DISCLAIMER: Welcome! I am Nuin and I will be your guide as we embark on this wondrous tour of Yugi-Oh and Yaoi-land. Now remember that feeding and petting the characters is forbidden at all times. I do not wish for them to run off with any of you, which would result in disabling me from writing the rest of the story. Please keep your arms and legs inside the moving vehicle as I do not wish to receive any lawsuits containing dismemberment of tour-guests. Thank you.

WARNING: May I also kindly remind you that this story is in fact a Yaoi-story. Which means lovers of the same gender. Anyone with restrictions against this form of love is asked to please leave the premises as it will probably upset the characters. Now if you'll please turn to your right, I believe that we are in for a treat as the characters begin on a new story.

Born to Servitude.

By Nuin

15. When All Hope Seems Lost...

Jou stared at the wall before him, his golden brown eyes emotionless and dull. Tears had long ago dried on his smooth cheeks, but he ignored the itchy feeling they created. He just stared at the wall, with all its cracks and scratches. The dried up mud caking the floor was uneven to sit on, but he did so anyway. He didn't care. He had lost all hope of ever going home, since the night Bakura had vanished as if into thin air. Even though soldiers had searched the city, the temples, the palace, even the surrounding acres of land, across the Nile and beyond, he hadn't been found. He couldn't believe that he had been so stupid as to actually trust Bakura. He had been desperate, yes, to go home, so desperate that he willingly had agreed with the Tomb Robber. He should have known better, if how Bakura acted in his own time had been anything to go by, Jou should have known better.

He sighed, how long had he been down here? Days, weeks? No it couldn't have been that long, he was after all fed regularly, two meals a day...so that would make it four days. Four days since he had seen the sun, since he had seen Seth. What would Seth think of him now? Now that he was labelled a criminal, a traitor to the crown. He shuddered, he would understand if Seth hated him now, was that why Seth hadn't come to see him. Did he hate him? No, Seth had said that he loved him, but what if he didn't anymore? He hugged his knees closer to his chest and cried. Would he ever see sunlight again?

Elsewhere a very frustrated High Priest was pacing from one side of his very spacious room to the other. He growled. How could Jou do this? Why did he do it? Hmm, stupid question, he mentally berated himself. Jou had told him several times that he wanted to go home. But why had he not seen this coming? After all the blonde had tried the stunt before. And now the albino thief had the Ring and was out there somewhere, leaving Jou behind to rot up in his cell. If he...no, when he got a hold of that deranged, conniving, treacherous little son of a cow, he would give the little brat his well deserved judgement. His dragons would have a feast of his flesh and entertainment of his soul.

Seth himself would not rest until Jou was out of his imprisonment, out in the sun again. He just had to hope that the High Council wouldn't speed up the process of coming to agreement and a decision of Jou's penalty. If they somehow managed to convince Panseru that their point of view was the right one, he didn't know what he would do. He was sure the High Council was bent on execution, the bloodthirsty tyrants. It was really annoying that the council at all times consisted of at least three military operatives. They were the worst, always trying to persuade Panseru into declaring war against some minor country. Ra, how he hated them.

But they were not important right now, Jou's safety and freedom was. Why had Panseru not done anything to help the blonde? They had been friends or at least companions from the very beginning, taking a natural liking to each other instantly as if they had known each other for years. Panseru had sought Jou out several times, when he had needed someone to talk to, someone who wouldn't judge him. Why had Panseru not done anything at all? He had allowed the guards to throw Jou into the cell and not questioned it. What did the Pharaoh know that he didn't? He had to talk to Panseru, make him see reason.

He left his rooms, scaring whatever servant he would come across with his facial expression of a deep scowl. He stormed past the guards placed at the doors to the throne room, ignoring their protests and set off towards the throne. Pharaoh Atemu Panseru was perched on it, his back straight and his face unreadable...if you didn't know him. But Seth knew his cousin well, having grown up side by side they had developed a sixth sense, when reading their cousin's feelings and emotions. And this was no exception. Panseru looked like he had been through the worst torture known to mankind.

As Seth approached him, Panseru jerked his head up and looked at his cousin with sad, tearful eyes, he looked as if he had not slept for days. One hand cradled his forehead, the other clutched the hem of his robe. His skin was ashen and pale, his lips dry and cracked. His crimson eyes were dull and tired with black circles lining beneath them. He looked on the verge of a break down. There were no others present in the room, which was so dark, it reflected Seth's mood perfectly.

"Cousin..." Panseru whispered in acknowledgement, his voice strained and hoarse. Seth only nodded. Silence followed, as either of them said nothing for the next several moments. They were both lost in thought.

