Author's note: everyone who reviewed (and had the patience to wait for this chapter...), thank you so much! Serafinamoon, glad you liked the chapter. I'm glad you like Scat's name...unlike some people...;;; And thank you for being okay with the long delay! Mitsuko-chan, thank you too. Heh, our heroes are about to get themselves into a LOT of trouble...as usual! And I did check out your new fic, as well as yours, Serafinamoon.

Updates may be slow for a while—this is finals week for me (in fact, this is right before my history final...--'''). I DO know where this story is going, and I'm not giving up on it, so if updates take a while...I DO have reasons. ;;; Also, this chapter has a lot of POV switches, but none are labeled...part of the point is for them to be clear enough that you can figure them out. One last thing: if any characters seem out-of-character...they aren't. They've DEVELOPED from their previous adventures. Hope you like this chapter, everyone!

… I don't like this. No no no. No more asterisks? So, I'm using new transitions. ----- is the POV changes….alas for the asterisks….hope you like this chapter, now that it's done CORRECTLY….

Chapter 5--Perspectives

It's not that I don't trust them. Well, okay, it is, but I have my reasons. There's only one thing I know for sure, and that's this: nobody helps nobody without a good reason, and that means there's something they want from you. So why should they help me? I don't like any of them, not that girl, not that kid with the long coat, not that one with all the hair. The other one....

I'm not too sure about the Guardian. There's something really different about him, and it's not just that he's a Guardian or that he looks so different from them. There's something else, behind his eyes. Slaves don't look into people's eyes too much, but it's okay with the others--the other slaves--and if you look into a slave's eyes it's scary, or at least it would be if I wasn't one myself. Some people's eyes, they got death in 'em, and some people, they're bitter and full of hate. Those other ones' eyes are just boring, nothing I would care about. But the Guardian....

I've never seen eyes like his. In one way, they're just so innocent. It's like he would trust anyone, like he's never seen death. But I looked again, and I know he's seen death. You can tell from someone's eyes right off; some people get cold and dead inside, and some people just can't stop hurting. The Guardian, I know it must have hurt him, but at the same time...no hate. That's just not normal, once you see someone die you should have hate inside, but he doesn't. It's strange...I've never met anyone who had so much pain inside and could still smile. It's like he doesn't even know he's hurt. I don't know what's up with that, but I know one thing--everyone you meet, they'll hurt you someday. So I won't trust to deep, or too much. I don't want to get hurt if I can help it. I'm not telling nothing to those others, that's for sure. And the Guardian, well, he's different I guess. Maybe I'd tell him something, I don't know. I'll help him out at least, if I can. He helped me without even knowing who I was, after all. I don't get how he can trust anyone like that, but whatever. Maybe it's something I wouldn't understand.

------------

Yuugi and Scat swept the front walk in silence. The former slave had offered to help Yuugi with his chores, and even though he told her it wasn't necessary, she insisted. Scat was much more efficient than Yuugi, mostly from long experience. Yuugi frowned, lost in thought; he was wondering what a Chaos Base in Dark World might mean for his friend Benjamin's home. He would have liked to ask Yami his opinion, but the spirit was apparently lost in thought himself, within his soul room; Yami had been doing that a lot lately. Yuugi wondered whether he had said or done something to offend his Guardian partner, then wondered whether he was being paranoid. He shook his head in a futile attempt to clear it, starting as he realized that he was repeatedly sweeping the same spot, and accomplishing nothing.

Scat gasped, looking at the sky. The sun was gradually sinking below the horizon, painting the sky with streaks of blood-red and fiery orange-yellow. Blue-violet tones were beginning to trickle in as well with the onset of nightfall. Having lived in Dark World for as long as she could remember, Scat had never seen a sunset like this before. In Dark World, the dying sun was always hazy and shadowed; the Darklings referred to it as being veiled. Scat had been in awe of the blazing yellow light before, but this was even more impressive.

"Scat? What is it?" Yuugi asked, turning to the former slave. Seeing the direction of her gaze, Yuugi thought he should have guessed--Benjamin had had the same fascination with the stars of this World, even staying up late into the night to watch them, and rising early in the morning to watch the sunrise.

"Your sky...it's..."

