Chapter 7

Disclaimer : I Don't own Yu Gi Oh!

Italic stands for thought / dreams

+Japanese Language+

[Stands for voice from the past]

Underline stands for letter

"Quote stands for dialogue"

"Spirit Talking"

Bold stands for emphasis

Bold italic stands for a dangerous tone

Friends and Acquaintances

"Sister, you had a funny face." Malik commented when they entered their room, Isis was looking at the clothes she had just bought with a face that was half disbelief and half laughing.

"Because it's so hard to believe, Malik." Isis answered as she sat beside her little brother, "Do you know just who was that Bakura is?" she asked in a hushed voice.

Malik raising his eyebrows before shaking his head, "Nope, who?" he asked.

Isis bent down to Malik's ears, "Don't tell anyone, but that man was the Thief King." She whispered.

Malik pulled back and looking at Isis with a gaping mouth and big eyes, "Really?" he asked in disbelief, "But He made such a wonderful clothes like these." He commented as he looked at the clothes.

"Right?" Isis asked with a chuckled, "And the funny thing is, for the past few months now, I saw a vision where He would become one of our High Priest." She shook her head, "It's just hard to believe".

"Agreed." Malik nodded his head before looking at Isis, "But did you notice? The boy was really looking like the Prince!" he said excitedly, "And his skin was pale, so he's definitely a foreigner!".

Isis smiled at her brother, "I noticed, Malik, and you are right, he really looking so much alike with the Prince." She agreed.

"Just who are you talking about, Isis, Malik?" A new voice joining them from the doorway, they looked at the doorway to see a young man with star shaped hair with three colors consist of black base that turned crimson at the tips and blond bangs, some of the bangs shot up like a lightning bolts. His warm crimson eyes staring at them with curiosity in them, "Someone that looked like me?".

Isis and Malik stood up before bowing, "My Prince." They said together, before the Prince growled.

"Just call me by name, we are friends after all." The Prince grumbled unhappily.

Isis chuckled, "Alright, Atem." She said before motioning for the Prince to take a seat, "We were talking about a boy around Malik's age that looked so much like you, his name was Yugi and he had the same star shaped hair like you, just he didn't have the lightning bolts." She explained with a smile.

"Interesting." Atem answered casually with a nod, "And here people said that my hair is weird." He huffed. Isis and Malik laughed at that, causing Atem to smiled for a bit, "That aside, Isis." Atem continued, "Father was calling you, so I came here to tell you that you need to go to the throne room now".

Isis sighed, "Must be because I went out without a guard again." She said in defeat before walking out of the room, but what she heard that day was not something she was prepared for all her whole life.

Akefia blinked when he saw the High Priestess walking to his stall again the next day with Malik, but what makes him blinked was the fact that the High Priestess looking troubled over something, not that it's his problem, he was just curious, that's all.

"Coming again, High Priestess." Akefia said in greeting.

The High Priestess looked up at him and smiling a small smile, "Yes, I would like to see if you make something new today." She answered softly.

Yugi, who was sitting on the stall, looking at her with confused face, "Why do you look so sad?" he asked to the point.

Isis smiled sadly to Yugi, "It's nothing, Yugi." She answered before looking at Malik, "Malik, why don't you playing with Yugi? I'm sure Yugi would like to take a look at the other places".

Malik looked at Isis for a moment before nodding and looked at Yugi with questioning eyes, in answer, Yugi looked at Akefia with the same questioning eyes but different meaning. Akefia looked at the High Priest before nodding to Yugi, "Be back before we need to get home." Akefia said sternly.

Yugi nodded, he jumped down from the stall and walking to Malik before together they left the stall to look around.

Akefia looked at Isis, "So, what is it that you are hiding, High Priestess?" he asked with a sigh.

Isis looked around to make sure that no one was nearby before looking at Akefia with a sad expression, "The Pharaoh is sick, his sickness was not something that I can cure, I'm sad because of that." She answered sadly.

Akefia's eyebrows rose until they disappeared under his hair, "Huh?" he can only say that.

"I said that the Pharaoh is sick." Isis answered before sighing and looking at the man with serious eyes, "That aside, I came here actually because I want to asked you something." She said with the same seriousness.

"What is it?" Akefia asked as his body tensed in anticipation.

"Why do you want to kill the Pharaoh, Thief King Akefia?" Isis asked right away.

Akefia gasped, "You know?" he asked in disbelief, Isis nodded in answer, "How?" he asked in pure shock.

"A few months back, nearly everyday I saw a vision of you killing the Pharaoh, I remember your scar from the vision, that's why I know that you are the Thief King." Isis answered calmly, "Now, answer me".

Akefia growled as his eyes narrowed, "You want to know why?" he hissed his question, Isis nodded again, "Then find out about the massacred of Kul Elna." He answered darkly.

