I don't need saving. I'm just a slave.

Chapter 9 this darkness of mine

Italics are spoken in Egyptian

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Joey laughed at a joke Ryou had made. They were sitting side-by-side watching Yami and Katsuya duel with small cards. Bakura sat behind them on the couch drilling Marik for information. Yugi, Mokuba, Malik and Seto sat at a low table eating lunch. Joey smiled and turned to the more sinister whit'et "excuse me?" he said.

Bakura frowned and looked down at him "What?".

Joey flinched at the harsh tone "why do you hate the Pharaoh? Your such good friends."

Bakura scoffed. "I was never his 'friend'"

Joey frowned "but you are. Your one of his closest advisors." Bakura leapt to his feet, his face thunderous.

"I was never and will never be that mans friend!" he shouted fading away as he returned to the millennium ring.

Joey pulled himself into a little ball, arms around his knees and back agains an arm chair "I'm sorry" he mumbled over and over again in a small voice.

Marik sighed and lent forward so he could see the blond "its ok. I can't remember why, but I do know that something happened during your challenges to change him." Marik looked at his Hikairi "and me."

Joey nodded before clutching at his chest. "argg!" he groaned in pain. The blond stumbled to his feet before collapsing back to his knees. He wrapped both arms around his stomach and doubled over in pain.

"Joey!" Yugi cried as Ryou scrambled to the boy's side.

Joey looked up at the reincarnations of his friends "it feels like something is pulling at me. At my very soul" he gasped before falling onto his side.

Katsuya stared in fear as the egyptian version of himself faded away.

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Seth burst into the room that the blond boy was in to see the three slave boys holding the larger down. Said boy screaming in pain. "What Happened!" demanded the High Priest as one of the boys was thrown off of the convulsing blond.

Malik looked up from the floor "he started to shake so we tried to cover him up, but then he started to scream and..." the boy looked at the convulsing figure.

Seth nodded and strode to Joey's side. Sitting by his head Seth placed his fingers at the boys temples and closed his eyes "you three, tell the Pharaoh I have begun the second test." the boys nodded and fled the room, meanwhile Seth began to chant an ancient spell to delve into the boys mind.

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As the boys fled the room Ryou ran full pelt into something. Falling to the floor with a thump as the doors closed behind them. Looking up Ryou realised he hadn't run into something rather it was a someone.

Bakura looked down in surprise at the young boy. Kneeling down on one knee he held out his hand "what happened gentle one?" he asked.

Ryou blushed taking the offered hand, being hauled to his feet "the High Priest told us to tell the Pharaoh that he had to start the second test." Bakura gapped in shock.

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Seth gaped in shock. How could someone with such kindness have such a dark and terribly cold soul? The High Priest closed his mouth with a snap. Looking about he realised this place looked like a building, not just a single room "this is not right" he said, voice soft. In this particular room though, a table lay broken and over turned in one corner, as if thrown. Chairs lay in pieces here and there. Cracks ran up another wall like spiderwebs from large impact marks. Seth went closer. He stepped over broken, splinters of furniture and shards of glass. A single painted canvas was pinned to the wall. Most of the image was covered in what seemed to be dried blood.

Seth ran his fingers over the gentle brush strokes, the canvas depicted a woman with strawberry blond hair and kind eyes. A crunching of broken pottery beneath feet sounded behind the High Priest. Spinning around he spotted the blond boy peeking around the door frame. "How are you here?" he called in a whisper to the tall brunet.

Seth frowned slightly "the second test is for one of the council to examine your soul room. Answer me this, how is it that your soul has more than one room?"

The blond looked about in fear before holding out his hand "Its not safe to talk out here. Quick! Come with me." Seth noted that the cracks beside him had spread. They seemed to be fanning out. Growing, spreading like a sickness. Crawling towards the blond boy. Nodding once Seth took the boys hand and let himself be led away.

Joey pulled him into a plain, almost bare room and closed the door behind them. He turned and lent his back against the door, body shaking uncontrollably "its not safe out there" he stated with eyes down cast.

Seth stepped closer and lifted the boys chin gently "I need you to answer some questions, can you do that?" Joey looked him in the eye. The taller mans eyes were soft, his fingers gentle under his chin, lips turned up in a soft 'almost smile'. He nodded slowly. Seth looked at the door behind Joey "tell me why it's not safe"

Joey shuddered "that monster in the arena..." Seth nodded in comprehension "its face was that of my fathers. He hurts me. But I deserve it. I know that. But some times he hurts me too much, sometimes I cant take my punishment. I used to come here. But then he got in here too." Seth stared in shock. Joey looked up, tears welling up in his eyes "I made a house I could call my own. Here in my own mind, but then he came and destroyed even that. So I made this room. Its not part of our real house." Looking down the blond moved so the fingers weren't touching him "he'll get in here soon though, its only a matter of time."

Seth tilted his hand and cupped the boys jaw, said blond flinched slightly "so you want to save your friends. But what about you mutt?" Seth said looking the raggedy boy over.

Joey seethed at the insult but ignored it "me? I don't need saving. I'm just a slave. Slaves don't get saved" Seth watched as cracks began to seep into the room around the door frame.

Seth blinked "but you're friends are slaves."

Joey nodded "they never should have been. They didn't deserve that life." he wrapped his arms around himself, the cracks began to travel a little faster.

Seth frowned "and you did?" his voice was thick with sarcasm.

Joey didn't notice it. He was distracted by memories of his father, the monster outside "yes." he replied simply and Seth blinked at the dead tone.

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Seth pulled the boy's face up to look at him "camel shit."

Joey blinked. The cracks in the walls slowed. "Waa... what?"

Seth smiled softly "I said, camel shit. You do not deserve to be hurt day in and day out." the High Priest stroked the cheek beneath his thumb gently.

Joey looked away "yes I do" he said softly.

Seth sighed and pulled the blond away from the door "tell me what you did that was so terrible"

Joey closed his eyes tight, a sob escaping him. Seth pulled him closer, wrapping his arms around the boy "I killed my mother."