--The sun is up over Egypt land, as its people mill about their daily lives. Merchants call in the streets, advertising their goods. People walk to and fro, between shops. Children play in the streets while mothers mend torn tunics and fathers go to work building all kinds of things, from toys to buildings. Workers pick the grain in the fields and tend to cattle.
In the palace many work as well. The chefs work in the kitchens, preparing meals. There are those who are still constructing rooms of the palace, adding some on. People come here to learn, to practice arts, and many things.
There is another group, which merely cleans the floors of this palace. Each day they come in. Sometimes they are sent to different rooms. The front room of the palace always has to endure cleaning due to the heavy traffic that passes through each and every day. The throne room, the dining room…each room in turn is cleaned. But the rooms are so massive that it takes an entire group of people to clean one whole room each day. They sit on the ground, pushing either their towels or brushes across the smooth gold inlaid white marble and stone tiles.
Working in one of the corners is our girl, at work. Obviously not lazy, she does her best to ensure that her section is clean. The others do not work so hard. They have become bored and were never thrilled with this job anyway. They do not put their energy into scrubbing the floor that is cleaned day after day after day…no matter if it was spotless or caked with mud.
It is as she dips her worn out brush into her pail to get some more water that a man taps her on the shoulder. She looks up at him, expecting him to tell her that they need help moving more boxes or such things, as each does other odd jobs around the palace as well. When she says the pharaoh is asking to see her, however, her jaw drops and her brush falls to the ground with a clatter. "Will you go to see him?" the man says. Stunned for a moment, she does not answer. Then, blinking, she says "Y-yes. Of course…I'll come right now." She says, getting up. Following him, she can't help but wonder why she is being called to see him. He stops outside a room and merely says that the pharaoh is waiting inside for her and to continue ahead.
She enters the room. A golden staircase leads up to the Pharaoh's seat atop a platform. The stairs are placed one on top of another; it seems to her as if it is platform upon platform, getting smaller and smaller in length as it grows closer and closer to the top platform, upon which is a throne. And atop this thrown sits our pharaoh. Coming to the middle of the platform, she gets onto her knees as she did the night before, trembling.
"Do you know why you were brought here?" the pharaoh asks casually. "N-No…" she says. "I've done nothing to be honored for, so all I can think of is that I must have done something wrong. I apologize, my Lord, if I in anyway angered, offended, or caused you displeasure last night during the time we spoke. I'm deeply sorry, and I will accept any punishment as just. I would never do something to harm my pharaoh in any way, and once again ask…beg you for your forgiveness."
At this she falls silent, shaking, waiting to hear what he has to say. "Who told you this, your friends?" he asks her. "No…I merely assumed that I…that I had done something wrong. Why else would you call for me? I am merely a peasant. I'm not one that a pharaoh would usually call on." She answers.
"Well." he says, standing up and descending, "If you've done something wrong I have yet to hear about it." Reaching her he places his hand under her elbow and makes her rise. "I told you, you don't need to do that." He says. Looking at the ground she says "Thank you, my Lord." And is silent once more. "What I wished to talk to you about was that instrument you had last night. You wouldn't happen to have it with you, would you?" He asks curiously. Stuttering over her words, she replies "Well, yes, I do. I mean, no I don't. I mean, yes, but, it's with my bag in the other room."
"Ah." He merely says. "Well, I was hoping that perhaps you might play it for me sometime?" After a moment of shock, she says "Yes, my Lord. It would be my pleasure to." "Is there anyway you could make it tonight?" he asks her. "Yes…I can. After…after work. Unless you need me sooner, that is." She rushes to say.
"Wonderful!" he exclaims. "I'll be in my room then. All you have to do is tell them that. I'll leave word for them to let you through." He says. "Thank you, my Lord." She says. "Was there anything else you wished to ask of me?" she asks him. "No, thank you. You may leave now, if you wish." He says. "Then until tonight." She says in goodbye. "Yes. Tonight." He says, watching her as she begins to walk out.
"Wait a moment." He calls out to her. She stops and turns. "Yes my Lord? Was there something else?" she asks nervously. "What's your name?" He says.
