Chapter 2: First Danger: Spirits

I never meant to hurt Yugi that way. I had no idea that Yugi was going to die at such a young age. I had no idea that he would die when he was in the Afterlife.

I have to admit that I was somewhat happy that Yugi would be able to stay with me now, but it still hurts me. It tears me apart to think that I was involved with the pain he had to suffer through to come fully into the Afterlife. I never want to tell Yugi that he could have died, not only in body but in mind and spirit, if he didn't survive through the pains of Afterlife death, which is when you are in the Afterlife and during that time you die on the world.

But now, I have to put that memory behind a door in the back of my mind. There are more important things to worry about…the Dark Gods…Pain is the first…

-Atemu


"Darn," Mahado said. He took the large pile in the middle of the table. Mana, Seto, Yugi, and Mahado were playing Bull.

Seto grinned. He placed three cards down. "Three fives," he said a bit too proudly.

"Bull," Yugi said, with a grin. Seto frowned and took back his three cards. Yugi put down one card. "One six." Everyone looked at him for some clue that he was lying.

"Bull."

"Atemu, you're not playing," Akhenamkhenan said, looking up from his book.

"I can still say bull though," Atemu said, turning the page in his book, hiding a grin.

Mana hesitated. "Bull," she said. Yugi nodded and took back his card. The game resumed. A few turns later, Yugi was about to play two jacks when Atemu said bull again.

Seto turned in his chair. "Why are you only saying bull when it's Yugi's turn?"

"Cause…maybe I feel like it," Atemu said, giving Seto a sarcastic glare.

Mahado yawned and stretched. "I'm going to bed," he said, standing up. Mana and Seto joined him. The three of them left the room, and Atemu slammed his book closed with the bookmark in it, slamming it so hard that his father jumped. Atemu laughed at his father as he walked over to the table. Akhenamkhenan gave him a father-like glare, and Atemu brushed him off. Yugi and Atemu set up a chessboard and started playing chess.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Isis stood up and opened the door. Four cloaked figures came in with a cold breeze following them. Atemu and Yugi looked up. There was Shalina, Shelby, Bakura, and Marik (Malik's dark side). Bakura and Malik went into their bedroom right away, exhausted.

"Playing a game, Atemu?" Shalina asked, playfully smacking him on the head.

Atemu rubbed his head. "Coming home with that dangerous attitude, Shalina?" Atemu asked. Shalina raised an eyebrow at him and looked at Yugi, who waved. "Oh, Shalina, this is Yugi, and Yugi, this is my wife Shalina."

"Nice to meet you, Shalina," Yugi said, politely.

"Well met, Yugi," Shalina said. She bent over and wrapped her arms around Atemu's neck as he moved his knight. Exhausted, she laid her head on her arms and Atemu's shoulder.

"Tired, are we?" Atemu asked, motioning Yugi that it was his turn.

"You bet," Shalina sighed. Atemu laughed. "Atemu, next time you come from a worthless raid with more than half a thousand goblins, come back to talk to me," Shalina said, releasing him and following Shelby into her bedroom. She closed the door, and Isis, Akhenamkhenan, and Yugi stared at Atemu, wondering what he would do.

"Shalina," he said, loud enough for her to hear inside her room, "I've been on more raid than you have so I wouldn't be talking if I were you."

The bedroom door opened, and a ball of fire sped toward Atemu's hair. Atemu ducked, and the ball of fire lit the low burning fire in the fireplace.

"Nice shot," Atemu complimented.

"That's it." Shalina entered the room and stomped right up to Atemu. Atemu stood up to face her; both of them were the same height so they could look each other straight in the eyes. Shalina stopped, an inch between their noses. "I was aiming for your hair," she said, darkly.

Atemu smiled. "My little fireball wants to burn my hair, the only thing that can't stay away longer than a second."

Yugi looked at Akhenamkhenan with confusion.

"When his hair is burned away, Atemu has the ability to grow it back on the spot," Atemu's father explained. "How, I don't know."

