Important Author's Note! Please for the love of god read this so you won't be offended in later chapters!

Okay, people. This is my endeavor in actually completing a chapter story. :D I actually have five chapters of this written out so far, so bear with me. This is based off of Disney's Aladdin. Only it's Ancient Egypt and I'm pretty sure by making Yugi Aladdin I just made Atem Jasmine. xD The main pairings are Blindshipping and Bronzeshipping. I'm still too scared to write a lemon so I think that this story will remain at the T rating.

READTHISREADTHISREADTHIS--- However, there will be twincest (between Marik and Malik, 'cause I couldn't think of a logical explanation of them looking so alike. And hey, people back then didn't know about genetics. Incest was the norm back then people. DEAL WITH IT.) If you can't handle that, then skip over the parts that have them. Or just turn back. (They're a main pairing, and since I love Malik so much they will be main roles right next to Atem and Yugi).

This chapter is mainly a prologue. Nothing really important happens.

Without further ado, I present to you Yugi as Aladdin. Enjoy. x3

Disclaimer: Yu-gi-oh seems to rule my life right now. Too bad I can't, and never will, rule it.


There was a time long ago—oh, say, about three thousand years or so—when a considerable amount of the world was still wild, and overrun with barbarians and outlaws whose knowledge and skills hadn't even reached the point of attempting to plant seeds yet, let alone farm decent crops. This was an ancient age, when the lands to the West were still a mystery, and Hebrews and followers of Judaism were still a small cult following wandering the deserts of Assyria. The seeds of civilization in the part of the world we now know as Greece were just beginning to sprout in the form of small, sovereign states.

In this world of old, when the oceans were a little bit deeper, mountains a little bit higher, and age determined by how many floods a man had seen, from the banks of an endless river rises a great nation.

It is nearing the end of a golden age for the Upper and Lower Kingdoms of Egypt and its Empire. The New Kingdom, it will be called in the future, but to the Egyptians, it was an age of progress, of an empire, of great Kings, the living sons of Horus: Ramses the Great, the She-King Hatshepsut, Tutankhamen. And now that the kind and just ruler, Pharaoh Akunumkanon, has passed to the other side of the Nile and into the afterlife, Re begins anew and dawns on the rule of his son, the boy-Pharaoh Atem.

This is the world I bring you to; Egypt, 1100 B.C. The gift of the Nile has just receded for the season, and the black and white ibis that come closer inland during this period then retreat to the shallows near the marshes, the children of Thoth then wading about on their long legs through the reeds, using their elongated beaks to hunt for fish and amphibians to eat.

The capital city of Thebes is bustling with activity once again now that the flood has retreated, and although quite soggy, each street and avenue is set up with rows upon rows of stalls, selling the most wonderful items you could ever imagine. Sounds, smells, and colors of every conceivable shade blend together in the huge bazaar as people laugh and children play in the streets, men tell stories about their near-death experiences with the hippopotami that live upriver, and women gossip and show off their brightly colored jewelry they just bought.

A street performer dances on the corner to the music of a string quartet, the exotic, slightly choppy melody providing the excellent tempo at which to dance to. The bangles around her wrists and ankles clang together in harmony as each measure ends, her long, sun bleached-blonde hair fanning out behind her, partly obscuring the dark-haired lute player behind her. She is a very attractive woman, accented in all the right places, and a large crowd (mostly men) has come to watch her dance. Yugi knows her, and her performing here has given him the perfect opportunity at which to strike one of the stalls on this usually very busy street.

Thank you, Mai, he says in his mind. Almost as if she heard him, Mai opens up one purple eye and winks at him conspirationally, subtly gesturing to a stall across from his hiding place whose owner is too engrossed in Mai's assets to notice if one small, inconspicuous boy just happened to lift a few of the succulent, sugary dates he was selling. Quite frankly, he didn't really see the appeal—about women, he means. But oh well; he had come to terms with the fact long ago that he liked his own sex a lot more than women in that sense.

Nodding to her, Yugi seized the moment, tiptoeing across the dirt road, pulling out a small drawstring bag made of rough cotton to hold the sticky fruits. Picking at the juiciest he saw, he had almost filled the whole bag and was now reaching for another when suddenly, a large hand clamped down upon his wrist, stopping it mid-air. The teenager tensed up immediately, his mind dying of shock and fright for one agonizing moment.

"What do you think you're doing, street rat?"

