Note: A word of warning. This might be the last chapter for awhile. Why? Because school is starting tomorrow so I'd have less time to update. Sorry. But I'll talk to Echo and see if I can ever come over to see if I can update there. But on the bright side, the time has come! You will now see who will play as the witch Yubaba and the big baby! and theres a few other surprises in store so in further chapters you can look forward to that!

Ryou stood next to Mahado in the same elevator going up to the top floor. Ryou hid his face from Mahado shyly looking down at the floor. Ryou was actually quite afraid of the magician and wasn't sure of what he would do if Ryou were to somehow insult him. Ryou just stood there quietly waiting for the elevator to stop. Needless to say that Ryou was surprised when Mahado spoke first to the boy.

"You know it's not safe here." The man said. Ryou quietly nodded without saying anything.

"I don't know how you managed to cross into our world, but a word of warning; be careful of Kaiba and Kura." Mahado spoke again in a heavy tone. Ryou looked up this time at Mahado. Why should I be careful of Kura? He's helped me out a lot so far. Does he have a bad reputation here? Seeming to read his expression Mahado spoke once more.

"If you follow my advice then you may learn how to survive in this world." Mahado said looking down at the frail boy.

"Is this world that dangerous…?" Ryou said quietly. It was like his own fear was forcing him to be quiet. Mahado shrugged slightly.

"It's not that it's dangerous, it's just that this world isn't made for humans, that's all." The elevator stopped. Ryou stepped out to take a peek into the hallway. The hall lead to no where but to a giant golden door to the right.

"This is the top floor." Ryou said mostly to himself. He stepped out of the elevator and bowed politely before Mahado. He returned the gesture.

"Before we part ways, allow me to give you one more warning. Kaiba despises humans more so than he does other spirits. If you plan on working here, then be prepared on being better than your best. Because if you don't he'll curse you, and you'll never be able to return home ever again." And like that the elevator doors closed and that was the last he saw of Mahado. He turned out to not be so bad for Ryou's case. But the warnings didn't help his nerves much either. Ryou turned for the golden doors and knocked on the handle over the dragon head softly. He was afraid of upsetting Kaiba if he knocked on the handle loudly.

"What is that you want?" A male voice spoke through the dragon head on the door. Ryou jumped for possibly the millionth time tonight. The eyes on the dragon narrowed at Ryou before the voice spoke again. "You're the most pathetic looking human I've seen so far." The voice insulted before the doors swung open. This would be fun if it was a haunted house. Ryou thought feebly peering through the doors. Halloween was one of Ryou's favorite holidays. One thing that would always surprise his friends that despite his personality he actually has a morbid interest in the occult. Ryou's not sure where he got it from as both his parents aren't that fond in stuff like vampires or zombies.

"Well…? Come in!" The voice spoke again and this time Ryou felt his body being pulled down hallway after hallway till a pair of doors opened up again and Ryou was sent flying into what looked like an office. Ryou fell on his face on the carpet and it took him a moment to recover and get up to look around the room. While Ryou was looking around the room a couple of small white dragons flew in squawking and flying at him, scaring the boy further than necessary. The dragon's looked like baby's but they looked dangerous at the same time. (I mean, come on. Those things have talons and teeth!)

"Quiet down. You're going to wake my brother." The voice spoke again. The dragon's finally flew away from Ryou and perched themselves near the desk where a man in a blue suit sat smoking a cigarette. He tapped his cigarette against an ash tray, before returning to some paper work. He wasn't even looking at Ryou. He was just pretending that the boy wasn't even in the same room while he looked occupied with his paper work.

"Um… Kaiba-san? I was wondering if you could give me a job here?" Ryou asked quietly. Kaiba looked up at the boy and pinched his fingers together and moved them across the air in a "be quiet" gesture. Unfortunately, Ryou felt his lips get sealed shut making it hard for him to talk. Kaiba smirked as the boy struggled to open his mouth again.

