Guardian of the Pharoah

by Pengolene

A young girl is born into the world, her mother dead and her father leaving her at the hospital. Growing up in a rundown orphanage for 10 years being being adopted by a loving family. Little did she know that her life was going to be a wild adventure.

Prologue

Everyone has heard this story or at least knew of the legend of duel monsters; how ancient Egyptian priests had sealed away monsters that plagued the land in giant tablets made of stone and would later use those monsters in shadow games, games that could decide life and death, games that could very well dictate the fate of the world. Only a few had the abilities to summon these beasts from the stone that held them, one of these being a great Pharaoh who's name and legacy had been lost to the sands of time. But many know of this story or at least it's well known amongst certain circles. Many have lost their lives uncovering this story; many have been cursed trying to uncover the dark mystery revolving around this ancient Pharaoh. And although a lot has been uncovered, one thing remains unknown, the origins of these so called monsters...where did they come from? How did they get to this world? Well that story starts long ago, before Egypt and the Pharaoh, before civilisation started on this world…

Our story starts in a land unreachable to humans, a land of magic and wonder, of creatures and monsters so fantastical that they could only come from legend. Dragons, warriors, magicians, beasts, witches and fairies. Creatures made of darkness and light, creatures that fly and creatures that swim, creatures of ice and fire, roaring beasts and chirping birds, beings of stone, earth, trees and even machines. And all these beings lived in places that you could only dream of. Spectacular palaces that reside amongst the clouds, fields of flowers and plants that spread for miles and miles, giant mountains that pierce the very sky, lands of obsidian and flowing rivers of lava, frozen valleys where the trees are still green despite the frigid cold. Towering forests where the ancient trees walking along the earth while giving home to many small creatures, a vast endless ocean filled lush plants and vibrant structures and sea life both big and small. And even though the diversity of these beings and places were different, they lived in harmony, living amongst each other in peace. Laughter and song could always be heard on the wind, bringing with it a sense of tranquillity that has existed in this world for many years.

Amongst these creatures live 3 powerful beings that watched over this world and kept the peace. One that watched over the land and skies, one that ruled over the kingdoms of the undead and darkness and the other watched over the ocean and its inhabitants.

Clarity, the goddess of light and the sky was a woman with a pure and caring heart. Her face always wore a smile and her violet eyes shone with love and kindness. Her golden hair flowed like rivers of sunlight, her skin smooth without a flaw insight, her large powerful white feathered wings carried her as she sored through the skies. She would bring life and joy to even the loneliest and saddest soul. Her kindness and gentle spirit were a wonder to behold. She always saw the good in others and would help anyone in need even if they were undeserving. Unlike her sister…

Rozu, the goddess of darkness and the underworld. Not much is known about her as she remained secluded in her fortress made of fire and brimstone, preferring to be alone rather than to interact with others like Clarity. Those who have been brave enough to enter her lands and make it to her home and have gazed upon her face would tell of the sadness that echoed through her golden eyes, an overwhelming sense of heartbreak and loss emitted from her very being though no one knew why. She would spend her days standing in her tower, looking over her kingdoms, a look of longing on her face, her burgundy hair flowing in the ash filled breeze, her leathery black wings curled against her back. Despite her reclusive nature many were wary of her, after all the beings of darkness were known for being…unpredictable. Clarity was the only one brave enough to visit Rozu; after all they were the only family they had. However there was one other that didn't fear the queen of darkness…

The Siren was a being of mystery. She was the oldest of the three goddesses and her story had been forgotten over time. Some say she just appeared one day out of the blue, a mighty warrior with power over the sea and storms. She never spoke and was rumoured to be a mute. Her eyes were bright blue, her skin a pale white, her violet and blue hair flowed around her like the waves she commanded. A blue jewel hung from her neck, some saying it was the source of her power. When she would swim in the ocean amongst the creatures she watched over, her legs would become a long dark blue tail with a dorsal fin running along the back to the tail fin. Her legs returned when she was on land as she would help hunt for food for the villages that lived along the coast line. Her arms and back were covered in tattoos, strange markings and images of other sea creatures. Most could be identified such as a little orange starfish that was placed on her right shoulder or the legendary fisherman that sat on her upper left arm; however there was one set of markings that nobody recognised. 3 symbols running down the back of her neck, the markings seemed old, much older than the others that decorated her skin. But that wasn't the only strange thing about her; she would disappear the same time every year for a few days, returning with an expression of grief and sadness on her face. But nobody knew why and nobody dared to ask, not wishing to upset the Siren more.

After centuries of living in peace, a dreadful day came when everything changed forever. A meteor had come down in the human world and spread out many broken pieces of a stone that held a dark power...one piece landed in the ocean, creating a small passage to the world of monsters, slipping through and landing in the oceans of the strange world. Slowly it began tohave an effect on the creatures, a sickness of dark magic seeping from it and poisoning the seas, the waves that crashed into the shores infected the land with this sickness. Several creatures either went mad under the influence of this curse and many others would become weak and perish.

Fearing for their people's safety, the 3 goddess's took it upon themselves to locate the source of this sickness and find a way to rid their world of it. The Siren was the one to locate the stone that had infected this once peaceful world. She could feel darkness flowing from it, turning the water around it murky and vile. It made her sick to be around it, feeling the essences of it trying to infect her very soul. She wanted to flee from it, to swim away as quickly as she could before the darkness could take hold of her. But she needed to dispose of it in order to save not only her people but every other creature in this world. She took the stone to Clarity and Rozu; the two sisters felt the same effects from the stone as the Siren did. Together they created a seal to bind the stones wicked power, the seal of Oricalcos. It would keep the rocks effect under control and only those that knew how the seal worked would be able to harness the stones power. Together they travelled to the portal the stone had created and slipped through to return the cursed item from whence it came.

However when they arrived, they discovered that some of the creatures from their world had travelled to the human world and was currently engaged in a deadly fight. An army of twisted and dark creatures led by a corrupted man named Darts was trying to take over the world with a creature known as the Great Leviathan leading the fight. Many innocent lives were lost or turned into the dark creatures that fought for Darts. Cities and towns were turned to ash, humans slaughtered; nature itself was burned to the ground and trampled by these wicked beasts.

Seeing all this death and destruction, the goddess's decided to join forces and fight for this world, to put themselves and their people at risk for the sake of humanity and the world they lived in. Clarity guided her army of light from the sky, casting down lightening and arrows upon the dark creatures below.

Rozu commanded her army of dead soldiers to raise from the earth and storm the enemy relentlessly, an unstoppable force of the undead. When one would fall to battle, two more would rise in its place.

And the Siren fought beside her warriors of the sea. With her trident in hand, she led her warriors in the glorious battle against the Leviathan in the sea.

Each creature fought tooth and nail to avenge those that had fallen and to protect those that remain. Many had fallen and yet the battles raged on. Soon there were only but a dozen left but the goddess's remained strong. Storming Darts fortress, the city of Atlantis, Rozu entered the palace dead set on devouring the wicked man's soul, however upon entering he was nowhere to be found. Clarity was elsewhere, taking out the remainder of Darts army, striking down the last beast with her golden sword. This left the Siren, standing against the leviathan.

She had lost many of her warriors, many of her friends, many of the beings that she had known for so many years and the leviathan wasn't letting up. It still fought ferociously, its mighty claws and tail trying to land a hit on the siren. The goddess fought on however, unleashing a mighty weapon, an ear-piercing wail that echoed through the air and over the vast landscapes, causing cracks in the earth and the very foundation that Atlantis sat upon, bringing devastation to the once great city and more importantly bringing harm to the leviathan. The shock wave of the scream causing the beast great pain and suffering as it tried to disappear into the depths of the sea.

The creatures of the monster world started to retreat, escaping back to their world with the help of the goddess's, opening a portal to their home. The siren was the last to reach the portal but stopped when she sensed the beast was nearby. Wishing to finish the monster off she dived into the ocean, following the leviathan to its hiding place. Hidden deep within a cave it reached out and grabbed her, dragging her to it to absorb her. She struggled in its strong grasp, unable to escape. She was already exhausted from using her strongest ability. She was out of options…or was she?

In a last attempt to save herself she started to sing a soft melody, the markings on her neck glowing, her song floating in the waters surrounding the two creatures. Slowly the leviathan's eyes fell shut as it was forced into a deep slumber by the sirens song, curling up deep in the darkness. However it kept its hold on the goddess who was unable to escape. All she could do was sing to keep the beast asleep. And sing she would…

For 5000 years her song carried through the waves of the sea, many sailors would tell legends of the voice that was heard on the wind during cold nights when the sea was calm.

Over the years her voice grew weaker and weaker and so did she, her life fading, and her body becoming weak and frail to the point where she slipped from the beasts grasp. But by then it was too late, she was on deaths door. But she couldn't give up. She knew that the leviathan would one day rise from its slumber and terrorise the world once again. She took her necklace in hand and stared at the blue jewel that was gifted to her eons ago by the creatures she swore to protect. Using her last breath she spoke a soft spell, breaking her vow of silence to transfer her soul into the gem, her body fading away into the waters surrounding her, the necklace floating away once there was nothing left of her.

Somewhere along the Nile…

A small boy no older than 6 was wondering along the shore line chasing a bird. His hair was a mix of black with red that stood up in 5 points, his bangs the colour of gold that framed his innocent little face and his eyes red. He wore the clothes of royalty, several guards could be seen in the area, a tent set up in the distance where the boy's father, the pharaoh sat. He giggles as he continues his chase till he stumbles and falls into the sand. He sits up and shakes his head, trying to get rid of the sand covering his face. He glares down at the sand as if it had disrespected him before noticing a golden chain amongst the grains. Slowly he dug through the sand and pulled out a necklace that held a beautiful blue gem that gleamed in the sun light. He stared at it with wonder before running off to show is father.

Chapter 1

Many have lived their lives with the obvious delusion that life is a spectacular and mesmerising thing to wonder through. Brought into this world as a small, fragile, yet beautiful infant who has a warm hearted, loving and beyond beautiful mother. Whose eyes are bejewelled with a light that scare away any evil in your precious little heart. And don't forget her humble smile, her lips curved into a perfect crescent moon that gives passage to softly spoken words such as 'I love you' in a voice that's calm and subtle, like the gentle breeze of an Autumn morning. And beside her is a father. A powerful yet meek man whose firm yet welcoming grip brought you up over the many years, a man who guided you over the unpredictable, treacherous and hard road of life. Always there to catch you when you stumble and break down. His unforgettable words, spoken in a humble tone but still coated in love...if only that were true for me...

