Yugi groaned and tried to move, but felt a now familiar tug between his legs from the last three weeks. A big fluffy Neko laid his head on Yugi's belly and had his legs trapped under his body. Ryou had insisted on staying with the room with him and what Yugi did not know was Ryou did not like sleeping alone. There was a makeshift bed next to his but no matter how persuasive he was Ryou ended on his bed in the exact same position. The cat was not heavy, so Yugi did not mind having him there.
The others were in their own rooms after some Shadow magic and calming down grandpa. The girls shared the old guest room that became three times its size with a large bathroom and canopied beds, except for Shizuka who slept in an odd makeshift nest of pillows and blankets. Marik and Hiroto even had the old storage room become big, but Yugi found Hiroto sleeping on the couch most nights. Marik did not like to share.
The alarm went off and Yugi hit it to snooze. He had to get out of the tangles that Ryou made during the night.
"Boys and girls, breakfast is ready!"
Pounding down the stairs came seven teens all dressed in Domino High's uniforms. The boys in the standard blue shirt and pants along with the girls in blue skirts, bow ties, and pink blazers. Sugoroku had Yugi and Ryou help serve everyone the oatmeal and pass the cinnamon and honey. He had learned to cook large portions to satisfy his grandson's guardians. They would be starting school today so he made sure to have enough breakfast for three helpings.
At Domino High School
"Okay class, I know this is strange, but we have six new students joining our homeroom class," Chono-sensei announced, her over layered make-up shifting as she spoke.
Yugi sat in the front for once, making sure his friends had practiced the etiquette he had been teaching them. Chono-sensei gestured for the six to enter and Yugi swore he heard silent swoons and cat calls all around the room. He had to admit it, they were attractive.
"Bakura Ryou," his ears and tail were hidden by the charm that he wore on his neck. "Next is Honda Hiroto," his wings were held back by a harness and he had transformed his talons into human feet with a spell Isis had used. "Then we have the Ishtar siblings, Marik, Ishizu and Mana," they already looked human so they had to wear bands hidden on their bodies to help control their magic. Marik also had to register as a mute and thankfully Mahad had taught him sign language in case of an emergency. "And last, Jonouchi Shizuka," her appearance had been the most stunning. Her wings were in the harness and her skin was pale like Yugi's along with her tail and other dragon features hidden by a charm and the same spell Isis used to help with the transformation. The entire group looked as if they were born in this world.
After introductions were made and the students were sent to their desk, Yugi noticed how instantly they forgot their manners. Marik kept pushing the guy next to him to move so he could watch Yugi better, and Mana would not be quiet during the class wanting to ask irrelevant questions. Ishizu and Shizuka did well, but they kept fidgeting and playing with the phones that Baron, a technician at the palace, made for them. Hiroto started to fall asleep and Ryou was whimpering because Chono-sensei did not allow him to sit next to Yugi.
This panicked Yugi because they only had homeroom and study hall together and throughout the day each of the six would be in a class that Yugi had, but they also had their own schedules. He wondered how long would it be till lunch to check on them and any trouble.
SR
"Quit moping, it's strange to see you like that," said Mahad.
Akefia snorted and said, "It can't be helped, I miss my Ryou-kitten. I hardly sleep because I'm so used to him cuddling next to me. And he always shared the bathe with me—"
"Ah! I don't need to know."
"Ha! Mahad you and Isis are no better. You sigh constantly during the day and keep staring at your children's rooms as if they were to pop out; I even heard from Shada that he saw Isis in Mana's room sniffing around, so don't have a guttered mind about me and Ryou when you can hardly function without your babies."
"I…" Mahad stopped. True to Akefia's word, he had been a little less energetic outside of his duties and Isis missed her daughters and son dearly. The palace had lost fervor in its daily activities without the tactics of Mana's make-overs and Ishizu's attentiveness. Karim even admitted that without Marik to help the younger trainees acted timidly towards him and Shada.
"The palace seems so quiet without them."
"Yes," Akefia rubbed his temples, "it does. I wish this were easier, but the boy needed to go home. Damn that window—"
"Don't you dare—"
"Shut it, I'm not blaming Shadi or anyone by that matter. I just wish this hadn't happened yet, Yugi is not ready to be Queen, and Hell, we don't even know what he is."
"I agree, but we can only teach him how to summon his magic and keep him safe until his coronation."
Akefia stared at the safe holding the skeleton key, "It's going to be a long three years."
"I know."
At the Winged Kingdom
Mai saw how often Jono slumped his shoulders. He missed his little sister and his best trainee. The dinner table had lost Shizuka's sweet laughter and Hiroto's haughtiness whenever he felt challenged by one of the other trainees or warriors. Mai sighed. The palace seemed empty sometimes and she dreaded it. It felt that way when her parents ruled and she hated that void; although it was not the same as with her parents, it was just the absence of a presence in the room. Mai sighed again, praying that the years would go by quickly.
