Summary: Yami doesn't want to become Pharaoh! ...that was a bad summary... YY and Tea...sort of...Spoilers: Yami's real name, and the Priests names and stuff.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! And the thing about Teana and Jono, I didn't make those names up. They come from the Forbidden Memories game for Playstation, so I don't own them either.

A/N: Alrighty! This is the first fan-fic that I've written of this genre, and also the first one that has a Yami and Tea pairing. Usually, I hate this pairing, and would rather a Yami/Yugi pairing, but I thought that I'd give this a whirl. The whole things already written, but just not typed, but I'll accept suggestions, and even flames! But you might be flamed back. So be careful…j/k. I also strongly dislike it seems so confusing...maybe I'm just stupid.
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Chapter One: Happy Birthday

The year was 1478b.c, and the location was Cairo, a prosperous city located on the Nile River. The sun was rising slowly, sending a cheerful glow over the pyramids. There were already people out in the marketplace, trading for goods and other things. Daily life for them.

But inside the palace, Atemu, the soon to be Pharaoh, was just waking up. The sun's rays shone through the window, irritating him. He scrunched his tan face, then opened his alarming violet eyes. He sat up and let the white blanket fall off of his thin body, revealing an off-white night gown.

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and remembered with a jolt what day it was: his 16th birthday. Maybe he would've been happier if there wasn't a big ceremony.

Atemu didn't like having to get up in front of the whole city, 15/16ths of which he didn't know, and 99.7 of which didn't like him. The whole ceremony was probably so his father, Akunumkanon, could show him off and push some responsibility on him.

Of course, Atemu was grateful for his wonderful life, but he wondered what he did to deserve it. His "common" friends, Teana and Jono (which his father didn't know he had), were really nice people, with nice families, and they weren't attended to like he was. Atemu often wondered what being normal was like, but he didn't get to go out in the market too often. He wondered if people thought of him as a spoiled brat.

But enough of that, he had to be down to breakfast soon. He got out of bed and replaced the blanket, and took his clothes out of a wicker basket near him. He didn't mind his clothes too much, but they were a bit too…lavish. He would have been happy with a plain old tunic.

There was a knock on his door, and a servant asked the Ancient Egyptian equivalent of, "Master Atemu, do you need help getting dressed?"

"No, thank you." Atemu said bitterly as he slipped out of his clothes and threw them into another basket. He really hated everyone trying to wait on him hand and foot like he was incapable of doing simple tasks. His father couldn't tie his own robe without calling someone to help him. It disgusted Atemu.

Later, like when his clothes were dirty, he'd take them down to the Nile and clean them, like the peasants did…its what he wanted.

"Besides ," he thought as he slipped on his pure white knee-length robe with a purple pattern near the bottom and picked up the uncomfortable gold-belt-thing, "It was always uncomfortable when they put this stuff on me, when I was little. Even then I could do this stuff without help, and it hurt less ." He snapped it into place and then put on his various rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. Out of all his gold jewelry, he hated the earrings the most. They were skillfully crafter, yes, but they tugged uncomfortably on his ears. Was there a point in putting holes in one's ears?

Next he put on his sandals. He didn't have a problem with these, other than the fact that they gave him blisters, but he didn't tell anyone about them, everyone would make a fuss.

Last was the cape. Actually, he liked his long, flowing, violet cape. It made him feel slightly more powerful, even though that was the thing that he dreaded most in life. Or maybe…he just liked it because his father didn't. Atemu smiled, showing even teeth that stood out against his dark skin. Yep, that was it.

He walked over to a mirror leaning against a wall. His hair was messy. It was always messy. He ran his fingers through it two or three times, and when the last golden bang fell into the place he liked it, he picked up a golden headpiece and maneuvered around his hair to put it into place. He liked the Sennen Eye in front, but the spikes that jutted out from either side, he didn't like. E always used to cut himself them.

Atemu was about to walk out when he noticed something glinting. The gold covering for his legs. After wrestling with those for a minute, he got them on. That was his morning routine. He did it everyday, though he almost always forgot something.

Atemu realized something as he left the room. He really didn't like his clothes.

Center/centerbrbr

"Atemu, my son. Happy birthday." Atemu's mom smiled as she gave her son a hug. Atemu breathed in her scent. He loved the vanilla perfume that she wore, it calmed him.

He hugged her back, "Thank you, Mother." She slowly withdrew, being careful not to hurt herself on his elaborate shoulder jewelry. She took a step back and looked at his appearance.

"Your cape," she said, fingering the purple garment. "It brings out your eyes. I like it."

