Hello hello, everyone! We're on to chapter four! *celebrates*

Okay, quick talking point before I let you all have it. There is a character named Sati in this chapter, hence the chapter title. Probably years after I created this character, I discover that there is a very... interesting practice in the world with the same name; I assure you all that Sati is an authentic Ancient Egyptian name and I had no idea about the shared name. Just wanted to clarify that.

*I don't own Yugioh! I only own Christine, my OC, and all of these crazy kids!*

True to his word, I was woken for dinner but by Mery rather than the Pharaoh himself. From what she said as we walked back to the alcove, Yami had been snuck up on by the boys with a harebrained scheme in mind. When we arrived, my Pharaoh was giving Khemu a lesson about how to grip his sword. The boy was so intent on his words, he didn't even notice the rest of the eyes on him. After dinner, I went back to bed and was only woken when Yami came to join me. He whispered his apologies, and I managed some sort of reply before letting the darkness consume me again.

I must have been exhausted as I didn't wake up again until the morning. A quick peek showed that the sun hadn't risen yet. More time to sleep! I went to turn into Yami but only found the empty bed. I gave a loud pout and heard a chuckle combined with the jingle of his jewelry. He was already up?

"What are you doing up?" I asked, my voice scratchy from sleep.

"Shimon was insistent I join in on a meeting this morning." Yami replied. "Sadly, it means I have to get up early."

I gave a groan, hearing another chuckle from my Pharaoh. "That doesn't mean you have to get up, Mereret."

"Then I won't."

I got another laugh, serving to boost my ego. There were another few seconds of jingling jewelry before a hand brushed through my hair. I melted into it, peeking my eye open. Yami was all dressed for the day, smiling at me.

"I'll see you after the meeting, okay?"

I nodded, and I happily let him kiss me before he had to leave. I was sad to not have my Pharaoh, but… sleep… that sounded nice. I had just shut my eyes again when scampering footsteps approached me. Oh boy… I think I knew who it was. I peeked my eye open again to see a nervous looking Hepzefa and Khemu.

"Yes, boys?"

"We wanted to say goodbye to Master Mahad!" Hepzefa quickly said.

"His majesty can't take us, and the guards won't do it either, so… Please, Lady Nefertari?" Khemu added on.

"Please?!"

I gave a quiet sigh. Had Yami sent them in after he left? He wouldn't be that cruel with my sleep, would he? I kept my open eye on the boys. They kept up their pleading expressions, but they didn't beg and whine like other children. I gave another sigh; these kids had me wrapped around their fingers. I guess sleep is a prospect for later.

"Alright." I relented, getting up to stretch.

Both boys chirped with excitement, jumping on the balls of their feet. "Let me get dressed; then we can go." The boys nodded, then dashed out of the room to let me get dressed. I gave one last sigh before climbing out of bed and quickly beginning the morning routine.

Once I was presentable, I let my boys drag me to the entrance of the palace. The sun had begun to rise, illuminating the large courtyard that lay outside it. Walking down the avenue was a set of Medjay, clad in armor. From what I could see, the back set of men were dragging a stone tablet. Perhaps that was part of Mahad's plan? I couldn't have been sure. My boys didn't care about my thoughts as they continued to pull on me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mahad standing to the side with his apprentice. What was her name again? Mana? I couldn't remember off the top of my head. The Medjay continued to walk along the avenue, most likely ordered to keep going. I was about to mention this to Hepzefa and Khemu but soon noticed Shimon approaching him. I shouldn't interfere too much if I was going to walk over as the vizier had a serious look in his eyes. I released my boys' hands, seeing them look back. "I'll be over there." I jutted my head to Shimon. "You can talk to the Medjay first, then when Mahad rejoins them, you can say goodbye, do you understand?"

"Yes, Lady Nefertari." Khemu breathed with a nod.

I gave them a smile and watched as they raced to catch up with the Medjay. I then followed after Shimon, his voice catching my ears just as he began to speak.

"She can miss one day, can't she?" Shimon asked, a playful tilt to his voice. "When the Pharaoh was little, his father would get mad at him for hiding in those pots."

The words brought a memory into my mind's eye. I couldn't tell how old I was, but I could see a preteen Yami getting chastised by his father for hiding from his lessons in the large pots. The moment his father looked away, he looked at me and sent a dazzling smile. It made me smile just remembering it. He was utterly unrepentant even then.

