Hello everyone. It's me again. Merry VERY Late Christmas and New Years to everyone! I know I said I would update every other holiday, I'm sorry I hadn't kept my promise, but I've had a lot of problems at home last year. I had gone some inner depression of all this and honestly was in no mood to do anything. We had a good Christmas thanks to some relatives we went over, but News Years was pretty much a drag for us, compared to the previous parties we had. All in all, I just wanted to wait for this year to end, so I can leave behind all the bad things that happened last year and start over fresh. My family and I are barely beginning to recover ourselves from all the horrible things that happened last year. Now I'm more determined than ever to continue on with my life. Thank you guys for showing your support by reading my story. I'm also feeling a lot better you guys had a much better Christmas and New Years than I did. Now it's a new year, inspiration to keep going has returned and can finally pick up from where I started with this story! Now time to introduce new characters into this stories! So this is where we officially say goodbye to kid Atem, because the time has come for him to grow up.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-OH or The Lion King. All rights go to Kazuki Takahashi & Walt Disney Pictures. Chapter Title belongs to Phil Collins.
Chapter 7: Son of Man
As a new monarchy had been established and Aknadin was now officially the king of Egypt, everyone had went to bed, though most, especially the residents that lived inside the palace, were unable to get a proper sleep due to their grief over what was to become of their precious kingdom at the hands of Aknadin. Their kind and wise pharaoh was now gone and buried in his sacred tomb and his son, the next heir to the throne was also dead. The new self-proclaimed pharaoh had told them that by tomorrow, he would pass down the new set of laws. Everything seemed to be going according to the plan for the current pharaoh. However, due to his arrogance and being overjoyed of having finally claimed what he had always wanted, Aknadin had overlooked one small, but very important detail...
()()()()()()
It was already past midnight as everything in the kingdom had managed to die down a bit after the tragic news had been revealed. Everyone had retreated back their homes, though the idea that both their pharaoh and prince had been killed in the stampede was still very fresh in their minds. One person, however, realized there was something extremely strange in this whole situation...
Shadi was not completely convinced of Aknadin's story, especially after hearing that thieves had supposedly knocked him and young Mahad unconscious, who happened to conveniently be passing by the stampede, where the pharaoh had gone to try and save the prince. And not only that, they also kill Nahi's hawk at the very moment Mahad had called him to send the urgent message that help was needed. Everyone else had bypassed this information as unimportant, due to Aknadin's news of the tragedy and the fact that the stampede had destroyed Balat.
But not Shadi. Everything seemed too convenient to be just a coincidence. Putting the pieces together, it seemed like this whole ordeal was actually a planned trap and not just a simple accident. But who would plan something so malevolent?
According to Aknadin, thieves had been wondering near the gorge, around the time of the stampede and had been the ones who supposedly knocked him and Mahad out of the way. And now that Aknadin is pharaoh, he just let the thieves enter the palace, free to roam where ever they please as if nothing happened.
To him, it seemed that Aknadin had been much more involved in the deaths of his brother and nephew, than he had led the others to believe. He wouldn't be surprised at all if his suspicions were true. He never trusted Aknadin and was well aware of his sick hatred and envy against his own brother. Only Shadi seemed to actually realize how low and despicable Aknadin was willing go through in order to get what he wanted. But he couldn't just directly point towards Aknadin as the main suspect without any concrete evidence. He himself wasn't even fully sure what had happened. He also seemed to be the only to notice that something very important had been missing when the pharaoh's body was brought back.
Needing to discover more information on what had happened, he decided to travel discreetly to the gorge, where the now destroyed and vacant village of Balat was. Being there, Shadi rode his horse through dust and the grey ashes, which smelled of death. Looking around, he noticed that absolutely everything been destroyed. Tents were ripped and torn down, wooden cabins seemed to be sliced and broken down as well. This raised Shadi's curiosity as he continued to ride deeper into the village.
All of a sudden, a grotesque stench of blood mixed with the small essence of rotting flesh filled the air, as he covered his nose and mouth with his sleeved arm. Looking around, he saw the corpses of the villagers spread all over the places. Some were unrecognizable to the point that they no longer looked human. Others were cut apart, with their limbs and heads spread all over the place.
Shadi was horrified at the scene all together, but there some small details of this scene that really caught his attention. The dismembered corpses, he noticed, seemed more vertically sliced and not ripped apart at all. They appeared more as if they had been perfectly cut apart by a weapon. Aknadin had told them the stampede was what caused the deaths of the villagers of Balat, but seeing the sight before, he now realized that Aknadin had lied to them. Yes there was a stampede, judging by the state of the place and Mahad's testimony but Aknadin seemed to have left out even more specific details about what really happened.
Shadi was broken out of his thoughts, when his Millennium Key began to glow. It then began to lift itself in a horizontal position, as the tip of the key seemed to be pointing towards something ahead. Shadi knew his item was trying to show him something, so he decided to pay heed to his item's warning and followed its direction. As Shadi rode closer, his key began to slowly lay itself back in its original pose, though the glowing did not stop.
Shadi finally stopped as the key seemed to almost be back to the way it was, but was still slightly lifting itself, pointing towards the ground in front of Shadi. The sacred guardian then got off his horse, as he began to inspect the ground where his key was pointing at. He then noticed something gold and shiny within the dirt. Shadi picked up the piece, blew the dirt off, and inspected it closely. His eyes widened as realization dawned over him. It's a piece of the Millennium Puzzle!
The young priest then dug threw the dirt in the same spot. It wasn't long before he found the other pieces spread all over the place. Being a sacred guardian, he had been required to study about all the Millennium Items, not just his own as were his colleagues, which is why he knew exactly how many puzzle pieces there were that made the puzzle. Though to harness the powers within each item was work alone to each individual. As he gathered the pieces, cleaning off the dirt, Shadi counted them and realized there was one missing. It was precisely the one that contained the Eye of Wadjet. He kept looking through the ground, until he had finally found it.
Finally gathering all the pieces of the puzzle together, Shadi looked towards the full moon that was nearly covered by grew clouds. He was certain that Aknadin had been involved in something even more sinister, concerning the deaths of the pharaoh, the prince, and the clan. And he also knew once the current pharaoh had calmed down from his victory in claiming the throne, he would come back to look for the puzzle. As such, Shadi knew it was too dangerous for the puzzle to be kept in the palace. The puzzle had to be hidden, until he managed to discover the whole truth behind this. Still looking at the moon, one thought came to mind. There's only one person who I know that will be able to keep this puzzle well hidden...
