This has been the worst week EVER. I missed a whole week of school because I was really sick. I'm ALWAYS sick. I think I need a new immune system, because mine seems to enjoy being a stupid slacker.
Princess Hallie: OMG, you'd better hurry! Only three more reviews until I reach 100! Oo HELL YA! And yes, MALIK/TEA forever!
Blackbelt: ALRIGHT! THAT IS IT! It's time we do something about this! runs off the page and comes back holding a strange looking suit, and hands it to you Here. Take this. This ought to protect you! Equipped with pillows and front and side air bags (that deploy on contact), it'll keep you safe from those nasty walls that you might find yourself randomly thrown into - OH! And don't forget the helmet! hands you helmet Now it'll protect you from those nasty frying pans too! Come on TEA! I dare ya to try and pull that stunt now! XD
Lynderia: Yeah, it was funny, wasn't it? When I first saw that episode with Kaiba talking from that blimp, I thought it would be hysterical if someone was to "interrupt" his speech. So, I had Tea pull this prank on him. I couldn't resist! And I'm glad ya like the changes I made! There's more to come!
MalikFan03: Lol! I haven't the slightest clue how your phone could be running away from you, but it's really funny! And no, I don't need a kitten, thanks! I already have 5 psychotic cats of my own…and 6 annoying parakeets that I want to feed to my cats, but my mom won't let me pouts
IsisTheEgyptianGoddess: He, he, he. Ya know, I was wondering why you made such a powerful monster have a mere 40 attack and defense points! Didn't you say that you never put her in any of your stories? Well you should! She sounds so cool! Oh, and Tea is gonna kick PLENTY of ass in her later duels. You just wait!
Disclaimer: Don't own it. Never have. Never will. End of story.
xxXxxXxx
Chapter 8: Pharaoh Yami
Tea numbly poked at her food as the two boys chatted excitedly about the start of the tournament. She really didn't feel like joining in on their conversation; to be honest, she felt like she'd rather be alone.
Upon taking the last bite of his burger, Joey looked over at the silent girl, deciding whether or not he should say something. "Hey, Tea?"
"Hn," she mumbled without looking up.
"So, uh, ya wanna tell me how ya managed ta pull off dat prank now? Cause, ya know…talkin' about sumthin' fun might help take ya mind off whateva it is dat's botherin' ya."
Yugi slowly shook his head. "Joey, you've already asked her 25 times if she wanted to tell you, and each time her answer was no. What makes you think that a passing of five minutes is gonna change her mind?"
"Aw, come on Yug, lookit her! She's miserable! Dis duel monstas tournament is supposed ta be fun for all of us, and it dun look like she's havin' any fun."
"No, this duel monster's tournament is supposed to be a way for us to defeat the new evil that has risen to claim all the world's power. It may be fun and games now, but it most likely won't be later. And I have a really bad feeling that he's gonna be our toughest adversary yet."
Joey gave him a formidable glare as he brought his arms up behind his head and leaned back. "How do ya know that this new adversary of ours ain't a woman?"
"Well, I'd have to say by the way he acted," Yugi began. He then leaned in closer to him and whispered, "I think that this guy may have had a slight interest in Tea, or at least Yami is convinced that's the case."
"I'm not deaf you guys."
The two laughed nervously as they slowly turned their heads to meet Tea's irritated gaze. Joey then directed his attention back towards his smaller friend and asked, "What are ya now, a physic?"
Yugi raised a brow. "You mean a psychic?"
"Physic, psychic, psycho, phosphorous…it's all the same mumbo-jumbo," Joey replied, grabbing a toothpick off of the table and sticking it in his mouth. "If ya ask me, I'd haveta say dat it was a guy too. I mean, I don't think any female in dere right mind would pick a henchman dude dat was as ugly as he was."
Yugi rolled his eyes. "Riiiiight."
Yami's transparent form stood silently next to his light, staring down at the woeful girl. Tea knew full well that he was there too because she could sense him, but tried her hardest to pretend like she didn't. She really didn't feel like dealing with him right now…
"Alright guys! It's time for some dessert!" Joey exclaimed as he waved for the waiter.
