I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! The nameless hybrids in a later chapters are mine.

Chapter One- The Thief and the Pharaoh

The evening was absolutely beautiful. The sky was cloudless and strewn with stars that surrounded a full white moon. Its glow fell on the sand turning it silver in its light. All was silent until the howl of a wolf broke it. Another howl sounded before a figure appeared on a dune. It looked like a human but not completely. It was a teenage boy with lavender-gold eyes and long silver-gray hair. A pair of matching wolf ears instead of human ears sat on top of his head. A full bushy tail hung behind him and he folded his arms as a quartet of wolves came over the dune behind him and stalked out to hunt. The teen unfolded his arms and dropped to his feet and clawed hands. His name was Bakura. He was a thief, tomb robber, and hybrid but every full moon, he thought and acted like the animal half he was, like all hybrids did.

Hybrids had existed as long as humans had but they were few despite their many conceptions as humans feared them and would hunt them down. Hybrids could exist at any level of human society from royalty to priests to commoners and thieves. All of them possessed the ability to conceal their animal half and appear human. Only a hybrid could spot another through smell. Bakura, however, was not thinking of being spotted and hunted. He thought he was a wolf and ran with the pack that he had gathered around himself. His wolf nature allowed him to communicate with them and control wolves to a degree. They viewed him as an alpha and that pleased him. One member of his pack was a female who seemed attracted to him and made her interest known in her actions. His full moon condition did not respond to it just as his human reasoning did not. As a wolf, he felt no attraction for her and as a hybrid, he knew that could only conceive with a human woman or a matching hybrid, male or female. Again, Bakura was being a wolf at this moment in time.

Sunlight peeked over the horizon and into the homes of the people of a kingdom. The people awoke to attend to their daily lives as did the residents of the palace. One such resident was the pharaoh, Atem. However, he was not in his chambers but a secret room. He shifted and stirred before his purple-gold eyes blinked open. He sat up and stretched his arms and black wolf tail before scratching behind a black wolf ear with a clawed hand. He rose to his feet, put on the shoes and accessories he had removed last night, and wrapped his illusion ability around himself before leaving the hidden room.

Atem's mother had been a hybrid- a jackal- who fell in love with his father who didn't care that his wife was half-animal and knew his child would be one too. He had the secret room constructed for Atem before his first moon cycle when he was just a newborn. Atem didn't remember his infant moons like any other person who did not recall their infancy. His mother spent her moons out in the desert as she always had but she ended up killed during Atem's third moon cycle. His father's memories of her was all he knew of her. He had asked his father how he became a wolf if she was a jackal.

"The hybrid gene contains a myriad of animal genes," he had said. "When two matching hybrids get together, naturally the offspring will match. Otherwise, it is up to nature and the genes of the parents."

Atem's father had died when he was fifteen and he took the throne not long after. His Sacred Court, some who had served his father, were unaware that their new pharaoh was a hybrid. The only way they would know a hybrid was through a Millennium Trial. The criminal's spirit monster matched his hybrid form and when removed, the criminal's illusion power was weakened for several hours and exposed their true form. Atem always worried that those hybrids would call him out, question why he was treated with such contempt when the pharaoh was just like him. Luckily, the criminal hybrid's senses were also dulled with the extraction. The exposed hybrids were sentenced the same as humans and allowed to regain their illusion power before starting their sentence. These considerations were at Atem's insistence and no one gainsaid him.

This morning, there were no trials and court matters proceeded briskly. Atem was soon alone with Siamun who had advised his father and he valued the elderly man's advice highly. Normally, Siamun would just hand proclamations for Atem to sign or bring up obscure laws for him to be familiar with, but today was different.

"My pharaoh, you are of the age where you must take a wife or at least a consort before your next birthday."

"I am aware of that, but no one catches my interest."

"I am sure you will find a nice young lady…or maybe a nice hybrid."

Atem forced a laugh. "A hybrid? Me with a hybrid?"

"Why not? You are one, after all."

Atem felt as if the blood had drained from his face. "Wh-what?" he whispered.

Siamun chuckled. "My pharaoh, I was present when you were born. Naturally, that means I knew your mother was a hybrid as she was in too much pain to use her illusion power." Siamun smiled at the memory. "You were so cute when you were born. The tail around one leg, the tiny little ears-,"

"Siamun, enough please," Atem said, blushing.

"As you wish. The point is that I know your true form even though I haven't seen it for years. You could seek out a hybrid if you desire your own kind instead of revealing yourself to a woman."

"Choosing a hybrid would make me comfortable as my consort would know my secret and I would know his or her secret."

"Then do so. I am sure that whoever you choose will meet the approval of the court."

"The court must approve of my choice?"

"It is the law that a pharaoh your age must have the approval of the court in order to marry the one he has chosen."

Atem frowned. "Being pharaoh is more complicated than the people realize."

"It can be frustrating at times. Your father mentioned that to me plenty of times."

"Siamun, can I count on you as I go through the process of choosing my life partner?"

"Of course, my pharaoh. I am your advisor and I am also the top expert on hybrids thought that is something I don't boast out loud."

"Believe me, I will not speak of it."

"I appreciate that."

"I won't start the search yet. I have two more nights of the moon to go. But, how will I be able to look without guards or escorts?"

"I have complete confidence that you will find a way to get out and look."

Atem knew Siamun was right and he already had a couple of ideas of how to sneak out to look. He also thought of honest ways to get out of the palace. I am the pharaoh. If I desire to leave the palace, I will. It is the insistence of protection that I have to contend with. I have claws I can use to protect myself and my wolf half will help me in surviving in the desert.

Siamun smiled slightly as Atem stared forward in deep thought. He had been charged with looking over Atem after his mother died and until the infant had gained his illusion power. Even though he never saw Atem's hybrid form after that, he knew the young king's ears and tail had grown since then as well as his claws. There was no hint of his wolf half right now; the illusion was perfect as always.

It is a shame he has to hide who he really is and it is clear why. It is us humans. We are so fearful of those different from us that we destroy it, thinking we are protecting ourselves. We certainly are if faced with a criminal hybrid with the intention of killing us. However, we need not fear a good, peaceful hybrid. There are probably a few good ones among the subjects, living in secrets of being found and persecuted.

That being the case, the pharaoh could walk among the citizens and seek them out. He then could take that person somewhere secret and reveal himself. Yes, a city search does not require an escort and there are guards patrolling the city constantly. A search beyond the city will require a plan to search the desert and other villages in order to meet other hybrids who live in fear and maybe one of them will catch Atem's interest.