[So, now they're running away... Eeks!! Will they make it? Holy shit, they're breaking a boatload of laws here... Also, this is the last chapter to this story... oh, and for the people who keep asking... Maia is only like, a couple months pregnant, folks. Her baby doesn't come until story #2.]

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Dance the Forbidden Dance

Chapter Nineteen

Escape!

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Yami had left his room only an hour after he fell asleep. He slipped into servant clothing, grabbed a bag, and shoved some things into it. He then crept down the hallway. He stopped when he reached the end, straightening up.

What's going on? He thought to himself. Where have all the guards gone? He was so sure that a guard would have been standing watch over his door....

But, for some reason, the guards were nowhere to be seen. Yami took off down the hall, his feet hitting the ground sharply as he did.

He ran all the way down to the far hall, jumping out a window and landing in the courtyard. This part was where he was risking a lot. The moon was full and shining on him. If he was seen, the guards would surely run after him.

He crept along the wall in the shadows. The sounds of the Imperial Order came fresh to his ears as they started yelling and running.

"Quick! Find her!" someone was shouting. Yami gulped. He could hear Imperial Soldiers running down the hall above him, to his own bedroom. He quickly dashed across the yard and into the bushes. he prayed to Ra he hadn't been seen.

No one came near to his hiding spot. Sighing, he crept through the hole in the wall and onto the street.

Staying low to the ground and in the dark, he krept along the wall, grateful for all the trees that hung low over the wall. He crept in stealth, breathing fast, praying, praying...

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"Teana," Yami hissed in her ear, grabbing her wrist. He pulled her up to him and kissed her gently and quickly, pushing her away just as fast. "Come on."

"What's going on?" Teana asked softly, following him behind the palace. Angel was hitched to the hole in the wall behind the courtyard, a bag slung over his back. Expertly, Yami propelled himself up onto Angel's back, swinging one leg over to the other side. Teana grinned.

"Been practicing, eh?" she said comically. Yami reached out his hand. The dark surrounded them, sheltering them. Yami was glad Angel had come silently when he called the steed. He walked him around behind the yard and tied him, then went to fetch Teana.

"Grab on," Yami whispered. Confused, Teana hopped onto the horse behind him. She noticed her own bag tied to Angel's other side.

"Wha--"

"They're coming for us," Yami said in a rushed voice, re-arranging Angel's reigns. "We both broke the law many times. And now... They're gonna punish us." Teana was afraid to ask, but she did.

"H-how?"

"...They would have killed you..." Yami said softly, in a pained voice. "And once they find out all that I did... They'll kill me as well." Teana's eyes widened in surprise.

"You? You're the prince!"

"I broke too many laws. Besides, they have Sekhem."

"So?" Teana whispered, grabbing onto Yami's thin waist. "I don't get it!"

"Teana, listen to me," he said harshly, Teana quieting. "I broke too many laws, okay? They would have taken me, bound me, and threw me into the Nile! Get it? We'd both be dead now!" Yami leaned forward onto Angel's neck, trying to lower himself as much as he could. "We have to leave Kemet."

"And go where?" Teana asked hurriedly. They could hear many footsteps -- found poundings -- coming their way.

"To your home," Yami whispered, smiling broadly. "In the south."

With that, he dug his heals into Angel's sides, sending the horse galloping to Kemet's border.

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At noon, the news had spread all over the city. Jono was sitting on the wall around the courtyard, the Imperial Order discussing in the center. He and other top-ranking militiamen were sitting on the courtyard wall beneath Yami's bedroom window. Jono grabbed a pear from a tree and bit into it, chewing thoughtfully.

"Ah, Gods," Tiet muttered. "Why'd they hafta go and leave us like 'dat, eh, Jono?" Jono shrugged.

"Probably so they wouldn't die." Tiet rolled his eyes.

"They broke the law; what do they expect? Praise?"

"I don't know what they were thinking..." Jono muttered. "All I know is, Teana must have forgiven him pretty quick." Tiet shrugged. The others murmured in response.

"This is ridiculous!" Ankumanukanon was saying to the Imperial Order. "They're a couple of teenagers, how hard could it be the catch them?"

"Unless they're on their way back now," the commander said, "they haven't been caught yet." Ankumanukanon swore under his breath.

"Where the hell could they go?" Ankumanukanon asked. "There's nothing to the South of this place but sand!! They'll die!" He crossed his arms angrily and stared at the sky. "Atem would have gotten a trial, at least..." Jono swung his legs, then hopped down onto the yard.

He had just remembered Teana's words from a few days ago.

"Excuse me, Pharaoh-sama," he said, bowing to Ankumanukanon, "but I think I know where they went." Everyone turned to Jono, including the militiamen.

