A 3,000 Year Old Friendship

by Una Morgan

Spinoff from ESoT. After Naeem Past Yugi gets attacked by desert bandits, Jabari Past Jonouchi saves his life... only to sell him to a slave trader! Will Naeem prove himself worthy of the nomad's friendship before going to the creepy sheik?

Egyptian Sands of Time: A 3,000 Year Old Friendship

For all of you who just wandered upon this fic, this is sort of a spin-off from my other YGO fic, Egyptian Sands of Time. In it, Atem has a little brother named Naeem, whom was reincarnated 3,000 years later as Muto Yugi. ^_~

In chapter 10, Naeem left home to travel around Kemet (ancient Egypt) in order to discover his purpose in life. I wanted to write a bit more on how it began, and give more hints as to why he left so suddenly. Oh, and Jabari is also Jonouchi/Joey.

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The Sahara desert stretched out for miles and miles, as unrelenting as the torturous heat that rose from it. The air, with no moisture to relieve any animals who dared pass through, could reach as high a temperature as 130 degrees on a summer day. Sand dunes waves everywhere, like waves on the sea of fine, red sand.

Three horses road across the dunes, their riders in a race of fool-hearty pride. Each were in their early teens and dressed as any other nomad man their age would for riding or combat. Their tribesmen currently set camp in the oasis of Kharga, a few hundred miles west of the capital city of Thebes. As beautiful as the city was, they'd be glad to travel onward to the next rest stop soon. As wandering nomads, they disliked areas so closely watched by the central power.

The young man in the lead tightened his grip on his white spotted horse, and bent his head closer to its neck. The mane and tail flared with taunting speed, and he glanced at his companions behind him. Both had challenged him to this race, and now glared at his early lead. He laughed at their sour faces. "Something amiss, boys?"

"Don't get cocky, Jabari," warned one of them, named Ziyad. "There's still another few turns until we finish!"

Jabari, whose name meant bravery, whooped with unsuppressed arrogance. "I'll be sure to tell you about it when I pass them by!" He clicked his tongue, and his horse sped up.

The other, Montasar, laughed and said, "Hey, Ziyad! Maybe we oughta sell that! A horse with two asses!"

Jabari yelled back, "Hope ya keep that sense of humor while ya eat this horse's sand!"

He made it to the next marker with plenty of time to spare, and he turned to the North-East to reach the next, when he spotted something dark amid the endless mass of red. He pulled his horse's mane, slowing it down. The other two slowed to his side. "What's the hold-up," asked Ziyad.

"Shh," warned Jabari. "Check it out!"

A couple of miles ahead lay the remains of a caravan. Two camel carcasses, half buried in the sand, lay beside broken carts and torn clothes. Montasar, the oldest of the group, motioned for quiet. "They must have been attacked by brigands."

"Do you think they're still around," asked Ziyad.

"If they are," said Jabari, taking out his curved dagger, "they'd better not attack us!"

Montasar rolled his eyes. "C'mon, you two. Let's see if there's any salvageable materials to sell."

The three trotted to the site, jumped off of their horses, and examined what was left. "This was one of the pharaoh's camels," commented Ziyad. "Check out these markings."

"The cart confirms that," said Montasar.

"But nothing useful to us," pouted Jabari. He kicked a wooden board from the cart. "Damn! And here I figured we'd get someth-" He stopped. The sun glinted off of something gold and shiny nearby. He bent down and unearthed a large, golden snake curled around on a set base, tied like a necklace to a piece of rope.

"You find something, Jabari?"

Jabari tucked it under his turban. "Nope. Nothing! Just a big pile o' crap even those filthy thieves wouldn't take with 'em."

"Oh, I dunno," said Ziyad picking up what was left of the tarp that had covered the cart. "This material is strong. It'll fetch a decent price."

"Well," said Montasar, "If there isn't anything else around here, we may as well leave."

Suddenly, they all froze. They'd heard a long, low moan coming from under the broken cart. Jabari gulped and unsheathed his dagger again. Ziyad jumped behind Montasar. "Go for it, Jabari!"

"Why me?"

"You're the only one armed!"

Jabari snorted. He knew they each had swords. 'Cowards,' he thought angrily. 'Oh well, here goes nothing!' He crept lightly to the timber and poked it. The moan came again, only louder. "Who's there," demanded Jabari.

