Disclaimer: I don't own any Red River manga series.
A/N: Okay, I'll say the usual 'thanks and review!' but I mainly want to address a couple of reviews, if you don't mind. If you don't know what I'm talking about, these two are distinct enough that you will when you see them.
angelvoice15: Wow. Um...let me take you through the week that I posted this, but first of all, let me make something clear. I am not an adult. I'm not even a college student. I am a freshman in high school, who is still adjusting to the hectic new schedule that comes with this. Now, I'm sure you've gone through school, but in the current area I live in, school systems and their teachers are ridiculously high maintenance. Of course, this may be due to my gifted status, and taking higher level classes, but nonetheless, my county tests more than any other in my state.
So, that Monday, I had a Human Evolution Project and essay due, including research on 14 different species in Gifted AP Biology. In the same subject, I also had a test that Wednesday, another thing added to the list of things to study for: AP Human Geography, Gifted Freshman Language Arts, and Gifted Accelerated Integrated Geometry(a subject which, for the first time, I am currently failing). I am also a devout musician(I've played the piano since I was 4, the violin since I was 11, and the cello for only one year), and have to practice in order to keep up with my upperclassmen in Symphonic Orchestra. I also have piano lessons every Wednesday, added to club volleyball practice every Monday and Wednesday, and regular season volleyball conditioning on the same days. My mother is also a middle school teacher, meaning I'm getting home at 5 pm if I stay after school, which is basically every day. I also had an independent reading assignment on Jane Eyre due in Language Arts, so of course that means I waited until the last minute to write a summary and answer ten questions(no, not on plot, but for real, difficult thinking ones). Therefore, what's last on my list? You guessed it. As much as I love writing, I'm not doing this for the rest of my life. I'm bringing that math grade up, going to college on a volleyball scholarship in four years, and starting a job most likely not in the writing profession.
As much as I appreciate your criticism, it would be even better if you could remember that a real person is on the other side. When you're giving me 'constructive criticism' next time, try to do it in an unoffensive manner.
Anon D: First off, you have to know I'm not a person who cries about happy stuff. So you should know that I absolutely teared up when I read your email. No joke, it just brightened my entire day. I don't have as much to say, but just know that I seriously appreciated that soooooo much. And, I'm definitely not giving up any time soon.
Bastet
I held Yuri's head in my lap again, protectively. I had always been good at reading people. Their feelings were always reflected in their eyes. So, when I first met Kail Mursili, and saw the kind of love he directed towards the girl in my arms, I just knew he'd do anything for her — even if it included destroying his kingdom or any chance at peace.
The babies were wailing — loudly, after being returned to me — topping the acrid smell of animals and God-knows-what-else brought water to my eyes. These things were making it absolutely impossible to think about the current situation.
Ryui and Shala were suddenly pushed into the wagon, along with me, being called 'stragglers of the Hittites'.
"Who sent you two? Prince Kail?" I whispered. They rushed to me, hovering over each side of Yuri.
"Actually, our sister. But if he'd had the chance, it might have been him."
I turned my attention back to Hadi and User. They were still crying.
"Shh, babies. You'll be okay." I cooed, trying to calm them down, who seemed to know what the soldiers would do to them. I looked back to the older set of twins. "Is his Highness okay? Is Horus? What's happened since I was gone?"
"Both are distraught. Prince Kail is restoring peace in the city while trying to find a way to bring you four back to safety." Ryui answered.
"That's very good." I said quietly. "The peace part, not the distress." They laughed, although a bit bitterly. Their smiles faded quickly.
"What happened to the Princess?" Shala asked.
"I found her like this. I've got my own evil minion to worry about, but apparently, her minion trumps mine. Something happened where she passed out, and here we are." I replied, then sighed as the twins refused to stop crying.
"Do you mind if I feed them?" the two girls blushed, then nodded. I grimaced in pain at the feeling, but tried to hide it from my audience.
"The Prince of Darkness would like to see these women." I heard a Catcher say to his colleague.
"Why? He didn't tell us we couldn't take them!" the man replied.
"How should I know? He just wants to see them."
"He's looking for Yuri so quickly?" I sighed, and began unbuttoning her dress. They fell into my plan, and Ryui began undressing to switch clothing with the unconscious girl as the children were readjusted to be in my lap.
"She may not be the only one the Prince is looking for, Bastet." Ryui replied.
"I know that." I retorted quietly, knowing exactly what I was doing.
