Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh is the intellectual property of Kazuki Takahashi, and is being used in this fanfiction for fan purposes only. No profit is being made off of the viewing and/or production of this work.All situations, opinions and characters not belonging to Kazuki Takahashi are the intellectual property of SN 1987A. However, this chapter is written by Satama, the co-writer of SN 1987 A. Historical figures and events are used here fictitiously. Spoilers from Pharaoh's Memory Arc contained; rated PG-13 for thematic content and mild violence.

I was running on the corridor chasing a swallow before I realized that it'd actually brought me to my mother – Queen Tiy's chamber. I slowed down my pace, glancing at the doorway of the chamber. Strange. No guards.

Biting my lower lips, I gave up chasing the twin-tails bird & stood still. I'd not seen my mother for a few days, since she was busy meeting several peoples, or high priests these days, locking themselves in the chamber while guards stood at the doorway, preventing any possible disturbance or interruption.

My mother's face aroused in my mind, drawing my steps towards the chamber. I tiptoed into the chamber like a curious cat, making as little noise as I could. Perhaps mother was there. I just felt like seeing her, but I didn't want to interrupt her affairs. A glance of her back, I thought, would be enough for me.

Things happened just as I wished. My eyes widened as my mother's back came into sight. She was sitting on a wooden chair & facing the balcony. It was just a moment before she sensed my presence & called me to her. I was not surprised for being discovered. Mother never missed in detecting my whereabouts ever since I was able to walk & run on my own.

Mother grinned as I rushed to her opened arms. She didn't ask why I was there as if she'd already predicted my appearance in her chamber. I didn't feel like telling her the reason too, for I didn't have any. Her falcon necklace glittered as the evening sun poured his lights on her, making her actually appeared like a goddess to me. The opened book on my mother's laps showed that she was reading just now. Was that why she dismissed the guards?

As if it were calling out for me, I picked out the book, curiously & carefully. My eyes widened in fascination as I ran through the whole book. Mother chuckled at my expression. It was such an interesting book, though I couldn't really understand its content. I didn't know why. I was drawn to it.

"Can I have this book, mother?" I asked with an overflowing enthusiasm dancing in my eyes.

"…It's not time yet, dear," Mother replied as she brushed my hair gently with her delicate fingers. I saw softness in her dark & beautiful eyes. I didn't understand why I couldn't have that book now, but since she didn't give her permission, I should obey her.

I looked up at my mother again. I might have seen it wrongly, yet as she fluttered her eyelashes, worries flashed in her eyes before they were filled with her usual gentleness again. However, I thought I saw a flicker of sadness in the diamond eyes of the falcon necklace, which my mother was wearing.

"It'll be your possession one day, or soon."

Mother…

"Prince Pentewere! "

I jolted up immediately at the voice which pronounced my name out. The images of mother, her falcon necklace, & the book vanished. It was a dream. Then I realized that I was on Kaleil's lap, who was surprised by my sudden jolt. Embarrassment climbed onto my face. I was tired out by the questioning of Brother Atem & his priests that I actually fall asleep in Kaleil's arms. I threw a guilty glance at Kaleil who then returned me with a bitter but gentle smile.

"Prince Pentewere! Kaleil!"

Oh.. So it was Futab's voice who woke me up just now.

I was asked to stay in the garden while Futab brought Kaleil to another corner of the garden. Moments before, Futab informed me that Brother Atem, seeing me in the arms of a crying Kaleil, had gone back to the palace earlier, as he didn't wish to disturb us. Futab was left in charge to take care of me & send me back to Priest Mahaado's residence later.

I stretched my arms & let my hands dangle in the air as I closed my eyes, allowing the cold evening breeze to embrace me. I took a glance at the two who seemed to be in an argument. It seemed that Futab was trying to comfort Kaleil into doing something against her wishes. Kaleil's body was shaking like a leaf in the rough wind. However, she seemed to be slightly appeased as Futab murmured something & placed both of his hands on her shoulders.

I simply stared in awe at his strong, enormous palms & angular, metallic fingers, which was gripping Kaleil's shoulder firmly. His grips reminded me of a falcon's deathly grip on its desperate prey. If he wasn't holding Kaleil but an enemy of him, I guessed his shoulder bones (the clavicles, the scapula, & the humerus) would definitely be crushed & his neck bones would be wrangled into pieces. I had almost no doubt for that. Kaleil once commented to me that Futab looked barbaric.

