KT: Thanks and more thanks to Pharaoh Atemu's Angel, ladywolfTerri, AngelViper9, ailisa d. frieson, Atemu Yugi Lover34, Nayias, Mizu, CheatersBaby, KimaSan, pyromaniacgrl, Shire and YO! for the encouraging reviews. Double thanks to kagome-princess for putting me on your favorite authors list, and triple thanks to Sansi for the tip about anonymous reviews! The mega support totally appreciated, believe me, guys.
Taku: Why wouldn't it be?
KT: Stop asking dumb questions.
Juni: Anyway, here's the next chapter.


2: Your New Life

"Joey, I am so mad at you!"

Joey sighed and massaged his temples. "Tea, I mean it, I'm real sorry. I didn' know he wasn' gonna come out!"

Tea was nearly in tears. "It's all your fault," she went on anyway. "If you hadn't dared him to go in there, he'd still be out here, and we'd still be having a good time! But because of you, Yugi's been in that stupid forest for two hours without anything from him, and I'm worrying to death, and all you're doing is apologizing!"

"Look, Tea, gettin' all worried won't bring 'im outta dea any soona. I say we wait a few more secon's t' see if he comes out, an' if not, we go back in town an' get some help. It's dat simple," Joey reasoned. "Don' worry, Tea, I bet Yugi's fine. He's prob'ly jus' lost."

"That better be all," Tea said, whirling on Joey and going from upset to angry in an instant, "because if he's hurt or anything, I'll-I'll-I'll make you sorry, Joey Wheeler!"


Yugi's eyelids fluttered open. He was lying down, on his stomach, his face turned to one side. There was sunlight shining down on him. Sun? Then does that mean...I'm not in the Forbidden Forest anymore?

Yugi groaned as he slowly raised himself up on his elbows. He rubbed his eyes, still disoriented. He looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. Sitting up, it became clearer.

He was still in the forest. He was just lying in a small circular clearing that had nothing blocking out the sun or the sky above his head. Then that meant...that the vampire had brought him here. But why? What was the reason?

"You're very fortunate. Very fortunate indeed."

"What did he mean by that?" Yugi wondered aloud.

"I see you've awoken."

Yugi tensed when he heard that voice again. He looked over his shoulder to see that dark figure leaning against a tree on the edge of the clearing, only a few yards away from him. The red eyes were still glowing and clearly visible.

"You're a vampire, aren't you?" Yugi found himself saying. "The one from the legend that lives in this forest and kills anyone who dares to trespass."

"Yes I am," he answered.

Then why aren't I dead yet? Yugi wondered fearfully. Was the vampire waiting for him to wake up, so he could be killed in a slow and painful manner? But if that were the case, why didn't he just kill him when they had first met?

"You must be wondering why I haven't killed you yet," the vampire spoke up. Yugi turned around completely, not wanting his back to be to someone whose face he hadn't even seen. "In all honesty, I have every right to kill you. You've trespassed on my property, with the time-old excuse: someone dared you." The vampire pushed himself off of the tree and stood, facing Yugi. "In fact, I should kill you."

Yugi gulped.

"But I'm not," the vampire went on. "I'm going to spare your life."

Yugi felt relief, but was still afraid. "You are?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes," the vampire said. "But you must still pay for trespassing."

The relief faded from Yugi's thoughts. What does he have in mind? he wondered fearfully.

"You will remain in this forest with me," the vampire said, "and you will not leave it. You will do everything I tell you to, until you've worked off your debt."

"You're enslaving me?" Yugi cried, jumping to his feet. "You can't do that!"

"The alternative is death," the vampire replied in a chilling tone.

Yugi shrank back. Okay, enslavement will work, he thought. He had been relieved that the vampire was going to spare his life. But now he kind of wished the guy would just kill him. Either way, he'd never see home or his friends again. But I don't really want to die, Yugi told himself. I'm only sixteen. I have my whole life ahead of me. Of course, being a slave to a vampire isn't exactly the career I had been going for, but...

"How can I even survive here?" Yugi asked. "I need food and water, and I don't see any of that hanging off of the tree branches."

"I will take care of that," the vampire said. "You just worry about obeying me. Now. Come out of the light."

Yugi looked up at the circle of sunlight. He really didn't want to leave it. The alternative is death, Yugi reminded himself, and he walked towards the vampire and out of the circle of light. He hoped he would get to come back, though.

The glowing red eyes watched him. Yugi was getting a little unnerved by them and looked at the nearly unseeable ground. I don't like how he's staring at me, he thought. That combined with the thought of being someone's slave for an indefinite period of time was kind of depressing.

Yugi was surprised when he felt fingers come underneath his chin, tilting it up and forcing him to look into those red eyes. He could read no emotion in them whatsoever, and that scared him as well. "Tell me," the voice said, "what is your name?"

"It's...Yugi," Yugi answered hesitantly.

"Hmmm," the voice said. "I see. Well, Yugi, welcome to your new home." He turned and started walking away. Yugi, not sure what to do, followed.

They walked in silence for a few moments, until the little clearing was far behind them. Yugi suddenly realized that his friends would have no idea what happened to him. He hoped they weren't worrying too much.