"And no amount of chastising did anything to stop him." I added on.

Mahad and Shimon both turned at the sound of my voice, bowing their heads when I joined the small circle. "I apologize for intruding on the conversation. Hepzefa and Khemu wished to see you off, Mahad; they're talking to your men now." The priest gave a nod, his head peeking over to see. My eyes flicked to his apprentice. She was a soft brunette, but you could see tints of blonde in it. She looked bright-eyed and bushy-tailed even this early in the morning. Perhaps she had come to see her master off. I looked back to Mahad then. "If I may, Mahad, if you're worried about your apprentice's training, I can take over while you're away." The girl's eyes widened at the words. I sent her a smile before looking back at her master. "She doesn't look all that opposed." Mahad spent a moment thinking it over before nodding again.

"I would be most appreciative, great wife." Mahad replied.

I smiled, watching as he looked to his apprentice. "Please be on your best behavior, Mana." Her name was Mana! Thank goodness I didn't say anything else before I heard that!

"Yes, Master!" Mana chirped in reply.

Before Mahad could walk away and rejoin his men, Shimon stepped back into the conversation.

"Mahad…" Shimon breathed. "I just have one thing to say. Your duty is to inspect and reinforce the guard at the Valley of the Kings. If you strengthen the guard at the royal tombs, Bakura won't be able to slip in as easily. That is your duty… and nothing more."

Mahad didn't reply, and I heard Shimon give a deep sigh. I glanced at the vizier, seeing his visible eyes narrowed at the priest. "I know what you're thinking, but your spirit doesn't have the power to defeat Bakura. We need the combined power of the Pharaoh and the Priests to defeat him next time!" Mahad still didn't say anything. He spent a moment in his thoughts before looking back to Shimon.

"Lord Shimon…" Mahad began. "You said the demons in a person's soul grow stronger with hatred… Like Bakura's."

"Not just hatred. The Ka grows with strength of the heart."

Mahad's expression was beginning to make me worried for some reason. What was he planning? I had no chance to voice my concern when the priest started speaking again.

"Then, in place of hatred, I have my devotion to the Pharaoh! My faith in him cannot die!"

Mahad's fists clenched. "This all happened because of my failure. The Pharaoh forgave me… He swallowed his sadness at the insult done to his father and let me live…" I tried to send Shimon a look, try to have him voice my concern, but his eyes were trained on Mahad's face. "Lord Shimon, I will stake my life to carry out my duty!" Shimon didn't say anything against his vow, and Mahad took it as his chance to escape the conversation. "Well then… I must go. I shall say goodbye to Hepzefa and Khemu as I depart." I did my best to give him a nod while not looking too nervous for his safety. He turned and headed off after his men, looking just as determined as ever. The moment he was out of earshot, Mana's shout made me jump.

"How could you say that, Lord Shimon!" Mana snapped. "Telling my master his spirit is too weak! My master's magic is incredible!"

Mana had an impressive shout. I spent a quick moment trying to stop the ringing in my ears and only succeeded after popping them. Shimon had to gather his wits and ears as well before replying.

"I know that…." Shimon tried to soothe. "After all, he was summoned to become a priest because of his magical skills."

"But Master hasn't used his other magic ever since that day."

Other magic? I narrowed my eyes as she continued to talk. "He sealed it away inside him, and now he primarily uses the same summoning magic as the other priests." Something clicked in my head. Had I been right? Was he actually holding back?

"That day?"

"That day five years ago when he became a priest and put on the Millennium Ring."

He was constantly fighting with one arm tied behind his back so that he didn't overpower the other priests… He wanted them to be equal in power, not have the collection become the Mahad show. My respect for the priest jumped through the roof then.

My hand was then taken into a tight grip. I snapped my head to see Hepzefa pulling at my hand; his face was contorted into a concerned expression. Oh boy…

"What is it, Hepzefa?" I asked. "What's wrong?"

"There's something you need to see!" The boy gasped, still tugging on me.

I let him, only pulling back after a few steps to look back at Mana.

"We start tomorrow, Mana."

"Yes, great lady!" Mana chirped in reply.

I gave her a nod before letting Hepzefa continue to tug at my hand. He pulled me across the courtyard and over to where Khemu was standing. My second boy was perched around the corner, looking at something. When he heard the footsteps, he turned and gave a sigh of what was most likely relief.