My bewildered imagination halted as Kaleil approached me. It seemed that they'd come into an agreement. Kaleil bent down & asked me to do her a favor. I looked at her as if she were speaking the language I would never understand. She hoped me to help fetch something for her – something which was now in my possession, something, she said, wanted by the Thief King. What thing? The falcon necklace? The incident that happened to be two days ago came back haunting my mind. Were they serious of meeting the notorious Thief King?

"But why, Kaleil?" I took a deep breath before I dared to finish my sentence. "He's… your enemy! He killed your parents!"

"I know," Kaleil scowled, half sneering. Hatred enraged in her brown eyes. "I know," She repeated in a low voice. Her look, however, scared me. "I'm just borrowing it from you, my prince."

"He deserves nothing but death." Her voice went into barely audible murmurs from then.

As I walked out of the (late) Priest Mahaado's residence holding a small, red (almost brown) box adorned with golden patterns in my hands, & accompanied by Futab himself, I began to wonder why I was doing this for Kaleil. Maybe it was due to the softness in her eyes that resembled my mother. I couldn't resist it as she pleaded me with such softness flickering in her eyes. The images of my mother came into my mind again. Kaleil's presence had actually reminded me of my mother.

Excuses were made to the people in Priest Mahaado's residence, that I was fetching something to cheer Kaleil up & I would be accompanying her for a little longer.

Soon it dawned on me that we (Futab, Kaleil, & I) were going to meet the most wanted criminal in Egypt secretly up on a stone hill in the desert outside of the city, which I once thought to be 'the edge of the world'. Futab was doing what he'd promised the Thief King at that time when I was abducted by him. However, Kaleil had a strange expression on her face. Could she's learn about the shocking truth, regarding her relationship with the Thief King, from her 'brother'?

I could have chosen not to go with them. Yet, my instinct of protecting my mother's belonging drove me into voluntary to follow them, despite Kaleil's objection & promise that she'd protect the necklace at her best. I wondered why I was so bold at that time. It was not like me at all. Maybe my growing curiosity of the outside world, which I gained from the experience days ago (though it wasn't a pleasant one), gave me a push too.

My heart thumped wildly as our horse raced out of the city. Although I rode the same horse with Kaleil, it was my first horse-riding experience. Well, I decided not to count that bumpy horse ride when I was taken by the Thief King. My body still ached at this moment, thanked to that bumpy ride. To be frank, my growing excitement & thrill actually exceeded my fear of this dangerous meeting. It was a feeling that I'd never had before when I was in the palace.

However, my excitement ceased & was gradually replaced by growing fear & anxiety as a black horse & a dark silhouette came into our sights. It was The Thief King. He'd arrived earlier than we'd expected.

The desert was bright at night as there was a full moon hanging on the sky, alone without the accompaniment of stars or clouds, making the dark sky looked almost empty & extremely lonely. The thief was standing on a higher hill with the full moon as his background. The robe of the famous thief & his long, silver white hair danced wildly in the rough wind of the desert.

If it wasn't due to the ferocious scars on his face, his evil glare & his sarcastic smirk, which were seen clearly in the moon light, I would have thought him of being the moon god.

"You're late!" The Thief King shouted as he shot his cold glare at us, actually making me shivered. "& people who keep me waiting won't live to see the next sunrise," He hissed like a provoked rattle snake, which I once read it from book, lurked as the deathliest predator in the desert.

"Thief," Futab's voice sounded as if it were from the deepest core of the night. "Ramble after you've seen whether it's worth waiting, or not."

The Thief King's eyes narrowed as Kaleil took off the robe she wore to camouflage her identity before we went out of the city. I took off mine too, but much to my dismay, I was greeted by a long bunch of insane laughers from the Thief King, as if he were looking at the funniest being in the world. His expression appealed to me that "what's a kid like him doing here?". I was annoyed by that insult & I stayed close to the trembling Kaleil, grabbing my red box even tighter.

His laughers gradually ceased as he actually noticed the thing I was holding tight to me. I really wondered how sharp his eyes could be. His eyes fixed at the box & an evil smirk weaved on his lips.

"So.. you got the thing I want huh, kid?" His voice was full of enthusiasm as he directed his horse towards us, galloping down the higher hill.

Suddenly I realized that I was not on the horse anymore. I'd lost my balance & my body was going to hit the ground. Kaleil's horse flew past me & headed towards the Thief King. I felt a sharp pain on my head. My mind went blank for a moment & I actually thought that I had fallen into total darkness.

"Your Highness!" Futab grabbed me up the horse, but he was unable to stop Kaleil from rushing towards the thief. Kaleil had actually sprung on the horse of the Great Thief.

A shriek broke the silence of the night.

Everything happened in the speed of lightning.

