Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Meskhenet ❯ Peret ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4

Peret (Planting and growing Season)

Soon enough, the hot Egyptian nights grew cooler and breezier with the coming of Peret, and even the scorching mid-afternoons became more bearable, at least enough so that the family did not need to spend most of their time on the rooftop, or at the river…

He awoke that morning to the feel of something warm, soft, furry, and purring like a motor, on top of his face…

"Uggghhh!!! Kuribo!." Disgusted, Seto roughly brushed the kitten off his face and sat up in bed, while spitting the hairballs out of his mouth.

The offended little kitten mewed and hopped off of Kaiba's lap and onto his bed. He was close to being fully weaned, and was now strong enough to make his way around the house… Unfortunately, he had also taken to sneaking into the young man's room every night, and using his pillow as his own bed!.

"Rotten little furball!," the young CEO growled, brushing what little kitten hair remained off his night shirt and pillow. Was it any wonder why he'd never allowed Mokuba to bring any pets into the mansion back in Domino?.

It was then that the door to his room opened, and in came Mariasha, Khu and Kiya…

"Ooo, look, he did it again," Khu chuckled, while Asha, following the sound of the purring, went over to Seto and scooped Kuribo up off of his bed.

The young burned girl gently stroked the kitten's fur with her scarred fingers. "Naughty naughty kitten," she scolded lovingly.

Kiya covered her mouth with her tiny hands and giggled, but she was a little disappointed Kuribo hadn't used the pillow to go bathroom like last time. That had been so funny!. To her at least!.

"Kids, I thought I told you to make sure this little pest didn't get into my room!," Kaiba crossed his arms, giving them a chastising look which amused little Khu and Kiya into putting on straight faces.

"We're sorry, Uncle Setty," Khu apologized. "He got away from us again."

"Got away!," Kiya echoed. "He got away from us, Uncle Setty!."

Sighing and shaking his head, the young CEO got out of bed, pulled back the sheer linen curtains and opened his window for the day, while Asha, ever helpful, set little Kuribo down and instructed the two younger children to help her make the bed.

"You know, you really shouldn't call me that," Seto said in a halfway bitter tone.

Khu paused and tilted her head. "Why not?," she wanted to know.

"Well, in the first place, I'm not really your uncle."

Asha sat herself down on the bed and Kuribo jumped up onto her lap, eager for more attention. "Well, Nephthys is not my birth mother, but I still call her Umayma."

Kaiba crossed his arms with a half-smile. "But you're going to be living here with her for the rest of your life, kiddo, and I'm not!. As soon as I find a way, I'm heading back to Domino City!."

At this, Khu and Kiya's faces fell in disappointment. "Oh…" Khu whispered…

"Hey," he said, his tone a little gentler. "Life's full of disappointments, you know. Everybody has to leave eventually."

Asha lowered her head sadly. I know…" she said softly. "I know…"

**********

Later that day, after finishing her routine check-ups in the village and at least two emergency calls, Nephthys found herself visiting her villas garden. The roses, lotuses and hibiscus had bloomed this summer, as beautiful as they ever were, along with the tamarisk, eucalyptus, acacia, poinciana and jacaranda, and she wanted to savoir them before the weather grew any colder and they withered away…

"That's it, now remember the stance and move your left arm like I showed you."

That was Seto's voice. She could easily recognize it by now. Curious, she made her way through the gardens and towards the pond where it was coming from…

There she found Kaiba and Mariasha. He was standing in front of her and guiding her arms into familiar movements that resembled the kind she herself had been taught at the temple of Eset… Not wanting to just barge in and disturb them , the lady of the house seated herself on the nearest stone bench and watched quietly…

"Alright," the young CEO instructed. "Now I'm going to come at you, so be ready for it and remember that blocking move."

Asha concentrated… She could hear him approaching her, sense his hand growing closer… Then in one lightning swift movement she raised her left arm and blocked him!.

"I did it!," she beamed proudly.

Seto grinned and tousled her hair affectionately. "You sure did, kiddo!. Great job!."

At this, Nephthys stood up and clapped. "Well done. Well done, Miw-Sher," she praised.

"Oh, I didn't know we had an audience," Kaiba turned around, surprised.

Asha smiled. She'd heard her foster mother's footsteps nearby, and smelled the familiar scent of her lotus perfume. "Thank you, Umayma. I thought that was you over there."

The lady of the house smiled back at the two of them. "I see you are starting to lose that blackness you had around your eyes, Anu," she observed.

The young CEO grinned. "That's because you said I didn't have to wear that silly kohl anymore, Vixen."

"I suppose so… but even without the kohl, you were still very dark around your eyes when you arrived…"

He just shrugged. He supposed that was true… After all, here in ancient Egypt he did not have to spend every waking minute, days and nights, working and overseeing Kaiba Corp business…He had to admit, in spite of everything, it was far more peaceful and restful here then in present day Domino… Of course, that just meant he'd have to work harder and more ruthlessly once he got back…

"Seto is teaching me martial arts, Umayma!," Asha spoke up proudly. "He says I'm doing really well!."

Nephthys nodded seriously. "I can see that, but you two are being careful, I hope." The last thing she wanted was to tend to more gashes, bruises or broken limbs today.

Seto crossed his arms with a half smile. "Hmmph, the kid's not made of glass, Kitsune. Besides, I'm just teaching her a few moves and how to block a strike."

"Noone would dare strike her while I am around," she wanted to answer back, but she realized that reply was dull-witted. She knew she could not always be there to protect her child every moment of the day, and neither could everyone else. Instead, she crossed her arms and gave Kaiba a cynical grin. "And you are a martial arts master, I suppose, Anu?."