()()()()()()
Throughout the hot, burning desert, Atem continued to walk and walk, even though his legs were aching and pleading for him to stop. He was breathing hard, tired and dehydrated from walking throughout the desert without any sight of food or water. It had been days since he had left running from the lands of Egypt, his former home and only a few hours back had he finally stopped running.
Throughout his exhaustion, Atem decided to just keep walking, since he could no longer run. In truth, he actually had no idea where he was going, nor did he care. Anywhere was good as long as it was far away from Egypt. But his body was at the point of passing out, due to overheat and lack of food and water. He also began to realize the spot where he hit his head back at the cliff and lost his crown, was hurting again and the pain was getting bigger by the second.
Not realizing the giant rock ahead of him, the prince walked over it and accidentally tripped, falling onto the hot sand. The child groaned in pain at the rough landing as his skin burned against the sand. Despite how tired he was, the prince forced himself to get up on his knees, but was unable to stand up. He looked at his arms, which was decorated by royal, golden bands. They suddenly felt really heavy on him, as if they were holding him back. Irritated at being reminded of what he was back in Egypt, Atem angrily removed all his golden accessories. His wrist bands were first to go. Then the golden bands around his legs were next. Then his golden collar, along with his earrings and rings. The last thing he had taken off was a golden necklace and was about to throw with his other things, when he took a good look at it.
It was the golden sun amulet Mana had given him. He stared at it for a while, thinking about her and Mahad. He remembered that night when Mana had given it to him and she also kept a moon version so that they will always remember each other every time they saw the amulets. He was saddened at the fact that he will never be able to see her face again. It was too precious for him to put aside and he wanted to have at least one thing that would always remind him of one of his best friends.
He clenched it in his fist, before putting the necklace back around his neck again. Deciding at not wanting to stay here, staring at his golden garments, the prince got to his feet and started walking again. However, he only walked a few steps, before the pain in his head returned stronger than ever before. It wasn't long before Atem started losing consciousness as he saw everything turning upside down. He tried to stay conscious, but to no avail as he felt everything going black. But right before he completely lost consciousness and passed out, a blur of what appeared to be trees and plants appeared up ahead. Great... Now I'm hallucinating.
That was his last thought before the young prince completely collapsed on the ground.
()()()()()()
Elsewhere in the giant jungle, two boys were currently walking throughout the jungle, whistling. One of the boys had bright, blonde hair and golden eyes. He was currently wearing a brown, furry garment that was hung by only one strap across his chest. His brown belt held the lower part of his outfit together with his upper garment. The boy was light-skinned and appeared to be around 11 years old, though his expression held a determination and rebellious attitude, that clearly said he was not to be underestimated.
His companion was taller and more masculine, with brown, pointing hair that stood still and brown eyes. This boy appeared a little older than the blonde, since he seemed to be around his early teens. He was also light skinned, while wearing a tan tunic, which had a brown belt tied around his waist, along with some brown pants and dark-brown furry boots.
Behind them was a very tall and large man, who was carrying a lot of food into his hands. He wore traditional Arabic clothing, while his skin was slightly darker than the traditional Egyptian sun-kissed tan. The man was simply enjoying eating chunk by chunk of his food, while walking behind the boys.
As they continued to walk, the blonde child, bored of the silence between, decided to have some small talk. "Oof! Man! That was some rough training! Glad we took a quick bath near the water fall, otherwise we'd be tired and sweaty in this heat!" The blonde boy stretched his arms before turning to the other boy, who he realized wasn't listening to a word he just said. Instead, the boy had a dazed look on his face, while smiling and blushing.
This made the blonde boy irritated, before stopping and hitting the taller boy in the back of the head. "Hey Honda! Wake up ya nimrod!"
Surprised and annoyed at the assault, the boy now known as Honda shot an angry look back at the smaller boy.
"Ow! What the hell was that for Jo?!"
"I was talking to ya, but judging by that dimwitted look on your face, its pretty obvious that you have no idea what I just said!" Jo then narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "You wouldn't be happening be thinking about my little sister, are you?"
This made Honda dash up quickly, blushing. "W-what. No! Of-of course not!" The way he mumbled out the words nervously made it clear to Jo that Honda was lying, but decided to just go along with it. He then smiled while patting his friend on the back.
"Good! Because you know she's off limits and she's too young to be having suitors right now."
Honda scoffed as his expression seemed to saddened a little. "Not like it matters anyway. Even if you were to let me suit your sister, your mother is still taking her back to Japan tonight and we'll probably never see her again."
This reminder seemed to pierce through Jo's chest and into his heart, as his expression turned to one of pain. Honda immediately realized how out of place his comment was and quickly tried to apologize. "Jo, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bring that up! I know it's even more painful for you this situation! It's just-"
Honda was interrupted by a determined smirk coming from Jo, while he waved his hand, brushed off his friend's apology. "Forget about it. Whether we like it or not, it's something that's going to happen no matter what and all I can do now is accept it and move on with my life. It's part of our motto after all."
With that, the blonde child continued to walk with his friend walking after him. "But you know Jo. There's nothing stopping you from going back to our home country with your mom and sister if you really want to be with them. So why did you still want to stay here? I don't have any family left over there, so there's no one waiting for me there. But you? You have the option of going with them if you really want to man. I just don't get it."
Knowing Honda had a really good point, he stopped once more and looked up at the surface, where sun rays were peaking through the trees. "Because Honda. Like you, there's nothing left for me back in Japan. All I have there are bad memories. You know my story. I was never able to fit in with the rest of my people. I would always get into fights all the time because they thought I was either a freak or a trouble maker. And when I would always go back home with bruises, dad would beat him half to death. And when my mom tried to defend me, she'd get beat up too. The only reason Shizuka never had to go through that is because I would always protect her and take the beating from our dad instead of her."
Jo sighed sadly as he continued with his story. "It's was hard for me back there Honda. It was always like that. That's why we took the option to travel here to Africa. Not just to escape the war our country was going through at the time like others did, but to also escape from the hell my dad was making us live through. It was to start a new life, away from him. Sure the war is finally over now and my dad is long dead, and mom is now ready to go back home with Shizuka. But for me, this place is my home now. The people here have treated me much more like their own than my own ever did, with the exception of you and sensei of course! I know both my mom and sister are ready to go back home and I feel sad that I won't see them for a very long time. But whatever life I had back in Japan is now in the past and the past is over! This is my life now! Just you, me, and Bobassa!"