Yuugi smiled. "I know...we're very lucky."

There was a pause while both children watched the sky as it darkened and stars began to pierce the black mantle. Finally, Scat turned to the Guardian beside her. She was about to suggest that she get going, more because she had no concept of hospitality than out of politeness, but Yuugi beat her to it.

"Oh--I forgot, you can stay with us if you want!"

Scat stared at the Guardian. She stared some more. This could have gone on all night, but luckily Yuugi interrupted her.

"I mean...if that's...okay..." he added uncertainly, misinterpreting Scat's complete speechlessness.

"You're...letting me stay here?" Scat asked disbelievingly.

"Of course," Yuugi replied. "You are a guest, both of me personally and of my World."

Scat was impressed. She had never met a Guardian before, but she was sure that even if she had, there were very few as polite and genuinely friendly as this one. She felt that she should be expressing gratitude of some sort, but didn't quite know how; Scat had never heard someone say "thank you" before.

"Then....yeah, I guess."

The former slave followed Yuugi inside, still trying to comprehend what had just happened.

------------

There was a time when if I met someone, I would have asked them who they were. I would have asked ordinary things like their name, where they lived, what they did. Perfectly normal, ordinary questions that used to work just fine.

These days, I've stopping wanting to know who people are.

For one thing, "who" doesn't say much about some of the people I've met lately. For another, I don't want to hear any more about the "Multiverse" and the "Overlord" and all these other things that came into my life without my knowledge or consent.

I didn't ask my son to form an army; actually, I didn't even know.

He came home with a whole lot of strange people one day, all of them dressed like vagabonds and looking over their shoulders like they were afraid someone might attack at any moment. I asked him who they were, but he only told me they were friends; his wife just said they were in need of help. I didn't ask any further--they all looked fairly shifty. Some of them even had weapons! So I stayed out of their way, and they stayed out of mine, for them most part.

But things didn't stay like that--life got stranger and stranger. Sometimes one of them would come in with blood all over them, talking in some strange language; sometimes they'd wander around the house marking things with chalk. I always assumed that at least a few of them had some kind of mental disorder, judging from the way they acted. But I never thought that they were doing something dangerous...at least, until my son disappeared. Those strange people left to find him, and as far as I know only one returned. I know the night he came back because that was the same night that Yuugi came into my life. He was only a few years old; I doubt he remembers any of it.

[flashback]

A faint knock sounded through the downpour outside. Solomon got up, hurrying to the door. For days now, he had been waiting for news of his missing son; every knock raised his hopes, and every disappointment brought them crashing down again. Hands shaking slightly, he opened the door.

Luminous green eyes set in a pale face met his bright purple ones. A slender, black-cloaked man was standing on his doorstep, face ravaged with sorrow. His skin and clothes were torn and bloodstained, and his breath shook slightly, as if he was holding back a sob. Solomon recognized him, although he didn't know him by name, and this man--really just a boy, he thought--had never looked younger, or more miserable. It was as if he had lost all hope, all meaning in his life, in just one moment. In his arms, he carried a sleeping child. Wordlessly, he handed Yuugi to his grandfather, then took out a small, square object. Solomon realized, with some surprise, that it was his son's Duel Monsters deck.

"H-he wanted you...to have them..." the man whispered, his voice nearly breaking, as he gave the deck to Solomon. He turned and walked away, leaving only tearstains on the doorstep as evidence of his presence; even these were soon washed away by the rain. At that moment, without knowing how or why, Solomon was completely certain that his son was dead. Turning, he walked back into the house, deciding to forget that this meeting had ever happened.

[end flashback]

I still don't know what happened to my son, or why--all I know is that those strange people had something to do with it. And now Yuugi's become involved in all this as well...that boy named Benjamin, these strange disappearances, and even the man who spoke to me that night--he said his name is Vice. This girl says she's from Dark World, and she has some of the same odd habits Benjamin did--refusing to eat fish because it "belongs to the sea," staring at the sky, sleeping too little. I don't understand any of it, and I don't want to.

After all, my son died because he understood these things.

And now Yuugi is caught up in something that I'm sure he called a war, with strange people, some of whom said they weren't human, and I know that this is dangerous. I know that things are getting worse, and I don't want to know about it any more because I'm afraid that someday, Yuugi's going to die just like his father did....

