I suck at summaries. My writing is horrible, but I can't get this idea out of my head. Un-beta'd. I really hope you guys would be able to enjoy TTvTT

Trigger Warning: semi-graphic depictions of bullying, physical/verbal. Mentions of suicidal thoughts. Please read with caution.

I hope you enjoy!

=000=

With another kick to his stomach, Sendou Aichi let out a yelp. Looking up, he saw one of the kids lifting a fist, and flinched, covering his face with his arms. The fist collided with his neck, and he let out another yelp.

Aichi was trembling now, his arms still raised to cover his face while his knees were close to his chest. He could feel the wall with his back.

"Aichi..." said one of the kids menacingly, pounding his fist to his palm. "You're really weak, aren't you?" he laughed. The other kids laughed with him.

The front of Aichi's shirt was suddenly grabbed, and he was lifted off the ground.

He could only see the crazed smile of the kid who is tormenting him. "Why don't you apologize, huh?" the kid whispered into his ear. "For being the weakling you are, it's pathetic!"

Aichi was then shoved to the ground, his back hitting harshly to the wall behind him.

The kid raised his fist again, and Aichi shut his eyes tight. But even when he shuts his eyes, he could still see the taunting smiles. And it hurts. He wants to cry, but then they'll just hurt him more.

Then, he felt some kind of wind blowing gently on his face. It felt warm, but also cool to his skin. Aichi, however, was too scared to let his arms down. He hunched his shoulders up and pressed his knees closer.

He heard footsteps. They were agonizingly slow that he began trembling. Where's the fist? Where's the pain? He can't even hear the taunting laughter anymore.

...was he finally dead?

The footsteps stopped. Aichi still didn't want to let down his arms.

And then, he heard the most gentle voice he's heard that isn't his mother. "Aichi..." it called out. It was deep, it was gentle, and it was soft.

Aichi was still trembling, but he decided to let his arms down. A person with a voice as gentle as that can't be too bad, right? He can just try to run away if they do turn out bad.

Then, slowly, he opened his eyes. And he saw the kindest, green eyes. A worried face. And gravity-defying brown hair that should be impossible to keep up with simple hair-gel.

The man was crouched in front of him, unmoving, not bothering to touch Aichi. And Aichi liked that, a lot.

"Aichi..." the man called out again, his voice just as soft and gentle as a while ago.

Then, Aichi heard the kindest words he's heard from another person, that wasn't his mom or Emi. "Let me help you."

The next thing Aichi knew, he was reaching for the man with both his hands, tears dropping from his eyes, and his breath hitching. The man scooped him up, and Aichi couldn't help but wrap his arms around the man's neck. He felt warmth on his back, and Aichi let out a soundless sob.

He felt safe. He was going to be okay. He really, really hoped it stayed this way.

000=

It was supposed to be a good day.

Card Capital was closed to host a celebration between cardfighters, a celebration on the defeat of Link Joker. Everyone was happy. They were either in their own Cardfight competition ("Oi! Granny-Glasses! That's cheating!", "It's called playing smart, idiot!"), or having their own conversations ("I see you smiling, Kai-kun~", "...Shut up, Ren." "His wind is quite light today").

It lasted the whole afternoon. Once the lamplights outside turned on, most cardfighters went on home.

"Aichi!" Emi called out, with her best friend Mai behind her. "I'll head on first, okay?"

"Are you sure?" Aichi asked, making a subtle, quick-second glance towards Kamui, who was busy wiping the tables. "It's pretty dark outside."

Emi pouted, clicking her heels while crossing her arms. "I can handle myself, Aichi!" Then she gave her brother a reassuring smile. "Besides, it's not that dark!"

"If you say so," Aichi said, unsure.

Miwa patted Aichi's shoulder with a grin. "Let her go, Aichi! Besides, we all know that she has a better head than the two of us combined!"

Aichi sighed. "Okay," he relented. Emi cheered. He smiled, although worried, at his younger sister. "Be careful, okay?"

"You don't have to tell me that!" she giggled. Then she nodded. "I will! Make sure to text mom that you're coming home late!" The next thing Aichi knew, his younger sister and Mai-chan were already out the doors, giggling and talking about the recent celebration. The chimes of the doorbells rang happily before the door closed.

It was Aichi, Kamui, Kai, Miwa, Leon, and Ren who remained, helping Shin and Misaki clean up the shop.

It was a quiet affair, picking up plastic cups and tying up garbage bags. Even Kamui, Miwa and Ren enjoyed the silence, despite being the initial instigators for anything relating to noise.

However, the moment they were done cleaning, a figure was at the shop's entrance.

