Disclaimer: READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE! No, I do not own Yugioh o_O
Author's note: READERS EVERYWHERE! If I may please hold your attention for five seconds! This story will be continued in THE RETURN OF THE PHARAOH!
PRINCESS ATEMMA:my dear reviewer… darling… please read my author's notes. I can't answer your questions unless you read them.
Fan person: That's actually a good idea! PREVIEW! Ha ha! Brilliant. Thanks! That will get their attention. I'm so glad you read my author's notes ^O^
xMocha: Thanks so much for reading my author's notes! I like to thank my reviewers so they know I appreciate them X) hahah good to know I have good grammar. SPOILER! The Return of the Pharaohwill involve Yugi! So thank you for the review!
Aqua girl 007: Thanks for complimenting my villain! Michael is growing on me ^o^
-Thanks to Elesa Aura for adding this story to their favorites! XD
-Whoo, good, a short one today! I was worried I'd have to do another long one… anywho, begin reading, yes? Let me just write it first so you have something to read…
Wedding Celebrations
Since the wedding had been interrupted, the scheduled celebrations for afterwards had too.
Upon the Guardian's insistence, they would have the celebrations anyway.
It was just like them to blindfold both Mana and Atem and not tell them the surprise. Not only that, but Atem and Mana hadn't seen any of them the entire day, so they knew that something was definitely up—even before the blindfolds.
They walked around the entire Palace without any signs of any of the Guardians or Shimon, or Aknamkanon or even Kisara or Amisi. The only person they found was Aknadin, who sat and waved pleasantly. That was weird enough. They hesitantly waved back before hurrying away, wondering what in Ra's good name had happened in the Palace.
The two were whispering to one another presently. "Where in Maat did they get to?" Mana hissed, "It's as if they all just left! We shouldn't be worried, should we?"
Atem frowned, "I don't think so. Mahad was acting strange yesterday, so that should have been warning enough. When Mahad acts strange, you know something, strange or otherwise, is most definitely going to happen."
Mana giggled, pulling Atem along by the hand. "Well," she said cheerfully, "Since everyone else is gone, why don't we do something fun?"
"Like what?"
Mana shrugged. She was doing more bouncing beside Atem than walking. "I dunno. Play a game, jump on that trampoline, swim, go through something Mahad or Shimon wouldn't want us to—the list is endless!"
Atem laughed. "What would you like to do, Mana?"
She assumed a pondering expression, halting in her bouncing and bringing them to a standstill on the garden path. Her mouth moved around thoughtfully while Atem stood waiting patiently, eyeing her thinking face.
She brightened. "We'll play a combination!"
Atem replied uncertainly, "…a combination?"
She nodded, certain in her idea. "We'll play tag, How Dare You, jump on the trampoline, swim and go through papers all at once! Then we'll play I Spy, Catch the Monkey and End of the World!"
"I don't think that will work, Mana."
"Oh, sure it will! Don't you trust me, Atem?"
"It's you I trust—it's your ideas I don't."
She pounced on him, clambering on to his back. "Just for that little remark, we're going to play horsy! Hee-ya! Giddy-up!"
Atem sighed. He should have known he would pay.
Mana directed him all over the palace while she was on his back, playing 'horsy.' Finally, she steered him to the pool—where she promptly pushed him in, cape, crown and all.
She dove in after him, even wearing he new red dress, which had quickly become her favorite. Atem surfaced, spluttering in surprise. "Mana!" he exclaimed.
"Yes, Atem?" asked Mana sweetly, surfacing right in front of him and nearly giving him a heart attack.
"Don't do that!" Atem exclaimed, but he ruined it by laughing. Mana managed to engage him in a splash war, despite his protests. It was a good ten minutes before he managed to drag her from the pool—by which point they were already dry as Mana used a spell to do it before he noticed.
He shook his head, "You're even more troublesome than before."
"And when would 'before' be?" she asked curiously.
"Before you became my wife," Atem grinned, liking the sound of it as he set her down.
Mana beamed, throwing her arms around him. "Of course I am," she purred, "Now let's play How Dare You!"
"Very well—how dare you push me into the pool!"
"How dare you drag me out!"
"How dare you suggest we play this game!"
"How dare you say how dare you to my suggesting this game!" she cried, running away.
Atem took off after her. "How dare you run away from me!"
"How dare you chase me!" she yelled over her shoulder.
"How dare you accuse me of chasing you!"
"How dare you even try to catch me!" Mana laughed, dodging him.
"How dare you dodge me!"
"How dare I dodge you!"
"That doesn't count," Atem said, seizing her waist and bringing her against his chest. "You have to say something along the lines of 'how dare you grab me!'"
"Fine then. How dare you grab me!"
"Ah, too late, you already broke the rules. How dare you break the rules," he smirked.
Mana giggled, "How dare you accuse me of breaking the rules."
"How dare you deny the obvious!"
"How dare you try to accuse your own wife!"
"How dare you go against your own husband."
