(A/N): Everyone, I'm so incredibly sorry for not posting in so long. As I said last time, I had a bunch of tests. Well... after those tests, I got grounded...( believe it or not, I got an F in english...) So, my parents took my laptop. Needles to say, I wouldn't get it back until I fixed my grades... and all that time, I still tried to write... *hangs head in shame* But, I fell victim to writer's block and end of the year projects.
No need to worry though! It's finally summer break, and the Zone mysteriously settled upon me and gave me my groove back! Yay Zone! I promise I'll try to update more frequently. (At least once within 2 weeks, though I hope I could make it once a week) Also... I seemed to have written more in this long time... oh well. I kept reading reviews, and although they made me feel guilty, I also felt incredibly happy that people do enjoy my writing... its aOpperantly a very powerful motivator. Anyways, seeing as how you've all waited so long for this next chapter, I'm going to skip the replies and such. I might continue them again next time, but only if you guy like to hear them.
Now on to the fic!
Haku: ... Shiro, if you're going to forget everytime, we're going to stop reminding you, and then you'll get sued.
Me: ehehe... oops? *looks towards doorway* *lightbulb*
Ookami: *walks in with a Chibi Ryou and a Chibe Bakura*
Me: *Pulls out a golden chocolate coin and a lolipop* 'Kura, Ryou! Would you two like some candy?
Chibi 'Kura: *nods* gimme!
Chibi Ryou: *Looks up with chibi eyes* pwetty pwease?
Me: *Supresses urge to glomp the cuties* You can have some on one condition *wispers into the chibi's ears*
Chibi 'Kura&Ryou: Shiwo does not own Yugioh! Kazuki Ta.. Taka... Takahashi does.
Me: Kawaii! Good job boys! Here's your candy, now go play. *watches the Chibis run out of the room*
Ookami: We forgot to mention... not sure how, but I think we reated an OC... his name is Soshi... not sure if he'll continue to be a part of this fic for very long...
Now on to the fic!
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Last time on DNO...
"Little Yuugi of coarse always sees the best in people, so he tried to say Jou isn't really that bad a guy... Anzu wouldn't hear it, and continued her little speech until class finally began. Though Yuugi is usually more attentive, this time he didn't hear a word. All his thoughts were focused on the puzzle. He couldn't seem to get it off his mind...
_
The final bell was ringing, signalling the end of classes. That finally snapped Yuugi out of his thoughts. So, he forced himself to focus on getting safely -and unbeaten- back home.."
_
"Hey Boss! You won t believe the rumor I just heard." said a lanky, tall and all around pathetic looking guy dressed in the school uniform as he ran up to his 'Boss'. He stopped just in front of the dark silhouette of the tall, and bulky shape resting against a wall.
Low, sinister chuckling came from the shape, and then it spoke. "Soshi... this had better be good this time. If its just some lowlife asking for a date, then there s gonna be hell to pay. And this time, I ll deal it out personally. Now speak."
Gulping, and biting down on his lower lip to keep it from quivering, Soshi finally stuttered out "N-No Boss... nothing like that. I found a good one. Some kid was being bullied during lunch today. I think his name was Yuugi... I started investigating a bit, and it turns out he s chronically bullied. Gets beat up on the way home almost everyday..."
Now the laughter was smug... confident, with so much sinister intent within it that just thinking about the face it could be coming from could send one into a fear induced heart attack. And, poor Soshi was no different. However, being trained to not show fear -or rather being beaten any time he did- he gave no indication of the shuddering, and the spasms of fear going up and down his spine. Stepping away from the wall, the hulking figure seemed to tower over Soshi like a giant. "Now then, it seems you've done well for once Soshi. Keep an eye on the kid, and we ll start the plan tomorrow." And with that Soshi scurried off to do his Boss's bidding.
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Jou leaned against the window gazing out at the moat that surrounded the outside of the school. Or, that s what it appeared to be to anyone passing by from the position Jou was in. The bell had rung quite a long time ago, and the halls all seemed deserted. But that didn't fool Jou... No, he knew that within the classrooms there were teachers, and somewhere in the school there were students like him, staying behind for one reason or another.
But none of that really mattered to Jou... he was too busy staring at the little golden object in the palm of his hand.
'Why'd I really take this thing? It's small, and meaningless. What does it matter if the kid thinks his dreams will come true if he wishes hard enough on some magic puzzle box? I know it won't... I know how cruel life can really be out there... I'm only tryin ta toughen him up a bit. I mean come on! How childish can you get?' but no matter how much he tried to justify his act, it all came down to one thing... One nagging thought in the back of his mind.
'I just want to protect him from the disappointment and hardships that I couldn t protect myself and Shizuka from...'
"No! I m not some sissy, and I'm not doing this for any other reason except to toughen him up! How dare he be so childish, and carefree when I have it so tough..." Jou proclaimed to himself out loud. 'You sure though? Don t you think there s something different about him? Some reason you re even bothering to pay attention to him? Maybe... just maybe you wanna be his friend?'
