This entire fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only and is never, in anyway, official/part of the canon. I do not claim ownership over Yu-Gi-Oh! and any copyrighted property and anything else that's not mine. Yu-Gi-Oh! and any other copyrighted property and everything else that's not mine belong to their respective owners. I express my deep gratitude to the respective owners for making things I could never have done in a million years and I hope I will not be sued for being such an expressive fan.

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Stories are just stories... they are not real and are only for your imagination so DON'T apply into reality anything unreal, wrong, stupid, dangerous, and badly prejudiced... (duh!).

AN
- Please refer to my profile if you have any questions regarding anything about the entire story (from first chapter to last, from writing style to ideas...anything)... If the answers are not in my profile, then send me a message...

Title: A Nightmare Experience
Type: Story
Main Character/s: Atemu, Bakura
Pairing: slight Vaseshipping
Setting: AU, AE
Summary: If the Thief King kidnapped the Prince of Kemet
Acknowledgment: Inspired by Incorrectly Captioned's Paradox

WARNINGS: KIDNAPPING, IMPLIED RAPE, DARK THEMES

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1

...

A sigh breached the night. A reed stopped scribbling haplessly on the papyrus. And then it was all finished with a cat-like stretch of exhaustion.

All that was done by Atem – the crown prince of Kemet. Hours had gone by and all of it was spent in writing on piles upon piles of papyrus. He was being trained for the day he would become Pharaoh. The day he would inherit the kingdom from his father – the current Pharaoh Aknamkanon.

He was often praised and looked up to as he was and always dedicated to his studies – to which showed in his excellence in almost every field. But – like any other teen out there – there were simply times when he wished he could get away from it all. Just relax. Be normal...even for once.

But no. He couldn't. He was soon to be Pharaoh. And relaxing was never part of that job description...

So much for a good night's sleep...He mused as he stood up, having the urge to just slump back down and close his eyes.

And just relax...

In the sweet bliss of dreamworld...

Unfortunately all that was shattered when an intruding hand clapped itself upon his mouth...

An intruder was within his room. How the thief got in or how he was suddenly encased in those rough arms were beyond him. He was shocked at first. But he knew better than to let that overwhelm him. In a show of defiance, he wriggled.

Wrong move...

A nip of steel was at his throat, immediately making him stop to eye the blade that was pressing on his skin, threatening to cut him open if he would consider fighting as an option.

"Don't make a sound and do as I say." a rough voice hissed in his ear, making the fine hairs there stand on end. "Unless you would like to see what you look like on the inside."

The prince gulped after that. He stayed still too while the thief plunged a hand in a pocket.

"Now, put your hands behind your back, wrists together." The thief hissed

Atem complied without a second thought, hands shaking when he felt rope wound around them.

There was a slight pause in his captor's actions. He wondered what he was doing. But the cloth that was forced through his jaws immediately answered that nagging question. It was then reinforced by another strip of linen that was wrapped around his mouth by both hands of the thief.

Both hands.

He took his chance and slammed his heel right on the thief's bare foot, inwardly smirking when he was released in favor of fist biting to prevent a scream. He ran across the room, and desperately tried to open the door. But with both hands behind his back, he barely made it move.

"Trying to prolong the inevitable?"

He wheeled around, immediately catching sight of his captor standing with all malice. The moonlight illuminated all those rough features. The dirty white hair. The scarred yet strong body. The scarred face.

His wannabe captor was none other than the elusive Thief King Bakura.

"So his royal shortness has a few moves up his sleeve." Bakura sneered, a rope in hand as he bent his knees, ready to pounce on his half-bound prey. "Guess this will be a fun night after all."

Atem stepped back, slightly terrified when the thief pounced on him, hands outstretch in an attempt at a grab. But he recovered quickly, sprinted to the other side of the room, and prayed to all the gods that Bakura's landing was going to cause a racket.

But it did not...

The thief landed gracefully on his feet – like a cat. He dashed after the prince who had now jumped atop the study, looking all but frightened. "Oh? The little prince is a little quick for me eh?" He stalked towards the defensive royal.

Atem held his ground when an idea came to him. With a force so strong, he kicked a small vase, sending it flying towards Bakura who dodged it with relative ease.

"Now now. Do you seriously think a measly vase would stop the Thief King-" The vase had shattered upon hitting the wall. Now he got what the little runt was planning. But he was not intimidated. "Don't get your hopes up, your shortness. I have incapacitated the guards nearest your quarters." He smirked when the prince visibly paled. "So I would be done with you long before help even arrives."