Alone.

------------

No one even blinked when Yuugi woke up late, fell all the way down the stairs with much thumping and "ouch!"-ing, and finally zoomed out the door, shouting back, "I'm late I have to go take care of Scat bye!" to his grandfather; this was perfectly normal for the Mutou family. Yuugi's grandfather just shook his head, still not entirely used to this, but growing more so every day. Compared to saving the world, being on time for school just didn't get top priority. Even while rushing, however, Yuugi didn't forget to take the Millennium Puzzle with him; by now it was force of habit.

Maybe you should try waking up earlier...

"Well, I (pant, pant) would have, but (pant, pant) I don't have an alarm clock anymore because (pant, pant) someone tried to eat it..." Yuugi muttered under his breath, skidding to a stop in his own classroom just seconds ahead of the bell. Here as well, no one was surprised--most people thought Yuugi was practically a truant as it was, although it wasn't really his fault that he was always late; living with extremely annoying monsters can be an impediment to almost anything.

"Hi guys!" Yuugi said once he had caught his breath. All of his friends were there, with much more time to spare than him. Tea, Tristan, Joey, and Yuugi all went to their seats as their teacher walked in; across the classroom, Seto Kaiba did as well. Although none of his friends thought of the young CEO as a member of their group, Yuugi still said hello to him every morning, and got the same reply: "Go away." Unfortunately for Kaiba, this didn't bother Yuugi at all. All of the students settled down to start their school day, just as usual. Even heroes had to learn some time, much to Joey's chagrin.

------------

I don' know why Yuug bothers sayin' hello ta dat guy every day. I know I sure wouldn', not if ya paid me. Stupid Kaiba, thinks he's so great....I could beat him in a duel if I really wanted to. He's got nothin' on any of us, dat's for sure. Doesn' even have any friends.

I gotta admit, though, he IS pretty smart. I mean, I rememba when we got stuck in dat big Chaos fortress da first time--we neva could've gotten outta dere without him. Man, I thought we were goners when we first entered dat place...it was spooky as anything. All dark, and weid lights flickerin' around, and shadows too...and as crazy as it sounds, it felt like dat place didn't wan' us dere. We had ta go, though--Yuug was in trouble, and none of us'd eva leave a friend in trouble. Why Kaiba came along...I guess dere wasn' anything else he could do. I mean, we were all pretty freaked out, an' none of us knew how ta get home.

It all started with Duelist Kingdom, I guess--dat's where we met Benjamin. At first we all thought he was just a crazy duelist wanderin' around, but he was tryin' ta rescue someone too--Bikaymon. We didn' know it den, but Benjamin and Bikaymon weren' just out a de ordinary--dey weren' even human! An' dere was more--dey were from another World. Well, we didn' find dat out right away. It was a little while after all a' dat--we just got pulled right outa our World, an' inta Benjamin's. We met Vice dere, an' we helped them fight dis real bad guy who called himself da Shadow Masta. Actually, I don't know much about that...we all got split up, an' only Yuug was actually in the battle. He neva told us about it...I guess he doesn' want ta. Thing is, afta dat, Vice asked us to stop dis guy, who was lookin' for somethin'--da Chaos Seal, he said. I don' know what anybody'd want with a seal, but I guess dat's just me. We took his Gater thing, an' we tried ta go, but instead...we got sucked inta dis big fortress place. Actually, we didn' know dat at first--we got knocked out an' locked up, all tagether. I guess dey didn't know too much about us yet, or they neva woulda messed with Joey Wheeler, dat's for sure. Yeah, dat's right. I coulda beaten dem...if I really wanted to. Yuug got dragged off somewhere else, though--he neva said what happened. We all got out, usin' our monstas dat we'd just learned how ta Summon--man was dat cool. Only problem was, dey--meanin' all a dese weid people and shadow-things--cornered us in dis big room, with a lotta doors goin' off of it. Staircases too, it looked real formal. We was all fightin' our hardest, but we just had ta run in the end. We didn' want to, but dey went for reinforcements, and what with us thinkin' Kaiba was dead...we figured we'd betta get out while we could.

