The Past Is Present
Rating: Still PG13 (mostly for language, I think I suck at violence) Genre: a little more drama in this chapter I hope
Disclaimer: Yami's Tenshi does not own Yugioh! or any of its characters. She also does not own the title and, in fact, barely owns the plot. Most of the plot is based on the magna of Yugioh! (sort of). Also, I don't own the horse 'Spirit'. He's borrowed from a movie. So, please do not sue. Thank-you.
Tenshi: I just want to thank everybody for reading so far. Thanks to the people who reviewed the prologue: Midnight Star, bo, Cabbit, Katya, and Whispering Hope. You guys rule! I am SO glad you all liked the prologue. Also, Cabbit, I DID know that Yami and Seth were cousins, but I sort of forgot when I wrote the prologue. ^^" So, thanks for reminding me! And thanks for the sugar! For people like Katya, who wanted to see how the world's being ruled by Seto, I realize I'm not putting a lot of that in. The plan is to make the next chapter about Seto Kaiba, but until then, he won't be mentioned yet. Sorry!
Chapter 1- Thanks to Midnight Star (for reviewing again!), Razanur (Joey is in this chappie & I'm still thinking about Kaiba ^_^), Finningangirl (Glad you liked it! I think I make it a bit OOC though ^^"), Wingleader Sora Jade (I can't BELIEVE you reviewed this! I absolutely LOVE your stories! You rule!), Yami no Katya (I'm sorry! I love Yugi too! But you're probably gonna kill me after this chapter! Thanks to all the reviewers. You guys are the best! (cries from happiness)
And to all those who want me to continue, as long as I get 2 reviews per chapter, I WILL continue this! ^^ So, please read and review!
Chapter 2: Bullying Thieves and New Friends
Ryou had never felt so hot. Sweat dripped from his brow, his tongue was dehydrated, and his throat burned. "Yugi?" Ryou pulled on his friend's shirt. "Where are we going?" He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his friend but it was useless.
"I'm not sure," Yugi rasped. He was in just as bad condition as his friend. "All I know is we're not going back there again."
Ryou nodded. It wasn't as though they could go back anyway. They had accepted they were lost a while ago. However, Ryou knew that two boys and horse, with no supplies or shelter, would not last long in a desert. "Yugi," he whispered. "We have to find shelter fast."
Yugi licked his lips, trying to bring moisture back onto his skin, but it was useless. His tongue was too dry. "I know, Ryou," he sighed. "But where would we go?" Yugi scanned the hot desert and found it barren. "There's nothing but sand."
Shielding his eyes, Ryou scanned the desert as well. But the sun glared and Ryou saw nothing. He sighed. This sure looked hopeless. "We have to try," he persisted.
"I know," Yugi admitted. He kept gazing out in the distance, while stroking Spirit's neck. The horse was near exhausted and he walked with his head near the ground. Yugi was starting to worry about him.
Suddenly, a faint black dot caught Yugi's attention. If he squinted his eyes just right, he could make out the outlines of several trees. "Ryou," Yugi nudged his white haired friend. "Look over there." Yugi pointed out to the shadows.
Ryou looked over in the direction his friend was pointing. Narrowing his eyes, his heart leapt at the sight of trees. "Those look like trees," he said, slowly. "And where there's trees, there must be-"
"Water," the two boys breathed in water.
Overjoyed at the discovery, Yugi turned to his friend, "Hang on!" Then he nudged Spirit in the ribs. "Spirit," Yugi called down to the stallion. "Look. Over there. Water! Probably lots of it! All we need to do is get to it!"
Spirit glanced up at the shadowy place. His tongue rolled around in his mouth. Water? Could it really be there? He glances back up at Yugi. He had always been fond of the tri haired boy. Always hopeful and usually cheerful, he was hard to dislike. The boy's soft violet eyes were brimming with hope. Spirit turned and faced the oasis's direction. Giving a cry, he reared, warning the boys to hang on, then charged full speed ahead.
"Woah!" Ryou grasped the back of Yugi's shirt and tightened his legs' hold on the stallion's back. He had never been horseback riding before and was now trying desperately to hold on.
"Hang on, Ryou!" Yugi encouraged his friend. The boy's eyes were gazing straight ahead as he took hold of Spirit's mane to hold on. The trees were getting closer and the closer the three got, the more trees Yugi saw. When the three finally arrived, the two boys gasped in awe.
This wasn't an oasis. This was a whole forest! The two boys's gazed around as Spirit slowed and trotted forward.
It was absolutely the most beautiful place either boy had ever seen. The grass was green, flowers bloomed everywhere, the trees were tall, healthy, and bore fruit so ripe that boy's mouths drooled. There was plenty of shade from the cruel sun and it was a major relief to the two boys and the horse. Gaping, the two boys stared in wonder. Something caught Ryou's attention and when he turned to look, he excitedly grabbed Yugi's sleeve. "Yugi!" he pointed straight ahead. "Look! Water!"
Yugi looked forward and saw that his friend was right. A wide river rushed through the large forest and Yugi had never felt his throat be so dry. Spirit stopped at the bank of the river and the two boys quickly got off.
"Look," Ryou pointed at the glistening water. "It's running water. That means it's safe to drink."
The two boys looked at each other then, giving shouts of excitement, rushed forward and plunged into the river. Drinking and splashing, Yugi and Ryou laughed at the sight of the other soaking wet. They started up a water fight and drank until they felt sick. It was of the greatest days for the two former slaves.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *
"Kind of makes you want to live this way forever," Ryou whispered, while he gazed up at the stars from his spot on the hill.
"We sort of can," Yugi laughed. "We're runaway slaves. It isn't like there's many places to go."
After drying off from their water fight in the river, the two friends had gathered what was to them a big feast of all kinds of fruit. It was while they had been eating that they had come to find out why this place was seemingly empty. Each boy had already sunk their teeth into their juicy fruit when the bush next to them rustled. Fearing it to be a wild animal, the two boys had huddled together. Then something sprang out of the bush- a Kuribo. Surprised, both the boys and the duel monster jumped back. The Kuribo seemed very shy and frightened of the two, strange boys. But after offering some fruit and stroking its fur, the two boys's managed to make friends with the small monster. The two had jokingly nicknamed it "Gohan" which meant "rice". The little bundle of fur did look a little like a big, brown rice ball.
