Bast placed a finger upon her lips to tell Bakura to stay quiet. She watched the guards below them exchange words before going in separate directions. Once the coast was clear, the two tomb robbers dropped to the ground and ran to follow one of the guards. They rounded a corner, Bast stopping and grabbing Bakura's wrist to pull him back. He glared at her in question and she pointed at the hallway. Bakura stole a glance, seeing the two guards outside the Pharaoh's throne room. He grinned as he looked at her, waiting as she called the shadows around her and used them to allow her to move among the shadows created by the torches.
Bakura blinked, no longer seeing his partner, before shaking his head and using the Millennium Ring to create a chameleon effect, allowing him to take on the texture of the walls behind him. He felt Bast touch his shoulder and followed her through the shadows. They waited for a guard to enter the room, slipping through the doors behind him. Bast led the younger man to a dark corner and they waited to watch.
"My Pharaoh, you must allow us," said one, a high priest with brown hair and eyes as blue as the Egyptian sky. The Pharaoh looked upon the priest, his red-violet eyes searching for something.
"Seto, I trust you. I really do," said the Pharaoh. "But I cannot allow you to continue this. There has to be another way to use these Shadow beasts." Bast grinned, hearing Bakura's quiet chuckle. "I do not wish to destroy my people. I will not allow it."
"My Lord!" cried Seto. The Pharaoh stood, causing the priest to step back and fall upon his right knee. The Pharaoh stood tall, not much taller than Bakura, and commanded that the priest leave the room. Dejected, but understanding, the priest followed his orders. With a wave from the Pharaoh, the rest of the people left the room, leaving the Pharaoh to his thoughts. Bast grinned again and touched Bakura, telling him to stay as she left the Shadows, startling the Pharaoh.
"Who are you?" he asked, not seeming too surprised as she appeared out of nowhere. She raised an eyebrow, placing a hand on her waist as she glared at him. The Pharaoh rolled his eyes and copied her move. "The shadows told me. Although, they did not tell me the intruder was a woman." Bast rolled her eyes as well.
"The shadows would not so easily tell me out, my friend," she said. "But you intrigue me, Pharaoh. Your High Priest wishes to destroy the evil among your people, yet you do not allow such." She shrugged, grinning as the shadows surrounded the two. "I do not understand this."
"I am not one to let my people down. I was chosen for this," the Pharaoh replied. Bast laughed, causing the pharaoh and the shadows to shiver. "But you have not answered my question." Bast's smiled disappeared as she glared at the younger man.
"I am Bast Magi, Shadow mage of the valleys and daughter of Sanura. I do not know if you would honor me with your true name," she said, shrugging again. The Pharaoh blinked at her words.
"My true name is Atem, son of Ahknemkhanen," he said, frowning in curiosity. "You are a strange woman. If I remember the name, Sanura Magi was a tomb robber, as was her husband." Bast nodded. "Have you taken that road as well?" She gave the younger man another nod.
"And what is it to you, Pharaoh Atem? It was your father who allowed my mother and father to be killed, as well as an entire village." The Pharaoh took a step back from her, shock in his eyes, causing Bast to laugh.
"You know of Kul Elna?" he asked.
"Know of it?" said Bakura, steeping out of the shadows as well and showing himself. Bast rolled her eyes and sighed. "We are the only survivors of Kul Elna."
"The survivors?" asked the Pharaoh. "I was told there were none, other than a young girl who managed to escape." Sighing again in defeat, Bast stepped forward and pulled up her left sleeve, showing the Pharaoh the scar. "You," he said, stepping back once more. "You are her, child."
"You call me a child? If I remember correctly, you were born while I was within my ninth year. Therefore, I am older than you," Bast said, a sadistic grin on her face. Bakura glanced at her, and she nodded. "We must go, but I came to warn you that we are not friends, Pharaoh. We are the shadows that you use to protect your kingdom, and we will be the destruction of this grand palace."
