Yuugi sighed and shifted the messenger bag he carried his school work in onto his shoulder. It was hot, and usually he and Anzu would walk home together and stop for drinks on the way. But not today. Anzu had to rush home and got a ride with her boyfriend (Yuugi hadn't liked him at first, but finally accepted that Anzu would never see him as more than a friend), leaving Yuugi to walk home alone. Without Anzu there, Yuugi decided it was best to take the shortcut. He didn't usually take it because it didn't go by Anzu's house, but given the circumstances...
Yuugi found himself chewing at his lip. He forced himself to stop, it was a bad habit he had picked up. There really was no reason to bite himself right now, he wasn't particularly stressed or anything. God it was hot. It seemed unnatural for the time of year, but what did he know? It was spring, and the weather should be mild, but for some reason it was hotter than usual. Maybe it was Global Warming or something.
Yuugi stopped in the shade of a building. There wasn't really a reason to rush home, he could stop for a smoothie. Yuugi looked around. There didn't seem to be any eateries around, which was odd. Weren't they everywhere? Yuugi turned around and looked at the shop behind him. There was a small sign on the door. "Open." Before he knew what he was doing, Yuugi pushed the door in and entered the shop. It was almost as if something in there lured him in.
He was face-to-face with an eyeball, and almost shrieked. The eye, though, was in a jar of a strange syrup-y substance. It was so creepy. God, what possessed Yuugi to enter this shop anyway? He was about to leave when something caught his eye. There was a pyramid set delicately on a stand. It appeared to be solid gold, and had a strange design of an eye on it. Yuugi ignored the rest of the trinkets in the shop (they were mostly useless jars and golden charms anyway) and walked over to the upside-down pyramid, drawn to it. He dropped his bag on the floor and picked up the piece of gold. It was heavy, but not as heavy as he expected. It was... There was... Yuugi couldn't say what about it seemed special, but this thing was definitely different from any other pendant he had ever seen.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't touch," a voice whispered in Yuugi's ear. He screamed and dropped the pyramid. It shattered into several geometric shapes. Oh fu—
"I'm so sorry!" Yuugi gasped and spun around to face the person behind him. He was left in shock. This man was almost the spitting image of Yuugi. His hair was spiked in several directions, golden bangs falling into his face. Unlike Yuugi, his skin was tanned, and his eyes were deep red. Yuugi swallowed. Hard. "H-how much do I owe you?"
The man's eyes narrowed. "The God Pyramid is invaluable. It wasn't even for sale." He paused for what Yuugi supposed to be emphasis. Yuugi looked down at the geometric... puzzle pieces?
"I... Isn't there any way that I could make it up?" Yuugi asked.
"Your soul might do."
Yuugi jumped. Oh god. Oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god oh FUCK. This was... This was Yami Atem, the wizard. He'd heard horror stories about this man. Atem had killed someone for trying to steal from his shop, he'd skinned a man alive for cheating at a game, he'd murdered just for the hell of it. No one could stop him, wizards were few and far between, and Atem was powerful. Yuugi continued to stare at the pieces at his feet, but he saw a smirk appear on Atem's lips in his peripheral vision. Most likely because all the color had drained from his face.
"I'm so sorry. I... I'll fix it!" Yuugi's head shot up. It was a puzzle, and no puzzle had ever been too much for Yuugi.
Then Atem laughed.
"Fix it? You know that pyramid was broken for thousands of years! No one was able to 'fix it' except my Grandfather, and even he had the help of magic!" Atem took Yuugi's chin in his hand. "And you, a mere human, propose to piece it together. Imagine that." He laughed again, and Yuugi shrank away. What had he gotten himself into? Why had he even entered this shop?
Atem smirked again and released Yuugi. "Very well," he said, turning away and walking to the counter at the back of the shop. "If you can 'fix it,' I'll pretend you never even touched it. But you can only work on it while the shop is open. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. To 6 p.m." He leaned against the counter, smirk still in place. Yuugi shrank back as Atem spoke again. "Or do you plan on finishing it in one night?"
Yuugi sat down and picked up two pieces and tried to fit them together. He knew better than to try to force them together. That would be stupid. Still, the puzzle was harder than it looked, and it had looked pretty hard to begin with. How long would it take to finish this?
Apparently longer than he thought, because he heard footsteps, and then that cool voice behind him telling him it was closing time and he needed to leave. Yuugi looked at his hands, he had only put three pieces together.
"I see you aren't done yet," Atem teased. Yuugi frowned, but didn't look up to meet the wizard's eyes.
"I'll come back tomorrow," he said. "I'm going to complete it."
"You don't sound very confident."
Yuugi picked up the pieces and set them on the table where they had rested before in pyramid form. What else could he do? He didn't want to lose his soul to this wizard. That would... The thought was terrifying. And how many pieces were there? It couldn't be less than thirty.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow, little boy."
Yuugi jumped again at Atem's words. "I.. I'm not a little boy! My name is Mutou Yuugi and I'm in high school!"