The moan turned into a small voice. "Help… Help me… Please…"

Jabari gasped. It was a kid! He put his dagger back, bent down, and started moving the wood away. He saw some blood splattered around, and found the voice's owner under the rubble. The boy looked too young to be a soldier, with a used-to-be white tunic and nemes, ripped and splattered with blood and sand. "Kid! You okay?!" [1]

The boy's eyes fluttered open, and they sparkled like amethysts against the pale brown skin. "S-shen… Where's my…" He lost consciousness.

Montasar peeked over Jabari's shoulder. "Izze dead?"

"Don't think so," said Jabari.

Ziyad looked over Jabari's other shoulder. "Well, its our lucky day, men! This kid would fetch a good price fro slave trade."

"He's too scrawny," argued Montasar.

"Either way," said Jabari, "let's take him to one of our tents. Ziyad's right, he'll do well for the trade as soon as he's healthy."

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Naeem's head was killing him, and his body felt like he'd been stepped on by a dozen camels! He groaned, sitting up and holding his head. "What happened," he wondered allowed. He opened his eyes and found himself on a straw bed in the back of a large tent. To one side sat a cart of aging fruits, rusting pots for cooking and eating, and piles of clean and dirty clothes. A few meager possessions lay scattered about, but that was it.

Naeem hugged the thin blanket closer. "Better question is WHERE am I?"

He became aware of soft singing. A young woman, maybe twelve, wearing yellow robes and veil, entered the room with freshly cooked meat. Naeem's stomach growled. "Um, excuse me," he asked.

The girl nearly dropped the plate. She looked around, focusing on nothing. "Hello? Is someone there?"

'She's blind,' Naeem noted with pity. "My name is Naeem. I-I don't know how I got here, but-" [2]

"Oh, you're awake," the girl said with a smile. "I'm Satnebetneninesu, but everyone calls me 'Sati.' My brother found you in the desert, and he brought you here, to our home."

"Where are your parents?"

"Mom is still by the river, taking care of the washing for other people. Dad, he - well - stays with his friends most of the time. Its mostly just me and Jabari." She divided the meat into three, and held one in the direction of his voice. "You've been asleep for over a day! My brother let you sleep in his bed, and he's not here right now."

"Thanks," said Naeem, taking the food rather guiltily. "I appreciate this."

Sati smiled brightly, and Naeem returned it, whether she could see it or not. He finished the meat in three bites and licked the plate clean. He still felt hungry, but he figured the girl had little else to give, and he didn't want to infringe on her hospitality.

"Where are you from," she asked.

Naeem stared at his plate. He wanted to keep his identity a secret for a while. The last thing he needed was to be carried back to his older brother and admit he'd been too weak to survive on his own. "I'm - uh - from Thebes." [3]

"Oh." He could tell she wanted to know more, but stayed quiet.

The tent flap opened again, and a three teens entered. They stopped when they saw Naeem. "'Bout time, kid," one said. "You sleep more then a dog does! You think you're royalty or something?"

Naeem chuckled nervously. "S-sorry! I'm still kinda tired. My group was attacked by robbers, and Armon…" He trailed off, a twinge of anger rising in him. 'Armon! He betrayed me! If I ever see him again, it'll be too soon!'

Jabari's eyebrow raised, but he shrugged it off and took a drink of water from a pouch. "Whatever. How old are ya, kid?"

"Almost thirteen."

Jabari spit out the water, Montasar and Ziyad gaped, and Sati tilted her head. "Really? You sound much younger."

"Yeah, everyone at home says that. Honored Brother thinks-" He cut himself off. "Well, my brother looks more like his age, and…"

Ziyad asked, "Where is this brother of yours?"

"Home."

"Which is?"

"In Thebes."

"Does he know you're here?"

"No."

Montasar smiled. "Good. Because we're selling you to the next slave trader that comes around."

"WHAT?!"

Sati turned in her brother's direction. "Brother, that's not nice! Naeem is my new friend!"

Jabari scoffed. "You can't make friends with anyone who comes around, sis!"

Naeem tried to stand, but fell back down, dizzy. The strain made him want to throw up, but he held down the precious bit of food he had. "I'm not getting sold!"

"You don't got much choice, shorty!" He bent down and stomped his foot on Naeem's stomach, just enough to make him lie back down. "You may not be much of a worker, but I'm sure someone'll give you a good home. You'd better say you're - like - eight or something, because then I'll get more."

Naeem glared. "And why would I help you?"

Jabari took out his dagger and pointed it at Naeem's throat. "Because I'm the best weapons expert in this part 'o the desert, that's why! You even try to escape, I'll kill you five times before your baa leaves yer corpse!"

