To hell and back

by Gruzzee

The sequalprequel to my story Tenshi Yugi highly recommend reading that one firstthis is the story of what Yugi's life was like back in the lab before he met Yami. rated M for child abuse, blood, violence, cursing, death. looooong oneshot. Complete

Gruzzee: Okay warnings first If you are reading this story and have not read Tenshi Yugi my other story I really suggest you turn back and read it because this story has many spoilers for that one and Tenshi Yugi is not finished yet this is a prequel/sequel type thing it is set in the future but tells in Yugi's P.O.V Yugi'story. You have been warned!

Cazi: now for the normal stuff my aibou worked really hard on this story and it took her half a year to do possibly a little longer-

Gruzzee: so please do not shoot this story down right off the bat just because you didn't like Tenshi Yugi or just plain don't like me-

Cazi: ((evil grin)) because if you do rabid ghost dogs will haunt you in you're sleep for all eternity! heh, heh, heh, heh!

Gruzzee: Cazi! oh... well don't mind him lets just start the story...

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Note: this story is being told by Yugi two or three years after the big court scene and the start of the Tenshi Yugi orphanage Yugi is fourteen years old though he still looks like he's only nine or ten and he has a daughter named Maria.

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Yugi sat there curled up next to Yami they in their orphanage Marik was off tending to the little ones with Ryou and Bakura. His daughter, Maria, sat on the floor in front of them with Mai who was reading a book to her. Yami had a note book and pencil that he was currently writing in

"Yugi?" he said looking down at him with a smile "you said you would tell me your life story up till you met me so I could write it down, remember?" Yami said tapping at the notebook with his pencil.

"Okay Yami for the sake of the book" Yugi sighed before taking a large breath, filling his large lungs, and wincing slightly as a forever tender scar was stretched.

"Start taking this down, this is my story before I met you" Yugi began.

------------Yugi's P.O.V-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My farthest back memories started way back when it was only two.

Those are my most broken memories; this was the time when I was still a tender baby learning to walk, eat slightly solid food, learning that the feathery things on my back actually moved, and, oh yes, trying to survive in a mad man's laboratory. I remember my Big Brother cradling me in his arms and staring up into his soft purple eyes and playing with his blond hair, always wondering why he looked so much older than he acted he acted like a kid with me but his face showed wrinkles and age lines from smiling at me so much.

He would tap me on the nose and say 'no, no, no' every once in a while when I would try to nibble on one of his fingers. He made me very happy whenever he could, he would every once in a while become violent when a man with very fuzzy sandy brown hair and lavender eyes would appear.

I still remember when I was in my, brother made, crib that same man would come and take me away from my nap time and take pictures of me; stretching my wings out by force and taking pictures of how they developed when I cried he would just hold me close in a tight protective-like grip making me cry all the more.

Then Big Brother would come running in no matter what it was they were doing to him he would be there for me in a heartbeat he would knock out the other man out and take me into his arms and hold me he was a loving man to me.

In the next year of my life I noticed that my Big Brother started to slow down he would still play with me and care for me protect me, as always, but sometimes he would collapse and start twitching and coughing like he was having a fit or something.

The scientists that worked there would then rush around him and take me away from him making him scream in anger as they stuck him with these huge needles. He would return to me though as soon as he could and continue to entertain and try to teach me how to speak.

Unlike a normal baby, something I am far from, my first words weren't mommy or daddy my first words were brother and soon that changed to sister as he passed away.

----

One day while he was playing airplane with me which also taught my wings to open, he suddenly fell to his knees protecting me and allowing me to roll away; he was having another one of his fits again, but this was different, no, scientists weren't coming to help him. he just lay there his entire body looked as tense as he could be he was hacking and holding his throat an inhuman noise was coming from him as he coughed

"Yugi!" he cried for me I crawled towards him scared. In between convulsions he fiercely reached behind him and ripped out one of his largest feathers, he reached forward his convulsions stopped his entire body was shivering though he gave me the big brown feather he closed my hands tenderly around it and smiled at me, that same loving smile he gave me so many times before.

"Yugi it's time for me to go, keep that feather" he said he inhaled sharply his eyes widening considerably and I watched as he stilled his pupils started to dilate he stopped breathing.

Even though I was only three it still hit me hard; I clutched the big feather in my arms the feather being almost bigger than me

"Bi Brover" I called, holding tightly to the feather. The scientists chose now to move they removed my big brother's body probably stealing it away to be autopsied and then incinerated.

-----

My tiny body shut itself in, I didn't allow myself to show emotion to any one. I really didn't care what they did for me in the next few months I was mainly handled by the one man my big brother had punched so many times.

Until my fourth birthday, nothing special to me, I'd learned to walk and was learning how to speak and read and write at an advanced level and speed, no, there was nothing good in my life and it only got worse that day.

I was sitting there stroking the large feather Big Brother had given me months ago when 'the man' (that was what I called Malik in the beginning) came into my room. He picked me up in an almost harsh grip he was smirking evilly as he carried me away from my feather

"Time for your first test" he practically hissed to me; he walked into a dark room, the only light on was one over a white bed that was propped up slightly. I cringed slightly I really didn't want to be part of any test that involved a room like this.

Malik set me down on the table and started strapping my arms and legs down I started to struggle against the restraints out of fear, but I was only four so I couldn't do a thing to stop him, he also put a strap under my chin forcing me to tilt my head back. Malik turned more lights on lighting the small room there were three scientists in the room with us.

They all approached and surrounded me on the table, my chest was heaving up and down with the effort of trying to look around, one of them wheeled up a cart with some sort of electric device that really didn't look all too good for me. It had a screen, a few buttons and switches, and a tube.

Another 'doctor' pressed a needle into my arm, making me turn my head franticly towards him as my young muscles clenched at the intrusion of the needle, and he injected something into me. My body started to feel numb but I still didn't lose consciousness as they dabbed something onto my neck; the one with the cart took the tube attached to the machine and placed the open end to my neck.

I thrashed my head back and forth trying to keep it away; I was scared out of my wits and really wanted to lash out and bite these men. I was brought back to reality when I heard a deadly hiss in my ear.

"I would stay still if I were you," Malik said backing away from me I lay there on the table feeling like I wanted to just shrink into nothingness as the 'doctor' pressed the tube to my neck and pushed one of the buttons on the machine.

I gasped, my small mouth hanging open in a silent scream as I felt something go from the tube into my skin, and was being fed into my veins by a thin wire no bigger than a hair.

"We are going to study this one's venular system," I heard Malik say as he walked around the room like he was having a pleasant stroll through a park.

I wondered if these heartless men even cared that I was having trouble breathing, I could feel the wire being fed through my veins, I would inhale sharply when every once and a while they would stop and dilate a vein that was too thin, and increase the blood flow to my heart. Not that I wasn't grateful for the clean out but they do make drugs that'll do that too.

The entire procedure took a couple hours they made a map of where all of my main veins ran to or around they started to take out the wire that had been feeding them images onto that little screen when I heard a noise come from behind me.

I had to look up almost through my eyelids and my eyes widened at what I saw; Malik was standing over me with a pair of gloves on and was preparing a needle full of some clear bluish liquid. Almost as soon as they removed the horrible thing from my neck, he swooped down on me, he place two fingers to my neck and stretched the skin tight before sliding the needle into the prick mark left by the wire.

I really didn't care right then I struggled against that needle, arching my back, shaking my head, doing everything with what little power I had to keep him from injecting that junk into me. He finally grabbed my jaw and pressed my head back onto the table,

"I could break your scrawny neck right now if I want to, it wouldn't matter to me," he threatened, I stilled long enough for him to quickly press down on the syringe and inject the liquid.

I almost screamed but it came out as a strangled squawk instead whatever that stuff was it burned. He slid the needle out and unstrapped me from the table; I immediately started to move, my still developing wings flared and prickled up behind me, fear drove me until I was in a fighting position close to the door. I was breathing hard and fast, scared to death and unable to think of anyone to run to. My head was starting to burn along with my heart, and I blinked away the sting at the back of my eyes shaking my head as Malik started to approach.

I backed up away from him till I hit the wall he reached out and grabbed my neck I bit his arm and sank my sharp teeth deep into his flesh he wasn't even fazed he merely squeezed tighter in my neck making my teeth slip out a little.

"I really want to kill you and there is nothing keeping me from crushing your windpipe easily," he said putting more pressure on my throat with his thumb.

The burning was spreading out from my heart and my head and it made me release my bite on his arm with a pained cry,

"But I like to watch you squirm," he added.

"That was a special toxin I just released into your bloodstream if you survive it, it means you passed your first test if you don't then," he chuckled a bit evilly,

"it just means I have one less seraphim in my hair," he said laughing as I tried to claw at his hand on my throat, the man almost always called me by my type, I am a seraphim, a six winged angel, that had been cast into this hell by accident. He picked me up, threw me over his shoulder, and carried me that way back to my small room he threw me in and locked me in.

I crawled into my bed which consisted of a couple blankets and a pillow inside a cage, there were two cages in my room I'd had yet to find out why. I lay there holding my head, whimpering as wave after wave of pain washed over me I bit my pillow repeatedly, crying, my room was soundproof no one would hear my cries, if I died I would die lonely and cold.

I heard the door open and a thin strip of light fell across my face I cracked an eye open to see but my vision was blurred by tears.

"You are a heartless jerk!" I heard a female voice shriek,

"I had to test it out on something might as well been a runt," it was Malik's voice, calm and casual as though all he had done was put an old dog down because of cancer, I shuffled to the back of my cage not wishing to be taken to another test.

"I don't give a damn you monster!" the female shrieked again I heard the rattle of keys and the door shut, but now I wasn't alone I heard another set of breaths along with my own I heard the other person kneel on the floor next to my cage and I shut my eyes, curling up into a painful ball

"Oh, Yugi," it was the female again she reached into my cage and gently lifted me out.

"You poor little thing," she said pulling me into a hug that I had missed so much ever since Big Brother had died; I saw the out line of wings on her back and I cried out,

"Sister," as I clung to her, hurting and seeking comfort from a fellow nest mate, and she did, she held me all night that night cooing and comforting as I cried and sobbed in pain, until I fell asleep and even then she stayed by me and rocked me in my sleep.

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"Well, Yami that was my fourth birthday." Yugi said as Yami finished scratching down the last of Yugi's words.

"So you met your sister when you were four, but when did Ryou play into the story?"

"I'm getting to that," Yugi replied repositioning himself since one of his legs had fallen asleep and was now all pins and needles. Mai and Maria had stopped reading and were also listening to Yugi's tale as he continued on.

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I survived that first test thanks to the caring heart of my new Sister, the toxin passed from my blood by the morning and from then on she took care of me, she dogged Malik making sure he didn't try anything like that little murder attempt he had tried, and my intellectual training and testing began.

