*Author's Note & Disclaimer*
Hiiii! I apologize to all my readers for not updating lately! :( These past 2 months have been crazy with the holidays since December til now & so many events with holiday parties, friends' weddings, & baby showers, work, babysitting, errands, etc. I sincerely do apologize! This chapter will be longer than my previous one & will follow another perspective. I'm also adding in *My OC*, Elena Shadowze, pronounced as El-Lay-Na Shad-Ohz (English) / Shah-Doh-Zeh (Farsi Persian), to this chapter as well. I have designed her in my artwork as well as included her in my other Fanfiction, which I will later upload today which will be listed under Final Fantasy VIII!
Chapters 3 & 4 for Shades Of Blue will also be added later today after I finally get some sleep & revise my editing (it's 6am right now New York time)! I might change this current Fanfiction as a crossover later on, as it will lead towards my other story that will succeed this one in the end. It will be a very different crossover & I'll definitely adapt the future characters & chapters to blend with our current reality & world. The music track used in this chapter is "Miles Away" by DJ Goja. I would highly appreciate it if I don't get flamed for this as it is "Fanfiction"... This is my life motto I'm trying to follow after my severe depression the past few years & I hope you can enjoy my work as I go on along the way. "I keep calm by throwing all of my intense feelings to create art in any form with a cup of coffee nearby." -Written by me as well :)
All copyrighted characters solely belong to Kazuki Takahashi, Rumiko Takahashi, & Tetsuya Nomura as well as all copyrighted products & consumers used within this story rightfully belong to their respective Companies & Affiliates. All original characters, theme, & plots being used & written solely belong to Taz Tehrani. Any changes towards names, locations, or objects is only used for fictional purposes, with or without alphabetical translations of other languages. Viewer Discretion is strongly advised. Please feel free to review & comment. To get to know more about me, please go forward to my bio & visit my Instagram page xoladytaz. Thank you!
"Talking/Quotes"
'Thoughts/Flashbacks'
Songs/Translations
Location/Date/Time
"Emphasis"
-Social Media/Text Messages-
Chapter 2: City Blues
New York City, New York, United States
May 4th, 2018, 3:45pm
Music played loud throughout the dance studio, the house techno vibrating through the speakers, the lyrics flowing into her every move. Long, silky, chocolate brown hair flying around her. Legs & arms moving languidly every few beats of DJ Goja's track. She turned with her next move, finally looking at her reflection in the mirror again & bright, warm azure eyes looked right back at her.
But you're miles away, miles away
(Never thought that it was okay)
She arrived at the dance studio inside the gym to work out some of her stress & resentment, after finishing her third to last final exam for her final semester. Graduation is coming up in less than two weeks for her Undergrad & she can finally stop stressing about college coursework for the duration of summer vacation for once. Four years have passed by & she barely gave herself a break to see any of her old friends back home in Japan. There were always the occasional phone calls, long iMessage group chats, & FaceTime sessions every couple of months, even some indication of life made a rare occurrence on her social media. But she was still a bit mad at herself for not being able to go back home for a whole summer like she wanted to.
Looking back on us
It was tender love, It was tender love
(Never thought that it was okay)
Looking back on us
Oh when I get that
But we'll never get back that tender love
She was able to go on short vacations with her roommate, who was really a great planner with finding vacation packages on very low budget deals, to many destinations. But none would come up with a great package towards Japan. And most of the time, she would take too many courses during her long normal breaks, including online classes, winter semesters, summer semesters, & certified/licensing courses for her double major that she could barely go away for so long with her adventurous roommate. She did her best in dancing with all her passion, but always knew in the back of her mind that if anything were to go wrong, she'd had to have another passion waiting for her as well. So with her saved inheritance with reaching the legal age of 18 almost four years ago, & scholarships combined with her work wages, she was able to have enough covered for a dual degree along with a lot saved over for her own personal expenses. For both dancing & for nursing. The last four years have taken a huge toll on her, but she finally made it through for her dual bachelor's degrees.
