Author's note:

Hello and welcome! After having rewatched the Yu-Gi-Oh series, I realized that many aspects of the pharaoh's memory world were subjective and highly altered by events of the present (Bakura's shadow game, help from Yugi and gang). It didn't represent what actually happened 3000 years ago, which was highly unsatisfying for me! So I decided to take matters into my own hands. I truly hope you enjoy this labor of love.

*This story is rated M for violence, sexual content, some mature subject matter, and strong language.*

*Please note that there will be deviations from the original canon.*

*Purnima means "full moon" in Sanskrit*

I do not own anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh.

Year: 1338 B.C.

Location: Outskirts of Thebes, Upper Egypt

Atem always knew.

He knew he was special the times that he play-wrestled with his friends, the other boy was always pulled off of him in a hurry. "Do not harm the prince!" they said.

He knew he was different when, instead of getting to play with the other palace children, he was sent away with his father to visit foreign lands – "To observe political diplomacy first hand, my son." His father's voice echoed in his mind.

He knew he was important when he realized that no one could speak normally to him or that he couldn't go anywhere without someone watching over him, making sure he wasn't attacked, or poisoned or, God forbid, inconvenienced in any way.

At the time, this confused him. What was so harmful about wrestling for fun? Why did he have sit through these boring meetings when he could be outside playing games and practicing his swordsmanship? Why couldn't he have a moment... or a day… alone?

Eventually, he accepted it, being different and important. For the most part at least. It was even a source of pride at some point – after all, it was he who was destined to succeed his father as ruler of one of the most powerful civilizations in the world. At the ripe age of 13, Atem thought he felt confident about his ability to take over his father's duties should the time come.

But now, as his father led him into the dark, eerie sanctuary, he finally began to comprehend the gravity of the responsibility he will be inheriting.

It was only him and his father, as no one else was allowed in there, except the ones chosen by the Gods. The tunnel was pitch black, illuminated only by a lone torch held by his father, and the only thing Atem could see in front of him was the darkened silhouette of his father's blue tunic. The atmosphere was unsettling and every step he took, it felt like he was being watched by a thousand eyes.

It was downright creepy.

"Must I go with you father? What are we even doing here anyway?" Atem asked his father.

"This is something you need to witness, my son." The pharaoh stated quietly. "You needn't be afraid. This sanctuary is protected by the Egyptian Gods themselves. As long as you show your respect, nothing here will harm you."

"I won't go any further." Atem said as he stopped in his tracks. He had enough. Everything about this place gave him chills that ran down his spine.

His father continued walking. "This is not a matter of choice…"

Atem had to follow his father, or risk being left alone in this eerie place. He was so preoccupied with the hair standing up on the back of his neck that he didn't hear his father's warning to pay attention.

Before he knew it, he was walking too close to the edge. The bridge they were walking on had to be at least a thousand years old and the stone edge crumbled below him. In desperate panic, he reached out and grabbed a rock, narrowly missing a tumble to his death.

"Help father!" Atem cried out as he held on to the bridge with one hand. His father watched him calmly.

"Lift yourself up my son." He said. Atem looked up at him. Initially, he felt a sting of betrayal, but it was short lived as he remembered these hard lessons his father taught him were only meant to make him stronger. He slowly pulled himself up, landing on solid ground again.

As they continued on, Atem gazed upon the old frescoes of the pharaohs before him. He briefly wondered if he would be on these walls too, before turning his attention back to his father.

His father knelt in front of the large altar in front of them.

"Egyptian Gods, hear me. I have committed a crime beyond atonement and for this I am truly sorry. By bringing the seven millennium items into this world, I have destroyed the lives of thousands. I bear full responsibility for these actions. Please… spare my son. Do not punish him for the misdeeds of his father."

What was going on? Atem was bewildered. He was witnessing his father cry for the first time in his life. Abruptly, a several bolts of lightning shot down in front of him. Atem stared with wide eyes.

"My son, fear not. You are safe now."

-o0o-

Atem tossed and turned in his bed, the events of today coursing through his mind like a bad dream.

He already knew the millennium items were formed with evil magic using the tortured souls of those thought to have deserved their fate.

But what he didn't know until today, was that the repercussions of these dark actions could continue to affect his family's rule for years to come.

