Author: BradyBunch4529
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Atemu and Seto finally see what their past was like. Now they must fight to protect the one they both love.
Pairings: Atemu/Anzu/ Seto
Disclaimers: Really not mine. So I won't claim to own them.
Reviewers:
Mischiefmagnet: Thanks! I'll do my best to keep you interested.
Nightfall2525: You found it! Glad you enjoyed! You'll just have to keep guessing.
Nichi-chan: Thanks so much! I'm thrilled you enjoyed the story. Sorry about the mistake. Glad you loved the twists. Addicted? You'll make me blush. He did kiss Anzu. Got to love surprises. You'll love how I'm going to bring everything together in the end. You'll see soon I promise. Yep she is. It was very sweet. The best? Now you are making me blush. I'm an evil person aren't I? The relationships between the characters are so fun.
SeaBreeze-YamiAnzu: Thanks.
Taiki Kou: Thanks! Enjoy!
Animeroxz: Glad you enjoyed. I hope that this is quick enough for you.
Chapter 10: Adjusting
Anzu was quickly becoming convinced that all deities hated her. She was currently up to her neck in hot water. Literally.
Atemu and Seth had called for the healers and servants the moment they had entered the palace. Within seconds Anzu had been lead off down the corridor with everyone following. Atemu had decided that a bath and proper clothes were required before the healers would look at her.
So Anzu was currently sitting in a huge tub, specially crafted for her, in steaming hot water. While she had to admit that the gleaming white stones and the fountain feeding water into the bath was quite amazing. She really wished that she was somewhere else right now. Her blue eyes searched the room, looking for anyway to get out of her beyond the main door. The walls were gleaming tiles of different colors and patterns arranged on the floor. Drapes of silken fabric hung over the windows, a gentle breeze flowing through them.
A tile stool was situated in the middle of the bath for the servant that Anzu had already kicked out. The servant had been quite upset when Anzu had kicked her out, protesting that she must be allowed to stay. Even Atemu and Seth had fought with her. But her screaming and throwing things at them had created a mass exodus. Which left Anzu all alone in the bath. Outside she could hear Seth's and Atemu's voices along with several others.
A basket near the edge of the bath held soap sand, a small cloth and shampoo. Or at least Anzu hoped that was what everything was. None of it seemed familiar to her. She moved carefully over to the basket, wincing slightly as her muscles protested the move. But the water was already starting to loosen them up, so Anzu didn't worry too much.
It took her a couple of minutes to figure out how to use the sand to get clean. Though Anasandra did her best to explain. Even longer to actually scrub all of the dirt and sand from her body. Then she began to work on her hair, washing repeatedly until it felt smooth under her fingers. Only then did she climb from the bath and reach for the towel that the servant had left.
She dried herself with quick efficient motions. The thick towel rubbing carefully along her legs and torso, chasing the beads of water on her skin. Her hair was dripping down her back and chest, skin rosy from the heat of the water. Anzu's head pounded slightly and she sighed as weariness descended over her. She blinked rapidly, determined to stay away as she finished drying off and wrapped the robe around her.
White. Again. Anzu sighed again. What was it about the color of white and her that made Atemu and Seth constantly dress her in it? The fabric was cool against her skin as she slid her arms into the wide sleeves. She wrapped the ends over each other and tied the silken rope firmly around her waist.
Her hair was still dripping and Anzu raised the towel and started to rub briskly at her hair. Her bare feet made no sound as she padded across the tiled floor to the door. For a moment Anzu was really tempted to stay hidden in the bathroom but she had a feeling that she wouldn't get away with it. So she shrugged lightly and pulled the door open.
Atemu and Seth were waiting just outside the door, both turning towards her as it opened. The fear and worry in their eyes had her smiling reassuringly at them. Both men smiled in return before reaching for her. Atemu's hand wrapped around her left arm and Seth's wrapped around her right, with Atemu taking the towel from her hand as they guided her into the bedroom.
Anzu was amazed at the proof of how real her dreams had been. There were doors leading out into a garden and she could hear the sound of water in the fountain. The bed was huge, draped in white and gold with sheer fabric hanging from the top. To the right of the bed, several cushions were arranged in front of low table and Anzu found herself being lead over there.