Honda looked astonished at his younger friend, surprised at how mature he was being about this situation, when he usually acts impulsive and childish. Before long, Honda smiled at his younger friend and nodded eagerly. "Right! I mean I still feel sad that Shizuka is leaving us! But at least we'll still be together like the best pals we are! You, me, and Bobassa..."
Honda turned to look back at their larger friend, but realized he was not behind them. "Hey! Where did Bobassa go?!" They turned and looked ahead of them, noticing huge footsteps.
This made Jo irritated as tick marks formed on his head. "That big oaf ditched us! Come on Honda! Let's catch up to him before he runs out of food and then we're gonna have to roll him all the way back home!"
With that, Jo ran off with his taller friend running behind him. As both boys continued to run, following Bobassa's foot steps, Honda was growing tired and kept falling behind. "Hey Jo, slow down a little would ya?"
Jo looked back at his friend and shot him an annoyed look, while still running. "Oh come on! Don't tell me you're tired alrea-"
Because he had not been looking where he was going, Jo suddenly bumped into something squishy. "Gah!"
He was then pushed off and fell backwards, falling onto the ground. He landed right in front of Honda who stopped right in front of his fallen friend. Jo recovered from the impact as he began to lift himself slowly, while looking up. He realized it was their large friend Bobassa, who had his back turned on them.
The boy immediately jumped back onto his feet and angrily glared at the huge man. "Hey Bobassa! What's the big idea, leaving us behind in the jungle like that!?" Bobassa didn't seem to react at all as he was still staring ahead of him. This annoyed Jo even more as he walked to his side, climbed up his arm, and waved his hand in front of Bobassa's face.
"Hello!? I am talking to you!" Bobassa still didn't turn to the blonde boy, but simply lifted his other free arm and pointed towards to the direction he had been staring at.
"Look over there my friend." Still annoyed, Jo turned towards the direction Bobassa was pointing at and immediately gasped. They soon realized that they were standing in front of the desert, but that's not what had actually shocked them. A few feet away from them, Jo saw a small boy with wild-colored spike hair, laying unconscious in the middle of the sand.
Honda too joined in to see what his other two friends were staring at and shared the same reaction as they did. "What the? It's a kid!" Immediately all three of them ran into the boundaries of the desert and gathered around the unconscious boy.
Jo patted the boy softly, and then put his ear near his face, to see of he was still alive. Nervous and worried about the boy, Bobassa finally decided to ask for his well-being. "Is he alive friend?"
The young blonde nodded. "Yeah. He's still breathing, but judging by his condition, he won't be for long if we don't get him out of this place and get him help."
Honda knelt down and carefully turned the boy and had him laying on his front. At seeing the boy's scratched face and a better look at his torn garments, everyone gasped in surprise.
"No-no way." Jo was beyond shocked at what he was seeing.
"He looks just like-!"
"Oh my! This boy is Egyptian." Both Jo and honda were broken out of their disbelief and looked at Bobassa.
"How can you tell?" Jo asked curiously. Bobassa chuckled at his question.
"I have traveled to many different places, looking for to try out many different kinds of yummy delicious food. A few years back, I came across Egypt and lived there for some time and managed to recognize some characteristics and clothing that Egyptians usually wore. Not only that, but they also have some of the most delicious food I ever tasted. Speaking of which..."
Bobassa then looked at the boy curiously with a finger in his mouth, drooling. "You don't think this boy happens to have some food with him."
Both Jo and Honda slapped their foreheads in disbelief and annoyance, before Jo gave him an angry glare.
"Bobassa ya jerk, this is hardly the time to be thinking about your stomach right now! Can't you see the kid is badly hurt and needs our help!"
This caused the large man to lower his gaze in shame before realizing the blonde boy was right. He then proceeded to pick up the unconscious boy in his arms.
"Alright! We've got the kid. Now what do we do?"
Jo immediately had an answer to Honda's question.
"My mom! She's good at mixing up her herbs to heal the sick or injured. I'm pretty sure she can help!"
Having all agreed on Jo's plan, the three immediately ran back into the jungle, with the unconscious boy in Bobassa's arms.
()()()()()()
Atem fluttered his eyes slowly, but only made it half-way before closing them again. They felt heavy as his mind and body felt very tired. He then tried to open them again, this time with more ease than before. His entire vision was blurred, so while he was only able to see moving figures of people, he was unable to make out their faces or tell if they were male or female. He also heard echoing voices, but was unable to make out the words as his entire mind was in a blur for the moment.
The young prince was slowly regaining consciousness as he was starting to feel something wrapped around his forehead. He finally able to flutter his eyes open more now, while his vision was beginning to clear.
"Shizuka pass me that jar that contains the herbs on the shelf."
"Yes mom."
Atem then noticed the people before him. One was a grown woman, with short curly strawberry blonde hair. Next to her was a little girl around 8 or 9 years old with shoulder length, straight hair, also strawberry blonde. She was currently handing a jar to her mother, while the woman went back to her table, preparing something he couldn't see. The little girl then turned to him and gasped.
"Mother! The boy's awake!"
This caused the woman to turn back towards him. "Oh dear. I see you've finally woken up. How are you feeling sweetheart?"
The woman's voice was kind and caring. It reminded him so much of his own mother. With eyes half-open and voice drowsy, he decided to answer. "Tired... and dizzy."
The woman then came closer to the young prince and placed her hand on his forehead.
"Hmm. You still have a little bit of a fever." She then moved back to her table once more, before coming back with a wet cloth and putting it over Atem's forehead. "There you go. Now I'll have the remedy ready for you in just a minute young man. Shizuka keep an eye on the boy for the meantime."
The little girl nodded. "Yes mom."
She then turned to the young prince once more. "Hi, I'm Shizuka! What's your name?"
"A-Atem." The way he said his name sounded so dead, so depressing, it made the smaller child slightly worried.
But deciding the boy needed some encouragement, she kept on her cheerful attitude. "Nice to meet you Atem. Big brother will be happy to see that you're awake. He's been really worried about you!"
This made the boy slightly raise his eyebrow in curiosity. "Your brother? B-but why?"
"He and his friends were the ones who found you in the desert and saved you! You're sure really lucky that he did! You came here in really bad shape. Mother even had cure your wound on your head, because it was starting to bleed from the inside."
As he processed all the information he just received, Atem now realized that the hit from the cliff, where he lost his crown must have cause this. It must also be the reason why his head was hurting badly. The prince looked back at the wiccan, who was walking back towards him with a small mug in her hands.
She then sat down next to the boy and helped him leaned up a bit with her arm under his head. She then brought the small mug to his mouth. "Drink this, it will make you feel better."
