I usually don't post three chapters at one time, but I wanted to get into the canon before leaving you off somewhere. Updates here on out will be sparse.

The next day went a little smoother. Yuugi went to school and Mahou sat in the shop going over studying material. Margins of notepaper were quickly filled with little sketches of objects found on nearby shelves.

"How are you doing?"

Mahou looked up. Sugoroku was looking at her notes.

"Fine . . ." she said meekly. "Math isn't very hard. I do a lot of it when I paint . . . It is different that I have to write what I do down. I mean . . . I did, but not like this . . ."

Sugoroku continued to scan her notes.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Mahou asked.

Sugoroku jerked in surprise. "No! Why would I think that?"

"I know I'm not that very smart," said Mahou. "I never studied much. Just enough to pass the homeschool tests to keep up appearances."

"You were homeschooled?" asked Sugoroku.

Mahou nodded. "Sitting the tests was one of the few reasons I was allowed outside."

Sugoroku wondered, Should I ask more? She seems to want to talk.

"You can go outside all you like!" he announced with a smile. "Soon you and Yuugi will be riding the bus together. Actually, you may get sick of it."

Mahou didn't look thrilled. "That's why I'm worried." She looked down at the sketches in her margins. "This is all I've known for the last four years. I don't know if I can ha-handle being outside a-again . . ."

"Mahou?"

Mahou curled up on herself.

Sugoroku put this hand on her shoulder. He felt her flinch, but didn't move it. "You won't be alone when you face this. You have me and you have Yuugi. You can handle it."

Mahou nodded.

The door opened and a potential customer came in. Mahou went back to studying while Sugoroku helped the customer.

Yuugi came home covered in dirt and bruises. Mahou looked at him and gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Yuugi, what happened?" asked Sugoroku in concern.

"I fell," Yuugi replied. He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm going up to my room, Grandpa." He hurried upstairs.

Mahou and Sugoroku looked at each other.

"Go on upstairs, Mahou," said Sugoroku. "I'll start locking up and be up shortly."

Mahou nodded. She gathered her things and went upstairs to her room. She put them on her bed and went to her desk. She took a small jar and opened it up, scooping out a glob with her finger and putting it in another, empty jar. She then opened a little bottle of essential oil and added a couple drops. She then took the same finger and mixed it together.

Mahou went over to the bathroom and knocked on it. "Yuugi," she called.

Yuugi opened the door. He had taken off his jacket and was in the middle of getting the dirt off his face.

"Mahou?"

Mahou held out the jar. "For the bruises."

Yuugi took it. "Thank you, Mahou."

Mahou turned and went back to her room.

It was late and Yuugi was sitting at his desk, the money he had saved up spread out in front of him and counted. Next to it was the Millennium Puzzle, pieces of it put together.

"1,656 yen," he muttered.

A knock startled him.

He turned in his chair and looked at the door. "Come in?"

The door opened and Mahou poked her head in.

"Oh! Mahou . . . what are you doing up here?"

Mahou stared at his bandaged face and his bruises.

Yuugi shifted uncomfortably, trying to hide his other injuries with his baggy sweats.

"I wanted to check on you," Mahou replied. "And to get my jar back . . ."

"Oh, here!" Yuugi quickly got the jar Mahou gave him earlier. "It was a great help! I don't really feel any of the bruises!"

Mahou took the jar from him and look at the money on the desk. "Yuugi . . ."

"Hmm?"

"Did someone hurt you because of money?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, um, no!" Yuugi waved his hands and smiled. "No! Nothing like that!"

Mahou looked at him. "How much?"

"Huh?"

"How much do you need?" she asked again.

Yuugi hung his head. "200,000 . . ."

"Okay," Mahou said just as quietly. She turned towards the door.

"Wait!" Yuugi called after her.

Mahou stopped.

"Don't tell Grandpa," he begged. "I don't want him to worry."

I hadn't even thought of that, thought Mahou, surprised. "I won't."

She left the room and went down to hers.

