"Get back here you little imp!"

Tanith laughed as she dashed ahead of the brown hair, blue eye priest that chased her. She dashed past the throne room where the Pharaoh spied the thirteen-year-old and then the young priest behind her. He chuckled and resumed his business with his advisor, Simon.

"You're not going to get away with dropping that water bag on me!"

Tanith laughed at her friend, Seto, who was dripping water on the valuable rugs with every step he took while she still eluded his capture. She knew if her master caught her and the other teenager playing like this it would be her that'd be in trouble.

"Do not befriend Seto." He told her time and time again in the eight years she had been with him. "He has a greater destiny than you."

Looking back at the saturated boy behind her, Tanith couldn't tell any difference between her and him. But she knew…

"Catch me first, preach later!" she shouted back to him cutting past another priest and his solemn pupil. With a devious gleam to her blue eyes, Tanith used her telekinetic abilities and shoved the two into Seto's path. All three landed in a bundle of limbs and cries, just what she wanted. She stopped to gloat.

"Oh no, Master's favorite fall down and go boom."

Seto glared at her as he rose to his feet, "When I learn how you do that…"

Tanith laughed, "If the High Priest of the Pharaoh can't figure it out, I doubt you could either."

He roared and tackled her to the ground…or tried to. When Seto did attempt to tackle the smug and smaller girl all that happened was him left dangling up in the air mere inches from his target.

"Got to think faster, Priest Seto." Tanith said with a giggle. In front of her, Seto's eyes got round and then someone roared behind Tanith.

"What are you doing!"

The girl spun around, dropping her friend on his face to become face to face with her Master, High Priest Akunadin.

"We were—er I mean…" she sputtered under the elder man's angry glare. He roughly took her arm and dragged her down the hall, found a deserted room and flung her into a corner.

"What have I told you." Akunadin demanded.

Tanith lowered her gaze and replied, "Never play with Seto. He has a higher destiny than I. He must prepare for that destiny and that destiny has no room for childish games."

"And why were you disrupting things?" he asked, "Don't you want Seto to succeed in life? Don't you want him to take my place?"

"I do!" Tanith cried jerking her gaze up to her master's face. "I want him to succeed in your plans for him but I don't understand why it has to be the way you say! Why can't you tell him who you really are? Why can't I be friends with your son? Why can't—"

Akunadin held up a hand and was silent, "No more whys, little Tanith. I've told you why. It is the way the gods will it."

"You just don't want him to discover that his father, you, murdered my entire village just for the sake of the kingdom. By the way Akunadin, when ya gonna tell the pharaoh what you did."

Akunadin's face fell and Tanith continued brutally, "Oh great pharaoh, brother, forgive me but for you and the kingdom I killed an entire village to make the tools we use to battle our evil enemies. Did you think I didn't know what you did with my home?! My family!"

Tears began to run down Tanith's face, "Why did you spare me and no one else? Why did you raise me as you should have raised Seto? He deserves you more than a thief's daughter."

Akunadin sighed, walked over and placed an arm around her, "A thief's daughter or not, Tanith, you and I were meant to cross paths. You are the light to the shadows of my deeds. You give this old man a reason to bear the weight of his sorrows."

She smiled a little, she knew this speech well. "Because we are together, we are never alone in this world. Yes master."

He chuckled and tweaked her nose, "Now be a good girl, apologize to Seto for your little prank and go play."

Tanith busted up laughing, "I'll apologize but I won't regret it."

*****************************************

The city surrounding the grand palace was full of wonders just as amazing as the sights inside the grand palace. Tanith found the simple things like a snake charmer, a man selling his wears, and children playing in the streets far greater than what she saw at home. With her red hair covered by a simple white shawl that matched her linen shift, she could view everything as just another face in the crowd

Suddenly the cry of thief shattered the peace of the day. Tanith turned to see a white hair boy no older than her being chased by a one of the venders. In his hands, she noted, was a single loaf of bread.

Now normally, Tanith would have left things as they were but there was something… familiar about the thief. Something that made her do what she did next.

