*Somewhere in a graveyard* It was dark. Creepy mist floated everywhere. The camera zooms into a headstone. ktkat9. Suddenly, a hand breaks free of the earth. "I livvvve!" Now that that is done, I'm back with another chapter XD. Thank you all for your patience and all of your reviews. They really make my day and inspire me to work faster. Again, I am sorry for the wait, but here is the next chapter. Enjoy!

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"Does anybody have any idea what did this?" Tea asked wearily.

"Judging by the mark, I have a few theories. However, taking into account Yugi's reaction, I can only think of one." Duke's reply was grim and he never lifted his head from where he'd been spacing out. After Yugi's breakdown, we had put him to bed in Duke's room. Joey occupied the bed in the living room, while the rest of us were in the kitchen.

"You know what did this, Duke?" Tristan asked. "Joey's tough. I can't imagine this thing going down easy, whatever it is."

"You're right. It won't be easy to take down, but right now, the real problem will be Joey." I turned towards the small voice. Yugi was standing in the doorway, rubbing either sleep or tears from his eyes. I couldn't tell.

"I know, but it really looked worse than it was. Plus, Tea had her supplies with her, so it won't get infected or anything. Joey should be back to . . ."

"Don't say normal! I know what attacked him and he won't be back to normal! I could have prevented it this time . . . but now . . ." he trailed off, tears falling, tail wrapped tightly around his lag, while his ears were flat against his head. "It's the same thing, all over again." He whispered.

"What do you mean, 'same thing'?" I asked, hugging him close, trying to calm him down.

"Yami," Duke walked up to us, "Give him to me. I'll be back in a minute." He wrapped his arms around Yugi and gently guided him back to the bedroom. I stared after them, worried. The closest I'd ever seen Yugi to his current state was back when I'd first met him.

"Yami,"I looked up as Tristan put a hand on my shoulder. "Do you know who 'Atem' might be?"

Sighing, I shook my head. "No. I have no-"

"Atem was Yugi's best friend." Duke walked back in, looking tired. He strode past us and sat down heavily in his seat. "Before I begin, I should warn you that this is a long story, and you should probably sit down." We each pulled out a chair and sat around the small kitchen. "Where do I begin?" he murmured absently, then closed his eyes. "Five years ago, I got captured. I was just flying around the mountains when somebody shot right through my wing. They were waiting for me when I landed. Knew how to subdue me instantly. When I woke up, I found myself in a large steel cage. One of many. There were rows and rows of them. Werewolves, fellow vampires, there was a tank in the back for aquatic creatures like merfolk and sirens, naga, kitsune," he bowed his head. "And Yugi. He was in a cage across the isle from me. Of course, I didn't know him then, but he was the only neko I saw. He asked if I was alright, then explained where we were. Apparently, his first Master had liked the idea of there being mystical creatures. Enough to capitalize on it. He met Yugi, and then used his resources to track and trap all sorts of creatures. His butler ended up getting bit by a werewolf, so he was used as muscle and as a tracker. Pretty soon, the man, he made everyone call him 'Boss', he had a private zoo like no other. Then he began getting a clientele. People would come to see, sometimes even buy, or sell, us. Occasionally, he would have some perform. Yugi was his prized attraction because, as his neko, he was duty- bound to do anything Boss wanted him to." He paused to collect his thoughts. "It was hell. One day, a man brought his son. He showed him around, pointing to all of us, saying that nothing was impossible. Trying to show the boy that Boss had become so successful that he was able to capture fables themselves. Beasts, creatures, prizes. He referred to us as though we were nothing more than trophies. The boy looked sickened."

He paused, and I saw something flash in his eyes briefly, but it was gone before I could tell what it was.

"He looked horrified and disgusted, and, at first, I thought he was just another rich snob not wanting to mingle with the likes of 'foul beasts' such as ourselves. But then, the dad wanted to talk to Boss. He'd caught a creature and wanted to sell it. They left the boy to see what a powerful man could do. As soon as the door closed, he was on his knees by Yugi's cage.

