Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Tiaa: Unseen ❯ Chapter 1: The Beginning of a Possible End ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Yugioh and its characters are not my property. Original characters are, though!

Note: This fic takes place in ancient Egypt. It's a different style of writing than I'm used to, so just bear with me here… Oh, and I'm just going to call Yami Yugi by Yami because I'm too lazy to type out his whole name- so don't get mad at me for doing so. Also, I'm not really sure if the high priest's name was also Seto, I'll just assume it is. If anyone actually knows some names here, please email me or tell me in a review or something, and then I'll change it. If no one likes it, well, I can stop… I sort of had this as a half-dream, right before falling asleep.

Tiaa

I awoke quickly, the newly risen sun warming my face. I had to get to the Pharaoh's room and ready it for the day. I put on my ivory-colored dress and combed my long, black hair. As I swooped into the kitchens to grab some fruit and wine for my breakfast, I thought about my long history with Yami, the Pharaoh. We were both born on the same day. I was but the daughter of a widowed peasant, though, and she had died during my birth. I had been given to the Pharaoh as a birthday gift, a fact I had just found out recently, on our eighteenth birthday. Yami had received a new slave, among other things; she was some girl from a tavern so that he might lose his virginity. He freed her; he didn't want that. He was smitten with Neferura, the princess of one of our neighboring kingdoms. I didn't receive anything, and did not want anything. I especially didn't want this new piece of information- I was not only Yami's friend; I was his servant as well.

Throughout the years, I had always been told never to make the Pharaoh angry, and to always obey him. It was my duty to make sure the Pharaoh was happy at all times, and if he wasn't, I had to soak up his sadness, so that he wouldn't feel it. Always do what he wanted; if he wanted a hug I couldn't turn him away…things like that. I was to be his comfort friend. Of course, he knew not a thing about this at all. I ate swiftly, and then made my way towards my best friend's chamber.

Once arriving, I made sure the curtains surrounding his bed were closed. I didn't want to wake him. I obtained a feathered broom from the closet to sweep his floor of any dust that may have accumulated over the night. I quickly finished that, and returned to the kitchens to bring him his breakfast.

I thought of that Neferura… she disliked Yami, believing his interest in her just a disguised way to expand his kingdom. Too bad for her! She was a snooty princess, definitely not good enough for Yami. I admit, I felt a little jealous-not because of the attentions he was giving her, but the fact that, well, she was a princess and I wasn't. Living here, in the palace, I felt so lowly and useless. I was less than a servant, who worked for their keep. I just lounged around with Yami all day.

After cleaning up Yami's room, I hightailed it out of there. What kind of friend cleans up after the other, like a maid? This kind of friend, I thought grimly. I wanted to feel like I was at least doing something.

I went back downstairs, to Yami's conference room, continuing to clean. I saw Seto, the High Priest, pass with his smirk on his face, as usual. He turned an eye down at me, as if to make sure I wasn't rifling through any confidential documents. What's his problem?

Yami

I woke up mid-morning. A maid had been in; the polished floors gleamed with a new vigor, and my curtains had been pulled. Recently I had been sleeping with them open because the summer breeze was just enough to keep me cool at night. I blushed to myself; I had been sleeping without a shirt, and now the maid had seen me. Normally I only allowed Tiaa to see me in such half-nudity, when we played in the pools. Of course, she was wrapped to conceal enough. Hmm… not as if it matters…

I got up, pulling on a white tunic. I ran a hand through my tri-colored hair. There was no point in trying to flatten it. I went over to my golden tray, to begin eating. Something felt strange. I was lonely! I rang my little bell to bring a servant in. I hope it's not the same one that was in here before…

A young girl shyly entered the room.

"Please ask Tiaa to come here."

The girl nodded and left.

I waited a long time for Tiaa to come. Where could she be?

Finally she arrived.

"You rang?" she asked, a smile on her face.

Unfortunately, I was in a bad mood, and didn't catch it.

"Where have you been? I've been waiting so long!"

"Sorry, Yami, I was in the conference room."

"What were you doing in there?"

"Nothing really…"

"Well, while you were doing nothing really in MY conference room, I've been waiting to eat. Now, sit so I can."

I saw Tiaa raise an eyebrow as she quietly sat on a cushioned stool across from me.

