Yugi couldn't sleep that night. He had Ryou over since they had stayed up watching a movie and forgot about time. Bakura had called out of worry, and hadn't been too happy for worrying for no reason.
"Yugi… are you awake?" Ryo whispered from his make-swift bed.
"Yes…" Yugi whispered back.
"What was it that was so strange about that painting?"
Yugi knew what he meant. The whole day they had both had the painting fixed into their minds, as if it had been painted on their very brains. "I don't know. Maybe because she… reminded of… someone I know so very well."
Ryou opened his eyes to look at the shadow of Yugi on the other bed. "Who do you think that man was?" he asked.
"…I don't know," Yugi said slowly. "I seriously don't know. But he somehow gave me creeps. I wish I know why."
The boys slowly drifted off to sleep.
She saw from her spot behind a wall of swordfighters where she fired her arrows into the army of enemies how the princess's friend fell from an arrow in her shoulder. She left her place to help though she knew it was too late. He was already over her. But what happened next filled up her whole vision.
His sword never made a scratch on the wounded girl that was the princess's best friend. The princess stared into the eyes of her brother as the battle quickly died out around them. His sword seemed to grow out from her ribcage.
"I can not let you… harm my… friends," the princess said as blood found its way from the corners of her mouth and tears fell from her eyes for the first time in many long years. "I can not protect them anymore, so please don not hurt them… I… love you…."
"NO! PRINCESS!"
"Ryou? What is it?"
Ryou sat in his bed cold sweating. He stared at Yugi for a few seconds, unaware of the light from the night lamp that burned in his eyes, before slowly falling back on the bed. Yugi made his way over to his friend.
"It was just a nightmare," Ryou said, but tears in his eyes betrayed his statement. "It was so real, the feelings were so strong. I could feel how my heart shattered."
Yugi took his hand and squeezed it lightly, offering comfort for his trembling friend. He didn't mention Ryou's outburst had saved Yugi from his own nightmare. A nightmare of his own brother about to kill him.
"She cried," Ryou continued.
"Who cried?" Yugi asked softly.
Ryou looked up at him and Yugi already knew who. "The princess cried."
"What's going on in here?"
Yugi jerked at the sound of his brother's voice and was briefly reminded of his dream. "Nothing brother. Just having bad dreams," he said with a voice he hoped didn't betray he was startled.
Yami stared at them from the door. "Be glad mother isn't home or she'd beat you for having a noisy friend over. Do you even know the time?"
"Nightmares don't come with the clock," Yugi said tiredly.
"She's four in the morning! That's a nightmare. I won't be able to go back to sleep now," Yami said and turned back to his room.
"Excuse him Ryou. He's just such an ass if awoken too early," Yugi said to Ryou, not caring if his brother heard or not.
"Just like Bakura then. They are so alike I wonder it's not because of that hey don't like each other," Ryou said covering his face with his hands.
"That would mean they don't like themselves," Yugi said and couldn't hold back a giggle, neither could Ryou and soon they were both lying on the bed trying to suppress their laughter as Yami was back wondering: "What the heck is so freaking funny?"
"I swear, school is nothing but a damn curse," Bakura muttered as he took his place beside Jonouchi, a tall blonde boy with brown eyes and always with a playful grin on his face.
"You're not the only one to say that Kura. I hate culture class."
"I hate to say it but we're three about it," Yami said as he took his place at Jono's other side.
Bakura growled deeply in his chest. "The more I learn about you the more I hate you," he growled.
"What a coincidence. I hate you too."
"Grow up you two. Are you seventeen or seven?" Yugi asked as he and Ryou approached.
"Yugi? What are you doing here?" Yami asked.
"Have you forgotten already? We have culture together this term, even with the last year students," Ryou said and shared seat with his older brother.
"Oh, that's right. You both had brothers in the same age," Jono said and looked between them. "You have even more common. Both your brothers look just like you."
