A/N

Fanfiction number two! Awesome! This chapter is an elaboration on part of the anime and manga. Also, I would quickly like to thank Kitty-kaos1312 for being the first person to EVER review one of my stories! Thank you so much! All reviews are greatly appreciated and you honestly made my day. Now, without further adieu, here is chapter 1. Enjoy!

P.S. If you see any Egyptian names that sound weird, don't worry. They're real ancient Egyptian names. I make sure to do my research.

P.P.S. Memphis is a real Egyptian city. Haha I was not going to use it because it reminded me too much of the song 'Walking in Memphis', and I was afraid that I could not take it seriously.

Chapter 1:

Kul Elna

Millions of stars shown down on the man as he stood on his balcony. Clear and crisp, the nighttime air attempted to sooth his irritated nerves. Torches, flickering in the chilled air, set the grand city of Memphis aglow with golden light. Amber battled against the thick, navy shadows of the night. Most either slept or spent time with their families, so the guards protecting the city worried little. Sounds of the night hummed a sweet lullaby. In the distance, a jackal's howl harmonized with the chirping of small bats probing for food. This night portrayed all beauty that graced the slumbering world at night. Only one man disturbed the tranquility.

Ankhenaden scowled. Today, his plans to acquire his brother's throne drifted farther away. Atem, prince of Egypt, was born on that very night. When the sun rises, a ceremony was to be held in honor of his new nephew. He gripped the balcony tighter. In his mind, his son should be celebrated by all Egypt. Likewise, he believed that his brother ill fitted the throne. Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen was too kind. Who would fear a country where the ruler was not disciplined enough to punish his people's wrong doings? Sure, he would throw them in jail or force them to pay a sum to the person who they mistreated. The pharaoh, to Ankhenaden's displeasure, would not punish by death – or even the removal of limbs. This did not sit well with some officials. But now, Ankhenaden had a plan.

Earlier, Ankhenaden mentioned an idea of his to his brother. The idea stated that items should be made for the pharaoh and his most trusted advisors. Inside these items, great powers would be sealed. The wielders, with combined force, would be unstoppable! Egypt would reign for all eternity and never be conquered. Akhenamkhanen, though, was unsure. He believed that such power, no matter who wielded it, would cause great destruction and chaos; no good would come of it. With desperation about to take hold, Ankhenaden had one more trick up his sleeve – one that he knew his brother could not resist.

Knowing his brother's weakness, Ankhenaden mentioned Atem. This instantly received the attention of Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen. Inwardly grinning at the victory within his grasp, Ankhenaden proceeded to explain how no harm would ever come to the child. If these items were forged, the boy would be protected even after his father left for the afterlife. Akhenamkhanen agreed, sealing the deal. However, Ankhenaden never mentioned the price for the power.

"General Haka," barked Ankhenaden. A towering man wearing an officers' attire marched onto the balcony upon hearing his name. Kneeling, he bowed behind his master.

"Priest Ankhenaden, what are your orders?"

"It's time," he simply replied, not taking his eyes off the city. General Haka started in surprise, but quickly regained his composure.

"Right away, my lord." Haka called for a messenger. As soon as the man arrived, the general commanded him to ready his troops. He nodded, and darted to the barracks.

"And General…" inserted Ankhenaden as his officer was just about to leave. The General paused in the doorway, facing away his master. "Leave none alive."

"… Yes, my lord."

A sneer slithered its way onto Ankhenaden's face as General Haka left to carry out his orders. His plan was only just beginning.

"Akefia! Quit splashing me!" squealed the girl as her younger brother continued the barrage of freezing river water.

"Nope! Nope!" the four-year-old boy giggled. Ghostly moonlight illuminated the Nile River that the two children reveled in. On the banks, chilled winds whistled through bulrushes and shifted sand. A faint glow that was the great city of Memphis gleamed in the distance, while the village of Kul Elna rested just on the other side of the Nile. These children played here every night. Since their home stood nearby in the merchant city, they needed not worry. Danger, though always present on the serpentine river, eluded them.

Layla, Akefia's six-year-old sister, dove into a group of reeds to escape her splash-happy brother. He grinned. Tip-toeing as quietly as he could through the water, he edged up to the reeds. She couldn't hide from him. Leaping, he sprang into her hiding spot.

"Gotcha!" he blared. Nothing. His sister was not there. Confused, he scanned the little hideaway of reeds. Suddenly, Akefia heard a reed snap behind him.

"AH!"

"GOTCHA!"

Layla tackled him into more reeds. When he tried to escape, she exploited his one true weakness: tickling. She sent him into such a fit of laughs that he could not breathe. After much begging for her to stop, she finally released him. He stood, still tying to catch his breath. One day when he was not so tiny, he would find a way to get her back.

"Layla, Akefia, it's time to head home." Directed their father from the other side of the river. The two children darted across the river and up to their father.

"Daddy! You're back!" They cheered, jumping into his arms. Kasaika, their father, had just returned from Memphis moments before. "We missed you!"

