Look At The Stars, Yugi

That night, Atem, Wile E., and the kids walked home. Atem was in the front, Yugi and Tea were in the back still hanging their heads in shame, and Wile E. was in the middle looking at Yugi.

They finally stopped when they were about half way to the palace. Atem sat down on a nearby boulder and sternly called out, "Wile E.?" causing said coyote to shake a little.

Wile E. nervously approached Atem, looked at him, and asked, "Yes, sire?"

"Take Tea home." Atem sternly said, then turned his head around a bit and continued, "I need to teach my son a lesson."

Suspecting something bad, Yugi crouched down low into the grass in an attempt to hide from his father. Wile E. walked over to the kids and sat down, facing Tea.

"Come along, Tea." Wile E. said, then turned to Yugi and put his hands on Yugi's shoulders, saying, "Yugi..." the coyote gave a heavy sigh and finished, "...Good luck."

With that, Wile E. and Tea left. While they were walking away, Tea looked back to Yugi worriedly. Yugi was really nervous and gulped.

"Yugi!" Atem shouted sternly, not looking at his son.

Yugi gulped again and slowly turned and walked towards his father. Yugi felt really bad about what he did earlier. As he walked, Yugi felt himself step into something deep. When he looked down he saw that he stepped in his father's footprint. Seeing this mae Yugi remember how small and young he really is, compared to his father. He looked up and, courageously, continued to come forward.

When Yugi finally reached Atem's side, he sat down next to him on the boulder. Atem thought silently for a few moments, not even looking at his son.

Then finally, he turned to Yugi and said, "I'm very disappointed in you, Yugi."

Yugi held his head down and very quietly and sadly responded, "I know."

"You could've been killed." Atem continued, "You deliberately disobeyed me. And what's worse, you put Tea's life at risk!"

Yugi nearly cried as he said, "I...I was just trying to be brave like you."

Atem's eyes softened as he understood now and explained, "I'm only brave when I have to be. Yugi...being brave doesn't mean that you go looking for trouble."

Yugi sniffe and replied, "But you're not scared of anything."

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">Atem sighed and told his son, "I was today."

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">"You were?" Yugi asked in disbelief.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">"Yes..." Atem said with a nod. He then bent down close to Yugi and said, "I thought I might lose you."

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">"Oh. I guess even kings get scared, huh?" Yugi asked, lightening slightly.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">"Mm-hmm." Atem answered with a nod.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">Yugi then got really close to his father and whispered, "But you know what?"

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">"What?" Atem whispered back.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">"I think those villains were even more scared." Yugi finished.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">Atem gently laughed and reached for Yugi while saying, "That's because nobody messes with your dad. Come here, you." Atem grabbed Yugi and began to give him a noogie.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">Yugi tried to escape while saying, "Oh no, no...Aaagh! Errrggh!"

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">Atem eventually let go of Yugi and started running from him, laughing.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">"Hey, come back here..." Yugi said as he ran after his father. He then tackled him, shouting, "Ha! Gotcha!"

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">Atem and Yugi wrestled for a bit. Then they stopped and Yugi was on top of Atem, both of them laughing.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">"Dad?" Yugi asked.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">"Hmmm?" Atem asked, looking at his son.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">"We're friends, right?" Yugi asked with a smile.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">"Right." Atem answered with a gentle laugh.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">"And we'll always be together, right?" Yugi asked hopefully.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">Atem sat up, pulled Yugi close to him, and said, "Yugi...I'm going to tell you something that my father told me..." Atem then looked up to the sky and told him, "Look at the stars." Yugi did so as Atem continued, "The great rulers of the past look down on us from those stars."

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">"Really?" Yugi asked in awe.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">"Yes..." Atem answered, "So whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings and queens will always be there to guide you..." Atem then looked at Yugi with a smile as he finished, "And so will I." <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana;line-height:16px;">Yugi smiled at these words. He was happy because he knew that his father would always be with him...No matter what.