Author's Note: Welcome to Chosen Four Version 2.0 better known as The Chosen Four of Prophecy. Please take a look at my profile for why I've chosen to do this.

So welcome to the rewrite! The things that I already have written will keep the same basic plot, but it will roll smoother and you'll most likely be able to understand it better. Also, hopefully there won't be such a long gap between chapter postings as I'll really be just editing the original ones.

Enjoy version 2.0! You'll be able to see quite a few changes from this chapter alone. Like how I managed to mush two chapters into one…

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Warnings: Yaoi (M/M relationships), abuse, language, sexual situations.

Chapter One

From one of the balconies of the palace, a figure stood leaning against the railing. His wild spiky hair moved slightly in the breeze of the cool night, his yellow bangs hitting against his golden head piece. He wore a white shirt and kilt made of cotton, both with red and gold linings. On his shoulders were two gold plates which held his long red cape with golden trimmings, matching the sash around his waist. But most importantly, he had a golden pyramid hanging from his neck as a symbol of the leader of Egypt.

Pharaoh Yami looked out the balcony of his palace. His gaze stared down at the city bellow where the people were busily finishing their work for the day with the last hour of sunlight left.

The young pharaoh sighed. His eyes may have been watching his people, but his mind was elsewhere.

His head picked up as he heard a knock on the door of his room. "What is it?" he asked, annoyed. He was certain that he had asked not to be disturbed only a few minutes ago.

The door opened and a figure stepped in. He wore long blue robes with silver trimmings to match his silver armbands. Adorned on his head was a thin silver circlet with a blue sapphire gem in the middle. Beneath his robes, tied to his belt was the Millennium Rod, indicating his position of second in command, the High Priest.

He walked over to the pharaoh and stood a few feet behind him, making no other gestures. The guard closed the door to the room, a soft click signaling that they were alone.

"What do you want Kaiba?" Yami asked not turning around.

The addressed smirked, some emotion finally coming to his face. "Well, someone's in a good mood tonight. And remember, you can call me Seto when it's just us."

Yami smiled sadly and turned around. "Sorry. I guess I'm just kind or restless these days. My mind is elsewhere."

"Oh," Seto said raising an eyebrow. "And staring into space helps cure your boredom?"

Yami sighed and leaned on the railing again, Seto doing the same on his side. "It's not that I'm bored, exactly. It's more like… this empty feeling I have. Like something's missing but I don't know what."

Seto looked at the pharaoh curiously, his stare not going unnoticed by the other.

"What?"

"I think you need to get laid."

Yami fell over at that statement in a very un-Pharaoh like manner. He quickly picked himself up, his face slightly redder. "Excuse me?"

"I'm serious," he said coolly. "Your empty feeling is probably just your little teenage desires are starting to build up. So, go find someone to take to bed with you."

"Yeah, right. And who do you expect me to do that with, you?" He left the balcony shaking his head and flopped backwards onto the bed, one arm covering his eyes. "Every single person in this palace I have known personally since I was a child. It would be too weird."

Seto looked at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Well, taxes come in next week."

"Yeah, so?" Yami asked, not moving.

"So," The older boy walked back inside and stood next to the bed. "People are always giving us payment in slaves. Why not just pick one out from that bunch? You won't know them, so no emotional attachment."

Yami removed his arm and stared at him. "You're nuts." He concluded.

"But would you be interested?"

"Well…"

"Cause seriously, you need to get laid."

"Seto!"

That same evening, a young boy stood at the shop on the outer part of his master's house ready to help any customers that still might be coming. Although at this time of day most people were headed home, ready to turn in for the day, it was one of the few duties the master could find for him.

He picked unconsciously at the hem of his dirty kilt, paying only slight attention to the people passing by. Sighing to himself he closed his eyes for a moment, letting his golden bangs droop down off if his wild black and crimson hair. The air was beginning to cool off, signaling it was time to pack in, but although the desert heat was brutal, he preferred to be out in it than inside. That was because inside that house, his nightmares came true.

The young boy began to pack away the merchandise. His name, was Yugi. Four years prior, he became a slave and was sold to a man along with his best friend, Jounouchi. Although he was known as a pretty good man to his neighbors, he was absolutely cruel to his slaves, always hurting and abusing them on many levels.

That is, except for Yugi. It wasn't that he took pity on the little boy, who looked so innocent. He wasn't that kind of person. Rather, he had made a deal, four years ago when he had bought them.