Tea sighed and rolled her eyes. When would the torment end? "For the love of Ra Joey, can we please go now? You can get some dessert at the hotel. Besides, it's probably better there then it is here."
"Wha? But I want pie!"
"We have pie, Joey."
"Ya sure?"
"Yes, Joey. You've only had it there three million times."
"Oh yeah! I remember now!" he replied, scratching the back of his head and giving off one of his goofy grins. "Silly me…aw, shit! I forgot ta check up on Serenity! I hope Tristin hasn't tried ta pull anythin' he's gonna regret!" With that, he got up from his seat and ran out of the restaurant.
"Why does he always manage to get outta paying the friggin' bill?" Tea moaned as she dug into her backpack for her wallet.
"Eh, don't worry about it. I got it covered. I think it would be better if you went after him and made sure he doesn't run off on us again." Yugi insisted, ushering her towards the front door.
"Oh, um, are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Um, okay then." She smiled wanly. "Meet ya outside."
Yami watched her leave. After she had, he turned towards his light and asked, 'Yugi, aren't you worried about her? She seems a little…distant today.'
'Huh? Aw, don't worry about it. She gets like that sometimes. Nothin' worth fretting over,' Yugi assured him as he fished through is wallet.
Yami smiled. 'You're probably right. I guess I'm just slightly nervous after our little duel today.'
'No need to be. It's over now - Oh! Do ya wanna go to the museum and check out that Egyptian exhibit today? I think that's where Tea may have met that woman. She might still be there, and if she is, she can answer a few important questions that I have.'
'Sure, if you'd like,' Yami responded. In his own thoughts he added, 'And I might find some information on that strange bracelet Tea possesses…maybe even on the girl herself.'
xxXxxXxx
"Give my sista da phone Tristin."
"Why? So you can-"
"GIVE my sista da friggin' phone, Tristin."
"Give me one good rea-"
"GIVE MY SISTA THE MOTHER FREAKIN' PHONE, TRISTIN, OR I'LL SHOVE YOUR HEAD SO FAR UP YOUR ASS THAT YOU'LL HAVE TA GO TA DA BATHROOM JUST TA BREATHE!"
Tea, who was patiently leaning against the side of the restaurant, rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but laugh at his insult. "Nice one…"
"Hey dude, no need to freak out! I was just kidding! Here ya go Serenity. It's your over-protective big brother, and he's about ta give you the third degree, so brace yourself!" the pointy-haired brunette remarked sarcastically as he handed the phone over to the red-haired girl sitting next to him.1
"Thank you, Tristin," the young girl replied calmly as she snatched the phone out of his hand. "Hey there Joey. How're ya doing?"
"Hiya sis! I'm fine…and so help me God you betta be fine too! Cause I'll be dammed if Tristin-"
"I'm am Joey. Thanks for your concern, but it's quite unnecessary."
Tea pulled on Joey's sleeve. "Can I talk to her when you're done?" He nodded and then shooed her away. She stuck out her tongue in return.
"How are ya holdin' up?"
"Okay, I guess. I'm feeling much more confident then I was yesterday. When will you be coming to visit me? Before or after?"
"I'll be there before and all the way through. I ain't leaving ya for nothin' sis. Oh, but I might haveta leave for a few minutes so dat I can go pound Tristin's sorry ass!"
"HEY, I HEARD THAT!"
'Why me?' Serenity thought miserably.
After the siblings were done talking, Joey handed his phone to Tea. She talked with the girl until Yugi emerged from the restaurant.
Her last words before hanging up were "Bye Serenity, and good luck!"
"Man, that took forever!" Yugi moaned as he approached his friends. "Whad I miss?"
"Nothing," Tea replied nonchalantly as she handed Joey his phone. He pouted and roughly snatched it away from her, causing her to slowly back away and hold up her hands. "Ooo. Somebody needs a nap."
