Jeepers, it's another chapter! Wowee, I just really plugged through this one, lemme tell ya! By the way, I'm not going to be an archaeologist anymore: I'm now studying to be a high school band teacher, because it's what I'm really good at. Good thing too, because the other day at Wal-Mart the checker was a graduated Anthropology major(what I was) who didn't have any other job.
It's Finals Week for me, so that's why I probably had the urge to write on this story *cough* procrastination *cough*
I'm nineteen, y'all! It was a great birthday, though I have a bad cold so that kinda sucks.
FUN FACT!: I never originally planned for the whole "Anubis" arc. It popped up outta nowhere. Oh, and the bow and arrow are ten thousand years old. They're my favorite weapons besides the trusty sword!
I don't own YGO! or anything that obviously isn't mine.
Please enjoy!
"Bali, listen to me now: I have come to tell you that the time has arrived. You will go into labor at midnight tonight, and your children will be born after three days. You must keep hidden and stay safe through this time. You will be weak and vulnerable, and the Crossroads in Time will take place. Be careful. Tauret, Ma'at, Hathor and I will be there to help you." Isis barked authoritatively. Bali grumbled in her sleep but nodded. Her dream ended with a fade and Bali's eyes snapped open. It was still dark outside, in the early morning.
"Atem, wake up." Bali said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Isis just visited me in my dream. I will go into labor at midnight tonight."
"What?!"
This is exactly how Bali's morning began, and now everyone was twitching and waiting for midnight to come, even though it was barely noon. Luckily, Shimon decided that the tension would be better eased than anything, and called to attention an idea.
"My pharaoh, we know that your children are about to be born in the next three days! We should have a celebration in honor of this glorious occasion, which should escalate until they are finally born." He suggested and Atem, in his distracted state, actually agreed. Shimon sighed.
"In any case, it will help calm down some of the people around the palace, my king. I will set out the orders for an opening feast."
"So let it be said, so let it be done." Atem replied.
Word got out to Thebes that a grand celebration was mounting in the palace for the upcoming birth of the pharaoh's children.
At a small tavern on the outskirts of Thebes, a runner heard the news and skulked back to the desert hideout where the rest of the Disciples of Set were located.
In a small room connected to the bedchamber that overlooked the Nile is where Bali found out.
"YOU'RE HAVING A PARTY?!" She screeched, her godly glow intensifying. Six of the seven bearers of the Millennium Items took steps backwards. Atem eased his way forward with a weak, reassuring grin. His hands were raised defensively.
"Bali, it's just to ease the tension with everyone in the palace! I will be waiting for the three days without having much fun, and you know it." Atem assuaged, and Bali kept her frown but crossed her arms and muttered "whatever."
Korket and the Disciples of Set had quite the opposite reaction.
"You are sure that this celebration is taking place in the palace?" Korket asked for clarification. The runner nodded with an assuring smile.
"It has practically been screamed throughout the streets, milord." he responded, causing a collective snicker throughout the room.
"Lord Akefia will be most pleased to hear of this. It will be the opportunity he was waiting for to interrupt the Pharaoh's cushy lifestyle." Korket snorted and all stood laughing until a loud bang signaled the entrance of Akefia.
"I'm back! Now what have you twits been doing all day?" Akefia bellowed, traipsing in with a load of stolen funeral relics, draped in fancy clothing and jewels, and dragging a mummified body from a rope around its neck.
"We just received news that the queen will be going into labor at midnight tonight, Lord Akefia. It will be the perfect window of opportunity for you to destroy the pharaoh and take the Millennium Items, as the the goddess will be unable to fight." Korket informed and a wicked grin spread on Akefia's face.
"That's excellent news! And here I thought that I'd have more trouble with paying them a visit. I even decided to bring a special guest. Gentlemen, say hello to the former Pharaoh Akhnemkhanen!" Akefia laughed, tugging the rope harshly. The group laughed, but some nervously shuffled their feet. After all, defiling a pharaoh was defiling a god.