Then, a thought crossed his mind. When he looked back on it later, he wondered what had caused him to ask about it. He was probably trying to dispel his fear by making small talk.

"Wh-what's your name?" Yugi asked the vampire walking in front of him. "I mean, you do have a name, right?"

The vampire stopped suddenly. Yugi stopped as well, nervous. Had he said something wrong?

"I don't know when was the last time someone asked me that question," the vampire said, and he sounded almost... pleased that Yugi had asked. "But yes. I do have a name. My name is Yami."

"Oh," Yugi said, unsure of what else to say. Yami...that means darkness, doesn't it? He looked up at Yami's back. He wondered what the future was going to hold for him now.


"What am I supposed to do?" Yugi asked. "I mean, I know you want me to do what you say, but am I just supposed to follow you around until you come up with a command?" It was a while after Yugi had learned Yami's name, but he wasn't sure exactly how long it had been because he couldn't see the sky.

Yami had climbed a tree and was now sitting on a low branch with his back against the main trunk, one knee bent, his arms resting on his knee, and his other leg dangling off the branch. "If I need you, I'll call for you," he said. "It isn't hard to hear me in the forest."

Yugi was standing underneath the tree, looking up at Yami. "Well, what do I do when you don't need me?" he asked. For some reason, he had grown a little more comfortable around Yami now, and he didn't really know why.

"Whatever you wish," Yami replied, staring off into space. Yugi could only tell because he could see Yami's eyes. He thought back to what Yami had said before. You look just like me. That was all he had to go by as to what Yami looked like. Why do I even care? Yugi thought suddenly. This guy is making me his slave, just for getting lost in his forest. I shouldn't care at all what he looks like. I need to start hating him!

Speaking of him, what kind of chores do you do in a forest anyway?

Above him, Yugi heard Yami let out a sigh. He looked up, wondering if something was amiss, only to jump when Yami pushed himself off of the branch and landed on his feet in front of the teenager. He looked up into Yami's red eyes.

"You know," Yami said, "I haven't had anything to drink in a long, long time."

Yugi took a step back. "Um...what?"

"The stupid humans who trespass in this forest all come to the same fate," Yami said, taking a step forward. "I kill them, and then I drink their blood. Lately things have been going more slowly, however. There aren't as many people trespassing anymore, and I'm starting to get thirsty. I'd say it's about that time again."

Yugi backed up some more, but Yami followed him, never letting the short distance between them increase.

"I spared your life, Yugi. And I told you that you would still have to pay for trespassing. You being my 'slave' as you call it, is only one of the ways I intend to make you pay your debt."

Trembling, Yugi continued to step back until he felt his back hit something. A tall tree. He was trapped. Yami came closer, placing one hand on each side of Yugi, braced against the tree, to ensure him he couldn't escape.

"Please, don't," Yugi whimpered. He had a feeling this would hurtbad.

"You have to do what I say, remember?" Yami reminded, his voice taking on a dangerous tone. Yugi watched in utter horror as fangs seemed to grow out from under his top lip, only barely visible because they were white. He wanted to back away but was out of room.

That done, Yami seized Yugi by the shoulders. Yugi reflexively tried to push him off, feeling tears come to his eyes. Oh, God, he's going to kill me. I don't want to die. Yugi was pulled forward, trapping his hands between his and Yami's chests, and he felt something sharp pierce his skin at the junction where his neck met his shoulder.

Yugi screamed and tried to get away. He felt the fangs sink deeper into his flesh. It hurts so much. Please, someone make it stop. He tried to push Yami off of him, but Yami was too strong. Yugi felt himself getting weaker and weaker, and his struggling soon diminished. His entire left side turned numb. I'm about to die, he thought. I just know it.

Tears were running down Yugi's face as he lost the will and the strength to fight. He felt his legs crumple underneath him and thought he was about to collapse. Yami wrapped his arms around him, though, and held him up. The darkness of unconsciousness was closing in on Yugi for the second time that day, and he could do nothing but surrender to it.

The alternative is death, he heard Yami say in his mind.

And then he was gone.

Yami held Yugi's unconscious form in his arms, licking his lips. He had to admit, Yugi had some of the most delicious blood he had had in a while. It was a refreshing change to whoever wandered idiotically into the forest. The best part was, Yugi belonged to him now, so he could enjoy another snack this tasty again.

Smiling, Yami reached out with one hand and wiped away the tears that had fallen down Yugi's face. His look-alike's face was frozen in an expression of fear. Yes, he thought, this had been a good idea after all. In many ways, it had been a very, very good idea.

Yami lifted Yugi up in his arms, bridal-style, and turned to carry him back to the clearing. Sleep as well as you can, my little one, for tomorrow is a new day.


KT: All done this time.
Juni: Hope you enjoyed.
KT: Please review. Oh, and by the way, I'm going on a vacation to Hawaii for two weeks, and I might not be able to update my story while I'm there. I'll do my best to get a chapter up, because I would hate to disappoint my wonderful readers. Just a heads up.
Taku: I suppose we'll see you all next chapter, then.