Atem laughed, though it was as mocking and harsh as before. "Alright, Mutou Yuugi, child in high school, I'll see you tomorrow."
Yuugi picked up his bag and headed for the door. He glanced back just in time to see Atem flick his index finger, and then the sign on the front door flipped to read "Open" on the inside. Magic was amazing, if only it wasn't in the hands of someone so terrifying.
Yuugi ran as fast as he could, screaming an apology to Anzu over his shoulder. He had to get to the shop, or else he feared Atem might find him and steal his soul. He dared not tell anyone where he was going. The wizard was feared by almost everyone, and they'd want Yuugi to give up or flee or something. But he couldn't give up. He had promised Atem he'd finish the puzzle, and so he would.
Atem was at the window to the shop when Yuugi arrived. He appeared to be dusting some of the objects in the window. The one in his hand was an odd rod with the same eye pattern on it's "head" as on the God Pyramid.
"Hello, Mutou Yuugi. I take it you'll be wanting to work on that puzzle for the next two and a half hours," Atem said without looking at Yuugi. Nevertheless, Yuugi nodded and headed over for the corner where the puzzle would be waiting for him. He tried to slow his breathing and wiped some of the sweat off his forehead as he sat down, back against the wall. His eyes followed Atem as the wizard left the window and returned to the back of the shop where Yuugi couldn't see him. No distractions. He had to finish this.
After about an hour or so, the door slammed open and a rather angry young man entered the shop. He briskly walked to the back of the room and slammed his metal briefcase onto the table. The sheer force made Yuugi jump.
"Hello, Mr. Kaiba Seto," Atem said nonchalantly. Kaiba Seto! That was the undefeated champion of that Duel Monsters game. Well, undefeated until Yuugi had defeated him, of course. Since then, the older teen had held a grudge against Yuugi, and Yuugi tried to avoid him as much as possible. "And to what do I owe this visit?" Atem continued.
"Cut the crap, witch! You know what I'm after." Kaiba practically snarled.
"I'm a wizard, Mr. Kaiba, not a witch."
"I don't give a damn. Just get what I came for."
"I'm afraid that I can't since I don't know what you're talking about."
"The cards, Yami! The cards!" There was a strange sound of a body hitting a solid object. Most likely Kaiba had grabbed and pulled Atem by his shirt collar.
"Oh, the cards, right." Atem's voice was still completely calm. Yuugi stood up slowly and made his way towards the back, hugging a wall of items as he did so. Kaiba released Atem as the wizard held his hand out, making a small case appear. "These cards, I take it." He opened the case and slid out a card, holding it out to Kaiba.
"Obelisk the Tormentor..." Kaiba whispered, reaching to take it, but Atem pulled his hand away before Kaiba had even touched it.
"Not for sale," Atem said. Kaiba slammed his fist onto the table, and Yuugi let out a small squeak.
"Then why do you have them in your fucking shop?" he demanded.
"These cards hold a lot of power, Mr. Kaiba, more than you could deal with." Atem slipped the card back into the case. "And if I'm not mistaken, you're undefeated. What would you need with them?" He laughed. "Oh that's right, someone did defeat you! I take it you want to destroy them."
"Of course. I have to be the champion!"
"It's a card game, Mr. Kaiba."
"I never lose! Give me the cards!"
Kaiba practically lept over the counter to get the cards, but Atem held them just out of his reach. It seemed to infuriate Kaiba to no end.
"And this is why you aren't getting them," Atem said. "Someone like you would only abuse the power of the Gods." His eyes left Kaiba and drifted over to Yuugi. "I take it you would like to see, as well." He flicked his hand, and the case appeared in Yuugi's hands. Kaiba spun around and glared.
"Mutou! What are you—Why does he get to hold them?"
Yuugi opened the case carefully, and looked at the three cards. Red, blue, yellow. These were the legendary God cards. There was only one of each. Slifer the Sky Dragon, Obelisk the Tormentor, and the Winged Dragon of Ra. He felt his heart skip a beat looking at these cards, they were the most powerful out there. Kaiba walked over to Yuugi. Yuugi closed the case quickly and tightly.
"Why are you here?"
"I—"
"Why do you get to hold those while I don't? What makes you so special?"
"Mutou Yuugi wouldn't dare steal from me," Atem said plainly, examining his fingernails. "He already owes me his soul, he wouldn't want to owe me more." He smiled playfully at Yuugi, and the boy felt his face heat up. He ducked under Kaiba's arm and handed the case back to Atem.
Kaiba made a strange noise halfway between a groan and growl, and left the shop.
"Mr. Kaiba, it's only a child's card game," Atem called after him. The case disappeared from his hand. "So, Mutou Yuugi, how far have you gotten on that pyramid?" Yuugi jumped and fled to his corner.
It was Saturday. Atem's shop was closed. Yuugi and his best friends Jounouchi and Honda had planned to go on a hike that day. Yuugi wasn't even sure why he was going, he would only slow Jou and Honda down, but the two had refused to go without him. They probably didn't want him to stay home and play video games all weekend. Understandable. They met at the trail head at 1 p.m. They were supposed to be gone for a couple hours.
