V.E.: (Chatting on the phone) …what do you mean we're doing the next chapter of Paradox after this?! I've got Double Wild Card lined up, we were finally getting Minato to the police station for questioning!

(Listens to what the person on the other end of the line) Look, I already moved up that chapter before this one because you wanted to please Star Wars fans.

(Listens again, growing more irritated) I know it's my most popular story, but I have other stories! With fans waiting patiently, I might add! It's been awhile and I don't know how much I'm going to be writing this January with that online class I'm taking. I shouldn't even writing this now with my exams and final projects so close to being… (NOTE: Started this right before exam week.)

(Listening once more, before sighing defeated) Look I'll call you back, we can discuss this later after the chapter is over.

(Turns off phone, turning to the audience) That's my writer's ego, one of my several bosses. She's kind of a jerk.

I'm not going to keep you from the story any further, so let's just dive in.

Quote: "I'm always looking for a new challenge. There are a lot of mountains to climb out there. When I run out of mountains, I'll build a new one."- Sylvester Stallone

"Oh…. wow."

Seated right at the young princess' side, Pharaoh Aknamkamon smiled at her reaction.

"Yes, it is something isn't it?"

'Something' wasn't the word Kisara would have used, but given that she couldn't come up with a better adjective for what she was seeing before her she supposed she would settle for it.

The white haired princess was currently up at a significant height of what appeared to be several rows of raised seating with enough space to seat the entire Court (actually it was with room for then some). She was currently in what seemed to be a more privatized seating area which was specifically there for the royal family, with several decorated chairs as well as several vases in the back looking down at an impressively cleared race track. More than a dozen chariots were beginning to line up to the thin start lines that seemed to have been carved out of the earth, each one with two horses with headdresses colored uniquely as to identify their rider.

Looking down the horses and their riders at the angle and height they were at, Kisara could see her brother that seemed to be reassuring his pair of horses for good luck.

Then her eyes wandered to the participant right next to him. Seto, dressed in his standout blue and white robes with gold (his Millennium Rod being held in safe keeping for the duration of the race), was currently checking the wheels one last time before seeming to take a deep breath and stand still.

He would always do that whenever she had her eyes on him, letting her know that he was fully aware of her attention. The first few times he would turn to meet her eyes before she would quickly look away. Now, he would only freeze for a few seconds before going back to what he was doing.

She wasn't sure how to feel about it. On the one hand, at least he wasn't so distracted and knew that they couldn't speak to each other in their current situations. On the other hand….

"Don't worry."

That pharaoh's deep and reassuring voice go the white haired princess to turn her attention from Atem to the man sitting right next to her in their seating place. The ruler's eyes were calm as he spoke further.

"Atem's been practicing this for a long time. I wasn't so bad at the races when I was young myself though it's been a long time since I've done that."

Kisara was intrigued on the second part of his words.

"Was this racing ground around when you used to race?"

He nodded as he explained.

"As a matter of fact, it was because of that this track got made. You see, back when I was younger, I was a lot more headstrong and reckless. That and combined with a very competitive younger brother who was just as good as I was, led to some…. interesting races that resulted in quite a bit of collateral damage. Finally, my mother, Queen Theoris, commissioned this to be built so that the two of us could race without us destroying a quarter of the palace in the process. Several of the other nobles and generals got to racing with us after that."

The pharaoh stopped as he looked in amusement at his adopted daughter's incredulous and disbelieving gaze.

"What's the matter? Hard time believing that I was ever so young?"

She shook her head, her words seeming a little uneasy.

"No, it's just that seems so unlike the you I've seen."

He chuckled in amusement.

"Like I said, I was younger and a lot more reckless. I haven't raced in a chariot since I took up the crown. Besides, extreme chariot racing was not the most dangerous thing I did in the by far…nor the most reckless."

Kisara seemed to echo his chuckle at that statement.

"You know, the more you talk about your past, I kind of want to hear more about it."

That brought a truly genuine smile to Aknamkamon.

