Alley Cat: (coughs) Sorry for the lack of updates everyone… n.n;; It's just…I've been having a lot of tests, homework, projects, etc.—
Dark Conscience: And you've been lazy…
Alley Cat: …That too… Anyway, the point is: I'm still updating. Good for all, right? It may take me longer to write my chappies though so just bare with me. Okay?
Dark Conscience: …By the way…where's Kaiba?
Alley Cat: …Oh…um…I kinda…kicked him out… n.n;; He's not a very good muse…keeps telling everyone to flame and all…
Dark Conscience-.- Let me guess… You got bored so you decided to lock him out just to entertain you.
Alley Cat: …To put it in a nutshell…
Dark Conscience-.- You. Are. Pathetic.
Alley Cat: Yeah, yeah. I know.
Animelover – Thank you! n.n I'm glad to know you like it so much! Yes, I really should update without the fear of being flamed, shouldn't I? …I blame Seto! …Partially. …But he's outside so he can't do anythin— (Seto: (from outside the door) Flame you idiots! Flame!) -.- Nevermind… Anyway, I'm glad you caught some of the humor in the last chapter. I tried to make it more humorous than deep, like my other ones… Well…I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! n.n
Emotional-writer - …OMG… Somebody actually said I wasn't much of a procrastinator… …The world's going to end… (snaps out of it) Heh. n.n;; Anyway, I'm glad you liked the chapter! n.n …But…um…what angst! (looks around) I see no angst!
FlamingIceCrystals – Oh don't worry. I'm sugar-high all the time! n.n …Though you kinda scared me there for a moment… n.n;; Yeah… Heh. Anyway, I'm glad you thought my chapter was so well done! Yes…you feel my pain…somewhat. Not exactly…but somewhat. n.n;; I'm glad you think that I pull off the love scenes so nicely… I really think I do bad at love scenes because they end up being too…gushy, unreal, corny, etc. Yeah…but that's just me… n.n Well…enjoy this chapter?
Alice – Wow… n.n You sound so enthusiastic! XD Well…I'm glad you like the story. And I'm very glad you like the couples. I got worried about my OCs for a moment… Didn't want them to turn into Mary-Sues or something… o.o;;
Wateralchemist – -.- You're taking too long to read my chapters… You meanie:P XD Just kidding. Well…glad you like Marik and Bakura so much! n.n
Anonymous – I know, I know. I told you I was joking! XD Just chill. n.n As for your questions…you'll just have to find out, now won't you? (insert evil grin here)
SirisAnkh – Yes. That would've been evil of Yami, wouldn't it? Cut Seto's tongue out…geez… You are evil! XD Yeah…you probably damaged his ego a bit but he's trying not to let it show… And, yes, you're noticed. n.n Well, hope you enjoy this chappie!
Yollandak – Yaay! A new reviewer! n.n …That's…quite high praise… You might want to double-check that 'cause I know plenty of authors on fanfiction that are more talented than I am… Well…enjoy this chappie, okay?
Pharohs-slave – Yes. I will try and update ASAP, now, but that might be a while, okay? n.n Hope you like this chapter!
SeaAngel – O.O Wow…you're favorite? That's…extraordinary… I never thought I could rank so high… Hmm… Well, that's good to know. n.n Enjoy this chappie, okies?
Alley Cat: And, now, for the chapter.
Dark Conscience: Yaay.
Alley Cat: T.T You don't sound very excited!
Dark Conscience: …Do you think I am?
Alley Cat: T.T
Dark Conscience: Anyway…Alley Cat does not own Yu-Gi-Oh. End of story.
Seto: (from behind the door) Hey! That's my line!
Yami sighed, enjoying the sunlight. Last night, he was drenched and the night had made him cold. After he came back, he had a hot, relaxing bath. Now, the morning sunlight that stretched into his room was unmistakably soothing. After a while, he had decided to see how Anippe was doing. She had refused the bath last night… He hoped she didn't get sick from the cold or something…
He knocked on the door. "Anippe?" he asked softly.
No answer.
He knocked harder. "Anippe?" he said louder.
Nothing.