Atem didn't open his mouth or move at all. He just stared at the mug with a vacant, but saddened expression, unwilling to do anything. But the woman kept wasn't willing to give up just yet.
"My child, you must drink this. It's a cure to help heal your body." The prince only looked back at the woman with slight defiance in his eyes.
"I am not your child. I don't have parents anymore."
The woman was slightly taken back by this, but didn't take the boy's comment to heart. Rather, it made her even more concerned for the boy. His statement about not having parents meant that he was alone in the world.
While the woman continued to look at Atem with worry, her small daughter decided to interfere in the conversation.
"Please Atem! Mother only wants to help you. She, my brother, and I have been really worried about you. Please to drink the cure. Pretty please!" Shizuka then put her hands together and gave him a pleading look.
The prince observed her for a moment and that puppy-dog look, while she pleaded reminded him to much of Mana. Whenever she wanted something from him, this is exactly what she would do, but also calling him 'Temmy'. His expression saddened at the thought of his best friend, before he sighed and weakly opened his mouth to drink. The woman held the mug to his mouth as he continued to drink the cure. Once he was done, the woman slowly laid the boy back on the bed.
The woman and Shizuka gave him a kind smile. "Alright little one. Now you must rest so that your body and your head wound can heal properly."
The prince could only nod weakly as he suddenly began to feel tired again. He slowly closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
()()()()()()
Jo and Honda were currently sitting outside of the wiccan's cabin, waiting patiently for any news on the Egyptian boy they found in the desert. Bobassa at the moment was currently eating more than usual, though unknown to everyone, the man was actually eating out of desperation to bring down the anguish he felt for Atem's well-being.
Jo was inwardly growing impatient at not knowing anything of how the boy's state was at the moment. He didn't know why, but he was afraid for the kid. The boy reminded him too of someone he was very close to back in Japan. Right before he had traveled over here, his friend's family had taken him and left to France, escaping the war. He wondered if he'll ever see him again. The blonde child sighed in defeat. Probably not. I really do miss him. But I don't regret my choice. This is my home now and I'm just gonna have to accept the idea of possibly never seeing him or my family again.
His thoughts were interrupted by someone patting him on the back. He turned around and noticed Honda was giving him a concerned look. "Hey man. Got something on your mind?"
Jo sighed once more before answering. "It's just... I can't help but think of the kid. If we hadn't found him when we did, he would have died. It makes wonder how our little buddy is doing in Europe right now. He could be in the same situation right now, but there's probably no one there to help him."
Honda only scoffed at his insecurities and wrapped his arm around Jo's shoulder. "You worry too much. I know for a fact the little guy is doing just fine right now." Jo looked down and a small smile appeared.
"I wish I had your positive attitude. But after what we saw today with the Egyptian kid, I'm can't help but feel this way."
The older boy was about to reply, when they heard a wooden door open. Both boys looked immediately towards the entrance of the cabin and noticed Jo's mother.
They immediately got up and walked up to her. Bobassa also stopped eating and joined the boys.
"How is he mom?!"
The woman gave her son a reassuring smile, while ruffling his hair. "Don't worry Jounouchi. Your little friend will be just fine. He is no longer in any danger."
This caused the three males to let out sighs of relief, feeling a giant weight being lifted off their shoulders. Jo then looked back in concern.
"But is he gonna get better?"
"Yes. With just a few days of rest, he'll be fully recovered. But from what I can tell, the wounds he has to heal are not just physical. That poor child seems to be in depression and has lost the will to live. The boy needs emotional support."
The small blonde was then lost deep in thought, while Honda decided to speak up. "Not to worry ma'am! We'll make sure the kid starts feeling better in no time."
The wiccan smiled at the older boy's enthusiasm and determination, before looking back at her son. Once Jo had finally set his ideas on what to do, he looked at his mother.
"Honda's right mother! Just leave it to us! If that kid really was alone before, then we'll become his friends! We'll look after him and he'll never be alone again."
The woman picked up on her son's words before bowing her head in sadness. "So... I guess this means you plan on staying here, instead of going back with me and Shizuka."
Jo also bowed his head in sadness and nodded.
"But Jounouchi, you still have the option to come with me and your sister. Think about it! We can start a new life. Your father is no longer around to harm us and the war is over! Back home, we can live together as a family! Please my son, I-"
"Mom." Jo interrupted his mother with that one word before continuing. "Listen we already talked about this. Life back in Japan is over for me. I have only bad memories there and going back would only relive those memories. And at this point, I've long since buried that past that once haunted me. This place is my home now."
This caused the woman to sob and let out tears. "Mom. I know this is hard for you and you probably think that I'm too little to look after myself. But I practically was already living as an adult back in Japan and this situation is no different. Besides, it's not like I'm alone. I have Honda, Bobassa, and even Sensei by my side."
The woman wiped the tears away from her eyes and pulled her small son into a hug. "My little boy! You have no idea how much I am going to miss you!"
Jo sympathized with his mother's reaction and felt happier, knowing his mother finally understood his decision. The blonde child enjoy his mother's hug for the next minute before he heard snickering. He turned around and saw Honda and Bobassa giggling at seeing their friend being smothered by his mother. Jo blushed in embarrassment and nagged his mother to let him go.
"Mom, you're embarrassing me in front of my friends!"
The woman let go of her child at his protests and wiped the remaining of her tears from her eyes and smiled. "I'm sorry. I couldn't resist. I just love you so much and I'm going to miss you. But promise me that you're going to write to me every now and then."
Jo smiled at her and nodded in agreement. "I promise. Anyways, I'm gonna go inside and say good-bye Shizuka. It's gonna be hard for her to accept that we're separating. I should be the one to talk to her."
His mother nodded before ruffling his hair, before he headed inside the cabin. As Jo disappeared into the cabin, his mother looked back Honda and Bobassa.
"I would like to thank you both so much for everything you did for my boy. Having found great friends like you really has helped him adjust to his new life."
"Aw, shucks. It's no problem ma'am." Honda smiled becoming bashful.
"Please look after my boy. I know he can be a bit hard to handle, knowing how rebellious he is, but I know that with you both by his side, he will be just fine. Also, regarding that child you found, you won't have to worry about him recovering physically, but could you please help him find his way? Something terrible must have happened to him and I fear that he may be alone in this world. I wish I could do more to help, but the carriage leaves tomorrow morning and it will be a very long journey before we even reach the sea, let alone my homeland. I'm just glad I was able to save that child from dying. But I trust both him and Jo will be in good hands.