Lately, I know that I've been missing
MIA, Been tripping over wires I laid to save me
But I'm foolish, tried so hard not to screw this
Never thought that it was okay
Just to say I needed you
(Never thought that it was okay)
But you're miles away, miles away
(Never thought that it was okay)
When you're miles away, you're miles away
(Never thought that it was okay, okay, okay)
But you're miles away, miles away
(Never thought that it was okay, okay, okay)
When you're miles away, you're miles away
She twirled around before dropping flawlessly on the dance floor on her knees with her legs spread outward & leaning back in an almost floating position. Letting the beat control her fluid movements, she swayed her hips in her leaned back position & slowly started lifting her body upwards again. Moving her right leg upward, she turned right, & pulled her body upwards to a standing position. Whipping her long hair back behind her & raising her arms up above her head, she took a quick deep breath before swaying to the song again. Catching her own azure eyes looking back at her again in the mirror. Though her body is moving with the song, her thoughts are moving nonstop with visions of someone who has the same azure eyes as she does, but more cold, cautious, & untrusting of the world. Someone who's same cold azure eyes have haunted her dreams & thoughts the past several months.
From all the things you gave to me
I saw the light and now I see
I won't walk the path you laid for me,
From all the things you gave to me
I saw the light and now I see
I won't walk the path you laid for me
(I needed you)
Funny thing that these dreams portray someone she knows of in this lifetime. Someone who she's seen now & in his past lifetime. But what she never knew was that she had a past of herself being with this person. It would confuse her thoughts when she wasn't thinking about school or work or staying alert during her mini getaways. It went as far as her waking up in cold sweat in shock, and at other times, in lust. Shock for who she knew it was in her dreams, but lust because of the endless love & passionate desire he held only for her in their past lifetime. She would wake up craving for that man because he was flawed & perfect in every way, but lived with the fact that said man was not the same way in her reality.
Lately, I know that I've been missing
MIA, Been tripping over wires I laid to save me
But I'm foolish, tried so hard not to screw this
Never thought that it was okay
Just to say I needed you
(Never thought that it was okay)
But you're miles away, miles away
(Never thought that it was okay)
When you're miles away, you're miles away
(Never thought that it was okay, okay, okay)
But you're miles away, miles away
(Never thought that it was okay, okay, okay)
When you're miles away, you're miles away
If she were to ever tell her friends back home about it, most would have likely laughed at the thought that the past self of today's "Ice Prince" was actually warm & kind in another lifetime. She never spoke about it to anyone but her roommate. But she did often ask her old friends about how he is doing as well as his brother. The world had changed a lot in the past four years, but in some ways, even everyone else had changed back home, including him supposedly. She couldn't help but feel resentment at not being able to witness that with her eyes & be there physically. She knew they would never drop her just because her schedule was so busy, but she felt completely left out. She missed having fun adventures with them & missing out on their visits in the states that would fall within the same timeframe she was so backed up on. They were always still there, and yet, they weren't. If it hadn't been for her roommate of four years, she would've felt more anxiety and depression from dealing with a new life in America alone.
Our voices will be heard
Our arms are up and we're back undefeated
(Undefeated, Undefeated, Undefeated, Undefeated)
'Cause when we feel this burning in our hearts
We feel it in our souls,
Oh, in our souls
Our voices will be heard,
Our voices will be heard,
(Will be heard, Will be heard)
Our voices (Never thought that it was okay)
But you're miles away, miles away
(Never thought that it was okay)
When you're miles away, you're miles away
(Never thought that it was okay, okay, okay)
But you're miles away, miles away
(Never thought that it was okay, okay, okay)
When you're miles away, you're miles away
As the song came to a close, she backed up near the wall where she set her bag down earlier & dropped to the floor. Trying to calm her breathing down, she started to take sips of her water from her bottle and leaned back against the wall. She started thinking about her dreams again. 'Why are you invading my thoughts for? You are the same soul, but different person in this lifetime. What are you searching for within me? You don't believe in destiny in our time now but your soul shows me otherwise when I fall asleep. What are you really looking for?' While she mused on her thoughts, she didn't hear the door to the studio open. Or the lightweight footsteps walking towards her.
"Either you're thinking about eating deep moist fudge cake with berries & white icing drizzle on top or it's about the Ice Prince's past incarnate eating you out. You look like you're about to have an orgasm."