"Of course," he answered defensively. "I already told you I was an expert."

"So you did… Hmmm, would you care to have a practice match then, Seto Kaiba?."

At this, the young CEO crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Are you joking?. You couldn't possibly know how to..."

"I know the movements you were teaching Asha," Nephthys cut him off matter-of-factly. "And if Japanese martial arts are anything like Ku-Ta, then I should be an equal match for you." Indeed, Set himself had instructed her in martial arts.(78)

Before he could say anything in reply, Asha clapped her hands together in delight!. "A match!," she exclaimed excitedly. "This should be fun!." She knew her foster mother was experienced in Ku-Ta, and she had been wondering how a sparring match between Nephthys and Seto would turn out ever since he'd started teaching her the basic movements!.

Before long, Si-Amun, Mutnodjmet and Khu and Kiya had arrived in the garden to join Asha, and all five were watching with interest…

But Kaiba and Nephthys's attention were focussed on eachother… Almost in unison, they made ready for the coming spar… Nephthys took off her shawl, revealing strong, slender shoulders, then she tossed it onto the bench, at almost the same time Seto took off his green shirt, revealing his plain white undershirt, and tossed it beside her shawl…

Kaiba was the one to act first though… He approached Nephthys, both arms raised in attack position… but the lady of the house, in one lightning swift movement, blocked his attack with an upwards motion of her own arms and ducked to avoid his next strike…

The young CEO raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Mmm, not to bad for a former priestess."

The sentence was barely out of his mouth when Nephthys suddenly struck out with her left leg, catching him off balance and tripping him to the ground!.

She knelt by him with a coy smile. "Thank you, Anu. A priestess of Eset doesn't get all her education in just music and dancing."

"Heh, I've noticed," he answered ruefully.

The children, from the sidelines, laughed and cheered. What a show this was turning out to be!.

The next moment, Seto and Nephthys were both on their feet and facing eachother again… The lady of the house lashed out with another swift kick, but this time Kaiba was ready for her!. He managed to catch her foot in mid-swing!. She nodded in approval, and he released it.

"I have to say, you are obviously well-trained," Nephthys commented wryly as they circled eachother like cats about to pounce. "How did you learn movements like that?."

At this, he tensed slightly. "My stepfather… He had me train with a different sensei(79) every month when I was a kid…"

Not noticing the clapping and whistles from Asha and the other children at the moment, they each prepared for another round by getting into their own stances… This time, the young CEO was the one to take the initiative by coming out with a fierce kick, but his agile young opponent was able to dance nimbly out of it's way…

Now it was her turn… As soon as Seto was close enough, Nephthys aimed a downwards strike at him with her left arm, but her opponent was fast enough to block it this time…

"You're holding back," he observed, seizing her arms and preventing her attack.

"Yes," she answered, matter of factly, even though she was grinning… Their faces were only inches apart now… She didn't bother to pull away…

He grinned back slightly. "Don't."(80)

**********

Soon, exhausted from their sparring, both Seto and Nephthys decided to call it even and take a rest… The weather was getting cooler, and there were numerous trees for shade, so they needed no canopy, but mats and pillows were still arranged for everyone to sit on, and Mutnodjmet brought out a freshly made jug of pomegranate and passion fruit juice for refreshment…

Later, Nephthys brought out and tuned her small harp, and, to Seto's surprise and the children's delight, she began to play a number of traditional Egyptian tunes and songs, to which Asha, Khu and Kiya happily clapped and danced along…

"Oh Thou holy and eternal savior of the human race.

Thou bestowest a mother's tender affections on the misfortunes of unhappy mortals.

Thou dispellest the storms of life and strechest forth Thy right hand of salvation by which Thou unravelest even the inextricably tangled web of Fate.

Thou turnest the Earth in its orb.

Thou givest light to the Sun.

Thou rulest the world.

Thou readest Death underfoot.

To Thee the stars are responsive.

By Thee the seasons turn and the gods rejoice and the elements are in subjection."(81)

Kaiba had to admit, the lady of the house certainly had a beautiful voice… It made him think of how his mother had sung and played on the traditional Japanese instruments for Mokuba and him when they were little…

"Uncle Setty," little Khu piped up after the last song was done. "Do you know any Jap…an…ese songs?."

Kiya clapped her tiny hands in enthusiasm. "Japny songs! Japny songs!," she urged.

"Uhhh… No… No, I don't think so, kid…" the young CEO shook his head ruefully. He really wasn't much for music or singing.(82)

Nephthys smiled as she plucked leisurely at the strings of her harp. "Come now, Anu. It would please us greatly to hear some songs from Japan, besides," she added wryly, "It may make you less homesick for your little island."

Maybe it would… On the other hand, for some reason, he felt no real "homesickness" for Domino City or the Kaiba Mansion… Yes, he wanted to get back to the life he was accustomed to, claim his title back from Yugi and avenge his little brother, but that wasn't really the same…

Finally, after much pleading from the children, Seto decided teaching them a little Japanese music wouldn't hurt… After all, he supposed Nephthys's harp and flute weren't all that much different from the traditional Koto(83) and Shakuhachi(84)…

He taught Nephthys and the children the notes and lyrics to one of the easier songs to play, and soon the lady of the house was playing it as though she had always known it, while Si-Amun, Mutnodjmet and the children sang along…

Sakura! Sakura!
(Cherry blossoms! Cherry blossoms!)

Yayoi no sora wa
(Under the April sky)

Miwatasu kagiri
(As far as you can see)

Kasumi ka Kumo ka
(Like mists or clouds)

Nioi zo izuru
(Blooming fragrantly)

Iza ya! Iza ya!
(Let us go! Let us go!)