He smiled in thanks. He loved his mother, more so than anyone else in the castle, including himself. She understood him, and also pitied him, because she felt that reforms he would make when he became Pharaoh would lead to rebellion by the people closest to him. But Atemu didn't know her thoughts; his only wish was to make his mother, and his city, happy.

"Are you going to eat?" She asked, pointing to a bowl of fruit.

"No," replied her son, "I'm kind of nervous. I don't want to upset my stomach." He lied, he didn't like food from the palace, it didn't taste natural. He'd get something from the market.

"You hardly ever eat, Atemu." His mother teased, "It's no wonder you're skin and bones." Her son was small, but not frail. He was strong. She put on a serious face. "You should go. Your father's waiting. Everyone's waiting." Atemu turned to leave, "Son, you'll do fine."

He paused in his stride, but didn't say anything. Atemu left his mother alone and went through the maze that was his home, his sandals making the occasional flap on the stone floor, echoing strangely. But Atemu didn't hear, he was mentally preparing himself…putting on his mask.

"About time, everyone's waiting." A cold hand grabbed his upper arm, and Atemu was pulled out of his trance. It was Seto, his older cousin. Priest Seto, actually. Seto was the holder of the magical Millennium Rod, and it had the power to control minds, among other things.

Atemu looked his cousin up and down. They were dressed in a similar fashion, but Seto's outfit wasn't so flamboyant, and it was longer. He looked at his cousin's blue eyes. They were cold, and showed barely any compassion for his younger cousin.

Atemu knew that Seto wanted his claim to the throne. If he could, Atemu would probably give it to him, but, then again, Seto would probably burn it to the ground (metaphorically speaking). He'd raise taxes, and enforce more labor, exactly the opposite of Atemu's plans, in fact. Still, Atemu didn't want to be king.

"Where's my father?" Atemu asked, pulling himself free of Seto and taking a step back.

"Inside, now come on," He demanded, and opened the double doors. Atemu stepped forward, and they both entered the hall to find it full of people, who were talking, but stopped when they saw the young Prince and Priest.

Atemu put on a straight face and started walking down the isle with Seto, occasionally nodding his head and grinning politely when he made eye contact with someone. Seto just stonily looked ahead, not grinning, not even blinking, firmly holding the Millennium Rod.

Atemu looked at the people up on t stone stage. There were 8 of them, all in gold jewelry and pure white outfits, some with purple patterns: Akunadin, Isis, Mahaado, Karim, Shada, Siamun, Pharaoh Akunumkanon, and his Mother, who must've taken another route to the hall.

Siamun was his mentor, and he was with Atemu on the day he was born. He also pitied Atemu, because Atemu was a bright boy with bright ideas. But that could get him killed.

The rest of the people, Atemu knew almost nothing about them, except for the Millennium Item's they possessed: Akunadin had the Eye, Isis had the Necklace, Mahaado had the Ring, Karim had the Scale, and Shada had the Key.

Yes, it was obvious, and yes, it was practically slapping him in his young face, but Atemu failed to make the connection.

Atemu reached his father at the end of the hall, while Seto went to stand with the other Priests. They were all standing so that the whole hall could see them. Atemu inclined his head to his Father, while his father glared at his cape, then got over it, "Today, my son, is your sixteenth birthday."

Atemu raised his head and looked into his father's cold eyes. He would have rather been with his friends, or even alone in the market, with people that didn't know him, yet hated him all the same, than up here, waiting to see what his father had in store for him.

"And that means," He continued into the silent hall, "You will inherit something today."

Atemu blinked, and in a panic, hoped to Ra that he wouldn't be given the title of Pharaoh. "Not today, not today," he begged silently in his head. "I'm not ready; I'm still a kid…"

Akunumkanon clapped his hands, and a servant delivered to him a Golden Box, then bowed and left. It had hieroglyphs on it, but there was a glare ton it so Atemu couldn't read them. His father handed him the box, and Atemu took it with a shaky hand, hoping he wouldn't drop it. He held it up to his eyes, hoping to read the words, but his father put his hand over it and pushed it under his line of sight, "Open it." It wasn't a request, but a demand.

Atemu lifted the lid of the box with the Golden Sennen Eye, and saw a glittering Puzzle. He closed it, and looked at his father, his mouth slightly open.

"When I was sixteen, my father gave me this puzzle, just as Seto's father gave him the Millennium Rod, and every other Millennium Item was passed down each family for over a century. These may be just trinkets, but family heirlooms that we all treasure."

