Chapter 1
Alone In the World; Kei's Start
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FW: Hellooooooooooooooo
Una: Oh no, this is what happens when she is up late at night after a party and had hot chocolate and watched the second Inu-yasha movie for Christmas, without me I may add…
FW: HOY! You stayed till six!
Una: Oh yeah when did the last person leave?
FW:…..ten….thirty….ish…
Una: Then you found my purse on your bed…and looked through it, and called me…afterwards.
FW: HEY, I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS YOURS!
Una: -_-' C'mon girl! Who else would have a Vegeta wallet?
Bardock: She got you there.
FW: Where the hell did you come from?!
Una: He's in all of my commentary!
Bardock: Plot hole. They do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, but Una owns Shukura and Minkabh, and the FW owns her own character Kei…you'll see.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The young girl looked out at her burning home. The fires were very small, burning themselves out. The smell was almost unbearable, but after hours and hours of screams, smoke, and utter chaos, even the child felt immune to something so trivial. What little survivors that had made it through the night had already escaped the city.
What confused her was why? Why did so much action happen? The naive girl stood at the doors of her home, waiting. For some reason, there were no children to play with her, no guards to make fun of, no signs of the morning feast, no one at all. She was only about four well, she was going to turn four anyway.
Her name was Kei, and she was all alone. She toddled through her once beautiful home, and gathered what she could. Using blankets and straw from other houses she made a shack. She took what food and pottery she could salvage, along with any cloth for clothes.
"It's just like when you played fort with the other children…that's all…Mommy and Daddy will wake up and everything will be fine," she told herself over and over. She was bright for a child of her age, but was still blind to the fact she was completely alone.
Kei soon saw something shining in the local temple near her home. Tiptoeing, as if the dead would yell at her for waking them, she made her way to the temple. The once hall, crumbling from the destruction, echoed with her small footsteps.
"Hello? Mr. Priest! Are you here?"
No one answered.
"Is he sleeping to? Like the children? Like Mommy and Daddy?"
Her face was smudged with dirt, and her hair was beginning to become very matted. The source of the shine she had followed came from a long sword, about twice her height in length, but thin enough for her to hold. It took her awhile to find balance but she did. Her foot slid on something and she dropped the sword, but fortunately the edge was dull and dusty, even though it landed nowhere near her. Kei had slipped on a piece of paper, that gently made it's way back to the ground, where she picked it up and slowly began to try and read it. The words that were to big she skipped over.
"I…..he…her….hereb…hereby…give…my…d..dau…daughter's…hand…in..mm…mmm..maaa….marri….mariage to the fu…fuuuuu….future…ph..ph..pharaoh of Egypt."
Kei blinked a few times. She had read on her own without any help. She ran with the sword and the sheet of paper back to where her father's body lay to try and tell him of her accomplishment.
"Daddy! Daddy! I read this all on my own! See? It's saying I hafta marry some guy called the Pharaoh when I get older but I read it all on my own and… Daddy? Daddy pay attention!"
Her father coughed and opened his eyes to look at his daughter. He knew he didn't have much time left. His hand stroked her face, and she played with his long white hair.
"Daddy see? I read on my own!" Kei said, kneeling next to her father, beaming with happiness. "And, I can lift a sword! I can fight with it if I keep practicing, like we did with my reading, and I can be like a son to you! You'd like that right? I don't care who this stupid Pharaoh man is, I wanna make you proud of me and be the best fighter the world has ever seen!"
Her father laughed through his pain. He wrenched the two arrows from his chest and sat up. "Do you want to marry him?" he asked, drawing his daughter into a hug.
Kei shook her head and smiled at her father. "I wanna be a warrior, just like you! I wanna be like the little brother I never got. Would you still be proud of me?" Kei pondered, her eyes shining with hope.
Her father coughed up blood, but he held Kei close so she could not see it. "You are my daughter, and no matter what you do I will be proud. If you want to be a warrior, you can't have long hair my darling. And you can't run around in a dress, nor can you run away crying, or be afraid of being alone. Is that alright with you?"