The prince could not believe what he just heard. The thief couldn't have incapacitated all the guards. The lowlife had to be bluffing. That was his only believable choice.

Unfortunately, his thinking has clouded his eyes. There was a blur. A breath taking force. And something that aided gravity. The next thing he knew, the thief was on top of him, binding his ankles with a long rope.

He had to learn to stop contemplating too much...

The thief got up and smirked at his squirming captive. He had finally captured the prince.

Who knew the runt was capable of doing damage...

...
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2

...

As Bakura continued to watch his captive diligently trying to wriggle out of his bonds, he did not notice that the commotion they caused has stirred up some people in the palace until…

"THIS WAY…IT CAME FROM THE PRINCE'S QUARTERS"

Footsteps were echoing around the stone cold palace walls. Bakura jumped when he heard the rushing footsteps coming towards them.

"I think it is time to take my leave" Bakura sneered as he threw the struggling prince over his shoulder and made his way towards the open balcony. "You are surprisingly quite a lightweight, My Prince. I never expected this from a royal."

As he was about to jump from the balcony, the royal guards came bursting into the room.

"Don't mind me, I'm just leaving" scoffed Bakura as he jumped from the balcony, laughing at the dumbstruck looks on the guards' faces.

He scaled the walls, crossed the gardens, and quickly arrived to where his steed was tied. All was done with admirable silence and stealth – despite the prying eyes of the stirring security and the valiant struggles of his captive. After securing the prince on the horse, two guards ran passed. Luckily, they missed them.

"THE PRINCE HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED" yelled one guard to another. "TELL THE MINISTERS AND THE OTHER SERVANTS… THE PHARAOH'S GONNA HAVE A FIT ONCE THAT THIEF GETS AWAY WITH HIS SON"

He laughed softly as the guards ran passed his hiding place. "I thought that royalties, such as you, have the best guards in the kingdom. I guess I was wrong. Or maybe even the best can't get the Thief King" he whispered as he got up the horse and sat behind the prince. With a gentle click of his tongue, he urged his horse to go forward in a stealthy trot.

But this time, they were never missed...

"THERE HE IS AND HE'S STILL GOT THE PRINCE" yelled one of the guards as they rushed towards the trio. Bakura's horse reared up in panic. But he managed to calm the beast down, urging it into a fast gallop towards the nearest escape route he could find.

The guards were starting to swarm around as he continued to urge his steed towards the exit.

"BLOCK THE EXIT….BLOCK EVERY EXIT YOU CAN FIND" yelled the pharaoh, who just showed up together with the other priests. The other guards scampered around, sealing every possible escape route while the priests summoned their monsters.

Bakura's steed reared up again, as a mighty Duos appeared right in front of them, courtesy of Priest Seto.

"RELEASE THE PRINCE IMMEDIATELY AND I PROMISE TO MAKE YOUR DEATH SWIFT" Priest Seto shouted as the thief evaded an attack from Duos.

"FOOLS…..IF YOU THINK YOU CAN STOP ME…YOU BETTER THINK AGAIN" Bakura shouted back as he escaped from Duos' attack while urging his horse to gallop in the opposite direction. Doing so almost turned him into the next meal of Isis' Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress.

"You might want to watch your aim. You don't want your precious prince to get hurt now, would you?" He scoffed as he neared another possible escape route.

Trampling past a few guards and dodging the priests' shadow creatures. He urged his horse to jump over a ledge. It was difficult but he successfully managed to escape the palace, gallop through the markets, and disappear into a dark alley.

"FIND THEM" cried the Pharaoh frantically. "SEARCH THE ENTIRE KINGDOM….THEY CAN'T GET FAR"

The guards, lead by the ministers, scattered around the kingdom, desperately trying to find the Thief King and his captive.

Meanwhile in a dark, well hidden corner…

"I guess I must've miscalculated my assault." Bakura whispered as he watched the panicking people running around, desperately trying to find them. He chuckled upon feeling the wiggles of his captive.

"Now now, if you keep on doing that, you'll end up hurting yourself, My Prince. Not that I won't have it done to you anyway" He scoffed. But he dropped the matter when the royal paid no heed, "No matter, my mission is a success anyway. I have finally captured the mighty Pharaoh's heir and left the palace. Now for the second phase of my plan"

He urged his horse deeper into the dark alley until they came out into miles and miles of sand as far as the eye can see.