Montasar shook his head. "Quit bein' rough, Jabari! We want him better by the time Omar gets here to take a look at 'im!"

Jabari gave Naeem one more wicked grin before taking his foot off the smaller boy's chest. Naeem gasped in pain, and clutched his chest panting. The boys left, talking on and on about stuff Naeem didn't care about. 'I gotta get out of here,' he thought. 'But I can't like this! I'll wait until they're asleep or something.'

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Jabari and his cronies walked into the wine-seller near the temple. Full of ruffians and fellow nomads, this open-air canopy tent was the best place to search for shady dealers. Although slave trade was not illegal, the new pharaoh frowned upon the sales of subjects of Kemet. The merchants with the highest prices could only be found if you had dealings in such underhanded matters.

Montasar strode over to the patron. "I came to introduce my friend to a friend of yours and mine," he said.

The old man passing drinks nodded, as if recognizing a password. "And this would be?"

"Sheik Omar of the Northern Trade." [4] [5]

"One moment, gentlemen." The man disappeared behind the back of his tent.

Jabari sat on a nearby cushion. "Lemme get this straight: This guy is one of the wealthiest tycoons in the business, and he's hanging out here - why?"

"Best place to find things are the same as we did," said Montasar, "when its hit up comin' out of Thebes. And seein' how this is the closest oasis west of the capital-"

"I get it, I get it. But would he buy that scrawny runt?"

"Sure! Maybe even give you enough for your goal!"

Jabari nodded. 'I sure hope so! Sati deserves much better.'

The old wine-seller came back and waved them in. The three teens walked into a dark, separate room, where a fat man flanked by four large guards sat on many cushions, smoking foreign leaves. The fat man wore fine silk from far north, glimmered with jewels, and smelled of bitter-sweet perfumes. He smiled in an eerie way that gave Jabari the creeps. "Ah," exclaimed the man with a high voice. "My dear, dear Montasar! You are looking quite well!"

Montasar bowed and kissed the man's rings. "I brought two new men for your service. This is Jabari and Ziyad."

"Excellent! Come her, boys, come here!" Jabari and Ziyad crept closer and kissed the man's rings. "Good day to you, boys. Might I ask exactly why you plan to go down the same path as Montasar and work for me?"

"I only wish to earn a decent living, sir," said Ziyad. "An' these two guys have always been like brothers to me."

"A perfectly logical reason," said the sheik. He turned to Jabari, his dark teeth pointing from his thin, smiling lips. "And you, Jabari?"

Jabari cleared his throat nervously. 'This guy gives me the creeps! And his guards… shit! Ain't they never of a bath?' "My sister lost her sight a couple of years ago, sir. I'm trying to raise money to get someone to help her."

Omar turned to Montasar, who nodded confirming the story. "Such loyalty! Such nobility! I applaud you, Jabari, and wish you to transfer some of that loyalty to me. Do you have an offering to present?"

"We captured a -"

The sheik shushed them. "Do not foul my ears with the method. Simply tell me."

"Sir, we have a slave boy for you to sell."

Sheik Omar nodded, thinking. One of the giant guards bent down to whisper something to him. "Yes, yes I agree. I am in need of a new servant boy myself. I will pay full price for him, and you three will have a tidy sum to divide."

The bottom of Jabari's stomach dropped. 'The kid become the personal servant of this creep? Sati'd never forgive me!' But the thought of his blind sister snapped him out of guilt. 'Sati needs to have her sight back. I can't re-think just because it feels bad. Sati deserves the world! And there's no other way. Right?'

"When do we bring him in," asked Montasar.

The old wine-seller interrupted them. "Sheik Omar, the women you requested are here."

Omar's twisted smile widened. "One moment. Gentlemen," he said addressing the three teens, "bring the boy to me at sunset."

They bowed and exited the tent, Jabari trying to ignore the guilt trip gnawing at him.

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Naeem stayed quiet the rest of the day, trying to form a better plan than "Run like Hell." Though by itself not a bad plan, the tenderness in his body, and the wooziness whenever he stood up made this impossible. He lifted the edge of the tent to look around. The oasis was large and busy, filled with nomads, travelers, and governmental soldiers.

'I can always go back to the palace,' he thought off-hand. 'But I lost the Shen, and Honored Brother will be disappointed in me.' He held back tears at the thought. 'I'd rather be a slave then see him mad at me.'

By sunset, he really had started crying. However way he saw it, he was trapped!