Isis looked at Akefia with widened eyes, "Massacre? So the destruction of Kul Elna was not because of an ambush from another bandits group?" she asked in shock.

Akefia blinked at the question before he sighed, "So that's what people think?" he asked himself before looking at Isis with a serious eyes, "No, the one who killed everyone were the Palace's guards led by a High Priestess under the order of the Pharaoh, that's what I heard the High Priestess said before they start killing everyone." He told the High Priestess, he wondered why he even bothered telling her his reason.

Isis looked at Akefia sharply, "Are you sure you heard a High Priest said that?" she asked darkly with voice filled with anger.

Akefia looked at Isis with the same anger in his eyes, "I witnessed it myself, there's no way I would misheard him, I was only a few meters away from him." he hissed.

"Who was the High Priest?" Isis asked coldly.

"I don't know, I didn't really see his face because I was seeing his back, not face." Akefia answered with a shrug, "But I will find out who he was, and no matter what you say, High Priestess, I will kill him".

Isis looking at Akefia coldly, "I don't care if you want to kill the traitor, Thief King, I won't show any mercy to a traitor." She answered darkly, "The Pharaoh is a kind person, I know this because he had once giving a chance to an Assassin to have a new live, so I know that he would never ordered something as terrible as massacring a whole village . . . of thieves or not. So the one High Priest that did that evil deed was a traitor, I don't care if he died".

Akefia smirked at Isis, "Then would you help me find out who he is?" he asked in challenge, "It would be easier for you since you are a High Priestess".

Isis inhaled deeply, "I will try, but I can't just asking around, people will suspicious of me then." She answered in more calmer tone, "As High Priests, they hold a powerful items called Millennium Items, it would be impossible for me to see their future, it's also hard for me to asked them about something like the massacred of Kul Elna since we all thought that it was a tragic accident".

"I know about the Millennium Items, High Priestess." Akefia growled in the mention of the items, "It's because to create those Items that the people from my village were killed, they were sacrificed to make those Items".

Isis's face become really pale and she looked like want to throw up, she touched her necklace, "To create this?" she asked in sick filled voice.

Akefia looked at the necklace and nodded, "It's the Millennium Necklace, it's one of them, so yes, it's to create that necklace." He answered casually.

Isis covered her mouth with her hand, "Ugh, I feel sick." She muttered before gasping when her necklace glowed, she closed her eyes and focusing at the image she receiving.

Akefia raised an eyebrow at that, he know right away that the High Priestess was receiving a vision, so he stay quiet. The High Priestess's eyes the flew open and her eyes widened in horror, "What is it?" he asked in boring tone.

Isis looked at the direction that Yugi and Malik took off earlier, "Malik . . . a thief will attacked them." She said in horror filled voice, she looked at the Thief King, "Please, you have to help them!" she begged.

Akefia looked at the direction, "Guide me." He told the High Priestess.

Isis nodded and ran to the place she saw in her vision, Akefia following her, his eyes was hard and promising death to whoever dared to attack his son.

Yugi's ear twitched when he heard what the Priestess said to Akefia, so he looked around to see who might attack them. "Is something wrong, Yugi?" Malik asked when he noticed.

"Nothing, just looking out for something." Yugi answered calmly as he caught a sight of High Priestess Isis and Akefia running to them, So fast, he thought in awe before the High Priestess's face filled with horror.

"Watch out!" The High Priestess yelled to them as her eyes glued to something behind them.

Yugi's reaction was instant, he turned around to see a man running to Malik with a knife in his hand. Yugi took out one of his daggers that Akefia stole for him then threw it at the man, thanks to Akefia's training that he managed to stabbed the man in his arm and no where else, causing him to yelped and dropping his knife.

Akefia grinned as he run passed Yugi and launching himself at the man, he immediately hit the man at his stomach, knocking him out cold in an instant due to his powerful punch.

"Thank you." Akefia turned when he heard the High Priestess sighed in relief, he saw Isis hugging Malik tightly with trembling arms, then the High Priestess looked at the man he just knocked out, "I will call the guard to take him to the dungeon, you can go back to your stall with Yugi, I would like to took Malik home with me".

Akefia shrugged, "Fine with me." He said as he pulled out Yugi's dagger from the man's arm and wipe it clean with the man's clothes, he turned around and handed the dagger back to Yugi, "Nice throw, Yugi." He said with a grin and proud filled his voice.

"Thanks to my training for that, you teach me so well, Papa." Yugi answered with a grin.

Isis gasped, "You taught him how to throw daggers?!" she exclaimed in disbelief, "It's dangerous!".

Akefia laughed, "Try to say that to him, he was the one who asked me to teach him!" he answered heartily before picking Yugi up, "He said he want to be as strong as me." He placed his head to Yugi's hair.