"Good work, Hepzefa!" Khemu praised.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"There's a little girl over there!" Hepzefa jumped in, his voice suddenly in a whisper.

I stared at the two for a long moment. A little girl? "She's covered in dust and sand! I think I also saw some blood! She looked so scared!"

"We tried to tell the guards, but they told us not to bother." Khemu added.

I would have asked who those guards were, but the mention of blood made the question disappear. There was someone injured… A child was injured… I straightened up, my mind made up.

"Stay here." I told the boys. "I'll check it out."

Neither of them argued, moving to keep anyone who came by away. From how serious they looked, I was reminded of Medjay, and my heart clenched in worry for them. I shook it off, moving to my chosen course of action. The first thing I did was peek around the corner. It was a simple corner in the enormous palace complex. The sun couldn't illuminate everything, so a large portion was covered in shadows. I didn't see anyone, but my ears caught the soft shuffle of movement. There was someone there. I took a deep breath and stepped around the corner. "Hello?" The shuffling stopped, and silence reigned. "It's okay. I don't mean to hurt you." No response.

I took another breath, then another step, before stopping. I then dropped to my knees, trying to lower myself, and seem less like a threat. "Please come out. I heard you were bleeding. Are you hurt?" There was a soft shuffle from the shadows in front of me, so I slowly moved my eyes toward it. "I want to help you. I promise that you'll be safe with me as well as the boys around the corner." There was another shuffle, a moving one. My mouth kept moving, hoping I was saying the right things. "I'm sorry if they scared you. They're very sweet, just excitable; don't hold it against them." With the next shuffle, I noticed it was getting closer. Was me talking helping? I wracked my brain for something else to say. "I want to help you. Can I?" There was one last moment of shuffling and silence before a tiny face appeared from the shadows.

Just like Hepzefa said, it was a little girl. She couldn't have been any older than 8 years old. Her hair was unkempt, showing it hadn't been cared for in some time. Her clothes were ripped and covered with dust and sand. There was a cut at the top of her arm, visible through a large rip in her dress. The blood had stained the linen. My eyes flicked over her skin, searching for any other wounds, but I was distracted when the little girl spoke.

"Are…" She began in a quiet voice. "Are you… are you the Great Royal Wife?"

She was smart if she figured that out just by how I dressed. Being truthful, I nodded. The little girl flinched back slightly, obviously frightened at my title. I nearly opened my mouth to try and soothe her but stopped when she gave a loud swallow and stepped back out.

Very slowly, the little girl inched towards me, taking one step at a time. I didn't force her to go faster; I didn't want to scare her even more than she already was. When she was finally in front of me, I held out a hand for her to look over. She picked it up in both of hers, flicking her eyes over my pale skin. She clearly marveled at how cold I was as she pulled my hand to rest at her head. She must have been out in the sun for a long time as the temperature difference was intense when my fingers touched her forehead. She held it there for a long moment before pulling away, but she didn't let go of my hand.

"What's your name, sweetie?"

"Sati."

Sati. I smiled at her. "And you're… Lady Nefertari?" My smile widened, and I nodded.

"Yeah. How do you know my name?"

"My dad was a former soldier in the palace. He talked about you a little bit."

Huh… My brain gave me nothing that could have identified any specific man as her father. Thankfully, Sati didn't ask any specific questions.

"Hopefully they're good things. I was… a wild child; I blame the Pharaoh for being a bad influence."

Sati gave a giggle at my throwing Yami under the bus. Even if he was a god to the people, I would do my utmost to keep his ego in check. She kept my hand in hers, holding my fingers tightly; she seemed to have calmed down a bit; that was good to see. "Where is your dad, Sati?" Any trace of the smile faded from Sati's face. Oh boy… I asked a bad question… I went to apologize, to take back the question, but Sati replied.

"Mother and Father… There were all these men… Someone was laughing…."

I stared wide-eyed at the tears that pooled in Sati's eyes. "Mother told me to run… that she'd catch up… I still hear the screams…" My free hand lifted to her face, wiping off the tears and any dirt that had come loose from the liquid. Sati gave a hiccup, not fighting my touch. I couldn't say that it was okay; she had just lost everything. I only kept wiping at her tears, hardly caring if the dirt smeared across her skin.

