Alley Cat: So confuzzled...
Dark Conscience: (sighs) I'm not even going to bother correcting her..
Alley Cat: I really don't know what I'm doing. I don't think my chapters are any good...
Dark Conscience: You're depressed today, aren't you?
Alley Cat: Only when it comes to my writing. But, it ends up (at least in Language Arts class) that my writing is actually better when I think I did a crappy job on it...perhaps it's true... I dunno...
Seto: You need to boost your ego, so I can bring it down...
Alley Cat: Sh--shut up!
Seto: (smirks)
Alley Cat: Well, enough chit-chatting. Time to give thanx.
anonymous ( ) - Thanx for reviewing again. n.n So, so happy... Can't believe you really think about my fic that much...but okay! I'll go with it! n.n And I update fast, or at least compared to a lot of other authors out there...seriously! I do! My friend, Black-Lightniing, hasn't updated for, like, a month now... She's only on her fourth chapter, and she started before I did! Well, thanx so much for your review. Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Kaiba's Slave - (hangs head in shame) Sorry... No. I don't know how obsessed you are with Seto... But I bet you aren't as obsessed with Seto as I am obsessed with Kratos! (squeals) (starts talking at 500 words per second and jumping up and down) Kratos is so cool! I love Kratos! Kratos rocks! Kratos's Cruxis outfit is awesome! Dark Conscience just sent me a picture of Kratos! Kratos uses magic! Kratos uses swords! Kratos is cool!!!!!!!!!! (squeals) Kratos! Kratos! Kratos! Kratos! (Dark Conscience: (bangs Alley Cat on the head...hard.) You've illustrated your point...now continue with how thankful you are...) (ahem) Right...sorry about that... (sweatdrop) And by the way...if Kratos was real, I wouldn't be considered a stalker, I'd be considered a--(Dark Conscience: THAT'S ENOUGH ABOUT KRATOS!!!!!!!!!!!) Alright, alright...geez... Anyway...you like my inner conflicts? I think I overdo it...but okay... Glad you think my writing is getting better and better... BTW, I got another 20 on my P2P!!!!!!!!!!!!! (squeals) (Dark Conscience: (really irritated) Ignore her. Please.) (ahem) Anyway...yeah... Thanx for the review and hope you like this chapter!
skyring - Yes, yes. Seto and Yami are perverted... Deal with it. Well, hope you like this chapter... n.n
Black-Lightniing - (muttering) You call that a short review? Um...(sweatdrop) Anway...thanx for the lovely review...(sweatdrop) Yes; I'm feeling wierd today... And Anippe...I know she's versatile, but I didn't want to go with my original plan because I wanted to keep going with the story. You see, I planned for Yami to earn Anippe's trust back very slowly. I planned for it to take up, like, five chapters or so and end up having Yami doing something "heroic". I scratched the plan because I got lazy. Yes; I love courtyards and gardens. Besides, I want to portray it as a safe haven for the two girls...bear with me...
Alley Cat: All right. All done with reviews. Except I didn't get as many as before...but oh well. I'm still happy! n.n Just to warn you all...I'm still having writer's block...
Dark Conscience: No you aren't. You just use that as an excuse in case the readers think it's bad...
Alley Cat: (getting defensive) Sh--shut up!
Seto: (smirks)
Alley Cat: ...Seto doesn't say much anyway...why do I have him as a muse?
Dark Conscience: To say the disclaimer!
Seto: (scowls) (muttering) Stupid disclaimer...
Alley Cat: Aww... You don't like the disclamer?
Seto: (scowls even more)
Alley Cat: ...Somebody's not in a good mood today... You need a hug! (huggles Seto)
Seto: (screams and tries to throw the abomination of him) (Key word: tries)
Dark Conscience: (sighs) Hopeless...absolutely hopeless...
Alley Cat: There. All better now. Now say the disclaimer...
Seto: ...I'm going on strike.
Alley Cat: -.- ...Do you want another hug?
Seto: -.- ...Alley Cat doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh...
Alley Cat: BTW, things in parentheses are notes from me. Enjoy!
