Blackness.

Silence.

Groundless.

The small spirit drifted through the boundless fog. Weak from the abuse of his Master, he awaited the inevitable oblivion. Time held no importance; the spirit decided three thousand years could not appease his crimes. He deserved this and non-existence was his penance for all the harm he caused.

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Shining.

The spirit opened his eyes, not aware he closed them, to see…light!

His mouth opened and closed. The light came closer and the spirit's limbs screamed in pain. The blackness wanted to keep its prisoner, but if this light…..

"Akefia," said a male voice. It was familiar, but he knew he never heard it before; the light brightened expelling the darkness from Akefia's limbs. His eyes burned from the illumination and he would not stray away. He wanted the light, wanted it to envelope him.

The light shaped itself. The form that came out was a man; he had a white robe with trousers and two golden wings. He also carried a bow and arrows. His face was young, despite the dirty blond beard, and he was broad and muscled as Akefia.

"Akefia, I am Memphis. Grab my hand and the evil that controlled you will be left behind."

He did. Then Memphis rose as the darkness screeched from his light.

The black rippled away into white and then colors appeared. Akefia's senses returned. His mouth opened only for him to laugh. He laughed. He laughed and laughed.

"Your home," said Memphis.

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The people had been expecting him from another Angel, a woman named Fatima. Akefia walked through the huddle of houses. His people did not approach, a trait of thieves. Memphis followed behind staying a distance. He went through the streets. Everything was there, as he remembered. Some of the children he played with as a child stared at him in awe; the Little Thief Prince had returned.

He came to one house in particular, he hesitated but knocked. A boy, seven years of age, answered. His hair went past his waist and his eyes were bright amber, unusual for Khemet natives.

"Jabari."

"A-akefia," the boy's lips quivered.

"Yes, it's me old friend."

Jabari swiftly hugged Akefia's torso and trembled as his friend, younger by two years, picked him up.

"I missed you," Jabari said.

"I know so did I."

They hugged for a bit then Akefia put him down.

"Crying does not suit a thief," he said as he wiped Jabari's tears. "Come with me. I need someone brave to help me."

Jabari smiled. "You always needed me for heists."

"Yeah, I did."

They walked hand in hand to the last house in the village. It was larger than the others with a quaint garden out front. The windows had drapes of red silk and the door was made of fine wood. Akefia gripped Jabari's hand. Behind them Memphis walked up faster. He stopped at the door and knocked three times. The two friends halted. The door creaked to reveal three people.

The first out was a woman with dark skin and bleached hair, her eyes the same as her son. She wore a blue dress with an ankh hanging from her neck.

"Akefia," she breathed.

"Mother," he shook as the woman came closer.

Another woman came out. Her hair was off-white, and her skin lighter. She had a simple cream dress and her eyes were hazel. She came close too, staring at the man.

"You were shorter."

"I've….grown sister."

She nodded.

"Khepri," said the man. He had tired green eyes and grey-white hair as his son. His beard went down to his chest and he carried much weight on him. He wore a brown robe.

"Khepri, he won't disappear," his voice sounded trance-like and the tired eyes widened. He was the first to embrace his son.

"Father."

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The table was set with bowls of fruit for the inhabitants. Khepri got another for Jabari. Memphis politely refused. They sat in quiet, the clinks of the spoons and sipping of wine the only sounds. Akefia glanced at his father, Madu, the leader of the thieves. He was the "King of Thieves" long before Akefia was born. When Madu met Khepri was the beginning of the thief village. They had developed a rest place and home for the outcasts of Khemet .

He looked at his sister, Lapis. Last memory he had of her was when the palace guards ravaged the village and she led them away after hiding him. Lapis glanced up too and grinned sweetly. He then turned to the man next to his sister, her husband, Ishaq. They were married for a week before Aknaden came and destroyed everything.

Akefia looked at his bowl. He would never feel hungry or tired; doing these activities was to pass time. Time. He could see when the sun rose and fell, skies darkened then shone with the clouds floating by, the weather's slight change.

He was free. Akefia was free from that demon.

Memphis asked to see him outside. Akefia obliged.