But yes I was still only four so they treated me like a child even though my brain was developed way beyond my years and when I didn't want to do something I simply didn't do it and they ended up getting a very nice page of doodles. They finally caught on though and started giving me my tests with someone watching over my shoulder with a riding crop in their hand, oh yes, that's right a riding crop and they would hit me with it often if I put anything on that paper but an answer. I would get a firm whack to the side of the neck.

Alas that made me all the more stubborn to do those stupid tests and I slowly got worse until one day; late when I was around five and a half years old (yes these men waited that long thinking they could beat sense into me) they brought in the man I feared the most and he really didn't look at all pleased to see me (not that he ever did but, hey, I have high hopes.)

This was my first real punishment from him, I started out doing fine, I actually halfway felt like doing a test that day and I made it partially through the test before my mind started to wander and my little hand started to draw on the test paper. I still really don't know how long I went before Malik barked,

"Finish your test runt!" and then muttered something inaudible under his breath. I looked back over my shoulder at him with a lazy look before settling back down to drawing a lovely little Pegasus on the side of my test; it took me about three more seconds of that before I realized what I had just done, too late though for me.

Before I had time to restart on my test he had me by the wrist and had thrown me against the wall. My face stung as it hit the cold metal wall my knees collapsed from under me, the crack of a whip reached my ears and I turned my head sharply to see, and my eyes only widen at the sight.

This time Malik didn't have any small needle full of toxins, no, this time he had a large, long, bull whip and he was grinning like he had just been waiting for an excuse to use this on me.

"I'm not like those soft people you used to have," he said cracking his whip for emphasis

"No, definitely not, I'm not going to just make you sting I'm going to make it to where you can't even walk out of this room," he said, and then it happened no more talk he had finally brought the whip down on my back right between my wings. I didn't hold anything back either, I let out the loudest shriek ever to leave my small body, it echoed around the room, reverberated in Malik's ears hopefully.

The spot he had just hit was one of the most sensitive spots on my body and the scream just gave away that fact; Malik grinned all the more as he brought the whip down time after time on that same spot eliciting blood curdling screams with every strike.

My fingers were clenching and unclenching trying to grip something to pull myself up and move, but all I felt was cold metal as my fingertips pressed against the wall.

Tears sprang to my eyes quickly as I started to feel blood trickling down my back and he still kept on coming at me.

I curled up into a ball and Malik stopped for a moment he was watching me I could feel his lavender eyes roving over me my limp damp hair, down to my violently twitching wings and along the dark purple bloody bruises between those wings. I could almost see his smirk spreading across his face as he came closer. I cringed curling up tighter my wings were still twigging like they were going haywire. I felt the tip of his shoe accidentally touch my back slightly and I snapped curling up tighter, wailing.

"No! No more! Please, oh God, please no more!" I was suddenly pulled roughly back up onto my feet by my hair; I cried out in pain when I shut my mouth and opened my eyes slightly to see that he was practically face to face with me

"Where the h did you learn that disgusting word!" he hissed venomously

"b-b-b-b-big b-b-broth-ther," I stuttered out weakly my voice cracking horribly and my legs wouldn't support me at all.

"I'll tell you this once, never ever say that word while in my presence!" he hissed at me he eyes had contracted till they almost looked like there was no pupil to them he cast me back against he wall with a pain filled cry. I heard him start to walk away and instead of a cry for help the first word to leave my mouth was,

"Why?" I instantly regretted it too he whirled around on me and came back he instantly kicked me upright by slipping his shoe under my neck and kicking me up using his knee pressed into my lower chest to keep me pinned to the wall I hissed and gritted my teeth.

"Because he doesn't exist you little maggot, and don't you dare ever ask me that question again! Understand!" he practically shouted at me but my mouth just didn't want to say it

"No" I said

"WHAT?" he shouted pressing his knee even harder into me

"I am his-" I grunted as Malik ground his knee into me his eyes looked like they were about to pop.

"ch-ch-child!" I finally cried out, I must have had a death wish because what I had just said could have quite easily given him a reason to tear me apart then and there.

"I'm about to beat that idea out of you head you stupid boy!" he said as he pushed himself off of me making me gasp and try to take in as much air as possible even though it hurt to breath. I knew I needed it.

I looked up leaning my head back against the cool metal, trying to relax and tell myself that I was all right, that he had had enough of me, okay I was wrong in thinking that as I saw Malik returning an almost white-knuckle grip on his whip.

He rolled it out and with out warning began to strike; every two strikes he would pause long enough to ask me what I thought now.

I screamed bloody murder; the blows kept coming every time I didn't answer, hitting every place on the front of my body. I think he knew I couldn't answer and I didn't think it would ever stop when the door finally swung open the sudden brighter light blurred my vision and made me close my eyes in a large thank you to the Lord I'd been clinging to for so long.

"MALIK!" it was Sister's voice, I was saved and I let out a small cry as I relaxed and realized that even my bones were hurting. I heard my sister wrench the whip out of Malik's hands and rap the side of his head with its thick coils, earning a mild cough from him.

"You bastard!" she hissed not caring what language she used even though she was a girl. She beat him out of the room with a mix of wings and feet, before turning back to me with a sad look.

I was taking in breath in short gasps my eyes stayed half lidded and my wings were still twitching uncontrollably.

"Oh my Yugi," she said and being as gentle as she could she tried to lift me off the floor only to have waves of agony wash over me. I moaned and cried and tried to squirm away not wanting to be moved; she got the point and just laid me back down and just put my head in her lap trying to comfort me as I tried to curl up in pain.

"Sh, sh, Yugi lay still I know your hurt but please just stay still," I obeyed her knowing she knew what situation my body was in. She sat and stroked the side of my head being as gentle as a lioness with a newborn cub.

"Sleep little Yugi," she whispered as my breathing became more shallow, my body was succumbing to the pain and exhaustion and I just closed my eyes falling into the forgiving comforting darkness of sleep.

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"Yes, but what about Ryou?" Yami said scratching away at the notebook his eyes wide with awe at what Yugi was telling him he was learning Yugi's past in full detail. Mai and Maria were not alone now; Mako and Espa had joined them in listening to Yugi's tale with Espa gnawing at a relatively new thing introduced to him something called 'beef jerky'.

"Sh, I'm getting to that," Yugi said looking down at his pretty wife with a loving smile then continuing on his story.

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The next morning I woke up with my body aching in more places than I thought could, my back still hurt and when I tried to move my wings would just barely start twitching again.

Ignoring that, I noticed that the sheet that was pressed in around me had a different smell, that was another thing I had done in my five short years, I memorized smells from various objects that I came in contact with my blanket, my sister, my cage, even Malik's leather smell that almost reminded me of a latex glove. This blanket that was bunched up around my shoulders had a slightly sweet smell almost like the stuff that Sister would bathe me with.

I very slowly sat up and picked up the blanket sniffing it as much as I could, it smelled so good that I wanted more, I held onto the blanket humming and closing my eyes. Suddenly I felt pressure being applied to my back, and hissed closing my eyes tighter as pressure was applied to my whip marked back.

I looked back out of the corner of my eye and caught a glimpse of Sister's short silvery blond hair; I moaned my discomfort to her.

"Hey, it's all right Yugi," She cooed to me, what she was doing was making my back sting again.

"Sisterrr," I moaned out as she continued to rub my back,

"Shhh, I know your hurting just relax I promise it will stop just give it time" she whispered to me.

While I thought about how much time she meant; it could mean hours, days, possibly minutes, but as I though, snuggled my blanket, and waited for Sister to finish soft warmth started to curl its way into my back around my spine making my muscles relax. I leaned back into Sister; it was seeping through my body undoing the knots my muscles had tied themselves into,

"Thank you Sister," I said politely, truly thankful for it, she laid me back down atop her own pillow and mine.

"No problem Yugi, I'm sorry for not getting to you sooner," she said stroking the side of my face gently,

"Its okay Sister it was my fault," I replied, it was true I had been defending something I thought was right and had been beaten to a pulp in the process.

I inhaled deeply, filling my lungs with that addictive scent that covered my new blanket before blowing it out as a breath to blow one of my stray lightning bolt bangs; I was not tired at all and just lay there relaxing with Sister sitting right there with me.

"Why does he hate me?" I asked at random it was the first thing to come to mind and only silence answered; I guess even sister didn't know the answer to that question. I just lay there, allowing my eyes to close as I dosed off, I changed my position from my back to my side giving Sister access to my back again; I almost turned into a living puddle of Yugi when she started to massage my wings, separating the feathers with her warm fingers, and stoking them separately. I closed my eyes this time in pleasure as I sighed and started to fall asleep again thanking the Lord for such a caring Sister.

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This time when I awoke the intoxicatingly sweet scent was still there, but my sister wasn't. I sat up quickly her previous ministrations had taken away most of the aches and pains, and for that I was again thankful.

I felt around my cage, which had been upgraded to more like a very small jail cell, and picked up the blanket that had covered me I inhaled a big whiff of the smell exuding from it before trying to stand again. I wobbled a bit, but for the most part my legs stayed under me; I used the wall as a prop to get to my cell door and I made it out into the hall. Holding a pillow, my wings started to twitch again and extend at random I had to try to concentrate hard to get them to finally stay still as I continued to walk the dark hallways of the lab I called my home. I had never noticed before how many hallways were in this place as I searched for either Sister or the person who had been the previous owner of that blanket I walked past yet another door when I heard it.

--Help me; -- whispered behind me I spun around to see who it was no one was there I heard it again and again turning in every direction trying to find who it was

"Who-who's there?" I said scared now, maybe it was a ghost of someone who had died here before.

--Over here, -- it whispered again I spun toward the door and pressed my ear to it, listening, the only noise I heard was my own heart beating fast slightly scared.

--I'm here, -- it whispered and then all was quiet again the ragged breathing the disembodied voice had been making was gone as if it was holding its breath waiting for me to open that door.

I cracked it open and peered inside the room itself shocked me; in this entire building almost all the rooms came with metal siding, this room was white and the walls weren't metal they had like a soft foam on them the floor was still linoleum but instead of the awful black and white checker pattern like the rest of the building this floor was also white.

I walked forward into the white room looking around in awe at this new thing, when I ran into an invisible wall I bounced off it with a loud bang and was thrown back on my rear end.

--There is glass there, -- the voice said sounding slightly amused, but then I heard a rough cough from behind the glass and I looked up. behind the glass was a table much like the one my first test had been on except shorter; there was also a desk with the only amount of color in the room on it, a box of crayons, and some nice drawings on it.

"I'm here!" a cry emitted from the table and I looked closer as I saw movement on the table.