"Like I could give a human a job here. Human's are just pathetic, overly-dependent weaklings and you're clearly no exception. It's a bathhouse where spirits can come to replenish themselves. And all humans do is destroy and steal everything they see, just like your mother and sister, who devoured all the spirit food like swine. Personally, I think turning them into pigs wasn't a suitable enough punishment but then again I'm not in charge of punishing people for eating food. I only punish those that trespass into my bathhouse." Kaiba said puffing into his cigarette again and blowing out the smoke through his mouth. "You for example can be punished under my rule. But there's just one thing left on my mind. Clearly you didn't make it here all by yourself. So, little boy, who helped you?" Kaiba asked with a sneer. He pinched his fingers together again and made the same gesture once more but this time Ryou's lips were freed from the spell and he could finally speak again. But the words that came out of his mouth were anything but "So-so helped me out".

"Please, Kaiba-san! Can't you give me a job here?" Ryou begged. Kaiba glared at the boy.

"Don't start that nonsense again! You'll die before working here!" Kaiba shouted at the boy. It wasn't a warning either; It was a threat. But Ryou wasn't about to back down easily.

"Please, just give me a job!" Ryou begged one more time. Ryou must've blinked because, before Kaiba was sitting at his desk with a cigarette in his hand and the next he was standing in front of Ryou and had his hand on the boy's throat and holding him well above the ground.

"Allow me to repeat myself just one more time in case you're hard of hearing. You're a helpless, useless, pathetic weakling and this is clearly no place for humans. You'd just disgrace the building with your presence and give me a bad name! This is a high-class place I'm running here, and I already have all the desperate idiots I need to keep this place going." Kaiba said tightening his grip on Ryou's throat just a little. The boy gasped and grabbed at Kaiba's hands trying to pull them away from his throat. Kaiba hummed a little in thought before chuckling darkly.

"Or I could grant your wish and give you the hardest job there is and make you work till your very last breath..." Kaiba hissed as if the thought of torturing the boy with work would give him great pleasure.

Crash!

Kaiba dropped Ryou and turned around to the door that was by his desk. "Mokuba, what is it?" He asked walking up to the door. Ryou was rubbing at his sore throat and coughing at the same time trying to get air into his lungs again.

"Sorry, Nii-sama! I slipped and broke my-" The boy said leaving his room and walking into the office. He stopped in mid-sentence when he saw Ryou still rubbing his neck. "What's a human doing here?" Mokuba asked completely forgetting what he was just saying. Kaiba shot a glare at Ryou before flash-stepping towards his little brother.

"Don't worry about that, just go back to bed. I'll be there in a few minutes okay?" Kaiba said. The boy nodded and turned around to go back to his room but not before exchanging one more glance at Ryou. Ryou looked back at the boy for the first time and saw that he was wearing a red night gown for a pajama. Mokuba closed the door to his room and Kaiba turned abruptly back at Ryou.

"You're still here? Get out." Kaiba ordered pointing at the door. Ryou shook his head and stood up finally.

"I won't leave until you hire me." Ryou spoke with strong determination in his voice. Kaiba groaned before flicking his hand and a sheet of paper and pen floated towards the boy.

"Fine. Sign the damn thing and get out." He said making his way to his desk. Ryou looked at the paper and pen before looking back at Kaiba.

"Does this mean I have the job now?" Ryou asked.

"Just sign it." Kaiba said lighting up another cigarette and murmuring about him being too nice for his own good. Ryou signed the paper on the floor before Kaiba took it away from him making the paper float away just when Ryou finished writing the last character to his name.

"So your name is 'Ryou Touzoku', huh? That's an interesting name." Kaiba said holding his hand over the paper. The character's to Ryou's name floated up and Kaiba captured it in his hands. "And it belongs to me now. For now on your name shall be Yozu. Got it?" Kaiba asked. Ryou faltered for a moment. Since when did your manager take your name and change it? Ryou thought.