I found out later, we all went ta different places, and met lots of weid people. Me, I went ta dis place called "Yoo-rak" or somethin'. Lotsa people with swords and magic spells and things--I used Flame Swordsman and Copycat ta get me outa dat mess. Finally I remembered dat Gater thing, an' had Copycat change inta dat. I didn' know exactly where dat base thing was, so I went back ta where Vice was--in Dark World. All da rest of us did, too. We went back ta the base to rescue Yuug, but...things didn't go so well.

We got in all right--Vice said dey was lettin' us get in so dey could trap us, but dat was part of da plan, we would beat dem in some place that we could defend from. Thing was, dey were ready for dat. Some thing calling himself da Chaos Oracle had possessed our pal Yuugi, an' we couldn't attack him, because if we did, we'd end up hurtin' Yuug. Tea said somethin' about, "It's him, he betrayed us," but I'm not too sure what she was talkin' about--I was too busy trying not ta get hit. Vice got knocked out when he blocked this big magic blast, and den Riel--dat's his sister--said we'd betta run for it. We did, but dat didn't work too well either. Dey came afta us, an' it turned out dat some a dem could go through walls. Dey grabbed Kaiba first an' dragged him off through a wall--dat was freaky! Den Riel said, don't let dem get your decks, so when they came afta me, I threw mine ta her. I didn' want dem gettin' my cards, dat was for sure. I kept one, though--the Copycat. I knew I could use dat card to get away, an' I knew dey'd think they had all my cards. Way smarter den Kaiba, right?

Oh, yeah--I did need his help to get out in de end. It was mostly my plan though. Mostly.

[flashback]

Joey looked carefully around the small cell. They had been smart this time, whoever they were anyway--he and Kaiba had been locked in different rooms. In fact, Joey had no idea where he was. He sighed, his head between his knees. He had to think of a plan...he just had to!

"Dat's it!" he shouted, suddenly jumping up. He quieted at once, looking around again to make sure no one was watching, then pulled out a small, thin piece of paper.

"Copycat, come on out!" he whispered, squinting in concentration. Finally, a bright light shone from the card, and the Copycat popped out. Joey managed a grin, collapsing to his knees as he gasped for breath. Summoning was a lot harder than it had sounded when Vice told them how to do it...

The Copycat made an inquisitive noise, looking at its master. Joey waved a hand to reassure it, then sat up.

"Okay, Copycat, here's da plan...."

-----

Down one level, Seto Kaiba was sitting in a similar cell, also with his head between his knees. He was exhausted, having first fought a battle and then run from mysterious, shadowy-looking creatures. He scowled, remembering; how could he have let himself get caught like that, and even worse, let them take his deck!? Logically, he knew that there was nothing he could have done, but it made him feel better to be angry. Being angry was something he was used to, something he was good at; being trapped was not. Getting up, he started pacing, mentally berating himself for wasting energy at the same time. He had a strange feeling that something was wrong--beyond the obvious, that was--but he couldn't quite place it. Shaking his head, he tried to concentrate. A sudden noise at the opaque cell door, however, startled him out of his circular thoughts. Looking up, he watched in amazement as, with a strange giggle from the other side, the door swung open. In the doorway stood none other than the mutt, Joey Wheeler, with the Copycat quietly laughing its head off beside him, very pleased with itself for having picked the lock on the door.

"Well? You comin' or not, Kaiba?"

Furious at being rescued by such an inferior duelist (and in his own mind, inferior person), Kaiba stalked out, following Joey. Well, he thought, at least I'm out of that room.

[end flashback]

Yep--I rescued Kaiba. He didn't even say thank-you...stupid jerk. He didn't deserve my help...I did feel bad for him when we ran inta Vice, though. He wouldn' say exactly how he got away--just that "a bond they could not break has saved me," which I didn't get. The thing is, he told Kaiba dat the Chaos people snatched Mokuba, his little brother. Well, I know how I'd feel if anything happened ta my little sister, Serenity...so I went along to find him. Kaiba got this thing carved into his hand so we could trace Mokuba or something--it was scary, all that blood, he looked like he was gonna faint. But he agreed to it to find Mokuba, so I guess he's not all bad...just mostly. Anyway, we met up with Riel, Tea, and Tristan so we could find Yuug and get outa dere. Dere was some kinda plan, but we didn' know what it was exactly--Vice said, "someone they don't expect will help us," but I don' know why. I don' think anybody else came ta help...but what do I know? So many weid things happened, maybe I missed dat one. It was real spooky...but we got home--Vice gave Yuug one a dem Gater things.