At the North Kingdom
Noah huffed as his face was red as Alistair's hair. They had been arguing the possibility of going to the human world and staying with Yugi for a few days. King Atem had come there on other business with Isis, but got caught in the argument.
"Alistair, please I think it's a wonderful idea. I think just a few hours would be enough."
"What?! But, Atem, I thought I could do a few days…"
Atem bit his lips, "I know, but for the best of everyone's interests, I think only a few hours would be good. Honestly, I have not seen Yugi since I left him with Motou-sama and the others."
Noah pouted, but Alistair had a triumphant smirk. Atem pouted best he could; he missed Yugi, in fact so did everyone else. His Little One had won the hearts of his friends and family easily and he had not been able to enjoy the time he wanted with Yugi as the boy returned home. It would be a while longer before he visited him and phone calls kept the King's sanity until then.
HW
"Hey, Prin—" Mana's mouth was muffled by Shizuka's hand.
"Mana, remember, here Yugi is the King of Games, not the Princess of the Shadow Realm."
The young mage nodded and Shizuka let go. It was lunch time in the school and their princess was sitting far from the other students in a corner. Mana wondered why but then Shizuka dragged her to the corner so let the thought slip her mind. The boys and Ishizu had arrived sooner because Mana and Shizuka's math teacher, Taki-sensei, kept them after class for disruptions during the lesson having the girls clean the erasers and sweep the floor.
They sat down and saw the expressions on their friends' faces. Marik scowled harshly at his food avoiding eye contact, while Hiroto and Ishizu looked disappointed. Ryou was whimpering softly and hugging Yugi's arm tightly. The girls were confused.
"Hey," Yugi said. "I need to talk to you guys about today."
8888888
Seto sat on the roof doing work for his company. He had a free period each semester to ensure time for any extra work to be done. It gave him a sense of peace and let him have more time with his little brother. He needed it today especially because some deaf idiot in his last class kept glaring at him. Yugi sat in front of him and the tanned guy would not let the glare leave. Seto gave him no notice but it did annoy him. He stared at the star fish that is Yugi's hair. Seto even had the oddest sensation to touch the starfish just to see how it felt.
He paused typing. That kind of sensation was eerie and came unexpectedly, a sensation that he had around his brother when he thought he needed comfort but it felt more heated with Yugi and was not on friendly terms. It was a want.
Seto shivered and went back to typing. He did not like the new students who crowded Yugi constantly today. They all seemed too close to have just met and what was with it that at least one of them were in Yugi's every class. Seto did remember back at the arcade three weeks ago Yugi was acting strange and said offhandedly that he would have visitors in his house for some time.
Were those new students the visitors?
He shook his head, leaving the matter and went back again to typing. It was now his business to find the relationship of those wierdos with Yugi.
8888888
"Okay, now if the teacher asks you a question, what do you do?"
"Huh, I…I answer even if I'm unsure and don't jump up if I'm right," Hiroto hesitated.
"Perfect," Yugi went through the flash cards on his coffee table.
It was his decision to train the six on better school etiquette, also to keep them out of trouble; the first day's incidents were not unheard of, especially with Ryou's screaming during biology that day when the teacher wanted them to dissect a cat, granted it was a plastered cadaver, but the thing frightened Ryou enough and then Marik got into a fist fight with Ushio when he was about to throw a ball at Yugi during P.E. The worst was with Ishizu's last class. For some reason, her band did not last as it should have and her magic started to leak out when she got into a debate with the girl sitting next to her and the guy behind her trying to grope her, needless to say the class room was enveloped in darkness and then the furniture disappeared along with the students' clothes, except for Ishizu. It was left as a mystery.
Each night since then, Yugi had the six guardians sit by him while he did his best to explain human customs and what was proper outside of the house. He spent ten minutes with each alone then they did homework together. Grandpa also pitched in on showing the teens how to use cleaning supplies, how to cook with electronics, and even had them do chores. And Yugi had time to teach them games, such as Duel Monsters, with Grandpa by his side revealing new techniques and situation had gotten better since the first day, and there were still mishaps but it was not as bad.
Yugi had also discovered he could survive on four hours of sleep. As he taught them to act human, Mana was in charge of teaching him magic and Marik was tutoring him on wielding weaponry. Seth came often because he was Yugi's teacher in politics and royal etiquette, which did not leave room for less than four hours of sleep.
Hiroto finished the lesson and Yugi sighed. It was Saturday, so there was no school the next day and he could relax. Yugi had lost his old timid self since he was taken to the Shadow Realm and he embraced that loss.