Angel of Heaven, My Guardian Dear

Tenshi: Well, personally, I can't believe that I'm writing this next chapter. But Lily-chan REALLY wanted it (and this story IS dedicated to her) so I decided 'what the heck?'. I know that the previous chapter was a bit confusing. Turns out that I think that I made a mistake. That was actually supposed to be the prologue and THIS is supposed to be chapter one. -_- *sigh* Sorry about that. Anyway, lots of you sounded as unsure as I am about this story but I'm gonna continue and see what happens. Usually, I just ask for two reviews per chapter, but if you guys could, will you PLEASE review. I think I'm gonna need LOTS of encouragement to get through this. Anyway, enjoy the REAL chapter one! Have fun!

Disclaimer: You guys should already know the drill. I'm not going through this again.

Apology: Many apologies to everyone, especially Lily-chan. I'm sorry you had to wait so long for the update! -_- Forgive me! Also, I just want to thank Lily-chan since she kept nagging me (^_~) to update this. This ones for you chica! ^^ I hope you like this!

Note: Just to let everyone know, I've thought it over and this story WILL be shonen-ai. NOT YOAI. I don't write that kind of stuff. Also, if any of you don't like shonen-ai, can you at least try to still read? I'm not really gonna do anything really graphic, so most stuff you should be able to take as deep friendship. However, if this bothers you too much, then please do not read this. I do respect your opinions, but I do not wish to be flamed because I simply have different views. Thanks to all that understand. YOU RULE! ^_^

Chapter One: The Big Bad Angel

"An angel of darkness does not always choose to love an angel of light. There's more to it than that." ~ Sarah (yeah, I know, she's weird, but she's a good friend of mine)

Yami was, at the same time, the most unpopular and most well liked angel in Heaven.

It was easy to spot why he was well liked. His unsurpassed looks practically guaranteed numerous gaping mouths. His untamed hair was one of two features that hinted at his personality. The hair was mostly raven, with crimson tips, lightening strips of gold ran up through the black portion, and it finished off with a crown of golden bangs. His body was lithe and lean and though he was smaller than most angels, he had a darkening presence that made him seem taller. His head was always held up high, arrogantly so, with the features that made one feel as though they were in the presence of royalty. Tanned skin showed sun exposure but it was clear that this being was used to an easy life.

It was his eyes, though, that were his most interesting feature.

To name them just one color would be an insult. An impassionate being would simply say that they were a mix of red and purple. Others, those that felt a longing to understand the intensity that was hidden beneath those eyes, said that they were a swirling vortex of ageless crimson and that splashes of amethyst were here and there. They were gems that seemed to have the ability to see right through one's soul. He seemed to see one's innermost secrets and weaknesses. Then his mouth, that tempting pair of lips, would smirk and it would drive one mad wondering what it was that occurred in his mind.

However, there was a problem- no one could seem to put up with him.

Some people, who tried to retain a polite sense of things, said that he was simply a taciturn man and who saw no point in opening up to anyone. Others, furious at finding that there was no way to possess the captivating creature, muttered that he was anti-social and had a heart of ice that not even an angel could melt. Yami said little but the little he said bruised many a pride and crushed many hearts- regardless of gender. Not a word of insult seemed to fall upon his ears, however, and it only made the rest of the angels more bitter towards him. He answered to no authority and what he did; he did of his own free will. This made the Elders, the leaders of the angels, into a bunch of wrecks for never was there an angel they could not control. Should one ask someone in heaven, they would say that it always seemed as though Yami was all-powerful.

However, this did make him immune to boredom.

'If this is supposed to be paradise,' Yami thought, as he lounged around, 'I think people should edit the brochure, because I don't think you're supposed to get BORED in paradise!'

Because of his constant disregard for authority, the Elders decided that Yami was not to be entrusted with a mission more serious than fetching another angel and even that was uncertain to come through. While it shouldn't have bothered Yami that much, what with not having to worry about any missions and all, he found himself bored to tears for what seemed to be the rest of eternity.

'I should do something to spice things up around here,' Yami yawned. 'A nice prank on the Elders sounds good.' He smirked. The idea was tempting. Oh, what the hell. He might as well do it. The idea in mind, he started off on a brisk walk.

All around him, angels gathered or busied about. Most were with friends, eagerly chatting about their affairs. Some were guardian angels about to head off on their mission; other guardians had just arrived and were looking forward to a short break. Everywhere there was happy, happy, happy- and it was starting to drive Yami crazy.

'For a place that is supposedly so perfect,' Yami growled. 'Why do I always feel as though I'm missing something?'

For as long as he could remember, this feeling had haunted him. It was as though some part of him was missing and it made him irritable that he could not find the one thing that could make him complete. After awhile he began to deny that he had even felt anything of the sort. Yet, even though it seemed as though he had a heart of ice, he still felt a stab of pain whenever he saw a mated pair of angels. But it was ridiculous! He was the one that no angel could claim as their lover! He shook his head, hoping to rid himself of this madness.