Gohan was the last of the duel monsters the two boys met. A while later, a Silver Fang and its mate had happened upon them. Fighting back their fear, Yugi and Ryou again made offerings of the fruit. The two Silver Fangs hadn't, of course, eaten the fruit, but had sniffed it politely. Then, when the innocent beings had stroked the soft white fur and had shown the same signs of affection, the two duel monsters had become just as attached to the boys as Gohan. The male was given the nickname "Kugerou" since he seemed to stay in the shadows. The female was called "Yukina" for the snow white of her fur. The next duel monster they saw put both boys in awe. For not too long after that, an All-Seeing White Tiger strode toward to the two awe-struck boys. Bowing their heads in respect, Yugi and Ryou waited patiently for the duel monster to stop studying them and come up to them, one by one, before petting the large cat monster. The monster had then been named "Hitomi" for as Yugi seriously pointed out; "eyes" was a perfect name for something that was all seeing. No other duel monsters appeared to the two, but Ryou was sure that he had seen a Skull Red Bird fly above and Yugi swore that he had seen a Koumori Dragon lumbering away.
It had taken Spirit quite a while to get used to the strange creatures. But after he had slowly accepted that these monsters were not going to hurt him or the innocent boys, he paid them little mind. Though, Yugi had once caught him letting Gohan swing from his tail.
Now, the two boys lay on a hill they had found, stargazing. Gohan lay between them sleeping. Kagerou and Yukina lay a few feet away. Hitomi lay on a low branch from a tree and Spirit was grazing at the bottom of the hill. A sense of peace and contentment filled them all.
Ryou frowned. "Yugi," he said, sensibly. "If we are going to live here, we're going to need some things." Seeing his friend give him his attention, he continued. "Some other food, like bread, would help and some tools to make a shelter and maybe some blankets would certainly be useful. I think there's a town nearby. I saw some lights when I was coming up here. We can go there and get some supplies."
Knowing his friend was right, Yugi nodded. "But Ryou," he asked. "We were slaves. We don't have any money. How we supposed to get all that stuff?"
Both boys shared a look. They knew how they were going to get the stuff- stealing. Neither boy liked it, but both knew there was no other way.
After contemplating and agreeing on a plan, the two boys finally drifted off to sleep.
~Dream~ (Yugi's POV)
*Help me. Save me.*
I'm standing in a big, dark room. I can't see anything beyond myself. It is all covered in shadows. Why am I here?
*Set me free. I need you to set me free.*
Oh, I'm in this dream again. Why won't it leave me alone? "Don't you understand?" I call out. "I can't help you."
*You must.*
"But I can't," I call back.
A wave of unbearable sadness strikes me. It feels as though my heart is getting broken over and over. Loneliness bit at me and agony struck me over and over. What was strange was that these weren't even my emotions. These were coming from him. (I suppose he's a spirit?) The force was so strong that I was knocked to my knees. Next thing I know, I'm crying my heart out.
"Please understand," I sob out to the spirit. "I want to help you. Really I do. But I can't. I'm a nobody, nothing, and I can't do anything right. But I still want to help you. Every night, I hear your soul cry out and it breaks my heart. If I could, I would help you without a second thought. For some reason, though I don't know you or anything about you, hearing you in agony is more than I can stand. But I know that I can't help you. I'd probably make everything worse." Then, I whispered, so softly that I don't even know if he heard me, "It may seem selfish, but I wish you could save me."
There was a long silence.
I sobbed into my hands until they were drenched with my tears. He probably was disgusted with what a weakling I was. Just the thought made me sob harder. My eyes burned, but I still cried.
Then I felt warm, comforting arms wrap around me. Without a second thought, I slowed my sobbing and snuggled into the warm embrace. Oh, how long it had been since I last had a hug! My eyes hurt and they seemed to be sealed tight. I grasped what felt to be a shirt. Rubbing into a warm chest, I found comfort in the body warmth.
*Please do not cry, young one. I would rather be trapped for centuries more, then to see you cry*
This was the first time I had ever had contact with the spirit. It made me want to see him and know him even more. "I wish I knew who you were," I whispered.
I could almost see the spirit smile. "I am all that you see around you," he said, mysteriously. I was sure that he frowned now. "I will wait, little one. You can save me. As I said before, you are the only one who could. You can do it. I know that when the time comes, you will save me."
I almost started crying again; I was so touched by his faith in me. It was then, that I was filled with determination to help this spirit in any way I could. My brow furrowed. He kept saying something about being set free. Does that mean he would leave me?
"After I set you free," I asked, slowly. "Will you leave me?" I know I sounded pathetic, asking a complete stranger to stay with me. But he wasn't a stranger. Not to me. It was like I've known him my whole life. I could feel the spirit's smile.
*Little brother of my soul, I promise that I shall never leave you.*
"But I don't understand," I said, feeling myself drifting back to sleep. "Who are you?"
*I told you, aibou. I am that is all around you.*
-//And the spirit said to the light, "I am the darkness."//-
Yami.
~End Dream~ (End Yugi's POV)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *
Yugi couldn't remember the last time he had been in a market place. A slave leaving an estate was a big no-no, unless of course they went with their master or overseer. Of course, Yugi hadn't been born a slave, so he assumed he might have gone to the market place when he was younger. The last time he would have gone to the market place was if his mother took him. Maybe she had taken him and his friend to get sweet cakes. Perhaps his grandfather had even tagged along.
Unlike what was expected, Yugi had never really fallen into depression about his past. Some of his memories made him sad, but he was never really bitter about it. It came naturally to Yugi to be cheerful and hopeful and those traits were often pushed to the limit, he always managed to retain them. He lived for the moment and tried to make the best of it.
With a small grunt, Yugi adjusted his bag's straps on his shoulders. He had already finished getting all that he needed and now he was enjoying walking by himself at the edge of town, right between the forest. He was thinking about the dream he had last night and to fill the silence he muttered what was to him nonsense of whatever popped into his mind.