As long as the millennium items continued to exist, the spiritual balance would forever be upset. He witnessed today first-hand the power and fury of the Gods over the blatant exploitation of 99 innocents. How on earth could he make this right? He had a foreboding hunch that this would not go away… and that although his father sacrificed his safety in order to ensure his own, something terrible would happen to him eventually as a result of this.

He briefly wondered what it felt like to have regular problems instead but he quickly pushed these thoughts away. This was his fate, whether he liked it or not. However, his brief acceptance of the situation did nothing to assuage the anxiety that simmered in his mind.

He grew frustrated trying to sleep, only to open his eyes again completely alert. And that's when he finally decided, he needed to escape.

Not running away from his palace life, but just a brief nighttime venture to get his mind off things. Atem had been sneaking out for a few months now, starting after he accidentally found a way out of the palace directly from his room. Of course he never told anyone, both of the secret passage and of his sneaking out.

His adventures so far have been limited to exploring Thebes. But even then, it was amazing to be able to explore without being watched constantly all the time, to be able to blend in, to actually interact with the common people.

He wasn't sure where he would go tonight, but for the first time, he decided it would be somewhere farther away. Just looking at this place and being in it made him feel nauseated and there isn't a single area in the entire city of Thebes that you cannot see the palace.

He had a regular looking brown cloak that he used for his nighttime excursions for the sole purpose of blending in, as he couldn't afford to be recognized. He quickly threw it on over his regular clothes.

How he actually found this passage was through pure observation. It was located in his bathroom and wasn't actually a passage way, more like a large old hole for chamber pot drainage. It clearly hasn't been used in decades. The hole has been concealed with a large tile over it and a stone vase placed over top the tile for further concealment. One day, Atem happened to simply notice an incongruity between this specific tile and the rest of them and of course, he had to investigate it.

As he moved the vase and tile out of the way quietly, the large hole came into view. Luckily there were rocks jutting out from the sides to aid in him climbing down. He knew based on his experience that this hole led to small defect in the palace wall, just large enough for him to climb out.

He reached the bottom of the hole and saw the glow of the moonlight peeking in. There, he waited silently, trying to see if anyone was outside. It was imperative that he is not seen sneaking out. The coast seemed clear, so he emerged carefully from the hole.

Living here in this palace for his entire life allowed him to learn about all sorts of interesting facts about the building, including secret passage ways. There was an old underground one that led from the kitchen to the outside of the palace, originally meant as an easier way to transport food but now unused.

He darted down the pitch-black passageway and eventually emerged on the other side of the palace area, where the stables are.

His favorite horse greeted him with a soft nicker and seemed to know what would happen next. Atem quickly prepared his horse and they set off into the night.

-o0o-

Atem wasn't sure what he was thinking when he decided to do this. All he knew was that he took off as fast as he could in the complete opposite direction of the palace, trying to get as far away from there as possible. They had traveled for a while and he thought he would have at least reached a nearby village by now.

But no, absolutely nothing other than earth that spanned for a great distance.

He was ok with it though, at least he was away from it all. It was actually invigorating to be outside without so much activity around.

He continued to push his horse forward without a second thought. After all, once he was ready to go back, he could just simply turn around and go the same way. He stopped briefly and looked around.

Everything looked the same.

And then he suddenly realized he couldn't actually remember which way he came.

A wave of panic shot down his spine, but Atem quickly calmed himself. He was going to be fine. He quickly looked up at the stars and tried to figure out directions from the constellations, like he had learned in his classes, but couldn't seem to remember all the details of how to do it.

Atem sighed. He must not panic. He will find his way back. Somehow.

As he and his horse wandered through the desert, the landscape started to change from flat earth to hills and valleys. This was different. Atem saw where the tributaries of the mighty Nile river ended as they gently flowed into the valleys, creating lush green swamps.

He decided to follow one. Maybe he can stop there and get his bearings.

And he was glad he did, it was simply beautiful there. The opalescent full moon cast its glow over the water surface and the surrounding reeds, while crickets hummed and the lotus flowers cautiously exposed their yellow centers. The wind was calm and the night was still young. He felt his horse quiver under him.

Atem felt at peace. He continued down the river bank.

Suddenly, he felt his horse lurch sharply. It darted sideways away from the river and reared on its hind legs with a loud whinny. Confused, Atem quickly scanned the area, trying to figure out what the disturbance was.