I had the misfortune of being brought into the cruel, withering and cold piece of hell screaming, alone and afraid. The woman, who sadly carried me in her doomed body for 9 long months, was released from her mortal existence mere moments before I was pulled out of the warm, protective womb where I was created, into the hell that is called the world. The man, who was supposedly married to the now empty and lifeless woman, a man whom I was supposed to call father, a coward who left behind a small, vulnerable baby girl...he left her lying in the incubator...alone...nameless...unwanted...afraid...a nothing with no one to hold her as her terrified and glass shattering broken screams and cries echoed throughout the chilling white halls of the hospital that stood short amongst the square giants that formed the brightly lit city. Its crowded streets and busy roads, the load hooting of taxi's, the busy and singled minded people shouting their lungs out, dulled out the heart broken cries of the abandoned and neglected little girl...the broken cries of a confused and trembling little me...

...learning at only an hour old...

...what loneliness and brokenness really was...

The doctors said I was born a tiny baby, small enough to fit into a handbag like those barking rats the celebrities prance around with. I was born with skin whiter than the first snowflake of winter and smoother than a porcelain doll. Dark wavy curls covered my scalp, each gentle curl facing a different direction like a bunch of waddling penguins. Born with a small mouth, it was hard to believe that something so tiny could produce such an ear bursting sound. And the eyes...the kind, small and skinny nurse who had taken care of me, said she had never seen such eyes before...a deep blue shade that could have been mistaken for sapphires. These two orbs of beauty that held such innocence and purity...also held so much hurt and agony at such a tender age...already knowing that the world was a cruel place...that the spiked claws of darkness and despair would always try to snuff out the light of happiness and goodness...dragging away everything you have...until you are completely alone...like me...

I was left at an orphanage a week after I was born and given the name Lillian. The place was cold like everything else on this retched planet. The walls were covered in scarlet red wallpaper that was already peeling from years of clinging to the hollow wooden walls. The floors were puzzled over by brown and grey tiles, several being missing or cracked or shattered. The ceiling had more mold and stains on it than an ancient tree in the rain forest. The smell was terrible due to the other orphans never cleaning properly and the smell of rotten eggs and urine was always around us. We were stuffed into any room that had even a crumb of space, sleeping on rotten old mattresses that were donated who knows when, some not even fitting on the rusted metal bed frames that cradled them...but that's not even the worst part...

The worst part was the other kids I had to stay with. I don't think some of them had a single good bone in their bodies. The oldest kid was always the one in charge. And that was Markiato. He was 13, never was considered for adoption, not once because of what a jerk he was to everyone. He had filthy blond hair that I don't think was ever washed. He carried around an old baseball bat that he used to install fear in everyone. He was tanned or should I rather say he was sun burned with dark brown eyes that dug out your soul and filled you with terror whenever he glared at you. Not to mention he was basically a giant, tallest kid in the orphanage and leader of the "B.O.B", that stood for "Bad Orphan Boys". Creative, I know. They were a group of boys that followed him around like he was a fricking king. They did whatever he said and beat up anyone they didn't like. I guess they must have really hated me, because ever since I got there, I had been their punching bag. And you would have thought that the caretakers of the orphanage would have done something about this. Maybe they could have stopped the older kids from beating the crap out of us but no. Whenever someone went to go complain about getting hurt or their stuff being taken away, the care takers would just shove them away and told them to go play or that it was just part of growing up. Yeah, it's part of growing up to have someone hit you in the stomach with a bat and then beat you as you fall to the ground...

...the only time we were somewhat safe was when they sent us to school...

...but even that place had its list of problems and horrors...

...if it wasn't the kids at the orphanage beating us up...

...it would be the kids at school...

But there was a time when my life at that hell hole was actually good. I was 9 years old when I first really experienced happiness. The day was like any other day, winter was coming to an end, the snow had started to melt some time ago and the weather was still extremely cold. The paper thin blankets that had more holes than Swiss cheese and smelled worse than a public bathroom at a train station was the only source of warmth we got. I was sitting on the bench by the window between two bare and leafless bushes, starring down at the dead and dusty ground, hugging my faded lavender sweater tightly to keep warm. It's not that I ever minded the cold, but it helped me feel less lonely somehow. The sound of the creaking gate that stood at the front of the orphanage was heard and the other kids rushed towards it. This could only mean one of two things...new arrivals had come or someone was coming to adopt. It wasn't odd that we got new kids arriving a few times a week; it was the fact that there were so little of us leaving this horrible place. I guessed nobody really wanted kids these days. Sighing, I got up from my seat and headed to the gate with the others to see what was going on. I had already given up hope of getting adopted. Too many times had families come looking for a child and they would just look me over. Maybe there was something wrong with me...I really was unwanted...even around the orphanage everyone called me "Lonely Lilly"...cause nobody wanted to come near me and I was always seen sitting by myself...

As I reached the gate, the other kids had started heading back to the playground already, clearly disappointed. I guess that meant that no one was here to adopt. I saw the two boys that had arrived. The tall one had brown chestnut hair and sweet blue eyes. He wore a yellow button-up shirt with a blue pullover, plain black jeans and a pair of white sneakers. The smaller boy that stood beside him had raven black long messy hair and soft grey eyes. He wore a green button-up shirt, grey shorts and a pair of purple trainers with knee high socks. They didn't talk to anyone as one of the caretakers led them into the building to show them around and assign them a room. I headed back to the lonely little bench by the window, thinking of the two boys that had arrived. They were most likely brothers considering they both arrived at together and looked, well a little alike I guess. Were they abandoned like me or did their parents pass away? Or did their parents do something bad and now they have to stay here? Why did I even care? Not like it really mattered to me what the story was with each kid that came and went from this place. Most of the time, the others left me alone and that was just fine with me. I didn't need anyone and didn't want anyone...I was fine with being alone...because that's all I would ever be.

A few hours passed and I was still sitting in my usually place when Markiato and his gang of mindless idiots came to pester me. Markiato stood in front of the others, holding that stupid bat under his right arm as he sneered down at me, making me shudder.

"Well, well...if it isn't little lonely Lilly."

He said with a chuckle, I hugged myself defensively, not wanting to aggravate him in case he tried to smash my skull in with his wooded beating stick.

"What do you want Markiato?"

I stuttered as I stared down at the ground, not wanting to make eye contact with the mammoth in front of me.

"Just wanted to spend a little time with my favourite little loser..."

He kept grinning as he reached out to lift my chin, making me look right into those horrible eyes. I quickly hit his hand away and got up keeping my gaze away from the rest of the boys.

"Just go away Markiato..."

I spoke softly as I turned to quickly leave but found myself surrounded by the rest of his menacing gang. Looking around as fear started to build inside me as I could find no way out of the circle of boys surrounding me. Each one having a nasty smile on their unwashed faces. Markiato slowly approached me again, grabbing hold of my jersey collar and pulled me towards him. The smell of onion rings and fish leaked from his mouth as he smirked at me, his yellow teeth fitting precisely in the frame of his lips. Instantly I began to feel sick.

"Now why would I go away? We're just having some fun right? Besides you seemed so lonely sitting here all by yourself."

Snickering as he spoke, I tried to pull free from his iron grip but it was no use. He saw me struggle and the impending fear that was growing within me as I began to tremble. Shoving me hard onto the cold hard ground and dirtying my jersey in the process. My eyes filled with tears of pain and fear as I lifted myself up with my arms, shaking as I stared at the ground watching the shadows of the boys around me. Twirling the bat in his hand, I could see him looking around at the other boys...

"You know fellas...maybe we should put her out of her misery? Send her back to where she came from..."

He slowly circled me, still twirling the bat mockingly before reaching down, his empty crusty hand grabbing my hair and pulling me up. Letting out a cry of pain, I grabbed his wrist, trying to ease the sudden burst of pain on my scalp.

"Pl-please st-stop!"

I yelled at him before he threw me to the ground again, landing face first in the dirt and scrapping my cheek. I weakly tried to hold myself up again, my hair falling over my face as a tear ran down my cheek, listening to the other kids laughing and mock me...I wanted to die right there and then...I just couldn't take it anymore...I wanted it all to stop...I wanted it all to just...go...away...

Just as Markiato raised the bat over his head to strike me, I knew nobody would come help me...nobody cared about me...I closed my eyes...waiting for the pain to come...when...

..."Leave her alone!"...

I heard someone calling from a distance followed by the sound of someone running towards us. Slowly I opened my eyes, glancing up ever so slightly at who was coming. And I was astounded to see that the boy who had arrived a few hours ago, sprinting towards me with his brother not far behind him. Markiato and the other boys turned towards him as he stopped just a few feet in front of the circle of boys. The blond beast started chuckling,

"Well, well, what do we have here? Prince charming coming to save his pathetic excuse of a princess?"

The boys began to laugh as I just looked back down at the ground.

"I said leave her alone. Go back to playing king of the idiots you freak."

The yellow shirted boy said as he took another step forward, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. The others went silent, their expressions becoming shocked. What was he doing? Did he want to get himself killed? Markiato tightened the grip on his bat.

"What did you just call me runt?" he growled through his teeth.

The kid didn't even flinch or look scared of the towering bully in front of him.

"I called you a big fat freak..."

…and with that said, he slammed his fist into Markiato's stomach, causing the taller boy to fall over like an old oak tree being cut down. And dropping the baseball bat that he held in the process. The boys standing around me looked at the kid slightly frighten as he had just taken down their so called mighty leader. Quickly they ran away like a flock of pigeons flying away after being chase by a small child, leaving behind their fallen comrade.

The boy slowly approached me; I kept my gaze down, not really knowing what to do...

..."Hey are you ok?"...

...I looked up to see him kneeling in front of me, with his hand stretched out to me, offering to help me up. Still scared, I took his hand, not really knowing why I trusted this kid. He got up helping me up as I muttered softly, "I-I'm fine..." He noticed the scrape on my cheek, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped away the dirt surrounding the wound. I whimpered softly, pulling back slightly at the contact of the fabric on my raw skin.

"Hey, it's ok. I'm not going to hurt you."

He said in a soft spoken voice as he smiled at me. He reached out a second time and this time I didn't pull away, letting him clean my cheek...