Little did he know, as he was so deep in thought, that every single angel made sure to stay out of his way. Even though their mouths still moved in conversation, hungry eyes watched his every move. They wanted desperately to know him, understand him, grasp him with their hands so that he could be defined down to his finest point. Yet, his crimson eyes always flashed warning and as strong as their longing was, their fear was even stronger. So none dared to make a move toward him- well, almost none.

"Oh, Yami-kun!" a shrill voice shrieked. "Yami-koi, I found you!"

Yami closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe. 'Please, don't let it be her,' he prayed. 'Please don't let it be her.' He glanced back and winced. It was her.

"Oh, Yami-koi!" a lovely girl angel threw her arms around Yami and nuzzled into his neck. "I missed you."

Rolling his eyes, Yami replied, "I missed you, too."

The girl's eyes lit up as she looked up at him, "Really?"

"No," was the dry response. "Now let go of me, Rina." He pried her arms off of him and continued to walk away from her.

The girl pretended to pout. Realizing that it wasn't doing her any good, as Yami was still walking away, she flipped back her sea-green hair and followed him. "Y'know, Yami," the girl stuck her nose arrogantly into the air., "You should treat me nicer. Not every angel can say that they know everything that is going on in heaven since they are Messengers. "

'Why does she continue to think that I care?' Yami didn't even glance back at her, but continued with his brisk stride.

Suddenly bored, Rina started to play with her hair, a sure sign that she was about to spread some gossip. "The weirdest thing happened today," she didn't care if Yami listened to her or not. She talked just for the need for it. "I was over by the Council Building, when I saw Ryou. You know him right? The pale wimpy dude? Anyway, normally that wouldn't be so interesting , I mean, he's such a loser, but there was someone else with him. At first, I thought it was you. But then I thought how silly that was. You would never stoop to that level. Besides, this child was mortal. Anyway, the boy did really look just like you. It was way weird."

Yami stopped suddenly. Normally, he would have been surprised that he had been listening to this girl at all, but there was no time for that. He sent Rina a look of disbelief . "What do you mean a mortal boy that looks like me?" That sounded too weird even for Rina.

Ecstatic that she now had her beloved Yami's attention, the girl continued on eagerly, " Well, he doesn't look _exactly_ like you. I mean, you're _way_ cuter than he could ever be. But anyway, it comes pretty close. I mean, same hair style, 'cept you have more blond, and his eyes are wide and purple. Oh, and he's short. I mean, really, really, short. He's merely a child! It's almost laughable to compare the two of you..."

After this, Yami turned away from the girl, blocking out the rest of her words. A child that bore the same looks as him? Dare he go check this out? Hell, it wasn't like he had anything else to do! His prank could wait.

"...and what a bunch of losers! I'm telling you that Ryou is a measly little nobody. I still don't get why the Elders chose him to be the Angel of- hey! Where you going?" Rina had just now realized that Yami was no longer listening to her but instead had disappeared into the crowd of angels. "Yami-koi? Yami-koi!"

Rina shouted her rage onto heaven, "Why does he always leave me?"

"Be quiet!" someone threw a cherub halo at her, effectively shutting her up. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *

The irony of this almost made Yami laugh. Countless times he had sneaked out of the Council Building, if only to escape a lecture or a punishment. Now here he was trying to sneak _into_ the building. Yami would have laughed if it hadn't meant that he would've been caught.

'Boy, Rina sure hope that she wasn't fibbing with that big mouth of hers,' Yami thought as he slipped yet another guard.

Not that it was hard to sneak into or out of the Council Building. Unless you anything short of a demon, it wasn't like the guards were going to exterminate you on sight. Still, it wasn't an adventure without some danger so Yami decided to just make sure that he wasn't sighted. He rolled his eyes as he passed a group of guards playing poker. They really were just there for decoration.

'Bingo,' Yami smirked as he came upon the Grand Council Room. If this child was to be anywhere, this would be Yami's first guess. If Rina's information was true than the boy had only just been brought today. All new cases were to be brought to the Grand Council room. Even Yami knew that. Glancing both ways down the hall way, Yami moved forward to the wide door. Bracing himself, he opened the door, hoping that the darn door didn't creak.

It didn't.

Quickly, he shut the door behind him and slid into the shadows of the room.

The Grand Council Room was the most fancy of the rooms, in Yami's opinion. It was sort of like a courtroom, where business decided, roles appointed, and problems were solved. There were six swirling vortexes, gates which lead to the six worlds. One need only enter one portal to find themselves in a different world completely. However, this Yami already knew and he focused his attention on what was happening in the middle of the room.

The Elders stood straight and noble, stately as ever. However, even from Yami's position, he was surprised to see a hint of fear and worry dancing around in their eyes. Standing before them was Ryou. While Yami didn't agree with Rina's description of Ryou being a wimp, he had never really met the angel and so did not really care. He always figured that the angel had a sort of gloomy position, but had just figured that this was just because of his position as the Angel of-

He sucked in a breath.

