Summary: Five teenagers blackmail the Pharaoh into letting them live in his palace. However, the Pharaoh got more than he bargained for. First of all, these are not normal teens. Then there's a love triangle... which could also be considered a love square... or maybe a rectangle... quadrilateral! Then a kidnapping, a war, a furball invasion, and crap I'm telling you the whole story! Just read.

A/N: Guh...I'm tired. I just got back from a rocketry meet. I had to get up at like 5 this morning. I got chewed out by Colonel a lot. I hate that guy. The good thing is we got a trophy. For streamer duration. 2nd place. Anyway on with the story.

Chapter 10 The Rivals Make a Pact

"I don't believe it. We spent all day yesterday looking for him, and he was in our closet the whole time," Ayame said.

"So, what exactly was the purpose of that?" Jami asked.

"To keep him from going to flirt with Serenity," Netami answered.

"Didn't he promise he wouldn't flirt with her anyways?" Ayame asked.

"Akumu never keeps promises," Jami said.

"That's true."

"And besides, I never forgive anyone that quickly."

"Told you," Jami said.

"My grudges always last much longer than a day."

"You don't have to tell me twice. Note to self: never get on Thunder Cat's bad side," Jami said sarcastically.

"Hey, look! It's the Pharaoh," Ayame said.

"Shit! Hide me!" Jami said.

"Okay?" Jami sat on the floor and curled up in a ball while Netami and Ayame stood back-to-back against the wall.

"Hey, girls. Is Jami around?"

"Well, I guess you could say she's 'around,'" Ayame said.

Jami lightly punched Ayame in the back of the knee. Ayame almost collapsed because the back of her knee is her weak point.

"Well, we saw her a few minutes ago. I don't think she's feeling well and she needed to get out," Netami said.

"Okay. I was wondering, did she go out and train this morning?"

"She trains every morning," Netami said.

"You would think that she would get tired of it after a while," Ayame said. Jami punched her in the back of the knee, nearly causing Ayame to fall, again.

"Are you alright?" Atem asked.

"Yeah. Just a little off balance."

"By the way, did your search for Akumu go well?"

"Oh. He wasn't, well, he didn't really run away. Jami just made that part up–leave my knee alone unless you want your cover blown!"

"I'm not doing anything to your knee. And what do you mean 'unless I want my cover blown?'"

"I'll try and translate for her. I think what my disturbed friend here means is he didn't really run away. Akumu was just playing a little game of 'hide-and-seek.' Was I close?"

"Bingo!"

"And your search was successful, I presume."

"Uh, yeah. Akumu is currently in his, um, 'happy place,'" Netami said.

"I see."

"Yeah. His happy place is in our closet. How convenient," Ayame said.

"Oh. Alright. If you see Jami, could you please tell her that I would like to speak to her about something important?"

"Sure thing," Ayame said nervously.

"Oh, and if you see Teanna, and she asks if you would happen to know where I am, would you tell her I have left the palace on important business?" Atem asked innocently.

"Sure thing," Netami said forcing a smile.

"Alright. Thank you," The Pharaoh said happily as he walked away. Netami and Ayame sighed and stepped away from each other to give Jami room to stand.

"Jami, would you mind telling us why you were hiding?" Ayame asked.

"Yeah. For the past few days, you've been avoiding him. What's up?"

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain."

"We're in no hurry."

"-Sigh- Fine. I'll tell you, but can we go back to our room?"

"Sure thing."

Uh...back at their room...

"Okay, we're here. Now, tell us why you are avoiding him," Ayame said.

"Okay. It has to do with a deal I made with Teanna."

"You mean Jugs?" Netami asked.

"No. I mean Teanna. The deal was if she would distract the Pharaoh and keep him from talking to me, then I would make sure that you all would stop calling her Jugs and call her by her real name."

"Why the hell would you make a deal like that?" Netami asked.

"Yeah. Akumu's not gonna take this very well. He's the one who came up with the name and the theme song," Ayame said.

"Well, that's not what I meant, but she does have a good point."

"I don't even think it's possible to persuade Akumu."

"Thanks for being so supportive, you guys," Jami said sarcastically.

"Sorry," Ayame said.

"As I was saying. Why would you make a deal with Jugs-I mean Teanna?"

"Because she was complaining to me a couple days ago about how angry she is that he spends more time with me than with her. She really likes him, no, she's in love with him. I don't feel that it's fair for her to be treated like that. After all, he's known her for years but has known me for a little more than a week."

"Wow. I think that's the first time you've ever thought about being fair," Ayame said.

"Then there's the fact that her complaining was annoying me."

"I knew there was more to it."

"So? He really likes you. It's not her place to interfere like that," Netami said.

"Yeah. Why don't you like him? He's pretty good-looking. He's nice. He's a bit slow and takes us a little too seriously. But he's a king. That's always a plus," Ayame listed.

"Is that supposed to matter?"

"Not necessarily," Netami said.

"I don't care about those things."

"Really? I do."

"Shut up, Ayame," Netami said.

"Sorry."

"Well, ever since Teanna and I made our deal, which was two days ago, I have seen the Pharaoh twice, and she wasn't with him either time."

"She's not keeping up her end of the bargain," Ayame said.

"I'm sure there's more to it than that." Netami said.

"I'm sure there is," Jami said.

"I still think you're crazy to not like him."

-Sakura Punch!-

"Shut up, Ayame!"

"Ow! Netami, that's my thing!"

"Yeah, I know. It was the perfect opportunity, and I doubt you would have punched yourself."

"You don't know that."

"Wow..."

"Well, I think the reason she's never with him is because he's avoiding her," Jami interjected.

"It sounds reasonable," Ayame said.

"It seems to me that both you and the Pharaoh are a lot alike," Netami said.

"Eh?"

"Netami, what are you talking about?" Jami asked.

"Well, you're not alike, you're just in the same position. You both are avoiding someone, you both don't like the someone that you're avoiding, and the person you're avoiding really likes you, but you don't feel the same way towards them," Netami explained. Ayame was staring at her and it looked like her brain was short-circuiting. "-Sigh- I'll say it again in a way that you'll be able to understand."

"Thank you."

"Jami and the Pharaoh are in the same situation. Jami is avoiding the Pharaoh, and the Pharaoh is avoiding Jugs–I mean Teanna. Jami doesn't like the Pharaoh, and the Pharaoh doesn't like Jugs–I mean Teanna. The Pharaoh likes Jami, but she doesn't like him back; Jugs–I mean Teanna–likes the Pharaoh, but he doesn't like her back. Do you get it, now?"

"Jami doesn't like the Pharaoh?"

"Ayame, this is what we've been talking about for the past few minutes. Have you been paying attention at all?"

"Oh yeah. I remember now. You know, Netami, I think that was the first time that I've heard you talk and you sounded smart."

"Thanks for that compliment," Netami said sarcastically.

"You're welcome."

"Hmm..."

"What are you thinking about, Jami?"

"I'm going to go look for Teanna and talk to her to see what's up with her."

"Do you even know where she is?" Ayame asked.

"No. That's why I'm going to go and look for her," Jami said sighing.

"But what if you run into the Pharaoh?" Netami asked.

"Well, I have a fifty-fifty chance I won't see him at all. I won't have to worry if she's still keeping her promise. If she's not there with him, I'll just let my 'instincts' take over and see what happens."

"Okay. Good luck 'winging it,'" Netami said as Jami left the room.

"Uh oh. She's relying on her instincts," Ayame said.

"Something tells me this won't be pretty," Netami said sighing.