"Th-thank you...for saving me...even though you didn't have to..." I spoke shyly as I kept my gaze away from his.

"It's ok. I just don't like seeing people pick on those weaker than themselves."

He said with a smile. Blushing at the comment, I looked up, glaring at him slightly, "Are you saying I'm weak?"

He chuckled and kept smiling that stupid smile,

"No. I'm just saying I don't like seeing people getting bullied. Especially if it's a cute girl."

I could have sworn I saw him blush too, making me giggle for a bit before going silent again, realizing his hand was still on my cheek. He must have noticed this too as he quickly retracted his hand away from my face. It felt weird...to have someone care about you...it felt good...almost enough to make me smile...

..."So what's your name?" he asked...

...not many of the other kids in the orphanage really knew my name...besides those who picked on me...

..."Um...I'm L-Lillian..." I answered shyly...

"Lillian? That's a pretty name."

The small boy that stood behind his brother answered with a sweet smile,

"I'm Mokuba and this is my big brother Seto. Hey wanna be friends with us? My big brother can keep you safe from the kids who bully you..."

...friends...

...nobody had ever wanted to be friends with me...let alone wants be around me...

Before I could even answer him, Mokuba grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the red and yellow swing set, Seto following close behind us. We spent the afternoon playing together and many days after that. We became close, Seto taught me how to play chess, while Mokuba taught me how to be a kid. I was never kid actually. I mostly spent my days lost in thought instead of playing. I had friends for the first time in my petty little life and for the first time I could actually truly smile and laugh. They had welcomed me into their lives without a second thought and they accepted me for who I was and they cared about me, and soon I came to care about them just the same.

For the first time in a very long time I felt something warm with in my heart...I felt...happy in some way...I felt like maybe...just maybe there was hope for me. That maybe I wasn't meant to be alone forever. Mokuba and Seto had given me something much more than just their friendship...they had given me hope, hope that I had long since been forgotten. Hope that my life would become better; a hope that someday I would get adopted and would find a family that loved me and that would take care of me.

Chapter 2

Almost a year has now passed since Seto and Mokuba had arrived at theorphanageand my world had changed. We became like a family and promised that we would always be together no matter what. I was no longer bullied and Markiato and his band of idiots left me alone. Things were going great and I was happy...sadly the day I had always dreaded came...the day Seto and Mokubawere taken away from me...the day they were adopted.

When news got out that the CEO of a big corporation was coming to visit the orphanage,Seto started coming up with a plan. It was odd seeing him this way...serious and almost never smiling.In the first few monthsthat he and Mokuba were here, heseemed mostly happy, trying to keep a smile on his face for Mokuba'ssake. However he started to change...it seemed that he was growing up toofast, but who could blame him. He had a littlebrother to take care of. Seto had oncetold me that the reason for him turning down so many families that wanted to adopt him was that he wouldn't leave without his brother and that he wanted to make sure that whoever adopted them was well off and would never suffer financially. So when word got out that Gozaburo Kaiba was coming to the orphanage, Seto started to finalise his plan. Since Gozaburo was not only well known for his title in the business industry, he was also well known for his skills in the game of chess, (not that anyone could match the skills of my...I mean...nevermind).

So the plan was that when Mr. Kaiba arrived, Seto would challenge him to a game of chess, in exchange if Seto won, then Gozaburo would have no choice but to adopt him and Mokuba, both of them becoming the children of one of the most powerful business tycoons in the country. Seto seemed so perfectly certainthat his plan would work...however there was one thing he left out of the equation...he left out...me...

It was the day before Mr. Kaiba would be arrive and I would have to say goodbye to the only friends I ever had. I was sitting by myself on the swing set, a growing pain spreading in my heart. I held in my emotionsas best I can, I didn't want to upset the two boys, especially when there was a chance that they could have a better life.But it still hurt...my only family was possibly going to leave and I would be where I was in the beginning...alone...but that wasn't the only reason why I was upset today. You see today was my birthday,I was turning 10 and you know what they say about orphans who are 10 or older...there's no chanceof them being adopted. And not to mention, my birthday was a reminder that I was unwanted and would always be alone...Seto was a year younger than me and Mokuba was about 5 years old...

I was staring down at the ground when Seto came over and sat on the swing next to mine. It was obvious he had seen that I was looking rather down today. Not making any eye contact with him, I just wanted to be left alone...

"Well, Mokuba seems rather excited about tomorrow. I mean...both of us would have a chance to have a good life and we would never have to suffer again..."

I could feel him smiling as he spoke. His words cut me very deep with the mention of them leaving. I bit my lip, holding back the tears...

"That's great. I-I'm happy for you two..." I mumble trying not to show any signs of sadness. However, Seto knew me too well. He could easily pick up when I was upset and when I was happy. He could read me like a book. He turned towards me, the smile fading from his face,

"Hey, are you ok? You seem a little down."

I could hear the hint of concern in his voice as he spoke. I didn't answer; I didn't want to talk to him right now...like I said...I wanted to be alone. I could sense him processing what could be wrong, spending so much time with him and Mokuba had given us the ability to pick up when any of us were deep in thought and what they were feeling, we knew each other too well to have any secrets between us...and it was at that moment when I knew he figured it out, or I thought he did. His expression changed to that of someone who had forgotten something important...

..."Oh that's right, it's your birthday."

He smiled softly as he took my hand in his, "Is that why you're upset? You thought I forgot something as important as your birthday?"

He got up out of the swing and kneeled down in front of me, still holding my hand, trying to look at my face. I still tried hard to stay emotionless, but it was getting difficult with each passing second that he was near me. At the moment I hated him, I hated him for the way how he could make me open up, I hated him for the fact that he gave me happiness, I hated him for the way he made me feel and most of all, I hated him for wanting to leave me behind and steal away my happiness. I finally broke as a tear run down my cheek; this didn't go unnoticed by him.

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked concerned. I jerked my hand away and got up, "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" I yelled as I ran to my room, slamming the door behind me. I sat in the cold, dusty corner in the room and I hugged my knees to my chest and buried my face in my arms and cried. I cried and cried, not caring who heard me. I poured out my heart through my tears, I was broken and it was his fault. He gave me hope that I could be happy, that I would never have to be alone again; he gave me the feeling of what a family was. It was his entire fault; it was his fault for making me hurt so much. He broke my heart, he broke me. I hated him! I hated Seto and I would never forgive him for abandoning me just like my parents did...

I didn't hear the door opening as the sounds of my shattered cries deafenedthe sounds around me. I only saw the shadow of someone entering the room and it wasn't hard to tell who it was.

"G-go a-away S-Seto.I-I wanna b-be alone..." I stuttered in between my sobs.

I didn't notice the box he was carrying with him. Without saying anythinghe sat beside me, setting the box down and wrapped his arms around me, embracing me in a warm hug.As much as I hated him right now, he always knew just how to make me feel better. He rubbed my back in little circles, trying to soothe my pain. I didn't stop crying, I couldn't stop myself from letting out the past 10 years of pain I went through. I let out all the anger, all the hurt, and all the sadness, everything I held back for all those years. I wanted it all to just go away...I wanted to be alone...because that is where I would be by night fall tomorrow...and every other night there after...

..."You're upset because Mokuba and I are leaving tomorrow...am I right?"...

I looked up at him to see his eyes closed as he faced downwards. I didn't expect him to say anything. His eyes slowly opened and he turned his gaze towards me and I was met with those same sweet blue eyes I had seen the day he arrived at this place. Those beautiful blue eyes that held so much, but what I saw in those orbs now was sorrow...

"I know you think we are...well I'm abandoning you, but I'm keeping you safe. I know you think that me and Mokuba are leaving you behind but the thing is, I don't know what this guy is like and I can't take the risk of this guy being a creep and risk you getting hurt or worse..." he looked away sighing softly, "I care about you too much to risk your safety. Before we met, it was just me and Mokuba and it was easy to just have to take care of him. But to watch out for two people who are very close to my heart and-"

..."Seto stop..." Iinterrupted him. He looked back at me confused while I looked away,

"I get it. Your little brother comes first. And I don't want to be the one to hold you back from a good life." I turned back to him and smiled and wrapped my arms around him,"I was being selfish. And I'm sorry for getting upset with you." I pulled back and gazed up at him, the tears running down my cheeks were those of joy, "I should have never doubted you Seto. I was just scared of losing my two best friends..."he reached out to wipe away my tears as I spoke.

It still hurt, but I guessed it would still beinevitable. They would eventually have to leave andI would be left behind...but it would be alright. I would be ok…somehow. Seto had taught me somethingabout myself thatI never knew...that I was strong andI knew how to survive on my own...and that made me smile at him, and he returned a smile.

He reached overfor the box that he had brought, "WhenI went looking for Mokuba's toy aeroplane after the caretakers took it from him,I found this on one of the shelves in the closet where they keep the confiscated things..." he said as he handed the box to me.

Iexamined the box and noticed that my name was written on it. Iwas rather confused asI had never seen this box before.I slowly opened the box andtook a look inside...

...My eyes widened,the things inside...a purse...silverfemale watch...a purple scarf and a necklace that held a beautiful bluejewel.

Ipicked up thepurse and opened it; pulling out the only thing that was inside it, an old photo of a man and a woman, the necklace in the box hanging around the woman's neck in the picture...could these have been my parents? It could be possible that the things in the box belonged to my mother...the things could have been left behind when my father ran off. Seto reached into the box, pulling out the necklace, "I believe this was your mothers...I thought that it wasn't fair that the caretakers kept this away from you for all these years. So..." he reached out and hung the necklace around my neck, "...I got this back for you. I guess it can be some sort of a birthday gift." He said chuckling. I dropped the box and wrapped my arms around him again, hugging him tightly asI cried again, "Thank you.Thank you so much Seto."

He just smiled as he hugged back, "You're welcome Lillian. And remember, whatever happens tomorrow...we'll always be together...in here," he said placing his hand on my heart, andI placed my hand over his asI smiled, knowing everything was gonna be ok...

The next day I stood by the gates of the orphanage and watched as the two people I had come to love and see as my family drive away in a long fancy limo. The breeze picked up as a tear ran down my cheek. I stood there for hours after they left and well into the night after the sun had gone down, hoping that one day we would see each other again.

It's been a week since Seto and Mokuba were adopted and left the orphanage. And I was alone again. And that was ok. A letter had arrived yesterday with a number on it and a note saying that if I ever wanted to contact Seto and Mokuba, I could call that number. Unfortunatelywe weren't allowed to use thetelephones. So it was of no use to try...

