Btw, me and my friend are now at peace(yippee!). But I still want u guys 2
read and review.
Thanx 2 my constant reviewers: Adelianna Malik's Angel And of course my friend, Chrissy
Chapter 3 - Unpleasant surprise
That evening at the supper table, Amunet barely touched her food. She stared off into space, deep in thought about what had happened at the beach, while Marik eyed her, concern lurking in his eyes.
"Amunet?" Marik said, making her flinch.
"Yes, father?" Amunet replied in a respectful tone.
"What happened? There's obviously something troubling you. You haven't touched your rice, I thought that was your favourite."
"I'm fine father. It's just been a long day, and I'm not really that hungry."
"It's probably something you would only tell your mother, is it not? Come now, tell me. It can't be any worse than when you told me you got your period." Marik insisted.
"Well, I had to tell you sometime. I needed pads." Amunet mumbled, blushing.
"That's it? You didn't tell me because you wanted me to know that daddy's little girl was growing up?" He teased.
Amunet didn't reply, but glared at him. Odeon snorted near by, and her glaring gaze travelled over to him.
"Shut up, Odeon." She snapped angrily.
"Let's just get off the subject. I have to tell you something anyways." Marik said.
"What?" Asked Amunet, her glare reluctantly turning back to normal, staring back at her father.
"Tomorrow, we're going to a business party..." Marik was cut off.
"Boring. I am not dressing up for a stupid business party." Amunet groaned. "I'm wearing jeans and a tank top."
"No you're not. There will be kids your age as well. And besides, I've already arranged for you and Michelle to go shopping for a nice dress tomorrow."
"Why a dress? The furthest I'm going is a skirt." Said Amunet, in a final tone.
"You're wearing a dress. You'll see, Mila will be wearing a dress too."
Amunet groaned. "Why me?" She rose from her spot and walked towards her bedroom. "I'm going to bed."
Odeon protested. "But we still have one hunt left. Joey Wheeler's got a Red Eyes Black Dragon."
She groaned again. "What time?"
"One o'clock in the morning."
"Wake me up." Amunet replied, continuing to her bedroom. She opened the door, and flopped onto her bed, falling asleep.
Little did Amunet know that someone was watching her through the window, someone soon to become her stalker.
*
At one o'clock in the morning, Odeon quietly entered Amunet's room, and shook her awake.
"Time for the hunt." He said, tossing her a cloak.
"Is father coming?" Amunet asked sitting up groggily.
"Yes, he's been up for ages." Odeon replied impatiently. "Hurry up. Your father is waiting."
"I'm hurrying. Jeez!." Amunet said, dragging her self out of bed, pulling the cloak over her head. She brushed past Odeon, and put her hood up before walking out the door with her father, Bakura and a few other Rare Hunters.
*
"Here's how it's going to work" Said Marik, as they walked swiftly down a dark alley. "These two will corner Wheeler," He indicated the Rare Hunters on either side of them. "Then this man will challenge him to a duel. That's when you take over. Because I don't want you presently involved in this, you're going to hang out on the roof of that building there, with Bakura." Marik pointed to a tall red bricked building near by. "And duel through a mind puppet."
Amunet didn't protest, she knew it was no use. Marik would never let her stay and risk being caught.
"There's Wheeler." Said Bakura.
Amunet, Bakura and Odeon left her father and the three Rare Hunters, parting into another alley.
Bakura lifted Amunet up onto a ladder on the side of the building. She pulled her self up with her arms until she could find footing on the first step of the ladder. They climbed the ladder to the roof of the building. Amunet rushed to the edge, looking down on the scene below her. The hologram projectors had been launched, and Marik gave her the signal. She nodded, and closed her eyes, calling upon her millennium piece.
The millennium symbol appeared bright upon her forehead as well as her puppet's signalizing the millennium spell.
"So, we finally meet, Joey." Amunet said.
"Hey, you're that creepy girl who works for Marik!" Joey exclaimed, oblivious to the fact that the real Marik was feet away from him, and that Amunet was his daughter. "Well, you're just like him too. You won't duel in person, coward. I'll show you! You're not gonna know what hit you once I'm finished with you."
Amunet laughed. "I wouldn't count on it."
"Enough talk. Let's duel." Joey said impatiently.
"Get ready to lose your Red Eyes Black Dragon." Said Amunet, with a smile.
*
To no one's surprise (excluding Joey), Amunet defeated Joey in less than 10 minutes. She broke the millennium spell, and swept towards the ladder, while Marik's Rare Hunters forced Joey to give up his card.
Amunet jumped off the end of the ladder, to meet her father.
"You never cease to amaze me." Marik said. "Your duelling skills and strategies are becoming more and more advanced for someone of your age."
"I know, I know. I just want to go to bed." Amunet tried to rub the sleepiness out of her eyes.
Suddenly, they heard sirens. All heads turned to see where the sounds had come from. Red lights started flashing all over the place.
"Riley, take her." Marik ordered a Rare Hunter near by.
"Yes, Master." The boy replied, taking Amunet's arm. "Come with me." He pulled her into another alley, running down it, towards another street.
Riley opened a sewer in the middle of the street.
"Jump." He said.
"I'm not going in there." Amunet replied in disgust.
"Would you rather go to jail?"
"No." She growled, at his tone. Amunet was used to people talking to her with respect.
A helicopter car loomed above, the spotlight nearing them.
"Go!" Riley whispered urgently.
Amunet neared the edge of the opening, hesitantly. Riley pushed her in, when she didn't seem able to make up her mind.
She fell into eerie darkness, then landed in water. While under, she swallowed a mouth full of the nasty water, making her choke as it crept down her air passages into her lungs.
When Amunet surfaced, the strong current carried her quickly.
"HELP!" She cried through chokes, and gasps for air.
Amunet heard a splash, followed by someone grabbing her arm.
Riley pulled her to the side where the water was more shallow. She felt her feet reach the bottom.
They walked further up till the water was ankle-deep. Amunet coughed on her hands and knees, trying to breathe through all the water in her lungs. Once she had coughed up most of the water, she could breathe again, and she looked around at her surroundings.
