Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Back To Ancient Egypt ❯ The Discussions and the Mistake ( Chapter 3 )

Priestess: Well, I suppose it's no surprise that no one reviewed, seeing as how I just put up the second chapter a few days ago. (Besides, nobody reviews my Mediaminer.org Yu-Gi-Oh fanfictions. Well, not nearly as much as my other fanfictions anyway.)

***

"Yeah right," sneered Mariku, talking to Seth at night as they mulled over lists they had made of things to do with Touzoku Ou. "If the Pharaoh possesses even the tiniest modicum of love for him, he wouldn't go through with any of this."

Seth sighed. "No, I suppose not. Then again, for all we joke about it-or at least while no one can here and get us punished for treason-I doubt the Pharaoh is even aware of his love."

"It is real, though," Mariku pointed out. "It must be, since even Aishisu noticed it. Didn't see that coming…Anyway, what if we showed him these lists? It would be a great test to see if Atemu is or isn't willing to go through with it."

"Yes, but we should pick the top twenty or something. I mean, one of mine says rot in that cell until he starves to death, twelve state actual ways to kill him, and the other thirty-eight are just tortures."

"Rot in cell…" he scribbled it on his paper. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"You're both cruel."

Mariku and Seth jumped and whirled around to see Aishisu, standing regally in front of them with a surprisingly frigid glare.

"How could you do things like this?" Aishisu shouted. "It's fine, if not particularly nice, to joke about the Pharaoh being in love. But this?!" She stormed forward and snatched Mariku's paper away, waving it in front of him. "This is worse than callous! This is…beastly!"

Seth and Mariku glanced at one another, then stared at her. Then, in three quick strides, Seth walked forward and ripped the Millennium Necklace from her slender throat. She cried out in surprise.

"Quiet," Mariku commanded, pointing the Rod at her. Immediately, her entire body from the neck down froze over. Sensing guards nearby, she tried to shout for help, but Mariku pressed a hand over her mouth while Seth kicked open a trap door on the ground.

All three of them hid, Aishisu hiding nonconsensually. They held perfectly still as the guards walked right over them. Once they were gone, Mariku let go of Aishisu.

"Children!" she gasped out, trying to get up. Mariku smirked and rolled over so he was on top of her. "What are you doing?!"

"It isn't polite to yell at your elders," he sneered, running his finger over her jawbone. She turned her head away instinctively, but his finger followed effortlessly.

Seth plopped down next to them, smirking as well. He brought his face very close to Aishisu, his lips nearly brushing against her ears, "No one is going to hear you and come rushing to help, Aishisu," he whispered, his voice low and frighteningly seductive. "No one."

***

"We have to do something about Touzoku Ou."

It was very early in the morning, in fact the sun had barely risen, and it had been Akunadin (High Priest of the Millennium Eye, Seth's father though no one knew it, and Atemu's uncle) who spoke.

"Akunadin is correct," announced Atemu. "Certainly he is captured, but that is not nearly enough. And I am certain all of you agree that simple death doesn't even brush fit punishment."

"You were perfectly willing to simply kill him like…a few days ago," Mariku pointed out. Aishisu had learned very quickly and easily that Mariku was unafraid to speak his mind, even if he was challenging the Pharaoh, that for some reason no one seemed to mind (they must have been used to it), and that he was very close to Seth.

"That was before," Atemu replied icily. "He was one of the strongest men in Egypt, it would have been impossible to do anything harsher-we would have been lucky if we did manage to kill him. But that's not the case anymore."

He stroked the feather of his wing-bracelet that caused Touzoku Ou physical pain to demonstrate, and Aishisu flinched. Even from this distance, she could sense Touzoku Ou's bone-searing anguish. "Now I can do anything I want with him."

"What do you suggest, my liege?" requested Shaadi, High Priest of the Millennium Scales and previous incarnation of the Shadi of present-day. Atemu sighed.

"I don't know," he murmured.

"Pardon me," Aishisu spoke up, making all five of them turn to her. "I…I don't think this is either humane or fair, what you're doing to him. He's a human being too, after all."

Atemu snorted. "I doubt that. No human could be such a heartless monster. Besides, it's perfectly fair. He deserves anything I may choose to do. And of course it isn't humane. Since when has he ever done anything humane? And come to think of it, since when did you care?"

Aishisu shifted rather uncomfortably, searching for a truthful excuse which explained everything. It wasn't difficult. "My powers have risen dramatically as of late. I-I can sense the physical pain you cause him. Perhaps he deserves it, but…do I?"