They laughed. They hadn't said outright the fact that they were now husband and wife, and saying aloud somehow made it real. There was a warmth flowing through them, even without their acknowledging it.
"You know," Mana said conversationally, embracing him, "In a way, this is our own little wedding celebration."
Atem smiled, "I guess it is." He pecked her lips, "Any other games you want to play?"
"We could jump on the trampoline," she suggested.
They made their way to the out of the way spot Mahad had set it. They were nearly there when they saw someone run around the corner to avoid them. "Who was that?" Mana asked.
"I don't know," he muttered, calling, "Who goes there?"
After moments of silence, they were both blindfolded with the sound of a familiar voice: "Good thing we're ready for you."
"Father?" Atem said wonderingly.
"Hello, Atem," Aknamkanon greeted, proceeding to pick up his son and Mana, carrying them away.
They were set down minutes later. Atem reached up to remove his blindfold but a hand slapped his away and he hastily dropped it. He groped for Mana and found her hand trying to find his, and their fingers caught. They both smiled.
Someone hissed, "Okay, now!"
Both their blindfolds were removed.
They opened their eyes to find a whole precession of friends gathered in the garden where the trampoline had been set. It was a fairly large, grassy courtyard with other rejected gifts—such as a slide and monkey bars, and one of those dome things made of metal poles you could climb on. Why, Atem wasn't sure. It was like a mini park.
There was one long table where they would sit, and another where refreshments had been laid. Everyone assembled cheered when their blindfolds were removed, smiling.
There was Dartz and his party, Alexander the great and his vassals, the Guardians, Shimon, Aknadin, and both Atem and Mana's parents. There were even a few of Mana's old friends there.
They surged forward to engage the couple in conversation and Atem shook hands with everyone, looking at Mahad with a warm smile, which was returned. He knew it must have been Mahad's idea. Seto would have had something much more, uh, extravagant.
He had said it before and he would probably say it a thousand times over, but, thank Ra for Mahad.
Dartz was very pleased for Atem, "I'm very happy for you, Pharaoh. No one deserves happiness more than you." And he smiled. Ironheart agreed, and Chris's eyes were sparkling.
"Mahad, I really do have you to thank for a lot of this," Atem told his Guardian and friend.
"Why's that, Pharaoh?"
"You were the one who first helped point out the obvious," he laughed, "Not to mention you've saved me again and again from Seto's 'ideas.'"
Mahad smiled, "But of course. It is my duty. Dartz said it well today, Pharaoh. No one deserves happiness more than you."
Mana's mother beamed at Atem and embraced him the first chance she got, "Oh, I'm so glad Mana has you! So sweet to her."
As a strange expression of appreciation and love, she pinched his cheek before turning to hug her daughter. Mana smiled mischievously at him over her mother's shoulder, trying not to giggle at Atem's confused face as he rubbed his cheek, giving her a weird look.
Mana shrugged, winking at him and smiling. Mana's father, gratefully, just shook his hand. "I apologize for my wife's enthusiasm, Pharaoh," he smiled. He was a big man. "I suspect you'll take good care of Mana."
"Always," Atem vowed automatically.
He nodded in satisfaction and left Mana to Atem once again, steering his wife off to chat with Amisi. Atem took Mana's hand, and after a moment, she jerked him away, toward the trampoline. She pulled him up with her and began jumping, so Atem had no choice but to jump with her.
The celebration went well into the night, leaving Atem and Mana lying side by side on the trampoline and staring up at the stars.
They both had their hands behind their heads, chatting quietly. "Oh, look there," Mana said, pointing to a constellation.
Atem's hand came up with hers and he proceeded to name as many constellations as he could remember. Orion's belt, Hercules, big dipper, little dipper, the north star, Scorpio—various others. Mana pointed out a few she made up on the spot, giving them names that didn't make much sense, but caused Atem to chuckle.
Mana yawned. Atem slid his arm around her shoulders, stroking her hair gently. "Ready to go to bed, Mana?" he asked quietly.
Mana let out a long breath, letting his baritone voice sink into her. She turned on her side and leaned into him, nodding. Atem pulled her into his arms and carried her to his—their—room, where he set her down on the bed.
They dressed for bed in silence and as they lay down, they settled close, facing one another. Atem kissed her forehead and Mana brought her face to his, touching his bare chest. "Goodnight, Mana," Atem murmured.
Mana kissed him, intertwining their lips together for a long moment before breaking apart and smiling. Being with Atem almost every moment of every day and night had its definite perks—she didn't have to leave him ever again. "Goodnight, Atem," she whispered, "I love you."
Atem closed his eyes and smiled. "I love you too, Mana."
And they drifted off to sleep. If forever was always like this, then they were certainly going to enjoy forever.
Cheese, cheese—you know you love it.
Suggestions, ConCrit? I was kind of half asleep when I wrote this 0_o
Well… hm. Nothing much I can say except make sure you read the story after this: THE RETURN OF THE PHARAOH! A preview will be posted as the last chapter of this story.
Thanks for reading and please review!
Tip: make sure you understand something before acting on it.
-Anevay