A Real Angel

Atem rapidly descended upon the forbidden world. He quickly surveyed the planet before finally making the choice to land in Japan. Knowing his father loved Egypt so much he might think he go there too hide as it was the only place on the planet he knew a little about. If he did come looking for him that be the first place he go looking. Japan was very far away and he vaguely commit to memory his mom telling him a few of the country most breathtaking as well as colorful mythology as bedtime stories.

He descended the twilight skies like a ghost and landed without a sound in a back alleyway, of the unnamed city, he had come too conceal himself in. Using small magic which wasn't so simple too become aware of as big magic was he transformed his princely outfit into a school uniform.

Taking off the dark blue jacket of the uniform he then at a snail's pace folded his wings behind his back and then slipped on the magical harness. It stung for a moment as they became frozen, still he just grinned and beared it. After a moment he felt a cooling relief sensation overtake him. He slipped the jacket back on and then start too walk out of the alleyway but was stopped when three large ominous shadows loomed over him.

He turned his gaze upon the source of the shadows and saw three young men dressed all in black. Each were very buff and had a steely lifeless look too their eyes as well as a strange green gem around their necks. Still he walked calmly up too them not even giving their sinister sneers a second thoughts. Being so unfamiliar with Earth culture he didn't understand he was in some danger.

"Excuse me your in my way. If you be so kind and move aside I'll be on my way," he said to them only too have them laugh at him. "I fail too see what so amusing. Please move now," he said a little stronger this time.

The shortest of the trio laughed till his head almost fell off his shoulders, and said with a strangely accented voice, "Looky mates this bloke is being a blooming gentleman! Being so pleasant as well as well-mannered. Is that anyway to treat us with respect I ask you?" to his buddies.

"No Valon it's not," spoke the red head with a mischievous smirk on his pale face.

"I'm sorry if I done something to insult your character, however I will be going when you move out-of-the-way. So make somebody's day and move," he commanded to them. When they didn't do as he said he shrugged. "Fine then," he attempted to squeeze between the short brunette haired one when the biggest one with blonde hair pulled a knife out on him stopping him in his tracks.

He just stared at the blade unaware that it was meant to do him bodily harm. "Listen up boy. You don't come too our territory and leave without paying your toll first," spoke the blonde muscle head.

"I am afraid I've got no currency on me. Although I will be happy to compensate you men later on," Atem told them as the he started to step backwards as the red head advance on him.

"Look you dolt. You made the mistake of coming into the shark infested waters of the Doom Gang. Now we'll send you too your doom in less you cough up some kinda of payment now!"

"You tell him, Alistair!" Valon said as he closed off the only other exist.

"Shut up you two! The boss won't be very happy with any of us if we don't get this runt to pay us now!" snapped viciously the leader to his two cronies.

"Sheesh! Raphael we know the drill like by heart!" retorted Alistair as he got very close too Atem who was now backed up against a wall with a green geometric star smother on it.

"Let me pass or you'll face your own doom," Atem told them in a low voice. They laughed which he tried to use too his advantage and make a break for it by leaping on top of the blonde and flipping over him. He almost made it too the end of the alleyway when he was yanked from behind and threw hard into a set of metal trash cans.

Alistair then pinned his arms behind his back and twist his wrist hard. He was drooling eagerly to hear him scream in anguish from the unbelievable pain. However was thoroughly shocked when he didn't scream surprised by the lack of pain, Valon then kick and punched him but yet again to no avail.

"What's the deal, with this bloke? Can't he feel pain or does he have that thing where he can feel anything at all?" asked a baffled Valon after Atem was left in a heap on the dirty garbage covered cement. However there wasn't any mark on him and he didn't seemed too be in any kind of pain at all.

"Well whether or not he can feel pain, I know we'll enjoy seeing him bleed before we take that gold pendent around his stupid neck. Get him up boys I like to get it off quickly so we can get back to Dartz!" Raphael barked to them in an insane tone.

The boys seized the semi-conscious Atem firmly at the same time as Raphael moved in to cut the chain that held the Puzzle around the prince neck as well as silt the boy throat. However just as he was about to do so a voice from behind him startled him and he missed the neck and nicked the chin. The Doom Gang didn't even notice how the razor-sharp knife blade hadn't even blemished the boy beautiful flawless skin.