That was true. Yugi and Ryou looked like smaller visions of their brothers. Yugi and Yami Atemu both had tree coloured hair in black, blue and blond, Yami's standing out in all directions and Yugi's hanging over his shoulders in gentle waves, and both were thin but well built. Yugi's face was a little rounder though and his eyes were emerald green, and they seemed even darker since his curly blond bangs were pale, as was his skin, while Yami's were dark purple. Yami's eyes were also narrower than Yugi's.
Bakura and Ryou Kazuki were both albino from their mother and it was just the features and body that was different. Bakura's face was hard and his eyes cold while Ryou was the opposite. Ryou's body was also more fragile when Bakura was muscled.
But the older brothers denied it to death. However alike they were, the more they found out the more they disliked each other.
"Stand up."
Everyone stood up as the teacher came in.
"Have everyone picked a picture to write about as your project?" she asked and got nods and quiet yeses from everyone. "Good, I'll write down on the blackboard which painting or sculpture you've chosen and your groups will be formed from your choice of pictures. I'll start from top of the list from first year. So Yugi Atemu, tell me which picture you chose."
"The princess," Yugi said softly.
"Is there anyone else with that one?"
Two hands rose. "So Seto Kaiba and Ryou Kazuki will group with you," the teacher said and went down her list, writing the name of the pictures and the group members on the blackboard, until one painting in particular.
"THERE'S NO WAY IN THE SEVEN HELLS I'LL GROUP UP WITH THAT SLIME!"
Bakura and Yami rose from their seats to glare at each other. Yugi and Ryou wished nothing but to sink through the floor and disappear. Their big brothers were so childish. They had both picked a painting of a dark castle on a cliff rising over a dark forest with an approaching storm.
"Sit down or I'll do something I'll probably regret terribly," Yugi threatened his brother and Yami slowly sat down, not taking his eyes from his enemy.
Ryou didn't waste any words since he knew they wouldn't go through his brother's thick head and more or less pushed him back down on the chair and placed himself in his lap.
"It's a good thing you two are here to control those two, they are the top problem in their class," the teacher said revealed.
'I don't know you!' was the words in the eyes of both younger siblings as they shot glares at the taller versions of themselves.
The rest of the grouping went smoothly and there were at least two in each group. Yami and Bakura ended up alone with their painting, no one wanting to be in the middle of their never-ending fight.
"Now at least we know," Yugi whispered to Ryou nodding at their older brothers having a glare contest over a desk. "They hate each other because they are so alike."
Ryou couldn't help but giggle as he placed himself on a chair around Seto's desk.
"What's so funny?" the rarely smiling teen said rising a fine eyebrow at him.
"Yugi told me a good joke that was worth pulling my muscles for," Ryou said softly with a hint of sarcasm.
They were handed a copy of the painting and was ordered to analyze it. Yugi and Ryou glanced over at their brothers and were half satisfied to see them writing with fiery passion.
"At least they will do a very good work trying to overcome each other," Ryou said.
"Was that a ghost of a smile I hinted on your face, Seto?" Yugi asked and the corner of Seto's mouth immediately went back down.
No one reacted on the door opening, but then the teacher demanded everyone's attention.
"All first years please stand up and greet your new classmate, Malik Ishtar."
Yugi saw the milky blond, chocolate skinned teen seemed major nervous, and couldn't help but wonder why he suddenly felt so protective for him.
"Is there anyone who can add Malik to their group?" the teacher asked looking straight at a group of three freshmen, but Yugi raised his hand first. "Oh, Yugi Atemu? Good then. I trust you to make Malik feel comfortable here," she said, a little disappointed that the ones she had chosen didn't accept it first.
Malik gave the teacher a glare through his pale bangs before walking up to Yugi, followed by many annoying eyes. He wasn't a three-year-old runt. He believed he didn't need anyone to tell him what to do.
"Hi, I'm Yugi Atemu," Yugi said kindly and reached out his hand.
"Malik Ishtar," Malik said tonelessly and took the hand.
Her shoulder hurt and she was bruised and sore everywhere. She was tired from fighting for so long, but still she forced herself to continue fighting. She couldn't just fail on the princess like this. She had saved her life so many times and been there for her when everyone else turned her down.
