Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Frozen Tears ❯ Revelations and Reflections ( Chapter 9 )

Randomasdf (Grace): <bows to readers> Gomen nasai minna-san! I haven't updated in LONG while, but I`ve been gone practically all summer. o.O I hope you'll like it - it took me forever to write.

Malik: You promised that you would let us write this chapter!

Yami, Yugi, Seto, Jou, Bakura, Ryou, Marik, and READERS: We can fully back you up on that!

Randomasdf (Grace): <sarcastically> What is that? Eight-to-one?

Ryou: Actually, it's more like TWO HUNDRED SEVENTY-FOUR-to-one. {220 reviews on FanFiction.Net!!! And 46 on Mediaminer.Org!!! You guys are the best!!! }

Randomasdf (Grace): <sarcastically> My mistake.

Yami: You DID promise though! Stick to your word or I'll -

Bakura and Marik: WE'LL SEND YOU TO THE SHADOW REALM!!!

Randomasdf (Grace): <rolls eyes> They totally overuse that concept in the dubs. o.O

Bakura: <pauses to think> We could use this too, if you prefer. <pulls out katana>

Marik: Very true. <pulls out dagger>

Ryou and Malik: YAMI!!! {referring to Bakura and Marik}

Marik: But hikari! I thought you liked this kind of thing!

Seto: <with bored tone> He does - he just realizes that there would be no story without an author to write it.

Jou: Seto! Must you always analyze EVERY situation? It was bad enough with that coffee incident?

Yugi: <waking up, in Yami's lap, rubs eyes> Coffee?

Seto: I'm not analyzing anything puppy. It's called common sense. And that coffee incident was not my fault.

Jou: I ain't a puppy! And it SO was your fault!

Seto: <looks amused> Yeah, right. And I'm the Pharaoh.

Yugi: <still confused> You're the Pharaoh?

Randomasdf (Grace): Seto, Jou, I have NO IDEA what you're talking about - and I wrote it! Anyways, can I see those? They're so cool! <points at katana and dagger> {Remember my weird sword/knife obsession? I want a katana! Or maybe a sakabatou (reverse-blade katana) like the one Kenshin has! (No, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin either o.O)}

Yami: No.

Randomasdf (Grace): Why not? You all are no fun!

Ryou: You might hurt someone.

Randomasdf (Grace): And that would be bad because -?

Yami: Because then you wouldn't have any characters to write fluff with.

Randomasdf (Grace): <clears throat> Uh - right. ANYWAYS, please enjoy the festival chapter! ^.^

Ah yes - special thanks go out to: FireFaerie1, tina yugi, climhazzard, the one who posses Insanity, WhiteLightning, and Mrs.YamiYugi for adding me to your favorite author's list! ^.^ Thanks to all of my other reviewers! I love you all!

**I received a review by Miko-san (see reviews on FanFiction.Net if you want to read it) that I would like respond to. After I read your review, I did notice a few things with personality changes. I would just like to point out: In the earlier chapters, Seto declared Jou as his friend - so Jou isn't really "whimpery". Instead, they talk as friends - since Jou has had such an awful childhood, it pains him to remember it - therefore seeking comfort within his first accessible friend - Seto. As for Ryou, he just wants Bakura to accept him - and he figures that the best way to do it is not by testing his patience. You'll see more of his defiant character later. Oh - and I don't know if you knew this, but later in the anime, you find out that Seto was actually the controller of the Millennium Rod when he was High Priest in Ancient Egypt. Malik/Marik controls it in the present day. Although I appreciate you taking the time to write so much, there are some things that upset me. It wasn't your review, it was more like your attitude. Although I do appreciate constructive criticism, please be considerate - I know that I speak for a lot of fanfic authors when I say that politeness goes a long way. It's not that you weren't polite, per say, but I think that I would have appreciated your comments much more if you didn't add any side remarks (i.e. "Oh, and don't you go trying to back me off, cuz you know I'm right"). It totally changes the mood of the review, and not in a positive manner. SO - I just wanted to say that it's great that you notice these details, but I think that you should be aware of the way you write your reviews. Also, I write for the readers, and the majority of readers have told me that they would like to see more romance (a.k.a. fluff ^.^) sooner, so that is why I pushed the "falling in love". It's a little late for me to be changing my characters now, so I guess that you'll just have to bear with me.

<I would have responded by email if you left an address. This was not a bash of any sort - please do not take it that way.>

My one-san would like to say a few words:

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Anyway, this is maladyrancor, Randomasdf's sister. She showed me the review and she appeared to be pretty upset about it. I want you to know that she's an amazing person and a lot more considerate than I would be if I received such a review! She's right - there is an important distinction between constructive criticism and disrespectful criticism. ^_^ She's a great writer. You are of course entitled to your opinion, but just be wary!

