Anaya's Creator: Hi people! Another update!

Yami Marik: (enters Anaya's Creator's workroom) What 'cha doing?

Anaya's Creator: Hi psychoneurotic, you're finally here! I'm writing a fanfic about you. Where are the others?

Yami Marik: They're coming. Wait a minute... you're doing what?!

Anaya's Creator: You should have been here earlier. You kissed my main character.

Yami Marik: I DID WHAT?!

Anaya's Creator: R&R folks! Looks like we may have some other Yu-Gi-Oh characters here by the end of the chapter! Yey!

Mokuba: Anaya's Creator does not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Kaiba: She wishes though,

Anaya's Creator: Hi Mokuba! Hi Kaiba! Now enough procrastination, on with the story!

The Horse Race

The stable was empty except for a horse in the center of a group of large muscular men. It was blind folded by an old sack and its muzzle tied to a post by a rope. It was flailing its back legs and mane everywhere and bucking madly. The men were shouting and trying to get near it with whips. Meanwhile, one man stood by and was giving them orders. Akina saw an open sack of horse feed, while no one was watching she slipped her hand in, took a little, and slipped it into her pocket.

"Hit it again, it needs to learn obedience," the man shouted. A whip sailed through the air, but Akina charged forward and caught it before it hit the horse.

"Back away from this horse!" she shouted.

"And what do you know about horses Missy?" the man taunted. From this perspective she could see the man wasn't muscular at all. He was fat. He also had chin length black hair and tiny beetle-black eyes. His linins were dirty with food stains.

I seriously feel sorry for the poor girl who has or will have to marry this freak, Akina thought to herself. "Obviously a lot more than you do," she snapped.

Then she turned to the men who had been following his orders. "Now unless you all want to be bloody human breadcrumbs you'll get away from this poor horse."

The men backed away and Akina moved closer. "First off, it'll be calmer if it can see what it's up against," she said in an irritated tone. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the fat man make a rude signal at her. All she did was roll her eyes; she assumed that he must be irritating for him to get horse handling instructions from a 'Missy'. Cautiously, she moved the sack from the horses head.

At first the horse acted even wilder, confused and blinded by the all the light it now saw. Akina backed up a little bit; just enough so she would be just out of reach. Then softly she began to whinny, nicker, and snort.

The horse calmed down with a befuddled look in his eye. It circled around as much as the post it was tied to would let it, trying to figure out where the other horse could be hiding in the nearly empty stable.

Akina cautiously approached the horse again, still letting out soft soothing snorts, nickers, and whinnies.

The horse then turned its eyes to her, ears perked up towards her. It watched her apprehensively as she slipped her hand into the folds of her dress and pulled out a hand of horse feed that she had taken earlier. The horse slowly walked towards her, nose outstretched, sniffing the feed as if questioning if it were really edible. Then slowly it licked up some of it, then came closer and ate it all.

Akina blew onto the horse's muzzle in greeting, and it blew back(1). "Why were you upset?" she asked in a nicker.

The horse gave a loud whinny and moved his head towards the man who had been barking orders.

Akina chortled and turned to the man. "Don't be shouting or using a whip with this horse; she's especially temper mental. Use a calm requesting tone, and this is a she not an It in case you didn't notice." she instructed in a disgusted tone.

"Miss, you're a servant. I don't take orders from you," man said.

"Oh really, well if you want your men to get trampled by this horse next time you order them to whip it, be my guest. I'm not telling you not to, just giving you some good solid advice to horse handling and perhaps save a few people their flesh and bone." Akina said impatiently.

"You don't know your place, servant," he snapped.

"Well, I didn't intend on getting involved with this in the first place. And judging by how you treat this horse, you're the one who deserves to get trampled by flailing hooves, not your men. Now, if you'll excuse me I need to find my steed." And with that Akina turned and left the stable.

Outside, Akina had no idea where to begin looking for Joshua. She heard a falcon's cry and looked up into the cloudless sky. Using her arm to shield her eyes from the sun, she saw a falcon was circling around her, high in the sky.

It sailed lower and lower and she saw it was Aden. After soaring for a while, he settled himself on her shoulder. When she let out a loud whistle he looked at her with a bewildered look and let out an indignant screech, reminding her that he was already on her shoulder.

"Not you," Akina muttered.

In the distance, the sound of hooves could be heard heading their way. Moments later, Joshua was standing in front of them, tossing his head in excitement. Without dawdling Akina mounted and Joshua went into a steady trot.

After riding one time around the entire palace she saw another horse and rider behind her. Taking this as a challenge, Akina rode faster.

Gradually and steadily, the other rider caught up with her.

Pacing the horse, very wise, she thought. She couldn't tell who it was, the rider had a dark hood over his head that covered their face and hair.

Their mounts were now neck to neck, cantering at top speed. Then without warning the other horse slipped on a stone in the sand, crashing into Joshua. As his mount went falling, the other rider crashed into Akina, unseating her from Joshua. Her and the other rider went rolling in the sand. As they rolled, the rider's hood fell off, but Akina had closed her eyes to prevent sand from getting in them, so she didn't see who it was until they had stopped rolling.

When she opened her eyes, Akina was in the sand and the other rider on top of her. "Marik," she whispered when she saw his light purple eyes. She reached a hand up to his cheek.

"No," he said, putting her hand down.

"Why?"

"Why didn't you tell me Kek wants to marry you?" His eyes were pouring into her green ones.

"Well... I'm not proud of it. If you heard that crash from the hall earlier, that was me hitting a pillar when I heard Yami say that. Plus, when I saw you last night, that wasn't exactly on my mind."

"Do you love him?"

"Weren't you listening? Does it sound like I do?"

"Just answer the question Aki!"

"Of course not! I..."

"You what..."

"I..." but Akina never got to finish what she was trying to say because at that moment there was a loud roar from the other side of the palace.

"Help, it's Slifer the Sky Dragon! He's attacking the palace." someone shouted.

Horses blow on each other's muzzles in greeting and to figure out who's who. The Native Americans also did this with their horses.

Mokuba: Anothercliff-hanger!

Anaya's Creator: Yep! Also, could you please still vote on whether you want this fic to end: Akina x Yami or Akina x Marik? I'm still curious. Please and thank you! REVIEW! I want more reviews please!

Kaiba: Jeez, you sound desperate.

Anaya's Creator: I just love reading them. They're funny. Plus...

Malik: She needs more votes.

Anaya's Creator: I was just going to say that.

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