Yami Yami Yugi: Hey!

Yugi: Hiya!

Jounouchi: Yo!

YYY: Yep another chapter finally here.

Yugi: Yeah, she took way to long to get this one out..

Jou: That's because you haven't stopped giving her more and more ideas for it.

Yugi: Hey, so I've got an overactive imagination. Is it my fault I came up with the best idea halfway through and she had to start over?

YYY & Jou: Yes!

YYY: And I have one little note that I should have mentioned earlier. This is a Yami/Yugi Jounouchi/Seto fic. Now lets start this already before we get anymore new ideas!

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Disclaimer and Warning: Please see chapter one.

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Chapter three

The door opened, flooding the small room with light. Two men walked in, one carrying a whip. Inside they met the frightened eyes of Yugi who was in Jounouchi's protective embrace. Jounouchi glared at the men that came in and wrapped his arms tighter around his friend.

"That's the one," the master said pointing at the smaller of the two. "Yugi, come here," he commanded. Yugi didn't move. "I said come here!"

"I won't let you take him!" Jounouchi shouted. "You can't!"

The master frowned. He approached the two slaves, cracking the whip dangerously. The two looked fearful but still, they didn't move.

"You do not have a say in this Jounouchi," he said striking Jounouchi with the whip. Jounouchi hissed in pain as blood came down his bare back. "I am your master and I can do what I want with you." The whip cracked three more times before Jounouchi fell to one knee, still not letting Yugi out of his grasp.

The master nodded to the man at the door who came forward. He grabbed Yugi and roughly pulled him away from Jounouchi.

"No! Let go! Leave me alone!" Yugi kicked and screamed, but only earned himself a hard slap.

"No, Yugi!"

"Jounouchi!"

Jounouchi tried to get up and help Yugi, but another lash from the whip brought him back to his knees. "No you won't! I still have to teach you a lesson for disobeying me." The last Yugi saw before he was pushed out was Jounouchi being beaten.

Yugi was pushed outside were he was put in a small group of other slaves who were being carefully watched by some guards. They continued traveling from shop to shop to pick up slaves. By the time they were finished it was very dark and Yugi was tired from walking all day, as were the rest of the slaves.

They stopped for the night at a camp just outside of town. They were going to meet with the group of slave traders the next day, and then it would be another day before they arrived at the palace. They were each given bread and water that night for their rations, but Yugi wasn't hungry.

His mind kept drifting to Jounouchi and what was happening to him. He knew his friend was going to be punished badly, because of him. And he also thought, not for the first time, what his other friends were doing. What had happened to Marik and Ryou. He hadn't seen them since he was sold to his master. He and Jounouchi had always wondered how they were doing, what happened to them, if they were even alive…

"Excuse me," came a soft voice beside him. "If you're not going to eat that, may we have it?" Yugi looked up to see a white haired boy, slightly older that him standing there.

His eyes widened. "R-Ryou?" he said quietly. It couldn't be.

"Yugi! Is it really you?" Yugi nodded and pulled his friend into a brotherly hug.

"I don't believe it!" Yugi said.

"Neither can I! Hold on one second." He left and returned a moment later with another person.

"Marik! You're here too."

"Yugi. This is amazing." After a quick reunion the three of them sat on the ground together.

"How did you both get here?" Yugi asked.

"Well," Ryou started, "We were both sold to the same master and for some reason he had to give two slaves instead of one."

"Yeah," Marik continued. "I think it was something about not donating a slave last time they choose that city to get slaves from. I don't know for sure though."

"But anyway, he choose both of us and here we are."

"That's great. If only Jounouchi was here…"

"What happened to him?"

"Well, we were also sold to the same master and…" Yugi trailed off. He wasn't sure how he could say this.

"Is he alright?"

"I'm not sure. That last time I saw him he was being beaten.

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Yugi's hole body hurt. It hurt from the beatings, walking all day, and from standing for almost three hours. He and the rest of the slaves stood in the throne room, in neat little lines, and their heads bowed. They had been like this since they arrived at the palace, waiting. They were waiting for the Pharaoh. He was late because he was 'busy' with something. Something Jounouchi once said to him when they were younger came back to him at that thought. 'These kinds of guys are never busy. They just like to keep you waiting to make you think they're doing something important.' Yugi grinned at the memory.

A few minutes later the Pharaoh walked in and the whole room bowed down on their knees. The Pharaoh sat down on his throne and glanced to his side where the high priest, Seto, stood. He nodded and Seto instructed all the slaves to stand. Yami got up from his throne and walked to the slaves to get a better look at them.

He walked up and down the rows, the slaves tensing when he passed them. He stopped at a few of them but none really caught his eye. He sighed and was about to take his seat again when he caught glimpse of a small figure in the crowd. He approached the boy to get a better look.

It was almost unreal at how much he looked like him. They both had the same spiky black hair with a red outline and golden bangs. The slave however lacked the few yellow streaks going through his hair that Yami had. He tilted the boy's chin up to see his face and gasped. Staring back at him where large and frightened violet orbs that he almost drowned in. They were filled with such innocence and beauty that it seemed almost impossible. But he also seemed young, very young. Perhaps no older than eight.

"What is the meaning of this?" he questioned. "I made it clear that no slave here should be under twelve years."

One of the guards rushed over and took a look at Yugi. "How old are you?" he demanded. Yugi gulped and said something quietly. "Speak up boy!"

"Twelve years."