Sati arrived and heard the sniffing and small sobs. "Oh, Naeem, I'm so sorry!" She felt her way around the tent to his side. "I should have stayed here to see if you needed anything for the pain!"

Naeem wiped his face. "No, no, I'm okay."

Sati did not look convinced. She stayed nearby, but pretended to only be fixing supper. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, she said, "I managed to sell some of my mother's old jewelry today. Although I may have gotten cheated out of some money since I can't see it."

"That's too bad," said Naeem.

Sati stopped her cleaning, and said softly, "I think its my fault you're getting sold."

Naeem did not respond, curious to her meaning. She closed her eyes sadly and said, "You see, since I started losing my sight, Jabari has been saving up for a potion to heal it. He thinks that somewhere someone will be able to help me see again. He's so protective of me. My brother may act mean sometimes, but he's really a nice guy!"

"Coulda fooled me," muttered Naeem miserably.

"Its because of his friends! They're mean, and they make Jabari act mean too! But he's always been good to me!"

"That's because you're his sister!" Naeem paused. "That's what big brothers do."

Sati's eyes watered. "You miss him, huh?"

"I miss all of my family. Father died not too long ago. But Honored Brother just got married, and Shukura's one of my best friends! Then there's Seto, and Kei, and Mahado, and Shimon…" Naeem buried his face in his hands. "But I can't go back now! I lost the Shen! I was supposed to be its guardian!!" [6]

"What's a shen?"

"Well, the Millennium Shen is a sort of magic item that looks like a snake eating its tail. Brother trusted me to take care of it! But now its out in the sand somewhere, and Ra will fall from the sky before I can find it again!" [7] [8]

Sati quickly crawled to a small group of nick-knacks in a wooden box. She searched through, feeling for something. "I think its- Here it is!" She pulled out the golden object her brother had found when he met Naeem. "Is this it?"

Naeem's eyes widened considerably. "YES!! That's it!!" He ran over to take it, tripping on his own two feet inches from the blind girl. She leaned forward. "Naeem? Are you alright?"

He groaned, shook the stars from his eyes, and took the Shen from her hands. "I can't believe it!! How many gods do I have watching me if I found this so fast!?!"

"What does it do?"

Naeem studied her. She'd helped him so much; not just with finding the Shen, but in companionship. "Close your eyes, and make a wish. One wish, for you!"

Sati closed her eyes and said, "I wish I could see what you look like."

Naeem blushed. "You got it!" He held the Shen in front of him, facing the eyes of the snake to Sati. Staring hard at the base, he chanted a spell, and the eyes glowed brightly. Then, Sati's eyes began to glow, and when she opened them, she saw a blurry mass. She blinked, and the mass turned into a brown-skinned boy with amethyst eyes, a ragged nemes, and a huge grin.

She gasped. She crawled backwards, and took out a cracked mirror. She took off her veil to reveal long red hair, and a very pretty, young face. She stared at herself, then back at Naeem. "How," she managed to choke out.

Naeem held up the Shen. "This has healing powers. Even if you're an inch from death, this can bring you back!"

Sati raced back and hugged him. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!"

Naeem blushed brighter. He'd never been hugged by a girl before. Well, other than Kei or Shukura! "Anytime," he squeaked.

At that moment, the tent flap opened again, and Jabari walked in. He saw his sister, without her veil, on top of the stranger from the desert. He snarled like a jackal, lifted his sister with one hand by the back of her dress, and started choking Naeem. "You son-of-a-jackal!! Don't you DARE touch my sister! I'll kill you!!"

Sati screamed and tried to pull her brother off of Naeem. The smaller boy pried at the taller teen's strong finger, and tried to take a breath to sustain himself. Jabari shook Naeem's head hard, causing his head to bobbled up and down violently. The tattered nemes slipped off…

Black spiked hair with red-violet tips stood on end, and gold bangs dipped down like lightening bolts around Naeem's face. Jabari and Sati paled, and Jabari released his grip. Naeem coughed, rubbing his sore neck. He held up the Shen towards himself, and chanted a spell. His whole body glowed white for a moment. All of his cuts, bruises, and pains disappeared, and all of the dirt lifted away.

Both Jabari and Sati sunk to their knees and bowed frog-position to him. Jabari sputtered, "I-I-I am s-sorry, Ph-Pharaoh! I-I had n-no idea!! I… oh gods, I'm a dead man!"

Naeem shook his head. "Please get up. I'm not the pharaoh, and I'm not going to hurt you."