The Pharaoh blinked as she blew a kiss off her fingertips and disappeared into the darkness. Invisible to him, she watched as he shook his head and moved to sit upon his throne. She raised an eyebrow and motioned for Bakura to follow. She grabbed his wrist outside the throne room and pulled him out of the palace and safely past a priestess with the Millennium Necklace upon her throat. Bakura sneered as Bast pulled him behind an inn far from the palace and let the shadows leave her. They retrieved their horses and rode for home, Bast standing in her saddle.
"Why did you only warn him?" Bakura yelled as he and Kakra caught up to the girl. Bast glanced at him before falling back into Atsu's saddle and laughing.
"We are not yet one," she called back. Bakura glanced at her, not understanding. "We have always practiced against one another; we must learn to fight as one." Bakura understood and laughed, leaning forward on Kakra. Bast laughed again and did the same, letting their horses rush forward. They pulled into Kul Elna late at night, Bakura taking the horses into the stable house and Bast putting together some food. They ate quietly and fell asleep after cleaning up.
Bast awoke before Bakura, and, glancing over at him as she slipped out of the sleeping house, she went to feed the horses before climbing up the cliff side to the training area. Calling the shadows about her, she summoned her soldiers and began to fight them. The shadow spell kept them coming at her, and the sun was high when Bakura joined her. They fought until sundown, finally being able to move about each other with no problems. When Bast freed the shadows, she collapsed onto the rock. Bakura went back to the village to grab a few food items.
The two ate silently, watching Ra continue his path to the underworld. Once darkness had fallen over them, they returned to Kul Elna and went about their separate jobs. Bast went to feed the horses while Bakura set about a plan to attack the Pharaoh. When Bast joined his side, he had a map of the palace drawn out on a piece of papyrus. Bast looked it over, calling the shadows to cast a spell upon the sheet. Little dots appeared over the papyrus, each with a different symbol. Bakura looked at her.
"Priest or priestess, guard, servant, Pharaoh," she said, pointing to each symbol. "You cannot read?" She giggled as he shook his head and glared at her. "I am sorry. I have forgotten, my friend."
"I think we need some rest," said Bakura, standing. Bast nodded, standing as well and gathering her items.
"I think we need some more money," she giggled. Bakura frowned, shook his head, and went to lie down. Bast giggled again and hid the papyrus map in the stable house. Upon doing so, she went underground to the Millennium Tablet. Sitting upon the stone, she looked around the area. She remembered every scream she heard that night, every face that looked so accusingly at her.
"You keep coming back." The voice scared her and she looked around, finally seeing the dark shadow in the corner. The small figure stepped into the light of the torches and Bast smiled sadly. The pale face of Mika looked back at her, transparent and frail.
"Mika," she replied. "I have to. I promised to avenge this place." The ghostly figure tilted her head, deathly grey eyes watching the older woman. Bast glanced at the ceiling, her green eyes searching the stone above her. "I…."
"You love Akifa," the ghost stated. Bast glanced at the figure, which was now closer. "I can see it. We all can, Bast, and we are proud." Bast frowned. "Mother and father and I, we are proud of you and Akifa. Protect him for us." Blinking, Bast nodded as the ghost faded into nothing. Bast fell back, laying on the Millennium Tablet.
"Everyone can see it," she said to herself. "Even though Mika's soul was used to create the Items, she can still visit me. And she can see through me. I just wish he could." With a sigh, Bast lifted herself and climbed the stairs, stepping out into the light of a half moon. She blinked, looking up at the silver object in the night sky before making her way to the sleeping house and lying back on her mat. She glanced over at the white haired shadow mage asleep on the other side of the room and sighed, allowing sleep to take her.
She awoke the next morning to someone mumbling near her. Sitting up, she looked around her, finding Bakura leaning over a piece of papyrus. She slipped behind him and looked over his shoulder. He was trying to write out the symbols carved into the leather of her belt pack. He mumbled a curse under his breath every time the symbol did not come out right. Bast giggled and reached around the boy, taking his hand and moving it, allowing the strokes to sit right. He turned to her, frowned, and looked back at the writing.
"What does it say?" he asked. Bast laughed, writing out the alphabet below it.