Rina had been right, in a way. There _was_ a mortal boy that looked like him. But it seemed almost insulting the way she had so simply described him. Yami felt a feeling prick him, a feeling that he was sure he had never before felt in his immortal life. He was actually interested in a being, so far as to being curious. Never before had he been curious about anyone. It was strange.

However, he did not have much time to think this over as all of the sudden one of the Elders began to speak.

"I regret," he spoke slowly, showing that he was sincere, "that this situation has worsened to this degree."

Yami's brow furrowed. What situation? If this mortal child had simply died, he saw no reason to act so grave.

The Elder continued, "However, we know that we must act quickly and we hope that you will trust us enough to go with however we plan to protect you."

Yami could see his double pale as he simply nodded.

Another Elder spoke this time, "So, Ryou, will you be so kind as to fill us in on the situation. Remember, every single detail is important. We must not allow our guard to be put down where it concerns him."

Yami's ears strained to hear what was going on, but Ryou spoke too softly. 'Damn it, boy' Yami frowned as he began to lean forward. 'Speak up! Jeez, how does he expect anyone to overhear if he speaks too low?' Still straining to hear something, Yami realized a second too late that he had been leaning to far. His equilibrium off balance he crashed over one of the benches, alerting everyone to his presence.

"Who's there?" Elder #1 voice sounded furious. "You there! Come forth!"

Embarrassed and angry at himself for letting himself get caught, Yami brushed himself off and strode forward. As the Elders soon recognized him, he made note that sort of weariness entered their eyes. Perhaps they would not be so harsh since apparently they were so tired of him. Ryou, he was surprised to see, simply hid a laugh behind his hand. Yami kept his chin high. There was no way he was going to make a fool of himself- well, twice. However, his crimson eyes couldn't help but notice a pair of gentle, amethyst eyes widened in surprise. Apparently, he wasn't the one shocked to find out that he had a double.

Standing before the Elders, Yami pretended not to notice Ryou and his mortal twin as he crossed his arms, "Yes, sir?"

A younger Elder snapped, "What do you think you are doing, Yami? Why must you always stick your nose where it doesn't belong?"

'Blah, blah, blah,' Yami simply blinked back at the man. He had been scolded too many times to really listen to all that the man had to say. Again, his eyes caught sight of the mortal child and for some reason he was smug to see that the boy was biting back a smile at Yami's behavior. Well, that only seemed to encourage Yami.

"Yes, well, sir," the angel interrupted the Elder. He began to stride over to his double. "One must admit that this case seems very interesting. How can one _not_ be interested?"

The Elders paled.

"What do you know about this case?" Elder #3 barked.

Yami smirked as he strolled over toward his twin. He was very fond of mind games, so he had practically perfected the ability to bluff. He wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders, "Oh, what _don't_ I know about this case? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Did you guys really think that you could keep this under wraps for long? Not that I blame you, of course. You poor guys. You five must have a lot on your shoulders." The boy's face turned red and he seemed to struggle to not laugh. Yami was impressed. This boy did not even know him, yet could seem to tell that Yami had not the slightest clue of what he was talking about. Yes, this child was very interesting.

At Yami's words, all five of the Elders stiffened. They sent him glowering looks, plainly displeased at his contact with the young child. Yami didn't care. In their minds, he had only one reputation. They didn't know him and Yami couldn't care less about it.

Deciding that he might as well have his fun, Yami held the boy close to him and began to sort of lazily stroll around the edge of the room, the six portals right behind him. He could feel the boy's racing heart beat and saw that the face had turned completely red. Yami didn't know what was more fun. This boy or teasing the Elders.

Ryou looked a little uncomfortable, but only because of the short distance between the two twins and the portals. He reached out a hand to drag the younger boy back, but for some reason seemed hesitant to take him away from Yami's teasing.

The Elders seemed simply furious. "Yami, you will cut out this nonsense at once," Elder # 1 snapped. "You will or-"

"Or what?" Yami taunted, holding the boy tighter, but making sure that he didn't hurt him. "You'll do what?"

Suddenly, Elder #5, the youngest and most rash of the five Elders, did something that was completely unexpected. "Give him back, Demon," Elder #5 gather some sun beam energy and shot it right at Yami.

"You fool!" Elder #1 cried.

Instinctively, Yami shielded the boy with his body. 'What am I doing?' he thought. But there was no chance to think. The beams missed both Yami and Yugi, but the force knocked Yami's equilibrium off balance once more. As he fell backwards, once more instinct kicked in and he made sure that his grip around the boy was tight. The last thing Yami knew, it felt as though he was falling through brightly colored nothing, before all went dark.

He and his look-a-like had just fallen through a portal.

*End

Tenshi: ^^ Well, that's it for now. Sorry about the crummy ending. I hope you guys still review anyway. I don't know when I will be able to update this again, since 'The Past Is Present' is still my top priority. (It WILL be updated SOON, I swear! *grumble* *grumble*) But, please, PLEASE, pretty please, review this story. Constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated as once more I don't know what the heck I'm doing. Compliments will be bowed before in awe. Anyway, please leave a good review, and until next time, C'ya! ^_^