~*~*~

Bow: Hullo! This is Bow, the author!

Dragon: And the alter ego.

Bow: Right, so, this IS my first fanfic, so I would ask that all of you please give me some slack. Also, there may or may not be lemon scenes, I'm not sure yet. But, I will give you a warning before any lemon scenes begin, if there is a said lemon scene.

Dragon: *Growls* You better have lemon scenes!

Bow: You're a dragon! Why would you like lemon scenes?!

Dragon: I-I'm thinking about the fans! *flushes*

~*~*~

"Why isn't that little shit awake yet!!!"

"Leave Yugi out of this, Byono! He's exhausted from what you did to him last night! Why do you have to beat him so much?!"

"Because that bastard is good for nothing else, Siulin! He can't even wake up on time to get to school!"

"He would be on time if you didn't hurt him!"

Tears rolled down Yugi's face as he lay in bed, trying his hardest to hide his face in his pillow. A scream of pain came to his ears; Byono had struck Siulin, his mother. Yugi could shrink no farther into his bed then he already was, so he covered his ears with his hands, but he could still hear the screams and shouts from the next room. He had to get out of bed before his father found him, or he would be beaten again.

Yugi slid out of bed painfully, bruises inflicted the night before aching. He let a gasp of pain slip past his lips as he pulled his pajamas over his head as he changed into his blue school uniform. He was thankful for the long sleeves of the jacket, as they served to cover the bruises on his arms. He also had on what almost looked like a thick dog collar around his throat. That had a more practical use then as a fashion statement; it was the only thing that hid the bruises on his neck. It was still dark outside. School wouldn't start for another two hours. He heard the yelling in the other room growing louder. Byono would be coming into his room soon. Yugi snatched up his backpack, pulling it onto his back with a hiss of pain. His hands reached for the window, lifting the latch and opening it. The door to Yugi's room burst open as he slipped out of the window just before Byono saw him. He could hear his mother's quiet sigh of relief and the sound of his father's hand striking Siulin's face. Yugi winced, tears collecting in his eyes as he ran down the street, away from his home.

~*~*~

Yugi slipped into the school silently, looking around to make sure that he hadn't been followed. There were many bullies that liked to pick on him, and he never knew if any of them had found out that he arrived at school so early. Yugi made his way stealthily to his safe haven; the boy's bathroom. He didn't know why he felt safe there, but the small, enclosed stalls provided a small feeling of security. Yugi locked himself in the stall farthest from the door, panting heavily. He sunk down to the floor, his back against the wall as he set his backpack down next to him. His head leaned back against the cold tile wall, his violet eyes closing as he forced his breathing to slow.

He reached down to his back pocket pulling something out of it; his dueling deck. He had never dueled anyone since his Grandpa had died, and he cherished the deck above all else. It was filled with his most loved monsters, and all of them were his close friends. But, there was one that he cared about more then all the others; his favorite card, the Dark Magician. He pulled the card out of his deck, the image of the Dark Magician on the top of the card. He was clad in dark purple, and his amethyst-colored hair spilled over his shoulders as he gripped his staff tightly in his hand.

"Hyoui," Yugi whispered to the card.

The card glowed faintly for a brief moment, and the picture of the Dark Magician disappeared. Yugi looked up in the bathroom stall, his eyes falling upon the comforting form of the Dark Magician who had come from the card. He had never known why he was able to summon the monsters from the cards, but he knew that he had to keep the ability a secret. He didn't know what would happen if anyone found out.

"Yugi-sama. Are you all right? Is something wrong?" Hyoui asked the boy worriedly, leaning his staff against the wall of the stall and crouching down so that he was resting on his knees in front of Yugi.

"Hyoui," Yugi sobbed, crawling into the Dark Magician's lap and weeping into his shoulder.

He put his arms comfortingly around Yugi, holding him close to his body as the small boy sobbed and hiccupped. "Yugi-sama. He hurt you again, didn't he?"

Yugi nodded, his sobs quieting slowly as his arms went around the magician's neck.

Hyoui rubbed Yugi's back lightly, so as not to bother the numerous bruises that were there. He murmured softly into Yugi's ear, trying to comfort his master. "Yugi-sama, you need to leave that place. You risk your life every day you stay there," Hyoui told him.

"B-but Mother," Yugi hiccupped.