Both lifted their heads, but Jabari looked unconvinced. He shook with fear, and studied Naeem's features. "Are you… But your hair… I've seen him! He's only our age, so-"

"But Pharaoh looks like a handsome demi-god with eyes like fire," pointed out Sati. "Naeem looks nothing like that!"

'Okay, I may not be as good-looking as Honored Brother, but she didn't have to put it like I'm Bes or something!' [9]

"How did you know that," Jabari asked his sister.

Sati grinned and held her brother's hands. "He healed me! That snake of his is magic! He fixed my eyes, so now I can see again! Isn't that wonderful, Jabari?"

Jabari stared at the pint-sized prince, who was currently dusting off his nemes and putting the Shen under his tunic. "You… You saved my sister's vision?"

Naeem nodded and put his names back on. "She deserves better."

Jabari stood rooted to the spot for several more seconds. He got on one knee and bowed his head. "I owe you… so much! And I swear to stay by your side until my debt is repaid."

"I was my pleasure! Please stop bowing! It annoys me, and I don't want anyone knowing who I really am!" He put his hand on Jabari's shoulder warmly. "Besides, you were only protecting her. I'm a brother, too, so I understand."

Jabari was about to respond, when Ziyad and Montasar entered. "What's taking you so long," asked Montasar. "Sheik Omar expects that boy in his good graces by nightfall!"

The addressed nomad looked at Naeem again, then at his sister. Sati put her hands together, silently begging her brother to reconsider. He beckoned his friends outside. "We can't do this," he said.

"Sure we can," said Ziyad. "He's a shrimp, and there's three of-"

"I mean we can't give him to that fatass!"

Montasar looked scandalized. "Bite your tongue!"

"Fuck it, man! I can't explain it, but that guy just saved my sister! And he's - he's - he's …" Naeem's wish for anonymity rang in his thoughts. But he could trust his friends, right? "He's part 'o the royal family!"

The two others laughed. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard," laughed Montasar. "Now, let's get his and take 'im to the sheik!"

"I ain't letting you take him," exclaimed Jabari, and he stood in a fighting stance. "I have a debt to pay, and it starts now! I'm helping him get out of this place!"

The others looked at each other. "You can't be serious," said Ziyad to Jabari.

"Dead serious!"

Ziyad shook with fear and anger. "The sheik will kill us! We promised him a slave! He's gonna have us decapitated or worse!"

Montasar stepped forward and put a hand on Jabari's shoulder. But unlike the way Naeem gave this affable gesture, Montasar's felt heavy and cold. "Jabari, we've been cohorts for years! Are you willing to give that up for one kid we found under a cart in the desert?"

Jabari's eyes narrowed. "You bet!"

Montasar shrugged. "Suit yourself." He pulled Jabari hard and kneed him in the lower ribs, cracking two of them and knocking the wind out of him. With Jabari stunned, Montasar slammed both fists down hard on his back. Jabari tried to roll out of the way, but Montasar grabbed him by the hair, smashed his face into the sand, and started kicking him.

Ziyad turned away. He felt betrayed by bopth of them, but did not want to get beaten up. Montasar, with each kick, taunted him. "Not so tough offa yer horse, are ya? Wanted to be a hero, huh? Nobody messes with us! Nobody! Fer nothing!"

"STOP!!" Naeem burst through the tent flaps and jumped in front of Jabari, arms spread open as a shield. Montasar paused. "Now what?"

Naeem glared at the larger boy. "Leave him alone!"

"Outta my way, pipsqueak!"

"No! I won't let you hurt my friend!" [10]

Jabari's eyes widened. 'Friend?!'

Naeem's face fell. "I'll… I'll go peacefully. Just stop hurting Jabari. Please!"

Jabari grabbed Naeem's wrist from behind. "What the fuck are you doing," he whispered harshly.

"Your sister needs you. I'll be alright." He held his head high and walked with Montasar and Ziyad.

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Naeem winced in pain as he was forced to his knees by two of Omar's guards. Three barely dressed women lay at the man's feet, on stroking his plump cheeks and arms. The sheik eyed Naeem, them asked Montasar nd Ziyad, "Where is Jabari?"

"He had to watch over his sister," said Montasar no problem. Ziyad only stared at the floor.

The sheik stood up ('He can lift himself up,' thought Naeem. 'That's impressive!') and sauntered down to Naeem. He held up his face with his pudgy hands. Naeem could see a frightening look of desire in Omar's eyes. After ages of taking the pleasure of the three women, he still felt a bit horny. Having been trained by psychics and magicians, he could sense the lust burning from the man. Naeem pulled his face away, shaking in fear. "Are you scared, boy," asked Omar.

