CHAPTER NINE
TWO CHOICES
Author's Notes: From now on, Ryou will be referred to as Ryou, and Yami Bakura as Bakura. Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers ^_^! Sorry I haven't updated in so long - like I said, the horrible MIDTERMS! But I got all A's on them, so hooray!
Credits List: DarkWings_of_Faith for her idea from her story, 'Rose of the Desert' Sm-candy for her wonderful help
Now, back to Desert Rose! Enjoy!
* * *
"Ryou! Wake up! Are you okay?" Silent tears fell off of Isis's cheek. All hope for Isis disappeared from Honda's face. She loved Ryou, not him.
"We need to get back to the palace immediately. Ryou needs help!" Anzu exclaimed. "Seto, Yami, help me carry Ryou. Jou, Mai run back to camp and get herbs and medicines ready.
"But I don't feel like running." Jou complained.
"Jounouchi Katsuya, go now!" Anzu almost yelled.
Frightened, Jou left with Mai. They heaved Ryou back to the tents, Isis by his side, stroking his hair, and Anzu checking for a pulse and signs of serious injuries. Honda, Seto, and Yami grunted as the carried Ryou, which was quite a hard task with Isis and Anzu looming over him.
Anzu took Ryou's pulse, and listened to the faint beating of his heart. Brushing the white hair out of his face, they arrived at the camp, where Anzu acted like a doctor. They quickly packed everything up and got onto a horse-drawn carriage to hurry back to the palace. Isis placed cool cloths on Ryou's head, washing his face every so often and praying.
Meanwhile, Anzu treated Ryou's wounds, which nobody knew that had been caused by his Yami. Placing leaves with scented herbs, spices, and medications on Ryou's arms, stomach, and legs, Anzu hurriedly wrapped bandages round and round Ryou's wounds. They weren't necessarily knife cuts - there was only one, but the medication would help ease the pain and help the cuts heal faster. She was hurriedly done with Ryou, and then remembered that Yami's arm needed to be rewrapped.
She took the bandage off, and he winced in pain. Giving Yami a shy smile, she reapplied the medicines and rewrapped the bandages. "So.what are you, a nurse?" Seto asked, laughing.
"No. Just experienced." Anzu smiled back at the tall, lean man sitting next to her.
They arrived at the palace shortly after, where palace healers were summoned. They tended to Ryou, while another group tended to Yami's hurt arm.
"Who put the medication on so expertly?" The Chief Healer asked.
"Anzu did. Anzu Mazaki." Yami gave Anzu a smile. She blushed.
"You're very lucky, my Pharaoh. You and Ryou are going to be fine. He's is beaten with bruises and cuts, but with everybody working hard, he is going to recover within just about a fortnight (two weeks)."
"Thank you, Chief." The Chief Healer left. "Go to your chambers, Anzu, you must be exhausted. Seto already instructed for Tilla to leave a bath for you."
"Thank you, Pharaoh." Yami was probably the only person Anzu respected.
"And Anzu." Anzu turned around. "You can take the knife out of your boots. It's safe in the palace."
"You never know, Pharaoh, you never know." Anzu was surprised about Yami noticing the dagger in her boots. It looked like a mere ornament. She was armed with little surprises, and she doubted anyone knew where she hid all of them.
~In the Bath~
Anzu giggled as she blew a few bubbles off her finger. She loved the tainted rose smell of the bath. After twenty minutes, she stepped out of the shower and dressed into a pink nightgown. She put warm slippers on her feet, while brushing her hair. She had excused Tilla for the rest of the night. She could take care of herself.
'So this is me. Desert Rose, a softened person against the Pharaoh Yami. Something about him just pushes my hard mind to soften.as with Seto. Seto seems to bring such good luck, and fills me with joy.but Yami; he's dark and mysterious. He's not like Seto (Author's Notes: Funny isn't it, in the anime Seto's the cold and dark one ^_^) at all. I need to escape this place sometime.before I become weak. Weaker than I was before, with my father. Pah! Someday I will avenge my mother's death against the weakling that sought out to kill her by my father.'
Anzu fell asleep after saying a quick prayer to the gods.
In the middle of the night, she heard a soft flute playing in her dreams. 'Who is playing that beautiful music? It's lovely!' Almost in a monotone robot manner, Anzu got up, and walked out of her room to follow the music.
Her bare feet slapped against the cold marble floor, and her blue eyes, drowsy, almost became hypnotized with the music. The blue pools stared straight ahead, until she came upon the palace gardens. A white- haired boy carrying a flute with an evil smirk on his face came up to her. She snapped out of her trance.
"Ryou? What are you doing here? You should be in bed!" Anzu snapped.
