The present…..

Tanith opened her eyes and rubbed them then took in her surroundings. The room was empty once more. Her neck hurt and was stiff. Her head was mostly clear, just enough to rattle the camera/gun pointed at her once again.

She sat up and was glad her captor wasn't around, let alone holding her. She looked around the room. Gray sofa sitting near the door in front of a television. A table full of books she thought of buying to read at one time.

Tanith climbed unsteadily to her feet and walked into the sitting room collapsing into the couch when her legs gave out.

"What in Ra's name are you pumping into me guy?" she muttered snatching up the remote and clicking on the TV. She began cycling through talk shows, golden age sitcoms, and lousy soap operas before turning the TV off and tossing the remote aside.

She looked up and spied a security camera sitting in the corner across from her. She glared up at it and gave it the finger.

"You know staring at me is going to get old pal. I'm not doing anything of interest…yet."

Inside his room, sitting in the darkened room not far away the figure of Tanith's abductor smiled. He watched her kick the back of the TV off and fall of her butt with a laugh. Then saw her reach in and take out pieces to tinker with.

On another screen, the feed into her room he saw her cautiously creep up to the camera and smash it on the dresser. He pouted and watched her drag the pieces back into the living room where she began tinkering.

"What are you up to my dear?"

After a moment he spied something that perked his interest: a picture of him looking at her. He smiled and silently applauded her.

"Very smart, very smart."

She looked up at the remaining camera and wave then pointed at the TV with a vicious grin. Then she flipped him off again and staggered back toward the bed. Things began to shake and clatter. Through the camera he saw cracks begin to form in the walls and he began to feel a sliver of true fear.

"Stay calm." She whispered to herself. "Picture the setting sun on the village below the palace. The sweet smell of incense in the temple of Ra."

Tanith suddenly collapsed on the floor amidst the shaking books, the rattling dresser. She shut her eyes and tried to picture again the peaceful settings she dreamt about. The sweet smell of lavender and musk. The cool breezes off the Nile.

But pain also began creeping up on her among the memories. First it was throbbing then a stabbing pain. She whimpered and curled up in a ball. Then quietly began crying.

It's too much! It hurts! Ra stop the pain, I beg of you!

Distantly she heard the door slam open, adding to her pain and suddenly found herself in warm firm arms. Then they were walking and then felt the cool covers of the bed beneath her as the person gently laid her down.

"Hold on." He whispered and rushed away leaving the door open in his rush.

Tanith opened her eyes a crack and noticed this, then all pain filled thoughts were on escape. She rolled off the bed onto her knees, sending a fresh wave of pain through her and began crawling toward the door.

Around her things again began to rattle as she inched toward the door. Inches. One inch followed by another painful inch. She gasped as she dug her nails into the carpet to afford her more precious inches and finally made her way to the door.

Her vision began to turn red and blood began to seep from her nose, dripping on the cream carpet. She did not spare the red droplets a glance and slid her body outside the door.

She laughed and crawled faster, dripping blood on the carpet outside. Thoughts of freedom began to make their way through the pain. The sight of her friends. The pain. Bakura. The pain. How much she was going to make her kidnapper pay. The pain…

Suddenly she found herself whipped up into the air in someone's arms. She let out a cry as they carried her back into her prison.

"NO!!!" she screamed and began to cry in his arms. He cradled her body close and joined in shaken by sobs.

"Please stay." He kept whispering over and over. "Please don't die."

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

They were all in the middle of a duel at Yugi's to kill time and get ideas when Bakura cried out in pain. First he was making some sarcastic remark to Yami then he was on his knees in pain.

"She's…hurting. Oh Ra she's hurting!" Bakura gasped as everyone went to his side, cards lying forgotten.

"What's wrong? Bakura!" Ryou cried shoving everyone aside to get to his yami. Yugi's shoved him back and helped Bakura to the couch.

"Can you see where's she's at?" Yami demanded as Joey ran for a cold washcloth.

"If I could I would be there." Bakura snapped and squeezed his eyes shut. Joey came back and laid the cloth over Bakura's eyes. He breathed a sigh of medium relief.

"What do you know." Yami asked.

"She's upset..and hurting a lot. She used her power too much and..she feels strange. Like she's drugged."