Kei giggled and said she was fine with that. Her father explained something very hard for any parent to explain, death.
"Kei, sweetie, Daddy, Mommy and the other people aren't going to wake up."
"Why not Daddy? Are they really tired?"
"No, they-"
"Are they sick and need some medicine?"
"No, they are dead, or dying, like me."
Kei had heard of death and dying. It happened in the stories her father read to her. It had been what happened to the little sister her mother gave birth to. It happened to a lot of the elderly people in the village. But she never fully understood it. "What does that mean Daddy?"
Her father sighed, his white hair now a light gray from the dust.
"It just means your soul travels to the underworld, where you go and live another life until you are reincarnated, that's all."
"But…but why don't you wake up?"
"Well, your body doesn't last forever, but your soul does. Remember what I told you about the Baa and Kaa?"
Kei nodded her eyes filling with tears. She understood now. "It means your gonna leave me and never come back!"
"I will not leave you, nor will your mother. You have a great power that few ever have, you just don't know it yet. Our spirits will always, always guide you. Your life may not be easy, but we will always be watching you. Do not fear, for death is only the beginning of a new life.
Kei couldn't help but cry. "I'll cut my hair, I'll do my studies, I'll learn to fight, I'll even marry the stupid pharaoh man that I don't want to if it will keep you with me." Kei said, crying hysterically.
Her father helped her cut off the hair. She now had a head full of short curls that extended to her ears. She then put on a boy's full tunic, instead of a dress. She took off all her jewelry, save the small Bast necklace her mother had given her.
Her father touched her face and smiled. "You are still the prettiest girl I know. And you're never going to disappoint me. Keep that in your heart. I promise I will tell your mother and baby sister you love them."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A runner, ragged and dehydrated, collapsed at the doors of the grand Palace of Pharaoh Akunamukanon of Egypt. Two guards gave him water and helped him to his feet.
"Your Highness, there has been a massacre in the village a small distance west of the capital, governed by your friend. There appears to be no one left. All who survived have gone away."
The pharaoh buried his head in his hands. His wife had only died a week prior. Now his best friend, his wife, and his child made their final journey to the west. He was not sure if the elder of his friend's children was a boy or a girl, but he was to receive a message saying if his son could be betrothed to the child were it a girl.
"Your Highness, people say that a strange child has been seen roaming the village, carrying a large sword."
"Then bring the child here. The name was…was… Rei, I think. Yes, that's it. I guess my dearest friend was bestowed with a healthy son, much as I have been. Send two or three riders to fetch him, and be kind, he has lost everyone and everything."
The runner nodded and ran to assemble a small caravan to transport the lord's son to the court. Little did they know, it was actually a girl.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kei had been there for little over a week, but to a little child who is impatiently waiting a birthday that shall never be celebrated, with family and friends long gone, it had seemed like an eternity. One day, she was really starting to improve with her swordsmanship, when she heard the sound of hooves. Instinctively she ran for cover, sword now sharp and deadly, and ready to strike those who came with foul intentions. When three large men went to where she had laid her parents and the others to rest she lost it. Kei ran in sword drawn, screaming at the men to get away from her family.
"Touch 'em and I cut you in two!!!" she screamed, swinging the sword with such precision that a three year old could posses she actually startled the guards.
"Oh, don't do that again ya little rascal."
"We're really sorry, we didn't mean to upset you."
"Hey now little man, what's say we take you to see the pharaoh?"
"I was told not to talk to strange men, they could be thieves." Kei said with a growl.
"Ah come on now, would thieves be dressed like us?"
"You coulda stolen 'em from other guys!"
The men gathered that their errand wasn't going to be very easy at this point. They followed Kei around, watching her from close by or afar, until it was night.
The men hid until she fell asleep, and gently took her to the caravan that had been waiting.
