay this way forever?" asked Shadi as Ankh climbed up to sit on his lap and peer at the scroll he was trying to read.
"It's more fun. Most of the time," Scale said, glaring at Ankh, though Shadi couldn't see why. "It's not fair…" Scale muttered darkly to himself, turning away.
"…What's not fair?" Shadi asked, confused at Scale's strange behavior.
"Him!" Scale shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at Ankh, who looked just as surprised as Shadi. "You always wear his Item around your neck and listen to him and talk to him and let him sit on you and stuff. I'm smarter and cleaner and better than him!"
Shadi blinked in surprise. Was THIS what all Scale's aggression was about!? "Scale you are welcome to sit where you like, provided no one else objects. I've told you before that the Scales are far too large and cumbersome to wear around my neck. But if you're capable of being civil, then I'd be perfectly willing to talk and listen to you. I know very well how clean and intelligent you can be."
Scale almost smiled, and scrambled up into Shadi's lap beside Ankh. Having studied ancient Egyptian law, he was by far the best reader of hieroglyphics in this time, and one of the best in his own era. Ankh prompted Shadi to read the scroll out loud, with Scale making frequent corrections.
After the second long scroll he read like this, Shadi decided it was time for a break. Maybe children weren't as bad as he had feared, but he could only take so much of them. Finding their Duel Monsters cards, he clasped the Ankh to summon the Wretched Ghost of the Attic and Lucky Trinket. Ankh blinked hard as he did.
The two monsters appeared in ghostly forms. They were very surprised to see their friends like this. The Lucky Trinket trilled questioningly and reached out a long blue arm to touch Ankh's face, making him giggle. The Wretched Ghost of the Attic was speechless, but its eyes nearly doubled in size. They both looked to Shadi for answers.
"From what I can tell, they fell into a cursed tomb," Shadi said. "Would you please keep them occupied and amused while I try to find a way to reverse the curse?"
The two monsters agreed enthusiastically. The four of them went off to play, and Shadi went to get a glass of cold water and some camel jerky. Then he took the remaining four scrolls up to the roof to read.
************************************************************ ******************
"I'm so glad you came," Ankh exclaimed. The Lucky Trinket trilled agreement. Ankh laughed and ran off shouting, "You can't catch me!" The odd little spell caster sprang after him.
Scale looked at the furball in front of him reluctantly. "Oh great, why'd you have to come?"
The fuzzy fiend purred and rubbed against him, since his head was now far too small to sit on.
"Rrg, no! Get away! Stop it! Aah! Okay, okay, I'm glad to see you too. I guess. But if you tell anyone I said that, I'll squeeze you until your eyes pop out!" Scale said after much affectionate nuzzling. The Ghost purred, then grabbed Scale's turban in its sharp claws and bounded off with it.
"Hey! Come back here! Give it back, Wretched!" Scale demanded, running after him. They quickly caught up to Ankh, and soon were all racing around.
"Ha, Wretched's faster than your Lucky Charm any day," Scale taunted. His monster squeaked in agreement.
"It's a Lucky TRINKET. And it's faster than you think," Ankh said, grinning.
"Wanna bet?"
"Let's see."
************************************************************ *********************
As Shadi read, cries of "You lose!" "Let's race again, then!" and "Teleporting's cheating!" came to his ears. He continued to patiently search for words having to do with age or size. With very little luck.
After a few hours, the sun had moved so that there was no shade left on the roof. Shadi gathered the scrolls and went back inside where it was cooler. He had finished looking through every scroll that could possibly be useful. Giving up, he went and got another drink of ice water. He meditated for a while until Ankh, Scale, and their monsters came back, dragging their feet.
"Shadi, it's too hot," Ankh moaned.
"Can I go sit in the freezer?" whined Scale.
Shadi considered his overheated spirits, giving them an odd look. "Very well, but only for a few minutes." The two duel monsters disappeared back into their cards, worn out. Shadi led Ankh and Scale to the back room that held a refrigerator and a huge freezer that opened from the top. It wasn't big enough for an adult, but the two small spirits would fit nicely.
Shadi lifted Ankh and Scale into the nearly empty freezer and propped the lid open with a brick. "Five minutes, no more," he cautioned. They agreed, leaning against the cold plastic walls. Shadi went back to the main room to meditate for a while longer.