There was a very pale person with six very large white wings just like mine spread and hanging off the edges of the bed, the new child looked sickly, he sat up very slowly, removing the oxygen mask that was strapped over his nose and mouth. He looked weakly at me, you could see it in the way he moved and looked that he really wasn't feeling to well, and I watched him intently looking concerned. He stared at me for a long time before he moved he brought his legs off the table, and it was then that I noticed all he was wearing were a pair of thin shorts and had braces on both his legs at the knee and a back brace around his middle. He started to walk carefully towards me, the braces set at his knees barely allowed movement but enough to walk, and if that back brace hadn't been there I was sure he would have been doubled over like an old man. He kept staring at me; one eye was light blue and the pupil was almost a dull gray his other eye was a dark brown and normal looking. His wings dragged slightly as he hobbled; they weren't folding up like mine did. As he got closer I saw a huge scar on his chest it ran down his breast bone and looked like it was very painful.

--I probably look quite strange to you, -- I heard the voice say again and my eyes widened it was him he was talking to me I nodded slightly,

"I've never seen someone like me before," I said, not sure he could hear me; I saw traces of a smile flicker across his face as he hobbled closer.

--Neither have I, -- he responded, he reached the glass and stood in front of the place I had fallen and knelt, his face contorted in pain as he did so, and I knelt in front of him as he settled onto his knees worried he was hurting himself.

He looked up at me our faces only inches apart, he reached down and ran a finger down the wound on his chest which now at a closer view was not a scar but a freshly stitched incision he gathered a little tiny bit of blood and spread it around onto the rest of his hand before pressing that same hand to the Plexiglas wall that separated us making a pinkish handprint on the glass then he took away his hand.

--Are you my brother? -- He asked me pointing to his handprint I doubted my hand would be his size but I tried anyway.

I bit my finger and spread the blood around on my hand like he had done; I hesitantly took my hand and pressed it against his, my blood was the same color as his on the glass and mine made a smaller yet darker print in the middle of the other's. He smiled slightly at me and tears started to form in his eyes giving them a glazed over look.

--Brother! -- He cried out to me before leaning into the glass and pressing into it as tears started to roll down his face.

--I know I can't touch you but I can imagine you are warm, I can feel your mind and it is kind and warm. -- He told me I could tell all he wanted was someone kind comforting and some warmth I really didn't know how to get in to him or how long he had been there from the look of it he had been there for a while.

--Would you please stay with me just for tonight? -- He asked me sounding slightly hopeful I nodded feeling sad for him,

"I'll be right back," I said standing to go get my pillow and blanket; he nodded understanding and watched me go I looked at the door number and everything about it I committed to memory, and then went back to my room feeling slightly happy. I grabbed my pillow and the still sweet smelling blanket and made my way back to his room.

When I entered he had moved his oxygen tank to the corner and taken the tight fitting thin little blanket off his bed and piled it next to the tank; he was curled up in it looking up with traces of happiness scattered across his face I dropped my pillow and blanket in the corned right against the glass where he was he looked at me tiredly before he strapped the oxygen mask back onto his face and settled down into his thin blanket using the foam wall covering that curved in to the floor as a pillow and I did the same.

--I need this thing to keep me breathing while I sleep, -- I heard in my head as I fluffed up my pillow a bit not that it help it had been flat for close to a year now.

The other boy pressed up close to the glass with his skin touching

--If we lay like this for a while our body heat will make the glass warm, -- he told me as he curled up to press more skin to the glass. It was then that I realized his wings still hadn't been folded yet

"What's wrong with your wings?" I asked and he slightly opened his brown eye,

--My wings grew too fast for my body so I have almost full grown wings and I don't yet have the mental strength to raise them, -- he said sounding tired mentally.

"May I have your name?" I asked him as we both stopped moving comfortable with the positions we were in

--Ryou, -- I heard as he yawned mentally and started to fall asleep so did I but not before I told him my name

"And I'm Yugi, I'll be here to comfort you always," I said as I felt the glass starting to warm my scared back and I too followed him in sleep.

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"Thas ha oo' met unca Ryou?" Maria said sweetly tugging on her daddy's pants leg

"yep, 'course now he's all healthy and strong, back then he was very sick," Yugi said ruffling his little daughter's blond and red streaked hair as her pretty violet eyes stared up a him in aw.

"woooow!" she whispered as he picked her up and sat her next to him.

"Where is the winged doctor anyway?" Yugi asked Mako and Espa,

"Ee's upstars teaching" Espa said around a mouthful of food.

"Oh well he probably doesn't need to hear this anyway," Yugi replied,

"Hear what?" it was an all too familiar voice behind the couch where we were Yugi twisted around.

"Oh you're done then?" he asked upon seeing the familiar seraphim.

"Yes, now what didn't you want me to hear?" he said curious as to what they had been talking about.

"I'm telling Yami how I met you and what our life was like before we met," Yugi replied Ryou's eyes widened in understanding.

"I still have those memories of the first night we met and slept together, right after my third heart surgery," he said coming around sitting next to them and playing with Yugi's daughter as she giggled at 'uncle' Ryou, who was making a funny face for her.

"Please continue, don't mind me," he said holding Maria for Yugi as he continued.

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I awoke the next morning in the white room, the sickly looking Ryou was curled up and fast asleep against the now warm glass with his oxygen mask still on, but that wasn't what had awaken me, no, there were three scientists gathered around me staring at me as though they didn't know what to make of me. I gathered my blanket up around my neck, inhaling the scent to keep me calm, as I gulped and stared back up at them and then to Ryou, who would have been holding onto me if it hadn't been for the glass wall.

One of them left as the other two started whisper back and forth; I caught snippets of their conversation words like

"Contaminated," and "Experiment's health," making me wonder what was wrong.

The man who had left finally returned, only this time he wasn't alone; my eye's widened considerably as I stared fearfully up into the cold uncaring lavender eyes of Malik, who looked down at me with a look of disgust before he stepped forward pushing aside the others and reached down towards me. I curled up even tighter, not caring if I agitated the cuts on my back caused by my last encounter with this man.

I covered my head with my hands, and started to whimper he didn't care he merely reached down and grabbed me by the wings pulling me away, I started to let out a very shrill scream he slapped a hand over my mouth quickly, but the small noise I did get out woke Ryou who shifted slightly, removing his oxygen mask, before rolling over to see what had made the noise.

I looked to him, scared.

--Sir what are you doing with Yugi? -- He asked he must have broadcast the though to everyone because even I heard it.

Malik looked up at Ryou, fixing him with an expressionless gaze before answering him,

"I choose not to answer your question," he responded, better yet, growled. I whimpered into his hand my wings were trying to move but he still had a tight grip on the joints that connected them to my body and Ryou looked to me he whispered to me and only me.

--I'll help you, -- before he uncurled from his ball next to the warm wall we had been against I watched him and so did Malik as he started to stand grimacing slightly as he used his hands on the glass to guide himself up the wall.

--leave him here, please, I want him to stay he makes my heart feel better, -- Ryou broadcast to us; I felt Malik's grip actually loosen on my wing joints and I flapped that set of wings hard making him lose his grip on those wings surprising him as I scurried back to the glass where Ryou stood curling up again at his feet in a whimpering ball.

--it's okay he isn't approaching, -- Ryou told me his voice was soft and gentle, comforting me as I looked up still slightly fearful of Malik taking me away from my new friend.

Indeed Malik was still there, but he wasn't making any moves towards me, he was just glaring at me as though I was a slug that had just crawled out of his sandwich. He finally said something,

"You may keep him, but you will do your physicals today regardless," I was truly surprised the man that had tried to kill me not once but twice, had just allowed me to have something I wanted and walked off without hurting me. And so the others left I was left alone with Ryou who brought himself back to his knees.

"Why does he listen to you?" I asked him as Ryou settled back down into his thin blanket nest,

--Because I am special and he wants me alive no matter what, -- Ryou replied pointing to the long scar on his chest.

--I'm his first telepath but I was born with a severe heart problem; he tries to keep me happy but does a very, very poor job of it. -- he added, Ryou it seemed was very smart and held the same dislike for Malik as I did I chuckled a little at the irony of it all.

--What's so funny? -- Ryou asked he looked curious tapping at the glass slightly, like a little kid tapping the glass on a fish tank.

"it's just ironic you have telepathy and a heart problem and Malik not only doesn't touch you but obeys when you ask for something you are truly a special seraphim, but I'm like you (without the heart problem) and still get the stuffing beat out of me and I'm special too (I just don't know how)." I said making hand gestures to him as he listened to me.

We sat across the glass from each other for the longest time, hours went by like minutes, and by the time one of the doctors came in Ryou looked a lot better he didn't look nearly as sick as before his good eye had a shine to it, he had already told me that he had become blind in his right eye.

Ryou turned to see who it was and told me his name supposedly he was assigned the same three doctors every day to work on him and his heart. The man, Mr. Lynn I think was his name, was carrying a tray of medical instruments and pushing a cart with what looked like a portable ultrasound machine, a new set of sheets for his bed along with some sort of food looked like fruit.

--Please stay, I'll be right back, -- Ryou told me as he slowly rose to his feet.

I did stay sitting there watching, as he hobbled over to his bed where Dr. Lynn was waiting he sat down his wings twitching just enough to move them out of the way. I watched as he guided Ryou down to lay on the bed, taking everything slow with him, he pulled over the cart he put some gel on his chest right over his heart and turned the ultrasound on. I watched amazed now as he placed the wand over his heart and saw the organ beating, moving and pumping its blood through to the rest of Ryou's body.

--Cool, huh? It didn't used to move like that when I was born,-- Ryou sent to me even thought he was staring at the white ceiling Dr. Lynn moved the wand around Ryou's heart checking it to see if the surgery they had done a couple days earlier had worked. He turned off the machine and brought up the tray; my eyebrows creased as I saw a couple of the objects on the tray were needles,

--he'll stop if it hurts, -- Ryou reassured me he said from his position on the bed I calmed a bit as Dr. Lynn sat Ryou up on the edge of the bed and he took one of the instruments off the tray I wondered curiously what it was he put a hand under Ryou's chin to hold his head still and he held the instrument up in front of his bad left eye, asking him to close his right eye, and flicked on a little light on it.

"Can you see anything?" he asked quietly

--Is he shining a light in my eye? -- Ryou asked me his voice curious and somewhat hopeful.

I couldn't really answer him by speaking so I thought 'yes' concentrating on that thought, hoping Ryou would hear it. I guess he had when he shook his head no.

--They have false hopes that I might regain sight in that eye, -- Ryou told me as Dr. Lynn pushed the air out of an empty syringe; I turned my head away a little looking out of the corner of my eye as he took Ryou's arm and pushed the needle into one of the blue veins easily seen on the pale child's skin. Ryou flinched a bit but sat still and actually watched the syringe fill with his blood.