The Pharaoh raised an eyebrow. So he was old enough. Just barely, but still old enough. He turned and returned to his seat and thought for a moment. When he looked into the eyes of that slave he felt some thing he had never felt before. They were so innocent and beautiful. All of the boy was. And he wanted to get to know him better

Yami whispered something to a nearby guard who bowed and walked into the crowd. He returned a moment later dragging Yugi behind him. Yugi was too frightened to fight back. The Pharaoh couldn't have possibly chosen him! But he had. Yugi was pushed at the Pharaohs feet. Tears started forming in his eyes. He was going to be the Pharaoh's slave. The Pharaoh who supposedly tortured and killed his slaves for fun.

Yami nodded to Seto who stood up. "The Pharaoh has chosen his slave! The rest of you will be taken to see your duties."

Yami stood up and took Yugi out of the hall. He led him down a series of hallways and up many flights of stairs before stopping at a door at the end of one of the halls. It was a golden door with a carving of the Millennium Puzzle. He placed his hand on the carving which glowed red and gave him entrance. He took Yugi into the room before shutting the door behind him.

Yugi stared in awe at the room. It was beautiful. The floor was made from marble that he could practically see his face in. There were several fine paintings scattered on the walls. Red and gold drapes hung from the windows. There were dressers and desks that were made of finely carved wood and had some gold and ruby decorations. There was a large balcony that had a better view of Egypt than anywhere else. Many different rare plants and flowers were arranged throughout the room in neat patterns. In one corner of the room was a small bathing area. And of coarse there was the bed. It was magnificent with silk sheets and pillows and ruby red curtains that surrounded it.

Yugi would have been much more amazed had he not been so scared. What was going to happen to him. He had never been taken or even really harmed by his old master because of that deal he made with Jounouchi, but he could hear what went on in that room. And the words Draconis and Anaku said to him kept coming back. 'I heard the likes to torture his slaves for fun.' 'He once took a slave so hard they bled to death.' Was that going to happen to him?

"Ahem." Yugi jumped when the Pharaoh coughed. He forgot the was in here.

Yami sat down on one of the couches and had Yugi take a seat beside him. The small slave approached slowly and sat down, put his hands on his lap, and stared at his knees. Yami put his own had over the Yugi's. Yugi flinched but remained where he was.

"What is your name little one?" Yami asked softly but firmly.

"Y-Yugi, master." He had such an angelic voice and features to match he noticed. His pale soft skin and beautiful face entranced him. But his eyes were covered by his bangs. But he was knocked out of his thoughts when he felt something on his hand. He looked down to find it was a tear. The boy was crying.

Yami seemed to melt at the sight. "What is the matter, Yugi?" he demanded, his voice still soft.

"Nothing m-master."

"Do not lie to me." Yugi stiffened beside him.

"I-I suppose I'm f-frightened."

Yami raised an eyebrow. "Of what exactly? Me?" Yugi gave a small nod. "Hmm."

Yugi gasped. Did do say something wrong? Was he going to be hit? "I-I'm sorry! J-just f-forget what I said. I…"

Yami placed a finger over his mouth to quiet him down. Yugi stopped talking, but he still looked terribly frightened. He frowned. He knew that he was the master of this slave now and could do as he pleased with him, but still, he didn't want the boy to fear him. He wasn't sure why but he wanted the slave to be happy with him. It didn't make sense, but he did. He had never felt this was toward a slave before.

Yami tilted Yugi's chin up so their eyes met. "You have no reason to fear me little one. I will not hurt you."

Now Yugi was confused. Wasn't this the Pharaoh who was supposed to be downright cruel to slaves? The one that tortured and killed for fun? The one that separated him from Jounouchi in the first place? Then why was he being so nice to him?

But he seemed sincere. Maybe he could trust him. He whispered an almost inaudible "okay" to the Pharaoh who smiled. Then out of nowhere Yugi yawned. He gasped and blushed, turning away.

Yami only smiled. "You must be tired. It's very late after all." He walked over to his bed and sat down on the edge. "Would you like sleep here with me or would you prefer your own bed?"

Yugi gasped and looked away again. Yami, sensing his discomfort, walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I am inviting you to sleep Yugi. Nothing more."

Yugi paused for a moment before slowly making his way to the bed. Yami smiled and joined him. He blew out the candles and crawled under the sheets next to the slave.

Yugi stiffened as he felt a strong arm wrap itself around him, but soon relaxed. He rested his head on the Pharaoh's chest and was soon asleep. Yami sighed and gave the slave a small kiss on his forehead before falling asleep himself.

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Jounouchi was once again thrown onto the cold stone floor of the slave room after another night of "service." But for the last two nights it had been worse than ever. With Yugi no longer there he was putting up a much bigger fight. He had no reason to be obedient now unless disobeying could result in death.

He leaned his back against the wall and winced. He had been beaten on a regular basis since the first day, but now they were becoming worse and worse. But he knew he had to keep fighting, for Yugi.

Yugi. Not for the first time was he worrying about his little friend. He wasn't there to protect him anymore, and had no way to know if he was alright or even alive. No Jounouchi, don't think that! He's fine, I know he is! He has to be! A tear slid down his face. "Yugi. Please be okay." Another tear fell down his face. Then another. He brought his knees to his chest and cried silently. Please. Please just let him be alright. "Please."

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YYY: Wow! Long chapter! Hope it makes up for being late! And thank you to all my reviewers! And I have a task for all of you. What do you think I should do about Ryou and Marik. Should I have them together or with their Yami's or should I just not pair them at all? Be sure to review and let me know!