Bobassa and Honda nodded before the huge man walked toward her and bowed his head in respect. "Do not worry madam. We will look after your son and that Egyptian boy. You have my word."
Honda joined in casually. "Yeah, you don't have to worry. My bud and I have been through thick and thin. And just like he's been there for me, I won't let you or him down. And don't worry about the kid either. You just leave him to us!"
Jo's mother smiled. "Of course."
()()()()()()
A few days later...
Atem began gain in consciousness as he fluttered his eyes open once more. The tired boy struggled to pick himself up until he was finally sitting on the bed. The prince felt his body still sore, though most of the pain and numbness he had felt before had disappeared. As he began to wake up from his long bed rest recovery, Atem was starting to remember what happened before he had passed out again.
Flashes of the wiccan who had attended him and the little girl with such a strange name came to mind. He also remember being in a cabin filled with herbs and potions. Atem then looked around him and noticed that he was no longer in the same room, but rather a plain, stoned room. Through the stoned wall was what appeared to be a window, where the sun rays were barely reaching inside. It was barely morning from what he could tell.
The prince remembered that there where times where he and his father would wake up very early in the morning and watch the Sun-God Ra, rise up and brighten up their beautiful kingdom.
He expression saddened and was filled with pain and guilt at the thought of his father. His father was now dead and he no longer had a home to return to. He must keep going and move as far away from everyone as possible so that he may never hurt anyone ever again. As he began to get up of the bed, the boy stopped his movements as a loud yawn was heard, along some loud snoring.
He turned to the sound and soon realized that he wasn't alone. A few feet away from him were Jo and Honda sleeping on the same bed, both with their arms and legs stretched all over the bed while snoring loudly. He then looked over to the other end of the room and saw a massively large man with darker skin than his own, sleeping on a thick colored cover. The man was snoring the loudest, while his arms were clutched to a bunch of food.
Where am I? And who are these people?
While he trying to gather together his thoughts, he heard again the familiar loud yawn, this time, noticing it was coming from the blonde child, who appeared to be around his age.
Said boy, was fidgeting a couple of before his eyes fluttered open and he groaned when he saw Honda had pushed him near edge of the bed, taking most of the space. Irritated, he pushed the older boy off his side of the bed. Tired, he got up and yawned, while stretching his arms. Rubbing his tired eyes, he turned around and was surprised to see the boy that had been unconscious for the past 3 days, wide awake.
He gasped. "Hey you're awake!" He then turned quickly to his sleeping companions in excitement. "Wake up guys! The kid's finally awake!"
As Honda and Bobassa stirred at their friend's yelling, Jo did not wait for them to get up as he excitedly jumped off the bed and ran towards the runaway Prince. He then placed a hand on Atem's shoulder, sign of a friendly gesture. "You sure had us really worried for these past couple of days. We thought you were a goner and didn't think you would make it. So how are you feeling?"
Atem barely showed any reaction towards his question and simply shrugged. "Fine I guess. Where am I?"
"You're in our place." The answer from Honda who had now just made it next to Jo along with Bobassa standing behind them. "This is where we live. And that bed you're laying on is where I usually sleep. But since you were in pretty bad shape and we couldn't leave you alone at Jo's mom's cabin, I thought it wouldn't hurt to let you borrow for a little while."
"Oh..."
The boy's depressed and apathetic behavior began to worry the trio, especially Jo. Still eager to learn more about the mysterious child, he decided to introduce themselves. "Well, anyways, my name is Jounouchi! But you can call me Jo for short." He then pointed towards Honda and Bobassa, while laughing through his big, toothy smile.
"And these two knuckleheads are my friends and personal sidekicks! We saved you from getting fried out there in the desert. Of course I did most of the work, while these two just helped!"
Honda grew annoyed and irritated at his friend's cockiness. He then wrapped his arm around the smaller boy's neck and began to give him a noogie."
"You've got some nerve showing off and taking all the credit over something we all did."
"I was kidding!"
While the two friends played rough with one another, Bobassa tried to stop his younger friends from play fighting, while happily claiming something about friends must share the credit, just how they must share food, even though he himself gobbles most of it.
Atem payed no heed to them as he weakly got off the bed and decided it was time to leave. He did not know where he was headed, nor do it matter.
"Thank you for your help."
Hearing the boy speak up for the first time, the trio stopped and turned to Atem. He was already headed towards the entrance, no turning to face them.
Jo was the first to speak. "Wait where are you going?"
"I don't know."
Atem finally exited out of their home. Jo, Honda, and Bobassa immediately ran to the entrance. They stood there and noticed that Atem hadn't gotten very far. He sat on a rock, with his head bowed.
The three friends looked at the depressed child worriedly, wondering at what could have caused him to be in such a state.
"I wonder what is it that has caused our little friend to be so sad?"
"Who knows." Jo then showed a determined attitude. "But we gotta find a way to help cheer the kid up."
Following his statement, all three walked over to Atem who hadn't noticed them walking until Jo sat next to him, giving him a concerned look. The prince merely glanced back at the blonde child.
"So mind telling us where you're from?" The prince just shrugged.
"Doesn't matter. I can't go back."
This caused the group to look at each other in understanding. "Ah so you're like a misfit aren't ya? Well that's fine by us. So are we."
Atem still retained the same depressed look, unmoved by the group's intentions. Bobassa then decided to try a different method.
"Here my little friend, have some these delicious food. You must be hungry."
Despite appreciating the huge man's offer, the prince was still reluctant.
"No thanks. I'm not really hungry."
"Please young one." Bobassa kept insisting, still offering the food. "You must eat something. It is the only way you will be able to fully recover."
Realizing that Bobassa was not going to back down, Atem took a single piece of bread and began to eat slowly. Satisfied with this, Bobassa backed up as they watched the prince eat his bread quietly.
"Alright, now I don't want to get into too much of your business, but could you at least tell us your name? I think it's only fair, since we told you ours already?"
The prince stopped eating and looked at Jo. He was hesitant at first, since he was afraid they would recognize him as the prince of Egypt. But after some thinking, he realized that he was no longer in the boundaries of Egypt and from the two boys' appearances and their completely different customs, he knew they must be foreigners. The oversized man still, however, still had him worried. But seeing how innocent and kind-hearted he was, the prince just had to take the risk.
Looking and down and gulping nervously, he answered. "It's Atem."
This didn't seem to faze the trio in the way he had expected. Better yet, they just seem to just go along with as if they were just happy he introduce himself.
"Wow. Sounds like a pretty cool name. It's sure a lot easier to remember than most names of people I've met here."