"Answer me, Yozu!" Kaiba ordered.

"Uh, yes sir!" Ryou said.

"You called for me?" Ryou turned around when another voice spoke up in the room. He didn't expect to see Kura standing there in the same room with him. What's he doing here?

"This boy signed a contract. Hurry up and give him a job, got it, Kura?" Kaiba ordered. Kura had no problem with replying and giving in to Kaiba's demands. It's strange… Kura seemed like the type of guy to object to Kaiba orders.

"Yes. What's your name, boy?" Kura asked to Ryou tilting his head to the side to the other boy.

"Huh? It's Ry… Oh, uh… It's Yozu." Ryou replied. He had almost forgotten that Kaiba had changed his name to Yozu for some reason. Is it something that Kaiba does to all of his new employees?

"Alright, Yozu. Follow me." Kura said leaving Kaiba's office with the renamed Ryou- Yozu- following behind him. Kura waited patiently at the elevator for Ryou to hurry up. Ryou was slowing down because he was too busy trying to wrap his mind around the situation he brought himself in. Kaiba changed my name to Yozu… Kura is somehow connected to Kaiba… And Kura knows me… But I don't even know Kura… I can't even remember seeing him at any time in my life! Then again he is a spirit. It's probably much harder for me to remember being in contact with a spirit when I'm a human.

"Yozu, hurry up!" Kura called out, making the boy jump from his thoughts. Ryou- Yozu- ran the rest of the distance from the hallway to the elevator and stood next to Kura. For some reason being with Kura made the room seem much smaller than before, even if Mahado, and Touzoku were just in here and were considerably taller and more muscular than Kura. Not that Yozu didn't think Kura wasn't handsome or… wait did he just think Kura was handsome? The boy's face heated up in embarrassment at the thought for even considering another male handsome.

"What's you're problem now?" Kura asked slightly annoyed. Yozu jumped again. Was Kura watching me get flustered?

"Oh! Uh… I-it's nothing… Hey can I ask you something?" Yozu asked looking straight up at Kura.

"No." Kura stated making the smaller boy deadpan. "And from now on you must address me as Kura-sama, got it?" Who was this boy?! This isn't the Kura, that Ryou knew just an hour ago, that saved him from disappearing, led him to the bathhouse, and held his hand the entire time. This was a different Kura. This one was much less patient, and aggressive. He even acted like he never knew Ryou. He was even addressing him as Yozu. Well I guess I should get used to being called Yozu for now on… Who knows how long I could be stuck here for…

"Yes, sir."

"What?! Hire him?! Are you kidding?" Yami asked. As it turned out that other than Kaiba and possibly Kura there was a number of spirits that managed the bathhouse much to Yozu's surprise.

"I most certainly am not, Yami. Kaiba-sama has just hired him and now he is going to work here, understand?" Kura argued in the most stern tone that Yozu had heard from him. For a moment Kura sounded like he meant business.

"Who cares what Kaiba thinks?! We ain't hiring any stupid human here!" Jounochi exclaimed. Kura turned a cold gaze on the blond.

"He's already under contract." Kura announced. Everyone in the room exchanged surprised glances to each other and had begun whispering and gossiping. Yozu had heard most of them say something like "Is Kaiba-sama insane?", or "A weakling like him is working here?!", and"Just what I need… A human bunking the same room with us!" Ryou stayed quiet. He was used to being treated this way. At school it was pretty much the same thing. They started talking about you and then they began keeping a distance from you, convincing everyone to stay away from you. Then when you're all alone with no friends they began to pick on you. Ryou had to transfer a few times because of this. Amane would always complain about him having to "run away" from the problem instead of standing up and fighting it.

"We're not taking him in our department." A spirit spoke from behind him.

"He'll stink up the whole place!" Another said.