"I don't need a nap thank you!" Joey growled. "I just need ta duel! But because you girls take so god-dang long blabbering on the stupid phone, I'm delayed in my efforts to begin!" He then ran out into the middle of the street and screamed, "HEY! WHO DARES TA DUEL DA ALL MIGHTY JOEY WHEELER, HUH? I KNOW DERE'S SOMEONE OUT DERE WHO'S STUPID ENOUGH TA TRY AND FACE ME, ESPECIALLY AFTA I'VE JUST EATEN!"
Tea rolled her eyes. "As foolish as he may sound, the bloke's right. We'd better start dueling. Catch ya later, k? We obviously aren't plannin' on dueling each other yet."
Yugi smirked. "Not until the finals. See ya, Tea and good luck. Although, I don't think you'll need it with that awesome Goddess card of yours."
Tea laughed. "Yeah I will, cause I ain't using it until the finals. Bu-by now." She then slowly walked off down the sidewalk.
"Right then. I should have known!" Yugi called after her. She just lifted her hand and waved it in the air. Yugi laughed and walked off in the opposite direction.
A safe distance away, a white-haired albino cautiously peeked his head around the corner of a darkened alley. 'Good. That nosy wench is gone.' He clenched his teeth and scowled. 'Ra, do I DESPISE her! She always knows when I'm present, without fail! I swear I'll get that Ra damn bracelet of hers…even if it's the last thing I do!' He snarled at her retreating figure and clenched his fists. 'Now all I need to get myself is a duel disk. Why Bakura didn't get one in the first place is beyond me…stupid boy. I need a new body…come to think of it, hers would most definitely suffice.' His snarl was replaced with a nasty smirk as he carefully stepped out of the shadows and headed down the road.
xxXxxXxx
Malik sat in his chambers, fuming like never before. A couple of his moronic servants had just informed him that the transport carrying his precious God cards had been intercepted, and one of them was stolen. His men claimed that they didn't know whom the vehicle had belonged to, but Malik knew better. In fact, he was pretty sure he knew exactly who had taken it…
"ISHIZU! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!" he bellowed as he threw his rod across the room like a spear and hit the door on the other side, causing it to burst open. "DAMMIT! I CAN'T BELIEVE THOSE FOOLS LET HER TAKE IT! SENDING THEIR PATHETIC MINDS TO THE SHADOW REALM ISN'T A SUITABLE PUNISHMENT! I WANT THEM TO-"
"Master Malik…" The enraged boy stopped screaming and looked up. Odeon stood before him, a calm presence surrounding him. "You need to relax. This isn't worth releasing that spirit again, now is it?"
Malik growled. He may have lost one of his God cards to the hands of his sister, but he still possessed another one. All had not been lost…
Yet.
He took in a deep breath and plopped back down in his chair. Odeon smiled and handed him his rod. Malik snatched it from his hands and growled, "Do you have any other news for me? If it's bad, I don't want to-"
"Actually sir, I have very good news. We have finished collecting all of your locator cards and already possess half of the one that I need to enter." The hooded man held up the fifteen glass cards for his master to admire.
Malik smirked. "That is good. Put them in a safe place." He then motioned for him to leave. Odeon nodded and did as he was commanded. Malik took in another deep breath and sighed. At this point, he wasn't sure if he cared about ruling the world anymore…it seemed like it was more of a false ploy now then anything else. All he wanted was for the despicable thing that was living inside of him to go away. He growled as the ugly feeling of loneliness and sadness swept through him…the same awful feeling that had been haunting him for the past six years.
"I hate this stupid depression! It never leaves me alone…ever." He bit his lower lip as he struggled to hold back the tears he felt welling up inside of him. "Shit." He quickly ran from his room, and out onto his private balcony that overlooked a small body of water.
He was starting to feel it again…the pain of not having her around. She was the only person in the entire world that had ever made him happy, aside from his stupid sister and trusty servant. But without her, he felt like nothing. He leaned onto the railing, tightly clenching his teeth and eyes shut in a final attempt to hold back the tears that were already freely flowing down his tanned cheeks. "DAMMIT!" He banged his fists on the cold, metal bars.