It's not dat I mind helpin' people out or dat I blame Yuug for gettin' us sent to another World--I know he didn't plan dat. I just wish I coulda been dere for Serenity's operation. She was goin' blind, so I went to Duelist Kingdom with Yuug, an' he helped teach me how ta duel so I could win the prize money from the tournament for the operation so she could see again. Actually, Yuug ended up beatin' me in our duel...but he gave me the money, he said he just wanted to save all the souls Pegasus stole. Dat guy was as crooked as dey come...but Yuug beat him in the end too. He almost neva loses, actually...it's pretty weid, because he's about the most not violent person I've evah met--except when one of us is actually in danger, or when he's dueling. Den...he just seems different. Actually, that hasn't been happening so much lately...I'm not too sure why. We just got back home from findin' dis key, so right now, I'm okay with just takin' a break. I have a feelin' we'll be fightin again pretty soon, and dis time, I'm gonna be ready. Those Chaos jerks won't get away with hurting my friends, and not anybody else's, either--not while Joey Wheeler's around.

------------

It's weird how nobody really notices that Yuugi's almost late every day. Of course, nobody used to notice him getting beat up either, or getting that Millennium Puzzle, or disappearing to another World....

I can't say that I'm any more observant--it's just that all this stuff's been happening to me too. I guess I notice things sometimes--definitely more than my pal Joey--but who would ever guess that there are other Worlds? I sure wouldn't have; in fact, I could hardly believe it at first. Not that there was much choice...we were all sort of dragged into it. Ever since we met Benjamin, our lives have been pretty crazy.

Actually, that's not quite right--it wasn't ever since we met Benjamin. Even before that, things had been kinda weird...wait, I remember. Ever since Yuugi got that Puzzle...that's when strange things started happening. The funny thing is, no one ever really notices; I guess it's just human nature to look for some other reason that weird things are happening than something unbelievable. Who could've guessed so many people would want that thing? Pegasus sure did--he arranged a whole tournament just to face Yuugi, that evil creep. Yuugi beat him in the end, though...he beats just about everybody.

Now that we've found out about the Multiverse, things have gotten even crazier. Yuugi, Joey, Tea, and Kaiba all learned how to use magic to Summon the monsters on their Duel Monsters cards, and we fought all these weird people. I'm the only one who can't really Summon--I guess I could if I absolutely had to, but even Vice said I don't have as much magic as the others. Well, what he said was, "your strengths reflect a different kind of fire," but I think that's what he meant. Even when we got caught in that Chaos fortress, I couldn't do a thing...

We were trying to find the Chaos Seal or something, but instead, we ended up in this big fortress, and we all got dragged off into a prison cell! Well, except for Yuugi; he got taken somewhere else. I think whatever happened to him must have been pretty bad...he never talks about it. In fact, if one of us mentions it, he goes completely silent. Not that he's much of a talker the rest of the time...he always helps us if we need something, and he cheers us on if one of us is trying to do something, but I don't think he's asked us for help in a long time...maybe he feels like he owes us one, after we came with him at Duelist Kingdom. I hope not--that's not how it is at all. I mean, we're all friends here, right?

So it isn't that I don't want to help the gang save the Multiverse--it's just that I can't, really. I can't Summon as well as Yuugi can, or even as well as Joey can...I don't have magic like the others all do...I can't fight like Vice or Benjamin can...I'm not as smart as Kaiba...I can't even support everyone nearly as well as Tea or Yuugi can. There isn't really any skill I have that someone doesn't already have, but even more so. I want to help...I really do. I just wish I knew how.

------------

It's hard to concentrate in class, sometimes. I mean, when you think about the whole Multiverse being in danger and all, physics and history just don't seem so important. I end up thinking about other things, and missing the whole lesson.