"Light needs Darkness to protect it. Darkness needs Light to control it. Light will search for the Dark. The Dark will await its Light. The Light will release the Darkness. The Darkness will search for the answers and the Light will help. The Light will find the destiny of Darkness. The Darkness will determine the fate of Light. The Darkness and the Light will decide- hey!" Yugi felt a pair of strong hands grab him from behind.
"What are you talking to yourself about kid? You win the prize for creepy! What with all this "light" and "darkness" stuff," Yugi looked up and saw a tall teenage boy with brown hair. The teen tightened his grip on one of Yugi's shoulder and let go with his other hand. Then, with that one hand, the teen stripped Yugi of his pack and threw it to another teenage boy with blonde hair. "Isn't that right, Joey?"
The other teen caught the pack with ease and sneered down at Yugi. It occurred to Yugi that these two teens must be bandits. "Hey, give that back!" he cried, struggling against the other teen. When the boy tightened his grip on Yugi's shoulders, the tri-colored haired boy cried out in pain and stopped.
The one called "Joey" sneered. "Tristan's right. You're so pathetic. It pisses me off. So y'know, kid." Joey smacked his chest with his palm. "I'm gonna have ta teach ya have ta be a man! You want this pack back? Fight me with all you've got!"
Tristan let go of Yugi and smirked. 'This outta be good,' he thought. Looking at the puny teen before him, Tristan knew this would be an easy fight.
So, Yugi surprised them both when he yelled, "I HATE FIGHTING!"
Recovering from his surprise, Joey teased, "You've just got no guts."
Yugi sighed and reached out his hand, "Can I please just have that stuff back?"
"No way!" Tristan sneered.
"What's in here anyway," Joey said, opening the pack. "I bet it's gold, or silver, that would really help us out."
"Wait a minute!" Yugi protested. "I need this stuff."
Joey rummaged around before he sneered. So intent on the teen's expression was Yugi, that the boy didn't even see Joey put some stuff in his pockets before diving his hand back into the pack. "How dumb," he yawned, handing the pack back to Yugi. "Just a bunch of food and blankets. What a waste of our time. C'mon Tristan."
With that, Joey led a confused Tristan around a wall corner and disappeared.
Bemused, Yugi rummaged through the pack. He breathed a sigh of relief. So far so good. Wait a minute! Where were the bread rolls?
"Wait a minute, guys!" Yugi called after them. He quickly shouldered his pack and raced after the teens. "Hold up for just a second!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *
"I don't get it, Joey," Tristan complained. "Why didn't we get him? That puny punk was as easy a target as they come!"
"That' just it, Tristan," Joey explained. "He was too pathetic. He was a wimp! The kid didn't even fight back! That's what annoys me."
"Yeah, well, Ushio isn't going to be too happy that we didn't get anything to bring back," Tristan pointed out.
Joey frowned. "Ushio could go to hell for all I care," he huffed.
Tristan nudged his friend in the ribs. "Careful," he warned. "If Ushio hears what you're blabbering, not only could he hurt you, but he could hurt Serenity as well!"
Clenching his fists, Joey growled, "I'd like to see him try! If that bastard does anything to Serenity, I'll-"
"You'll what, Wheeler?" a voice called out from the shadows.
The two teens stopped abruptly. It couldn't be! But it was. Ushio stepped out of the shadows, but kept his right side hidden.
"Is there something you want to say to me, Wheeler?" Ushio asked, smugly.
"What do you want, Ushio?" Tristan growled.
Ushio smirked. "I wanted to do some," Ushio stepped out of the shadows, pulling a red haired girl by the wrist with him, "business with Wheeler, if you would."
"Serenity!" Joey cried at the sight of his sister.
"Joey! Help!" Serenity cried, feeling Ushio squeeze some pressure on her wrist. She gave a yelp of pain.
"Bastard!" Tristan cried. Though he would NEVER admit it to Joey, Tristan was very, er, fond of Serenity. "Get your slimy hands off of her!"
"That's right, sleaze-ball," Joey growled. "You better let my little sister go!"
"Hmph," Ushio sneered. "Make me."
That's when all hell broke lose.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *
"Where in the world did they go?" Yugi cried in frustration. He stopped running and leaned on his knees to catch his breath. He couldn't believe it. Those two hadn't gone THAT far ahead of him, yet he still couldn't catch them!
Suddenly, Yugi heard a scream come from in front of him.
"Uh?"
Then another scream sounded out followed by some grunts and yelps. 'Someone must be in trouble,' Yugi thought. Without another thought, Yugi rushed forward.
"What's going on over here?" Yugi called out. Then, he stopped short. The sight in front of him made him cover his mouth to stifle a gasp.
There were those two teens he had been chasing- Joey and Tristan- laying bruised and bloody near a wall. A small red haired girl sat crying against another wall and a taller, scarier looking teen stood, triumphantly, in front of the beaten Joey and Tristan.
"Joey! Tristan!" Yugi cried, absolutely horrified. "W-what in the world?!"
Ushio snorted. "What're you doin' here, runt? Run along, I just started punishing these guys."
Yugi ran over to the two teens, forgetting completely that these two had picked on him, and was ignorant of the danger he had placed himself in. Kneeling down besides Joey, he asked, "Are you alright, Joey? Tristan?"
Joey glared at him. "What are you doing here, punk?" He tried to get back up. "Get out of the way. I'll show you how a real man fights. I'm gonna teach that son of a bitch, Ushio, a lesson!" However, Joey soon felt a searing pain in his middle and collapsed in a fetal position.
"Move it along runt!" Ushio shoved Yugi out of the way. "I haven't finished with these two yet." With that, he started kicking Joey unceasingly in the stomach.
Yugi was absolutely horrified. "Stop!" he cried. Picking himself up, he stood in front of Joey.
"What's this?! You're protecting them? You're a strange one. These two are nothing but assholes. Now move so I can finish their beatings!"
"I can't let you do that to my friends!" Yugi yelled.