"Who could that be?" Shin wondered aloud, his glasses away from the light as he stared intensely at the figure outside. The sub-manager, who was usually a laid-back cat, was standing on all fours on top of the desk, his fur standing and eyes slit. He hissed the moment the figure lifted an arm to the door.

Leon narrowed his eyes. "This person's wind..." he muttered. He glanced to Kai and Aichi in alert. "Whoever they are, they're as dangerous as a fighter possessing Link Joker."

Everyone, sans Shin, brought out their deck.

Without anyone noticing, Aichi winced. His chest began aching, as if something was trying to stab his ribcage broken. He made no movement to ease the pain.

The figure outside slowly pried the door open, entering the shop in fluid movements. The chimes outside gave out an eerie ring.

The moment it stepped into the light, no one could help being slightly nervous at its appearance. It didn't look human, but like a shadow of a person that can move on its own without sticking its whole self to the ground.

Everyone remained standing on high alert.

"Sendou Aichi..." the shadow growled, its voice being an amalgamation of high and low pitches.

Aichi's eyes widened. The pain in his chest finally became unbearable. He felt the monstrous piwer inside of him pulsing rapidly, knocking from within him as if trying to escape. He clutched on his chest, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "N-no way..." he whispered, gritting his teeth and glaring at the shadow.

"Aichi! What is it?!" Kai yelled, worried for the younger boy.

He watched as Aichi took a few steps backwards, his face paling before he fell to the ground. He shuddered before saying, "I-I thought..." but, he was cut off when the shadow chuckled again.

"You thought... you could contain me? Keep me... sealed?" In a blink of an eye, the shadow whirled its way to Aichi's front.

Ren narrowed his eyes.

"Onii-san!" Kamui cried.

Kai tried to run towards Aichi before anything else could happen, but it was too late. He was pushed back by a gust of wind.

"I WILL DRAIN YOUR VERY ESSENCE!" it roared, engulfing the boy with a dark mist that squeazed and choked him. Aichi's cards lay scattered on the floor.

"Aichi!" Misaki and Miwa yelled, too frozen to move.

Suddenly, the mist pulsed, and Aichi stopped struggling from inside.

"Kai!" Ren called, throwing a card to him. "I think this could help."

Kai already knew what card it was. He saw it flying to him in slow motion, and he heard its voice. Its plea. "Help me save my Vanguard..."

He caught the card, and it glowed in his hand. An astral image of Blaster Blade stood beside him with a mighty aura, his sword gripped tightly in his hand. Blaster Blade's eyes narrowed as he lifted his sword, and sprinted up to the shadow. With a grunt, he brought his sword down.

The shadow disappeared, with another harsh gust of wind taking everyone by surprise. Before Blaster Blade could fade away as well, he widened his eyes at the state of his Vanguard.

He reached out a hand, but he instantly disappeared in small sparkles of light.

The room was silent as they all stared at the image of Aichi with quiet horror. Aichi was small, wearing the Miyaji Academy's elementary uniform, with his arms up in defense and knees tucked to his chest. He had cuts and dark bruises littered over anywhere they could see skin.

It was Kai that knocked them out of their daze. He walked up to Aichi, slowly, as if approaching a frightened beast. Aichi seemed to have heard his footsteps, and began to tremble. It broke everyone's hearts.

"Onii-san..." Kamui whispered, unable to understand how Aichi could look like a child, a tortured child.

"Aichi..." Kai gently called out.

It was agonizing to watch Aichi slowly put his arms down.

Leon's eyes couldn't possibly go wider. Ren's face remained indifferent, but his fists were clenched.

When Aichi finally had his arms down, Kai called out again. "Aichi..." and after a few moments, "let me help you."

Misaki couldn't stop the tears as she watched Aichi reach out for Kai, who took the now smaller boy into his arms and began soothing him, rubbing circles on the younger boy's back while whispering reassurances. Aichi didn't let out a single sound, except for small hitches of breaths.

And when the heartbreaking sounds stopped, they found Aichi sleeping in Kai's arms.

"What happened?" Kamui could help asking. "How did onii-san become like that? And what the heck was that shadow?!"

Ren hummed, narrowing his eyes in thought. "Leon said that its strength equalled to that of a Link Joker holder, correct? Maybe, that was Link Joker itself." Then, Ren pocketed his hands and stared at Aichi sadly. "And the reason why it went after Aichi was probably because a portion of Link Joker was inside of him."

Kai tightened his hold on the boy in his arms.

"Well, Aichi-kun definitely can't go home like that," Shin said, giving a small smile. "He can stay with Misaki and I."

No one objected to that. No one left the shop either.

Shin took on the responsibility to call Sendou-san about Aichi staying over.