Thanks for the reviews: Shaami, Thaligrothiel, Alexia, Tara & Utena. I
don't think I'll be writing an Utena fic, but then I didn't think I'd write
a Yu-Gi-Oh one either, so who knows?
Hope the last chapter wasn't too confusing, after looking over it again I
think I should've stuck to one set of names, rather than both.
I keep getting requests to kill Tea, so let me know whether you want me to
or not & we'll see.
There will be minor shounen-ai in this chapter between An' & Merenra (Ryou
& Malik), hope it goes okay, I don't really write romance, but then, I've
read that many fics I'll hopefully have picked up how to write it.
Please review! You know you want to really.
Ankenbamaat sat quietly reading through one of the scrolls his brother had found for him, being a peasant & the brother of a revered thief wasn't easy when you wanted to learn, most 'commoners' couldn't read or write, so no material was available to them. Setepennub went out of his way to steal some for him when he was robbing tombs & though An' didn't like his brother stealing; he was thrilled to receive the papyrus documents.
A noise startled him & he looked up to see Nub pick up a dagger & exit their 'hideout'. Neither of them thought anyone would find their current home, but they had to be cautious nonetheless, considering the price on Nub's head. Nub returned a few moments smiling & An' smiled too, knowing Nefersheps had come to visit. He had bumped into the princess accidentally & she had taken an interest in his high intelligence, the two had become fast friends & eventually she was introduced to Nub, who liked her just as much as he did. Nef stepped in slightly after Nub & smiled at An'.
"How did the meeting go?" An' asked. Nef shrugged. "It was a surprise, that's for sure. He was actually going to tell me the truth; I saved him the effort & told him I knew. Saharen doesn't need to hear what happened, it'd only upset him." "Well, I didn't see the stupid Pharaoh ever admitting that." Nub said, shock evident on his face. "Guess we all lost the bet then." Merenra said as he entered.
An' blushed slightly, remembering previous events with the gorgeous blond. Nef had hooked them both up after getting sick of them being too afraid to tell each other how they felt. An' was eternally grateful for her actions, even if they were brought about through lack of patience.
"Oh, why are you smiling so much anyway Nef? It isn't like you to be so cheerful. Though it seems more of an I'm-proud-of-myself look." Nub asked bluntly. "Set said he was proud of me, for how I handled myself during the meeting. It isn't easy to get a compliment from him you know." Nef replied, still smiling. "That's good. Their opinion's are important to you, aren't they?" An' asked politely. "I guess so, they're all I have really, they've always looked after me & taught me everything, it's not easy being different to everyone else." Nef replied uncomfortably.
An' knew she didn't like talking about the Shadow Monsters or her heritage. She hated that she would always be alone, so he just nodded reassuringly. Merenra gave her a hug & whispered something to her, before walking to An' & lazily placing an arm around his shoulder. An' turned to face his boyfriend with a questioning gaze, Merenra merely smiled & gave him a peck on the cheek, a gesture meant to tell him to stop worrying about everything & jut relax, An' nodded slightly & snuggled closer to Merenra, whilst turning to face Nef & Nub. Nub was showing her something, which received him a dubious look from the princess. An' sighed, assuming he was trying to persuade her into going on a heist with him, Nub felt she would make an excellent thief & wanted her around for her Shadow Magic, Nef always refused, saying that it would be wrong for her to do that because of her position, though it was obvious she was interested in going along, just for the thrill.
"Why don't you just give up Nef? You know he won't quit asking until you do. It isn't as if you could get caught." Merenra said with a slight smirk.
An' sighed, whenever they both ganged up on Nef, it was never a pretty sight & it meant he would end up with a major headache from all the yelling. As close as they all were, Nef, Nub & Merenra were all very sarcastic & loved playing with peoples heads, which lead to many fake arguments as they were all determined to win the 'game' & no matter how much he protested, they would still carry on, enjoying not having to worry about truly offending each other. An' saw Nef glare & sank down, ready for the yelling or snide comments to begin.
"I am not having my day ruined by the two of you, so just stop already. Besides, your boyfriend should be the centre of your attention, not me." Nef replied dryly.
Nub just started laughing, after looking at Merenra & the fact he had turned bright red, An' also started laughing, shortly followed by Nef.
"Well, at least you're not arguing. Though I thought I was the one who got embarrassed, not you." An' replied, still laughing. "Well, I'd better go, Saharen will want to speak to me & will probably be wondering where I am." Nef said, already half way out of the door. "Think about it Nef, I know you'd enjoy it." Nub stated. "That's the problem though, it isn't something I can be doing, I'm going to be Queen one day you know. All the fun will have to end then." Nef replied sadly, then left quickly, avoiding any responses. Nub sighed softly. "She needs to stop being so sensible & just let herself have fun while she can. Doesn't she think we're just as bothered by this as she is?" "Nef is a Noble, she isn't the same as us, so maybe she doesn't know." Merenra replied softly, compassion present in his voice. "He's right, she knows we care, but she doesn't understand that it hurts us too. I don't really think she knows how to handle emotions, after all, Set has been teaching her to hide & ignore them." An' added, not wanting his brother to be upset. Nub nodded. "I know that. It just annoys me that not only did Pharaoh kill her people, leaving her alone, but also, he places her in a life she doesn't want & removes her freedom. Doesn't her care that he's hurting her?" "I doubt he knows. Nef doesn't often give things away. Anyway, let's get on with the plans for the heist instead." Merenra replied calmly.