Atem desperately looked back, hoping that the search party would find them.

"Don't get your hopes up, My Prince, even the royal guards and the Pharaoh himself can't capture the Thief King." Bakura sneered as he eyed the prince. He then looked up into the endless piles of sand and stars and urged his horse to go forward. First a stealthy trot, followed by a speedy gallop. "Kul Elna, here I come" he whispered as they disappeared into the night.

...
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3

...

"Finally, I'm home" Bakura sighed in relief as a quiet town drew nearer to them, illuminated by the first rays of the rising sun. "Kul Elna…"

He urged his steed into a fast gallop towards the ghost town, immediately setting his hands on his captive's back when the speed threatened to send the prince falling.

Upon laying his hand on the prince, he felt a small stir. He smirked when he heard a faint groan – telltale signs that his prize was awake. "Good morning, Your Royal Shortness, it's about time you woke up."

The exhausted prince looked up into his captor and started struggling again. Bakura just laughed and tightened his grip on the prince as they entered the ghost town. "You are as stubborn as that annoying father of yours"

Kul Elna was an eerily quiet place. The houses were empty and the entire village looked as though ransacked by bandits. Stalls which were supposed to be filled with merchants and their goods were nothing but dusty piles of wood and linen in random places.

Bakura slowed his horse down to its signature trot. They continued on until they reached what looked like the center of the ghost town. He then removed the rope binding the prince to the horse and threw him down.

Arms still tied behind his back, feet still restrained, and his voice still silenced by the gag in his mouth, Atem desperately tried to break free, despite his previous failed attempts. He heard laughter. And the next thing he knew, a foot made direct contact with his stomach. He stopped struggling and curled up, trying to ease the pain.

Bakura huffed, watching the prince writhe before looking up into the empty town as though he was addressing an audience. "I'm back… and look who I dragged along here with me" he boomed as he placed one foot on the side of the prince's head.

At Bakura's words, the town seemed to be brought to life. Hundreds of murmurs were heard from a few houses in front, which Atem thought to be empty. Then slowly, those murmurs drew closer. The bound prince looked up and saw around ten men all around them.

"WELL I'LL BE" one of Bakura's allies gasped. He drew nearer towards the immobilized teen under Bakura's foot. "You got the prince with'ya… You actually captured that wretched Pharaoh's heir"

"It was not an easy job, Sakit" Bakura replied while removing his foot from Atem's head "The little runt gave me quite a hard time. He's got some good skills at defending himself." He clutched the part where Atem kicked him and eyed the prince angrily. "But in the end, as you can see, I still managed to subdue him without any help from any of you"

The others jeered while Sakit just laughed. "Okay, we get it… it's your way of saying I told you so…" He then took hold of the prince and swung royal over his shoulder. "So how much should we demand for his return."

At that statement, the vile eyes of the criminals brightened with greed. They were all dying to ask that very same question.

"The seven Millennium Treasures would suffice nicely" Bakura sneered while stroking his chin. "Unless they would rather search the Nile for his carcass." He paused, seeing the prince's attempts to worm away. "But before we actually give him back, we're gonna have a little bit of fun with him for a while." He continued, looking into his captive's eyes. "We all have a lot of things we want to give to our beloved Pharaoh." He said with mock sincerity. "But we are too insignificant for him to pay attention to." He spat to the ground and eyed the prince once again. "So I'm sure our guest here would be happy to deliver our gifts to him instead" He smirked when his posy laughed, fully understanding where he was going.

Atem's amethyst eyes widened in horror as the group of thieves jeered in agreement.

This was not going to be any normal kidnap-ransom experience.

"Take him to the chambers and have him ready for this fun game we are about to play." Bakura dictated as his band of thieves rushed in all directions excitedly while Sakit took the prince to a broken and beaten corridor. He smirked knowingly. He waited long. He planned hard.

And it seemed everything was going nicely…..

"I am sooo going to enjoy this" He whispered to himself as he watched the prince's frantic attempts to break free from Sakit's powerful grasp. "You will pay for your father's sins."

...
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4

...

Blur. That was about everything he saw the moment his eyes fluttered open. He could recognize outlines of stones and the ambiance of the blue sky. But everything else was just unknown to him. And his head hurt, real bad. He had the sudden urge to touch it. He would have done so if his hands were not immobilized.

