"Master!" Yuya cried in alarm.

"Yuya, I've decided that—" Don Thousand began, but cut himself off when he saw Zuzu standing next to Yuya. "And who is your friend?" He glared darkly at Yuya as he asked this, trying to keep his voice even.

"I-I'm Zuzu, I just came to see if Yuya was okay after what happened today,"

"Did you now?"

"Are you the one who rescued Yuya?" She decided to ask. Don Thousand nodded.

"Master, please it was my fault don't punish her." Yuya began to beg.

"He shouldn't punish either of you." Tate said, walking over towards him. "Yuya and Zuzu have done nothing wrong so just—"

He was cut off as Don Thousand's foot connected with his stomach, sending him crashing into the bookcase at the side of the room.

"Tate!" Everyone else cried. Ali and Fredrick rushed to his side. Don Thousand gave them a disgusted stare and they cowered away from him in fear. Yuya took the opportunity to grab Zuzu and attempted to take off out the window again but Don Thousand caught the two in an energy beam. He threw them into the wall and held them there, completely immobilised.

"Now then." He said, approaching Zuzu. "I don't like it when people trespass on my land, or interact with my servants." He glared at Yuya. "So… How to punish you…"

"No!" Yuya cried. "Please it was my fault, punish me, just leave her alone."

"Yuya, you know full well I can't let her get away with this, I don't bend my rules for anyone, even you."

"Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to trespass I just wanted to see if Yuya was okay." Zuzu reasoned.

"I don't care what your reason was, you still entered my grounds without permission so I have no choice but to punish you."

He raised his hand, a bright red orb appearing in the centre as he prepared his spell. Zuzu winced preparing herself.

"No!" Yuya screamed, unintentionally summoning his powers. They released a massive burst that knocked Don Thousand across the room. Yuya and Zuzu were released from his spell and fell back to the floor. Don Thousand staggered to his feet and looked at Yuya with the most murderous stare the young boy had ever seen. What he had just done finally hit him and he thought he was going to collapse in fear. He'd used his powers again, even if it was involuntary, he'd still broken his promise. "I-I swear I didn't mean it I was—" Yuya stammered, shaking in pure fright.

"Yuya?" Zuzu said hesitantly, tugging on his sleeve in an attempt to get him to move. Unfortunately, he was so scared he couldn't feel his legs.

"That's it!" Don Thousand said, his voice low and horribly dark. He raised his hands and conjured his magic. A bright red light surrounded the entire room, and when it died down Yuya, Zuzu and Don Thousand were all gone.

The three of them appeared down in the dungeons. Don Thousand chained Zuzu against the wall of one of the cells, then tossed Yuya in the cell opposite.

"How dare you." He growled. "I told you never to use your powers under any circumstances."

"It was an accident." Yuya whimpered. He cried out as he received a back-hand slap from his master.

"Hey!" Zuzu yelled angrily. "He didn't mean it, and so what if he used some magic, that's not such a big deal is it?"

Don Thousand glared at her but didn't respond. Instead he turned back to Yuya and chained him to the wall with anti-magic shackles.

"Master please." Yuya begged. "I'll take any punishment you can think of, as many as you like, just please let Zuzu go."

"I don't think so." Don Thousand replied. "I'll deal with her at some point, for now she can keep you company while you're down here for the next week."

"Week?!"

Don Thousand nodded, smiling sadistically. He then used his magic to sense Yuya's soul. He felt that the young hybrid had all his usual emotions: loneliness, determination, desire, love, kindness etc. However, the ones that stood out the most were fear and hope. He almost smirked. Even after everything, the pathetic child still hoped he cared about him. Time to crush that hope.

"You think I kept you here to protect you don't you? That I wanted you to keep your magic contained because it was dangerous?"

"Yes…" Yuya replied hesitantly, not sure where his master was going with this. Don Thousand smirked.

"Then it's high time I told you the truth."

Yuya looked confused.

"Time I told you the true story of your life. Your parents were horrified when you were born, they were utterly disgusted to have given birth to such a hideous monster. They tried everything to get rid of you but no one would take you in, they didn't want to raise such a freak. Eventually they came to me, at first I too was disgusted by you but then I took a look at your magic. I found incredibly strong magic within you, and decided to keep you until it had matured enough for me to steal it. I never cared about you, I only ever cared about your powers, once they're ready on your fourteenth birthday, I'll drain them and your soul." He turned away from his horrified servant. "I thought you should know the hard truth before you die." He exited the cell, locking it behind him. "That no one ever loved you." He walked back down the corridor and out of the dungeons, laughing the whole time.