"Did you see who was laughing?"

She shook her head, a hiccup escaping her.

"I only saw that he had a scar on his face and a red robe."

That only brought one person to mind. Bakura had attacked and destroyed her village…. Had it been before or after his attack on the palace? I shook the thoughts away, keeping my eyes on the little girl. Sati gave another hiccup, her head falling into my hand.

What was I going to do? I couldn't just leave her out here. Sati had no one… My thoughts flicked to the alcove, the little home I helped build for kids exactly like Sati. She wouldn't be alone there. She could have a family… But did she want that? My eyes lifted to her, seeing the tears still in her eyes. I let my mouth move and speak.

"He can't hurt you here, Sati."

Sati's eyes opened, her tears spilling over her cheeks. "I promise that you'll be safe here." She took a moment to think about my words. I smiled when she nodded. Here we go. I adjusted my hand to hold hers. "I know what it's like to lose everything. You're not alone." The little girl blinked, and I smiled at her again. "If you'd like, you could stay here with me." Sati remained silent, so I kept talking. "Hepzefa and Khemu are amazing brothers. You'd even have two big sisters who would be more than happy to show you every little corner of the palace." I slid my hand over her cheek again, wiping away another few tears. "I know I wouldn't be your mother, and I won't try to replace her, but… would you like to be part of my little family here?" Sati gave the loudest hiccup yet before wrapping her arms around my neck and crying into my shoulder. Seems that was answer enough. I held her tightly, tugging her against me.

I let her cry for as long as she wanted before she further relaxed into my arms. Seems she didn't want to walk. I indulged her - she'd probably been walking for days - and hefted her up to settle at my hip. Sati kept her arms around my shoulders, peeking her head out. I lifted a hand to brush over her dirty hair, and I was happy to feel her relax against me. "Well then, why don't we go inside? You must be hungry, and I want to get you washed up." Sati didn't argue, only nodding her head again. I gave her another smile, and we walked out of the corner.

Hepzefa and Khemu were still guarding the entrance, but they quickly turned around when my footsteps appeared. When they saw Sati on my hip, their smiles broadened, and they dashed over. Sati did flinch ever so slightly, but she relaxed when I brushed through her hair again. "Let's head home. Shall we?" Both boys nodded, and we walked back into the palace. Shimon, still where he was before, did a double-take when I walked past. Since he didn't argue, I sent him a smile and continued on into the palace.

Things seemed to be going well for the first few minutes. Hepzefa and Khemu were teasing each other for something that happened with the Medjay as they laughed wildly. Sati kept peeking out from my shoulder, her fingers clenched in my dress. I did my best to keep her calm, but when Seto's voice barked something, Sati flinched so dramatically, I lost my grip. She was like a cat how she landed on her feet and raced into a parlor to hide. "Sati!" She didn't come back; the only sound I heard was Seto continuing to bark. I gave a growl. Great. Seto was way too much like Kaiba… "Boys…." Hepzefa and Khemu looked at me. "Please pass along my annoyance to Priest Seto." I gave a pause for dramatic effect. "And you have permission to use as colorful language as you wish." The teens looked at each other, and I saw the bright smiles appear.

"What should we do if his majesty tries to rebuke us?" Khemu asks.

"Tell him I gave you permission. If he continues to give you trouble, send him over here to me."

The smiles grew, and my boys nodded before racing off. I spent the moment of silence growling out my anger and annoyance before letting it go. The bark must have reminded Sati of the attack on her village; her first instinct was to run. I wasn't going to blame her. She was probably traumatized. After one last calming breath, I slowly entered the parlor.

Unlike the darkened corner, the room was filled with light from the windows. I slowly entered, throwing my eyes in every direction to try and find my new kid. "Sati?" Silence. "Sati?" Still nothing. She was probably so scared… Once again, I dropped to my knees in the center of the room. "That was Priest Seto, Sati. He… isn't very good at keeping an indoor voice. I'm sorry if he scared you." There were no words, but there was a shuffle from the side of the room. I flicked my eyes there and gave a soft sigh of relief when I saw an inch of Sati appearing from a corner made between two pieces of furniture. "Priest Seto is very loyal to the Pharaoh and is very vocal on things he champions. I'm sure he'll apologize if he hears that he scared you." I watched as Sati shifted slightly. She wasn't standing up yet, but she did adjust so that I could see her a bit better.