Sitting in front of him on the ground was an enormous dark reptile. A Nile crocodile. It must have tried to ambush them from under the water. Seemingly ready to lunge forward and attack again, it sat there with its mouth wide open and its body position squared to them.

Now the panic had really set in. Atem quickly pulled on the reins to back his horse away from the animal.

But just when he thought he was at a safe distance, he saw another streak of black from the corner of his eye. Another one had lunged toward them, this time from his horse's rear. His horse was beginning to panic as well as it tried to kick the second crocodile with its hind legs.

'Now what…'

They were backed against the stone wall, with one crocodile on each side. His horse was becoming skittish and Atem was trying his best to keep a level head as the crocodiles looked at him with ravenous eyes.

He would have to escape by passing one of them. After that, he could take off running to lose them.

Atem quickly turned his horse to the left, trying to steer it as far away from the crocodile as possible. But the reptile lunged forward again. His horse shot back and took off running down the river bank.

"No!" Atem cried out, having lost control of his horse. He saw another flash of black as a third crocodile lunged toward them, now in front of their path.

They were surrounded now. The crocodiles growled at them menacingly, mouths gaping open and baring their sharp teeth. His horse continued to jump around in panic as it knew its fate.

Atem couldn't see another way out and his heart began to pound. This can't be it for him. There has to be another way….

Out of nowhere, there was a white flash and a cracking noise. He felt a white lightning bolt zip past him and saw it strike one of the crocodiles straight in the head. The lightning ricocheted off the water, creating bolts of electricity that danced and twisted in the air. Stunned, the crocodile went limp briefly before it regained consciousness and retreated back into the dark, murky river.

Atem shot his head around and looked up.

A girl was standing at the edge of the rockface above the valley. Both of her hands were glowing white with what looked like balls of lightning. She raised an arm and cast it toward his direction, sending another white flash his way. The lightning hit the second crocodile on the head too, but also spooked his horse so bad that it reared up again on its hind legs. Atem redirected his attention to trying to calm his horse down as a third flash whipped past them again, taking care of the final crocodile.

Atem looked back up at the rockface. The girl appeared to have gone.

But he knew better. There was no way she could have gone so quickly.

There was a large rock next to where she was standing previously. She had to be hiding behind there.

"Hello!" he called out to her.

No response.

He tried again. "Hello..."

Nothing.

Atem paused. If she didn't want to come out, then that was fine.

"Thank you." He called out to the rock.

Having given up on a response, Atem tugged on the reins of his horse and turned around, feeling the strange sensation of being watched while doing so. He decided to leave the valley the same way he came in, as he didn't want to get himself more lost.

"So you almost get eaten alive and you're gonna continue back the same way? Are you trying to die?"

The small but sharp voice cut through the night air like a knife. Atem's head shot up to the rockface again. And there she was, the girl from earlier, standing behind the large rock with her arms crossed and an incensed expression on her face.

He stared at her, not sure what to make of it.

"Either that or you must be completely stupid. You don't even know what you're doing." She scoffed condescendingly.

Atem turned around indignantly and looked at her, his face flushed hot with anger. He was lost, not stupid.

"I'll be just fine." He grumbled.

"The crocodiles feed at night and where we are standing is thieves' territory. If you go back out alone, you're an idiot." The girl snapped.

"Well YOU'RE out alone, aren't you?" Atem retorted.

The girl's eyes widened and she panicked. "I … uh..". She blushed.

"So then what are YOU doing out here by yourself?" Atem retorted, turning his horse around to face her.

"That's none of your business!" She snorted and stared back up at him. "Fine then. Go. But don't cry like a baby when you get ripped to pieces."

Atem fumed inside. He wasn't used to being spoken to in that manner. In fact, he was pretty sure that if they were back at the palace, this girl would likely be in chains and publicly whipped.

But, he didn't blame her one bit for her behavior. She didn't know who he was... and maybe he was stupid for going this far out alone. He looked up at her; She shot him a nasty glare.

And then, he swallowed his pride.

"Do you know where we are?" he asked.

"Of course I do!" the girl declared. "You're far off of any path. The Valley of the Kings is beyond those hills, making this a popular getaway area for grave robbers. Unless, of course, that's what you are…"

Atem's eyes widened in surprise. "Absolutely not." He barked in disgust.

A grave robber? Him? How preposterous. But then again, the cloak he was wearing probably wasn't doing him any favors in making him look innocent.

