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Chapter 1: 21, 000 yen
Marik chortled. "I told you, Atem. You cannot defeat me!"
Atem coughed and struggled to stand up. He could barely breath with so much blood in his lungs. His eyes were unfocused but he wouldn't let his enemy win. "Marik! This battle has been going on for too many generations. It will end with your death tonight!"
He smirked. "Don't be so sure, prince. Your father was unsuccessful and I'm positive that failure is hereditary in your family."
Atem ran forward. He was about to plunge his sword into Marik's chest when a bright light erupted underneath him. He was stopped by a barrier and fell to the ground from the impact. Atem looked down at the insignia below him and gasped. "A morphing spell?! But how!? You can't perform spells this powerful."
Marik chuckled. "I wasn't alone, Atem."
Another figure appeared behind Marik. "He had me to help him."
Atem stood up. "Bakura! You and Marik were working together!?"
"Yes." Marik answered. "And with you out of the way, who's left to stop us?"
Atem gasped. No! This couldn't be the end!
"You know, Atem, I always thought you were wild and untamed. A true mustang among broken ponies." Bakura smirked. He finished saying the incantation and Atem felt his body starting to change.
His hair and legs grew longer. His face lengthened and he felt his ears move to the top of his head. His fingers and toes came together and started to become hoofs.
Atem's body burned with pain as the transformation became complete. He passed out and fell to his side; cruel victorious laughter surrounded him as he lost all consciousness.
--
That battle, and his defeat, was the last thing Atem remembered. When he woke up, Atem had been taken to a strange land. He was in an infirmary, but it was not one meant for humans. This was a veterinarian's building.
His assumption was confirmed, first by the posters of animal anatomy all over the walls. And second, by the vet himself was coming in to check on him. Slowly, Atem stood up on all fours. He wobbled slightly, not used to the feeling but was able to find his center.
The doctor smiled. "Well, you're awake. That's good." He started checking Atem's vitals. "You're making some excellent progress. You were out of it for such a long time."
Atem grew concerned. 'A long time? How long has it been?'
He smiled. "I think we can let you go. In fact, I know a family who'd love to have you with them."
--
And from there, Atem had arrived at the Tanaka residence. It was a beautiful stretch of land with a huge mansion. It was incredible! The country air was crisp and clean, a gentle breeze blowing through Atem's mane. This place was gorgeous.
A man ran up to Atem and the doctor. "Kazama-san! I'm glad you're here!"
The doctor, apparently called Kazama, smiled. "Tanaka-san, good morning!"
Tanaka smiled and greeted the doctor. He set his gaze on Atem and gasped. "Kazama-san, he's beautiful! Such a gorgeous horse!"
Kazama smiled. "Yes, he's magnificent. A true mustang, you know. He's very kind and sweet, of course. You're lucky to have him."
Tanaka sighed. "That's why I need to talk to you. I'm afraid that, because my wife is so ill, we won't be able to afford a horse. We had to sell the others and we both agreed not to take this one. I'm sorry, my friend."
Kazama shook his head. "There's no need to apologize. I understand, and I'm sorry to hear about your wife. I hope she gets better."
"Thank you." Tanaka smiled. "I'm going to the market today. Since we aren't moving until tomorrow, I can spare some time to try and sell this one as well."
Kazama smiled and handed Tanaka the reigns of Atem's bridle. "Good luck, my friend. I wish you and your wife well."
Atem's ears flattened. 'Tanaka's wife is sick? That's terrible. I almost wonder if she had the same sickness my mother had . . .'
Tanaka said goodbye to the doctor and looked at Atem. "You really are beautiful, mustang. I wish we could keep you."
Atem nickered quietly. 'I understand why you can't. I just wish I could understand why this happened to me.'
From the names that the doctor and his would-be-owner, Atem knew he was on the island called Japan. Kazama had explained to a nurse at the infirmary that Atem was brought here from Egypt because the veterinarians in Japan were some of the best around. No one could figure out what was wrong with Atem so he was sent here.
But what confused him the most is why Bakura would join Marik? They hated each other! But then, what made any sense these days?
Atem was most surprised by the market. Hundreds of people were bustling about, buying and selling a variety of merchandise. Atem's ears flattened again. There was so much noise here. Sellers yelling at people, friends chatting and laughing, overlapping conversations, cartwheels creaking and dogs barking was starting to give him a headache.
Nevertheless, he was amazed at the bustling of people. Desperation and enjoyment from shoppers filled the air. It was so odd. Atem had never been to the market, even in Egypt. He was too busy being the prince to know the life of a commoner.
Tanaka tied Atem's reigns to a rope, putting him in place beside other horses that were being sold. Possible buyers were carefully inspecting the horses, checking for sickness, strength, and if the horse had a weakness of some kind.
The first person to come and inspect Atem watched him with careful eyes. "This one has long legs. He looks strong. He might be good for the races coming up."
Tanaka smiled. "I'm sure he would, sir. He's brand new, you know. Never been used."
"You're selling a horse that you've never even ridden?" The man asked, outraged. "That's bad for business and rude to costumers." He walked away mumbling about Tanaka's rudeness.
