SW: Chapter Two!
Yugi: Hooray!

Yami: Does Yugi hate me?
SW: No, he just thinks you look like his old boyfriend, so he's avoiding you.

Yami: *rolling eyes* Oh, because that is so much better.

Thank you to IlluminatedWord (I'm glad you like! Thank you! ;) I like my names to mean something. Thank you!), Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san (Yeah…they never do seem to get a break in my stories, do they?), samaurai (I know right?), takininja13 (You got it! Aren't reincarnations the best?), and snow-kim (Yeah…sucks right? And you'll understand the reason for everyone being in the story eventually, I still got some plot twists ahead!) for reviewing!

Enjoy!


As soon as the bell rang to mark the end of school, Joey, Malik, and Ryou all surrounded Yugi, quickly ushering him out of the classroom. They left behind a slightly confused Yami and a disappointed Marik who hadn't had the chance to talk with his new infatuation.

Yami stretched and stood, watching as Marik shook Bakura awake and Akefia walked over from the front of the class, where the teacher put him, once the office had delivered another desk, so that she could 'keep an eye on him'. Akefia smirked and looked around the empty room. "So how was your first day everyone?"

"Boring. Let's go home." Bakura yawned and stood up, slapping away Marik's hand, that was still trying to 'wake him up'. "I'm up, you asshole."

Marik snickered and trailed Bakura out of the room, closely followed by Yami and Akefia, to the front of the school where their limo was waiting.


Yugi sighed. He appreciated his friends' concern, but he was fine, really. "Guys, thanks for the support, but I'm okay, I think I'll just go to the music room."
"Are you sure, Yugi?"

The boy nodded his head, not wanting to inconvenience anyone. "Yeah, besides, Ryou, you have to work, Marik, you have to check in with Mahad-kun," This was followed by a groan on Malik's part, "and Joey, you have a date with Seto-kun that you've been talking non-stop about."

"I can call in sick." "Speaking of calling, let me just phone Mahad." "I can cancel."

Yugi held his hands up to stop the protests. "Please, guys. It's alright. I'll just hang out here for an hour or so then head on home, okay?"

Malik and Joey sighed and Ryou looked at Yugi, uncertain. "I don't know, Yugi."

"Really, I'll be fine." He made shooing motions with his hands. "Now go have fun and I'll see you tomorrow."

After reluctant nods from all three of his friends, Yugi watched Ryou, Malik, and Joey make their way out of the school. When he couldn't see them anymore, he let his façade crumble. Just when he had started to smooth out the jagged edges of his broken heart, when it had started to hurt less, the fates just had to bring in someone that made him flash back to all the happy memories he had shared with his love.

Not even realizing his feet had been moving, Yugi blinked in shock when he realized he had made it to the music room. Smiling a little, he pulled out a key the music teacher had given him after finding out that Yugi was, well, a prodigy.

The boy only ever entered in local competitions, but had won every one by a landslide. He had waved off any insistences on the music teacher's part to enter into national or international competitions, he only did the local ones for the prize money when he and his grandpa absolutely needed it. He hated the thought of leaving behind his grandfather and their game shop and he knew that once he started down a competitive path, that was what was going to happen.

Slipping silently into the dark room, Yugi reached over and flipped the light switch, sighing at the familiar sight of the instruments crowding the room. He dropped his bag at the door and slowly walked forward, trailing his fingers over the keys of the piano in the middle of the room. He looked over the room, trying to decide which instrument to pick.

He hummed and walked to the strings, picking up the bow next to a cello. He sat down in the chair next to the large instrument and played a note before shaking his head at the deep, resonating sound it made and standing up.

Yugi smiled lightly when he saw a very familiar, black leather case. Since the school had been making pay cuts recently, the music department had suffered greatly and many of the instruments were in disrepair. He wasn't sure how, but the music teacher had been able to scrap up enough money to buy a beautiful violin, Yugi's favorite choice.

Smiling wider, Yugi popped open the lid of the case, running his hands over the red satin that lined it. The wood stained a deep, shining black, the sleek form, and the plush leather chin rest called to Yugi. He picked it up tenderly and grabbed the bow that was sitting next to it in the case.