Yami walked over to Anippe's room at the first sign of daylight. He really didn't know why...but he just felt so lonely without her company...and she was so pretty... He shook his head. This was too much for him...he'd never felt this way in over his head... He stood outside Anippe's room, not sure if he should go in. If he went inside...what would he say? After a long time of thinking, he came up with...nothing. He gave up. He'd just go inside and see what would happen...
Yami knocked softly on the door of Anippe's room. "Anippe?" he whispered softly.
Anippe woke up groggily. "Hmm?" she asked, not fully awake yet.
"May I come in?"
"Oh, yes," Anippe said, embarrassed that she hadn't said so earlier...and even more embarrassed that the Pharaoh was asking her for permission. Since when was the Pharaoh so...humble? She sat up.
Yami walked in slowly, still contemplating what to say to her. Damn it! She was just a girl...not even a girl! She was his slave! And yet he had to contemplate what to say to her? He sighed, dejectedly.
Anippe heard this and immediately straightened up. "Is something wrong? Do you need anything?" she asked worriedly. "If—if I did something wrong...I'm sorry," she whispered.
Yami was stunned at her response. She'd become so much more...fragile. "No...you did nothing wrong," Yami replied soothingly. "I was just thinking...about some...troubling issues..." Yami said, trying to conceal the truth a bit.
"Okay then," Anippe said, knowing that there was much more to the situation than the Pharaoh was letting on...
"Listen, Anippe," Yami tried to apologize again, "I'm so sorry." She wasn't acting as...spunky as she used to... She was probably still mad at him.
"It's all right," Anippe accepted his apology, once again. Now she was completely embarrassed. The Pharaoh was too humble! Wasn't he supposed to be "The Pharaoh" who was strong and courageous and bold and should be able to be tough when things get hard? Why was he being so humble in front of her? For heaven's sake! She was his slave not his equivalent!
Yami still felt like she just didn't except his apology...she still hadn't forgiven him. "It's just—"
Anippe cut him off, knowing exactly what he was trying to say. He already apologized and apologized and apologized! And she forgave and forgave and forgave! Wasn't once just enough? Besides, it was already over. There's nothing the Pharaoh could do about her wounds, external and internal. As much as she longed to say this, to explain this, she didn't. Instead, she just simply stated, "Give me time, and I will heal."
A pained look ran through Yami's eyes. If only he knew how Anippe really felt...but she was concealing her feelings so well... But...it felt like she was still mad at him...he just knew it. She wasn't as talkative as before, not as happy. Yami lowered his head. "All right then."
Anippe, for some reason, winced at his reaction. He sounded so...distant, lonely, cold. He was griping. He thought he was guilty. In a way, she felt it was his fault, but, of course, she would never say that to his face. She didn't want him to know either. It pained her to see the Pharaoh in such misery, which really surprised her. "Do you need anything?" Anippe tried to make up for her previous rudeness. "I think I'm well enough to serve you again...master." The word "master" felt so foreign to her tongue now. And it just brought back painful memories. She cringed a bit as she felt the word pass through her lips.
Yami's eyes locked on Anippe's for a moment. Had she really recovered that much? Or should she rest another day? ...If Anippe were with him...he would feel less guilty. Perhaps he could even... Damn it! His thoughts were revolving around Anippe once again! What was with this? Could it be... No. It couldn't. Absolutely not! A Pharaoh just wasn't allowed! ...Not with a slave... It'd be...it'd be ridiculous! He blushed slightly just thinking about it. It...it just couldn't be possible! Ludicrous! "Just stay with me for the day," he managed to get out after a long period of silence. "I don't want to exhaust you, so I'll just have you do little things here or there. Nothing big. Basically, I just want you to follow me around," Yami said feebly.
Anippe closed her eyes. The Pharaoh was actually giving her a choice...slaves didn't get choices... "Yes master," she replied briskly.
A wave of relief passed through Yami...but why? Why was he so relieved that Anippe decided to stick around with him? He cursed inwardly. But, of course, feelings is something one cannot control.
"Now, master?" Anippe inquired softly, noticing that the Pharaoh hadn't done, or said, anything.