He froze…..

He pulled on his arms, fear flooding him when the appendages refused to budge. Frantically, he made the same attempt with his legs, but that also resulted in the same thing. He was in a paralyzed, widespread position. He couldn't move let alone defend himself. He tried to shout but completely forgot that the gag was still in his mouth and ended up almost choking on it.

Then it all came back to him. The struggle, the kidnapping, the ropes, the thief

The Thief King…..

"Finally, you're awake" Came a voice from behind him. "You deserve that blow for struggling too much. Anyway, we're about to start playing our little game" The owner turned to face him, making him frown when it was none other than the Thief King.

Bakura walked up in front of his captive and removed the gag. He expected the future king to throw a lot of harsh words at him but was shocked when spittle was sent his way. He glared at the defiant prince, wiping the said spittle from his face. But his anger turned to mirth upon seeing the message conveyed by those fierce eyes. "Still trying to act tough?" He gave the prince a good kick, enjoying the response he got.

"He's one feisty little midget" Sakit commented as he joined his master. "For someone so small, he's got a lot of fight in him." He continued while he watched his master continuously beating the immobilized prince.

"That was for all the trouble you caused me last night" grumbled Bakura. He then turned to Sakit. "Where are the others?"

"Hes and Iret went to Maadi for some supplies since we are running out of food and water. It's been quite a while so they should be back in a couple of minutes" Sakit replied, bowing low. "The others are getting their gifts ready" He continued with a smirk.

"Very well, I still have to write a ransom note to the great Pharaoh and ask him if he wants his son back." Bakura said while hungrily eying the prince's limp form.

Within a short while, Bakura's allies came thundering back from their errands. After putting away their loot, they bowed down to show respect to the Thief King.

"Finally, I thought you guys don't want to join in the fun." Bakura spat while grabbing a handful of Atem's spiky hair, forcing him to face them. "The game we're going to play is simple." He made a dreamy expression. "Imagine as though we are rich folk and that our guest here is a bag of gold. And we must do whatever it takes to get all that gold." He huffed. "You know the rules."

The thieves looked at each other, eyes filled with glee, while sadistic smiles formed on their lips. They knew exactly how this particular Bakura style game worked. With wicked eyes, they all turned to the prince who was far from cowering in fear.

"If you are trying to get me to be afraid…." The prince said in a tone of pure defiance. "Then you better think again."

Bakura raised a brow in amusement. "Oh?" He chuckled. "We do not need to think." His eyes gleamed. "All we need to do is…..play our little game…"

The Prince watched as the thieves produced whips, spears, blades, and basically anything that could be used to hurt someone from a sack brought about by the new arrivals from Maadi. His heart was beating faster by each second. No matter how much he tried to suppress it, fear just kept on building itself within his system.

Half of Bakura's drones positioned themselves behind him, the metal weapons clinking in their wake. But he could not hear that amidst the heartbeat that somehow made its way to his ears and throat. He closed his eyes, knowing what would come.

And it did…

The sound of the air being sliced made his skin crawl and the next thing he knew was that he was screaming from the hot slice on his back. He could feel the heat sear off the skin and some of the blood oozing down. He bit his lip, even though he had already released what he so wanted to hold onto.

He was not given a chance to recover from the first blow for multiple ones immediately followed, striking the fresh one on his back and adding new marks alongside it. He screamed and tried to pull away, chafing his wrists in the process. As he endured it, shouts echoed around him.

"THIS IS FOR GIVING MY FAMILY SO MUCH DEBT."

There was another strike

"THIS IS FOR IMPRISONING MY FATHER."

Something hot burned a hole in his flesh

"THIS IS FOR LEAVING MY FAMILY TO STARVE"

A stronger, much heavier strike on his back made him lurch.

Then it all stopped. But he still had his eyes closed. He was not going to take chances. He felt someone a hair's width away from his face. Hot breath met him, made him turn away. Then, as soon as he felt that presence, it was taken away.

"Time for round two."

There was some shuffling of robes that pecked at the prince's curiosity. Slowly, he opened one eye. It was quickly followed by a shocked gasp, eyes wide open, and a very much charged attempt to get away.

Everyone was disrobing….

And that just meant one thing….

...
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5

...

...Great Gods...

...Hear my plea...

...Please keep my son safe...

...Please bring him home...

