Hey readers! I'm a new writer to Yu-gi-oh! Fan fiction, and this is my first story "Sympathy". I hope you like it seeing as it is my first try, but I have a few things to explain first.

First of, I know that Yugi lives above the game room with his grandpa. So any thieves (or Yami) wouldn't normally be able to sneak in and out the window to Yugi's room. But this is the only way my story works so use your imagination.

Secondly, each chapter is based on a song. If you read the lyrics to a song and you like it, e-mail me and I can give you full lyrics (if they aren't already there) to the song and the artist and the album that the song is found on.

Other then that, I hope you enjoy my story. Please read and review. I always work better and faster when I have feedback to work off of.

Thanks!

Moons of Yami

Sympathy

CHAPTER ONE: SYMPATHY

"Stranger than your sympathy,

And this is my apology,

I kill myself from the inside out,

And all my fears have pushed you out,

And I wish for things that I don't need (All I wanted)

And what I chase won't set me free (It's all I wanted)

And I get scared but I'm not crawling on my knees,

Oh yeah, and everything's all wrong, yeah, everything's all wrong, and yeah,

Where the hell did I think I was.

And stranger then your sympathy,

Take these things so I don't feel,

I'm killing myself from the inside out,

And now my head's been filled with doubt,

And it's hard to leave the life you choose (All I wanted)

When all your lucks out on you (All I wanted)

And you can't see when all your dreams are coming true,

Oh yeah, it's easy to forget, and yeah, you choke on the regrets, and yeah

Who the hell did I think I was.

And stranger then your sympathy,

And all these thoughts you stole from me,

And I'm not sure where I belong,

And no where's home and I'm all wrong,

And I wasn't all the things I tried to make believe I was,

And I wouldn't be the one to kneel before the dreams I wanted,

And all the talk and all the lies and all the empty things disguised as me.

Stranger then your sympathy,

Stranger than your sympathy…"

~ "Sympathy" by: The Goo Goo Dolls~

            "I just didn't feel like dueling!" Yugi's voice wasn't bitter, but his large violet orbs watched the taller man next to him with some resentment. "Don't you think I've had enough for awhile? I mean, after Pegasus and all."

            Yami looked down at his smaller counter part with a level of respect. He had almost lost his soul in that shadow match. And all to save his friends' souls. But he had turned down an easy duel, one that could have earned him some practice. And Yami just couldn't understand. In the safety of Yugi's room, he had emerged from the puzzle to ask.

            "I understand you're tired, aibou, but you wouldn't have even broken a sweat." Yami paused for a second. "Are you feeling okay?"

            "I'm fine!" Yugi actually raised his to Yami. "I can't duel non-stop like you can! Ever since I put your puzzle together it seems I duel constantly just to keep my soul and life intact!"

            Yami's eyes widened and he felt a pang shoot through his chest. He took a step away from Yugi, as if his thoughts would burn him. Watching Yugi for a reaction, he spoke his next words softly.

            "Does that mean you wish I hadn't come along?" He whispered. "That you wish you had never put my puzzle together?"

            "No." Yugi's voice held no sympathy. He ripped the puzzle off his neck and tossed it on to his desk. "It just means I want a break from always having to watch my back for someone who's after you!"

            Yami looked at the puzzle and then at Yugi who stood there sternly. His heart was breaking at the sight of his aibou being so careless with his existence.

            "So you want me to leave, aibou?" Yami turned his eyes to the floor. "You want me to leave you so that no one hurts you or your friends? I'll do it if it is your will."

            Yugi's features fell at the thought of losing Yami. But at the same time there was relief that no one would bother him or his friends.

            "I don't know what I want!" Yugi shouted.

            But his Grandpa would. Pushing past Yami, Yugi fled the room, leaving his puzzle behind. Yami stared at it, hurt flooding through him. He sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands. His aibou wanted him to leave. It was the worst kind of rejection. He slowly lay back on the bed as thoughts crammed themselves into his head. Even if he left, people would still be after Yugi. He was the number one duelist. These thoughts swirled through his mind, and Yami felt himself drifting off. He hoped in sleep he would find answers.

~*~

            Hours later, a stirring in the room drew Yami from his sleep. Hoping it was Yugi returned with enough sympathy in his heart to accept an apology, the pharaoh sat up. He immediately knew the source of the noise was not his small counterpart. The person in the room was taller then himself and covered by a long black robe. His face was hidden amongst the shadows of the fabric but distress was still written on his face. Yami realized that the man was searching for something, and he also realized the man didn't know he was there. He decided to wait a moment, see what this guy was looking for.

            The man turned from the dresser draws he was rifling through, and spotted something to his liking. His features lifted and he practically skipped across the room to Yugi's desk. And his Puzzle.