Isis looked at the Thief King in surprise before smiling, So, a Thief King can treat people kindly too, she thought as she saw how Akefia acted with Yugi, You learn something new everyday. She stood up and holding Malik's hand, "Let's go, Malik, we are going back." She said before she turned to Akefia with a meaningful eyes, "I will tell the guards on the way back, so you can get back to your stall".

Akefia looking back at Isis with the same meaningful eyes, "Sure." He answered calmly and started walking to his stall with Yugi in his arms, "She is an interesting Priestess." He commented to Yugi once they are far enough from the High Priestess.

"Indeed." Yugi agreed, "Never thought she would keep your identity a secret." He commented.

Akefia looking at Yugi in surprise, "Just how far you can hear?" he asked in shock filled voice.

Yugi grinned at Akefia, "The most far was 3 miles, Vampire's hearing is really sharp after all." He answered cheerfully but in low voice so no one else heard him.

Akefia nodded in understanding, they arrived at their stall and started packing right away, it would be troublesome if the guards coming to questioning him.

A drop of water dropped into Yugi's hand, he looked up to see a dark clouds looming over the land of Egypt, water started pouring down from the clouds, he smiled before looking at Malik, who was standing beside him.

Malik looked back at Yugi with the same smiling face, "The raining season had started." He said to Yugi with a grin, "There will be festival tomorrow night, want to come together?" he asked.

Yugi grinning widely before he nodded, "Sure, I would love to." He answered cheerfully before he smirked at Malik, "Let's continue our training." He suggested.

Three years had passed since the first time they met each other, Yugi was now 9 years old and his pale skin had darkened a bit for being in the sun for a long time, but his skin didn't get as dark as the rest since his metabolism as a Vampire was faster than human being.

In the three years, after Malik saw Yugi threw the dagger that day, he asked the General to taught him how to fight too. And once he mastered the basic lesson, he started sparring with Yugi as a form of training together, they had become a really close friends in the three years, although Yugi still keep the fact that he was a Vampire a secret.

"Sure." Malik answered before he move to attacked Yugi with his wooden sword that was made by the General that was already like his own brother.

Yugi clashed his wooden daggers with Malik's sword, Akefia made him a pair of wooden daggers for his spar with Malik, since it would be dangerous if they use real weapon.

Meanwhile, Isis sighed as she watched Malik sparring with Yugi, "I still don't know why Malik wanted to learn how to fight, he was supposed to become a Healer like me." She said to Akefia, who was also watching beside her.

"Malik is a boy, and a boy normally would have a competitive streak in him." Akefia said with a smirk, "But even if Malik didn't have it, he still had to learn how to fight so that he can protect himself." he looked at Isis, "That was the reason why I agreed to train Yugi, since I know that even though I refuse in the past, I would have to train him in the future, so I decided to train him sooner than later, so his skill would not half baked".

Isis sighed as she placed her left palm on his left cheek, "I guessed you are right." she agreed before smiling at Akefia, "I'm glad that you warmed up to me." She said warmly.

Akefia snorted, "Just because you are not as bad as I thought you." He answered but smirking at Isis, "I wouldn't call you my friend yet, but you are a good acquaintance of mine".

Isis chuckled, "I noticed something the past three years." She said as she looked at Yugi and Malik, "You had lessen your killing and stealing, I guessed that it's because of Yugi".

Akefia coughed in embarrassment, "Yeah, I guessed so." He agreed with sheepish look, "People can change because of someone that was important to them, I learn that after I took him with me, but I feel like Yugi more to controlling my action than really changing me".

Isis laughed, "You know what? I know someone who had the same experience with you." She said with a cheerful tone as she looked back at the Thief King, "Do you know Marik The Assassin?" she asked with a grin.

Akefia's eyes widened when he heard the name, he looked at Isis with shocked face, "Marik, he was still alive? I thought that he already executed when he got caught." He said in disbelief before remembering something that Isis had told him in the past, "Wait, does the Assassin you told me long ago, the one that was spared by the Pharaoh, was Marik?" he asked with gaping mouth.

Isis raising an eyebrow but nodded, "Yes, he is our General now." She answered with a smile before looking at Akefia in confusion, "Do you know him?" she asked curiously.

Akefia smirked, "We work together in the past, well, until he somehow got himself caught by the guard." He told her in friendly tone, he was indeed had warmed up to the High Priestess.

Isis chuckled, "The reason why he got caught was because of Malik." She said with a fond smile as she remembered the incident, "Malik told me that he was saved by Marik once in the past, then I noticed that Malik went out more often after that, I didn't know in the past, but it was because he went to see Marik." She grinned at Akefia, "I'm sure you also noticed something different with Marik before he got caught, right?".

Akefia thought for a moment, "Um, since I didn't know in the past, I thought he got himself dulled because he didn't kill more often, and one day, he just got himself get caught even thought I'm sure he can kill all those guards easily." He agreed, something was indeed had changed in Marik before he got caught.