Joey forced his eyes open.
Ushio threw his head back and laughed. "Friends? Oh, that's a good one! What on earth makes you think these two are your friends?"
Yugi bowed his head. "They were trying to teach me how to be stronger."
Ushio sneered. "Whatever. Now move! Or you'll take their place instead."
Yugi gulped and took a step back. But he didn't budge from his spot in front of Joey and Tristan. He felt himself quivering but forces himself not to move.
Ushio tried to look gentle, but only managed to look more menacing. "Look kid," he said. "Why don't you go on with your business? You keep your life and I finish my own business."
Gathering all the courage he possessed, Yugi yelled, "Don't you dare touch these two anymore! If you need to punish them, then I'LL take their place!"
Joey's eyes widened in surprise.
Ushio didn't look at all fazed. "You're crazy," he said, picking Yugi up by the collar. "But if you insist." And he punched Yugi in the face.
Yugi didn't even have time to cry out in pain before he was kneed in his stomach. Ushio then started kicking the boy in various places of the body. There was no way for Yugi to defend himself.
Joey gazed in horror as he watched the boy, that he didn't even know his name, take a merciless beating. 'Why are you doing this?' he wondered. 'If you had just continued on your way, like any one else, you wouldn't get hurt. You're protecting us?!'
Meanwhile, Yugi was having some dazed thoughts of his own. 'I promised the spirit that I would save him,' he thought. 'For that to happen, I need to get stronger. And I want friends that I can count on, because they know they can count on me. No matter what!'
Then all went black.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *
Yugi groaned and moved his head.
"Hey, Joey!" he heard a girl call out. "I think he's waking up."
Yugi groaned again and shook his head. Where was he? Was that grass he felt under his head?
"Hey guys, she's right!" a voice that sounded a little familiar to Yugi called out. "The little guy's wakin' up!"
What was that guy's name again? Began with a 'T'. Treton? Something funky like that. Tristan? Yeah, that was it. Tristan.
'Who's he calling 'little',' Yugi thought, indignantly. He hated it when people pointed out his height or lack thereof.
"Hey Ryou, c'mere!" someone else called out.
'That's Joey,' Yugi thought.
"What did you say his name was?" Joey asked someone next to him.
Yugi couldn't hear the person answer, but he could tell it was Ryou.
"Yugi? Yeah, that's right."
Yugi groaned once more before his eyes fluttered open.
Four faces peered down at him. "Uh," he said, groggily. He turned to Ryou. "Where am I?"
"You're back in the forest, Yugi," Ryou smiled, gently.
Yugi blinked. "But how did I get back here?"
Tristan and Joey coughed, blushing, and turned away embarrassed. The girl, Yugi presumed her name was Serenity, giggled and handed Yugi his pack, which he took gratefully.
"After Ushio finished beating you, he left. When Joey and Tristan felt a little better they carried you over to the edge of the forest. That's when Ryou found us. When he convinced us that he was your friend, he led us over here. Then we waited for you to wake up," she chirped.
"Oh," Yugi took all of the information in.
Joey fidgeted, slightly uncomfortable. "So," he turned to Yugi. "You okay then?"
Yugi smiled, "Yes, I'm fine now."
"Well," Joey made a move to stand up. "I guess, we should be going then."
Surprised, Yugi grabbed hold of Joey's sleeve so he couldn't stand up. "But," he looked worried. "Won't that man, Ushio, hurt you again?"
Tristan and Serenity glanced at each other.
Joey shrugged. "We'll survive," he insisted. He really didn't want the little guy to worry about them. He had already done enough.
Ryou butted in. "How about you stay here?" he suggested.
The three turned to him, surprised. Ryou looked a little sheepish at the attention. "Well, why not?" he pointed out. "There's certainly plenty of room and with all the duel monsters here, that Ushio wouldn't think to look for you here."
"No, we couldn't," Joey stuttered. He wasn't used to people being nice to him. The only friends he ever had were his sister and Tristan. He hadn't thought that he would need anyone else. He felt a tug on his sleeve and he looked down into Yugi's teary eyes.
"Please," Yugi said, softly. "I don't want you guys to get hurt again."
Taken back by the show of emotion, Joey awkwardly wrapped his arm around Yugi in a brotherly gesture. Joey had never had a little brother but he couldn't help thinking that Yugi was the next best thing. "Hey," he said. "Why not?"
Everyone instantly brightened and cheered.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *
The next few days were some of the best for the group. Joey and Tristan, to no one's surprise, became the muscle of the group, building a sort of fort. Yugi was the strategist, planning the outline and making sure everything ran smoothly. Ryou and Serenity were in charge of keeping track of supplies. Spirit helped haul things long distance. Every now and then one of the duel monsters helped.
Then, one night, the five of them sat on the hill to star gaze. The duel monsters were there as well and Spirit was once again grazing at the bottom. The five were just talking and laughing when all of the sudden Kagerou stood up and started growling. Yukina joined her mate and the two stared into the shadows, sending warning growls.
Joey, Tristan, and Serenity had already gotten used to the duel monsters and were now as fond of them as Yugi and Ryou were. So, they knew something was wrong when the monsters started acting like this.
"What's wrong?" Serenity whispered.
Tristan scanned the shadows. "I think somebody's here."
Suddenly, a person in a long, dark cloak appeared right in front of the friends with a hood covering their face. Surprised, Joey and Tristan quickly jumped to the front to guard their friends and the Silver Fangs bared their teeth.
The stranger pushed his hands in a "stand-down" motion. "Relax," he said. "I have a proposition for you."
Fin*
Tenshi: ^_^ Well there you go! Kind of long, huh? I hope it's not too long! School starts tomorrow so I wanted to get as much up as possible. (Dang school. -) Yep, I start high school tomorrow and I'm already terrified. So, anyway PLEASE review this chapter! I need two reviews before I can update and that might be awhile. The next chapter has Seto Kaiba so this outta be good. I PROMISE I'll get that up as soon as possible. Just PLEASE review! Flames are even welcome! So, wish me luck in high school! Until next time, C'ya! ^_^
Rating: Still PG13 (mostly for language, I think I suck at violence) Genre: a little more drama in this chapter I hope
Disclaimer: Yami's Tenshi does not own Yugioh! or any of its characters. She also does not own the title and, in fact, barely owns the plot. Most of the plot is based on the magna of Yugioh! (sort of). Also, I don't own the horse 'Spirit'. He's borrowed from a movie. So, please do not sue. Thank-you.
