[Last chap, I got 12 reviews!! Omg!! Thanks so muchesness!! here we are, again, chapter 11... wooo...... I just got back from a concert, and 'Forge of the Vulcan' is stuck in my head. We played it tonight... weeee....]
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Dance the Forbidden Dance
Chapter Eleven
Incidiare Clair de Luna
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It wasn't until two nights later that Teana finally came to consciousness. She opened her eyes briefly, scanned around, then closed them again, shifting her position. Maia was startled to see her move, but was extremely relieved she had lived.
But it wasn't until nearly a week and a half later that she spoke to Yami again.
Yami had come to see the militia with Asenath and Sekhem. Everyone was glad they were okay. For the next two days, Yami came to visit the militia often. He said it was because of Sekhem.
"He's becoming unbearable to live with," Yami explained to Jono and Tiet one day. "He's so excited. His birthday is in a few weeks, and he's really hyped about it." Jono clamped a large hand onto his shoulder.
"Yeah, didn't you just have a birthday?" Jono asked. Yami nodded.
"Last month. Actually... almost two months ago," he said, blinking. "Yeah... around two months ago."
"Holy... tha' a long time," Tiet said, rubbing the back of his head. "You seem olda' then jus' thirteen." Yami smiled a half smile. Both Tiet and Jono were a good two years older then himself. He didn't know for sure, but he suspected that Tiet was actually in his late teens.
Tiet placed his hands on his back.
"Damn, this kills...."
One night, while Yami was hanging around the militia, he saw Teana, sleeping deeply on a pile of blankets. He had seen her from a distance, but hadn't gone up to her in almost three weeks. Not since the battle.
Yami felt somewhat guilty for not telling her sooner. But... He had been too confused about his own feelings to deal with it at the time.
He was to marry in a week to Aklia, however. He had to make up with Teana, apologize, and tell her that he loved her in that amount of time.
Oh, Gods.
Yami sat down beside her sleeping figure, watching the torch lights dance off her bronzed skin. He gently touched her bare shoulder, tracing her shape to her cheek. He laid down beside her on another pile of blankets, watching her face carefully. She was sleeping deeply, breathing so softly it seemed like she wasn't at all.
Yami shifted closer to her, his eyes on her the entire time. He reached over, turned onto his side, and tapped her cheek. He brought his face to hers and just closed his eyes, their noses touching. Teana shifted a bit, taking a deep breath, and then continuing to sleep.
"I love you..." he whispered. "...Teana..."
Teana didn't hear him at all.
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Teana was washing her hands and arms when he approached her finally. It was dusk, and she was drying her hands on a towel and sitting up straight, seated on the edge of the fountain. Yami approached her slowly, hands folded behind his back. He gulped and stepped forward, coming up behind her.
Teana stiffened as she heard footsteps behind her. She turned slowly, surprised to see Yami behind her.
"Ohh..." she muttered, looking at her hands. Yami's eyes softened and he sighed.
"Teana..."
"...Yes...?" she said slowly, casting a sideways glance at him. Yami motioned to the fountain's edge. "May I sit here?"
Teana gave a half nod, half shrug. Yami took it as a 'yes'. He sat down, watching Teana with calm eyes. She smiled to herself a bit, then turned her head to face him.
"...Teana.... I...." he muttered, then looked at his hands. Teana looked at them as well. She noticed the green gem on a golden band around his middle finger, signaling that he was indeed, the Prince.
Yami shifted his hands and faced her.
"Teana...."
"I can't believe you did that," Teana said slowly in a calm voice. She turned to him, her hands shaking. "Why did you do that? Why did you befriend me? Why..." she trailed off, staring into the distance. Yami wasn't sure how to answer.
"I was concerned," he explained. "If I told you who I was... You could get into a ton of trouble." Teana shrugged.
"I don't care! You lied to me," she accused. Her voice became more venomous, more hurt. "You lied."
"But--"
"Listen!" Teana said, dominating the conversation. Yami closed his mouth. "You betrayed me. You betrayed my trust. I trusted you! And this is how you pay me back? With a bunch of lies?!" she cried, standing up. Tears started in her eyes.
"I... I... You... Oh!" she cried, turning and running away. Her skirts flailing, she put her face in her hands and fled to where ever she could go.
Yami stared after her, then looking at his own hands.
"I... love you, too..." he whispered, putting his hand to his forehead.
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Yami angrily threw a rock at the glistening water before him. The shallow pool in the central courtyard was filled with clear, crystal water, the hot, stable air not even rippling the surface.
The rock plunked into the middle of the pool, sending ripples propelling into the stone sides of the basin. Yami sighed and buried his face in his knees, looking up again.
