A somewhat minor revisioning of my previous story Akhet. The result of a Vaseshipping plot bunny I've had for years now.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters; all rights belong to Kazuki Takahashi. I'm merely a fan who hasn't had enough of them. This is a fanfiction written for pleasure only, not for profit.

Please enjoy :)

Sunset, Sunrise
-chapter I: sunset-

Perhaps it was only his impression that the night seemed so dark. Blackened clouds covered the stars, and even Khonsu himself seemed content to hide behind them for no trace of moonlight softened the inky chill.

They had been pursuing the thief Bakura for over three days now, to no avail. Though Mahad had managed to avoid actual death by merging himself with his Illusion Magician, his existence would never be the same. Set had taken some soldiers and gone on ahead, trying to pick up the bandit's trail.

"Try and get some sleep, my king," Shimon had said. "The scouts will be back some time tomorrow. We will know more then."

Atem gazed out at the darkened desert, a sigh escaping his lips. He'd played right into Bakura's hands! His spirits were dampened and his men were tired. Yet they must press on...what horrors would befall his people when the vengeful man struck next?

Sleep would be an elusive goal for him tonight. If attainable, at all.

So he found himself sitting on the sands outside his tent, staring out at nothing and wondering how to stop the destruction Bakura was so intent on bringing, how to save Egypt — and the world — from the darkness he'd threatened to envelope it with. Surely...surely Atem must have missed something! Bakura must have dropped some hint, some clue as to what his next move was! What was Atem missing?

The young pharaoh sighed again, moving to rest his face in his hands. Surely, his father must be turning in his sarcophagus to see this...

A third sigh. He still missed his father terribly, but...perhaps it was a blessing he was not alive to see the sorrier state Egypt now found herself in. Atem smiled sadly to no one, praying that his father was enjoying his peace in the Afterlife.

"Pharaoh?" Atem started...then relaxed again when Mana's form appeared from behind his tent. Shimon or Set would have surely protested him being out here...either for being alone where they could not protect him, or for not being in bed asleep. True to unbridled form, Mana plopped down beside him without any reservation whatsoever.

"You don't have to call me that," he replied with a smile, before turning back to the night. "Can't sleep?"

"No," she said with a sigh of her own, hanging her head and shoulders. "But...how can I?" Mahad was gone, and someone else had to protect the Pharaoh! "I practiced my magic for awhile, but…then I almost accidentally set one of the guards on fire, so I thought I'd better give it a break." Atem chuckled.

"Well...at least you didn't actually set one of them on fire this time," he said.

"I've been improving," she said. She frowned. "It's so hard without Master's help, though." She'd been practicing more, but...there were certain spells really taught better in-person, and all the other magicians were back at the palace. And most of them were other students. And she was better than all of them.

"Why couldn't you sleep?" she asked. Then she frowned. "Were you...thinking about your father again?"

"...I'm thinking about a lot of things," he replied at last. "...I shouldn't have pursued Bakura. I should have known that was a trap." Then again...what would he have done instead? Not pursuing Bakura didn't necessarily seem like an option….

"I sometimes wonder the same thing about Master Mahad," she said, and Atem chuckled.

"What could you have done to stop Mahad?"

"...Nothing," she said, after a minute. She gave him a sad smile. "I probably would have died, too. But...I can't help hoping...that maybe something would've changed."

"Me, too." He frowned, staring down at his DiaDhank. When would Bakura strike next? Where would he strike? Would Atem and his guardians be able to protect the people of Egypt when it counted? How many more of them would die in the process? Even Mahad in all his might could not defeat the rage-filled bandit. Atem sobered. "Any one of us could be the next to fall; we must be prepared."

"Atem! Don't talk like that!" Mana exclaimed, looking at him angrily. He glanced at her.

"Not talking about it won't lessen the possibility," he replied. She frowned, looking away.

"...I know," she said at last. She shook her head. "I just...I can't stand the thought of losing anyone else." Least of all, him, her oldest and dearest friend. Then a thought struck her, and she looked back to him in horror. "Atem...did the Millennium Pendant show you something?!" She relaxed as another chuckle escaped his lips.

"No," he said. "No. That's only a power only granted to the Millennium Necklace, as far as I know." Relieved, she wrapped both her arms around one of his in a sort of half-embrace, holding him tight.

