yamibakura2000: Thanks for the review! Well, hopefully you like the rest of it as much as the beginning!
jeany: Well here ya' go. Chapter Two! Hope you keep reading as well!
This chapter's a bit shorter than the last, but it's sort of a transition. Those kinds of chapters always end up shorter when I write them! Anyway,
Disclaimer: I own my body, two goldfish, a dog, and a black rabbit named Umbra. However, I do not own Yugioh, the Millennium Puzzle, Egypt, or a horse.
Ch. 2 Gathering Courage
Prince Atemu sighed as he gathered up several more things to bring with him. His father's Millennium Puzzle was sitting on his bed shinning in the sunlight. Although he hardly took off the item, it felt good to occasionally give his neck a rest from supporting the necklace when he was alone in his room. He heard a guard shout something down below his window, but when he heard nothing more assumed it had been taken care of and continued packing.
"Ooof!" grunted a girl's voice. Atemu turned around to see a leg coming up over his window's sill.
"Mana! What do you think you're doing?" he asked as the young mage plopped down on the floor, looking tired from climbing. She grinned.
"Climbing up the wall to come see you of course! I had to freeze the guards, but that wasn't too hard; and Master says I don't practice enough…," she answered, getting up and brushing her legs off.
Atemu sighed and walked up to the window as if to make sure she didn't bring anything with her. "You froze the guards! Mana! Oh whatever… I don't really have time to--," he paused as he noticed a young man looking up at him from the ground, "Seto…?"
His mind thought quickly. Seto had seen Mana climb up into his private quarters! This did not look good. He turned around quickly to find Mana about to wear the Millennium Puzzle around her neck!
"What the--! Mana don't!" he said urgently, dashing over to her and snatching it away before she could put it on.
"Hey!" she whined, frowning at him. She looked like a child in a glass shop; she went to touch the shiny things not realizing the consequences.
Atemu was still frantic though, "Look, only chosen people can wear Millennium Items Mana, it could seriously injure you; you know that! And Seto saw you come up here so you're going to have to leave!" He began pushing the bewildered Mana towards the window.
"What? Why?" she asked, unsure of what the big deal was. Atemu continued pushing her.
"Just go! Do you not see? Seto saw a young woman, you, climb up into my quarters! He's going to think that, um, well you know!" he said, getting her to the window at last.
Mana tilted her head, "I don't understand, what could he possibly think we--?"
"Oy! It looks like the Prince is having some 'quality time' with one of his pathetic friends! I knew that's all the girl was good for!" a voice shouted from below. It was Seto.
Mana glared down at the brown-haired, blue-eyed boy. Apparently, she had now gotten what Atemu meant, "Why that awful, egotistical, pompous crocodile! I am going to go down there and teach him a lesson!"
This time Atemu had to hold Mana back instead of push her forward.
"No Mana! That will not solve anything, and Seto will not mind hitting you back!" he warned, holding onto her arm.
"Fine," she agreed reluctantly, "Then I'm at least going to spit on him!" She leaned over and, gathering all of the spit she could muster, let it loose onto the young man below them. Atemu didn't mind this though, in fact, he laughed at seeing his rival's expression of fury once the ball of saliva hit. Mana chuckled for a moment, and then sighed loudly.
"Okay Mana, what is it you really came here for?" asked Atemu, sensing she had something else on her mind.
Mana sat down on the young prince's silk-laden bed. "Well, I was thinking about our journey and well, you-you don't think I'll be a burden do you!" she asked quickly, half-hoping that he wouldn't answer.
"What do you mean 'a burden'?" he asked curiously. Mana rarely acted this way.
"I mean a burden to you and Master because I cannot perform magic in the correct way," she said, staring off into the opposite wall. Atemu understood now.
"Mana, you are my friend; and you are Mahado's friend as well as his apprentice. We would not think of you as a burden even if you could perform no magic at all! So do not worry, this is a journey for finding yourself, and I think that you will find that you have the ability within you to do what you want," he finished, feeling quite proud of the fact that he could sound so sentimental.
"Wow," said Mana in slight awe, "You really are growing up."
The young prince nodded, "Yes… and that, Mana, is the scariest thing of all."
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As Atemu awoke the next day, he realized that this journey was it. After he successfully completed this task, he would be a man in his father's eyes. His father had always considered him a bit of a baby, and Atemu was out to prove that he was braver and stronger than he seemed….
"Morning Prince!"
"Yes, good morning Prince."
"Morning everyone," Atemu answered as he walked up to the stables. The royal stables were separate from the army or guard stables, and consisted of one horse for every noble in the palace, with other horses as backup. Atemu's horse, an elegant white mare, nuzzled up against his face greeting her beloved master. Atemu patted her lightly, and then turned to face two figures riding up to the friends on brown horses.
One was Priest Seto, the young man from yesterday that had been spit on by Mana. His stony blue eyes glared malevolently at the girl as he passed her and stopped in front of Atemu. His clothing was mainly blue, and his golden serpent headdress matched his poisonous personality. The golden ankh on his chest glittered brightly, and his Millennium Item, the Millennium Rod, was hanging tightly on his belt.
"My Prince," he said curtly, bowing his head slightly, "Ready to go?"
Atemu nodded silently.