Honda jumped in next to Atem on the other side. "Yeah, ain't that the truth."
The optimism and spunk of the two boys seemed to somewhat cheer up the small prince and made him temporarily forget about his problems. He let out a small smile, which did not go unnoticed by Jo.
"Hey! You finally smiled! I knew I'd be able to cheer you up. I have that effect on people!"
Honda rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you have that affect on people, alright, especially since you act like a clown most of the time and no one can take you seriously."
"Say WHAT!?"
Ignoring Jo's outburst, Honda turned to Atem. "Anyway, why were you out in the middle of the desert? Don't you know it's dangerous out there, especially for a small kid like you?"
Atem went back to his low, gloomy behavior as he looked down in shame. "I...ran away."
The group gasped. "You ran away?! Why? What happened?"
The prince show his head reluctantly at Honda's question.
"Something horrible, I really don't want talk about it."
Seeing Atem's expression turn into one of hurt and guilt at the topic being brought up, Jo immediately understood and decided to not push onto it anymore.
"Alright guys. Let's not pressure Atem into telling us personal things he's obviously not comfortable with telling. And Atem you don't have to worry about us knowing what happened in the past. We don't want to hear about it and if you don't have a home to go back to and that you're alone, then pal, you are welcome to stay with us and join our circle of friends. That solves two of your problems. So what do ya say?"
The boy looked at Jo for a moment in surprise. This who he just met a few minutes ago, had just so openly accepted him. They didn't seem to care or even know what he had done in the past. Could they really be serious about being his friends and offering him a new life to compensate for everything he had lost?
But then his conscious struck him down like a bolt of lightening as he remembered his uncle's words. The things Aknadin said to him were cruel, yet truthful to him. He possessed dangerous magic that he wasn't able to control, which is what caused his father's death. Now he was afraid that would happen to anyone else who was around him. Shaking his head reluctantly, the prince immediately got up.
"No, I can't... I can't be near you. I can't be near anyone anymore. I'm sorry but I can't I... I have to go!" The prince started walking away immediately, but since he hadn't fully recovered from his injuries Atem could only get so far, before his body began to feel sore again.
The group gasped at Atem's change of attitude and immediately went after him.
"Whoa, whoa! Hey there kid slow down, would you?" Honda was the first to reach him and pushed the boy's shoulders, to prevent him from leaving. "Just relax. You can't just leave when you have no idea where you're going, especially when you're still in pretty bad shape."
"But you don't understand anything! I have to leave! I can't be near anyone! I can't risk hurting anyone again!"
The prince was at the brink of tears and the group looked at one another, concerned, trying to figure out on how to help him.
"Alright," Jo moved near Atem slowly and his hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you sit down first and tell us why you think being around us is dangerous."
The prince took a breath as all 4 of them sit down. Atem explained to them pretty much everything that had to do with his shadow powers, magic, and also mentioned about his ba and ka. Of course, he completely left out any details concerning his personal life in Egypt, the tragedy of the the village Balat, his father's death, or the fact that he was the crowned prince of Egypt.
"So, you're saying that the reason why you don't want to be around anyone is that you think you're evil because you can't control these magical powers you have?"
Atem nodded as if he was completely certain this was true.
"Pfff! That's ridiculous! I mean if you actually do have these shadow powers, you're just a little kid! It's obvious you won't be able to fully control them, being so little! Whoever told you that anyway?"
The royal heir looked away from Honda.
"It doesn't matter. The point is that it's true."
Jo stood up, still not willing to accept what the boy claimed as true. "Well, hate to break it to you Atem, but I just don't believe you. I mean I don't know what might have happened in your life to make ya think this way. But I highly doubt that whatever happened is your fault and I especially don't believe ya to be evil! I may not be the sharpest tool in the box, but I definitely have good instincts and my instincts tell me that you wouldn't hurt a fly."
Bobassa, who had been eating while side-listening to the conversation, had jumped into the conversation eagerly.
"I too believe you to be a very kind child, my little friend."
"And the reason why we're telling you this is by our own experience. You mentioned that a ka is what you call your spirit monster back in Egypt right?"
Atem nodded, confirming Jo's suspicions. Getting up, the other followed in pursuit.
"Alright, now I don't know what kind of things they taught you back in Egypt, but I think I have an idea of what you're talking about. This is a secret between us 4 so don't tell anyone else, unless I tell you to, okay?"
The prince nodded once more and was now intent in listening, who seemed to understand his situation a lot more than he expected.
Jo leaned in. "The truth is, we ain't so normal either. We happen to have powers of our own, like you do." The prince seemed rather shocked about the revelation as Jo continued. "And this ka you mentioned, you know, your spirit monster. Me and Honda also have one."
"Really?!"
The blonde child smiled. "Yep. And believe me, it wasn't easy for both of us in having these powers, when at the time, we didn't where they were coming from. It's part of the reason why Honda and I weren't able to fit in with other people back where I came from. So you see kid, you aren't exactly different from the rest of us."
Honda agreed. "That's right little buddy, so don't be too hard on yourself. Now we're going through some special training so that we can control our powers." He then looked back to Jo, who shared the same look of agreement.
"And we know just exactly who can help ya out with your problem."
Atem grew with hope once more. "Are you serious? Can you take me to him?"
Jo and Honda exchanged looks and smiled, happy to see Atem no longer being the depressed and guilt-ridden boy from earlier. Not hearing an answer, Atem was about to ask again before he was surprised at being picked off the air by Bobassa and was sat on his shoulders.
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
Bobassa chuckled as they began to walk back into the jungle. "Do not worry little Atem. There will be plenty of time for that later. First we must show around here. It is a very beautiful place, with plants, animals, and the people here are very kind. But the best part is that we so much delicious food that you must try!"
"Bobassa's right, pal. You need a proper tour so you can get around this place, if you're gonna live with us?"
The prince looked surprised and confused at blond. "Huh? But I never said I had planned to live here. I'm still not-"
"Hey!" Honda interrupted him. "Don't you even think about that stupid idea of running away again! Especially if you plan on going back into the desert! We don't want to hear it! From now on, you don't have to worry about being alone ever again. This is your home, and you're going to stay with us! Got that?"
Atem felt like arguing back, but hearing how Honda's firm statement, he knew there was no point in trying, knowing the young adolescent had put his foot down. Giving up, he just sighed.
Jo smiled. "Trust me Atem. You're gonna love it here! No rules, no boundaries; here you're free to do whateva' you want and be whoeva' you want, without anyone telling ya anything. Plus, you now have friends like us now. So don't worry, no matter what happens, we'll always have your back."