Silence was about the room. A quiet room whose occupant was currently held against his will by the elusive Thief King. It was dark. Eerie. And had the sense of dread lurking within its struggle marked corners.

But it was not empty.

Sitting on the prince's bed was the great Pharaoh, looking so lost like a lone buffalo. Beneath him was a larger-than-normal lioness, a pet of his ever beloved son. He was deep in prayer. Hoping to all that his heir was safe.

That was until somebody disturbed his silence...

He motioned for the disturber to come in, revealing that someone to be Shimon.

"Any news Shimon?" He asked, eyes not leaving a certain spot on the floor.

Shimon just sighed. "I came to inform you that we are doing whatever we can to find him, Sire." He said as he placed a hand on his king's shoulder. "Do not lose hope. We shall find him."

The Pharaoh was about to respond to that. But he was again interrupted. And this time, the intrusion was far from gentle.

"YOUR MAJESTY."

A guard had stopped by the doorway, clearly exhausted. In his hand was a note. "A message." He said as he handed the note to the approaching king and vizier. "From the Thief King."

Both pairs of eyes widened upon reading the content of the note. They looked at each other, and shared a nod.

"Get the priests." He declared to the guard.

...
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6

...

The sun was positioned high up in the sky, signifying that it was already early afternoon, a hot early afternoon. The thieves took a break from torturing the prince and took refuge under a shady tree just across their captive. They all started eating and drinking while laughing at the limp form in front of them who was being roasted alive.

Atem hung limply in his restraints, his royal clothing torn in various places. The desert heat was starting to take its toll. He was dehydrated and his body, covered in blood and lacerations. Sweat started to trickle down, stinging his open wounds as blood covered the ground around him. He was sore all over from what felt like an eternity of pain.

He could not even fight back. His hands and feet were bound the entire time and his attackers were more than twice his size. Their maniacal laughter echoed in his mind as he remembered how they tore him to shreds.

They took him, tore him, and left him bleeding. It hurt. It hurt a lot. And in many ways he never thought he would be so unlucky to experience. And what was worse, he actually lost to it. His own throat betrayed him. He still gave them the satisfaction of hearing him scream. And now, he wished the earth would swallow him.

A bowl of water was held under his nose. He watched his own reflection. A swollen eye, bleeding lip and nose. Nothing that would forever mark him. He seemed mesmerized by it. But the bowl was shook, sending a ripple across his reflected face.

"Are you going to drink or not?" Came the irritated question.

He did not answer. He huffed and turned away, ignoring his body's screams against his choice.

"Stubborn as ever."

"MASTER, MASTER"

Bakura growled after drinking the water the prince refused. He turned to face the man who called him. "What?" He spat

The man stopped in a brief halt, gasping for air before straightening up "They have received the message." He pointed to the vast desert behind him. "They are coming for the prince."

Bakura's eyes widened. He expected the Pharaoh to choose the Items over his son. Guess he was wrong. "Get the prince ready." He barked. "The trading will begin."

...
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7

...

The Pharaoh, together with the priests and a few guards, raced through the desert heading for the place where they will 'negotiate' with the Thief King…

The Center Oasis… found in the middle of the desert, directly under the North Star.

"They should be here any minute now"

Bakura and his cronies were already there, waiting at the oasis. They were all wearing serious expressions. Their eyes, on high alert, were looking out into the endless sand dunes, preparing themselves to receive a visit from the all powerful Pharaoh Aknamkanon.

Behind them, tied onto a date palm's trunk, was Atem, unconscious and bleeding from the constant beatings he endured from his captors.

The prince opened his eyes and started to look around but found it difficult. He found his hands directly in front of him shackled, one in front of the other, in a piece of metal that was locked onto his neck while the opposite end latched onto the date palm's trunk. He was positioned as if playing a flute.

"Good evening, Your Shortness, did you have a good sleep?" Bakura inquired in a tone of mock sympathy.

But he was never answered...

The early evening silence was suddenly broken by the sound of galloping horses, getting louder by the second until the thieves identified the riders.

"Well, well, well, it looks like the great pharaoh has arrived right on time…" Bakura scoffed as he turned away from the prince to look at the magnificent white horse and its royal rider leading the galloping herd, drawing closer towards them.

Atem looked towards his rescuers, relieved at the sight of familiar faces that he loved and trusted.

...
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8

...

The horses came to a halt. Both parties just stared at each other for a while, searching for what and who they came for.

But that of the Pharaoh was the first to break the silence.