"But no.Anzu Mazaki.Desert Rose.I am not Ryou. You know perfectly well who I am. And now that Jason is gone.I am here." The dark eyes cast dark shadows shooting into Anzu's heart.
"Father." She whispered.
Bakura approached the girl, coming from behind her. He came so close that she could feel his hot breath on her neck. "My insolent little girl. So ravishing.so beautiful, and to think - pah! - she captured the heart of a certain Pharaoh and his priest." He drew a knife to calmly trace her neck; carefully making sure none of her skin got sliced.
He grabbed her forcefully and pulled her tight against him. "I propose to you something, Miss Mazaki. Kill the Pharaoh.and you'll have Seto and everything will be fine. Don't kill the Pharaoh, and your High Priest will pay. I know you are experienced, Anzu. Don't fail me. You have a choice. Your beloved Pharaoh, or your beloved High Priest. I expect to see you with the body of the Pharaoh in three days. Twelve o' clock at midnight, behind the cottage grove of the palace."
"No!" Anzu trembled, releasing herself from his grasp.
Bakura clung tighter, firmly on her shoulder. His eyes burned. "I am Bakura. Nobody says no to me! Understood?" He shook her hard. Even Desert Rose could feel the terrible power brewing inside of him. "One last thing, Mazaki."
"What?" Her voice was shaky.
"I want the Puzzle.and your Millennium Necklace." Anzu's eyes grew wide at Bakura's words.
"No!" She clasped a hand to the golden necklace round her throat. "My mother gave this to me!"
"Too bad." Bakura snapped. "I expect to see everything in three days, Mazaki. Three days." With one last snarl, Bakura disappeared into the night.
Anzu closed her eyes deeply. Bakura had great power. Power that lay within himself, not just from his Millennium Ring.
She somehow slid back into her bed. 'What will I do? I care for the two deeply, but one has to pay with price of the other's life! Why? Bakura must be Ryou's Yami! This is so terrible? How did I get the Pharaoh and the Priest involved in this? I must leave, I must!'
A terrible pain grew in her head. 'Run and both die.' A voice whispered. It was Bakura, clawing at her mind. Anzu bucked down in pain.
'No.'
* * * Author's Notes: Eek! No! Bakura has given Anzu two choices! Yami or Seto! Who will she choose, and if she runs, both die! Poor Anzu! R+R please!
Author's Notes: From now on, Ryou will be referred to as Ryou, and Yami Bakura as Bakura. Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers ^_^! Sorry I haven't updated in so long - like I said, the horrible MIDTERMS! But I got all A's on them, so hooray!
Credits List: DarkWings_of_Faith for her idea from her story, 'Rose of the Desert' Sm-candy for her wonderful help
Now, back to Desert Rose! Enjoy!
* * *
"Ryou! Wake up! Are you okay?" Silent tears fell off of Isis's cheek. All hope for Isis disappeared from Honda's face. She loved Ryou, not him.
"We need to get back to the palace immediately. Ryou needs help!" Anzu exclaimed. "Seto, Yami, help me carry Ryou. Jou, Mai run back to camp and get herbs and medicines ready.
"But I don't feel like running." Jou complained.
"Jounouchi Katsuya, go now!" Anzu almost yelled.
Frightened, Jou left with Mai. They heaved Ryou back to the tents, Isis by his side, stroking his hair, and Anzu checking for a pulse and signs of serious injuries. Honda, Seto, and Yami grunted as the carried Ryou, which was quite a hard task with Isis and Anzu looming over him.
Anzu took Ryou's pulse, and listened to the faint beating of his heart. Brushing the white hair out of his face, they arrived at the camp, where Anzu acted like a doctor. They quickly packed everything up and got onto a horse-drawn carriage to hurry back to the palace. Isis placed cool cloths on Ryou's head, washing his face every so often and praying.
Meanwhile, Anzu treated Ryou's wounds, which nobody knew that had been caused by his Yami. Placing leaves with scented herbs, spices, and medications on Ryou's arms, stomach, and legs, Anzu hurriedly wrapped bandages round and round Ryou's wounds. They weren't necessarily knife cuts - there was only one, but the medication would help ease the pain and help the cuts heal faster. She was hurriedly done with Ryou, and then remembered that Yami's arm needed to be rewrapped.
She took the bandage off, and he winced in pain. Giving Yami a shy smile, she reapplied the medicines and rewrapped the bandages. "So.what are you, a nurse?" Seto asked, laughing.
"No. Just experienced." Anzu smiled back at the tall, lean man sitting next to her.
They arrived at the palace shortly after, where palace healers were summoned. They tended to Ryou, while another group tended to Yami's hurt arm.
