Chapter Two:
Nobody will Help you
Once your Theirs
Yugi scrambled through the hallways, the fairy- which he was still debating whether it was a hallucination or not- fluttering along beside him.
As luck would have it, he turned a corner and ran right into Ushio Tetsu.
"Hello, Yugi." He said, grinning down at the smaller boy.
The fairy fluttered into his hair.
"H-hi, Ushio..." Yugi stuttered.
"Were you just running?" Ushio asked, "In the hallway?"
"Well, that depends." Yugi said, his voice higher than normal with fear, "What do you consider running, like, is it 4 miles per hour, or, like, 7, 'cause, I mean, that's really debatable and-"
Yugi was answered with a kick in the chest.
He gasped bending over, holding it.
"I said," Ushio growled, grabbing Yugi by the front of his uniform, "Were you running in the hallway?"
"Y-yes..." Yugi gasped, the pain still prickling in his chest.
"Well." Ushio's lips gave a sad smile, but his eyes betrayed him. He looked positively amused, "You know what the punishment is."
Yugi nodded rapidly several times, awaiting the beating.
And it came.
Ushio kneed him in the chest from the way they stood, his fist coming across Yugi's face.
The smaller boy cowered on the floor, unable to do much.
Ushio grabbed Yugi by the front of his uniform and pulled his fist back. Yugi cringed but did not flinch.
It's not like it was anything new.
"Unhand him!" Called a voice- deep, handsome, and definitely familiar.
Ushio turned around, and Yugi looked over.
There was a man- No. No. He was a boy. Only 2 years older than Yugi, 17 (How did he know that?)- standing there.
He was tall, sharp eyes outlined with... Was that kohl?... his eyes a dark crimson red that should've brought back memories, but only got a determined look in those eyes.
And he'd only been 7.
His skin was deeply tanned, bringing out the baggy white shirt he wore, along with the skirt-like bottoms that would've made Yugi laugh had he not just been beat the crap out of. He had a blue cape on, and heavy Ancient Egyptian necklaces that could not have been comfortable. He wore gold rings around his neck, forearms and shins,
He had the same pendant as Yugi- an upside-down pyramid with the Eye of Horus on it.
And he was pointing stick at Ushio.
But it wasn't just a stick.
It was a 3-foot long... Staff? Yes that was right... Rounded on one end and sharp on the end.
And he looked more confident than Yugi ever could, his dark eyes glaring into Ushio's back ones.
"I said," The boy said, raising the staff a little higher, "Unhand him."
Ushio laughed aloud.
"What're ya gonna do?" He asked, "Poke me?"
The boy's eyes flashed, and he pulled the staff back.
Faster than Yugi's mind could process, the boy thrust the staff forward there was a flash, and a woosh of heat.
Ushio released Yugi and screamed, running around with his clothes on fire.
The boy simply flicked the staff, and the fire died.
He walked right up to Ushio, calmly- He definitely had the air of someone powerful and confident- and got right in his face.
His smile died, replaced with a snarl.
He grabbed Ushio and shoved him into a wall.
"If you ever treat my brother- or anyone, for that matter- like that, ever again, I will find you." His eyes narrowed, "Next time, I won't be so nice."
He released his hands from Ushio's shoulders, and the guy went scrambling down the hallway.
The boy looked at Yugi- who was currently having some serious nostalgia to something he couldn't pin down- and smiled.
"Good to see you again." He said, "Do you remember me?"
"I-I..." Yugi said in absolute intelligence.
"I'll take that as a no." The boy said sadly, "My name is-"
"Atem." Yugi said, the memory coming to him as fresh as a new day, "Atem. Your name is Atem. You're my older brother."
Atem smiled.
"So you do remember?" He asked.
He didn't jump up and down, or rock back and forth on the balls of his feet. He was positively poised and proper.
And it was a little annoying.
"B-bits and pieces..." Yugi said quietly.
The fairy fluttered out of his hair- straight towards Atem.
"I'm sorry Your Highness!" She wailed, "I couldn't do anything against that guy! I'm just a fairy! We're not really made for fighting, you know-"
"It's alright, Grelidina." Atem said, "It is not your fault."
The fairy seemed so relieved, she might cry.
"Thank you!" She said, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
Atem smiled.
"You know I don't make a habit of punishing those who at least tried."
She bowed several times.
"Thank you, sir!"
"She called you 'Your Highness', like, twice." Yugi stated intelligently.
That is, to say, not intelligently at all.
"Yes, well, she is in servitude to the Kingdom, after all-"
"Look." Yugi spat, standing up, "I've been having a really bad day. A really bad couple of weeks, actually. Nightmare after nightmare after nightmare! And you know what, I'm a little tired of it! So if someone could stop being so damn vague maybe I could get along with whatever's happening to me a little better! I already see things, what's an little bit more of crazy, huh!?"
Atem stared at him.
"Whoever you are, whatever you're here for, after 10 fucking years, mind you, lay it on me! WHAT THE HELL DO I CARE!?"
"Yug... Are you alright?"
Joey was coming up the hallway.
He must have been in the washroom down the hall when Yugi was yelling.
Yugi spluttered and screamed, running his hands through his hair.
"No!" He shouted, "No, I'm not!"
"Yugi." Atem said, "If you'll listen, I'll talk."
Yugi turned on him, eyes blazing
He threw his hands in the air.
"Fine. Whatever. Screw it. Talk."
"Well-"
The windows shuddered, and Atem paled.
"Both of you, follow me." He said, seriousness present in his voice, "Now."
Yugi somehow knew that voice- worry.
He'd always hated it when people worried, but with windows shuddering like that, Yugi figured he had every right to be worried.
He turned and ran down the hall, Yugi and Joey scrambling behind them.
"So, Yug." Joey said, "Who is this guy?"
"My brother."
Joey tilted his head.
"I didn't know you had one of those."
"Neither did I until about 5 minutes ago."
Atem's eyes shot to the windows and he turned around, grabbing them around the back of the necks.
"GET DOWN!" He shouted, pulling them down.
Almost simultaneously, the windows shattered inwards, and the creatures from Yugi's nightmares flooded the room.
Dark, purpley-black blobs, with faces changing a thousand different times.
Dolls.
Yugi almost screamed.
He was terrified of those things, they were always in his nightmares.
Joey was curled into a ball, whimpering, and muttering,
"No..." He whispered, "No, leave Serenity alone... Please... PLEASE!"
Soon he was shrieking, and Yugi didn't know what to do.
So, he rounded on his brother.
"HELP HIM!"
"He must fight his own way out, or I could shatter his mind."
Yugi had had enough with his brother already.
10 years and not a ruddy birthday card.
He placed his hand on Joey's shoulder.
"Joey..." He said quietly.
Joey gripped Yugi's wrist, as if trying to find a way out through him.
"It's not real." Yugi said.
"I-it feels real..." Joey whispered, his pupil-less eyes looking up at his friend.
"I know you can hear me, but you need to see me." Yugi said, "Fight those things. Screw the probation. You have to."
His voice was more confident than it had been in years.
Joey struggled.
Yugi screamed as lights were shattered, the Shadows swirling across the ceiling.
"YUGI!" Joey screamed, gripping to him tighter.
"I'm okay, Joey, I'm okay! Just... Fight them. Please."
He hadn't meant for his voice to crack, but he knew what would happen if Joey lost his fight.
He'd be gone.
Forever.