"Three days of eating our food and his stench will go away. And if he doesn't work hard, cook him, eat him, torture him, do whatever you want with him." Kura said. The words that Kura spoke felt like hot knives into his insides. It hurt. Just when Yozu was beginning to think Kura was okay, he does this to him.

"Now get back to work! All of you! Where is Touzoku?" Kura asked looking around the room for the said male.

"What?! Don't you dump that brat on me!" Touzoku exclaimed. Yozu turned and saw that Touzoku was leaning against a post in the room. Yozu hadn't even noticed him.

"You did say that you wanted an assistant, right?" Kura sneered. Yami and Jounochi also saw this amusing as they exchanged grins to each other.

"That's perfect!" Jounochi grinned.

"Give the boy to Touzoku." Yami answered agreeing with his friend. Touzoku meanwhile was complaining about his new partnership with the boy.

"Yozu, get going!" Kura barked the order almost to similar to the way Kaiba was barking orders to him. Ryou was beginning to question himself whether or not he could trust Kura or not. Ryou hurriedly ran over to Touzoku's side like before, while the older male barked out a final complaint.

"Why are all of you picking on me? You're gonna pay for this, Kura! You hear me?" Touzoku said before turning his back on Kura and the other's. Yozu heard one of them- probably Jounochi- call out sarcastically to Akefia to "sleep well", making the older male groan.

Touzoku and Yozu made their way through some halls and stairs 'till they made it to the men's sleeping department. Suddenly Touzoku turned around to Yozu surprising the younger boy. "I can't believe you pulled it off! You're such a wuss, I was really worried about you." Touzoku said ruffling Ryou's hair. Now I'm really confused! Ryou thought as he fixed his hair when Touzoku finished playing with it. "Now you have to watch your back when you here, and if you have anything just ask me, okay?" He said with a slight curving of the lips forming a casual smile on the older males face. Somehow the smile made Touzoku's scar seem longer.

"O-okay…" Ryou mumbled. He was so confused, and scared it was hurting him in an almost physical sense. All the stress he's had to deal with today with losing his family, wondering if Kura was friend or foe, Kaiba constantly watching him, and Touzoku going from foe to friend. It was no surprise that the stress wasn't doing to well for Ryou as his stomach began to form an uncomfortable churn making Ryou feel sick.

"Woah, are you okay, Yozu? You don't look so good." Touzoku said putting a hand on his shoulder. Ryou nearly convulsed at the touch. He didn't need this. He didn't want this. He just wanted to be home!

"I don't feel so good…" Ryou murmured. Touzoku gently lead Yozu to where the men sleep in the bathhouse. For some reason the workers don't have a place of their own, so they live at their own job. It didn't take long for Touzoku to bring Yozu to the sleeping quarters.

"Well this is where the guys sleep," Touzoku said in the middle of the room. The "bed room" was nothing but an empty room with nothing in it besides a few people already asleep. Ryou heard that ages ago people normally slept on the floor with a thin mattress and a blanket in their homes. Ryou was one of many people today that actually sleeps in a bed that stands about a meter off the ground.

"Here's your futon, Yozu" Touzoku said kicking over the folded up blanket and mattress over to him. It looked like a sleeping bag to him. "And here's you're uniform. You have to wash them yourself." Touzoku said giving Ryou a change of pants. He held up a shirt and looked it over at Ryou. "Too big" he said tossing the shirt away and digging in the drawer for another one.

"Touzoku… Do you know Kura?" Ryou asked. He just needed to know the connection between Kura and Kaiba, and Touzoku. It was just so confusing.

"What about him?" Touzoku groaned, tossing away another shirt and digging in for another one.

"Well, he just seems so…"

"Arrogant? Rude? The most smug little brat you've ever seen?" Touzoku asked looking over another shirt before tossing it away. "He's Kaiba's lap dog. Don't trust a thing he says. The brat has a silver tongue, and a deceiving mind. He gets just about anyone wrapped around his finger, so just stay away from him got it?" Touzoku asked tossing away at least two more shirts.