"Who put the medication on so expertly?" The Chief Healer asked.
"Anzu did. Anzu Mazaki." Yami gave Anzu a smile. She blushed.
"You're very lucky, my Pharaoh. You and Ryou are going to be fine. He's is beaten with bruises and cuts, but with everybody working hard, he is going to recover within just about a fortnight (two weeks)."
"Thank you, Chief." The Chief Healer left. "Go to your chambers, Anzu, you must be exhausted. Seto already instructed for Tilla to leave a bath for you."
"Thank you, Pharaoh." Yami was probably the only person Anzu respected.
"And Anzu." Anzu turned around. "You can take the knife out of your boots. It's safe in the palace."
"You never know, Pharaoh, you never know." Anzu was surprised about Yami noticing the dagger in her boots. It looked like a mere ornament. She was armed with little surprises, and she doubted anyone knew where she hid all of them.
~In the Bath~
Anzu giggled as she blew a few bubbles off her finger. She loved the tainted rose smell of the bath. After twenty minutes, she stepped out of the shower and dressed into a pink nightgown. She put warm slippers on her feet, while brushing her hair. She had excused Tilla for the rest of the night. She could take care of herself.
'So this is me. Desert Rose, a softened person against the Pharaoh Yami. Something about him just pushes my hard mind to soften.as with Seto. Seto seems to bring such good luck, and fills me with joy.but Yami; he's dark and mysterious. He's not like Seto (Author's Notes: Funny isn't it, in the anime Seto's the cold and dark one ^_^) at all. I need to escape this place sometime.before I become weak. Weaker than I was before, with my father. Pah! Someday I will avenge my mother's death against the weakling that sought out to kill her by my father.'
Anzu fell asleep after saying a quick prayer to the gods.
In the middle of the night, she heard a soft flute playing in her dreams. 'Who is playing that beautiful music? It's lovely!' Almost in a monotone robot manner, Anzu got up, and walked out of her room to follow the music.
Her bare feet slapped against the cold marble floor, and her blue eyes, drowsy, almost became hypnotized with the music. The blue pools stared straight ahead, until she came upon the palace gardens. A white- haired boy carrying a flute with an evil smirk on his face came up to her. She snapped out of her trance.
"Ryou? What are you doing here? You should be in bed!" Anzu snapped.
"But no.Anzu Mazaki.Desert Rose.I am not Ryou. You know perfectly well who I am. And now that Jason is gone.I am here." The dark eyes cast dark shadows shooting into Anzu's heart.
"Father." She whispered.
Bakura approached the girl, coming from behind her. He came so close that she could feel his hot breath on her neck. "My insolent little girl. So ravishing.so beautiful, and to think - pah! - she captured the heart of a certain Pharaoh and his priest." He drew a knife to calmly trace her neck; carefully making sure none of her skin got sliced.
He grabbed her forcefully and pulled her tight against him. "I propose to you something, Miss Mazaki. Kill the Pharaoh.and you'll have Seto and everything will be fine. Don't kill the Pharaoh, and your High Priest will pay. I know you are experienced, Anzu. Don't fail me. You have a choice. Your beloved Pharaoh, or your beloved High Priest. I expect to see you with the body of the Pharaoh in three days. Twelve o' clock at midnight, behind the cottage grove of the palace."
"No!" Anzu trembled, releasing herself from his grasp.
Bakura clung tighter, firmly on her shoulder. His eyes burned. "I am Bakura. Nobody says no to me! Understood?" He shook her hard. Even Desert Rose could feel the terrible power brewing inside of him. "One last thing, Mazaki."
"What?" Her voice was shaky.
"I want the Puzzle.and your Millennium Necklace." Anzu's eyes grew wide at Bakura's words.
"No!" She clasped a hand to the golden necklace round her throat. "My mother gave this to me!"
"Too bad." Bakura snapped. "I expect to see everything in three days, Mazaki. Three days." With one last snarl, Bakura disappeared into the night.
Anzu closed her eyes deeply. Bakura had great power. Power that lay within himself, not just from his Millennium Ring.
She somehow slid back into her bed. 'What will I do? I care for the two deeply, but one has to pay with price of the other's life! Why? Bakura must be Ryou's Yami! This is so terrible? How did I get the Pharaoh and the Priest involved in this? I must leave, I must!'
A terrible pain grew in her head. 'Run and both die.' A voice whispered. It was Bakura, clawing at her mind. Anzu bucked down in pain.
'No.'
* * * Author's Notes: Eek! No! Bakura has given Anzu two choices! Yami or Seto! Who will she choose, and if she runs, both die! Poor Anzu! R+R please!