"Hey you bullies! Leave him alone!" called out a voice defiantly from the end of the alleyway. The men in the black leather snapped around and snickered at the sight of the stranger's would be rescuer.

"Little Yugi Moto? Ha, Ha! What you think a shrimp like you gonna beat us up? That's a great joke!" laughed Valon till he keeled over from the laughing.

"Yeah what you gonna do?" Alistair asked as he lightly fingered a metal chain on his leg.

The boy just stood there. He went right up too them and despite the fact that all of them towered him a great deal he wouldn't be intimated. "I said leave him alone. Now go!" he said as he got between them and Atem. He spread his arms wide and his face took a very serious look on it.

"Well boys it looks like we'll have too teach the would-be superman a lesson," Raphael told him. Yugi just grunted showing he won't let them harm Atem to any further extent.

"Yeah in real life heroes until the end of time are crushed," Valon remarked as pulled out a wrench. The boys now began to do violence to Yugi who just continued to shelter Atem from the blows. He was being even more beat up but he just won't run to save himself even when the opportunity did present its self. He just wouldn't leave Atem.

Atem finally awoke just as Yugi had been thrown into the brink wall as the two cronies held his short arms forcefully to the wall and Raphael then sucker punched him. Atem felt something start surging inside of him. It was like someone had lit a fire and it was spreading all over his body.

This boy who didn't know him had placed his mortal life in danger to help a completely unfamiliar person. He just watched as the weird and wonderful sensation grew more within him. He saw both the boy as well as himself as the memories of all the times his father had abused him and now these beasts where hurting him. He wouldn't stand back any longer and watch this. Getting up to his feet just as the blonde was about to slit the boy throat he yelled at them,

"YOU DISHONORABLE BEASTS! YOU'VE PREY UPON THE INNOCENT AND ATTACK THEM FOR YOUR SICK AMUSMENT! THIS WON'T BE TOLORATED ANY LONGER! YOUR DEMONIC GAME ENDS NOW!" At the same time as a golden supernatural aura envelop him with his Puzzle glowing brighter then the sun. The trio dropped Yugi who was now down for the count from his beating.

"What's going on mates?" asked Valon as he felt a warm sensation going down his legs. "I don't know dude!" replied Alistair who had become even paler. Raphael being a bit braver ran at Atem with his army knife and made an effort to stab the immortal prince but was surprised when the knife shattered into a billion pieces like it been exposed to nitrogen glistering. "What the fuck are you?!" he asked. Atem only said with his eyes full of a golden fire "Mind Crush!" as a Eye emblem lit up on his forehead and a large gold pillar of light went off turning night into day for a few brief moments.

When it was over all the teenagers were all unconscious on the cold alley. That was a very big use of magic. As a direct result of this magical outburst from the prince three critical things happened all at the same time. Two happened in Xanadu both of good and bad natures. The good thing was for the reason that the sudden occurrence had taken place whilst the uprising where just ending no one had been able to detect it and find out Atem was no longer in Xanadu. The bad thing was something did notice it.

King Aknamkanon had been so preoccupied dealing with the uprising he hadn't notice that the Heart was now glowing much brighter and seemed alive once more.The Heart was now aware that an heir to Xanadu was alive and wasn't corrupted. This may be a good thing for the Heart on the other hand it wasn't very good news to Atem who unknowingly just placed himself in very great danger by this act.

The third thing that happened because of Atem's emotional outburst was it caught the attention of Yugi's friends. They been looking for him and that lightshow gave them a pretty good idea where he was.

"Man did you see that freaky light show?" asked a blond hair boy as they ran in the direction from which the light came from.

"Dude how could we miss it? I'm thinking all of city saw it!" a boy with pointy brown hair retorted to his buddy.

"Whatever that was I hope Yugi alright. With the Doom Gang being so close he could get seriously hurt. We all know Yugi he too pure hearted to stand by and let anyone get beat up by those jerks. I mean the police won't go near them, on the other hand Yugi will go right up too them even though they outsize him greatly!" replied the only girl in the group. She seemed to be a very compassionate as well as empathic young woman.

"Yugi!" they all exclaimed as the reached the alleyway at last. But the words were sucked out of them as well as their breath as the stared in shock at the scene around them. The cramp dirty all way looked like a bomb had gone off. The trash cans where smashed and twisted in an inhuman manner with the trash spewed all over. There was a huge hole in the center and it looked like some type of scorch marks were on the bricks.