My progress was thrown out the window when Yami spoke up from behind me.

"Quite the messengers, Mereret." Yami breathed.

Sati jumped again, pulling back further into the corner. I almost had her! I gave the softest growl I could before snapping to glare at Yami. My Pharaoh flinched at my glare, his eyes widening. "What?" I held the glare while flicking my head over at Sati. Yami looked over, and his face softened. "Ah, so this is what they meant." My glare remained, but it faltered when Yami slowly entered the room and dropped to sit beside me. "Seto's bark scared her?" His voice had fallen in a whisper so that only I could hear. My glare faded as I sighed and nodded.

"Terribly."

Yami gave a soft sigh, his eyes still on the visible inch of Sati. Keeping to the soft tone, I whispered the bit he needed to know. "Bakura destroyed her village." My Pharaoh's eyes narrowed for a second in anger but let it fade so that Sati didn't see. "I think the angered shout reminded her of it." He nodded, agreeing with me. "I nearly coaxed her out, but someone spoke up…" I was sent a smile.

"Sorry."

I accepted the apology with a nod, then looked back to Sati. She was still perched in her corner, not moving. "Game plan?" I sighed.

"No idea. Sati, it's okay."

Sati didn't move, but I knew she could see us. I gave a soft hum, trying to think of what I could do. She definitely saw Yami; should I try to introduce them? She was smart, so she'd figure out who he was eventually if she didn't know it already, so I decided to be forthcoming with the truth. "This is my husband, Sati." There was a shuffle, and I watched as her head shifted to look through the crack between the furniture better. "I know that seems a bit scary, but he won't hurt you, I promise." Sati shifted further; she was probably curious. When Yami moved as well, she flipped back, and he flinched. He then sent me a look. What was he doing? I lifted my eyebrow, watching as he turned back.

"Sati, right?"

No response, but Sati did adjust forward again. She was listening. "I know you're scared, and I understand why. This place can be disorienting, and you can get lost really easily." Ain't that the truth… "But you're not alone. My wife was just as scared as you when she got here." Sati actually peeked out at that. Her eyes were on me, and I nodded, acknowledging the truth. She stared at me before looking back at Yami. "Things do get better, but it takes some time." My heart lifted when Sati nodded. "Is there anything we can do to help you settle in?" The little girl thought about it, and, after half a minute, she replied.

"I don't want anyone looking at me." Sati replied.

That could be arranged. Yami and I sent each other a look. How could we do it, though?

"I… I could get a cloak?" I offered. "I'm sure someone could grab one."

Yami thought about it for a moment before a smile lit his face. "You have a better idea?" He nodded.

"We'll be creative."

Oh boy… My Pharaoh got to his feet and pulled his cape off his shoulders. Very slowly then, he approached the little girl, holding the cape in front of him. "This is a very special cape, Sati. Once I put it over your head, not even the Gods can see you." I gave a sigh.

"She's eight, not dumb!"

I was promptly shushed, so I pouted. I didn't think this was going to work; she's smart! Yami didn't say anything else to me, keeping his eyes on Sati. After a second, Sati's voice hit me.

"But… the Gods see everything." Sati breathed.

"They do." Yami agreed. "But once you put on this cape, they won't be able to see you. You'll vanish from their sight."

"Promise?"

"I give you my word as King."

Sati must have thought about it as she was silent for another few seconds. After that, there was a moment of shuffling, and Yami wrapped his cape around Sati's shoulders. Holy cow… it actually worked… I smiled when he pulled a bit over her head. She looked far more comfortable now than before. Yami must have smiled as Sati gave a pout.

"You can still see me."

Yami was quick with his answer.

"I may be Pharaoh, but I'm still human."

"Ooooh."

I fought off a laugh at that. Sati was indeed smart; she knew the Pharaoh was technically a god, but he was still human. He was one big loophole in that regard. "But you can still see me." Now Yami was fumbling for an answer. I nearly jumped in to help, but Sati began again. "But that's okay; someone needs to see me so that I can still get in places!" Yami apparently accepted that as he nodded quickly. Sati then looked at me. "Can you see me, Lady Nefertari?" I fumbled for an answer myself before coming up with something.