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**And to my other reviewers, you make my day! ^.~ <bows> Arigato minna-san! I'm sorry that I can't thank you all personally - you certainly deserve it! ^.~ <hands out cookies {your favorite kind!} and milk to reviewers> ^.^

A/N: I know Cairo was not the capital of Ancient Egypt - I didn't feel like looking it up when I wrote this fic. Heh. ANYWAYS, I'm a little depressed now - so any depressing scenes are due to that. I hope all of you enjoy this chapter - hopefully I won't disappoint all of you! I JUST realized how OOC Seto is in this story, but I think that Marik is a little bit more in character after I changed him a bit. I hope you all are okay with it. Oh - I apologize if you think this story is too "typical" so far, I think mine will be different - just read to find out! ^.^ Oh and just a note - that mysterious girl with the two guys is NOT Anzu. (I'm too lazy to think of a name - besides, she's not important.) But if you want, you can think of her as Anzu - that is, if you don't like her! ^.~

Once again: Mr. Kazuki Takahashi owns Yu-Gi-Oh! - I do not - but you probably already knew that. Oh - and Romeo and Juliet belongs to William Shakespeare. If you've read it, you'll see why I mentioned it. ^.~

~*~*~*~*~*~ = Scene Change

|-|Frozen Tears|-|

By Randomasdf

~CHAPTER NINE - REVELATIONS AND REFLECTIONS~

The glimmering altar of Emutet loomed before the High Priest and his slave.

"I think you missed a spot," Seto remarked with a slight smirk after a moment of inspection.

Jou crossed his arms, shaking his head, his golden locks falling in his eyes. "I did not!"

"It's right there!" The brunette chuckled lightly as he pointed, but dropped the smile as two men entered the temple.

He strode over to the shabbily dressed figures, eyeing them suspiciously with his icy sapphire irises.

"May I help you two?" he asked coldly, noticing the frightened exchange of looks that passed between the two males. "This is a temple - not a conversing area. Now remove yourselves before I will do it by force!"

The two servants knew that the High Priest was not a man to cross, so they left quickly, but not before slipping an long, narrow object into their pockets.

Neither Seto nor Jou noticed.

"So - what kind of events are planned for today?" the blond slave asked, breaking the momentary silence.

"Well puppy," Seto paused to snigger at Jou's scowl, "according to Yami's scribe, it will be the usual - except that there will be a special performance by the troupe that the envoys brought as a present for Yami."

"I heard from other slaves that the Pharaoh was originally going to cancel the festival. Do you have any idea what made him change his mind? I mean - he's not exactly the kind of person who would rethink his decisions," Jou asked.

The High Priest shot a small smile at his honey-orbed servant and shrugged. "I guess Yami doesn't want to upset the gods. He can deal with angry people, not with angry gods. He knows his limit."

Seto knew that wasn't the real answer, however. The real answer was a fifteen-year-old, tri-colored-haired, amethyst-eyed slave who went by the name of Yugi. He grinned.

`Soon, Yami. Soon you'll figure it out.'

Jou also had his suspicions about Yami's feelings toward Yugi.

`I'm glad that he's safe from that idiotic excuse for a Pharaoh, but the question is: why? What makes Yugi so special to the Pharaoh?' he cut off his own thoughts.

The younger of the two looked up to see the brunette's concerned look.

"Are you okay?" the High Priest asked.

"Fine. Just DANDY," the slave replied.

Seto shot the golden-haired teen a skeptical look.

"My best friend is stuck with a ROCK, but you know, everything's just FINE," Jou growled sarcastically.

The High Priest's lips curled into a smirk.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Yami glided down the hallway, taking brisk steps toward the throne room, with a panting Yugi running after him. The Pharaoh stopped for a moment, then turned to look at his slave. The smaller boy did not notice this, however, and ran straight into the Pharaoh. A timid gasp escaped his lips as he began to fall backward -

but Yami's strong arms were wrapped tightly around his thin body to prevent him from falling.

The crimson-eyed Pharaoh nearly dropped his slave in shock over his own actions. Luckily for Yugi, he did not, but both were stunned.

Yami waved it off coolly with a graceful gesture with his left hand, but he was tearing himself up on the inside.

`What am I doing?! I am wasting my time on a lowly servant! Damn that Seto! He never gives me straight answers!' the older teen thought furiously.

Yugi peered up at his master with confused purple pools. `The Pharaoh's been acting strange lately. Ha - like I care! He's a murderer of countless lives!'

The younger of the two pulled back roughly, causing Yami to jerk out of his momentary lapse. They continued down the corridor in silence.

Yugi gasped when they finally reached the throne room. The spacious chamber was decorated in gold and scarlet (the Pharaoh's colors) silk and exotic flowers. The slave's curious eyes lit up as he examined the delicate petals of a deep purple orchid, which, as Yami noted, matched his eyes perfectly.

The Pharaoh walked over to flower and plucked it gently off the wall, holding it out to Yugi. The younger teen gave him an apprehensive look, but accepted it hesitantly, half of him expecting it to come alive and bite him.

`Where did THAT come from?' the crimson-eyed ruler asked himself.

By this time, the slave was very confused. Was the Pharaoh ACTUALLY being nice?

`No. It's probably the result of the lack of bloodshed lately,' the boy thought bitterly.

Yami, on the other hand, was observing the small teen deep in thought. `I wish I could be like him - he's so innocent and carefree despite his troubled past. Even after what his father did to him.'

The king of Egypt sighed, letting his thoughts once again drift back to his own childhood.

When Yami snapped back to reality, he noticed that Yugi was watching him intently.

`I hate him. I hate him. I hate him,' the violet-eyed boy chanted mentally.

The Pharaoh stared at the glowering boy silently pondering how this child could be so defiant.

