Alley Cat: I'm so happy you guys actually reviewed! (blows kisses) Anyway, I know I'm not supposed to give appreciation to each of you but I can't help it...
darkfaerie14 - I'm so glad you like it! Please continue!
Flaring Emerald - O.o
Alley Cat: Memory...world?
Dark Conscience: You're definitely ahead of us... Damn American editors... They changed the whole plot...
Alley Cat: Ki...sa...ra? Stronger...kaa?? What are you talking about?!
Dark Conscience: Oh forget it!
Alley Cat: Sorry, but I can't...since I really don't know who Kisara is... I'm basically making up my own story using the characters from Yu-gi-oh... But please keep reading it!
Black-Lightniing - What took you so long to review? Oh well... Glad you like it... I'm not including Nefe...Nephi...Nefis...Gah!!! I'm not including N-Y-P-H-T-H-Y-S because I can't pronounce the name... Sorry...
Alley Cat: Well, enjoy! And remember italics=thoughts...most of the time...
Seto: Alley Cat doesn't own Yu-gi-oh... Mwahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A few days later, bandits attacked the city. Many villagers immediately went to the Pharaoh to ask for help. The Pharaoh's first order was for the villagers to calm down and get them to a safe place. The Pharaoh assured the villagers that his army would be there at any minute, but they were caught up at the moment. Many villagers left the palace satisfied and warned all the villagers to get to a safe place.
In the village, the slave trader was slinging his new slaves along with him to get to a safe place. Rope bound their hands, so they couldn't run away. One of them was a pretty girl with blond hair and blue eyes. She seemed surprised when, all of a sudden, the slave trader had changed his schedule and was now very flustered. She cast him a questioning look. "What's going on?" she asked, knowing it was something urgent.
The slave trader cast her a threatening look. "Don't talk," he replied coldly. Once again, he had gotten yet another troubling slave.
"But—" she was about to object but thought it'd be better if she didn't. Instead, she peaked past a stand and gasped. Bandits were destroying the village! She stopped walking to gawk at the situation.
The slave trader felt the tension in the rope and looked back only to find that the girl had stopped in her tracks. He gave a moan and asked furiously, "Now what do you want?!"
The girl looked back at him. She hesitated before giving her answer. "Um, I'm sorry!" she cried while she unbound the ropes that tied her hands. "But I have to help!" She ran off. "I promise I'll be back!" she called behind her back.
The slave trader gawked in amazement, but his amusement didn't last very long. He had lost yet another slave...
The girl was running toward the bandits, monitoring their moves as she did so. She thanked Ra as she saw a weapon shop to her right and a shield shop to her left. The owners had long abandoned their stands. She quickly grabbed a shield and a sword from the shops. She also took a dagger for it might come in handy. Then, she had to find some way to get the bandits attention. She didn't want to see anything else destroyed and definitely didn't want the people to get hurt.
"Hey!" she cried out. "What's wrong? Can't find any success in life?" she asked sarcastically. That definitely got the bandits' attention. All five charged at her with top speed. She managed to sidestep the first one, jumped on the second one, and leap past the others. She ended up in the place the bandits originally were. She crossed her arms and smirked. Obviously the bandits weren't very skilled.
The bandits were taken aback by her skill. One of the bandits left the crowd and ran the other way while the other four charged at the girl again. The girl smiled. One had already retreated. She managed to dodge all the bandits' attacks again and hit one of them with her sword. The bandit screamed out in pain as the sword cut deep into his right side.
The girl, once again, landed a safe distance away from the bandits. The wounded bandit dug his sword into the ground to support him, but there was no way he had enough energy to get back up.
The girl gave a warning. "Please," she pleaded. "Let this city rest in peace. I really don't want to hurt anyone anymore than I have to."
The remaining three bandits shot her a look of hatred. The girl backed up a bit, frightened by how much hate had boiled within them. Then, the bandit that had retreated earlier came back. In fact, he had not retreated at all. He had managed to gather all of the bandits attacking the village to help him fight the girl.
The girl cursed at her stupidity. Of course he wouldn't just retreat like that... She moaned and immediately started running.
"Get her!" the bandit yelled. All the bandits pursued her.
As the girl was running, she tried to think of a way to stop them. She had come too far to turn back now. They wouldn't take an apology at this state. After a lot of thinking, she came up with only one conclusion. The Pharaoh must have his militia ready by now. My only hope is to lead the bandits to the palace. She hated to think of how the Pharaoh would react, but she had no other choice.
Soon, the palace came in view, as well as the militia protecting it. She jumped past the militia and ran inside the palace while the militia dealt with the bandits. However, three of the bandits got past the militia and continued to pursue the girl.
By accident, the girl stumbled into the Pharaoh's chambers. The Pharaoh was sitting on his throne, with High Priest Seto and Priestess Ishizu standing on both sides of him. The Pharaoh had an amused look on his face as he saw the girl stagger in, with three bandits at her heels. Some of the Pharaoh's best soldiers were in there and were about to attack when the Pharaoh raised a hand, signaling for them to wait.