Mi ni yukan
(Let us go to see them)

Saita sakura
(After seeing the cherry blossoms)

Hanamite modoro
(Let us return home)

Yoshino wa sakura
(Yoshino for cherry blossoms)

Tatsuta wa momiji
(Tatsuta for maple trees)

Karasaki no matsu
(Karasaki for pine trees)

Tokiwa! Tokiwa!
(Forever! Forever!)

Iza yukan
(Let us go)(85)

"That is lovely," Mutnodjmet smiled. Indeed, this Japan had beautiful tunes and songs. Soon it would be time to start sewing the fields and she was looking forward to next summer when the new leaves and blossoms would be back again.(86)

Kaiba shrugged. "It's as old as the hills where I come from. Everyone knows it, and any idiot can play it."

"Watch your toung, Pentaware," Nephthys scolded with a chuckle, playfully swatting his shoulder. "Or you'll be getting another martial arts lesson from me, and this time I won't be so easy on you!."

The children giggled and everyone laughed at that!. And for once, the young CEO couldn't help but laugh with them!.

**********

"This is delicious!," Mariasha exclaimed after taking a bite of her fish. She'd never tasted Yakizakana(87), or any kind of Japanese dish, before, and was glad Si-Amun and Mutnodjmet had convinced him to cook tonight!.

Kaiba gave her a rueful smile. It had been difficult, trying to think of something to cook, particularly since he wasn't much of a chef and had been paying people to do his cooking for him for the better part of six years, but the roasted fish hadn't been as hard to prepare as he'd expected, unless you counted the ridiculously primitive ancient Egyptian ovens and complete lack of soy sauce. He was just glad Nephthys's fisherman friend, Nakhti, had been willing to share part of the days catch of Nile Perch!.

"It is good," Nephthys agreed. Then she winked at the young CEO. "We should have our anu cook for us more often!."

At this, he raised his hands in defense. "Oh no! Don't go expecting this to be a regular thing!. I'm the president of Kaiba Corp, not a chef!."

Mutnodjmet shook her head with a chuckle. "Only you, Lady Nephthys!. You must be the only noblewoman and priestess in Khemet who would eat fish caught from the Nile!. What is next, pork?"(88)

"Oh, nonsense, dear Mut!," the lady of the house laughed after taking a sip of her wine. "You know I have never touched pork a day in my life, but we must show our gratitude for the fish the Great Hapi(89) provides us with."

As everyone continued chatting away easily over dinner, nobody seemed to notice the change in the tiny kitten, Kuribo… His eyes flashed a strange yellow light, and the eye-shaped symbol of the Millenium Items appeared on his furry brow… With an almost human-like expression of cunning and malice on his whiskered, feline face, he turned and quietly slipped out of the dining area…

**********

That evening, to everyone's surprise, the sky filled up with dark clouds and released a cold winter rain upon Egypt… Nephthys was especially pleased. Rain certainly did not come often here, and this would make the ground softer and more fertile for sewing…

Soon night had fallen… The household lamps and hearth were lit, and the windows had been shut against the rain, which could be heard pitter pattering against the roof, and the slight winter chill…

Seto gazed around the room… Si-Amun cradled and rocked a sleepy little Kiya in his arms and Mutnodjmet was patiently teaching Khu how to mend a tare in one of her dresses… Nephthys played a number of soft, lulling songs on her flute while Asha contently rested her head on her foster mother's lap… Over by the small hearth Tahemet and her growing kittens, all but that pesky Kuribo, were sleeping and purring away…

In spite of himself, he thought back to the times before his parents had died… In the evenings his father, Ichiro, would sometimes come home with a game or toy or two from the store where he worked, and he'd play with him. His mother, Adina, would play the piano for everyone, or she'd play a few rounds of chess with her husband and son, often teasing Ichiro that five-year-old Seto did better against her in chess then he did!. Kaiba shook his head… After everything that had happened since leaving the orphanage, being adopted by Gozaburo and enduring nearly five years of his sadistic training methods, taking over Kaiba Corp, his first humiliating loss at Duel Monsters to Yugi, the horrible events of Duelist Kingdom, where he had lost something far more important then a game, meeting Isis and making the preparations for Battle City, and now, stuck in ancient Egypt for who knew how long, those memories seemed distant and alien, as though they had happened to another person and not him…

"Kuribo?… Kuribo?…" Asha's voice distracted him from his thoughts. The young girl had risen from Nephthys's lap and was stroking the kittens. "Where are you, kitty kitty?…"

"I think he must have gone upstairs to Uncle Setty's bed again," little Khu suggested.

At this, the young CEO rose up from his seat. "He'd better not be!."

"Oh, calm down, Anu!," Nephthys chuckled, grabbing the end of his shenti and pulling him back down. "The girls will find him, won't you, my dears?."

"Yes, Umayma," Asha smiled, as Khu took her hand. Together, they made their way upstairs to find the kitten…

"And if that flea-bitten thing's made another mess on my bed again, he's crocodile food!," Seto called threateningly after them.

Nephthys shook her head ruefully. "I cannot understand why Kuribo tries to sneak into your room of all places anyway, Pentaware."

"Hey!," he shot her an amusingly indignant look, making her laugh.

Minutes later, the girls returned, worried.

"We can't find him anywhere upstairs," Asha said with a concerned frown.

"He wasn't even in Uncle Setty's room," little Khu added.

At this, Nephthys's brow creased with worry. "Really?. I hope he hasn't wandered outside. It's a terrible night for a little kitten to be out all alone."

While Si-Amun and Mutnodjmet put little Kiya to bed and Seto griped about "All this fuss being made over a troublemaking furball," Nephthys, Mariasha and Khu searched the entire downstairs area for the kitten… but there was not a single trace of Kuribo anywhere...