"Atemu," Shalina said.

"Shalina," Atemu said. The two of them stared at each other, unblinking for ten minutes straight. Shalina blinked.

"Darn, I lost again," Shalina said, turning away.

Atemu grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him again. "My fireball, losing to a staring contest shouldn't smother your flames," he said. He leaned closer. "You wouldn't be my fireball if you allowed that to happen," he said, quietly. He and Shalina shared a small laugh, and Atemu kissed her.

"Shalina, come on," Shelby said from the bedroom doorway.

"Go to your impatient advisor," Atemu said, releasing Shalina.

"Do you have a name for her?" Shalina asked.

Atemu looked up at Shelby and back to Shalina. "The 'impatient advisor'," he said. "Bakura's nickname for her is something only he can use." Yugi banged his head on the table several times. "Hey," Atemu said sternly, glaring at him. "If you don't like romance, go somewhere else." Yugi looked up at him, rubbing his red forehead. "Did that hurt?" Atemu asked him. Yugi nodded. "I thought so," Atemu said, sitting down again.

Shalina went into the bedroom with Shelby again, giving Atemu a slight grin as she closed the door. Siamun entered the room.

"Atemu, you should get to bed also," he said, clapping his hands together.

"Oh no," Atemu said, clapping his hands against his face. "Please don't, Siamun."

Siamun looked at Akhenamkhenan, who only shook his head at Atemu. The old advisor pulled up his sleeves and approached the Pharaoh. "You need to go to bed," he repeated in Atemu's face. Atemu gave a cry of surprise and fell backwards in his chair, crashing to the floor.

"Argh!" Atemu said. "Siamun…Simon, stop."

"It's Siamun, not Simon."

"Simon, go to your room!" Yugi burst out laughing. Akhenamkhenan gave him a confused expression.

"That's something Joey says," Yugi explained, laughing. He laughed so hard that he fell backwards in his chair. Atemu burst out laughing when he saw Yugi on the other side of the table in the same position as he was.

Akhenamkhenan shook his head. "I'm surrounded by teenagers," he said to Siamun. He could hear Shelby and Shalina laughing also inside their bedroom. This time, Akhenamkhenan and Siamun shook their heads. "We're surrounded by teenagers," they said in unison.


"Can't I come with you?" Yugi asked the next morning.

"Yugi…" Atemu sighed. "Fine, as long as you stay by Shalina."

Atemu, Yugi, and Shalina headed for the general cabin. Shalina kept Yugi at her side because she knew what Atemu was like when it came to meeting with the generals, especially Ol' Frosty.

"Pharaoh, you have come," Frosty said. Atemu gave him a cold look as he sat at the end of the table, opposite Frosty. Shalina and Yugi stood against the wall, closest to the door.

"As I was saying," another general, who Atemu nicknamed Pointy for his straight-to-the-point attitude and pointy nose, said, "The goblins on the east side of the camp are setting up for an ambush, or simply an attack."

"That's the point," Shalina whispered to Yugi. "Atemu's going to ask for proof."

"What's your proof of this point?" Atemu asked, relaxed against the back of his seat. He didn't mind talking with the generals; it was only Frosty, his bark was worse than his bite.

"My spies have seen them running around more than usual," Pointy replied, proudly.

"Pointy is in charge of the spy network," Shalina explained to Yugi.

"There you have it, Pharaoh," Frosty said. Atemu gave him a straightforward cold glare.

"Frosty assigns positions and also tells Atemu when to attack," Shalina whispered.

"So that's why Atemu hates him the most," Yugi whispered. "Frosty tells him what to do."

"Atemu, send your party of raiders and destroy all of the goblins on the east side of the camp," Frosty ordered.

Atemu's hands clenched into fists, and his jaw tightened. He managed a firm but cold," Yes, sir," before standing up.