Yami sighed and prayed that nothing was wrong. He opened the door to find Anippe leaning against the wall, eyes closed with a yellow light surrounding her. What was she doing? "Anippe?" he cried in alarm.
Anippe opened one eye to look at Yami as the yellow glow receded. "Yes my Pharaoh?" she asked innocently.
"Wh—what were you doing?" Yami asked suspiciously.
Anippe shrugged. "I need to recover from my wounds," she explained. "That spell helps me recover much quicker. But…it's time-consuming…"
This aroused the same question within Yami: Where had she learned her magic? How can she use it? He sighed irritably. Anippe kept avoiding the question. He'd probably never be able to get it out of her… "Oh," he said softly.
Suddenly, the door rattled open. "My Pharaoh," one of his advisor's said, bowing deeply. "There is someone here to meet you."
Anippe stared at Yami curiously. "Well, master, what are you waiting for?" she asked.
Yami blushed slightly. "Then, I'll see you later?"
Anippe nodded. "Now, master, you better be on your way."
Yami nodded. "Alright." With that, he left.
Anippe realized that the Pharaoh had not had breakfast yet. She might as well make it for him… She headed off toward the kitchen.
Yami sat on his golden throne while a man was brought in. Obviously, by the clothes he wore, he was a noble. However, his clothes were stained and torn. Yami wondered how a noble could come to such a state…
"My Pharaoh," he said soberly, getting on his knees.
Yami motioned him up, but the man didn't move. "What is your name?" he asked curiously.
"My name is Hapi. My Pharaoh, I am blessed to be in your presence," Hapi said.
Yami stared at Hapi peculiarly. "Why have you come here?"
The man bowed his head. "M—my daughter…she's…disappeared. She's been gone for quite some time now…and I was wondering if you've heard any news of her."
Yami cocked an eyebrow. "What happened? How did you and your daughter separate from each other?"
The man waited a moment before replying. "There…was a problem…" He gave a shuddered breath before continuing. "Some…bandits attacked our village. …They…they burned it down."
Yami stared at Hapi suspiciously. "How can a village burn down without me knowing of it?"
One of the Pharaoh's advisor's winced.
Yami directed his gaze at him. "Abubakar, do you know anything of this?"
Abubakar flinched. "I—I'm sorry, my Pharaoh…but…it was a small village. I didn't find it so important that you needed to know of it."
Yami glared at Abubakar, furious that he didn't tell him.
"My Pharaoh," Hapi said, trying to defend the advisor. "He's right. It was a small village. We were there because my daughter wanted to see new things."
Suddenly, a rather loud crash could be heard from the double doors leading to the main hallway.
Both Hapi and Yami looked over to find Anippe, standing there, paralyzed. A golden serving tray lay facedown on the floor.
"Father?" Anippe whispered incredulously. This couldn't be true! Her father…was dead! How could he have escaped? No! It was a dream!
"Anippe!" Hapi cried, running toward her.
"Th—this can't be!" she whispered, backing up to the door.
Hapi hugged her tightly. "I finally found you," he murmured.
Yami stared at the two, utterly confused. "Anippe," Yami exclaimed. "You have a lot of explaining to do."
Anippe nodded numbly. This was too good to be true…
"Prepare a banquet," he ordered. "We must celebrate. Anippe, you can explain it then."
Anippe nodded again. "Yes my Pharaoh," she murmured.
Yami looked content. "Then, I'll see you later."
Anippe sighed contently, running her finger along one of the sheaths of her twin daggers. She was finally united with her father…but…now she had to explain everything to Yami… Anippe sighed again. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad…but…she just didn't want to bring back memories… She shook her head. The Pharaoh wished it, so it must happen.
She looked out the window to find a beautiful sunset. For a moment, she just stared at the wonderful sight in front of her. Then, she snapped back to her senses. She was late! She quickly changed clothes. She tied up her hair and put the two-sheathed daggers in, crisscrossing each other. Her long, blond hair flowed down from the two daggers. She took a look at herself in a pool of water. Satisfied, she left for the banquet room.
Yami stared at Hapi anxiously. Where was Anippe? Of course, he had invited all the nobles in the city as well as the ones in the palace. It was a feast, but he decided not to tell the reason for it.