"Ughh, this is so gross." Amunet stared at the murky walls and the dirty water around her, eyes adjusting to the dark.
"It's better than being up there." Said Riley, waiting for Amunet to get to her feet, his arms crossed.
"I want to go home. When do we get out of here?"
"When you stand up so we can keep moving."
Amunet glared at him, and got to her feet.
"Now follow me." Riley started to walk further into the murky darkness, while Amunet reluctantly followed.
*
"Are we there yet?" Amunet asked impatiently, 20 minutes later.
"Stop complaining, we're nearly." Riley snapped, tired of her complaints.
There was silence.
"Where's my father?"
Riley sighed angrily. "This sewer leads to your home, so your stupid father will be waiting. I know all the underground passages in this area. That answer your questions, brat?"
Amunet narrowed her eyes at Riley's back. "Okay, #1: You will address my father as 'Master', and me as 'mistress'. #2: You will speak to me with more respect, or my father will be hearing about this. And I would suspect a certain punishment will await you."
"Whatever, 'mistress'." Said Riley sarcastically.
"That's better." Amunet said, eyeing him. By now she had guessed Riley was a boy of about her age, she could tell by the tone of his voice. Amunet never saw the faces of Marik's Rare Hunters, excluding Odeon.
They continued walking in tense silence, until they finally reached a dead end. Riley opened a hatch on the ceiling of the sewer, the moonlight from outside pouring inside. He helped Amunet up through the hatch, onto the street miles from where they came from.
Amunet climbed out and stared at the starlit sky before her home, while Riley followed after her.
"You're soaking." Said Marik, startling Amunet.
"Long story." She replied, with a menacing glance at Riley.
"Well, go inside and get dried off. Odeon put a dry pair of pajamas on your bed for you."
"Okay. Goodnight, father." Amunet said, hugging Marik, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"Marik did the same and smiled at her. ( u'd better not be thinking wrong *nudge, nudge, Chrissy, nudge, nudge*) "Sleep well, Amunet." He said.
She ran inside, leaving Riley with Marik.
"Thank you for escorting Amunet out of danger, Riley. You have served me well."
"Thank you, Master." Riley replied with a slight bow. "It is a privelage to serve you and Mistress Amunet."
"You may return home now. I suspect your parents would be worried." Marik said, dismissing Riley.
"I will see you at the meeting tomorrow, Master Marik." Riley said, before bowing once more and turning to walk home.
Marik went back inside to check on Amunet.
He opened her door to her room, to find her lying on her stomach on the bed, a book laid out in front of her. Amunet appeared not to notice her father's presence.
"Hello?" Marik said in a 'hello anybody in there' voice.
"Hello?" Amunet replied sarcastically in the same tone, not looking up from the book. "What do you want?"
"Just to see what you are doing."
"Mmmm.." Amunet mumbled in reply, too caught up in the book.
"What are you reading?"
"Your diary." She smiled menacingly.
Marik's eyes widened.
"WHAT!!!????!!!! Give me that!!!!!" He shouted grabbing the book off her bed, looking at the cover.
'Black Beauty' was embroided in gold letters across the front of the ebony- black book.
"I was just kidding. Jeez." Amunet said, taking the book out of his hands, trying to find her page again.
"Oh, well that was very amusing indeed." Marik said sarcastically.
"Yes, it was." Amunet smiled, finding her page.
"I want to talk to you about Riley." Said Marik, sitting on the edge of her bed.
Amunet's eyes narrowed at the name, while she continued to read. "What about him?"
"You don't seem to like him very much, do you?"
"No."
"Why? He is a very nice boy when you get to know him."
Amunet laughed shortly. "Nice? That's a laugh."
"Well he is. What do you have against Riley?" Marik said.
"He wasn't exactly forthcoming when he pushed me into the sewer, and treated me like a common school girl." Amunet said, her voice turning cold.
"I don't believe Riley would do such a thing."
"Believe it."
"I won't."
"Fine. Then get out of my room." Amunet growled at her father.
Marik narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't talk to me with that tone, young lady."
"I'll talk to you anyway I want." Amunet replied.
Taken aback, Marik got to his feet. "NO! You can't talk to me like that! You hear me? Now apologize right now!" He cried.
"No!" Amunet screamed back, finally looking up from her book. "I don't want to. You won't believe your own daughter when I tell you Riley's not what you think he is."
"No, I won't believe you. Because Riley is one of my most loyal Rare Hunters."
"Just leave, please." Amunet replied, looking back at her book, tears welling in her eyes.
Marik stared at her for a second, then turned on his heel and left.
After the door slammed shut, Amunet closed her eyes and broke down in sobs, burying her head in her arms.
Marik stopped in his tracks down the hallway, hearing sobs coming from Amunet's room.
He retraced his steps back to her room, and leaned against the door.
"I HATE YOU!!! I HATE YOU. You never believe me. Mother would have believed me. IT'S NOT FAIR! Why can't I be a normal kid? With a normal mom, and a normal dad in a normal house. It's not fair." Amunet cried her thoughts, not thinking anyone was listening, no one ever listened to her cries.
Marik looked down in guilty sadness, he couldn't bear to hear his dear daughter this way. His hand slowly inched to the doorknob, and turned it, opening the door. He peered inside at Amunet's sobbing figure.
"Go away." She said.
Marik ignored her order and closed the door.
"Amunet, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up at you like that." He said.
"Really?" She sniffed lifting her head.
"Yes. I know it's hard on you not having your mother with you, and living in these conditions." Said Marik, sitting on her bed, embracing Amunet. "But I promise things will get better."
Amunet wiped away her tears and clung to her father's robes, she looked at the framed picture of her father and mother's wedding beside her bed.
"I know I never knew her, but I miss mother."
Marik hugged her tighter. "I miss her too. But I soon learned that I have to go on if I want to survive in this world."
Amunet nodded and closed her eyes, tightening her grip on Marik's robes, she didn't want to leave her father's comforting embrace.
"I'm scared." Amunet confessed.
"Scared of what?" Marik asked.
"Everything. Your quest for power. I'm afraid something will happen to you. You're the only parent I have left. I don't want to lose you."
"Come now, nothing will happen to me."