            "Finally." The man mussed, lifting the puzzle carefully off the desk. "Now maybe that old bat will get off my back about doing her no good!"

            Yami quickly rose to his feet as he felt the disturbance that ran through him from the puzzle. He always felt it when someone other then Yugi tampered with the puzzle. The man finally noticed the other body in the room, and with a startled gasp took a step back.

            "You?" His eyes shot from the puzzle to Yami. "You look so different from when I watched you. Have you been eating you Wheaties?"

            "Sorry. You're thinking of the wrong kid. And it's your mistake that'll cost you." Yami chuckled in his deep voice. "You though get the puzzle would be that easy? Shame, you must think better. Now please, give me back what belongs to me."

            Yami held out his hand towards the shivering thief. The man's eyes were wide as he watched the pharaoh slowly approach him. Suddenly an evil glint filled them.

            "Whatever you say, pharaoh." He grinned. "You want your puzzle back? Catch!"

            With that final thought he hurled the puzzle into the air, and ran for the window to climb back out to safety. Yami gasped as he watched the gold pyramid glide through the air. If it landed and broke, he would be a lost soul until Yugi put it back together. And right now it was more like, if Yugi put it back together.

            As all the luck have it, the puzzle landed with a soft thump on Yugi's bed. Yami let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and grabbed the puzzle. He tucked it neatly away under Yugi's bed in case anyone else decided to sneak in and turned towards the window. Who ever had just been in here had touched the puzzle and Yami knew he could find him easy.  And that man wouldn't get away.

            He slipped out the window and began running. That man needed to be caught. No one knew who he was and why he had been interested in Yugi's puzzle. He could have been another one of Merrick's goon hunters after all the power he possessed. Or he could have been a regular street thief who thought the gold pyramid looked like a promise of dinner that night. Whichever the case, Yami had to make sure the man remembered nothing, and would never come back hoping for the luck of grabbing the puzzle again. Suddenly, up ahead of him, Yami spotted the man running.

            "Stop!" Yami shouted, his deep voice was enough to scare anyone. "Stop right now!"

            The man turned slightly, spotting Yami. His eyes widened and he picked up his pace. But being mortal, the man couldn't out run Yami forever. Yami was only a few steps behind him when the man ducked into a nearby building. Stopping short, Yami followed him. Inside the building was dark, and Yami could barely see his own hand in front of his face. Waving his hands in front of him, he tried to feel his way to a light switch. Yugi had taught him about those. They controlled the light, they made it bright as day even at the darkest of night. Yugi had taught him a lot about modern inventions.

            Suddenly the lights flashed on and blinded Yami. He blinked as his eyes tried to focus to the quick intrusion of light. The only thing he was able to figure out was a large form standing in front of him. Yami squinted, trying to focus on this new person. Before he could make out any features, something slammed into him from behind. A pain sparked to life in his back and he dropped to his knees, gasping for air. What ever had hit him continued slamming ruthlessly into his body. Pain was wrapping itself around his brain with tight fingers. Yami had no idea what was happening. Soon his vision began to waver and his head grew light. When he thought he could take no more of the pain, it stopped.

            Yami lay there, not able to move, hardly able to think. He thought his would explode when one of his attackers began talking.

            "Let's leave him on the street." A man spoke gruffly. "Maybe the police will pick him thinking he's some normal off the street bum."

            Yami choked on a groan when he felt someone large pick him up. He wasn't aware as they carried him out of the building and set him down on the sidewalk. His attacker spoke again.

            "Next time let's get this job done right or Samara will kill us." He barked. "If this guy remembers your face when he comes too, you're done for. So let's get back to head quarters and tomorrow we can try for that damn pyramid puzzle again tomorrow night."

            Yami's body tensed when he realized they were after his puzzle, his power. The voices grew faint as they walked away, leaving him lying on the street.

            "Why does she want that damned thing anyway?" The other spoke. "It's not like she needs anymore creepy Egyptian jewelry. That damned necklace of her's always gave me the creeps."

            Yami lay on the street for hours. He kept slipping in and out of consciousness. Finally he could faintly hear footsteps approaching quickly. His heart leaped at the hope of seeing Yugi's face once more, his aibou, standing there with forgiveness in his eyes. Instead there was a young woman. Yami groaned and closed his eyes, heart sinking to the floor of his stomach.

            "Oh my god." Her soft voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard to Yami's head at the moment. "Are you okay, sir?"

            Yami started to slip back into the darkness. He couldn't bring himself to answer the woman kneeling beside him. Besides that, what was he too tell her. That he gotten beaten up by the men that were trying to steal the puzzle that was the key to his whole existence. With a last pain-filled moan, Yami fell into the inviting and pain free blackness.