Summary: When the life of is friend, his only friend in the whole world, is in danger, Ryou is ready to go to any extent to save his friend. Even give his own life. So when he whitnesses the actions of a certain thief, and gets his life threatned by the man, he finds that he has nothing else to lose. So he makes a deal. In exchange for help with saving his friend, he gives himself to the thief. Is he going to live in slavery? Is the thief goin to end his life slowly and painfully? Whtever the man chooses, the boy has to live with it and accept it.

So everyone, this is my second posted fick, and it's going to be tendershipping. I hope you enjoy^_^! And BTW I'm also going to post a puzzleshippin fick very soon, as well as a non-yaoi you're interested, please check them out after I post them ^_^.

"HELP! Someone, please help me!" A boy was running on the empty streets, tears streaming down his face. "Plase... help me..." the boy continued his pleeds, hoping that someone would come to his aid, but somewhwere, deep inside his mind, he knew that would never happen. Why would it? After all, no one's ever cared about him, nor looked at him as a person, no one's ever been kind to him, or helped him out in need. So why would they start now? But he couldn't just give up. He couldn't stop, and give up all hope. Not this time, anyway. Because this time, it wasn't about him. This time, his friend's life was on the line. His only friend. The only person that got close to him ever since... "Please! Someone... Anyone! Help!"

But it was pointless. No matter how much he tried, and called out for help, and kept hoping, the truth was one. It was late. Allmost midnight. No one would hear him at this hour. And even if anyone would, they wouldn't give a shit about it. That was the reality- cruel and unforgiving to the weak. He slowed down in his running, slowly stopping completely, and standing on the spot. His head was down, his white hair covering his brown eyes, now full of tears. He started crying, his sobs fillin the silence on the streets. He was alone. Again. His only friend was going to die, and he couldn't do anything about it. he cursed his weakness and his inability to help. He felt so useless. Now more than ever. Why was fate so cruel to him? What has he ever done wrong to deserve this life? He allways cared about others, helping everyone he could, even if someone who bullied him would have a problem, he would try to help. He never hurt any living being. So why was this happening to him? Was he some kind of a comedy show for the gods or something?

He screamed in frustration, his cries and sobs intensifying. He was about to fall to his knees, and stay there, in the rain that he hadn't even realise that started, when he saw something. With the corner of his eye. A movement in the shadows. There, on the building next to him. One of the windows opened, and through it... someone came out. Through teary eyes, he saw the person's white hair, that standed out in the complete darkness. The someone climbed down the building on some... black... rope, and landed perfectly at the bottom.

'A thief!' Ryou thauht, terrified. He stepped back slowly, trying not to make any sound or sudden movement, as to alert the other one of his presence. However the long run and terrible crying were catching up to him, adding to the shock of seing the thief, and he found it more and more hard to breathe. After a few steps back, his panting became very loud, and he could just pray that he wouldn't be heard. However like allways, his luck decided to turn his back on him, as the white-haired man turned around and looked straight at Ryou.

'Oh no...' the boy thaught, feeling his legs become limb as the men stepped closer.

"Who are you, and what the hell are you doing here?" the man asked, his voice deep and threatening.

"I-I... I..."

"I'm waiting! Did you see anything?"

"I-I... no..."

"Because I couldn't have any possible whitness alive, now could I?"

"No... I-!"the teriffied boy couldn't manage to put two words together.

"So tell me!" the man practically growled. "What did you see!" Ryou was about to say something, when the man stepped in the light of the street-lamp, letting the boy see all his traights. The boy gasped in shock. The 'man' was actually a teenager, maybe two years older than him at the most, but that wasn't the shocking part. This teenager looked almost exactly like him! His long, white hair even more wild than his own, his brown eyes a bit more red and a lot crueler and his traits more pointy than his own, but overall, they could very well be twins!

For a split second, the same shock could be seen on the thieve's face also, but it disppeared almost imediately, as he was very experienced with cocieling his thaughts.

"Well, I see you're not able to speak to save your life. Well than, there's no reason to hold back. After all, it won't bother me at all to have some more casualties. It makes everything more- fun." the thief said with an evil grin.

'Oh god... what have I done...'

"So? Any last words?" the cruel man said walking even closer, pulling out a knife from his pocket and moving it so the blade was reflecting the light from the lamps.

