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Whenever, Wherever

Chapter 12: The Promise

          When Mukhwana, Gahiji and Adom reached the palace, they picked up Safiya and were ready to enter the palace.

          At the front entrance stood 2 guards guarding the palace holding spears and swords placed around their waists by their golden belts. Just when the three were about to enter the doors the guards' spears were placed down to form an 'X' and blocking the three from entering.

          They backed away scowling at the guards. "What is your reason for your coming to the Pharaoh's palace?" the guard on the left asked. "We are here to return the Pharaoh's sister." Mukhwana replied with an as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

          "The Princess, where is she?" the guard asked again. Mukhwana pointed behind him and said "There,"

          When the guards looked they saw a large man carrying a girl. They fixed their eyes on the girl and recognized it was Princess Safiya, herself!

          "Uh, please come in!" both guards were left surprised as they let the three men enter the palace.

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          When Bakura reached the palace he saw three familiar horses standing in front of the main entrance. 'Oh no, they're here!'

          He quickly got of his horse and marched toward the doors, there he was halted by the same two guards who stopped Mukhwana and the others. When they crossed his path Bakura backed away and gritted his teeth in anger.

          "What is your reason for your coming to the Pharaoh's palace?"  They asked the same question. Then the guard on the left side fixed his eyes on Bakura and whispered to the other guard "Doesn't he look vaguely familiar?"

          The guard looked closely and widened his eyes.

          'Oh, man, I forgot I was a criminal here!' Bakura thought. Then the guards scowled at him and seized him "You, Bakura the Tomb Robber, have been caught and will now be arrested in the palace dungeons!" the guard said.

          Bakura struggled to break free but he just couldn't "You know it's very brainless of you to come here and let yourself be caught!" the guard whispered. Bakura growled and kept struggling.

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       Inside the palace, Mukhwana and his companions were walking down the wide hallway which will lead them to the Pharaoh.

          Then they stopped, at the sight of another two large doors being guarded by two guards again. "We're here to present the princess."

          The guards nodded and opened the doors, and there sat the Pharaoh Yami. Mukhwana, Gahiji and Adom walked nearer to the Pharaoh and kneeled respectfully.

          "And, what brings, simple commoners, like you, here?" Yami idly asked.

          Mukhwana raised his head "Master, we have returned the great Princess Safiya and know who and where the kidnapper is."

          Yami jolted up his seat at the sound of his sister's name, "Where is she?" he asked wide-eyed.

          "Right here your, highness." Adom stood up holding Safiya carefully on his arms advancing toward Yami. Yami trudged toward him and looked at his sister "Who kidnapped her?" he asked.

          "The To-"

          "Master!" he was interrupted by the sound of his guards. The guards were dragging a frustrated Bakura towards him.

          "Master, we've captured the Tomb Robber!" they called. Yami looked beyond Adom and indeed did see Bakura.

          "Excellent, lock him up!" he replied.

          The guards yanked Bakura outside the imperial throne room.

          'My work has just gotten easier!' Mukhwana thought.

          There in the room Mukhwana and Yami were continuing their conversation.

"As, I was saying your highness, the one who kidnapped Princess Safiya was the Tomb Robber Bak-" but before Mukhwana could continue Safiya was moaning and awakening of her slumber.

"Bro-Brother?" she muffled. Yami's eyes grew wide and he took Safiya in his arms. "I am really grateful for you returning my sister back, but as I remember the one who kidnapped my sister is the Tomb Robber?" when Safiya heard this she opened her eyes wide and parted away from her brother and scowled at Mukhwana.

"That is not true, Brother!" she yelled, "They were the ones who kidnapped me not the Tomb Robber! He was even the man who saved me from these men! I still remember when he," she pointed to Adom "placed me on his shoulders and carried me far away from town and into his lair! They're just using Bakura so they can get the reward and kill him!"

Mukhwana gritted his teeth and glared at Safiya "Is that true, the 'Tomb Robber' was the one who saved you?" Safiya nodded and scowled at Mukhwana again.

"Brother, release Bakura and punish these men instead!" Yami nodded and called his guards "Bakari, release the Tomb Robber and seize these three men instead." Bakari nodded and seized the men and dragged them out of the door.

When they were out of the room Yami hugged Safiya again "I missed you so much!" he whispered.

"I missed you too," she hugged back.

Just then they were interrupted by the opening of doors, and a guard tugging Bakura into the room, he dumped him in room and Bakura weakly fell on the floor.

When Safiya saw Bakura she ran towards him and helped him up. "Are you okay?" she whispered. Bakura nodded and looked at the Pharaoh. He stood up straight and just glared at the man.

"Long time no see, Pharaoh." Bakura glowered.

"Long time indeed Tomb Robber." Yami grimaced back. They just kept exchanging death glares at each other until Bakura broke the disturbing silence.

"I think I better go?" just when Bakura was about to walk Safiya followed "I'll help you," Bakura nodded and Safiya helped him out the door.

Yami stared at the both of them and fixed his mind on one thing 'Bakura and Safiya?'

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          When both of them were out the palace Safiya let go of Bakura. "Thank You," Bakura said.

          Safiya blinked and asked "About what?"

          "You just saved my life."

          "I did, how?"

          "You saved me from my death." He chuckled.

          Then they stared at each other for a long time. Their eyes plastered at each other, Royalty facing Peasantry, A Princess against A Robber, Lavender crossing over Brown. Until, Safiya thought she would break the silence "Bakura, can we meet again?"

          "Huh? What do you mean?" he asked.

          "Promise we'll see again?" asked Safiya.

          "And why do you want me to see you again?" Bakura replied, sarcastically.

          "Well, it's because I don't have anyone to talk to at night, you know talk as friends, I already said you were my friend, right? And besides, Akila's already asleep by then, so what do you say?" she replied.

          Bakura looked up at the moon and looked at her while smiling charmingly "The moon,"

          "Huh?" Safiya blinked. "The moon, tonight's a Gibbous moon, one week from now it will be a full moon. So, one week from now I'll meet you at your balcony, I can sneak in. So, how is it?"

          "Perfect!" she smiled. He smiled back and softened his eyes.

          Then before Bakura got on his steed he kissed Safiya on the cheek and whispered "Then I'll be seeing you soon." Safiya blushed at his kiss and the way he spoke.

          Then he got on his horse and rode off to the outstretched desert on to his lair.

          "I'll be seeing you, Bakura" she whispered as her voice mixed with the cool gush of the wind.

Wow! That was a nice chapter! Stay tuned for the next chapter, hope you enjoyed, goodbye and READ & REVIEW!