`You really are something,' he thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ryou!" Marik exclaimed, "Malik! What are you two doing here?"

Malik took a sideways at his silver-haired friend, who was currently shifting his gaze between Bakura and the strange female. After a moment, the fawn-orbed slave sighed and threw his arms up in defeat, turning away.

"What was I thinking?!" he muttered under his breath.

Unknownst to him, Malik and Marik overheard his musings and exchanged identical smirks. The raven-haired female cut in, reattaching herself to his arm.

"Bakura! Why don't you show me around now?" she suggested cheerfully.

The former tomb robber threw his hardest glare at the girl as Ryou whirled around with a surprised expression.

`Okay, Ryou. You knew that he, the almighty tomb robber Bakura, wouldn't be interested. You were being stupid," the platinum-haired slave told himself. `Just walk away now and maybe you'll just forget about it.'

Bakura gazed into Ryou' warm chocolate eyes, and seeing the momentary flash of sadness and pain, furrowed his eyebrows in puzzlement. However, Ryou mistook his roommate's confusion for anger. A single crystalline tear trailed down his soft pale cheek and for some reason, Bakura had an urge to wipe it away. The counsel member shook his head clear of the thought.

Ryou hastily wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, trying to look composed. Malik shot his lover a "get-rid-of-that-annoying-girl-and-set-Bakura-straight-before-I-kill-him" look. Marik nodded quickly, not wanting to get on his bad side. The younger of the two sandy-haired teens smiled and gave his roommate a brief kiss on the cheek.

Time seemed to stop as the charcoal-haired girl momentarily stopped pulling on Bakura's arm, Ryou stared at his friends, and Bakura gave Marik an evil grin.

Ryou smiled sadly at the two teens.

"It took you two awhile, eh?" Bakura teased, unaware of Ryou at the moment.

"What about YOU? It's taking YOU awhile, if I may say so myself," Marik challenged, trying to pout.

The emerald-eyed female looked over to the white-haired counsel member, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously.

`Oh BROTHER,' the ex-tomb robber groaned mentally.

Ryou stared at the ground momentarily before turning abruptly. Malik was the first to notice the sudden change in his friend's mood.

"You IDIOT! Why didn't you go after him?" Marik yelled, smacking Bakura upside the head as the silver-haired teen watched the retreating figures.

Bakura's angular eyes flickered down to where the female was still firmly attached to his forearm.

"THAT'S NOT AN EXCUSE, STUPID!"

The sandy-haired teen grabbed the girl's arm roughly and pulled her off.

"See? NO EXCUSE!"

The silver-haired ex-tomb robber rolled his eyes, unfazed by his friend's shouts.

"Oh shove it, Marik. I don't need your nagging right now. I have a ear-splitting headache," Bakura growled, rubbing his temples gingerly.

"You still don't get it, do you?" The ex-merchant narrowed his angular lavender eyes. He pulled his friend away, out of the strange female's earshot. "Ryou OBVIOUSLY cares about you," he told him harshly, "in more ways than he should - considering YOUR attitude." He paused, softening his voice. "He just wants to get close to you, Bakura, and he can only do that if you let him. BUT -" his voice returned to its normal tone, "since you are being the AROGANT ASSHOLE that you are, I doubt that will be happening anytime soon."

Bakura's cold brown eyes widened at his friend's words, completely dumbfounded and speechless. He paused before pounding a fist upon the floor. "Ryou deserves much more than a lowly tomb robber like me! I am protecting him!" His voice trailed off. "My angel."

A lone tear trailed down his anguished face. He brushed it away angrily with the back of his hand.

"Oh, enough with the self pity already! Think about it - how must Ryou feel? How are YOU protecting him when YOU are the one who is breaking his heart!" Marik rolled his eyes knowingly.

"How do YOU even know how Ryou feels?" Bakura challenged bitterly.

"You can see it in his eyes, moron," the lilac-orbed teen answered simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Plus, he hasn't gotten mad at you for being so mean to him. In fact, he's nicer when you're around. I'm surprised he hasn't kicked you out of your room yet." He chuckled lightly. "You're just blind, my dear friend. Blind as the pompous Pharaoh who pretends to not have any interest in poor little Yugi, and the High Priest who can't take his eyes off of Jou."

The green-eyed girl watched the two argue, thinking quietly to herself. `So, my suspicions were correct - Pharaoh Yami seems to have truly taken interest in the boy. How interesting - `King Bloodshed' DOES have a heart, after all. Just proves him to be human and perfectly vulnerable. As for the High Priest Seto, I'll keep his precious `Jou' in mind.'

"Uh -" she interrupted, causing the two males to look at her.

"Can't you see we're discussing important issues here?" the two angry boys shouted at her, cutting her off.

"Geez - calm down!" the raven-haired female replied as the two returned to their argument.

`Don't worry. When this is all over, I will be the victor!'

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ryou! Ryou! Come on, slow down!" Malik called after his silver-haired friend.

The brown-eyed slave didn't look back as he raced down the corridor, his feet flying frantically, and his delicate features twisted in desperation. His gracefully arched eyebrows furrowed in thought.

`It's not like Bakura would ever return my feelings.'