But something unexpected happened that day as I sat on the lonely bench once again...

The gates at thefront of the orphanage opened and in walked a family...a mom,a dad and a little boy whoseemed to be about 8 years old. The parents went into the main building to get the papers ready for the child they were going to adopted, while the little boy headed to the playground where all the kids were.And after taking one look at this kid...I mean I've seen a lot of odd looking peoplein my short life, but this one takes the cake. He had black hairwith the tips tinted a red colour, the bangsthat framed his sweet little face wasbright blonde and not to mention thefact that hishairhad been spiked up in different directions, almost forming a star shape.And also...I could have sworn he was wearingblack eye liner, and I mean, who allows their kid to do that?And get this, his clothes, he wore a tight, black,long sleeve shirtwith a dark grey sleeveless jacket over it, and he was wearing black jeans and black and white trainers. But what shocked me the most were his eyes...they were a vibrant purple colour, something I had never seen before. But they matched his innocent child like face perfectly and he was well...really short and small.

He wondered around the playground smiling at each of the other kids but in return they glared at him like he was some kind of a freak. Who would blame them considering how this boy looked. His smile faded as he seemed to become scared at the stares he was getting and honestly, I felt a little sorry for him. And also guilty for being so judgemental about him just because of how he looked. He soon caught sight of me and wondered over, sitting next to me as his smile returned.

"You seem a little lonely, mind if I give you a little company?" he asked sweetly. I turned to face him, about to tell him that I wanted to be left alone, when I found myself staring at the cutest face I had ever seen. It glowed of joy and innocence. How could I be mean to anyone that looked at me with those puppy like eyes? Before I could answer, Markiato and his gang arrived, ignoring me and grabbing the spiky haired kid by his shirt collar and lifting him into the air.

"Well, well, well...what do we have here? A little weirdo who wants to play with the loner." he laughed as the others snickered. The scared boy squirmed, trying to get out the older boys grip, "Pl-please sir, I-I don't want any trouble." The little boy said obviously scared. "Well guess what, I am trouble you freak!" Markiato bellowed as he raised his fist and punched the small boy in the face and throwing him onto the ground, proceeding to kick him in the stomach. The boy cringed and cried out in pain, wrapping his arms around his stomach as he curled up into fettle position. I caught a glimpse at his face and saw the tears forming in his eyes and so did Markiato, "Look fellas, we have a little cry baby on our hands." and they all started laughing. My blood started to boil as I stood up, clenching my fists. How could he be so cruel to someone so small and seemly innocent? I marched over to Markiato, "Leave him alone you jackass!" I shouted at him, he slowly turned to me, glaring at me. "Did you just call me a jackass loser?" he said through his teeth. "Yes I did. Why don't you leave us alone? Why do you always have to pick on the kids smaller than you, you fat freak?" I spoke out loudly, causing all the kids on the playground to go slightly and look at us. The little boy lying on the ground as managed to sit up slightly and look at me. I could see Markiato getting mad as he shoved me, "Better watch your mouth. Remember, you don't have your little boyfriend to protect you anymore. So once again...you are all al-OOOOO!!" he cried out as I kicked him hard between the legs, right where it hurts. Cupping his crotch he fell to his knees, wincing and wheezing in pain as he looked up at me, "Y-you're g-gonna pay for that you little-" I grabbed his head and slammed my knee into his face, a soft cracking noise could be heard as his nose broke. He pulled back, cupping his face as the blood run from his nose over his lips, "You little bitch!" He exclaimed, I saw his eyes begin to water, giving him a final kick in the chest, causing him to fall to the ground. All the kids on the playground jumped up and cheered for me as if I was a hero.

I leaned over him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt lifting him up, "Consider this a warning Markiato, if you ever mess with me or any other kid again...well let's just say I won't hold back." And with that said, I slammed him back onto the ground. Standing up, I glared at the other boys surrounding the weird looking kid, their expressions were terrified as they stared at me, causing me to grin, "So…Who's next?" after saying that, they all ran off like wimps. The rest of the kids who had been watching started cheering at the defeat of the playgrounds biggest enemy.

Smiling to myself, I walked over to the little boy and helped him up, dusting off his clothes, "Are you ok?" I asked, gently running my soft hand over the bruise forming on his cheek from being hit by Markiato. He just nodded as he looked up at me, not fearfully but...thankfully. I took his hand in mine and started walking to the main building with him, "Come, I'll take you to your parents."

Once we were inside the office, the little boy ran to his mother, leaving me standing in the door way. His parents seemed rather well...normal. his mom had soft brown hair with a round face and hazel eyes while his father had raven hair, a soft face with a bit of stubble covering his chin and a firm build. That left me to wonder where the kid got his hairstyle from.

The woman knelt down, looking worried as she saw the bruise on her sons face, "Who...who did this to you?" she said before she looked in my direction, "Did she hurt you?" she frowned at me. I actually felt a little insulted, "You stay away from my boy you menace."Ok that hurt. I was about to leave when the boy spoke, "No mamma, she saved me from the boy who hit me." the boy said as he ran over to me and hugged my waist (he was really short.) "She's my hero." he gazed up at me again with thosepuppy like eyes. Thewoman stood up as she andher husband looked at him,I suddenly felt really shy. The manwalked towards us and knelt down in front of me,"What's your name sweetheart?" hespoke softly as his wife stood behind him."Um...Lillian. My names Lillian sir." I answered looking at him. The man looked back at his wife andthey both smiled at each other as if they both knew what the other was thinking.

The wife headed back to the counterto get the papers as the man looked back at me, "Well Lillian...it seems ourson has taken a liking in you," he reached out, raffling the boys hair, making him giggle, "And I want to thank you for saving him.We've been having a lot of problems with himgetting bullied at school and him having no friends..."the man spoke, looking down at the boy, he sounded a lot likeme, "So maybe...you could come home with us and be hissister...and keep him safe from the bullies at school?" My eyes widened at his words...they wanted to adopt me? "Please will you come home and be my big sister?" the little boy asked with a big smile on his face. I smiled asIlooked at the man and then to the boy, "I...I'd be honoured to." I answered, the man nodded and headed over to his wife to sign the papers. "Hey um...I don't know your name yet..." I said as I hugged my soon to be brother, "Oh my name is Yugi, Yugi Muto." he said with a smile...

The day had finally come...my miracle had come...I had finally found a family...I had found my hope...

Chapter 3

While Mr and Mrs Muto (who's names were Masami and Lee)were signing the adoption forms, Yugi and I headed over to my room to pack my things, although there wasn't much I had to pack anyway. I pulled out the small brown suitcase from under my bed and opened the drawer of my nightstand, pulling out my clothes and folded them up before setting them in the suitcase. Yugi was standing in the middle of the room, looking around curiously as he held his hands behind his back. He wondered over to the old dresser that stood in the corner and opened the box that stood on it, (the very box Seto had given to me for my birthday). I was unaware of what he was up to as I was focused on getting my things together. "Hey Lilly...what's this?" I heard Yugi ask; I turned towards him and saw that he was holding my mother's necklace up in the air, looking at it in wonder as the jewel shone brightly in the sunlight that was streaming through the dusty window. I wanted to yell at him for touching my things but I just couldn't. Those adorable purple eyes and sweet face was just too cute to be mad at. Instead I just smiled softly at him, "That was my mother's necklace, it's the only thing I have left of her..."

"Where is your mamma?" he asked tilting his head slightly as he looked at me. My heart started to hurt a little thinking about my mother...I was told that she passed away during child birth and as I mentioned before my father ran away, leaving me behind. A tear ran down my cheek as I sat on the floor, staring down at the old carpet. I hated the man who abandoned me; I couldn't even call him a father after what he did to me. Before I knew it, Yugi was standing in front of me and got down on his knees and leaned over, hanging the necklace around my neck as he smiled at me. And he proceeded to wrap his arms around me and hugged me, "It's ok Lilly. You have a new mamma now and a papa. And you have me." he said with a soft giggle. I smiled and wrapped my arms around my new little brother...wow...I had a brother...I had a family...

We headed to the office; I held Yugi's hand in mine and my suitcase in the other. The papers had been signed and my new parents led us out of the orphanage and into the parking lot to the car. I took one last glance at the place which housed me for the past 10 years while my new father loaded my suitcase into the trunk...it felt a little weird calling someone dad. It was gonna take some time getting used to having parents and more importantly a little brother. Although I guess I had some experience with Mokuba when he was still her with Seto. My new mother opened the car door for me and Yugi. I let him get in first, before I got in. I put the seat belt on as mom closed the door. Yugi sat in the middle and got his seat belt on before laying his head on my shoulder, smiling as he closed his sweet eyes and slowly fell asleep as mom and dad got into the car and we drove off to my new home. "Listen Lillian..." I looked up hearing my dad speak..."I know this is going to take some time getting use to and it's going to be a while before you can trust us and you may not know much about us and we don't know much about you since we skipped the interview...", he was interrupted by his wife.

"But know that we are going to try our best to make you happy. You protected out little Yugi and we are extremely grateful my dear. He gets bullied a lot at school because of his size and his shyness. And he doesn't have any friends. For the past 3 years now, he's been asking for a big brother or sister to protect him." I listened as she spoke. I guess it would make sense for someone like Yugi considering how Markiato had hurt him. I reached over, tucking some of the sleeping child's blond bangs behind his ear. "He was rather excited when he heard that we were going to adopt another child. To be honest I didn't think it would be this easy finding someone like you." dad let out a soft chuckle as he spoke, I raised a brow wondering what he meant by that. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that we thought it would have been hard to find someone who would get along with our Yugi and who would be there for him when he needed a friend. And when you two walked into the office and explained what happened, we knew we had found our perfect child. And that's you Lillian." he said with a smile as we arrived at a triple story game shop.

Ok, now I was confused. Was this...my new home? I careful shook Yugi awake as they parked the car before getting out followed by me and Yugi. Dad (damn that's weird to say) got my suitcase out of the trunk and walked to the front door. Yugi was holding my hand as we walked, well he was sort of skipping, I think. Dad opened the door and let me and Yugi in first before he called out, "Dad we're back." seeing an old man popping out from behind the counter with a big smile on his face, "That was quick. Didn't think you would be back so soon." he spoke in a humble tone, it was almost soothing in a way.