Yami was knocked out of his daze. "Yes," Yami replied sheepishly. He looked at Anippe for a moment before turning around to leave.
Anippe reluctantly got out of her warm bed and followed the Pharaoh out of the safe harbor of her room. Hopefully, nothing bad would happen. And, hopefully, she wouldn't see Marik...
Layla walked over to the High Priest's chambers. Her wound still hurt quite a bit...but it was healing much faster than normal...perhaps the High Priest had cast a healing spell on it or something... She knocked softly on the door. "Master, do you need me?" Layla asked weakly.
From behind the door came footsteps and soon the creaking of the door. Apparently, the High Priest was sleeping in today.
Layla blushed slightly as she saw that the High Priest was still in his (let's call them) "night clothes". (I'm not describing them, so you can visualize them anyway you want. You can go with the idea that he's fully clothed...or you can go with the idea that he's partially naked and—(ahem) Anyway, if you decide to visualize it that way...imaging him wearing only a kilt or something. Heck, he can even be wearing pink, bunny pajamas for all I care...) "I—I'm sorry," she stammered. "I didn't mean—I—I didn't know..." her cheeks were growing redder by the minute. "I'm s—sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. I—I'll go now," she managed to get out. She turned to go, but the High Priest took hold of her wrists.
Their eyes locked for a moment before Layla looked away. "It's fine," Seto mumbled as he stepped aside to allow Layla to come in.
Layla's cheeks flared even more as she walked in, noticing the High Priest's gaze. She felt very uncomfortable.
"Have a seat," Seto said, gesturing toward a couch.
Layla was now completely flustered. She sat down daintily and looked at the ground.
Seto noticed her uneasiness and smiled a bit. This was fun watching her act like this...whatever the reason may be. "How are you feeling?" he asked, wondering if that healing spell was helping.
"Much better," Layla replied, but failed to raise her head. Her eyes were still concentrated on the intricate patterns on the floor. She didn't want to look at the High Priest.
Seto examined her, much like when they first met. Well...she appeared to be telling the truth... She seemed to be in less pain today, and her voice was much stronger. Her chest was still bandaged tightly... Seto made a mental note to change her bandages sometime. The clothes she wore now were much better, especially in quality, then when they first met...but, of course, that was to be expected. She was living in the palace, after all. Her eyes were much kinder now. Before, they were full of terror...but it was reasonable to be at that time... But he could still sense some fear behind them...but that was also to be expected...after all she's been through... She still had quite a few bruises though...and there were a few cuts on her. He sighed. Perhaps bringing her into the palace only made her life more miserable. A while ago, he wouldn't have cared...but now... He shook his head. Had he really changed that much? He sighed again. He didn't know anymore. Everything was just so confusing...
The High Priest's sigh caused Layla to look up. "Master," she hesitated, "is everything all right? Do you need anything? Am I troubling you?"
Seto looked a bit bewildered for a moment before responding, "No. I'm fine. Stay here while I change, okay?" And with that, he left the room.
Layla's cheeks became even redder, if that was possible. Not only had she interrupted him...not only had he invited her in...not only had he asked how she was doing...but he also forgot to get dressed and was doing it now... If she could think of anything she's done that was more embarrassing than this, she couldn't think of it.
After a few minutes, Seto walked out of his room, dressed in his normal apparel. He noticed that Layla was now blushing furiously. He arched an eyebrow as he sat onto the couch next to Layla.
Layla stiffened a bit, noticing how close she was to the High Priest. She returned her eyes to the ground.
Seto wrapped an arm around Layla and pulled her toward him, noticing that she winced a little as he did so. "You're wound...does it still hurt?" he inquired and then cursed inwardly at himself for being so stupid to ask such a question. Of course, it still hurt; why wouldn't it?
Layla nodded. She reluctantly gave into the High Priest's grasp and laid her head against his chest. She closed her eyes, taking comfort in the High Priest.
Seto felt her relax in his hold, and he did as well. He sighed as he felt relief wash over him. Everything that had troubled him was now gone. He took a finger and loosely twisted a strand of Layla's long, brown hair. He laid his head upon hers, just taking comfort in her presence.
