Color

Chapter One

The Pharaoh ordered for everyone to leave the room. The guards calmly left the room one at a time. Mahad hid behind a bush and listened to the Pharaoh.

"My wife, what is the matter? Why have you been so impatient with me?" The Pharaoh asked.

"I believe I may be preganant." She said.

She looked down at her tummy and held her hand over it. The Pharaoh stood there staring at her.

"A child. I'm going to be a father." The Pharaoh said with a smile.

He ran over and hugged his wife and felt her tummy. Mahad stuck out his tongue and snuck out of the room. He wandered outside the castle into town.

"Now there will be a prince. I must vow to never let anything happen to him!" Mahad said shaking his fist up at the sky.

Mahad smiled and ran along home.

Nine months orso later….

The Pharaoh stood outside the bedroom pacing back and forth with his arms behind his back. Mahad and his father watched him.

"I'm getting dizzy.." Mahad thought to himself.

"How is she? Is the baby okay?" The pharaoh yelled as he heard the door crack.

The Priestess closed the door behind her and closed her eyes. She let out a sigh then opened her eyes and stared at the Pharaoh.

"Your son is alright." She said.

Pharaoh smiled when he heard those words. Mahad started jumping up and down on the chair he had been sitting on. Mahad's father examined the Priestess' frown and gestured for Mahad to stop jumping.

"I'm afraid your wife wasn't as lucky." Priestesss explained.

The Pharaoh's happiness suddenly turned to sorrow as that knife was plunged into his chest. He ran into the bedroom to find his wife. Mahad started crying and by instinct ran towards the room, but his father grabbed him.

"No!" Mahad yelled.

"We must take our leave now. The Pharaoh needs to be alone." His father told him.

Mahad walked in own for about an hour, just kicking around rocks. He stopped under a tree and sat down.

"I can't wait to grow up. Then I can help the prince and Pharaoh more. But I am only Ten." Mahad sighed.

Mahad lifted himself off the tree and sighed. He hunched over and started to walk home. A faint sound of a cry ran through his ears. Mahad quickly turned around looking for it. He listened very carefully.

"A baby? In the forest edge of town?" Mahad wondered.

He again heard a baby's cry and started running in the direction of it. He lloked left and right, he turned everywhere until he finally found it. He knelt down and saw a baby girl.

"Well hello." Mahad smiled.

He played with her for a split second until he realized she was alone out here. He looked around but no one was there.

"Poor thing, I'll take care of you from now on." Mahad said.

Mahad rushed carefully home to show his father who he had found. He ran through the front door screaming.

"Father! Father!" Mahad exclaimed.

His father turned around and gasped at the sight of the baby girl.

"Mahad! Where did you get this child?" He said angrily.

"I found her out in the woods, Father. She was all alone." Mahad said.

Mahad's father looked into the baby girl's eyes and smiled. He handed her back to Mahad.

"Well she is yours now, you take care of her or give her up to be a slave." His father said.

Mahad smiled and nodded, he handed her to a priestess and hugged his father.

"I want to keep her. I vowed to protect her when I found her." Mahad said with pride.

Mahad's father chuckled at his son and tousled his hair. He knelt down and stared at Mahad.

"let's name your daughter Maya." His father joked.

Mahad looked annoyed and gently kicked his father's leg.

"Not funny! She is not mine, I am her guardian now and I already decided her name." Mahad said and smiled.

The priestess laughed at the sight of them joking around. Mahad turned and looked at her confused. She walked over to him and knelt down.

"So what is the name?" She asked.

Mahad closed his eyes and cleared his throat.

"I have decided her name will be Mana." Mahad said.

The Priestess smiled and lifted herself.

"That is a beautiful name." She said.

Mahad quickly ran after her and pulled on her dress. The Priestess turned around.

"You're not going to take her from me are you?" Mahad said with sad eyes.

"No, she is yours." The Priestess said.