Tenshi: I just want to thank everybody for reading so far. Thanks to the people who reviewed the prologue: Midnight Star, bo, Cabbit, Katya, and Whispering Hope. You guys rule! I am SO glad you all liked the prologue. Also, Cabbit, I DID know that Yami and Seth were cousins, but I sort of forgot when I wrote the prologue. ^^" So, thanks for reminding me! And thanks for the sugar! For people like Katya, who wanted to see how the world's being ruled by Seto, I realize I'm not putting a lot of that in. The plan is to make the next chapter about Seto Kaiba, but until then, he won't be mentioned yet. Sorry!
Chapter 1- Thanks to Midnight Star (for reviewing again!), Razanur (Joey is in this chappie & I'm still thinking about Kaiba ^_^), Finningangirl (Glad you liked it! I think I make it a bit OOC though ^^"), Wingleader Sora Jade (I can't BELIEVE you reviewed this! I absolutely LOVE your stories! You rule!), Yami no Katya (I'm sorry! I love Yugi too! But you're probably gonna kill me after this chapter! Thanks to all the reviewers. You guys are the best! (cries from happiness)
And to all those who want me to continue, as long as I get 2 reviews per chapter, I WILL continue this! ^^ So, please read and review!
Chapter 2: Bullying Thieves and New Friends
Ryou had never felt so hot. Sweat dripped from his brow, his tongue was dehydrated, and his throat burned. "Yugi?" Ryou pulled on his friend's shirt. "Where are we going?" He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his friend but it was useless.
"I'm not sure," Yugi rasped. He was in just as bad condition as his friend. "All I know is we're not going back there again."
Ryou nodded. It wasn't as though they could go back anyway. They had accepted they were lost a while ago. However, Ryou knew that two boys and horse, with no supplies or shelter, would not last long in a desert. "Yugi," he whispered. "We have to find shelter fast."
Yugi licked his lips, trying to bring moisture back onto his skin, but it was useless. His tongue was too dry. "I know, Ryou," he sighed. "But where would we go?" Yugi scanned the hot desert and found it barren. "There's nothing but sand."
Shielding his eyes, Ryou scanned the desert as well. But the sun glared and Ryou saw nothing. He sighed. This sure looked hopeless. "We have to try," he persisted.
"I know," Yugi admitted. He kept gazing out in the distance, while stroking Spirit's neck. The horse was near exhausted and he walked with his head near the ground. Yugi was starting to worry about him.
Suddenly, a faint black dot caught Yugi's attention. If he squinted his eyes just right, he could make out the outlines of several trees. "Ryou," Yugi nudged his white haired friend. "Look over there." Yugi pointed out to the shadows.
Ryou looked over in the direction his friend was pointing. Narrowing his eyes, his heart leapt at the sight of trees. "Those look like trees," he said, slowly. "And where there's trees, there must be-"
"Water," the two boys breathed in water.
Overjoyed at the discovery, Yugi turned to his friend, "Hang on!" Then he nudged Spirit in the ribs. "Spirit," Yugi called down to the stallion. "Look. Over there. Water! Probably lots of it! All we need to do is get to it!"
Spirit glanced up at the shadowy place. His tongue rolled around in his mouth. Water? Could it really be there? He glances back up at Yugi. He had always been fond of the tri haired boy. Always hopeful and usually cheerful, he was hard to dislike. The boy's soft violet eyes were brimming with hope. Spirit turned and faced the oasis's direction. Giving a cry, he reared, warning the boys to hang on, then charged full speed ahead.
"Woah!" Ryou grasped the back of Yugi's shirt and tightened his legs' hold on the stallion's back. He had never been horseback riding before and was now trying desperately to hold on.
"Hang on, Ryou!" Yugi encouraged his friend. The boy's eyes were gazing straight ahead as he took hold of Spirit's mane to hold on. The trees were getting closer and the closer the three got, the more trees Yugi saw. When the three finally arrived, the two boys gasped in awe.
This wasn't an oasis. This was a whole forest! The two boys's gazed around as Spirit slowed and trotted forward.
It was absolutely the most beautiful place either boy had ever seen. The grass was green, flowers bloomed everywhere, the trees were tall, healthy, and bore fruit so ripe that boy's mouths drooled. There was plenty of shade from the cruel sun and it was a major relief to the two boys and the horse. Gaping, the two boys stared in wonder. Something caught Ryou's attention and when he turned to look, he excitedly grabbed Yugi's sleeve. "Yugi!" he pointed straight ahead. "Look! Water!"
Yugi looked forward and saw that his friend was right. A wide river rushed through the large forest and Yugi had never felt his throat be so dry. Spirit stopped at the bank of the river and the two boys quickly got off.
"Look," Ryou pointed at the glistening water. "It's running water. That means it's safe to drink."
The two boys looked at each other then, giving shouts of excitement, rushed forward and plunged into the river. Drinking and splashing, Yugi and Ryou laughed at the sight of the other soaking wet. They started up a water fight and drank until they felt sick. It was of the greatest days for the two former slaves.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *
"Kind of makes you want to live this way forever," Ryou whispered, while he gazed up at the stars from his spot on the hill.
"We sort of can," Yugi laughed. "We're runaway slaves. It isn't like there's many places to go."
After drying off from their water fight in the river, the two friends had gathered what was to them a big feast of all kinds of fruit. It was while they had been eating that they had come to find out why this place was seemingly empty. Each boy had already sunk their teeth into their juicy fruit when the bush next to them rustled. Fearing it to be a wild animal, the two boys had huddled together. Then something sprang out of the bush- a Kuribo. Surprised, both the boys and the duel monster jumped back. The Kuribo seemed very shy and frightened of the two, strange boys. But after offering some fruit and stroking its fur, the two boys's managed to make friends with the small monster. The two had jokingly nicknamed it "Gohan" which meant "rice". The little bundle of fur did look a little like a big, brown rice ball.