"I need to tell you this before I leave. The reason you were spared from Zork's demise is because of the life you had. True, you are not a complete innocent and what you did before letting that demon inside you was of your own freewill, although that was also survival. Akefia, despite the crimes you've committed, you have compassion for others. Even as a thief you cared and the final piece of your salvation was the boy, Ryou, who you saved from the demon's clutches."

"Wait," he said confused, "Ryou… that boy is saved. I-I thought after Zork…he had the boy's soul in his hand. I saw it."

"Yes, but that was a trick. He still needed your conscious. You rescued Ryou from being Zork's pawn; you also help him while he was the bearer of the ring. Akefia," Memphis put his hand on the man's shoulder, "do not think yourself a demon. Despite your foibles, you did what was right. Now, go back in and be with your family. They've waited a long time for you."

Ten days later (Limbo time)

Akefia wandered in the caverns. His senses alert for the next irregularity. He stopped. A soft padding came from his left. Stealthily, he hid behind some of the stalagmites. The padding was swift but nothing outran the Thief King.

"Gotcha!"

"No," Jabari wiggled out of the man's grasp. "Not fair. You said you were the same as before, Prince."

"Warrior," Akefia smirked, "I am. In personality. As a thief I have surpassed all others in this village."

Jabari stuck out his tongue.

"Go along, that's the last game for the day."

Jabari stood his ground, tapping his foot. Akefia could not help but imagine Lapis standing there; he burst out with fits of snickers.

"What!"

"You look like my sister. Jabari, don't make that stance."

"When will you tell me?"

"Huh."

Jabari pursed his lips and wrinkled his nose, "About your time in the ring? You promised you would after a few days. It's been ten."

"And?"

"Akefia! I wanna know about the living. I wanna know what people are like and if kids still play steal the ball. Why won't you tell me?"

Akefia balled his fists. He swallowed and glared at Jarabi, hoping to scare his friend. The boy stood tall and defiant as he did in life.

"Go home," he said coldly.

"A—"

"NO! I said leave. Do it or I swear I will give you the beating of the afterlife!"

Jabari faltered as Akefia kept his aloof anger. The boy opened his mouth, but left with his head down.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I can't tell anyone what I've done."

His mother had told him that they watched his life from the pools. Her eyes were haunted telling him that she saw his wrongdoings, as she put them, but she understood the reason behind that; his father then went on to say after he had "died" the first time, they could not find him. Akefia decided then and there his mother no longer needed more of his ghosts. Jabari did not want to know the horrible things he let the demon do to that boy in life.

"I…wonder how he is."

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The viewing pool was the village's old well. Akefia frequented it after the first day. He saw the duel between the puzzle's vessel and Pharaoh. He was impressed by the boy that defeated the King. He also saw the bearer of the ring.

During his time as a spirit he watched the boy grow; he was so weak. Akefia remembered humming him lullabies to help him sleep and granting wishes, real ones, like his flower blooming for Mother's Day. Despite the boy's frailty, he became an astounding young man; although, the demon noticed his growth too, after that he started to take over and Akefia found himself in a cell.

He heard the boy screaming and thrashing from his cell. His conscious only came out so few times, when it did, he was grateful. The last encounter he had with small control was at Battle City, as the boy kneeled on the ground in pain, his arm cut and bleeding. He knew what was going and kept the act with that drop out tomb keeper.

The well came in sight and Akefia stretched before positioning himself at the edge. He concentrated on chocolate brown. Soon enough an image of the boy with the puzzle bearer came into view. He noticed that he spent most of his time with that one; the others were somewhere else, except for the rod holder's doppelganger and his brother. They sat playing a game of sorts. The board had a track with multiple colors and the game pieces were odd objects. They also seemed to be exchanging money.

"Strange."

"Excuse me?"

He turned to see an Angel he had not met. She had red hair and her clothes looked similar to what his Ry…the boy was wearing.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Bathsheba, Second in Command of Limbo's Khemet. I need you to meet someone."

"Who exactly?"

"You'll know. Over there is a horse and your sister and brother-in-law waiting for you. See ya."

She vanished.

Akefia turned and splashed the water destroying the image.

"I'll see you tomorrow."