"It is my name," she said, handing him the brush. "Copy the letters. It is easier to see them this way." She smiled and stood, going across the dirt path outside to the stable house. Atsu pawed the ground in welcome and Bast measured out the feed for them. She then went about the rest of her duties, cleaning up the mess in the stables and setting up to head out for water. Bakura met her outside the sleeping house and handed her an extra water skin.
"Hurry back," he said. She nodded and stirred Atsu into a run, reaching the Nile within an hour's time. She gathered what was needed and made her way back. It was midday when she arrived back to the village. Bakura was practicing with a shadow soldier, so she skirted the practice area and put Atsu back in the stable house. She then grabbed the extra sword and joined Bakura, adding a few more Shadow Soldiers to the field. By the time the sun had gone down, they both were tired. Bast smiled as she looked at the boy, who was staring out into the darkness of the sands.
"You are tired, friend," she said, touching his shoulder. He frowned, looking out over the sands.
"Yes," he replied. "And I think it is time." Bast nodded, turning from him and returning to the sleeping house. Without eating, she fell asleep fast.
Bakura woke her before the sun has risen the next morning. Several items were packed in leather bags, while the saddle bags seemed almost empty. The two swords were cleaned and placed safely in their scabbards, while several knives were wrapped in cloth. Bast stood and left the building, leaving Bakura to finish packing while Bast took anything they did not need to the treasure cove. She then packed several small gold items into another bag and took them to Bakura. Grinning at her friend, she mounted Atsu and waited for him to mount Kakra. When the boy shot her a grin, she took off for the city.
Bast bit her lip as she looked around the corner. Her and Bakura had split up a while ago, and now the Palace was pretty active. Guards and servants were looking for the two thieves who had broken in. Grinning proudly, she called the shadow wearily and found her way to the guard run high above where they were currently running around. She rushed along it, taking out any guards she met without stopping. She knew where she was going, and no one would stop her from reaching it.
Bast finally found the room she was looking for. She stood, hidden from the priests and the High Priestess, watching the battle between Bakura and the Pharaoh. She frowned, feeling something behind her and glanced. Cursing, she pulled out her sword and killed the guard before he could touch her. Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to the fight, listening to the shadows react. They had chosen the perfect time to do this, for the shadow realms had decided to take bake the world.
"Let's see, our Pharaoh, how well you do," she said, smiling as the dark creature of the shadows neared. She closed her eyes, feeling the fight continue until….
Her eyes shot open as the shadows hit her. The pain in her shoulder grew as she began to scream, the shadows lifting her. She could hear yelling, Bakura's voice reaching out through the blinding light the pain created. As quickly as it arrived, the shadows released her, dropping her down to the floor below. She felt Bakura arrive beside her, lifting her off the ground as he called an attack.
"Bast," he said, his grip tight on her shoulder. "You're bleeding again." Bast opened her eyes, looking up into the amber eyes that were watching the Dark Magician and Diabound fight. She smiled, reaching up and touching his face, tracing the scar under his eye. He looked down at her, worried.
"They are coming, Akifa," she said, causing his amber eyes to widen. "They are coming for us, but we will survive." She pushed him away and stood, brushing her hair out of the way. Turning to the surprised Pharaoh, she smiled as she felt the shadows return. "Only you can defeat them, Pharaoh." He nodded as the shadows took her once more, tearing open the skin on her shoulder and causing her to scream as she was once more lifted.
She heard the Pharaoh call his magic, heard the Priests calling out, and heard Bakura yelling for her. She heard the shadows scream as they were forced back and heard the Gods cry at losing a son. Then all was quiet and her vision left her. She felt her body hit the ground and everything died.
She awoke, lifting herself off the ground and looking around. Bakura and the Pharaoh were gone, but the items they wore stayed behind. The Puzzle had shattered, and the Priests were gathering them. She watched for a second before her sight was blocked, causing her to look up at the Priestess named Isis. The woman handed her the Millennium Ring and smiled softly.
"Run away from here," she said. "Never let me find you. I will let you take this, but I never want to see you again. Now go, before they see you." Bast blinked and took the ring, saying Thank you and fleeing, hearing the priests question their priestess. She found Kakra and Atsu and rode away from Alexandria. Never to return until after the Sacred Guards had gone to the afterworld.