Nevertheless what was most peculiar was the three brutes each had an extremely bizarre look on all their faces. It was beyond words as if someone had done something so atrocious their minds had been blown apart from the inside out.

"Are they dead?" asked the girl quietly at the lifeless bodies and shriek as a rat ran across her feet.

"No Tea they're alive but it's like the Doom Gang is in a coma. I don't know about the other guy though. He looks more like all the energy was sucked out of him," remarked the brown haired boy.

"Where is Yugi then?" asked Tea then the blond spot Yugi who was relatively unharmed in fact he was just coming too.

"Hey Yugi! Hey buddy you ok? Don't go scaring us like that for a second time!" exclaimed the blond to his short best friend.

"Sorry Joey. I didn't mean to worry you all. I just saw the Doom Gang was up too no good and I wasn't about to let them hurt someone else. Not after they hurt Grandpa last week on his way home from the hardware store. All he was doing was coming home to repair my desk and these creeps jumped him,"

"But Yugi you know you can't take on all the world low lives by yourself! You could have been hurt or killed!" the brunette hair boy told him as helped him up.

"I know Tristan, but I'm not out for vengeance I just can't stand by and watch someone get hurt. I can't and I won't. I didn't stand by and let you and Joey get hurt by that bully at school or the creep who tried to assault Tea on her way to dance class did I? Just because I'm short doesn't mean I can't help!" he stated firmly then his large amethyst eyes saw the young boy he been trying to help. Forgetting his own injuries he rushed to the boy side to see if he was alright.

Turning the teenager over to see if he was hurt, they where in for another shock. The boy looked exactly like Yugi. Only he was a bit taller and his hair had a bit more blond. What was also shocking despite the extensive damage all around them this young man was virtually unscaved. He didn't have a mark anywhere on him. He just in all honest looked very exhausted.

"Wow Yugi, you never told us you had a twin," joked Joey who Tristan hit upside the head. "Hey!" as the two began to fight amongst themselves as Tea sighed wishing yet again she had more girl friends then boys. She then put an end to the two knucklehead's idiocy as Yugi search the boy for some identification but he had not a bit at all. The only thing he did seemed to have, was, that weird puzzle around his neck. He remembered that Raphael had tried to take it from him. It did seem to be made of gold and looked like an heirloom of some kind.

"Come on guys help me get him too the game shop. Tea can you call the hospital too come and get them?" asked Yugi at the same time as he slung the unconscious prince over his shoulders. Nodding the boys helped carry Atem back too Yugi home while Tea waited for the hospital ambulance and the police to get there and pick up the crooks. Afterward she went too meet her friends back at Yugi's humble home.

The bell above the door too the game shop jingled, Solomon looked up from cooking the steak for dinner. Turning off the stove he went too greet his grandson who was late getting home. "Yugi you where supposed to be home before dark why are you… oh my," he said as Yugi and his friends dragged Atem inside.

"Yugi! What's going on! Who is this boy and what happened to you! Come on lay him down on the sofa I'll get the first aid kit from the bathroom," Solomon told the teenagers. Tea came running in just as Solomon finished patching up Yugi's injures.

"Yugi I know you don't like seeing people suffering but you just can't jump into a situation half cocked with no idea of what to do should it go south. You've got a good heart grandson. Still look after yourself once in awhile and not everyone else ok? You're my only grandson and family here and I don't want to lose you,"

"Sorry Grandpa, but I had to assist him. He was in trouble and I couldn't stand by and watch him get hurt because of those thugs." Yugi told him as he put an ice pack on his head.

"You three best get home. It's late and your own families will be worried. Thank you for bring Yugi home tonight,"

"Sheesh Gramps. It's nothing for us to help our little buddy. We'll stop by tomorrow around brunch time too see how all you're doing! Come on let's book I got to go home anyway. My sister's coming to visits soon and I have got to clean up the house and the guest room for her," Joey said.

"Oh Serenity is coming?" Tristan said with an eyebrow cocked at the news. "Oh I can't wait too see that sweet little face of hers again. I wonder if it's possible for her too have become more beautiful then the last time we saw her,"

"Tristan?" Joey said as they left the shop, "Yeah dude ah!" he said as Joey hit him upside the head.

