Atemu hung his head low, his eyes cried inside with defeat and guilt, he had never suspected that would happen.
Why couldn't he have done something, anything different than the foolish, dumb, bull-headed decision he made on the spot?
I guess you could say at this time, this was when Atemu truly started to feel alone in the world, his heart was hurting, and his mind was pacing quickly with sorrows.
No one else knew what he went through, no one else could see his sorrows, there was no one that could relate to him.
Atemu forced his palms from the ground, got up and picked up the time frozen, limp Angel, making sure not to harm her more than the beast had already done so, though that was hard since her bones were tender.
He slowly walked out of the small door, he remembered that the Moonsunu said that the barriers only stayed for a certain wrap of time, so Atemu was making sure when the seal broke, he wasn't face to face with the dragon when that time came.
He got out of the card game shop with success, but just barely as the lighting field was giving him only few steps leisure from the shop and the dragon.
Atemu put Angel down, as did he plant his body on the cold cement.
As he sat there, waiting for the seal of time to break, he started to think about a song, a song that really did relate to his life.
Boulevard of broken dreams, a song that he had heard at a club one night with Shecka. (Cal was stuck with watching Angel that night)
Was he supposed to walk alone without anyone?
It seemed like as soon as he got close to someone, something bad happened, no matter who it was something always went wrong when pharaoh Atemu was around.
Atemu pondered on and off for minutes about his life, why was everything happening to him?
Couldn't one year, one month, one day, one minute go by without another adventure that would fill for a life time?
"Perhaps I should just go back and try to untie the knots of my past"
Atemu mumbled to himself in a low tone, as if he was thinking out loud, not that it mattered. (as the time seal was still around him.)
It seemed like no matter how hard he tried to escape from his other life, it would always creep back into another plot line starting another journey.
Perhaps he could just simply go back and give up on a different life, one without being noticed.
Destiny is a hard thing to outrun in the race of life, and only few had ever done it properly, perhaps Atemu was just not one of those people.
Atemu looked at Angel, he couldn't bare to see her in more pain than she had gone through.
Atemu had already made his decision, it was a quick one, though to his mind seemed like a wise one.
He would try to save his homeland by going back to the spot where he duelled Yugi, because then none of this would happen.
Tea, Joey and Tristan wouldn't be in a card, Angel would not be in pain, it was the best for all.
Suddenly a small, zig zagged crack started at the top of the seal, but Atemu was too deep in thought to notice the crack in the wall of time.
First it began slowly, as a crack in a rock after being tumbled by water after years and years would look, then it started to grow but a few moments after, the jagged crack got bigger and bigger.
Oddly enough though, not a single shard of the time glass wall fell onto the ground, it evaporated like water in a hot climate.
Then a parting started between the sides of the crack, slowly but surely time started to unravel back into its former state.
It wasn't until the time seal was about half broken on the glass Atemu realised what was happening.
His breath shortened considerably as he pressed his back firmly to the side of the game shop as if it was some life support of some sort.
The glass like material broke off quicker than when it started, after a minute the time seal was almost gone.
Atemu panted to himself as he saw this remarkable thing with his own chocolate eyes, if Atemu hadn't gone through what he had in his life, he wouldn't have believed what he was seeing.
Finally the crack came to the bottom, and everything grew very quiet, almost too quiet for my life, Atemu thought, he was used to surprises and this might not be a good one for him.
Suddenly colour came back to the space, and Angels limbs started to move, and so did the beasts inside.
Without thinking about where he was going, or what he was going to do, Atemu scooped Angel onto his back as the twelve year old was gaining consciousness.
Angel could gain back her mind quicker than others after a accident, , probably because of all those balls she got hit on the head with at soccer practice.
Finally, after what seemed like a mile of running the panting Atemu stopped and placed Angel, who was fully awake, down.
"At-Ate, where are we…Ki…what happened?"
Angel asked slowly, as if she was trying to find the words in her head, she rubbed her head in pain in a upwards position.
Atemu frowned at himself, how was he going to tell Angel what happen while she was knocked out.
He didn't dare tell her that he was a pharaoh and needed to go back to his own time, if he told her that Angel would follow him, wanting to see ancient Egypt for herself, which would not be a good thing.
He needed to tell her enough to get him passed her questioning phase for now, but only enough.
Angels eyes looked into Atemus' sorrowful eyes, she wanted a answer to her question quickly.
Atemu slowly replied to Angel, as if thinking of what he was going to say as he said it, which was different for Atemu, who was usually all knowing.
