Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Slave Bond ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The Slave Bond

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Yu-Gi-Oh

Ch 2: Enslaved

`Where are you, Bakura?' From a balcony, Hotaru watched the sun rise. It was something that always took her breath away. She had changed into the white dress that was provided for her even though she preferred the black attire she normally wore.

Flashback

“Do you always get up this early in the morning?” Bakura questioned as Hotaru awaited the sun to rise. To this, she turned and grinned; violet eyes beckoning him to stand with her and watch.

“Not a morning person?” She asked in turn. Bakura laughed and stood by her side and waited along side with her.

End of Flashback

“You're up rather early.” A voice stated breaking her from her reverie.

Hotaru exhaled before turning around to come face to face with the Pharaoh; the source of her problems was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.

“The same could be said of you.”

“Be ready to prepare breakfast.” He stated.

Instinctively, her hand traveled to her side to find nothing there. When she realized why her weapon wasn't there, she inwardly groaned, `Of course; he took away my glaive and daggers.' Then she thought of her other life, `had anyone else back home said that, either Bakura or myself would've killed him.' With that thought in mind, she brushed passed him coldly. However, before she could get far, a voice stopped her dead in her tracks, “Aren't you forgetting something?”

“And what would that be?” Hotaru questioned without turning her head.

“It is customary for a servant to bow in the presence of their superior,” was his ready reply.

To this, Hotaru turned her head to look over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes, “I bow down to no man and certainly not to you.” However, when she said this, Hotaru fell to the ground as she felt a sharp pain in her right arm. Reflexively, she brought her hand up to where the mark was found as she hissed, “What did you do?”

A smug smirk appeared on his face, “That is the effect of the slave mark. Keep this up, Hotaru, and you'll want to remove that arm to stop the pain.” Deciding that the pain wasn't worth the loss of her arm, she curtly nodded her head and as abruptly as it came, the pain left. Atem only straightened himself and walked passed her. As he did, he said, “Not bad; you can do better next time.”

Hotaru was still on the ground when he was gone. She felt something warm roll down her face and brought her hand up wipe it away. She found out that it was a tear; she was crying. It had been several years since the last time she cried; one of the thieves had tried to force himself on her. Bakura, of course, handled the jerk.

Flashback

Bakura was holding the miserable thief by the collar; a look of pure revulsion evident in his countenance. “Touch her again and I will personally make sure you will suffer a slow and painful death.” By the time Bakura was done with the low class thief, you couldn't tell whether he was dead or alive. “IF I FIND ANY OF YOU TOUCHING HER, YOU'LL END UP LIKE HIM!” He slowly walked over to Hotaru's crying form.

He gently picked her up and entered his tent before he placed her on the bed. When he placed her down, he was ready to leave and finish scouting the area, which was what he had been doing before he returned to find Hotaru cornered. Hotaru, however, had a tight grip on his shirt. He tried to reassure her that she'd be fine, but she wouldn't let go. So, he was stuck there unless he wanted her to ruin his shirt, and hey, this was his favorite shirt!

“Shhhh, I'm right here, Firefly.” She was now placed on his lap as he gently rocked her back and forth feeling her tears soak through his shirt. “Hotaru, stop crying. It doesn't suit you.”

Hotaru buried her head at the crook of his neck; her sobs now reduced to whimpers.

End of Flashback

`…It doesn't suit you.' After he said that, she never cried… until now. Once again, Hotaru exhaled and stood up. She walked down the corridors ignoring the looks she received from the other occupants in the palace. This morning, Atem had visitors who were going to have breakfast with him.

“Good morning, Hotaru.” A cheerful voice greeted. Hotaru looked ahead to find emerald green eyes locked with hers. The person, female from the sound of the voice, smiled brightly.

“Makoto,” Hotaru acknowledged. Said person was the palace cook. The brunette was already preparing breakfast for the Pharaoh and his guests. There were very few who actually accepted that she existed and did their best to make her feel welcomed. Of course, she still did not trust them.

Hotaru took two of the already prepared dishes and walked to the room where Atem and his associates were to have their breakfast.

Bakura had been up before dawn waiting for the sunrise. His white hair was dancing along with the wind as he thought of the mornings when Hotaru would wake him up so they both could watch it together. `Hotaru, are you watching this too?'

“Bakura,” Adofo said. Bakura was still watching the sunrise, but without turning his head mumbled a response.

“One of our inside sources found news about Hotaru.”

To this, Bakura turned around immediately. Any news was good news; however, once he saw the look of grief in Adofo's eyes, he was wondering if that was true, “Well, what do we know?”

“She's the Pharaoh's slave, but it gets worse.”

“Gets worse?” Bakura questioned. A new wave of anger came over him when he thought of Hotaru was Atem's slave, “How could it possible get worse?”

Adofo looked upon his leader; a broken man without someone he held dear to his heart, “He invoked the effects of the slave bond.” After that was said, Bakura fell to his knees and then on all fours. A look of disbelief crossed his face as he clenched his hands gathering the desert sand within his fists. He raised his right fist and slammed back on the ground, `Hotaru.'

Hotaru looked at the room in disgust. In the background, an aquamarine haired beauty named Michiru who was dressed in a pale blue dress played music softly. The idiots had the nerve to flaunt their riches and leave it out in the open where anyone could take it and run. How stupid were they? After a few minutes and every one was settled down, she entered the room and placed the plates in front of Atem, who sat at the head of the table, and in front of the man to his left. Other servants were also there with her, but all the men were staring at Hotaru.

“Lovely specimen you've attained, Atem. What's her name?” The young man, who Hotaru had just placed the plate in front of, inquired. To this, Hotaru gave him a look of disgust, but held her tongue. She knew better than to kill someone of importance; though the significance of this man was questionable to her.

“Hotaru, Yafeu.” Atem replied, though for some unknown reason, he did not enjoy the men eyeing Hotaru the way they were. He turned his head to see Hotaru give the same nod as she did earlier that morning and stood in the corner.

“Not much on respect, is she? I'm surprised you let her get away with that.” An elder, Nizam, stated as he sipped his goblet of who knows what.

“I do believe we are getting off topic; were we not discussing the thief, Bakura, a moment ago?” Atem asked. The men before him nodded in agreement.

“Did you hear? One of Bakura's best men disappeared.” Stated the same man, Yafeu, who asked for the name of Hotaru.

“Really?” Another questioned, “Which one?”

“The one dressed in black? He's good.”

To this, Atem looked out of the corner of his eye to find Hotaru with a small grin on her face. He said nothing of course.

Out of amusement, he asked, “And what was this man's name?”

To this, Yafeu shrugged, “Don't know, but think of it this way. From our observations, He was one of the best. Besides the other one, Adofo, Bakura has no more good men.”

“What will the King of Thieves do now?” a man at the end of the table jeered.

`Kill all of you for believing him weak…after that, steal your money.' Hotaru replied. Atem gave Hotaru a look that said, `Think that again.'

In response, Hotaru raised an eyebrow, but then a voice that was not hers echoed in the back of her mind, `I can read your thoughts, Hotaru.'