Gohan was the last of the duel monsters the two boys met. A while later, a Silver Fang and its mate had happened upon them. Fighting back their fear, Yugi and Ryou again made offerings of the fruit. The two Silver Fangs hadn't, of course, eaten the fruit, but had sniffed it politely. Then, when the innocent beings had stroked the soft white fur and had shown the same signs of affection, the two duel monsters had become just as attached to the boys as Gohan. The male was given the nickname "Kugerou" since he seemed to stay in the shadows. The female was called "Yukina" for the snow white of her fur. The next duel monster they saw put both boys in awe. For not too long after that, an All-Seeing White Tiger strode toward to the two awe-struck boys. Bowing their heads in respect, Yugi and Ryou waited patiently for the duel monster to stop studying them and come up to them, one by one, before petting the large cat monster. The monster had then been named "Hitomi" for as Yugi seriously pointed out; "eyes" was a perfect name for something that was all seeing. No other duel monsters appeared to the two, but Ryou was sure that he had seen a Skull Red Bird fly above and Yugi swore that he had seen a Koumori Dragon lumbering away.
It had taken Spirit quite a while to get used to the strange creatures. But after he had slowly accepted that these monsters were not going to hurt him or the innocent boys, he paid them little mind. Though, Yugi had once caught him letting Gohan swing from his tail.
Now, the two boys lay on a hill they had found, stargazing. Gohan lay between them sleeping. Kagerou and Yukina lay a few feet away. Hitomi lay on a low branch from a tree and Spirit was grazing at the bottom of the hill. A sense of peace and contentment filled them all.
Ryou frowned. "Yugi," he said, sensibly. "If we are going to live here, we're going to need some things." Seeing his friend give him his attention, he continued. "Some other food, like bread, would help and some tools to make a shelter and maybe some blankets would certainly be useful. I think there's a town nearby. I saw some lights when I was coming up here. We can go there and get some supplies."
Knowing his friend was right, Yugi nodded. "But Ryou," he asked. "We were slaves. We don't have any money. How we supposed to get all that stuff?"
Both boys shared a look. They knew how they were going to get the stuff- stealing. Neither boy liked it, but both knew there was no other way.
After contemplating and agreeing on a plan, the two boys finally drifted off to sleep.
~Dream~ (Yugi's POV)
*Help me. Save me.*
I'm standing in a big, dark room. I can't see anything beyond myself. It is all covered in shadows. Why am I here?
*Set me free. I need you to set me free.*
Oh, I'm in this dream again. Why won't it leave me alone? "Don't you understand?" I call out. "I can't help you."
*You must.*
"But I can't," I call back.
A wave of unbearable sadness strikes me. It feels as though my heart is getting broken over and over. Loneliness bit at me and agony struck me over and over. What was strange was that these weren't even my emotions. These were coming from him. (I suppose he's a spirit?) The force was so strong that I was knocked to my knees. Next thing I know, I'm crying my heart out.
"Please understand," I sob out to the spirit. "I want to help you. Really I do. But I can't. I'm a nobody, nothing, and I can't do anything right. But I still want to help you. Every night, I hear your soul cry out and it breaks my heart. If I could, I would help you without a second thought. For some reason, though I don't know you or anything about you, hearing you in agony is more than I can stand. But I know that I can't help you. I'd probably make everything worse." Then, I whispered, so softly that I don't even know if he heard me, "It may seem selfish, but I wish you could save me."
There was a long silence.
I sobbed into my hands until they were drenched with my tears. He probably was disgusted with what a weakling I was. Just the thought made me sob harder. My eyes burned, but I still cried.
Then I felt warm, comforting arms wrap around me. Without a second thought, I slowed my sobbing and snuggled into the warm embrace. Oh, how long it had been since I last had a hug! My eyes hurt and they seemed to be sealed tight. I grasped what felt to be a shirt. Rubbing into a warm chest, I found comfort in the body warmth.
*Please do not cry, young one. I would rather be trapped for centuries more, then to see you cry*
This was the first time I had ever had contact with the spirit. It made me want to see him and know him even more. "I wish I knew who you were," I whispered.
I could almost see the spirit smile. "I am all that you see around you," he said, mysteriously. I was sure that he frowned now. "I will wait, little one. You can save me. As I said before, you are the only one who could. You can do it. I know that when the time comes, you will save me."
I almost started crying again; I was so touched by his faith in me. It was then, that I was filled with determination to help this spirit in any way I could. My brow furrowed. He kept saying something about being set free. Does that mean he would leave me?
"After I set you free," I asked, slowly. "Will you leave me?" I know I sounded pathetic, asking a complete stranger to stay with me. But he wasn't a stranger. Not to me. It was like I've known him my whole life. I could feel the spirit's smile.
*Little brother of my soul, I promise that I shall never leave you.*
"But I don't understand," I said, feeling myself drifting back to sleep. "Who are you?"
*I told you, aibou. I am that is all around you.*
-//And the spirit said to the light, "I am the darkness."//-
Yami.
~End Dream~ (End Yugi's POV)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *
Yugi couldn't remember the last time he had been in a market place. A slave leaving an estate was a big no-no, unless of course they went with their master or overseer. Of course, Yugi hadn't been born a slave, so he assumed he might have gone to the market place when he was younger. The last time he would have gone to the market place was if his mother took him. Maybe she had taken him and his friend to get sweet cakes. Perhaps his grandfather had even tagged along.
Unlike what was expected, Yugi had never really fallen into depression about his past. Some of his memories made him sad, but he was never really bitter about it. It came naturally to Yugi to be cheerful and hopeful and those traits were often pushed to the limit, he always managed to retain them. He lived for the moment and tried to make the best of it.
With a small grunt, Yugi adjusted his bag's straps on his shoulders. He had already finished getting all that he needed and now he was enjoying walking by himself at the edge of town, right between the forest. He was thinking about the dream he had last night and to fill the silence he muttered what was to him nonsense of whatever popped into his mind.
