Spirit- well it's now chapter 17.
Tenshi-wow, you've never kept with a story like this for this long.
Spirit-i know..but i really like this story. i like my other ones too, but thanks to not putting it up till i had 11 chapters already completed really helped. it left me time to think. anyways here it is.

Shout Outs!-

Sailor Ra-yes Vegeta he is protecting her, that's kind of what you do when you love someone. wait you should know this! anyways yeah it was sad, actually it was touching/sad. glad you liked it and thanks for the review!

Saturn's Spawn- isn't it? and Shadow...it's immposible to kill Tenshi. He's the grim reaper, therefore he's immortal. only i know how to truely get rid of him, but i'm not tellin. Mwahaha, so you'll just have to suffer. anyways thanks i'm glad you liked it Saturn's Spawn and thanks for the review!

Harpygirl91- no don't hurt him. he'll soon see that he's making a big mistake...kinda. isn't that just like a man thoug? they always think they know what's best for us, and actually never stop to ask what we want. glad you liked it and thanks for the review!

pyro the dark angel- i know, it's so funny when he does! is there something wrong with me? cause everyone else found that chap sad. i found it touching more than sad, but oh well. yep, next chap is 18! glad you liked it and thanks for the fan and the review!

Bunny Aino- glad you liked it, and thanks for the reivew! hope you enjoy this one too.

Disclaimer-i don't own anything except a few minor characters and the plot. got it? good!

NOTE!-i am starting school today.(it's like 6 or 7 something in the morning) so the chapters might not all come out at the same time they usually do. but i will continue to update everyday. just don't get mad at me when you find it at like 10 at night. ok? ok.


88 Last Time 88

"So Bakura was good to you then?"

"Well yeah...I guess. We argued a lot, but he protected me from Hondo, that guy at the bar, and the sand storm."

"What Sand Storm!" the three cried. Hotaru just sighed, sat back down, and continued telling her story to them.

88 This Time 88

The Pharaoh and priests were all assembled in the throne room. They were discussing the punishment of the thieves. It didn't come much as a surprise when Akhenaden said that they should all be beheaded. Of course the other's didn't agree with this. Atem looked to Seto and realized that he had not spoke once about the thieves punishment.

"Seto, I would like to hear what you wish to be done." he said. Seto looked up at him.

While the others had been arguing he had been going over the stories he heard. First was what Haku had said. From him he learned that Bakura would not have killed his sister, and even killed one of his own men for striking her. Then there was what Hondo said, which was the complete opposite. He claimed that Hotaru had been beaten several times and Bakura had almost killed her when he tried to save her.

"I think...we should ask Hotaru. She was the one who has been wronged." he said. Atem nodded, however Akhenaden didn't like where this was going. Soon Hotaru and the other girls were brought in.

"Hotaru, we ask for your opinion on how the thieves who had captured you should be punished." Atem stated.

"Sire you can't be serious!" Akhenaden raged. "Though Bakura may not have killed her. He is still a murderer and a tomb robber. He has committed far to many crimes to be allowed to live!"

"Shut Up! You don't even know him!" Hotaru shouted. The room quieted and all eyes turned to her in shock. "Pharaoh Atem, Bakura and his men did not once treat me in an unfair way. When one did , Bakura had even killed him for it. I know Bakura was after my brothers item, but he risked his life to save me. That man is not evil."

"I knew it!" the old priest then pointed a finger at Hotaru and snarled. "You're infatuated with that thief aren't you? Don't try to lie girl, my Millennium eye has already read your mind!"

Hotaru looked away from him, he was after all right. Even after he had told her he hated her, she still had feelings for him. Atem sighed and looked at her sadly. "I apologize Hotaru, however Akhenaden is right. Before he kidnaped you he was a high class thief and a murderer. I'm sorry, but he has been issued to be beheaded a long time ago."

Hotaru clenched her fists and looked at the floor. She tried her hardest to keep the tears that threatened to spill in. "If you were already going to kill him, then you shouldn't have asked for my opinion." with that she turned and ran out of the room. Makoto and Anzu quickly followed after her. Rei threw a glare at her brother and Akhenaden before turning and leaving as well.

"My Pharaoh, do not fret about what the girl had said. You are making a wise decision." Akhenaden said. Atem got off his throne and walked down the steps. He stopped in front of the priest and turned to him. Suddenly he drew his fist back and punched him hard in the face. The priest fell to the floor and looked up at him in shock

"Listen here Akhenaden. I am the Pharaoh around here, not you. There fore I am the one who makes the decisions. If I wanted your help to run this country then I would have asked for it." he snapped and walked out of the room. Seto smirked at the fallen and shocked priest then followed Atem out.

"I never knew you had it in you Pharaoh." Seto said as the two walked the halls outside.

"Yeah, well I am getting really tired of him. He thinks he can do whatever he wants because he's a High Priest. I'm sick of him using me." Atem confessed then sighed. "Anyway, now we have to have Bakura executed."

Seto looked out to the flowers. Right now he knew Hotaru was in a lot of pain because of this. Though a fool Akhenaden was, the Millennium Eye can not lie to it's holder. After all, it only read what was in people's minds, so they would have to be thinking the lie. He doubted that was the case here though. Hotaru had not denied it when he accused her of loving the thief.