"Yeah, but I think we're the only ones who can." I replied.

Sati accepted the answer with a quick nod. "Feel brave enough to go out there?" A flicker of fear reached her eyes, but it faded quickly. She nodded.

"No one can see me! What do I have to be afraid of?"

"That's the spirit." Yami commended, bending over to heft her onto his hip.

Sati didn't argue, wrapping her arms around his neck, and, as a group, we exited the parlor. Yami then whispered in my ear. "I can't believe that worked."

"Me either." I whispered back. "Nicely done."

Yami's ego definitely boosted there as his face lifted into a smile. "Don't let it go to your head."

"Too late, Mereret. Already there."

I gave a laugh, patting at his arm since I couldn't get his hand. I then looked at Sati. There wasn't a drop of fear on her face. To her, she was invisible to everyone, even the Gods. She'd learn the truth eventually, but I think a little time with this wouldn't hurt her.

Outside the parlor, Lady Isis was there, sitting with all four of my kids. Hepzefa and Khemu were looking pleased with themselves while Mery looked unamused. Kiya was giggling at the sight while she pets a small animal in her hands. What were the girls doing here? "They apparently practice with the court scribes every once in a while. Perks of being your kids." I sent him a look.

"Just mine?"

"I help."

"Mmmhmmm."

Our whispers caught the attention of Lady Isis, who looked up and smiled. She pulled away from trying to mediate between Mery and her brother and walked over to us.

"Everything settled, your highness?" She asked.

"Yes, thankfully."

Like a godsend, Lady Isis didn't even look at Sati when she peeked out. Hepzefa looked ready to say something, but Mery quashed it with a quick whisper. I sent her a mouthed thanks, and the girl smiled. "Anything else on the schedule?"

"Yes, but sadly, it's only for the Pharaoh."

Yami gave a sigh. It was just after dawn, and he was already exhausted. I Mutley laughed as quietly as I could before whispering in his ear.

"Perks of being the Pharaoh."

"Shut up." He retorted in a whisper.

I snickered again, making all the kids laugh as well. My Pharaoh sighed; how put upon he was, being teased by his wife and adoptive children. When the sound faded, he turned to hand Sati off to me. "I guess I should get back to work. I'll see you all later." Of course, the boys nodded wildly at the promise. Mery and Kiya nodded as well, but they quickly raced to me; thankfully, they didn't try to look at Sati. I was given a kiss goodbye, and we separated once more.

The next few hours were absolute insanity. There was no trouble getting Sati cleaned up, but the girl hated having water poured over her head. If it was any larger than a handful, Sati near burst into tears as it was dumped over her. I was reminded of my modern mother for some reason. I had many memories of her as I grew up psyching herself up before showers because there was something about water combined with earth powers that made it uncomfortable. Maybe this was similar? I couldn't be sure, and I wasn't going to force her to admit the truth. When she was finally clean, I wrapped her back up in Yami's cape and helped her to her new home. We performed our usual daily routines while Sati watched from my lap and under the cape. If she felt brave enough, she'd walk closer and watch. If she was super brave, she'd free her head and ask to join. By lunch, she had scurried back at least a few times, but she always came back. She kept the cape around her shoulders, but her head remained free. It didn't take long to see that she couldn't read or write, but I didn't hold it against her; literacy in this time was hard to get, especially for lower classes. I made a mental note to try and start that for her.

Yami didn't come back until late that evening. He looked utterly exhausted, yawning into his hand every few seconds. Thankfully, the boys didn't jump him, and he was able to enjoy some peace. He was sure to shower Sati with attention as she approached, listening as she regaled him with tales of her being invisible. After dinner, though, she vanished. "Where'd she go?" I did some snooping and smiled when I found her. I waved Yami over.

"I don't think you're getting that cape back."

"No?"

Yami peeked into the room then. Sati had crawled into her new bed and was fast asleep. She had untied the cape and was buried underneath it. "I agree; I'm not getting it back." I giggled gently, not wanting to wake her. "That's fine; I'm sure I have another one." We spent another second at the door before pulling away.

I loved this little family of mine.

We didn't hear from Mahad and the Medjay in the Valley the next morning, so when we woke up, Yami went about his daily routine of meetings while I skipped away to the alcove. Mana was already there, and she jumped to attention when I entered. Seemed she was serious. I gave her a smile.