"Panseru..." Seth paused, how was he supposed to approach this? He wanted to know everything and squash every doubt of Jou's innocence. But his cousin came to words before him.

"Seth, we never seem to know people as well as we would like, do we?" He smiled sadly, but it was strained as if it took great strength to seem normal.

"What do you mean? Are you talking about Jou?" Seth whispered, but he wanted to shout, he wanted to shout that Jou was...was...what was Jou? Was he really a traitor? Had he lead them around by their noses, fooling them? No, he couldn't...wouldn't believe it.

"You know, Seth. I treasured him as a friend, one of the first I ever had that truly cared about me for me and not pleasing me for my status. But I guess I was wrong. Was he ever my friend or did he just use me?" Panseru looked down at the floor, before he cast his eyes on his cousin looking for answers. Sadly Seth did not have any, he wanted answers as much as the young Pharaoh. "Seth, did he betray us?"

Seth was speechless, he had no idea what to say. He wasn't even sure himself. But he wished it weren't so, he wished everything was back to normal. He would wake up with Jou beside him and it would be perfect. His bed was so cold, when Jou wasn't there, so lonely. "If he did betray us, then you did too...You kept his secret. But I do not want it to be this way."

Seth paled, his cousin was right, he could be charged as well; how would he be able to help Jou, if he was suspected himself? "What has happened to you, cousin?" Usually Pharaoh Atemu Panseru would defend those he cared for without any question, he would be the most adamant in proving their innocence. What had happened to make him doubt Jou so much?

"The council believes that he is a spy. That he was sent to get a hold of the Seven and use them take over the kingdom or the world with the help of the shadows." Seth stared, this was ludicrous, Jou would never do something like this. Bureaucrats...such imbeciles. Panseru continued. "I seriously do not know what to think anymore."

He took a sip of jar containing water that Seth hadn't noticed there before. "I mean there is so much evidence against him, but I do not want to believe any of them."

"Evidence?" Seth was dreading this, if the council had anything solid to accuse Jou of, then he was as good as doomed.

Panseru sighed. "He was associating with a known criminal, the white haired thief, Bakura." At this he looked like he aged a thousand years. Seth deducted that his cousin must have felt something for the white haired menace, even if he knew it would be immoral. But you could not decide who you want to have feelings for and Panseru was clearly shaken by this, his own attraction and Bakura's betrayal. Though it was to be expected from the thief, he had not wanted to be here. He was a criminal and already had a death sentence upon him for killing a priest.

"He was hiding the Ring of the Seven, when he should have handed it over the moment he found it." Seth knew the reason for this, more than anything right now he actually wished that Jou had been successful in his plan, then they both would have been spared this. "According to the High Council, he avoided any question they asked him, though for this I do not blame him." Panseru said with a wry smile. "After all they are extremely nosy and annoying."

Seth couldn't agree more, the High Council had been on his back for years now. Always trying to sway him to join their views, simply because he was the one closest to the young Pharaoh, his cousin. They believed that if he was on their side it would be easier to persuade Panseru in making decisions that fell out their favour. How wrong they had been. He only hated them more. Even his father, who 'coincidentally' was a member of the Council as well, he was after all the brother of the former Pharaoh, the elder High Priest and the one in possession of the Eye of the Seven, wanted him to join them.

His father had many times prodded at him, stating that he was the elder of the two cousins and that he should have been Pharaoh, a position Seth cared nothing about. He was fine were he was. He couldn't imagine being able to stand having to hear people whine day in and day out about this and that, it would probably drive him insane. He father was power-hungry and even though Seth didn't mind his own lust for power, he didn't care for the bureaucracy that followed with a position such as the Pharaoh's.

He was jostled out of his thoughts as his cousin continued in a hoarse voice, raw with emotion of feeling betrayed. "Why did you not tell me of Jou's knowledge of the Shadow Realm?"

Seth was stunned, how did Panseru know about this? Jou had only spoken about it once and that was over a month ago, during last Shadow Games, when Jou told him that he had even participated in several games himself. The night Jou and he had first engaged in their relationship. He then remembered the guards, of course, he himself had placed guards at the doors to his chambers and they had still been there when he came back. They must have overheard their conversation somehow, it was the only explanation.

"You knew, did you not? Seth?" The voice was unsure, almost begging his cousin to deny everything. Being betrayed by someone you thought to be a friend was bad enough, but betrayed by family was even worse.

"I knew, yes. But at the time I did not know what to do with this information, so I chose to forget it. Though it is hardly something you could possibly forget that easily."

He looked up to find Panseru staring at him, looking more tired than ever. "So much they want to accuse him of, but the only real accusation they have right now, one that cannot be denied later, is the fact that he let a Tomb Robber and murderer escape with the Ring. And just for that he could be executed."

