Chapter 10: Discovery of Secrets Part 2

A few months later...it was once again THAT day. The 15th Anniversery of the Dark War. The day the kingdom was attacked by two rogue high-priests...the day I was born...the day my parents were killed...Even if I didn't realize it right away...

Juliana walked down the dirt street in her long, black cloak and her hood over her face. The area was completly quiet, almost like a ghost town. There was no one else around, even the shops were closed. After a while, she stopped and turned back toward the palace. "I wonder what is going on..."

When she returned to the palace, even there it was quiet. The servants did their chores silently without any smiling at all. She looked over a saw a few servants throwing flower petals out a window and watch as they flew into the air. She continued walking down the hallway, then saw Vash walking in the same direction as she. "Lord Vash!"

He turned and looked at her. "Hello Lady Juliana. How are you this morning?"

She walked up to him. "Fine, thank you." She looked around, then back. "Lord Vash, what is wrong with everyone today?"

"You don't know? It's the anniversary of the Dark War. It's like this every year."

"Oh...I suppose I've always been in my room during this time..."

"And tonight is a full moon, so everyone is on edge. Last time there was a full moon on this day, a town to the north was burned completely to the ground. I was on my way to help with preparations for tonight's memorial banquet."

"Oh. May I join you?"

Vash smiled. "Would love the help, but the Pharaoh wanted to see you in the stables as soon as possible. Thank you though. I'll see you later."

"In the stables...?" Juliana shrugged then walked out of the palace. She walked across the courtyard, which was filled with nothing but sunshine, and walked into the royal stables. These stables held the horses that belonged to those with royal blood, the Pharaoh's horses usually kept separately.

She walked down the aisle and found Pharaoh Akunumkanon, Atem and Sethos in the last stable, petting a beautifully tanned pony, although it was almost grown, with a white mare and a white tail. "You wished to see me, Pharaoh?" She bowed deeply, seeing as she was in the presence of 3 figures of royalty.

"Ah, Juliana. Yes I did. Would you care to join to boys and I on a little horse ride?" The Pharaoh said smiling, even though both Atem and Sethos wore the same faces that the rest of the town did. Juliana could even tell that the Pharaoh was forcing a smile. He was getting old, and was already dangerously sick. Something must really be troubling him this day.

"If it would please you, then I will join." she said.

"Excellent!" He smiled again, but then began to cough fiercely. When he finally gained some air he said, "Alright, get your horses."

Juliana and Sethos walked out of the stall and walked to different ones - the tanned horse belonged to Atem. Juliana walked to her house and looked at it. It was a beautiful white horse with a black mare and black tail, about the same age as Atem's horse. Akunumkanon had given this horse to her as a gift a few years back. She gently petted its nose, then jumped on its back.

The four rode out of the city and toward the desert. They rode in silence, Akunumkanon and Atem riding ahead, Sethos riding right behind, and Juliana a few feet back, but not too far incase anything happened. Sethos looked back at Juliana, who was deep in thought, and slowed down his pace so he was riding next to her. "Hey"

She ignored him, thinking about different flashbacks swarming through her head.

"Juliana!"

She blinked, then looked at Sethos. "Forgive me...I was just thinking."

He tilted his head to the side. "About today? You should really just relax. Smile every now and then, or else..." He narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice. "You'll turn out like Priest Siamun..." He laughed, but Juliana just stared. He stopped and looked at her. "That was a joke..."

"A joke?"

"Yeah. It's supposed to make you laugh." She looked down and he frowned. "I'm not helping, am I?"

"No...but I thank you for trying." she sighed.

Pharaoh Akunumkanon looked back at them. "Keep sharp, you two. We're almost there."

They all looked up as they rode to the edge of a cliff and looked down. Below them lay the Valley of the Kings. Small mountains with a few cave entrances covered the entire valley as Egyptian guards stood outside their entrances.

"Children, you are looking at the resting place of many generations of Pharaohs before myself. Soon even I will rest here." said Akunumkanon.

"Father-"

"Hush, Atem. We have other matters to take care of for the moment."

Juliana looked at Akunumkanon. "Pardon me, Pharaoh. But why are we here?"

"You'll see..." They all rode down hill to the valley and began to ride through it. They rode in silence, only in respect for the dead they passed. The sun was high in the sky by the time they stopped in front of a large dark cave on the other side of the valley. All four jumped off their horses and stood at the entrance.

"Pharaoh...where are we?" Juliana asked looking around.

He sighed. "Atem, Sethos, please wait here." The two boys nodded and Akunumkanon put a hand on Juliana's shoulder. "Come with me..." He lit a torch and began walking inside.

Juliana looked at Atem and Sethos, then followed Akunumkanon. They walked down a dark hallway, Akunumkanon lighting every few torches they found. They continued walking until they stopped in front of a golden door. The Pharaoh bowed, then Juliana also slowly bowed. He then slowly opened the door. Akunumkanon stood in the doorway. "Go..."

"Ok..." Juliana slowly walked in front of him and Akunumkanon came in from behind, lighting the torches around the room.

It was a typical Egyptian tomb, with golds and gifts surrounding the casket. But instead of one in the room, there were two. The walls were covered with stone carvings of the shadow monters. She slowly walked up between the Egyptian coffins and read the two names:

"Pharaoh Zuberi...and Queen Safiya..?" She blinked, then looked at Akunumkanon with confusion covering her face. "These are my parents names, but I don't understand. They were mages, not royalty."

"Juliana...it's about time you learned the truth." The old Pharaoh sighed then coughed once. He then walked over to the caskets. "Your mother...was a princess of a far away land. But she felt she could do more than she was already doing, so she came here to live in the palace, but asked if we would keep her blood line a secret.