The girl gave an exasperated look. She had no choice; she had to fight back. She halted and turned around slashing her sword at one of them. Her move caught all three of them off-guard. They stumbled backward. The one she wounded was unable to battle and lay on the floor, hardly having enough energy to even attempt to get up. The two bandits left charged at her again. One was an archer and one was a soldier. The girl dodged the arrow and slashed her sword at the soldier. She managed to kill the soldier, but it had also caused the sword to go flinging out of her hand and onto the opposite side of the room. A bolt of fear ran through her. She had no weapons. The archer smiled cruelly at her and put and arrow on his bow. Just then, the girl remembered the dagger she had picked up earlier. She took it out and hurled it at the archer as the archer let his arrow fly. The dagger hit the archer close enough to the heart to kill him. The girl felt a wave of relief just before the arrow hit her on the left side of her stomach. She cried out in pain and knelt to the floor, using the wall to support her.
The Pharaoh cried urgently for the doctor. "Hurry!" he cried. "Save her. She has saved us all."
The doctor took his order and immediately examined the girl. "I'm afraid the arrow hit her pretty deep. She is losing quite a bit of blood. I'll have to take her to my chamber for me to help her because I have no supplies with me at the moment."
The Pharaoh shot him a disbelieving look before giving him permission to take the girl away. "Tell me when I can see her," the Pharaoh added. "I need to give her a proper 'thank you'." The doctor nodded and left. The Pharaoh sighed in relief and leaned back on his thrown.
Seto noticed this and teased, "What's wrong? You have feelings for her?"
Yami shot him a playful look, but remained silent.
The next day, the doctor came to visit the Pharaoh around ten in the morning. "She's well-rested and ready to see you," he said.
"Good," the Yami replied. "Bring her in."
The double doors swung open and the girl walked in and knelt in front of the Pharaoh. "I'm sorry," she started. "I did not mean to put you in danger. I was simply trying to stop them from hurting the city. I take full responsibility for my actions and I am ready for my punishment."
Yami was taken aback by how courteous she was. He was about to say something when the double doors swung open again. The slave trader came in fuming. Seto smirked. This slave trader was the same one he had met a few days ago. He has bad luck, Seto thought.
"My Pharaoh," the slave trader started. "I'm sorry. I swear I'll punish her good for this. She's been trouble ever since I got her. It's because she's so rebellious. I—"
The Pharaoh stopped him. "Trouble? Rebellious?" he questioned. "From what I've seen, she had courage and is very well-behaved."
The slave trader went red in the face. "Well," he thought of a comeback, "first impressions do deceive."
"Oh? Is that so?" the Pharaoh replied, clearly intent on taking the girl away from the slave trader. "Well, then how about I keep her since she's such a nuisance to you?"
The slave trader hesitated. "But she really is trouble," he argued back. "She's not worthy enough for you. She's—she's lower than dirt!" he cried.
"Silence!" Yami growled. "NEVER call someone lower than dirt!" he threatened.
The slave trader realized that the Pharaoh cared much about human beings, no matter how low on the social class they were. He went pale in the face. "I—I'm sorry," he stammered. "I didn't realize—I'm sorry." He lowered his gaze, but decided to continue arguing with the Pharaoh about the slave. She was even more trouble than the other one he had a few days ago that he gave to the high priest. He couldn't allow her to go for free too. "She really will be no use to you. She—"
He was cut off again, but, this time, it was by Seto. "You dare argue with the Pharaoh?" he retorted threateningly.
"No—I..." he faltered.
Yami glanced at Seto before continuing. "I'll take her off your hands for you," Yami stated plainly. "You have my leave to go."
The slave trader reluctantly left the palace. Great, he thought. It hasn't even been a week yet and I've lost a total of two slaves...
Yami glanced back at the girl. She hadn't said a word since the slave trader barged in. In fact, she hadn't even moved. The Pharaoh sighed in frustration, mostly because of the slave trader. "What's your name?" Yami asked tiredly.
"Anippe," the girl replied quickly.
"Anippe... It means 'Daughter of the Nile' does it not?" Yami asked.
The girl nodded. "Yes master," she replied. Apparently, she was paying attention to everything that had happened.
Yami smiled. "Such a pretty name. You're much like your name. You're a true blessing," he commented.
The girl seemed taken aback at first, but soon regained her calm composure. "Thank you master," she replied.
"Shukura," he called to one of his other slaves. "Why don't you show our guest to her room?" Yami suggested.
"Yes master," Shukura responded.
Shukura led Anippe to a very plain room with one window. "This will be your room from now on," Shukura said.
She turned to leave but paused at the door when Anippe said, "Thank you," her voice gentle and calm.
Shukura just stood at the doorway with one hand against the wall until she softly answered, "You're welcome." She stood for a few more minutes and then finally left Anippe.
Anippe stood looking out the window for a while until finally collapsing on her bed; she didn't have enough energy because she had still not recovered from the attack she took the day before. She unconsciously moved her left hand to her wound, applying pressure to it. She winced, but, for once, the pain was quite inviting. No, she reminded herself. I have to live...for my parents. This thought just made her more depressed. She sighed. From a noble to a slave in less than two months, she thought to herself sadly as she drifted off to sleep.
Dark Conscience: That scenario is used too often...
Alley Cat: What scenario?!
Dark Conscience: When a person's trying to survive for their parents because they died or something...
Alley Cat: (sighes) Cheesy, I know, but I couldn't think of anything else!
Dark Conscience: Alright... Well, R&R!!