Interference

Chapter one: The loss of innocence

Ra sat high above the sands of the desert, watching over the great land he had created and the creatures that inhabited it. Most of them he had no interest in, but there were those few who fascinated him.

As he gazed fondly at his two favorite humans, he decided that maybe he could bend the rules just this once. I mean he was the ultimate god, why should he have to follow the rules all the time. Interfering just this once wouldn't change the whole course of history, now would it? Just turning his hand to help wouldn't affect the balance of good and evil. Would it?

No, he answered himself firmly. Besides, who would know? All the other gods were arguing about something in the background and none of them were paying the slightest bit of attention to him.

Raising his arm slowly as a sudden movement could catch the eye of another, he lent down to the glass like substance that was the divider between heaven and earth. But before he could trace the desired path for the two men, a hand rested on his shoulder. 'Just what do you think you are doing, hmm?'

Turning his head with a look like that of a young thief caught stealing from his father, he came face to face with Seth. Relaxing slightly, thankful it wasn't Thoth or Horus, he scowled. 'Why does it matter to you?'

Seth laughed lightly. 'I am the God of Chaos, oh mighty one. Why do you think? If what you are doing is even slightly chaotic, I shall be blamed.'

Not that I don't know what you're doing anyway, he added to himself. And it is awfully chaotic.

Ra thought this over. He was telling the truth, he knew that much, but he also knew he was holding something back. Now Ra is a very stubborn god, he always wants his way but also looks out for his people. And just once he had the chance to put his own want in front of that of the people. And Seth would be able to take the blame…

Making a fast decision, he decided that if Seth wasn't going to stop him, and he obviously wasn't, then he would have a little fun. Give a helping hand in the path of life, love and war.

Both Seth and himself smirked as he shrugged the hand of his shoulder and traced the lines that defined the mortals' paths in life.

His forehead wrinkled slightly with concentration. If he messed up one line even slightly, the balance of the world would be tipped, resulting in wars, disaster, chaos and a whole manner of nasty-ness.

Muttering to himself, he started with the first line. 'The white haired child of Kuru Eruna, and the uncle of the boy king… Hmm, this won't be very pretty, may scar the child for life…' Seth interrupted his ramblings, softly, as not to distract him.

'Which child? The boy king or the little thief?' Not pausing in the slightest Ra replied, 'Both I should think. More the child of Kuru Eruna though.'

'Now lets see, revenge will be his motive most obviously, a little ignorance and insanity there, we must account for his tribal skills, thievery and dark magick in this account, and to top it all off...'

'Love?' Seth suggested.

'Ah yes!' Ra quickly traced the lines. Smiling triumphantly, he turned to Seth. 'Sound good?' The lord of chaos nodded.

'Although you will need to do some more later. Now about the pharaoh…?' Still smiling the sun god returned to his plans for their lives.

'Now he shall also suffer, his mother will die, his father will die also, whilst he is present. Poison I think, an unerasable desicsion... But that is not my doing, I believe that may have been Thoth actually. Rather odd thing for him to do though. Back to the child... loyal friends, toss in his cousin, disturb the shadows slightly, and then add the thief and the love will come by itself.'

Straightening up he looked at his handiwork. Perfect.

'Ra!' Isis rushed up to him. 'We need you for another judgment.' Ra stood hurriedly.

'Me?' Contrary to popular belief, he only helped with judgment when it was someone important who had died, otherwise he wouldn't have time for anything else. 'Who is it?' Upon hearing the names, he paled and hurried off after the lady.

'So,' Seth murmured. 'It has begun.' As soon as he was sure no one was watching, he lent to the glassy screen and modified the paths just set by the sun god. Once done, he rushed off, grin plastered on his face. 'Now this will be fun.'

'C'mon Akefia, hurry up! Mam wants those before lunch, and you know what happens when she doesn't get what she wants.' Tzipporah called her warning to the young boy helping her, her best friend Bakura.
With the sun shining down on her, not helping the sweat situation she was suffering from as she scoped handful after handful of the berries into the bucket, she found herself wishing for a change in the daily ritual. Then the drums sounded.

They stopped, wiping the sweat from their brows, and gazed at the village, shimmering in the desert sun. She was pondering whether or not they should return and see what the alert was about when they heard the calls.

'Akefia! Tozuko! Inside now.' Before she realized the voice was that of Lady Akefia, Bakura grabbed her by the wrist and sprinted towards the fast closing gates with her in tow.

The second they were in, the gates slammed behind them and they were grabbed by their parents and pulled away from the panicked crowds of the people, and from each other. Her parents were kissing her, she knew that. They were saying something about how it was all going to be okay, and she was puzzled. Of course it was, why wouldn't it be?