He tried to hide these emotions from his servants, and was most often able to get away without any of them noticing. But once in a while, someone would walk in on him…and lets just say that you definitely wouldn't want to be that someone…
Malik took in another deep breath as he brought a hand to his face and wiped away his tears. He didn't have time to feel this way now…he had more important things to deal with. Then again, he wondered why he did this to himself when he knew full well that Tea was the one who mattered most to him; way more than some random evil plot.
He gazed out at the water with glossy violet eyes, took in another deep breath, and swallowed his pain. 'I may lose everything to that Ra damned Pharaoh,' he thought bitterly, a snarl crossing his lips, 'but I am not going to lose her!'
xxXxxXxx
By the end of the day, Joey and Yugi had managed to scrounge up six locator cards, leaving only four to win for tomorrow. Mai had won seven, while Tea had out beat them all by winning eight cards in total.
That evening, they all headed off in opposite directions: Yugi and Yami to the museum (although it was unknown to Tea at the time), Joey to the hospital to visit his sister, Tea to the hotel, and Mai to the mall for some late night shopping.
Tea stumbled into the Holiday Inn's revolving doors, mumbling as she went. She had never felt so tired in all her life. She walked over to the front desk, placed her arms on top of it, and buried her face within them.
After a few seconds had passed, she felt two arms slowly wrap themselves around her waste and a head rest itself on her back. This was all followed by her aunt's sickeningly sweet voice in her ear: "Aw, I think somewon's tieyrd! Just how many duels did you play today?"
"Why don't you guess."
"Guess? Oh, I don't know! Um…five?"
"No."
"Six?"
"Nope."
"Okay, um, how about seven?"
"Nuh-uh"
"Nine?"
"What the…WHERE DID EIGHT GO?" Tea retorted, pushing her aunt away. "Ug, whatever. I'm going to go to bed now."
"Yup, I'd most definitely have to say that someone is cranky and in need of a nap," her aunt whispered to another lady behind the counter who merely smiled. "Oh, WAIT TEA!"
"What? I'm right here! You don't gotta yell!"
"Ok, you are gonna be so happy when I tell you whose coming to visit tomorrow!" She hastily clapped her hands together, grinning like mad. "You're turn to guess!"
"Is it Santa Clause?" her niece asked in a tedious tone, glaring at the over-excited woman with half open eyes.
"No, silly!"
"Then I give up. Who's -" She cut herself off in mid sentence, eyes growing wide. "Oh my Ra! LYRA'S COMING!"
"Bingo! She's coming early this year because she wants to watch you duel. I told her you're as good as they come!"
"That's because I AM as good as they come," Tea replied smirking. "You were only stating the obvious." She then yawned and turned around to head upstairs to her room. "Look, I'll see you tomorrow. I need to go to bed now. Bye-bye."
"Goodnight Tea, but you do know that it's only 8:00, right?" her aunt asked, checking her watch.
Tea shrugged. "What's your point? I'm tired…goodnight, and don't bother waking me up tomorrow. I'll set my alarm." She then walked into the elevator and disappeared.
"Right. The last time she set her alarm, she screamed and chucked it across the room, smacking one of the maids in the head," Alex mumbled under her breath. "Like I'd ever trust her with one of those ever again…"
---An hour later---
Tea hadn't gone to sleep just yet. She was lying on her bed, watching the latest episode of Teen Titans. That is, until her evil phone rang…well actually, this one wasn't the same wicked phone that had attacked her head that one faithful morning. She had actually thrown that out the window a couple days ago…
Ring!
"What the hell? I told her not to bother me!" Tea moaned as she crawled across her bed to reach her phone.
Rin-
"WHAT?"
"Hey, Tea?"
"Yugi?"
"Yeah, it's me."
"Oh, sorry about-"
"Look, can you meet me out in the back of your building in, let's say, ten minutes? There's something I have to tell you."
"Uh…sure. What about?"
"I'll tell you when we meet, alright? See ya." CLICK.
Tea stared stupidly at the phone. "Um, okay. That was very unlike Yugi…hmmm. Whatever."
She quickly threw on some shoes and a jacket and headed out the door. When she got outside, it wasn't Yugi who was standing there waiting for her, but it was Yami, casually leaning against the back of the building. He smiled as he saw her emerge from the building.