"One of these days, I'll be sure to tell you a lot more about it. Right now, things are a little busy."

That caused the silver haired girl to look down in thought.

That's one way of putting it.

Ever since that day in the throne room, there had been a definite air of tension around the Inner Court. Kisara had barely seen the pharaoh, Vizier Shimon, or Mahad who was helping out Master Rashidi (saying nothing about the newest addition to the Sacred Guardians). From what she could tell, no progress had been made in discovering who the culprit was and there had been no new raid on the royal tombs since then.

Even so, the image of what had happened to the two guards had lingered in her mind and the dark chill she had felt had lingered in her dreams. She was no seer like Nephthys or what Isis would be someday, but this lingering presence only made her feel that the worst was yet to come.

She was brought out of her thoughts by the clearing of someone's throat, causing her to snap up in her seat and turn back to the pharaoh. He seemed to have gleaned her thoughts from her downcast expression, going on to reassure her.

"Don't worry so much, my dear. Things will resolve themselves eventually, we just have to be patient. For now, let's enjoy today's event."

Kisara was still a little nervous about her thoughts, but she nodded with a smile.

"Okay."

Pharaoh Aknamkamon then turned his gaze behind them, calling to one of the vases.

"Speaking of enjoyment, you can come out now Mana."

The rustle of a vase caused the white haired princess to turn her head, to where the vase that her foster father had directed attention. It took only a few moments for an all too familiar brown haired girl to pop out of the vase. She directed an adorable pout towards the divine king.

"Aww, how do you keep doing that?"

The pharaoh seemed almost amused by the question.

"Mana, you are by no means the stealthiest person I have come across in my life. Though I have no doubt you'll improve masking your presence as you get older."

That didn't seem to give the little magician in training any comfort as she got out of the vase while Kisara asked her.

"Mana, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to get a better view of the race!"

Kisara sighed before she answered her.

"In that case, come up here. You'll get a better view sitting with me than you will from the back in one of those vases."

That brought a skip into the young girl's step as she eagerly did so, eventually sitting right on the young princess' lap. Kisara shifted to accommodate the extra weight.

"You're getting pretty big; you know?"

The emerald eyed girls countered.

"But I'm still shorter than Atem."

The silver white haired girl smiled indulgently.

"I'm sure you'll pass him soon."

Aknamkamon chimed in good naturedly.

"Don't let your brother hear you say that; I don't think he'd take too kindly to it."

Mana kept fidgeting, trying to get a better angle of the race track.

"It's too bad Mahad and the others aren't racing."

Kisara spoke patiently to the little girl.

"You know very well that Mahad isn't too comfortable with showcasing things other than magic. I am surprised that Shada and Karim aren't competing though."

An old grandfatherly tone coming from behind the royal seats, answered her question.

"My student is currently doing extra work due to his last test grade, probably though about one third through the scrolls I assigned by now."

That got the pharaoh, Kisara, and mana to turn around and find old Vizier Shimon there smiling with amusement as well as Priest Aknadin accompanying him. The old man continued his answer.

"And I believe Karim is currently in trouble as well, Thabit wouldn't go into the exact details though. Though, I must admit, I didn't expect Seto to join in the race."

Aknadin's expression gave nothing away in regards to what he was thinking, something Kisara had grown accustom to after spending enough time observing the man. He finally spoke on the matter.

"The race is open to anyone at Court. Besides, Khalid probably gave him some instruction on it before he came to Court."

Mana turned her attention form the Crown Prince to the new Sacred Guardian down at the starting line.

"His stance is fine. Mahad doesn't really like him though."

Kisara sighed, disappointed in how those had managed to turn out, but not too surprised.

"That's because those two are very contrasting individuals who weren't very inclined to get along with each other from the beginning."

The little girl seemed confused by the explanation.

"I don't get it."

"You'll understand more when you get older. Anyway, I didn't know you knew about chariot racing Mana."

"Prince explained it to me when he was practicing here yesterday."