"Alyssa."

"You have no HOUSE?" Yami exclaims as they once again sit in the middle of Yugi's living room. Joey is relaxing in a chair in the corner of the room, while Yami is pacing in the space between the wooden coffee table and the couch. Tea is sitting on the couch as Tristan is sprawled out on the other end. "How could you not tell me something like that?" He asks, looking at her.
"I didn't think it was all that important." She says, looking away from him and at the floor. He stops and turns to look at her. "Not important? How is that not important?" "I got along just fine on my own." She says. "Yes, perhaps you did, but I could have helped you. You could have stayed here." At this she smiles. "Right. Me stay with the pharaoh." "What's so funny?" he says, sitting in between Tea and Tristan. "It's just that…you're a pharaoh and I'm…"
"Not?" Yami finishes for her. "Yes, exactly." She says. "You realize how insane it would be for someone like me to live with the pharaoh?" "And why is that?" asks Yami, slightly offended. Hearing this in his voice, she stops smiling and a worried expression grips her face. "Oh…it's nothing…no reason… just…well, I just thought…just thought that" "Just thought that perhaps we might not want you?" "Well, yeah, and" "And that you might be considered a burden?" "That too, but," "that peasant and pharaoh don't belong together?" "Yes!" she says.
"That's ridiculous." He says. I'm no more a pharaoh right now then you are one of my subjects." He says. "Well, that's only because we aren't in Egypt right now!" She says. "Yes, but that doesn't matter. What does matter is that you don't have a house, we have an extra room, and you're staying in it." "But-"she goes to interject, looking up for a moment and then quickly returning her gaze to the floor as Yami interrupts her. "That wasn't an option. You are staying here and that's final." "Not in the same house!" she says. "I don't deserve it!" "Deserve what?" Yugi asks, looking around. Everything was pretty much normal stuff to him. Nothing fancy. "Well where are you going to go? Back to the alley?" "Well, yes! I don't see why not." She says. "I got along just fine. And besides, my stuff is still there." "What stuff?" Joey says, looking at his fingernails. "You had a can of peanut butter and a tent."
"That was a very good tent!" She says a little angrily, looking up at him. "Oh yeah? How so?" "It kept me dry when it rained, warm when it was cold, and it gave me a place to sleep at night." "All things that an actual house could do, and could do a million times better, I assure you." Yami says. 'But-" "Oh come on, I'm sure the tent leaked a little when it rained, right?" Tristan asks. "Well, just a little, but-" "And did it really keep you warm in the winter? Because I know I was freezing my Aaaanchovies off" Joey fixes himself as Tea gives him an evil glare. "Well, kinda, but-" "See? When you think about it, it wasn't all that good now, was it?" Yami says. "It worked just fine for me!" she says, a little frustrated now. "Stop picking on me!" she shouts. "I don't know why I even bothered coming here." She says. "I knew I should have just left when you weren't looking." She says, glaring at Tristan and Joey. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'll see you guys later." She picks up her bag and prepares to leave, but Yami stands up and grabs onto the strap. "Let go of my bag." She says, turning towards him, looking at the part he is holding on to. "No." he simply states. "Please let go of my bag?" she asks him again, a note of hope in her voice.
"No." he says. "Fine. Then you can have it…I don't need that either." She says releasing it. "Alyssa…" Yami starts off. "What?" she says. "Sit down." He tells her. "No." she says, walking away. "That wasn't a request!" he calls out to her. She pauses for a moment, then turns back and sits down on the couch, her head in her hands. "Why do you like to torture me?" she asks as he places her bag next to her on the couch. "Torture you? I'm trying to get you a place to sleep at night and you're refusing to take it. I don't exactly see how you consider that torture." He says.
"How am I going to pay for it?" she bursts out. "I can't afford a house on my own or else I would have one! So how am I going to pay for this? I can't. So thanks, but no thanks. I can do just fine on my own."