Everybody blinked at her. Mariku and Seth glanced at one another guiltily, now understanding (or thinking they understood) why she had been so angry the night before.

"I wasn't aware of that fact," Atemu said softly, obviously troubled by Aishisu's revelation. "Of course you don't, but…perhaps…" He trailed off. "Touzoku Ou needs to be punished…"

Aishisu nodded, fully aware that she couldn't do anything to change the situation but not wanting things to turn out as dreadfully as they had the potential to turn out. "Yes, he must," she murmured, bowing her head submissively. "Forgive me, but…might we, ah, make a decision quickly?"

Atemu nodded. "Usually when dealing with the worst criminals, you give them time to agonize over what their punishment may be, but somehow I doubt Touzoku Ou is the type to be afraid. Sad as it is. I think we should come up with something as quickly as possible-but no matter what I think of, it seems as if no punishment would be terrible enough to be fitting."

***

Aishisu stripped to her underwear and turned in a full circle, admiring her teenage reflection. Virgin or no virgin, it was flawless, beautiful, elegant, stunning. She stretched, her muscles strong and fluid. "Wow…" she breathed, wondering how she could have taken this for granted before, then frowned suddenly.

Her senses were all hyper-aware, and she seemed to have retained the divine powers she wasn't supposed to receive for over three and a half more millenniums. Unfortunately, these remarkable senses were picking up on all of Touzoku Ou's emotions (probably because she had spent so much time in Ancient Egypt training so she could break past whatever barrier protected him from her mystic gaze) and it wasn't pleasant.

My Pharaoh, I sincerely hope for Touzoku Ou's sake that you realize that you love him soon. And Mariku and Seth were anything but helpful.

She glanced at her vanity, at the lotions and creams she had never used until she hit fifty. She touched her dewy complexion and smiled slightly, spinning around in a circle. It had been years since she had done that.

I can't believe it, she thought, happy and astounded. She had a second chance at life, a better chance, a chance she didn't plan to waste.

Now, if she could just do something about Atemu and Touzoku Ou…

***

Atemu sighed, frustrated beyond belief.

What should I do? He wondered, having difficulty thinking straight. What can I do? I can do anything I want, but…what do I want?

He sighed. He wanted Touzoku Ou to be punished, of course. He wanted revenge for the defilement of his father's tomb, and for all the people who had died during their fights. But it was so difficult to think of a fit punishment, and knowing Aishisu's condition was no help.

She'll have to bear it, he decided at last, though subconsciously he had already decided this. We can't pass up this opportunity.

He sighed again, knuckling his forehead against a headache. Bracelet or no bracelet, that Horus-be-damned thief will probably escape in a few days. Then his eyes widened at a terrible possibility that came to mind unbidden. He might have escaped already.

***

Touzoku Ou didn't even glance away from the window when he heard the sound of Atemu's feet nearing. Dear Ammut, what does he want now? He wondered, glancing down at the iron bars on the ground. Damn. Maybe I should put those back on the window…

Atemu's jaw dropped as he stopped before the barred door, able quite easily to see that the bars on the window were gone. "H-How did you…?"

Touzoku Ou permitted himself the tiniest of smirks. "Thanks to you, I can't escape. No one said I couldn't open the window." His smirk widened ever so slightly. He had no hope as it was, why not taunt his enemy? "You must have a really crappy worker making these things."

Atemu's gaping mouth tightened into an angry line and his wide eyes narrowed. "Those 'things' were made by the best workers in the kingdom!"

"Well, then, then you must have a really crappy kingdom," he retorted, still gazing out the window and not glancing at Atemu.

Atemu clenched his teeth and entered the cell. "What are you staring at, anyway?" he demanded, storming forward. It barely took three steps to cover the ground between them. Grabbing Touzoku Ou by the shoulder, he spun him around to glare at the Thief King's face.

There was a sound, and they glanced at the barred door to see it had snapped shut. Touzoku Ou blinked. Atemu blinked. Touzoku Ou spoke.

"Please tell me you have the keys to that thing."

***

Priestess: And more of the evil cliffhangers. *Snickers*

Poem Dedication Thingy That I'll Be Doing Every Chapter:

You're the only one who knows the future
You're one who has lived it before
Some people may have an idea
But put all together, you still know more

But they don't understand
Don't realize what a mistake they're making
Only you know the truth
And so your heart is aching

You cannot reveal
What you know to be true
Can only hope everything wraps up
When this entire mess is through

But things keep getting worse
And only you realize
That the truth they don't know
Is right before their eyes

So you must keep your secret
And go on with the day
There is little you can do to help
You can only pray