"How can you be so sure?" Amunet began to cry again.
"Shh..." Marik hushed, as he began to talk to her comfortingly in an ancient language she could understand, but didn't speak very often.
Eventually Amunet fell asleep, and Marik pulled the sheets over her. He smiled and kissed her forehead before leaving.
*
The next morning, Amunet had a long warm shower, and got ready to leave with Michelle.
"Wow, you're looking snazzy today." Said Michelle, waiting in the hall for Amunet.
Marik turned to see a horrid vision. His daughter wearing jeans with holes all down the sides, strings threaded through these holes all the way around Amunet's waist and down the sides of both her legs. And in addition, a white one-strap top, lined with navy blue material.
"I'm not sure I want you wearing that outfit." Marik said, eyeing her outfit. "It's a little inappropriate."
"No it's not." Was Amunet's reply.
"It'll show your mid drift when you raise your arms. I can tell, I know you all to well."
"It will not."
"It will too."
"Nuhuh"
"Fine. Arms up." Marik ordered.
"But.."
"Do it." He replied sternly to her protest.
Amunet sighed, and lifted her arms, sure enough exposing her mid drift.
"That's what I thought. Go get changed."
"I don't want to. Please don't make me wear that dorky outfit Aunt Ishizu made for me." Amunet pleaded.
"Fine, but you're wearing something over that." Said Marik.
"Okay." Amunet replied, more cheerful. She skipped to the closet and pulled out a Roots zip up sweater.
"See you later, father." She said, pulling the sweater on, walking out the door with Michelle.
"Bye." Marik replied. He closed the door shaking his head at his own softness. He knew Amunet wouldn't keep the sweater on.
Meanwhile, in Michelle's crimson sports car.
Amunet pulled the Root's sweater off, and smiled at Michelle who smiled back.
"Girl Power." They said in unison, high-fiving each other.
Michelle turned up some music, opening the windows and turning up the bass. The hip hop music blared out of the windows and into the street, the car vibrating to the beat.
They stopped at an intersection, and the car beside them rolled down the passenger side window.
"Turn that crap down!" Yelled a mid-aged man, but his voice was muffled by the music.
"Sorry, can't hear you." Michelle lied.
The man glared at them, noting the sarcasm in Michelle's voice, the light turned green.
The girls shrugged innocently, with a smile.
"Toodles!" They both yelled, before Michelle pushed on the gas pedal, zooming through the intersection, engine roaring.
At the mall, they spent hours in a dress store. Michelle made Amunet try on almost every dress in the store.
Amunet stepped out of the change room for the millionth time (or so it felt), in a long silky red dress, with long sleeves and high collar.
Michelle analyzed the dress with sceptical eyes. "No. Red is sexy, but the dress is too dorky." By dorky, Michelle meant it didn't show enough flesh and only people with something to hide would wear it.
Amunet growled, and stomped back into the change room to try on a different dress.
She came back out wearing a long light clothed black and red mix dress with no back and strings tied at the back of her neck to hold the front of the dress up.
"That is perfect." Michelle smiled like a kid in a candy store. "It's both great sexy colours mixed together and it doesn't show too much but not too little."
"Michelle, it's the same dress I tried on around the first 10." Amunet said.
"No it's not. That one had like an oval like hole that showed your mid drift. Your father would have flipped out if I let you get that one."
They paid for the dress with the money Marik had given Amunet to buy a dress, and left (finally).
Michelle dropped Amunet at her house an hour before she would have to be at the party.
"Finally! In the name of Ra, what were you doing there? Building another section to the mall?" Marik said, hearing the front door open and close.
"No. Michelle just made me try on almost every designer dress in the store." Amunet replied, dumping all the shopping bags in her room.
On top of everything, Michelle had helped her pick tons of products and make-up.
"Well just hurry up and get ready. I know how long girls can be, with all their make-up and sparkles, and hair stuff.." Marik shuddered, and ushered Amunet into her room.
She put the dress on, and used a crippling iron to make her hair wavy, brushing it to frame her face perfectly. Then, Amunet rushed into the bathroom to brush her teeth and put on make-up. With all her stuff lined up on the marble counter, she grabbed the spray bottle of sparkles Michelle had suggested at Claire's. Amunet closed her eyes, sprayed the sparkles on her chest and neck, and some in her hair. She sighed and picked up the eyeliner. Next came the mascara, then, she put some reddish-coloured eyeshadow on to match the red in her dress. Then she put some red lipstick on followed by a darker shade of red lip liner. And last, but not least: blush.
After the 40 minutes the last paragraph took, Amunet scanned the line of make-up to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything.
"Amunet!" Marik called urgently from the entrance hall.
She glanced at her diamond watch, and cursed. "Coming!" She called back, hurrying out of her room.
Amunet slipped her black high-heels on and buckled them up, running outside to her father's black limo parked in front of the house. If any of you girls out there have tried to run in high-heels, I think you'd know how badly Amunet's feet would have hurt by the time she reached the car door.
She shut the car door, sitting beside Marik, who was eyeing her dress and make-up.
When Amunet noticed him, she sighed in frustration. "What now? Michelle chose the dress."
"It's not the dress. Do women honestly need so much make-up on their faces?" He said.
"Name something on my face I don't need here."
"Well, for starters, you don't need black outlining your eyes."
"Yes I do, it makes the colour of my eyes stand out."
"Your eyes already stand out."
"Not as much as they could with eyeliner."
Marik sighed. "Do what you want. But don't blame me if you get wrinkles when you get older."
"I won't. They've got this cream that gets rid of wrinkles." Amunet said smartly.
"What don't they have?" He asked sarcastically, resting his chin in his hand and his elbow on the edge of the open window.
*
They arrived at the party being held in a secret location, and emerged from the limo. There were fairy lights all over the place, and well trimmed plants and bushes which in some cases served as green statues. A lime stone mansion stood in the middle of the commotion.
This was the perfect place to have a private party since it was believed that the very mansion before them was haunted. Paranormal voices, noises and sightings had been reported in and around the mansion that had once belonged to a rich family.