'Yami?' Tea thought perplexed. 'What's he doing here?' She cautiously walked up to him, stopping a few feet in front of him. "Hey there, Yami. What's up?" She gave him a nervous smile.
"Hello Tea. I'm sorry to have bothered you, but we need to talk." His smile had long faded and had been replaced with a very somber look.
"Uh, sure. What's up?"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. "Yugi and I visited the museum's Egyptian exhibit today and we met a woman who gave me this card. I believe that she was the same woman that you had met…Ishizu Ishtar. Ring a bell? Well this card…it's another God card."
Tea stared at him in shock as he extended his arm and held out the card for her to take. She didn't take her eyes off of him as she took it from his hand.
'But I thought she only had my card and Obelisk, which she had already given to Kaiba! Who is this?' She stared down at it, feeling as confused as ever. 'How did she get a third one?'
"Its name is Slyfer the Sky Dragon. Ishizu gave it to me because she claimed that I am one of the few who can wield it. That's when she revealed to me who I was long ago…my past."
Tea couldn't believe what she was hearing. Sure, it was great that her team was able to obtain another God card, but why couldn't he wait until the morning to tell her? And what did he mean by 'who he was in the past?' Did he mean when he wasn't a spirit? When he had had his own body?
"Yami, I'm afraid that I don't understand…why are you telling me…what do you mean by-"
"You see Tea, it turns out that I am, in fact, an ancient Pharaoh that ruled over Egypt approximately 5000 years ago…" He frowned and lowered his gaze. "Unfortunately, I know nothing more than that."
Tea's breathing came to an abrupt halt. He was the ancient pharaoh? Yami was the one whom her past self had fallen in love with? The spirit of the puzzle? Yugi's darker half? YAMI WAS THE PHARAOH? She carefully brought one of her hands up to her heart, hoping its pulsating beat would decelerate before it ruptured through her chest.
'Well, that would explain why I would get those weird feelings when I'm around him. But then, why aren't I in love with him now? Technically, if I'm the reincarnation of Anzu and he's the ancient spirit of her past husband, then wouldn't that be some sort of sign…second chance?' She slowly shook her head. 'No…it just couldn't be. I do not love him, nor do I love Yugi. They're just my friends…'
Her body may have enjoyed the spirit's delicate touch, but her heart knew better then to heed to a mere physical attraction. In fact, sometimes, when she found herself beginning to feel somewhat giddy in his presence, she'd simultaneously feel a twinge of uneasiness in the pit of her stomach; like she knew that something was wrong with the situation, but couldn't figure out what.
Maybe this is why Ishizu hadn't revealed who he was sooner…she probably had already seen this coming.
Yami gave her a concerned look. "Tea?"
Her eyes darted up from the ground. "Yes?"
"I also found out where your bracelet came from, or should I say who it belonged to. It was my queen's…Anzu Mazaki. Have you ever heard that name before?"
Tea's face grew pale. 'Have I heard that name before? I AM HER! Or WAS her…'
Yami took a step closer to her, causing her flinch and take one step back. He didn't notice the fear in her eyes, or the nervousness that she was displaying towards him. Either that or he was doing a really good job of ignoring it.
"There was also this tablet that Ishizu showed me…it was kind of like, um, what do you call those funny cartoons? You know, with the boxes and the words inside those bubbles?" He gave her a funny look.
Tea broke away from his dark, crimson eyes, and returned her gaze to the ground. "Um…do you mean a comic strip?"
"Ah, yes, a comic strip…it was like a comic strip without words, and it was portraying the last event that occurred during Anzu's life. But since most of it is cut off, no one knows how it ends, or understands what it means. But that woman - the queen I mean - she looked a lot like you, Tea. She looked very much like you." He took another step towards her while she took one back, except this time she could go no further…
Her back had collided with a brick wall.
