Ch. 1
"Hoe!" Akira halted her big gray stallion and watched in awe a bright, eerie light shining in front of her. She had seen a light like this before, many years ago. She tried to forget that day. The light grew more intense, and Akira's horse, Ghost, shied nervously. She calmed him with her voice and a gentle pat on the neck. The light became blinding for a moment, then faded. Akira saw a tall figure where the light had been. He gave a low groan as his knees buckled and he began to fall. Akira slid off her horse and caught him just before he hit the ground. She studied the unconscious boy in her arms. He looked about eighteen years old. He was tan and muscular, and had black, red, and blonde spiky hair. But the strangest thing about him was that he was dressed like Egyptian royalty. He wore a white and blue tunic and a blue cape. Gold bands wrapped around his arms and legs, and he wore a pyramid- shaped pendant with strange inscriptions around his neck. The boy groaned again, and Akira eased him onto Ghost's saddle before mounting and cantering off to her farmhouse.
Akira carried the boy through the front door and gently set him on her couch. She walked into the kitchen and picked up the phone. A girl's voice answered on the fourth ring. "Akira?" The voice asked. "Hiya, Ryuu!" Akira said. "I had a very weird day today." "You think you had a weird day? I had to go to Shigure's house today. And he was wearing a suit!" Ryuu laughed.
"There's a pharaoh laying on my couch." Akira replied.
"A PHARAOH?" Ryuu exclaimed, shocked. "Well, I think he's a pharaoh. He's dressed like one." "Can I come see him?" Ryuu asked. "Yeah, sure. Man, is he fine!" Akira said before hanging up.
Twenty minutes later, Ryuu and Akira stood by the couch, gawking at the mysterious boy. "Is he dead?" Ryuu asked, reaching out her hand to check his pulse. Akira slapped it away. "Don't touch him!" she yelled. The boy shifted uncomfortably and groaned as he sat up, rubbing his forehead as if it pained him. "Where am I? And who are you?" he exclaimed. His voice was deep and smooth, but there was panic in his violet eyes. "Well, as an answer to the first question, you're on my couch." Akira said. "And for your second question, my name is Akira, and this is Ryuu." She said, pointing at Ryuu. "And who are you?" she asked him. "My name is Atemu. I am Pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt. Why am I here? Take me back at once!" he ordered. Akira and Ryuu averted their gazes. "What's wrong?" Atemu asked in alarm. "We-eel…"Akira started. "First of all, you're a long way from Egypt." Atemu's large eyes widened. "Second of all, what was the year before you woke up here?" "It was 0093 B.C. Why?" he asked. Now Akira's eyes widened and Ryuu clapped a hand to her mouth. "Why are you doing that?" Atemu asked. He sounded nervous. "Um… Atemu?" Akira stammered. "You… this is the year 2007. A.D." Atemu gasped and almost fell off the couch. He stood up and leaned on Akira's shoulder for support. She blushed bright red. "I've been sleeping for three thousand years?" Atemu began to panic. "What will I do? No one will know who I am or even that I still exist! Where will I go? How will I live? I don't know anything about this place or this time!" He fell back onto the couch and started sobbing. "Please don't cry, Atemu!" Ryuu shouted. "Actually, you were only sleeping for about half an hour." She said. "I saw a weird light, and when it was gone you were standing in front of me." Akira said gently, putting her hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her, tears streaming down his tan face. Akira turned to Ryuu, who was staring at her as if she had three heads. "It looked just like the portal that sent me here." Ryuu looked shocked. "But that would mean…" "SHHH!" Akira whispered. "What are you shushing at?" Atemu asked. "I have a right to know!" "Atemu…" Akira faltered. She sat down next to him. "It… it may be a long time… before I can send you home again." Atemu gasped and started sobbing again. (a.n. - Wouldn't you be sobbing too if you were halfway around the world and three thousand years from home? I thought so.) Akira wrapped her arms around his shaking shoulders and looked up at Ryuu. "Should I tell him?" Ryuu nodded. "It might help."
"Atemu." Akira said softly. Atemu stopped crying and looked up. "Atemu, watch me closely." She stood up and closed her eyes. Much to Atemu's astonishment, tendrils of sparkling white light rose out of the floor and spiraled up Akira's body. When the light burst, she looked completely different. Her skin was almost as tanned as his. Her waist-length blonde hair had been replaced by silver hair that reached almost to the ground. Her wide green eyes had become slanted, like a cat's, and her eyebrows thinner and more arched. She was clothed in a tunic of a brown fabric that Atemu didn't recognize, and a tattered green overlay hung from her pocket-filled belt. She carried a bag from the same material as her tunic, and it hung from her waist. An unstrung bow was strapped to her back, with a quiver of arrows beside it. But the strangest thing was that she had pointed ears, and four silvery wings protruded from her back. Atemu gaped in shock at this new appearance and also at the fact that Ryuu didn't seem as surprised as he was. Akira smiled grimly at him. "I am a fairy."