"Light needs Darkness to protect it. Darkness needs Light to control it. Light will search for the Dark. The Dark will await its Light. The Light will release the Darkness. The Darkness will search for the answers and the Light will help. The Light will find the destiny of Darkness. The Darkness will determine the fate of Light. The Darkness and the Light will decide- hey!" Yugi felt a pair of strong hands grab him from behind.
"What are you talking to yourself about kid? You win the prize for creepy! What with all this "light" and "darkness" stuff," Yugi looked up and saw a tall teenage boy with brown hair. The teen tightened his grip on one of Yugi's shoulder and let go with his other hand. Then, with that one hand, the teen stripped Yugi of his pack and threw it to another teenage boy with blonde hair. "Isn't that right, Joey?"
The other teen caught the pack with ease and sneered down at Yugi. It occurred to Yugi that these two teens must be bandits. "Hey, give that back!" he cried, struggling against the other teen. When the boy tightened his grip on Yugi's shoulders, the tri-colored haired boy cried out in pain and stopped.
The one called "Joey" sneered. "Tristan's right. You're so pathetic. It pisses me off. So y'know, kid." Joey smacked his chest with his palm. "I'm gonna have ta teach ya have ta be a man! You want this pack back? Fight me with all you've got!"
Tristan let go of Yugi and smirked. 'This outta be good,' he thought. Looking at the puny teen before him, Tristan knew this would be an easy fight.
So, Yugi surprised them both when he yelled, "I HATE FIGHTING!"
Recovering from his surprise, Joey teased, "You've just got no guts."
Yugi sighed and reached out his hand, "Can I please just have that stuff back?"
"No way!" Tristan sneered.
"What's in here anyway," Joey said, opening the pack. "I bet it's gold, or silver, that would really help us out."
"Wait a minute!" Yugi protested. "I need this stuff."
Joey rummaged around before he sneered. So intent on the teen's expression was Yugi, that the boy didn't even see Joey put some stuff in his pockets before diving his hand back into the pack. "How dumb," he yawned, handing the pack back to Yugi. "Just a bunch of food and blankets. What a waste of our time. C'mon Tristan."
With that, Joey led a confused Tristan around a wall corner and disappeared.
Bemused, Yugi rummaged through the pack. He breathed a sigh of relief. So far so good. Wait a minute! Where were the bread rolls?
"Wait a minute, guys!" Yugi called after them. He quickly shouldered his pack and raced after the teens. "Hold up for just a second!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *
"I don't get it, Joey," Tristan complained. "Why didn't we get him? That puny punk was as easy a target as they come!"
"That' just it, Tristan," Joey explained. "He was too pathetic. He was a wimp! The kid didn't even fight back! That's what annoys me."
"Yeah, well, Ushio isn't going to be too happy that we didn't get anything to bring back," Tristan pointed out.
Joey frowned. "Ushio could go to hell for all I care," he huffed.
Tristan nudged his friend in the ribs. "Careful," he warned. "If Ushio hears what you're blabbering, not only could he hurt you, but he could hurt Serenity as well!"
Clenching his fists, Joey growled, "I'd like to see him try! If that bastard does anything to Serenity, I'll-"
"You'll what, Wheeler?" a voice called out from the shadows.
The two teens stopped abruptly. It couldn't be! But it was. Ushio stepped out of the shadows, but kept his right side hidden.
"Is there something you want to say to me, Wheeler?" Ushio asked, smugly.
"What do you want, Ushio?" Tristan growled.
Ushio smirked. "I wanted to do some," Ushio stepped out of the shadows, pulling a red haired girl by the wrist with him, "business with Wheeler, if you would."
"Serenity!" Joey cried at the sight of his sister.
"Joey! Help!" Serenity cried, feeling Ushio squeeze some pressure on her wrist. She gave a yelp of pain.
"Bastard!" Tristan cried. Though he would NEVER admit it to Joey, Tristan was very, er, fond of Serenity. "Get your slimy hands off of her!"
"That's right, sleaze-ball," Joey growled. "You better let my little sister go!"
"Hmph," Ushio sneered. "Make me."
That's when all hell broke lose.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *
"Where in the world did they go?" Yugi cried in frustration. He stopped running and leaned on his knees to catch his breath. He couldn't believe it. Those two hadn't gone THAT far ahead of him, yet he still couldn't catch them!
Suddenly, Yugi heard a scream come from in front of him.
"Uh?"
Then another scream sounded out followed by some grunts and yelps. 'Someone must be in trouble,' Yugi thought. Without another thought, Yugi rushed forward.
"What's going on over here?" Yugi called out. Then, he stopped short. The sight in front of him made him cover his mouth to stifle a gasp.
There were those two teens he had been chasing- Joey and Tristan- laying bruised and bloody near a wall. A small red haired girl sat crying against another wall and a taller, scarier looking teen stood, triumphantly, in front of the beaten Joey and Tristan.
"Joey! Tristan!" Yugi cried, absolutely horrified. "W-what in the world?!"
Ushio snorted. "What're you doin' here, runt? Run along, I just started punishing these guys."
Yugi ran over to the two teens, forgetting completely that these two had picked on him, and was ignorant of the danger he had placed himself in. Kneeling down besides Joey, he asked, "Are you alright, Joey? Tristan?"
Joey glared at him. "What are you doing here, punk?" He tried to get back up. "Get out of the way. I'll show you how a real man fights. I'm gonna teach that son of a bitch, Ushio, a lesson!" However, Joey soon felt a searing pain in his middle and collapsed in a fetal position.
"Move it along runt!" Ushio shoved Yugi out of the way. "I haven't finished with these two yet." With that, he started kicking Joey unceasingly in the stomach.
Yugi was absolutely horrified. "Stop!" he cried. Picking himself up, he stood in front of Joey.
"What's this?! You're protecting them? You're a strange one. These two are nothing but assholes. Now move so I can finish their beatings!"
"I can't let you do that to my friends!" Yugi yelled.