The prince was so surprised at how generous these boys and this huge man were being with him. He'd never thought he'd find anyone else in this world who had hearts of gold, like his family and friends did back in Egypt, and also would accept him so easily into their lives. Especially after knowing what he was or what he did. But Jo, Honda, and Bobassa didn't seem to care about any of that. They were willing to give him a second chance in life, just like he and his father had given it to that boy, Seto.
Thinking of his father made his heart ache in pain once more. Despite the hope he was beginning to have, the pain and guilt in his chest would not leave him alone.
"But, even if I were to start a new life, nothing will be able to change the past. How can I move on if nothing will change what I did?"
They noticed his dilemma was still there, despite having achieved to raise up his spirit a little, and decided it was time to introduce him to their motto. Everyone stopped walking and both boys looked up at the prince with determined expressions. "Well I think it's time we go taught you a new lesson, especially if you're gonna start a new life here with us."
They all gathered in a circle as Jo cleared his throat. "Now repeat after me. Shinpai nai."
Atem gave a confused look, finding what Jo had just said very strange. "Shin-what?"
"Shinpai nai." This time, it was Honda, who pronounced very slowly for the young boy. "It means 'no worries', back in our country."
"Just look at this way. Bad things happen in your life and you can't do anything about it right?"
The prince simply shrugged. "I guess."
"No!" Jo snapped. "What you do is if the world turns its back on ya, you turn your back on the world. Basically, you just leave the past behind you and move on. Forgive and forget."
Bobassa nodded eagerly with the two Japanese boys. "Do not worry, small one. I also had trouble understanding this strange tradition when I first met these children. But soon I began to learn and understand the meaning of it."
Atem wasn't too convinced. "But back home, that wasn't what I was taught. And besides, you make forgetting the past sound so simple, but it really doesn't feel simply at all."
Jo groaned, slightly annoyed at the boy's negativity. "That's the whole point and why you need a new lesson. We are going to teach you everything there is to know about our motto. And trust me, once you get use to living here with us, you'll soon learn that there are better things in life and before you realize it, all the bad things that happened to ya in the past will be left behind. Just let us show you how differently we do things around here. Now let's continue with the tour, because we still have so much to show ya."
The boy could only nod, as he was led deeper into the jungle. He sighed before looking down and saw Bobassa staring right at him with a goofy smile.
Feeling a glimmer of hope grow within him, Atem sighed in defeat and could only hope they were right and that good things would come out of this.
()()()()()()
From that moment on, the young prince was introduced to a world very different from his own. The jungle where Jo, Honda, and Bobassa lived in was beautiful! It was so full of life.
He saw many animals like monkeys, parrots, other colorful tropical birds, etc. There were very large trees, plants, flowers , but his most favorite part of the jungle was the huge waterfall, which beautifully fell down into small, peaceful lake. Atem never thought he would ever see something so beautiful and so tranquil in his entire life.
Jo, Honda, and Bobassa were apparently very serious when they had offered him their loyalty and friendship. They had completely made him feel at home in their place. Jo and Honda were very playful and optimistic, yet both seemed to have a bit of spunk, along with pride and arrogance. And despite Bobassa being very childish and playful for his age, he seemed to have a sort of wisdom to him, along with being kind and caring. Being able to relate to those aspects, he was able to get along very well with them and as time passed, Atem knew he could fully trust and on his friends with his eyes closed.
Being the youngest of the four now, they made it their duty to look after the boy, even though Atem's energetic and adventurous behavior made that task difficult. The first few months being there, Atem had almost returned to his old self. There were times were this dilemma drove the others crazy. Jo, being almost exactly Atem's age, would join him at times in tormenting their two older friends with pranks.
One time, Atem and Jo were both on top of a tree, before jumping on another. Both were giggling mischievously as Bobassa and Honda were at the bottom, looking up at them. They were throwing mangos at their two older friends. Honda was furious that day and kept demanding the two brats to get down, while Bobassa was simply enjoying himself by catching the flying fruits with his mouth and eating them.
It was all fun and games, until Atem jumped on a branch, which immediately broke off and caused the young prince to fall off the tree. Jo panicked, but in his attempt to catch Atem, he slipped and fell off as well. Luckily for Atem, the Egyptian prince landed softly onto Bobassa's belly, breaking his fall. Jo however landed on Honda, who made an attempt to catch his friend, but the force caused both of them to fall roughly on the ground.
Another time, Atem had dragged the others into playing with him in the river. They seemed reluctant at first, remembering their previous act, but could not resist the urge to play in the river and having played there many times, did not see the danger in it. To their misfortune, the prince was determined to take it even further in his fun, as he let the stronger currents of the river take him. Jo and Honda had swum after him, trying to save the boy from falling off the huge waterfall. Atem reached the end and fell, screaming in excitement, with the other two boys behind him, screaming in terror. Again he was lucky, as Bobassa grabbed him on time, while the other two fell. He then sat the boy on his shoulders and walked back into the jungle, with Atem exclaiming how much fun it was.
Meanwhile, both Jo and Honda hung on a loose branch for dear life, irritated at being forgotten and demanding for help. Eventually Bobassa and Atem remembered of their other two friends and immediately went back for them.
The situation was so comical that everyone laughed, even Jo and Honda. At that moment, the prince knew they were truly his friends and he was able to count on them for anything. He was able to fully confirm that the very night he had horrible nightmare, which was reliving the day his father died. Jo had waked up the prince, who was sweating bullets. Atem had been sleeping Honda's bed which was a little far from the other bed and where Bobassa slept. Not wanting to be alone, he asked if he could sleep with one of them. Before the other two could respond, the huge man offered to let him sleep on his belly. Despite the strange looks Jo and Honda gave one another, the prince excitedly jumped off and climbed onto Bobassa's belly. He smuggled into his blanket before falling asleep peacefully.
The others couldn't help but look at him in tender, thinking how adorable he looked, almost like a baby. They eventually fell asleep too, satisfied at finally gaining Atem's trust and friendship.
The surprises didn't stop there. The boys had taken him to the village that resided on the side of a hill outside of the jungle, but in the open space near the very high and grassy mountains. The villagers had been very welcoming and very friendly. They seemed to be very mixed as if each of them came from a different part of the world. Some of them were clearly European, due to their very different appearance. Others were from countries within Africa, while there were with few Asian foreigners; among then being Honda, Jo, and their mysterious teacher.
That is when Atem met Master Ishida. The boys had finally granted his wish and introduced him to their teacher, which they referred to him as Sensei.