Moving the bow across the four strings that were strung across the length of the violin, Yugi created a small melody, closing his eyes and letting the music tell the story. It started high and quick-paced, Yugi's pulse speeding up with it, the beginnings of first love. It mellowed out, but was still fast, and at parts seemed to jump, like Yugi's heart whenever Atem surprised him with something romantic. Then the tune came to an abrupt stop, just like Atem's life. When he picked the song back up, it was slow and sad, the heartbreaking tune pulling on notes that lasted for ages, like the amount of time Yugi had spent, and still was spending, mourning. The song ended without a finish, leaving off at a hopeful note that still had more to tell, but Yugi stopped, sensing someone else in the room.

There was slow clapping and Yugi stiffened, turning around to meet iridescent eyes. They always seemed to send shivers down Yugi's spine. He turned back around so he wouldn't have to stare into those eyes, one green and one gold, feigning the excuse of putting away his violin. "What do you want, Waru-san?" He didn't have to look to know that the turquoise-haired man's lackeys, Duke and Panik, were there in the room as well. They never left his side.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Yugi? Call me Dartz."

Yugi flipped the last latch on the case closed and reluctantly stood and faced the man, the part of him that was pushed down by his politeness snorting in the back of his mind when he saw he was right that Duke and Panik were behind Dartz. "Can you please not call me by my first name? I really only feel comfortable when friends do it." The unspoken words were heard loud and clear, they weren't friends.

Dartz paid no attention to it. "Oh, come on, Yugi. Don't be like that. You know I care about you." Lust-filled eyes ran over his body and Yugi suppressed the urge to shudder. "Besides, I was just listening to you play, quite beautifully if I might add."

Yugi swallowed. 'Be brave. Like Atem.' It was no secret that Dartz' father, Pegasus, was the leader of one of the most feared gangs, and had started to bring his son into the family business, but there was no evidence, so no arrests could be made. He walked past Dartz, and he almost stopped when something whispered in his mind. Shaking his head, he picked up his bag and walked over to the door where Duke and Panik and were standing. He took a breath. "Move out of the way, please."

Dartz reluctantly nodded and the two let the boy out of the room. "You will be mine someday, Yugi. It's just a matter of time until you see the light." And if Duke or Panik noticed the way his eyes glowed, neither said anything.


Ryou sighed, taking off his apron and rubbing his tense shoulders. He had just finished his shift as a busboy and now he was off to go answer a personal ad he had seen in the newspaper. They had asked for someone to clean a house and Ryou had almost choked on his tea when he saw the amount of money they were offering. He might have suggested calling in sick to Yugi, but he was glad he didn't have to miss out on taking this job.

He had been out of the orphanage for two years, since he was sixteen. Even though he technically should have still been there, the mistress was glad to have the boy off her chest, he was always returned after being taken in a foster home, not because he was a problem, but because the families no longer wanted him. So Ryou had been taking care of himself since he had left, working as many shifts as he could at Burger World to pay the bills. However, it was against the rules for students to work, so Yugi and the others had always covered for him, and he had lied about his age at first to get the job.

Ryou changed out of his uniform in the restaurant bathroom, and into a pair of dark jeans and a slightly faded blue and white striped shirt, his favorite one, and started to walk to the address that was on the paper. When he began to get close, he looked around, intimidated by the large mansions that populated this neighborhood. No wonder they were able to offer so much money for the job.

Stopping at a particularly large one and checking the address three times to be sure, he walked up to the oversized door and rang the bell. While he was waiting, he looked around the outside of the house, taking the vaulted ceiling of the front porch, the large windows and the exotic flowers that covered the front garden.

Almost jumping in shock when the door opened, he smiled politely at the white-haired woman in front of him, trying not to cower from the glare she sent him. "What do you want?"

"I'm here for the cleaning job you asked for in the paper." Ryou said softly, and though his smile wavered lightly at her harsh tone, it never fell from his face.

The woman looked him over for a minute before nodding her head and opening the door wider to allow him entrance. "Come in. You may call me Senshi-sama."

Ryou bit his lip at the familiar last name. He recognized it as the name of one of the new kids at school. Judging from the hair and brown eyes, though hers seemed colder than the boy Ryou was thinking of, this was Bakura's mother.