"Then you should be undressing yourself." Shala joined.
"And compromise Princess Yuri with another lie? Let her stay in her clothes. I just wanted her to be aware."
"She's a mother, Ryui. Look at the whole situation. If Bastet dies, I, for one, am not caring for two babies. By all means though, go ahead, you'd end up on your back making a baby soon at your rate, so I suppose it would be good practice." Shala bit. Ryui lunged for her sister, but around the babies, I grabbed her before she could hurt them as well as so that they did not attract the guards.
"Quiet, both of you! My hiding is like this argument: pointless. They'd already be looking for a woman who had just given birth, and to twins no less. But, Yuri still has a chance, and she'll be a fool to protest."
"Uhh..." I heard from behind us, a sleepy groan. I turned around to see Yuri woken, holding her head in her hands.
"Welcome back to the land of the living." I joked. She stared at me, confused.
"Where are we?" she asked groggily.
"We've been kidnapped, Sleeping Beauty. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum over here followed us." Ryui and Shala glared at me with strange confusion before doting on their princess, but she was already waving them off of her.
"Look. It's..." she couldn't finish her sentence as fear filled her dark eyes. I turned the direction she was staring. What I saw was the infamous Prince of Darkness.
We had already met before, fighting for a small intersection of territory. That was another reason I had refused to change. How ironic that he'd probably end up killing me while I was his prisoner and not on the battlefield.
I turned back quickly; even through my resolve, I had a glimmer of hope that he'd pass over me. But Lady Luck wasn't on my side today.
"Take me, Your Highness. I'd be a fine addition to your harem." a woman said with a smile in her eyes.
"No..." Yuri protested, but I quickly put my hand over her mouth.
"Shhh...close your eyes. This won't end pretty." and reflexively, I closed my eyes too at the woman's bloodshed, my babies already being shielded by my cloth(not that they'd know what was happening).
"I don't want Mursili's woman for my bed. I will execute the 'goddess' as an example, and send her body straight back to Hattusa." Mattiwaza snarled.
"Did someone say, 'goddess?' I believe I know of one, although she may not be the one of which you ask." I taunted .
"Shut up, Bastet." Yuri gritted, but it was already too late. The Prince of Darkness turned his cold stare on me as I stood up from the cart.
"Bastet. So I suppose you've seduced Mursili as well? Was Ramses not enough?" he asked snidely.
"I am a princess now, Your Highness; I should be addressed as such." I simply replied. He considered.
"You will die a princess, as well. But, before that," he grabbed Ryui, in her gorgeous purple gown. "Perhaps you could tell me if this is his concubine?"
Yuri surged forward, but was stopped by Shala.
"That is the girl." his nose turned to her hair, but then pushed her aside. My stomach dropped quickly as he grabbed Yuri next.
"You think you fool me? I can smell the frankincense on the child. For an Egyptian head archer, I would have thought you would know that."
"Do you think I would know my own husband's concubine? I no longer want her around him; the other one certainly is she." I rushed, but already knew Mattizawa was convinced.
"Wait, what?" Yuri asked.
"Were you not informed? An Egyptian military head stands before you." Yuri glared at me.
"You lied." she said flatly. I started to protest, but the Prince of Darkness stopped me.
"Sorry, ladies, as much as I would like to watch you kill each other, there is an execution to perform. The grandeur of it should be witnessed by others now that Prince Kail's wife will suffer as well." he sneered.
I sighed, and took Hadi out of her cradle, giving her to Ryui, and giving User to Shala in the same fashion.
"Their diapers should be clean, and they shouldn't be fussy. If they are, I won't be gone long." I said quietly. Ryui and Shala had matching glares directed at me as well.
Yuri was silent in the ride to our pending death. I could feel the anger radiating off of her. Yes, I had omitted the part in my story that I was Head Archer, but I had turned away from Egypt. Why would it matter if I was on their side now?
Her booming silence gave me the time to think about Ramses. I'd absorbed Amun's message the way a cloth absorbs water. He was coming, and he had left Zahra, obviously, but I was still suspicious of whether this message was false, a construction of Amun's as a distraction. So, I tried not to think about it too much, silently hoping that Ramses would come and be informed of my absence. Even then, that would've been a stretch; he could have written back to Hattusa and waited for me to come, unknowing that I may not.
That was my whole act, played out well enough. Everyone around me believed me to be confident enough that I'd be fine, and return to my home in a matter of days, but I had no clue. The ease in which I had been captured left me unsure of my strength and mentality.