That's okay, though--I know one of my friends will lend me notes if I need them. Well, not Joey--he's not exactly the world's best note taker. Tristan's notes are always nearly perfect, even if he asks me or Yuugi to explain them sometimes. And Yuugi's notes? Well...I hate asking him for notes. He's a really close friend, but first of all, his notes are a mess. There are always scribbles and weird symbols in the margins from where he says he's practicing Darkling (whatever that is), and sometimes there are random sentences that don't seem to fit together in the middle of a bunch of notes. I think that's so he can talk to that spirit without saying anything out loud. Personally, I don't see why he bothers--if it was up to me, I'd say Yami deserves to be left all by himself. Why should Yuugi talk to him, after what he did to us?

Joey and Tristan--and Kaiba too, not that I usually think of him with the rest of my friends--don't know about Yami, but I do. When Yuugi put together the Millennium Puzzle, he started losing his memory sometimes, and strange things would happen...later, he found out that he was getting possessed by this ancient spirit. Yuugi calls him Yami--I'm not sure if that's his name or just a title, since it means "darkness" in Japanese. Neither of us speaks that, but his grandpa does, so maybe that's where he got it from.

I didn't know about Yami until Duelist Kingdom. I'd been thinking for a while that something strange was going on with Yuugi, because if there was ever trouble, he seemed...different. More confident, more self-assured, more...dangerous. All things that Yuugi definitely isn't--he's one of the most unassuming people I've ever met. During Duelist Kingdom, though, a boy named Bakura from our class challenged Yuugi to a friendly duel, and me, Tristan, and Joey all gave Yuugi our favorite cards for the match. The only problem was, it wasn't really Bakura--it was the evil spirit that lives inside his Millennium Ring, just like Yami lives inside the Millennium Puzzle. The evil spirit (from the Ring, that is) was going to steal the Millennium Puzzle. Now I almost wish he had, but Yami took over Yuugi's body and dueled him in this creepy place called the Shadow Realm. The reason I know is that when he played our favorite cards--Cyber Commander, Flame Swordsman, and Magician of Faith--we appeared, dressed like the cards and with their powers! Finally, Yami had to play the Dark Magician--Yuugi's favorite card. When he did, Yuugi appeared on the field...but Yami didn't. Joey and Tristan still think it was just a dream, but that was when we met Yami for the first time. Of course, back then I didn't know what he's really like...

Yami didn't seem like a bad person (or whatever he is) when I first found out about him. In fact, as much as I hate to admit it, I even had sort of a crush on him. He saved my life once, and he seemed like...a hero. He helped us when we were in trouble...he was so honorable...and he always, always, protected us. I never thought he would hurt any of us, and especially not Yuugi. But...he did.

It was when we got sucked into another World for the first time--Benjamin was in big trouble, and he's our friend even though back then we didn't know him very well, so we helped him. We also met this guy named Vice...I still don't know what to make of him. He's the kind of person that can make you feel really safe and really uncomfortable at the same time, if that makes any sense. Anyway, we ended up trying to find this thing called the Chaos Seal, although I'm still not sure what it is exactly. We never found it--instead, we ended up in this big Chaos fortress. Me, Joey, Tristan, and Kaiba were all locked up together (and it was no picnic), but Yuugi got dragged off somewhere else--along with his Millennium Puzzle, meaning Yami. The rest of us escaped, and we fought the weirdest creatures...we ran for it after it looked like Kaiba got killed. I mean, we were sure he was dead, we checked for a pulse and everything! I almost had a heart attack when later we all met up back in Dark World and he was perfectly fine. Typical Kaiba: he goes, "What are you geeks looking at?" when we're all freaking out because he's alive.

We went back to the fortress to rescue Yuugi, but...that didn't go so well. Vice got knocked out and captured, and when the rest of us were running for it with Vice's sister Riel, Kaiba and Joey were both captured too. They don't know it, but there was a reason: Yami. He was with those Chaos freaks that attacked us, and the one that took over Yuugi's body--the Chaos Oracle. He must have betrayed us--he didn't even try to stop them, he just watched. It was even worse than seeing Yuugi possessed, in a way, because I knew that if we all worked together we could save Yuugi...knowing that Yami chose to side with those evil creeps was so much harder to take. And it got worse.