"Very amusing, Lord Akefia. Do you wish us to do anything of assistance?" Korket inquired with a jibing smirk. Akefia grunted.
"Just don't get in my way."
"As you wish, Lord Akefia."
The celebration began as Ra took the sun to the underworld. Although spirits were high, the tension was still far too powerful for anyone to join fully into the jovial atmosphere.
Atem sighed and rested his head on the palm of his hand. Bali had to stay in the prep room until the time came, and he wasn't allowed to see her at all.
"Your majesty, I know it is exhausting and disappointing that you can't be at the queen's side right now, but think of the joy that will come once the three days are over!" Shimon comforted, the bearers of the Millennium Items smiling in agreement. Isis stepped forward.
"My pharaoh, I assure you that my mother will take the best of care with her. And don't forget that the great goddesses will also be present." Isis comforted, giving a slight incline of the head to show respect. Atem sighed.
"Thank you everyone. I will try to lighten up, I-" Atem started, but was accidentally interrupted by a distressed messenger.
"Lady Isis, your assistance is needed with the honorable Queen Bali. I was sent by your mother Lady Seshat." The messenger huffed from a side entrance, and Isis met the eyes of her king before nodding and racing off towards the birthing antechamber Bali was waiting in. Unfortunately, this circumstance only proved to get Atem into a more anxious mood than before.
"Is something wrong? Is she giving birth now? Has she been attacked with some illness?" Atem asked himself, his thoughts raging through his head. Little did he know that Bali was worrying him for absolutely nothing.
...
"Why can't I just go sit out there until the time comes?! It's my party to enjoy too!" Bali grouched, trying and failing to heave herself up to join Atem in the great hall.
"Lady Bali, it is inappropriate for you to be seen like this at all! You will get to enjoy the festivities that follow the birth of the twins, I promise you!" Seshat appeased, keeping a firm hold on Bali's shoulders to keep her laying down. Bali gave a frustrated sigh.
"How much longer until midnight?!" Bali huffed, slamming her hands onto the mattress on either side of her. Seshat could only shrug along with Mery, Su and Nefertari. Isis ran in panting.
"Is something wrong?" She asked breathlessly, walking straight to her mother.
"Oh no, it was just that the Queen wished for company." Seshat replied, earning a frustrated glare from said queen.
"I see. Trust me, Queen Bali, the festivities are not at all very much fun. Pharaoh is much too focused on you to try and act cheerful." Isis informed.
"Good." Bali grunted, but everyone could see that she was as nervous as anyone else.
Little did they know that a disaster was headed their way.
"You're sure you will be able to handle this alone, my lord?" Korket questioned atop his horse, warily watching the determined Thief King. Akefia glared at him from his own horse.
"I hate those who underestimate me. Either you follow my plan or I kill you now." Akefia bellowed, and all of the servants of Set looked to Korket. Korket bowed his head.
"As you wish, then. We will be waiting on the outskirts for your signal to action." Korket replied, causing a few members to sigh slightly with relief. They definitely did not look forward to being slain by the madman.
"Let's move out then! I want to make my appearance just before midnight!" Akefia exclaimed with a spine-tingling cackle. With Akefia dragging the mummy behind on his horse, he set out for Thebes to give the Pharaoh his declaration of war.
...
Atem was jolted awake by a somewhat extraneous shriek of laughter from a drunk noblewoman sitting at the low tables before him in the vast throne room. Shimon crept next to him and shook his head disapprovingly.
"Even with your status my Pharaoh, it is not wise to fall asleep at a party like this." Shimon muttered, and Atem carefully stretched and rubbed at his eyes so as to not mess up his kohl.
"I am sorry, the stress must have driven me to sleep. What time is it?" Atem asked, sitting up and peering at the warm, noble-filled hall.
"It is nearly midnight, your majesty." Shimon answered and Atem straightened out even more and his eyes widened.