Yugi smiled widely letting go of my hand and running to the old man, "Grandpa!" the old man embraced the small child with a smile, "There's someone I want you to meet." Yugi said as dad placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Dad we'd like you to meet Lillian, the new member of the Muto family." dad said looking down at me. The old man walked over to me...he was well...rather short and looked quite a bit like Yugi. I guess he gets his looks from his grandfather. He looked me up and down before pulling me into a bear hug as he chuckled." Welcome to the family my dear. I hope you like it here." he bellowed with a chuckle and a smile.

I lay awake in bed in my new room that night. A storm was busy roaring outside. I didn't mind it really, the weather rarely bothered me. Sometimes it seemed the weather changed according to my mood. Sighing softly I glanced around at my room. The floor was covered in a soft white carpet, a white wood dresser with a round mirror stood on the other side of the room next to a white double door closet, both covered with small blue birds, and a desk by the window. My bed stood in the corner facing the door, the walls were painted a soft, baby blue colour, my bed covered in blue bedsheets with white birds on them and a matching set of curtains hung at the window. The room was...nice. They made a lot of effort to make sure I felt comfortable...but it still would be a while before it felt like home. The evening had gone by as normal I guess. First Yugi took me upstairs to his room and we played together for a while. He even showed me his most prized possession, a golden box with a symbol on it that looked like an eye, he said he found it in the game shop while helping grandpa clean one day. it looked like something straight out of Egypt. I had to admit it was pretty cool but what was inside it was even cooler...it seemed to have been a puzzle of some sorts. You would think something like this would be in a museum but no, it was in the possession of an 8 year old boy. Yugi said he enjoyed puzzles a lot and he was really excited about finishing it. He even told me that once the puzzle was completed, he could make a wish and it would come true. It sounded awesome but sadly...even I know magic doesn't exist. We were soon called for dinner. We had burgers, Yugi's favourite. And for a small kid like him he sure could eat a lot. He ate like 3. I had only one with chicken on it. Early they asked me what I preferred to eat, and I told them anything really except for beef. Every meal we had at the orphanage consisted of a flavourless stew with grey meat and old vegetables, you kinda grow sick of it after a while.

It warmed my heart to know that these people really cared about me. After dinner it was bath time. Yugi went first and then me. Mom helped wash my hair while I did the rest. It was the first time I ever had a proper bath. Back at the orphanage you were only allowed to use a jug full of water to clean, they said that because there were so many of us there wasn't enough water so we had to ration the water carefully. So having a full bath all to myself was heaven. After getting all cleaned up, mom gave me a set of new pyjamas. It was a pink long sleeve button up shirt with white bunnies on it and a pair of matching long pants. I didn't like the colour so much but they were really comfortable. After getting dressed, mom and I sat on my bed and she brushed out my hair while she softly sang to me. It felt...good knowing someone cared so much about me even though they barely knew me. Once she was done, she tucked me in, dad and Grandpa came in to say good night, Yugi was already asleep in bed. Mom kissed my forehead before turning off the lamp on my night stand and left, closing the door behind her.

So much had already happened today, I thought to myself as I ran my fingers over my birth mothers necklace that hung around my neck, tracing my index finger along the thin golden chain till it arrived at the beautiful jewel. I had to admit there was something weird about the blue jewel, I felt almost drawn to it, but also like I had seen it before...but in another life...I was pulled out of my thoughts as a bolt of lightning flashed through the sky, the rain still pouring down hard. It was really coming down tonight, not that anyone would notice since they all went to bed some time ago...except...

I looked up seeing my bedroom door opening and in the doorway stood a scared looking Yugi, dressed in his blue pyjamas with yellow stars on them and clenching a little teddy bear close to his chest. I slowly sat up turning on my lamp, "Yugi, what are you doing up?" I said as I got out of bed and walked over to him. "I-I got sc-scared o-of the storm." he looked up at me with trembling, tearful eyes. Smiling softly at him, I gently stroked his cheek to calm him, "It's ok to be afraid of things from time to time. But just know that you are safe in here with the rest of us Yugi."

"I-I know...but...can I stay with you tonight? I feel safer when I'm with you." He said as he trembled. I knew it would be cruel to leave the little angel alone in his room when a wild storm was going on outside. So I put my arm around his shoulder and led him to my bed, letting him climb in first before getting in and pulling the blue comforter over us. I reached over to turn off the lamp. It was a good thing we were both small so we could both fit in the bed. He snuggled up close to me, nuzzling my chest as his eyes closed; I wrapped my arms around him to make sure he felt safe and warm as he slept...

..."Um Lilly...can I ask you something?" I was just about to doze off when he spoke... ..."Um sure Yugi. What is it?"... ..."Why did you save me from that bully?"... ..."Well...a good friend told me that he didn't like seeing people picking on those weaker than them...and I guessed it rubbed off on me a little bit. I just couldn't see someone as sweet as you getting hurt by someone like Markiato."... ..."Well, he must have been a really good friend...I hope I can *yawn* meet him one day...and maybe then *yawn* I'll be as brave as you..." he said as he slowly fell asleep...I leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Maybe you will meet him one day little brother...and I promise I'll always keep you safe...my little angel." a thought crossed my mind before I fell asleep...tomorrow I would finally be able to call Seto and thank him for what he taught me...to stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves...

Chapter 4

7 years into the future...

It was late afternoon in Domino city, dark clouds had started to roll in over the horizon, blocking out the setting sun. A flash of lightning lights up the sky, Lillian is running home, she looks panicked and afraid. She reaches the game shop and rushes inside. After a few moments shouting could be heard coming from the inside the building before something shatters and someone screams in pain. The sound is followed by more shouting, a second later the front door flies open as Mrs. Muto and Mr. Muto rushes out with their son Yugi Muto, the poor kids hands were burnt, tears were streaming down his cheeks as he sobbed from the pain. They loaded him into the car before getting in and driving off, leaving Lillian standing in the door way, her grandfather standing, asking what happened as he looked up at her. The girl couldn't answer; her mind was still trying to process what had just happened. But there was one thing that was clear…she had hurt her brother…

The storm was in full force by the time the Muto's returned from the hospital. Mrs. Muto stepped out first to open and umbrella before opening the back door, Yugi climbing out. The young boy's hands were covered in bandages. His mother leads him inside quickly so that he wouldn't get soaked. "Dad, Lillian! We're home." Mrs. Muto calls out. She waited a moment for a response but none came. Getting worried she rushed upstairs, Yugi following her. She found Grandpa asleep on the couch with a book on his chest. She sighs in relief that he was ok but what about her daughter?

Yugi headed to his sister's room, finding the door closed. He knocked on it softly, "Lilly? Are you in there?" he waited for a response but when he got none he slowly opened the door, finding it empty. He started to worry as he noticed a note on his sister's bed. He walked over and picked up the folded piece of paper, slowly opening it…his eyes widening as he read the words written on the page.

Dear mom, dad, Grandpa andYugi,
I'm sorry for leaving without saying goodbye but I don't know what else to do. I'm sorry for hurting Yugi and for scaring you guys. I don't know what's going with me. I need to figure out what's happening to me before I hurt someone else. I'm sorry…
Love, your daughter,

Lilly..."

...a flash of lightening illuminates the room as tears run down the young boys cheeks and drip on to the letter. His mother comes in, seeing her son tremble. "Yugi what's wrong?" she asks concerned. She noticed the note as Yugi turns to look at his mother, his lip quivering, "Sh-She's gone mom…sh-she left!" He lets out a sob as he drops note and wraps his arms around his mother as he cries into her chest. She's confused for a moment before realizing what Yugi was saying. She wraps her arms around the crying child as her husband comes in. He is about to ask what was going on when he sees the note, he kneels down and picks up the letter. Reading through it Yugi looks at his father, a glare on the small boy's face, "Th-this is your fault!" Mr. Muto looks at his son as he stands up, "Yugi I didn't…"

"You called her a freak! A monster! And now she's gone! It's your fault!" the normally passive child yells at his dad before he runs out the room. "Yugi wait!" Masami calls after him, she heads for the door before looking back at her husband, "Don't take his words to heart. Go and look for our daughter. She couldn't have gone far." She leaves the room quickly to go after her distressed son.

Lee just stares at the empty doorway for a moment before his mind catches up with his body and he quickly makes his way downstairs, bumping into Solomon who was awoken by his grandsons screaming. He rubs his eye as he looks up at his son, "What's going on my boy? Is Yugi alright?"

"Yugi's fine dad but…but Lillian is gone."

Solomon's eyes widen, "What? But how?"

"I should be asking you that! How could you let her run off?" he heads to the front door, grabbing the door handle only to be pushed back as a huge gust of wind blows the door open, causing Lee to fall back. He groaned as he sat up in time to witness another large gust of wind knock over a nearby tree, the mighty oak crashing onto their car, smashing the windscreen. He growled as he stood up, "Damnit!"

Solomon watches this all unfold, guilt starting to wash over him. After Yugi was taken to the hospital, Lillian had quietly cleaned the kitchen where the accident occurred. She then made him some tea and told him she was going to bed early. He had stopped her and reassured her that Yugi was going to be alright, that what had happened was just an accident. She just looked at her grandfather before hugging him and headed upstairs. Solomon went to read a book on the couch soon after and must've fallen asleep…if he had just stayed awake maybe he could've stopped her…he looked at one of the family portraits that hung on the wall, his eyes falling on his granddaughter…he just hoped she would come home…

Somewhere in the streets, walking alone was Lillian. She was wearing a black hoodie with the hood pulled over her head, skinny black jeans and a pair of blue sneakers. She had her hands in her pockets and she was carrying a backpack. The rain hid the tears that were running down her cheeks. It seemed the more she cried the harder the rain fell. She had been walking for a while now, she made sure to leave her phone behind so that her parents couldn't contact her. Just thinking about them made her heart ache even more, and the thought of her little brother popped into her mind...she stopped as a new wave of sadness washed over her. She didn't mean to hurt him…it just…happened. Weird things had started happening around her... the taps at school bursting, the sprinklers going off, peoples water bottles bursting in their hands when she walked by…and now…

It had been a bad day at school and she just wanted to crawl into her bed and forget the events of that day. She had walked into the kitchen once she got home; Yugi was busy making hot chocolate when he greeted her with a smile. She had walked passed him and tried to leave but he kept pestering her, she knew he was just worried about her but he didn't want to leave her alone…she just lost it and shouted at him, the jug of hot water he was carrying had shattered and the poor boys hands became severely burnt, screams of pain rings through the house…

She wanted to run back home so badly, pull her brother into her arms and hug him as tightly as she could, never letting him go. She knew how heartbroken he would be when he read the note she left for them. But the screams of Yugi's pain still filled her ears, the look on her parents faces when they had come in to help him…her father's words as he told her to stay away from them…calling her a monster…

As she kept walking, the memories of the past 7 years flowed through her mind. From the first day of school, when she nearly beat up this blond headed kid for picking on her little brother to the birthdays they spent together, the games they played and the friendship they had built. It was hard to keep an eye on him during school because she was in two grades higher than Yugi, and the only time she got to hang out with him at school was during break time. Yugi would spend that time in the class room as always playing games by himself until Lillian came around to join him. She hated seeing her little brother lonely so she tried to spend as much time with him as possible as it was hard for him make friends, except for one girl named Téa. She was bright and bubbly with a real go getter attitude compared to Yugi. He was...well shy. But it was one of the things that made him so incredibly adorable. She knew she was going to miss him dearly. They had grown so close over the years, they were almost inseparable. But now, who knew how long it would take before they saw each other again...