"Oh dear," the lady of the house shook her head. "He must be outside in the rainstorm, poor thing."

"We have to go and find him," Khu piped up, and Asha nodded in agreement.

"Alright then," Nephthys quickly slipped into her sandals and pulled her warm cloak over her dress. "I'm sure he wouldn't have wandered far from the house in this weather anyway."

"Just the same, I'm going with you," came Kaiba's voice from behind them.

Khu nudged Asha, who giggled quietly, while the lady of the house helped them on with their own sandals and cloaks.

"And here I could have sworn you didn't like Kuribo," Nephthys gave the young CEO a wry glance as he did up his own coat over his Egyptian clothing.

"Hmmph," He scowled. "I don't, but I can't just let two little girls and a fox go out alone on a night like this." Then he grabbed one of the lamps from nearby and brushed past them out the door.

Nephthys rolled her eyes and took each of the children's hands in hers. "Did you have to put it that way," she muttered as she followed him out the door and into the rainy night(90)…

**********

Together, they searched through the pouring rain, around the villa grounds, even the horse's stable, where they assumed Kuribo may be hunting mice, but after nearly half an hour there was still no trace of the little kitten…

"Poor Kuribo must be so wet and miserable by now," Khu said sadly, and Nephthys and Mariasha both patted her shoulder and squeezed her hand to reassure her.

Seto rolled his eyes. Like he wasn't?. "Then "poor Kuribo" should have had the sense to stay inside," he muttered, raising the lamp a little higher...

"Miew?…" came a tiny sound that resembled more of a squeal…

At the sound of the kitten's cries, everyone spun around… It was Kuribo!.

"Kuribo!." Little Khu cried joyfully. In a moment of childish rashness, she broke from Nephthys's side and hurried towards the kitten…

But Kuribo was already frightened and startled by the storm… In a flash, he turned and raced out of the shelter of the stable…

"Kuribo! Wait, kitty!," Khu cried after him.

"You wait!," Nephthys grabbed the little girl's hand before she could follow. "You're not going anywhere without us, young lady."

Asha nodded. "That's right, it's to easy to get lost and caught in the storm."

"Then come on! Come on!," Khu tugged Nepthhys's arm hurriedly. "We have to find Kuribo!."

They all exited the barn in search of the kitten and Kaiba followed after them, rolling his eyes and asking himself again and again why he was even bothering…

The kittens and their mother sometimes snuck down to the river to hunt for frogs and such, so Nephthys suggested they try there. The children agreed, and soon they were all heading down the path, made wet and muddy by the rain, towards the Great Hapi…

This time of year, the river was potentially dangerous… As it went down, the waves and currents became stronger and could easily pull an animal, or person, down along with it…

Once they reached the shores, young Mariasha straightened and squeezed her foster mother's hand. "I… I think I hear him, Umayma…"

"Miew?!…"

Little Khu glanced around until she spotted a tiny figure struggling in the water… "Kuribo!."

Before either Seto or Nephthys could stop her, she'd pulled herself free from them and ran into the water after her beloved kitten…

"Khu, no!," the lady of the house cried, but before she could go after her, Asha, without a thought for her own safety, had already followed the younger girl into the river…

While Nephthys hurried further into the river after them, Asha did her best to fight the current and reach Khu, who had already plucked little Kuribo out of the water, but was starting to have trouble touching the bottom with her feet and keeping her own head above the water…

It was then that a sudden rush of a wave overcame them, throwing all three off their feet and immediately overpowering Asha and Khu. Nephthys was a strong enough swimmer, but the children and kitten were caught in the current…

"No!," the lady of the house cried as the children and Kuribo were swept farther away from her reach.

"Umayma! Seto!," Asha called, trying to fight the current and keep Khu and Kuribo's heads above the water at the same time. "Help!."

"Lady Neffy! Uncle Setty!," little Khu cried. "Help! Help!."

"Seto!," a little boy's voice blended in with the girl's cries…

Kaiba stared ahead of him, as if in a trance… It was happening again… It was happening all over again…

"Help, Seto!. Please help me!."

His eyes widened… It was not young Asha he saw, struggling in the water... It was Mokuba!.

"Brother! Please! You promised! You promised to help me!."

"No!," the young CEO screamed, falling to his knees on the riverbank. He shut his eyes and covered his ears to drown out his little brother's cries. "No! No! Stop!."

"Don't let me down!," he could still hear Mokuba's voice pleading with him. "Help me!. Big brother!."

"You're rotton to the core, Kaiba, just like that dragon!." Now it was the angry, accusing voice of his younger self he heard. "Why, Seto? Why didn't you help him?!. You promised to always be there for him! You promised him, Seto Kaiba! You promised!."

"Nooo!!!," Seto screamed, his eyes snapping open as he took his hands away from his ears. "Mokubaaa!!!." He sprang to his feet and ran directly into the churning river…

Nephthys had finally managed to get a hold of Khu and Kuribo, but Asha had been swept even further along by the current, and it was dragging her under…

"Mariasha!," the lady of the house cried in horror as she saw her child's head sink beneath the waves. "Miw-sher!." Then, to her shock, she saw Kaiba swimming past her, towards the drowning girl…

"Mokuba! Mariasha! Mokuba! Mariasha!," he cried, repeating the two children's names as if they were one and the same. "Mokuba! Mariasha!."