The hike started out easy enough, it was fairly level, the trees that surrounded them added to the serene feeling of calmness. Eventually, however, Jou and Honda led Yuugi off the trail. They said not to worry, they'd done this many times before and knew the trail by heart. Yuugi found himself biting his lip again. He supposed it would be fine. That is, until they happened across a huge rock wall.
"We're going to climb that?" Yuugi gaped at the wall.
"Yeah, c'mon it's easy," Jou said with a smile.
Yuugi shook his head. "No way. I can't climb that." He caught a glimpse of Honda's "We're going to turn around?" face. "But don't worry about me, I'll just turn back. You guys go ahead."
"You sure, Yuugi?" Jounouchi asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. No worries!" Yuugi smiled and watched as the two climbed over the boulders and moved ahead. His smile faded. "Okay, I guess I'll just turn around and go back the way I came."
He was lost. He was completely and totally lost. Turn back and go the way he came. Yeah right. That didn't work. Somewhere he must have made a "wrong turn," and now he was stranded in the middle of nowhere. All the trees looked the same. What time was it? Yuugi pulled out his cell phone, but there was no service. He sighed. Maybe someone would notice he was missing and go look for him. He laughed at the thought. Yuugi wasn't lucky enough.
Or so he thought.
After a long time of trudging aimlessly through the forest, he heard something that sounded like a crash of lightning. There was a flash of light and another crash, then another. What was that? The sky was perfectly clear. Yuugi followed the noise until he reached a small clearing in the forest. The trees and bushes parted, leaving only short pieces of green grass to decorate the land. In the center of it all was Yami Atem.
The wizard raised his arms, then started a strange sort of dance. It looked as though he were moving through water. Then he pointed to fingers away from himself and a flash of lightning shot out of him. Yuugi gaped. He could create lightning! Atem repeated this process several times, and Yuugi never ceased to be amazed.
Then Yuugi stepped on a stig.
Atem's head shot in the direction of the noise, he pointed his fingers in Yuugi's direction, and the lightning shot towards Yuugi. The boy screamed and stumbled back just enough for Atem to see it was him. The wizard quickly pointed his fingers up, and the lightning followed.
"Mutou Yuugi? What are you doing here?"
Yuugi couldn't answer, his voice had stopped working the moment he had almost died. Atem walked over to him and offered a hand. Yuugi took it shyly, and then was swiftly yanked to his feet. Yuugi inhaled at the sudden motion. Purple eyes met red. Their faces were merely centimeters apart. Yuugi felt his face grow hot.
"Are you alright, Mutou Yuugi?" asked the wizard.
"Yuugi."
"What?"
"You can just call me Yuugi."
Atem shrugged. "Alright, Yuugi. But you've yet to answer any of my questions."
"Uh.. Yeah I'm fine. Just.. Just a little shocked, that's all." What was the other question?
"Well, that's better than being dead." Atem's voice sounded annoyed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you, but I got lost and then I heard the noise and followed it and it was really cool so I watched and—" Yuugi bit his tongue to keep from rambling. "S-sorry."
"It's quite alright, Yuugi," said the wizard as he sat down. Yuugi looked up at him. He didn't seem so scary anymore. Just lonely. Atem was out here in the middle of the woods, practicing spells. Alone. Yuugi bit his lip, then forced himself to stop. He really should break that habit. Yuugi walked over to Atem and took a seat next to him. The wizard didn't object.
"Um... Are you okay, Mr. Wizard?" Yuugi asked to break a rather long and awkward silence.
Atem looked at him, his head tilted slightly in confusion. "Yes, I am fine. And you need not call me 'Mr. Wizard.' Atem is fine."
"Well, I don't know, since I kind of owe you my soul..." Yuugi laughed shyly. He could have sworn he heard Atem give a snort.
"You believe I should force you to call me something else?" Atem asked, his voice was joyful.
"Well, I don't know. I broke your family heirloom, it doesn't seem right for me to call you 'Atem.' I thought it would be more along the lines of 'Master.'" That sent Atem into a fir of laughter.
"Little Yuugi! What could you possibly mean by that? Master! To think!" The wizard fell onto his back in his hysterics. Yuugi didn't quite like the idea of being called "little."
"I already told you I owe you my soul."
"Still, I'm not a master!"
"You could be."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Atem started laughing again when it seemed he had finally calmed down. "I have no reason to force you to call me master, Yuugi. I'm not a monster, I don't plan on working you to death."
"You don't?"
Atem stopped laughing. Yuugi hadn't said this to be comical. Atem sat up.
"I take it you believe all the rumors, then."
Yuugi looked shocked, he didn't know what to say. Would he be punished if he answered incorrectly. Atem seemed to read his mind.
"I'm not going to hurt you if you say 'yes.'"
Yuugi looked at his feet and hugging his knees to his chest. "Well, yeah, I kinda believe 'em. I mean, there isn't much else I know, and you are kind of frightening." He shrank away as if expecting Atem to hit him, but there was no such movement.