Zuzu stared with her mouth open, too shocked by what she'd just heard to say anything. While Yuya just stared at the floor, looking exactly how you'd expect someone who'd just discovered they were hated by everyone would look. It was more than that though. What Don Thousand had said had shattered his illusion; and he was finally able to see just how much his master had hated him all these years. In the way it had been obvious to Ali, Tate and Fredrick it was now obvious to Yuya. He began scolding himself in his head for being such a fool. How could he have ever thought there was someone who cared about him. He was a freak, a monster, a demon. This new revelation made him question everything. Were the people in town right about him? Did he deserve to die? Did Ali, Fredrick, Tate and Zuzu ever really like him? Of course they didn't… They were probably using him too… He'd never have real friends. He allowed these thoughts to consume him as he laid down on the cold stone floor of his cell, curled into a ball and started to cry. He tried not to make too much noise but couldn't help the small sobs and sniffs that escaped now and then.

Zuzu felt a few tears escape her eyes too, it pained her to see how devastated her friend was. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard. There was no way it could be true. Yuya might have unusual features, but he had one of the kindest hearts she'd ever seen. One of the weakest too. He'd obviously been through a lot in his life, and that had made him desperate for love. Perhaps it was being abandoned by his parents; or growing up alone. Maybe both. Either way, Yuya had developed a heart of glass. Pure and fragile.

"Yuya?" She tried to get his attention. "Please look at me."

He sniffed and peaked out behind his bangs, but didn't uncurl himself. Zuzu almost gasped when he looked at her. His eyes were so broken and hollow.

"Listen, I know you must be hurting right now, but you can't believe what he says. There are people that care about you, you're one of the most wonderful people I've ever met."

"Come on…" He muttered, lowering his head again. "I'm a monster, no one could ever care about me."

"Oh stop being such a moron." Zuzu yelled. He sat up in surprise. "I care about you! Ali cares about you! Tate cares about you! Fredrick cares about you! And I'm sure if you spent more time outside this place you'd find others like us who can look past your appearance. So you have black skin and wings, it could be worse." She lowered her head. "I always grew up thinking no one cared about me, I was always alone. I had to steal to survive and sleep on the street or wherever I could find. No one offered to take me in, though some threw me the occasional penny now and then, just out of pity. But then I met you." She looked up. "I know it's been less than twenty-four hours since we met but you, and your other friends, well the four of you are the first people in a long time to be kind to me and make me feel wanted." She looked at him pleadingly. "So please don't give up yet. We need you."

Yuya just stared at her, completely dumbstruck. He flopped against the wall, becoming lost in his thoughts. He was so conflicted right now. There was one voice in his head, that sounding suspiciously like his master, that was telling him he was worthless and alone. While at the same time, another voice that sounded rather like Zuzu's was telling him he did have friends and should carry on for their sake.

Meanwhile…

Don Thousand had returned to his bedchamber and was stood out on his balcony, trying everything he could to not fall over in laughter. The look on Yuya's face when he spun him that load of garbage was priceless. He'd looked like a lost kitten; or a puppy that just got kicked; or some other cute animal that had been hurt in some way. The point was he'd looked innocent and heartbroken. Don Thousand had always enjoyed playing with his servant's emotions. He craved power, and being able to control Yuya made him feel powerful. Someday he would command everyone that way.

"Besides." He said aloud to himself. "It's not like it was a total lie. Sure his parents didn't really abandon him, but I have really just been using him for his powers." He chuckled. "To think someone so weak and pathetic houses one of the strongest magical entities in the world."

He began to laugh again, not realising he'd been overheard by the small, temporarily forgotten animals, that had snuck into his room and made off with his keys…

Back in the dungeons, Yuya was still conflicted over what to do.

"Do you…" He began, drawing Zuzu's attention. It was the first thing he'd said in ages. "Do you really think I could find people… And…"

She smiled. "Yes. If we get out of here, find your friends. The five of us could get away from here, find somewhere peaceful. We could all be free, and happy."

He smiled back. "I'd like that."

"Then let's do it."

The two of them jumped at the new voice. Then broke into massive grins as they saw it was Tate who had spoken. He, Ali and Fredrick stood in the corridor between the two cells, and Fredrick held the keys to said cells in his mouth. He passed them to Ali who climbed up the bars to the lock of Yuya's cell and opened it. She then freed him from his shackles and gave him the keys, he then proceeded to free Zuzu and the five of them left the dungeon.

"Don Thousand's in his chamber, if we head over to the hall with the secret passage on the other side of the castle he shouldn't catch us." Tate said. Yuya nodded and the five of them hurried to the hall as quickly and quietly as they could. Once there, Yuya pulled the lamp down opening the secret passage.

"Wow…" Zuzu whispered in awe. Yuya began making his way down the steps, gesturing for the others to follow. He snatched the lamp from the wall on the way and lit it with one of the matches in pockets. He also worked out that pulling on that lamp shut the entrance to the tunnel. Having successfully escaped the castle and covered their tracks, the five of them began making their way along the tunnel to the outside.

"This tunnel comes out just at the entrance to the kingdom." Yuya informed the others. They all noticed the slight hitch in his voice.

"I don't think we should go back there." Zuzu said, knowing Yuya would never be able to set foot there without being caught. Plus, she didn't think he was mentally prepared for it, considering he felt uneasy about even putting his feet on the ground outside his master's castle.