Queen of sarcasm is here. 'How did I not hear her come in?!' She turned her to her right. & looked at the Persian beauty in front of her. "Haha, I really hate you for the next 10 minutes, Elena." She sweatdropped.
Elena eyed the Japanese dancer in front of her with a playful gaze. "Why, I love you too, Téa darling! Now hurry up & shower while you hate me. I'm craving for Martha's Bakery & a certain red velvet cake is calling my name."
Téa smiled, "Hmmm, talk about more orgasms. I have to still fit into my graduation dress, you know. I keep dancing & working out to keep off the weight. Then here you go trying to get me fat. How did I survive these last four years being your roommate & you never once get fat from everything you eat? What do I do with you, Elena?"
Elena placed her hands behind herself sideways towards Téa. "Oh that's easy. Your Ice Prince gives you more orgasms in your sleep than I do talking about food. I have to feed you because I love keeping your love parts looking juicy, especially now that you actually do have a Person of Interest! ANNNDDDDDDD all the food I eat goes to my melons & my peach while I do workouts half the time as you. You can also take me to Japan with you now that school is over for Undergrad!" Elena moved her hands to slap her own butt for emphasis on the 'peach' & turned her mouth into a cheesy smile towards her lovely roommate. "I can't wait to finally visit all over the country with you!"
Téa got up from the floor & faced the studio's mirrors. She smiled knowing Elena was right. Her body had formed very voluptuously in the past four years & couldn't help but smirk seeing her love parts looked very full & perky. 'She is right. My boobs & my butt really look nice like this. I really am starting to look exactly like Teana. She was so regal & looked very beautiful.' Musing back on her thoughts about her past self, she compared their looks. Everything was starting to look more like Teana. Her hair was really long now down to her very lower back just like how the Greek Princess's was, her skin had a healthy warm tone to it now instead of being pale like it used to. Her boobs & butt were fuller, waist was still thin & small, hips widened out more & thighs have thickened up enough to support the weight in her butt. She loved her hourglass figure & couldn't help but admire the Greek Princess of her past.
"Ahem. Ahem. The cake is still calling my name!" Elena reminded her. Téa looked at her friend & then sighed. She picked up her bag & bottle then headed out to the bathroom suite to shower off the sweat. 'She never gives up. The girl can really eat. She's still a virgin and yet eats like a pregnant woman who's having twins or triplets! She looked over her friend once more while they walked towards the bathroom suite. Elena was a real natural beauty. Nothing being done to her face or body unlike other females who have accused her of getting plastic surgery. No one knew Elena's history better than Téa & she could always put the snide rumors to rest with ease. Elena had a very universal look to her to the point where you can't even figure where her origins are from. Icy gray orbs inside of catlike almond shaped eyes & full thick dark lashes framing them. Very full lips & soft chai colored skin that both men & women alike want to kiss. Extremely long dark brown hair down to her butt that reminds you of coffee flowing out of a fresh brewed pot. Elena's body was even curvy & hourglass shaped like Téa's but even more full, & she was only one inch shorter than Téa being at 5'3" inches. Téa laughed sometimes at Elena for complaining half the time about her boobs since they were too huge for her body, that her spine hurts to support them & that Elena always had to buy 36DDD bras that were hard to find in most stores except Victoria's Secret.
Sensing eyes watching her, Elena looked at Téa & asked, "What's wrong, hun?"
Téa knew this would lead to a complicated subject, but she asked anyway. "How are you still single? I'm surprised you of all people still don't have a boyfriend. I'm really not trying to sound like an 'Aunty' but seriously. You're an amazing person & no one has taken your heart yet."