Seth didn't want to hear anymore, Jou was not going to die, he wouldn't allow it.

"Seth, promise me. That if there is way for him to live through this, then use it. Promise me, will you?" Panseru looked pleadingly at his cousin. "Because if you do not, then I see no other path for him than to let the Council carry out their threat to his life."

"On that you can count cousin." He turned and stalked out of the grand room, not being able to take anymore of this.

His exit was much like his entrance, he was glaring menacingly at everyone who dared cross his way. He needed space to think this over. How was he going save Jou's life? He knew he had his cousin's blessing, even though Panseru felt betrayed, he loved Jou too much as friend to let him be killed.

As he turned around the corner that separated him from the door to his chambers, he saw a woman standing in the doorway to his rooms. Her white and gold clad form as well as the tell tale piece around her neck left no doubt to him that he was about to get a visit from Isis. He growled mentally, he was not in the mood to deal with her cryptic speeches again.

He walked up to her, stared her right into her sky blue eyes and sneered.

"What do you want, Isis?"

She smiled. "How fitting that you should say the exact same thing as last time we met. Come, I wish to have few words with you." She entered his room and sat down on the nearest chair available. He followed at a slower pace, not entirely sure what she really wanted from him. She could be quite manipulative, when she wanted, which was in his experience all the damn time.

She looked expectantly at him, motioning for him to join her in the chair next to her.

"It seems that our young friend has brought himself into a tight spot at the moment." She stated, there was no doubt of whom she was talking. "I did warn you, the path is not a force to be messed with." She paused, then added with a small smirk. "Though I do my best."

"Isis, tell me what you have come to say or leave. I am not in the mood for your speeches right now. As you have noticed Jou is in trouble and I will do my best to get him out of there." He grabbed a jar of water standing on the table nearby and poured himself something to drink. He offered Isis the same, but she politely declined.

"Yes. Do you know how?"

He looked at her and shook his head, he had gone through every possible way, he could think of that would not endanger any of their lives.

"Hmm...you may not know it now. But the answer has been with you for a long time. If you wish I will help you."

"Why? You could easily turn us both over to the High Council, Jou and I for even considering this. So why are you willing to help?" He glared doubtful at her, though she was not fazed by it or at least she didn't show it.

"To repair the path that has been disturbed." She stood and made her way to the door. Before she walked out she turned and looked at him solemnly, though with a small smile.

"Remember, what you need is no farther away than it could be in the grasp of your hand."

After she had left, Seth sat in the same spot contemplating what she could have meant. The gods were not the only who knew how hard it was sometimes to follow her trail of thought. What could have seemed like strike of lightning, shook him not with electricity, but with a warmth of the knowledge that something was going to be alright in a few days. He knew finally an answer and actually he was quite proud of himself to have deciphered Isis' words so quickly. But now he had plans to make and a blonde to get out of the holding cells underground. He went to work with renewed hope of success.

She held tightly onto her knees as she cried. Her bed may have been plush and comfy but she didn't notice, it might as well have been made of pikes and she wouldn't notice. How could he do this to her? She would have given him everything she could muster. But he had denied her the right that was hers and hers alone to do so. Why? Because of his little friends.

Perhaps it was to protect her from those he called friends. If they ever found out that he was in love with her, they would never accept it. That had to be it. Oh, a secret love affair. She was feeling better already. It was so romantic and exiting. She suddenly giggled. How come she had not seen it sooner? Of course he would never betray her. She loved him and he was hers. She thought back to the moment where she had seen his fiery sapphire blue eyes, burning eyes, just for her.

She realized that he was trapped in a friendship he did not want. If she could succeed in getting rid of the pestering gnomes and freaks circling him like vultures, they could be together in peace and he would be free to love her. She sighed happily, yes that was what she had to do. Save him.

Yugi trotted down the stairs to reach the front door of his home, to answer the one ringing constantly on the doorbell. He sighed annoyed, he was quite sure he would be able to guess who was standing outside. He made it towards the door, the bell chiming all the way. Yugi grabbed the handle, twisted it and yanked the door open. It wasn't a surprise to him, who was on the other side. The blonde was bent over, looking at the doorbell with feigned interest and a grin on his face as he pressed his finger against the button continuously. He looked up at Yugi, still with a wide mischievous grin and ringing the doorbell.

"Marik." Yugi sighed. "Won't you come in?" He stepped back to let the tall Egyptian in and then he noticed the others standing behind him, all of them looking rather exasperated and embarrassed. Yugi nodded to them in greeting as they stepped inside, he closed the door and followed them into the living room.

