Disclaimer: MA is the property of DIC, as well as all the characters therein. Sailor Moon is the property of CWI, and Naoko Takeuchi. Shira, Shavati, Alysya, and Mikana are my characters. Again, forgive me for the lion phrase(s). I'm sorry! Don't hurt me! I am going to play the characters as the were intended(ie. Haruka and Michiru are not cousins, they are lovers). May contain graphic descriptions.
Rating-PG13(tentative)
A Kindred Soul
By: Alysya
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"Whee!" Minako laughed as Nefer took her around the practice ring. They zipped around, Minako laughing, and other people staring at the spectacle. Finally Nefer stopped the chariot, and showed Minako how to rub down the horses.
"They are so incredible. Where did they come from?" Minako asked, stroking one of the horse's necks.
"From the north-west about. They really are wonderful. They are much faster than camels, unless you go into the desert." Nefer brushed the horse with a soft bristle brush, then handed it to Minako.
"You try it. Remember, always go with the flow. If the hair points that way flat, then that's the way you brush." Nefer watched Minako carefully doing the same job. She wasn't timid about it, just careful.
"Nefer, how did you become interested in chariots?" Minako asked, still softly brushing the horse's side.
"I saw the races all the time. I loved them. So, I decided to be a charioteer. It took some work, but now I've got the job."
"And for the prince, no less. That shows great spirit, to try so very hard. Did it take long?"
"A while, yes. What about you, Minako? How did you become the princess's guardian?"
"Well, the princess needed to have four guardians, one for each direction, if you will. We actually were picked out of her mother's ladies, except for Alysya. She was born about the same time as Usagi, and they became friends."
"So why were you picked?" Nefer asked curiously.
"I'm not exactly certain. I think it's because of my spirit. I like to be outspoken. Usagi does have three other guardians, and Alysya. We're all fairly different, but Usagi draws us together. You would not believe some of the fights we've had," Minako said with a smile and a shake of her head.
"We have fights too. Ja-kal just mostly leads us, though. He's a good leader, but sometimes he's a little too into doing things just one way."
"Ami chan can be the same way. She likes to follow tradition, same as Rei. Makoto and I think a bit like radicals, I suppose. I guess Usagi needs to have different viewpoints in her life, to help her decide," Minako sighed.
"Yeah, I suppose that's the same for the prince. Everyone who will be closeto ruling needs to hear all the people, and the ways they may think." Nefer looked thoughtful. Minako was still itching to ask, but wasn't sure she should.
"Nefer, do you think we could go someplace quieter? I am getting very hot."
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Part 3
"Certainly. Come on, the stable hands will take care of the horses."
"So, what do you want to know?" Nefer asked as they sat down in a cool room.
"Well, I was just wondering how you could hide the fact that you're a woman so easily here." Nefer jumped up.
"How did you kn-I mean, I am most certainly not a woman."
"Prove it then." Minako was standing now too. "Take off your shirt." She placed her hands on her hips, as mother might when prying a secret out of her child.
"I don't want to." Folding his(her) arms across his chest Nefer glared at Minako.
"Then I'll go on believing you're a girl. And so will all of the other guardians."
"Go ahead then."
"We will. And we'll complain to Ja-kal. He'll most certainly want to see you prove you're not."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Yes I would. Show me, or show all of them!" Nefer bit his(her) lip. Caught between the choice of confirmation and exposure, (s)he was at a loss as what to do.
"You've got to swear you will never tell any of the prince's guardians about this. I could be killed."
"I swear. It's all right Nefer. No one else has to know."Minako smiled. "we just wanted to know we could trust you to be honest. None of this is going to be easy on anyone. Usagi and Rapses might be good friends, but. . ." she trailed off, leaving the worst unsaid.
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"Stand up!" Head down, she followed orders.
"Now turn!" She spun once, gracefully.
"Kneel!" She slid down to the floor, head still down.
"Bow!" Her head touched the floor as she awaited her next order.
