Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Tainted Soul

Chapter One

A lone girl walked silently through the cemetery. With her pale skin and white dress, one would might have thought her to be a ghost among the graves. Fortunately not many people were in the cemetery at this time of night, however, the few that were lingering with the dead were not the type she wanted to cross. The girl stopped in front of a weathered tombstone and dropped to her knees, not caring about dirtying her dress. Her dark hair fell forward, hiding her face as she bowed her head.

"I'm sorry…" Akeno whispered as a solitary tear slid down her cheek.

She traced the engravings on the stone just below two names with her fingers. "Beloved friends and parents", it read. After a few moments, she stood, wiped her eyes and with a dull ache in her chest, continued down the path.

Silence surrounded and unnerved her much unlike her other visits. Akeno hugged herself in an attempt to fight off the chill in the air. In the distance a crow screeched then suddenly a figure jumped out ahead of her. She screamed and took a step back.

The figure moaned and as it came closer, she realized its face was marred and large eyes bulged out of its sockets. Just behind her, another zombie-like figure, though much shorter, appeared laughing. To her right, someone resembling Frankenstein's monster stepped out from behind a tombstone, blocking her way.

"You've entered the lair of the living dead!" shouted the smallest one in a shrill voice.

"Give us your locator cards and we'll let you live, girlie," said the first.

Akeno realized they were just in costume. But this knowledge barely comforted her, they were just as dangerous.

"I don't have any locator cards," she said, trying to keep her voice calm.

"I t'ink she's lyin', Sid," said the Frankenstein one.

The one he addressed removed his mask, revealing a tangle of red hair. Sid, as he was called, leered at her through small framed glasses. The other two followed suit, unmasking faces just as ghoulish as their costumes.

"Now she wouldn't be dumb enough to do that, would ya?" Sid grinned at her. She gulped, not liking his tone one bit.

"Show us your deck then," the short one ordered.

"I-I don't duel," she said, backing up as the three cornered her.

"No locators. No cards. We can't just let her go, can we? She's gotta give us something first, right boys?" drawled Sid.

The other two chuckled as the circle around her tightened.

"Please, I-I don't have anything you want. Just let me go," she pleaded.

"I wouldn' say dat," Zygor laughed watching her press her back against a tombstone in a vain attempt to disappear.

"Eh, Bonz, you got any spare rope back there?" asked Sid, eying the frightened girl.

"Rope?"

Sid scoffed. " From those nooses we made in the trees to scare duelists," he replied. "We had some left over, didn't we?"

"Uh, yeah but aren't we supposed to be getting locator cards? The finals are hours away and if we don't-"

"Quit your whinin'. We'll get the cards just after we have a little fun first," said Sid, agitated.

"Yeah, Bonz, besides we haven' had a soul for hours."

Bonz sighed and went off to retrieve therope.

"I wan' her first," said Zygor seizing her wrist. She cried out and tried shaking him loose but his grip was too tight.

"No way! Keeping her was my idea, you numskulls would've set her loose if it wasn't for me!" argued Sid, grabbing her from him.

"Dats not fair!"

"Since when is life fair?" grinned Sid as Bonz came back carrying a coil of rope. "Here, toss it over that tombstone," he ordered, pointing to a large stone cross.

Sid dragged Akeno over and tied her wrists together despite her struggling. Once the knot was secure, Zygor tugged on the rope hauling her off the ground. She screamed. This can't be happening to me, she thought frantically.

"Stop it! Let me down! Please!" she cried as tears welled in her eyes.

They chortled in amusement at her feeble attempts to free herself.

"Now be a good girl and do what we say," Sid said lifting the hem of her dress.

"No!" she cried, kicking him hard in the stomach.

He doubled over briefly- the blow didn't hurt but it angered him just as well.

The other two laughed at him. "Looks like the girl sure showed you. If you can't handle her, I sure can." Zygor snickered.

"Shut up!" Sid yelled at them then he turned back to her. "You're gonna pay for that you little wench!" He punched her in the gut, knocking the breath out of her.

"Sid! Someone's coming!" Bonz said as a flock of crows flew up from the trees.

He growled. "I'll deal with you later," Sid warned, "Not one word or we'll have to be rough on you."

Akeno shook from crying and trying to regain her breath. She could only watch helplessly as they hid ready to ambush the newcomer just as they did her.

Through the darkness she could see a figure walking along the path. From what she could see, he looked about her age or maybe a little older with long white hair that stuck out in random angles. Once he came into sight, the three jumped out at him. He seemed more confused than scared. Zygor went to attack him from behind but the boy side stepped him, taking off his mask and pinning his arm behind his back all in one quick move. The boy noticed a dropped duel disk and raised a brow.

"So you are duelists," he said, his voice gruff and laced with an accent unfamiliar to Japan. "If this is how you intimidate the competition you're even more hopeless than you look." He roughly pushed Zygor away and eyed the trio confidently.

Akeno's thoughts swam. Maybe he can help me, she thought, ready to cry out to him. But… if he needs saving himself, I might get myself into more trouble by yelling… She bit her lip.

"If we're going to duel then take off your mask and show me your face," said the boy smirking.

Bonz pulled off his mask, grinning. "I'm afraid you don't stand a ghost of a chance in a duel against me. So put up your locator card and let's do this!"

The boy took a clear card from his back pocket and opened his mouth to speak. Suddenly, his necklace which Akeno hadn't noticed before emitted a golden glow. The boy looked puzzled as one of its sharp dangling pieces lifted and pointed in her direction. His eyes locked onto her and her breath hitched. There was something about the intensity of his gaze that made her nervous. He frowned then replaced it with a smug look. he glow from his necklace stopped and he turned back to the three duelists.

"If you're so confident, why not raise the stakes?" he asked, his eyes gliding back over to her, a wolfish grin on his features, "Winner takes all."


AN: Her name is pronounced (Ah-KAY-No)

PS: I'm in the process of editing this story. Death to typos! (11/30/2012)