She saw him stand over her, ready to cut her in two. She knew she was going to die and gave the best glare she could in her state. But the sword never reached her. The princess was in the way, protecting her once again. The princess took on the death that should have been hers.
"I can not let you… harm my… friends…"
Malik jerked his hand back as if he was burned and pressed it over his suddenly hard beating heart.
'What on earth? What was that?'
Yugi rubbed his eyes and looked at the boy once again. He too had seen the vision as clear as day.
"We are analyzing a painting of a princess the second she dies," Yugi said to distract the other from his confusion. "We have two weeks to find out the story behind it and everything we can find about the artist. What to do then will be revealed. Hope you'll like the company, because you'll have to hang out with us for some time."
Yugi turned around and fetched a chair for Malik so he wouldn't need to stand up before he presented the others in the group. "This is my friend Ryou Kazuki and the second year Seto Kaiba."
The two nodded at him before they all sat down to explain the task they were working with.
Yami glanced up at his brother every now and then. He didn't know why, but he just didn't trust that new kid with his brother. It wasn't that he didn't like foreigners, just him being the overprotective big brother.
That night they all sat in Seto's bedroom trying to finish the analysis of the painting. They had been going for two hours straight when Seto's little brother Mokuba suddenly rushed into the room in a hurry to see his brother.
"Seto! You won't believe what happened today," he cried and jumped onto the bed.
"Really now. Tell me," Seto said and moved his papers from his lap so that his brother could take their place.
Yugi shook his head to the young boy and returned to his analysis. The younger Kaiba was twelve years old, but acted younger for reasons unknown. But the sight reminded him so much of himself and Yami. Glancing over at Malik though he was surprised to se a flicker of jealousy in the other's eyes.
Once again Yugi shook his head slightly as he decided not to push it. If Malik wanted he would tell him in time.
"Who are these guys?" Mokuba suddenly asked as he finished the summary of his day and finally turned his attention to the other three.
"They were grouped up with me for a culture project in school," Seto said simply.
"They look like girls."
Three pairs of eyes glared at the younger Kaiba.
"So do you," they said in union.
It was no denial even from Seto. Mokuba looked much like a girl with his long, pretty raven coloured hair, long eyelashes and lean body. But Mokuba himself would deny it till heaven fell down if he had to.
"Mokuba, I know you're in here," a woman's voice called from outside the door.
The door opened and revealed the perfect picture of a man's dream come true, and the reason why Seto was so tall. Mrs. Kaiba was a stunning beauty with waist-long hair in an advanced knot to tie it into a high ponytail without using a ribbon. It was a little wavy and the majority was black, but there were stripes of gold around her face and crimson in the tops. Her face was perfectly shaped and the pale skin gave more power to her amethyst coloured eyes. Her body was long and slim and had that kind of perfect hourglass shape that any other woman would die for and she moved with a goddess's grace.
"It's late and you should sleep now Mokuba," she said with a tired voice, but her love for her sons shone through her entire being.
"Okay," Mokuba said with disappointment. "Goodnight Seto," he continued and hugged his older brother tightly.
"Night little brother," Seto returned the hug and kissed him on the head.
Running over to the door the young Kaiba hugged his tall mother as well. Watching him run away Mrs. Kaiba turned to the others as well.
"You should finish that now. It's Saturday tomorrow so you can sleep here if you like. You can do the perfection on that then."
The others nodded in agreement and Yugi was the first to stretch.
"Sounds fine with me," Ryou said. "My brother won't be too happy with making his own breakfast again though."
Yugi nodded and couldn't hold back his giggle. "Yea, he wasn't too happy when he called me last night about it. I could actually hear him sulk." Then he turned to Malik, who sat quiet looking at his hands. "What about you, Malik?"
"Me? Oh… I guess. Sister wouldn't mind I think."
"Then it's settled. You all have to sleep in the guest room though, we just have one. Someone on a mattress on the floor since we only have two beds," Seto said simply before his mother could say anything.
"I can sleep on the mattress," Yugi said smiling. He rather saw his friends being comfortable than himself.