"Leave!" Keeping her body low, the child fled from the room hastily, but not so fast as to not appear graceful.
"She'll be a dancer then. When she's ready break her in and give her to the Pharoah." The child shivered at the man's words. The Pharoah. Then there would be no help if he was harsh. She would be his only.
"Up slave-girl! I have a guest!" Rath snapped to Mikana. In a single fluid motion, Mikana was on her feet.
"Your will master." She kept her voice soft, knowing she could not be as open as she was when they were alone.
"What kind of writing would you like to see?" Rath asked the new woman, who was pretty by any slave owner's standards, but dressed too commonly to make any impression.
"I don't truly know where to begin. Perhaps something about daily life? It would be good to begin with."
"That is a good choice. Mikana, fetch Imhotep's annual. You put it away yesterday."
"Your will master," she said as she slipped out. Though she had been daydreaming again, Mikana had known Rath was coming. When will he figure out I've learned to read? Probably not until I make a mistake and let him know.
"Who is that girl?" Ami asked, curious.
"That is the Pharoah's best dancing slave. He gives her to me occasionally." Rath hoped he didn't sound boastful. Mikana was a pleasure to have, especially when she danced for him alone.
"Here are the scrolls, master." Mikana knelt, head lowered, her arms extended to offer him the scrolls.
"Good," Rath said flatly. "Here, read these. They should explain all you want to know of peasant and cultured life."
Ami took the scrolls. She didn't like the curt way Rath treated the young woman. Then again, Ami knew that was how this society worked. Everyone had their rank, just as in Nihon. Perhaps she had become too used to the friendly atmosphere amoungst the guardians. Only time would adjust her to this new place.
"Mikana, please sit down now." Mikana almost looked up at Rath in her surprise. She slid down to the floor.
"I have some spare time. While the lady Ami is reading, perhaps you would like to play a game of senet with me?" Ami looked over at Rath curiously.
"Forgive me master, but I do not know how to play." Rath held his hand to her and helped her to her feet.
"Then I should finish your training. Every good slave knows how to play senet." Mikana ducked her head and blushed lightly.
"Your will master."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Hope you like it!
Alysya
Rating-PG13(tentative)
A Kindred Soul
By: Alysya
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
"Whee!" Minako laughed as Nefer took her around the practice ring. They zipped around, Minako laughing, and other people staring at the spectacle. Finally Nefer stopped the chariot, and showed Minako how to rub down the horses.
"They are so incredible. Where did they come from?" Minako asked, stroking one of the horse's necks.
"From the north-west about. They really are wonderful. They are much faster than camels, unless you go into the desert." Nefer brushed the horse with a soft bristle brush, then handed it to Minako.
"You try it. Remember, always go with the flow. If the hair points that way flat, then that's the way you brush." Nefer watched Minako carefully doing the same job. She wasn't timid about it, just careful.
"Nefer, how did you become interested in chariots?" Minako asked, still softly brushing the horse's side.
"I saw the races all the time. I loved them. So, I decided to be a charioteer. It took some work, but now I've got the job."
"And for the prince, no less. That shows great spirit, to try so very hard. Did it take long?"
"A while, yes. What about you, Minako? How did you become the princess's guardian?"
"Well, the princess needed to have four guardians, one for each direction, if you will. We actually were picked out of her mother's ladies, except for Alysya. She was born about the same time as Usagi, and they became friends."
"So why were you picked?" Nefer asked curiously.
"I'm not exactly certain. I think it's because of my spirit. I like to be outspoken. Usagi does have three other guardians, and Alysya. We're all fairly different, but Usagi draws us together. You would not believe some of the fights we've had," Minako said with a smile and a shake of her head.
"We have fights too. Ja-kal just mostly leads us, though. He's a good leader, but sometimes he's a little too into doing things just one way."