Long tables of food and desserts were lined up in rows to their left and men in black tuxedos served wines and drinks on platters in a crowd of women and men to their right. These people were all Rare Hunters. An orchestra sounded beautifully in the back round.
The meaning of this meeting/party was to establish commerce with the opposing team of people in the same business as Marik and his Rare Hunters. They called themselves Stalkers of the Rare and Powerful, and had been in competition and rivalry with the Rare Hunters for years (kind of like the mafia). This was also another reason Marik was so protective of Amunet, because he feared the leader of the Stalkers of the Rare and Powerful would kidnap her in attempt to taunt him into letting them take over. After all there was only room for one group of card robbers in this town.
Amunet walked through the gate, her arm linked with Marik's as they continued through the parting crowd. The Rare Hunters bowed to them but the opposing group just stared refusing to do so since this father and daughter were not they're masters. The woman and her son standing in front of the crowd to greet Marik and Amunet were.
"Welcome!" The woman of around Marik's age cried to them cheerfully, opening her arms in greeting. Her son stood silent, watching with an expressionless face.
When Marik and Amunet reached the woman and her son, they stopped.
Amunet just watched, her eyes cold as her father talked with their former enemy. She still didn't trust them. Suddenly she caught the boy's eye. He stared at her with the same coldness in his eyes but more danger behind them. Amunet narrowed her eyes, and lifted her head up high to show she wasn't afraid of him.
"My name is Nora, and this is my son, Perry. And you must be Amunet, I am very pleased to meet you." Said Nora, shaking Amunet's hand, who just stared blankly with a hint of hate up at her.
Then Amunet turned to Perry. He took her hand and kissed it, staring her in the eye. She reconized those cold grey eyes. The last time she had seen them was on a hunt with her father where the Stalkers of the Rare and Powerful had intruded. Amunet was only 11 at the time, and as far as she could recall, Perry had tried to kidnap her. But Odeon got to her first, hurrying Amunet out of danger. Marik beat himself up countless nights after that for not paying attention as to Amunet's whereabouts in the alley.
"Rare Hunters and Stalkers of the Rare and Powerful. You have all been called here to celebrate the joining of our groups to form an even more effective criminal group. Now as you all know, we have lived in rivalry for quite some years, so to symbolize our unison, my 16 year-old son, Perry, and Marik Ishtar's 14 year-old daughter, Amunet, shall be wed by Amunet Isis Ishtar's 16th birthday." The woman called to the crowd.
"What!" Amunet yelled before she could stop herself.
Nora was startled. "Surely you knew of this." She said.
"No, I didn't." Amunet replied in anger. She turned to Marik. "Father?"
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But it's tradition for women to be wed by their 16th birthday, and me and Nora figured it was best, then you and Perry can take control over the whole group when we're gone." Marik said apologetically.
"No way am I marrying that arrogant jerk! I'm marrying who I want to when I want to."
"That's not for you to decide, Amunet." Marik replied.
"But, father, this isn't .."
"Enough! You will do what I tell you. You have 2 years to change my mind."
Amunet breathed heavily, and looked back at Perry. He didn't look shocked at all, in fact, Amunet could detect a faint amusing smile playing across his lips.
"What if we both object to the marriage?" Asked Amunet, turning back to Marik.
"Who said I object to the marriage?" Said Perry from behind.
Amunet swung around and glared at his menacing smile. "Well I do." She snapped.
"It's not up to the bride whether the wedding proceeds or not, it's up to the groom." Nora said.
Amunet's heart was pounding, and she felt like she was going to black out. She looked at the people around her, applauding at drinking to the marriage of Amunet and Perry.
Amunet didn't know what to do. 'Run' Said a voice in her head. But running wouldn't change anything, she had learned that many times. Though at the moment it didn't seem like a bad idea, she needed to be alone.
Amunet turned to run through the crowd, but Perry grabbed her wrist. People were standing before them, begging to take pictures of the young 'couple'. He put his arms around her waist, and rather roughly pulled Amunet towards him, pressing her against himself.
Someone came forth, and placed Amunet's arms around Perry's neck. Amunet immediately had a look of disgust on her face, and she wanted to pull her arms away, then she saw the meaningful look on her father's face, and thought otherwise.
"Smile." Perry chuckled in her ear.
Amunet stood there for a few minutes, cameras flashing in her eyes as she put on a fake smile, tears of mental pain beginning to form in her violet- grey eyes.
"Kiss!" Someone yelled.
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! ..." The crowd chanted.
Perry turned his head and smiled at Amunet, who didn't turn her head a millimetre towards him. He placed a hand to her cheek and turned her head towards his face. Amunet stared into his eyes not a hint of compassion showing in her eyes.
The crowd continued to chant, and Perry, pushed a lock of pale blonde hair out of Amunet's face, as he lowered his head to kiss her.
She had had enough. Amunet, broke out of his arms, and attempted to run, but Perry grabbed her arm and twisted her towards him again. This was when Amunet snapped, she didn't take tae kwon do for nothing.
Amunet took advantage of his grasping arms, and used them to help her do a flip, kicking off his upper body, breaking his hold on her arms. Once on the ground she kicked him in the chest, then punched him in the nose. The crowd gasped, but no one was as shocked as Perry, who was covering a hand over his bleeding nose, winded from the kick to his chest, as he sat up and looked at Amunet's fast retreating back.
She ran as fast as she could through the crowd, Marik following, calling her name. Amunet didn't stop, but kept running, tears running down her cheeks, punching anyone who dared stop her.
Amunet surpassed the perimeter of the property and pushed through bushes and branches, Marik soon lost her, and she ran deeper into the woods. 'I won't marry Perry.' She thought to herself. 'No one can make me.'
Amunet reached a clearing, a river gently flowed through it, the moonlight came in through the gap in the sea of trees. She stopped, panting as she gazed at her surroundings. She sat on a large rock to the side of the stream and cried. 'Why would father do this to me?' She asked no one but herself, as she sobbed with her face buried in her hands.