We arrived at the execution pit, where one cross stood in the center. When Yuri and I were each strapped to a side, Mattiwaza stood back to look at us in pity.
"How peculiar Mursili's taste in women is. He has the jewel of Egypt by his side, yet exchanges her for a small child."
"Princess Yuri, your horse!" Ryui shouted. We both turned our heads to the side, and sure enough, Aslan stood, waiting to be auctioned. Right beside him was Sahara, whom I had nearly forgotten.
Both were raising some crazy form of hell.
"And for Ramses and Mursili to make up lies of that sort about goddesses."
"I happen to think I'm a goddess, thank you, and a fine one, at that." I replied haughtily, but my tone was simply well feigned.
"Perhaps both of you would like to return to them."
"What do you mean?" Yuri joined.
"I'll grant you any wish you choose, if you can survive." I scoffed, when Hell freezes over was what he thought, no doubt.
Suddenly, a gate leading to the inside of the arena slid open to reveal a fierce-looking lion, anger on his feline features.
"He hasn't eaten for ten days. The goddesses of the cat should easily overcome this." The Prince of Darkness informed us. I spat at him.
"Now would be a good time for you to get over your anger, Yuri." I said through gritted teeth, but her eyes were locked on the lion in front of her.
"Aslan!" she screamed, over and over. The lion knocked the cross we were pinned to down, and his claws bloodied my wrists as they ripped through our binds. Her cries continued, until finally, both Aslan and Sahara escaped in a flourish.
Yuri mounted Aslan quickly, picked up a stake, and drove it through the lion. Ryui and Shala rushed toward their princess, and a wave of anger rushed through me as I saw each of my children strapped to them. Slight shock appeared on Mattiwaza's face until it was replaced by smugness.
"Ah, 'Ishtar' has proven herself to be the goddess. But, we still have another to be decided." The gate opened once again. "I saved this one for you, Princess. He hasn't eaten for a fortnight." I groaned. The lion came out, fiercer than his predecessor.
He stalked me as I locked eyes with his, in a dance of predator versus prey.
I would not be the prey, for I was, and still am, Bastet, the warrior-cat goddess, so much stronger than that overgrown-hungry kitten.
Yuri
Bastet reached her arms out to the animal with a feral determination, and he cocked his head to the side, much like many of us watching were. The stake wouldn't come out of the dead lion, so when Bastet did this, I was simply puzzled.
"Come to me, love. No need for the hunt." she spoke, her words soft and alluring, causing the animal to step forward, straight into her arms.
"That's right, darling, don't you worry about anything else." she murmured, running her hands slowly through his mane. Was the slight quiver in her movements my imagination?
The lion sat down as Bastet petted him lovingly, and whined from hunger pangs.
"Shh, shh, baby, I know. We'll get you food." then to me, without looking up, she said, "As much as I cherish our friendship, I don't really care what you think. But, know that I am sorry for not telling you, and I didn't deliberately decide not to either, it just didn't come up. I think this would be a good time for you to accept my apology." I was dumbfounded. I knew Bastet was quite a spirit, but this was over the line.
"Apology accepted." I replied in surprise.
"Prince Mattiwaza," she crooned, "at any second, I could turn this poor, lovely animal on you." this elicited a growl from the lion. "But I won't. Because that wouldn't be proper, although the way you are treating goddesses should be ample enough of an excuse to." Rage crossed the Prince's face.
"You told us we could be granted our wish if we survived right?" I asked in confidence. Bastet still didn't look up, with the lion's head in her lap, and a purring sound being emitted.
"It would be unbecoming of you to refuse us this. Or do you want the anger of the gods rain down on your line? Better yet, do you want a rebellion of your people?" Bastet backed me. She was right too, with the people who had been screaming insults now screaming praise. His eyes brightened once again.
"Very well. You wanted to go back to Mursili? You are free to go." I wouldn't be duped by his obvious trick to simply assassinate me on the way back.
"I want you to improve your prisoners' conditions." I replied, remarking on the cruel treatment undertaken by many of the fellow prisoners around us.
"And I would like a meal sent to the quarters in which I'll be staying for this lovely cat." Bastet purred, still not looking up from the lion's soft sounds of pleasure, and leaving me worrying about her mental health.
A/N: Excuse me if I went a little 'Shakesperean' in some parts; we're reading Romeo and Juliet in class. I hope everyone enjoyed and as usual, please review!