"No! Of course not! Forget this garbage!" and with a frustrated grunt, Jou opened the window and chucked the puzzle piece as far as he could. Bad move... He threw just a little bit too far, and it happened to hit a passerby on their way home. Leaning forward to get a better look at the person he just hit, Jou's eyes widened when they caught hold of a familiar blue coat, and a silver briefcase... 'Oh crap'... were Jou's thoughts when he saw his classmate turning to see who'd thrown something at his head. And in an instant, Jou had ducked enough so that he was completely hidden from view, but could still see outside.
From his hiding spot, he could just make out a scowl on the person's face. And, though he probably imagined it, Jou thought he could hear curses muttered as the passerby strode away quickly. After coming out of hiding and breathing out a sigh of relief, Jou noticed the slight golden sparkle coming from the bottom of the moat.
Snickering to himself, he muttered maliciously "I nail Kaiba in the head, and land the piece where the squirt will never find it! Maybe it's my lucky day!" His snickering only evolved into full-blown laughter at the ridiculous thought, and he turned to walk down the hall as he did. But, just as he'd taken 3 steps, he bumped into someone.
Startled out of his laughing fit, Jou opened his eyes quickly to see who he'd hit. There, in front of him, stood none other than Honda-kun. Jou smiled apologetically and said "Sorry man... heh, I was kinda distracted." Returning the smile with one of his own, Honda replied "Not a problem man. What was with all the laughing though? I could hear it from the floor below... and why did I see Kaiba stalking off looking angrier than usual?" questioned the teen with pointy brown hair.
"It s a long, and kinda boring story bud. No point in telling it." Replied the blond haired teen while making his way down the hall and to the entrance of the school. "Yeah, all right. Whatever you say Jou..." retorted Honda sarcastically. "Well it s true! All I's did was take a puzzle piece from Mouto, throw it out the window, and just happen to hit Kaiba in the head as he passed by. Nothing big." Finished Jou nonchalantly as they reached the school's exit. Honda was just about to reply when a couple of big, burly upperclassmen grabbed the pair and dragged them around to the other side of the school, in an alleyway. They didn't go quietly though, they went kicking and fighting all the way, and once there, they were thrown roughly against the wall. Just as Jou was about to stand though, a big, heavy boot stomped down on his head, slamming it into the ground.
Seeing his buddy get hurt, Honda tried to get up and beat the tar out of the two goons. But it was no use, a swift kick to the stomach and a punch in the jaw sent him sprawling down on the ground, hitting his head.
Hearing the scuffle, Jou's voice -though muffled by the ground- could be heard saying "What do you two bakayaros want?" A low growl could be heard, and then a deep and angry voice said "We don't want anything, we're just following our Boss's orders. Then another, more annoying voice commented "Yeah, we're supposed to keep you here and quiet by any means necessary."
And with that, the goons commenced the inevitable... they began to punish Jou and Honda with a brutally strong kick or punch whenever they saw fit... at least... until their Boss arrived...
_
Yuugi had made it halfway back to the shop when he saw that the sky had started to get dark. Picking up his pace, Yuugi started thinking that perhaps he'd make it home safely today... No bullies were ever this far away before they ambushed him. So, he'd just begun to let his guard down when he passed by the dark alley. A shadow creeped closer, just barely registered by the small teen's eyes. But it was there none the less... Yuugi was just about to quicken his pace a little more when a voice made him stop.
"Mouto Yuugi. Come closer... into the alley..." He shouldn't have listened. He didn't know why he did in the first place, but before he knew it, he'd made it to the mouth of the alley. "Closer... away from the street..." came the voice again, a little closer than before. Hesitatingly, Yuugi took one step into the shadows, and immediately felt a shiver of foreboding go up and down his spine. "T-this is as far as I ll go... so... s-show yourself whoever you are..." said Yuugi rather bravely.
Soft, sinister chuckling came from a shadow as it moved closer. "Sure kid... now then. When you go to school tomorrow, walk around back... I'll talk to you there... I think you'll like your little surprise."
Fear was really making itself more noticeable the longer Yuugi stayed within the alley. And a sick feeling of dread started to pool in his stomach, ice cold and burning. "W-why? What do you need me there for?"
"You're bullied right? Beat up everyday? Picked on? Well, lets just say you don't ever have to worry about that again... I'll be your new body guard... we'll discuss my payment tomorrow..." Said the voice, fading as it moved farther away.
"Matte! How did you know that about me? Who are you?" Called Yuugi into the darkness, but the person had already left... his voice echoed back to him hollowly. And with that, Yuugi spent no more time within the alley, and ran the rest of the way back home. He didn t stop once until he arrived, panting and sweating as he opened the shop door.