The other rider, a woman, stopped her horse next to Mahado's and smiled serenely at them. Her headdress was of a falcon, and around her neck was the Millennium Necklace, with the power to predict the future. She had a feminine but serious look to her, and nodded as she said, "Yes, now is a good time to head out. Mahado? Mana? Are you two ready as well?"
They nodded.
Mana got onto her horse and looked over to Isis, "Isis, did you--?"
"You must call her 'Priestess Isis' girl!" snapped Seto. He was obviously still angry about the previous day's spit.
"Isis does not mind being called by only her name when it is her friends speaking Priest Seto," responded Mahado, defending his apprentice.
Seto glared at Mahado with utter contempt, and then turned his horse, "Let's just go."
As they rode through the streets, Atemu and Seto were at the front, while Isis, Mahado, and Mana were in the back.
The streets were very distracting to Atemu, who had not gotten much chance to see them over the short time he had been alive. As they passed by the tan, stone houses, the people in the street moved away from the riding priests, acknowledging that even the slightest thing to anger them might mean their life. Well, angering Priest Seto at least. However he was too busy fuming over Mahado and his apprentice.
"I still do not believe you stick up for those people," he said to Atemu in a confused tone.
Atemu sighed, "They are my friends Seto. I would do anything for them, and they would do anything for me." He had been over this before; and it always went the same way. It made Atemu feel as if he were the supreme defender of friendship; which he wasn't. That sounded more like a girl's job.
"Heh," Seto chuckled, "They would like you to believe that wouldn't they? However, you'll find that friendship and love are just illusions thought up by the weak. Nobody is 'friends' with anyone unless they want something from said person. Especially if you're royalty."
Atemu frowned. He and Seto's relationship was very heated, but they always had a sort of respect for each other. However, this did not mean that they agreed with each other's views. Seto always said this about friendship, but Atemu always just let it go because he figured to argue against such a strong opinion would be futile. Though Seto's increasing audacity regarding his friends was really starting to anger him. Why was it he did not like them again? It had been so long Atemu couldn't even remember.
"I think you're wrong Seto, but I will give you the feeling of being right for now because you are older than me and I respect you. Just know that while I'm out there becoming a man, I will prove to you somehow that the notions of friendship and love are real. Remember those words," he said sternly, trying his best to sound like an adult.
Seto smirked, "Well then, how about a little wager? If you return from your journey with your little friends and you as close as ever, then I will admit you were right. And if not, then you must admit that my statement was correct."
"Alright," nodded Atemu, "I shall agree to these terms."
'This should be interesting… he has no idea what I'm planning,' Seto chuckled to himself.
Isis and Mana were both giggling quite a lot, and when Mahado looked over he realized why. Two young men that had been out in the street conducting business had noticed the two women, and waved to them as they were passing by.
"Hm…?" Mahado mumbled, looking confused. Women were always so enthralled by men that paid any attention to them.
"Well it is nice to know that some men are not afraid to express their interest in a woman," Isis said, smiling.
"Yes," replied Mana, "I've noticed that lately even Prince has been watching girls more often than usual."
Atemu turned around upon hearing his name and glanced curiously at Mana. "How would you know? And what does it matter! I'm a man aren't I!" he said loudly, his cheeks turning a bit pink.
The two young women started laughing again. Atemu turned around looking slightly offended.
After laughing, Isis turned to look at Mahado.
"Feeling well Mahado?" she asked. It seemed as if she were always concerned with his health. Mahado nodded. He was being especially quiet around Isis lately, which made Mana very curious.
"Master's tongue has been stolen by thieves, you know?" explained Mana, seeing the slightly confused expression on Isis' face.
"It has not Mana," replied Mahado, "However, sometimes I wish yours was."
Isis laughed a bit. "Oh Mahado how can you say such things?" she said jokingly.
"Very easily when Mana is concerned," he replied, turning to look at the priestess.
"I'm glad you are speaking to me Mahado. I thought for a while there that you had been avoiding me," she said, feeling outgoing. Upon hearing this, Mahado quickly looked away and fell a bit silent.
"N-No, that is not true, it is just that--."
He was cut off by a fit of giggles that erupted from Mana. He turned his head to glare at his apprentice, his cheeks flushing a little.
"What is the problem Mana!" he demanded, looking anything but pleased with her behavior.
"N-Nothing! Hee hee!" Mana giggled, almost falling off of her horse. Mana had just figured out why Mahado had been avoiding Isis lately, and she was so amused by this fact, that she could not help but laugh hysterically at it.
Isis, a bit confused by all of this, simply shrugged and assumed it was nothing too serious if Mana was laughing that much about it. It was then that the group of them stopped. They had gotten to the edge of the city; and the end of the escort. Everything that happened from then on would be their own concern and no one could come to their aid. Atemu's mare whinnied.
"You doing okay, Ma'at?" he asked her while he stroked her head. The horse looked nervous, and Atemu guessed that she probably sensed the long journey they were about to make.
"Good luck to you all," Isis said, "Oh, and this is for you Mahado." She tossed him a small sack, the kind that usually carried a trinket. He caught it, and placed it in a pocket of his horse's saddle for the moment. Seto made a grunt of some sort. Isis began to turn her horse around, and proceed back to the palace.
Seto nodded at Atemu, "Good luck my Prince." He then began to ride off without so much as a glance at Mahado and Mana.
A/N: Okay, so, comments, suggestions? Review! Next chapter will feature lots of sun, sand, and stuff! Stay tuned for Ch. 3 Mahado's Mirage!