Egnirys: Whatever we can say... this is the story of my yami; it's kind of sad, really, but has it's happier moments – as in life, ne...? Please read and review, even though she wouldn't admit it, it's very important for her.

Egniris: Yeah, whatever. Ah, just a note – I WAS NEVER involved in any affair with ANY man, so you needn't worry about a so-called Mary Sue... coughcoughreviewIdappreciateitreallycoughcough

Eruna

Chapter one, Tribute to a child

Egniris was a cheerful child; she had a brother she really loved and her parents – poor people who, however, wanted their son and daughter to have anything they wished. But the children didn't actually care – they were perfectly happy as it was, with the ability to wander freely around, not having to even have any kind of lessons or something in mind. Egniris didn't particularly mind wearing her brother's old clothes after he grew from them nor having her hair cut in a boyish manner, exactly like his were. She rather liked the fact she could look like him, because she always adored him as an idol, a person who she should be like. And he appreciated that, and loved his little sister like nobody else...

One day, when her brother was out, Egniris promised mother to look for him and give him some lunch she prepared, because he was on one of his wandering escapades and wouldn't be back 'till dawn. And so she went, first searching around Kuru Eruna, then further, in the desert. She hadn't noticed the soldiers closing in...

She found her older brother, Bakura, in an oasis, trying to climb a palm tree. She grinned cutely when he fell down and stuck her tongue at his pouty expression.

"Egniris, what're you doing here, chikey?" Bakura asked, giving up his glaring and smiling at his sister. She held out her hand with the food she brought.

"It's for you, 'Kura! Mommy gave it for you, she didn't want you to be hungry," she said cheerfully, just like only a happy child could. Bakura took the lunch, his smile widening. He put the food aside, took Egniris into his arms and... threw her into a spring, splashing water around and at himself, too. He laughed and she pouted, but soon joined his laughing. She splashed him with water and giggled. Bakura was three years older than her and, of course, much more mature, but with that little angel of his, he couldn't possibly stop himself from playing childish games. She was a living mirror image of his, only more gentle, soft and innocent. How he wanted to protect her from anything that might happen... from any bad things she might experience... but he knew that it was impossible, so he wanted to at least make her remember her childohood as a fantastic, happy time... So they had fun untill Bakura decided it's time for her to go back home.

"Don't want to make mum worry, do you? I'll be back in the evening, alright?" he asked and patted the small girl's head. "Wait for me like a good eight-year old girl." He received a peek on the cheek, and then Egniris ran back to the village; Bakura observed her 'till she disappeared beyond the horizon. He knew she wouldn't get lost on the desert; he taught her how to not lose the orientation and how to find a way home. But, for some reason unknown to him, he was worried...

Egniris loved to wander around in the desert, just like her brother did – simply because that's what her brother did. But she liked spending time with him better. She didn't want to be a good girl, if that meant being apart! Bakura always taught her useful things, like climbing trees, and swimming in the Nile, and throwing stones at birds... they always had great fun together, but mum didn't like it. She wanted Egniris to be a nice, gentle girl that would once stand a chance to find a rich husband; and the thought of her climbing trees like a boy didn't quite fit that image. So the woman was always angry when her daughter came home with scratches all over her body and in ripped clothes. She would always scold Bakura for letting Egniris play like that again... and it never worked. They were still kids and they wanted to have fun!

Egniris approached the village. She was struck with the unusual silence in Kuru Eruna... usually, she would hear people talking, children laughing and some old ladies gossipping from the entrance of the village... but not now. Her curiosity made her go further, even though she knew something wasn't like it should be. Instinctually, she was fearing something, like a child that's going to be meeting their nightmares in real life. This same instinct told her not to walk openly through the main alley; she was sneaking past houses, which she found completely empty. That made her even more afraid, but she bravely went further... and finally she reached the place where the villagers were "gathered".