Kisara cracked a knowing smile.

"You surprised him, didn't you?"

Mana smiled widely before Aknadin cleared his throat, fixing his one eyed gaze on the little girl.

"Might I ask what this girl is doing in the private seating place for the Royal family?"

Kisara bit her tongue form telling him why as Aknamkamon spoke to his brother.

"Aknadin, today is a day for enjoyment, not for chastising young girls. Besides, Mana has much right to be here as any of the other Sacred Guardians or their apprentices. Oh, and you as well Shimon."

The vizier's gaze was almost reproachful towards the pharaoh before also getting Aknadin's attention.

"Considering how I practically raised the both of you, I should hope so. At the very least, I expect more than a 'going away' feast when I finally decide to retire."

Aknadin seemed to scoff at that possibility.

"You're just as likely to outlive us all, Shimon."

Aknamkamon smiled.

'You're probably right there, brother."

"Good, can I remind you of this the next time you're about to do something stupid?"

His older brother looked annoyed as he cast a glance at the two females there, who watched the small banter with incredible fascination.

"Can we not do this in front of the young and impressionable minds who weren't alive to see what terrors we were back before we were responsible and mature?"

Vizier Shimon seemed to be repressing a smirk.

"Gods know, that I have more than few stories about the two of you, like that time Queen Theoris took you two away from the capital to…."

The twins responded in unison, equally mortified at what the old man was remembering.

"That's enough!"

Kisara tried to keep the laughter out of her smile, though she didn't need to try for long as drums sounded to tell that the race would soon be beginning. She (and those in the private seating box) turned her eyes towards the race track and focused on the starting line. All of the contestants, Atem and Seto included, were facing forward and the horses seemed to share their riders' anxiousness. The drums stopped then, going off into silence.

Mana leaned into the older girl's ear, whispering for some reason.

"It's three laps, right?"

She nodded.

"First one to cross the line after that wins. There's no prize for winning though."

"Prince will win, he always does."

Kisara knew that was true, Atem won everything from senet to hide and seek to small hunting competitions. She still wasn't sure what to think of her foster brother supposedly being blessed with 'the luck of the gods' but even she had to admit he had an incredible ability to succeed in whatever he put his mind to so far.

However, with Seto participating in the race as well, the young princess wasn't entirely sure what to feel or whether she should root for either of them.

Down at the line, Atem glanced up at the private seating space which caught her eyes and sent a smile and final wave to her before facing forward once more. The anticipation of it all was almost palpable.

Finally, just as it seemed like the silence could go on no longer, a horn sounded loudly and which signaled the start of the race.

At the very second the echoing honk was heard, the racers sped off trying to achieve the lead. The pounding of the horses' hooves soon drowned out the brief noise of the horn, the dust flying at such constancy that it would not be a wise idea to get close to the track for a person's eyes and nose (saying nothing about the possibility of being run over or causing one of the racers to crash.)

Even with all of the racers, the one that was clearly in the lead was none other Prince Atem, his tricolored hair standing out as he easily led the pack over the line, finishing his first lap.

Mana jumped out of Kisara's lap, skipping over to the edge as she cheered jumping up and down.

"GO ATEM!"

Kisara remained seated as she spoke calmly, keep her eyes on the race.

"Settle down, Mana. The race isn't over yet."

Down by the track, Atem was still leading the pack and didn't look like he was going to tire anytime soon. Racing may not have been the Crown Prince's favorite hobby, but there was very little that beat the feeling he got going fast with the wind in his face. He had practiced even though he knew winning the race was pretty much guaranteed. Along with the fact that he had been running laps around those who had also practiced earlier in the week for the race, there was nothing that he couldn't win. Not to mention it would have been pretty embarrassing for the person who managed to beat the next pharaoh, the next representative of the gods in this life.

The prince urged his horses on, still at a good pace. He even found his stance relaxing before the closer sound of hooves right behind him. His head turned towards the source.