"Boys, I will never understand men not even if I lived too be over a hundred! Come on you two let's get home. I don't about you but whatever happened in that alleyway with that strange boy is giving my inside a feeling that something is going to happen,"

"Like what Tea?" asked Tristan as he massaged the shiner on his forehead.

"I don't know but something is just telling me there more to Yugi's doppelganger then meets the eye," as they all continue to walk home silently in the dark hours of darkness.

Back at the game shop Yugi had made some tea and gotten a few rice cakes prepared for the boy. He just sat there next too him with a very caring looking his beautiful eyes. The stranger boy who looked like him slept on silently. Yugi hoped he was having a peaceful dream after that nightmare that happened only a few hours ago.

"Yugi you've eaten your dinner. The boy isn't going anywhere come eat," Solomon said as he came into the living room.

"Sorry, Grandpa but I want too be here when he wakes up. I've got a feeling he must be in some kinda of trouble. I'm pretty sure he isn't from around here because he would've known better then going to the Doom Gang territory,"

"Yugi you've a very pure heart and a beautiful soul. I think Heaven is very mad that you left for you must be their best angel ever. Ok I'll put dinner in the fridge. Come get me when he wakes up ok? I'll be downstairs in the shop if you need me," he told him kindly as he walked downstairs.

"Who are you my friend?" asked Yugi as he squeezed the prince's hand in a soothing manner and was pleased when the mysterious boy smiled.

In Atem's mind he was seeing something that seemed too be real and not real at the same time. It was like a memory of a forgotten dream or dream of a forgotten memory. It started out fuzzy but then came in clear as crystal.

He was hearing a child laughing happily but he didn't recognize the laughter as his own at first. He was about 3 in the gardens playing carefree. Laughing and being just a silly little boy.

"Ha, Ha! You can't catch me! Ha, Ha. She'll never find me now," he giggled as he hid among the flowers. He was so pleased he didn't hear someone come from behind and then pounce on him and began to tickle him too death.

"Mommy! Mommy stop it!" as he tried squirm free his wings spreading glitter on all the flowers causing them to sing from the glitter enchantment. "Oh no I won't let my little angel fly free till he says the magic word," she teased him lightheartly as they rolled happily in the beautiful flower beds till they rolled right into the water fountain. Both laughed merrily at the other soaked appearance and tried to help the other up but both fell back on their butts but just laughed some more.

"Come on Yami, let's get out of this water," Samira told her child as she got out of the golden fountain and began too wring out her lengthy tricolor tresses. Atem on the other hand simple hovered for a few minutes and made a zephyr with already beautiful wings and both of them were dried in next to no time.

"Oh Yami, must you do everything the easy way?" she scolded him as she conjured up a swing made of flowers and began too push him. He kicked his little legs happily as his mom laugh at her son amassment. Her long ebony hair blew gently in the back draft her son wings created as he swung higher and higher. Her golden bangs glisten happily in the sun sweet life giving rays and her long crimson braids swayed in tune with the song of the tree which she had attached the swing too.

"Oh Mommy I'm so happy. This is just the prefect day. But why do you always call me "Yami?" My name is Atem," asked the confused child as the swing stopped.

'Yami, my son, do you wish to know I address you by the name Yami and not Atem?"

"Yes I would like too know very much!"

"As you know very well the only thing your father likes about Earth is the world of Ancient Egypt for he finds it to be the only "prefect" thing human beings did. So when you where born he branded you with the name of the Egyptian Sun God Atem who in the legends created the universe and then procreated with his own shadow.

"To him christening you after a God makes you a God. In his philosophy of life we immortals are better and those with 'divan birthrights" are truly the masters of the universe. In other words giving you that name is telling the whole universe that your superior to everyone and thing. But that is so far from the truth my son,"

"In life it doesn't mattered whether you will live forever or a limited time. We are all equal in life for no living thing in the universe is better then another. We'll are good at different things and we all have faults. Nothing in the universe this one or any one is really prefect. If things where what would be the point in living at all? No that is just a dream the dreamer is more really because they can do what they want and try to make them dream come true. In life if you don't try, struggle and fail on your way to complete the journey to what you seek then you've not real lived at all,"

"I call you Yami for the reason that it means darkness. It's when we emerge from the darkness and into the light and can cast our own light from our hearts, that we have finally find out who we really are and have become what we where always meant to be. I hope one day Yami you'll find the light in your heart and it will shine so bright it will bring hope back too this world that has none under Aknamkanon tyranny. Come let's go have a snack shall we?"