"Well, 'Aunty' Téa, men that are in our age group don't want to be tied down & committed to only one woman in this millennial age. So sadly, as much as I'd actually like to give you a brother-in-law that you can make fun of, they all want to be manwhores at the moment. Don't get me wrong, I still want to have someone that I want to fall in love with, get married to him, pop the 'cherry', & maybe give you several nieces & nephews to spoil. As cliché as everything sounds, I still want the beautiful tradition. But I honestly don't know how well that will really play out. Only god knows." She faced forward & opened the door to the girl's bathroom suite. "I'll sit here & wait. Now get cleaned up so I can eat cake & drink cappuccinos while we talk about how you can finally get to be with your icy soulmate!" She sat down at the vanity area. Téa sweatdropped again & felt her cheeks flush, then walked to the shower stalls. Stripping all of her clothes off, taking her towel & shower bottles, she entered the stall & turned the water on to a very warm setting. She felt relieved once the warm water touched her body. She hears Elena start to play music from her iPhone, which helps her mood.
'This feels so good right now. Just one more final exam tomorrow, then graduation is coming up, & I'm finally done! Then I can start thinking about booking our flight tickets to Japan. I can't wait. She finally gets to come with me to see it in person. I'll introduce her to everyone & get to show her around. Maybe she might find someone there too.' Téa starts scrubbing her body with Dove, the pomegranate & lemon scents filling her senses, & then finishes off with OGX coconut milk shampoo & conditioner on her hair. Quickly getting back under the water, she let it wash the soaps & toxins away, & finished her shower. After toweling herself dry & combing her hair, she puts her lounge clothes on, which consisted of a 'off the shoulder' long sleeve beige shirt, light blue Colombian jeans, & casual beige TOMS. "I'm ready to go."
Elena sighs in bliss. "Finally! Some good dessert in this rain!" Téa grabbed her stuff, as well as Elena, & headed out of the bathroom suite. Elena tapped for an uber for both of them & waited in the front lobby. "Do you get a fluttering feeling in your stomach?"
"A little bit, sort of. Why, do you?" Téa asked.
"I do. It's really mixed but it's there. There's going to be a lot of changes & I feel like they're going to be huge that either of us could be able to handle. I don't know, but I really hope it's going to be for the better. I don't want to get an anxiety attack right now, but it's coming full blown at me." Elena explained.
Téa laughed & responded, "I think you need to drink tea instead of any type of coffee. The last thing I would want in this rainy weather is for you to overthink while you're eating. So no overthinking, got it?!"
"Ok, Ok, no overthinking." Elena's iPhone pings. "Uber arrived. Let's go." And thus, the two best friends go to their destination for desserts & talk about plans for their Japan adventure while on the road. Elena leaned her head on Téa's shoulder. "Do you think I'll ever find my brunette, blue eyed Persian prince in this lifetime?"
Tea leaned her own head on top of Elena's, "I think you will. You've dreamed of it forever & you still wait. I believe you'll find him. It might not be here, but it'll definitely be somewhere in another part of the world."
Elena giggled. "Imagine if I find him in Japan? How weird would it be that we'd both end up having blue eyed brunette guys?"
"It's a possibility. Although I hope yours would be friendlier from waaaayyyyy long ago. It'd be weird if both are the same lone wolf, cold-hearted, closed off type of guys." Téa wondered.
"I find it sexy to be honest. I'd really like that. Being mysterious is actually really sexy. Like imagine. Both are like that, but underneath all of that is a beast full of desire that just wants to give you all of their light & love that no one else in the world gets to experience. I would find it beautiful." Elena has that dreamy look in her eyes & Téa agreed.
"It would be beautiful." Then smiled. "If Priest Seto was like that, then I have high hopes in my heart that Seto Kaiba does too. He's very affectionate & loving to his younger brother, Mokuba. He & I have even gotten into little arguments & spats from time to time, but we've even saved each other during rare difficult moments. I ran towards Yami to stop the duel on top of Pegasus' castle when Seto was willing to commit suicide for Mokuba's soul getting trapped. Then Yugi switched back to his body to halt Celtic Guardian from attacking. Then there was Seto calling his helicopter from letting the shipment crate from crushing me dead during Battle City a couple of months after that. Next was during Noah's virtual world, & after that was how we always randomly stood next to each other no matter where we seemed to go. I didn't realize it at those times how close we always would be next to each other during those moments, but he was literally always close. Yugi sometimes mentions to me that I'm literally the only girl that ever stands up to Seto & never takes his shit. I hope I still am the only girl nowadays."