Yugi slowly looked over his shoulder, his already-wide violet eyes widening even further as he saw the owner of sneering voice that addressed him. It wasn't the vendor, as he had feared; no, the man wouldn't even notice being struck by lightning if it meant taking his eyes off of Mai's breasts for more three seconds. It was much worse.

Ushio, head of district police in this quarter of Thebes. Yugi cursed his bad luck, whimpering pathetically as the man painfully jerked him from the stall so hard that the boy feared that his arm would rip right off.

Ushio had seemingly made it his life's mission to catch the notorious pickpocket that was Yugi Mutou. Yugi had no idea as to why the man was out to get him. But it's damn unlucky, Yugi thought despairingly as he took in the beefy physique of the tall, muscle-bound law enforcer compared to his own sparrow-boned, malnourished, and miserably short stature.

"Reduced to stealing dates off of a perverted old man, are you? Pathetic," Ushio spat, his already bone-crushing grip tightening even further on Yugi's thin wrist. The boy internally winced as he felt a bruise already forming on his unnaturally pale skin.

"L-let… me go….U-ushio," the violet eyed boy gritted out, starting to struggle with all his might in the man's grip. He lashed out with his fist, which Ushio caught effortlessly on its way to his face. He twisted it painfully, making Yugi suddenly cry out and stop jerking in his grip. The man sneered even more, leaning in close and dropping the fist so he could hold the end of his spear against the boy's milky white throat.

"Struggle any more and my hand might slip…" Ushio growled, adding a bit of pressure on the end of the weapon. Yugi moaned in pain as he cradled his injured hand, but his eyes belied the anger and dislike he felt for the police officer.

"I hope your ka gets swallowed!(1)" Yugi spat. Ushio tightened his grip to the point that Yugi winced as he felt something crack in his wrist.

"You'll be regretting those words, street rat! You were born a street rat, you'll die a street rat, and only your fleas will mourn you!" Ushio snarled as he dropped his spear to aim a punch at Yugi's delicate little nose with his great, meaty fist, "Just wait until the Pharaoh gets through with you, you dog! This will just be the beginni—ARRRGH!"

The man suddenly released his hold on Yugi the minute he let out his very loud cry of pain. The music from the string quartet, however, drowned out most of it though, and the few people who did notice the law enforcement officer knew who he was, and didn't like him all that much. So, instead of doing anything about it, they just went back to what they were doing—ogling a very attractive and well-endowed belly-dancer, of course.

The minute Ushio released him, Yugi wasted no effort and had taken off at a dead sprint in the opposite direction. He didn't once look back, only concentrating on the rhythm of his bare feet slapping the damp ground below him. Ducking into an alleyway and exiting on a busier street, he weaved in and out through throngs of various shoppers and merchants, the bag of dates he somehow still possessed clutched tightly in his hand as his legs pumped below him. He ignored the vendors' cries to check out their wares as he sped past, stopping only to catch his breath and wipe the sweat off his brow.

Ducking into a deserted alleyway, he stopped to rest, thinking he was far enough away from Ushio to relax. His chest heaved heavily in effort to draw in more oxygen. The alleyway was shady and cool—a perfect place to rest, like one of the oases in the middle of the endless desert to the West. Smiling at that thought, Yugi sunk down against the cool wall to sit on the muddy ground, the dates clutched closely to his chest.

His heart felt like a bird, fluttering in his chest in an effort to escape. Clutching his chest, there was nothing Yugi could do but laugh as the excitement from the escape started to fade and the pain in his wrist started coming back. Making sure he didn't bend the sore appendage, the pale boy decided to wait for the one who had saved him from Ushio—he would be here any minute, after all.

Yugi stared at his dirty feet for a time before his attention was grabbed by a small snuffling noise at the entrance of the alleyway. His violet eyes slid upon a small, four-legged form trotting toward him cheerfully, its short golden fur specked with mud. It licked Yugi right below the eye with a rough pink tongue, large triangular ears perked forward in alertness. The boy giggled and petted the animal, relishing in the feeling of hard, sinewy muscle beneath the short fur.

"You bit him good and hard, didn't you, Jounouchi?" the boy asked affectionately, digging out a date from the bag and offering it to the hound. His tail started wagging in earnest at the sight of it. The dog accepted it with vigor, happily gnashing the sticky treat between his sharp teeth.

Jounouchi had been Yugi's friend ever since the boy had lost his mother to the epidemic that had plagued Egypt in his youth. Yugi had found himself on the streets, and in turn Jounouchi, then just a puppy, had found him. It was true that even at age eight, Yugi had sensed there was something… off about the dog. Like there was some intelligent light in the hound's warm brown eyes that seemed too… human comfort.