"Yes I like something sweet too eat!"

"Of course my little angel of course,"

As his mind was once again swallowed up by darkness he saw a tiny light and followed it. As he passed through the light his eyes little by little opened and gazed into the most beautiful as well as kindhearted pools of smooth amethyst he ever seen.

"Hi, welcome back too the land of the living," spoke the soothing voice that the eyes belonged too. His smile was warm and his touch was softer then his wings. Atem just stared silent as the boy who looked like he could've been his little brother poured some steaming jade liquid into a cerulean cup.

"Here, drink it will make you feel better. Its ginseng," he offered the tea too the baffled teenager who didn't know what 'ginseng' was. But being brought up with proper etiquette he took the teacup and pressed it too his dry lips. His piecing amethyst eyes shot wide open as the taste overwhelmed him. He gulped the tea down in one swallow enthusiastically.

"MORE! Um more please? That was the best thing I've ever tasted!" exclaimed the young teen like a kid who tasted chocolate for the first time. Yugi surprised but did give him more tea and the rice cakes which he also consumed enthusiastically.

"Uh you might want to slow down a bit. You gonna make yourself sick, or you gonna chock" Yugi told the boy as he shoved three rice cakes in at once.

"I'm sorry for my less then prefect behavior. You may punish me accordingly as your customs demand. But I've never in my life taste something so amazing," apologized Atem to the young boy.

"Why would I punish you for enjoying food? That'd be very silly. I'm the one being rude. My name is Yugi, Yugi Moto. I did my best to protect you've from the Doom Gang but I guess I came up short," he said with a laugh.

"I thank your for trying to protect me. It is very much appreciated. If you don't mind me asking, Yugi, but where am I?" asked the boy.

"You're at the Green Turtle Game Shop in Domino City. I live here with my Grandpa because my parents are overseas in America on long term business for my dad corporation. I take it your not from around here are you?" Yugi said as he picked up the dirty dishes and went to the kitchen.

"No I'm not from around here. My home is very far away. You in all likelihood never even heard of it,"

"So if you don't mind me asking you, what's your name, how old are you and why you in Domino?" asked Yugi as he began to sponge down the dinner tableware. Atem curious of the peculiarly thing, Yugi was doing walk slowly over. All of the serving dishes back home, magical cleaned themselves spotless after the tasteless cooking had been consumed. He never had seen anyone wash their dishes before.

"What are you doing?" he asked with genuine confusion to Yugi. Yugi turned and could tell immediately knew the stranger never had seen anyone do something as mundane as wash dishes.

"I'm cleaning the dishes. That's my job. Grandpa cooks and I clean. Haven't you ever done chores before?"

"No I've never done much of anything before too be honest, Yugi. My father has my whole life planned out for me from what I wear to how many times I chew before swallowing the worst food ever," he confessed as he sat down at the table and gazed aimlessly at the floor.

Yugi dried his hands and took the seat opposed to the boy. He reached out his hand and took his right into his and squeezed it tightly. Atem looked up at Yugi and for a moment his heart in his chest seemed to speed up from the boy touch.

"Look I want to help you. But you've got too trust me and do that you've got too tell me something. I'm not asking you to tell me the whole story but it would be helpful if I at the least knew your name and why you're in Doom Alleyway,"

"My name is…Yami. The reason I was in that alley is…" gritting his teeth he took a deep breath and told Yugi the truth or as much as he could, "I'm trying to escape from being forced to tie the knot with a beautiful airhead on my 18th birthday in three months. My culture customs demands I marry on my 18th birthday the person chosen for me, before I was even conceived! I'm too be forever bonded to an airhead who thinks I'm her new manicurist and I can't get a divorce for in our culture the only way out of marriage is death and let's just say that not very likely,"

"An arrange marriage? But that is so old fashion!" Yugi exclaimed as he brought Yami some coco to drink. Yami took the drink and inhaled it deeply to drown out his sorrow.