Tanaka chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his neck. "I'm not much of a negotiator, am I?"
Atem nickered quietly. 'Not at all. You have to learn how to lie.' Atem knew how the horse trade worked. Horses that were one solid color were mostly likely to be purebreds. Even the tiniest speck of another color was unacceptable. At least, that's how it worked in his country.
"Oh! Daddy, look at that one!" Atem winced and flattened his ears at the sound of that shrill voice. A young girl, about the age of thirteen, walked up to Atem and started gawking at him. "Isn't he beautiful, daddy?"
Her father sighed. "Yes, dear. He's wonderful."
Tanaka smiled. "This one's a mustang, you know. Freshly caught from the fields."
The father nodded his head. "Yes, he doesn't seem to have a brand on him."
"Daddy, I want this one!" The girl shouted, poking and prodding Atem. The once prince grunted disapprovingly. He didn't like her already.
The father turned to Tanaka. "How much for him?"
Tanaka pondered momentarily. "31, 000 yen."
"21, 000. Not a single yen more." The man bargained.
Tanaka shrugged. "Fair enough. He's yours."
The little girl squealed in delight. "My pony!"
Atem snorted. 'I'm not your pony. I'm not even a horse! I wasn't born like this you know!'
Tanaka untied Atem and pulled the rope up to allow the horse to leave. "So long, mustang."
The father's brow wrinkled in confusion. "You call him mustang. Doesn't he have a name?"
'It's Atem, thank you very much.' He snorted again. This time, the little girl was standing right beside his nose. When he exhaled, a tiny amount of mucus flew onto her dress.
She shrieked. "EW! Daddy, get it off me!"
Atem shook his body, not caring about her dress. 'Spoiled brat. Children are like that because of bad parenting.'
The father was shocked. "Rude is what we should call him!"
Tanaka shrugged. "Sorry. All sales are final. Besides, I told you he was just taken from the fields. No one's had him long enough for this one to be named."
He grunted. "Fine. Let's go, Hime-chan."
Atem's reigns were attached to the cart Hime and her father rode and they were off. Tanaka waved. "So long, nameless mustang!"
The atmosphere suddenly became awkward. These people, there was something Atem didn't like about them. Not just because the little girl was demanding and rude or that her father was obviously a push over, but there was something more there.
The horse pulling the cart was whipped. "Get up! Get up there! Come on!" He cracked the whip again. "Get up!"
As Atem nickered disapprovingly, it rolled in his throat creating a deep almost growling noise. Now he knew what that something more was.
Still, they carried on through the country. The air was still as crisp as it was at Tanaka's plantation. The terrain was strange to him. Not only because it was a foreign land, but because of the hills and plants that grew here. The muddy trail they followed made his hoofs sink as they walked. The river that flowed just beside them was clean. The mountains were tall and beautiful, and the plants were healthy.
This place was truly beautiful. After traveling up a hill, a group of women on horses were ridding sidesaddle. They wore beautiful dresses and laughed merrily amongst themselves.
One of them greeted Hime's father kindly, but in response he grunted without taking his eyes off the road.
Atem lifted his head in greeting as the girl's passed. They marveled at his beauty before they continued on their way towards the market. Hime suddenly spoke up. "Daddy, I want dresses like that!"
"Those are for older women, Hime-chan." He told the girl. "You'll get one when you're old enough."
She growled. "I want one now!"
"You'll get it when you're older!" He insisted.
Atem sighed, making his lips flap and shake. The noise sounded almost like he was giving the two a raspberry. The conversations between Atem's owners went on like that for some time. Hime would see something nice and demand her father buy it for her. Her father would say no but promise to buy it for her when she was older.
He quickly became sick of their conversations and in stead, turned his attention to the scenery again. He took in everything around him with accepting eyes. He was almost glad to be here.
Atem lowered his head as his thoughts suddenly turned to Egypt. He missed his homeland very much. What would happen to his people now that there was no king? What would Marik and Bakura do to Egypt? And would Atem ever be returned to normal?
His thoughts were interrupted when the cart stopped. Hime's father jumped off the cart to open the gates. He grabbed the reigns of the horse that pulled the cart and lead him inside.
This was another plantation. Huge lands, a gigantic mansion, stables for horses, a swing set in the front yard, and a barn where Atem would hear cows mooing were all surrounded by a steel barbed fence.
"Yuugi!" The father cried out. "Get over here!"
They stopped in front of the stables and waited. One of the empty stable gates opened and Yuugi walked out. "Yes, Negishi-san?"
Atem blinked. He was shocked! This boy looked exactly like Atem! At least, when Atem was still human. He had spiked golden bangs; black and red star shaped hair. His eyes were wide and violet unlike Atem's, which used to be angled and crimson. His body was slim and nicely shaped. He wore a dirty, white shirt, filthy jeans and a smile on his face.
"Take Isamu back to the stables and find a loose box for the new mustang." Negishi ordered.
Yuugi nodded. "Yes, sir."
After Hime's father took her off the cart, Yuugi walked over to Isamu and untied him. Negishi glared at the stable boy. "Hurry up, boy! And make sure the new mustang is cleaned."