'UG, WHY DOES EVERYONE THINK THAT I LOOK LIKE A FREAKIN' STONE CARVING?' Tea mentally screamed. 'And where is all this fear coming from? I was never this afraid of him, was I? Oh Ra…he doesn't think that I'm Anzu, does he? Because technically I'm NOT! And he doesn't know about my childhood, or how I obtained this bracelet, or ANYTHING for that matter, does he? Ishizu wouldn't do that to me!' She slowly looked up, only to see that Yami had come within inches of her face. She gulped, blushing like mad. 'What does he think he's doing!' She bit her lower lip…hard.
"Tea," he whispered in a deep, raspy voice, leaning one of his arms against the wall behind her. "I believe…I believe that you and my queen are one in the same. That would explain why I seem to have such strong feelings for you; why I felt like I've met you before…loved you before." He reached up and softly ran his hand across her cheek, gently caressing her skin with his thumb. Tea clenched her teeth and closed her eyes. She had never felt so uncomfortable in her entire life.
Yami then brought his lips up to her ear and whispered, "I also believe that you feel the same way that I do…I've seen the way that you react to my touch. I know that you've felt it before…you can feel it now, can't you?"
Tea wanted to scream, but felt like her voice had disappeared. She even found it hard to breathe. First of all, he was WAY to close to her face for comfort. Second, he didn't know how she felt! Those feelings weren't even hers! They just sort of came out on their own! Maybe her bracelet was what caused her to yearn for him in the first place…as some sort of sign that he was connected to her past. It made sense, didn't it? And finally, she may have been his queen in the past, but that didn't mean that she had to be his queen in this day in age…
She belonged to no one.
Yami took her silence and tightly clenched eyes as a chance to prove his point. He leaned in and gently pressed his lips against hers, savoring their delectable flavor. He wanted her so badly…her very touch and taste lit this burning desire within him that he thought would consume his very soul. She was amazing…incredible…intoxicating.
Her eyes widened as he attempted to deepen the kiss. 'Oh my Ra! Oh my freaking Ra!'
This was not happening…
This could not possibly have been happening!
And yet…it was…
But she wasn't liking it.
As she felt him run his sizzling tongue along the bottom of her lip, pleading for entrance, she realized that enough was enough…now he was trying to take advantage of her and she did not like that…
'STOP!' she mentally screamed as she broke their connection and pushed him away. She glared at him with teary eyes and whispered, "Please stop…"
Yami stared at her, shocked and confused. "But Anzu, I thought-"
"What did you just call me?" she hissed, wiping her eyes. It was one thing to kiss her without permission, but to call her by the wrong name? This boy was so dead!
"I…I called you…" He paused for a moment, feeling extremely confused. "I called you Tea, didn't I?"
"No, you called me ANZU. I am NOT Anzu! My name is Tea, and I may possess a bracelet that belonged to your queen, but that DOESN'T make me her." She gave him a piercing gaze.
Yami backed away a couple of steps and looked up at her with saddened eyes. "Forgive me, Tea. I…I don't know what came over me. You just seemed so familiar to me…I guess that I just had to know why I had these feelings for you all this time. I'm so sorry…"
Tea hugged herself and pressed her body against the cold, bricks behind her, eyes directed towards the ground. "I'm sorry Yami, but I don't feel that way and I can't make myself feel that way either. Who I was or may have been in the past doesn't determine who I am now or will be in the future…" She looked up at his disappointed eyes. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you and the others about this before…I guess it was just as shocking for me to hear as it was for you. But you know, regardless of everything, I will always be your friend…" She pushed herself off of the wall and smiled sheepishly. "Always…"
Yami shoved his hands into his pockets and coughed a couple of times. "Yes, I…I know."
Tea couldn't be mad at him, could she? The poor guy had been living within that puzzle for centuries without any knowledge of who he was or why he was there. He was probably hoping that she would give him some more answers…show him that there was something worth living for.
"I'm sorry, Yami. I really hope you can understand…" She had never felt so low in all her life. But it was true. She didn't love him and it wasn't fair for her to give him what he desired if it wasn't something she wanted as well.
"I understand…it's my fault. I really should have asked permission first." He took a couple more steps back and smiled to the best of his ability. It was obvious that he was crushed, though, because he was doing a horrible job of hiding his disappointment.