"Took you long enough, what did you lose the little boy in a temple?" one of the guards joked at the man carrying Kei.
"Oh shut it! Before I do it for you!"
Kei woke up and the sun was in her eyes, but that wasn't abnormal for her anymore. But one thing was; she was moving. She felt around in the small carrier they had assembled for her sword. She heaved a sigh of relief when she found it. Kei wrapped herself in some blankets to hide the sword, and she'd escape when no one was looking when they reached wherever it was they were going to.
Kei was about to doze off again when a noise startled her. Someone else was in the carrier. She crawled over to where some food jars were kept, and there was a small boy, with dirty ragged white hair.
"Hi there! My name is Kei, what's yours? I am a girl pretending to be a boy so I dun hafta marry that stupid pharaoh man when I get older so dun tell anyone Ima girl okay?" She said beaming a sweet smile at him.
"Uh….My name….my name is….Bakura….I come from a village of thieves that was wrongfully destroyed by the pharaoh's army…I don't have anyone left.." Bakura curled up, and drew his knees to his chest.
"It's ok I don't have anyone either…hey you wanna be my friend?"
The four-year-old Bakura looked at the girl as if they were worlds apart. She was a noble girl, who could read and write, probably even have better grammar in her speech if she wanted. She was asking him to do something she never would have if they were just two years older.
"If ya wanna, I can teach ya how to read and write…but I am not that good, but my daddy says if I keep practicing I can get really really good at it!"
"I'm sure you will someday."
"So will you be my friend?"
Bakura nodded, and was summarily pounced there after. Kei giggled and hid him under the same blankets as she was. They kept riding until they stopped to buy food from a stand. Kei poked her head out and was instantly amazed by the hustle and bustle of the capital. People were everywhere she looked, all different shapes, sizes and social classes. The number of food stands made her remember how hungry she was. Tall buildings were everywhere, along with some many objects of various colors, it made her head spin. Kei immediately fell in love with the big city.
"Wow! Lookit all the different peoples! What is this place?"
"It's called Thebes and once you live here, you tend to hate it." A young girl who looked about three years older than her with magenta and blonde hair had replied. She sat in the shade behind a food cart, playing with what looked like bones. She crinkled her nose at Kei. "I hate rich country kids like you! Yer so soft an' selfish!"
Bakura stuck his head out of the carrier and looked from left to right. "I should go, if we are headed where I think we are I should go find a place to sleep. I'll meet up with you again someday, I promise!" he said, hopping out and running from the carrier.
Kei tried not to cry. She had barely known the boy and he had run off. He left her like everyone else had.
"Oh great," the street rat griped. "You're a spoiled country baby who picks up random homeless kids! What a nice screw up you'll be someday!" She made a "Keh!" sound in her throat.
Kei glared at her with anger, jumped out of the carrier, drew her sword at the girl, and pounced on her.
"GET HIM OFF ME!!! SOMEONE HELP! THE KID'S MAD!!" the girl yelled.
The guards quickly kicked the girl out of Kei's grasp and put Kei back in the carrier. The young vagabond massaged her bruised arm. "I was the victim, jackasses! I only told him the truth!"
The cruel words of the street rat stung into Kei's already wounded heart. She tried to think of what adventure awaited her, but when it had made Bakura run off, she figured wherever she was going couldn't be to good. Kei waited until the moment was right, tied the sword to her back, and jumped out in the middle of what seemed to be a jungle. Little did she know it was actually the palace gardens.
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Hey friends! My name is Kei, and I'm in a real tough spot in the next chapter! Not only am I discovered by the guards, but someone figured out I'm not a boy! At least it looks like I can trust him… Or can I?
.
.
Bardock: So, who wrote this one?
Una: Keiko.
Yugi: Really? There was so much death, I thought it was you!
FW: Hey, I can write some drama, too!
Yami: Not bad, but why nothing with me yet?
Una: You'll be in the next chapter.
Yami: Why, are you writing it?
Una: No, but it is partly your show!