Following the woman up a staircase and down a hallway, Ryou took in the pristine and shining floors, not seeing a speck of dust on any of the antiques that lined the hallway on small tables. 'What would she have me clean? This house is in top shape…' He couldn't imagine that any other part of the house could be dirty, if they keep just a hallway in such condition.

"You will just need to clean my son's room. Though we have only been here a week, he seems to have found reason to trash his room. However, you will, on occasion, clean his friends' rooms, should they request it."

"Yes, Senshi-sama." Ryou nodded his head and almost ran into the woman as she stopped abruptly in front of a door.

She opened the door and gestured inside, where Ryou slowly walked, taking in some of the mess he could see in the unlit room. "You will arrive once a week starting Saturday and you will work from noon to three, understood?" The woman kept talking, leaving no time for argument on Ryou's part. "You will be paid at the end of each session. Try not to break anything."

"Yes, Senshi-sama."

Bakura's mother huffed and looked Ryou over. "You have respect. Maybe my son can learn a thing or two from you." With that she turned her back on Ryou, and the room. "You can work an hour today, I will pay you at the door."

Ryou had to resist the urge to roll his eyes as the woman slammed the door behind her, leaving him in the dark. Talk about control freak.


Malik stared at his door, hands in his pockets. Sighing, he reached out and opened it. "Mahad! I'm home!" He slipped off his shoes and deposited his backpack full of folded pieces of paper and homework he would never do.

Mahad came in from the kitchen, wiping his hands on his black jeans. "There you are!" He crossed his arms over his purple shirt and gestured with his head to the kitchen, his long brown hair following the motion. "Come on, dinner's ready."

Malik walked past the man and sat down at the table, resting his head on his hand and watching as Mahad entered behind him and grabbed two plates that were resting on the stove. "I think I might go to the dojo today."

Mahad gave him a stern look and sat across from him at the table. "You know how Isis feels about you going there." He slid a plate over to Malik and looked over to the side, not noticing how Malik started to mouth the words Mahad was saying, having heard the speech before. "She doesn't want you fighting and putting yourself in danger, she wants you to know that-"

"Violence isn't the answer." Malik picks up the speech and puts down his fork. "I know, Mahad, but I'm good at it. And we don't really hurt each other at the dojo, it's just self-defense."

The man scowled. "Self-defense or not, you're not going."

Malik groaned. "But Mahad…" Mahad raised his eyebrows at the whine and Malik changed his tactics. "C'mon, please? You know I'm going to go anyway, you should just be happy I told you."

"What would Isis say, Malik?" Mahad sighed at the pleading look from across the table and ran a hand over his face. "Fine."

Malik leaped out of his chair with a shout. "Yes! Thank you!" He ran around the table and hugged Mahad before running to the door to slip his shoes on. "Just put my dinner in the fridge, I'll heat it up later. Bye!"

He ran out the door and Mahad shook his head before finishing his dinner and putting Malik's plastic wrapped one in the fridge.

Malik jogged lightly down the sidewalk, knowing the way to the dojo by heart. He walked up to a two-story building, stopping and staring at the entrance before smiling and entering it confidently.

The first floor held weights and treadmills, the buff men working with them nodding their heads to Malik as he passed, before going back to their exercises. In the back corner, there was a stairwell that led to the second floor, and Malik made a beeline for it.

At the top of the stairs there was a small room, blocking off viewers from the mats with a floor-length window. He smiled at the sight of the fighters on the other side of the glass practicing all styles of martial arts before he turned left and into the locker room that led onto the mats.

He changed quickly into his white karategi, tying the shirt shut quickly with a black cloth belt that had ten yellow stripes on one end. He left his shoes and clothes in a locker, clicking it shut with the combination lock he kept there. He opened the door at the end of the locker room, and stepped onto the foam mats that covered every inch of the floor and went up the wall for about a foot.

He waved to a few people sparring before walking up and kneeling before a man sitting cross-legged on a pillow. "Hello, Shishou."

The man moved his eyes away from overlooking all those practicing to rest on Malik's bent head. "Malik." His voice filled with kindness. "I'm so glad you could come today. Which style would you like to practice?"