Layla lost all her senses for a moment. She seemed to be in a state of euphoria. The thrilling sensation of the High Priest twirling her lock of hair...of his warm touch... Suddenly, she snapped back to reality to notice they were...cuddling. She let out a slight "Auugh" as she tried to break away from the High Priest's grip.
On impulse, Seto tightened his grasp, which caused his palm to dig into Layla's wound.
Layla cringed in pain and let out a slight moan before falling, helplessly, back onto the High Priest's chest.
Seto gasped slightly. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to...I'm sorry."
"It's all right," came Layla's reply. She had, unconsciously, grabbed onto the High Priest's hand for support; she still hadn't noticed this. She sighed. There was nothing she could do now...she decided to relax and take it easy.
Seto felt Layla relax once more. He cursed at himself, silently of course, again for being so stupid. Why did he have to disturb her wound? He sighed and laid his head on hers. He noticed that Layla had grabbed his hand...he squeezed back before saying, "I think I should get to work now..."
Layla blushed again. Now she had interrupted the High Priest...delayed him from work... She privately cursed at herself of her stupidity. "Yes, of course," she muttered as she quickly stood up. "I'm sorry I interrupted you," she said as she was walking out the door.
"Layla...wait," Seto called out.
Layla turned around, clearly surprised at the High Priests sudden outburst.
Seto was at a loss of words. He didn't want Layla to go...but he had no explanation... "I—I may need you today," he stammered. "If I do...I'll go find you."
Layla nodded. "Okay," she replied as she walked out of the door once again, confused by the High Priest's behavior.
Yami glanced warily at Anippe. She had been so...silent...absorbed in her own thoughts. "Are you okay?" he asked for probably the seventeenth time that morning.
"Hmm?" Anippe asked dazedly, too captivated in her own thoughts. "Yes. I'm fine." She paused before adding, "Are you?" She found it quite suspicious that the Pharaoh was asking her so many times...
"Yes," Yami replied rather embarrassed. He didn't like the silence between them...and he couldn't think of anything to talk to Anippe about. Now he was extremely regretting his decision to have her with him. It wasn't doing either of them any good...she could be getting a good rest right now...He decided to go down to the dueling chamber...it would be more entertaining and a quicker way to pass time. Besides...Anippe probably never saw a shadow duel before... It was decided. He'd show her a shadow duel. He got up and walked toward the dueling chamber with Anippe following.
Anippe closed her eyes...just wishing the memories would go away. It was just one horrible recollection after another...her home village...her parents...what tossed her into this whole mess...Marik... She shuddered at the thought. She opened her eyes again and noticed that the Pharaoh was leading her someplace new...someplace she hadn't seen yet.
Yami smiled as he saw that he had captured Anippe's interest. He opened the golden doors to reveal a dueling arena (in their time period... you should know what it looks like...when Ishizu showed Kaiba the past...with the stone tablets, and Yami sitting on the throne way up there somewhere...yeah...that...place...).
Anippe's eyes lit up at the sight of the gold room (don't remember what color it was...I think it was gold...).
Yami smiled at Anippe's expression. He strode confidently over to his throne and took a seat, inviting Anippe to come up the steps as well.
Anippe was a bit bewildered by such a high honor...usually only the Pharaoh, the High Priest, and Priestess Ishizu were allowed up there... She bowed and climbed the stairs slowly. She stood next to the Pharaoh and watched as the shadow game began...
Yami became more delighted as the game progressed. This truly was turning out rather fascinating.
Anippe scoffed quietly. "Call that a shadow game," she muttered under her breath.
"What?" Yami questioned, quite amused by Anippe's reaction.
Anippe jumped back a bit. She had not known the Pharaoh was listening to her. "Uh...nothing!" she exclaimed.
Yami arched an eyebrow at her. "I could have sworn you were scolding the duelists..."
Anippe blushed slightly. "Um..." she stopped. She could tell the Pharaoh already knew the truth. "So what if I was?" Anippe replied hotly, becoming defensive.