Joey forced his eyes open.
Ushio threw his head back and laughed. "Friends? Oh, that's a good one! What on earth makes you think these two are your friends?"
Yugi bowed his head. "They were trying to teach me how to be stronger."
Ushio sneered. "Whatever. Now move! Or you'll take their place instead."
Yugi gulped and took a step back. But he didn't budge from his spot in front of Joey and Tristan. He felt himself quivering but forces himself not to move.
Ushio tried to look gentle, but only managed to look more menacing. "Look kid," he said. "Why don't you go on with your business? You keep your life and I finish my own business."
Gathering all the courage he possessed, Yugi yelled, "Don't you dare touch these two anymore! If you need to punish them, then I'LL take their place!"
Joey's eyes widened in surprise.
Ushio didn't look at all fazed. "You're crazy," he said, picking Yugi up by the collar. "But if you insist." And he punched Yugi in the face.
Yugi didn't even have time to cry out in pain before he was kneed in his stomach. Ushio then started kicking the boy in various places of the body. There was no way for Yugi to defend himself.
Joey gazed in horror as he watched the boy, that he didn't even know his name, take a merciless beating. 'Why are you doing this?' he wondered. 'If you had just continued on your way, like any one else, you wouldn't get hurt. You're protecting us?!'
Meanwhile, Yugi was having some dazed thoughts of his own. 'I promised the spirit that I would save him,' he thought. 'For that to happen, I need to get stronger. And I want friends that I can count on, because they know they can count on me. No matter what!'
Then all went black.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *
Yugi groaned and moved his head.
"Hey, Joey!" he heard a girl call out. "I think he's waking up."
Yugi groaned again and shook his head. Where was he? Was that grass he felt under his head?
"Hey guys, she's right!" a voice that sounded a little familiar to Yugi called out. "The little guy's wakin' up!"
What was that guy's name again? Began with a 'T'. Treton? Something funky like that. Tristan? Yeah, that was it. Tristan.
'Who's he calling 'little',' Yugi thought, indignantly. He hated it when people pointed out his height or lack thereof.
"Hey Ryou, c'mere!" someone else called out.
'That's Joey,' Yugi thought.
"What did you say his name was?" Joey asked someone next to him.
Yugi couldn't hear the person answer, but he could tell it was Ryou.
"Yugi? Yeah, that's right."
Yugi groaned once more before his eyes fluttered open.
Four faces peered down at him. "Uh," he said, groggily. He turned to Ryou. "Where am I?"
"You're back in the forest, Yugi," Ryou smiled, gently.
Yugi blinked. "But how did I get back here?"
Tristan and Joey coughed, blushing, and turned away embarrassed. The girl, Yugi presumed her name was Serenity, giggled and handed Yugi his pack, which he took gratefully.
"After Ushio finished beating you, he left. When Joey and Tristan felt a little better they carried you over to the edge of the forest. That's when Ryou found us. When he convinced us that he was your friend, he led us over here. Then we waited for you to wake up," she chirped.
"Oh," Yugi took all of the information in.
Joey fidgeted, slightly uncomfortable. "So," he turned to Yugi. "You okay then?"
Yugi smiled, "Yes, I'm fine now."
"Well," Joey made a move to stand up. "I guess, we should be going then."
Surprised, Yugi grabbed hold of Joey's sleeve so he couldn't stand up. "But," he looked worried. "Won't that man, Ushio, hurt you again?"
Tristan and Serenity glanced at each other.
Joey shrugged. "We'll survive," he insisted. He really didn't want the little guy to worry about them. He had already done enough.
Ryou butted in. "How about you stay here?" he suggested.
The three turned to him, surprised. Ryou looked a little sheepish at the attention. "Well, why not?" he pointed out. "There's certainly plenty of room and with all the duel monsters here, that Ushio wouldn't think to look for you here."
"No, we couldn't," Joey stuttered. He wasn't used to people being nice to him. The only friends he ever had were his sister and Tristan. He hadn't thought that he would need anyone else. He felt a tug on his sleeve and he looked down into Yugi's teary eyes.
"Please," Yugi said, softly. "I don't want you guys to get hurt again."
Taken back by the show of emotion, Joey awkwardly wrapped his arm around Yugi in a brotherly gesture. Joey had never had a little brother but he couldn't help thinking that Yugi was the next best thing. "Hey," he said. "Why not?"
Everyone instantly brightened and cheered.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *
The next few days were some of the best for the group. Joey and Tristan, to no one's surprise, became the muscle of the group, building a sort of fort. Yugi was the strategist, planning the outline and making sure everything ran smoothly. Ryou and Serenity were in charge of keeping track of supplies. Spirit helped haul things long distance. Every now and then one of the duel monsters helped.
Then, one night, the five of them sat on the hill to star gaze. The duel monsters were there as well and Spirit was once again grazing at the bottom. The five were just talking and laughing when all of the sudden Kagerou stood up and started growling. Yukina joined her mate and the two stared into the shadows, sending warning growls.
Joey, Tristan, and Serenity had already gotten used to the duel monsters and were now as fond of them as Yugi and Ryou were. So, they knew something was wrong when the monsters started acting like this.
"What's wrong?" Serenity whispered.
Tristan scanned the shadows. "I think somebody's here."
Suddenly, a person in a long, dark cloak appeared right in front of the friends with a hood covering their face. Surprised, Joey and Tristan quickly jumped to the front to guard their friends and the Silver Fangs bared their teeth.
The stranger pushed his hands in a "stand-down" motion. "Relax," he said. "I have a proposition for you."
Fin*
Tenshi: ^_^ Well there you go! Kind of long, huh? I hope it's not too long! School starts tomorrow so I wanted to get as much up as possible. (Dang school. -) Yep, I start high school tomorrow and I'm already terrified. So, anyway PLEASE review this chapter! I need two reviews before I can update and that might be awhile. The next chapter has Seto Kaiba so this outta be good. I PROMISE I'll get that up as soon as possible. Just PLEASE review! Flames are even welcome! So, wish me luck in high school! Until next time, C'ya! ^_^