Mahad nodded and ran along to play. The Priestess smiled and watched him run along.

"Priestess." Mahad's father called.

"Yes?" She said.

"Make sure to help him with the girl. He is much too young for THAT much responsibility." He said.

She smiled and turned to him.

"Your son is capable of almost anything." She said.

The priestess walked away and his father smiled. Mahad ran around with the other kids, free as ever.

"Mahad! Was that baby your new sister?" a small child asked.

"No, I am her protector." Mahad said proudly.

The other kids all gasped.

"Oh wow!" a girl said.

Mahad smiled nervously at all the attention. Mahad listened and her his father calling him.

"Holy Ra, It's dinner time!" Mahad exclaimed.

"Bye Mahad!" the children shouted.

Mahad waved as he ran hom as fast as he could.

Those were the days, before you ever knew what darkness was

Before you ever knew…

The birds were chirping feverishly outside Mahad's window as he awoke. He rubbed his eyes and waddled over the his dresser and picked up his comb.

"Mahad! We will be late! It's the prince's 5th birthday today!" His father screamed.

"I know! Don't forget Mana!" Mahad screamed back.

Mahad rolled his eyes and continued to brush his hair in the mirror. He looked down at his dresser and there was a hairpin that he bought for her. He picked it up and smiled as he went out his bedroom door. His father stood at the foot of the stairs tapping his foot as Mahad rushed past him.

"Hey!" He shouted.

Mahad ran through this museum of a house. He started to slow down at the sound of laugter.

"Mana." He said.

He lifted up the cloth hanging in the doorway and walked inside. A few slave women were undressing Mana and all Mana could do was giigle. Mahad walked over to her and knelt down.

"Mana, you must left them change you. It is a specialday." Mahad explained.

She instantly calmed herself and gave him a smile in return. He tousled her hair around and lifted himself from the floor. The slaves continued on dressing Mana in beautiful green Egyptian silk. Mahad grabbed Mana by the hand and walked out of the room. As they made their way to the front door, Mana kept looking down at her dress in worry.

"What troubles you Mana?" Mahad asked.

"I'm scared I will ruin this pretty dress." Mana said softly.

Mahad gripped her hand in his and lifted her up off the ground and onto his back.

"Not with your Guardian here. I protect all of you." Mahad said.

Mahad ran the rest of the way with Mana on his back. He made it up the steps to the castle without struggle, and his father was waiting.

"Are you both well?" He said.

Mahad left Mana off his back and looked up at his father.

"Yes, Father." Mahad said, bowing his head.

"Lucky the God Ra shines on us today. We are not late." He said.

Mahad held Mana's hand and led her into the castle. Mana had only been there once before when she was only 2, to keep the prince company.

Mana looked around at the wide spaced rooms and tall ceilings. She gripped onto Mahad tighter. He looked down at her biting her nail.

"Don't be nervous. You've been here before." Mahad whispered.

"I don't remember." Mana said quietly.

"Welcome!" The Pharaoh exclaimed.

He walked towards Mahad and his father and hugged them. He had a big smile on his face. He looked down at Mana and was surprised.

"Hello, I haven't seen you in awhile." Pharaoh said as he knelt down.

"Thank you for letting me come, Pharaoh." She said looking down at the ground.

He picked her up and carried her into the Throne room. Mahad and his father soon followed.

"Don't forget young lady, It's also your birthday." Pharaoh said.

Mana blinked and looked surprised as he put her down next to the prince.

"That's right. It's your birthday too." The Prince said.

He handed her a tiny little giftbox. She looked down at it in awe. She looked up at Mahad worried she wasn't supposed to have it.

"Thank you Prince." Mana said.

Mahad nodded. Mana bowed to the Prince and set her present down on the table.

"Nonsense! Call me Atem. We are friends, no?" Atem said.

"Yeah!" Mana exclaimed.