"I'll go and make the beds ready for you," Mrs. Kaiba said and left.
"Is it really okay with you?" Seto asked Yugi, his concern confusing even him. "It may be a little cold on the floor."
"Of cause I'm fine, or I wouldn't suggest it."
Seto nodded, not knowing why he so badly wished for the short boy to be comfortable, and definitely not wanting him to sleep on the floor. He didn't know the other two thought just the same thing.
Malik was awake a long time that night, staring at Yugi's sleeping form. He was still confused over that vision he had had when he touched the smaller one's hand. He had felt pain, regret and despair when that girl had been killed. For some reason, he believed that girl was the princess on the painting, and that the princess was Yugi…
Shaking his head at such silly thoughts Malik turned to the wall and fell asleep, not caring where his dreams took him.
She watched as the enemies slowly landed at the edge of the forest, all of them finding their place in the lines. She had never been so afraid, not since the princess had come back from a secret mission, so hurt she had been in bed for a week, and should have been there longer if she wasn't so stubborn.
Looking over at the princess she relaxed a little. The ruler seemed so calm, which also calmed her soldiers visibly. She knew they were all afraid. Who wouldn't at the face of the princess's only full blood sibling. And they all knew, from officer to foot fighter, that the princess really didn't want to bring her army. But she didn't stand a chance alone against an army of vampires. No one did.
"So, Battle Princess. Are you ready to give up your kingdom to me?" he called from the edge of his impatient soldiers.
"You know I can not leave the throne to you, brother," the princess called back. "The kingdom needs me."
"It was mine to begin with!"
"You chose the wrong way brother. Please do not do this."
"You are weak Battle Princess. Too weak to guide this land. I will take back what is mine, even if I have to take it by force!"
The enemy lines started moving towards them. Still the princess's expression stayed calm. She slowly drew her sword and let the moonlight flash in its blade. Everyone else followed her example.
"May God show mercy," the princess whispered.
"Do not worry, princess," she said, raising her short sword. "We do this for you and the kingdom."
The princess smiled faintly at her before she let out her war cry, marking the start of this battle.
Seto awoke with a start. For a second, the scene of the approaching vampires was all he could see, and the princess's cry echoed in his ears. It was as if he had really been one of them.
The tall youth sat up and immediately his room came back into his focus. They say that when you turn around after a dream it disappears, but this dream was as recorded in his mind. But worst of all, he knew that the princess, who he had loved dearly in his dream, wouldn't make it.
"Dammit, why do I feel so helpless?" he whispered into the darkness of his room.
Turning to his digital clock he groaned. It was only half past four in the morning.
Not being able to go back to sleep, not being the lazy type, Seto decided to go up. He dressed quickly and made it to the kitchen, but in the kitchen door he jumped startled.
"Couldn't sleep well either?"
Seto blinked. Yugi hadn't looked up, but he guessed the shorter one had heard his gasp.
"Why are you up this early? I don't believe you to be this much of a morning person," Seto said as he filled a cup with coffee, which Yugi had already made for himself.
"I'm not… I just have this funny feeling. Like everything around me is falling apart, and I can't do anything to keep it together…"
Yugi smiled, but it couldn't reach out to the rest of his face. Seto thought that Yugi looked like he wanted to cry, but couldn't.
"Did you dream anything strange?" Seto asked, looking over the cup at his little friend.
Yugi smiled a little broader and for a second his eyes glittered with appreciation. "I really don't know what it was about. I was just staring out of the window, in my dream I mean. It was dark, and raining. In the glass's reflection I could see so many people and I felt eyes on my back. They were all expecting something from me, something that put a weight on my shoulders so heavy I was sure my legs would break…" Yugi fell silent and stared down at the blackness of his coffee. "Do you think it is a memory?"
"What?" Seto hardly had time to swallow his drink before the word left his mouth.
"I don't know, but among the people behind me I could see your face, and Ryou's, Malik's, I even saw your brother Mokuba's face. But everyone looked… I don't know… different. Yet it feels like you should look that way."
Yugi hung his head and for a second Seto was scared his head would come loose from his shoulders.