"I'm not a monster. I know I already said that, but I'm not. Those rumors... Not all of them are true. Once I did kill someone, indirectly of course, but he wasn't just stealing an item from me, he was stealing power. Everything in that shop has an owner it waits for. Nothing in there is worthless. That man tried to steal the Millennium Eye from me, and I had to stop him. It wasn't his to take." The wizard paused. "The Millennium Eye has the power to read people's minds and send them to a dark dimension. It gives humans similar powers to wizards. The man who tried to steal the Eye was not the right owner. He was only a thief. So I stopped him. I played him in a Shadow Game, a game of magic and truth, and he lost." There was a long silence.
"What happened to him?" Yuugi asked when he realized Atem wouldn't go on any longer.
"I gave him a Penalty Game. He went insane from it and killed himself."
"And if Kaiba had stolen those cards..?"
"I would have done the same."
"So Kaiba would have..."
"Not necessarily, each person reacts differently to a Shadow Game. The thief was weak, but Kaiba is strong. I don't think he would break."
Yuugi nodded slowly. It all made sense now. The rumors were true, but only slightly. These Shadow Games, if you cheated at them or lost, you'd face a Penalty Game. He supposed the Penalty Game would differ between person. Yuugi sat there thinking about everything he'd heard, only slightly aware of Atem's eyes on him. If he had glanced over, he would have seen the soft and lonely expression on the wizard's face.
"Yuugi." Yuugi looked over at Atem. He was smiling cheerfully. "I bet you want to know how to get out of this forest, don't you?"
Atem stared at the clock on the wall. 3:30. Yuugi was usually here by now. Why wasn't he here? There wizard looked at the door, but there was no sign of the boy. He looked down at the counter, then back at the clock. It was exactly a minute since he had last looked. Did Yuugi not have school today? No, it was Monday, and the boy knew the shop was open on Mondays. He would have been there all day if there was no school. Atem looked back at the counter. Why was he so upset that Yuugi wasn't here, anyway? Shouldn't he be expecting this? Humans weren't trustworthy. He probably wanted to lure Atem into thinking they were friends, and then ditch him.
The bell rang as the door swung open, and Atem's head shot up hopefully. It was Yuugi. It was only an old man, probably looking for a jar to keep his dentures or something. Atem mentally chastised himself for thinking in stereotypes.
"That's an interesting puzzle you have over there in the corner," commented the old man.
"It's not for sale."
"No, I wouldn't sell it, either." The man chuckled to himself, then continued to walk around the shop. He was an odd fellow, wasn't he. He certainly wasn't thin, and his hair was flying in all directions where it wasn't being held under a bandana.
The man returned to the counter with a small box covered in hieroglyphs. He pulled out some money and handed it to Atem, who received it with a bored expression.
"You remind me a little of someone, you know," said the old man.
"Yeah?"
"Well, maybe not. You're certainly ruder. I guess I was just thrown off by your appearance."
Atem smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "That's me, rude as can be. Thanks for shopping here."
"Anytime. It's been awhile since I had a little Egyptian to read."
"Come again?"
"Well, I used to be an archaeologist, you see," the man chucked. "But that's a different story."
The bell chimed as the man left.
"I'm sorry I didn't come in yesterday," Yuugi said as he dropped his bag in his working corner. Atem didn't look up from the magazine he was looking through, although he couldn't see that corner of the room from where he was anyway. Yuugi brushed some of his bangs out of his face. Atem hadn't even acknowledged his arrival to the shop. "Um, I wasn't feeling well yesterday and Grandpa made me stay home," he tried to explain. Still no response. "I... I accidentally told him about the shop." Nothing. "He didn't seem too mad, though he did disappear for about an hour in the afternoon..." Still nothing. "Did anyone come in yesterday?" Nothing. "An old man? Probably looking at the Egyptian stuff you have in here?"
Atem flipped the page of his magazine.
"I guess not," Yuugi sighed and picked up a couple of puzzle pieces. He wasn't really thinking about what he was doing. "I just wonder where he got that box."
"That was your Grandfather?"
Yuugi's head shot up. Atem was standing next to him, his expression blank, but his eyes betrayed his curiosity.
"Probably..? Did he have a bandana on?"
"He's an interesting man." Atem wasn't looking at Yuugi anymore. He had found a sudden fascination with the door. Yuugi looked at his hands. With thoughts elsewhere, he worked on the puzzle.
Two weeks had passed since their meet in the forest. Yuugi found Atem opened up again. He even let Yuugi help him around the shop when the boy decided he "needed a break" from the puzzle. Atem could hardly believe it, but Yuugi was a little more than halfway done. He wouldn't have reason to come around anymore, and the thought made Atem a little sad. There would be no Yuugi to amuse him in a couple weeks time.
It was six o'clock on a Friday when Yuugi spoke up.
"So, Atem, me and my friends are all going to the beach tomorrow." The boy's face reddened. "Would you like to come with us?"
"Inviting to feared wizard on an outing, Yuugi?" Atem asked with a playful smile.