--Yugi it's all right you can look, -- Ryou said as Dr. Lynn withdrew the needle, laying it back on the tray, I looked back at him blushing slightly. I didn't look away when Dr. Lynn injected what was supposedly a heart medicine that strengthened the cardiac muscles he helped Ryou stand up and put a new set of thin sheets on his bed; he didn't take away the ones still in the corner from the night before.

The doctor took the bowl of fruit off the cart and set it on the edge of the bed for Ryou, who wasn't paying attention to him, he was too busy staring at me like he was longing to come and see me without the impeding glass between us. Dr. Lynn followed his gazed to me before smiling sadly,

"I'm sorry, but you can't be with him out there yet," he said before taking all the things he had and leaving.

Ryou picked up the bowl of fruit and carried it over to where we had been sitting.

--I told you it wouldn't take long, -- he told me sitting down, he was getting more used to bending his knees to do things like that, and he started to eat.

--I'm very sorry if I sound like I'm pushing you away, but aren't you hungry? -- Ryou asked me presenting his bowl before me now that I thought about it I hadn't had food in a few days and I was betting Sister would be worried about me.

"Ryou I have to go now; I'll come back to sleep with you if you want me to," I said standing Ryou nodded,

--I would like that, -- I heard as I opened the door.

"I'll be back soon," I replied as I shut it behind me.

No sooner had I turned around I ran into someone; happy as I was I just said a small

"I'm sorry," to whoever it was and started to walk off

"Oh no you don't, you aren't getting away that easy," I immediately spun around to see who it was exactly I had run into; it was Malik and he was holding his old whip in his hands again. I turned to run, but his hand had already clenched around my small neck and he led me forcibly back towards my own cell where he cast me against the wall.

"You really think I'm letting you get away? I never got that answer from you; do you still even think He exists?" he said raising his whip as I curled up again if I didn't know better I would say this was the same scene from the day before.

"Yes," I admitted it the He Malik was referring to had brought me to Ryou the previous night. He brought the whip down and I cried out again as I relived the beating from hell and this time Sister wasn't there to help me. So I cried, I cried and I cried and I cried; inhuman howls erupted from my throat every time the whip made contact with tender stinging flesh it had just hit seconds before.

I often wonder how a man can be as heartless as him to a child my age; he was grinning like a maniac as he paused in the whipping. My breathing came out in shallow harsh gasps my body was covered in long bloody red marks, they marred my once pale skin. My heart pounded in my chest and my throat was raw and dry from my howls of pain.

"Are you still sticking it out for your great man?" Malik said readying to start whipping again

"Yesssss" I moaned out.

By gum! I'm not letting him go after all I've been through, Malik raised the whip and got in two of his hardest lashes down on me before the door burst inward.

It was Sister; I was saved again, the Lord loved me enough to send Sister to save me. She saw the bloody heap that was me huddled down against the wall; She growled at Malik giving him the scariest growl I'd ever heard, She grabbed the whip from him cracking it in front of his face, cursing him out, and then landed a good harsh crack across his face (it left a mark from his ear to his mouth for about two weeks,) before rushing to my side.

I whimpered and cried tears streaming down my face and mixing with blood, I felt horrible and to add to the pain my stomach was rumbling for food

"Shhh, Yugi, Sister's here now," she said picking me up and cradling me. She glared at Malik, who was glaring right back,

"get out you bastard, send me a doctor and don't let the door hit you on the way out," she hissed, angry with him, this time she was keeping the whip she was going to cut it into pieces so he wouldn't use it again.

I just laid there and cried for Sister, my body numb and stinging I could barely feel her holding me.

"Shhhh, he's gone Yugi, help will be here soon," she cooed to me and I struggled to press myself closer to her feeling like a thousand needles had penetrated my skin, her warm hands weren't helping like before.

The doctor she had asked for opened the door cautiously and looked in on us before coming in; he was holding a tray full of bandages and other things. Sister allowed him to see me my wings were twitching violently again, as I felt more insecure without Sister holding me.

I cried in agony as the doctor started to bandage me up, my eyes rolled back as the pain was overwhelming me; I gripped Sister's hand,

"Ryou!" I cried I wanted to be near him too, maybe my injuries would give me merit to stay with him in his white room, and with that small comforting thought I fainted.

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"Yugi, how many times were you whipped?" Yami asked wonderingly at the amount of pain Yugi endured when he was a child

"Just those two times, I think Sister took away the only whip he had," Yugi said looking at the audience he now had, apparently a few of the children still at the orphanage found his life story fascinating and were listening intently.

"Be glad you guys didn't ever truly meet Malik," he told them Ryou's 'shadow' Bakura sat among them with his mouth hanging open slightly.

"What happened next, Yugi" Mako said excitedly, and the story went on.

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The next time I woke up I had a horrible pounding in my head and it was only intensified when Ryou's voice entered my head.

"Yugi your alive" I moaned and cracked open an eye to see where I was I was in Ryou's room again Ryou was kneeling on the other side of the glass staring at me I myself was laying on a very soft cot. I turned my head and reached out to touch Ryou but my hand came in contact with the glass and I let the hand just come down to lie across my bandaged up stomach.

"Ryou what?" I asked rolling slowly onto my side to face the half blind child.

-- What happened? They brought you in here on that cot I thought you had died, -- he said all of this very fast I gave him a look that clearly said for him to slow down and repeat, which he did.

"No, Ryou, this is what happens when I say something to Malik; I get the tar beat out of me," I said pointing to my slightly bruised face.

"Be very glad you were born with a heart problem or you might be in my shoes," I told him pulling weakly at one of my bandages

-- Is your head hurting? -- he asked me very quietly I nodded

"Just a bit" I told him bringing up a faint smile to cross my face I took a deep breath grimacing as it made the bandages stretch and put pressure on my chest and back I caught a whiff of something the smell my blanket had exuded

"Ryou do you smell that?" I asked wondering if the question in itself sounded weird

-- No, I just had my bath, -- Ryou said puffing up like he was proud to be clean.

"That's it the smell on my other blanket it must have been yours," I said inhaling deeply sighing as I started to doze off again

"g'nigh Ryou," I said half asleep with a small smile on my face.

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It was like that for the next year, when I turned six they stopped trying to give me 'child's play' tests and gave me the better ones, the ones I actually wanted to do because they my brain actually work.

Unfortunately the new tests became fewer, and allowed room for 'P.E.' which really wasn't P.E. at all; it was boot camp or more like a modern day gladiator fight. Once I was done with my tests and exams Malik would snatch me away, grinning like a maniac, he would drag me off and throw me into his arena.

Oh Lord! The arena, this was the first time I found out that there were more of me than just Ryou and Sister. Malik would literally throw me into this bowl shaped arena with another angel who was wearing a collar and he would give them weapons anything would do knives, pipes, false claws, anything he could dig up and I think that's almost literally because some of the stuff he had me up against looked like it.

I don't like to fight though, as you can see from my story so far, so I almost always came back to Ryou looking like I had just walked through the Korean conflict and back. Sometimes he would mix test and fight together; like ask me a question and if I got it wrong he would give my opponent permission to attack me till I answered right or they landed a hit on me. Ryou and Sister would always worry about me when I came back sporting knife nicks and scratches or sword slashes.

I flopped down on my bed one night, Ryou was doing his daily light work out, one of his doctors would sit with him and help him rotate his wings and fold them and bend his knees and back he had such an easier life.

I gave Ryou reassuring smiles when ever he would moan a bit when a slightly stiff joint was bent and he would give me a small smile back. By the end of his session the doctor had him up and trying to walk without his knee braces; failing miserably at it when Dr. Ming (one of his other doctors I think the three of them were triplets they all looked alike) would let go of him the lager man would just simply catch him and say,

"Maybe tomorrow," smiling at the sweet seraphim put under his care. Dr. Ming would then guide him back to his exam bed and put Ryou's knee braces back on him before he left him with another bowl of fruits and vegetables Ryou picked up the bowl smiling at me.

--I think I'm getting better don't you? -- He asked me sitting down on his sleeping bed that was positioned against the wall with mine.

"Your knees are feeling better?" I asked right back looking at him; Ryou's condition had improved tremendously he could kneel a lot better he didn't look at all sick and he was slowly starting to get a handle on controlling his wings. He looked clean as a newborn baby too, unlike me who had had a topsy-turvy time of a fight earlier; he had set me out against a blind electric user with black wings the most unnatural birthmarks (or tattoos, I never found out) I had ever seen and he had been carrying a lovely little copper sword to conduct the electricity with and burn my skin. He had landed a few small hits the bleeding didn't last long though because the sword would also burn the wounds shut too, grand experience that was. My wings had opened at one point and I had gone flying across the arena creating a bruise on my forehead and knocking me out for a bit.

When I came to they were gone and I had to drag myself to where I was then.

--Yeah, my knees are feeling a lot better; it doesn't hurt as much to bend them now. -- Ryou responded bringing me out of my thoughts.

"That's great maybe you'll be able to come out of there soon," I said smiling wide at him as I reached under my cot for the small first aid kit I kept there

--Maybe, -- Ryou replied as he smiled and settled for watching me bandage myself up, telling me where something I had missed was.

We then settled for talking about our day with each other; Ryou almost always asked all the questions, you see life in one room does become slightly repetitive and Ryou was a constantly learning and curious person (and he still is). I heard the door open, thinking it was sister I didn't pay any attention to it and continued on with my conversation, talking about the fight I had just come from.

"He's a God awful man Ryou..." I said, about as soon as I said it I found a hand clenched firmly around my neck. I wrenched my head around to see Malik staring down at me, with that look that he had reserved just for me, he looked pissed off at me and I realized what I had just said.

"I clearly remember telling you never to use that word again in my presence," he told me his voice deep and low as I stared up at him wide eyed, "You never finished your training," he hissed to me, holding up something in his free hand and grinning. I looked at it and recognized it immediately; it was one of the collars that my opponents always wore. If I could have I would have gasped, on the inside of the collar, the part that touched the skin had five short needles on it; I saw what he intended to do with it in his eyes and I quickly started to wrench my head around trying to get away, and the quick movement caught him slightly off guard.

I escaped his grasp, and started to try to scurry across the small space that was my room, but he leapt after me and pinned me to the floor, straddling my back, using his knees to pin my top set of wings; I let out a scream as his weight landed on top of me.

--Yugi! What's he trying do? -- Ryou asked scared. I really couldn't answer that question at all; I let out another scream as Malik forced my head up and strapped on the collar forcing the needles into my neck I let out a screech of pain, but that soon died down to a low squawk as the I finally figured out why those other angels had been so cruel and uncaring when they tried to attack me, this collar instantly started to expand enough to pull the needles out and then contract and thrust them back into place, it indeed was the ultimate way to control someone.