"Well, you were attacked by some sort of beast…my guess a advanced duel monster…so then I grabbed you and left…oh and were in a alleyway, im not sure which because…I ran whatever direction I could to get away from the duel like monster."
You liar!
Atemus' very honest side hissed at him evilly inside his head, Atemu had always had that small side nagging at him since his childhood days (which he used to consider a best friend) always to not lie, but always to put him in some sort of mortal danger, long story short, that is how Atemu got on this risky adventures, that side wanted to always to the right thing.
And to be honest, it annoyed Atemu to no end.
Angel seem to have bought his half lie, because she smiled at him and gave him a firm nod.
It was but a half lie
His conscious spoke to his other side of his mind, Atemu thought a half lie wasn't as bad as a full lie with no truth, right?
But his truthful side begged to differ, it spoke to him very firmly in almost a ordering way.
A half lie is still a lie pharaoh! Tell the truth to the young one
The old Atemu would have so easily have given into this thought in but a heartbeat, (which, thankfully, didn't speak for him) but as I have said many, many times so far, Atemu was a different man.
He jolted his head in a quick shake to himself, as if to say no, but he also vocalized this motion very clearly in his ever so crowded and complicated head.
No, if she knew, it would just bring up more problems that she does not need, to be honest. I don't need them myself
Unlike a stereotypical hero that you see in popular series, Atemu did not like having stacks of problems.
He was a (or wanted to be at the very least) simple man, and wanted a simple lifestyle to match.
I guess all wants and needs cannot be a reality, and Atemu was one of those sad cases in life.
Oh he wished he could just be one of those characters in the animes' Shecka watched and just have a happy ending at the end of the series.
Though if Atemus' life was a anime, he was not even close to ending it with credits and a catchy pop song that showed the animators names along with the voices of the main characters and extras'.
"Atemu, can we go find Shecka and Cal? Ki"
Atemu nodded and tried to smile with almost no success, he was feeling to melancholic on the inside to feel happy on the outside.
For a moment they were just standing there in the dark alleyway with silence as there only accomplice.
Angel didn't dare speak nor move for a moment as Atemu was in yet another thought moment.
Finally there was a ring on Angels' cell phone (something that Shecka got her for only emergencies), the ring tone was "what's up people?" (a death note theme, season two), Angel clicked on the responding button and heard a full blast scream from Shecka. (who seemed, from her voice, distressed beyond Atemus' belief.
"ANGEL! Thank god your phones working! (at this point, Atemu had realised that the enclosed space had cut electricity and any objects using it.) can you please put Atemu on?!"
With a nod, the sweet heated and oblivious Angel pasted Atemus' death wish (the phone) to Atemu with a smile so cute that Atemu would have smiled if he wasn't so scared of Sheckas' response on the other line.
Atemu was right as Shecka screamed a well prepared rant that would have given rock bands a run for there money full blast into Atemus' right ear drum. (which he was pretty sure he was now deaf in now)
"ATEMU, YOU IDIOTIC FOOL, HOW MUST YOU BE SOO FOOLISH!?"
Atemu jolted back in fear to the small item, but he wasn't scared of the black, thin phone, he was frightened of the voice booming through it more than a angry Haruhi Suzumiya. (a name that Atemu was shocked he even knew.)
Angel even jumped a little bit away from the angry cell phone, she realised that Shecka was really angry and she did not want any part of it.
In the background Atemu could hear the sounds of Cal trying to restrain Shecka from, as he heard it; destroying the phone, then Atemu.
At least Cal was making sure Atemu wasn't going to die from Sheckas' wrath of anger, something that no one wanted to see, except a few people that hated Atemu more that death itself.
For once this was the real Shecka, turns out her sister unleashed the true Shecka, but as usual, the real Shecka would go behind her mask soon enough and leave Atemu with the façade of his friend, who he did like as well, but he always decided he liked the moody, overprotective, teenage Shecka more than the soft, almost cute, actress Shecka, though that didn't matter now as Atemu was trying to calm down the voice from the thin, black phone.
"Whoa, whoa Shecka! Please slow down!"
Atemu pleaded with his friend through the phones' bottom, hoping Sheckas' rage would slow down enough for them to be friends again, temporally at least, until they hit another rough patch as all friends did.
It was obvious that Shecka was still mad from her panting, but after some deep breaths, Shecka was back right to her usual, fake face.
Atemu was happy, but inside sad, things were almost back to normal, something he liked and hated all the same.
