AN - Sorry I took so long to update, but I've had loads of exams to revise for. I still do but this is my break from the torment of GCSE biology.

When Yugi awoke it took him a while to becoming accustomed to the impenetrable darkness. He sat up in his bed, feeling inside that it wasn't quite morning yet. But something had awakened him early, and he had a bad feeling about it. He got up and dressed quickly, still feeling uneasy as he stumbled around by the meagre light of a dying torch.

As he reached for the door handle the door swung open, hitting Yugi square across the shoulder. He cried out as he fell backwards, and looked up to see Seto standing above him.

"Seto, what's going on?" Yugi asked. Seto immediately lurched forwards and placed a hand over Yugi's mouth to stop him from speaking. Yugi realised that Seto's face was drawn and he had dark circles under his eyes. But Seto did not just look tired, he looked worried, even scared.

"Shush." Seto warned him. "When I take my hand from your mouth you must not say a word. Extinguish your torch. OK?" Yugi nodded and Seto released his hold on Yugi.

"What's going on Seto?" Yugi asked as Seto crossed to Yugi's bed and began plumping pillows and covers.

"We have to go downstairs Yugi." Seto explained. "Just as soon as I finish this diversion."

"Diversion?" Yugi asked. He looked at the way Seto had made his bed. It looked like there was someone still in there, the way Seto had placed pillows underneath the covers. "Why have you done that?"

"Come with me quietly Yugi and I will explain." Seto said. He picked up his torch and took Yugi's arm, leading him through the darkened passageways.

Yugi noticed that they weren't the only ones moving down into the bottom of the hide out. All the other servants and some guards were making their way down, all of them carrying food, blankets and other precious items.

"Somehow someone has got wind of where we are." Seto explained. "Your would-be assassins know where you are Pharaoh. They are trying to break into the hide out as we speak."

"No!" Yugi gasped.

"We are all making our way t9o the secret room deep beneath the other passageways. The guards at the entrance shall hold them off for as ling as possible, long enough for us to get hidden anyway." Seto said solemnly.

"How did they find out?" Yugi asked. He felt Tea take his hand from behind. He squeezed her hand in comfort.

"It is obvious that there is a traitor amongst your father's most trusted advisers." Seto replied. "I just hope that whoever it is does not know about these secret passages."

"Then your diversion in my bedroom?" Yugi asked. "Was that to slow them down?"

"Yes." Seto replied. "Hopefully it will buy us some time, although I'm not entirely sure that it will help us."

They emerged into a cavern deep under the rocks. Most of the other servants were already assembled there. The room was large, and very dark and damp. Water ran off the walls and the only light came from a few torches. No more could be lit as the fumes and smoke would have suffocated the incumbents.

"Is everyone inside?" Seto asked as the last guard locked and bolted the heavy door.

"All except the remaining guards Mr Kaiba." The guard said.

"Then they should be here too." Yugi said.

"Sire, many of your guards volunteered to stay at the entrance. They will try to fight off the enemy." The guard explained sombrely. "There may be too many of the enemy, but your men will fight to the death for your life."

Yugi turned away. He didn't want anyone to die for him. He was nothing. He wasn't Yami, and it didn't matter if he was killed. A look from Seto told him not to say anything. However Seto dragged him into a far corner of the room.

"Seto, call the guards in. There's no point in protecting me. I'm not the prince. It doesn't matter if I die." Yugi said.

"No!" Seto said. "It does matter. If you are killed here then Yami will remain in prison forever. No one would believe that he was the real prince. They would just say he has gone mad in the confines of the prison."

"Then what can we do?" Yugi asked. "If I don't admit that I'm me, then we die and Yami remains in prison. And if I do we shall be killed and then the assassins will move on and kill Yami too."

"It's a pretty hopeless situation." Seto agreed. "I hate to admit it, but I too do not know what to do."

"Yami?" Tea said. She walked over. She was pale and frightened looking and she shivered. Yugi put his arms around her to comfort her, and he could feel her quivering in his arms. "What are we going to do?"

"We will do something Tea." Yugi replied, trying to make her feel better. "I don't know what exactly, but I will not let anyone harm you."

Tea just nestled into his arms and didn't reply.

"If only we could get a message out to the palace, to get them to send reinforcements." Seto said angrily, kicking the rock beside him in frustration. To their surprise, it moved.

"Seto, that rock isn't part of the wall." Yugi said, kneeling beside it. "Help me to move it."