"But you—"

"Have no reason to go back there. I have no friends or family, and my only worldly possessions are a tarp and some cardboard boxes."

They all lapsed into silence for a few minutes, unsure of what to say. Eventually they reached the end of the tunnel, and all hell broke lose when they stepped outside. The minute Yuya saw the village in-front of them he panicked and rushed back inside, whimpering in fear. The other's sighed. They understood why he was afraid but they were never going to get anywhere this way.

"Come on Yuya." Ali soothed, going inside and nuzzling against him. "We'll head off into the forest and you'll never have to see that village again."

Yuya shivered and hesitantly crept outside. Zuzu took his hand and lead him away from the village and into the forest. She didn't stop walking until it was completely out of sight.

"There. Now there's nothing that can hurt you." She looked around at all four of them. "Any of you."

"Hey she's right!" Fredrick exclaimed. "We're free!"

"We're free?" Ali said.

"We're free!" Tate confirmed and the three of them began dancing and cheering in joy. Zuzu and Yuya laughed fondly as they watched their friends celebrate.

"Thank you." Yuya said.

"What for?"

He turned to her and smiled. "For not giving up on me."

"Oh yea I almost forgot." Ali cried. "Yuya we have great news."

"What is it?" He asked. The three animals stopped jumping around and gathered in-front of the two humans.

"You might want to sit down." Tate advised.

"Okay…" Yuya said, unsure.

"Over there." Said Zuzu, pointing to an overturned log just a few feet away. The five of them went over and sat down. "There's still a few hours of darkness yet before the sun comes up." Zuzu continued. "We better rest here for the rest of the night and figure something out tomorrow morning."

"Alright. Why don't we get some rest first then, you can give me your news in the morning." Said Yuya.

"Fine." Ali replied. Zuzu climbed a nearby tree and pulled down some of the branches with thick leaves. She layed them out in a kind of large bed for them to sleep on.

"Come on then." She said, laying down. The others joined her, Yuya laying on the other side of the leaf bed while the three animals huddled together in the corner. "I hope it's warm enough."

"Much warmer than the dungeons that's for sure." Yuya muttered. "This is fine." He then added, sounding sleepy. No one replied. Tate, Ali and Fredrick were already asleep, and Zuzu was about to drift off herself. It didn't take long for them to all doze off, it had been a long and incredibly stressful day. Thankfully they weren't in any danger, most people kept out of the infinite forest, and Don Thousand didn't bother to check if they were still locked up in the dungeon. So they made it through the night without issue. In fact they were all so exhausted they slept till midday the next day.

Zuzu was the first of the group to awake, she immediately began searching for something they could use for breakfast. She went off to scour through the trees for some fruit or berries or whatever other edible things grew in the forest. By the time she made it back, with an armful of various fruits, the others were all awake and sat on or around the old log again.

"Good morning." Ali greeted.

"Good morning." Zuzu replied, placing the food down. Everyone grabbed something and sat down to eat.

"So what was it you wanted to tell me?" Yuya asked.

"Oh yes!" Ali exclaimed. "We overheard Don Thousand last night, and he said you weren't really abandoned."

"He— He said what?" Yuya stuttered, completely shocked. Tate, Fredrick and Ali told him everything they'd overheard. Yuya was completely overjoyed at the news. If he hadn't been abandoned that meant his family was still out there somewhere, and might actually miss him.

"This is great!" Zuzu cried. Then she stood up, seeming to have reached a decision. "Now I know what we're going to do. We're going to help Yuya find his family."

"Really?!" Yuya said, at the same time Ali, Tate and Fredrick voiced their agreement. "But how will we find them, we don't even know them, and what if they don't want me because I'm a monster and—" He was cut off as Zuzu slammed a hand over his mouth.

"We'll worry about those things later. I'm sure your family misses you and will be thrilled to see you again. Also, we don't exactly have anything else to do so why not look for them." She giggled and sat back down again.

"I think it's a great idea." Said Tate.

"Me too." Ali agreed.

"Well…" Yuya muttered. "Okay, but where do we start looking?"

"Well." Said Zuzu, pulling a parchment out of her pocket. "Most people live within one of the five kingdoms. We can't go back to the kingdom of GX, after… Well… You know…" Yuya nodded with a slight shudder as the other three shot him a pitying look. Zuzu unrolled her parchment, revealing it to be a map of the divided lands. "So… The next closest kingdom is the kingdom of ZEXAL."

"Okay then, let's go." Said Fredrick.

"What go? Just like that?" Cried Yuya.

"Why not?" Zuzu laughed, she then began tracing lines on the map. "If we continue north for about two days we should reach it without any problem."

"Great let's go." Ali said, shifting about on her feet eagerly. The others all laughed.

"Are you guys sure about this?" Yuya asked one more time. They all nodded, staring into his eyes with such determination that he knew there was no way to talk them out of it. He smiled gratefully, and for the first time in his life, he felt truly loved.

So with that final thought, the five friends set out on their adventure…