~*~*~*~*~
K, I'll leave it at that for now. The chapter was supposed 2 be longer but I'll continue in the next chappie, this one was just getting 2 long, Summer's here so I'll have more time 2 update this story! Please check out Adelianna's stories, they're great! R&R please. He
Thanx 2 my constant reviewers: Adelianna Malik's Angel And of course my friend, Chrissy
Chapter 3 - Unpleasant surprise
That evening at the supper table, Amunet barely touched her food. She stared off into space, deep in thought about what had happened at the beach, while Marik eyed her, concern lurking in his eyes.
"Amunet?" Marik said, making her flinch.
"Yes, father?" Amunet replied in a respectful tone.
"What happened? There's obviously something troubling you. You haven't touched your rice, I thought that was your favourite."
"I'm fine father. It's just been a long day, and I'm not really that hungry."
"It's probably something you would only tell your mother, is it not? Come now, tell me. It can't be any worse than when you told me you got your period." Marik insisted.
"Well, I had to tell you sometime. I needed pads." Amunet mumbled, blushing.
"That's it? You didn't tell me because you wanted me to know that daddy's little girl was growing up?" He teased.
Amunet didn't reply, but glared at him. Odeon snorted near by, and her glaring gaze travelled over to him.
"Shut up, Odeon." She snapped angrily.
"Let's just get off the subject. I have to tell you something anyways." Marik said.
"What?" Asked Amunet, her glare reluctantly turning back to normal, staring back at her father.
"Tomorrow, we're going to a business party..." Marik was cut off.
"Boring. I am not dressing up for a stupid business party." Amunet groaned. "I'm wearing jeans and a tank top."
"No you're not. There will be kids your age as well. And besides, I've already arranged for you and Michelle to go shopping for a nice dress tomorrow."
"Why a dress? The furthest I'm going is a skirt." Said Amunet, in a final tone.
"You're wearing a dress. You'll see, Mila will be wearing a dress too."
Amunet groaned. "Why me?" She rose from her spot and walked towards her bedroom. "I'm going to bed."
Odeon protested. "But we still have one hunt left. Joey Wheeler's got a Red Eyes Black Dragon."
She groaned again. "What time?"
"One o'clock in the morning."
"Wake me up." Amunet replied, continuing to her bedroom. She opened the door, and flopped onto her bed, falling asleep.
Little did Amunet know that someone was watching her through the window, someone soon to become her stalker.
*
At one o'clock in the morning, Odeon quietly entered Amunet's room, and shook her awake.
"Time for the hunt." He said, tossing her a cloak.
"Is father coming?" Amunet asked sitting up groggily.
"Yes, he's been up for ages." Odeon replied impatiently. "Hurry up. Your father is waiting."
"I'm hurrying. Jeez!." Amunet said, dragging her self out of bed, pulling the cloak over her head. She brushed past Odeon, and put her hood up before walking out the door with her father, Bakura and a few other Rare Hunters.
*
"Here's how it's going to work" Said Marik, as they walked swiftly down a dark alley. "These two will corner Wheeler," He indicated the Rare Hunters on either side of them. "Then this man will challenge him to a duel. That's when you take over. Because I don't want you presently involved in this, you're going to hang out on the roof of that building there, with Bakura." Marik pointed to a tall red bricked building near by. "And duel through a mind puppet."
Amunet didn't protest, she knew it was no use. Marik would never let her stay and risk being caught.
"There's Wheeler." Said Bakura.
Amunet, Bakura and Odeon left her father and the three Rare Hunters, parting into another alley.
Bakura lifted Amunet up onto a ladder on the side of the building. She pulled her self up with her arms until she could find footing on the first step of the ladder. They climbed the ladder to the roof of the building. Amunet rushed to the edge, looking down on the scene below her. The hologram projectors had been launched, and Marik gave her the signal. She nodded, and closed her eyes, calling upon her millennium piece.
The millennium symbol appeared bright upon her forehead as well as her puppet's signalizing the millennium spell.
"So, we finally meet, Joey." Amunet said.
"Hey, you're that creepy girl who works for Marik!" Joey exclaimed, oblivious to the fact that the real Marik was feet away from him, and that Amunet was his daughter. "Well, you're just like him too. You won't duel in person, coward. I'll show you! You're not gonna know what hit you once I'm finished with you."
Amunet laughed. "I wouldn't count on it."
"Enough talk. Let's duel." Joey said impatiently.
"Get ready to lose your Red Eyes Black Dragon." Said Amunet, with a smile.
*
To no one's surprise (excluding Joey), Amunet defeated Joey in less than 10 minutes. She broke the millennium spell, and swept towards the ladder, while Marik's Rare Hunters forced Joey to give up his card.
Amunet jumped off the end of the ladder, to meet her father.
"You never cease to amaze me." Marik said. "Your duelling skills and strategies are becoming more and more advanced for someone of your age."
"I know, I know. I just want to go to bed." Amunet tried to rub the sleepiness out of her eyes.
Suddenly, they heard sirens. All heads turned to see where the sounds had come from. Red lights started flashing all over the place.
"Riley, take her." Marik ordered a Rare Hunter near by.
"Yes, Master." The boy replied, taking Amunet's arm. "Come with me." He pulled her into another alley, running down it, towards another street.
Riley opened a sewer in the middle of the street.
"Jump." He said.
"I'm not going in there." Amunet replied in disgust.
"Would you rather go to jail?"
"No." She growled, at his tone. Amunet was used to people talking to her with respect.
A helicopter car loomed above, the spotlight nearing them.
"Go!" Riley whispered urgently.
Amunet neared the edge of the opening, hesitantly. Riley pushed her in, when she didn't seem able to make up her mind.
She fell into eerie darkness, then landed in water. While under, she swallowed a mouth full of the nasty water, making her choke as it crept down her air passages into her lungs.
When Amunet surfaced, the strong current carried her quickly.
"HELP!" She cried through chokes, and gasps for air.
Amunet heard a splash, followed by someone grabbing her arm.
Riley pulled her to the side where the water was more shallow. She felt her feet reach the bottom.
They walked further up till the water was ankle-deep. Amunet coughed on her hands and knees, trying to breathe through all the water in her lungs. Once she had coughed up most of the water, she could breathe again, and she looked around at her surroundings.
"Ughh, this is so gross." Amunet stared at the murky walls and the dirty water around her, eyes adjusting to the dark.