"Let me eat breakfast, then we can start."

Mana nodded, returning to looking over a piece of papyrus with Mery. I did a quick count on my way to the table of foods. Kiya was sitting next to Mery, looking with Mana over the papyrus sheet. Hepzefa and Khemu were eating still, their voices low like they were conspiring their next Yami attack. One is missing… "Is Sati awake yet?"

"No." Kiya replied. "She was still asleep when Merti went to check her out this morning."

I gave a hum, moving instead to Sati's room. I peeked inside, seeing the cape still there, lying on top of the sheets. The little girl's head was sticking out from underneath it—what a mood. I walked in and kneeled beside Sati. I peeked under the cape, seeing the girl was asleep. Was she catching up on sleep? I didn't know, but I put the cape back; I'd let her sleep a while longer. I went to get to my feet when Sati made a noise, and her eyes opened. I smiled.

"Good morning."

Sati lifted a hand to rub at her eyes, quietly breathing the greeting back. "Hungry?" She nodded and let me help her out of bed and into the alcove. She must have been tired as she left the cape there. She seemed fine with Hepzefa and Khemu calling out greetings, but when Mana did, Sati flinched. The two stared at each other for nearly an entire second, and Sati was gone, racing back into her room. Mana jerked forward, stopping when I gave a soft sigh.

"She's shy." Mery explained.

Mana nodded, looking a little crestfallen. I nearly moved to go back into Sati's room, but the girl came back. Yami's cape was bunched up in her arms, and she looked up at me with big eyes. Ah. I understand. I bent over and wrapped the cape around her, pulling a flap over her head to complete the look. The moment I straightened up, Mana gave a faux gasp of surprise.

"Where'd she go?" Mana gasped.

Sati looked so pleased with the exclamation as she burst into a bright smile. With no fear, she took my hand and pulled me into the alcove.

I had to eat quickly as Mana needed to train. I also had to keep an eye on Sati so that she didn't get sick. Thankfully, Mery was helping with that as she subtly slid food away so that she didn't gorge herself. Once I finished and drank the last of my drink, I got to my feet.

"Shall we, Mana?" I asked, receiving a quick burst of nods in reply.

I was pretty surprised that Mana was already very powerful. She lacked the finesse of her master, but her motions were fluid, bouncy even. She had the basics locked down; it was just getting her to the next step. When I knocked her down for the third time, I let her breathe for longer than a few seconds. "Tired?" She shook her head.

"No. Again."

She had gasped the answer. I crossed my arms before replying.

"Don't tire yourself out."

"I'm not tired."

I gave her a look. She was a terrible liar. She took another few gasping breaths before she got to her feet. She was shaking. Her arms were visibly jello-like, but she managed to lift her staff again. "Once more." My eyebrow raised but she didn't back down. Persistent. I liked that. That look in her eyes reminded me of when I was younger.

"Alright. Once more. Then a break."

Mana nodded, and I went on the offensive. Being careful of my surroundings, I blasted Mana with a stream of cold air. Now knowing how I worked, she deflected the stream, firing her own attack. It was far smaller than her previous attacks, so I deflected it easily.

This bout went longer than the previous one, mainly caused by Yami appearing; it made both of us pause. I sent him a look, and he smiled.

"Don't mind me." He breathed. "Just here to relax."

His idea of relaxing was sitting in a chair, drinking from his cup, and chatting with the kids. I faintly saw his eyes flick to me, quietly gauging if I was okay. I smiled at him, answering the unsaid question, and looked back to my fight.

It was only another minute or so before a noise hit my ears. I didn't immediately recognize it, so I had to quickly react. Thinking I was smart, I moved my face away, only dodging instead of making a shield. I realized I made a terrible mistake when the spell cut my cheek. It was the same spell Mahad had tried to hit me with the other day. The sound was different, so I didn't recognize it. There was a loud gasp, and the fight quickly ended. From the corner of my eye, I saw the color drain from Mana's face.

"I… I…" Mana gasped, trying to say something.

I lifted a hand to my cheek, and I felt liquid. I pulled my fingers away and saw blood. "Great lady… I…" I didn't help her find words; my eyes were glued to my fingers. She'd managed to hit me… with a spell her master couldn't… Me not speaking was apparently scaring people as Hepzefa was now gasping words.