"No... Please..." Ryou whimpered more to himself. 'Wait!' he thaught. 'If it's like this, than... well, I'd have nothing to lose...' so he faught to gather all his courage and form a few coherent words. "Wait...!"

"Oh, so... The boy has a voice. What do you want? To beg for your life? Go ahead, it'll only make it so much more fun for me." he said with a sadistical laugh.

"No... I... Help me..." the boy managed to say in the end.

"Huh? Help you? And why should I do that?"

"Because... I'll... make a deal..."

"A deal, huh? Let's hear it. What do you think you could possibly offer me?"

"What you want. You want to have fun by kiling me, don't you? Well than, y-you can do it. I'll let you. I won't try to r-r-un away."

"And why would I want that? I can kill you here and now, and I don't need any deal to do that."

"Than- I'll give myself. You can do whatever you want with me." the boy let his sight to the ground, not noticing the shock obvious on his look-alike's face. "I'll be- completely in your hands. Just help me- help me save my frind. Please. He's about to be killed..." at this, two tears rolled down on his cheeks, and to the ground. "Save him. Save him, and I- I'll be yours. Save him, and let him free, and then, I'll be yours. To do what you want. Just please... please, save my friend!" he finished, not able to hold back his tears anymore.

'Is this guy serious?' the thief thaught. 'He's willing to just give himself away like that just to save his friend? How stupid can you get? But anyway, I'm not one to complain. He's willing to give himself away to me, just like that? It's not such a bad offer. It's been some time since I had any real fun, this could really turn out to be worth it. I'll have my personal puppet, slave, to do as I please. How lucky can I get?'

"So, you're telling me that if I save your- friend, you're going to just give yourself away, to become mine? So if I chose to kill you, you wouldn't fight me." the boy visibly flinched when he heard about the killing part, but he nodded, not taking his eyes from the ground.

"Okay than. It really sounds like fun. I get to beat someone up, and in exchange, get a personal slave. You've got a deal. And don't forget what you said, I'm going to keep you to it. Now where is that- friend of yours?" he was ince again visibly disgusted at mentioning that word.

"We-weeere- at the paark." he answered, his voice trembling. "They a-attacked us. They left me there b-buut they took Yuugi with them. They allways had aaa problem with him. They say that they'll maake him wish hee- was dead, and only aafter hat, finish him off aat the b-bridge." the boy was trying desperately to not let any more tears fall. This was not the time for that. No. Right now, he had to focus on finding and saving his little friend.

"Don't move." the thief caused him to raise his head. "If... they(whoever they may be)- said they were finishing him off at the bridge, than there's only one possible place. And we're not getting there in time in any conventional ways. So whatever you do, don't move." With this, he raised his hands above his head, and weird enough, his hands seemed to be... emmiting... darkness. Than, Ryou realised that he couldn't feel the rain anymore, and that the air seemed to become heavier, and all around him, the darkness seemed to ba raising and surroundin him completely. Just what the heck was going on? We was about to step back, when he remembered what the thief told him, that no matter what, he shouldn't move. So he stayed there. He wouldn't normally trust a thief, but this time, he didn't have a choice. He had to save his friend. No matter how weird and confusing tings might get, and no matter who he had to trust and what he had to do, he would save his friend. If he had to give his own life for that goal, than so be it.

He yelped when he found himself completely surrounded bu darkness, but still, he didn 't move from that spot. After some time, he wasn't sure exactly how much, the darkness finally dispelled, and he found himself releasing a moth of air he hadn't realised he was holding. But the moment he blinked and saw his suroundings, his mouth dropped and his eyes widened in shock. When in the world did they get there? Wherever 'there' may be.

He realised they were at the base of some old bridge, next to a forest. The bridge was huge, and led to the top of a big cliff on a very small island, with a small forrest of it's own, and a weird shrine on top. Eberything there seemed to be ancient, and, dare he say, even haunted.

Than it storke him. They said they were going to finish Yuugi off at 'the bridge'. This looked like the perfect place to murder someone without leaving suspicions; this was (probably) 'the bridge' they were talking about. But that didn't answer his quescion as to how in the world did they(becuse aparently the thief was there too) ended up in that place. He was about to quescion the teen, when he heard a sudden screamof pain. He had to thoroughly restrain himself from yelling after his friend, who'se scream he had recognised in an instant.

