Tenshi- i hate this time of year, though i do like presents.
Spirit- anyways sorry again. and just so you know, i'm not updating this Sat. it's Christmas Eve and we have big plans to spend it with our mom and sister so yeah. Hope you all enjoy this chap!
Disclaimer- I don't own either animes/mangas. All I own is the plot.
THANKS TO ALL WHO REVIEWED! YOU GUYS ROCK!
88 Last Time 88
"Please Atem. Please be alright. You can't die, not now. I haven't told you how I feel about you yet. So you have to wake up ok? You have to wake up." she sobbed. "You have to wake up so I can tell you . . . that I love you."
88 This Time 88
Tenshi's right eye twitched. He was sitting up in bed listening to Hotaru's story. Again he twitched. Makoto watched him like a hawk. The violet eyed girl had asked her to be with her when she explained everything to her brother. At first Makoto didn't understand the girls fears, but now she was beginning to. Tenshi's hands were now twitching, wanting to pick up a sword, or any kind of weapon. Needless to say, the boy was getting angry.
Hotaru stopped. Her story was done and both girls just watched the boy sit there in complete silence. "Tenshi?. . . are you ok?"
Nothing. The violet eyed girl couldn't tell if he was in shock or to furious to speak. Finally she got her answer. "I'm . . . going . . .to . . .KILL THEM!" in a flash he threw off the covers and made to leave. Both girls quickly caught his arms and held him back.
"Tenshi you don't even know where the traders are!" Makoto shouted.
"And you still need some rest. Get back to bed!" his sister called out. Tenshi didn't seem to hear them. With much effort both were able to drag him back to the bed and place chains around his wrists. The ends of the chains were tied around one bed post and instantly the two backed away. Still the boy tried to get free and struggled against his binds.
"Hotaru! Get Me The Fuck Out Of These!" the girl shuddered, rarely did her brother ever curse. Makoto thought Hotaru would soon cry and began to gently push the girl out of the room. "Hotaru!"
SLAM! Makoto had closed the door behind them and both exhaled. They leaned up against the door then slid down to the floor. That was exhausting. The brunette had never seen anyone act so violent before, well not in that insane way. Looking to her right she found the girl was still a little shaken up at seeing her brother that angry. Obviously this didn't happen to often if it ever had at all.
"You ok?" she asked.
Hotaru nodded. "I'll be fine. That just scared me was all."
"What did?" the two looked up to see Jabari and Bakura standing in front of them. The men looked at them with raised eyebrows.
"Tenshi. He totally flipped when Hotaru told him all that happened. I had never seen anyone act that way before." Makoto explained.
Jabari looked confused. "Do we even want to know?" the girls shook their heads. The two offered their hands and helped the girls up.
"So, you guys leaving again?" Makoto asked. They nodded and told them they might not be back until the next day. The two men didn't want them staying up late again. Both girls tended to get rather moody when they lacked enough sleep. Bakura and Jabari said their good-byes to them. Bakura gave Hotaru a quick kiss on the lips while the other man kissed Makoto on the cheek. The two then went to ready their horses.
Hotaru turned to the brunette. "I didn't know you and Jabari were together."
"Off and on. But yeah. So wanna go to town with me? We need some more things." the violet eyed girl nodded and the two went to retrieve their cloaks.
88888
A blurry image of a ceiling came to Atem when he opened his eyes. Finally his eyes adjusted and he was able to look around. It looked like he was in some kind of hut. Something black next to him caught his attention and he turned. There lay a pale looking Rei. Her facial expression was twisted into that of pain. Immediately he sat up, ignoring the dizzy feeling that washed over him.
"Rei!" he cried. He felt her head, she felt cold. She was shivering under the comforter placed over her. What had happened? Where were they? Concentrating, he tried to recall all that happened to them. The memory hit him hard. The raiders or whoever they were had attacked and killed all of his men. He had almost been killed too 'til Rei appeared and saved him. The arrow was poisoned, the one that he had in his shoulder. The last thing he could recall was Rei trying to keep him awake.
Looking back at her he felt worried. What had happened to make her this way? A shuffling noise drew his attention to the door. Someone was behind it. It might have been one of the raiders. Quickly he searched for a weapon and found one of his daggers on the night stand next to Rei. He reached over, grabbed it, and hid it under the sheets. Before he could lay back down the door opened and a woman stepped in.
She looked to be in her late 40's. Wisps of brown hair with a few greys bounced around her as she walked. Kind brown eyes landed on him and her face slightly wrinkled as she smiled. Her orbs told him she had been through hell and bak. They were wise, and held loads of emotions. She carried a small basin of water and a little towel. Walking over to the stand she set the items down and turned back to him.
"So your up young one. Hope yer feelin better." she said, her voice soft.
Atem nodded. "Where are we?" he hadn't noticed how hoarse his voice sounded. The woman laughed and handed him a goblet of water.
"Here, this will help." he excepted it and took a few gulps. "And you're at my house. Well I wouldn't exactly call it a house. More like a shack ter me, but I've been surely blessed to be able to have it."
He nodded then cleared this throat. "What happened, what's wrong with Rei?"
"Is that her name. Been calling her Fire myself. I know who you are though. Yer the Pharaoh Atem. Well she saved yer life. The girl is a Fire Chanter, thought they were just tales, but I guess I was wrong again. Met a Healer awhile back. Anyways she rose her own body heat to make you sweat the snake venom out. Guess the ordeal took a lot out of her. She'll be fine though, just give it some time."