200,000 yen is no small amount of money, she thought. What did he get himself into for someone to beat him up for that amount?

Yuugi looked at the pile of money, his hands not stopping, moving around the Puzzle, pieces clinking into place.

"Ah . . . Not enough . . . I need 200,000. Where would I get that kind of money . . . ?" He looked out the window. "How . . . If I don't pay, he'll beat me up again next time we meet."

He continued working on the Puzzle.

"Ah! Why am I working on the Puzzle?" He put it on the desk. "This is not time for that . . ."

He picked it up again. But when a solution failed to come to mind . . . as I worked on the Puzzle, my mind began to clear . . .

"Ah! Those fit . . . I see . . . And if I half-rotate this part . . ."

Two pieces clinked into place.

"Yes! It's a miracle . . . Suddenly I'm easily solving it . . . even if I feel terrible."

Soon it took the shape of a pyramid and there was only one piece left.

I . . . I . . . I did it!?

"Just one more piece, and it's finished!"

He reached his hand into the box and felt nothing. The box was empty.

It's not here . . .

"It's not here!" cried Yuugi. "The last piece is gone! Gone!"

Mahou came back into the room to see Yuugi pulling out drawers, crawling under the desk, under the bed, in a panic.

"It's not here!" he screamed.

"Yuugi, what . . . ?"

Yuugi jumped up. "Mahou, help me find the last piece!"

Mahou began helping him search for the piece of gold. Together they turned the room upside down, but found no sign of the missing piece.

Yuugi sat back down at the desk and cradled the almost finished Puzzle between his hands.

The Puzzle . . . The Puzzle . . . It'll never be completed now! He slammed his fists on the desk, tears in his eyes. My wish will never come true!

The door opened and Mahou whipped around. Sugoroku came in with a smile. He saw the nearly completed Puzzle sitting on Yuugi's desk.

"Hoho, amazing!" he said. "The Puzzle is finished!"

"No," Yuugi said sullenly. "In the end, I . . . Grandpa, I couldn't finish the Puzzle."

Sugoroku picked it up and examined it. "Hoho, I wonder. Yuugi, you've worked on this 'Millennium Puzzle' for eight years, putting your hopes and dreams into it . . . you should have more faith!"

"Eh?" Yuugi turned around.

Sugoroku held his fist out to Yuugi. "If you do, your wish will definitely come true!"

He opened his hand. Sitting in his palm was the last piece of the Puzzle, the piece with the eye.

"Grandpa . . ." Yuugi teared up and jumped on him. "Thank you! You found it!"

"Yuugi, I'm not the one who found it," said Sugoroku.

"Huh?"

"A while ago, one of your friends arrived at the shop. He asked me to give that to you! His clothes were wet, maybe from being out in the rain."

Yuugi looked at the piece in his fingers, smiling. I wonder who it was. Whoever you are, thank you! He started jumping up and down, celebrating.

Mahou was focused on him and didn't notice Sugoroku taking an envelope out of his pocket.

Sugoroku looked at his grandson. He explained everything . . . Said his name was Jounouchi, but asked me not to tell you. And the marks on your face . . . He said that you were being harassed by some delinquent named Ushio. He opened Yuugi's back and stuck the envelope inside. Yuugi, I'll put some money in your bag . . . so that you can avoid this trouble . . .

"Good night, Yuugi! Good night, Mahou!"

"Good night."

"Thanks, Grandpa. Good night!"

Yuugi held the piece in one hand and the Puzzle in the other.

Mahou turned to the door. Completing something you spent so much time on deserves a moment of privacy. She opened his bag and stuck an envelope inside. 200,000 yen . . . enough to cover the debt. I'll make it back with my next painting.

Mahou ducked out of the room, closing the door behind her softly.

Sugoroku walked down the hall. Hohoho . . . Completing the "Millennium Puzzle" . . . What a clever grandchild I have. The one who completes that puzzle will inherit the "Shadow Games" and will dispense justice to all, and judge evil . . . Those were the words in the 'Book of the Dead' . . .