Coming up from right behind him, Seto was urging his own horses forward. Out of some sense of shock, Atem simply looked as the youngest Sacred Guardian managed to come up from the side.

When Seto started to pass the young prince, did Atem finally come back to himself and turn back his attention to the race, snapping the reins.

"HYAH!"

Up in the stands, the small group watched as both chariots passed the line and made it into the third and final lap. Pharaoh Aknamkamon was the first comment, rather intrigued by the sudden turn of events.

"Well, I didn't expect that."

Vizier Shimon nodded.

"Yes, though…. for some reason, I feel like I've seen this scene before. It's been happening quite a bit lately. Now if only I could recall…"

Mana called loudly, shaking her fist.

"YOU CAN DO IT, ATEM!"

Kisara probably should have gotten up out of her seat and tried to get Mana to be quiet, but honestly she just could not stop watching. Then she immediately stood up before she ran to the back, going to the stairs with Mana calling after her.

"Kisara!"

She didn't turn back though, her feet carrying her down to the track. She wasn't thinking straight, but she just kept going.

Down on the track, the two young men were neck and neck. At times, Atem would be in the lead before Seto would match him and overtaking him before vice versa happened. Both riders seemed split between minding their movements and glancing at their opponent though never holding each other's gaze for too long.

Both of the riders seemed to be breathing heavily despite them not being the ones running in this race, their brows glinting with sweat. Even both pairs of horses seemed to notice their riders' states and trying to press on a little faster so that the situation would be over with.

As they turned the corner with the line just a small distance away (all the other riders being leagues behind the two of them), it seemed like the tension seemed to reach the boiling point as the two chariots made a final dash towards the finish line. Still neck and neck, neither of the two skilled riders gaining the advantage for too long before the other got it and then at a stalemate once more.

Finally, they crossed the finish line with Atem just a little bit in the lead, one of the young nobles announcing the result.

"Victory goes to the Crown Prince Atem!"

It took a small distance after the line to finally stop. The horses seemed to be doing their best at looking away from the other pair while their riders were doing the exact opposite. Both Seto and Atem were breathing heavily, not taking their eyes off each other. Royal purple with tinged red blood against deep sky blue. For what felt like a minute or an eternity, they didn't say anything, they didn't do anything.

Then Atem smiled.

The young priest's eyes grew wide at this sudden change. Up until now, the young heir to the throne had looked at him with suspicion or confusion. Now, he was smiling the widest the priest had ever seen him. It was rather disconcerting.

Before Seto could respond in any way, the prince turned around and hopped off his chariot. A young slave came over to which Atem handed the reins of his horses. Without looking back, he sprinted towards the side.

Before he could go on to reach the steps, he found his sister standing there with a gentle smile.

"Hey."

He smiled sweetly.

"Hey there."

"I may not understand that much about it, but I'm pretty sure that was a really good race."

He nodded

"Uh huh."

His hand snaked into her slightly larger hand as she led him towards the stairs.

"Come on, I'm sure both your dad and Mana will want to congratulate you."

"Hey Kisara?"

"What is it?"

"Do you remember when we played senet with Mana and Mahad before you were a princess?"

She nodded, not knowing why he was bringing that particular memory.

"Yes, a bit."

"Well, I finally found it."

She looked at him with confusion.

"What's that?"

Atem looked back at the race track, a ferocious smile on his face at what was yet to come.

"A challenge!"

V.E.: (Looks at her calendar on the laptop) UGGH, I really wanted have this out before Christmas. Well, at least I got it out before the New Year.

I feel bad that I've kept Mana out of the story a lot, she just doesn't really fit in with all the serious things at Court that Kisara is dealing with. I also see Aknamkamon and Aknadin a lot more wild and reckless before they came into their duties. Next chapter is when Kisara and her foster father are going to be the focus. I won't tell you what will be going on, but it's been something I've been wanting to do for a while.

Sorry for the action, it's not my strong suit.

Please leave a review and I hope to update as soon as I can!