An' nodded & removed himself from his lover's embrace & moved to obtain the tomb plans they had bought. He felt a pair of arms snake around & turned to face Merenra, he looked questioningly, Merenra didn't reply, instead capturing his lips, An' melted into the sensation, not wanting the moment to end.
Ryou stood in shock over what he had just seen, completely unable to comprehend that it could have been real. He had never seen anything like that in Bakura's dreams. He looked over to Bakura & Yami, they both had an arm around the other & were looked at him in a concerned manner, Ryou was unable to do anything, his mind still trying to process what he had seen.
"Didn't intend for you to see that just yet, I knew it'd be a shock. Yes, that was Malik, yes he is a reincarnate too & yes you were lovers." Bakura said plainly, though Ryou didn't miss the slightly sheepish tone he used. "That was before we'd met, before I knew anything, it was a surprise for me too, seeing her with all of you, I never saw her in the same way you did." Yami added, then paused, as if something had just occurred to him. "You tried to get her to rob tombs with you? What were you thinking?"
Bakura looked sheepish & Ryou realised it was because he had got her to agree to go with him on at least one occasion after he & Yami had become involved. Ryou was stunned at the realisation that he had remembered that & that it was not something he had seen. He felt a hand on his shoulder & looked up into Bakura's worried eyes, Ryou managed a weak smile & a nod; Bakura seemed to understand & smiled.
"What is this 'noble' thing all about?" Ryou asked, finally finding his voice. "The Noble were a race that lived in the Shadow Realm, they created the Shadow Monsters & eventually came to our realm to get away from their own creations. The Millennium Items & the Shadow Magic are of the Nobles' creation." Yami stated, sounding as though he was reciting a text. "Saharen's father killed them all, because he was afraid of them, though it was what they wanted, they felt that they'd become 'poisoned' by our kind & didn't trust themselves with their power any longer." Bakura added in the same, flat tone. "He should remember everything shortly. You should return him to your realm now, this has been difficult on him." Dark Magician stated, devoid of emotion. "Very well. I have one question first, however, what happened to Nefersheps?" Yami's voice held a lot of authority, more than Ryou had heard before. "Our queen sacrificed herself long ago, her essence still remains however. She may return to a physical state sometime in the near future." DM replied icily, though his eyes betrayed his hurt & concern.
Ryou realised for the first time just how important Nef was to the Shadow Realm & it's inhabitants. Her death had caused much grief for them. Ryou was about to comment, when his world went blurry & he became light-headed, he saw his lounge & Bakura's worried face before the light faded completely & he fell into unconsciousness.
Ankenbamaat sat quietly reading through one of the scrolls his brother had found for him, being a peasant & the brother of a revered thief wasn't easy when you wanted to learn, most 'commoners' couldn't read or write, so no material was available to them. Setepennub went out of his way to steal some for him when he was robbing tombs & though An' didn't like his brother stealing; he was thrilled to receive the papyrus documents.
A noise startled him & he looked up to see Nub pick up a dagger & exit their 'hideout'. Neither of them thought anyone would find their current home, but they had to be cautious nonetheless, considering the price on Nub's head. Nub returned a few moments smiling & An' smiled too, knowing Nefersheps had come to visit. He had bumped into the princess accidentally & she had taken an interest in his high intelligence, the two had become fast friends & eventually she was introduced to Nub, who liked her just as much as he did. Nef stepped in slightly after Nub & smiled at An'.
"How did the meeting go?" An' asked. Nef shrugged. "It was a surprise, that's for sure. He was actually going to tell me the truth; I saved him the effort & told him I knew. Saharen doesn't need to hear what happened, it'd only upset him." "Well, I didn't see the stupid Pharaoh ever admitting that." Nub said, shock evident on his face. "Guess we all lost the bet then." Merenra said as he entered.
An' blushed slightly, remembering previous events with the gorgeous blond. Nef had hooked them both up after getting sick of them being too afraid to tell each other how they felt. An' was eternally grateful for her actions, even if they were brought about through lack of patience.
"Oh, why are you smiling so much anyway Nef? It isn't like you to be so cheerful. Though it seems more of an I'm-proud-of-myself look." Nub asked bluntly. "Set said he was proud of me, for how I handled myself during the meeting. It isn't easy to get a compliment from him you know." Nef replied, still smiling. "That's good. Their opinion's are important to you, aren't they?" An' asked politely. "I guess so, they're all I have really, they've always looked after me & taught me everything, it's not easy being different to everyone else." Nef replied uncomfortably.