Two figures were struggling & rolling on the ground as the black horse of the Thief King neighed while standing at its back legs before it galloped away. Suddenly one of them was pushed out violently & landed on the hard, rocky ground with a loud thump.

"Kaleil!" Futab & I almost exclaimed at the same time as we rushed to Kaleil's aid. Kaleil's hair was messy. Her face & clothes were stained with red & sticky liquid – Was that her blood?

However, I didn't find any deep wound on her body that could caused such heavy bleeding, except some cuts & bruises she gained from the fall moments ago. I called her name for a few times but she didn't even look at me. Her eyes were fixed on the other figure that was rolling away & stopping it with his knees on the ground, keeping a safety distance from us. Hatred & anger burnt in her eyes as she threw a deathly glare at the gasping man there.

Blood was dripping from a rather long & deep cut on the Thief King's left arm. There's a dagger stabbing at his left shoulder, too.

Kaleil was trying to jump onto the thief again before Futab held her down with his strong, muscular arms. Kaleil snarled at the thief. I'd never seen her being in such fury before.

The Thief King stood up slowly. Grimacing, he gripped his left arm with his right hand, preventing more blood from streaming out. He spitted out blood that was spilled into his mouth in the previous attack as he slowly approached us.

"One step closer & you'll be sorry," Futab pulled out his curved sword & threatened. I really doubt whether the Thief King would be able to take Futab's strikes, given his current condition. He was quite badly injured, or if not, at least he was bleeding badly.

"Have you ever killed anyone… Kaleil?" The Thief King's voice was deep. I'd never heard of Kaleil's name being pronounced in such tone.

"Insult my name with your filthy lips again & you'll be dead!" Kaleil growled like a berserk lioness.

"What a mediocre.. You never kill people before?" The Thief King raised his chin & glared at Kaleil. His eyes were filled with despise & sarcasms. "I'd already witnessed big massacre & started killing people…" He continued as he laid his eyes on me. "At his age!"

He ended his sentence with high-pitched laughers.

Suddenly Kaleil loosened Futab's arms & jumped onto the Thief King again. However, Kaleil's body pinned in the atmosphere as if she were floating in the air.

"Let her go!" Futab's scowl dawned on me that Kaleil was actually being held by her neck in the air. The Thief was strangling her! She'd be suffocated soon! However, the Thief slightly loosened his grip, smirking, as if he were enjoying the look on Kaleil's twisted face.

I couldn't stand that anymore. I rushed towards the Thief King, hopped & hugged his right arm, hoping that the increased weight on his arm would lower Kaleil down & loosen his grip. I was hanging onto his right arm. Good chance. I bit his arm without hesitate.

My plan worked as The Thief growled in frustration & threw us out onto the rocky ground. To my delight, Kaleil actually shielded me from the direct impact by holding me tightly in her arms.

"Why don't you strangle me to death just now? Just like how you did to my father!" Kaleil sneered as she surrounded me with her arms. For a moment, I felt my mother's presence.

"That old thing is not your father!" The Thief's eyes widened as if Kaleil'd insulted him with that word. "But of course, I want him dead. I want the whole royal family dead!"

"& you're not my brother!"

Indeed, Kaleil knew about her real identity.

The Thief King was stunned for a moment before the desert was echoing with his insane laughers again. He stepped back. He pulled out the dagger on his left shoulder, letting out a small groan. Blood was streaming down his left arm, dripping onto the rock & forming a tiny blood river.

The black horse came to him again as he whistled. He hopped onto the horse agilely on one arm. Then he was already up at the higher hill again. Straining his horse, he looked back. A blood-stained dagger flew & landed on the ground in front of us. Futab picked it up, but to our surprise, it broke apart. The blade fall onto the ground as the handler was still in Futab's hand. It was then we realized another dagger in The Thief King's hand, which was reflecting the cold lights of the moon.

"I can kill you easily with my knife," The thief scoffed in arrogant as he waved the shining blade under the moon lights. "But unfortunately," He stopped for a moment & concluded with a smirk as he seemed to be admiring at the sharp blade of his dagger. "I don't smear it with my own blood, or any blood related to me."

His dagger reminded me of the gate guard losing his head. Not blood again. The blood scent that filled the atmosphere had already made me feel very uncomfortable. I wanted to vomit as the unpleasant smell rushed into my lungs & stomach. My head ached. The stinking smell had aggravated my headache. Suddenly I felt the world around me spinning. The falls had injured my head.

The last few things I saw were Futab chasing after The Thief King on his horse, & Kaleil's worried face before I fall into unconscious.