He panted slightly, platinum hair strewn carelessly across his shoulders. Shaking his head furiously, he continued towards his room. Reaching the chamber, he slammed the door behind him and threw himself upon the bed, allowing the tears he had worked so hard to keep in spill down his pale cheeks in thick streams.

Meanwhile, Malik was wandering down the long hallway in search of Ryou, who had managed to lose him. He clenched his fists tightly and narrowed his lavender eyes.

`Marik BETTER have put Bakura straight and gotten rid of that irritating excuse for a girl. Damn you, Bakura! You wouldn't know love if it stabbed you in the heart with a jeweled dagger!' the bronzed slave stopped his thoughts before they could get too violent. {irony - keep reading ^.^}

"Ryou! Please answer me!" his voice reverberated throughout the empty passageway.

He stopped in front of the door to a chamber, hearing muffled sobs that sounded suspiciously like his brown-orbed friend.

"Oy! Ryou! You in here?" he called, kicking the door open.

The silver-haired slave lay upon the bed, his head buried in the soft linen.

"Oh Ryou, please don't cry. Bakura obviously needs to get some sense knocked into that stubborn skull of his," Malik said sympathetically.

Ryou looked up momentarily before turning his gaze to the wall.

"It was bad enough when my parents abandoned me for no reason," he choked out, "I guess that I was never meant to loved."

"That's not true! You have your friends with you! Yugi, Jou, and I are all by your side!" Malik exclaimed.

Ryou paused, smiling slightly at the mention of his friends. "Yeah - thanks for being there. Tell Yugi and Jou that I said thanks and that it wasn't any of your fault."

"Not our fault? What are you talking about?" Malik asked, puzzled.

The chocolate-orbed teen flashed a soft grin at Malik, wiping away the tears with the hem of his ragged shirt. Ignoring his last comment, he continued. "Tell Yugi that I wish him luck with the Pharaoh, and likewise with Jou and the High Priest. Good luck with Marik, Malik. I hope you all well in the future."

"What?" The lilac-eyed slave was still confused.

"Would you mind leaving me alone for a bit?" Ryou requested, still ignoring his friend's questions.

"Um - sure. I'll be back." Malik answered hesitantly.

"Thanks. Oh Malik?" the silver-haired boy paused, making sure he had his friend's attention. "Farewell. Only the Gods know when we shall meet again."

As the sandy-haired teen stepped out of the room, shutting the door gently behind him, his conscience took over.

`What are you doing Malik? Don't you realize what he's going to do?'

Inside the room, Ryou clamped his eyes tightly.

`I guess it ends here. My life was never worth living - Bakura or no Bakura. Goodbye Yugi. Goodbye Jou. Goodbye Malik. You were the best friends I could ask for,' he thought with a sad smile.

Pausing to scowl, he continued to think. `I'll see you in hell, Bakura.'

He pulled a silver dagger from under the pillow.

He unsheathed the gleaming blade, running his soft fingertips down the sharp edge.

`Forgive me, dear friends.'

Mental pictures of Yugi, Jou, and Malik, flashed through Ryou's mind.

`Eyes, look your last.'

He looked around the room, smiling slightly.

`Here's to my love.'

He shut his eyes peacefully and lifted the glimmering dagger, aimed dead center.

Outside the chamber, Malik was worried. Throwing his arms in frustration, he burst into the room, gasping as he saw Ryou raise the shimmering weapon.

"Ryou!" he choked out, sprinting across the room.

The platinum-haired teen pretended not to hear as he thrust the blade toward himself, waiting for the pain.

But it never came as Malik tried to wrestle it from his grip.

"Malik! Get off! I've had enough of this life - no more slavery, no more pain, no more ANYTHING!"

"You don't know what you are doing, Ryou!"

"I know perfectly what I am doing." His normally gentle voice was now a low, dangerous growl.

With a final burst of strength, Ryou drove the dagger deep into his side, grinning lightly as the pain overtook him. Blood splattered across the white sheets as he coughed, choking up the red fluid. The sanguine liquid spilled from his wound and soaked into the pallor around him. With a shaky breath, he closed his eyes slowly, allowing the darkness to envelop him.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Jou glanced at the mass of people at the temple, his honey-amber irises dancing brightly in the midst of the festival. Beaming, he turned, catching Seto's sapphire gaze. The High Priest shot the blond a rare smile and winked, causing the golden-haired to redden slightly. Jou shifted so that the brunette wouldn't see his flushed cheeks.

"Jou!" Seto suddenly cried, sternly, keeping his icy mask up in public. "Have you seen the Blade of the Gods? It is never removed from its place on the altar!"

Despite his somewhat calm exterior, Seto was frustrated. `This cannot be good. The holy blade is only used for important sacrifices. Whoever stole it must have a plan for it, seeing how there are plenty of other, more accessible, treasures in this temple. But none of that seems to be touched. My guess is that the thief believes that his target is for the good of the people and the gods. Interesting.'

The honey-orbed slave briefly saw the perturbed expression that the High Priest managed to conceal so well. `I bet those two servants had something to do with this, seeing how they were the only two people in the temple earlier.'

"Seto?" Jou asked, waving his hand in front of his master's face.

The High Priest snapped out of his thoughts, grabbing his slave's wrist.

"Ouch!" the golden-haired boy cried out as Seto's fingertips tightened their grasp.