"Jono?!"

"Jono!" Ankumanukanon exclaimed, coming before him. "If you knew, what took you so long?"

"I-I only just remembered it, sir," Jono explained warily. He cleared his throat. "But Teana said something about leaving the city, an' taking Yami with her... Something about going to her homeland. I think that's where she's headed." They were silent.

"Well? Where's her homeland?" the Imperial Order commander demanded. Jono shrugged.

"I have no clue."

"How is that information useful, then?!" he cried. Jono placed his hand on his sword.

"Don't test me," he threatened. Ankumanukanon raised his hands to silence them.

"Enough!" Jono and the commander backed down. Ankumanukanon stepped forward. "This is not a time for petty differences. My son is out there, in the middle of the desert, heading south. You--must--get--him--back--here!!" Everyone fell silent. The militiamen glanced over in the general direction of the south.

"He's out 'dere, somewheres," Tiet murmured. He sighed. "I hope he'll be alright." Jono stomped away from the Imperial Order, going back to where his men sat.

"Come on," he called, waving his hand. "We're going."

"Now? Where are we going?" Someone asked. Jono stared at the rising sun.

"We're going to prepare."

"Prepare? For what?" Tiet asked. Jono stared hard at him. He looked around at them all.

"The Imperial Order will be looking for those two," he explained. "Remember what Asenath saw? We have to prepare for that. No telling why they attacked or how, but all we know is, if her vision comes true... Everyone will die." With that, he stormed away, the militia trailing behind him. Clutching his sheathed sword in his hands, he closed his eyes and ran blindly.

The war hasn't ended over the Items, he thought. It has just begun.

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Yami was lying on his back in the sand, eyes closed, breathing hard. He sat up and looked at the city. They were now so far away, it was but a thin line on the horizon.

Teana dipped her hands into the river and splashed her face with the water.

"As long as we stay by the Nile," she explained, "we'll be fine. There are oases out there, as well as abandoned farm ground with flourishing fruit." She stood, brushing off her skirt. Angel was sitting partially in the river, lapping up water in great gulps.

Yami stared out at the glistening water.

"It looks... so beautiful here," he said softly. He stood up, staring into the water. He walked down to where the water met sand, and his feet were washed over with cool water.

Carefully, he slid his feet out of his sandals and took the top part of his tunic off. He stared down at the Nile. Then--

Ka-ploooooshhh!

Teana giggled as ripples of water went everywhere. Yami had dived in, the cool water coursing over his body, cooling him down. He propelled himself to the surface, and broke it, sitting on the river's bottom. He wasn't that far out.

"It's not going to kill you, is it?" Teana asked mockingly, standing with her feet in the water. Yami stood, dripping wet. Teana laughed at his appearance.

"That... was something I felt I had to do," he explained. Teana looked at him in awe.

"Strange... You got over your fear of that River quickly," she said. Yami shook his head.

"No.... I just realized that I'm only afraid if the bottom is too dark to see," he explained, slipping his feet back into his sandals. He grinned at her. "Something like that... I'm fine with." Teana smiled and ran over to him, grabbing Angel's reins as well.

"I'm glad," she said defiantly. She shook Angel's reins. "C'mon, Angel boy," she said, petting his nose. Yami followed turning and taking one look back at the city.

He smiled.

He was free.

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[sooo... this is the end, eh? ::cries:: waaaaah! I like this story, man!! But wait-- It's not over yet! No, my pretties, 'tis not over... For the story is only half done! You see, I had about five chapters of this written when I posted the first one, and I've been typing it the entire time, which means I finished long before the story was done being posted.

Anyway, this story got up to abooout.... Hmm, thirty chapters? And it was still going. I decided I didn't want that many chapters, so I split it into two stories. So, be happy, go re-read this one or something, cuz next month, I'm posting the sequel (or continuation) of this story, called Light the Flame.

Alright, some last-chapter notes, here--

Maia will have her baby in the sequel. :D In the sequel, more about Teana's past and family is revealed... And the reason for Yami's fear of the Items is unveiled. Umm, some stuff happens (I'm not giving it all away) that'll please any and every YamixTeana fan... And guess what? I just finished typing that chap, too, when--

Heh. I'm not giving it away. ::head shake::

Some things go on back in Kemet... and guess what? Soon, the story will actually start to follow the Egypt Ark... God forbid n.n;; And er... that's it? Yeah, that's it!

WAAAAAIT! NEW ADDITION! ::pant pant:: Turns out I will disembark to CANADA the first week in August, and since I can't update from there, I'm gonna post Light the Flame a week early, in the last week of July instead n.n Okay, now that's all!

Tata for now, and I hope you come and read the rest!]

Love ya,

Shibby-One