Suddenly, Anippe scrambled through the double-doors.
Everyone ceased their conversation and stared at her with contempt.
Anippe gave an innocent smile to the crowd and composed herself. She quickly walked toward Yami's table and sat down.
After another moment of uncomfortable silence, everyone continued to talk to one another.
Yami flickered a nervous glance toward Anippe.
Anippe flushed slightly. "Sorry my Pharaoh," she murmured.
"My Pharaoh," Hapi said, "I hope you forgive my daughter for her…forgetfulness."
Yami nodded. "She's forgiven. Now, tell me your story. I would like to know what happened." He glanced at Anippe to see her in stunning clothes. She wore a beautiful white cloak, as well as white clothes. Two golden, metallic dagger sheaths protruded from her hair. It was an interesting way to decorate her hair…but he liked it. It made her stand out…and kind of classy. Two golden bands tied in a bow at her shoulders where her straps were. Anippe was sleeveless, but not strapless, much to his dismay. Another golden band was tied around her waist. It was interesting how she was completely dressed in white and gold. Yami just continued to stare at her, libidinous running through him. For some reason, Anippe's outfit was rather…well, erotic. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. The food must have aphrodisiac in it or something… He shot her an amative glance.
Anippe saw this and blushed excessively. She turned her gaze away from the Pharaoh and directed her attention at her father.
"It was a while ago…" Hapi began. "No longer than a year now…but I haven't kept track of the time since then."
"Less than a month before you found me," Anippe explained.
Yami nodded. "Alright then."
"The bandits caught us off guard," Hapi continued. "I think they wanted to loot one of the smaller villages to get some easy money. It was just mere coincidence that Anippe and I were in that village. They completely destroyed it…burned it down to the ground."
Anippe gasped, suddenly remembering something. "What about mother? Sister? Were they able to get out?"
Hapi looked at Anippe sorrowfully. "Anippe…you are my oldest daughter… I'm happy to have you. But," he looked down, shaking his head. "I am afraid they couldn't get out." His voice cracked. "I tried," he whispered.
Anippe felt tears streaming down her face, but she quickly wiped them away. "I'm glad that you're okay though," she whispered back. "You did nothing wrong. I should have stayed…tried to help…"
Yami stared at the two. He was sympathetic toward their story and family, but was powerless to help them.
"Anyway," Hapi said, trying to push away his tears. "I forced Anippe out of the village and meet me at the oasis a little while away from the village. From there, I don't know what happened to Anippe. I tried to get her mother and sister out of the village, but they had left us to go shopping in the marketplace, in the center of the city. They…" he gave a shuddered breath. "They…didn't make it out in time. I was forced to run out after a while. Unable to stand the heat, I collapsed a little outside the village. The thugs left me alone…probably because they thought I was dead." He stared at Anippe, gesturing for her to continue on with her part of the story.
"Umm," Anippe paused, closing her eyes to help her to remember. "I found the oasis eventually and stayed there for the rest of that day and the night. I became worried when morning came and still saw no sign of my father. I decided to backtrack and find him around mid-morning. However, what I didn't expect was that a slave-trader would be on the same course."
Yami cast Anippe a skeptical look. "But, you were wearing a noble's clothing weren't you? He wouldn't dare capture you and sell you as a slave."
Anippe shook her head. "I'm a girl, my Pharaoh. The slave-traders respect boys more than girls. Since I couldn't prove that I was a noble, and I had no family to go to, he took me in and brought me into the city…this city. Then, I was sold to you," she said simply, skipping a lot of the details.
Hapi looked at Anippe apologetically. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, horror reflected in his face.
Anippe shook her head. "It's not your fault." She looked back at Yami. "That's our story, I guess."
Layla opened the double-doors just an inch and peeked through to see Anippe…in nobles clothing, dining with the Pharaoh…and another noble. How strange… It must have been something that happened today…
"What are you doing here?" a voice asked from behind her.
Layla whirled around to face the High Priest. "I—I just wanted to see what was going on," she said.
Seto cocked an eyebrow at her. "Are you're wondering why Anippe's in there?"
Layla nodded vigorously.
Seto sighed. "I guess you haven't heard. Anippe's a noble."
