Alverna: 2 chapters in one day? Wow.
I don't own Yu-gi-oh!
Chapter 2
One morning, three years later, just before the sun rose, a tri-colored haired boy that looked about 12 years old ran onto the roof of the palace. His tanned skin made him hard to see, but his crimson eyes stood out in the twilight. Looking around excitedly, Atemu ran back inside.
"Dad." Atemu called, running to his parent's room. "Dad. Wake up dad. Come on we gotta go, come one."
Bumping into some servants, Atemu apologized before continuing on. Running into his parent's room, then to the side of their bed, he expected his father to be ready for him. But Aknankanon was still sleeping.
"Dad?" Atemu called.
Aknankanon just snored.
"Dad." Atemu said, annoyed, and began to call to his father over and over again.
Thema heard Atemu speaking. Nudging her husband she said, "Your son is calling you."
"Before the sun rises," Aknankanon replied, obviously tired, "he's your son."
"Dad," Atemu whined. "Come on dad." He began to pull at his father hoping to get him out of bed. But he ended up losing his grip and stumbling backwards, landing on his rear.
Finally fed up, Atemu went back to the doorway, changed into his sphinx form, and took a running leap onto his father's chest. Needless to say, Aknankanon woke up rather quickly.
"You promised." Atemu said, glaring.
"Okay, okay." Aknankanon said, groaning at the pain in his chest. "I'm up, I'm up."
"Yes!" Atemu cheered and ran out of the room.
Following their son, also as sphinxes, Aknankanon and Thema went onto the roof, where Thema nudged Atemu to follow his father to the top of the tall tower.
Just as the sun rose, father and son arrived at the top.
"Look son," Aknankanon spoke. "Everywhere the light touches is our kingdom."
"Wow." Atemu said, looking with wide eyes at the size.
"You see son, a pharaoh's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun." Aknankanon continued. Atemu looked up at his father, confused. "One day, Atemu, the sun will set on my time here, and it will rise with you as the new king."
"And this will all be mine?" Atemu asked, wanting to make sure he understood.
"Everything." Aknankanon answered.
"Everything the light touches." Atemu repeated, looking around. Then he saw a barren land that was miles away, and cast in shadow by several mountains. "What about that shadowy place?"
"That's beyond our borders." Aknankanon answered. "You must never go there."
"But I thought the pharaoh could do whatever he wanted." Atemu said, confused.
"There's more to being a king than getting your way all the time." Aknankanon said as turned back to the stairs.
"There's more?" Atemu asked, his attention caught.
"Atemu." Aknankanon chuckled.
The two walked to the human's village, and then to a grassy area.
"Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance." Aknankanon explained as they walked on. "As the Pharaoh, you must learn to understand that balance and respect all the creatures from the working human to a leaping antelope."
"But Dad, don't we, and a bunch of other animals, eat antelope and humans?" Atemu asked.
"Yes Atemu, but let me explain." Aknankanon said patiently. "When we die, our body becomes part of the ground that feeds the grass and vegetables, and the antelope eat the grass, while the humans eat the vegetables. You see, we are all connected in the great circle of life."
A shadow swooped over and Mahad landed on a rock 5 feet in front of the royals.
"Good morning sire." Mahad called from his position, trying not to slip off the large stone.
"Good morning Mahad." Aknankanon answered.
"Checking in, with the morning report." Mahad said, changing to his human form to get a better grip on the rock.
Atemu groaned. He loved Mahad, but when it came to the speeches and reports, he could lull a fast running cheetah to sleep.
Aknankanon ignored his son. "Fire away."
"Well! The buzz from the bees is that the leopards are in a bit of a spot," Mahad began.
"Oh, really?"
"And the baboons are going ape over this. Of course, the giraffes are acting like they're above it all…" Mahad continued. Atemu rolled his eyes, bored. Then he noticed a grasshopper and tried to pounce on it, but kept missing.
"What are you doing, son?" Aknankanon asked, his attention off Mahad. Atemu leapt again and missed
"Pouncing," Atemu answered, getting frustrated.
"Let an old pro show you how it's done!" whispered his father with a mischievous look Atemu only saw when he was planning something a pharaoh shouldn't do.
"The tick birds are pecking on the elephants. I told the elephants to forget it, but they can't" Mahad continued,
"Mahad, would you turn around?" asked Aknankanon.
"Yes, sire." Mahad turned around and kept right on talking, not knowing what was planned. "The cheetahs are hard up, but I always say …"
"Stay low to the ground," Aknankanon instructed.
"Cheetahs never prosper...…"
"Stay low to the ground, right, yeah!" whispered Atemu.
"What's going on?" asked Mahad, finally realizing something was up.
"A pouncing lesson," answered Aknankanon.