"Kaiba can dope people up if he wants." Joey said to his friends.

"Kaiba wouldn't do that just to get Tanith." Tristan retorted.

"Well who else could do that to the poor girl?" Tea replied.

"Shhh, listen." Yugi told his friends.

"I'm going to try something." Bakura said all of a sudden. He focused on the faint pathway that he once explore before and found himself again in the room draped in burgundy silk and shadows. Inside the room a table was set for two lit only by two candles

"Tanith?" Bakura whispered.

"It's the King of Bandits." Someone familiar whispered. "King Bakura of Kuruelna. Has Am-mit

found you yet tomb robber."

Bakura spun and searched for the voice in the shadows. "Who are you!"

"You called me Princess and I called you King. Who do you think I am."

"An intruder inside Tanith's mind."

The voice chuckled, "An intruder, he says. No Bakura of Kuruelna, I've always been here. Dreaming, remembering."

"Where's Tanith?" he demanded.

"Shhhh, not so loud. We are in pain, you feel it as well through our bond. Our bond we forged over a millennia ago. So long ago."

Bakura frowned and asked quieter, "Who are you?"

"A little girl who survived a slaughter. One who was a secret keeper and loved by Master. Do you not remember Bakura? The day we stole from the people and then from the dead."

"No."

"I am Tanith of Kuruelna." The voice whispered. "It was not coincident that Tanith Rivencroft shared a similar past as you. It was not coincident that she and you met. It was destiny."

A girl appeared dressed in a dark blue shift of silk edged with pale lavender. She had Tanith's blood red hair flowing freely down her back. Her eyes were the same lapis blue as Tanith's. In every way she looked like Tanith, with the exception of the clothes.

"You!" Bakura whispered.

She smiled, "Me."

"I remember now."

"And soon my reincarnation will too. Then we will be…one I guess. Tanith Rivencroft will remember all the life she led as Tanith of Kuruelna."

"Even…?"

"Even how we died." She paused. "It's almost time Bakura but before I join Tanith finally, I want to tell you something. Something important."

"What is it?"

"The one who holds us. You know him, you battled him. It's…" her form began to waver and she sobbed. "Beware of the two faced boy!"

And then she vanished and Bakura's eyes snapped open with a gasp.

"What happened?" everyone demanded at once.

"I saw her, I know why!" he gasped sitting up and ripping the wash cloth from his face. "She's from ancient Egypt, from my home no less."

"Know what?" Yugi asked.

"Who's from ancient Egypt?" Ryou demanded.

"You had a home?" Joey inquired. Bakura shot him a dirty look and looked ready to send him to the Shadow Realm but Yami intervened.

"What did you do?"

"I went into Tanith's soul room." Bakura replied.

"I thought you could only do that if they were wearing the Millennium Ring." Yugi argued. Bakura shook his head.

"Because of our connection, me and Tanith's, I can go anytime. Feel what she feels." He revealed. "Like her pain now."

"What connection and what does ancient Egypt have to do with anything?" Tristan demanded.

"When I was a teenager, I met a girl who could move things just like Tanith. In fact it was Tanith. She and I were the only survivors of our village, the one yami's father destroyed."

"How many times do I have to tell you, he didn't do it!" Yami snapped.

"He did too and when we get Tanith back I can prove it!"

"Guys! Back to Tanith…?" Tea said before another word could be said.

"The reason why I have a body is the connection we have and the magic of the shadow realm." Bakura turned to Yami. "Yours must have come from the power feed back."

"She did say sorry about that, like she did something." Yugi said faintly.

"She, the old Tanith, said something that puzzles me." Bakura said with a frown. "Beware of the two faced boy…"

"If I didn't know any better I'd swear she was talking about me or Yugi. But we're not two faced anymore, Yami and you have your own bodies." Ryou said.

Suddenly it hit Bakura and everything came into place. Bakura has met him and he was two faced.

"And you said he liked me, Bakura."

"Well who else could do that to the poor girl?"

"You know, under all that dirt and grime, you're actually rather attractive."

"Ryou's been drugged."

"I think it'd be safe to assume he's got a dinner party for two set up in Ryou's room"

"He's trying to pick you up!"

"We had so much fun he didn't want me to leave."

"I'm going to kill him!"