She finally reached the place where she wanted to be. She pressed the button of the intercom next to the large gate; barely hearing the gruff voice that answered over the rain that was pouring around her.

"Who is this? No visitors after 9 pm."

"Roland it's me! Let me in!"

"Oh Ms. Lillian it's you. Just a moment."

Lillian hears a beep and slowly pushed open the gates before walking up the familiar stone pathway leading to the large mansion, heading up the steps to the massive dark wood oak doors. She waited a moment before the doors opened, Seto's personal assistant Roland looked her up and down for a moment before stepping aside and letting her in, "It's rather late Ms. Lillian. Did you walk here in this storm? You are completely soaked." He states as he closed the doors and took her wet backpack, sneakers and hoodie. Lillian sighed softly, tucking some of her hair behind her ear, "I just…I needed to talk to Seto. Is he in his office?" He man nodded, "As he always is at this time of the evening. I'll hang these in the laundry room to dry while I prepare refreshments. The usual?" he asks with a small smirk. She smiled back; out of all the assistants Seto had had over the years Roland was the best. "Yes please Roland. Just make sure his is decafe. Heaven knows he needs sleep." She giggled as the man snorted at her comment as he headed to the laundry room.

Lillian headed upstairs, following the path that she knew so well, passing door after door before reaching the one she was looking for. She hesitated for a moment. What was she going to say? Hell she was leaving behind her friends and family; running away from everyone and everything. She wasn't brave enough to face her family and simply left a note. What was she gonna say when she was face to face with her oldest friend? The one person she trusted most and could confide in with almost anything…the one person who she could always talk to and who wouldn't judge her…they had grown so close in the past few years. They were each other's support systems; Lillian had been there for Seto during the darkest times of his life, she was there for him on the nights when his father would beat him or he would send his goons to hurt the poor kid. She would sneak into the mansion and find Seto curled up in a corner covered in bruises and wounds. She would sit with him for hours patching him up or simply holding him and giving him comfort…

Before she could think anymore the door opened and there stood Seto Kaiba. He towered over Lillian as he had grown a lot over the years; the once young boy whom she had befriended all those years ago had become a strapping young man. His sweet face had become stern and indifference, his eyes held a saddness from years of abuse and suffering, his kind heart was hidden by a harsh and cruel personality. Too many people has stepped on Seto in the past causing him to build up walls and pushed others away, believing that he needed to do things alone, because trusting others meant betrayal and pain. But there were two people in his life he could always trust and that was his little brother Mokuba and Lillian.

She stared at the guy in front of her for a moment as her eyes started to well up with tears, a wave of emotions crashing over her like a tidal wave. Everything she had been holding back for the past few hours started to overwhelm her. Without saying a word, Seto rested a hand on her shoulder and guided her towards him, wrapping both his arms around her. She buried her face in his chest as she became wrecked with sobs, soaking the rich teen's night shirt. He cradled her in his arms, his hand rubbing small circles on her back, whispering softly to her "It's going to be ok."

Lillian knew that coming to see Kaiba was the right thing to do. If there was anyone who could give her the strength and support she needed it would be him.

After Lillian had calmed down, the two friends made their way down to the kitchen where Roland had prepared two steaming mugs of coffee, leaving them on top of the white marble counter top with a plate of the his famous triple chocolate chip cookies.(a personal favourite of the two Kaiba brothers, though Seto would never admit to it).

They sat down on the bar stools surrounding the island that stood in the middle of the kitchen. Lillian added some cream and sugar to her coffee while Seto just took his strong and black. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying being in each other's presences while they drank and ate. By the time the mugs were empty and the cookies were gone, Lillian had worked up the nerve to talk, "I'm leaving for a while." She said in a soft voice. Seto looked at her for a moment before gathering the dishes and taking them to the sink, "Are you going to elaborate on that?" he asked as he turned on the faucet to fill the sink with hot water.

"I just…weird things have been happening around me. Things I can't explain…"

"That's not a reason to leave Lil. Strange things happen every day to everyone."

"I know that but with me it's just…weird!" as she blurted out in frustration the water that was running out of the faucet seemed to burst, splashing Seto's clothes. Lillian quickly got up and made her way over, grabbing a dish rag and turning the water off. She sighed softly as she turned to her friend, "See what I mean?" She handed him the dish cloth which he used to try and dry his shirt. "That doesn't mean anything. It could've just been an air bubble in the pipes—"

"The same thing happened at school today! Even the sprinkler system went off!"

"The school probably hasn't done maintenance for years. That's still not a reason to be leaving—"

"I hurt my brother Seto." She responded, her fists clenching, her whole body trembling. Seto went quiet after that. He knew how close Lillian and her brother were, how she had vowed to always keep him safe and to never allow any harm to come to him. Hell she refused to tell him his name. There were still people in Seto's life that he didn't trust, people that could use Lillian and her family to get to the young CEO. Keeping her a secret from everyone was hard enough as it is. The only person Seto trusted was Roland (but the reason for that wasn't important at the moment).

To hear that she had hurt her little brother…he gently took her hand, his thumb running over her knuckles as he led her back to the table and sat down. "Tell me what happened."

A soft sigh leaves Lillian's lips, "As I said the pipes at school burst and the sprinklers went off…Mimu and her dumb friends were talking shit to me again and I got shoved to the ground…"

"Did you get hurt?"

"No not really…and I nearly lost it…or at least I was about to. The next moment the drinking fountain burst and sprayed Mimu…after that it was like a domino effect. Water started pouring out of the walls and the sprinkles went off too…" a bolt of lightning crosses the sky as one of the kitchen windows fly open. Seto looks between his friend and the window, the storm outside raging on. He gets up and goes over, closing the window as Lillian continues, "They looked at me with fear… calling me a freak…I headed home after that, just wanting the day to be over but…my little brother wouldn't leave me be…I got mad and shouted at him not realizing he was holding a jug of hot water…the jug shattered and his hands got burnt…" tears had started streaming down the girls cheeks again.

The billionaire wasn't sure what to say. It wasn't like magic or superpowers or any nonsense like that was real…right? He believed in logic and facts, things that were real, anything supernatural were just not possible. However he didn't want to insult his friends, must less tell her that she was talking a bunch of bull, that everything that had happened was just a coincidence. It seemed she truly believed that she was the cause of all this which was impossible…but…

"I'm sure you didn't mean for this to happen…" he reached over, resting his hand on her cheek, wiping away the tears with his thumb as he looked into her bright blue eyes. They kept each other's gaze for a moment, Lillian leaning into the brunets touch. She moved her hand over the counter top, taking Seto's other hand in hers and held it firmly, intertwining their fingers. She didn't know when she started to fall for her best friend but she knew that she didn't want to ruin what they had. She knew Seto kept his heart guarded and would probably never seek an intimate relationship with anyone due to things his step father had done to him in the past…

So she kept her own feelings locked away, not wishing to bring trouble to her friend.

Eventually they parted, Seto going back to the sink and finish the dishes while Lillian remained seated, staring out the window. The rain was gently beating against the glass as the storm had let up a little. She wished she could stay a little longer but she needed to leave before she changed her mind. Seto turned to her as he used the dish cloth to dry his hands, "So where will you be going?"

"Honestly I'm not sure. All I know is that I need to find my birth father…"

"What brought that up?"

"He's the only one that could explain what's going on with me."

"I'm still not following." Seto stated as he leaned against the counter. Lillian got up and went to the laundry room, grabbing her bag before returning to the kitchen. She opened one of the side pockets and pulled out her mother's necklace, the blue gem glimmering in the light. "My grandfather was an archaeologist. He told me a few years ago that there was an excavation nearly a century ago in Egypt. They had discovered a nameless Pharaoh's tomb that didn't hold much except a few carvings on the walls, a small golden box and this..." She runs her thumb over the jewel, staring deeply at it, "Everyone on that team died soon after the tomb was discovered…one of them had disappeared along with the necklace and the golden box…" she looked up at Seto, she wanted to tell him that her little brother had the missing golden box but decided to keep that little detail a secret until it was relevant.

Seto listened intently to her as she explained. Well this all sounded interesting but could all be just one big coincidence. "So…what? You think your father could be connected to this missing archaeologist? That's a pretty far stretch Lil."

"I know but…it's the only lead I've got…"

Seto sighs as he rubs his forehead, this was ridiculous. But he would support der even if this was a fool's mission. "You know I can help you track him down through a private investigator right?"

"I know…but I can't ask that of you Seto."

Seto shook his head as he reached down and opened a drawer, pulling out a credit card and handed it to Lillian. She looked up at him with a confused expression, "I'm guessing you're gonna start your search in Egypt. Travel isn't cheap. This is an unlimited credit card. Should be more than enough to cover any costs you may have while you're away." He explained. Lillian was a little shocked, a soft giggle leaving her lips. The billionaire raised a brow, "Something funny?"

"No. It's just…you keep a credit card with no limit in your kitchen drawer?"