"Is Bali alright? May I see her at least once?"
"You know how birthing goes as I do, my King. Your father was the same way with all of his children, particularly with you. We must wait the three days out and let the gods do their will. She is one of them in every sense, not stuck on earth completely like you." Shimon chuckled as Atem's shoulders sagged and he growled in annoyance. Three days is a long time to wait.
"What's this?" Mahad questioned loudly, as the Millennium Ring began to act abnormally. From then on, things began to go downhill.
"Evil has entered the castle, and there are raiders attacking Thebes! I can see them, they are the Disciples of Set!" Isis yelled running in, sounding an alarm among all of the people gathered in the room.
"Where are the guards? They should be stopping this intruder!" Seth bellowed, and a callous laugh followed from outside the entryway. Atem gripped his throne and narrowed his eyes at the door. The door tipped open slowly and a tense silence ruled the air as calm and deliberate footsteps echoed through everyone's ears. Finally from the shadows came a man drenched in funerary relics and dragging a mummified body. His tan skin contrasted deeply with his snow white hair.
Atem turned his expression into an outright glare.
"Akefia." He growled, earning a loud patronizing laugh from the thief king.
"I see His Majesty knows the humble Thief King! How good for him!" He called out sarcastically, sweeping his hand about and looking to the people huddled about the room as if he were talking to them as a performer would. Akefia swung a hefty brown bag from his shoulder and dumped its contents over the floor.
"Here, I found these in King Akhnemkhanen's tomb. You don't honestly think those traps were any good, did you?" Akefia sniggered as gasps of horror drew from the crowd. Akefia's gaze went from side to side.
"Look at all of the frightened little mice; now that they're threatened, they don't act so haughty!" Akefia seethed, causing some whimpers.
"Enough! What did you come here for besides parading your blasphemous behavior?" Seth called out in annoyance, stepping forward from the guardians. There was a stare down until Seshat rushed in unaware of the troubles going about in the throne room.
"The queen is in labor!" She yelled, but stopped short when she saw the scene. Everyone snapped their gazes to her, but her eyes only saw those of Akefia's. He sneered and took a step forward.
"I would love to speak to your queen to see if she's really a goddess, if you don't mind. Then we can talk about the other things I came here for." Akefia chirped, Seshat taking a fearful step backwards at his murderous glare. Before anyone could make a move, a knife flew through the air and sliced through Akefia's shoulder before thudding into a wall behind.
"DON'T YOU DARE GO NEAR BALI!" Atem screamed angrily, his fists clenched and an outraged gaze boring into Akefia.
"Oh, I see that I finally got you up off of that seat. I was hoping that you'd get down here once you saw that I dragged your father here but this I can accept." Akefia uttered, causing Atem's glare to intensify. Before he could accept the challenge however, Seth stepped forward.
"Leave this petty thief to us, My King. He shall pay for everything he has done, I swear it!" Seth vowed, turning his only furious yet arrogant expression on the bold thief. The evil character gave a sweeping snarky bow.
"Why, I'm honored to face you little priest, but I'm afraid you're just dust in the wind to me. I'm here to destroy the pharaoh and take the Millennium Items, not play around." Akefia barked cheerfully, laughing at his own malicious humor.
"Please, Pharaoh Atem. Her Grace the queen is one of my greatest friends. It would impede my honor should I not try and fight him." Seth said quietly, bowing his head somberly to Atem. Atem took a deep breath and nodded.
"Go Seth. Bali will appreciate it. I am going to get my father back." Atem replied just as quietly so no one but them could hear. Seth's eyes widened, but again he bowed slightly.
"I will do my best to distract him."
And so begins the race to the end. No offense, but I am so ready to get this story done. I want to have something completed so I can work on other stuff, you know?
The chapter is kinda short, but hey, I should technically be studying for my anthropology final tomorrow.
Review and all that, you know I like it.