A few years later, your father came to us from the east. He was the bravest man I ever knew..." He sighed again, taking in a breath. "Well, they were both very powerful, Juliana. You must understand this. People of their level attract great evils. But I didn't care, they had become close friends and we fought together."

Juliana listened carefully, clenching her fists tightly. "But I don't understand what happened...15 years ago..on this day..."

Akunumkanon looked at Juliana with deep eyes. "An old enemy of Safiya's came...he had been posing as a high-priest to try to get close to her. If it wasn't for one of his partners, Zuberi and I could have arrived there before anything happened. Luckily we came before any vital injuries were done...on both her and you. That began the war. Hatred and anger run deep, Juliana. And it drives many mad, to the point of pure insanity and evil."

She turned and stared at the places where her father and mother died, continuely rubbing her fingers over the hieroglyphic inscriptions that bore their names. Akunumkanon walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll leave you...just come out when you're ready to leave. We're not in any hurry." He turned and walked out, closing the door behind him.

"Pharaoh Zuberi...Queen Safiya..." she whispered to herself. That would also make her royalty, like the people of the city called her. But why had Pharaoh Akunumkanon not told her sooner? Why had no one said a thing? Millions of questions swarmed through her head.

"Poor, poor child. In the presence of her dead parents and she does not shed a tear. She has many friends yet is all alone in her soul." said a cold, deep voice. A cold breeze blew through the room, although the door was closed.

Juliana quickly looked around. "Who's there? Who are you?"

A dark figure appeared in the shadows behind her. He wore a dark black cloak and had crimson red eyes, with long darkish grey hair. He walked up to Juliana. "My name is High-Priest Heishin, child. You need not fear."

She quickly turned around and looked at him. "What are you doing here."

He smiled. "I have come to help you. Little Princess Juliana..."

"How do you know my name?"

"I know a lot more than that, child. I know more about you than you or anyone else knows." He put his hand on her cheek and caressed it with his thumb. "I'm the only one you can truly trust...I know the anger in your heart. Your fear...your darkness. The others fear it. They lie to you day by day."

"Pharaoh Akunumkanon would never lie to me."

"Oh? He kept this little secret from you. And he knows why Priest Akunadin hates you...he knows what you really are. He neglects to tell you because he fears your hidden powers. But I will help you embrace it. Join with me, Juliana. Together we can destroy those that tease you, those that lie to you, those who call themselves your friends. I can see it in your mystic eyes...it's like an open book." He looked into her eyes. "Blue like the sky, and green like the Nile. You're destined for greatness, and only I can show you the way...join me."

Juliana looked up at Heishin and her eyes widened as a scene flashed into her mind.

"Not so fast!" yelled one of the priests. He wore a large, black armor and helmet. The priest lifted his arm up as a beam shot out of his arm, toward the pharaoh.


"Pharaoh!" Zuberi yelled. He ran up and blocked the beam with a silver shield but the beam kept coming. Pretty soon the shield began to fall apart.


"Zuberi!" Safiya cried. Juliana turned her head and watched the battle without blinking.


The priest walked forward, the beam hitting the shield even harder. "Get out of here, now!" Zuberi yelled. The beam completely destroyed his shield and hit him.


"ZUBERI!" yelled Safiya.

"You!" She shouted. She slapped his hand away from her face then stepped back. "You killed my father!"

Heishin smirked then took out a dagger. He quickly ran up to Juliana and stabbed her in the gut, shoving the dagger as far in as he could. He whispered into her ear: "I did. Your parents were foolish...they refused joining with me...but you will join me, Princess. The darkness is too strong in your heart to resist."

She coughed, then fired a blast at the door. She then fired another blast through the door to the outside. "Now...every guard in the Valley will be coming here..."

He smirked and stepped back. "No matter. I have done my part." He looked at the dagger, covered in Juliana's blood. He smirked again, then disappeared in the shadows.

Juliana fell to her knees, gripping her wound. Her vision was flashing in and out of focus but she fought to stay awake. Blood dripped from her between her fingers.

"Juliana! Juliana!" Atem, Sethos, and a few guards came running in. "Juliana! Come on, stay awake!" Atem ran to her and looked at the wound. "You can tell us what happened once we get you out of here. Sethos, help me get her up."

"Yeah." Sethos walked over and put Juliana's arm over his shoulder as Atem did the same to her other arm. They walked out of the tomb.

----A few hours later, back in the palace----

Juliana stood on her balcony, staring at the full moon in the night sky. She rubbed the bandages around her wound while staring. Pharaoh Akunumkanon had come in earlier to tell her that a search had begun for Heishin, but she was sure they wouldn't find him. She sighed as there was a knock at the door. "Enter."

Naru walked in with her hands behind her back, and watched Juliana as she walked and sat on her bed. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Better...thank you."

She half smiled. "I know this day has been hard for you...but it doesn't have to be bad like this every year."

Juliana looked up at Naru. "And why not?"

"Because besides the fact that today was the day the Dark War ended, it's also the day of your birth, which is something to celebrate with your friends." she said. Then Atem, Sethos, Vash, Mana, and Chira walked in and they all held out boxes tied with string. Naru also revealed a box she was holding behind her back.

"Happy Birthday, Juliana." Atem said smiling.

Juliana stared at each one, then lowered her head so her hair covered her face. "My friends..." She then looked up. And for the first time in her entire life smiling with tears in her eyes. "Thank you."

They all smiled and walked over to Juliana, handing her presents.

...I wish I could end it there. "They all lived happily ever after" would be a good way to end, but it doesn't. Oh no, it was just beginning. The first time I smiled and cried, was the only time for a very very long time, for not soon after that day...our whole lives changed. The first domino fell on a day we wished would never come...