"Why would you have to pay rent?" Yami says. "You don't need to do that." "Oh yes I do!" She says. "The only thing worse then staying at a place you really shouldn't be is staying a place you really shouldn't be and staying there for free." "We just want to help" Tea says. "I don't need your help!" Alyssa says. "All I need you to do is forget we ever met! Just forget all about me!" she says. "You don't really mean that." Says Tristan. "Actually, I really think I do." Quieter, she says. "I'm thankful that you guys want to help me…I really am. But I can't stay. I have my reasons. So just…just forget about me, okay? Just leave me alone." She sighs as the room gets quiet. "Can I leave now?" she asks.
Yami gets up and sits down next to her. He takes her hand and looks at her, while she looks at the floor. Turning her face so that she looks at him, he says "No. And you're staying. And that's final." She sighs and returns her gaze to the carpet. "Are you sure?" she asks, defeated. "Yes. I'm sure." He tells her. "What about my stuff?" She mumbles. "We can get that later." He tells her. "And…if you really want…you can put your tent up in the back." The rest of the group looks at him in astonishment.
"Really?" she asks. The pharaoh sighs. "Yes. If that would make you happier…though I would prefer if you would stay inside the house." "No, that's okay. The backyard is enough." She says. "…Thanks." She adds on.
Yugi sighs, as does the rest of the group. "All that for nothing?" he asks Yami. "Not nothing." Yami tells him. "At least she's going to stick around." "I guess so." Yugi replies.
"Well, now that that's over, can I ask you something that's been on my mind?" Joey says, sitting up and looking at Alyssa. She merely looks at him and gives him the okay. "Well…seeing as how you live in a tent and everything…how come you don't smell?" Everyone laughs. "I mean, seriously. I've seen some hobos before and they smell plenty." "She's not a hobo!" Tea says. "That's right" Tristan says. "She's 'residentially challenged.' " Everyone laughs again.
"Actually," Alyssa says. "I go to the high schools. When all the kids are in Gym, I make use of the locker rooms. And since no one is around, I don't have to worry about anyone spying on me." "And in the summer?" Joey asks. "Well, some kids fail gym, and there is always summer school. Not to mention I'm a pretty handy lock pick, so when worse comes to worse I can just get in that way."
"Doesn't it get hot?" Tea asks. "I know I couldn't stand to be in these heat waves all the time." "Well, I spend a lot of time in the library, so I don't really have to worry about that. It's nice and cool with the air conditioning." "And in the winter?" Joey asks again. "They have the heat on in the winter." She says plainly. "What about at night?" He asks. The library isn't open at night."
"Ah…no, it isn't." She says. "Usually I just grin and bear it. The tent helps though." She adds on, should anyone question its usefulness. "And we still-" "Need to get it, yes, we know." Tristan says. "What about food?" Tristan asks. "Do you always eat peanut butter and bread, or do you treat yourself to a little jelly every now and then?"
"Well…" she says. "Eh… usually I go for what is cheap and I know won't spoil." "So what's that? Canned stuff?" Joey says, playing with a string on his shirt. "I don't exactly have a microwave…or electricity…" she says, a little embarrassed. "So what is it then?" "Eh…usually I go for what is cheap and I know won't spoil." She repeats herself, blushing slightly. "So, peanut butter it is!" he says. She smiles. "Anything else?" she asks.
Tea asks "How did you pay for things?" "Well, mainly I just picked up pennies when I found them on the ground. I did a lot of odd jobs though, whenever I could get them. No one would hire me because they all said I was too young, so I couldn't just get a steady job. I tried virtually everywhere too…" "So how much ya got?" Joey asks jokingly. "Two hundred and twenty six dollars." She says to him. "Wha?" Joey says, looking up. "How did you get that? I heard you trying to figure out how long you could go without peanut butter and-" "I wasn't squabbling over peanut butter." She says quickly as she sees Yami looks at her. "And I saved it…I don't like having to use it." "Well, I can see that!" Joey says. "Why are you saving it?" Tea asks her. "Because I was hoping I could catch a plane to Egypt…maybe figure out why I'm here." She says, looking down once more.
"Oh." They all say, and there is a small, awkward moment in which nobody speaks. The pharaoh squeezes her hand and she smiles a little. "Well, I guess we had better go and get that tent then." Tristan says.