The woman dipped the cloth into the cool water and wrung it out. She then placed it on Rei's forehead. After she was down she grabbed a chair and sat next to the bed. "You two lovers?" Atem blushed slightly.
"Um, no. We're not."
"They way she cares so much about you I thought you might have been. Perhaps she loves you then." Atem looked down at the sleeping maiden. Her expression had soften up and now she just looked like she was in a peaceful sleep. Her skin was still a little to pale though.
The woman then cleared her throat to get his attention. She looked serious now. "Do you know who the men who attacked you were?"
"No. It was reported that they were just raiders, but I doubt that now."
She nodded. "They were no raiders. The whole thing must have been a trap. Those men call themselves the Assailants, they are group of invaders that come from deep within the Sahara desert. They have smaller groups that work within Egypt. Some masquerade as thieves or raiders. Others as slave traders or even palace guards. They've been after Egypt for a long time now."
Atem listened intently. These Assailants seemed to have worked a lot of things out just to acquire some land. Then he remembered the Millennium Items. They were probably after those as well. "How do you know all this?" he asked, skeptical on the woman's knowledge.
"I had been taken by a group of slave traders awhile back. When we were being sold I over heard them speaking of all this. The man they sold me to was also in league with them. He just up and disappeared one day. Myself and his other servants chose to run away and gain the freedom we had lost. That's how I came to be here."
"Slave traders? Can you tell me if you've met to girls? Both were priestesses, one was named Isis, and the other Hotaru."
The woman beamed. "The Healer! The younger one, and the motherly one yes I remember them. Isis was sold to a man who lived not far out of Mut."
"And what of Hotaru?" he asked, fearing for the violet eyed girl.
The woman sighed. "She had caused some trouble for Etaxu. Slapped him even. He beat her nearly to death. That's when Bakura, the Thief King came. The two seemed to know each other and Isis handed the girl over to him. It would have worried me but the thief seemed to really want to help her."
Atem nodded, though was a little uneasy about that. After all it was hard to trust a man who had been after his life since practically their birth. "May I ask your name now? Since you know of mine."
She smiled then and bowed her head. "My name is Nuru."
88888
The palace gates opened up to the small band of four. Isis gave a relieved sigh and smiled. It had been so long since she had last since this place. Marik was trying hard not to laugh at Minako's awed expression. Personally she had never seen anything like this before. Several guards came over and took their horses to the stables. They then went inside to announce their return.
What met them in the throne room was not what they had expected. All of the priests minus Mahado, and of course Isis were arguing. Most of it seemed to be directed at Akhenaden. Even Anzu was there, she looked like she hadn't slept for days. Her eyes were red from crying. She was the first to spot them.
"Isis!" she cried and ran over. The brunette flew into the woman's arms and began to cry one her. "I can't believe it. You're alright!"
"I'm happy to see you to Lady Anzu. But what is happening? Where is Pharaoh Atem?"
Seto stepped forward, throwing a glare at the eldest priest. "This idiot claims that his majesty had gone off to capture a group of raiders. However that was yesterday and still the Pharaoh has not returned.
"Rei came to us, saying she had a vision that the pharaoh was in grave danger. We didn't listen so she went off to find him herself. She also has not yet returned." Karim said, looking ashamed by the way he had ignored the girl earlier.
Though Isis didn't know of this Rei it seemed she had been right in her vision. It would never take a full days time to bring down a group of troublesome raiders. Something was definitely not right here. "Who had Atem placed in charge."
"Originally Rei, but now that she's gone I will assume that position." Akhenadin said.
"You most Certainly will not! It's your fault in the first place for not listening to the woman!" Seto shouted.
Shada stepped forward. "I agree with Seto. Perhaps Anzu should take over. She was Pharaoh Atem's original betrothed in the first place." the girl looked over at them, and wiped her tears. It was obvious she would do what was necessary. However Akhenadin didn't seem so pleased. He was out numbered though and also outmatched. Reluctantly he gave a nod to the girl who slightly smiled.
"Then it is agreed. For the time being Anzu will be in charge until we can find out what happened to the Pharaoh and the others. Though now. . . there is another mater to discus." Seto said. He looked over at Marik, Rishid, and Minako.
The two men nodded in understanding. This conversation was not to involve them. Taking the blonde girls hand, the lavender eyed teen lead her out of the room. Minako seemed confused by all that was going on. Who were all those people? What had happened to the Pharaoh? She doubted the last question could be answered but still. Hearing a door click she looked up and saw Marik opening up to another room.
There a green haired woman sat sewing away. Only when they entered did she glance over at them. "Hello Marik. Glad to see you back. And who is this?"
"This is Minako. Minako this is Setsuna, one of the palace tailors. She will help you get cleaned up. Later I shall send another servant to show you to a room." he explained.
The blonde smiled. "Thank you." with that she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before going over to the woman to have her measurements down. The lavender eyed teen blushed and walked out of the room. Once he closed the door he leaned up against it and looked at the floor wide eyed. His heart wouldn't stop pounding in his chest, and his stomach felt like it was doing cartwheels. Shacking the feeling off he went to find Rishid. He would leave the finding of Atem to the priests. Right now, he just wanted to get a room and sleep in a actual bed.
Spirit- Yeah Atem didn't die, i know. but the story ain't over yet so dont get your hopes up.
Tenshi- oh great. are you going to kill someone good off again?
Spirit- maybe. anyways Please Review! Ja ne
Death