Naeem nodded.

"Don't be. You'll understand that I can be a gentle man when treated properly." He turned to the guards. "You may leave us," he said.

As soon as their grip relaxed slightly, Naeem tried to run. But the guards held him tightly again. The sheik clicked his tongue. "I warned you, do not toy with me." He traced his hands against Naeem's arms and pulled the shabby bandages away. "Your skin is so smooth… You are certainly not used to hard work. Are you the son of a nobleman?"

Naeem said nothing.

Omar beckoned his women to surround Naeem, who was getting more and more frightened by the actions. "Girls, doesn't this boy have soft, smooth skin?" They answered affirmatively. "So rich in texture and color…"

Naeem shut his eyes tightly. He searched through his mind-link, but Atem and Kei were too far away to reach. /Someone help me!!/ [11]

"How old are you, my boy?"

Naeem said nothing.

"Do you have a family?"

Nothing.

"Can you even talk?"

He nodded.

Sheik Omar grinned, revealing his blackened teeth. "Can you do any special talent?"

Naeem thought for a minute. "Yes, sir. As a matter of fact, I'm excellent at solving puzzles."

The guards chuckled softly. "Really," asked the sheik. "Games? Puzzles?"

"Yes sir. Care see one?"

The sheik laughed hardily, his great belly shaking. "Little boys and their games! Alright, this may be amusing. I'll play along just this once. If it pleases me, you shall get a reward."

"Great!" Naeem thought hard. He needed this distraction. "I'll need a plank of wood with three holes and a piece of rope."

Sheik Omar clapped his hands, and in less then five minutes, these items were produced. The plank was about 18" long and had quarter-sized holes on each end and in the middle. "Is this satisfactory?"

"The rope is too long." He held it up with his hands three feet apart. "Cut it about here."

A guard did so. "Now, may I borrow one of your rings?"

The sheik took off one of his rather wide diamond rings from his stumpy finger. Naeem slid the middle of the rope through the center hole, pulled the two ends around one side, and through the loop. He then tied one end securely around one hole at one end, slipped the ring on the other side and tied that end to the other hole. He held it up to the sheik. "This is called a 'Bead-String Puzzle,' the only difference being I'm using your ring instead of a bead. The rope has two large loops hanging from the center knot. The object is to transfer the ring from one loop to another, without untying the end knots." [12]

The sheik took it and made several attempts. As hard as he struggled, nothing worked. His face perspired with concentration. Finally, he grunted, "You've made it impossible!"

"Its not impossible-"

One guard put a hand on his sword's hilt. But Omar waved his hand. "No! I want him alive!" He eyed Naeem. "If you are trying to make a fool of me, no amount of submission can save you."

Naeem hid his shaking hands behind his back. "I-I can solve it sir. But, you said I could have a wish if I do, correct?"

"Yes. But let me watch. I feel it is impossible!"

Naeem took the puzzle in his own hands. Carefully, he pulled the looped knot, and patiently guided the ring down the rope, dipping it and turning the wood for help. At last, he succeeded in pulling the rope to the other loop. He held it up to the sheik, who examined it. "My wish is for freedom!"

Sheik Omar's face reddened with anger. He'd been outsmarted! His men watched, and he knew he had to keep his word. "FINE!! Get out of my site!"

Naeem bowed and ran out. Sheik Omar looked back at the plank and realized that the ring was gone! He yelled, "Any man who catches the boy, dead or alive, receives that ring as a reward!"

Considering the diamond on the ring was the size of a walnut, every single guard raced for their horse and weapon.

.

.

'I gotta thank Shukura for teaching me that trick,' Naeem thought as he watched the ring glint in the moonlight. He ran out of the tent and down the isle of dwellings at top speed. 'I'm out! But now what do I do?'

"Yo, prince!"

Naeem skidded to a halt and spotted Jabari on his horse. "I thought I heard ya scream for help," he said. "Now I can't be a hero!"

Naeem looked behind him and saw all of Omar's guards and Montasar filing out of the tent with spears and swords. 'Isis, Holy Mother of Horus!!!' "Jabari, if you can get me outta here in one piece, I'LL bow to YOU!!" [13]

"You got it!" He held out his arm and pulled Naeem onto the back of his horse. "HIYAH!!" The horse reared and galloped hard into the night. Naeem grabbed onto Jabari's torso. "Are you a good rider," he called out over the noise.