The brunet rolled his eyes, "Mokuba likes to order pizza's over the weekend. This stops him from bugging me too much while I'm working." A soft smile forms on Lillian's lips, "Don't be mean. You know you love him." She turned her attention back to the card, "Thank you. You didn't have to but…I really appreciate it…" She looked back up at him, their eyes meeting for the umpteenth time that evening. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ignore the blush that was creeping over his cheeks, "It's nothing. I promised I'd always look out of you…"

"Still…it means a lot." She hesitates for a moment before leaning up and gently pressing her lips against Seto's cheek. Well if Kaiba wasn't blushing before he sure was now, "Whatever…" he mumbled softly as she pulled away.

Lillian turned back to her bag and opened it, pulling out her purse and a small wrapped gift box. The paper was a deep shade of blue with a white ribbon wrapped around it. She put the card away before turning to Seto, the gift box in her hands, "I was gonna give this to you for your birthday next month but I thought since I won't be here for that, it would make a decent goodbye present." She held it out for her friend to take. He reached out, hesitant for just a moment before wrapping his long fingers around the small give box, his fingertips brushing over the girls as he pulled the box out of her grasp. He stared down at it for a moment, not really sure if he wanted to open it or not. Cause opening it meant she would leave, that he wouldn't get to see her for who knows how long, hear her soft voice as she recalled the events of her day or catch sight of those beautiful sapphire eyes that he had come to adore. When he started feeling this way was unclear, from the moment he had caught sight of her the day he and Mokuba arrived at the orphanage he knew there was something different about her. He had gotten to know her and wanted to keep her close, one of the few people that tolerated his arrogant and egotistical nature. She got him through some of the hardest moments of his life, she was always there to support him and comfort him (even though he would never admit to needing it). The thought of her leaving and being out of reach made his heart ache strangely. Wasn't she being selfish and cruel for just running away? Or was he being cruel and selfish for wanting her to stay?

In some ways Seto thought himself lucky. His parents had died in a car accident and his other relatives had run off with his inheritance. He knew what had become of them and the selfish bastards that they were. But for Lillian…her mother died during childbirth and her father had just run away without even leaving his name. He had just disappeared into thin air, as if he never existed in the first place and Seto knew how the unknown had plagued Lillian's mind for years. She wouldn't talk about him much but she would have days where she would stare at nothing for hours, lost within the reassesses of her mind. She had mentioned to her friend once or twice that she wanted to go out and find the bastard that had abandoned her and make him pay for the pain he had caused for so many years. Or sometime she would simply say that she wanted to know why he had left her in the hospital that cold night…

Maybe there was a chance that Seto could convince her to stay, to stop her from leaving and wondering off into a world he knew was cruel and unforgiving. But deep down he knew he had to let her go, that this would be good for her and that if she did find the bastard she could finally have closure with regards to her birth parents, then maybe she could finally move on from her past like he did. (And if she found her father…Well Seto had plans for that man)

He slowly removed the white ribbon from the parcel before ripping open the blue wrapping paper. Inside was a small black box which he slowly pried open. He froze when he saw what was sitting inside…there in his hand was one of the 4 legendary Blue Eyes White Dragons, a card that was almost impossible find. "How in the world did you get this??" he asks as he slowly picks up the card from the box, examining it closely.

"My grandfather runs a game shop remember. We got in a delivery of duel monsters cards and he let me and my brother each open a pack. This just so happened to be in it…and since you seemed to be obsessed with this monster I thought it would make a good gift for the man that has everything. Well almost everything." She giggled softly, even though didn't show it on the outside Lillian could tell that he was filled with excitement finally having one of the most powerful Duel monsters in existence. He gazed at her for a moment before leaving the kitchen and headed upstairs, leaving Lillian beyond.

She raised a brow before frowning, "A thank you would've been nice!" she called out to him before muttering under her breath "Asshole." She grabbed her hoodie from the laundry room and slipped it on before slinging her backpack over her shoulder. She heads to the door, passing Roland on her way out, biding him goodbye.

She reaches the door and was about to open it when she hears Seto approaching her, "Leaving without saying goodbye? Isn't that rather rude?" Seto taunts as he smirks. Lillian turns to face him, glaring at him, "Yeah well you just ran off to play with your new card without a word. So I would say you're the rude one here Kaiba."

He rolls his eyes, the smirk never leaving his face, "I thought I taught you better insults than that Lil. And I wasn't running off to…you know what nevermind. I went to get this…" he held up a black jewellery box, "Consider it a farewell gift."

It was her turn to be surprised, well honestly this wasn't the first time his surprised her tonight. She carefully took the velvet box, "Jewellery Seto? You really are a ro…man..tic…" she lost her words as she opened the box, inside was a necklace was a silver Blue Eyes White Dragon pendant with two small sapphires for eyes. The detail was incredible. She slowly picked up the necklace and held it in her hand, admiring its beauty as a blush crept onto her cheeks. She looked up at the billionaire, "You really are obsessed with this dragon…how…where did you get this?"

"I had it custom made. When you have the kind of money I do, you can get anything you desire." He says with a cocky grin, "Well…almost anything." He says as he admires the girl in front of him. Lillian giggled softly, "Except the rare duel monsters cards." Seto frowned before shaking his head. The young girl looks back at the pendant, "It's beautiful. But I have to ask…why?"

"Well it's…it's so that no matter where you are, you'll always have a part of me with you…" he had to admit that this was corny as all hell and she was probably going to laugh at him but instead she couldn't stop smiling at the brunet, her eyes sparkling with something Seto couldn't explain. "Thank you…" She sets the necklace in his hand before turning around and lifting her raven hair out of the way. He carefully puts the necklace around her neck, standing so close to her that she could feel his hot breath on her skin, sending a shudder down her spine.

She turned around once Seto steps back, he looks at her in silence admiring her for a moment, the blue jewels of the pendant matching her eyes the way he knew it would. She had truly grown into a beautiful woman. He gently rested his hand on her cheek, his thumb slowly running over her smooth pale skin. She stood still as she leaned into his touch, his palm felt warm against her cheek. They leaned in closer, their lips a breath away from touching when they were interrupted by Mokuba who had been woken up by his brother when he went to get the gift for Lillian.

The small child rubbed his eyes as he yawned, "What's with all the commotion Seto? What's Lillian doing here?" The girl smiled softly as she kneeled down and rested her hand on the young boys shoulder, "I came to say goodbye."

"Huh? But why?"

"Well I'm going away for awhile…"

Mokuba looked confused, a wave of saddness washing over him, "When will you be back?"

"I'm not sure Mokie. But I promise I will be back. I wouldn't leave you alone for too long with Mr. Grumpy pants over here." She winked at the smallest Kaiba brother as she rustled his hair. Seto folded his arms as he leaned against the wall, "Again you're insults need work."

"Well the ones you taught me can't be said in front of small children." She giggled. "You can call Seto an asshole. He knows he is one." Mokuba says as he grins at his brother, Seto glaring at him for swearing. Lillian shook her head as she whispered, "You're right about that Mokie." The two friends laughed as Seto shook his head exasperated, "I hate you both."

"We love you too Seto." Lillian and Mokuba said together as they smiled. She then pulled the little boy into a hug, knowing that it would be a while before they would share a moment like this again. Mokuba wrapped his arms around her as he hugged her back, "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too Mokie…" She glanced back at Seto, "I'll miss you too…"

Both of the older teens looked at each other as they felt an ache in their hearts…their moment had passed. What they felt for each other would remain just that, nothing more than feelings…

Chapter 7

Seto had taken Mokuba back to bed and had tucked him in after Lillian had left. He sat with his brother for a while, making sure the kid had fallen into peaceful sleep before turning off the lamp that stood on the night stand. The young CEO headed back to his room and walked over to his dresser that stood by one of the large windows. He gazed out at the street, watching the light rain that fell outside. He stood there for several moments, thinking about the evenings events…

Something caught his attention out the corner of his eye, the Blue Eyes card he had left on his dresser. He reached over and picked it up, staring at the image of the dragon that was printed on it. After a moment he set it down and ran out the room and headed downstairs, flinging the front doors open and ran out, heading down the stone pathway and down the street in the direction of the train station.

His bare feet splashed in the puddles the rain was creating as they fell from the sky. He cut through the park, not caring about the mud getting on his expensive pyjama pants. The only thing on his mind was whether or not he was too late to catch her before she left for who knew how long. The thought of not being able to see her soft smile and alluring blue eyes and not having her with him spread a feeling of fear and pain in his cold heart (which he would never admit, he was Seto Kaiba for hells sake). He didn't want to say goodbye, he didn't want her to leave, and he didn't want her to go out alone in the world without him being there to protect her. He made a promise that they would always be together and if he didn't catch her before the train departed, his promise to her would be broken forever.

The lights of the station could be seen from a distance. The station was currently empty...except for Lillian who was sitting alone on a bench waiting for the train to arrive…She ran her fingers along the silver chain which carried the Blue-Eyes pendent around her neck. A tear ran down her cheek thinking about her family...thinking about her Seto...and how much it was going to hurt to be without them. She wiped away the tear as the train started pulling up to the station. She stood up picking her backpack in the process. The train slowly came to a stop, she walked up to the platform, ready to...well she was having second thoughts...she wanted to stay so badly...but she knew she needed to leave to find her father and figure out what was happening to her. The train came to a stop and the doors opened in front of her...but instead of getting on she just stood there...lost in thought...her heart and her mind in a struggle...should she listen to her heart and stay here with her friends and family...or should she listen to her head and leave to discover who she really is...

Seto came running into the station...

The doors of the train slowly closed...

He slid down the railing of the stairs to the platform...

The train slowly pulled away from the platform just as Seto arrived, yelling out, "Lillian wait!" but it was seemingly too late...the train was already leaving and soon disappeared from the station...leaving the young billionaire alone on the platform, watching in despair as the train carrying the girl who had captured his heart, disappear into the darkness...

He quickly scanned the area of the deserted station before slamming his fist into the concrete pillar beside him in frustration and anger. He had missed his chance... He felt the tears starting to form in his eyes before quickly wiping them away; glaring at them as they glistened on his hand...he was Seto Kaiba damnit! A successful owner of a massive company...a person who never smiled...who showed no emotion and instilled fear in his enemies with one look...not some love sick puppy who had just run through the rain and dirtied his clothes, just to tell some girl that he loved her...He was better than this! He didn't need her…he didn't need anyone!

He was about to leave when he heard the soft sound of someone crying. Slowly looking around, he tried to find the source of the sound. He walked over to the edge of the platform, seeing...her standing there, tears streaming down her perfect soft cheeks. Seto felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest at the sight. She was still here...she was still here...