Of course, this was a lie. But the peasants didn't know that. If they did, then rebellions would immediately ensue. All of the magical powers in the world couldn't stop that. Once or twice certain individuals have tried to steal a Millennium Item from the their owner's noses. To nobody's surprise, these individuals never returned.

Atemu, once again, was trying to read the hieroglyphs on the box, but his father started to speak again, forcing him to look away. "My son, no one has ever been able to put that together. Not your Grandfathers from a century ago," he paused, as if his next thought disgusted him, "And not me. Do you rise to the challenge?"

"Of course ", Atemu thought, "It's always a challenge, always a responsibility ." Atemu didn't even know what this Puzzle looked like, or the powers it had, if any. "Yes, Father. I will. I'll do my best."

At this, the crowd started to clap, some happy for Atemu, others just clapping to be polite, and the rest clapping because they had to.

The one who solves me shall gain the powers and knowledge of darkness…Atemu read the box.

-

After the ceremony there was a party of sorts, in which most people stayed because of the free food. Of course, there was more to the ceremony, but Atemu didn't really listen. No one really listened.

During the festival, Atemu attempted to find Teana and Jono, but was unsuccessful, and was instead bombarded with relatives that he didn't know, pushing him gifts of…more gold jewelry. Atemu thanked each of them in turn, still unsure of their names, and finally escaped to his chamber when he couldn't carry anymore.

"Why is everything gold? Why not silver?" He asked no one in particular, as there was no one in the room, carefully piling up the small fortune he had acquired, "If I wore all that, I wouldn't be able to move." He picked up the Millennium Puzzle, "Is it really that hard to solve?"

Atemu heard padded feet outside his door and went to meet them. It was Siamun, "Lord Atemu?" He asked, bowing.

"Siamun, you don't have to bow to me. I'd rather you didn't." Atemu said, placing a hand on his gold-clad hip. He smiled, "Now. I'll bet Father wants me back at the festival."

"No," Siamun answered, wringing his hands, "Actually, I came to tell you the real story behind that Puzzle." He frowned, "Your father doesn't know I'm here…but Atemu, that-"

"The one who solves me shall gain the powers and knowledge of darkness." Atemu recited. He knew the inscription by heart, it immediately stuck.

"You know what it says?" Siamun asked, his eyes almost popping out of his head, "Those are very high level hieroglyphs."

"Well…" Atemu broke off. He spent a large chunk of his time learning the hieroglyphs by studying the walls of his home, learning the forbidden history of his family. But the Millennium Puzzle was never mentioned, "I study a lot."

"I can tell," Siamun said shortly "You shouldn't know that much until you're at least Pharaoh. It's forbidden text, and I was risking my life when I came to tell you what the box said."

Atemu was silent. He knew all types of hieroglyphs so well that he couldn't tell the difference between them anymore, "Siamun, please-"

"Of course I won't tell your father!" He said, reading Atemu's mind, "But you do know that with that knowledge, comes danger. You don't know what things were written in that script. Dangerous things." He sighed, "Atemu, I'd keep this to yourself." He turned to leave, "You have the knowledge of darkness, now. And I hope that the time never comes in your life when you need the powers as well." He left.

Atemu was furious with himself. When he decided to try to learn the forbidden text, years ago, he promised himself that no one would ever find out. Surprisingly, it was easy to learn, but now someone had his secret, and if the wrong person ever got it, then he'd be in trouble.

Atemu lifted his deep purple cape over his head, and hung it on a nearby rack. Then he unclipped his belt and threw it to the side, and proceeded to take off the rest of his jewelry, and traded his pure-white sleeveless tunic for his off-white one with blue and black pattern on the neck and sleeves. It was definitely more comfortable.

He grabbed the Golden Box again, "What did he mean by powers of darkness?" He remembered something: When Atemu was 12, and just starting to read the cursed text, he took a wrong turn when heading to the hall and found a whole wall full of it. He could only pick out certain words and phrases: solves, soul, and Shadow Game. But then his father found him and led him away. He hasn't been able to find the Chamber ever since.

Atemu opened the lid and fiddled with the pieces for a while. He couldn't get one into another, but he wasn't frustrated because of the beauty of it. It wasn't even that, just the energy that coursed through him every time he touched a piece. However, Atemu ended up gibing up when he saw people heading back to the market. He carefully put everything back in the box and put it under his mass of jewelry.

Then he went over to the window. It was time to go find Teana and Jono and finally enjoy himself on his birthday.