An' knew she didn't like talking about the Shadow Monsters or her heritage. She hated that she would always be alone, so he just nodded reassuringly. Merenra gave her a hug & whispered something to her, before walking to An' & lazily placing an arm around his shoulder. An' turned to face his boyfriend with a questioning gaze, Merenra merely smiled & gave him a peck on the cheek, a gesture meant to tell him to stop worrying about everything & jut relax, An' nodded slightly & snuggled closer to Merenra, whilst turning to face Nef & Nub. Nub was showing her something, which received him a dubious look from the princess. An' sighed, assuming he was trying to persuade her into going on a heist with him, Nub felt she would make an excellent thief & wanted her around for her Shadow Magic, Nef always refused, saying that it would be wrong for her to do that because of her position, though it was obvious she was interested in going along, just for the thrill.
"Why don't you just give up Nef? You know he won't quit asking until you do. It isn't as if you could get caught." Merenra said with a slight smirk.
An' sighed, whenever they both ganged up on Nef, it was never a pretty sight & it meant he would end up with a major headache from all the yelling. As close as they all were, Nef, Nub & Merenra were all very sarcastic & loved playing with peoples heads, which lead to many fake arguments as they were all determined to win the 'game' & no matter how much he protested, they would still carry on, enjoying not having to worry about truly offending each other. An' saw Nef glare & sank down, ready for the yelling or snide comments to begin.
"I am not having my day ruined by the two of you, so just stop already. Besides, your boyfriend should be the centre of your attention, not me." Nef replied dryly.
Nub just started laughing, after looking at Merenra & the fact he had turned bright red, An' also started laughing, shortly followed by Nef.
"Well, at least you're not arguing. Though I thought I was the one who got embarrassed, not you." An' replied, still laughing. "Well, I'd better go, Saharen will want to speak to me & will probably be wondering where I am." Nef said, already half way out of the door. "Think about it Nef, I know you'd enjoy it." Nub stated. "That's the problem though, it isn't something I can be doing, I'm going to be Queen one day you know. All the fun will have to end then." Nef replied sadly, then left quickly, avoiding any responses. Nub sighed softly. "She needs to stop being so sensible & just let herself have fun while she can. Doesn't she think we're just as bothered by this as she is?" "Nef is a Noble, she isn't the same as us, so maybe she doesn't know." Merenra replied softly, compassion present in his voice. "He's right, she knows we care, but she doesn't understand that it hurts us too. I don't really think she knows how to handle emotions, after all, Set has been teaching her to hide & ignore them." An' added, not wanting his brother to be upset. Nub nodded. "I know that. It just annoys me that not only did Pharaoh kill her people, leaving her alone, but also, he places her in a life she doesn't want & removes her freedom. Doesn't her care that he's hurting her?" "I doubt he knows. Nef doesn't often give things away. Anyway, let's get on with the plans for the heist instead." Merenra replied calmly.
An' nodded & removed himself from his lover's embrace & moved to obtain the tomb plans they had bought. He felt a pair of arms snake around & turned to face Merenra, he looked questioningly, Merenra didn't reply, instead capturing his lips, An' melted into the sensation, not wanting the moment to end.
Ryou stood in shock over what he had just seen, completely unable to comprehend that it could have been real. He had never seen anything like that in Bakura's dreams. He looked over to Bakura & Yami, they both had an arm around the other & were looked at him in a concerned manner, Ryou was unable to do anything, his mind still trying to process what he had seen.
"Didn't intend for you to see that just yet, I knew it'd be a shock. Yes, that was Malik, yes he is a reincarnate too & yes you were lovers." Bakura said plainly, though Ryou didn't miss the slightly sheepish tone he used. "That was before we'd met, before I knew anything, it was a surprise for me too, seeing her with all of you, I never saw her in the same way you did." Yami added, then paused, as if something had just occurred to him. "You tried to get her to rob tombs with you? What were you thinking?"
Bakura looked sheepish & Ryou realised it was because he had got her to agree to go with him on at least one occasion after he & Yami had become involved. Ryou was stunned at the realisation that he had remembered that & that it was not something he had seen. He felt a hand on his shoulder & looked up into Bakura's worried eyes, Ryou managed a weak smile & a nod; Bakura seemed to understand & smiled.
"What is this 'noble' thing all about?" Ryou asked, finally finding his voice. "The Noble were a race that lived in the Shadow Realm, they created the Shadow Monsters & eventually came to our realm to get away from their own creations. The Millennium Items & the Shadow Magic are of the Nobles' creation." Yami stated, sounding as though he was reciting a text. "Saharen's father killed them all, because he was afraid of them, though it was what they wanted, they felt that they'd become 'poisoned' by our kind & didn't trust themselves with their power any longer." Bakura added in the same, flat tone. "He should remember everything shortly. You should return him to your realm now, this has been difficult on him." Dark Magician stated, devoid of emotion. "Very well. I have one question first, however, what happened to Nefersheps?" Yami's voice held a lot of authority, more than Ryou had heard before. "Our queen sacrificed herself long ago, her essence still remains however. She may return to a physical state sometime in the near future." DM replied icily, though his eyes betrayed his hurt & concern.
Ryou realised for the first time just how important Nef was to the Shadow Realm & it's inhabitants. Her death had caused much grief for them. Ryou was about to comment, when his world went blurry & he became light-headed, he saw his lounge & Bakura's worried face before the light faded completely & he fell into unconsciousness.