The young CEO fought against the waves, took a deep breath and dived down… He saw Asha only a few feet away… She was still struggling against the current, fighting to make her way back to the surface, but any minute now her strength would be spent and she would black out from lack of air…

With a heave, he swam towards her, ready to take a hold of her arms and pull her back up to the surface… but, when he was almost there, the worn string that held his locket suddenly broke… Seto desperately tried to grasp his locket as the current carried it away downstream, but it slipped through his hands like the water…

"No! This can't be happening!," he screamed in his mind. That locket was all he had left of Mokuba, of his family!. It was the only real link to his present life back in Domino!. He couldn't lose it!. He just couldn't!.

Immediately, Kaiba went to swim after the locket… But it was then he realized that he'd briefly forgotten about Asha… He couldn't see her eyes behind the bandages, but he knew they were closed, as she had already stopped trying to reach the surface…

Silently cursing to himself, he seized the now unconscious girl around her waist and started swimming upwards, fighting against the current to reach the surface…

But then, the shine of his locket in the brief flash of moonlight caught his eye… It was disappearing fast down into the darkness of the nighttime river… He may never have a chance to get it back again… If he didn't go after it now, he would lose all that remained of his little brother…

He looked back at Asha… Her body was light and limp in his arms… Her face was pale and expressionless… He'd seen that look before… Once again, it was not Mariasha he was seeing, but Mokuba…

Never again!. The young CEO gritted his teeth in sudden determination. Never again would he abandon a child to die because of his own selfish whims!. He had already burned her and taken away her first family and her sight from her. Was that not enough?.

Turning away from his departing locket, he gripped Asha tightly under one arm and fought his way through the current with his other arm, kicking and struggling back up to the surface…

Finally, after what seemed like ages to him, his feet touched the bottom and his head came above water… He hurriedly carried the unconscious little girl to shore where a frantic Nephthys and Khu were waiting…

For a moment, just a brief moment, the young man thought he saw the form of a young woman in the shadows behind Nephthys and Khu… There was something about the robes, the headdress, and the long flowing hair that seemed familiar to him somehow, but it was to dark to see her properly, and now was not the time to be racking his memory…

"Ashy! Ashy!," the younger girl cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Miw-sher!." The lady of the house was crying with worry as well.

They approached, but Seto motioned them away. "Stay back, we need room here!."

Quickly, he dropped to his knees on the ground and felt Asha's wrist and neck… His face relaxed slightly once he realized there was still a pulse, but only barely…

"Come on, kiddo!. Don't do this to me!. You can make it!." He then laid the child down and covered her nose with one hand while pushing her stomach and chest with the other…

Finally, to everyone's relief, Asha began to move and her breathing became stronger. She sputtered and coughed up the water she had swallowed. "Umayma…" she gasped weakly, reaching out for Nephthys as Kaiba helped her sit up.

The lady of the house took her child into her arms, practically shaking with joy and relief. "I'm here, Miw-sher," she soothed, rocking Asha back and forth and stroking her hair. "It's alright now."

"Ashy! Ashy, you're okay!," little Khu cried happily. Still holding Kuribo, she gave the older girl an awkward hug and Nephthys put her other arm around her lovingly.

"Thank Eset all of you are safe," she breathed.

Meanwhile, the young CEO stood nearby and watched the happy scene… It was on the tip of his toung to break in and point out that the vixen had him to thank for Ashas rescue, but he turned his gaze to the rushing river instead…

"Seto?," came Mariasha's voice…

He turned and knelt by her and the others. "Hey, kid. You alright?." He noticed that the mysterious woman in the shadows was gone now... Maybe it had just been his imagination playing tricks on him...

"Yes," she nodded. "I'm alright." Then she smiled and reached out to touch his face. "Thanks to you."

At this, Seto shook his head. "No, I don't deserve your gratitude."

"Anu?." Nephthys gave him a look that was halfway between questioning and scolding.

Asha frowned and tilted her head in confusion. "But you saved me..." She then lowered her hand to his neck. "You're not wearing your necklace…" she observed.

Kaiba was silent for a few moments… He looked over the girls's heads and his eyes met Nephthys's…

"No, kiddo," he finally answered quietly. "I… I lost it…"

"You lost it?." This surprised her!. Hadn't that necklace been his most important possession, and the only thing he had left of his brother?.

The young CEO and the lady of the house helped her to her feet while Khu held onto Kuribo, determined not to let him run away from her again.

"That's right, I lost it… but it's no big deal…" Seto forced himself to say.

"Now now," Nephthys spoke up, taking charge of the situation and placing her cloak and shawl around the two little girls. "That's enough chatting out here in the rain. Everyone is safe, and we've found Kuribo, so we'd all best get back to the villa to dry off and warm up."

"Yes," Asha nodded with a weary smile. "Let's all go home."

**********

They took the children and the kitten back to the villa as fast as they could. Once there little Khu was cared for by her grandparents, who changed her into dry clothes, fed her fresh bread, still warm from the oven, and warm milk, and sent her to bed with Kiya, while Kuribo was dried off with a warm towel, given his own bowl of fresh milk, and placed back with his mother and the rest of the litter.

Meanwhile, Nephthys and Seto saw to Mariasha. They gave her warm beef and vegetable broth and milk, changed her into a dry nightdress, with a dry bandage around her eyes, and put her to bed as well…

"I'm sorry," young Asha apologized wearily as she took a sip of her warm milk. Khu and I should have never jumped into Great Hapi after Kuribo." She'd never felt so guilty in her life!. Not only had she and Khu put themselves in danger and upset Umayma and the others, but they'd caused Seto to lose his necklace, his most precious possession, all he had left of his little brother!.

Kaiba sighed and sat down at the edge of the bed. "Well, I know how much cats are worshipped here, kiddo, but was that really worth you and Khu almost drowning back there?."