Later, when me, Tristan, and Riel regrouped and went back to find the others, we all ended up meeting in this sort of big hall inside the fortress. Yami was with the Chaos people--and he stabbed Yuugi. It's true that Yuugi was possessed at the time, but that doesn't make it right! He could have killed Yuugi! We were all fighting at that point, so I didn't really see what happened after that, but we made it out. Actually, Yami sort of disappeared somehow, Yuugi was really upset about it...Vice went to find him though, and unfortunately he did. I say we don't have any proof that Yami is really on our side--for all we know, he's still with the Overlord. So I don't trust that spirit one bit, and I wish Yuugi wouldn't either. I can't believe I ever thought he was a hero...

Even though this whole war thing is pretty scary, and we've had some close calls, I don't mind helping Yuugi and the gang fight. They're my friends, and friends never give up on each other. I just wish it wasn't so dangerous...I don't even want to think about what I'd do if one of us got hurt or...anything else. Even Kaiba--it was so scary when that Clanner lady stabbed him, what if he had died? When this whole thing started, it didn't seem nearly so difficult...but I won't give up. I'll never give up on my friends, and I know they won't give up on me either.

------------

This is such a stupid class. As far I can see, there's no point in learning all this history, it isn't even true. We know that there was magic in ancient times, so where is it in the history books? Nowhere. Not one mention.

I'm being quiet though, because I know Yuugi has to concentrate and it's the law and we can't just tell them that their history is wrong, any more than we can tell them that the laws of physics are wrong. It's not that I'm saying they're entirely wrong, but they managed to leave out some details...say, magic and the Shadow Realm? Yeah, somehow I could've guessed.

I guess school is even more boring for me than for Yuugi or his stupid friends, because of course I'm technically not here. I'm off in my soul room inside the Millennium Puzzle, and I don't have to pay attention. Goody, even more time to wander around in this labyrinth looking behind doors I've opened a hundred times and still not get any answers.

I don't want to complain--after all, I'm lucky to even be here. If Yuugi hadn't put together the Millennium Puzzle, I'd never do anything at all. But...I still sort of wish I didn't have to sit here all the time. I don't even know what I'm doing here, what's the point?

Yuugi's stupid friends are in these classes too. I don't like any of them, and it's not my fault--they hated me first. Well, Tea did. I don't think Joey and Tristan even know I exist, and of course the sky might fall before Kaiba admits that Yuugi's Puzzle has magic powers and a spirit inside it. How can he believe in Summoning, but not in the magic of the Millennium Items? Talk about stubborn...and that girl Tea seems to think I'm the evil incarnate. Either she wants me to know that, or she doesn't realize that I hear most of what people say to Yuugi. Yeah, well. What do I care what they think about me? Yuugi doesn't believe her anyway.

That's another thing, though--why doesn't he? As far as I know, I've never done anything that makes me seem particularly trustworthy or virtuous. I'd call it blind faith, but you never know. It's not like I have a really great memory. Still, that's a long shot...I don't know what would make anyone have faith in me.

I used to think that I actually did something pretty useful--I protected Yuugi from everything and everyone that tried to hurt him or his friends. I wasn't a psychotic murderer--it was justice! Yeah, that's exactly why I never told Yuugi what I did to any of those people. Of course it wasn't anything bad...and the effects weren't permanent...usually. Okay, so I did hurt a lot of people, but they deserved it. They hurt Yuugi, it was their own fault. I was a good protector...wasn't I? Yuugi said I was...he could just be saying that, though--I swear, he's too nice for his own good. I was there when he was begging Matt not to hurt those Clanners, one of whom had just tried to kill him. I would've stopped them myself, but...

It's funny how the Millennium Puzzle works. Back when I first met Yuugi, I could only do things by taking over his body, like a demon, and he never remembered it afterward. That's why he didn't know about me. Then after a while, Yuugi started remembering things...then when those Chaos people captured us, I actually learned how to manifest myself separately from Yuugi, and not just in a spirit form--I learned how to manipulate objects and stuff too. But I'd rather not remember what happened....what I did....