"Then who are you anyways? And what are you even doing here?" the girl questioned, cocking her to head to one side slightly.

"…Uhhh.…" Atem trailed off, caught off-guard. He didn't have an intelligent reason to give, at least on the spot. What was he even doing?

"Well?" The girl persisted, putting a hand on her hip.

They were at a standstill. Atem stared at her. Maybe hostility wasn't the best approach.

"I'm… lost. I mean no harm." Atem said delicately.

Immediately, she looked taken aback and he watched as her features softened. She regarded him carefully. After a moment, she finally spoke.

"This area has been plagued with bandits and tomb robbers for years. All they've done is wreak havoc and I am tired of it. And I swear on Ra, if you're lying to me, and you're here to scope out this area for your little thief friends or trying to hide the things you stole here, or any other nonsense… I will teach you a lesson you will never forget... " She glared at him, her hands glowing with electrical bolts oscillating in her palms.

A threat. One that Atem certainly did not want to be on the other end of, but thankfully wouldn't need to worry about. It was hard to believe those powerful words came out of such a small and unassuming girl.

"Well I assure you, I am neither and my intentions are good. You have my word." Atem stated. The girl clutched her bag and stared at him in response, her face was unreadable.

Before Atem could speak again, his breath caught in his throat. Unexpectedly in the distance, the faint sound of horses' hooves thundering and a nefarious cackle pierced the night air. He shuddered and looked over his shoulder. There, above the valley, was a group of cloaked men on horses flying across the Egyptian sands, carrying large sacks behind their backs in one hand, with more full sacks attached to their horses' saddles. They appeared to be heading toward their direction.

The girl also stared in horror and looked back at him.

"We shouldn't be here." She hissed under her breath. And swiftly, as if she had done it a million times before, she hopped down the steep rockface to meet him, somehow managing to find the perfect combination of rocks to never break her stride.

"Quick! Follow me!"

Atem quickly dismounted, grabbed the reins of his horse and ran to follow her. She darted toward the rockface and stayed close, tracing the surface with her hand as she ran parallel with it. She delicately evaded the rocks on the ground and studied the side of the rock, clearly searching for something.

At last, she found it – a giant, upside down V-shape fissure in the rockface. It was almost invisible from the top but toward the bottom, it opened up to make a narrow cavity. It was small, but roomy enough to fit one person, perhaps two?

"In here!" she beckoned toward the opening.

Atem struggled to push his horse behind a rock and against the rock face.

"Hurry up! They're coming!"

He said a silent prayer that his horse would stay put and ran to the crevice. The girl went in first and jammed herself in as far as she could. Atem squeezed in after. They both faced each other, their bodies squashed together by the two opposite sides of the rock. There, they held their breath and stood there frozen, waiting, praying. He could feel his own heartbeat from outside his chest and he was positive she could feel it too.

The sound of the rumbling of horses surged at full volume above them, accompanied by the sharp clanking of metal on metal and the characteristic howling and high-pitched whooping of people with malicious intent. Atem clenched his jaw in trepidation as he felt the crushing forces above them sustained by the sturdy rock, translating into mere faint vibrations on the rock's surface.

After what seemed like an eternity, the noise subsided. Atem cautiously turned his head to check - it seemed clear. He gently freed himself and emerged from the fissure.

Plumes of dust were suspended in the air after the unexpected disturbance. The mood was uneasy. But it was almost as if the last few moments had never happened. The water was still as calm as ever, the lotus flowers now in full bloom and the moon's reflection on the water's surface unbroken.

Atem looked back at the girl and nodded.

"They're gone." He said.

She sighed in relief and cautiously emerged from the crack.

"We should leave this place," she stated. Atem nodded in agreement and went to retrieve his horse. She led the way and they left the canyon the opposite direction Atem came in, both on foot and Atem leading his horse by the reins.

As they walked, the girl scanned the water's edge wordlessly. 'Checking for crocodiles', Atem assumed. He glanced over at her, trying to appear inconspicuous. She looked as if she was around his age, could not have been older than 12. Her dark hair was long and slightly tangled, her dress was simple, her eyes were large and dark.

They continued along in silence. As he looked at her, she gave him an uneasy side-eyed glance from her periphery. His cover must be blown.

"I never got your name." Atem said quietly.

"..Naima", she said. "What's yours?"

"It's.. Atem." He said.