"What was that for?"

"What?"

"Why are you so mad at me?"

"Of course I'm not mad at you, Yami. You're my best friend."

Content with this answer, I ate some of my breakfast. I offered some to Ti, but she declined, saying she had already eaten.

After we, well, I ate, I didn't want to go to work, and so Ti and I stayed in my room to play a game. Although we were grown, we still liked to have fun. We played one of my favorite games, a real-life simulation. It was called Pharaoh and Slave. Of course, I was always the Pharaoh; Tiaa was the slave. That's just the way things were. I had a whip, an ancient thing I had found beneath a floorboard one day. I only used it lightly, of course.

We began to play our game. I gave orders to Ti and she had to follow them. She accidentally tripped, falling to her knees, and dropped the tray I had instructed her to bring to me. The glass goblet shattered on the floor.

I was already in a bad mood; who knows why, and playing this game made me feel like I had a strong power over her. I liked having that power.

"Look what you've done, incompetent slave!" I screamed.

Ti simply hung her head.

Somehow, I had lost control over myself. It was no longer a game to me, and that meant it was no longer a game to her.

I brandished my whip and flung it at her. It whizzed in the air, and left an angry red welt on her arm. She looked at me, eyes wide, but not moving out of the way. I ran up to her, and kicked her abdomen hard, sending her reeling across the room. She was very thin and so this wasn't difficult. A piece of glass had caught on her chin, and it scraped across her face, leaving a long bloody cut along her left jaw.

She collapsed where she was, still fully conscious but too shocked and hurt to get up. I stood where I was, stunned by my own actions. Oh my god. I don't know what had come over me. Maybe it was my pent up rage from being rejected by Neferura; maybe I was just crazy. I only saw my best friend in the whole world lying helpless at my feet.

I dropped the whip and kneeled down to help her. She cringed at my touch but did not pull away. Why does she allow me to touch her arm if she is so obviously fearful? I helped her (against her will, I think) to her feet and sat her down on the bed.

"Ti, I am so sorry."

She didn't say anything. I tilted her head to look at her. Her deep brown eyes were fully open and not red at all, but she was crying. She allowed her tears to drip down her face, and to wash the slash on her jaw, the only thing marring her perfect tan skin.

Tiaa

He didn't let go of me, though I wish he would. I wish I weren't his servant, so then I could stop him when things got out of hand. Nothing like this had ever happened before.

I was crying. He was my best friend, and look what he had done to me.

"Ti,"

I didn't say anything. How could I say anything without angering him? I was his comfort friend.

"Are you all right, Ti?"

I stopped crying. The tears just stopped their flow. I nodded, even though I wasn't all right. I just had to make sure he was happy again.

"Wh-Why did you let me do that to you? Why did you let me treat you like a, an unruly servant?"

I had to answer. It would only make him unhappy if I didn't. I gingerly touched the cut on my face, still bleeding.

"Yami…"

He looked at me with confusion.

"I am your servant."

Seto

I stood at the doorway to the Pharaoh's bedroom. I had been passing by, when I saw him kick Tiaa across the room. I had been watching the girl for a while now. I had never noticed her before really; to me she was just the Pharaoh's friend, but recently…well, I had taken a special interest in her. Last month I had discovered her peculiar situation, by speaking with some of the servants. Now it seems so obvious; it's a wonder the Pharaoh doesn't catch on.

I didn't want to intrude, so I just leaned on the wall and watched events unfold. Neither of them noticed me. I watched the Pharaoh's enlightening moment pass over his head and then come back to fully hit him in the face.

By this point, I figured they deserved some privacy, so I left. It's not as if I didn't know what would have been said, in the first place. I went back down to the conference room to postpone a few advisory meetings the Pharaoh had that day. I didn't think he wanted to deal with those at the moment. As I descended from his tower, I could feel the anger and jealousy stirring within me. Why should he get to be so close to her? He doesn't even treat her right! Look at what he has just done!

I swallowed this, concealing it from everyone else. No one needed to see their High Priest consumed with such petty tribulations. With one final look up at the tower from the courtyard, I shook my head to clear it and made my way to find a scribe.

Another note: Tiaa has no connection whatsoever to Tea, aka Anzu… just thought I'd clarify that a little bit… ^_^