"The servants will finish dressing you and then the healers will look you over," Atemu told her as she eased onto the cushion.
"But…" Anzu tried to protest but Seth quieted her with a finger placed against her lips.
"You need to do this for us," Seth told her gently. His dark blue eyes alight with love and warmth.
"If you wish," Anzu told him softly with a smile. "But I'm not who you think I am. Not really."
"It's all right Anzu," Atemu assured her. He pressed a kiss to her lips before straightening. "I know that the kidnapping was hard on you. But you are safe now and we won't let anything hurt you."
"We failed once," Seth told her. "We won't fail again."
"You didn't fail the last time," Anzu burst out. Twisting to look at them, ignoring the way her muscles protested. "I chose to go." Anzu paused before continuing, her blue eyes intent, "I think." She frowned slightly and looking from one to the other.
"It's fine," Atemu soothed, brushing a hand over her face. "I know that everything is really confusing right now. But it will come back to you." He turned away and gestured to a servant. "Just let the servants and the healers take care of you."
"Okay," Anzu agreed breathlessly.
Both men smiled brilliantly and pressed a kiss to her lips before stepping away. As servants swirled around her Anzu kept her eyes on the two men. This was going to be more difficult than she had thought. How was she going to convince them that she wasn't whom they thought she was when everything in her screamed for her to just let go? Anzu just didn't know.
Yami and Seto stared into Pharaoh's Atemu's haunted violet eyes and wondered what the test would be. The walls began to shake around them and then the floor was rising rapidly. The ceiling moved out of the way as they rushed past. Otogi and Mokuba shouted in surprise, falling to their knees as the floor picked up speed.
Yami and Seto braced themselves, feet sprayed wide as they tilted their head up to watch. The air was rushing by, ruffling their hair and causing their coats to fly out around them. Vague memories assaulted them as they continued upwards. Images of workers arguing about how to make the floor and the ceilings move. Their determination that nothing would every touch Anasandra.
The floor began to slow. Mokuba and Otogi regained their footing and stood up, staring around them in amazement as the floor finally stopped. A small click resounded through the air as the floor slipped into place. In front of them was another flowing door and even as they watched the door began to brighten.
High Priest Seth appeared before them. His dark blue eyes haunted and burning, the Millenniun Rod held firmly in his hand. His light brown hair was held back by the gold circling his brow. Gold bands circled both of his arms, ending just under his elbow.
"He looks like you Seto," Mokuba exclaimed.
"Hn," Seto grunted. His eyes remained fixed on the hologram in front of him.
"I am the High Priest Seth," the image stated suddenly. "The test will take place just beyond this door. The rules are simple, to live each of you has to come out." Seth paused and smiled grimly. "As my sister was so found of staying 'stand together or fall.'" The Millennium Rod was slowly raised and its eye began to gleam. "Only the worthy survive to see the Queen."
"I don't like the sound of that," Otogi whispered to Mokuba. His green eyes slightly worried as he warily watched as the door slid open.
"Neither do I," Mokuba agreed. His blue eyes swung from Yami to Seto.
"We're wasting time," Seto gritted out and took a step forward.
"Hold on Kaiba!" Yami gritted out and caught him by his arm. Dark blue met burning violet for a second before Seto looked away. "We must work together on this. All of us."
"Do whatever you want," Seto responded coldly. "I'm not going to stand around out here."
With that he jerked his arm free and strode through the open door. Yami bit back a curse and followed him in. Otogi and Mokuba glanced at each other before starting forward. As they neared it the door suddenly swung closed and stranded them outside. They looked at each other in surprise and shock.
"What are we going to do now?" Mokuba asked dazedly.
"Wait," Otogi replied carefully and sank down onto the floor.
"Like always," Mokuba pouted and sat down beside Otogi.
"Any clue where we are?" Jonouchi asked as Honda ducked through another opening.
"None whatsoever," Honda replied. He paused and looked around. Darkness stretched out in all directions.
"Do we know how to get back?" Shizuka questioned anxiously.
"Don't know," Honda responded.
"We followed the water here. So we should be able to follow it back," Jonouchi stated suddenly.
Jonouchi looked around again and just made out a shape on the wall. His blue eyes narrowed and he wandered over to it. "What's this?" He demanded.