"It's better than being up there." Said Riley, waiting for Amunet to get to her feet, his arms crossed.
"I want to go home. When do we get out of here?"
"When you stand up so we can keep moving."
Amunet glared at him, and got to her feet.
"Now follow me." Riley started to walk further into the murky darkness, while Amunet reluctantly followed.
*
"Are we there yet?" Amunet asked impatiently, 20 minutes later.
"Stop complaining, we're nearly." Riley snapped, tired of her complaints.
There was silence.
"Where's my father?"
Riley sighed angrily. "This sewer leads to your home, so your stupid father will be waiting. I know all the underground passages in this area. That answer your questions, brat?"
Amunet narrowed her eyes at Riley's back. "Okay, #1: You will address my father as 'Master', and me as 'mistress'. #2: You will speak to me with more respect, or my father will be hearing about this. And I would suspect a certain punishment will await you."
"Whatever, 'mistress'." Said Riley sarcastically.
"That's better." Amunet said, eyeing him. By now she had guessed Riley was a boy of about her age, she could tell by the tone of his voice. Amunet never saw the faces of Marik's Rare Hunters, excluding Odeon.
They continued walking in tense silence, until they finally reached a dead end. Riley opened a hatch on the ceiling of the sewer, the moonlight from outside pouring inside. He helped Amunet up through the hatch, onto the street miles from where they came from.
Amunet climbed out and stared at the starlit sky before her home, while Riley followed after her.
"You're soaking." Said Marik, startling Amunet.
"Long story." She replied, with a menacing glance at Riley.
"Well, go inside and get dried off. Odeon put a dry pair of pajamas on your bed for you."
"Okay. Goodnight, father." Amunet said, hugging Marik, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"Marik did the same and smiled at her. ( u'd better not be thinking wrong *nudge, nudge, Chrissy, nudge, nudge*) "Sleep well, Amunet." He said.
She ran inside, leaving Riley with Marik.
"Thank you for escorting Amunet out of danger, Riley. You have served me well."
"Thank you, Master." Riley replied with a slight bow. "It is a privelage to serve you and Mistress Amunet."
"You may return home now. I suspect your parents would be worried." Marik said, dismissing Riley.
"I will see you at the meeting tomorrow, Master Marik." Riley said, before bowing once more and turning to walk home.
Marik went back inside to check on Amunet.
He opened her door to her room, to find her lying on her stomach on the bed, a book laid out in front of her. Amunet appeared not to notice her father's presence.
"Hello?" Marik said in a 'hello anybody in there' voice.
"Hello?" Amunet replied sarcastically in the same tone, not looking up from the book. "What do you want?"
"Just to see what you are doing."
"Mmmm.." Amunet mumbled in reply, too caught up in the book.
"What are you reading?"
"Your diary." She smiled menacingly.
Marik's eyes widened.
"WHAT!!!????!!!! Give me that!!!!!" He shouted grabbing the book off her bed, looking at the cover.
'Black Beauty' was embroided in gold letters across the front of the ebony- black book.
"I was just kidding. Jeez." Amunet said, taking the book out of his hands, trying to find her page again.
"Oh, well that was very amusing indeed." Marik said sarcastically.
"Yes, it was." Amunet smiled, finding her page.
"I want to talk to you about Riley." Said Marik, sitting on the edge of her bed.
Amunet's eyes narrowed at the name, while she continued to read. "What about him?"
"You don't seem to like him very much, do you?"
"No."
"Why? He is a very nice boy when you get to know him."
Amunet laughed shortly. "Nice? That's a laugh."
"Well he is. What do you have against Riley?" Marik said.
"He wasn't exactly forthcoming when he pushed me into the sewer, and treated me like a common school girl." Amunet said, her voice turning cold.
"I don't believe Riley would do such a thing."
"Believe it."
"I won't."
"Fine. Then get out of my room." Amunet growled at her father.
Marik narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't talk to me with that tone, young lady."
"I'll talk to you anyway I want." Amunet replied.
Taken aback, Marik got to his feet. "NO! You can't talk to me like that! You hear me? Now apologize right now!" He cried.
"No!" Amunet screamed back, finally looking up from her book. "I don't want to. You won't believe your own daughter when I tell you Riley's not what you think he is."
"No, I won't believe you. Because Riley is one of my most loyal Rare Hunters."
"Just leave, please." Amunet replied, looking back at her book, tears welling in her eyes.
Marik stared at her for a second, then turned on his heel and left.
After the door slammed shut, Amunet closed her eyes and broke down in sobs, burying her head in her arms.
Marik stopped in his tracks down the hallway, hearing sobs coming from Amunet's room.
He retraced his steps back to her room, and leaned against the door.
"I HATE YOU!!! I HATE YOU. You never believe me. Mother would have believed me. IT'S NOT FAIR! Why can't I be a normal kid? With a normal mom, and a normal dad in a normal house. It's not fair." Amunet cried her thoughts, not thinking anyone was listening, no one ever listened to her cries.
Marik looked down in guilty sadness, he couldn't bear to hear his dear daughter this way. His hand slowly inched to the doorknob, and turned it, opening the door. He peered inside at Amunet's sobbing figure.
"Go away." She said.
Marik ignored her order and closed the door.
"Amunet, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up at you like that." He said.
"Really?" She sniffed lifting her head.
"Yes. I know it's hard on you not having your mother with you, and living in these conditions." Said Marik, sitting on her bed, embracing Amunet. "But I promise things will get better."
Amunet wiped away her tears and clung to her father's robes, she looked at the framed picture of her father and mother's wedding beside her bed.
"I know I never knew her, but I miss mother."
Marik hugged her tighter. "I miss her too. But I soon learned that I have to go on if I want to survive in this world."
Amunet nodded and closed her eyes, tightening her grip on Marik's robes, she didn't want to leave her father's comforting embrace.
"I'm scared." Amunet confessed.
"Scared of what?" Marik asked.
"Everything. Your quest for power. I'm afraid something will happen to you. You're the only parent I have left. I don't want to lose you."
"Come now, nothing will happen to me."
"How can you be so sure?" Amunet began to cry again.