"You're not that bad!" Yuugi protested. "I mean, I'm sure they'd be surprised at first, but once they got to know you..."
Atem laughed a little. "You're kind, little Yuugi, but I'm afraid I can't."
"Why not? The shop's closed on weekends, and you have all the other days to practice magic! I don't think a one-day vacation is that horrible!" Atem put a finger to Yuugi's lips, making him blush even more. Why did this wizard love to turn Yuugi's skin the color of his eyes?
"Since you're so adamant about this, I will meet you tomorrow. But if you're friends feel uncomfortable with me, I won't force myself upon them."
"And you say I'm too kind." Yuugi pouted, but it was a start. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."
"See you."
"So we're all here. I guess we can go!" Jounouchi said, stretching his arms into the air. It was warm that morning, making Yuugi feel sleepy, but he knew the beach would be fun. Anzu let herself be pulled closer to her boyfriend, Bakura Ryou, and Honda made a strange face at them. Yuugi looked at his feet.
"Actually, I invited someone else," he said. The other four looked at him.
"Who'd you invite, Yuugi?" Jounouchi asked, genuinely curious.
"It's not like there's much more room in the car," Honda said. "I guess if we squeeze together in the back."
"I could get my mom's mini van," Anzu offered.
"We can't really make any plans if this person doesn't show up," Bakura said. He hadn't meant to be rude, they all knew it was true.
"He said he'd come," Yuugi's voice was quiet, he hadn't realized how disappointed he sounded.
"I mean, I'm sure he'll come!" Bakura said, sounding desperate to keep Yuugi's spirits up. He had known about Yuugi's crush on Anzu, and perhaps he still felt guilty for "stealing her away" even though Yuugi had often told him that he was over the crush.
"Thanks," the small boy muttered.
"Man, this guy must be a real dick if he stands up our lil' Yuugi," Jounouchi said with that familiar arrogant tone to his voice.
"Yes, a real dick."
Yuugi's head shot up. Jounouchi jumped nearly three feet in the air, Honda let out a surprised gasp, Anzu and Bakura just stared. Standing right behind Jou was none other than Yami Atem, the wizard. They all knew him (thought his resemblance to Yuugi was unexpected), they all heard the rumors, they all felt the fear.
"You invited the witch?" Honda snapped. Yuugi flinched at his harshness.
"Why does everyone think I'm a witch?" Atem wondered. The smile on his face seemed pleasant, but the annoyance was obvious in his voice. Jounouchi seemed to be frozen in fear.
The wizard stepped casually around the blonde. A gentle breeze blew by, sweeping his bangs dramatically into his face. That pleasant but slightly annoyed smile was still resting on Atem's lips. "I'm Yami Atem, the wizard, though I'm sure you all knew that." He laughed a little in the awkward silence that followed.
"Yuugi," Jounouchi, able to move again, wrapped an arm around Yuugi's shoulders as he whispered, "you really invited him? Don't you know about all the things he's done?"
"He had his reasons," Yuugi said back, aware that the other three were staring in shock at Atem who was pretending not to notice the conversation happening behind him. "He's a nice guy, you just have to get used to him, that's all. He doesn't let many people in."
"That's because he kills them!" Jounouchi said this a little too loud. He glanced over his shoulder, but Atem was trying to talk to Anzu. She only stared at him with horror in her eyes. "Yuugi, how the hell do you know this guy? And what makes you think he's 'nice?'"
"Well, you know how I've been disappearing after school gets out..."
"You've been hanging out with a murderer?" Jounouchi didn't care about staying quiet anymore, he just yelled out the words. Yuugi flinched, aware that the horrified gazed that had once been fixated on Atem were now on him. He thought for sure Atem would be staring at him, too, but when he glanced over his shoulder he found the wizard's gaze was on Jounouchi.
"Yuugi..." Anzu couldn't finish her sentence.
"It's not... Well I didn't do it on purpose!" Yuugi said, wincing at the harshness of his own words. "I broke something of his and I had to fix it!"
"If that's all, then why invite him?" Honda demanded.
"Well it's true that he's not exactly docile, but..."
"Yuugi, it sounds to me like he's already stolen your soul." Jounouchi said. Yuugi flinched.
"He hasn't stolen anything!"
"You're being awfully defensive."
"I have to be! What else can I do when my best friends are ganging up on my—" Yuugi stopped himself. His what? His friend? His wizard? His master? A very long silence followed. No one dared interrupt it.
No one except Atem.
"It's alright, Mutou Yuugi."
Yuugi inhaled sharply at the words. There was no hostility in them, but they were harsh and cold. Atem hadn't called him "Mutou Yuugi" in weeks. It seemed as though their friendship was decided on what name he was called.
"I told you I wouldn't force myself upon your friends. Perhaps I went to far in charming you to defend me, though." What? Charming him? Atem hadn't charmed him. "When you mentioned the beach, it seemed like fun." Hadn't he been skeptical? "Of course there was no way you'd invite me." But he had. Of his own free will. "So I charmed you." No, he hadn't. "It almost worked, too. But I don't think I should ruin your relationships with my own selfishness." He was covering for Yuugi. "I'll take my leave."