-

"Where are they?" Atemu asked rather grumpily to no one in particular as he walked through the market. He was eating a red apple that he bought earlier, and was almost finished with it; he was hungry after not eating anything all morning, and savored the sweet natural taste of it and enjoyed the juice running down his chin. He finished off the last of it and threw the core off to the side.

He was limping slightly on his left foot, causing passer-by to stare. He's been jumping out of his window for years, but today he landed wrong and hurt his ankle…today was shaping out to be great.

In front of him, a man carrying an armful of baskets stumbled and dropped them. Everyone else kept going, but Atemu stopped to help him pick them up.

"Thank you, young man." He said, smiling.

"Your welcome," The man had a kind face, and he didn't recognize Atemu for what he was, despite his jubilant hair and violet eyes. It made Atemu happy, which, he realized as he limped away, was almost sad.

"Atemu!" A familiar voice called and knocked into his side in a hug, "Happy Birthday!"

He hugged her back, "Thanks, Teana." They broke apart, and Atemu took in her face. She had short brown hair, and blue eyes that stood out on her dark face. He she got blue eyes when the rest of her family had brown, he didn't know. What Atemu did know was that whenever he saw her, he got butterflies in his stomach, but he was risking a lot just being friends with her, let alone dating her. Plus, when he came of age, the Priests would pick out someone, or a couple someones for him to marry, and he almost knew that any relationship that was more than friends would end up in flames.

"Jeez, Teana. You run too fast. I bumped into at least three people…Atemu! Happy Birthday! I thought we'd never find you."

"Same here, Jono. Thanks." He looked up at his friend. Jono was tall, and Atemu was short. Jono had dark skin and olive eyes, but stood out in a crowd because of his wild mop of light brown, almost blond hair.

"The Millennium Puzzle," Jono joked, "A family heirloom. I'll bet you were excited."

"Yeah," Atemu said sarcastically. "Real excited. Another hunk of gold for me to lug around, if I ever finish it." Jono and Teana were his best friends for what seemed like forever, but he just couldn't tell them about the Dark Magic topics, or how he knew how to read the forbidden text. He just couldn't.

"Here, we got you something. Something different." Atemu noticed Teana's hand was behind her back. "Now, close your eyes."

Atemu was hesitant, "Guys…you shouldn't have done that."

"No, take it. Besides, you give us awesome birthday gifts." Jono sounded firm. "Please, just take it."

"Okay," Atemu said, making his friends smile. He didn't really want to accept anything, seeing how their taxes practically funded his life, but he closed his eyes, and he felt Teana move behind him.

"Don't open them until I tell you," She demanded. She slid something around his neck, and hooked a clasp. Then she moved in front of him.

"Okay," Jono said, "You can open your eyes now."

Atemu obliged, and looked down. He saw a chain hanging from his neck. A silver chain. Atemu laughed, "Guys, that's awesome. Thank you." Out of all of the jewelry that Atemu ever got, this was his favorite.

They started to walk down the street, and Jono noticed Atemu's limp, "Atemu, you didn't fall out of your window, did you?" They both knew that Atemu had to sneak out of the Palace to see them, but Jono was only half joking.

"Well…" Atemu made a face, "Sort of…"

Jono looked surprised, as he was only joking, and Teana gasped, "Are you alright?" She grabbed his arm, and despite his protests, dragged him into her house, with Jono lagging uncharacteristically silent behind them. Her house wasn't especially fancy, but it wasn't awful. It did have all of the essentials.

There was a simple goat skin rug in the center of the packet dirt floor, and blankets folded neatly in t corner, baskets of vegetables and other things every here and there. Atemu always like that fact that it wasn't fancy.

Her mom was sitting on the floor, waving a blanket with sheep's wool made into yarn. She looked a lot like Teana, except taller, and brown eyes instead of blue, but she had a kind face to match, "Hello, Atemu, Jono." Her gaze moved to Atemu and she smiled, "Happy Birthday."

He opened his mouth to say 'thank you,' but Teana interrupted, "Mom, Atemu hurt his ankle."

She frowned, putting creases in her tan face, "How?"

"I…tripped," He lied with a mumble.

Jono coughed, and Atemu nudged him in the stomach.

"You fell out of your window," She laughed, seeing right through his lie. Atemu was a horrible liar, but she knew why he lied. "Hobble over here. I'll look at it."

"No, really, ma'am. Thank you, but I'll be okay." Atemu didn't want everyone to fuss over him. It wasn't a pride thing; he just didn't want people to fuss over him.

"Come now, Atemu, you could really be hurt."