Yuugi quickly untied Isamu and pulled him away from the cart. "Right away, sir."
"We have more customers coming tonight. Make sure to clean yourself before they get here." Negishi ordered. "I don't want you looking so homely when they come to pick up their orders."
"Yes, sir. I will, sir." Yuugi took off the saddle and tack from Isamu and returned the horse to its loose box in the stables. Yuugi quickly jogged over to Atem and smiled. He whispered, "Hi there. Welcome to Negishi-san's plantation."
Yuugi untied Atem from the back of the cart and pulled him towards the stables. "I think you'll like it here. It's nice. Besides, Hime-san and Negishi-san aren't that bad."
He removed the bridle and closed the door to Atem's slot. "I just finished cleaning it. I'll go get some oats and water for you. I'll bet Isamu is hungry too."
Yuugi smiled and turned around to fetch the food and water when Hime stopped him. "Don't talk to the horses like that! It's weird."
"Yes, Hime-san. I'm sorry." Yuugi apologized robotically.
Hime huffed. "Don't do that ever again, especially in front of customers. If my father loses business because of you he'll fire you! You'll live on the streets just like the rats!"
"Yes, Hime-san. I promise I won't." Atem didn't like the sound of Yuugi's voice whenever he responded to either of the Negishis. It was unnatural, uncaring. His voice was cold as stone but still respectful as a slave would speak to their master.
'Someone as beautiful as Yuugi shouldn't speak to anyone like a slave. It's not right.' Atem thought angrily.
Satisfied that Yuugi was reminded of his place, Hime turned around and returned to the mansion. Yuugi sighed and continued walking towards the water pump. He retrieved two large metal tubs and placed them under the valve. He grabbed the pump and started pushing it up and down.
Water poured into the tubs and once both of them were filled, Yuugi placed the tubs inside the stalls for the horses. He grabbed two small buckets filled with oats and hung them on the door inside the stall. Yuugi smiled. "You can eat whatever you'd like; hay, oats, grass."
Atem drank the water and ate the oats greedily. He was so hungry having not eaten the entire day yet. Right now, Yuugi was his savior. The young stable boy walked around to the side of the stable where the door stood and he walked inside. "Well, I suppose I should introduce you to everyone!"
Yuugi walked over to the first stall on his left. "This is Isamu. You all ready know him."
Isamu was a beautiful black horse. His hair was an off white and his eyes were a beautiful hazel. He feasted on the oats for a moment before nudging Yuugi's shoulder. Yuugi smiled. "Isamu's been here the longest. He's one of the first horses Negishi-san ever bought. Technically, he's the reason I have this job so I'm very grateful to him."
Yuugi walked over to the loose box across from Isamu. "This is Isamu's younger brother, Isao. He was bought with Isamu. The two of them just wouldn't be separated." He looked almost identical to Isamu but with a black mane instead of white.
Yuugi walked diagonally to the stall beside Isamu. "This lovely mare is Amaya. She's been here for about two years now."
Amaya was a tall, brownish orange mare with a white mane. She nickered quietly when Yuugi stroked her snout, which had a long white strip down it. He patted her a few times before walking over to the stall across from hers.
"Tadao is a pretty wild one." Yuugi chuckled. "No one can break him. Hime never rides him; he's too out of control. But deep down he's a sweet, kind stallion. You just have to get him to like you." Yuugi stroked his neck lovingly. "Negishi-san only uses him when he needs to deliver milk to the towns on the other side of the mountains. He's a strong horse."
Tadao was huge. He was muscular and his eyes were razor sharp. His brown coat was shining and his black mane was long and tidy. He whinnied at Atem, making Yuugi laugh. "He's saying hello."
The stalls next to Tadao and Amaya were empty. Atem was one stall away from Amaya but beside him was a tiny pony that whinnied in a high-pitched tone. Yuugi giggled. "That's Shuji. He's a Shetland pony."
His brown coat was longer and his beige mane was a puff of hair at the top of his head. It continued down his neck, falling on either side. There was another Shetland pony in the stall next to Shuji. The other was pure white with a white mane and tail. "That's Yuki. Hime-san rides them the most since she's still pretty young."
Yuugi walked right up to Atem and leaned on the gate. "But what's your name? Negishi-san didn't tell me."
Atem rubbed his nose against Yuugi's cheek. 'If you could understand me, I'd tell you my name is Atem. But you could call me whatever you want, Yuugi.'
Yuugi sighed and rubbed Atem's snout. "You're so sweet. I hope Hime-san won't break you. You're too beautiful to be broken."
Atem nickered quietly. Why did Yuugi seem so sad? He pushed Yuugi gently. 'What's wrong my sweet one?'
Yuugi rubbed his snout again and backed away. "I need to go wash up. I'll see you after the customers are gone."
Atem watched Yuugi leave the stable sadly. Why did the stable boy look so sad? What could be wrong with him? Atem took a few steps away from the door and slowly lay down in the hay. He closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep. Maybe tomorrow would bring answers instead of questions.
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If you haven't read the book or seen the movies (there's two, one made in 1941 and one in 1994), I suggest you do. Such an amazing story!
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