In his room, Yuugi lined up the piece of the Puzzle. He gulped. At last, the "Millennium Puzzle" will be completed!

He lid the piece into place. The Puzzle shined brightly and a glowing eye appeared on Yuugi's forehead.

Mahou's door was open just a crack as she got ready for bed. Already she had her pajamas on; an oversized gray sweater and shorts. She heard footsteps and saw a flash of blue go by.

Yuugi?

She listened. It sounded like he was going downstairs. Curious, Mahou followed him downstairs. The door to the shop was open and she could hear a muffled voice from inside. She didn't hear a second voice.

Is he talking to someone on the phone?

Footsteps crossed the shop, coming back to the stairs.

Mahou gasped and ducked behind some boxes in the stock area. The door closed and Yuugi, dressed in his school uniform, walked by her and out the backdoor. Mahou stood up.

"Where are you going?"

She looked back, thinking she should get Sugoroku, but decided against it. She went out the door.

Mahou followed Yuugi to the school, sticking to the shadows. Yuugi never looked behind him as he walked. He seemed to be in no hurry to get there.

At the school, Yuugi walked through the front gate and stopped in the courtyard. Mahou peered around the wall. Yuugi appeared to be waiting for someone. He kept scanning the area, his eyes flicking back to the front gate.

Mahou quickly ducked away. That's not Yuugi! She pressed her back up against the wall, her head turned toward the gate, wondering if he had seen her. That's not the boy I've been staying with!

The differences between Yuugi and whoever was standing in the courtyard were subtle, but to Mahou's trained eye, she could spot them. His blonde bangs hung in his face, but sections stood up jaggedly and followed the spikes of his black and red hair. The eyes weren't wide like Yuugi's, but sharp. He was wearing the blue school uniform jacket, but it had large ankh cuff links and was longer in the back. Underneath was a dark fitted shirt and he was wearing fitted blue pants. A thick collar was buckled around his throat and hanging from his neck was the completed Millennium Puzzle.

He looks like him, but there's something different. Not just the looks, but there's this aura around him.

"Hey!" a male voice yelled from behind her.

Mahou screamed as someone grabbed her hair, undoing the bun it was in. Her head was jerked back and she was turned around.

"Who the hell are you?" The person was giant of a high school student going by his school uniform with dark hair and beady eyes. On his sleeve was a public moral officer band.

"What is this?" Yuugi was watching them, a predatory grin on his face. Mahou immediately noticed the difference in his voice: deeper, confident, and powerful. "I knew you were scum, Ushio-san, but to attack a young lady so? Tsk, tsk."

The student, Ushio, tightened his hold on Mahou's hair, jerking her head back even farther. She felt a few strands of hair come loose from her scalp. Something cold rested against her cheek. She looked down and saw a knife.

"I'll teach her a lesson with this!" Ushio said with a grin. He pressed the blade into Mahou's cheek. Mahou whimpered and tried to lean away from the knife. "She needs to learn her place. Along with you!"

The hand in Mahou's hair jerked back again. Mahou screamed, a couple tears escaping her closed eyes.

"Now, it's game time," Yuugi announced.

Mahou felt a chill shoot through her. At the same time, Ushio's hand disappeared from her hair. She opened her eyes and found herself standing on the school's domed roof that overlooked the canal. She leaned back and bumped into the steeple. She looked down and saw Ushio hanging off the side of the roof with a rope tied around his waist.

"What is this? Yuugi!" shouted Ushio.

"Yo! Ushio-san."

Mahou looked to her left and saw Yuugi casually standing with one arm around the steeple and the other in his pants pocket. The Millennium Puzzle glowed, illuminating him. He looked down at Ushio like a cat would at a mouse.

"Bastard!" Ushio yelled.

"I've got what you want right here," Yuugi called down. He took an envelope out of his pocket and held it up for Ushio to see. "However I seem to have brought 400,000, double what you demanded."

"What? Double?" Ushio laughed. "So hurry and hand it over!"

