Yep, I'm back! This chapter seems to be the final chapter that Youlan wrote for this story, but I'm sure it's not finished yet though. I hope she'll remember to continue writing more chapters or else this whole fanfic will end up being on hiatus or something.
On to the responses we go ...
Hakudoshi-chan: Thanks for reviewing and yes, the chapters are short. I wish they were longer but I'm not the one who can decide that.
Proxima Centauri: Yeah, it would be rather strange for her to instinctively trust the man who she believed was responsible for her daughter's death. I'm surprised she didn't try to kill him for that.
Maybe you're right, I tend to post these things up in a hurry without checking for grammar or spelling mistakes.
Chapter 13
"Oh, I'm so bored ..." Atem was spacing out as he sat alone on the stone steps. 'It's so much more amusing when I'm with that guy ... unlike those girls ...' He shifted his line of vision towards a group of young maids that were about three meters away from him.
'I think they truly believe that I'm a girl ... I don't know whether I should weep or laugh at them.'
"Your Highness?"
'Here they come ...'
The group of young girls ran towards him only to find Atem missing when they reached the steps.
"Wha? She's missing?"
"Where did she go?"
The group looked around them as they searched for a while, but couldn't find Atem. They decided to shift their focus and do a search in another location.
"Whew ... They're finally gone ..." Atem was hiding in one of the large trees as he watched the group go. "If I were stuck with them, it would be hard for me to get away ..." He sat down on one of the branches as his hand accidentally bumped into the place where his Millenium Puzzle would usually be at. "What?! This ... this can't be ..." He realized that the Puzzle was missing!
"I must have forgotten about it and left the Puzzle at Seto's place. What should I do?" Atem was very worried but suddenly an cold and aloof voice called out to him.
"Hey! Are you looking for this?"
'Hmm? Why does this voice sound so familiar?' Atem looked in the direction the voice came from and nearly fell out of the tree.
"Se ... Seto?!" He couldn't believe his eyes as he looked at the person standing under the tree. Seto chose this moment to wave a cloth bag he was holding at him as he lifted his head to stare at Atem.
"You ... why are you here?" Atem climbed down from the tree vigorously.
"No reason. It's just that I found something at my home that shouldn't be there." Seto answered.
"Oh? And that is?" Atem looked at the bag Seto was holding.
"Did you finally find out for youself?" Seto threw the bag over to Atem as he spoke. The other man caught the bag and opened it.
'What?! I really did leave it at his home ...'
Seto spoke, "Just as I thought. A dwarf's brain capacity is so small that he could even forget about such an important item ..."
"Damn you! What did you say?!" A blue vein appeared on Atem's forehead as he thought angrily, 'Is this guy courting death?!'
"Heh heh. Do I need to clarify what I just said?" Seto was completely disregarding Atem at this moment.
"Damn you!" Atem felt his nerves were about to burst. "Now you've gotten me mad!"
Before Seto had a chance to respond, Atem began to draw from his dark powers.
'This ... what is this?' Seto was shocked to see this at first, as the surrounding area became dark.
"You better take back what you said or else don't even think of ever leaving this place!"
"Humph ..." Seto thought to himself, 'Does he think he can beat me with that kind of small magic?'
Just as the pair were about to fight it out, a loud voice shouted out to them.
"Your Highness! Seto! What are you two doing?!" Meti had felt the ebb of power from a distance. "It's too dangerous! What happened to have caused this?" He asked loudly.
"It was his fault!" The pair pointed at each other at the same time as it looked like another fight was about to break out.
"Damn you! Don't imitate me!"
"You're the one who's copying me!"
Completely ignoring Meti, who was still standing near them, the pair began their bickering once more.
"Stop that! Your Highness, Seto!" What followed was a long lecture from Meti.
Almost on cue, the two thought of the same thing ... 'It's all your fault!'
Author's Corner:
Youlan: It seems that recently, I've unexpectedly become fond of making the lead characters suffer.
Yami Youlan: ... I've urged you not to do that so often ...
Youlan: Eh? (She suddenly senses a rise in ill feelings behind her)
The Stars of the Story: Damn you! Do you want to die now?
Youlan: I want to announce this in advance - the next chapter will be even more amusing. (Runs for her life)
The Stars of the Story: Don't even think about it! Let's beat her up!
Rika: Is it me or is this chapter completely pointless?
Posted on October 6, 2004. Updated on October 12, 2004.