"Are you kiddin'? I'm one of the best this side of the desert," he called back.

Naeem buried his face into Jabari's robes. 'I was afraid he'd say that!'

Jabari weaved his way around the various dwellings, trying to stay away from people outside their homes cooking. He looked behind him and saw only two horses chasing him. 'Shit! Where are the others?' He turned back just in time to see two more coming at him from both sides. Thinking quickly, he pulled on the horse's mane, forcing it to stop, turn sharply, and head straight at the two behind him. The two he'd jut dodged nearly ran into each other. The two he was currently aiming for split up at the last second to let him pass.

All four raced behind Jabari. They were far enough away that Jabari had time to think a bit more calmly. He led his horse to the edge of the large spring, and started galloping through the water. It slowed them down, but the water splashed high enough to confuse and drench the horses behind him. One pulled away to find another route.

The remaining three threw their spears. Jabari cried out; he couldn't dodge those now! But Naeem mutted a spell, and the spears bounced off an invisible shield. Jabari concentrated back to riding.

They now neared the high wall the separated him from the desert. Jabari cursed at himself for choosing the wrong shore to circle; the wall had three entrances, and he was no where near one. He either had to turn and find an exit, running into the horses chasing him, or sprout wings and fly over.

The thought made him smile evilly. Naeem tensed. "What're we going to do?"

"FLY!!" Jabari's horse sped up. Naeem grabbed on tightly to Jabari's torso, and Jabari to the horse's neck. Once it got close to the base, his horse leaped up, took and extra jump against the wall half-way up, up, and over the wall! It landed heavily but safely on the other side. [14]

It trotted to a stop. They heard two horses slam into the wall, and one stop dead out. Jabari and Naeem both cheered. "You alright, Your Highness?"

"THAT WAS CRAZY," he yelled, "BUT AWESOME!!!"

"I'll take that as a big 'Yes,'" he said winking.

Naeem's face suddenly paled. "Oh SHIIIIT!!!"

Jabari turned and saw a single rider already on their side of the wall and galloping toward them at break-neck speed. Jabari clicked his heels to his own horse and hurried away. He recognized the horse: Montasar!

Montasar, momentum in his favor, and caught up beside Jabari. "Stop this, you idiot," he yelled. "Drop the kid and I won't kill you!"

"May Ammut devour ya nuts first," Jabari yelled back. [15] He called out, and the horse galloped faster, passing Montasar.

Montasar took out his sword. At his current angle, he had a clear shot at Naeem. "I hate to do this, Jabari!"

"Me too!" Ziyad, atop his own horse, appeared beside Montasar holding a long branch. Before Montasar got to ask why, his former friend stuck the branch between the black horse's front legs.

Montasar's horse tripped, falling face first into the sand and bucking its rider off into the wall. The teen hit his head, and got knocked out.

Jabari looked at Ziyad in surprise. "I thought-"

"Just get your fat ass outta here, Jabari!! I'll take care of your sister and mother!"

Jabari grinned. "Thanks, pal!"

.

.

After several miles into the red desert, Jabari stopped the horse to give it some rest. Naeem hopped down and collapsed. "That's more excitement then I've had in a while!!"

"You couldn't possibly had wilder times than this," exclaimed Jabari incredulously.

Naeem laughed. "You've never met Kei!"

Jabari sat down beside Naeem. "So, you want me to take you to the Dakhla Oasis or Thebes?"

Naeem sat back up and took out the Shen. "Dakhla. I made a promise to my father… I can't let this near the other Items for a while."

"Why?"

"Let's just say the result may destroy the world."

"That'd put a damper on your vacation!"

"I'm not on a vacation! I'm on a quest!"

Jabari took renewed interest and shifted his position to face Naeem. "Cool! What for?"

"To find a true purpose in life!" His faced turned to one of determination. "I need to prove to myself, my brother, and everyone else that I'm not a coward! I may not be much of a hero, but my will is stronger than they realize! Even if I have to travel through all of Kemet to show it!"

"Sounds like fun," said Jabari lazily. "Count me in, too!"

"But what about Sati? You already saved my life, so your debt is repaid!"

"That walk in the park? No way! I'll never be able to repay a debt to a friend in full!" He laid down, stretching comfortably. "Looks like I'm gonna hafta be your bodyguard on this little trip!"

Naeem slowly grinned. "Thanks, Jabari!"