"Good! It's best to never take anyone's shit. I hope you guys end up together in the end. Not only because you'll be a beautiful couple together, but also because you're his opposite & you guys really complete each other." Elena closed her eyes & pictured the two together. "Just beautiful". Téa couldn't agree more.
Krete, Ancient Greece
3000 B.C.
King Alexandrios rubbed his temples, after hearing news from Egypt. Despite knowing what had occurred from across the sea, he still had to perform his duty as a father & ruler by getting his daughter betrothed in order to merge both kingdoms. Krete will become one with Memfis once Teana marries the new pharaoh of Egypt. But how can he tell her that it is not to the one that she had knowledge of already? 'How do I tell Teana that Pharaoh Atem has passed to the afterlife? She was already aware of who he was recently. But she does not know of the High Priest Seto. I must tell her soon before his arrival in Krete.' He looked over to his messenger, Stavros, a young lad who recently joined his court after his studies were completed. "Where are my daughters Teana & Athena, Stavros?"
Stavros answered his King, "Last I checked, my king, they were in the garden near the statues of the Goddesses."
"Bring them here, please, if you will. I must tell them of the news. Teana must know of this before the new Pharaoh's arrival upon reaching Krete." Alexandrios requested.
Stavros bowed, "Yes, my king." He left the throne room & went to the gardens to look for the princesses. As he walked along the cobblestone pathway, he even mused on the news he received. 'I am very surprised Pharaoh Atem has passed in such a short time. His father was very renowned even among the kingdom of Krete. Now his High Priest & cousin is the new Pharaoh. I wonder how their kingdom will progress. I've heard many things about the High Priest, but this is very sudden news. Now he will be the one to marry Princess Teana. I wonder how she will feel about this?' He heard female voices & looked over the bronze gate that separated the pathways into the garden. Spotting both of the princesses conversing among the caretakers, his thoughts went back to his king. Knowing it's going to be one less family member, he knew his king would become crestfallen after Teana departs overseas to Egypt to get married to Pharaoh Seto. And then there's Athena, who won't have her older sister with her anymore. 'It's going to be very gloomy around here after Teana leaves. Everyone, especially her father, will miss her so much when she leaves Greece.'
After King Alexandrios' wife, Queen Talia had passed seven years ago when Teana & Athena were still children, he became very heartbroken & had become very ill for two years after her death. Not a day goes by that they don't honor her memory. King Alexandrios never even remarried after Talia passed. She was very beautiful & all three of her children had taken some resemblance of their late mother, as well as their father. Teana & Athena had taken their mother's heart shaped face & long chocolate brown hair, but Teana's was straight like her father's & Athena had soft curls like her mother. Their older brother, Thalios, was the spitting image of their father, with a very rigid masculine face, fully bearded, & straight black hair, but had inherited jade green eyes from their mother along with Athena while Teana inherited their father's azure blue eyes. By the grace of the gods, all three children were born healthy & safely. But even before Talia passed on her deathbed from hemorrhaging, she vowed to her children that they would not fare the same way as she did. That they would live their days in good health & prosper.
Stavros reached the girls & brought his attention upon them. "Princess Teana, Princess Athena, my king awaits your presence in the hall. He has urgent matters to discuss with you. News has come from across the sea from Egypt. Please follow me."
Teana & Athena looked at each other wondering what could be so urgent all of a sudden & why from Egypt. Athena whispered to Teana while both stood up from the stone bench to walk back into the hall. "Stavros doesn't look happy when he said that. You don't think that Pharaoh Atem is voiding the decision to marry you, do you? He hasn't even seen you yet. He can't do such a thing once he sees you, sister!"
Teana grimaced, "I don't think that is the problem here, Athena. The Pharaoh couldn't void a marriage just based upon not knowing who I am or how I look. I'm sure it's something else. Father will tell us." Teana looked straight ahead while Athena sighed. She's heard little about the Pharaoh of Egypt. He was only recently crowned as successor & was about the same age as her. She's also been told that he had an odd hairstyle where his had stood like wide spears coming out of his head & in three different colors. While the rest of people in Egypt had their hair cast down, tied up, or clean shaven. Maybe the Gods of Egypt wanted something different for their crowned king. As they were walking, Teana felt the breeze of the Mediterranean sea whirl around her. 'I wonder if the weather is as good in Egypt as it is here? There are tales about them having sandy deserts & the sun blazes hot like the depths of hell. But if that were the case, no one could survive properly over there. I shouldn't give too much thought. It seems like everyone around here makes everything else outside of Greece look worse than Hades in Hell.'