"It's because he spent many time with Malik, and with Malik being an adorable boy like Yugi, Malik managed to make Marik to promised him not to kill good people unless necessary." Isis explained with a smile, "After a few month, I heard from Malik that he was nearly kidnapped but was saved by Marik, again. I heard Marik got caught then, because the guards thought that Marik was the one who wanted to kidnap Malik and he didn't want to kill in front of Malik".

"How did you know that?" Akefia asked in surprise.

"I came to see Marik when I heard that he got caught, I want to thank him for what he did for Malik, we become friends in the end." Isis answered calmly, "During his trial, I was torn between defending him or not, in the end, I just stay quiet. The Pharaoh had heard what Malik had to say when Marik was trialed, he was still so small that time that he didn't really understand that it's not good to went against the Pharaoh to defend an Assassin, but then the Pharaoh decided to give Marik a lighter punishment as long as Marik stopped killing and serving the people well".

"He did that?" Akefia asked in disbelief, "Not the Pharaoh, but Marik really did what the Pharaoh told him?".

Isis chuckled, "It's more because the fact that Malik was nearly cried when Marik want to refuse, I'm sure that Marik was preferred to be just die than serving people, but he couldn't stand against Malik's crying face, so he just accept the offer." She answered as she looked at Akefia with a smirk, "And thus, he become our General. He was really had experienced the same situation as you".

"I guessed." Akefia agreed with a nod, "I would never know, if I would think that he was foolish in the past, now I can understand what he felt around Malik, since I also couldn't stand Yugi's 'Deadly Puppy Dog Eyes'." He snorted, "Really, a Thief King like me couldn't win against something that was so cute." He shook his head with a fond smile.

"As you said, people changed because they have someone that was important to them." Isis said with a warm smile, "I'm sure that in the future, you won't steal anymore and fully become the clothes merchant".

Akefia sighed in defeat, "I'm afraid that something like that would happen, but that doesn't mean that I will lose my fangs." He said firmly, "I will still kill that one High Priest who destroyed my whole village and people".

Isis looked sadly at Akefia before a thought coming to her, "I never thought of this before, but why are you calling yourself Bakura when you selling clothes?" she asked.

Akefia looked at Isis with a raised eyebrow, "Because I'm Akefia the son of Bakura from Kul Elna." He answered, "Rather than an alias, I chose my family's name as a nickname when selling clothes, there's no reason at all, I just felt that the name will do just fine with the me who sell clothes".

Isis nodded before looking at the children again, "There will be festival tomorrow, to celebrate the start of raining season." She informed the Thief King, "Do you think there will be many crime happen tomorrow?".

"From my point of view as the Thief King, a festival would be the best time for me to steal." Akefia answered, "But since Yugi said that he want to come to the festival, I wouldn't steal anything." He looked at Isis, "But I'm sure that many other thieves would surely come to steal something, no doubt about that".

Isis nodded, "Then I will suggest to the new Pharaoh to increased the village's security." She said in thought.

"Ah, that's right." Akefia realized, "It's already 40 days after the previous Pharaoh had died, huh?" he asked in thought, "Well, I guessed I will hunt some information about the current Pharaoh tomorrow".

Isis looked at Akefia sharply, "You said you will spare him." she reminded him sternly.

"I did." Akefia shrugged nonchalantly, "But I still need to get some information about him, it's a must for me to know about the current Pharaoh, so when I kill the High Priest, I can at least debating with him not to execute me if I ever got caught".

Isis stared at Akefia before laughing cheerfully, "Oh, trust me, you won't get execute." She said while still chuckling, "But that doesn't mean you can just acted freely".

Akefia looked at Isis with his eyebrows rise so high to his hair, "How come you can be so sure that I won't get execute?" he asked in confusion and curiosity, "I'm a Thief King and a murderer, there's no way he will spare me like his Father spared Marik".

Isis smirked at Akefia, "Because I saw the future of you become one of the High Priests." She said confidently, "And it's started after the vision of you killing the previous Pharaoh blurred, now I know that it's because of Yugi, and the vision of you become one of the High Priests was clearer every time I received them".

Akefia grimacing, "I? Become a High Priest? Impossible." he shuddered, "How the hell you even get that kind of vision?" he asked to no one, "The fate really like to play with people's lives".

"Agreed." Isis nodded before smiling at the children, The Fate really had a strange sense of humor for turning a Thief King become a High Priest, she thought with a chuckle.

To be continued . . .

Yugi : Stop sulking, Atem.

Atem : But I didn't get to meet you and you already 9 (pout)

Froim : You will, soon. (Laughing)

Atem : I will kill you if I don't get to meet Yugi soon. (Glaring dagger)

Isis : Soon, Atem, soon.

Yugi : Please Review ^ ^