"Quick Jou! Back here!" the brunette pulled the blond into a shadowed corner behind a large pot of magnolias.

Just as they had ducked behind the flowers, two sets of footsteps were heard coming in their direction.

"Ha! That stupid priest didn't even notice!" The first voice was gruff and coarse.

Seto growled slightly and Jou quickly silenced him with his left hand.

"He and his pretty little slave were too engrossed in each other to bother with us," the second voice added, a slightly higher pitch than the first.

This time it was Seto's turn to restrain Jou, who was struggling against the High Priest's arms, which were tucked tightly around the honey-eyed teen waist.

The two thieves chuckled loudly, their footsteps dying away slowly. When they could no longer be heard, Seto let go of Jou. The golden-haired boy fell backwards in surprise, landing in a heap upon the High Priest. Their position was awkward - Jou lay flat upon Seto, their legs tangled and their lips just inches apart. The younger of the two flushed deeply. The brunette grinned slightly at his slave's shyness, taking the opportunity to flip them around so that he now hovered over his secret love.

"There. That's much better isn't it, puppy?" he teased gently.

Jou could hardly breathe with the close proximity of the High Priest's face. Seto leaned in even closer, slamming his lips upon his slave's - covering Jou's enticing mouth with his own. All of Jou's thoughts shut down at the intimate contact, as he shut his honey-amber eyes.

When he re-opened them a few moments later, Seto was gone.

`Was it a dream?' he thought sadly.

At the same time, the sapphire-eyed priest strode quickly away from Jou, making sure that the beautiful golden-haired boy did not see him.

`Why did I just do that? I probably violated him,' the High Priest groaned mentally.

He paused, his thoughts turning to the blond that held his affections.

`I am SUCH an idiot.'

~*~*~*~*~*~

Pharaoh Yami sat regally on his gold and ruby throne, his subjects bowing before him. His lips were curved into a feral smirk, his scarlet irises dancing with twisted amusement as he observed the overly cautious citizens of Cairo. His eyes traveled over the people to his servants, specifically, Yugi. His scrutinizing gaze trailed over the small boy, whose silky tri-colored locks shone in the bright sunrays, and whose brilliant violet orbs sparkled brightly in the excitement of the festival. He wore the simple white cotton outfit that most slaves wore, but it seemed different on Yugi - his milky skin contrasting with the diaphanous fabric, and a thin gold chain with a single ruby at the end hung loosely around his slender waist, marking him as one of the Pharaoh's own.

Yami let out a single laugh.

Although no one looked directly at the Pharaoh, a ripple of shock swept through the jostled crowed. Had he actually LAUGHED? Yami frowned at the sudden halt in movement, his eyes darkening to a sinister burgundy hue as he sent cold glares at the citizens.

Yugi sighed, his own mind drifting to his master's deep laugh. Yami's opulent tone was soothing. Icy, yet calming. Distant, yet pronounced. The purple-orbed slave jerked himself out of his daze, shaking his head clear of his current thoughts.

After the people of Cairo returned to their activities, Yami affixed his crimson stare back upon Yugi. Somehow he was drawn to the petit boy who looked so much like him - his innocence, his carefree attitude towards life, his optimism despite all of his hardships. The Pharaoh nearly chuckled again - was he actually ADMIRING the boy - again? He scowled, his ruby locking onto Yugi's amethyst. The smaller boy was overcome by light-headedness, his heart pounding erratically in his chest as he struggled to maintain his composure. Yami's expression softened at the adorable features of the slave, but he still retained a firm glower.

Yami tried to ignore the tingles that coursed throughout him. `I am Pharaoh,' he reminded himself. `I have no time for such petty feelings.'

As both Yami and Yugi were contemplating their emotions, the Pharaoh's scribe stepped in front of his king, bowing low at the waist.

The ruler of Egypt looked up, sanguine eyes flashing. The man gulped.

"Great Pharaoh," he announced loudly with another flourishing bow, "may now I present a special performance brought to you by the envoys from the North." The man bowed for the third time, his head almost brushing the floor this time.

Yami waved nonchalantly for him to continue. The scribe, feeling deeply relieved, signaled the troupe to commence. A group of dancers rushed to the floor, taking their positions, awaiting the start of the music.

`Maybe I can slip out when he's not watching,' Yugi thought wistfully. `But I can't leave my friends here!'

Out of lack of more interesting things to do at the moment, Yugi examined the troupe carefully as they began to dance. There were eight females in the group, each clothed in a carefully tailored powder-blue outfit overlapped with a silvery translucent material that sparkled as they moved gracefully. Although they all wore timid smiles, the violet-eyed slave noticed that they had their brows knitted in immersed attentiveness. Yugi allowed himself to glance at the Pharaoh out of the corner of his eye - Yami sat with a bored look upon his handsome face. He averted his gaze, not wanting to catch the Pharaoh's attention if he were to sneak out. Returning his bright purple orbs upon the group in front of him, he saw that one of the troupe members, the only girl with midnight tresses, wore a deep scowl, glaring at him with intense emerald irises. As she caught his stare, she turned her glower to the Pharaoh, who did not notice, naturally, seeing how he wasn't paying attention.

`There's something weird going on,' he thought with an odd feeling in his stomach.

