KNY: Again I apologize for the long wait. School combined with lack of time prevented be from getting this out for a while!

Joey: You're just lazy.

KNY: Shaddup. Anyway, I hope this chapter helps sooth any ruffled feelings. 6 pages in Word!! smiles

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO. I'm just borrowing Yami for a while. glomps. Shifty eyes With no intention of returning him...

Lawyers: HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISS!!!

KNY: NO! I will never give in!! Fight the power!! runs away with Yami in tow

An Almost Escape and an Audience With the Pharaoh

Cat-eyes stared unseeingly at the damp stone floor, completely disregarding the addition the mold was making to her already substantially damaged dress.

There was no way that just happened. Her sister didn't just trap her here. She had to be kidding. Yeah, that was it. This was just another one of Sekhmet's pranks, like the time she 'accidentally' dropped that bucket of water on her while Horus was watching. Stupid white robe.

With that in mind, Cat-eyes stood and willed herself home. After a minute, she opened one eye to see if it worked. Nope. Maybe she wasn't wishing hard enough. No. After several repeated tries, and slipping on the hem of her dress resulting in a rather painful lump on her head, Cat-eyes was forced to admit defeat.

She sat on the floor, her aquamarine eyes dull with depression. There was no way for her to get home now.

'Wait a minute!' There was a way!

She needed to get to her temple; there she would find the Amulet of Bastet. That highly charmed artifact contained a great deal of her celestial power. She could use the magic of the amulet, combined with the power boost she would get from a full moon, and get home!

Unfortunately, her plans were brought to a screeching halt as she remembered the iron cage she was currently in. Not only was she unable to get out, she would have to get to the temple un-noticed, and that would be difficult. After all, she was a wanted criminal. Damn that cat-killing mortal! Even in his death he found a way to mess her up!

As these realizations sank in, Cat-eyes took in her surroundings again. The cell seemed somehow smaller. She shivered, she hated confined spaces, they made her feel trapped. Her eyes darted around looking for a way out, sweat dripping off her as she felt the walls closing in on her. Normally she didn't have to deal with things like this, she could just will herself out of anywhere, but this captivity was a new thing for her, and she didn't like it. She had to get out.

She nervously ran her fingers through her hair, cursing as her nail caught on a jeweled hair clip, blasted thing. She was about to toss it aside, when an idea struck her. She slipped the metal pin out of its clasp and tried to bend it, to test its durability. It was too soft to pick the iron lock. She was at a dead end again.

She angrily threw the pin away and it landed few feet away in a small pool of moonlight. Wait... moonlight? Cat-eyes scrambled to the fallen bit of metal and picked it up. Her eyes flickered upwards through the small hole in the ceiling where a silver light was leaking through. She must have been in the cell all day! Also, since she could see the night sky, she was much closer to the surface than she originally thought.

Cat-eyes held her hand in the beam, and felt some of her strength return. It wasn't much, but it should be enough to do the job. She clasped the pin in her hand and closed her eyes, willing her power to transfer to it. When she opened her eyes again, the pin was glowing a faint silver.

She then walked over to the lock and inserted the pin. She hummed under her breath as she picked the lock until the sound of the tumblers falling into place reached her ears.

"Bingo!" she said softly as the door swung open revealing her way out. She carefully crept out of her cell, practically grinning at her success. She walked towards the door, too eager at the thought of escaping to notice the hem of her dress dragging on the floor. Then, Fate decided she needed to take a nap. Her foot caught in her fallen hem, and she plummeted to the ground, knocking her out.

She awoke to the sound of the outside lock clicking and the door making a grating sound as it opened. She jerked up and slammed her head into someone's chin.

"By Ra! That hurt!" Came a male's voice.

Cat-eyes opened her eyes, rubbing her still smarting head, and saw a boy slightly older than her human age in front of her. She looked up at him and a pair of startled brown eyes in a slightly tanned face stared down at her.

She opened her mouth to explain what she was doing, when she caught sight of the symbol on his gold armband, a crossed shield and sword, indicating his status. Holy crap, it was the captain of the pharaoh's personal guards!

He appeared confused for a moment as to why she was out of her cell, but quickly grasped her arm in an almost bruising grip.

"Ow! Hey! What do you think you're doing, you brainless monkey?!"

"Hey! Who you callin' a monkey?!" the blonde had a slight accent that Cat-eyes couldn't quite place. "Anyway, his highness the pharaoh wants ta see ya. You'll be comin' with me."

"Well you can tell your master that I'm disinclined to acquiesce to his request." She sighed at the clueless look on his face. "It means no."

"Oh. Well sorry, lady. I gotta do what the pharaoh wants, so you gotta come with me." And with that he proceeded to drag the rather disgruntled Cat-eyes out of the dungeon.