"Yami…" Tea began, but was cut off as a bright light enveloped him, and replaced him with his light. Tea sighed and rubbed away the sleepiness that was oozing from her eyes. "Hey there Yugi…"
Yugi bit his lower lip. He had seen and heard everything that had happened…Yami had been careless and had not closed the link that connected their minds. He slowly approached her, looking as guilty as ever. "I'm, uh…sorry about-"
"Don't be. It wasn't your fault, nor was it his. Let's just forget about it, ok? Hopefully, he'll get over it before the finals tomorrow."
"But I could have stopped-"
She held up her hand. "Just forget it Yugi. Please…I'm really tired." She then handed him his God card that she still had tightly clenched in-between her fingers. "Cool dragon ya got there…it'll be interesting to see how our Gods face off, huh?"
He nodded, gently took the card from her hands, and smiled. "Um, yeah. It'll definitely be something."
Yeah, she could forget about this. She had told Yami the truth…it's not like she could lie just to make him happy. "Goodnight Yugi."
"Night Tea…see ya in the morning," he replied, turning to leave, but stopped as a thought crossed his mind. "Wait, Tea?"
"Hmm?"
He paused for a moment. "Where did you get that bracelet of yours?"
Oh dear…
She knew that this question was going to be asked sooner or later. Luckily she had planned what she would say ahead of time. "Oh, um…I got it while I lived back in Egypt…a gift from my mother before she died…family heirloom." Yeah, she lied, but it was only a small white lie that couldn't harm a fly…right? It's not like she could tell him the truth. It was already enough that he knew whom her bracelet had once belonged to.
"Oh…I see. Well, I was also wondering…I mean I know that your bracelet has the power to detect spirits, but does it have any other powers? I know that all Millennium items have numerous unique abilities, and I'm sure that I haven't unlocked all of mine as of yet, but…I was just wondering if you knew of any others that yours may have. I've been meaning to ask you…" The violet-eyed boy eyed her intently as he awaited an answer.
'Of course he has to know now…' Tea thought bitterly. She was going to have to lie again. If she told him the truth, he'd just ask more questions and she'd never get to sleep. "Um…well, I think that it may have a few others, but I'm not so certain what they are. It does a lot of strange things - mostly at these weird, random times and its not really able to click in my mind fast enough for me to understand what's happened…get my drift?"
"Interesting…" he replied, pondering over what she had said. "Well, I won't keep you any longer. I can clearly see that you're tired…so am I." He smiled and waved. "I'll see ya later…and once again, I'm really-"
"If you're about to apologize to me again, save your breath. I already told you that he's forgiven." She forced a smile. "Goodnight, Yugi."
He laughed nervously. "Night Tea." He then quickly turned and ran off down the darkened street.
Tea let out a long sigh as she walked towards the back door of the hotel, but paused in the entryway, thinking about something Yami had said. 'A tablet that showed the last event that had occurred during Anzu's life…hm. I'll have to go check it out tomorrow. Though, if Ishizu didn't tell me about it, than it must not be all that important.' She shrugged her shoulders and headed inside.
'At least I don't have any more feelings for Yami anymore…one's that I cannot explain…HEY! THOSE FEELINGS ARE GONE!' She stopped in front of the elevator, put a finger to her lips, and smirked. She hadn't experienced any strange tingling sensations, shivers up her spine, or any other lustrous feeling for that matter…and he had kissed her. 'No offense to the poor guy or anything, but I'm kinda glad…'
Why she was glad she had no idea. It's not like she was saving her feelings for someone else…
xxXxxXxx
Ok…that gets the T/Y stuff out of the way. I had a really hard time writing this chapter…I was unsure of how to let him down. Sorry to all you Yami fans out there, but this just had to be done. OH! And that whole part about Tea deciding that it wasn't fair for her and Yami to be together because it wasn't something she wanted is very important…remember that!
Random Notes:
1. Serenity is going to be a year younger than the others, making her about 16. She'll also be extremely OOC due to the minor fact that her true persona irks me to no end. Just thought I'd give you all a heads up on that.
Bye!