The nomad smirked. "Hey, what're friends for?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~In the quiet time of evening

~~When the stars assume their patterns

~~And the day has made his journey

~~And we wondered just what happened

~~To the life we knew before the world changed

~~When not a thing I held was true

~~But you were kind to me and you reminded me

~~That the world is not my playground

~~There are other things that matter

~~And when a simple needs protecting

~~My illusions all would shatter

~~But you stayed in my corner

~~The only world I know was upside down

~~And now the world and me, I know you carry me

~~You see the patterns in the big sky

~~Those constellations look like you and I

~~Just like the patterns in the big sky

~~We could be lost we could refuse to try

~~But we made it through in the dark night

~~Would those lucky guys turn out to be

~~But that unusual blend of my funny friend and me

~~I'm not as clever as I thought I was

~~I'm not the boy I used to be because

~~You showed me something different, you showed me something pure

~~I always seemed so certain but I was really never sure

~~But you stayed and you called my name

~~When others would have walked out on a lousy game

~~And you could've made it through But your funny friend and me

~~You see the patterns in the big sky

~~Those constellations look like you and I

~~That tiny planet in a bigger guy I don't know whether I should laugh or cry

~~Just like the patterns in the big sky

~~We'll be together till the end is nigh

~~Don't know the answer or the reason why

~~We'll stick together till the day we die

~~If I had to do this all a second time I won't complain or make a fuss

~~When the angels sing that that unlikely blend

~~Are those two funny friends

~~That's us [16]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[1] Names - In case you don't know by now, it's a head piece worn by royalty

[2] Sati - Yes, I threw Shizuka into the story!

[3] Thebes - capital of Kemet

[4] Sheik - In the Arab world, a nobleman or chief of a family

[5] North - Yes, Shibby, I know they didn't really know what 'north' was, but this makes it far easier for non-ancient-Egyptian-experts readers to understand than "Lower"

[6] Shukura and Kei - characters in my other fic Egyptian Sands of Time

[7] Millennium Shen - For those new to the story, it's a piece of the original Mil. Puzzle (see my other stories)

[8] Ra falling - According to Egyptian mythology, the Sun god Ra travels across the sky as the sun

[9] Bes - Egyptian dwarf god believed to guard against evil spirits and misfortune. He was shown to be ugly and grotesque in appearance, with a large head, protruding tongue, bow legs and a bushy tail. He was originally the protective deity of the royal house of Egypt, but came to be a popular household deity throughout Egypt.

[10] - "I won't let you hurt my friend!" ~Naeem/Yugi - ^_^ Sound familiar kiddies? Its from Vol. 1, Chapter 1 of the manga, when Yugi defends Jou and Honda from Ushio. That was for you Yugi fans!

[11] /Talk like this is always Yugi's thought-speak./

[12] Bead-String Puzzle - Real game from North Africa

[13] "Isis Holy Mother of Horus!!" - Ancient Egyptian equivalent to "Mary Mother of God!!" o_o Don't look at me like that! it's a joke!

[14] Wall around oasis - I humbly ask Shibby's forgiveness; the wall was not set up until much later then the 18th Dynasty

[15] Ammut - Monster in the underworld that ate the souls that failed Anubis' Feather Test

[16] My Funny Friend and Me by Sting

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Una: Well, minna-san, I'm sick at home, so I thought I'd whip this up! I didn't expect it to be so long, but I enjoyed writing it so much-

*Una gets bombarded with pillows, teddy bears, and cotton candy*

Una: Wha-What the HFIL!?!

Yami: You bury us in fluff…

Bardock: We bury you in fluff!

Yugi: Cut it out, guys! She's sick, remember? And I liked the story!

Bardock: But more Disney songs? What the f**k is wrong with you, woman!?!

Una: Would you rather "On My Way" by Phil Collins? That was the alternative.

Yugi/Yami/Bardock: O___O NOO!!! NO MORE!!!

Una: Yes, he is over done and over used. But most Disney songs don't get the appreciation by fans that they deserve. Most of their lyrics are awesome.

Bardock: Like…

Una: "God Help the Outcasts," "Go the Distance," "Circle of Life," "Reflection," "Part of Your World," "You'll Be In My Heart," "Once Upon a Dream" …

Yugi: *teasing* "High Ho," "Hakuna Matata"…

Bardock: (O)____(O) Use those songs in my fic, I'll quit!

Yugi: Una-san, what was with that sheik guy?

Una: You mean the Michael Jackson wannabe? *shot*

Yami: Read and Review quick, so she can update Egyptian Sands of Time!!