"Good," she said firmly, snuggling her cheek to his shoulder. He pulled his arm loose to hug her back, then sat forward, resting his arms on his knees. The desert did not seem so dark with a friend.

"Is that...something you've been thinking about a lot?" Mana asked, after a few more minutes. Silence was not something she tolerated well.

"...It's impossible not to," he said at last, sobering again. Especially after witnessing what they had of Mahad's sacrifice...after witnessing the extent of the thief king's ability for destruction.

"I'm not afraid of death," Atem said at last, looking straight ahead into the night. A shudder went through Mana's body, and she wrapped both her arms around his left one again. "To protect my people...that is my duty as Pharaoh; to protect my friends...it is but a small sacrifice." Her grip tightened. Her dearest, oldest friend...he had always been the most fearless among them, and one of the most selfless as well. He would die before he'd allow any harm to come to any more of his kingdom. He wouldn't hesitate.

But she didn't like hearing him talk about it!

"But…" — here Atem paused, and Mana looked at him in confusion; what was this, now? — "But...I would regret...that my father's line would not continue."

Aknamkanon had been dead for over a year now, but the coronation itself took that long: it was not a single ceremony with which Egypt passed her crown from one ruler to the next, but a series of events over the course of the year including the burial of the previous king. Only after these ceremonies were complete could a successor be officially declared Pharaoh and allowed to wear the crown of Egypt.

"Bakura interrupted us on the last night of the festivities, and we've been fighting ever since," Atem said, looking away. "I've not had the luxury of finding a proper queen, much less continuing my father's legacy." If Bakura forced his hand...to protect his kingdom, his people...Atem might very well never get the chance. He did not want to see any more of his friends die at the thief king's hands. He did not want to see any more of his people die.

"I'm sorry," Mana said, frowning. For him to not have an heir...but Atem was shaking his head.

"It's my regret, not yours," he said, smiling at her.

"We're friends — your regret is my regret!" she said stubbornly, and he chuckled at her before sobering once again. To let such an enthusiastic light as this woman go out? Set, Isis, Shada, Shimon? No. They had to win, at any cost. The fate of Egypt — perhaps the world itself — rested squarely on their shoulders.

Beside him, Mana sighed as well. A man as noble and kind and brave as he was...and for his father's line to not continue…her frown deepened. Aknamkanon had been kind, and full of wisdom, and it showed in the love and loyalty of his people. Few countries could boast of so generous a ruler; Mana had heard horror stories of horrible kings and cruel queens who thought little more of their people than the rats in the alleyways, and treated them as such, too. Aknamkanon had been forgiving, just, noble. His son had inherited all that, as well as the determination and fearlessness that made Atem...Atem.

Not allowing a bloodline as noble as theirs to continue...would be a loss to the world, indeed.

...Mana's eyebrows knitted.

She was female. Maybe not "queen of Egypt" material, but...she could certainly carry children as well as any of the women back at the palace.

...Would it be weird?

Weirder than a stranger? The thought echoed through her head. Weirder than a sister? Common folk didn't marry their own siblings, of course, but Pharaohs had different rules...they were the gods' avatars, after all. More than one of Atem's ancestors had married and had children with a sister or half-sister, though she couldn't remember if Aknamkanon had been one of them.

Why not herself?

...If Atem wasn't opposed to it, of course. But...what kind of options did they have, really, at this point? And if he did...die — her heart twisted — in the next fight with Bakura...wouldn't it be better to have tried?

And if he lived—and she was banking on him doing just that!—well...it was right back to the special privileges of a Pharaoh, wasn't it? They could have multiple partners if they chose, and many had. If he wanted something else...he could have it.

A line as good and noble and kind as his...a line like that needed to continue. Or at least...have a chance to.

"I could do it."

"Hmm?" Atem glanced at her, confused. "Do what?" Mana felt her cheeks heat up. She glanced at him before looking away again.

"I could...carry...your child..."

"What?" His head whipped around to stare at her, and she jumped off him, cheeks as pink as the streaks in his hair (his cheeks were as pink as his hair, too!).

"I'm sorry," she retracted, feeling stupid and horribly small. What had she really just suggested?! She had seen the women making eyes at him at the palace...in the other towns and cities...all during the coronation ceremonies! This was different...this wasn't...she loved him, but not romantically! The Greeks feared that sort of love, anyway. But did he realize that that was the case?! How would he know this wasn't just some scheme to elevate her own position?!