"YOU MONSTERS." Mana shrieked upon seeing the prince behind the thieves, broken, bleeding, but still defiant. She wanted to charge at them but was held back by her tutor and half-brother Mahaad.

"We are dealing with monsters, Mana." He said, voice barely controllable. "We will get our chance."

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!"

Seto and the others jumped as Aknamkanon retorted. His hands were clenched into shaking fists. His dark amethyst eyes, filled with burning rage, were locked on Bakura. They had never seen him this angry before.

Bakura just smirked at the rage filled pharaoh. "We just played a little game, My King… Now hand over the Millennium Items or I'll gut him like a pig" Bakura hissed as he casually went to Atem and pressed a sharp dagger onto the prince's already bleeding abdomen.

Atem yelped in pain as he felt the dagger slowly reopening his wounded abdomen. Bakura smirked again as he noticed the Pharaoh backing down.

"Why… Why of all the riches we own… you choose the Millennium Items?" Aknamkanon inquired. He tried to keep his voice down, fearing that upsetting the thief might cost him his son's life.

"That is none of your business, My King" Bakura sneered as he gripped Atem by his hair and pressed the dagger under the prince's jaw. "HAND OVER THE ITEMS NOW" the Thief King retorted as he tightened his grip on Atem and pressed the tip of his dagger deeper under the prince's jaw.

Aknamkanon looked at his ministers behind him. They all nodded at him, understanding what his gaze meant. He nodded back and then started gathering the Millennium Items as the ministers huddled around him, handing them over.

"FATHER…" Atem cried, seeing his father about to give away such great power to Bakura just to save him… "NO"

"A wise choice, My King." Bakura stated as he calmed down and started to unhook the latched end of Atem's shackles from the tree trunk. "It's good to know that the Great Pharaoh is willing to do anything just to save his son… …" He stared at his cronies, giving them silent orders through his gaze. They stepped back to let their master pass while dragging the bloodied and beaten prince.

Unknown to the thieves, Mahaad and Seto were right behind them, hiding behind the palm trees of the oasis as a part of the Pharaoh's plan.

When the ministers handed the Millennium Items to the Pharaoh, they huddled together, giving Mahaad enough cover to use a Dimension Hole spell, transporting him and Seto right behind the thieves. The plan was a success as Mahaad's illusion spell hid their disappearing act from the thieves.

"Now let's wait for the signal…" Mahaad whispered as he and Seto got ready for the risky rescue attempt…

...
...

9

...

Aknamkanon slowly approached Bakura, while carrying the bag filled with the Millenium Items.

"Thief King, the seven treasures are inside this bag. Now…. GIVE ME MY SON BACK" Aknamkanon boomed while showing the shimmering contents of the bag, a few meters away, to Bakura, hoping that the thief king would fall into his trap…

"How will I know that those are not fakes?" Bakura demanded while stepping back as he regained his previous suspicious impressions.

"Why don't you just see for yourselves…" Aknamkanon replied nonchalantly as he threw the bag of Millennium Items to the ground a few meters from Bakura…

The Millennium Items emitted a dark aura, which was all the proof Bakura and his pals needed. Their eyes sparkled with greed as they all rushed towards the bag, completely dropping their guard and their hostage.

"NOW… MAHAAD, SETO" Aknamkanon retorted as he used his magic to retrieve the Millenium Items before the thieves could even touch it while the ministers and the guards charged at the thieves.

"WHAT THE…" Bakura stammered as he realized the big mistake he just made. "FOOLS, IT'S A TRAP. GET THE PRINCE AND GUT HIM" He glared at the pharaoh."YOU JUST MADE A BIG MISTAKE, PHARAOH"

Bakura's cronies ran back towards their dropped hostage. They were shocked to see that two of the ministers were already there, ready to defend the prince with their lives.

"How did you…. Weren't you back there?" Sakit stammered as fear gripped him and his pals.

"The classic illusion and portal combo spell." Mahaad replied. He was standing in front of Seto, who was removing the limp prince's restraints. He then fired a ball of black energy at Bakura's cronies. The attack blasted the thieves off their feet.

He was about to fire another energy ball towards the thieves, but to his surprise, a giant, demonic hand came out of the shadows and knocked him to the ground. He gasped as he saw a giant demon right in front of him, about to fire a ball of golden energy.

He barely managed to escape the demon's blast that shook the very ground he and the others were standing on. "WHAT IS THAT THING?"