The captain took her down a hall, and turned right, away from the throne room.

"Wait a minute," Cat-eyes said, "The throne room is that way. Where are you taking me?!"

He stopped and stared at her. "How did ya know- never mind. Ya can hardly see his highness in that condition." He gestured towards her ruined dress. "So you're gonna get cleaned up first, and that means a trip to the women's quarters."

"Hey, just hold your horses, buddy!" Cat-eyes angrily pulled her wrist out of his grip and glared up at him. "You never said I'd have to get all gussied up! I am not going to be a living doll for your little maids to play dress-up with!"

The blonde just grabbed her wrist again and smirked. "I'm afraid you have no say in the matter." Before she could react to that, he opened a nearby door and walked her in.

Smells of soap and scented bath oils assaulted her nose and made her head spin. Taking advantage of his charge's disorientation, the captain waved to a servant girl.

"Hey, Mai!"

The blonde girl he had summoned came over hands on her hips and an irritated look on her face.

"What is it now, Jonouchi?" she demanded, "Can't you see I'm a little busy getting the pharaoh's prospective brides ready?"

"Brides?" the blonde idiot now identified as Jonouchi looked clueless once more. Cat-eyes was beginning to think that was a normal look for the inept guard.

Mai sighed. "Yes, Jonouchi. Don't you remember? Since the whole House of Nine Jewels thing didn't work, we had to collect all the eligible noblewomen in Egypt and prepare them for the pharaoh to make his decision."

"Oh yeah! Now I remember!" Jonouchi laughed and scratched the back of his head. Cat-eyes and Mai sweat-dropped in unison. It was then that Mai finally noticed Cat-eyes.

"And who's this? I hope this block-head hasn't gotten you in any kind of trouble."

"Mai!" he whined, "You just automatically assume everything's my fault!"

"That's because it usually is." Came her tart reply.

Cat-eyes openly snickered at the expression on Jonouchi's face. That brought their attention back to her.

"As I was sayin'," he continued, trying to regain what little dignity he had left, "Yami wants ta see the girl."

"Ooooooh, really now?" That caught Mai's interest. "Does his highness finally fancy a girl? It's about time!"

"Nah, this is the criminal he tried yesterday. He wanted an audience with her, and she needs to be cleaned up before he sees her."

"Oh, too bad." Mai snapped her fingers in disappointment, having no apparent shock over the fact that she had to 'clean up' a convicted criminal.

"Um, could you guys quit referring to me in third person? I'm still here you know." Cat-eyes had finally gotten sick of them talking about her as if she weren't in the room.

"Oh, sorry." Mai smiled at her apologetically. "We'll get you cleaned up in no time, hun." And before Cat-eyes had time draw and entire breath, Jonouchi was shoved out in the hall and she was steered towards the back courtesy of Mai.

"You know what to do, girls!" Mai said as servants stripped Cat-eyes of her ruined garment and took it away.

The cool air brought goose-bumps to Cat-eyes's bare skin as Mai guided her to a hot bath the size of a swimming pool. By this time Cat-eyes's head had finally stopped whirling, so she asked Mai a question. "Uh, Mai was it? Why am I getting all this? Do all convicted murderers get the royal treatment before seeing the pharaoh?"

Mai laughed, pouring rose scented bath oil into the water. "No, of course not. But you're a lady and, criminal or not, no lady may enter the pharaoh's presence without being prepared."

"Oh." Cat-eyes finished her bath without further comment and dried herself off. Several servants came forward and wrapped a pale, lavender robe around Cat-eyes's slender body. Then Mai escorted her to the dressing room.

Mai slowly walked around Cat-eyes who squirmed under her scrutiny. She had to endure this kind of thing regularly, but never liked it.

"Uh-huh! I have just the thing." Mai disappeared into the gigantic wardrobe. After a few minutes of searching, Mai came out and advanced on Cat-eyes as though she was going to pounce on the nervous girl.

Cat-eyes screwed her eyes shut as Mai helped her into the garment. When she opened her eyes and looked in the mirror, she couldn't help but smirk. Heh. She looked good. It wasn't conceit or pride, simply fact.

The snow-white dress clung to her curves like a silken skin from the neckline to her waist. From there on, it flowed down her legs in a frosty waterfall. Lavender layers of gauze floated about her form in an ethereal cloud accenting her deep violet hair and making her unusual eyes stand out all the more. Like she thought; she looked good.

"Oh, that's perfect, hun!" Mai's excited voice punctuated Cat-eyes's previous observation.

With a sharp nod of her head, Cat-eyes showed her agreement to Mai's statement.