"Shh..." Marik hushed, as he began to talk to her comfortingly in an ancient language she could understand, but didn't speak very often.
Eventually Amunet fell asleep, and Marik pulled the sheets over her. He smiled and kissed her forehead before leaving.
*
The next morning, Amunet had a long warm shower, and got ready to leave with Michelle.
"Wow, you're looking snazzy today." Said Michelle, waiting in the hall for Amunet.
Marik turned to see a horrid vision. His daughter wearing jeans with holes all down the sides, strings threaded through these holes all the way around Amunet's waist and down the sides of both her legs. And in addition, a white one-strap top, lined with navy blue material.
"I'm not sure I want you wearing that outfit." Marik said, eyeing her outfit. "It's a little inappropriate."
"No it's not." Was Amunet's reply.
"It'll show your mid drift when you raise your arms. I can tell, I know you all to well."
"It will not."
"It will too."
"Nuhuh"
"Fine. Arms up." Marik ordered.
"But.."
"Do it." He replied sternly to her protest.
Amunet sighed, and lifted her arms, sure enough exposing her mid drift.
"That's what I thought. Go get changed."
"I don't want to. Please don't make me wear that dorky outfit Aunt Ishizu made for me." Amunet pleaded.
"Fine, but you're wearing something over that." Said Marik.
"Okay." Amunet replied, more cheerful. She skipped to the closet and pulled out a Roots zip up sweater.
"See you later, father." She said, pulling the sweater on, walking out the door with Michelle.
"Bye." Marik replied. He closed the door shaking his head at his own softness. He knew Amunet wouldn't keep the sweater on.
Meanwhile, in Michelle's crimson sports car.
Amunet pulled the Root's sweater off, and smiled at Michelle who smiled back.
"Girl Power." They said in unison, high-fiving each other.
Michelle turned up some music, opening the windows and turning up the bass. The hip hop music blared out of the windows and into the street, the car vibrating to the beat.
They stopped at an intersection, and the car beside them rolled down the passenger side window.
"Turn that crap down!" Yelled a mid-aged man, but his voice was muffled by the music.
"Sorry, can't hear you." Michelle lied.
The man glared at them, noting the sarcasm in Michelle's voice, the light turned green.
The girls shrugged innocently, with a smile.
"Toodles!" They both yelled, before Michelle pushed on the gas pedal, zooming through the intersection, engine roaring.
At the mall, they spent hours in a dress store. Michelle made Amunet try on almost every dress in the store.
Amunet stepped out of the change room for the millionth time (or so it felt), in a long silky red dress, with long sleeves and high collar.
Michelle analyzed the dress with sceptical eyes. "No. Red is sexy, but the dress is too dorky." By dorky, Michelle meant it didn't show enough flesh and only people with something to hide would wear it.
Amunet growled, and stomped back into the change room to try on a different dress.
She came back out wearing a long light clothed black and red mix dress with no back and strings tied at the back of her neck to hold the front of the dress up.
"That is perfect." Michelle smiled like a kid in a candy store. "It's both great sexy colours mixed together and it doesn't show too much but not too little."
"Michelle, it's the same dress I tried on around the first 10." Amunet said.
"No it's not. That one had like an oval like hole that showed your mid drift. Your father would have flipped out if I let you get that one."
They paid for the dress with the money Marik had given Amunet to buy a dress, and left (finally).
Michelle dropped Amunet at her house an hour before she would have to be at the party.
"Finally! In the name of Ra, what were you doing there? Building another section to the mall?" Marik said, hearing the front door open and close.
"No. Michelle just made me try on almost every designer dress in the store." Amunet replied, dumping all the shopping bags in her room.
On top of everything, Michelle had helped her pick tons of products and make-up.
"Well just hurry up and get ready. I know how long girls can be, with all their make-up and sparkles, and hair stuff.." Marik shuddered, and ushered Amunet into her room.
She put the dress on, and used a crippling iron to make her hair wavy, brushing it to frame her face perfectly. Then, Amunet rushed into the bathroom to brush her teeth and put on make-up. With all her stuff lined up on the marble counter, she grabbed the spray bottle of sparkles Michelle had suggested at Claire's. Amunet closed her eyes, sprayed the sparkles on her chest and neck, and some in her hair. She sighed and picked up the eyeliner. Next came the mascara, then, she put some reddish-coloured eyeshadow on to match the red in her dress. Then she put some red lipstick on followed by a darker shade of red lip liner. And last, but not least: blush.
After the 40 minutes the last paragraph took, Amunet scanned the line of make-up to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything.
"Amunet!" Marik called urgently from the entrance hall.
She glanced at her diamond watch, and cursed. "Coming!" She called back, hurrying out of her room.
Amunet slipped her black high-heels on and buckled them up, running outside to her father's black limo parked in front of the house. If any of you girls out there have tried to run in high-heels, I think you'd know how badly Amunet's feet would have hurt by the time she reached the car door.
She shut the car door, sitting beside Marik, who was eyeing her dress and make-up.
When Amunet noticed him, she sighed in frustration. "What now? Michelle chose the dress."
"It's not the dress. Do women honestly need so much make-up on their faces?" He said.
"Name something on my face I don't need here."
"Well, for starters, you don't need black outlining your eyes."
"Yes I do, it makes the colour of my eyes stand out."
"Your eyes already stand out."
"Not as much as they could with eyeliner."
Marik sighed. "Do what you want. But don't blame me if you get wrinkles when you get older."
"I won't. They've got this cream that gets rid of wrinkles." Amunet said smartly.
"What don't they have?" He asked sarcastically, resting his chin in his hand and his elbow on the edge of the open window.
*
They arrived at the party being held in a secret location, and emerged from the limo. There were fairy lights all over the place, and well trimmed plants and bushes which in some cases served as green statues. A lime stone mansion stood in the middle of the commotion.
This was the perfect place to have a private party since it was believed that the very mansion before them was haunted. Paranormal voices, noises and sightings had been reported in and around the mansion that had once belonged to a rich family.
Long tables of food and desserts were lined up in rows to their left and men in black tuxedos served wines and drinks on platters in a crowd of women and men to their right. These people were all Rare Hunters. An orchestra sounded beautifully in the back round.