No doubt both Anzu and Makoto will come to him later asking him to talk the Pharaoh out of it. Rei would most likely just try to beat Atem till he succumbed. However the law was the law. If Atem let someone like Bakura go then the people of Egypt would think they could get away with anything. Atem had to do this, even if he didn't want to.

"When will he be executed?" Seto asked.

"Tomorrow at noon."

88888

Anzu did her best to try and comfort her sister. Makoto was sitting on the balcony railing glaring out a the desert, as if blaming it for all of this. Rei sat quietly on the bed on the other side of the crying Hotaru. After they left the throne room, Hotaru had run to her's and immediately collapsed onto her bed crying. When any servants tried to come in Rei would yell for them to leave. She even sent the last one to her brother with a message saying he better not come anywhere near the four.

"Hotaru it will be alright. You'll see." Anzu soothed.

"No it won't! They're going to kill him Anzu!" she cried through her pillow. Rei and Anzu looked up when Makoto punched the wall.

"Damn it! Can't we do something? Anything?" she asked. Rei shook her head.

"No...if I know Akhenaden he'll send guards to look after all the exit's the palace has as well as Hotaru. He's a sadist I tell you. Whenever there's a person to be hanged or beheaded he's got front row seats." she said as she rose off the bed. That was when Anzu had an idea.

"Hotaru, we're going to be right back ok." Hotaru nodded and Anzu grabbed the other two and pulled them out of the room. They went to her own and she closed and locked the door. She began to whisper from there. "I have an idea. We can break Bakura and his men out."

"Are you insane!" Makoto cried. Anzu quickly covered her mouth to stop her from yelling further.

"Would you just listen. Alright Rei is the princess so she has higher power over the guards here then Akhenaden does. We can find a way to use that to lure most of the guards away. Then Makoto and I will break Bakura and his men out. They can take care of the rest of the guards and then escape into the desert."

"Are you kidding? That plan will never work." Rei said.

"How do we know until we try? What are they going to do? Behead us too? I seriously doubt that." Anzu stated.

"No but you and I can be thrown in jail." Makoto snapped. Anzu rolled his eyes.

"Wait, I have a better idea." Rei said. The two turned to her and listened intently as she explained it.

88888

Bakura leaned up against the wall of his cell. Hamadi was sitting next to him trying to come up with a plan to escape. However Bakura wasn't listening to a word he said. His mind was wandering else where, mostly through all the resent events. Hamadi finally gave up, seeing as how his leader no longer cared.

Suddenly they heard the dungeon door open and the other thieves began talking to someone. Both men looked at each other then went to the cell door. Or as close as they could get to it with their chains. A person dressed in all black with only their eyes visible came to their door.

"Nice to finally meet you Bakura." the two's eyes widened when they realized the voice was female.

"Anzu?" Bakura asked. The girls eyes twinkled and she pulled down the piece of cloth that covered her mouth and nose.

"The one and only. Rei and Makoto are here too. They're letting the others out." she said then produced a key and unlocked their cell door.

"Where's Hotaru?" the thief king asked when she came in and began to unlock their chains. She glared at the chains.

"Akhenaden is watching her like a hawk. He even had all the exits sealed. He thought that she would be the one to break you out, but he doesn't know me very well now does he?" she asked, but didn't really care for the answer. Finally the two were freed and they went out of the cell to meet with the other girls and men.

Bakura then turned back to Anzu. "Why are you helping us? As I recall you don't like me very much for kidnaping your sister."

"Come now Bakura, a lovely girl is helping us. What more could we ask for?" Hamadi said taking Anzu by the hand and kissing it. She glared at him and quickly pulled it away.

"Actually Hotaru told us everything, and priest Akhenaden read her mind and found out she had feelings for Bakura." Rei said also glaring at him.

"Khalid was right! You two have grown to like each other." Hamadi said with a huge smile. Bakura glared at him and growled.

"Oh shut up, it's not like it matters now. I told her I never wanted to see her again."

"What? Why?" Anzu asked. Bakura looked away.

"Because she deserves better then me."

"Hey enough talking, we need to get you guys out of here and fast." Makoto chimed as she looked out of the dungeon door for anyone who would pass by and see them.

The men nodded and soon a few of them left with her. They decided it was best to split into three teams that way they wouldn't travel as a big group which could get them caught. The first group went with Makoto, then the second went with Rei. Finally Anzu led the last group which consisted of Bakura, Hamadi, and 7 other men in it.

The men smirked when they left the dungeon. Two guards lay knocked out on the floor. It appeared the girls had done that part. Anzu had told them that they had slipped some drugs into all the guards water flasks. One swig of it and you'd be out for an hour. Makoto was the one who had brewed it up and then Rei had told all the servants she and Anzu would deliver the flasks to the guards.

"Man and I thought Hotaru was tough, but it appears all girls have a bad streak." Hamadi whispered into Anzu's ear in a seductive tone.

"Keep this little flirt act up, and I'll make sure you're back in the dungeon before the night is through." she threatened. Hamadi smirked and backed away from her. Bakura shook his head, it appeared his friend found his next heart to break. Though it didn't seem Anzu was going to fall for his little game so easily.

"What's this! Guards! The prisoners are escaping!" came Akhenaden's voice behind the group.


Spirit-wa la! don't you just hate that guy?
Tenshi-yes! i liked it when Atem punched him though

Spirit-me too! anyways that's it. Please Review! Ja ne

Death