For a moment the girl was silent… then she shook her head. "No, I guess not."

"Exactly," he answered, matter of factly. He'd already seen one child die because of him, and there was no way he would let himself go through that again!.

After she had finished her milk, Asha placed her cup on the table beside her bed. "You lost your necklace back there," she said sadly. "I'm sorry. I know it was all you had left of Mokuba… If it hadn't been for Khu and I… you would still have it…" Her voice trailed off guiltily…

The young CEO looked away and said nothing for a few moments… Then he turned back to the child and tenderly brushed a few stray bangs of hair from her face. "Don't blame yourself or Khu for that, kid. I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but I'd rather have the two of you safe then that locket."

At that, she cracked a smile. "Really?."

"Really," he answered. Shockingly, he realized that he'd meant what he said!.

Relieved, the little girl opened her arms and threw them around Seto in an embrace. "Thank you, Seto," she said.

Startled at this, he could only manage to reach out and stroke her hair once, very lightly… "Uhhh… You're welcome…"

"I love you," Asha declared, smiling up at him and raising her scarred hands to touch his face..

Kaiba barely managed to swallow back a gasp, and his eyes went wide with shock!.

"I love you, just like I love Umayma and the others," she finished.

The young CEO closed his eyes for a moment and took a breath…He really didn't know what to say to that… "Uhh… Thanks, kiddo…" he finally managed to get out. The truth was, no one had ever really said that to him for as long as he could remember, aside from his late parents and Mokuba…

The little girl took his hands in hers… "Seto… I… I know I could never replace your little brother… and you won't be here for long because you'll be going back to Japan… but… would you be my big brother too?… at least while you're here?… Please?…"

"Asha… I… I don't know what to say, kid…" he whispered. "I've never had a little sister before…"

"And I've never had a big brother before," the child replied slowly, hesitantly, as if waiting for him to shake his head and refuse her request… but he didn't, and she let out a breath of relief. "What did Mokuba call you, Seto?."

Seto smiled slightly. "Well, sometimes he called me "Big brother" or "Niisama."(91)

"Niisama," she tested the word on her toung, then she chuckled. "I like it!. May I call you that, at least while you're here?."

Kaiba nodded. "If you like." She wouldn't love him, or want him for her brother, if she knew the truth, he thought somberly to himself…

Satisfied, Mariasha settled down against her pillow while her newly appointed "big brother" turned out the lamp. "Thank you. Goodnight, Niisama," she smiled sleepily.

Smiling a little in return, the young CEO tucked the warm linen sheets over her shoulders. "Goodnight, Imouto,"(92) he whispered, gently brushing a few stray tendrils of hair away from her scarred face…

**********

On his way down the hall he met up with Si-Amun and Mutnodjmet, who had just finished putting little Khu and Kiya to bed…

"How's Khu?," Seto asked. If that episode at the river had been hard on ten year old Asha, he expected it would have been just as hard on a five year old, if not harder.

"She is fine," the elderly woman answered with a nod. "Thank you for asking."

"Everything should be alright after a good nights sleep," her husband added. "How is Mariasha?."

Kaiba brushed his bangs from his eyes wearily. "She should be alright too, no thanks to that cat. Those kids have had a pretty rough night."

At this, Si-Amun and Mutnodjmet looked at eachother, then the elderly woman fixed her soft, brown eyed gaze on him again. "And what about you, young man?."

"Hmmph, what about me?." The young CEO crossed his arms.

"Khu tells me that you lost your necklace back at the river while saving Asha," the elderly man said. "I am very sorry."

"Yes, priorities are priorities, but we know that necklace was all that remained of your little brother... your family…"

The young man lowered his eyes slightly… "It doesn't matter… Both Mokuba and that locket are gone now, and there's nothing I can do about it… No sense in being a weakling and crying and whining about it…"

He went to brush past them, but Si-Amun put a gentle, yet restraining hand on his shoulder…

"Remember," the older man said, not unkindly. "No matter how strong or powerful you may think you are, you're still just a sixteen year old boy, and a human being."

"Yes," his wife added. "Please, do not ever try to be anything more then that."

At this, Seto pulled his shoulder and arm away. "I can take care of myself," he snapped as he walked away from them. "I don't need you, or anyone else, feeling sorry for me."

"Then perhaps it's about time someone did," Mutnodjmet called after him…

He ignored that… He just kept walking down the hallway and up the stairs to the rooftop… The fresh air would help him think more clearly… Why?, he asked himself. Why were these people trying to reach out to him when they knew he would be leaving this place the first chance he got?… Soon he'd be back in Domino, soon he'd get the chance to punish Pegasus and the Big Five and reclaim his title from Yugi… So why did he find himself looking forward to it less and less?…

He arrived on the rooftop and immediately felt the cold winter breeze. He was glad he'd been wearing his Egyptian garments earlier, so he could wear his modern day trousers, shirt and shoes while they dried. His coat was still dry from when he'd thrown it on the bank before going in after Asha and Khu.

Instead of sitting on the chairs under the canopy, he seated himself at the end of the roof and let his legs hang over the edge… The storm had recently subsided and the sky was clearing… Millions of bright stars, washed clean by the rain, were revealed as the clouds began to drift away…

"Anu, are you up here?," came a familiar voice nearby…

He turned to see Nephthys coming up the stairs. Had she been following him?.

"What do you want, Kitsune?," he asked irritably as the lady of the house approached him. He hadn't exactly been in the mood for company at the moment.

In response, she seated himself beside him. "It's awfully cold to be outside right now, isn't it?."

Seto just shrugged. "At least it's clearing up, and I never minded the cold."

"That I believe," Nephthys commented with a roll of her eyes.