Ryou was crying to me as I lay there underneath Malik, gagging as the collar repeated the process over and over again; Ryou's cries started to die my vision grew dark at the edges and then everything went black.

I really don't remember much when I came to, at first I remember my hand being clenched around something cold and something warm covering my hands and face. Then my vision started to clear; I solely wanted to just close my eyes again, because the sight made me sick, literally, I was straddling a small angel's waist his torso was so mutilated that he was beyond saving. He had small white wings with bluish tips, now stained red with his own blood, (so much for the glory of red white and blue) this was just plain horrifying, his face was one of pure fear, his blue eyes were wide, his mouth open in a silent cry, his cheeks were stained with fresh tear streaks.

I looked at my hand, which was still clutching the cold object, and saw a dagger rather ornate a black hilt with white strands webbing the surface; the blade half as long as my arm was drenched in blood. I dropped the appalling object and scrambled away from the small angel's body before turning and throwing up. I sat staring at the dead body laying in front of me, his still warm blood splattered my hands and face, tears started to slide down my face it was my fault; I had killed one of my own, and this one was only a little one, he didn't even look older than four.

I cried, sobbing every time I looked at his face, he was so young he didn't deserve to die. I should be the one dead, I curled into a feathery ball on the cold metal floor of the arena, sobbing my heart out as the child's blood started to run in small rivulets towards the center of the room. I covered my head, not caring whether the blood mixed into my hair.

I don't know how long I lay there, but I didn't even move when I heard a door slide open; I cracked my eyes open just enough to watch as two scientists with masks on covered the child, and picked him up onto a stretcher, leaving me behind, alone.

All I remember after that was the door sliding open again, the deactivated collar being removed from my neck, and being gently picked up of the floor; before I closed my eyes completely, and allowed the movements of the person holding me lull me to restless sleep.

I awoke again to water hitting my back, I opened my eye's a bit and turned around, it was Sister she was washing me of the blood.

"I killed him," I murmured, the tears coming back as I thought about what I had done, Sister heard me and laid a hand on my back as I started to cry again.

"I killed him" I sobbed as Sister just tried to comfort me by rubbing my back and drying my wings nothing seemed to work I didn't want to live any more. I finally realized though that I was in a tub of water so I decided to do the job; myself I exhaled and bent down to put my head in the water. I succeeded in getting my face in, but before I could inhale Sister had quickly grabbed me and pulled me back up. She had me face her, now she couldn't define tears from bath water, and she took the wash cloth and started to gently clean off what little blood I had left on my face.

She finally finished washing me (saving me from at least two more drowning attempts) and dried me off; she gave me a new set of clothes a pair of thin cotton pants and that's about it. She carried me back to my cot, where Ryou was waiting patiently for me, as if knowing the stress I was in. I just curled up in a large mass of feathers and blanket on my cot, tears still streaming silently down my face, Ryou didn't talk to me at all, and for that I was a little thankful; in the end I ended up falling asleep quietly grieving the loss and the fact that I couldn't kill myself right on the spot.

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"Before you say anything Yami, yes, I have tried to commit suicide," Yugi said, seeing Yami looking at him like he had just gone nuts.

"Yeah, you looked horrible back then," Ryou said.

"I didn't look that bad did I?"

"Yugi, you almost blended in with the wall if it hadn't been for your hair," Ryou said huging Yugi's daughter she slept against his chest.

"Yugi, that's awful sweety," Mai said looking concerned for her husband.

"It's okay I have never tried it since then and never will," Yugi replied smiling,

"Now, do you guy's want me to keep going?" Yugi asked the entire group's heads bobbed up and down looking like a bunch of baby parrots, making Yugi chuckle.

"Okay, on we go then," and he continued onward.

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I awoke the next morning, no longer crying but in a more depressed mood, I didn't want to talk to anyone, not even Ryou, I didn't accept any of my usual tests, and Sister kept a watch over me just in case Malik came in to force me to do something. I simply lay there not hungry, not sleepy, not anything, just sad and afraid I felt like I received a knife to the heart and the wound wouldn't heal over.

I went on like that for a couple of days, refusing food or contact, just lying there grieving, growing thinner and weaker by the hours.

One day though Sister finally decided to try and make me feel better, by now I thin enough to see my ribs and spine pressing against my skin, we sat in silence for a while; she was just watching me breath. She finally slowly, gently, picked me up, acting like I was made of thin glass.

"Yugi-" she started then stopped,

"Leave me alone, I don't want to live," I murmured my voice was crackling horribly from lack of water.

"Yugi, please stop, don't do this to yourself," she told me her hands warming as she tried to relax my rigid body by giving a wing massage.

"It wasn't your fault," she whispered I looked up into her olive green eyes with my dull purple ones.

"It was my fault though, I killed him, I deserve to die, I took one of my own-" I murmured out,

"Yugi, you can't change what you did by slowly killing yourself, it was not your fault, it was Malik's fault that he died, he just used you to do it," she told me still trying to comfort me but my brain kept saying 'no'.

"It hurts," in mumbled, tears forming in my eyes at the image of that little guy laying there bloody. I didn't even know if he had had any chance to save himself or whether he had been thrown in bound for the slaughterer.

"I know Yugi," Sister told me holding me close, resting her head on top of mine as I started to cry again.

"Why?" I asked, I often think that was my minds way of healing itself, asking questions.

"Think about it this way Yugi, he's in a better place now, he's in heaven, and he's a real angel," she said to me stroking my back as I sniffled.

"It still hurts" I told her huddling closer.

"Give it time Yugi, just give it time, but please eat I don't want you to die too," she said I only nodded and Sister turned around grabbing the thing she had brought with her. It was only a simple bowl of fruit the only difference about it was that it had a rather rare commodity that sister had put on it to cheer me up, chocolate, she fed me the fruit slowly until I started to push her away again and I rolled over facing the glass, sighing I caught a small glimpse of Ryou before I closed my eyes allowing myself to fall asleep again.

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Over the next few weeks Sister took care of me, comforting me when I awoke I the night screaming. She nursed me back to health and made me eat every day, even if I didn't want to, I didn't do any of my tests and Sister still made sure that Malik didn't try to come in and force me to do anything like what he had done before. Sister eased me back into routine and a few months after the incident I was back doing my written tests.

One day, my seventh birthday actually, she had to leave me to go to one of her monthly physicals.

--Are you sure you're all right? -- Ryou asked sounding worried as he sat there looking at me.

"I'm fine Ryou I was just rally sad," I told him again.

--Okay I'll believe you, -- he told me looking skeptical.

The door opened behind us and I turned around expecting to see Sister, but a loud scream suddenly erupted inside my head and I immediately saw why; it was Malik he was standing there holding his head, covering his ears. I didn't try to block the scream, I just got up and ran, that was Ryou's distraction if Malik ever came he was supposed to scream at the top of his mental lungs. But as I ran through the door Malik recovered and made a grab for me; I ducked and kept on running.

And the chase was on, Malik wheeled around with the reflexes of a cat, and he stayed right on my tail as I ran. It was a big game of cat and mouse (or cat and bird in my case) he suddenly lunged at me grabbing my ankle.

"No!" I wouldn't be taken down that easily, I wanted out, I'd had enough of the death, the experiments, everything having to do with this place, I kicked out struggling. Just before he had me I finally landed a kick right above his left eye; he howled and let go, covering his eye with his hands.

Adrenaline was coursing through my system, driving me on, I was sick of Malik, sick of death, sick of all the senseless killing. I wanted out. So I kept on running, leaving Malik lying in the dust, I wasn't thinking, I just kept running in a straight line, I began to slow down slightly, panting in my adrenaline induced hype, but it soon began again as an alarm began to go off inside the building, and men in white coats began to come out of the rooms down the halls, and I began to run again. Dodging all of them, dancing almost in some instances out of their arms; I hit a split off, a fork in the road if you could call it that, and they surrounded me.

I spun around to find more of them, and they were slowly closing in on me. I stared around at them, franticly growling in my fear. With an animalistic roar I burst through a line of them on my right, darting past the grabbing hands. They weren't going to take me without a fight, and I ran, the mechanical sound of the alarm ringing in my ears.

I ran blindly through the halls of the lab I had called my home for years. I chose a direction and stuck to it; I only turned corners when I had to and even then turned again as soon as I found another that led in the direction I wanted. I darted past a pair of strangely dressed men, and through a pair of double doors flinging myself through them.

I skidded to a halt, far away from them, panting, I stared around. I was in a new environment, the air was fresher, it flowed through to my lungs much easier. I gazed at my surroundings, the sky the blue sky, oh my gosh, it was the sky and the sun the bright orange ball that was slowly sinking into, what were those I used to call them, oh yes, pointy plants now I know they were trees.

I heard another unfamiliar sound, multiple sounds, coming from in front of me. I looked forward, coming from under those trees were big black things on four feet they were running towards me.

"DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!" Malik shouted I turned around to see him standing in the doorway and smiled, this was no dream, no movie, not even a simulation, it was real. And with that though I took off, this time running parallel to the building, relishing the feel of cool earth and grass beneath my bare feet as I moved.

I spread my wings as a gust of wind sped forward to meet me, tugging at them as if trying to lift me up. I flapped powerful strokes and the wind lifted my light body off the ground slightly; I crouched and finally flung myself into the open sky flapping madly. I let out a howl of victory; I was finally free, free to tell the world about this horrible place.

Suddenly a loud bang resounded behind me and I looked back past my wings to see Malik standing with his feet set firmly on the ground; he was pointing something that looked like a flare gun at me. I was suddenly flung up faster into the sky; at first I thought it was just a wind gust, but whatever it was completely surrounded me and twisted closed over my head. I screamed as an almost invisible net constricted around me, forcing my wings to crumple, then I looked down, aw man this was going to hurt.

I hit the ground, skidding to a halt, I was still kicking and screaming as the net curled into my feathers it caught and stuck and forced me into a fetal position. A pair of feet appeared in my line of vision and I looked up glaring at the man who had practically shot me out of the sky along with my dreams. He looked down at me with a disgusted look on his face, I continued kicking, fighting the net, no, I wouldn't let it happen I wasn't going back. He picked me up by the top of the net and harshly slung me over his shoulder carrying me back through the door.

"NOOO!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, I had been exposed to the outside seen it, felt it, I wanted more of it. Malik walked through the halls ignoring my weak attempts to kick out at him.

"your wings are going to be clipped tonight so you can't try anything like this again, if you do I won't fire a net at you I'll fire bullets," he threatened turning into an empty examination room, he dropped me on the floor locking the door behind him. I heard him rummaging through the cabinets and began to struggle again, he sat down on the floor next to me and opened the net dumping me out like a child's play thing, and I came out fighting, I kicked out as him scrambling to get away as soon as I hit the floor. I smirked as I planted a foot on him where the sun shouldn't shine he gasped, doubling over.