As the vender chased after the teenage thief, he suddenly was lifted in the air by an invisible force and thrown gently back into his booth, allowing the boy to get away clean. Once that was done, Tanith lifted up the boy and pulled him where she hid in the crowd.

"Let me go!" the boy shouted. In response, Tanith dumped him on his backside in front of her.

"Hello, you look familiar." She told him.

The boy rose to his feet and snorted as he dusted himself off, "I am Bakura Prince of Thieves. Most feared of Bandits."

"Listen, flaunt all you want but remember that force that dumped you here? I control that, so tell me where I have seen you before or I'll drag you back to that nice man you stole from." Tanith replied.

"Ha! Such a little girl can't control such powerful forces."

"I maybe short but I can still drop you where you stand."

Bakura laughed and summoned his Kaa monster, a demonic looking pharaoh. Tanith looked up at the monster and sighed.

"Defeat this." He told her.

"With pleasure." She replied glancing at everything around her. A barrel. People. A snake charmer. A snake charmer… Tanith smiled deviously and lifted the basket full of vipers over the boy's head.

"Tell me, do you like snakes?" she inquired before dumping the basket's contents over Bakura's head.

Bakura screamed and began throwing snakes off of himself. Tanith watched and laughed at him deflecting vipers away from her and other people in the meanwhile.

"You'll pay for that." He hissed as Tanith picked up the barrel and held it over Bakura's head with her power. People began to gawk at the scene between the two teens.

"You sic the monster on me, I drop this heavy barrel on you. Either way, you go down." Tanith replied. She cut her eyes to the crowd beginning to surround them. "We're gathering a large audience, care to take this elsewhere?"

"Where to?" Bakura asked poised and ready for anything.

Tanith smiled, "To the palace of course."

Suddenly the barrel was flung aside and Bakura slowly rose into the air. Tanith flung herself into his arms and off they flew into the sky toward the palace.

The distance was covered in half the time it took Tanith to cover by foot. She yipped and flung her arms out with a laugh. The shawl covering her hair floated away down to the ground revealing her crimson locks.

When they reached Tanith's balcony outside her room, Bakura hung onto her a little longer than was necessary and she smiled up at him.

"Who are you?" he demanded as she gently set him on his feet.

"My name is Tanith."

He roughly released her and she fell onto her backside as he began to look around her lavish room. A few things he thought would give him a good price he slipped into his pocket and went for more. All this Tanith watched with amusement.

"You know, I stole those things first." She told him.

He turned and replied, "There is no honor amongst thieves."

Tanith shrugged and used her power to pull her prizes out of his pockets and back to where they were found.

"I know where I've seen you before, Prince Bakura."

"And where is that, Princess Tanith."

"Kuruelna"

Bakura froze.

"I knew it!" She exclaimed climbing to her feet and hugging him. "We're the same! Survivors!"

"You? A survivor?" Bakura snorted. "You live in the palace, have everything you could ever desire…while I have to steal just to eat."

Tanith turned him to face her, "I am a shadow, a servant to the man who destroyed our home. I am forced to keep his secrets, forced to learn from him. I am surrounded by wealth, protected by soldiers but a prisoner still. You at least have the freedom to come and go. I have to have permission."

"So why don't you leave one day and never return."

Tanith sighed and laid her head on his shoulder, "Because my master is also my friend."

"Keep your enemies closer."

"In a way."

They were silent for a time. Then Tanith backed away and walked out onto the balcony. She gazed out upon the city below.

"I wish things were as they were at home. Mother would be baking, father would be working while brother and I would play the three cups and a marble game. I was very good for my age." She said.

"So was I."

Tanith giggled, "To survive as long as you have you'd have to be good." She sighed and turned her gaze back to the outside world.

"Thank you." He then moved behind her and whispered, "Wanna have some fun?"

She smiled, "What kind?"

"The kind that gets you into trouble."

"Does it involve stealing..?"

"Mmm, maybe."

Tanith laughed, "Master did say I could play. Let's do it!"