/Flashback /

"Easy, easy. I won't hurt you. I know you can talk, so I know you can understand me." The boy knelt down outside the cage of the little, lone neko. The neko that looked like him. Though, while the boy was tan, the neko was pale. And he was a bit taller, too. But, otherwise, they looked remarkably similar.

"Wh- What do you, um, want?" came the timid reply.

"What I want," the boy whispered, "is to end all this inhumanity; they call you all beasts and monsters, while they do this for sport and profit. Father and all the others are too stubborn to release you, so I promise to do what I can. Will you trust me?"

The neko, until this point, had huddled himself against the back of his cage in fear. But now, with the boy tentatively sticking his hand through the bars of his prison, staring with such serious crimson eyes, he slowly crept forward, never removing his gaze. As this was still his first Master, he'd never met any human who treated him as anything other than dirt. Maybe, at best a mildly cute pet. But this boy was different. He asked for nothing, outside of trust. The neko, timidly, decided to trust his instincts and reached out his paw, placing it in the stranger's hand.

"My name is Atem. Atem Ferro. Do you have a name?"

"No. Master only calls me Neko." Neko whispered back.

"Hmm. Would it be alright if I named you, then?"

"Master says only can name me."

"Well, I can't just call you 'Neko'. I know. How about a nickname?"

"Nickname?"

"It's not your name, but still something that one or a few people are allowed to call you. For example, my friend Marik likes to call me 'Pharaoh,' because that's how you pronounce my last name."

"Atem. We're leaving." His father called.

"I'll come visit soon. And I'll think of a nickname for you, okay?"

"Okay. Bye."

/Flashback end/

"The boy left with his father and Boss led in his new purchase. A pure white Pegasus that he chained to the wall near us. Anyway, I'm getting off topic. Atem managed to get a job from Boss as our caretaker. He and Yugi got closer and closer. They were almost brothers. He ended up giving Yugi the nickname 'Aibou,' which means 'partner'. Atem promised to find a way to free us all, but since the guards were known for killing any escapees, and the fact that Yugi was bound to Boss, that proved to be easier said then done. Two years went by, and no way out was found. Atem took to sneaking us things from the outside world. Yugi had lost two of his lives, once when a naga got loose, and again when a siren tried to posses a guard. She couldn't control him and he ended up going crazy. There were about seven casualties, including Yugi. When Atem found the next day what had happened, he freaked. After that, he became very protective of Yugi. Unfortunately, he couldn't protect him from everything. Not even himself.

/Flashback/

"Good morning, Aibou." Atem opened the cage door, holding breakfast in one hand, while the door, key, and a candy cane were in the other.

"Morning." He yawned, blinking the sleep from his eyes, and walked towards his friend. "What did you bring today?"

"A few sugar cubes for the Silent one," Atem replied, using the common nickname for the pegasus, "A set of dice for Duke, so he can stop threatening to bite me," he glared playfully at the vampire, "and I managed to find a candy cane for you. Careful. Take the plastic off first." His grin brightened as he watched the neko's eyes go wide, and then roll back and close with a blissful sigh as he savored his treat. Atem reached his hand out and scratched his friend behind the ears.

*Purrrrrrrrrrr*

"I thought you might like that. Anyway, here's breakfast. I'll be back after I've finished-"

*Crash*

"Shit! Help! Guards, he's trying to escape!" they both spun around to see what was going on a few rows down. A large werewolf was already fighting three guards.

"Aibou, stay here. I have to help." Atem swung the door shut and ran off, not glancing back to see Aibou wedge his candy cane in the latch and ease his way out. Atem would need help. The werewolf had already knocked out two guards and wounded the other.

It was backed into a corner by the time Atem got to the scene, and the remaining guard had just raised his tranquilizer gun, when the werewolf suddenly lunged forward, swinging his massive paws like the dangerous weapons they were. The gun went flying and he focused on the guard. Atem turned and ran for the gun, but the werewolf was faster.