"I-I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable...and I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds!" she stammered out at last. "Maybe it's...maybe it's not...but if that's your only regret..." She trailed off, drawing her knees up to her chest again and burying her face in them. Had she ruined their friendship with that one idea?! But it wasn't a bad one! Atem didn't speak, instead staring straight ahead at the desert.

"...Are you mad?" she asked softly. Her already-low threshold for silence lowered further when it came to uncomfortable ones.

"...No."

"...Do you want me to leave?" The thought hurt.

"No." His voice sounded more natural again, and she relaxed. A little.

"...I'm sorry," she said again, after another short silence. "I was only trying to help..."

"I know," he said, and she relaxed more. "You just...threw me off-guard, that's all. I'm...touched, actually, that you would offer such a thing." She looked at him again, relieved. "But…" — he shook his head — "Mana...so many women die in childbirth...my own mother...I can't ask you to risk that for me!"

"You didn't ask," she said stubbornly. "I offered."

"You could die."

"Either of us could die fighting Bakura, too!" she exclaimed. That was the whole problem, wasn't it?! Either way, death wasn't exactly a desirable outcome...but if it came to that, either way would also give life a chance to go on because of it, right?

"Besides," she said, "you're my pharaoh...it's my duty to risk my life for you."

"You're also my friend."

"So who better?" she asked impatiently. "Some googly-eyed woman from the palace who doesn't really know you and only cares about status and power?!" He sighed, frowning at her. Her arguments...were not actually invalid...

Mana watched him. He was...thinking about it...

"You could die," he repeated, frowning at her. That's what he was trying to prevent, not bring about!

"Everyone dies someday," she replied. "That's...it's a woman's burden, Atem. We risk death so that life can continue on. And I might not die, either...I'm pretty strong." She reached out and gripped his hand so he would look at her.

"Atem...I want to do this for you. If that's what you want, I mean. I'm not as powerful a magician as Mahad was, and I can't see into the future like Isis. And I know I'm not queen material or anything like that, but...this is something I can do for you."

...Who better? The thought echoed in his mind. A random woman at the palace who might use his child as a means to get where she wanted, to raise her own position? Or a woman he'd known all his life?

"What good is having a girl for your best friend if she can't help you...continue your family line?" She met his gaze with a half-grin on her face.

...Marriages of love were one of the few privileges most royals did not have, that he knew. And ones of romantic love were almost unheard of. Pharaohs sometimes took on extra wives solely for political strategy: wedding princesses of other countries as a means to strengthen an alliance.

He had never been "in" love. As far as he knew, Mana hadn't, either. But then he wasn't ever likely to have a marriage based in romantic love, was he? The Greeks found passionate love frightening, anyway.

"I want to do this for you...if you want your line to continue, too, I mean," she repeated, meeting his stare again.

Mana would love the child as his. As theirs. Being married to one's closest friend...especially himself, as the highest member of royalty...what more could he want from a wife, and potential mother to his children?

At last, his features softened into a smile.

"...Very well." He got up, brushing himself off and then turned to offer a hand to her.

"But wait," she said as he pulled her up. "Where are we going?"

"To Shimon, of course," he said, tugging her along. "There must be a witness and a contract, if you are to be my queen—"

"I-I wasn't asking you to make me your queen!" Mana stopped, flushing red. Certainly, there must be a marriage if any child of his was to be properly protected, but...Great Royal Wife?

"Did you think I wouldn't marry you?" Atem looked hurt, and Mana kicked herself internally again.

"N-no, but...I mean…" She looked away, trying to find the words to express herself. "Pharaohs...they have...options." She shook her head. "There are plenty of women back at the palace who would make a better queen…"

"A queen's first duty is to provide heirs for her king," he replied, squeezing her hand. "It's as you asked me before...whether I would rather a stranger. Any woman at the palace could bear the 'heirs apparent'. I want someone who will mother my children. The other knowledge will come in time." A pause. He drew her to him, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace and pressing a tender kiss to her cheek.

"Thank you," he said, and she could hear the emotion in his voice. Success could very well cost Mana her life.

"It's what I can do," she said, planting a kiss to his cheek and hugging him in return. "You are my dearest friend." Atem was brave and strong and kind. Pharaoh or not...she could think of no better father for her children, either.