I scurried away, hitting the door, I tried to wrench it open but he had locked it from the inside.

I spun around to be met with an angry Malik; he reached to grab my neck, but I ducked and dove over the exam table hiding behind it.

"Give up, there's no way OUT!" Malik shouted diving on top of me; he slung me over the table, smashing me flat on the cold linoleum floor.

He quickly pinned me to the floor, straddling me from behind, I still wasn't willing to give up though. I arched my back, screaming, thrashing, against his uncomfortable weight.

He grabbed one of my wings, forcing it out, I looked at him out of the corner of my eye and my pupils contracted at the sight of what Malik had in his hand, a pair of large wing clippers.

I shrieked, flapping my wings, creating a mess of feathers and jerking the wing out of Malik's hands; Malik quickly became fed up with my struggles. He brought his elbow down hard right in the middle of my back; I let out a sharp cry of pain as he continued, laying on top of me, forcing my wings to extend with his elbow on the center of my back.

He grabbed one of the six wings and bent it backwards towards himself; I put up one last weak struggle before I heard it. "Snip" that was it, he had begun the clipping, he was slowly, painfully, trimming my flight feathers and I went limp under his hands, sobbing crying into my arms where my head was buried. It was so cruel, in all my life he had never done this, he was taking away the thing that made me unique, flight.

He finished with the first set and went to move down my quaking body, my chest was moving up and down with every sob, unconsciously, My wings began to move again flapping against him. He only jabbed me with his elbow eliciting a strangled squawk as he continued by pulling out smaller feathers to placate me again and so, with that last frail attempt to stop him I went limp under him awaiting him to just be done with the cruel act.

When he finished the clipping, the snips stopping made me look back, with a tear streaked face, before lying back down by then I'd given up on everything freedom, hopes, dreams, life. Malik's weight lifted off my back and the tip of his shoe nudged my side; when I didn't move he knelt and threw me over his shoulder. I couldn't help but look out of the corner of my eye when I felt him being very slightly (almost undetectibly) gentle.

He unlocked the door, and resumed walking down the hall hopefully back towards my room, again, I was mistaken after a few moments of horrible silence and a few more turns, he turned and entered another room, this one was dark except for the light streaming in through the doorway. Malik sat me down in a padded chair facing a large desk and pushed me forward, pressing my face into the cool surface. He picked up something lying next to my head, and I felt his hand hold back the hair on the back of my neck, his fingers stretched the skin at the base of my neck over my spine, and a needle punctured the skin.

I let out a pained moan and tried to lift my head, but Mailk increased the pressure on the back of my head pushing me, back down as he slid the large needle in further. I felt it puncturing through the skin, the tissues, and joints stopping at my spinal cord; by then I was crying in pain, trying to move weakly against Malik only to have him stop any movements. He injected something into me and my eyes crossed at the cool something going into my spine.

He quickly withdrew the needle and released the pressure on my head; my mouth was open and I simply closed my eyes as the place where the needle had been stung and throbbed.

Malik picked me back up rattling my neck around and making me shut my eyes tighter as I cried out in pain, but he held me differently from before it was more parent-like; he put my arms around his chest and put my knees on either side of his waist, what puzzled me the most was, he was being tender about it, he even rested my head on his shoulder and placed a hand on my back, but in seconds he ruined the moment.

"Don't expect me to ever be this kind to you again," Malik told me, for a moment there I thought he had changed, or possibly the stuff he'd injected could have made me think he was kind so he could make me obey him.

No, nothing had changed, he walked on in silence; if I didn't know better, I would have said he wasn't even breathing, but we finally reached my room and opened the door. I immediately heard a loud gasp and the sound of a small growl and footsteps; I kept my eyes closed though. I figured out it was Sister instantly; right above my head there was very loud smack of skin hitting skin, accompanied by the shift of his weight and the movement of his head, and I was suddenly snatched out of his arms.

I made a small cry as my neck was moved, but it didn't last long, as she pressed my head into her chest and held me like he had, only now I was more willing to grab and hold to her.

--Yugi are you okay?-- Ryou whispered to me as I felt one of Sisters hands leave me; he handed her something and the sound of the door closing hit my ears. She turned around,

--What's wrong with your wings?-- he asked curiously, unaware that I didn't want to talk about it.

"Ryou he's fine, he just had them clipped," Sister told him,

"oh, but he did cut a couple a little to short, didn't he?" she added stroking my back, I swear she could read minds, she knew I was hurt and needed comforting and a little of that baby brother type thing like Big Brother had used to do. She laid down on my cot, curling up with me as I finally opened up and cried into her.

"Shhh, it's okay little Yugi, I am sorry I wasn't there for you when he came," Sister cooed rubbing my back between my wings, the now useless appendages; I now knew what it felt like to the wild birds that got caged, with it's wings clipped so it couldn't fly away,

"He cut my wings Sister," I sobbed shivering as I cried.

"Sh, sh, sh, I know Yugi it's going to be all right," she said hugging me a little tighter to her body, and I accepted it, just wanting to hide away and never come back.

"My neck hurts," I whimpered curling up even tighter; Sister was trying to get me to relax by gently rubbing each feather with her warmed hands, then letting it fall back into place, but it wasn't helping much.

I felt her shifting behind me, and a hand come into contact with the back of my neck; I couldn't help but flinch as she touched the spot that was now throbbing.

"Oh there there, it should be just fine, if it bothers you any more tell me," Sister told me placing one of to little 'kiss it to make it better' type things on the little spot cooing to me softly. I couldn't help but feel like something was crawling up and down my spine, like little tiny bugs, but Sister didn't know and I just dismissed it from my mind, as Sister continued on with her very kind wing massage. She was even paying attention to the 'marred' wingtips which, now that I saw, were slightly bloody in some places, because he had cut too far, but I had to shift my head soon, because that 'buggy' feeling in my spine had moved up, and become lodged in my head and it felt like thousands of little bugs were crawling around inside. I let out a tiny groan to show my discomfort,

"Yugi, what's wrong?" she asked when she noticed me trying to grind my head into the pillow slightly

"my head itches" I told here resisting the urge to scratch the back of my head till it bled I felt Sister start to look through my hair slightly but she knew I couldn't have gotten any kind of bugs. I heard her sigh slightly,

"Yugi I was afraid this was going to happen, please forgive me," I looked at her out of the corner of my eye.

"What do you have to do to me?" I asked as she scratched the back of my head slightly for me.

"I have to inject this into your spine if you want the itch to stop," she said showing me the long syringe full of something that looked like water.

"Give it to me," I told her the itch was very quickly becoming a burn and it really didn't feel good.

"I don't know what it will do to you Yugi, are you sure?" she asked looking very worried at my quick decision.

"Sister, if it hurts me I'll forgive you in the morning, just give it to me," I pleaded gazing up at her, giving her those big irresistible eyes.

"Okay, Yugi then turn over," she said giving up on persuasion. I slowly rolled over, being very careful of my wings, I curled up with my back to Sister getting into a position I thought would be comfortable. I felt Sister moving my hair out of the way and she whispered a very small 'I'm sorry' before I felt the large needle reenter my neck at the same spot as before. I bit my lip, restraining a cry of pain when the needle again punctured all the layers over again and finally hit my spine I finally let out a quiet shriek of pain as Sister injected the stuff and pulled the needle out as fast as she could without hurting me. She gently hugged me back against her warming body whispering words of comfort to me she whiped a stray tear from my face before going back to rubbing circles on my stomach and back.

"Sis I'm feeling...ulp, sick," I said swallowing the lump that was traveling up my throat. I suddenly pulled myself half off the edge of the cot and spilled all the contents of my small stomach onto the floor.

"Yugi!" Sister called sitting up next to me,

"Yugi, what's wrong!" she cried startled by the sudden sickness.

"I f-feel like I at-t-te a l-live s-s-s-snake," I stuttered holding back the wave of nausea that attempted to bowl me over again.

"I knew this was a bad idea, I shouldn't have given that to you," She said holding me to her side; she extended a wing over me and heated it up like a heated blanket.

The door opened a crack, calling both of our attention to it, and a man stepped in, looking at us curiously, this guy was very strange looking he had on jeans and a brown T-shirt with a jacket that looked like the same material as his pants.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked us and Sister clutched onto me a little tighter.

"We live here," she said cautiously looking him over.

"No, really, this place is no place for children, who let you in here?" he said apparently this man was not supposed to be here either or he wouldn't have said that.

"I'll tell you again, we live here we were made here," Sister told him spreading her other wings out to full extent. We watched him as he watched the wings, bug-eyed, his mouth dropped open.

"Damn, I knew they had to be doing something like this here when I saw all that equipment," he said walking up to Sister he reached out for her wings, but she snapped them back in tight to her body with defensive hiss, I was her baby right now, she wanted to make sure this swearing stranger meant no harm. He noticed what she was doing though, and backed off a bit looking under the curve of her wing at my sickly form; I must have looked like death warmed over, because I sure felt like it.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked her looking at me, making me curl up more in self-consciousness.

"He's sick, the son-uva-gun that made us gave him something to make him like this," Sister replied she uncovered me slightly.

"Yugi, come out it's okay," she cooed to me, and I looked up at him, showing my pale, tear streaked face and large, purple eyes to him.

"You really do look sick," he said kneeling down to my level.

"Is he going to be okay?" He asked sounding concerned for me.

"I don't know, our maker likes to use him as a test subject for his new serums and medicines because he so small and scrawny," she told him relaxing further.

"That's awful, if it will help I've got some medicine in my pack, have you ever used Tylenol?" he asked rummaging around in his small bookbag.

"He hasn't ever had it, I sheltered him enough from our maker that he hasn't needed it, frail as he is he's tough and he has his younger 'nestmate' for company too," she replied pointing over her shoulder at Ryou who had dozed off on the cot right behind them.

"His name is Ryou, they both just call me Sister," He looked over us at Ryou, he was now sleeping with out his oxygen mask but it was right next to him just in case.

-- Ryou is awake, just tired, -- his voice replied to the comment, the man looked behind him quickly then at each of of us, confused.

"That was him, he can't talk loud enough to talk through the glass," she said.

"He can talk to you with his mind? cool," he said his eyes widening.

I moaned and leaned against Sister's shoulder; my stomach was still doing flips and I felt awful.

"Yugi?"

"Sister, I still don't feel good," I told her weakly.

"Shh, it's okay, Yugi, come here," she said pulling me into her arms and lying back down again, curling up with me pressed tight against her as she warmed her body up, she began to masage my wings again and I relaxed into the loving hold.

"I think he's going to make it, whatever you are doing seems to be helping," the man said.

--What's your name? -- Ryou asked startling him again.