"You must think I'm crazy," the younger one said tiredly, finally registering what he said.
"The crazy thing is that I don't," Seto said, staring into his cup. "I think you're totally sane. But the most surprising thing is that I'm not surprised at all."
"Of what?"
Ryou stood in the door, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Might as well make more coffee," Yugi mumbled.
"Sounds good," Malik said as he too entered the kitchen.
"Hey Yami!" Yugi called into the house as he came home, Ryou, Malik and Seto with him. They had decided to shift place just for a change.
"Brat," was the answer he got.
"Your brother doesn't seem to be in the best of moods," Ryou said quietly.
"I give you three guesses of why and the first two don't count."
"Bakura," Ryou muttered.
"How come those two hate each other so much?" Seto asked. Though being classmate to Yami and Bakura no one was really sure of why they couldn't stand each other.
"They have just decided they don't," Yugi said with a sigh.
"Isn't it because Bakura was playing with you when we were younger?" Ryou asked with a slight smirk.
"As if you're innocent. You're the one who always took wrong on me and Yami and hugged him from behind believing it was me, right under Bakura's nose."
"So it's a matter of jealousy?" Malik asked. He didn't have that much of a relationship with his sister, her being eight years older. She was the kind to care for herself, not her baby brother. She always acted as if he was a stupid two-year-old.
"No," Yami said, stepping into sight. He was dressed in a tight, white tank top and baggy, orange pants, bringing out his slightly golden skin colour.
"You're wearing my top again," Yugi said with an annoyed glare.
"So, you want it back?"
Yami moved a hand to grab the edge of the top.
"Not in front of everyone," Yugi half-yelled and started to push his older brother inside.
"Okay, okay, I get it. What are they doing here?"
Yugi sighed and waved at the others to come in. "Culture, painting, project… is there ringing any bell?"
"Don't tell me you're gonna do that all weekend? Remember mother will come back from Kyoto tomorrow night."
"So? We'll probably move over to Ryou's tomorrow morning."
"No, you don't."
"Yes, we do."
The brother's glared at each other. Seto and Malik didn't know how to act, but Ryou went to the kitchen to get himself an ice cream.
"Ice cream, Malik," Ryou offered as he threw a vanilla flavour at the bronze tanned boy, who clumsily caught it.
"Can you have a melon flavour, Seto?" Ryou called as he noticed the vanilla were all gone.
"Sure," the taller said sitting down in the couch.
"Take an orange to me," Yugi called, breaking eye contact with his stubborn brother.
"And a melon to me," Yami called.
Ryou came out, threw the ice creams around before literally falling into his favourite armchair.
"Throw the paper at the table for now," Yugi said as both Seto and Malik looked around for someplace to throw the paper.
"Are you coming here often, Ryou?" Malik asked carefully.
"I'm, believe it or not, best friend with Yugi," Ryou said simply, gladly taking a bite of his ice cream.
"Best friend?" Malik looked between the two and then to Yami, who half lay in the couch beside his younger brother. "But isn't his older brother your enemy, Yami?"
Yami just snorted and Yugi hit him in the head.
"Ouch, that hurt moron."
"You're being rude, asshole."
Yami looked hurt for a second before he turned away with another snort. "Yes, he is," he answered the question.
Yugi shook his head at his thick-headed brother and picked up the history book they had borrowed from the library. "Might as well get this history research over with."
The rest of the afternoon Yugi, Ryou, Seto and Malik spent going through all time scripts, history books and lexicons they could possibly find, and called up several numbers to collect the information and the story about the princess. They even got the number to the owner of the painting through the museum and he promised them that he would lend them Ryouko's diary the next day.
Yami had locked himself up in his room and refused to come out. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt extremely jealous of the three boys that had so much of his younger brother's attention. Sure, Yugi had always attracted others to him, good and bad, but he had no real friends besides from Ryou, making Yami the only one he actually hung out with and trusted.
Yami knew he was overreacting on the others. 'It's just because they all work so fine together while me and Bakura fight about it. I'm such a fool. I knew Yugi wouldn't stay with me forever.'