"We've never even meet too be honest. She wasn't even aware that there was such a thing as a male sex before. Another stupid rule. My father says marriage isn't about love or companionship. All a good marriage needs is beauty and fine breeding. Serafina is beautiful like a rose but her head is empty as the pot it goes in. If my mom was still alive she might be able too do something. But she um died suddenly when I was four. I barely remember anything about,"

"Your dad doesn't sound like a very nice guy, if he making his own son go through with this ridicule nonsense. Marriage is about love not anything as trivial as beauty or breeding. Your not livestock being breed for the slaughter house you're a thinking and breathing human being. Who has the right too chose what he wants in his own life," told him in a very strong tone.

"Yugi I really admire your courage and kindness. I've never know any of that even existed. But my father is much more powerful then you think. You don't tell him anything he demands and he always get's what he wants," Yami told Yugi sadly. He got up and started to head to the door when Yugi stopped him by grabbing his hand.

"Wait where you going, Yami?"

"Nowhere, I guess. I guess I was thinking I just keep running. I left home very quickly without really thinking. It was very spur of the moment. I didn't even take anything other then my Puzzle. My mom Samira gave it to me the day I was born. I've by no means ever have removed it,"

"Stay here. Please I want to be your friend. I can help you if you let me Yami. Look if you really have got no place to go wouldn't at least be nice too have a roof over your head and food in your belly then starving under a bridge?"

Yami as Atem now was calling himself looked upon the boy face. He never had been around anyone like this little angel. He really cared about him and his problem and he had braved impossible odds trying to help him even at the cost of his own life. He was beginning once again too feels new emotions bubble up with in his soul things he never experienced before.

"Yugi Moto I don't know who you are but I do know I can trust you. But what about your grandpa? I mean is he really gonna let you take some strange kid from the street stay in his home?"

"Let me handle it. Why don't you put the dishes away and I'll go talk it over with him ok?"

"Alright Yugi and thank you for everything. You really don't know how much this means too me," Yami told him. Smiling Yugi went down to the game shop and talk to his grandfather. Solomon was a little reluctant at first to the idea of taken in the young teenage boy

"Yugi you really don't know anything about this boy Yami. Even if he is being forced to marry, he ought to work it out with his father, not run away from the problem. Avoiding something or pretending it does not exist has never solved anything," he said as he put some new Duel Monster cards into the glass display case.

"Grandpa I think that only half the problem. I think Yami is also running away because… well he didn't come out and say it but I think his dad hits him a lot,"

Solomon looked at his grandson seriously and asked him straight up. "Yugi you really thing Yami is being abused?"

"Grandpa I think he suffered numerous forms of maltreatment. It's seems too me he been trapped for a long time even before this arrange marriage. I think it just took the marriage to get him too try and escape it all,"

"We should call the police. I'll do it right now getting the phone but Yugi stopped him, "Grandpa I've just gained his trust let me see if I can get him to give me some more it and then once we've got the whole story we'll call the police. But for now let him stay here where he does feel safe. Please I'm the only one he trust at this moment and we're gonna need him too keep trusting me if we're too help him," Yugi pleaded with his grandfather who sighed putting the receiver back on the hook.

"Ok he can stay in the spare bedroom in exchange he helps around the shop and you promise when he tells the whole truth or things get out of hand too call the police agreed, Yugi?"

"I promise Grandpa. Thank You,"

"So this is your room I know it's not really fancy and it's pretty small but it all we've got and…"

"Yugi it's wonderful, thank you again," Yami said as the two new friends set up the tiny bedroom for him. Yugi went to the closet and pulled out a set of spare pajamas. "Here you can sleep in these. The bathroom is on the left and breakfast is at 7:00 and I've got school at 8: 25. Grandpa gonna work it out tonight with the school board so you can come with me too school. See you in the morning Yami. Good night and sweet dreams,"

"Good night little one," Yami whispered as closed the curtains tightly as well as the door before undressing unaware that a few of his feathers had fallen out. He slipped under the light green covers and for the first time in a very long time, fallen peaceful to sleep and had a beautiful dream awaiting him. While he smiled happily as the dream play out in his mind the Heart was singing happily as the heir dreamed but the King was however just said very coldly.

"We've got a very serious problem my brother, a very serious problem indeed, that must be eliminated immediately," as he tried to suffocated the Heart growing song out it.