Then she said through the receiver of the phone in as calm as voice as the she could muster up, though her voice box was still shaking in anger as she sighed (or at least Atemu thought that was a sigh).
"Fine, fine Ate. Where is my little sister though! It has been four hours and no news from the both of you!"
At this point Atemu made a try to get a word in edgewise, but he was drowned out by Sheckas' rants. (which could last as long as Teas' friendships speeches)
"Well, whatever! Just meet me at the shop, you can fill me in there, and this time…BE THERE!"
Atemu heard a click at the start of Sheckas' temper flaring up again, which meant she controlled herself to stop while she was ahead.
She let the threat that she spoke of go on openly, as if she did not need a reason, nor wanted to finish it.
And boy did it ever toot it's own horn as to say.
Atemu knew exactly where and what the phrase "The Shop" was, it was a Anime store that sold mangas and all those things that Shecka and many other fans of the genre went to go and get as if they were the gospel.
The reason why Shecka (and the rest of the gang) called it "The Shop" was because they couldn't read the Japanese writing at the top, so they all decided to just call it "The Shop", which ended the confusion for the most part, except for when there were more that one shop they were going to for the day.
Shecka usually went there with Cal to get some Naruto or Tokyo mew mew manga, but once Shecka had taken Atemu.
Atemu didn't mind the anime or manga, actually he had found a series that was interesting, it was called: Death Note.
The plot was complex and you would have to read the first manga or see the first episode to get why it was so good.
Atemu shook his head, that was not the reason why they were going there (for once), they were going.
And with that head shake, Atemu grabbed Angels hand and they ran quickly to "The Shop" like there was no tomorrow.
After ten minutes of running, one puff of a inhaler and a very tired duo, they were finally at "the shop", though Atemu was still nervous on what was going to happen once they got in there.
Angels' face was covered in droplets that were from sweat, she was very tired, anyone could tell that her fake was a beet red.
Though her panting soon stopped as they duo and opened the door and Angel laid her eyes on her acting sister, Angel ran up and hugged her sibling like there was no tomorrow.
Shecka replied to her sisters actions by hugging her sister tighter and in response again, got a bit of her siblings shoulder length, slightly spiky hair by her cheeks, though from the looks of it, Shecka didn't care.
Atemu smiled warmly at the reunited sisters, then looked at Cal, who was doing the same action only was a little behind Atemus's actions.
Cals' face was retaining a slight expression on it, though it was probably just a lighting expression, Cal never showed any emotions other than sarcasm.
After this hallmark moment, Shecka got up from hugging Angel, she mumbled to Cal quietly.
"Cal, make sure Angel is in here…Atemu come."
Though this wasn't the usual happy Shecka voice, there was nothing loose about her wording, it was as if it was trying to say 'you better watch it' to Atemu.
Plus she had used Atemus' full name instead of "Ate", that meant she was really mad at him.
Shecka walked past Atemu with body language of 'don't touch me, don't speak' and opened the door, not bothering to hold it for Atemu.
Angel did not know exactly what was going on, but she knew that Shecka was mad, her little eyes sent Atemu a 'good luck' expression.
Cal was obviously on Sheckas' side for the moment being, her eyebrows made a position of 'I have no pity' and her face just was but a thin line as Atemu walked out of the Japanese style shop.
Sheckas' pacing was fast and as if not caring of Atemus' distance from her, finally after they were quite far away in a alley, Shecka stopped.
Atemu stopped as well, they were a few steps apart with Sheckas' back turned from Atemus' face.
Then after what seemed like a eternality, Shecka finally made a movement, though it was not a caring one.
One swift movement left Atemu in shock.
With her nails firmly digging into his face, Shecka scratched Atemus' face, leaving a diagonal scar on his face.
Atemu felt a liquid coming from his face, was he crying?
Atemu felt his face and some of the liquid went on his hand, then he realised tears weren't usually deep red.
Shecka wiped her hands onto her outfit with ease and then spoke in a tone that could have made death itself scared at Atemu with anger and hate filled into every word.
"Keep away from me, keep away from Angel, and most of all, don't you dare cross my path nor Angels'…or else."
And with that, Shecka kicked Atemu in the stomach firmly with her shoes, this resulting with Atemu falling on the ground in pain.
He could not speak, he could not move as Sheckas' figure left the alleyway slowly, blood was dripping from her nails slowly.
The shadow of the female figure was the last thing Atemu saw before the world through his eyes went black.