It was spring. The flowers had bloomed. Actually, spring was coming to an end very soon. Summer was heavy on everyone, especially since flooding season was soon.
"Dammit," he muttered, sighing deeply. "I haven't spoken to her since then..." It was a few days later. He had been wandering around listlessly the last few days, lost in his thoughts. He thought up so many ways to make up to Teana... But none of them seemed right. They seemed superficial, without meaning.
He closed his eyes.
"I can't do this," he whispered. It was midday and he had nothing to do.
Standing up, he stretched his arms and ran, going in no particular direction. He decided to head towards the docks, where the Nile stretched as far as the eye could see. Jono said he'd be down there today...
...I'm not allowed down there... I can't swim... these thoughts flashed his mind, but he ran down there anyway, dodging in and out of people as he went.
When he neared the waters, he could see the damaged part of the city in the distance. It looked, speaking volumes about what happened barely a month ago.
Yami shivered as he went on, trying to keep his mind off of all the spirits that most likely inhabited that area... He clenched his fists and continued on, his feet hitting the ground hard.
Finally, the smell of water reached him. Ships the size of trees were in the docks, either tied up or leaving. People milled about, shops were set up, children were playing on the sandy beaches.
It was a very lively place.
Yami headed for the wooded docks, where you weren't allowed to swim because of all the ships coming in and out. He could see Jono sitting on a short pillar, grinning and talking to someone animatedly.
"...sure-fire way to keep it from happening again," he was explaining to Tiet. "It's foolproof!" Tiet looked unconvinced.
"You betteh not be lyin' ta me, Jono..."
"I swear, I'm not!" Jono cast his eyes sideward for a moment, seeing Yami approach them. "Hey, speak of the devil!" Yami raised his eyebrows.
"You were talking about me?" he asked, crossing his arms and smiling. Jono shrugged.
"I was thinking of going to get you," he explained. "Maybe being down here with all this activity'll cheer you up."
"Youse been lollin' around here evah since a few days past," Tiet said, giving a half grin to him. "Getcha spirits up! The war is ovah, for now."
"Thank the gods," Yami muttered, looking around. They were right; being in this busy place made him feel a little better. He still couldn't face Teana, however.
He glanced around momentarily, making sure she wasn't here with her master's daughters.
As Jono and Tiet engaged in conversation again, Yami wandered to the dock's edge. He crouched down and peered into the water. It was so dark and deep, very foreboding. It had to be at least ten feet down, probably more. This was the place where the ships left for other cities...
He gently reached down and brushed the cool water with his fingertips. It was very cold to his dry hands, which was a relief. He put both his hands into the water, letting the coolness wash over and drip off onto the dock's surface.
"Yami! You shouldn't hang out around here," a female voice warned behind him. Yami turned to see Maia standing behind him. His eyes widened in surprise as he noticed her appearance.
She had been working non-stop in the fields with the other workers, gathering as much food as they could for the injured since the battle. He hadn't seen her for a few weeks. Then, she looked different, but now...
Her skin was darker, the muscles in her upper body more defined. Her hands were covered in sore calluses, and has hands were constantly over her stomach protectively, since she found out she was pregnant nearly a month earlier. Her clothes were baggier and worn. She looked... Like a proud worker, if you added her facial expression into the mix.
She had been in constant good moods since she found out she was pregnant.
"Sorry, Maia," he said, standing straight. Maia placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Just watching out for you, my friend."
"Well, I thank you." Yami stepped forward a bit, staring down into the blue-green waters.
Then it happened.
It happened in a split second--
One minute, a group of men rushed to catch a flailing ship, shoving both Maia and Yami forwards.
"Hey! Get out of the way!" One man yelled, shoving Maia forwards. She slipped over her feet and tried to regain her balance, but was unsuccessful. She just had enough time before falling to see Yami teetering at the edge of the dock, a look of pure panic spread over his face--
Then--
Maia grabbed onto a pillar, nearly being knocked off the docks. She looked around frantically. Yami had been closer to the water...
Her eyes widened. Jono and Tiet, both having been shoved, rushed over and stared down at the water with her.
Bubbles and white foam were floating and dispersing where Yami had fallen in. The dark, foreboding waters seemed to suck the bubbles themselves in, spreading them out and altogether vanishing.
The thing was--
He couldn't swim.
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[Yeah, I explained that earlier... well, anyway... DUN DUN DDDUUUUUN! Hehe. Now, we know he cant swim... now what? Erk! Next chap: the Bite of the Nile.
BTW, next year at Anime Boston, 2005, I'm going as Theif Bakura and.... ASENATH!! Yep, I'm going as Asenath from this fic... and others :3 I'm going in her really, really fancy priestess outfit. The, like, WICKID fancy one o.O Well, anyway... Look for me :D]
Shibby-One