Read and review!
Alone In the World; Kei's Start
.
.
FW: Hellooooooooooooooo
Una: Oh no, this is what happens when she is up late at night after a party and had hot chocolate and watched the second Inu-yasha movie for Christmas, without me I may add…
FW: HOY! You stayed till six!
Una: Oh yeah when did the last person leave?
FW:…..ten….thirty….ish…
Una: Then you found my purse on your bed…and looked through it, and called me…afterwards.
FW: HEY, I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS YOURS!
Una: -_-' C'mon girl! Who else would have a Vegeta wallet?
Bardock: She got you there.
FW: Where the hell did you come from?!
Una: He's in all of my commentary!
Bardock: Plot hole. They do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, but Una owns Shukura and Minkabh, and the FW owns her own character Kei…you'll see.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The young girl looked out at her burning home. The fires were very small, burning themselves out. The smell was almost unbearable, but after hours and hours of screams, smoke, and utter chaos, even the child felt immune to something so trivial. What little survivors that had made it through the night had already escaped the city.
What confused her was why? Why did so much action happen? The naive girl stood at the doors of her home, waiting. For some reason, there were no children to play with her, no guards to make fun of, no signs of the morning feast, no one at all. She was only about four well, she was going to turn four anyway.
Her name was Kei, and she was all alone. She toddled through her once beautiful home, and gathered what she could. Using blankets and straw from other houses she made a shack. She took what food and pottery she could salvage, along with any cloth for clothes.
"It's just like when you played fort with the other children…that's all…Mommy and Daddy will wake up and everything will be fine," she told herself over and over. She was bright for a child of her age, but was still blind to the fact she was completely alone.
Kei soon saw something shining in the local temple near her home. Tiptoeing, as if the dead would yell at her for waking them, she made her way to the temple. The once hall, crumbling from the destruction, echoed with her small footsteps.
"Hello? Mr. Priest! Are you here?"
No one answered.
"Is he sleeping to? Like the children? Like Mommy and Daddy?"
Her face was smudged with dirt, and her hair was beginning to become very matted. The source of the shine she had followed came from a long sword, about twice her height in length, but thin enough for her to hold. It took her awhile to find balance but she did. Her foot slid on something and she dropped the sword, but fortunately the edge was dull and dusty, even though it landed nowhere near her. Kei had slipped on a piece of paper, that gently made it's way back to the ground, where she picked it up and slowly began to try and read it. The words that were to big she skipped over.
"I…..he…her….hereb…hereby…give…my…d..dau…daughter's…hand…in..mm…mmm..maaa….marri….mariage to the fu…fuuuuu….future…ph..ph..pharaoh of Egypt."
Kei blinked a few times. She had read on her own without any help. She ran with the sword and the sheet of paper back to where her father's body lay to try and tell him of her accomplishment.
"Daddy! Daddy! I read this all on my own! See? It's saying I hafta marry some guy called the Pharaoh when I get older but I read it all on my own and… Daddy? Daddy pay attention!"
Her father coughed and opened his eyes to look at his daughter. He knew he didn't have much time left. His hand stroked her face, and she played with his long white hair.
"Daddy see? I read on my own!" Kei said, kneeling next to her father, beaming with happiness. "And, I can lift a sword! I can fight with it if I keep practicing, like we did with my reading, and I can be like a son to you! You'd like that right? I don't care who this stupid Pharaoh man is, I wanna make you proud of me and be the best fighter the world has ever seen!"
Her father laughed through his pain. He wrenched the two arrows from his chest and sat up. "Do you want to marry him?" he asked, drawing his daughter into a hug.
Kei shook her head and smiled at her father. "I wanna be a warrior, just like you! I wanna be like the little brother I never got. Would you still be proud of me?" Kei pondered, her eyes shining with hope.
Her father coughed up blood, but he held Kei close so she could not see it. "You are my daughter, and no matter what you do I will be proud. If you want to be a warrior, you can't have long hair my darling. And you can't run around in a dress, nor can you run away crying, or be afraid of being alone. Is that alright with you?"