Ryou looked down at the ground and curled up into a ball there. Remember, Ryou. I'm your friend. I've known you since you were a little boy. That's what he had said didn't he? Address me as Kura-sama. He also said that… The boy has a silver tongue and a deceiving mind. Stay away from him. But how could Ryou stay away from the person that helped him out so much before? Sure he seems different now but there has to be a reason for it. Kura has to have some reason from becoming the kind, caring Kura to this… Arrogant? Rude? Well… Maybe he has a reason for it.

Ryou felt his cheeks get wet. He cried so much tonight. He cried when his family were turned into pigs, he cried when Kura had to leave him, he wanted to cry a number of times after that but now he had no control over his tears. They just came out like a trickling spring, and the water level was rising. He didn't even hear that his voice was making these pitiful moans and hiccups. He didn't even feel Touzoku's large hand on his back or hear his voice. He didn't even hear the sleeping person next to him wake up and complain about his crying. Ryou was lost in his own world of sorrow, just like how his mother and sister were lost in their own world of food hours ago.

It didn't take long for Ryou to succumb to his exhaustion and stress and just fall asleep while curled up in a sitting position. He was so tired. It was just unusual that Ryou dreamed that night. Ryou never dreams unless he's sleeping in his own bed. It was a strange story to tell his friends whenever he slept at their house. They'd always tell stories of their own dreams and look at Ryou expecting a story from him, but Ryou had none to tell them. It was either that he never dreamed outside his house or that he did and that he couldn't remember them. But tonight for whatever reason he had a dream, or a memory of a dream.

He was at the park and it was time to go home. He didn't live very far from the park. Him and his younger sister Amane would go to the park and play all the time. Amane went to a friends house and Ryou was alone, and it was getting dark. Some shady looking adults were beginning to come and visit the park. The looks they were giving him were making Ryou feel uncomfortable and frightened. Ryou sat alone at the sand box with a small mound of sand in front of his lap. One of the adults made his move towards him. Ryou wanted to move away but the sand was pretty much pinning him into the sand box. Ryou was so scared.

"Hey, kid. Where's your mommy and daddy?" He asked. Ryou hated the scent on his breath. It smelt too much like alcohol and cigarettes. He didn't answer.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" The man asked moving a hand towards Ryou. The boy was slowly inching away from the man when another boy quickly stepped forward and grabbed the man's hand.

"Get away from my brother." The boy growled easily frightening the intoxicated man. No one had seen him show up. He just appeared out of no where. The man backed away from the boy and ran off screaming about a ghost.

"Excuse me? I'm not your brother." Ryou said pulling his legs away from the sand mound and standing up behind the taller boy. At best the boy could probably be eleven or even thirteen. Ryou wasn't sure. He hadn't even gotten a look of his face yet.

The older boy must've not heard him; Ryou was known for speaking quietly. He gently took the boy's hand in his to get his attention. "Thank you-" Ryou started, but the older boy had grabbed his hand and made a dash out of the park. The boy was running so fast it almost felt like they were flying. Maybe they really were flying, because Ryou didn't feel the ground underneath him as the older boy took off.

"Where are you taking me?" Ryou yelled at the boy. He didn't mean to shout but he was sure that if he spoke in his usual tone the older boy wouldn't hear him. But the older boy didn't answer him. He probably didn't hear him again. All of a sudden they reached his house. The boy had disappeared. Ryou was left at his front door totally confused. Was he flying a second ago? Did the boy just change shape? How did he know where I lived? Where'd he go? Ryou had so many questions and no answers to them.

A fruit for thought that Ryou was renamed "Yozu" for the Ryou in his name and the Tozouku that many people call Thief King Bakura. And yes Kaiba is Yubaba. It suits him, right? XD And I don't know what's about me, when I add memory scenes into my stories but I do it a lot. I think it's interesting in a way XD