"Hmmph! Is that why you followed me up here? To shoot insults at me?."

She shook her head. "No, as a matter of fact, I followed you up here to thank you. Mariasha and Khu both owe you their lives."

Now it was Kaiba's turn to shake his head. "Forget it. You saved them too, you know."

"Yes," she answered. "But without your help, we would have lost either Asha or Khu tonight in the river… I'm just sorry you had to lose that locket of yours in the process…"

The young CEO just bit the inside of his lip and said nothing in reply…

"But I think I may have something else you might be interested in," Nephthys continued… It was then that he realized she had a small wooden box in her hands… She handed it to him with a knowing smile. "Here."

"And why would I be interested in a silly box?," Seto demanded.

The lady of the house crossed her arms. Men!. You always had to spell everything out to them!. "Open it and see, Anu."

Curious, in spite of himself, he lifted the lib of the box… His eyes went wide with astonishment and disbelief, and he let out a startled gasp!. In the box, staring up at him, were the familiar faces of his three Blue Eyes White Dragons and that Egyptian God card, Obelisk The Tormentor!.

"What?!," Kaiba practically shouted. "It's my Blue Eyes! And Obelisk!. Nephthys, where did you get these?!."

"From you, the first night after you arrived here," she answered matter-of-factly.

He turned at stared at her, half in anger and half in shock. "Are you joking?. You mean to say you stole these cards from me and have been hiding them all this time?."

"No!," she narrowed her eyes and tilted her head in indignance. "I found them on you that first night, and I've been keeping them safe until I was sure I could trust you."

"And I just proved you could trust me by helping to save those kids, right?," he finished for her. He was beginning to understand now.

The lady of the house nodded. "Precisely. I hope you don't think I meant to keep the wretched things for myself. I detest the Shadow Games, remember?."

"I see," the young CEO said, half under his breath. He would have wanted to yell and scold the woman for hoarding his best cards from him all this time, and for calling them wretched, but she had given them back after all, and he had learned better then to pick an argument with Nephthys by now…

He studied her as she sat next to him… Her shoulders trembled slightly as another breeze went by. He guessed she hadn't bothered to get her cloak or shawl before following him up to the rooftop…

Slowly, as if anticipating a slap to the face as a reaction, he took off his coat and handed it to her… "Here."

To his surprise, she accepted. "Thank you, Seto Kaiba" she smiled as she draped the coat over her shoulders. It was like the time he'd given her that little paper crane, which was now placed on a special table in her room.

"You're welcome," he answered, instead of the usual "Forget it", and smiled back... Then he brushed his bangs away from his forehead thoughtfully… "But, do you think you could call me Seto Nozomi?… That was my real family name before I was adopted…"

"Hmmm… I will consider it…" Nephthys answered. After all, here names were important, not just something to be called by. One's entire soul and being was in their name, and they must be very careful to earn the right to change it.

Finally, after a few moments of thoughtful silence, the lady of the house pointed to the night sky. "Look, It's clearing more, and you can see Sopdet."(93)

Seto tilted his head in confusion. "Sopdet?."

"The most important star in the charts," she explained.

"Oh," he nodded in realization. "You mean Syrius."

"If that is what you call it where you come from, then yes," Nephthys answered. Then she gestured to a number of other stars. "And those are Sah(94) and Soped."(95)

By this time, the sky had almost completely cleared… Seto and Nephthys remained on the rooftop for a few more minutes, talking and pointing out the different stars and constellations to eachother, the different decons,(96) and the Imperishable Ones(97) to the north. Kaiba was surprised to learn that, even in ancient Egypt, at least five known planets were being watched and studied.(98)

Neither of them noticed little Kuribo watching them from the shadows… His eyes gleamed golden yellow, and the eye-shaped symbol of the Millenium Items appeared once again on his forehead…

**********

Through the kitten's eyes, he watched his future incarnation and his former betrothed get up and make their way back into the house… Nephthys was still wearing Seto's coat, draped over her shoulders for warmth…

Shaking his head in amusement and bewilderment, Priest Set then released little Kuribo from the power of his Millenium Rod. He had been seeing everything that went on in Nephthys's household ever since the kitten had been taken in, and Kuribo had proved an ideal vessel, not to mention a useful one for toying with that viper and her little houseguest from the future…

He smirked to himself. It was ironic. In fact, it was so ironic that it was almost hilarious!. His future self was this scrawny orphan boy who not only knew next to nothing of the power of the Millenium Items and God Monsters, but did not even believe in them?. Yet, he had brought three creatures that looked like they belonged to the shadow game's dueling tablets, three white dragons with blue eyes, and even the mighty Obelisk The Tormentor, with him into Khemet!.

But the part that made him want to laugh out loud was that Nephthys, the one who had tried to stop his attack on that worthless Hittite village, the one who had personally annulled their betrothal and left Waset just to get away from him, had taken this lost soul into her home and was starting to actually have feelings for him!. Even a blind little urchin like that Asha could see that he had the same feelings for her as well, regardless of how they each tried to convince themselves otherwise…

"So, my dear," he said to himself as he rubbed his thumb thoughtfully against the handle of the Millenium Rod. "It looks like you cannot stop me from being a part of your life no matter what you do. If it isn't my present self, then it will be my future self, hmmm?."