Yugi looked around, hoping that someone else in the crowd noticed besides him. He turned to the Royal Guard - they were cheering loudly, their beady eyes transfixed. Yugi shook his head disapprovingly - they should be alert, ready to protect the Pharaoh. The boy sighed. Although he did not support the crimson-eyed ruler or his ideals, an assassination of the crown would result in utter chaos.

He swiveled around, the green-eyed girl catching his eye again.

`I can sense something amiss with her,' he told himself.

He continued to follow her with his gaze. At that point, Yami glanced at his amethyst-orbed slave, noticing how the sunlight reflected off of his flaxen bangs and sparkly violet irises. He suddenly found himself longing for the touch of the small boy, his feelings even stronger then they were previously. There was no denying it.

Yugi secretly caught Yami's scrutinizing stare, but ignored it, hoping he had imagined that odd look in the Pharaoh's scarlet eyes.

The emerald-eyed girl scowled, her eyebrows furrowed, watching Yami's every move. The amethyst-orbed slave watched her intently, almost as if he was expecting something to happen.

The dancers switched positions, the raven-haired was now directly in front of the Pharaoh, her eyes glinting with an unplaced excitement and her lips curled in a feral smirk.

`The Pharaoh is still clueless - Gods! How stupid can he get?' Yugi noted.

Seeing her chance, the girl slid the golden Blade of the Gods into her hand from her sleeve, unnoticed by the crowd. She carefully grasped the jeweled hilt, fingering the large diamond at the end. Seeing that Yami was distracted, she swiftly unsheathed the gleaming gold dagger with one hand and dashed toward the preoccupied Pharaoh.

Yugi saw everything in slow motion - the flash of a blade and the girl's anxious expression. The slave looked around wildly, the guards still not paying attention and Yami still oblivious.

`I've got to do something - if the Pharaoh is assassinated, who knows what new psycho will try to take over Egypt?' Yugi pondered.

He glanced around, seeing that no one was paying attention, he did the only thing that he could.

Yugi ran, throwing himself in front to Yami just as the green-eyed assassin thrust the dagger forward. The golden tip connected with the top of his left shoulder.

The pain was overwhelming. It shot through his veins like a wildfire. For once in his life, Yugi was glad he was short - the point that was aimed at the Pharaoh's heart was only low enough to sink into his shoulder.

The whole room was silent and still as the people were frozen in shock. Yami's ruby eyes were widened considerably as his brain processed what just had happened. Yugi writhed in pain, blood oozing from his wound, staining the glinting blade.

His lungs felt like they were on fire! He gasped heavily, panting for breath. The purple-orbed slave coughed violently, the crimson fluid trickling out of the corner of his mouth.

The Royal Guard hastily restrained the green-eyed girl, who managed to recover from her own shock rather quickly. As they were pulling her out of the room, she smirked, realizing whom she had managed to stab.

"So Pharaoh," she yelled across the chamber, "what are you going to do, eh? Let poor Yugi bleed to death? Remember this - I am not finished with you yet! I will be back! And next time it'll be your head!"

She laughed maniacally as they dragged her to the dungeons. As she left, Yami composed himself. He shook his head - he couldn't let this boy die - this angelic, innocent boy!

Yami ignored the murmuring and hushed gasps from the crowd as he uncharacteristically jumped out of his gold throne and rushed over to Yugi, who was desperately trying to fight unconsciousness off.

`Be strong, Yugi. Be strong.' His mother's words echoed through his mind.

His vision was now blurred with his pain - the swirls of color were hazy and unclear. His head was pounding horrendously as he blinked laboriously.

He swore he saw a pair of crimson eyes staring at him before he finally succumbed to the darkness.

Yami gasped, as the boy went limp. Not knowing anything about what to do, he did the only thing he could think of.

"SETO!!!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

Bakura ambled awkwardly down the hallway with Marik following him closely.

"Tell me again why I'm doing this?" the former tomb robber sighed exasperatedly.

Marik shrugged, plastering on a feigned innocent smile. "Because you care about Ryou whether you will admit it to yourself or not. Oh - and Malik will tear me to shreds if I don't do anything."

0The silver-haired teen glared at his friend. "How DID you and Malik get together so fast, anyway?"

"You know what - I'm not really quite sure." The ex-merchant shrugged again. "We just connected."

Bakura rolled his eyes. "You're such a hopeless romantic."

"Whatever you say - tomb robber icicle extraordinaire." Marik shrugged lightly, ducking as Bakura lunged at him, his fist clenched tightly.

They pause outside of the oak door.

"It's a little quiet, isn't it?" the lavender-eyed teen remarked, listening intently.

"Aah," Bakura replied out of lack of more interesting things to say.

Although he didn't want to admit it to himself, the silver-haired counsel member was a bit worried about his roommate. Okay - maybe VERY worried, but he refused to let himself believe it.

Marik pushed the door open, and gasped.

Bakura noticed the sharp intake of breath from his friend, his concern growing by the second. "What the hell! Move out of the way!"

He pushed Marik out of the way, bursting into the room.