At last, Stavros & the princesses of Krete arrived in the hall where their king was waiting for them. Stavros announced their arrival, bringing Alexandrios out of his conversation with one of his court members. "My king, your daughters have arrived." Stavros moves to the left where the other servants stood on standby. Alexandrios takes in a deep breath before turning his whole body towards his daughters.
"My children, I am sure Stavros has made you aware that there are matters to discuss over here?" He didn't falter in his gaze. Both Teana & Athena stood straight & nodded their heads in understanding. "Very well, I shall continue. It was planned that Teana would be betrothed to Pharaoh Atem once he was crowned as successor from his father & that she would embark on her voyage across the sea to the land of Egypt." Both girls still looked sternly at their father. "Teana, my precious girl, I am afraid I have some disconcerting news for you." Teana's eyebrows furrowed. "It has come to my attention that Pharaoh Atem has passed into the afterlife."
Her eyes widened at the shocking news. "Father, the pharaoh has passed from this world? How….. How can this be?" Athena was equally as shocked as her older sister. She placed a comforting hand on Teana's to assure that she was there by her side. "Am I not meant to be betrothed anymore?"
Alexandrios stepped off his throne & walked directly in front of his daughters, standing at arm's length distance. "My dearest, I know this is very unexpected news coming from Egypt. But I assure you, it is not your fault in this matter. There was a war amongst their own land & they all fought bravely, reigning victorious in the end. But the Pharaoh has passed to be at peace & conceal the dark war that was brought upon them. He appointed his High Priest & fellow blood cousin as his successor." He softened his gaze for his next choice of words. "You are still going to cross the sea to be betrothed, but just not to the late Pharaoh."
Athena chose to speak next. "But father, who will my sister marry if the one she was meant to marry has gone to the afterlife?" Teana held onto her sister's hand tighter. Cheeks flustered & heart pounding, she remained quiet to hear her father speak.
"Teana will marry the new Pharaoh, former High Priest Seto. He has obtained all of his former's duties once he received the throne. I know you were expecting Atem to come to our kingdom to claim your hand & be on your way to theirs. But Pharaoh Seto shall come in his place now to take your hand. He will arrive in a few days time. So you must prepare for your voyage, my dearest." Alexandrios placed a hand on Teana's left cheek.
Teana didn't show fear, but her heart had felt it. "Father, I have such a short time to prepare. I don't know how I can be content with the fact that I will marry someone I have no knowledge of. Who is it to say that he is a noble man from the heart? Will my safety be assured for eternity once I become his bride? How can I leave everything behind & adjust to a new life in a new land?" Her eyes faltered & started to get wet from frustration. Alexandrios brought Teana closer & held her in his arms. He knew Teana wouldn't take it well knowing she would marry a complete stranger that she knew nothing of at all. Athena looked at her sister's form with sadness seeping from her own heart.
"It will not be an easy endeavor to adjust to. But I know of the High Priest's reputation. He is a very noble man in knowledge & he has never once shunned his kingdom. I may not know of his very personal nature, but he is a very guarded young man with his head held high. You will not fall into the wrong hands, my daughter. I promised to your mother that all of my children shall live their lives in peace, & I will see to it til my last breath that you all will. Do not fret or fear this change, Teana. Embrace it. Even if it means there are obstacles in your path, embrace it slowly." Alexandrios held both of his daughters in his arms. He can only be strong for so long, for Talia, for his children, for his kingdom. But he is human. He let the tears fall from his eyes & held the girls tighter. In a short time, Teana will leave her home with Seto & he won't know if this will be the last time he ever sees or holds Teana again. Stavros & the court looked on at their king & the princesses, hearts hurting. In a few days, Princess Teana will leave her homeland of Greece, her kingdom of Krete, to become the next reigning Queen of Egypt, right beside Pharaoh Seto.