She slowly looked up, her wet eyes meeting his. They slowly walked towards each other until they were standing in front of one another, staring deeply onto the each other's eyes. "Seto...Wh-what are you doing here?" she asked confused as to why he had come. "I...I came to do something I should have done a long time ago..." he said reaching out and gently wiped away the sweet tears that ran down the Lillian's cheeks causing her to blush lightly. "And what might that be?" she asked softly. "This..." he said as he cupped her cheeks before leaning down and captured her lips in a passionate kiss...

Her eyes widened before they slowly closed, wrapping her arms around his neck, returning the kiss as he wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her against him. Their hearts exploding with emotion as they shared this moment...it seemed the world had slowed down around them, the rain stopping in mid fall, floating in the air for a long moment before falling again when the twobroke apart.A new set of tears formed in Lillian's eyes asSeto smiled down at her, "Why are you crying?" he asked, gently caressing her cheek. "I'm just...so happy..." she said through her tears.

"Well let's keep it that way..." he said and leaned in for another kiss...this was the moment they knew what their hearts wanted and neither needed to say a word to prove it or show it to the other...they knew they were in love...

They sat on the bench for an hour waiting for the next train, Lillian sitting beside Seto with her head resting against his chest as she listened to his soft heartbeat, his fingers running through her hair. The sound of an oncoming train stirred the couple, "Well this is it..." Lillian said as she stood up along with Seto, wrapping his arms around her. "I don't want you to leave just yet..." he mumbled as she returned the embrace, "I'm not going to be gone forever Seto...I'll be back..." she says trying to reassure him as she ran her hands up and down his back.

"And I'll wait for you...I promise..." he said cupping her soft cheek, leaning down for a goodbye kiss as the train came to a stop. Unwillingly, the two parted, never breaking eye contact as she stepped onto the train..."I love you...", she called after him, "I love you too..." he whispered as the trains doors closed. Lillian walked to her seat by the window as the train departed, watching as the guy she loved slowly became smaller and smaller as the train left the station. Seto stood there waving until the train was no longer in sight. He turned and slowly began the walk home in the pouring rain...the clouds parted slightly revealing the light of the full moon, lighting his way home. He stopped and looked up at the sky for a moment. Somehow he believed that everything was going to be alright.

Epilogue

Turns out things only went downhill after Lillian disappeared…

With the Muto's…

Yugi became reclusive, he rarely spoke to anyone. When he got home he would disappear into his room and sit at his desk trying to finish the Millennium puzzle. He ate very little and didn't get much sleep either. His parents and grandfather grew increasingly worried about the poor boy. And as fate would have it, tragedy befell the Muto family again just mere days after Lillian left…

Lee was out one night searching for Lillian, a school photo of her in his hand. He would spend his nights looking for her, overwhelmed with guilt and wanting to restore his family.

As he was walking he bumped into a tall buff man dressed in an intimidating purple coat, his hair a dirty blond with long sideburns, a glowing green crystal hung from his neck and a strange round disk like device was attached to his left arm. Lee took a step back as he looked up at the stranger, feeling uneasy. The man frowned at Mr. Muto, speaking in a gruff voice, "You should look where you're walking."

"I…I'm sorry. I was just looking for my daughter. Have you seen her by any chance?" he holds up the photo, "Please she's been missing for days." The man looked at the photo of the raven haired girl dressed in a pink school uniform. He was about dismiss Lee when he noticed the necklace hanging from the girls neck…the blue gem that his master had described some time ago. He was certain that this was what he was looking for…

"Where did she get that necklace?" the stranger asked. Lee narrowed his eyes as he took a step back as the uneasy feeling he had been having grew, "What does it have to do with my missing daughter?"

"My master has been searching for it for years. He says it belonged to a great enemy of his."

'What is this guy on about?' Mr. Muto thought, he needed to get away, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have bothered you. I should get going." He turned to leave when the man grabbed him and dragged him into an alleyway…

A few moments later the alleyway glowed green as Lee's screamed filled the night air, dark clouds swirled in the sky as it formed some kind of vortex, a stream of energy flowing from the alleyway into the vortex. Seconds later everything returned to normal. The stranger was standing in the alleyway holding a card in his hand with an image of Lee on it behind some kind of seal. Mr. Muto's unconscious body lay on the ground, his eyes open but were glazed over as if he had no soul, the photo of Lillian still clutched in his fingers.

The strange man kneeled down and picked up the photo, examining it, 'Master Dartz will be pleased to know I have found a lead on the Siren.' He thought to himself before disappearing into the night.

Mr. Muto's body was found the next morning and was rushed to hospital. His family was notified and Masami was devastated to learn that her husband was in a coma. Just days before her daughter went missing, her son had become distant and falling into depression and now her husband was lost too. The Muto family was falling apart…

With the Kaiba's…

Seto focused on his work, trying to distract himself from the ache he was feeling in his heart. He missed Lillian and would find himself staring at a photo of her that he kept on his desk. Mokuba tried to help but the little boy could only do so much.

The young billionaire had some reassurance though since he got notifications whenever Lillian used his credit card. He knew she was in Cairo at least as a charge for a hotel in the region had gone off. He could easily fly off and go find her but he had a company to run and he had discovered that some of the board members were trying to steal Kaiba Corp from him. So he had to focus on the company he had worked so hard to obtain.

About a month went by and the restless nights started to return. The memories of what Gozaburo had done to him started to plague his mind whenever he tried to sleep. He would wake up in a cold sweat, the scars he hid from the world starting to ache, the cruel words of step father echoed in his ears, reliving every punch, every kick, every beating and so much worse…things that his father did that made him sick to his stomach, causing him to go days without eating. Normally he would call Lillian and she would come over and just sit with him. Sometimes it would be in silence and other times he would talk about what he had experienced and she would just listen. It honestly helped to know that he had someone to talk to. But now she was gone…and he was alone to face the demons…

It got so bad that he had passed out at work due to exhaustion and hunger. He had been rushed to the hospital and was forced to stay there for a few days. It had scared Mokuba, thinking he was losing his big brother. The young boy would stay with him day and night, wanting to be strong for Seto.

The older Kaiba witnessed this and felt guilt for what he put his little brother through. He promised he would do better for Mokuba's sake. But that meant that he closed himself off to his own suffering, burying it deep down. His heart turned dark as he stopped caring and focused on becoming stronger and refused to rely on anyone. He placed the photo of Lillian in his desk drawer, denying the pain and anger he felt from missing her.

Darkness started to taint his soul; it festered like an infected wound. The darkness would lead him to do many horrible things…including hurting the family of the girl he loved.

With Lillian…

She was currently walking through a village in a location that she didn't know the name of. She held a photo in her hand, the very photo she had found in the purse that was part of her mother's belongs that the orphanage had kept from her before Seto had returned it to her.

The image was slightly faded but the face of her father was still clear. She had been searching for weeks, asking around if anyone had seen him or knew of him or if anyone knew anything of the archaeologist that went missing after discovering the unnamed Pharaoh's tomb. So far she had come up with nothing.

It had started to seem hopeless until one day…

A man had run into her, causing the both of them to fall to the ground. Sitting up, Lillian noticed the man had a strange necklace in his hand, the pendant was large and in the shape of a ring with a triangle in the middle, spikes hung along the ring but the strangest thing was the eye that sat in the centre of it all. It was the same eye as the one that was on the golden box that held her brothers puzzle…

Before she could ask about it, the man got up quickly and tried to run only to be stopped by a group of hooded figures. They grabbed the man as he struggled; a man in a white turban and a long robe seemed to appear out of nowhere, a strange golden key hanging from his neck. He walked towards the thief and took the necklace that held the strange ring from him. Without a word the cloaked figures started to drag the thief away.

Lillian quickly got up and silently followed them to an abandoned looking house which led to a hidden temple underground. The young girl couldn't believe what she was seeing. The walls were covered in hieroglyphs, a few torches were placed along the walls, large stone pillars held up the ceiling and in the centre of the room was a strange look sarcophagus with 7 indents of different shapes. 5 were empty will the other two held a gold eye and some weird looking scale. She knew she shouldn't be here but couldn't will herself to leave…

The thief was forced to his knees by the cloaked men, he looked up at them fearfully, "Please I'm sorry stealing from you! D-Don't kill me! I beg of you!" The man with the turban approached the frightened man, holding the strange ring in his hand, "I do not intend to condemn you for stealing the Millennium ring…" he spoke calm but earie voice, "…The is whether you are a chosen one…Will the ring itself accept you as it's bearer?"

Lillian watched from behind a pillar, curious about what was going on. The turban man handed the ring to one of the other cloaked figures, "Put the ring on! Then the answer will make itself known…"

Lillian watched as the hung the strange object around the thief's neck. At first nothing happened but then the eye on the ring started to glow. Suddenly the spikes that were attached to the pendant stabbed into the man's chest, blood seeping from the wounds. Lillian covered her mouth with her hand to muffle her shocked gasps, she watches in horror as the man screams in agony. His eyes burst into flames as fire bellows out of his mouth, dying instantly. 'What have I gotten myself into?' she thought as her body trembling in fear.

The turban man walked over to the corpse of the thief, "The Millennium items test the souls of those who possess them…" he picked up the Millennium ring, "Those who are not worthy will be burned alive, body and soul…"

One of the other cloaked figures approached him, "When will the chosen ones appear? Until we find suitable hosts , we cannot find the missing Millennium items…"

"No need to hurry. The Millennium items are drawn to each other. If I had to liken it to something, the seven Millennium items are like pieces of a puzzle…" he knelt down in front of the sarcophagus, "…when the time comes, they will be united in the tablet of the Pharaoh's memories." He was about to put the ring back into one of the indents on the sarcophagus when one of the cloaked men spotted Lillian.

He shouted something in a language little didn't understand as she tried to turn and run but two men managed to grab her and dragged her towards the man in the turban who was no doubt their leader. "Let me go!" she begged as she struggled against their grip. She was forced to her kneels as she looked up at him with fear. The leader didn't look happy as he approached her, "You saw something you shouldn't have seen…The only way to leave this holy place…" he held up the Millennium ring and Lillian's eyes widened, "…is to be a chosen bearer of a Millennium item…"

Lillian struggled harder as the man raised the ring over her head, "No please! I won't tell anyone what I saw!" she begged but he didn't listen as he hung the golden object around her neck…