Yuugi turned to look at the wizard. "You don't have to cover for me," said his eyes, but his lips wouldn't move. Atem smiled at him. A genuine, friendly smile. The breeze blew again, stirring up stray leaves on the ground. The wizard was gone.
"How was the beach?" Atem asked as Yuugi entered the shop on Monday afternoon.
"It was fun," Yuugi replied, slightly disappointed.
"What did you do?"
"Well, my friends said they 'forgave me' for inviting you. They said that there was no way I could fight your 'charm.' And then we went to the beach and built sand castles. Honda got a really bad sunburn, Bakura didn't even tan, Jounouchi showed me a really cool shell he found in the sand." Yuugi sighed. "It was fun."
"You should at least try to smile, Yuugi."
"It would have been more fun if you went."
"Nonsense. They would have been too scared to do anything."
Yuugi didn't know what else to say, so he went back to his little corner of the room and started working on the Millennium Puzzle. His mind wandered while he worked. What would have happened if Atem had gone with them? Sure, his friends would be scared at first, but then they'd loosen up. Bakura would have a casual conversation with Atem, then maybe later Jounouchi would splash him with water, then freak out about it only to have Atem laugh at him. Yeah, it would have been a lot of fun.
"Can I help you?" Atem's voice dragged Yuugi back to reality. Someone had entered the shop while he was lost in his dreams, and now they were speaking with Atem.
"You got some nice stuff in here, doncha," said the customer.
"I suppose I do." Atem sounded suspicious.
"You could make a lotta money sellin' this stuff."
"Yes, but money isn't everything."
"What sorta bastard says that?"
"This one."
There was a long silence.
"Well, I'd sell this stuff for millions. I mean, I know someone'd pay that much."
"Not everything in this shop is for sale, sir."
"Oh, I see. Keepin' it too yourself, huh." There was the sound of heavy shoes hitting the floor, and the man came into Yuugi's sight. He was tall, thin, and scruffy. He looked like the little amount of money he made was spent every night on alcohol. Yuugi wrinkled his nose at the thought.
"Thanks for stopping by," Atem said, though he didn't sound thankful at all.
"Oh, no problem!" His voice dropped to a barely audible whisper. "I'll show you what keepin' this all'll do t'ya." Yuugi's eyes widened as the man grabbed something, a large pendant-like ring with the same Egyptian-like eye on the triangle at it's center, and shoved it into his coat. His feet acted before he could stop them.
The man was out the door, but so was Yuugi. Realizing he'd been caught, the drunk started running, but Yuugi was faster and tackled him to the ground. Normally this wouldn't be possible for Yuugi to accomplish on someone of that build, but the thief was so drunk he had hardly any balance at all.
"Git offa me, you little fuck!" the man snarled and tried to shake Yuugi off.
"Stealing from a wizard, is that really very smart?" Atem's voice sounded disgusted. Yuugi didn't dare turn around and look at his face. The man squirmed underneath Yuugi.
"You got what was comin' to ya! This here ring belongs t' me, now! Imma sell it for millions!" The man's breath smelled sickeningly of alcohol. Yuugi felt his stomach twist in disgust. Then he was thrown to the ground and the drunk stumbled to his feet.
"Wait," Atem said, his voice suddenly calmer than before, "before you go, would you like to play a game?"
Yuugi felt a shudder run down his spine. The way Atem had said that, it sounded so utterly terrifying. The drunken man didn't notice the foreboding in Atem's voice.
"A game? Well, I guess that's harmless." He laughed, it reminded Yuugi of nails on a chalkboard.
"This isn't just any old game," Atem continued. "It's a Shadow Game. The winner gets the ring." He pointed to the ring that was still clamped in the thief's hand.
"Pshh, a game is a game. What're we doin'? Sorry? Monopoly?"
"A 'shoot off.' Like in those Western movies I'm sure you've seen. We'll each face away from each other, knife in hand." With that, a knife appeared before both of them. Atem took his, the man frowned but did the same. "I'll count to ten. On ten we'll spin around and bring the knife as close to the other without touching. Whoever flinches loses."
"Sounds easy 'nough." The two turned away from each other. Yuugi tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He had a feeling he shouldn't be seeing this, but he found he couldn't turn away or even move.
"One... Two..."
Each number Atem said sent chills down Yuugi's spine. They couldn't touch each other, but even knowing that it would be almost impossible not to flinch.
"Three... Four..."
Yuugi saw something twinkle in the man's eye. He looked at Atem, but the wizard's eyes were closed.
"Five... Six..."
The drunk started to turn. Yuugi's stomach tightening into a knot when he realized what he was going to do. Atem wouldn't have time to dodge, wizard or not. The drunk was going to kill him. For the second time in the span of a few minutes, Yuugi moved before he knew what he was doing.
