Anaya's Creator: Another update!

Mokuba: Hi People!

Kaiba: How much longer is this going to be?

Malik: As long as she wants it to be dumb-ass

Anaya's Creator: Actually, I'm thinking at most six, depending on how I divide it up. Longer than I thought at first, oh yeah, I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Malik: Enjoy!

Sunichan's Tale

A while later, the tents were up, a warm fire was cackling, and two rabbits were roasting over it speared on two sticks. Akina was starting to feel a little better and was sitting with Marik beside her, while her mother sat across from them with Aden perched alongside her, picking apart a desert rodent he had found to eat.

"Tomorrow we can search the place and see if anything survived," Marik told Akina as he put a hand on the middle of her back

"Not to mention that if we find any bodies we'll have to bury them," Terentina added frankly. She checked the rabbits, "I think these are ready to eat," she added handing a stick and knife to Akina and Marik so they could split the rabbit. Then taking up another knife, she cut her own in half.

"I know," Akina said, sighing. After eating some of the meat, she got up and made her way inside one of the tents. She knelt down inside it and felt her way towards one of the cots she and Marik had set up earlier. Lying on her side she placed her staff next to her so she could reach it if she needed it. A few moments later, she heard someone enter.

"It's Marik," Marik said (yes, I am fully aware that's redundant) lying down beside her and putting an arm around her waist. "Are you sure you're feeling alright, love?" he asked as he nuzzled her hair.

Akina turned and let her hand travel up his arm past his shoulder to his neck. "I've been better, but I'll live." She felt him lean forward and press his lips against hers. With each kiss his passion increased; eventually he was on top of her and running his fingers through her hair, but Akina felt this was no time for passion. "Marik, stop please," she begged.

"Forgive me, love," he said getting off her. He put one of his arms back around her waist and they both feel asleep. (Jee, how strange can I get?)

The next morning Marik awoke to find Akina was no longer with him. He walked outside the tent and saw her someway from their tent, facing east, sitting with her legs crossed with palms face up on her knees, her staff beside her. A powerful grey aura was glowing around her, and there were streaks of grey threading out from her body and into the village's ashen ruins. Occasionally, there would be a loud crack or a spark from one of them. He saw Terentina watching over Akina with increased concentration; there was a pile of miscellaneous items, he guessed that had survived the attack, at her feet. He walked towards her, but Akina's mother flung out her arm to stop him.

"Don't approach her. In this state she could kill you if you aren't cautious." She warned him.

Both of them watched in silence as the threads spread farther out from her into the ruins. "What's she doing?" he asked.

"Using her ki to search the village," Akina's mother explained. "In this spell her ki, or life-force, stretches out and detects anything besides the ash, plant matter, and sand. Her ki is why she faints after doing too much magic; her magic is linked to her ki, so when she uses too much magic, she's used too much life-force for her body to recover instantly.

I've never seen so much power in one person before. I mean being able to summon dragons takes a lot of power, but not like this. How can she possibly control all of it? Marik thought.

Suddenly one of the grey strands twitched and all the others went to meet it, forming one long thick twitching strand of ki. "I've found something," Akina said in a gruff detached voice.

Terentina raced over to where the strands met and moved away the rubble, sand, and ashes. There was a person beneath it. She wiped away the ash from the person's face and saw that it was an old woman. "Sunichan," she gasped.

The woman appeared to be quite old, at least fifty summers (1). She was small for her great age though, to be easily picked up by Terentina and slung over her shoulder. The woman's hair was either naturally black or turned black by ashes. Her face was pale and smudged with soot and grime. She was breathing, but she wasn't awake and she was very cold.

"Marik, could you set a cot for her by the fire pit and light a fire in it, please? Akina and I will be needing to nurse this old one to full health again. She may have some answers for us." Akina's mother requested.

"Sure," He turned and went into one of the tents.

With the woman still slung over her one shoulder, Terentina walked nearer to Akina. "Akina, that's enough for now. I will be needing your help," she said.

The grey streams and aura retracted back into Akina's body. "I'm coming. I'm coming," she said. She picked up her staff and used it to help herself off the ground.

"You remember where the well is, right?" Terentina asked, handing her a pot from near the fire pit.

"I think so," Akina said, getting a better grip on the pot.

"A cot's ready for her and the fire's going," Marik interrupted.

"Thank you Marik, I'll lay Sunichan down and see if I can get her warm. Could you help Akina get to the well? She'll remember the way, but I don't want her falling in."

"Don't worry; I won't let her out of my sight."

"Thank you so much," Terentina said walking towards the fire pit.

Marik walked over to Akina and put an arm around her shoulders. "So where's this well your mother mentioned? I don't see one," Marik said.