They walked in silence again. She continued to be focused on the water's surface.

"You saved us both back there. Thank you." Atem said.

"Heh… yeah…" Naima mumbled and looked at her feet.

"How did you learn to do magic like that?"

Naima turned to look at him briefly and then back at the water, her face became stone.

"My temple... and my mother. She's gone now."

Atem looked at her. "I'm sorry." He said gently.

"Don't be. I'm fine." She replied tersely and continued to stare at the river bank. A sharp snapping thud and a splash occurred behind them in the lily pads. They both jumped and quickly turned around.

Nothing.

"A fish.." Naima mumbled and continued walking in silence for a moment.

A thought came to his mind.

"I want to ask you…Earlier back there.. if you thought I was a thief, why did you save me?" Atem inquired.

She looked at him, almost scrutinizing him silently, before lowering her eyes to the water once more.

"Thief or no, it is easy to get lost in these valleys. A crocodile does not discriminate between guilty and innocent…and it is a terrible way to go. I do not recognize your face, which means you probably are not from these villages. But, thieves have been known to recruit young people around our age. One must never be too cautious these days."

Atem nodded at her in acknowledgment. Deep down, he was intrigued. Her world was completely different than his. How many times tomb robbers and bandits have been mentioned in his father's political meetings, but the reality of it never really hit home for him… until now.

They had been walking for a while now, in mostly silence. He didn't realize how far he had traveled into the valley, but thankfully, he could now visualize the end of it from here. However, the path became narrow as the river widened and the reeds were overgrown. It could only accommodate one at a time.

He decided to go first, gingerly leading his horse over the muddy trail. The horse struggled some against the suction of its hooves with the quicksand-like texture of the mud. However, his faithful animal followed Atem's lead and successfully crossed the muddy patch.

Now it was Naima's turn. Atem watched her carefully. She stepped cautiously over the worn mucky trail but was still slowed down by the suction of the mud.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Atem saw some movement in the shallow water – a submerged animal with a slow, almost undetectable approach, the only visible trace being a small sliver of black that peeked above the waterline.

'Oh no…'

A jolt of adrenaline shot through him like lightning. Without thinking, he bolted to Naima, grabbed any part of her he could grasp and pulled her away with everything he could muster. There was a quick flash of black, a panicked scream and the sound of jaws snapping shut before they both landed on the nearby ground with a loud, painful thud.

Immediately, Atem looked over at Naima. Her face was flushed and she was breathing heavy but her entire body was intact. He sighed in relief.

"Are you ok?" he asked her. Naima looked at him and nodded, still catching her breath.

Atem stood up and offered Naima his hand who took it gratefully.

"Thank you…You saved me…." She said, seemingly awe-struck. She looked up at him, her big brown eyes full with gratitude. They glistened in the moonlight.

Atem smiled at her. "As you did for me."

Naima continued to look up at him for a few more seconds. And at last, she gave him a smile. This surprised him. After all that happened tonight, did he finally win her over?

They both began their ascent upwards toward the valley opening. Atem was grateful, as he couldn't think of anything else he would rather do at that moment than get out of there. He sluggishly trekked up the path with his horse, Naima following him close by.

As the mainland came into view, a strange sight was awaiting them. Clouds of smoke appeared in the distance above the rocky hills. Atem was perplexed. What was going on?

"That's the Valley of the Kings! It's on fire!" Naima exclaimed.

His eyes widened and a wave of nausea jolted through his stomach. Surely the work of the group of thieves from earlier. The resting spot of his ancestors desecrated.

No, he didn't want to deal with this. Not now, not ever.

He shook his head. There was no way they could stay there any longer.

"We have to get out of here. It's not safe for you to travel on foot. I will take you back to your home."

Naima initially hesitated, but nodded in agreement. With new determination, Atem mounted his horse and then helped her up behind him on the saddle. He caught a glimpse of her anxious expression as she climbed up behind him.

"I've never ridden a horse before…" she admitted.

"Hold on tight." Atem said to her as he nudged his heels against his horse's side. The horse responded with an enthusiastic head toss and with a surge of energy, began trotting. He felt Naima lurch backwards and immediately place her arms tightly around his waist for balance.

"This way!" Naima said, pointing westward. Atem nodded, turned his horse and kicked his heels and the horse launched forward, sprinting across the sands.

Author's note: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of many more to come. Thank you for reading!