Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh, or Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson

AU, where Atem doesn't want to be prince.

If you don't know the song, please look it up. It is one of my favorite songs and it inspires me a lot. Used to have lyrics but I needed to take them out.

50th story on fanfiction woot woot.

Akefia is thief Bakura

Mariku is Yami Marik

Ryo is Ryou

Heba is Yugi

Jono is Joey

Malik is Malik because he had a Egyptian name already.

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Atem frowned as he put the saddle on his horse, this didn't feel right but he wasn't happy here. He just didn't feel like he was ready to be stuck as a ruler, when he felt like he was ready he would come back, if that day ever came.

He tried so hard to tell his father that he felt incomplete. He tried to make everyone happy and by doing so made himself even sadder. His friends and family had not heard him and they had not noticed his downfall. And that was when Atem decided that he was going to breakaway.

The horse took Atem far, into the outskirts of the desert in fact. It only took them a few days to get this far, and by now the others were probably looking for him. Thankfully though, being cooped inside the palace for all his life had one advantage. He knew how to talk to any type of person, but no one knew what he looked like. And no one would suspect that the prince would leave to a place like this.

"Kiedo, do you hate me for this?" Atem asked his horse one day. The prince had found the horse when it was just a baby. It had been sick and tired had somehow made it into the palace grounds. The prince, just a child had cared for it until it was better making an unbreakable bond between the two.

It neighed, telling its master that it would always be beside him, it only a few snorts.

Going through the desert was exciting for Atem; he saw things he never saw before. He got to learn through first hand experience instead of just from books. The sights, sounds, and smells alone were enough to tell him that he had made the right choice. When he decided to go home he would be a new man, and he would be able to connect to his people in a way that none of his predecessors could.

Atem joined up with two people soon enough, their names were Akefia and Mariku. They were angry at the pharaoh for the murder of their people, but knew they could do nothing now and spent their time traveling, gaining new skills, and often stealing to survive. They showed Atem everything they learned to, not caring who their new companion and friend 'Yami' was. And soon many pharaoh haters were joining in, Jono, Heba, Ryo, and Malik. All of them had different stories to tell, each story gruesome and made Atem's heart clench. His father was not the cause of suffering, he knew that much for sure and when he was back in the palace he would prove that.

All the while the Priests and Priestesses of his father's council, and every available guard or personnel were looking for the missing prince. They had gotten a note saying all he had wanted to say when he was with them and wanted to reconcile.

One day as Atem was lying out in the field with his group he thought to himself, 'Mana, Mahad, Seto, father, Isis, Shada, Karim, and uncle one day I shall return. But right now I am where I belong.'

"Yami?" he broke out of his train of thought to see Heba staring at him.

"Yes Heba."

"You never told us your story." He muttered shyly. This caught everyone's attention as they sat down with the two.

"He's right." Akefia frowned.

Mariku pursed his lips.

"What is it?" Jono asked curiously, he really wanted to know.

"It's nothing really." Atem sighed staring at the stars again. "In fact I have the worst reason for being out here. I have a family and I had friends back where I'm from."

"Yet you're out here, why?" Ryo took a sip of water. "I think you think our reasons are better because we have tragedy. But let me tell you tragedy doesn't make it good. You don't need tragedy in yours."

Atem let a faintly amused grin, "Thank you, I suppose I can share some details."

Everyone leaned in closer.

The prince sat up and looked at them, "My father wanted me to be someone that I wasn't. He and the rest of my family and friends wanted me to go through life not knowing the outside world. I know they never meant to hurt me but I couldn't stand it anymore. I left them and I will go back when I am ready to face all their expectations."

Ryo smiled pleasantly, "See isn't it better to get that off your chest. It would have helped you long ago to let us carry that burden."

"Yeah, remember we are your friends." Heba smiled cheerfully.

"We'll never leave you behind, just like we know you will never leave us behind." Jono proclaimed. "Nothing can break us apart."

Akefia grinned, "That's the spirit you overgrown dog."

"I'M NOT A DOG AKEFIA!" Jono growled, totally making himself look like a dog.

The rest of the group laughed loudly, enjoying each other. They all understood each other like no one else ever had. They were more than friends and more than family, they had no real title. They were just them and that was what they hoped they would always be.

Except Atem was worried.

What would they do if they found out that their 'Yami' was actually the missing prince that everyone was worried about? Would they still care about him?

He would always care about them.

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