Almost ten minutes later, well on the way to inner peace, Shadi realized it was too quiet. Ankh and Scale should have been pestering him again by now. He quickly got up and went to see what was going on. Lifting the freezer's lid, Shadi saw Ankh and Scale fast asleep, pressed against each other for warmth.
"Of all the irresponsible things to do…" Shadi muttered, quickly lifting the two out and closing the freezer. Neither woke up, but they instantly cuddled into his warm body. They seemed all right except that they were shivering a bit. So Shadi brought them back to the main room with him and gently set them on his bed, prying their arms off of him. He stood up to look at them. "More trouble than they're worth sometimes," Shadi mumbled. He sat down to contemplate.
/Who might know how to change them back? The Pharaoh, of course. Not an option, given the state of his memories. And going to study his tomb might mean getting myself turned into a child myself. In their present state, I certainly can't send Ankh and Scale back there. Who knows what effect it might have on them a second time? Hmm… Isis might know something. Her family has enough knowledge to rival the guardians of the Items. But she may not be able to help, and I dare not travel that far with Ankh and Scale like this. Perhaps THEY know something. I wouldn't put it past Scale not to tell me…/
Shadi found his Egyptian history book again and went back to finding mistakes in it while he waited for his two spirits to wake up.
Endnotes: I'm not sure where that freezer came from. My grandma has one like that, though. And I went to a summer camp with my friend's girl scout troop once. There was a walk-in freezer, and we went and sat in there a lot.
I liked that "sibling rivalry" idea, too. That's not the only reason why Scale's so hostile, but it's one of them.
Would anyone object to Ankh and Scale being called by their real names (Ankhkare and Senui) for a while? I don't know about for the rest of the story, but just a little bit? And we'll see about after that. Let me know how you feel about it, and what you'd like in the long run.
Now's as good a time as any to describe how Shadi, Ankh, and Scale fit together. I don't see Shadi as a "light" the way I see Ryou and Yuugi, and even Malik. He's just not particularly light-like. Nor could Ankh be seen as anyone's dark side. So I see Scale as the Yami, Ankh as the Hikari, and Shadi as the… Kage, I suppose? The Shadow between darkness and light.
Wow, I have a male reviewer! Cool. ^_^ And here I thought all I had was a bunch of fangirls! Ooh, let's all stare at Sapphire… Nah, but I'm glad you like it!
Heh… Shadi did make a pretty good parent, but he may not be quite as good at it in these next couple chapters.
Hmm, how much would you give me for them, Tatsuhime…? ^_^ (Chibi Scale: HEY! You can't get rid of us! I don't want to go with any of those scary people!) Heh, just kidding. ^_^ They're not for sale.
Unrealistic, I can't wait to see that Scale/Box of Chocolates fic. That could be very interesting. ^_^ And I hope you remember your suggestion soon!
Chibi Scale: *starts mixing dangerous chemicals that Avalon gave him, planning to pour them on chibi Ankh, but they spill into the sand* Hmph… *eats the one chocolate-covered cherry from Avalon instead* *also grabs the chocolate-covered cherries from Seena and Chibi* I'll weigh your soul later. I'm eating now! Mmm, SilverShadow got me more chocolate. And stuffed animals. Ooh, more weapons and chocolate from Yami Li… Mmm… Heh heh… *swings the safety-sword around, but suddenly shrieks* I don't wanna get whipped or have a dog collar on! Leave me alone! (Indigo: C'mon, he's just a little kid! None of that!)
Chibi Ankh: Oh, thank you for all the chocolate! ^_^ Here Scale, you can have some! *gives about half to Scale* And thank you for the hug too. And the CD player, but I don't think Shadi has any CDs! Neither do I. That's okay, though! And thanks for all the chocolate-covered cherries, Seena and Chibi! Mistletoe from Li and her Yami? Hee hee, thanks! ^_^ Actually, Indigo might do something like that later on. But not really. I'm glad you like me, Yami Nikki! ^_^ Scale's not so bad once you get used to him. Ooh, more chocolate from SilverShadow. And… Stuffed animals! *shrieks in delight*
Shadi: Li, I appreciate the chocolate, medicine, clothing, shoes, fan… and referral to a psychiatrist. I may need it… *gets the hug and peck on the cheek* Um… Thank you, I suppose… And SilverShadow, I appreciate the headache pills and earplugs, though I hope they will not be like this long enough for me to need a nanny… *hands High Crystal Guardian some of his aspirin*
Indigo: Warning #1: Sibling rivalry, or something like it. Warning #2: Becoming a chibi has really brought out Scale's human side. I've been trying to think of him as a person, not just a mean spirit, and here's the perfect way to do just that. Warning #2.5: Scale is… NICE!? Talk about disturbances in the cosmic balance… Oh, and Warning #3: Slightly strange situations towards the end. Oh, and no I won't bonk Scale on the head. He's being so good! And he's cute too. ^_^
Chibi Ankh: Indigo won't ever own Yu-Gi-Oh, and she didn't before either. But she owns us, and now we've got enough chocolate and fun stuff to last forever! ^_^
Three-In-One Combo!