The man appeared middle aged with long black hair and dark-piecing eyes. It turned out that not only was he a great teacher with Jo and Honda, but was also the well-respected shaman of the village. The man was also a weapons expert, particularly swordsman ship and was highly trained in Asian martial arts. From what Jo and Honda had told, he had been originally trained as an assassin back in Japan, but had taken the reigns of his life and was now a humble man, who only revealed his deadly skills when absolutely necessary or when teaching extremely gifted children who weren't able to control their powers.
And it seemed Atem fell into that category. It had taken some time for the prince to open up to the elder man, as he was much more serious, strict, and seemingly cold in his persona. But as time went by and Atem began training with him, he soon learned so much more from Master Ishida. He was able to see right through people, understanding their situation, despite that Atem never actually revealed anything specific about his past. Within time, the young prince understood why everyone respected him and why Jo and Honda trusted this man with their lives. He was proud, honorable, understanding, but also very wise. He reminded him of Shadi a lot. Their relationship as master and pupil had solidified and was able to catch up with his other two friends in training.
An even bigger surprise was when a few new inhabitants came in, looking for refugee just as Jo and Honda had been. Almost all of them were Europeans, with the exception of one. But the most shocking revelation of all to Atem was that one person was a small Japanese boy; when he saw him for the first time, he couldn't believe his eyes. The boy looked almost exactly just like him! The kid could practically be his twin, especially the unique hair, which he thought almost no one else in this world had. The only difference was that he was younger, shorter, light-skinned, his hair didn't have the extra golden strands that stood up like Atem's, and his eyes were round and not narrow-shaped like his. This completely shocked Atem to the very core and the boy returned his same reaction.
Atem was about to ask who he was, until Jo and Honda came running behind him and towards the boy, welcoming him in a group hug. They both screamed with joy, exclaiming how much they missed him or how has he been. The prince had stood there, very confused at how they knew this boy until they mentioned his name: Yugi.
The prince couldn't believe it. So this was Yugi, apparently. He had heard so much about Yugi from Jo and Honda; very positive things in particular. But the most interesting detail of all was that they always said, he reminded them a lot of Yugi. He of course, always thought it was personality-wise. But now, he understood more than ever what they were referring to.
Once introductions were in order, Atem and Yugi at first couldn't believe their unique resemblance. But after, Yugi explained that he was sent here by his mother because he apparently turned out to be extraordinarily gifted like Atem, Honda, and Jo, therefore he was looking for Sensei Ishida, since he was the only one who was able to help him. Yugi claimed that once this task was finished, he would return to France with his mother.
But that soon changed as time went by and Yugi was beginning to reform his friendship with Jo and Honda, and Bobassa immediately grew on him with his childish personality and appetite. Atem also seemed to get along with Yugi much more than he had thought. Soon, they were able to overcome the revelation of their bizarre resemblance and immediately formed a very close bond with one another. They were practically like long-lost brothers who have found each other after so many years.
Yugi was immediately taken under Sensei Ishida's wing and surprisingly, it didn't take him long before he was also able to catch up with his other friends just as Atem had been able to. Once more, a new addition the group of friends had been added and Yugi felt himself growing more as a person by the side of his friends and living a happy life with them, that he reconsidered his plans on returning to Europe and stay here with them. It broke his family's heart of the news, especially his mother's, but they understood his reasons and respected his decision. Soon everyone in the group grew attached to their motto and the 5 became practically inseparable.
Before they knew it, the years were going by and the boys were growing up. Atem was growing out of his childish and mischievous persona, and was becoming more serious, polite, gentlemen-like, and mature. He was excelling in his training efficiently, focusing much more on controlling his power each day. The others soon realized that "little" Atem, which Bobassa often referred to him was growing up and soon, he would no longer need anyone to look after him. And it wouldn't be long before Yugi would follow as well.
Jo had become more protective of his friends, not letting anyone mess with their group. This soon became clear to everyone in the village, who crossed paths with Jounouchi. Honda was pretty much the same as Jo, except with a less aggressive aura and threatening gaze that Jo had. Yugi, while still retaining some of his childish appearance, managed to grow a few inches tall, looking more like a young adolescence than a child, though was still significantly shorter than Atem. Bobassa of course, remained the same, which the others were very happy about.
The years flew by without them realizing it and soon, they had become young men.
()()()()()()
Years Later…
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ATEM!" The entire village exclaimed in excitement as lights and torches were lit up and everything was decorated colorfully. Food was placed everywhere. The people there were Bobassa, a very tall and fully grown Honda, Yugi, Sensei Ishida, and almost everyone else in the village. They were all looking at the young man, who had just walked into the village, a surprised look on his face, since the village had been previously dark and quiet. He then looked to his left and saw Jo smile in happiness and determination, while wrapping an arm around his friend's shoulders in a friendly manner.
"Surprise pal! See, now ya understand why insisted on not coming here all day?"
The young prince stared at him in awe for a few seconds, before smiling and returning the manly hug.
"Yes, of course Jo. Thank you so much." He then turned to the crowd. "And thank you all as well. You have no idea how this means to me."
Everyone exclaimed your welcomes, congratulations, and such. The now grown Atem joined everyone else and all celebrated with them the day of his birth, thinking he has finally found his place in the world.
YES! Finally I'm finished. Thank god! Believe it or not guys, it's just this chapter was so boring to me, that it took me a while to finish and give a good story on how Joey and Tristan find Atem. I even started on the new chapter before I got to finish this one. Like I said, my inspiration is still on, but it's just this particular chapter that was so hard to write. I wasn't gonna put Yugi in this until later on, but then I realized that Yugi is VERY close friends to the pharaoh and Joey and Tristan. It would be a little too late and really hard to have him form a bond with them, when they are already grown and especially in the middle of the climax, when so many details need to unravel. That is why I decided to put him here instead.
(1) This scene where Atem is running into the desert and the fact that he wants to forget he's a prince like Simba did, reminded me so much of the Prince of Egypt, because that's what Atem literally is. I just felt like this one scene where Moses is running through the desert and removing his royal Egyptian garments would fit Atem so well that I just had to put it.
By the way, saw Dark Side of Dimensions with my friends and siblings and it was fucking awesome! Especially that ending, just made everyone wanting for more. The whole theater cheered and half of the people even stayed behind during the credits, because they thought there would be a scene afterwards (If you've seen the movie already, you would understand why.) Anyways, thank you for your patience and I'm sorry for the long wait. But I promise I'll try to update chapters faster.