"Oh very good. Pouncing." Then it sunk in. "Pouncing! Oh no, sire, you can't be serious..." Aknankanon just motioned for Mahad to turn back around, the mischievous look now evident.
"This is so humiliating…" Mahad moaned, doing what his pharaoh requested.
"Try not to make a sound," Aknankanon whispered as his son sunk lower in the grass.
"What are you telling him, Aknankanon?" Mahad was close to panicking. Glancing behind him, he didn't see the prince or his pharaoh anywhere.
"Aknankanon?" Mahad asked timidly. "Atemu?"
Suddenly, Mahad found himself flat on his back with a grinning prince above him, and a pharaoh who was laughing.
"Best morning report ever!" Atemu shouted as he turned and ran back to his father.
"That's very good." Aknankanon congratulated his son.
A gopher emerged beside Mahad.
"Mahad!"
"Yes?" Mahad asked, exasperated as he sat up.
"Sir!" the gopher said, saluting. "News from the underground."
"Now this time," Aknankanon said as he leaned down to Atemu to give another tip.
"My Pharaoh!" Mahad interrupted, his voice slightly panicked. "Demons! Along the southern border!" Aknankanon immediately leapt into action.
"Mahad, take Atemu home." he ordered
"Ah, Dad, can't I come?" Atemu asked, wanting to see his father in action.
"No son." Aknankanon said curtly before running towards the southern border.
"I never get to go anywhere." Atemu said crossly, turning back towards the palace.
"Oh, don't worry young master," Mahad said, changing back to his sphinx form. "One day you will be king. And then you can chase those slobbering mangy stupid poachers from dawn until dusk."
Later on in the day, Aknadin, in human form, was pacing in his room. He growled and kicked away an old bone piece that was on the ledge of his balcony. Atemu, also in human form, took the opportunity to walk in.
"Hey, Uncle Aknadin! Guess what?" he said happily.
Aknadin sighed. "I despise guessing games."
"I'm going to be the Pharaoh of Egypt!"
Aknadin rolled his eyes, turning away from his nephew. "Oh goody." he said.
Atemu grinned enthusiastically. "My dad just showed me the whole kingdom, and I'm gonna rule it all."
"Yes." Aknadin grunted. "Well...forgive me for not leaping with joy. Bad back, you know." Aknadin moved to sit on his bed. Atemu looked to him before walking over to his side.
"Hey Uncle Aknadin, when I become king, what will that make you?"
"A monkey's uncle." came the response. Atemu laughed at his answer.
"You're so weird."
Aknadin looked up and smiled a creepy smile.
"You have no idea." he said before standing and moving to a window. "So, your father showed you the whole kingdom, did he?" he asked.
"Everything." Atemu said following
"I'm guessing he didn't show you what's beyond the southern border, now did he?" Atemu looked down upset and shook his head.
"Well, no... he said I can't go there." Atemu said dejectedly.
"And he's absolutely right." Aknadin said firmly. "It's far too dangerous. Only the bravest sphinxes go there."
Atemu was upset that his own uncle didn't think he was brave.
"Well I'm brave." he said defiantly. "What's out there?"
Aknadin turned away.
"No, I'm sorry, Atemu, I just can't tell you."
"Why not?" Atemu whined.
"Atemu, Atemu," Aknadin tried to 'calm' his nephew. "I'm only looking out for the well- being of my favorite nephew." Aknadin ruffled the spiky hair on Atemu's head.
Growling slightly and attempting to straighten out his hair, Atemu answered sarcastically, "Yeah right. I'm your only nephew."
"All the more reason for me to be protective." Aknadin said. "A thieves village in the middle of an elephant graveyard is no place for a young prince. Oops!" Aknadin covered his mouth.
"A thief's village?" Atemu gasped enthusiastically. "And in the middle of an elephant what? Whoa."
Aknadin palmed his forehead in 'dismay'.
"Oh dear, I've said too much. Well, I suppose you'd have found sooner or later, you being SO clever and all. Oh, just do me one favor." Aknadin pulled his nephew to arms length in front of him. "Promise me you'll never visit that dreadful place."
Atemu looked down in thought. Aknadin used the millennium eye to look into his nephew's mind. He saw that Atemu would find out a way to go the village. Just like he planned.
Looking back up, Atemu smiled.
"No problem."
"There's a good lad." Aknadin answered. "Now you run along now and have fun." Atemu stared to leave.
"And remember," Aknadin spoke, Atemu turning to look at him. "It's our little secret." Atemu grinned at his uncle and ran out the door.
Aknadin smiled. Everything was going according to plan.
Alverna: Please review. Let's me know how you like the story. Flames will be used to ruin all duel monster cards.