"Uh…" Hepzefa drawled, his face going pale like Mana's. "Who do we go to when Lady Nefertari is the one who's hurt?"

"I don't know!" Khemu gasped.

I still said nothing, so Yami got to his feet and approached. I gave him my attention when he peeked at my cheek. He must have been looking for another wound as his eyes flicked about my face for a second. There must not have been as he flicked back to my eyes.

"You okay?" He asked.

I nodded wordlessly. "Say something then; you're going to give Mana a heart attack." I glanced at her again, seeing her eyes wide and beginning to fill with tears. She must have thought she was going to be in trouble. I wasn't mad, though. I was impressed.

"Can I tell you something, Mana?" I simply asked, and her eyes lifted to mine.

"Huh?" She gasped. "W-what?"

"Your master has been trying to hit me with that spell since I was 14 and hasn't once been able to get it. But you…"

I sent her a smile. "You got it. I'm impressed." Her eyes were still full of tears, but they widened. "I guess I should push you a little harder then."

"Mereret…" Yami warned.

"What? This is only a scratch and an easily healed one at that."

Instinctively, I put my hand back to my cheek, and after a second of peeking about my head, I summoned my Ka to heal the cut. The action was so fluid; I loved it! When the cut was covered, I looked back at Mana. "That only just grazed me; I wonder what else you can do." My smile must have been absolutely evil as Mana still looked nervous.

Mana did get her break, but it was only after another few minutes of sparring. When I did let her rest, she practically collapsed into her chair, gasping for air. I apologized, but she gave me a smile; she wanted to train hard so that she could make her master proud of her. The apprentice happily accepted a drink from Mery, chugging it down; she deserved the rest, especially after the insanity I just put her through. I was just about to sit when Kiya tugged me back into the sparring corner. "What is it?" Kiya's face was pale now. What was going on? She pulled on me again, and I understood when I saw it.

The funerary stele of my parents had been sliced in half. A runaway slicing spell must have hit it as I was deflecting them. The three others had been spared.

I stared at it for a long time. It was just a piece of decorated stone for some people, but to me, that was the headstone for my lost parents. Kiya now looked exceptionally nervous, her eyes flicking back and forth from me to the broken stone. I forced myself to speak. "Well… well…" My body stopped me from saying it was okay. Was it okay? It was an accident, of course, but my heart still hurt from it. I was shocked when Sati then appeared. Her head was free of the cape, but it dragged behind her. She was already tugging on Mery's hand, then, when she was close enough, she grabbed Kiya. Both older girls stared at their newest sibling.

"Find all the pieces!" Sati ordered. "I can fix it!"

The older girls and I were confused, but they did as they were asked. I simply stood there and watched as the girls picked up the large pieces of rock and gathered them together. Sati had a serious expression on her face as she helped place them back where they belonged. I felt Yami stand by my side, his hand moving to hold my waist.

"What are they doing?" He asked.

"No idea." I replied. "She's… fixing it?"

Yami didn't say anything more, so we looked back at the girls. Hepzefa and Khemu joined us as well, eyes watching the action. It took a few minutes, but soon the pieces were gathered, and Sati pushed them together. My eyes widened when, as Sati's eyes closed, the cracks in the rock faded; they were sewing themselves back together. You could faintly see where it had come apart, but that required an intense gaze.

The stele was fully intact again when Sati's eyes opened. Kiya and Mery's eyes were wide at the sight, moving to smile at their youngest sister. Sati smiled in response, but her eyes looked at me. Overwhelmed with happiness, I smiled at her as well. "Nicely done, Sati." Now she looked ecstatic. "How long have you been able to do that?"

"I don't know." Sati replied.

I sent Yami a look; he looked pretty amazed as well. I apparently had a track record of finding interesting kids. I then looked back at Sati. She did look a little nervous at revealing this, but I only smiled at her again.

Things were now looking to be pretty exciting.

Yami Bakura: ... I have a question.

Yes? What is it?

Yami Bakura: I... don't have an army in the manga... How could I have...

Oh, that. No, you didn't attack her village.

Yami Bakura: But... You have...

*Laughs evilly* Well... uh... Someone may have jumped to a conclusion... She heard red coat but didn't think to consider the two incidents might have been at different times...

Yami Bakura: *Blinks a few times* Wat?!

See ya'll next time!