"Um, my name is Jiro," he responded unsure of how to.

"Well Jiro, we are alot like birds and our wings are a sensative area of our bodies, our maker just clipped Yugi's and it drove him to tears, and since he was four or five I've been doing this for him; it's very soothing to Yugi, isn't that right?" she directed to me, I only nodded closing my eyes to stop myself from being sick.

"Well I think I should go, I don't think I'd want to get caught here," Jiro said standing to leave.

"Will you come back tomorrow, it's my birthday," I croaked out weakly he looked back at me and smiled.

"I'll try," he replied and with that he was gone, closing the door quietly behind himself.

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I remember the next day after we met Jiro perfectly; it was a good day,well as good as it can get when your sick to your stomach. Half the day I spent sleeping with a cold towl on my head and a warm one on my stomach; Ryou talked to me all day keeping me company while Sister was gone. Which in itself scared me, because the entire time I had my eyes on the door, watching for Marik or anyone who wanted to do anything to me.

Sister returned soon enough though, and sat there comforting me, and I soon found out she had been working on my birthday present; a little stuffed animal bird. It wasn't much, and it was only as big as my hand, but it was at least a present, and I gave her a big hug thanking her over and over. She even arranged for me to not have to do any tests all day, yes, my seventh birthday was the best one yet, and it only got better. That night late in the night, Jiro came back, and this time I was feeling much better; he knelt next to my cot and smiled at me when I showed him Sister's present.

"I have something for you too," he said rumaging around in his pack. Jiro handed me a small book and I stared at it.

"What is it?" I asked blinking at him at him, confused, it was a very small book only slightly bigger than Sister stuffed animal and it was all black

"It's a really good book, the Bible," Jiro told me taking it and opening it for me, lots and lots of very small print, I stared at it, Yes, there was his name, this had to be a Bible to mention that name so many times.

"I've never seen one of these before, I always thought they were very big," I said telling the truth.

"Yes, some are, this is a pocket version," he said holding up a very tattered looking version of mine, obviously that one was his and had been used many times. Suddenly a horrible thought popped into my head and I paled slightly at it;

"Mr. Jiro, I can't take this, please, take it back," I told him franticly trying to give it back.

"Yugi?" Sister chided for being slightly rude.

"I can't take it, do you know what he'll do to me if he ever finds it?" I told her looking at he fearfully.

-- He'll hot tar you, set you on fire, and use your feathers for pillow stuffing? -- Ryou guessed. I stared at him incredulously,

"That's the least he can do!" I cried at the same time wondering how on earth Ryou could have thought that up.

"That's what I call persecution," Jiro said his eyebrows threatening to join his hair line.

"No, actually, that's day-to-day life, he's just been surviving it for most of his life, it's just Mal- er, our maker hasn't gone so far as to burning yet," Sister told him as I huddled down with my wings covering my body.

"Yes, and he'd kill me if he ever finds that, first he shred it then he'd probably find a way to kill me twice," I muttered I was scared now, I loved the gift and wanted to read it so much, but if I kept it Malik would kill me in the most grousome fashion possible.

"Hide it, only read it at night or something," he told me pressing the book back towards me.

"I don't know when night is, I don't have a clock, and there are no windows where I can get to them," I told him looking up at him right in the eyes.

"Oh? Here then take this, I can always get another," He said taking something off his wrist, he held it up for me to see, it was a watch, digital by the looks of it,

"It's night time right now," he said, "the sun comes up when this reads 5:00 a.m.," he added taking my hand and putting it into it.

"Thank you Mr. Jiro... for everything," I told him throwing my arms around his neck and giving him a big hug.

-- He's smiling, -- Ryou said as I felt Jiro's arms come up to return the hug; I released him finally and immediately dug into my pillow case pulling out a very large brown tattered feather, Big Brother's feather it was still huge to me, half as long as my arm, even after all those years. I presented it to him and traded it for the watch,

"Please, take this with you," I requested sounding rather subdued.

"Yugi? I thought-" Sister started,

"It's a birthday wish, please, when you leave take this with you and tell them out there that we are here," I said holding onto the three birthday gifts tightly.

"What will an oversized eagle feather do for me?" he asked looking at the old feather.

"It's not an eagle feather, it's the only thing left as evidence that my Big Brother existed, he died whe I was three and they incinerated his body," tears started to prick my eyes.

"I'm going to die if I stay here much longer, so will other's like me, the only one I know for sure is safe is Ryou, and he's only safe because he can barely walk and has a bad heart," I said sniffling.

"Sister can defend herself, but I can't do anything, I can't even fly anymore I don't even have a power," I continued burrying my head and huddling down again exposing my heavily scarred back and covering the rest of me. I had finally told myself the truth not avoiding it anymore, I lived constantly in the shadow of the fear of dieing.

"I'll do it for you, Yugi, if there is at least one person out there who can help gain attention to this place I'll find them and save you and who ever else is here," He said rubbing my back a little he looked at the watch he had given me and then back at us.

"I'm sorry, but I have to leave, I'll be back with help next time," he said ruffling my hair as I looked up at him.

"You promise?" I asked my last hope left was Jiro's promise to help.

"Promise," he said hugging me gently before turning to leave, feather in hand. I laid back down with Sister and Ryou following I hid the book and watch under my pillow and hugged my stuffed animal just before I closed my eyes I prayed like I had done almost every night before only this time I had a prayer that deffinately had to be heard.

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I was awakened suddenly by the blaring sound of the alarm, blinking stupidly for a few moments trying to figure out what it was, and paniked. That alarm only went of when the gaurds had found someone trying to escape, like I had done, or when some dangerous animal had gotten out of it's cage.

"Sister!" I cried and she was there holding me; the alarms kept on ringing for a long time before they finally went off and Sister and I were drowned in silence yet again, but soon an eerie clink started to resound outside the door slowly getting louder until finally it seemed to stop right at our door.

-- Yugi? -- Ryou's voice whispered in my head; I turned around only enough to see the other frightened seraphim, breathing fast and holding his oxygen mask over his face.

The door banged open hitting the foam covered wall with a dull thud; I let out a tiny frightened scream as the door brought my full attention back to whoever was standing in the doorway. My eyes widened and my fear levels pretty much shot off terrified to parts unknown as I gazed at the scene; Malik was standing with two huge guards at his sides, but that wasn't what scared me, no, it was what was behind Malik that did it. Behind him was Jiro only he wasn't standing up, Malik was dragging him along, bound, with Jiro's backpack in hand, but he wasn't moving, Jiro wasn't moving!

"Get them!" Malik commanded and the two huge gaurds moved in towards us; Sister was immidiately up on her feet, the first guard went for her and the other went for me. She tried her hardest to keep them both away, but they were too big, all she managed to do was swat them a few times and land a few kicks and punches that barely seemed to faze them.

One of them picked up Sister and slung her over his shoulder, kicking and screaming, he quickly knocked her out; that gave the other one easy access to my curled up form he picked me up and I shrieked in fear as he wrenched me off the cot and followed in suit with his partner.

They left the room and began carrying us down the hallways, everything silent except for the sound of Jiro being dragged by Malik, and, if they had been listening probably the sound of my heart shattering into a million pieces. After that long walk, turning corners every once and a while, we finally went through a pair of large double doors, and Malik comanded that Sister and I be put down, they put us down all right. My guard threw me off his shoulder, ending with my always half naked body slamming into the floor, with a loud smack. Even when down, they kept secure hands around each of our necks, this room was huge, cables cluttered and hung from the ceiling and walls all of which were connected to five large tubes; I had never been in this room nor did I think I should want to. I watched as Malik picked up Jiro off the floor, shaking him slightly Jiro choughed and moaned, signaling that he was alive, I saw a red spot forming on his shirt and realized he had been shot. Malik dropped him and began to search through his pack, I saw my feather sticking damaged out of his pocket all ready. Malik withdrew Jiro's copy of the Bible and flipped it open upon realizing what it was he he shut it and literally threw it at Jiro, hitting him easily with it; Jiro stared at the small book on the floor then up at Malik again, after that one thing Malik seemed to find nothing of intrest, and turned and threw it into one of the open tubes he then picked up Jiro and his Bible and threw them in in the same fashion.

"You won't get out of here alive," he hissed to Jiro, who barely looked conscious.

"Any last words to your friends?" he continued. Jiro woke up quite alot more at the mention of us and he looked up with wide eyes.

"Yugi! Sister!" he cried waking Sister as the cry echoed around the room. He spotted me and called again,

"I'm sorry Yugi," he looked to Sister, who was now fighting her guard again.

"You too Sister, I knew you only for a short time, I am sorry that you did not get your wish-" CLANG! the door slammed shut on him and I looked over at Malik; he had hit the button to close the door for that tube.

"Oh how touching," he said feining innocence when he was far from it, very very far from it; he hit another button and screaming started to erupt from the closed tube Jiro was screaming our names, screaming for God, shrieking his farwell to the world as he was burned alive within the incinerator tube, the screams finally died and Malik was smiling.

"One more," he whispered staring at Sister. My heart was all ready plumeting, my eyes were wide tears forming in them, as I stood my throat was closing on me as the tears streamed down my face silently.

"No! you won't!" she screamed at Malik as he directed the guard holding her towards the incinerator.

"Yugi! Yugi! You bastard how could you do this, he needs me! Yugi!" she shrieked as the guard shoved her in and Malik closed the door on her; I could still hear her cries for me.

"I know," he muttered, and he pounded down the on switch. Sister's shrieks intensified and the lump in my throat burst out of my mouth.

"SISTER!" I cried tears flowing freely down my face, she was dieing my one and only protector and sister for years was dieing. The screams and shreiks died as well following her away, now the only sounds in the room were my loud sobs and I knelt on the floor.

"Sister!" I cried my heart broken, even if Malik had been beating me I would have continued my cries, my world was gone, every hope, dream, everything literally, everything it seemed; Sister was gone, so was Jiro, and then the only comforting thought entered my head, Malik was abaout to kill me too, but it never came, the guard picked me up again and began to walk away with me. No! He couldn't do that, he had to kill me!

"Noooo!" I sobbed trying to hit at the man holding me, he simply ignored me and we reached my room again, tears still flowing down my face as he dropped me back on the cot.

"NOOOO!DAMNIT KILL ME YOU STUPID GORILLA!" I screamed at the guard as he left again, my cry was ignored.

--Yugi! what's wrong? -- Ryou cried to me, I blocked him out, my own grief was to great, I wanted death, I wanted to acompany Sister and Jiro to heaven, my heart was just shattering here on earth.

"NO! No! No! No! No! MALIK I KNOW YOU HEAR ME, KILL ME YOU BASTARD!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. If he wouldn't kill me I'd do the job for him. I dove off the cot and slammed into the door, the only solid metal thing in the room; I drew back ready to crash forward and crush my own skull, when a tiny voice of reason pushed forward and stopped me mere inches away from the door.