The next thing she knew the strangers had arrived and she was being shoved into a line with the rest of her village. As what was happening dawned on her, she cried. It was her fault, she wished for it and it happened.

It was her fault.

The second the drums sounded, he knew something was wrong. Then his mother called him and the tone of her voice alone told him his suspicions were right. Grabbing Tzipporah by the wrist, he sprinted towards his village, feeling the familiar urge to protect his mother although he knew she was stronger than he was.

The second they were beyond the gates, they slammed behind them. Taking in the situation he realized what was happening. They were being invaded. The village was in a panic. And they were all going to die. He was only ten, but he wasn't stupid.

He took a deep breath and relaxed, allowing himself to feel the presence of the spirits around him. They were also worried, but they nuzzled against him comfortingly.

His mother grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him away from the crowds of panicked people jerked him from his concentration. She dragged him into their little hut and sat him on the bed. 'Bakura, we are being invaded by the palace guards.' She told him bluntly. He nodded; having suddenly gone numb He didn't want to be right! She continued in a low hurried voice. 'Now, the pharaoh is not the one who has sent them, so whatever may happen, you cannot blame him.' He nodded again. 'Kura, I want you to hide. Run to the safest place you know of and hide. Do not come out until the sun has set, because I do not believe they will leave until then.'

Swallowing in a fruitless attempt to moisten his dry throat, he choked out a question. 'What about you?' She smiled at him but it wasn't her real smile. It was forced and that didn't comfort him in the slightest.

'Myself and a few of the other warriors are going to try and hold them off. If that fails, we shall try to hide. If that also fails, then it shall come down to the inevitable.' She kissed his cheeks roughly and pushed him out the door.

'Go my child, hide. And live!' And she was gone from his sight.

He knew the perfect place to hide. It was in the middle of the village and he would be able to see everything. Although from way his mother had spoken, he may not want to. He climbed into his little hole, hidden perfectly from the sight of everyone below. Concentrating again, he felt the spirits crowd around him until they covered every inch of his bare skin. And the slaughter began.

In a manner of mere minutes, although it seemed like hours, his friends, neighbors, enemies, and family were all killed in front of him, their flesh, blood and bone was boiled down in a gold pot set in the center of the town square. I will not describe with detail the horrors he had to witness, save one, the most terrible of all.

After all the members of his small home were gone, he realized that he had not seen his mother yet and his heart fluttered with hope. There was still a chance that she would live. Listening closely he caught the conversation between the guards and who he assumed to be the leader of the operation.

'That's only ninety-eight sire. There should be two more of them in the village.' Guard one said softly, as if he was afraid of the leader, whom Bakura decided to dub Sin. It was a word from another language, English he remembered, that his mother had taught him. He knew it to mean evil.

Sin laughed, a horrible sound that made Bakura shiver in disgust and fear. Fear. Something he had only known a few times in his life; when his mother was in a bad mood and ever since the drums had began that mere hour ago. It would be one of his most common feelings from now onwards.

'We only need one more.' He paused. 'Flush them both out.'

'But sire, if we only need one-'

'We only need one, but why let the other go to waste? Flush them out and kill them both.'

Bakura shuddered but smiled slightly as the spirits pushed themselves up as close as they could to him, and he knew that they whished they were physical so they could comfort him properly. Just as he relaxed slightly, two guards came into his view, dragging with them his mother.

His eyes grew wide, and the feeling to protect came in at full force again. If he were to go down there, then maybe he could help her escape and take her place… He shook his head sadly. His mother had told him to live, so he couldn't just ignore her wishes like that. Even if it would mean her life.

Sin grabbed her by the cheeks and inspected her, then looked at the sky. 'Pity,' He murmured. 'If only it wasn't so close to the storm. He could find the other one and save you for me. But you aren't going to be so lucky, sweetie. Shame though. Your such a pretty one.' He let go of her suddenly and stepped back.

'Drop her in!'

She fought as well as someone who has his or her limbs bound can, which isn't very, but she fought hard. Yet she still died. In front of his eyes, her throat was slit and she was dangled above the golden pot until every last drop of her life had fallen. Then she was dropped.

--

It was many hours later before Bakura dared to move. His face was stained with tears, and his clothing was soaked with the heavy rain of the desert. Packing the scraps of his material possessions that were left intact he hurried out of the village. He would be able to stay there no longer.

--

On the hill outside the village of Kuru Eruna, a bucket that had once held berries lay in the rain, what remained of the contents spilt all over the ground from when the owners had knocked it. The berries that had once filled it to the brim were gone, lost forever, like the innocence of the child. The sole survivor of Kuru Eruna.

--

As he took his seat next to Thoth and Isis, Ra was still pale. He hadn't meant for his plan to start so soon. The boys were still so young! They should have been given another year at least. Sighing softly at the irreversible damage he had accidentally caused, he gave the command. 'Let them in.'