Not that he really minded being replaced by his less worthy future incarnation in Nephthys's heart. Seto Kaiba may be younger, weaker and more foolish then himself, but they were still connected... Besides, perhaps Priest Akunadin was right… The boy, and Nephthys, may yet prove useful to him… Perhaps it was time to put them through another little test…

Next

(78) Over the past centuries, Chinese and Japanese men and women have become the most eminent and recognized for martial arts... However researchers believe the first record of a martial (combative) science is found in ancient Egypt. This science was an art called Ku-Ta, meaning "Defender of the King". By 3000 B.C., this martial knowledge was exposed and taught to the ancient Elamites and the Akkadians, who eventually founded the first Chinese dynasties. Soon after, the ancient Egyptian fighting art, Ku-Ta, evolved into the Chinese art, Kuntao, meaning "Way of the fist".

(79) Teacher

(80) If you've seen "Daredevil", then by now you can probably tell that this whole sequence was inspired by the scene in which Matt and Elektra first meet.

(81) Actual ancient hymn to Isis.

(82) Kind of an in-joke, as Eric Stuart, the voice of Seto Kaiba in the English dub, actually performs in his own band.

(83) The Japanese koto is a harp-like zither about six feet long made of paulownia wood from the Japanese kiri tree. The koto is said to resemble a dragon and even today, the koto's body parts are still referred to as dragon-head, dragon-back, dragon-legs, etc. The koto's thirteen strings are made of silk or nylon and are each of the same thickness. Each string is tuned by a moveable bridge made of ivory or plastic, shaped like an inverted Y. Two sounding holes are bored out of the backboard. The koto is played with three plectra or picks made of ivory or plastic fitted into leather bands which are placed on the right hand's index finger, middle finger and thumb. Traditionally, the koto scale is pentatonic (five notes excluding the octave), and the most popular traditional Japanese tuning is called "hirajoshi," literally "tranquil tuning," D Eb G A Bb D. The koto produces the purest musical tone of the traditional Japanese stringed instruments; however, there are many special techniques of koto which produce added musical effects in accordance with Japanese taste, such as scraping and hitting the strings with the plectra.

(84) The shakuhachi is an end-blown bamboo flute with four holes on the front and one on the back. The standard length of 1.8 Japanese feet (54.5 cm) is found in the name of the instrument: "shaku"-foot and "hachi"-eight. The instrument is made from the lowest section of the bamboo. The average diameter of the pipe is 4-5 cm and the inside is almost cylindrical. By various fingerings, half-holing, and controlling the angle of the mouthpiece against the lip, all 12 chromatic tones can be produced. The mellow timbre of the thick bamboo is the basic characteristic of the instrument.

(85) "Sakura", "Cherry Blossoms", is one of the best known melodies of Japan. Originally it was an old urban popular tune known by the name of "Saita Sakura". It is also one of the most popular children's songs. Arranged by Ongaku Torishirabe-gakari during the Meiji Era, this song was included in the "Sokyoku Shu" ("Collection of Japanese Koto Music", Vol. 1, Tokyo, 1888), and has been used for beginners of the koto ever since.

(86) The ancient Egyptians are believed to be the first to have created a rational solar calendar. The ancient Egyptian calendar was made up of three seasons, each made up of four months, dependant upon the cycles of the Nile; Akhet (Season of flooding, Autumn) Peret (Season of planting and growth, Winter) and Shemu (Season of harvest, Summer) as you have probably already figured out by now from the chapter titles.

(87) In Japan, fish is not only eaten raw, it is also appreciated roasted. In particular, for the special New Year's Day's meal, salmon and sea-bream, roasted then coated with shôyu, soy sauce, are traditionally served as an auspicious dish.

(88) The wealthier, upper class Egyptians would refuse fish from the Nile and pork, declaring them unclean. Herodotus has a lot to say about pigs, including the following: "If anyone touches a pig accidentally in passing, he will at once plunge into the river, clothes and all, to wash himself; and swineherds (pig farmers), though of pure Egyptian blood, are the only people in the country who never enter a temple, nor is there an intermarriage between them and the rest of the community."

(89) "Sweet water", another name for the Nile, and the name of the Nile God itself.

(90) *Laughs* A Sano and Megumi reference there!. Sorry! Just couldn't resist!.

(91) A more formal, respectful term for an older brother. In the Japanese version of the show, this is how Mokuba refers to Seto. Other forms are "Oniisan" and "Niisan" (more casual terms) or "Oniichan" and "Niichan" (informal and childlike terms)

(92) "Little sister", never used with "Chan" or "Kun" except with the purpose to look her down.

(93) The goddess Sopdet was the personification of the "dog star", known to the Greeks as Seirios (Sirius). Sopdet was the most important star to the Ancient Egyptians, and was known as a decon. Together with her husband Sah (Orion), and her son Soped, Sopdet formed part of a divine triad which paralleled that of Osiris, Isis and Horus.

(94) The god Sah was the personification of the constellation later known as Orion. Sah was described as "the glorious soul of Osiris" and formed a divine triad with the dog star Sopdet and their son Soped, god of the "eastern border".

(95) The son of Sopdet and Sah, Soped was a hawk-god and personification of the eastern frontier of Egypt.

(96) The Ancient Egyptians would divide night sky into 36 groups of star-gods or constellations. These groups were known as decons, and each specific decon rose above the horizon at dawn for a period of ten days every year. The ceilings of many royal tombs depict the night sky as groups of star-gods or decons, moving across the sky in boats.

(97) Ancient Egyptian star-gods. Deities known as the "imperishable ones" personified the ever visible circumpolar stars in the north of the sky.

(98) From as early as the Middle Kingdom, the Egyptians recognized five of the planets: Jupiter ("Horus who limits two lands"), Mars ("Horus of the horizon", or "Horus the red"), Mercury (Sebegu, a god associated with Seth), Saturn ("Horus, bull of the sky") and Venus ("the one who crosses", or "god of the morning"). The Egyptians portrayed the planets as deities sailing across the heavens in barques, and they were known as the "stars that know no rest".