"And you are mine," he replied. "Please...promise me that you will be careful."

.:Y:.:Y:.:Y:.

Shimon knew what Atem wanted the second he walked in pulling his childhood friend behind him. He had wondered whether or not their young pharaoh would get the chance to take a bride. Atem had been enraged — they had all been enraged — that the thief Bakura would drag innocent citizens into his personal revenge...thus even something as important as providing an heir had taken a backseat to pursuing and subduing Bakura, and it was with great relief and excitement that Shimon drew up a marriage contract now. Atem and Mana would have a proper celebration when they got back to the palace, when all this was over. Until then, the contract, Shimon's witness, and Atem's own word as Pharaoh would be binding enough. To make the union official and join them as Pharaoh and Great Royal Wife, Atem took the gem-inset ring he wore on his right third finger and slipped it onto Mana's left one.

"Thank you, Shimon," Atem said, and the old man smiled.

"It was my honor, Your Highness," he replied. "May the goddess Isis bless you both."

.:Y:.:Y:.:Y:.

When Mana stirred the next morning, Atem still held her in a half-hug...one of his arms wrapped around her body while his head tilted off to the side. Sleep hid the furrows of stress that had plagued him last night, the whirlwind of questions and worries he did not have answers for or solutions to. She frowned, raising silent prayers to every god and goddess she knew. For her and Atem's success at producing an heir, for their larger victory against the darkness that threatened all of Egypt and perhaps the very world itself.

She pillowed her head back on his chest, his heart beating slow and even beneath her ear. He was so worried about her...her life, if they were successful at producing an heir. Right now, however, he was in far more danger than she was. He would head off at the front of the line, leading his armies, fearless and protective as always.

"Atem...promise me that you'll be careful, too," she whispered. As if to respond, he stirred, pulling her close with one arm. She smiled and held him in return, her arms wrapping tightly around his middle.

And both of them returned to slumber's embrace.

.:Y:.:Y:.:Y:..:Y:.:Y:.:Y:.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

The website does not allow for outside links; thus, a full bibliography for this fic is available on the DeviantArt version.

This is only my second time really writing any of the Yu-Gi-Oh! characters and my first time writing Mana; as always, constructive criticism is appreciated :) This was a very difficult piece to write for multiple reasons. One of my favorite things about this show is the ability to apply real history to it, thus I have drawn a lot of the details from actual Egyptology :)

—What we know about Ancient Egyptian marriage is VERY limited, but fascinating, and they were indeed very practical. Women were equals to men in almost every way in Ancient Egypt: she could own property, inherit, and even engage in lawsuits. (This is in sharp contrast to Ancient Greece, where women were more or less second-class citizens.) Thus an Egyptian woman did not need her family's 'permission' to wed or divorce. "Marriage contracts" were between husband and wife and basically "prenuptial agreements" as they stipulated what happened to joint property and inheritances should the couple divorce (divorce wasn't really frowned upon in Ancient Egypt and either man or woman could instigate it, but lifelong marriage was the goal and indeed there is evidence of many couples achieving just that).

—"Great Royal Wife" is the actual Ancient Egyptian term. The Great Royal Wife was the pharaoh's main wife, the ruling queen of Egypt, and typically the wife from which his heir would be chosen unless she did not bear him a son. It is not known if there was a special ceremony for a pharaoh or not, but we do know a pharaoh's marriage would have been cause for celebration and feasting. I could not find anything that stipulated a witness must be present, but it seemed illogical for someone as important as the pharaoh to not have a witness when taking an actual wife.

—Khonsu is the ancient Egyptian god of the moon. Isis is the goddess of marriage, fertility, and motherhood (their goddess Hathor is also considered to be these things, but for the approximate time period Atem would have been in, Isis was more popular).

—Ancient Greeks actually did fear eros, or 'passionate love'. If you've ever watched any kind of crime show, you'll know that 'crimes of passion' are a thing, and it was for precisely this reason Greeks feared it: they knew it made people do crazy things! In fact the kind of love most valued in ancient Greek society was the type of love called philia: friendship-love that was non-sexual in nature and developed out of "goodwill" and enjoyment of another's company.

Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you liked it...it encourages me to keep going! :)

~MoonlightTyger