Malik smiled brightly and looked up into the dojo owner's eyes, considering the question. He was a master of four styles, judo, aikido, karate, and jujitsu, and loved practicing them, even if no one in the dojo matched up to his ability. "How about aikido today?"

The man nodded and motioned for a student to approach. "You, Sento-san, will be practicing with Malik today." The student's eyes shone and he smiled brightly.

He turned to Malik and bowed from the waist. "It will be an honor to fight with you, Ishtar-sensei."

Malik blushed and stood up, motioning for Sento to do the same. "I'm sure we'll have fun. And you can call me Malik. We'll be fighting together after all."

Both bowed to the man sitting on the cushion before moving to an open spot on the mat, other aikido students staring with jealousy at the one who was ready to start bouncing off the walls, everyone wanted the chance to train with Malik, his fighting was incredible.

The two turned to each other and bowed, before jerking back up and standing in a ready position. Sento moved forward first, reaching out to do a basic head strike, but Malik easily grasped the man's arm and flipped him sideways with a first technique. Malik released Sento and the man rolled back before pushing up with his arms to land on his feet. He attacked again, attempting to do a fifth technique, to render Malik's wrist useless, but Malik stopped him and put him off balance with the heaven-and-earth method before he transitioned into a figure-ten throw, where he locked Sento arms in a 't' and threw him onto the floor.

Malik stepped back and waited for Sento to rise again. This was normally how his practices went, he would attack and beat his opponent quickly, then wait for them to be ready to go again.

It went on for a few hours, longer than usual for Malik's opponents, before Sento fell backwards, panting heavily and wincing at every movement. "I'm done. You're amazing, Malik-sensei. I don't think I got one blow in."

Malik sat down next to Sento, not out of breath, but slowly loosening the muscles in his shoulders. "You really weren't that bad. Pretty good, if I say so myself. I had a few close calls back there."

That seemed to put the energy back in him. "Really? You think I'm good? Oh, wow." Sento stood up and bowed to Malik, even though his entire body was protesting. "Thanks, Malik-sensei! I'm going to train even harder now!" With that he smiled and ran off the mats and into the locker room.

Malik looked around, surprised not to see anyone but the master, and stood up, reaching his arms up in a stretch. "Shishou, where is everyone?"

The man chuckled. "After finishing their lesson for the day, they watched you and Sento-san, but they had to leave because my ten o'clock class, the children, is about to come in."

"It's almost ten!" Malik let his head fall back and groaned. "Mahad's gonna kill me."

"I'm glad you came. Sento was thinking about quitting the practice, but the encouragement you gave him should motivate him enough to find the love he had for aikido when he first started." The man shook his head as Malik blushed and smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "You really are amazing, Malik."

"Yeah, well-oomph!" Malik was thrown to the side as fifteen children tackled him to the ground at the same time.

"Malik-sensei! Hehe! We missed you!" "Yay! Are you gonna teach us today?" "Will you show us a new move?" "Did you win your fight today?"
Malik laughed and gently pushed the children off of him. "No, I can't teach you today, I can't. And of course I won!" Malik smirked a little as all the children 'oh'ed.

He stood up and stretched, watching as the children's eyes followed his every movement. "You listen to Chishiki-shishou, alright?"

"Yeah! We all want to work hard to become shinobi, just like you!" Malik blinked before he laughed and rubbed a child's head. "I'm not a ninja, I just practice my fighting a lot."

He walked out, leaving behind children who all waved after him. "Have fun, Shishou!" He called over his shoulder, to which he got a chuckle in reply.


SW: I'm sorry if I didn't portray Yugi playing the violin very well, besides my voice I don't have a musical bone in me, I can't read music and I have never really played an instrument. And that Duke is replacing Rex and Weevil. Oh, Dartz' last name Waru means evil, Sento-ki means fighter so I just shortened it for the guy Malik versed and Chishiki, the master's name, means knowledge.

Yugi: Dartz is in the story already?!
SW: Well, so is Yami if you wanna look at it that way.

Review please! (Phew, I had to a lot of research for this chapter on the Malik part, if I did anything wrong please let me know)