He walked around in his room randomly just to make his brain work things down. When he finally dumped down on his bed his head hit on something hard.
"Ouch! What the…?"
On his pillow he found a worn, black book. Not thinking of anything better to do, and not wondering where it came from he lay down to read it. Yugi often played in his room and messed around his things, he had just gotten used to find things where they shouldn't be. But the first page made his breath caught in his throat. It was a picture of his brother, but still not really him. It was his face and hair, but the body was one of a girl's.
"Yugi in drag? Have I drawn it?"
It was a pretty picture, printed in black ink. She/he was sitting in the grass picking flowers. The hair danced with the wind and the blonde bangs framed the sweet face beautifully. The dress covered the legs, but left shoulders and neck and a generous part of the chest exposed, and around her/his slender neck was a broad necklace with a stone between her/his collarbones.
The next page was written by hand with the same ink as the picture, but Yami could easily make out his own handwriting.
Sister, I can not believe how much you have grown into the role as the ruler of our father's kingdom. You will never more be my little girl who blissfully played by yourself in the garden. I long for you. I curse myself forever. I curse you are my sister. No, you will never be my sister again, will you. You are the Battle Princess now. But I will take you back someday. Back to me. I will take you away to a place where we can live far away from our kingdom. Far away from everything that keeps us apart. I will have you back.
Yami lowered the book and stared into the ceiling without focus. The one who had written this seemed to be in the same position as he. The feeling of loss dripped from the words. The writer was losing his sister, just as Yami felt how he slowly lost his brother. Yugi grew up, he knew it, and he knew he couldn't stop it.
Like he could help it. He loved his brother more than anything, just like any big brother did. But as the years went past, he felt that soon Yugi wouldn't need him anymore.
A silent tear of realization escaped his eyes right before he fell asleep.
She looked so small where she sat in the grass plying with the little kitten. She had always had a pure heart, which attracted many small animals to come and play with her, and the grownups to watch over her from a distance. Even wolves and bears watched over her like bodyguards when she played in the wood. He had seen it for all the six years she had been alive.
"Sister, do not tell me that is another orphan pet of yours," he said when he came over to her.
She looked up at him with eyes wide with blue purity and innocence.
"Actually not dear brother. His mother lives in the stable."
Her innocence. How easily it could be taken away, killed and destroyed. How he wished to protect her. Her innocent heart and pure soul. He wished nothing ever tainted the perfection that was his sister.
"Good, I do not think father would be too happy with another of your pets running around his feet."
She stood up, leaving the kitten to run to his mother for dinner, and stretched her tiny arms up for him. Smiling lovingly he lifted her up in his embrace and kissed her forehead softly, just to have a soft kiss on his cheek in return.
"It is time for dinner, and we better not make father angry again," he told the petite girl cuddled in his arms and started to walk back into the castle.
"Brother."
"Hm?"
"Will you always be here with me? Will you leave like mother did?"
He looked into her big eyes before he hugged her closer to his chest. Their mother had been banished from the kingdom for reasons only the king and morning guards knew. The only thing that had kept him from executing her was his daughter's eyes.
"No, beautiful. I will not leave like mother did. I can not leave knowing there would be no one to comfort you when you are crying."
She nuzzled into his chest lovingly. "I love you brother."
"And I love you, more than anything."
Yami awoke with a start when there was a soft knock on the door. He found himself hugging his pillow as if it was the tiny girl in his dream.
"Brother, if you're awake and hungry, we have dinner served in the kitchen. Will you come and eat with us."
Yami smiled at the sound of his brother's soft voice. The younger Atemu wasn't mad at him. He could never be. After all, they had just each other. Their mother didn't like them ever since their father had passed away, and now she was drifting around trying to find someone else to fill the place as a lover. Not as a father to her two sons.
"I'm coming Yugi," Yami called back. He could actually feel the smile he got from the younger through the door.
Standing up he went to the door where Yugi was still waiting for him and they went down together.
'You may grow up and away from me Yugi,' Yami thought silently. 'But I will always love you.'