"What's what?" Honda asked as he came over.
"What did you find Jou?" Shizuka demanded as she drew to a stop beside him.
All three of them peered at the small statue on the wall. The could just make out the features and the fact that the figure was holding onto some sort of staff. Shizuka reached out to touch and as her fingers traced the staff it tilted forward suddenly.
"Uh-oh," she whispered.
"What?" The two demanded as one.
Shizuka opened her mouth to respond and the floor dropped out from under them. Their screams echoed down the long corridor.
"Sister," Malik questioned anxiously. "Where are we going?" His eyes were trained upon his sisters slight figure.
"To the true burial chamber," Ishizu responded quietly.
"I thought…" Malik started only to have Odion touch his shoulder.
"The Pharaoh and the High Priest decided that they would have two different decoys for the Queen's burial chamber," Odion told him quietly. His dark eyes pensive.
"Why so many?" Malik asked softly.
"Because of what she holds," Ishizu responded. "She was the key to all of their powers in life. In death they buried her with them."
"But I thought that the power came from the Pharaoh," Malik protested. "Isn't that way Marick took me over?"
"That was a common misconception. Very few people ever knew that the true power of the Pharaoh came from his wife."
"But how?"
"Her connection with the goddess Isis and her connection with the High Priest of Ra," Ishizu explained as she held her torch up high and turned down another corridor. "When Anzu called Seto her heart she was not using a nickname. She was being very literal. The Pharaoh was her soul and the High Priest her heart," Ishizu continued as she stepped through a door.
"I still don't understand Sister," Malik protested. "The Pharaoh did many things. Were all of them because of the Queen?"
"No," Odion shook his head. "The Pharaoh was very powerful in his own right. But to capture the Gods of Egypt he needed the Queen."
"I see." Malik nodded to himself, "for the power to work to its fullest you need a key. The Pharaoh was powerful enough that he could do several things on his own."
"Yes."
"But where is Anzu?"
"In the past," Ishizu replied softly. "And everything will be rewritten."
"So my little captive isn't the Queen," the figure in black murmured to himself. He watched as the Pharaoh and the High Priest swept the queen down the hall. "She is more crafty than I gave her credit for." He turned away and slid into a secret passage.
It was obvious that the Queen had known that they would attack. She had probably been in the convoy with the decoy. Which made her very very good. A couple of servants passed by his hiding spot.
"The Queen is still confused," a man murmured.
"Keeps claiming she is not the queen," a woman admitted. "It had to be very trying for her."
"Who knows how long she stumbled around in the desert?"
Who knows indeed the man wondered to himself. He had been under the impression that everyone was killed when the Queen had been taken. But obviously the true Queen had managed to hide. The man had heard that she was very well trained, the High Priest and the Pharaoh making sure that she could handle herself. Even the protest that she wasn't queen was brilliant.
The man knew that he couldn't take the chance and kill his captive. It was always possible that she was the Queen rather than the woman who had just been escorted into the queen's chamber. The real question was how was he going to figure it out? His head shook slightly, red eyes gleaming in anticipation, as he contemplated how worthy an adversary the Queen was.
"Mother!"
Anzu head turned in surprise at the noise. A figure had just burst through the closed doors, flinging them wide open. The guards attempted to stop the girl but she managed to easily evade them.
Tears were making their way down the girls cheeks, her blue eyes shimmering with relief and worry. Anzu had just enough time to realize that the girl looked like her before the girl flung herself into Anzu's arms.
Anzu automatically enclosed the girl in a warm embrace, rocking her gently as the girl continued to sob against her shoulder. She winced slightly as the girl's clutching hands managed to find her bruises. Atemu stepped towards them, reaching for the girl but Anzu waved him off and gathered the girl closer. The girls' name drifted up from the depths of Anzu's being.
"It's all right Sierra," Anzu whispered against the girls' temple. "Momma's home."
A/N: Well there is another chapter. A bit shorter than I liked but I really wanted to get it up. I know that's it's been over a month. But my computer died a miserable death and my back up disk got a virus. So not pretty. I hope that the chapter was worth the wait. If it's not make sure you tell me about. Thanks for stopping by.