The meaning of this meeting/party was to establish commerce with the opposing team of people in the same business as Marik and his Rare Hunters. They called themselves Stalkers of the Rare and Powerful, and had been in competition and rivalry with the Rare Hunters for years (kind of like the mafia). This was also another reason Marik was so protective of Amunet, because he feared the leader of the Stalkers of the Rare and Powerful would kidnap her in attempt to taunt him into letting them take over. After all there was only room for one group of card robbers in this town.
Amunet walked through the gate, her arm linked with Marik's as they continued through the parting crowd. The Rare Hunters bowed to them but the opposing group just stared refusing to do so since this father and daughter were not they're masters. The woman and her son standing in front of the crowd to greet Marik and Amunet were.
"Welcome!" The woman of around Marik's age cried to them cheerfully, opening her arms in greeting. Her son stood silent, watching with an expressionless face.
When Marik and Amunet reached the woman and her son, they stopped.
Amunet just watched, her eyes cold as her father talked with their former enemy. She still didn't trust them. Suddenly she caught the boy's eye. He stared at her with the same coldness in his eyes but more danger behind them. Amunet narrowed her eyes, and lifted her head up high to show she wasn't afraid of him.
"My name is Nora, and this is my son, Perry. And you must be Amunet, I am very pleased to meet you." Said Nora, shaking Amunet's hand, who just stared blankly with a hint of hate up at her.
Then Amunet turned to Perry. He took her hand and kissed it, staring her in the eye. She reconized those cold grey eyes. The last time she had seen them was on a hunt with her father where the Stalkers of the Rare and Powerful had intruded. Amunet was only 11 at the time, and as far as she could recall, Perry had tried to kidnap her. But Odeon got to her first, hurrying Amunet out of danger. Marik beat himself up countless nights after that for not paying attention as to Amunet's whereabouts in the alley.
"Rare Hunters and Stalkers of the Rare and Powerful. You have all been called here to celebrate the joining of our groups to form an even more effective criminal group. Now as you all know, we have lived in rivalry for quite some years, so to symbolize our unison, my 16 year-old son, Perry, and Marik Ishtar's 14 year-old daughter, Amunet, shall be wed by Amunet Isis Ishtar's 16th birthday." The woman called to the crowd.
"What!" Amunet yelled before she could stop herself.
Nora was startled. "Surely you knew of this." She said.
"No, I didn't." Amunet replied in anger. She turned to Marik. "Father?"
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But it's tradition for women to be wed by their 16th birthday, and me and Nora figured it was best, then you and Perry can take control over the whole group when we're gone." Marik said apologetically.
"No way am I marrying that arrogant jerk! I'm marrying who I want to when I want to."
"That's not for you to decide, Amunet." Marik replied.
"But, father, this isn't .."
"Enough! You will do what I tell you. You have 2 years to change my mind."
Amunet breathed heavily, and looked back at Perry. He didn't look shocked at all, in fact, Amunet could detect a faint amusing smile playing across his lips.
"What if we both object to the marriage?" Asked Amunet, turning back to Marik.
"Who said I object to the marriage?" Said Perry from behind.
Amunet swung around and glared at his menacing smile. "Well I do." She snapped.
"It's not up to the bride whether the wedding proceeds or not, it's up to the groom." Nora said.
Amunet's heart was pounding, and she felt like she was going to black out. She looked at the people around her, applauding at drinking to the marriage of Amunet and Perry.
Amunet didn't know what to do. 'Run' Said a voice in her head. But running wouldn't change anything, she had learned that many times. Though at the moment it didn't seem like a bad idea, she needed to be alone.
Amunet turned to run through the crowd, but Perry grabbed her wrist. People were standing before them, begging to take pictures of the young 'couple'. He put his arms around her waist, and rather roughly pulled Amunet towards him, pressing her against himself.
Someone came forth, and placed Amunet's arms around Perry's neck. Amunet immediately had a look of disgust on her face, and she wanted to pull her arms away, then she saw the meaningful look on her father's face, and thought otherwise.
"Smile." Perry chuckled in her ear.
Amunet stood there for a few minutes, cameras flashing in her eyes as she put on a fake smile, tears of mental pain beginning to form in her violet- grey eyes.
"Kiss!" Someone yelled.
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! ..." The crowd chanted.
Perry turned his head and smiled at Amunet, who didn't turn her head a millimetre towards him. He placed a hand to her cheek and turned her head towards his face. Amunet stared into his eyes not a hint of compassion showing in her eyes.
The crowd continued to chant, and Perry, pushed a lock of pale blonde hair out of Amunet's face, as he lowered his head to kiss her.
She had had enough. Amunet, broke out of his arms, and attempted to run, but Perry grabbed her arm and twisted her towards him again. This was when Amunet snapped, she didn't take tae kwon do for nothing.
Amunet took advantage of his grasping arms, and used them to help her do a flip, kicking off his upper body, breaking his hold on her arms. Once on the ground she kicked him in the chest, then punched him in the nose. The crowd gasped, but no one was as shocked as Perry, who was covering a hand over his bleeding nose, winded from the kick to his chest, as he sat up and looked at Amunet's fast retreating back.
She ran as fast as she could through the crowd, Marik following, calling her name. Amunet didn't stop, but kept running, tears running down her cheeks, punching anyone who dared stop her.
Amunet surpassed the perimeter of the property and pushed through bushes and branches, Marik soon lost her, and she ran deeper into the woods. 'I won't marry Perry.' She thought to herself. 'No one can make me.'
Amunet reached a clearing, a river gently flowed through it, the moonlight came in through the gap in the sea of trees. She stopped, panting as she gazed at her surroundings. She sat on a large rock to the side of the stream and cried. 'Why would father do this to me?' She asked no one but herself, as she sobbed with her face buried in her hands.
~*~*~*~*~
K, I'll leave it at that for now. The chapter was supposed 2 be longer but I'll continue in the next chappie, this one was just getting 2 long, Summer's here so I'll have more time 2 update this story! Please check out Adelianna's stories, they're great! R&R please. He