Kei giggled and said she was fine with that. Her father explained something very hard for any parent to explain, death.
"Kei, sweetie, Daddy, Mommy and the other people aren't going to wake up."
"Why not Daddy? Are they really tired?"
"No, they-"
"Are they sick and need some medicine?"
"No, they are dead, or dying, like me."
Kei had heard of death and dying. It happened in the stories her father read to her. It had been what happened to the little sister her mother gave birth to. It happened to a lot of the elderly people in the village. But she never fully understood it. "What does that mean Daddy?"
Her father sighed, his white hair now a light gray from the dust.
"It just means your soul travels to the underworld, where you go and live another life until you are reincarnated, that's all."
"But…but why don't you wake up?"
"Well, your body doesn't last forever, but your soul does. Remember what I told you about the Baa and Kaa?"
Kei nodded her eyes filling with tears. She understood now. "It means your gonna leave me and never come back!"
"I will not leave you, nor will your mother. You have a great power that few ever have, you just don't know it yet. Our spirits will always, always guide you. Your life may not be easy, but we will always be watching you. Do not fear, for death is only the beginning of a new life.
Kei couldn't help but cry. "I'll cut my hair, I'll do my studies, I'll learn to fight, I'll even marry the stupid pharaoh man that I don't want to if it will keep you with me." Kei said, crying hysterically.
Her father helped her cut off the hair. She now had a head full of short curls that extended to her ears. She then put on a boy's full tunic, instead of a dress. She took off all her jewelry, save the small Bast necklace her mother had given her.
Her father touched her face and smiled. "You are still the prettiest girl I know. And you're never going to disappoint me. Keep that in your heart. I promise I will tell your mother and baby sister you love them."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A runner, ragged and dehydrated, collapsed at the doors of the grand Palace of Pharaoh Akunamukanon of Egypt. Two guards gave him water and helped him to his feet.
"Your Highness, there has been a massacre in the village a small distance west of the capital, governed by your friend. There appears to be no one left. All who survived have gone away."
The pharaoh buried his head in his hands. His wife had only died a week prior. Now his best friend, his wife, and his child made their final journey to the west. He was not sure if the elder of his friend's children was a boy or a girl, but he was to receive a message saying if his son could be betrothed to the child were it a girl.
"Your Highness, people say that a strange child has been seen roaming the village, carrying a large sword."
"Then bring the child here. The name was…was… Rei, I think. Yes, that's it. I guess my dearest friend was bestowed with a healthy son, much as I have been. Send two or three riders to fetch him, and be kind, he has lost everyone and everything."
The runner nodded and ran to assemble a small caravan to transport the lord's son to the court. Little did they know, it was actually a girl.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kei had been there for little over a week, but to a little child who is impatiently waiting a birthday that shall never be celebrated, with family and friends long gone, it had seemed like an eternity. One day, she was really starting to improve with her swordsmanship, when she heard the sound of hooves. Instinctively she ran for cover, sword now sharp and deadly, and ready to strike those who came with foul intentions. When three large men went to where she had laid her parents and the others to rest she lost it. Kei ran in sword drawn, screaming at the men to get away from her family.
"Touch 'em and I cut you in two!!!" she screamed, swinging the sword with such precision that a three year old could posses she actually startled the guards.
"Oh, don't do that again ya little rascal."
"We're really sorry, we didn't mean to upset you."
"Hey now little man, what's say we take you to see the pharaoh?"
"I was told not to talk to strange men, they could be thieves." Kei said with a growl.
"Ah come on now, would thieves be dressed like us?"
"You coulda stolen 'em from other guys!"
The men gathered that their errand wasn't going to be very easy at this point. They followed Kei around, watching her from close by or afar, until it was night.
The men hid until she fell asleep, and gently took her to the caravan that had been waiting.