"How boring, just handing it over," Yuugi said.

"What?" snapped Ushio.

"How about it?" said Yuugi. "Have a little game with me."

"Game?" Ushio repeated.

"But it's no ordinary game," Yuugi continued. "It's a Yami Game!"

Mahou let out a little gasp. 'Yami Game'? But it's just a story, right? But . . . what about this?

"Ha! Interesting! I, Ushio, have never lost a game! I accept!"

"Impressive, Ushio-san," Yuugi said. "But first." He turned to Mahou.

Mahou flinched back, seeing another difference in Yuugi. Not only had the shape of his eyes changed, but also the color. They had gone from a soothing amethyst to a haunting crimson.

Yuugi handed her the envelope. "Hold this, please."

Mahou took it with a shaky hand.

Yuugi's malicious smile softened slightly. "Don't move from here."

"Wha?"

"You'll be safe here," Yuugi told her. "Just don't move from this spot. Okay?"

"Uh . . . O-okay . . ." Mahou confirmed.

Yuugi turned, reaching into his pocket. "Here we go." He jumped off the roof.

Mahou let out a small scream, but saw Yuugi also had a rope around his waist. He slid down the side of the roof. As he slid down, Mahou saw what he was holding. It was a deck of cards and he was laying them out on the roof as he slid down, making a long row. While he slid down, Ushio was being pulled up, the rope connecting them both looping around the steeple behind Mahou. Soon they both stopped moving, hanging side by side each other, cards in the middle.

"The rules are simple," Yuugi explained. "We each take turns flipping over these cards. The person goes up by the value on the card, the other goes down. The person who makes it to the top wins the prize Mahou-san is holding."

"All right, I got it!" said Ushio. "Then I'll start!" He reached out and took one of the cards. "Ten of diamonds! Well, Yuugi, you better prepare yourself."

Ushio climbed up the ten steps.

Yuugi drew. "I've got a ten." He held up the jack of diamonds.

"What?" Ushio yelled as they went back to their starting places. He drew again. "Two of spades! I'm catching up!"

"We can't have that now," Yuugi said as he drew. "Queen of spades."

"What?" Ushio was sent down. He drew. "Three of diamonds!"

"Nine of hearts."

"Six of clubs!"

"Jack of spades."

Mahou watched as Yuugi was just within her reach.

Yuugi looked down at his opponent. "What's the matter, Ushio-san? Nothing left? I'm one step away from the top."

"Shut up!" Ushio yelled at him. "The next card I pick will turn this around!" He reached out and drew a card. His expression was horrified. "Joker!"

"Too bad Ushio-san," said Yuugi. "Joker is a miss. My turn."

"What? Don't screw with me!" Ushio shouted angrily. "You fixed this from the beginning!"

Yuugi ignored his ranting and drew. "Ace of diamonds. Victory is mine."

"Shut up!" Ushio started climbing back up the roof.

"Breaking the rules?" Yuugi asked easily. "If you do that, you'll face something terrible."

"Quiet!" Ushio tried to punch Yuugi.

Yuugi easily stepped aside, putting his hands behind his back. "I knew you couldn't obey the rules."

Ushio grabbed the rope and snapped it. "Fall!"

Mahou let out a scream. "Yuugi!"

Yuugi disappeared off the roof without a sound.

Ushio laughed. "I did it!" He reached out and snatched the envelope from Mahou.

Mahou looked over the side to see where Yuugi was.

The canal is there. Maybe he landed in it, she thought.

Ushio opened up the envelope. "What is this? It's not money!"

Mahou saw Ushio was holding another deck of cards.

He looked at her, enraged. "Where's my money?" He grabbed her by the front of her shirt, but Mahou's feet were glued to the roof.

What is happening? Mahou thought frantically. I can't move!

"The Door of Darkness has been opened," Yuugi's voice floated around them.

"What?" snapped Ushio.

The steeple suddenly broke. It fell in Ushio's direction and he slipped off the roof, releasing Mahou. Mahou remained stuck to where she was. She looked over the edge, watching Ushio fall. Yuugi was hanging from the side of the building, watching Ushio as well.