Shadi woke up with two small, warm bodies a bit closer than he was accustomed to . Ankh was snuggled into his side, holding his arm like a stuffed toy. Scale lay across his chest, sucking two of his own fingers. Despite Shadi's best attempts to slip out of his spirits' embrace undetected, they both woke up quickly.
"Mmm? Sorry Shadi," Ankh said sleepily, sitting up and letting go of his host's arm, rubbing his eyes.
"At least no one had an… accident… during the night," Shadi said uncomfortably. Ankh nodded in relief.
"Eew, only babies do that," Scale said, wrinkling up his nose.
"…Perhaps. Only mortal ones, anyway," Shadi said. "I suppose you'd like some breakfast."
"Yes, please," Ankh said with a smile.
"Now!" ordered Scale.
Shadi sliced some bread for the three of them. He spread some peanut butter on it and handed two slices to each spirit. Ankh ate enthusiastically and relatively neatly. Scale ate quickly, somehow managing to cover the ground in crumbs while keeping himself immaculately clean. And Shadi ate slowly and calmly.
After Shadi cleaned up after them, he got out his ancient scrolls of magic. He left his spirits alone until he felt a sharp kick in the shin. He looked up, frowning at Scale, who was staring insistently at him.
"What are you doing?" Scale demanded.
"Reading the ancient scrolls." Shadi responded, looking down to read again.
"What scrolls?"
"The ones telling of magic."
"What kind of magic?"
Ankh spoke up eagerly. "I can make hurts better with magic, wanna see?"
"Shut up, scarab breath. What magic?" Scale asked again. Ankh pouted slightly.
"The kind of magic that can turn 3000-year old spirits into children," Shadi answered, not looking up.
"Why? So you can do it to the Pharaoh and the high priest and the tomb robber and them?" Scale asked, extremely interested.
Shadi looked up and stared at him for a long moment. "No. So I can change you two back."
"Aw, you're boring," Scale muttered.
"I do not recall ever claiming to be exciting. And would you like to stay this way forever?" asked Shadi as Ankh climbed up to sit on his lap and peer at the scroll he was trying to read.
"It's more fun. Most of the time," Scale said, glaring at Ankh, though Shadi couldn't see why. "It's not fair…" Scale muttered darkly to himself, turning away.
"…What's not fair?" Shadi asked, confused at Scale's strange behavior.
"Him!" Scale shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at Ankh, who looked just as surprised as Shadi. "You always wear his Item around your neck and listen to him and talk to him and let him sit on you and stuff. I'm smarter and cleaner and better than him!"
Shadi blinked in surprise. Was THIS what all Scale's aggression was about!? "Scale you are welcome to sit where you like, provided no one else objects. I've told you before that the Scales are far too large and cumbersome to wear around my neck. But if you're capable of being civil, then I'd be perfectly willing to talk and listen to you. I know very well how clean and intelligent you can be."
Scale almost smiled, and scrambled up into Shadi's lap beside Ankh. Having studied ancient Egyptian law, he was by far the best reader of hieroglyphics in this time, and one of the best in his own era. Ankh prompted Shadi to read the scroll out loud, with Scale making frequent corrections.
After the second long scroll he read like this, Shadi decided it was time for a break. Maybe children weren't as bad as he had feared, but he could only take so much of them. Finding their Duel Monsters cards, he clasped the Ankh to summon the Wretched Ghost of the Attic and Lucky Trinket. Ankh blinked hard as he did.