"Took you long enough, what did you lose the little boy in a temple?" one of the guards joked at the man carrying Kei.
"Oh shut it! Before I do it for you!"
Kei woke up and the sun was in her eyes, but that wasn't abnormal for her anymore. But one thing was; she was moving. She felt around in the small carrier they had assembled for her sword. She heaved a sigh of relief when she found it. Kei wrapped herself in some blankets to hide the sword, and she'd escape when no one was looking when they reached wherever it was they were going to.
Kei was about to doze off again when a noise startled her. Someone else was in the carrier. She crawled over to where some food jars were kept, and there was a small boy, with dirty ragged white hair.
"Hi there! My name is Kei, what's yours? I am a girl pretending to be a boy so I dun hafta marry that stupid pharaoh man when I get older so dun tell anyone Ima girl okay?" She said beaming a sweet smile at him.
"Uh….My name….my name is….Bakura….I come from a village of thieves that was wrongfully destroyed by the pharaoh's army…I don't have anyone left.." Bakura curled up, and drew his knees to his chest.
"It's ok I don't have anyone either…hey you wanna be my friend?"
The four-year-old Bakura looked at the girl as if they were worlds apart. She was a noble girl, who could read and write, probably even have better grammar in her speech if she wanted. She was asking him to do something she never would have if they were just two years older.
"If ya wanna, I can teach ya how to read and write…but I am not that good, but my daddy says if I keep practicing I can get really really good at it!"
"I'm sure you will someday."
"So will you be my friend?"
Bakura nodded, and was summarily pounced there after. Kei giggled and hid him under the same blankets as she was. They kept riding until they stopped to buy food from a stand. Kei poked her head out and was instantly amazed by the hustle and bustle of the capital. People were everywhere she looked, all different shapes, sizes and social classes. The number of food stands made her remember how hungry she was. Tall buildings were everywhere, along with some many objects of various colors, it made her head spin. Kei immediately fell in love with the big city.
"Wow! Lookit all the different peoples! What is this place?"
"It's called Thebes and once you live here, you tend to hate it." A young girl who looked about three years older than her with magenta and blonde hair had replied. She sat in the shade behind a food cart, playing with what looked like bones. She crinkled her nose at Kei. "I hate rich country kids like you! Yer so soft an' selfish!"
Bakura stuck his head out of the carrier and looked from left to right. "I should go, if we are headed where I think we are I should go find a place to sleep. I'll meet up with you again someday, I promise!" he said, hopping out and running from the carrier.
Kei tried not to cry. She had barely known the boy and he had run off. He left her like everyone else had.
"Oh great," the street rat griped. "You're a spoiled country baby who picks up random homeless kids! What a nice screw up you'll be someday!" She made a "Keh!" sound in her throat.
Kei glared at her with anger, jumped out of the carrier, drew her sword at the girl, and pounced on her.
"GET HIM OFF ME!!! SOMEONE HELP! THE KID'S MAD!!" the girl yelled.
The guards quickly kicked the girl out of Kei's grasp and put Kei back in the carrier. The young vagabond massaged her bruised arm. "I was the victim, jackasses! I only told him the truth!"
The cruel words of the street rat stung into Kei's already wounded heart. She tried to think of what adventure awaited her, but when it had made Bakura run off, she figured wherever she was going couldn't be to good. Kei waited until the moment was right, tied the sword to her back, and jumped out in the middle of what seemed to be a jungle. Little did she know it was actually the palace gardens.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey friends! My name is Kei, and I'm in a real tough spot in the next chapter! Not only am I discovered by the guards, but someone figured out I'm not a boy! At least it looks like I can trust him… Or can I?
.
.
Bardock: So, who wrote this one?
Una: Keiko.
Yugi: Really? There was so much death, I thought it was you!
FW: Hey, I can write some drama, too!
Yami: Not bad, but why nothing with me yet?
Una: You'll be in the next chapter.
Yami: Why, are you writing it?
Una: No, but it is partly your show!
Read and review!