"Look for what seems like a pile charred stone. I don't think the stones would have turned to ash," Akina replied.

"Like that one straight ahead,"

"Possibly," She let Marik put his other hand on her arm that carried her staff and guide her over ash, charred rubble, and mounds of sand until her staff it something hard.

"We're here," he whispered in her ear.

Akina tried to ignore the shiver of pleasure he gave her as his breath met her ear and ran her hands over the stone. "It's the well alright, but not to my surprise the rope burnt up. Luckily, I always carry a spare." Akina drew out a rope from her clothing and tried to tie it around the pot without much success.

Seeing she obviously needed help, Marik put his hands over hers and helped her tie the knots better. "Thank you," she muttered and lowered the pot into the well. She turned back to him, "I want you to know that my mother and I are especially grateful for all your help, Marik."

"What did you expect me to do, sit back and not help? If I'm here I might as well help..." Marik was silenced by a long kiss from Akina.

When their kiss broke, Akina pulled up the pot, now filled with water as if nothing had happened. Then something crossed Marik's mind. "Aki, if some of the well was turned to ashes, what about the water in the well? Wouldn't it now be contaminated with ash?"

"It crossed my mind, but no problem even if it is," Akina said as she turned around and headed back towards their tents, letting Marik guide her once more so she wouldn't fall.

"How is that not a problem?"

"Are you aware of the properties of the unicorn's horn?"

"Sure I am, they can cure poisons, oh, and purify water."

"Exactly..." she gave a loud whistle. "Joshua, come here."

There was the approaching sound of trotting hooves and moments later Joshua was tossing his mane in front of them.

"Please purify this water," Akina requested and put the pot in front of the unicorn.

Joshua gave an agreeing snort and tipped his horn into the water. Pure white magic crept into the pot of water and spread like a bush growing out of control. As soon as the magic spread throughout the water, the white disappeared leaving the water cleaner than it had ever been.

Akina gave him a pat on the nose and Joshua wandered back to wherever he had been earlier. When she and Ishaq were back by the fire, Akina asked her mother how Sunichan was doing.

"She's awake and warmer, but during the attack she breathed in much smoke and ash. She can barely speak. I don't know if she will survive, but we must do what we can for her." Terentina stated.

"Who is this woman?" Marik asked.

"A wise woman, one of the oldest in our village," Terentina answered.

There was a crack from Sunichan's throat as she tried to say something. "She needs water," Terentina said as she laid Sunichan against Akina, "Could you hold her up for me?" Akina nodded and her mother took the water pot from her.

Terentina lifted the pot to Sunichan's lips and after she drank she spoke. "It was so... terrible," she croaked weakly.

"Madame, don't speak. You need to rest," Terentina said gently.

"What was terrible?" Akina asked her, letting her curiosity get the better of her.

"Akina, control yourself," her mother scolded.

"She needs to hear this, Terentina..." The woman paused for a moment to cough. "You all do..."

Terentina blinked, all eyes were on the old woman. Joshua and Aden came over to see what was going on.

"We were attacked... by horrible creatures... like gigantic lizards... only some had wings and big tails... There was a dark hole... they came out of it... and destroyed the entire village... A sorcerer released them... he was completely evil."

"What did the sorcerer look like?" Marik asked her. Akina could hear the anxiety in his voice as spoke.

"He was tall... with no hair on him at all (2)... and eyes like magician's fire..."

"Purple," Akina muttered softly.

"His voice was deep... and angry... He was muttering... about being banished... to the middle of no where... We took pity on him... and welcomed him into the village... and despite that... he summoned... those creatures... and... destroyed... us..."

Marik turned to Akina, "You were right, it was him," he admitted.

Sunichan spoke once more to them, "Now that I... have been found... you must help me..."

"We will do anything to help you, Sunichan," Terentina said, tears forming in her sky orbs.

"Let... me... die..." and the old woman's eyes shut and her spirit left her.

(1) This is ANCENT Egypt guys, for that day and age fifty is old! (And I guess it still is now)

(2) Egyptian priests had to shave themselves in order to remain ritually "pure".

Anaya's Creator: This was a longer chapter.

Mokuba: Why did that lady die?

Anaya's Creator: She was only a two-dimensional character, this was her only purpose here; and she was half dead. I'm sorry I killed her guys, she wanted it that way. (Ducks behind Malik and Kaiba's chairs to avoid the possibility of DFV –disgusting flying vegetables--.)

Kaiba: Review folks!

Malik: (Turns to Anaya's Creator cowering behind his chair) Why are you back there?

Anaya's Creator: (smiles sheepishly)

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