Disclaimer: I do not own the YGO characters (sob)

Summary: Set in Egypt. Nine year old Atemu gets a bit fed up with palace life sometimes as it feels like an endless round of training to take over from his father when the time is right. Can the friendship of a young street thief help him cope? Non Yaoi.

Chapter 1

Atemu threw the papyrus across the table in disgust. He was fed up with all the learning that seemed to be heaped on him all the time. He didn't want to sit reading dreary things about all the pharaohs who had lived and died in the past. He wanted fun.

His tutor frowned.

"Your highness, please continue with your studies. You have an examination at the end of the week and I expect you to gain the highest marks."

"I don't want to read this any more, it's boring." Atemu said pouting.

"Well your father wants you to be well prepared to take over the throne from him when it is time."

Atemu continued to pout and his tutor gave an exasperated sigh.

"Very well your highness you may leave for an hour but I want you back here not a moment longer."

"Yes Asanthi." Atemu said and dashed off most un-prince like to play for an hour.

He wasn't hungry so didn't bother summoning food, he wanted to be outside in the fresh air.

He went out through one of the rear entrances and into the palace gardens. There was a place he liked to go that no one knew about and he could hide there for hours without anyone knowing. He got into trouble sometimes but he didn't care, he liked the solitude.

Ra cast his rays on the ground as he went and Atemu smiled as he loved the sun and spent every minute he wasn't in endless lessons or in audiences with his father, outside where he could enjoy it.

There was an area of the gardens where some bushes grew tightly and it was here that Atemu was heading for. He crawled through a hole in them and came to a tiny clearing amongst them where he could sit without being seen and where Ra penetrated to create freckles of light on the leaf-strewn floor.

He sat for a while enjoying the peace and quiet and no tutor to tell him to stop daydreaming and pay attention. Suddenly a noise caught his attention. He could hear scrambling on the wall somewhere to the left of him. Curiosity got the best of him and he crawled out of his hiding place to see what was going on.

A boy of about his own age came down the wall. Atemu marvelled at how he seemed to be able to grip onto it like a cat though he did slip and slide a little.

He made no sound and waited for the boy to reach the ground. Atemu noticed that he was raggedly dressed and realised that he must be a beggar. He also noticed that he was very thin and thought of the food he had at his beck and call all the time. He felt sorry for him the same as he felt sorry for the street kids that he saw when his father took him out into the market place. He had spoken to his father about it but his father had dismissed him without saying anything. Atemu didn't understand why his father didn't seem to care about the poor people. He decided when he was pharaoh, that he would help them.

The boy reached the ground and darted into the bushes that Atemu had just vacated.

Atemu walked round and peered into them.

"Hello?" He said softly and a small squeak of surprise answered him. "Don't worry I won't harm you." Atemu said quickly trying to reassure the boy.

A pair of bright eyes peered at him from within the bushes. They looked very scared.

Atemu grinned at him and went through his usual hole to find the boy crouched in there.

"Hello." He said.

The boy gulped.

"H…Hello." He stammered.

"What are you doing here? If the guards had seen you, you would have been taken away and locked up."

"I know." The boy said looking even more scared. "But my master threatened me with a bad beating if I did not try and get in."

"Why?"

"He gets me to steal stuff for him as I am good at it, I know it's wrong but he scares me. I'd rather face the whole of the pharaoh's army than him when he's angry."

Atemu had to smile at his comment, as his father's army was a large one!

"Well maybe I can help you, I could give you something to take back to your father." Atemu said thinking that this was a good adventure. "Can you wait here while I get it?"

"Yes okay I'll wait." The boy said and Atemu grinned before crawling out of the bushes and racing back to the palace.

He ran up to his room and found one of his ornate headdresses that he had to wear on formal occasions. He hated them as they were heavy and gave him a headache. He stuffed it under his robe and ran out of his room and made his way to where food was laid out for the pharaoh and other people in the palace to help themselves. Taking a piece of cloth, Atemu filled it with as much food as he could and ran out of the room. The servants in the room smiled to see him thinking that this must be some sort of new game he was playing. They thought it was nice to see the young heir to the throne having fun as some of them thought he didn't have enough of it but never dared to say so aloud.

Atemu clutched the parcel of food and the headdress to him as he ran back to the bushes.

Crawling through he found the boy waiting.

"Here I brought you some food, and this." He said handing the goodies to the boy.

His eyes widened at the sight of the food. This was more than he was usually allowed in an entire week! Eagerly he began to eat while Atemu sat and watched him. He had never seen anyone eat so fast and it fascinated him.

"What is your name?" he asked as the boy ate.

"Bakura." He said with his mouth full. Some of the food fell out as he spoke and Atemu giggled. Bakura grinned back and a friendship was born.

"I'm Atemu." He said.

Bakura had no idea that this was the heir to the throne of Egypt and his future pharaoh he was talking to. Atemu's name was never spoken outside of the palace walls. Bakura presumed he must be the son of one of the priests.

"Wish I lived here." He said wistfully when he was done eating.

"It's no fun." Atemu said. "My father makes me learn all the time and I hate it, I don't have any friends and there is no one else my age in the palace. It's boring." He said making a face and Bakura laughed.

"Can I come back?" Bakura asked. "I don't want to steal anymore." He said sadly. "Maybe my master will leave me alone for a few days when I give him this anyway."

"Why don't you meet me here again tomorrow at this time?" Atemu said thinking id would be fun to have a secret friend only he knew about and guards did not often patrol this area of the gardens so they would be safe.

"Can I really?" Bakura said grinning happily.

"Yes just make sure no one sees you."

"Don't worry they won't" Bakura said and tucking the headdress into his raggedy clothes he and Atemu left the bushes.

Atemu watched his new friend scale the wall and vanish over the top after pausing to wave at him, and then he was gone.

Atemu walked back to the palace humming to himself. He felt better than he had done in months. Finally he had a friend to laugh and share things with and it made him feel warm inside.

He was late getting back to his tutor and was scolded for it but he didn't care. He worked hard and soon made up for lost time. His tutor was impressed and gave him a rare smile.

"Well considering I thought you had deserted me for the rest of the day you have done well, your father will be pleased."

"Thank you, can I go now?" Atemu asked hopefully.

"Yes you may, be sure to return in the morning." His tutor said as Atemu retreated quickly from the room before he changed his mind.

Atemu went to sleep that night hugging himself in excitement. He had a new friend and would see him again the following day. Nut swallowed Ra for another day and Egypt's future pharaoh fell asleep happy.

TBC…

Well that's it for chapter one. For those who don't know, Nut was the Egyptian god of the earth and the Egyptians believed that he swallowed Ra the sun god every evening and spat him out the following morning, pleasant huh?

See you next chapter!