In any case, though, it had proved useful, as Yugi had trained the dog much more easily than normal, and Jounouchi had proved to be a steadfast and loyal companion. It was also nice to have someone to talk to, since it was as if the dog could understand what Yugi was saying when he talked to him.

At any rate, Jounouchi's loyalty and intelligence had come in handy today. Thanks to Jounouchi, Ushio would now have to limp home, having been bitten hard enough in his meaty calf to draw a good amount of blood. Yugi smiled at the thought. He didn't especially like hurting people, but for that particular person, he was willing to make an exception.

Stretching out against the mudbrick wall of the alleyway, he shared a portion of the dried up fruits he had lifted with his companion, talking about whatever came to mind. It would be a lie to say that the canine was a good conversationalist, but at least he listened.

Gradually, the Re started to set, the sky turning hot, fiery shades of pink and orange as he sunk below the horizon, turning red in the throes of his death. Tomorrow's dawn would bring the rebirth of the God of the Sun, before he died once again at the end of the day. Standing up, Yugi brushed off the worn cloth of his shenti, the white kilt that all Egyptian males wore. After working out the kinks in his stiff muscles, Yugi started for the entryway of the alley, Jounouchi trotting lightly on his heels.

The sight that met him outside was one unlike any he had seen before. Thebans of all walks of life were gathered along the avenue, which just happened to be a straight shot to the front gates of the Pharaoh's palace. A parade was in progress down the avenue, led by a splendid chariot made of ebony embellished with gold leaf. Two high-stepping brown horses led the vehicle slowly and regally up the street, the tall statuesque man driving them standing tall and proud as the chariot glided smoothly underneath him.

After him came a troupe of people, maybe fifty in number. It was made up of both men and women, carrying various packages wrapped in fine silk; probably gifts for the Pharaoh. Each had that deep Egyptian tan that Yugi seemed to somehow lack, and wore fine linen shenti and gowns.

After them came the main reason for the procession: A woman, held aloft by eight strapping men in an elegantly crafted wood carrier. Her form was obscured by the gauzy silk curtains surrounding her, but the last rays of Re shone through the translucent fabric, silhouetting her. If her figure was anything to go by, she was very attractive, rivaling even the beauty of the goddess Hathor.

There were many whispers among the citizens as she passed, the splendor of her procession belying her wealth and status. Her carrier alone could have fetched a fortune that would have fed five families for the rest of their lives, what with all the glittering gemstones and shining precious metals that decorated the wood.

Lurking near the back of the crowd, Yugi had to crane his neck to its fullest to even attempt to see the tops of the heads of the people carrying the packages, who were probably the woman's servants. Deciding that it was just bad luck that he was born with an incredibly short stature, he opted for listening in on the conversations going around him, to get a better picture of the whole situation.

He was not disappointed:

"…I heard it's the daughter of the Memphite administrator of the district of Horus in Lower Egypt," a squat, rotund man standing within hearing distance of Yugi commented to a taller woman next to him, who was more than likely his wife.

"Probably come to try and win the affections of the Pharaoh," the woman said with a sigh, fanning herself with her hand, "It's too bad he didn't have any sisters; it would have made this whole ordeal much easier. He could have just married one of them, instead of having to go to the trouble to court all of the noblewomen in Egypt in hopes that he likes one of them enough to become his queen."

The man snorted, eyeing the figure in the carrier appreciatively as if appraising a slab of thick, juicy meat. "Well, no offense to his majesty, but he must be quite picky to pass up such a fine woman. If I had the chance to…" he trailed off as he took in the look his wife was giving him.

"That's what I thought," said the woman curtly.

At that point Yugi stopped listening and started weaving through the crowd, having no interest in the daughter of some unnamed noble from Memphis attempting to court his Holiness the Pharaoh. He bumped into many people, their reactions ranging from ignoring him completely to taking in the boy's dirty appearance and hissing at him angrily for even breathing the same air as them.

"People are cruel," Yugi had said to Jounouchi after he accidentally bumped into a lady who had called him all sorts of degrading names, among them the usual use of the words "dog" and "street-rat". Jounouchi had made a small yipping sound in reply, as if he were agreeing with the violet-eyed boy.

Soon enough, the boy and hound exited the large crowd of people that was starting to disperse now that the gates to the palace had closed resolutely behind the procession. They turned into a deserted back alley that led to the part of town where Yugi's flat lay. The only light that they now had to guide themselves by was Chons, the Pathfinder, who lit up the dark each night.