"The Yami Game shows a person's true character," Yuugi said. "You will be swallowed in your own greed."

"What?" Ushio looked down. "It's all right, I'll just get wet!"

Three giant eels jumped out of the water to devour him. One of them pulled him under the surface.

Mahou screamed.

In a blink, she was standing in the courtyard next to Yuugi. Ushio was on the ground in the fetal position crying and whimpering.

Finding she could move again, she took a few steps back from Yuugi and Ushio. "What?" She looked up at the roof and saw the steeple was in its proper place. "But. . . you . . . him . . . " She gestured around her.

"Mahou-san," Yuugi began.

"How?" Mahou managed to get out. "What did you do to him?"

Yuugi stepped closer. "Mahou-san."

"No!" she screamed. "Stay away from me!"

"Mahou-san!"

Mahou jumped back and froze, terrified. He's angry!

Yuugi now stood in front of her. "It's okay now. You're safe. I'm not going to hurt you."

I don't believe you. That's what he always said . . . she thought, her breathing beginning to become erratic.

"I . . ." she stuttered, staring at Yuugi in terror.

"Come here." He reached out to her.

"I don't . . ." Tears started down her face. "I don't want to go back to the dark! Please, don't lock me in the dark!" She wrapped her arms around herself and withdrew.

Arms wrapped around her.

"Shh," Yuugi whispered in her ear. "I won't lock you in the dark. Let's go home."

Mahou fought weakly against his grasp.

"Come." There was a power in his voice that compelled her to obey. She blacked out. "Rest, Mahou-san."

Mahou woke up in her bed. "Wha . . . ?" She sat up and looked around.

Was it all a dream?

Mahou got up. Her room looked normal, but there were a few things out of place.

I don't remember putting the hairbrush there, she thought, looking where the item was placed. Or the hairpins. Or . . .

There was a stack of bills on the end of the dresser. It was the money she gave Yuugi last night. She clearly remembered putting it in his bag. So someone had come into her room last night.

She turned to the door. It was shut.

Mahou rushed to it and tried the handle, whipping it open. On the other side of the door, Sugoroku had his hand raised to knock.

"Oh, you are up," he said, surprised at the sudden door opening. "I was just coming to get you. It's already after noon."

"What?" Mahou looked at the clock and saw he was right. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Come down to the shop once you get changed," said Sugoroku, turning to head downstairs.

Mahou pushed the door so it was ajar and let out a breath. "I know I did not close the door. Maybe someone else closed it." She ran a hand through her loose hair. "Ouch!" Her scalp burned from where she caught a few hairs. It felt like someone had tried to yank her hair out.

It wasn't a dream! It really did happen!

Mahou came down to the shop. Sugoroku was standing behind the counter.

"I'm sorry I overslept," Mahou said.

"No worries," said Sugoroku. "I almost had to drag Yuugi out of bed. He must have been too excited to sleep last night."

"Oh, um . . ."

"Could you do something for me, Mahou?" asked Sugoroku. "Could you keep an eye on Yuugi?"

"I can . . . Why?" asked Mahou.

"The glyphs carved into the case of the Millennium Puzzle read 'Thou who completes me will receive my dark knowledge and power.'"

'Dark knowledge and power'? I would call what happened last night that, thought Mahou.

"Yes, I'll keep an eye on him, sir," said Mahou.

"You can call me Grandpa, Mahou," he said. "We are family."

Mahou nodded. "Yes . . . Grandpa . . . Do you need help with anything?"

"Not right now. Maybe you can take some time to go study for your exams."

Mahou left the shop and went upstairs.

I can't tell him what happened, she thought. No one would ever believe me. And then there's . . .

An image of those crimson eyes and wicked smile came to mind.

What he did to that boy . . . He could do that to me . . . she thought. I have to be careful. What's worse . . . angering whatever it is tied to the Puzzle or being thrown to the streets?