"Ami chan can be the same way. She likes to follow tradition, same as Rei. Makoto and I think a bit like radicals, I suppose. I guess Usagi needs to have different viewpoints in her life, to help her decide," Minako sighed.
"Yeah, I suppose that's the same for the prince. Everyone who will be closeto ruling needs to hear all the people, and the ways they may think." Nefer looked thoughtful. Minako was still itching to ask, but wasn't sure she should.
"Nefer, do you think we could go someplace quieter? I am getting very hot."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Part 3
"Certainly. Come on, the stable hands will take care of the horses."
"So, what do you want to know?" Nefer asked as they sat down in a cool room.
"Well, I was just wondering how you could hide the fact that you're a woman so easily here." Nefer jumped up.
"How did you kn-I mean, I am most certainly not a woman."
"Prove it then." Minako was standing now too. "Take off your shirt." She placed her hands on her hips, as mother might when prying a secret out of her child.
"I don't want to." Folding his(her) arms across his chest Nefer glared at Minako.
"Then I'll go on believing you're a girl. And so will all of the other guardians."
"Go ahead then."
"We will. And we'll complain to Ja-kal. He'll most certainly want to see you prove you're not."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Yes I would. Show me, or show all of them!" Nefer bit his(her) lip. Caught between the choice of confirmation and exposure, (s)he was at a loss as what to do.
"You've got to swear you will never tell any of the prince's guardians about this. I could be killed."
"I swear. It's all right Nefer. No one else has to know."Minako smiled. "we just wanted to know we could trust you to be honest. None of this is going to be easy on anyone. Usagi and Rapses might be good friends, but. . ." she trailed off, leaving the worst unsaid.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
"Stand up!" Head down, she followed orders.
"Now turn!" She spun once, gracefully.
"Kneel!" She slid down to the floor, head still down.
"Bow!" Her head touched the floor as she awaited her next order.
"Leave!" Keeping her body low, the child fled from the room hastily, but not so fast as to not appear graceful.
"She'll be a dancer then. When she's ready break her in and give her to the Pharoah." The child shivered at the man's words. The Pharoah. Then there would be no help if he was harsh. She would be his only.
"Up slave-girl! I have a guest!" Rath snapped to Mikana. In a single fluid motion, Mikana was on her feet.
"Your will master." She kept her voice soft, knowing she could not be as open as she was when they were alone.
"What kind of writing would you like to see?" Rath asked the new woman, who was pretty by any slave owner's standards, but dressed too commonly to make any impression.
"I don't truly know where to begin. Perhaps something about daily life? It would be good to begin with."
"That is a good choice. Mikana, fetch Imhotep's annual. You put it away yesterday."
"Your will master," she said as she slipped out. Though she had been daydreaming again, Mikana had known Rath was coming. When will he figure out I've learned to read? Probably not until I make a mistake and let him know.
"Who is that girl?" Ami asked, curious.
"That is the Pharoah's best dancing slave. He gives her to me occasionally." Rath hoped he didn't sound boastful. Mikana was a pleasure to have, especially when she danced for him alone.
"Here are the scrolls, master." Mikana knelt, head lowered, her arms extended to offer him the scrolls.
"Good," Rath said flatly. "Here, read these. They should explain all you want to know of peasant and cultured life."
Ami took the scrolls. She didn't like the curt way Rath treated the young woman. Then again, Ami knew that was how this society worked. Everyone had their rank, just as in Nihon. Perhaps she had become too used to the friendly atmosphere amoungst the guardians. Only time would adjust her to this new place.
"Mikana, please sit down now." Mikana almost looked up at Rath in her surprise. She slid down to the floor.
"I have some spare time. While the lady Ami is reading, perhaps you would like to play a game of senet with me?" Ami looked over at Rath curiously.
"Forgive me master, but I do not know how to play." Rath held his hand to her and helped her to her feet.
"Then I should finish your training. Every good slave knows how to play senet." Mikana ducked her head and blushed lightly.
"Your will master."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Hope you like it!
Alysya
