Hey, I came back again! I had to split this story up, it's too long for me. Yeah, In know, I have a fic with 20 chaps… about as far as I'll go for chaps, anyway. So… This is the next installment. It's a bit more dramatic then Dance was, so prepare yourself!

Also, this is being uploaded... erm... a bit ahead of schedule. I won't be able to upload it next week, and the week after is when I'm in Canadia... so... that is why it's going up now. And I'll update when I get back home n.n

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Light the Flame

Chapter One

On the Way

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The gentle morning light glistened off of the petals delicately. Aklia touched one gently, pulling a blood red petal from the bunch. She let it blow away between her fingers. She lay against the wall, sliding down until she was on the ground. She closed her eyes and let a steady, far-off drumming soothe her in the dusk.

"Aklia…?" a voice said tentatively from the gateway. Asenath allowed her braid to flutter from behind her. Aklia glanced up at her.

"Yes?" she asked, trying to cover the fact she was crying. She had secluded herself to her room for the past three days, ever since Yami had left. Now she was sitting outside, at dusk, holding a single flower in her hand.

Asenath dropped down beside her.

"Are you… alright?" she asked softly. Aklia didn't answer.

"…I don't know…" she answered finally. "I… want to know why he left." She turned and looked Asenath straight in the eye. "It's not fair. Why did he have to go? He could have… at least… said goodbye to m-me…" Aklia broke down into tears once more, covering her head with her arms. Asenath stroked her head gently, letting her tears fall.

"It's alright, Aklia," she said softly. "I'm sure he's fine, wherever he is." Aklia just cried on her shoulder, her body shaking.

"I-I just… don't understand," she whispered. "Why did he leave?"

"Many reasons, Aklia," Asenath answered. "It wasn't you, I promise." Aklia sniffed.

"Asenath? Aklia? What the…?" Jono said, walking into the courtyard as well. His face fell as he saw Aklia crying on Asenath's shoulder. He walked over, squatting near them.

"It will be alright, Lady Aklia," he said softly. He nodded to Asenath.

"…May it be… Will it, Asenath?" he asked, smiling. Asenath remembered the old, childhood code.

"Yes, Jono," she whispered, tears running down her face. "May it be." Jono smiled. He stared at the sky.

"Sekhem is so damn worried... He said when Yami's caught, he'll hang on him and never let go. He truly loves him, doesn't he?" Jono asked Asenath. Asenath nodded.

"Ever since he was young he's been very attached to Yami," Asenath explained. She sighed. "It's so depressing to watch him... he's so immature..."

"True," Jono said, pulling a mitsukai from the tree behind him. "But we all start somewhere, ne?"

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Ankumanukanon felt devastated. He was standing at the window, high above the city, staring out at the darkening skies. He had already lost his son once… twice… he nearly died as a baby as well. Ankumanukanon sighed and leaned forward, his shoulders shaking.

Why was Yami doing this?!

"I'm… so worried…" he whispered, sighing. He felt a hand settle on his shoulder. He turned to see Anna beside him, her eyes settled on the land around them.

"I'm worried as well," she said softly to him, turning his way. "He is so reckless… He is likely to die out there…"

"…I know…" Ankumanukanon murmured. "That is what I'm afraid of." Anna knelt on the floor and instead lay her head on the windowsill, letting her eyes fall on the great land of Egypt before them.

"You know why he left, don't you," Anna asked finally, after a moment of silence. Ankumanukanon sighed heavily and closed his eyes. He placed his hand on the Sennen Puzzle, touching its smooth surface. "It's not just because of the law…"

"I know," Ankumanukanon whispered. He leaned forward, his head against the wall. "It's because of the Sennen Items." Anna glanced at him.

"The poor boy… He's scared to death of them…"

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"Where are your homelands, Teana?" Yami asked, leaning against Teana's head. Teana was humming to herself. The darkness was falling over them rapidly. Yami glanced at her ankle. She had sprained it when she fell off Angel earlier in the day. Teana glanced into the desert.