"Next, we have got to do something with that hair of yours." Cat-eyes rolled her eyes and allowed herself to be pulled away by Mai and her gaggle of giggling maids.

When they were finally finished with her, Cat-eyes's long tresses were twisted into a single braid hanging just below her waist. Her blue-green eyes shone like gems framed by her long, dark lashes above a violet veil matching the soft tones of her gown. Her only adornments were a basic silver armband and a moonstone pendant on a matching silver chain, but she hardly needed any ornaments.

"There! I think we're finally done," Mai said, clapping her hands and smiling with satisfaction. "Now you may see the pharaoh."

Finally.

A guard, not Jonouchi as he had other business to attend to, guided her to a large room and told her to wait inside. She turned and saw a gigantic bed with cream-colored, silken sheets. Was this a bedroom? With its marble floor and ebony furniture, it was obvious someone important stayed here.

Cat-eyes crept over to the bed and cautiously poked one finger into the mattress. It squished like a marshmallow. Too soft, in Cat-eyes's opinion, and she liked soft things.

Then she saw the open balcony and the sky behind it tinted with the fiery colors of sunset. Had she really been in that room getting ready all day? Oh well. She walked out onto the balcony to watch the sunset and wait for the pharaoh to come…

Yami stalked angrily back to his room muttering unpleasant things under his breath, mainly centering about what he was going to do with Jonouchi's 'delicates' if he ever got a hold of him; most of these methods involving a knife or two.

Jonouchi had called him away from the palace for an 'important' affair. It turned out to be a plot to get him drunk and laid. He swore that if Jonouchi had pushed one more whore in his lap…

Yami was just trying to decide between the crocodiles or a knife imbued with shadow magic as a more fitting punishment when he reached his rooms. He turned the door handle and it silently swung open. That was odd. Normally his chambers were locked. Oh well.

He turned to his dresser and laid his crown and ceremonial jewelry on it, opting for two simple gold armbands. He was about to prepare for his evening bath when a he saw a flicker of pale violet out of the corner of his eye.

His brow creased in puzzlement as he walked out onto his balcony to see what it was. His eyes fell to the back of a figure, silhouetted against the sickle moon. She was obviously female, her long violet hair a stripe against the snow-white gown. Then, she slowly turned around, and her blue-green eyes caught the light of the moon, glowing with an unearthly light. Time seemed to stop for the young pharaoh; the only thing that existed was her. Yami felt himself getting lost in the bottomless pools that were her eyes.

The gown clung to her, outlining breast and hip and flowing past long, shapely legs, while lavender veils floated about her, giving her an ethereal look. It was as if she came from the night sky above. Yami felt his groin throb.

"Ack!" he cried spinning quickly around and clapping a hand over his nether region in hopes of calming the pleasurable sensations suddenly running through his body. He felt the girl kneel next beside him and he looked up at her again, drowning in her liquid eyes.

Then the illusion was shattered when she said, "What in Ra's name are you staring at Moto?"

KNY: Why do I have the sudden urge to sing "Honor to Us All" from Mulan?

Joey: Who cares?! I have finally arrived! Bask in the glory that is Joey!!

KNY: Will you be quiet?! Hey, just how did you find my secret lair of writing, anyway?

Joey: points to big flashing sign reading "KNY's Secret Lair of Doom"

KNY: Oh.

Joey: And you say I'm dense!

KNY: That's because you are. Now let me answer the reviewers or I'll throw you to the rabid fangirls!

Joey: Rabid fangirls? Oooh! Bring 'em on!

KNY: Rabid YOAI fangirls!

RYF: SETOXJOEY!! SETOXJOEY!!

Joey: AHHHHHHHHHHHH!! bolts out door in terror

Kaiba: Good God, woman! Are you trying to scar me for life?!

KNY: sees Kaiba More of them?! glances at sign I really gotta take that down...

Replies to Reviews

SGS- Thanks! My work got compared to Xanth!! faints

Faero of Egypt- I hope you liked this chapter! reads review Daughter of a what?! sharpens blades (Note: I don't mean to make fun of you if any of you are Yoai fangirls, I just don't care for it myself.)

Daystorm Mage- Thanks for the tip! It should be fixed now. Glad you're enjoying the random author's notes! feels the specialness

kristen (Aquacastle)- Thanks! Here's that update!

KNY: To all that reviewed, here's a bag of cookies! hands reviewers cookies And to all who review this go around... Free rental of your fave YGO bishie for one hour apiece!!

YGO bishies in cages

Bakura: Won't you please let us out?

KNY: Nope.

Yugi: Please?

KNY: Uh-uh.

All bishies except Kaiba, Bakura, and Marik: puppy dog pout Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?

KNY: Ack! Please review quickly before I give in to the kawaiiness!!