Yugi felt himself shivering as the temperature dropped sharply as the cool of the night replaced the sweltering heat of the day. Egypt was a land of radical temperature, and even though all the inhabitants of the nation had lived through this their whole lives, Yugi felt himself speeding up in an effort to get home and wrap himself up in his favorite blanket.

As Yugi sped up, so did Jounouchi, and eventually the two had broken out in a dead run, their bare feet/paws slapping the bare dirt audibly as the street started to incline sharply. Upper Egypt was notorious for being very hilly, and Thebes was no exception. Yugi, however, felt relieved as his breath started to come out in pants as he neared the summit of the small rise. His one-story flat was just at the top of it.

Jounouchi suddenly sped up, racing toward the top as if Ammat himself was chasing his tail. By the time Yugi came huffing and puffing up to the zenith, Jounouchi was already standing near the entrance to the small house, happily panting and wagging his tail excitedly, barking cheerfully as Yugi took a second to regain his breath. The violet-eyed boy beamed fondly at his canine friend, walking slowly and pushing aside the thick cloth curtain that served as a door.

There were no other sounds on the street except for the two of them. Nobody lived here anymore; it had cleared out because of the epidemic that took his mother and grandfather eight summers ago.

Despite the solitude, there was another reason as to why Yugi stayed there. The house wasn't all that big, and the furniture and decoration was sparse—but oh, if you could see it. Perched atop the hill, it was on higher ground than any other house in Thebes. And if you climbed the narrow step ladder to the flat roof, armed with a blanket and a bag of dates, you would be rewarded with the most magnificent view in all of Egypt.

To the west lay the great home of his Holiness, the Pharaoh. It was a magnificent building; a palace in every sense of the word. Sheltered by a high wall and surrounded by tall palms, the castle glowed amidst the dark city of Thebes. Yugi could see the great balcony where the Pharaoh went out to greet his people, and he could faintly see the darkened silhouettes of guards patrolling the grounds. Beyond the Palace lay the marshy banks of the Nile, where animals such as the crocodile, ibis, and hippopotamus lurked. Beyond the Nile were the steep rocky cliffs colored indigo with the night. And beyond those, Yugi knew, were the endless deserts that stretched to the West, where there wasn't a drop of water for another thousand miles.

The boy wrapped the heavy wool blanket around his shoulders, cuddling close to the warmth of Jounouchi, breathing in his comforting canine smell. Jounouchi let out a small whine, licking Yugi's hair.

Yugi sighed, gazing longingly to the West. "I want to live there, Jounouchi. To one day live in privilege, not having to steal just to get food in your mouth. To live a life free of problems, where your only worry is what cut of beef you're going to have at your next banquet." Yugi's pillowy pink lips quirked into a mournful smile, adjusting his position so his head rested comfortably on the small of Jounouchi's back. He listened to his friend pant under him, his rapid heartbeat lulling him into a strange sense of calm.

"I'd love for just one day to not be called a street rat, you know?" Yugi said, throwing his arm over his eyes. Jounouchi made a low, non-committal sound in his throat. A breeze suddenly swept over the two of them, accomplishing in making Yugi's already messy hair even more of a disaster.

He took one last long look at the huge building near the river, yawning as his eyelids started to get heavy. There was a moment of silence, the only noise being the slow breaths of the boy, the pants of the hound, and the low howling of the wind off the cliffs.

"Okay;" he said finally, "time for bed."

The two slowly made their way down the step-ladder, Yugi sort of having to half-carry, half-drag his dog companion down the incline. The minute the boy stepped on the hard-packed dirt of the floor, he immediately made a bee-line for the straw pallet he slept on, throwing himself down onto the bedding tiredly. Jounouchi soon joined him, curling around his human friend. Yugi was almost instantly asleep, his breathing low, deep, and even.

That night, Yugi dreamt of lavish halls decorated in gold, silk sheets, ripe, succulent fruit, and rich wine.

And that night, he dreamt of a man with bronze skin and blood eyes.


(1) The ancient Egyptians believed your soul to be split into two parts, your ba and your ka. When you got judged to go to the afterlife, Anubis, god of embalming, weighed your heart against a feather. If it was heavier than the feather, that symbolized that it was weighted down with sin, and therefore you didn't get passage to the afterlife. Your ka got swallowed by the monster Ammat, and you just ceased to exist. It was the worst thing that could happen after death to an Ancient Egyptian.

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