"Oh, wait, Pharaoh," Frosty called. Atemu halted, facing Shalina and Yugi. Yugi could see Atemu's mouth slowly curl into a snarl, and he saw the irritation in the Pharaoh's crimson eyes. "Be prepared for anything," Frosty said.

Atemu's patience snapped, and he spun on his heel. Through a very hard snarl, Atemu growled, "I'm not stupid. I know to be prepared for anything. I don't need to be reminded, Frosty." Before Frosty could open his mouth to say something about the name Atemu just called him, Atemu, Shalina, and Yugi were gone.

Yugi opened his mouth to say something, but Shalina covered his mouth and shook her head. Atemu's strides became longer and quicker as they neared their cabin. By the time they reached the door, Shalina and Yugi were running to keep up pace with the angered Pharaoh.

Atemu didn't bother to knock on the door. He stormed into the kitchen area, where everyone jumped in surprise. "You," Atemu said, angrily snapping his finger in Mahado's direction, "In the next room."

Yugi was surprised to see that Mahado's surprised expression vanished and was replaced by a look of sympathy and understanding. Mahado went into the next room after Atemu with a calm look in his eyes. He seemed to know why Atemu was demanding him into the next room. Calmly, Mahado shut the door behind him.

Yugi nearly screamed out in fear as there was a loud crash in the next room. Shalina grabbed him and held him tightly. Angry screaming came from Atemu in a different language in the next room, making Yugi shiver. Shalina walked Yugi over to the couch and sat down, still holding him in her arms. For what seemed like forever, there was crashing, screaming, yelling, screaming, more crashing, and once again, more screaming.

Finally, the door opened to the next room, and Mahado, supporting Atemu with an arm over his shoulders, entered. Mahado dropped Atemu on the wood floor, where he simply laid on his back and groaned.

"This is why you're exhausted all the time," Mahado said to Atemu. "Yes, it's nice to get out all that anger and frustration, but you use up all your energy for it."

Atemu groaned.

"Atemu, you need to solve this."

"Can I shoot Frosty?" Atemu asked.

"Without violence," Mahado added, sharply.

Atemu groaned and rolled over to his stomach. Slowly, he pushed himself into a dog position, and with help from Mahado, he stood up, holding onto the table for support. He sat on the table and laid down on it.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mahado asked.

"Being sacrificed to the gods," Atemu answered, with dark sarcasm.

"You do realize that your father, wife, and friend are in the room."

"Fine, my organs are being taken out and placed in jars while only my heart remains so that I may be judged to go to the Afterlife. Then, I'll be mummified and put into a casket," Atemu said, with even more dark sarcasm.

Mahado shook his head.

"And then," Atemu said suddenly with energy. "Archaeologists will find my casket and open it to find my mummy. Then, because I had not lived a good life, I'll come out of my casket and scream, 'I'm alive'!" Atemu sat up and grinned, evilly.

"You're evil," Mahado said.

"I can come up with more evil things than that," Atemu said, still grinning evilly.

"That's not something you are supposed to be happy about," Mahado murmured. He walked away from Atemu and went to sit by Mana. Atemu jumped off the table with full energy power.

"King Atemu, the chosen one has been sacrificed to the Dark Gods," Atemu said, in a dark but narrative voice. "Now, let the Dark Gods feast upon his flesh and bones!" Everyone yelled. Suddenly, Atemu fell to the ground, unconscious.


There was a knock on the door. Shalina answered it. General Frosty stood there.

"General," Shalina said, surprised.

"Where is Atemu?" he demanded.

"Not here," Shalina said, honestly. Yugi and Mahado came to her side. "He hasn't come back from his mission."

"His raiders have," Frosty said. "I want you three and another chosen person to go find him." With that, Frosty left.

"This camp is giving me the creeps," Mana complained.

"Quiet, Mana," Mahado whispered, harshly. Mana pouted by remained silent. Yugi shook his head.

Shalina held up a hand, and the group halted. "It smells like…" Shalina trailed off.

"Shalina!" Mahado and Yugi shouted. She fell to the ground, unconscious.