"Seven..." Atem's head turned at the sound of the knife cutting through the air. His eyes snapped open. For an instant, a smirk spread across his lips. Then it vanished. There was the sickening sound of a blade cutting through flesh, then sharp smell of blood, a muffled choke. Yuugi's body fell against Atem's, shock beginning to grip at the boy's body. There was so much blood. It ran down his shirt, staining it red. Where had he been hit? He could barely feel anything. Atem's arms were around Yuugi's chest, and then he screamed something, Yuugi's name? Yuugi couldn't tell. His vision was blurring. With the rest of his strength he pointed at the escaping thief.
"Stop him..."
Atem looked at the thief. "You've broken a rule."
"Serves you right, fucker!" called the man as he fled.
Atem raised his right hand, fingers out as if to grab the drunk. "Penalty Game: Forever running."
The thief staggered. "What?" He tried to stop running by his feet wouldn't. "What is this?" He gripped the ring tighter, glaring at the feet that wouldn't obey him. "Stop running!"
There was a truck. A horn honked, then more blood stained the street. The ring rolled out of the way, bloodied but still shining gold. Atem summoned it to his hand.
"These things are too powerful for humans, that is why they aren't for sale," he said to no one in particular. Yuugi's gurgled cough reminded him of the exact situation he was in.
"Why did you interfere with the Shadow Game?" Atem asked. He tried to sound angry but his voice couldn't do it for once.
"He... was going to... kill you..." Yuugi gasped.
"It'd take more than that to kill a wizard."
"I couldn't... let him..."
Atem's hand drifted to Yuugi's would, a gash running diagonally down his left shoulder. "Idiot, you could die from this."
"Better me... than you..." Yuugi's lips curved into a faint smile.
"Idiot, don't say that."
"But then who... would guard... the Millen—ah!" Yuugi was cut off by Atem scooping him up bridal style and carrying him into the shop.
"Don't worry about that, we can't change what happened." He dropped the ring on the floor and flipped the "Open" sign to read "Closed" without even touching it. Yuugi was set against the wall behind the counter and told to wait (what else could he do?) while Atem looked for medical supplies. Couldn't he just call an ambulance or something? Maybe not, would anyone respond to the terrifying wizard?
Atem returned and asked if Yuugi was okay, but Yuugi couldn't make himself answer. He felt something cold and stinging against his shoulder and clamped his eyes shut, trying to keep his breathing steady. Something sharp pierced him next. Probably a needle to a stitch him up. Then there was something dry being wrapped around his chest. Yuugi, deciding the worst of it was over, opened his eyes slowly. Atem's face was only centimeters from his, but he was too delirious to react in any way. He closed his eyes, feeling exhaustion sweep over him.
Before he passed out, he felt a warm hand touch his cheek, and a gentle voice spoke.
"Thank you, aibou."
"Are you alright now?-Yes, he's fine.-Well he won't be running around any time soon, but he's perfectly alive and... Yes, I understand.-I can't really move him right now, if you want to see him, come to my shop.-Yes.-You're welcome."
Yuugi's eyes fluttered open. Who was Atem talking to? A ghost, perhaps? Yuugi groaned and tried to move, but a throbbing pain in his shoulder forced him to stay still.
"I see you're awake, Yuugi," Atem said, kneeling next to the boy. He placed a hand on Yuugi's forehead. "You don't seem to have a fever, that's good. Do you want anything to eat or drink? I have orange juice, that might help get your blood sugar levels up." Yuugi shook his head weakly. "I just talked to your Grandfather. He's going to come by to see you, since you really shouldn't be moved." Yuugi stared blankly at Atem. The wizard sighed. "You lost a lot of blood last night, Yuugi. He cut right through your artery. If I wasn't a wizard, you probably would have died."
Atem's hand drifted down from Yuugi's forehead to his cheek. Yuugi leaned into it, closing his eyes and breathing in the smell of Atem (which was surprisingly sweet).
"I didn't mean for you to get caught up in that," Atem said.
"It's fine..." Yuugi whispered. God his voice was weak!
"I mean it!"
"So do I." Yuugi opened his eyes and stared into Atem's. Those red eyes that had once frightened him so much now looked to beautiful. Their foreheads touched, and Atem closed his eyes (much to Yuugi's dismay). Yuugi felt Atem's breath hot against his face. He closed his own eyes, and then...
There was the familiar sound of the bell as the door swung open. Atem pulled away from Yuugi and looked at the new arrival.
"Mr. Mutou, I'm glad you could make it here so quickly," he said, but Yuugi caught something in his voice that said, "Maybe too soon."
"What else could I do? My Grandson was stabbed by some crazy drunk and you expect me to wait at home!" Grandpa said, out of breath.
"Of course not, Mr. Mutou. He's over here."
Grandpa walked over to Yuugi, sitting next to him. "Oh, Yuugi. To think you got caught up in a Shadow Game..."
"You know about those?" Yuugi asked.
"Of course, what sort of old man would I be if I didn't know about things most don't know about!" He grinned at familiar grin that made Yuugi smile.