The doors opened and in poured an entire village of people, minus one. Leading them through the door was what humans and gods alike would call a beautiful woman. Long silvery black hair flowed to her waist and her chocolate eyes sparkled with anger. Dressed like a warrior, she was obviously the leader of the former village.

Fascinated with the woman he had heard so much about, he asked her name. She glared up into the gods eyes, not caring as she broke the unspoken rules of respect that she had followed so loyally through out her short life, adding that little more weight to her heart that could be the difference between an afterlife or oblivion. She stayed silent.

After a few moments of the staring contest, the god blinked and lowered his gaze. Slightly shocked at the god's admittance to defeat, she pulled herself to her full height and replied to him. Her voice was soft and kind yet held a tone in it that made all present shudder and pity whomever her anger was directed at.

'I am Sorah Yocheved Akefia, mother of Bakura Khalid Akefia, widow of Jahred Aaron Akefia and leader of the village Kuru Eruna.' (1) She stuck her chin out and glared again. 'And you are the one responsible for my village's demise!'

Ra could barely contain a smile. He liked this woman, she was strong. Maybe the child thief, Bakura, wouldn't suffer so much. Not with a mother like this who would have taught him to be as strong as herself. Surely his plans couldn't have been shattered just by this one little incident. No, they would still work. Probably.

'Hmmm,' Thoth interrupted his musings. 'That's very nice Sorah, but we must get on with the judging's. Amut is rather hungry and there are many more people yet to come. And Ra cannot stick around here all day now, can he?'

Ra sighed at how impatient the smaller god was. He of all people should know how important these people were. Especially Sorah, whom he had just treated with a minimal amount of respect.

Thankfully, he wasn't the one who had to point this out to the scribe. Isis whispered into his ear and the poor not quite man would have blushed if his ibis like head allowed it. Bowing hurriedly, he muttered out an apology and went quiet.

'He is right.' Sorah said after a moment. ' We must be judged.' Glancing around at the frightened faces of her people, she took another step forward. 'I will go first.'

This time Ra couldn't contain his smile. Not only was she strong, but also brave. She must have made a great leader. He realized what he had just thought and fixed his mistake. She must make a great leader.

'Now now Sorah. You do not need judging. I already know the fate of your entire village.' Standing, he motioned for them to follow him and exited the hall. Sorah quickly gave the go ahead and the people of Kuru Eruna filed out behind him. Sprinting forward she walked next to him on his right hand side. 'So almighty Ra, why are we here and where are you taking us?' He ignored her so she went on. 'What will become of my son? Who ordered for this slaughter? I know it wasn't the pharaoh as I know him personally, and he has use for my people. Who committed this mass murder?

'Hmm.' He breathed. 'You certainly have a lot of questions don't you? Well, as for where we're going, you will see when we get there. Why you are here, you know that, you're dead. Who gave the order for this horrible offence against the gods, I am not sure as of yet.'

'Ah.' She cried, running in front of the god and blocking his path. 'You ignored one of my questions. What of my son?' Frowning slightly he shook his head and side stepped her, gazing at the floor.

'You are quite observant. Pity that. I cannot tell you, it will be something you will have to see for yourself.' They walked on in silence for a few moments until Sorah asked another question.

'Just one final question, oh mighty Ra,' She whispered, her voice breaking slightly. 'Will he have a happy life?' As she gazed up at him, longing and such a sadness that I can't even put it into words glittered in her eyes. The father of all felt tears well in his eyes, but he smiled.

'No he won't have a happy life. But it will have a happy ending. I'm a sucker for happy endings.' She smiled as a single tear fell down her cheek.

'Good, good.' She was still whispering. 'I love happy endings.'

The silence kicked in again and once more she broke it. 'I know four things about the one behind this. One, his breath smelt. Two, he was ugly. Three, he was rude and four, he thought he was god's gift to women.'

Ra glanced at her, slight smile on his face. 'Well,' He said. 'I can tell you now; he wasn't.'

She laughed.

And with that simple expression of mirth, the snake sunk its teeth in and it was "The Isis Incident" all over again. (2)

And a friendship was formed.

(1) Mooched from some random other stories. I don't know if it's a real place or if it was even in the story, but it doesn't matter really, as this is an alternate universe story.
(2) This is a reference to Egyptian mythology. Haven't you ever wondered why Isis is so powerful without any amazing abilities to speak of, but for her mind? If you want to know the story, email me at anime (underscore) fan07 (at) hotmail (dot) com

Yes, I'm reposting everything. Next on my list, Shadowed! Hey, I just noticed… This is the longest chapter I've ever written. It's over 3000 words.