"Don't touch him!"

Eight year old Yugi looked back at Jounouchi, who's yelling had stopped their new master for a moment. Keeping a firm grip on the little boy's arm, he gave a hard shove at his friend who was trying to fight him, causing him to hit his head against the wall with a loud thunk.

"I'll deal with you later," he said.

He turned around twisting Yugi's arm in the process, causing him to cry out painfully. The next thing anyone knew, Yugi had been thrown aside and his master was wrenching Jounouchi off his arm where he was biting him.

"Get off you little pest!" He shook him off sending him to the floor as well. Jounouchi glared up at him as dangerously as a ten year old could.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on him," he growled causing his master to laugh.

"Are you ordering -me- around now?" He reached out and pulled him up to face level by his hair. "And just what would make you think that I would listen. You're just a slave!"

He pushed him away and gave him a swift kick to the gut. The blonde doubled over as he got pinned to the wall. His breath was heavy and the corners of his eyes stung with traces of tears. The master smirked.

"So much spirit. I can't wait to break you."

Jounouchi swallowed hard and spat out, "You will never break me."

"You think so, do you?" He took a lock the blonde hair between his fingers and pushed it out of his eyes, studying the fiery honey color, before slapping him hard across his face. "I'll admit you'll be difficult, but I can gain control over any of my slaves, and you are no exception." He shoved him harder against the wall causing him to wince before letting him go and turning back to Yugi, who had been watching the whole exchange through fearful eyes.

"You, however, should be easy." He moved to get a hold on him again when Jounouchi once again called out, ordering him to stop. He sighed when an idea struck him. Breaking a slave had never been so much fun.

Their master made a challenge to Jounouchi that day. Amused by his resistance, he said that for as long as Jounouchi had spirit in him, he wouldn't touch Yugi. Four years had passed since then and he had kept strong despite all that his master did to him every night.

Yugi was just packing up the last of the merchandise when a man came up to that stand. However, one look at his official garments told him he wasn't a customer at such a small stand, so Yugi kept his eyes down out of respect as the man shuffled through the sack slung over his shoulder.

He pulled out a scroll and held it out to him. "You are to give this to your master." He ordered. Yugi nodded and took it from him. He left and that was the end of it.

Yugi quickly brought everything back inside and handed the scroll to his master who was working at his desk. As he opened it to read, Yugi quickly returned to the back room where the slaves were kept.

Meanwhile, the master broke the seal on the scroll and read it quietly to himself.

A Message from the Palace

A reminder to all cities of Egypt under the rule of the Pharaoh. Taxes are due by the end of next week, on the New Moon. Amounts due are listed bellow. Payments are to be made in gold, silver, or goods of equal value. Payments must be ready to give to collectors…

He rolled up the scroll and tossed it onto his desk. It was the standard stuff. Unfortunately business had been slow the past month. He was going to have to find an alternate means of payment, and a certain spiky haired slave came to mind.

Yugi and Jounouchi looked up curiously at the other occupants of the room. They were two nasty people, a boy and a girl, and were their master's obedient little pets. However they had been growing jealous that he never paid any attention to them anymore and did everything they could to make the other's lives miserable.

The looks on their faces from where they had been listening at the door did not bear good news for Yugi and Jounouchi.

"What?" Jounouchi demanded.

The girl, Anaku smirked. "We have very good new for you guys."

"Yeah, it turns out that little Yugi is going on a trip." The other, Draconis, said.

"W-what?"

"You heard me. I think you're being taken to the palace. It looked like one of those tax scrolls, didn't it?" he asked his partner.

"Heh. Hey, wouldn't it be great if he got chosen to be the Pharaoh's personal slave?"

"What are you talking about?" Jounouchi cut in before their sick joke went any further. "Yugi is not being taken anywhere. And aside from that everyone knows the Pharaoh doesn't take any personal slaves."

"No, it's just that no one's ever seen him with one. And do you know why?"

"It's because any slave who spends even one night with him ends up dying."

"I heard that if you don't bleed to death after he takes you, then you will once he's through with you in his torture chamber."

Yugi gasped and shrunk back against the wall. Jounouchi was immediately on the defensive.

"Shut up! You two are just trying to scare him and you know it."

Anaku shrugged and folded her arms behind her head. "Hey, we're just telling you what we hear. But either way one thing is true." She pointed at Yugi.

"You are being shipped off to the palace within the week. So I'd be ready to say 'bye-bye' to your friend."