"Ladies and gentlemen… Allow me to introduce you to my Ka…DIABOUND" Bakura announced as the Pharaoh and his subjects stared at the demon. "I was planning to let him make his first appearance later but things did not go according to plan as expected so now… DIABOUND, HELICAL SHOCKWAVE"

Diabound launched its attack at the Prince and the two ministers.

"MAHAAD….TAKE THE PRINCE" Seto shouted as he pushed the limp prince onto Mahaad. "I'LL DEAL WITH THIS MONSTROSITY FOR HURTING MY COUSIN!"

Mahaad knew better than to argue with a seriously angered Seto. He got the prince and used another portal spell, reappearing at a place outside the demon's range…

As the ball of energy was heading towards him, Seto used a Mirror Force charm to send back the demon's attack. The force of the two colliding magic struck the demon down and knocked Seto unconscious.

Diabound got back up and was about to fire another attack at the unconscious guardian when a Raigeki spell hit it from behind, making it miss its target.

Bakura clutched his chest in pain as Diabound was bombarded with attacks.

The Pharaoh and the other guardians were attacking Diabound nonstop with their magic while Mana was using her magic to aid the royal guards in fighting the thieves.

Bakura looked behind him and saw Seto being dragged by Mahaad away from the battle field while supporting the injured prince. He then got back up on his horse and rushed towards the trio, brandishing a machete from his belt.

"If only my portal spell was strong enough… but unfortunately, it isn't capable of long distance teleporting...and… I can't use it when I'm carrying someone heavy and unconscious…" Mahaad muttered, referring his complaints to the unconscious guardian he was attempting to lift up with one hand. While he was securing Seto on his back, Atem saw Bakura coming towards them with the sharp weapon glistening under the moonlight.

"MAHAAD… BEHIND YOU" Atem screamed as loud as he could as the Thief King neared them. Using every bit of strength he has left, he tackled Mahaad to save him from the machete that almost beheaded him.

All three of them hit the ground as Bakura passed them. "…Almost had it…" Bakura grumbled as he forced his horse to go back towards the trio. He raised his machete once more. "This time, I won't miss…"

Bakura rushed back towards the prince, who was too weak to even stand up. As Bakura neared him, his lioness pounced out of nowhere and landed on top of Bakura, knocking him off his horse.

He struggled with the lioness as it clawed on his face. But before the beast could launch a lethal bite, an arrow shot out of the night, hitting her front leg. She roared in pain and Bakura took this as a chance to escape. Using his machete, he threw the big cat off of him and resumed charging at the prince.

Atem braced himself for the impact, thinking that this was his end, but he felt someone grab him and then saw spells that sent Bakura flying. He looked up and saw Mahaad holding him as he and the now conscious Seto continued bombarding the Thief King with spells.

Right behind the trio, Sakit was aiming his second arrow straight at the prince. Before he could launch his arrow, he was shot by a blinding light from behind. The light caught the corner of the trio's eyes. They looked behind them to see Sakit falling face forward.

The Pharaoh was standing, hand outstretched, a few meters behind the fallen thief. He then rushed towards Atem, Seto, and Mahaad.

"FATHER" exclaimed Atem weakly as he felt his father's crushing embrace. "I can't believe all of you did this just to save me…"

"That is sooo sweet…. I think I'm about to cry…"

Aknamkanon and the other three stared at the Thief King, who got back up on his feet.

Bakura smirked at them. "I'm done toying with all of you… Now… Diabound, GATHER AS MUCH ENERGY FROM THE DARKNESS AND DESTROY THEM ALL"

The demon did as its master commanded. It started to emit a dark aura. Before the Pharaoh or anyone else could stop it the demon unleashed its power, knocking everyone down.

"Now… Diabound, squeeze the life out of that blasted pharaoh…." Bakura scoffed as he watched the others struggling to get back up.

"No…." Atem moaned as he watched Diabound about to take hold of his father. "Father….."

As he was struggling to get up, a blinding light emitted from him.