"Yokoso"! Came the elderly, but cheerful voice of his grandfather as he called out his welcome. "T-tadaima!" called out Yuugi as he came into view, more collected than he'd looked a few seconds before. "How was your day Yuugi?" question Sugoroku as Yuugi made his way passed the counter and to the stairs up to their apartment.
Stopping for a moment and putting on a cheerful smile, Yuugi remembered how Anzu and Hanasaki had tried to help him today. "It was very good Jichan. I had a lot of fun." He said earnestly in reply to his grandfather's query. And his grandfather could see the truth in those clear amethyst eyes so much like his own. Ruffling the boy's hair, he kindly said, "Go on up, and finish your homework..." Fixing his hair, Yuugi complied, and half-way up, he heard Sugoroku call "And don't forget! It's your turn to make dinner tonight!"
Groaning, Yuugi trudged up the rest of the way, and began thinking of what he could possibly make out of the fridge s contents. 'But first... Gotta finish my math homework...' Yuugi opened the door to his messy room, and breathed a sigh of relief. He'd finally made it to his sanctuary... the one place he could be himself and not worry about anything. Sure, Jichan was very supportive, and would always love him... but there are some times that only solace, or a true friend could really bring comfort. Yuugi had no friends, so he settled for his first option.
Dropping his bag unceremoniously on the floor next to his desk, Yuugi reached in to grab his work. But, instead of a heavy book and worksheets, Yuugi's fingers made contact with something hard and cold. 'The puzzle! How could I have forgotten it! Oh no... I didn't tell Jichan. Will he be mad..?' thought Yuugi frantically. But, outwardly he looked calm... his hand was already holding the box, and opening up the lid... Yuugi finally noticed the soft golden light that seemed to radiate from the contents... And once again, he was gripped in a hypnotic trance.
"The homework can wait... and I'm sure Jichan won't mind too much... I can just finish it, and show him... He'll be so proud, he won't care how I got it in the first place..." he murmured softly. He'd just started to fit some pieces together when his conscience broke through the fog around his mind... 'No! You know this is wrong! Even if you want to finish it, it wouldn't be right. The puzzle isn't yours... and, if you took the wish it'd be like stealing it from Jichan!' Blinking in surprise, Yuugi looked down at his hands to see more the half the pieces were already fit together... but it didn't look right... Disgusted with his behavior, Yuugi took the pieces apart, and put them back within the box.
Wasting no more time, Yuugi left his room and walked into the living room finding his grandpa sitting in the recliner watching TV. "Oi, Jichan... I found this in my school bag today... I'm very sorry, I don't know how it got there, and I should have told you when I got home... But it somehow slipped my mind. Here you go." And with that, Yuugi handed back the puzzle willingly... Though, for some reason, seeing it in someone else's hands made his heart ache unpleasantly.
Sugoroku looked down at the golden object in his hand with a mildly surprised expression. 'So... he decided to tell me the truth...' a bright smile lit the old man's face as his grandson made his way towards the kitchen, presumably to start dinner. "No words could describe how happy I am to know that it's allure did not taint his innocence... perhaps he really is... Only one way to find out then, isn't there?" the old man spoke aloud to himself. Making up is mind to follow through with his first plan, Sugoroku stood up from his seat and made his own way towards the kitchen, and into a seat at the small table there.
"So Yuugi, what are you making there?" questioned Sugoroku after a few minutes of silently watching his grandson bustling around looking for ingredients. Yuugi stopped rummaging in the lower cabinet for a moment to look at his grandfather. "Just planning to make a little stir-fry Jichan, but... I can t seem to find the oil..." this last part was spoken with his head once again within the dark cabinet. Chuckling lightly, Sugoroku said "Never mind that, Yuugi. Come, sit here with me for a moment."
"But Jichan, what about dinner?" replied Yuugi never the less making his way to the chair across from the old man. "It's obvious we need to make a trip to the grocery, so we'll just order in tonight. Now Yuugi, this is very serious..." It was then that Yuugi finally paid notice to the box sitting on the table near his grandfather. 'Don't tell me he's mad... I said I had no idea how it got in my bag...' thought Yuugi, fidgeting slightly.
"Now, Yuugi. You're probably wondering if I'm angry with you for the puzzle being in your bag." Started his grandfather, ignoring the surprised look on his grandson's face. "Let me say right now, that I'm not. As for how the puzzle got into your bag in the first place..."
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(A/N): And I think we'll leave it there for now! Mwuahahah! I'm a horrible person for leaving a cliff hanger, but this way, it'll give me an extra insentive to continue, and a reason for everyone to bug me with reviews (they honestly don't bug me, in fact I love getting them, and they really do motivate me more than you'd think) on how I haven't updated to let you know what happened yet. ;D
So! You all know how to get the next chapter! Leave a review, and maybe I'll update before I arrive in Miami next week!
Also, I think this is the last chapter I'll be offering this, since there hasn't been much response... The first 5 people to review get to suggest a scene for this fic later on. Until Next time!
Review Please?