Ryou lay on the large bed, his face ashen white and his body unmoving. Bakura visibly paled at the sight of the broken angel. Malik was propped up against the far wall, silent tears trickled down his tanned cheeks as he watched the palace healer wrap bandages around Ryou's pale stomach. Marik moved to comfort his lover, enveloping the boy in a tight embrace. Bakura's face visibly paled, his own stomach clenched forcefully.

Malik looked up, seeing the former tomb robber. "YOU IDIOT!"

He stormed over to the frozen teen, allowing his anger and sorrow to pour out together.

Bakura looked up at Malik from the hard floor, holding his hand up to the side of his face where an angry bruise was just beginning to form.

"Is he - ?" the brown-eyed teen asked cautiously.

"No - unfortunately for you," the lilac-orbed slave sneered.

"What did I do?" Bakura asked weakly as Marik shot him a warning look.

"What did you do?! Look, you pathetic excuse for a human, look at what you did to Ryou!" Malik snapped.

The healer gasped suddenly, catching the attention of the room's occupants. Ryou opened his eyes slightly, his chocolate orbs full of disappointment.

"Am I dead?" he croaked in a shattered voice.

Malik could have laughed out in joy, but held it in long enough to scowl at Bakura. The palace healer stood up, bowed, and quickly left.

The pale boy glanced around, his tired fawn eyes landing upon his bruised roommate. He gathered enough energy to form a weak glower directed at him.

"I. Hate. You." He managed to rasp out.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Seto's head snapped up at the sound of the Pharaoh's panicked shout. Taking no time to ponder why Yami would be so worried, he sprinted toward the throne room.

Upon reaching the gold chamber, he immediately recognized the problem, seeing Yami on the ground cradling a bloody figure. Seconds later, a panting Jou appeared at the door, obviously concerned with Yugi. His honey-amber eyes widened at the sight of crimson blood pooling around his best friend.

"YUGI!" he screamed, his heart pounding with worry.

Seto looked at him sharply, reminding him to behave in front of people. The High Priest tried to take the small boy from the Pharaoh, but Yami shook his head vigorously, standing up with Yugi in his arms, and gliding out of the room, taking large strides. Seto was shocked, but hastened to follow the ruby-eyed ruler. Jou ran after the brunette.

As soon as they left, the throne room burst into anxious chatter. Had they just seen their Pharaoh CARE for someone? Maybe the small boy could warm their Pharaoh's heart! Soon, their excited whispers became nervous growls as they realized that the slave boy that was so similar in appearance to their Pharaoh might not live.

Yami's garnet irises darkened as he raced back to his own chambers with Seto and Jou behind him. His eyebrows were knitted in confusion, anger, and guilt. Confused by Yugi's actions - as far as he knew, Yugi hated him, both as a person and the leader of his country. He furrowed his brows even further - why was he helping Yugi anyways?

The Pharaoh was angry at his slave - he hadn't asked to be saved. `But I am still alive thanks to him,' he mused silently.

Waves of guilt washed the icy ruler's heart as he thought of Yugi's good will, as opposed to his own careless killing. He all of a sudden felt remorse over all the times he had sent an execution order. He shook his handsome tri-colored crown, trying to rid himself of the awkward feelings.

Upon reaching his chamber, Yami burst through the door urgently, placing Yugi upon his bed, turning to look at Seto, who had an eyebrow raised.

"Explain," the sapphire-eyed priest phrased it more as a demand rather than a question.

Being his friend, Yami dismissed Seto's remark before shaking his head once again. "No. Help Yugi first," the Pharaoh stated calmly.

Jou's jaw dropped open. The chestnut-haired High Priest stared at Yami as if he had sprouted another head. Cautiously, Seto moved over to the slave. He examined the wound carefully, turning to Jou after a moment.

"Jou, bandages and cool water please," he requested smoothly.

Being caught off guard, the golden-haired slave blushed lightly and ran out of the door to get the necessary items. Turning back, Seto was surprised to see Yami holding out a piece of cloth for him.

He silently took the cloth and placed it over Yugi's wound, applying slight pressure to the gash. Yugi groaned painfully as the white linen was immediately soaked with the sanguine liquid.

Bile rose in the Pharaoh's throat, putting him on the edge of being sick. He wrapped his arms around his middle, trying to calm himself down. What was going on?! He NEVER got sick at the sight of blood! He forced the feeling down, turning away from the sight on his bed. Seto watched him out of the corner of his eye, rather amused yet vaguely concerned.

Jou soon returned with the medical equipment, dropping it in a heap next to the High Priest as he hurried over to his unconscious friend. Seto carefully bandaged Yugi's shoulder wound and placed a cool cloth upon the boy's forehead. The brunette turned to look at Yami.

"If you change the cloth every once in awhile, I think he'll pull through," he murmured, staring intently at the Pharaoh's reaction.

For some reason, Yami found himself sighing with relief.

"Are you sure he's okay?" Jou asked suspiciously.

Seto nodded, rising from his position near the bed. "Come on, Jou, let's go before you have a mental breakdown."

He grasped the golden-haired slave's hand lightly and pulled him out the door.

"Hey! I can walk on my own!" Jou growled.

"Remember, Yami - change the cloth!" Seto called over his shoulder, smirking.

The High Priest swept into the corridor with Jou in tow.