"What's this?" Bakura stammered as he watched the tri colored light, coming from the prince, engulf his surroundings in a red, blue, and golden flash. He suddenly felt white hot pain stabbing through his chest. "What's going on?" He yelped while clutching himself in pain

The others also stared in awe as they watched the red, blue, and golden light emitting from the prince…

When the lights faded, Aknamkanon and his allies were surprised to find Bakura's cronies unconscious and Diabound out of sight…

Thinking that now was not the best time for questions, they all rushed towards Atem and the two guardians

"ATEM….ATEM…" Mana shouted as she ran towards her best friend. "I really missed you… We all did…. How did you do that?... Anyway, we were all so worried about the horrible things the thief king did to you…" She gave Atem her signature greeting hug, making Mahaad pull her away from him.

"Atem… I…How…Are you alright?" Aknamkanon stammered as anxiety scrambled what he was planning to say. Instead of struggling with vocabulary, he settled for a hug "I guess it is safe to say that whatever magic you used proved to be useful… I was worried sick about you…" He sighed "I'm sorry I let this happen…"

"It's not your fault, Father." Atem replied weakly, forcing a smile on his pained face. "I'm sorry that I made you guys worry"

"Has anybody seen the Thief King?" Shada inquired while looking around. The others also started to look around for any sign of the Thief King.

"… He must've escaped while we were aiding the prince" Seto grumbled grudgingly. "He could be anywhere by now."

"We will deal with that later. Right now, Atem needs medical attention…" Aknamkanon stated quietly as he gently lifted Atem up in his arms. "I'll make sure that this will never happen again."

Atem smiled at his father before everything went black as he drifted into the world of the unconscious once more.

...
...

10

...

Atem woke up, surprised to find himself back in his room.

Was that just a dream?

He found himself too exhausted to move. He made quite a great effort to look at himself, covered in bandages.

That wasn't a dream…

He curled up and closed his eyes as he shivered upon recalling the horrible events that happened not too long ago…..

What have I done to deserve something as low and as vile as that…..that….

Atem shook his head, trying to vanquish the horrible memory, and opened his eyes. Looking around, he saw Mana sitting in a chair at the edge of his bed. Her face was buried in her folded arms that were resting at his bedside. He smiled weakly.

She must've been really worried…

He felt something nuzzling his arm. He looked to his right and saw his lioness, paws up, on his bedside with a bandaged leg and chest, staring at him while purring. He then felt his fennec licking his cheek.

The presence of his pets made him feel safe. And so did Mana and the others.

He stared around his room, testing whether he could move his neck comfortably. He saw Mahaad sitting in a chair right next to his bed, fast asleep. He also saw Seto sleeping in another chair near the balcony, where he was dragged by the Thief King.

He sighed. He never imagined something like that to happen to him. True he was being trained for assaults like this. But whether prepared or not, it was still frightening.

Before he could further delve into what he planned on hiding, a presence interrupted him.

"Good Morning, Son. Did you have a good sleep?"

He smiled as he turned to face his father, who came in and sat at the edge of his bed.

"Hm… Those three…" Aknamkanon whispered as he watched Seto, Mahaad, and Mana while patting the lioness. "They insisted on staying with you for the night since the Thief King is still out there…" He sighed before he continued. "Your protection will be doubled…I can't risk anything like this to ever happen again"

"I understand, Father…" Atem calmly agreed. His smile faded upon hearing his father's sad tone and the doubled protection.

"Don't worry it's not gonna be that bad…" The Pharaoh stated in a playful tone as he noticed his son's sad face. "I promise… once you have fully recovered, we will have some father and son quality time… just you and me…"

Atem's face lit up with excitement. He then felt his father embracing him.

"I knew that would cheer you up…" Aknamkanon whispered as he felt his son returning the hug.

Right outside the prince's quarters, Akunadin was deep in thought, his Millennium Eye glowing darkly as it took over his mind.

So…Close…

All that hard work….

To get rid of the Pharaoh's heir….

Failed….

It took so much trouble…

to help that thief get in here….

Guess I have to make another plan…

With that thought in mind, he walked off towards his quarters…

Atem sighed after his father released him from a good hug.

"I will leave for a while." The Pharaoh said. "I still have some business to take care of. I hope you understand."

To his relief, Atem nodded. With that he left, leaving his son alone with his sleeping companions.

He curled up tighter in his blankets, careful not to cause pain to his injuries. Once sure that his father was gone and that his companions were deep in sleep, he wept.

Two days have passed since he was taken by Bakura….

Those two days were filled with pain and torture…. Probably the worst he experienced in his young life…

To which he planned on keeping quiet...

Now it was a memory…

An awful memory…

that will haunt him for the rest of his existence….

For it was one….

horrible….

nightmare experience…

END