A/N: This story, from here on out, becomes somewhat AU. I reserve the right
to take /extreme/ liberties with canon. That said, I present the prologue
to "Fallen."
Prologue
Once there was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt who had two sons. The boys, though as different as night and day, were twins. No one alive could say which was the elder, for their mother had died in childbirth, and in a futile attempt to save her life, the midwife forgot to mark which boy came first.
One was named Teremun, which means "loved by his father." And he was, indeed. He was a bright, passionate creature, much given to lowering taxes and trying to make things easier for the commoners. He loved all who came into contact with him, regardless of their feelings toward him.
The other was called Akil, "intelligent." He was slighter than his brother, pale and quiet.
So, when the boys were seven, the pharaoh went to his advisor to ask which should be made his heir.
Now, the advisor was a power-hungry man, who wanted only to rule Egypt. He knew that while there was little chance of ever ascending the throne himself, he could make himself the power behind it. Teremun would be easy to manipulate. However, Akil was cold and calculating. The advisor suspected that Akil already knew of his plans.
So, the advisor told the pharaoh that Teremun would bring Egypt into a Golden Age. The pharaoh believed him, because the advisor's son was a sorceror, who could occasionally foretell the future.
The advisor waited until the twins were thirteen, then had the pharaoh murdered in such a way that no one knew it was murder.
Teremun mourned for his father, and listened to the advisor. In time, they became friends, of a sort. Teremun would have died for his advisor, and the man knew it, and used it to gain further influence.
But Akil...Akil was every bit as dangerous as the advisor thought.
He had fallen in love with a noble-born girl, called Shizu. She was betrothed to the advisor's son, and had often used her influence to spy. She heard of the assassination, and who had done it, and brought the information to Akil.
He knew, of course, how his brother felt about the advisor, but Akil was not an emotional boy. He immediately set in motion plots to kill the advisor.
It worked. Unfortunately, it was immediately obvious that this was murder.
Teremun, half mad with grief, decreed that no one should rest until the killer was found. Afraid that Shizu would be implicated, Akil came forward, knowing that his brother would not harm him.
Of course, the young pharaoh could not kill his brother. Akil was outlawed, and, furious that he had not been pardoned, decided to get his revenge.
Life went on, and when the twins were sixteen, events transpired the likes of which Egypt had not seen, and would never see again. It was then that magic vanished from the world, which was threatened by terrible monsters, called forth by the advisor's son.
History books, of course, will tell you none of this. Their writers would have you believe that the twins and the monsters were never there.
There are only eight who know the whole story.
The sorceror, should you ask him, will smile gently and tell you that magic does not exist.
His brother will hit him, grin, and insist that magic is real, they've both seen it.
The warrior will shrug. "Yeah, it happened. So what? You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
The handmaiden will turn away quickly to hide her tears - tears for things lost and things found. She says nothing.
Two of them are boys, and as likely as not you will find them playing cards together. One is silent, staring grimly at the wall. The other smiles. "Oh, yes, that. Of course it's real. And you know how it started? With an Evil Wristwatch of Doom."
The first laughs at that, and throws a card at his companion. "Yes, and that's how it ended, and that's why I'm here talking to you instead of being a bloody corpse."
That makes six witnesses.
The other two? Why, the twins, of course.
Can you ask them about it?
It all depends on whether or not the boys are right.
Does it begin with the Evil Wristwatch of Doom? In a way, yes.
And is that how it ends?
We shall see.
Prologue
Once there was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt who had two sons. The boys, though as different as night and day, were twins. No one alive could say which was the elder, for their mother had died in childbirth, and in a futile attempt to save her life, the midwife forgot to mark which boy came first.
One was named Teremun, which means "loved by his father." And he was, indeed. He was a bright, passionate creature, much given to lowering taxes and trying to make things easier for the commoners. He loved all who came into contact with him, regardless of their feelings toward him.
The other was called Akil, "intelligent." He was slighter than his brother, pale and quiet.
So, when the boys were seven, the pharaoh went to his advisor to ask which should be made his heir.
Now, the advisor was a power-hungry man, who wanted only to rule Egypt. He knew that while there was little chance of ever ascending the throne himself, he could make himself the power behind it. Teremun would be easy to manipulate. However, Akil was cold and calculating. The advisor suspected that Akil already knew of his plans.
So, the advisor told the pharaoh that Teremun would bring Egypt into a Golden Age. The pharaoh believed him, because the advisor's son was a sorceror, who could occasionally foretell the future.
The advisor waited until the twins were thirteen, then had the pharaoh murdered in such a way that no one knew it was murder.
Teremun mourned for his father, and listened to the advisor. In time, they became friends, of a sort. Teremun would have died for his advisor, and the man knew it, and used it to gain further influence.
But Akil...Akil was every bit as dangerous as the advisor thought.
He had fallen in love with a noble-born girl, called Shizu. She was betrothed to the advisor's son, and had often used her influence to spy. She heard of the assassination, and who had done it, and brought the information to Akil.
He knew, of course, how his brother felt about the advisor, but Akil was not an emotional boy. He immediately set in motion plots to kill the advisor.
It worked. Unfortunately, it was immediately obvious that this was murder.
Teremun, half mad with grief, decreed that no one should rest until the killer was found. Afraid that Shizu would be implicated, Akil came forward, knowing that his brother would not harm him.
Of course, the young pharaoh could not kill his brother. Akil was outlawed, and, furious that he had not been pardoned, decided to get his revenge.
Life went on, and when the twins were sixteen, events transpired the likes of which Egypt had not seen, and would never see again. It was then that magic vanished from the world, which was threatened by terrible monsters, called forth by the advisor's son.
History books, of course, will tell you none of this. Their writers would have you believe that the twins and the monsters were never there.
There are only eight who know the whole story.
The sorceror, should you ask him, will smile gently and tell you that magic does not exist.
His brother will hit him, grin, and insist that magic is real, they've both seen it.
The warrior will shrug. "Yeah, it happened. So what? You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
The handmaiden will turn away quickly to hide her tears - tears for things lost and things found. She says nothing.
Two of them are boys, and as likely as not you will find them playing cards together. One is silent, staring grimly at the wall. The other smiles. "Oh, yes, that. Of course it's real. And you know how it started? With an Evil Wristwatch of Doom."
The first laughs at that, and throws a card at his companion. "Yes, and that's how it ended, and that's why I'm here talking to you instead of being a bloody corpse."
That makes six witnesses.
The other two? Why, the twins, of course.
Can you ask them about it?
It all depends on whether or not the boys are right.
Does it begin with the Evil Wristwatch of Doom? In a way, yes.
And is that how it ends?
We shall see.