The Pharaoh moved toward his bed tentatively, almost afraid of the injured boy. He mentally groaned at himself for being so timid as he inched closer and closer. The crimson-eyed ruler hesitantly reached out, placing his cool fingertips upon Yugi's cheek, marveling at the softness of the heated flesh under his touch.

Snapping out of his temporary daze at a jolt of electricity, he jerked his hand back, eyes wide at the realization of his actions. {electricity between people}

`I might as well change the cloth,' he told himself, his mental voice shaking.

He removed the strip of linen from Yugi's forehead, making sure he didn't touch the boy. Dipping the fabric into the basin of cold water, he let his gaze wander off to the little slave.

`He saved your life,' Yami thought to himself, trying to reassure himself that he was only doing this for that reason.

He reapplied the cold material to the boy's face, his hand accidentally brushing the silky locks of the tri-colored hair that was so similar to his own. He was fascinated with the sleek strands as he ran his fingers through Yugi's golden bangs. His eyes drifted to his slave's peaceful expression, admiring his radiant innocence.

`He's really beautiful - beautiful inside and out - so simple and pure even after what his father did to him. He truly is something,' the Pharaoh grudgingly admitted to himself.

Embarrassed at his own thoughts, Yami silently berated himself. Scowling, he slouched over before falling asleep, Yugi's small pale hand tucked into his own larger, tanned hands.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Seto and Jounouchi walked down the long corridor sliently.

"Are you sure Yugi's going to be okay? I mea - he's not going to die is he? He can't die! He's my best friend! He better be okay - he is okay, right?" Jou cut in breathlessly without pausing for air and breaking the momentary silence.

"Jou?" Seto raised an eyebrow at his slave.

"Yeah?" the golden-haired boy replied.

"Shut up."

Jou paused. "Yugi's in there! I can't help it if I'm a little over-worried!"

The High Priest sighed, smirking ever-so-lightly. "I suppose you're right - I'll cut you some slack this time for talking back to your master."

"The only person who owns me is me!" the blond teen huffed.

Seto shrugged. Leaning in, he continued. "Maybe. But you better watch that tongue in public before someone suspects something."

Jou shuddered slightly at the brunette's hot breath in his ear. Pulling away and taking a few steps back, he tried to distance himself away from the handsome, cerulean-eyed priest. Seto noted the pink tinge in Jou's cheeks as he straightened himself out.

"By the way, Yugi's going to be fine - the wound was to his left shoulder. I guess being short has its advantages." Seto shrugged again.

"Don't make fun of Yugi!" Jou protested. Not noticing where he was going, he tripped on the HARD stairs, tumbling down in heap at the landing.

Seto looked around innocently. "Why didn't you say you wanted to go down there?"

The honey-orbed boy looked hard at the High Priest, clenching his fist. "YOU -!"

He stood up hastily before crumbling back down to the floor in pain. "Ugh - my leg. I think I killed it."

Seto, noticing that his slave was hurt, glided down the stairs gracefully {earning a glare from Jounouchi} to look at the injury. "Aw - is the puppy hurt?" he teased. "It's only a sprained ankle though, nothing serious. Can you walk?"

Nodding, Jou tried to bring himself upright, but failed miserably. Groaning he shook his head, contradicting his first answer. Seeing a rare opportunity, Seto bent down and scooped Jou into his arms.

"Whoa - what do you think you're doing?" the blond demanded while blushing deeply.

"Carrying you," Seto replied smoothly. "Obviously you can't walk, and I'm not just going to leave you here."

Jou was too embarrassed to say anything in return, so he averted his gaze to the ground out of his embarrassment.

The High Priest noted the sudden deepening of red upon Jou's face. Smirking to himself, he asked, "Are you feeling okay, Jou? You're a bit red in the face."

If it was possible, the golden-haired boy's face reddened even further. "Put me down," he gritted through clenched teeth.

"What was that?" Seto pretended not to hear correctly. Seizing his chance, he leaned in, smiling coyly, their faces only millimeters apart.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Randomasdf (Grace): Okay, okay - that was not my most ingenious chapter, but I guess its passable. Sorry if it was too depressing - and sorry for stopping so abruptly. I really, REALLY wanted to post this, so here it is! This chapter is 25 pages long in Microsoft Word, and it took me a long time to write. Also, I was away all summer, so it was hard to work on it. Thanks for reading this! ^.^ Please don't flame me - suggestions are always welcome and I hope minna-san has a great new school year!

By the way, I am not putting a lengthy end author's notes, because I really want to post this! Gomen nasai again for the long wait! And I hope you don't kill me for writing such violent/depressing scenes with Ryou and Yugi - it just kind of adds more angst and defiance to the slave characters. ^.~

Starting next chapter, I'm going to start focusing on a certain paring - meaning that next chapter, I will either focus on Yami/Yugi, Seto/Jou, Bakura/Ryou, or Malik/Marik. I will be alternating between which parings to focus on - since it'll be easier for me to write and for you, the reader, to follow the story. SO - that's where you come in. The next chapter's focus-on paring will be chosen by YOU!!! Whichever paring gets the most votes will be the main paring! So - what will it be?

1) Yami/Yugi

2) Seto/Jou

3) Bakura/Ryou

4) Malik/Marik

Please vote through a review or an email to: gracemeng@yahoo.com! Thanks for reading this story! <bows to readers> Please vote! ^.^