The world suddenly moved in slow motion for Aibou, as he was just in time to see fangs sink into his friend's forearm. "Atem!" He ran as fast as he could for the fallen boy.

While the beast was distracted by Atem, the guard had managed to retrieve the gun and fire. The werewolf hit the ground, but the damage was already done. Aibou reached Atem's side, the guard hauling the unconscious monster from the room to where the dangerous exhibits were put.

/Flashback end/

"Yugi didn't know what happens when a werewolf bites someone. Atem did, but, well, he couldn't really say anything. While everyone else was busy with the werewolf and the injured guards, Yugi got Atem into the night guard's room. Nobody ever went in there, but there was a bed, and it was close." Duke paused again.

My mind was reeling. Yugi, my Yugi, had been through all that? No wonder he'd been so scared of me at first. His first Master had put him in a zoo to make money off him. That creep, Boss, or whoever, hadn't even given him a name.

"What happened to Atem?" Tea asked.

"Tristan, you know what happens when a human is bitten by a werewolf, right?" Duke didn't look to keen on the idea of explaining.

I glanced at Tristan, feeling worried when I saw his expression. When he spoke, it was as if he was reading straight from a book. "A full moon means nothing. The idea is thought to have come from the 'first transformation,' or first time a new werewolf transforms. It is always when the sun sets on the day they were bitten. They," he looked away, towards the living room, and swallowed thickly. Then he whispered, "They go crazy, destroying anything in their path. Once the night is over, they're sane again, and the human DNA and wolf DNA can coincide in the same body. I'm guessing that's what happened to Atem?"

" . . . Yeah. He kept trying to tell Yugi to go away, to get somewhere safe, but Yugi wouldn't listen. Atem began to transform, but by the time Yugi realized what was going on, it was too late. He . . . he tried to release us. He got Silent unchained and my cage unlocked. I-I saw him get hit. Atem was after anything that moved, and Yugi was moving. I flew up to the rafters and saw the whole thing." Duke. Big, strong, vampire Duke had tears in his eyes. "He killed everyone. I couldn't bear to see anymore, so, when I knew I wouldn't be able to do anything to help, I . . . I left. I know it as horrible, but I couldn't fight him. I couldn't bring myself to go back down there. I don't know what happened after that, but I heard on the grapevine that no humans ever saw Atem again, but there was a new rouge werewolf in the area."

We were all silent.

"So now you see. We need to find somewhere for Joey." I turned around and saw Yugi, teary-eyed, but determined.

"Yugi, I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

"it was a different life. Right now, we need to focus on Joey. Since it's already night, we only have until he wakes up. After that," his gaze wavered and he suddenly looked like my scared neko again.

Tristan spoke up. "Maybe we could use one of the storage units next door. They keep all the empty units unlocked, and they're made of, like, steel and concrete."

"Sounds good."

"Yeah."

"I agree. Except, how will we get him there?" I asked.

"I'm a vampire. I'm a lot stronger than I look. Granted not as strong as an insane werewolf, but still-" He was suddenly cut off by the sound none of us wanted to hear.

*Thump*

"HOOOOOWWWWWWWWWLLLLLLLLLLLL"

Joey had woken up.

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Dun dun dun. Sorry about the long wait, but here is the next chapter! By the way, I had an idea that somebody should make a one-shot of! What if Ushio,( from season 0 ) had actually thought that Yugi was getting picked on by Joey and Tristan? And he had been only trying to defend Yugi when he beat them up? Like, no 'I'm a jerk doing this to show my power and blackmail people out of their money,' but he was actually trying to make friends with Yugi? Somebody should do that, you know, if you want.

NEXT CHAPTER: Avoiding the big bad wolf, and that's not the only problem . . . (is it ever?) see you there! And please remember to review! X3