-- YUGI! -- Ryou cried stopping me, I turned to look at the weaker seraphim, he was staring at me in tears, with his oxygen mask securely over his nose, his hands were pressed into the glass.

--Yugi... please, no, -- he whimpered into my mind and my heart shattered even furthur. I stood again, coming slowly over to my cot, my knees hit and I collapsed onto it facing Ryou;

"Ryou..." I started I had forgotten him,

"Ryou!" I cried curling up in front of him. I normally curled up with Sister when I was sad, but that memory only made me cry all the harder.

"She's gone Ryou they're both gone!" I cried to him fresh tears running down my face. I wanted someone to hold me, comfort me, my only family that I had known since I was a baby, was gone.

"I want to die Ryou, please kill me, think too hard something, but please put me out of my misery," I told him whimpering and shutting my eyes; I heard the door open and shut behind me, but I didn't care it didn't matter anymore; the last thing I heard before I was clocked over the head with something hard, was Ryou thinking.

-- No Yugi, I think Malik is about to do it for you... --

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When I awoke I was still heartbroken, Sister and Jiro were still gone, it hadn't be a bad dream like I had hoped, and I suddenly had the feeling of a hole being punched in out in the pit of my stomach. I went to wrap my arms around my queasy stomach and soon noticed that I was tied; I turned my head opening my eyes only to be met with black, I was blind folded, a tiny flame of hope jumped into my mind, maybe he was about to kill me then.

I was wrong again, the blind fold was whipped off my face and I stared around at a horrific scene, I was tied to a pole by the wrists like a dog chained to a stake, around me where cages, huge cages with snarling inhabitants. Malik stood atop a platform right in front of a large gap separating him and me and I watched as a retractible bridge was drawn back. I looked up at him with wide eyes, tears beginning to shine again, he raised a dog whistle to his lips and blew; the cages rattled and the inhabitants hit the bars, reaching towards me. I looked all around; I was surrounded by brothers and sisters all of them were winged, but another thing was these all seemed to have something wrong with them. One of them broke through the bars, leaping out I quickly turned to face it. The it was a she, and she was practically unclothed except for a short loin cloth type thing, making me instinctively blush, she had all the curves of a female human, but her chest was pretty much flat with no seperate breasts, but she deffinately looked different, she had long fangs and was making very animal-like noises, her hair was long and bushy and the legs had longer feet and toes that made her crouch like a dog. She even had very long spines and a tail that was whipping like mad, her eyes focused on me and I eeped, she was about to rip me to shreds. But she didn't she just kept staring at me, I pulled on the rope slightly trying to see if I could jerk it away and run.

Yes, I wanted to die with my friends but not like this; I wanted it to happen quick.

More bars broke around me and their inhabitants jumped out they all sat staring at me, like I was that days lunch item, they just sat growling every once in a while one would snarl or scratch the back of its head with its foot like a dog. I looked up at Malik again smirking triumphantly his plan had backfired, but all he did was grin at me and blow the whistle again.

At that one blow all eight of the mutated angels dove at me, baring their sharp teeth. I screamed in terror as they seemed to come at me in slow motion, I frantically pulled at the the rope, trying to escape, the first one hit me, the same female as before; she began clawing at me with nails that had to have been filed to a claw-like point and they all followed her example, mauling me, they almost literaly dog piled right on top of me. And this, the first time of my life, was the only time I ever fought back.

I spread my wings and flapped franticly at the beasts, screeching and shrieking at the top of my lungs as their claws hit flesh, stuck, and tore. I began to cry shedding tears as I faught wildly for my life again, with a renewed want for life; so badly I wanted to accompany Jiro and Sister, but I still had Ryou to offer his comfort.

Suddenly the rope which had been drawn tight by me trying to pull away went slack, and whipped around my body as I moved, only this time it was free movement. My eyes widened and I began to thrash my arms back and forth whacking them all with it as it followed my moves, and I got to my feet and ran.

"After him dogs!" Malik cried, relizing my rope had snapped, for once I heard a tinge of fear in his voice, and it only gave me more confidance.

I ran for the edge of the circle and lept onto the ring of cages, only to be met with a drop off that would have surely spelt out death if I jumped, I couldn't even see the bottom. I turned around to see the mutants fighting among themselves, emitting yips and growls like a pack of hyenas.

Then, over the din of the fighting beast, I heard a whimper, like a puppy whimper, defenseless, helpless, I looked into the cage I was sitting on; ignoring Maliks attempts to shout orders to his 'dogs'. What I saw astounded me, it was like a puppy version of the things that had tried to kill me, I reached in and drew it out by the scruff of its neck it was hairy like a dog, but had the features of a human toddler, the monster that owned that cage's litter. The thing obviously looked scared and it gently started licking my fingers of blood and I smiled slightly, yes, in amongst all this pain, chaos, murder, and fighting, I smiled, in the face of death, I smiled, this was just a baby, it was scared, just like me, of its own parents. Malik watched me, and I saw the fury rise in his eyes as I cradled the baby. I looked at him when I heard a click, Malik had drawn a pistol and was aiming it right into the center of the pack; my jaw dropped as he fired into them, two shots was all it took before I heard the pained yowls that signified he'd hit one of them, it was a female with very short brown hair that trailed down between her shoulder blades; he'd hit her right in the collar and she lay twitching on the floor as the others scattered, they all glared at him growling and snarling at their own master, he merely pointed the gun at them.

"Get him!" he commanded waving his gun towards me.

"Or I'll shoot another," he said taking aim again. They all looked towards me and bared their teeth growling, I was their life ticket; the first female leapt at me leading the beasts to jump. With a sudden involuntary move, I flung my arms out, holding the puppy out to them in my tied hands, and she stopped inches away; she had her hands on the cage and was standing up on her misshapened feet, she stared at the offered baby, her obviously clipped wings twitching. She suddenly reached out and snatched him away sniffing him as the little thing squeeked happily. This was its mother I had just handed it to. The entire pack had stopped behind her and she leaned up and sniffed me getting very close. She moved back and got off the cage she turned and made a howling like noise before turning and staring intently up at me with a trust and obediance in those slitted eyes.

Malik was cursing and shouting in the distance, his plans to kill me were definitely going wrong and his eyes finally narrowed to me, he aimed and fired the gun. In a split second a terrified screamed sounded from me as I curled up atop the cage, awaiting the hit. It never came, I heard a loud yelp, and the shuffling of claws trying to grip. I sat up, the female had taken the bullet for me and was falling off; her claws were scraping metal, trying to hang on, if she were to let go she would fall and die and so would her baby.

"No!" I cried scrambling to help her up, but obviously with my hands tied I couldn't grab her, but the rope attached, now, that she could use. But I was too late as I swung it down, Malik smiling at my frail atempt to save her, he fired again and with an almost human scream she dropped. Tears came to my eyes again, it had to stop, it just had to, he had just killed mother and baby in one shot. I looked over at him,

"You monster!" I cried.

"I'm not the monster," he said.

"These stupid beasts can't do the job, I should have done myself," he said shooting into the pack again he hit another and another, before they scattered and were sent running back to their cages with their tails between their legs. The bridge extended out again and Malik walked across, following it.

I took this as my chance to get away, I jumped off the cage and began to run down the other end of the bridge that was extending out to meet in the middle.

Malik simply smiled and raised the gun again this time with a clear shot at my chest, I sped forward at least if I died, I would die fast. I dove towards Malik springing like I was about to fly again he pulled the trigger the shot resounded around an almost completely quiet room but no pain hit me and I dove over Malik, who cursed and grabbed for any part of me within reach.

I grinned as he missed and I kept on going, but as soon as I hit the door a truely painful electric shock tore through my body and all my muscles locked. I couldn't let go! A pair of hands descended upon my shoulders and ripped me away throwing me off my eyelids fluttered trying to focus and stay alert, but a quick boot to the side instantly stopped it as I was knocked into unconciousness, for the last time...

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"after that last fight I stayed out for a good two or three days, when I woke up every thing that needed to be taken was gone and I was locked into the little cage in the incinerator room Yami found me in, I never saw Ryou again until he crashed into Jou's appartment balcony a couple years ago, and for an entire year I was left alone in that dark and disgusting place scrounging for my food, another reason Yami found me so thin, I never found out what happened to the 'dogs' though while I was there I did find a couple of their bodies so he probably left them to die and they did, and That, Yami, is my story up until I met you and now you know why I am so happy you did find me," Yugi finished Ryou had his mouth hanging open Maria still asleep in his lap. the children on the floor were all mimicing him Mai quickly latched onto him crying for her husband. and Yami finally finished scratching it all out onto his notebook taking up many many pages.

"Yugi?" he said.

"Yes?" he said looking up from his wife who wouldn't let go.

"You had the worst life imaginable, how on earth did you smile at all after all was said and done?" Yami asked incredulously.

"This simple phrase Yami, you may want to write it down, Big Brother told me this when I was only a baby 'Never, never, never, give up' so I never never never gave up hope, faith, and dreams, no matter how horrible it got even when I wanted to just curl up and die, sure I was sad and heart broken, but I never gave up and soon you came along and rescued me and every one else, and that is how far a little bit of hope held onto for years took me," Yugi replied happily.

"Now I have a daughter, a wife, and more friends than I can count," he added hugging Mai and planting a small kiss on her cheek.

"Guy's dinner's ready!" called Jou from the kitchen intercom to the rest of the home Yugi smiled and detatched himself from Mai

"Lets eat," he said and the little ones at his feet scattered for food. Ryou handed Maria over to him and they all stood and headed for the kitchen. Yugi stopped in the doorway Maria still in arms,

"Yami?" said taller one turned to look at him,

"Yeah Yugi?" he replied,

"Thanks." Yugi said quietly before joining Yami as they walked of to join the rest of the family.

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Gruzzee: silence

Cazi: that's it it's over after close to half a year and a few tears aibou finally finished it

Gruzzee: yeah this story is my baby like he said I spent a half a year on this story and any flames shall be used to make smors please R&R I hope you like this story I have cried over it spent hours on it and I am totally satisfied with the finished thing. and before you make any stupid comments stop and think about this I had it finished all the way back in January and it got half erased so from about the scene where Sister cures Yugi of his depression on down had to be totally rewritten after I got over my sick period of about two days after it got deleted and in my free time from a ninth graders hell I finally finished it, so think about that before you flame me if you choose to do so, and with that I bow out and go off to work on my other stories.

Cazi: also if you didn't like the fact that my aibou used so many referances to God and the Bible then tough cookies shes a Southern Baptist and I don't think she cares what you think about it.

Gruzzee: right Cazi.