"Yes, Atemu, come now," Jono teased. When Atemu still wouldn't move, he picked up Atemu, and laughing, sat down next to Teana's mom and sat Atemu in front of him, holding out his arms. Atemu could punch when he wanted to. Jono knew.

Atemu was trying his best to look upset, but he failed miserably, laughed with everyone for a minute, pulled free of Jono, and took off his sandal.

"Atemu, your foot smells gross," Teana joked and made a face.

Jono pretended to faint, and Atemu raised an eyebrow playfully. Jono got up, and they shared yet another laugh. Atemu didn't know what he'd do without his friends.

Teana's mom was moving his foot around, and poked it a couple of times, "It's definitely swelled…I'll just wrap it." She took out a roll of linen gauze and started to unroll it around Atemu's foot.

"Really, you don't-" Atemu started, but Jono stuck a large part of his fist into Atemu's mouth from behind, in which Atemu bit down, hard.

"Ow!" He yelled, then he smiled, "You animal."

Atemu barked like a dog, and everyone laughed. He looked down at his foot and saw a white cloth covering his ankle. He found its movement to be restricted.

"Don't take that off for a couple of day, unless you want to tighten it." She smiled, "And don't fall out of your window this time."

"Can do. Thank you." Atemu smiled on the outside, but on the inside he was frowning. What if someone in the palace saw he was hurt?

"And clean out those blisters," She cautioned, "Those look nasty."

Atemu slipped his sandal back on and stood up, feeling that it felt tighter, "Yep, thanks again."

"No problem." She went back to her weaving and started to hum softly.

Atemu didn't know why, but he like mothers more than fathers. Well, his father, anyway.

-

"Atemu, I saw that your ankle was wrapped up. Did you fall?"

"Yes, Mother, I tripped somewhere near my room. I wrapped it up."

"Why did you trip? That's clumsy and careless."

"I'm sorry, Father. It won't happen again."

Atemu was sitting with his family, eating dinner. He was back in his Prince garb, and hating every minute of it. He took a sip of water. At least he had his silver chain…

Pharaoh Akunumkanon stared daggers at his son, "Your…cape. You wore it today. Why?"

Atemu looked at his mother, who was staring at her plate, "Father, I like it. That's all."

"Well, I don't. Don't ever wear it again, or I'll burn it. And that's a promise. Do you understand?"

Atemu didn't answer. At that moment, he hated his father.

"Well?" His father glared at him.

"Yes, Father." Atemu didn't want to sit there being defiled in his father's presence anymore.

Silence ensued for the next five minutes. Atemu really wanted to get away; he kept clenching and unclenching his fists anxiously.

"Atemu, Siamun told me that you were very interested in that gold box that you received today."

Atemu's heart started to beat frantically, and his forehead started to perspire slightly. "Really?" Would Siamun really tell his Father his secret?

"Yes. Do you want to know what they say?"

Atemu blinked, and his heart slowed ever so slightly, "Isn't-isn't that illegal, Father? I was told that's forbidden text."

"Don't stutter, Atemu. It's a sign of weakness."

Atemu hung his head. Why didn't his father love him? "Yes, sir. I'm sorry."

"And besides, I'm the King of this land, and what I say goes. If you don't learn this, then you'll fail as Pharaoh. You don't have enough time to learn everything about being Pharaoh, especially because you don't want to learn. You better pray that you don't blow it.

If only he knew how much Atemu wanted to know, "I always do, Father. I always do." He really did. As much as he didn't want to be Pharaoh, he knew that he had no choice, and rayed almost every night to the Gods that he would succeed in his goals and make Egypt happier.

He hated how his father relentlessly collected taxes, and said that the peasants and slaves had no skills. Every time he said that, he thought about the people dying to build his pyramid, the people sweating to grow his crops, and the people suffering to pay his debts. Atemu didn't want those debts, he didn't want that pyramid, and he'd pay for his own crops. It was a promise.

"Was that a remark out of spite?" His Father asked, all attention on Atemu.

"No, Father." It wasn't, but his Father couldn't see that.

"Atemu, you're excused. You can wait to learn the text if you want to know about the Puzzle, and you'll never finish it. But attempting to put it together is now one of your duties. Do it everyday. No exceptions."

Atemu stood up. It was fine with him, "Yes, Father." He bowed, and walked away, walking as even as possible even though his ankle was throbbing. He paused, "Good night, Mother. Good night…Father." His father was silent, but he could've sworn his mother said, "Good night, my son."

The way his father acted, he wondered if his father even liked him, let alone loved him.

Happy Birthday to Atemu.