He found the source of the scream a few meters away. The bullies that had caught Yuugi were hiding in the forest, in a small clear-up of trees. His small friend was in the midle, the bullies completely surrounding him from all directions. The boy was allready battered up, and Ryou could barely stop himself from crying at the sight. He had bruises all over his face, his clothes slightly ripped or dirtied evry here and there, but the worst thing were the cuts all over his face and body and the blood running wildly out of them. Ryou was downright terrified, when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder pressin him down and puting him to his knees.

"I'm going to take a guess and assume that the battered up shrymp is your friend, right?" the thief asked without even looking at the teen. Ryou just noded, than moved his gaze back at the horrifying sight of his covered-in-blood friend. He felt a sudden movement next to him, and the next thing he knew, the thief was there, next to the bullies, punching one of them, causing him to fly right into a tree, takin two of his comrades with him. The others were shocked for a second, before charging full of fury against the skillfull thief.

Ryou closed his eyes, not willing to see anyone else battere down like his friend, especially knowing that this time, it was completely his fault. He heard all sorts of noises. Screams of pain, punches, kicks, bodies hittin the ground, growls, shouts of fury... after a while, the noises finally ceased. He managed to find the courage to open his eyes, and what he saw amazed him, to say the least. There was the tief standing, holdin the limp body of his friend in his arms, unconscous bodies of bullies scatered all around the place. Once again, darkness began to form all around him, cluding his sight and hardening his breathing. When it cleared, he found himself once again on the street he had met the thief.

Said thief walked closer to the boy and set down the ody in his hands. After a few seconds, Yuugi began regaining consciousness, and slowly opened his eyes.

"Yuugi!" Ryou exclaimed as soon as his friend completely opened his eyes.

"R-Ryou?" he asked, somewhat confused. "What... what's going on? Wasn't I..."he stopped, remembering what has happening before he found himself next to his friend. "Ryou? What happened? How in the world did I get here?" the small, tri-color-haired boy exlaimed allarmed.

"It's okay, Yuugi. I managed to find help for you." the teen smiled sadly.

Only than did Yuugi notice the other presence standin next to them. He tried to stand up, but a sudden pain in his right foot forced hi to sit back down.

"Yuugi, you shouldn't fore yourself right now. Just... let your body rest a little."

"Yeah." the boy answered with a nod. "By the way, thanks... for helping me out." Yuugi said to the misterious stranger.

"Whatever. I've kept my part of the deal, boy. Time for you to do the same." he said coldly.

Yuugi looked utterly confused. Deal? What did he mean by that... 'Oh God, please tell me he didn't...' "Ryou? What does he mean by that? What... deal?" he started asking, completely terrified by the time he said that last word. "Please tell me you didn't... do anything stupid."

"No, Yuugi." Ryou shook his head, making the boy sigh in relief. "Nothing is too much when it comes to you. You now I'd do anything in the world to protect you. So if I can't do it with my own two hands, than I have to find some other way to do it. Nothig- is too much for you, Yuugi." he said, crushin the boy into a very tight hug. "Thanks. For everything. For being my friend..." a tear fell streamin down his face.

"Ryou..." Yuugi felt the tear on his shirt. The hug was making his new wounds pulsate in pain, but he ignored it. He got a feeling that he should make the most of every moment he ot with his friend. "Ryou, tell me... What- did you do?" he could feel a few tears formng in the corners of his eyes, but he didn't have the energy to try and hold them, so he just left them free.

"It's okay, Yuugi. Everything will be okay." the white-haired boy told his friend while releasin him from the hug, and rising up from the wet cement. He couldn't say anything else, because he felt a tight grip on his wrist as he was pulled away from his friend. The try-color-haired boy didn't manage to say another worsd, onlt sitting there, looking as his friend walked away pulled by a total stranger, with both surprise, concern and outright fear entitled on his child-like features.

"Take care" he saw Ryou mouth, before the teen was completely engulfed by darkness.

And so, the brown-eyed boy walked away dragged by the thief, leaving his friend alone and utterly frightened on the dark street.

Well then, everyone, please tell me what you think about this! I really really hope you all liked the first chapter. I'm just warning you, thre's going to be Ryou torture starting from the next chapter, but in the end, this will be tendershipping ^_^ Pleease R&R Anything you think, tll me, it's fine, though I would apreciate it if you wouldn't flame...