After about an hour of just talking, Grandpa had to leave. Yuugi was in good hands, and his own shop needed watching. The two said nothing to each other for what seemed to be the longest awkward silence of their lives. They had almost kissed, neither of them sure if the other was truly okay with it or just caught up in the moment. Perhaps they should pretend nothing happened.
"Atem," Yuugi said. The wizard leaned on the counter in response. "Um... I should probably be working on that puzzle. That's the whole reason I'm here."
Atem opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. He nodded and went to fetch the puzzle. What he saw shocked him. Yuugi was more than half way done! He hadn't even had the help of magic, not like Atem—Atem's Grandfather. Right, he had to keep that lie up. If Yuugi finished the puzzle, he wouldn't have a reason to come back anymore. Atem picked up the pieces and carried them to Yuugi. If Yuugi knew Atem had solved it, he'd probably feel more hopeful. He'd probably wiggle his way out of solving it himself by asking Atem to prove he'd solved it.
Yuugi smiled. "Don't worry, Atem, I will finish this. I won't let you have to deal with a broken heirloom." Atem smiled back, but it didn't reach his eyes.
Weeks had passed. Yuugi was back on his feet, going to school, going to the wizard's shop, going home and doing homework, hanging out with friends on weekends. He was almost done with the God Pyramid. Then he wouldn't owe Atem anymore. The idea made him feel ecstatic, but at the same time something kept dragging him down. Was it really best to finish the God Pyramid?
"It's six o'clock, Yuugi," Atem said in that familiar voice. Yuugi stared at his hands. The God Pyramid was in one hand, the last piece was in the other. Atem was at the back counter, as usual, so he couldn't see that Yuugi had spent the last twenty minutes staring at the nearly completed puzzle. It had to be done.
Yuugi slid the final piece into its place, then walked to the back of the shop. He set it on the counter, trying his best to smile triumphantly, but found that something sad kept him from doing so. The wizard stared at the puzzle, then at Yuugi, then at the puzzle, then Yuugi again. He opened his mouth, but no words came out so he closed it. Then he opened it again.
"You... completed it," he said, almost unable to believe it.
"Yeah," Yuugi said with a small nod.
"You didn't even use magic. Even I had to use magic to complete that!"
"You? I thought..."
"I lied." Atem stared down at the puzzle again. He reached out and touched the eye on its front, his fingers traced over the smooth gold metal.
"Well, I guess this is it," the wizard sighed. "You completed your end of the deal, you don't have to come around her anymore."
"Yep, I'm a free man." Yuugi laughed, but it sounded forced. After a long silence, Yuugi spoke. "So... this is good bye, then." He held out his hand. Atem stared at it, then took it.
"Good bye."
The smiled sadly at each other, then Yuugi turned, grabbed his messenger bag, and left, desperate to hide the tears threatening to fall from his eyes.
Two weeks. Yuugi hadn't come by in two weeks. Of course he hadn't, why would he? Atem sighed. He hadn't had that much business, lately, but then again he never did. His eyes wandered around the empty store. Might as well close up for the night.
Just then, the bell rang as the door opened. Atem looked up, hardly able to believe what he saw. Yuugi was standing in the door way, looking around awkwardly at the shop. He smiled sheepishly at Atem and approached the front counter.
"Sorry, I know I shouldn't be here," he said.
"I have no reason to shoo away customers," Atem replied.
"Umm... Well I found this in my room, I thought I should return it." Yuugi held up the God Pyramid. "I would have returned it soon, but I didn't have the time. My friends kept dragging me places in 'congratulations for escaping the wizard.' It was really silly, actually." He rubbed the back of his head with his free hand, slightly confused when Atem didn't reach to take the Pyramid. "Um... Isn't this yours?"
"I do not choose the owner of the God Pyramid, it chooses its owner," Atem said. "It chose you."
Yuugi stared. "Oh, well, uh... This is..."
"It chose you because you completed it, Yuugi. It allowed you to complete it, actually." Atem stared at the counter.
"Right..."
"You should wear it proudly. There are only two who have ever solved the puzzle, you and I. It doesn't see me fit to be its master any longer, so it chose you." Yuugi stared at Atem, then looked down at the God Pyramid. "Here." Atem held out his hand, and Yuugi gave him the puzzle. The wizard then summoned a leather strap and slid the pyramid onto it and place it around Yuugi's neck. Yuugi touched it. It felt warm even though it was made of metal.
"Take good care of it, Mutou Yuugi," Atem said quietly.
"I have no reason not to," Yuugi replied.
"Your friends are probably waiting for you."
"They are but..."
"But?"
"You're my friend, too."
Atem stared at Yuugi. Even after everything he put this boy through, Yuugi still considered him a friend. The memories of that night came flooding back to him, and it was Atem's turn to blush.
"Yuugi," Atem said, stepping around the counter.
"Yeah?" Yuugi made no move to get away.
"Thank you." Atem leaned foreward, his hands on Yuugi's shoulders. Their lips brushed for an instant, then Yuugi closed the space between them. Had Jounouchi gone looking for Yuugi, he wouldn't have known what to say.