"I missed you, too," he chuckled. Akefia climbed on top of his shoulders and Layla held her father's hand as they began their short trek home. Every night, he came for them. They always waited, and he never let them down. In their eyes, he did no wrong; he was their perfect father. He cared for them, loved them, and never yelled or beat them. No matter how downcast they became, they remembered one thing: he would always be there for them, and nothing could take him away.

"Daddy, why does everyone have white hair?" queried Akefia. His father smiled.

"Not everyone has white hair, Akefia."

"You and mommy have white hair," he noted." So does Layla. I have white hair, too."

"That's because it's the way our people look."

"Why?"

"… Can you both keep a secret?" Kasaika asked. The children's lavender eyes widened, nodding their heads vigorously. "Well, a long time ago, before mommy and I were born, there was a goddess named Kebechet. She was very lonely, and wept often. One night, she met a man named Kau. He asked her what was wrong, and she told him about how she had lost her way. He brought her to his home and invited her to stay with him until sunrise. She was so moved by his kindness that she purified him and his entire household. Kau's black hair turned white, while his brown eyes turned lilac. After the goddess left, Kau named the spot where he met her Kul Elna. That is why everyone in this village's hair is white and why we don't shave it off like the rest of Egypt; it's a gift."

"Wow…" both children gasped.

"Now, remember, this is our little secret." He winked.

After a short journey away from the Nile and over rocky terrain, they arrived in the village of Kul Elna. The village mostly consisted of square stone houses and many markets. The family, on their way through Kul Elna, entered the largest marketplace. Lifeless shops lined the streets, waiting to be reawakened the next day with new people from different cities. Akefia always enjoyed coming to the markets with his family. Everyday, something new awaited him. Kasaika worked with a large trading company located farther down the street. The boy, on occasion, would visit the huge building with his mother. When he was old enough, Akefia wanted to be an apprentice to his father. What could be more exciting than traveling all across Egypt and trading with new people?

Before he knew it, they had reached their home. The adobe house was neither huge, nor small. They needed nothing more than what they already had. Coming outside, Akefia and Layla's mother, Ama, greeted them with warm hugs. Kasaika lowered Akefia from his shoulders, who then immediately went to his mother.

"Mama, up! Up!" Akefia chirped. Ama picked the boy up, cradling him on her hip. After Kasaika and Ama shared a quick kiss, the family entered their home. Spanning the length of the house, the entrance hall held doorways to all other rooms within the house and opened up into the reception area. In the front of the house, the reception area divided into the living area on the right and the family temple on the left, as well as a women's area behind the temple. The private quarters, located at the back of the house, contained a master bedroom and a bedroom for the children on opposite sides. Because of Kasaika's success, their home was adorned with silver and gold. Servants kept the house well taken care of for the family. Behind the house, cattle yards, stables, gardens, and the kitchen stood around the servant's quarters. Lastly, a high wall protected the house from unwanted eyes. This was their home.

The moment that they entered, Akefia squirmed out of his mother's grasp and ran with Layla straight into their room. He crawled under his bed against the wall where his favorite toy stallion awaited him. As he began to imagine the ivory horse carrying a great general onto battle, he noticed Layla playing with her new doll. Quietly, she stroked the wooden doll's beaded hair. Akefia remembered her receiving the carved doll the week before when their father returned from the city of Naqada. Of course, he could not understand why she cherished the doll so much. It was only wood cut into the shape of a woman with a painted face and beaded strings on its head. What was all of the fuss about?

"Layla, can I hold your doll?" the little boy questioned. She stopped to glance up at him with displeasure.

"Of course not," she answered, holding her doll closer. "Why would I do that?"

"Because I'd let you play with my horse. Pwetty pwease?"

"No!"

"But why not?" he inquired, disheartened.

"Because you'd ruin it!" came her stark reply. "Daddy gave this to me. It's special." Not getting anywhere, Akefia decided to drop the subject just as their mother came and instructed them to go to bed. Since the summer heat hovered relentlessly over Egypt, the children climbed up to the roof, where a three-wall room stood for them to sleep in. As the children climbed into bed, Ama tiptoed up to where they lay.

"Goodnight, Layla, Akefia," she whispered, kissing them on their foreheads. "We love you both very much."

"Love you, mama," both children yawned, eyes heavy and slumber approaching. With that, Ama left while her children fell fast asleep.

Akefia awoke to hot air and smoke scalding his lungs. He struggled to stand, coughing uncontrollably as his lungs tried to rid themselves of the heat. Eyes stinging, he quickly took in his surroundings. The entire house was burning, with flames blocking his sight from the rest of the village. Akefia, covering his mouth to block out the smoke, staggered towards the opening in the roof. With every inch he came closer to his escape, the flames rose higher.

"Layla! Mommy! Daddy!" He wheezed, though no one answered. He had to find them. What if they didn't make it out in time?