The two monsters appeared in ghostly forms. They were very surprised to see their friends like this. The Lucky Trinket trilled questioningly and reached out a long blue arm to touch Ankh's face, making him giggle. The Wretched Ghost of the Attic was speechless, but its eyes nearly doubled in size. They both looked to Shadi for answers.
"From what I can tell, they fell into a cursed tomb," Shadi said. "Would you please keep them occupied and amused while I try to find a way to reverse the curse?"
The two monsters agreed enthusiastically. The four of them went off to play, and Shadi went to get a glass of cold water and some camel jerky. Then he took the remaining four scrolls up to the roof to read.
************************************************************ ******************
"I'm so glad you came," Ankh exclaimed. The Lucky Trinket trilled agreement. Ankh laughed and ran off shouting, "You can't catch me!" The odd little spell caster sprang after him.
Scale looked at the furball in front of him reluctantly. "Oh great, why'd you have to come?"
The fuzzy fiend purred and rubbed against him, since his head was now far too small to sit on.
"Rrg, no! Get away! Stop it! Aah! Okay, okay, I'm glad to see you too. I guess. But if you tell anyone I said that, I'll squeeze you until your eyes pop out!" Scale said after much affectionate nuzzling. The Ghost purred, then grabbed Scale's turban in its sharp claws and bounded off with it.
"Hey! Come back here! Give it back, Wretched!" Scale demanded, running after him. They quickly caught up to Ankh, and soon were all racing around.
"Ha, Wretched's faster than your Lucky Charm any day," Scale taunted. His monster squeaked in agreement.
"It's a Lucky TRINKET. And it's faster than you think," Ankh said, grinning.
"Wanna bet?"
"Let's see."
************************************************************ *********************
As Shadi read, cries of "You lose!" "Let's race again, then!" and "Teleporting's cheating!" came to his ears. He continued to patiently search for words having to do with age or size. With very little luck.
After a few hours, the sun had moved so that there was no shade left on the roof. Shadi gathered the scrolls and went back inside where it was cooler. He had finished looking through every scroll that could possibly be useful. Giving up, he went and got another drink of ice water. He meditated for a while until Ankh, Scale, and their monsters came back, dragging their feet.
"Shadi, it's too hot," Ankh moaned.
"Can I go sit in the freezer?" whined Scale.
Shadi considered his overheated spirits, giving them an odd look. "Very well, but only for a few minutes." The two duel monsters disappeared back into their cards, worn out. Shadi led Ankh and Scale to the back room that held a refrigerator and a huge freezer that opened from the top. It wasn't big enough for an adult, but the two small spirits would fit nicely.
Shadi lifted Ankh and Scale into the nearly empty freezer and propped the lid open with a brick. "Five minutes, no more," he cautioned. They agreed, leaning against the cold plastic walls. Shadi went back to the main room to meditate for a while longer.
Almost ten minutes later, well on the way to inner peace, Shadi realized it was too quiet. Ankh and Scale should have been pestering him again by now. He quickly got up and went to see what was going on. Lifting the freezer's lid, Shadi saw Ankh and Scale fast asleep, pressed against each other for warmth.
"Of all the irresponsible things to do…" Shadi muttered, quickly lifting the two out and closing the freezer. Neither woke up, but they instantly cuddled into his warm body. They seemed all right except that they were shivering a bit. So Shadi brought them back to the main room with him and gently set them on his bed, prying their arms off of him. He stood up to look at them. "More trouble than they're worth sometimes," Shadi mumbled. He sat down to contemplate.
/Who might know how to change them back? The Pharaoh, of course. Not an option, given the state of his memories. And going to study his tomb might mean getting myself turned into a child myself. In their present state, I certainly can't send Ankh and Scale back there. Who knows what effect it might have on them a second time? Hmm… Isis might know something. Her family has enough knowledge to rival the guardians of the Items. But she may not be able to help, and I dare not travel that far with Ankh and Scale like this. Perhaps THEY know something. I wouldn't put it past Scale not to tell me…/
Shadi found his Egyptian history book again and went back to finding mistakes in it while he waited for his two spirits to wake up.
Endnotes: I'm not sure where that freezer came from. My grandma has one like that, though. And I went to a summer camp with my friend's girl scout troop once. There was a walk-in freezer, and we went and sat in there a lot.
I liked that "sibling rivalry" idea, too. That's not the only reason why Scale's so hostile, but it's one of them.