"They're in the mountains... It's beautiful, I promise you'll love it," she vowed, her eyes moving towards the vast deserts in the south. "It's flourishing this time of year... I hope we get there soon." Yami nodded in agreement.

"I'm surprised we haven't been ambushed by now," Yami said, staring at the sky. He felt Teana's body stiffen.

"Ambushed? Will we be ambushed?" she asked, a slight edge to her voice. Yami tightened his grip on her.

"Don't worry, Teana. I'm sure whatever happens, we'll be fine." Teana closed her eyes and sighed.

"I hope so."

"Don't worry. Nothing will hurt us; I promise..." he trailed off. She was tired, and was quickly falling asleep in his arms. He stared at the stars, saying a silent prayer to the gods.

Please... let Aklia be alright. Let her be released from the burden that would have been so heavily placed on her soul. Let her be free, as I am. Let them all be free.

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'Free' wasn't the word on everyone's minds.

"There are bandits out there," Ankumanukanon said, exasperated. He stared into the sun of the fifth day of their departure. "Hundreds of them, just looking for travelers like them." Anna rubbed her arms and stared at the sky. Her eyes teared and she closed them, fear rippling through her soul.

"Please, Anku... Don't tell me this," she pleaded in a whisper. "I'm worried enough..." Ankumanukanon face softened for her, but he still stared hard at the Imperial Order.

"Why isn't they haven't been caught yet?" he asked. The leader backed away.

"I don't--"

"Don't tell me you don't KNOW!" Ankumanukanon shouted, becoming angry again. The leader gulped.

"I assure you--"

"Pharaoh-sama!" a voice called, running into the throne room. Everyone turned to see the newcomer. Jono tripped and fell over himself in his haste, quickly standing up, and then bowing.

"Pharaoh-sama," he breathed, catching his breath, "They've been spotted by travelers coming here. It seems they've stopped somewhere along the Nile because of Teana's bad ankle. They recognized the seal branded onto Angel's flank, sir." Ankumanukanon swore under his breath and stared at the leader.

"You! You're men are out there! Make sure they scout along the Nile!" The leader jumped, and then nodded nervously.

"Y-yes, Pharaoh-sama," he muttered, then bolted. Jono watched him run by.

"Yami'll put up a fight!" he shouted after him, causing some guards to stare at him quizzically. Jono brushed it off and turned to leave.

"Jono, wait," Ankumanukanon called, causing Jono to stop walking. He turned around.

"Yes, Pharaoh?" Ankumanukanon smiled.

"Thank you," he said. "I'm so grateful for this news... All I can think about is him..." Jono frowned.

"With all due respect, Pharaoh," Jono started, bowing, "You do know why he left in the first place, correct?"

"Yes, because he would have been sacrificed," Ankumanukanon said. "It's obvious." Jono shuffled his feet.

"Well... He didn't want me to tell you this, but I will anyway. The real reason he left was..."

Ankumanukanon stiffened. He knew the real reason...

"...He doesn't want to rule as Pharaoh. And... He's scared to death of the Sennen Items." Ankumanukanon sighed sadly.

"Yes, I did know this, Jono," he said wistfully, "...I just wish he had told me..."

"He was planning on leaving awhile back, but then Aklia came... and everything started changing..." Jono trailed off. When nothing more was said, Jono turned to leave. He left without a word back to him. Ankumanukanon sat down, putting his head in his hands.

"I understand he's scared... But so was I..." he whispered to himself. "I was scared... but I didn't run away like a coward..." He looked up between his fingers. "...He deserves death with an attitude like that..."

"Anna," he said, standing up. "Call the militia. Tell them to send a message out to every place you can think of around here. Our sister lands. And tell them to bring both Sennaniakah and Atem back... dead or alive."

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[dun dun DUUUUUUUUUN DUUUUUUN!!!! Whoaaa!!!!! Anyway.... Yeah, I know, short first chap, but gimme a break... the next part wouldn't have made much sense right after this part... Well.. how is it so far? It starts bad, but gets better, promise. Next chap: Fight for Freedom. Sounds like something outta the Revolutionary War, huh?]

Shibby-One