She saw they were all there – from little children, adults, to elders that could barely stand; women and men, boys and girls, they were all standing there, around a giant cauldron that was on fire. Something was boiling inside, and it definitely was NOT water... Egniris saw a woman – a beautiful young woman, with lightly tanned skin and long black hair – being dragged by some kind of stairs to the cauldron. Before she could blink, a strange man in rich clothing threw the screaming, pleading woman to the cauldron. That's when Egniris realised with terror that the substance in the cauldron was gold... boiling gold... and people – her friends, neighbours and family – were being slaughtered, thrown into that gold...! She nearly let out a scream, but in the end, she didn't. She was too frightened and she wanted to survive. If they found out she was there, she'd be treated just like others. Who were those people that came to her village and were hurting her fellow villagers...? Why...?

She watched the terrible ritual with fear and disgust, combined with strange fascination; she just couldn't take her eyes of what was happening. When a child, a small girl she usually played with when she wasn't with Bakura, was being thrown to the giant cauldron, Egniris felt a sensation she didn't understand. The scream and cry of that girl made her head strangely light, and she was sure that if she tried, she could fly. Before she knew it, she started laughing, a terrifying, empty laugh. One of those people, standing the closest to her, noticed the small, laughing child and came closer. He caught Egniris' shoulder and hissed:

"Heey, it seems there's another sacrifice..." Sacrifice? So that was why they were all dying... why she would die? No, no, no... Bakura, help me... but don't come here or they'll kill you too...

"We don't need another one!" a priest called. "It's already been 99! But the kid looks well, maybe we'd take it to the palace, for the Pharaoh!"

They... they were here on Pharaoh's orders? But why?! Mommy always said the Pharaoh loved his people, and he didn't care if they were rich or poor, he loved them all the same... so why did he let this happen?! Why was mother dead now, why did they kill everyone, why, why, why...?! Egniris started crying soundlessly. Bakura once told her that only weak people would cry, and that only small children could cry sometimes, but always voicelessly. Because he never liked weaklings. And Egniris would prove she wasn't a weakling. She was from the hurt and slaughtered Kuru Eruna, she was betrayed by the Pharaoh... but, a small child that she was, she wasn't going to break down! She will avenge her family and friends... everybody... somehow. With that thought, the girl passed out, not able to take this anymore...

When she woke up again, she was on an awful excuse for a bed, wrapped in a thin blanket. She was still wearing her brother's old clothes; a woman was sitting beside her. Egniris shivered; she fully remembered what happened at the village and sobbed. The woman looked at her with pity and hugged her gently.

"Don't cry, my child... you're very lucky... the Pharaoh will treat you well, he is very just with his slaves..." she whispered and stroked the girl's small back. "You'll be happy, you'll see..."

"My... mommy... and daddy...The Pharaoh killed them...!" Egniris cried, and the woman sighed. She knew what the child was going through, or at least she thought she knew. She didn't remember her own parents, her home beyond the palace. Sometimes, she would imagine how would it be if she wasn't a slave, but usually she liked serving the Pharaoh. But she suspected that this child would never learn to love the Pharaoh like she did.

"What is your name, darling...?" the woman asked. "Because I'm Sakhmet and I'm to take care of you from now on. I need to call you somehow."

"E... Eruna..." the child said in a croaky voice. She wasn't crying anymore and she smiled at Sakhmet. "From... today... I'm Eruna. In tribute..."

"Good, Eruna, my child. I'm going to bathe you now and then cut your hair, alright?" No, not alright! No cutting her hair, her fluffy bangs that were just like 'Kura's! She couldn't possibly let anybody cut them! The girl escaped from Sakhmet's embrace and ran past the unsuspecting slave out through the huge hall. She didn't care about the ornaments of the hall, though normally they would take her breath away. She ran as far as she could, to a chamber with it's door opened. She hid behind the giant bed and looked around, noticing the unusual wealth of the chamber. Suddenly, she realised she wasn't alone like she thought in the first place. She heard two boyish voices from the other side of the chamber; she realised those people didn't notice her, although she could see them perfectly. They were two boys, perhaps Bakura's age, something around ten, maybe a bit more. One of them was taller; he had brown hair, warm blue eyes and was nicely tanned. He was wearing rich robes, although not as rich as the second one's. And the second one... he had strange, tri-coloured hair and deep, crimson eyes that mock-glared at his friend. They were chatting about various subjects, calling themselves "brothers". Egniris... no, Eruna, realised that she had new tears in her eyes now... Oh Ra, how she was already missing Bakura!...