"What's the point?" Seto asked miserably. "It won't help us."

"But at least it will give us something to do rather than sitting here waiting to die!" Yugi said angrily. Seto sighed, but eventually knelt beside Yugi. With their joint effort they managed to shift the rock sideways, revealing a small hole in the rock.

"It's just an animal hole." Seto explained. "This place was built using old animal burrows. It saved time and effort to use what was already here and just expand on it. That hold will lead to another burrow deeper in the ground."

But Yugi had his face in the hole. "No it doesn't Seto. I can feel fresh air."

"Yami, that will just be because no one has breathed that air for centuries." Tea sighed.

"Wait. Hand me a torch." Yugi said. Seto frowned, but handed Yugi a flaming torch. Yugi took it and held it against the hole. For a second the flame burned more brightly, and then went out completely.

"I was right. This passage leads to the surface." Yugi said. "The flame burned brighter because it had fresh fuel in the air to burn (oxygen) and then died because a gust of air blew it out. You can feel the wind on your face. This passage leads to the surface!"

Seto finally believed him. He called the other servant over and they stood, staring at the passage.

"Right everyone, Yami has found a way out." Seto announced. "We can all escape now."

"No Seto!" Yugi replied. "If those assassins break in and find us all gone they will be after us in an instant. They will easily catch up with us, and a whoile group of us will be easy to spot. Also this hole is very narrow, not all of us would be small enough to fit."

"What do you suggest?" Seto asked.

"I will go." Yugi said. "I will run and get help from the palace, and return."

Seto tried to argue, but Yugi threw himself into the hole and began to push himself upwards. However just a few feet in and his broad shoulders discovered that the hole was too narrow for him. "Pull me back!" He called.

He felt hands fasten around his ankles, and in a moment he was sitting on the ground among the others again. "It narrows slightly part way up." He explained.

"Just as well. If the assassins do break in and discover that you are missing, they would be after you in a trice." Seto reasoned. "We need someone who is small and won't be missed by the assassins."

"I'll go." Came a timid voice. Tea stepped forwards.

"No Tea!" Yugi cried. "I can't let you."

"I'm the only person who can!" Tea replied. "I'm the smallest, and the assassins won't realise that I'm not here."

Yugi walked up to her and took her by the shoulders. "I don't want you to get hurt!"

"If I stay they will surely kill me. If I go then we all have a chance." Tea pleaded.

"She's right Yugi, much as I hate to admit it." Seto said. "Hokou!" He called over a wizened old man. "You were one of Raha's most trusted advisers and were not blindfolded on the journey. Explain to us where we are and how Tea must get back to the palace."

"It is a long journey." Hokou said. "It will take you half a day to reach the palace. You must follow the path from which the sun rises until the mountains are out of sight. You will reach a village. Here you must follow the path that the river has already taken until you reach a shallow pool in an oasis of green. Then you shall be on the outskirts of the city and the palace will be in view."

"OK Tea. He means go east until you reach a village from which you cannot see the mountains. Then follow a stream down river until you reach a pool. Then go to the palace from there." Seto explained.

"My brother owns a farm at that village." One servant boy added. "If you find Mr Haiku's farm and tell him that Mao sent you, he will lend you a horse to take you faster."

"Thank you Mao." Tea said.

"Tea." Seto said. "Go to the place and fetch guards, but tell them not to leave immediately. Then go to the palace prison." He said, scribbling a note on a piece of scrap paper and handing it to Yugi, who read and signed it. "Give this to the guards at the prison. They will release a prisoner who looks something like the prince. Bring this prisoner with you. He will be able to help us."

Tea took the paper and pocketed it, not bothering to ask any questions. Everyone shook her hand or hugged her for good luck, even Seto. Yugi stood by the passage entrance. Tea stood before him.

"Be careful." Yugi said, hugging her tight.

"I will." Tea replied, and then she whispered in his ear. "In case we don't meet again Yami, I love you."

"I love you too." Yugi replied without hesitating. Serenity didn't even creep into his mind. He knew that he really did love Tea and he felt tears come to his eyes as he watched her disappear into the hole. In a moment she was out of sight.

"All we can do now is wait." Seto said, placing a comforting hand on Yugi's shoulder.

AN - what do you think? The next chapter is not going to be about Yami; instead it will be about Tea. I'm not going to alternate between the two characters now for each chapter; soon they will be in the same chapter again. Read and review please!!!