Marik and Bakura, which of the Bakura's it was at the moment he couldn't tell, but he guessed that it was Ryou since he was making polite small talk with Marik, had already claimed the middle sofa. While Honda had plopped down in a leather chair, grabbing Otogi in the process and brought him down in his lap. Anzu took up one of the other couches with Mai, who had recently returned from a trip abroad. The blonde woman had teamed up with them in their quest to bring Jou back, with out much hesitation. Yugi himself, after having brought out refreshments, occupied a chair next to the couch.

They all looked at each other for a while in complete silence.

"So." Marik stated. "I guess you all got a call from Kaiba-kun." The others nodded. "Does anyone know why he wants us to come here?"

"No. But it must be important. He was very livid about...whatever it is." Yugi clarified and took a sip of his soda. Seto had called him early this morning, waking him up from a very nice dream, and said that he would get the others together and meet up at the Kame Game Shop later, would he be okay with that? Yugi had answered that it was okay, but could it possibly wait until the sun rose. There had been a slight pause, where after Seto gave his affirmative with a sheepish voice. Yugi was just glad that they had the day off from school, all the teachers were at some kind of lecture for the day.

Now they were all here, but they seemed to be missing a certain CEO. Which was quite a coincidence, because suddenly the front door slammed open and said brunette stalked into the room with a stack of papers in his hand. He was grinning widely, something that unnerved the assembled teens in living room rather disturbingly. What he did next made them all even more uneasy with the current situation.

" 'EUREKA!" He grinned like some poor fellow who had just won a million and had been given it in cash. He flashed the papers before Yugi's eyes, faster than the teen could read the text. "I have it. It might have taken a couple of days. But I have it."

The others stared at him with confused expressions. Seto continued to grin like a crazed maniac, when a cough came from the doorway. They all turned to find Kaiba Mokuba standing with a blush and an embarrassed expression on his face. He sighed and walked towards the couch, which Bakura and Marik were occupying, and flopped down on the last available seat. They all glanced between him and his older brother for a couple of minutes, before they settled to simply look at Mokuba, thinking he might have some answers to the elder Kaiba's very out of character-like behaviour. He sighed again and put his hand to his forehead in despair.

"He has been like that since last night. I swear he did a happy dance at some point. It was a rather horrifying sight." The others couldn't help but snicker at the image of the Kaiba Seto doing a happy dance, it seemed impossible, but so was the thought of Kaiba ever grinning and he had been doing that constantly since he arrived. Miracles do happen.

"I didn't get any sleep last night, he kept me up." Mokuba turned to his big brother. "So when this is all over, I would appreciate it if you don't disturb me for the next week, alright 'Nii-sama? Oh, a couple of new games would do wonders as well. Who knows? It might have a devastating impact on my grades, you know, not getting enough sleep and all." Now it was his turn to grin, emotional blackmail against his brother always paid off well for himself.

Yugi shook his head slightly, Mokuba had his brother wrapped around his little finger. But tales of Mokuba blackmailing the elder Kaiba brother was not the reason why they had all come here. So he decided it was time to get back on track.

"Seto-kun, would you care to indulge us and tell us why you wanted us to come here today. What is of such great importance that your little brother is lacking sleep." He smiled innocently, the others blatantly laughed out loud.

Seto sobered somewhat after that comment and even managed to give Yugi a scathing glare, not as potent as usual, but either way a glare, meaning that Kaiba Seto was getting back to normal. He cleared his throat and produced the papers, he was running around with, for Yugi and company to see. Yugi was the first to grab a hold of what seemed to be legal papers, at second glance they were, a court order allowing them to search the house of one Nezumioni Midori.

Yugi passed the papers along for the others to take a look, they smirked. Especially a certain Tomb Robber, who had all of a sudden decided to grace the room with his presence. The albino looked at the legal documents one more time before turning to the now completely back to normal, or as normal as can be, Kaiba Seto.

"So, does this mean that I can legally gain entry to her house?" He received an affirmative nod. "Aww, where's the fun in that?" He nearly sulked. The comment made several of them choke on their sodas and whatever snack they were munching on at the moment.

Seto was the first one to get over the sudden coughing fit the group was enduring. He quickly gathered the papers, put them in a folder, handling them like they were made of the most precious glass in the world, he delicately put them inside his metal briefcase, which surprisingly no one present had noticed before. "I have received an all clear and assistance from some of the officers at the police station down town, Friday afternoon we go in. And then we'll see what the bitch has to say for herself." He smirked evilly. Friday was going to be a good day.

A/N: Nezumioni Midori: Basically her name now means Green Rat Demon. Midori: Green. Nezumi: Rat and Oni: Demon.