Finally, after reaching the opening, he slowly descended into their home. Darkness and smoke engulfed him as he entered. With no way to see where he was going, he held his hands out in front of him as he stumbled through the shadows. Suddenly, a hand latched onto his wrist, pulling him from room to room. A faint shaft of light in the living room brightened the atmosphere just enough for him to see the face of his older sister.

"Layla! Where's mommy and daddy?" questioned the frightened child.

"We don't have time, Akefia," she asserted, frantic. "We have to hurry! They're coming for us!"

"Wait, who—" He was cut off by her yanking him out of the house and into the streets. What he saw would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Chaos gripped the entire village. Every single building in Kul Elna burned with flames rising up into the sky. Wailing, men and women, families with children, raced through the streets only to be cut down by soldiers on horseback. Children bewailed as they wandered through the ashes, and sadly met the same grim fate as their parents. As the slaughter continued, soldiers piled bodies high. Men that Akefia could only guess to be priests surrounded the bodies while they chanted. Morphing into a dark chorus, their voices grew louder and louder. Akefia gasped at what he saw next. From their dead bodies, the souls of dead villagers rose and circled the priests. The souls, moaning and shrieking, absorbed into golden objects that the priests were holding. This was hell on Earth.

Akefia's eyes were drawn to the middle of the street. A towering man, the leader of the soldiers, shoved a man and a woman down to their knees. Horror twisted the boy's stomach into knots as he realized who they were. Kasaika and Ama kneeled, waiting for their ever-present demise. The general raised his sword –

"MOMMY! DADDY!"

The sound of Akefia's screams brought a whole new terror to their faces as their heads snapped up to gaze at the two frightened children. In this world, there are no words to describe the sheer and utter despair in their eyes as they watched the officer turn towards their children. Their world – their entire world – was about to be ripped away from them.

"Akefia! Layla! Run!" Their mother shrieked. "Run!"

Breaking into an all-out run, the general dashed towards Layla and Akefia. They froze in fear. What should they do? The children couldn't just leave their parents! Between the children and the officer, only a few feet remained. After jumping to his feet, Kasaika bolted straight for the general. He struck the man on the back of his head, knocking him off balance. However, the officer quickly regained his composure. With one blow, the general pivoted around and pierced his sword clean through their father's heart. Time seemed to slow down as their father collapsed to the ground, lifeless. Stunned, both children stood petrified while their mother went into hysterics.

"Kasaika!" she wailed. "Kasaika!" The officer, wiping the dead man's blood off his sword, turned toward the mourning woman.

"You there," he commanded a soldier. "Silence that wench." Obeying his orders, the soldier marched up behind Ama and pressed his blade against her throat.

"CHILDREN, RUN—"

The general turned back to the children standing a few feet away as their mother's blood stained the sand. Akefia and Layla, snapped out of their trance, sprinted as fast as their little legs would carry them away from the blazing city. Tears filled their eyes as they continued. What were they to do? Though the children kept pace, they did not know where to go. Their only family, their mother and father, had just been slaughtered before their very eyes. No one was left to take care of them.

Suddenly, Someone snatched Layla's wrist, yanking her back. Akefia turned to gaze upon the general clutching his sister. He froze in fear.

"My orders are to leave none alive. Priest Ankhenaden commands it," he stated, cold and heartless. He reached out to grab Akefia. With every ounce of strength that her small body could muster, Layla kicked him in the knee, instantly collapsing the man.

"Akefia, go! Hurry!" she cried as tears fell freely. "Go without me!"

"But, Layla—" the child breathed with his own tears trickling down his face. The officer began to pick himself up.

"JUST GO!"

Akefia didn't argue any further. Spiraling around, the child rushed away from everything that he held dear. He bounded over rocks and into the canyon that his family trekked through just earlier that day. Fearful, he dared not look back. A sound coming from behind nearly stopped his heart. In the distance, he heard his sister's blood curdling screams. The sound, echoing through the rocks, slowly faded into the sound of the inferno.

Just ahead, the Nile sat no more than twenty feet away. Akefia slowed. The memories of losing everyone that he loved moments before weighted down upon him. With tears streaming down his face, he waded through the water and continued on the other side. The four-year-old had no idea of where to go. Drifting over seas of sand, the little boy wept. He wanted his mother to hold him and sing him lullabies. He wanted his father to come for him, and his sister play hide and seek with him. Most of all, he wanted them all to be there with him – alive.

Sorrowful, he pressed on. He did not care where he was headed anymore. Like a dark cloud consuming every ounce of sunlight, despair engulfed his heart. Grief, twisting his once joyous soul, destroyed his hopes and dreams. This was true heartache. Nothing could cure his misery in the same way that one could not fix shattered glass. Out of all the pain, nothing hurt worse than knowing they died to save him. His father was butchered so that they could escape; they slaughtered his mother after she tried to warn them; Layla stopped the officer instead of saving herself. He regretted ever being born.

As the wind raced through the silent desert and over sand dunes, one thing became apparent: He was infinitely alone, and it was all his fault.

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