Yami smiled. "Then how about we have a private duel...between just the two of us. Show me what a real shadow game is." Yami smiled. He hadn't had a challenge for a long time.
Anippe took another step back. The Pharaoh had just challenged her to a shadow game? Anippe nodded. She could do nothing but accept...
Layla sat in her room, contemplating...the rest of her life. Did she really want to stay in the palace? With the High Priest? In the past few weeks...the palace had practically been her home. And how wonderful a home it was, she thought to herself...thinking about Marik. She shuddered.
No. Living in the palace only brought bad incidents... She had to get out of the palace...as soon as possible. Nothing good had come...or, at least, none that she could think of. And the thought that the High Priest was starting to take interested in her...body didn't make things much better.
She had planned to run away from the palace in the beginning...what had kept her from going for so long? Layla thought and thought on this question but came up with nothing. She decided that she wouldn't worry about that now. It didn't matter anyway...did it? No, she tried to convince herself. It doesn't. Besides, she had to concentrate on her biggest problem. How was she going to escape? She was a slave. She couldn't possibly buy things out in the market because she had no money...meaning she wouldn't be able to bring food and water with her. She sighed. How was she going to do this? Not only would she not be able to buy things, but she also worried about her transportation. She would have to run on foot, while the High Priest had horses. Unless the High Priest was willing to just let her go, then things would be very simple. But she doubted he would... She moaned. How was she going to do this? After a very long time, she decided she'd talk to Anippe about it. Surely she would know what to do. Besides, she probably wanted to get out of the palace as much as she did. Maybe she could even convince her to come with her! Layla was getting more excited by the minute. Maybe there was hope after all. Just a little longer, and she would be able to see her family again!
Yami pushed Anippe off his horse-driven chariot. "Stay here until you learned your lesson," he said sternly. "I'll come back for you." And with that, he rode off, smirking.
"THIS IS MY REWARD FOR BEATING YOU?!?!?!" Anippe screamed after him, but the Pharaoh didn't respond. He had already driven off. "Some reward," Anippe muttered as she observed her surroundings. Desert...for miles. She could see the palace though. It rose high above the city, next to the Nile. It was so pretty...with all the houses surrounding it... Anippe smiled slightly. I can walk back. She decided to ignore the Pharaoh's earlier comment about coming back for her. It's his fault if he lost me...I'll have him worry about me for a little while. With that thought, she started walking back toward the city.
After an hour or so of scorching sun, she reached the city. In fact, it wasn't as tormenting as she thought it would be. It was much easier. She entered the marketplace. Might as well stall her return, right? In a way, this was quite a reward...a relief from palace life... She glanced at the stalls until one caught her eye...a weapon shop. She was over there in a flash and examined at all the beautifully made swords. She partially unsheathed one that she especially liked. It was a rather long sword with very intricate patterns on it. (I'm not even gonna try to describe it. I couldn't think of a sword, so I'm using Dark Conscience's... She drew it for me for my birthday, and I decided to use that one instead. If we ever get our site up, we'll put it on there...maybe... Besides, swords are her domain, not mine...) "It's so pretty," she murmured to no one in particular.
"Beauty, ain't it?" the shopkeeper inquired with a hint of pride. "It's said to possess mystical powers."
This only triggered Anippe's interest even more. "You mean magic? This is a magic sword?" she asked, a bit bewildered that a magic sword would be found in such a common shop.
The shopkeeper shrugged. "From what I'm told. Of course, I'm not a magic wielder so I don't know. I'm no fighter either...I just sell weapons. Gotta do something for a living right?" he asked in a cheery mood.
Anippe recovered from the shock rather quickly. Her fingers traced the hilt. "May I...try it?" she asked timidly.
The shopkeeper's eyes sparkled. "I'd love to see. I've never seen anyone use a sword before," he explained. "I'd love to see you fight with it."
Anippe smiled widely and unsheathed it completely. It was really beautiful and wonderfully made as well, Anippe noticed. Completely balanced...and rather light, yet she could feel that it was powerful...just perfect for battle. She attacked (the air...she's not stupid enough to harm people with it...I know it's probably not the word I'm looking for, but I can't think of anything else...) with it for a little bit, trying to be careful not to trigger any of its magical attacks...if it had any. Soon, a crowd had formed around her, applauding her. Apparently, these people had never seen any warriors fight before. The shopkeeper was the most captivated though. Anippe slowly sheathed the sword, not wanting to part with it. "What's it called?" she asked.