The reason I didn't protect Yuugi that day with the Clanners is because it's a lot harder for me to just take over his body now--I think he subconsciously learned to block me so I can't hurt anyone. Poor Yuugi the pacifist got stuck with me for a protector...but we make a good team, right? I mean, when we duel, nobody can beat us.

Oh, yeah--except the "us" part doesn't really apply anymore. Yuugi's actually a perfectly good duelist on his own, he's just under confident...but in this war--in other Worlds--they don't duel. They use magic, and I can't Summon at all. In fact, I can't do anything particularly effective. So I just kind of...exist. Inside the Millennium Puzzle, and occasionally Yuugi's mind. Yuugi's done so much for me, I wish there was some way I could help him too...but I can't, really. At this point, I don't even know who I am.

I don't remember anything about my past--where I came from in the first place, how I got trapped inside the Millennium Puzzle, or even where the Millennium Puzzle itself came from. I don't even know my name, or at least I don't know my original name--I have a new one now. For a long time, Yuugi called me a yami--his yami, specifically--because his grandfather's a real traditionalist, so he speaks Japanese, and yami means darkness. Since I use dark magic, and I guess you could say I'm a bit of a dark character, Yuugi called me a yami--his yami--the darkness inside of him. I am, in a sense--I'm certainly darker than him, and I am inside his mind in some ways. After a while, I decided I liked that name...so I just took it. Yami is my real name now, Vice even said so. My Truename...

So Yuugi's given me a lot of things--a life by putting together the Millennium Puzzle, a reason to exist by letting me protect him and help him, almost friends because until Tea found out that I exist they thought of me as a friend too, and even a name...and I really haven't done anything for him but cause trouble. Sure, I helped him beat Pegasus, but he wouldn't have been facing Pegasus in the first place if he hadn't found the Millennium Puzzle, and me. He wouldn't have gotten stuck in this war if he hadn't gone to Duelist Kingdom, so in a sense that's my fault too. I've gotten Yuugi into much more trouble than I've gotten him out of. When we fought in Dark World to help Benjamin, I couldn't do anything...Yuugi nearly died more than once, and what did I do? Nothing. It isn't that I didn't want to...there was just nothing I could do.

So if I'm not really any good at protecting Yuugi, what am I here for? Why am I bound to the Millennium Puzzle? Well, if I knew the answer I wouldn't be asking. I told Ko I didn't care who I used to be...but I do. I wish I knew about my past, and where I came from, and how I got here. I've looked through my mind so many times, but even Shadi couldn't find anything useful in here--apparently, my mind has a paranoid streak, because it tried to kill him nearly every two minutes. It's no danger to me, of course, but I haven't had any more success. It's good that my mind is so well protected, but it isn't supposed to keep me out too!

It's not that I don't appreciate what I have--I wouldn't trade my connection with Yuugi for anything. But why do I have it in the first place? Who am I? I can't help wishing I knew. Yeah, well, what can you do, right?

I didn't always talk like that--Yuugi says that since I've learned to manifest myself and all, I've started talking like Joey and Tristan, a.k.a like a gangster...I suppose I picked it up from listening to them all the time, so it isn't my fault. But still...it's one more sign that I'm changing--moving away from whoever I used to be. Is that a good thing? I'm not sure. What if I never find out who I am? What if...what if I was someone bad before? There are endless potential disasters with me and my past, and the worst part is that there's nothing I can do.

More than anything else, I hate being helpless. I don't care what happens to me, but I never, ever want to be in a position where someone else is in trouble and there's nothing I can do. I never want that to happen again...because I know that a lot of the time, I'm not very helpful. And I want to have some kind of purpose to my life...I don't want to just cause trouble. I swore I'd protect Yuugi, and that's what I try to do...things have gotten stranger since we found out about the Multiverse; for some reason, a whole lot of very dangerous people seem to hate Yuugi, and want him dead or worse. I may not know why they do any more than I know who I am, but I know one thing--no matter what happens, I won't let anything happen to Yuugi because of me. Never again...

------------

"...we've found her!"

The commander looked up eagerly, scurrying over to the computer terminal where one of his agents was working, searching for the escapee. Finally, after days of work, results! Peering at the dimly lit screen, he grinned wickedly. Now she would pay...and they would all see what happened to all those who defied the might of the Chaos Army.