Layla gasped. "No! It can't be!"
Seto nodded. "Yeah. Her father turned up today looking for her," he explained. "The banquet is for her, but the Pharaoh decided not to tell people that since they may look down on her."
Tears welled up in Layla's eyes. Anippe didn't trust her to say who she truly was… Not only that, but… She shook her head. She should feel happy for Anippe. But still, a pang of jealousy ran through her.
Seto looked at her worriedly. "Are you okay?" he asked.
Layla stared at him for a moment. "Yeah," she murmured, looking away. "You better go in. You're already late."
Seto shrugged. "It's nothing. I'm the High Priest. It's not like anything bad is going to happen if I'm late every once and a while. I just tell them that I was busy, which I was."
Layla nodded. "Well," she continued. "I'd better go." She walked off.
Seto stared at her worriedly before pushing the double-doors open.
The banquet ended not too long ago. Anippe went to the upper levels of the palace, to the balcony, to get some fresh air. Soon enough, the Pharaoh joined her.
Yami stood behind Anippe. She was truly beautiful…dressed in white with the moonlight shining on her. He grinned and snuck up behind her, hugging her.
Anippe laughed softly but continued to look at the moon. "Beautiful, isn't it?" she commented.
"You surely are," Yami whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek gently.
Anippe's face burned up, and she turned around to face him, putting her hands on his shoulders.
Yami smiled and caressed her waist. "I love you," he whispered.
Anippe smiled back. "I love you too." She sighed. "Kind of a miracle, isn't it? I'm back to being a noble, my father turned up, and we…could get married," she said slowly.
Yami nodded and kissed her passionately on the lips. "You look sexy in that outfit," he commented.
Anippe blushed tremendously.
Suddenly, a rich laugh burst through the room.
Both Yami and Anippe looked over to find Hapi.
"My Pharaoh," Hapi said graciously. "I would be more than happy to give you my daughter as well as my blessing." He smiled broadly. "I wish the both of you luck." He paused, looking at the pair of them. "Well, I better leave you two alone," he said and left.
Yami grinned at Anippe. "Your father is a good man. Hapi means a god of the Nile." He smiled. "You are truly the daughter of the Nile." He slipped her cloak off to reveal that her back was exposed in several places. White straps crisscrossed her back. He smiled as he ran his fingers along her skin.
Anippe buried her head in his neck, enjoying Yami's touch.
"How about we go to my chambers?" Yami asked.
Anippe nodded. "Alright."
Seto knocked on Layla's door. "Layla? Are you okay?" He pushed his ear against the door to hear crying.
"Go away!" came the answer.
"Layla!" Seto said anxiously. "What's wrong?" He forced the door open to find Layla sprawled across her bed, her head buried in her pillow. Seto sighed and sat next to Layla and kissed her on the cheek. "Can you tell me what's wrong?" he asked.
Layla turned her head to look at him. "Why does Anippe get all the luck? She's smart and sweet and funny and…gorgeous. To top it all off, she's a noble! If I were a noble, we could stay together! …But, in the condition we're in now…it—it won't work!" Tears flowed freely down her face.
Seto sighed. "Layla…Anippe had a noble birth. She was raised to be a noble. Of course she's pretty and smart and everything. That's what's expected from a noble. I know it'll be hard for us to lead a life together…but we'll find a way."
Layla stared at him. How could this be so? She didn't feel like thinking right now. All she wanted was something to ease her pain. She hooked her arm around Seto's neck and kissed him passionately.
Seto leaned over her and pushed her onto her back. "What are you trying to do?" he asked curiously.
"Seto," Layla said seductively. "Comfort me."
Seto went to kiss her neck. He had wanted to this for so long…but something always held him back. Well, now there was nothing to stop him.
Layla took his cloak off and ran her fingers up and down his bare chest…
Alley Cat: (cough) Okay. Now go off and dream because I'm not going any farther.
Dark Conscience: As you shouldn't! (points to PG13 sign)
Alley Cat: Yeah, yeah… I know… -.-
Dark Conscience: Good girl. Now, RR everybody! n.n
Seto: (still behind door) T.T Quit stealing my lines!