She smiled and jumped on Atem, giving him a big hug. They both fell over while the adults and Mahad laughed at the sight.

"Sorry." Mana said getting off Atem.

Mana smiled so brightly in that moment. Her face turned from worry to belonging and happiness. Her face changed from shades of gray to color. Mahad watched her.

"What a beautiful smile." Mahad thought to himself.

"Come on! Open it Mana!" Atem said.

She nodded anxiously and started unwrapping her gift. She peaked inside and saw 2 gold rings. Se looked up at everyone, happy yet confused.

"Mahad has ones just like these. Oh and you Atem." Mana said.

Mahad laughed and knelt down beside her. He look the armlets from the box and slid them up her arms. The Pharaoh walked over to her.

"Yes. Mahad has told me great things of you. You want to be a Magician." He said.

Mana nodded as Mahad lifted her from the floor to her feet.

"He's honoring you today Mana. You are not just anyone now. You will be Priestess Mana when you grow older." Mahad explained.

"No, you are part of the family." He said.

Mana teared up and fell onto the floor. Mahad smiled and sat her on his lap.

"Don't cry Mana. It's a good thing." Mahad said.

She kept rubbing the tears from her eyes. Mahad lifted her chin and looked at her.

"I'm going to be a Priest soon and I'll teach you. I'll always be your Guardian." Mahad said.

Mana stopped crying and Mahad wiped the tears from her eyes. She smiled back.

"Thank you so much Pharaoh. And you Atem!" Mana said.

Mana moved from Mahad's lap over to Atem. She grabbed a box and handed it to him.

"Here! Happy Birthday." Mana said.

Atem opened up the box and inside was a small clay sculpture.

"Oh, is this me?" Atem asked.

"Yeah!" Mana said excited.

"Thanks!" Atem said.

The two children got up and ran around playing while Mahad watched with a smile. Mahad heard his father and The Pharaoh whispering and he turned his attention to them. They walked out into the hall quietly.

"I need to ask a favor of you, friend." Pharaoh said.

Mahad tried listening in but the children were much too loud to hear their word. Mana pulled on Mahad's hand.

"Mahad, come play with us." Mana said.

"Not now, Mana." Mahad said.

She frowned and turned around to play with Atem. Mahad heard footsteps and quickly walked away from the door.

"I think that's enough playtime. Time for teachings my son." Pharaoh said.

The children stopped running and stared at the adults.

"Aww, but that's so boring and it's my birthday." Atem said.

Mahad grabbed Mana and put her on his back.

"You are older meaning you need more teachings." He said.

"Say your goodbyes Mana." Mahad said.

"Bye Atem! I'll see you soon!" Mana waved to Atem.

Mahad turned around and walked out of the throne room and down the halls. Mana let her arms flop over Mahad's shoulders and she rested her head on his back.

"Tired?" Mahad asked.

"Just my body." Mana said.

"So your mind is still full of energy then." Mahad said.

He nodded to the guards and walked down the front steps of the castle.

"Yeah." Mana said softly.

Mahad walked through town past the flower shop and then the bakery.

"Mana, Is there anything you want today?" Mahad asked.

Mana nuzzled into his back and closed her eyes.

"Just don't leave me." Mana said.

Mahad let her down in front of the door and held her hand.

"That wish was already granted 5 years ago." Mahad said.

He opened the door and pulled her inside. He locked the door behind her.

"That's still my wish!" Mana exclaimed.

Mahad smiled and led her upstairs. He lifted up the cloth and they both entered his room. As she sat down on the bed, he pulled out the small hairpin from his pocket.

"Here, this is my present." Mahad said.

Mahad showed er the hairpin before setting it down upon the dresser.

"What? I can't wear it?" Mana said sadly.

Mahad climbed into bed and pulled the covers over them both. He wrapped his arm around her.

"It's late and you need rest. You can wear it tomorrow." Mahad explained.

She closed her eyes and laid her head on his arm.