The smile still hadn't left the shopkeeper's face. "Flyht," he said rather breathlessly, completely taken away by Anippe's skill.
"Flyht," Anippe repeated. "A well-fitted name for such a wonderful sword," she commented. She really didn't want to part with it. Suddenly, she remembered that she had attached a bag to her clothes before she had her duel with the Pharaoh. She had put some money in it...from the first day she was with the Pharaoh... She reached down and found that the silk bag was still there. "How much?" she asked excitedly.
"What?" the shopkeeper asked, still quite dazed. "Oh...right. 100 gold (not a very reasonable price, but I couldn't think of anything so just bear with me)."
Anippe fumbled with the bag for a moment and pulled out a hundred gold.
The shopkeeper took the money and handed her Flyht. "You're worthy of this sword, as it is worthy of you," he paused before adding, "Bear it well."
Anippe smiled warmly at the shopkeeper as she took the sword. "Thank you," she said, happy from the shopkeeper's blessing. She gave a wave and walked away. Suddenly, she realized that the Pharaoh would not be too happy to know that she bought a sword, a potential weapon. She thought about where to put it, but her mind remained blank. She smiled; this day was just too good to be true...especially compared to her other ones recently... She decided that she'd figure things out when the time came to and not try to do it beforehand.
Soon enough, she reached the Nile. It was so clear...just like the area of the Nile in her village... This brought back tears. Memories...all memories now... It would never be the same...never. Suddenly, she felt the cold presence of someone...someone staring right at her. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and turned around to see who was there. Standing in front of her was a boy, a noble, about her age with white hair. She quickly hid Flyht behind her back. "Who—who are you?" she stuttered.
The boy smirked. The evil smirk much like Marik's (guessed who it is by now?). "Why is it your business to know my name?" he asked quite cruelly.
Anippe was about to argue when she remembered...that she was a slave now... Anything that she was before was gone...lost...forever. She hung her head. "I'm sorry," she murmured. (Wouldn't it just be evil to stop right here? Knowing she was in Bakura's evil clutches?)
"It's okay," he muttered. He realized that this slave was quite pretty. Perhaps... He reached for her, but the girl just coiled back. He growled, now irritated with her. "Shouldn't you get back to your master?" he spat.
"Y—yes...of course" Anippe stammered once again. She turned around, moving the sword so that the boy wouldn't see it and headed toward the palace (which is in the center of the marketplace or something so Bakura wouldn't know where she was going unless he was standing, like really close to the palace. Let's say they're not...just for the sake of the story...).
The boy watched her go for a little while and then went back to his work.
Layla was searching for Anippe. Where had she gone? Unexpectedly, she bumped into the Pharaoh. She blushed, rather embarrassed that she wasn't watching where she was going. "I'm sorry," she muttered.
"It's okay."
Suddenly, Layla had a thought. Anippe was the Pharaoh's slave...certainly he would know where she was! "Have you seen Anippe? I...need to talk to her about something."
Yami was taken aback for a second. He had completely forgotten about Anippe! He had so much fun that afternoon...and now that there were no worries... He cursed inwardly. "I need to go," he said quickly and left Layla to stand there, gawking at his response.
Dark Conscience: (muttering) I don't believe it...you actually used Flyht...
Alley Cat: (shrugs) It took up space...that's all that matters...
Dark Conscience: -.-
Alley Cat: (cracks up) Can you imagine Seto in pink bunny pajamas?
Dark Conscience: XD Just to tell you all, she got that from Erk's Diary, by Ivanfanatic...
Seto: ...I can't believe you wrote that...
Alley Cat: ...Yeah, yeah...crappy chapter... Shut up! (glares)
Seto: Well, sor-ry.
Dark Conscience: Yeah, whatever... R&R!
Alley Cat: I luv you all so much!