"Hey, who's there?" the tri-color-haired boy asked; somebody entered the chamber and Eruna realised it must have been Sakhmet. Bakura taught her how to recognise woman to man's steps and told her, "Remember, chikey; if it's a man that's following you, you may fight and all; but if it's a woman, run as far as you can, because a woman could trick you and kill you acting nice and all." Although Bakura wasn't there with her... she would always remember what he said.

"I'm so terribly sorry to bother you, young masters... I'm here because a new slave, a small girl ran away... and I'd swear I saw her coming here..." yeah, it was Sakhmet; Eruna trembled and held tightly to the bed, because there was something in Sakhmet's voice that said "and she won't get away without a solid punishment". She wanted to go home... she was so tired...

"I don't care what you swear, slave. Leave the Crown Prince's room this instant!" The taller of the boys commanded and the woman obeyed, bowing respectfully and running away, as if afraid that she'd get hurt any other way. When the door to the chamber closed after her, the shorter boy looked straight to the spot where Eruna was hiding and smiled.

"Don't be afraid, girl. I won't give you away and Seth won't either!" he promised; Eruna stuck her head from behind the bed and looked at the two with some fear.

"Can you promise me that...?" She asked; the taller boy called Seth nodded and reached for her hand. Eruna took his hand and stood up with his help.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Eruna. I'm from the village of Kuru Eruna, my fellow villagers were killed for the Pharaoh's orders," the girl said and the boy with strange hair looked at her in shock.

"You'll go with me. Now," he said, grabbed the girl's arm and dragged her with him somewhere. Was he going to hurt her?... No, leave me alone!

Before she had a chance to say anything, they stormed through some guarded door and found themselves in the Throne Chamber, Seth not far behind them. Eruna didn't even have time to look around; she was forced to kneel before the Pharaoh and bow her head, then the crimson-eyed boy said:

"Father, this is Eruna. She comes from Kuru Eruna and she says that her people were slaughtered and that YOU ordered it."

"Atem, I want to talk to this child by myself. You will go and order for a chamber to be ready; it has to be another Royal Chamber. I expect to see you soon," the Pharaoh said. Atem politely nodded and left, but Seth stayed. "You go with Atem, Seth," the man asked and with a sigh, the boy nodded and left after Atem.

"Now, that we are alone, my child, I can do only one thing..." the Pharaoh stood up from his throne and then... he kneeled in front of Eruna. The girl's eyes widened and she quickly drew breath. "Forgive an old man, my child... even the son of gods can commit terrible sins... I did and for that I know I'll never repay you... I didn't know about the sacrifice in your village and I never ordered for it to be done... but you have the right to not believe and hate me... As a kind of minor repay, please take the honour of being this unworthy man's child..."

And Eruna suddenly didn't hate the Pharaoh anymore. She believed when he said her villagers' deaths weren't his orders and she was grateful that after all, the Pharaoh didn't betray them. And she nodded her head at the man, then helped him stand up. He sat back down and whispered:

"Please don't let anybody know about this event here. I'll announce you being my child tonight..."

"Alright, Pharaoh," Eruna said; in a while Atem was back, without Seth this time. He bowed respectfully to his father, his anger now subsided.

"Atem, this girl is your younger sister. Please take care of her now," the Pharaoh said; Atem blinked a few times and nodded. "I'll see the two at dinner."

"As you wish, Father," Atem answered; Eruna looked warmly at the man and smiled, although it took a great amount of will from her.

"See you then, Pharaoh..." and after a while she added: "See you then, Father..."

TBC