Hyoui sighed sadly. The only thing keeping Yugi in his home was his mother. He couldn't just leave her with his father. Every day, Hyoui tried to tell him to leave, and every day Yugi refused. Even Yugi's other most loyal monsters agreed with Hyoui, but they knew that Yugi would never leave his mother.

Yugi's sobs slowly subsided, and he slid off of Hyoui's lap, drying his tears on his sleeve. Yugi turned to his backpack, unzipping it and rummaging through the contents.

"Which game do you want to play today, Yugi-sama?" Hyoui asked him as Yugi pushed other small games aside inside of his backpack.

"I still haven't been able to solve this puzzle," Yugi mumbled, pulling out a small golden box.

Hyoui raised an eyebrow. "That puzzle, Yugi-sama? You've tried putting that one together for the past seven years."

Yugi nodded. "I know, Hyoui. I want to solve it. I remember that Grandpa said that whoever solved it would get one wish."

"And what would you wish for, Yugi-sama?" The Dark Magician asked with a faint smile.

"Someone to help me, a friend," Yugi murmured.

"But, you have me," Hyoui told the boy.

"I know, Hyoui, and you are the best friend I could ask for, but you cannot protect me, no matter how much you want to and I want you to. If anyone found out about you and my powers." Yugi whispered sadly.

Hyoui nodded gravely, having gone silent.

"But, maybe you can help me with the puzzle?"

The Dark Magician looked over at Yugi, smiling weakly. The small boy knew how to lift anyone's spirits. He was so innocent, which was astonishing given the lifestyle he lived. He nodded. "Of course, Yugi-sama."

~*~*~

Yugi stared down at the half-finished puzzle intently. Hyoui had returned to the Shadow Realm, Yugi having gradually lost too much spiritual energy to sustain him in his world. Yugi's head shot up as he heard the morning bell ring, signaling the start of his first class of the day. He reluctantly slipped the half-finished puzzle inside the box it came in, sliding the box into his backpack and rushing out of the boy's bathroom and to his first class. His backpack hit his back painfully as he ran, but he ran straight into a tall girl with brown hair. She turned, looking down at Yugi, who had fallen backwards with the impact.

"Anzu?" Yugi asked her, rubbing his cloudy eyes. He had been focused on that puzzle for far too long.

"Yugi, you better hurry! We're going to be late for first period!" She exclaimed, helping Yugi to his feet and pulling him to their first class.

"O-okay Anzu," he said shakily, letting her half drag him to their class.

~*~*~

The bell for lunch rang, and everyone filed out of the small classroom, all except for Yugi. He sat at his desk sadly, resting his cheek on his crossed arms, which were on his desk. His teacher, Mrs. Asimaya, gave him a weak smile and walked out of the room. Every day Yugi would stay in her classroom and eat his lunch, playing with some small toys he had stashed away in his backpack. She knew that he was picked on by bullies, and let him stay inside away from the others.

Yugi pulled out the golden box once more, opening the lid and lifting the half-finished puzzle out of it. He set back to work on the golden puzzle, eyes locked on the glittering pieces. He needed to finish it. If he was to get his friend and protector, he HAD to finish it.

"Only three more pieces to go." Yugi whispered, eyes wide.

"YUGI MOTOU!!!"

Yugi's head shot up in horror. No! It was one of the bullies. He could recognize that voice anywhere. He snatched up his things, looking around for somewhere to hide. He was panicked. What was he going to do?! He was just outside Mrs. Asimaya's room, and Yugi had to hide before he came in! His eyes found a small door, and he ran over to it, pulling it open. A closet! It had Mrs. Asimaya's supplies for the class in it, but there was enough room for him to crawl into. He closed the door behind him with a small click, eyes peering out of the metal vent in the bottom of the door.

"Yugi!" The bully growled again, opening the door to Mrs. Asimaya's classroom.

Yugi took in a sharp breath, looking down at the puzzle in his hands. The more he thought about the bully, the more panicked he got. He needed to take his mind off of it or his involuntary whimpers would be heard by the older boy outside the closet. He looked at the last few remaining pieces in the shafts of light that came through the vent. He knew where they should go! He inserted two of the three pieces, and then looked down at the last one. It had an eye on it, and Egyptian eye. He slid it carefully into place, and a bright light filled the closet. Yugi shielded his eyes from the light, blinking away the spots in front his face as the light disappeared.

"What the hell?!" Came the bully's voice.

Yugi trembled, looking out of the vent at the feet that approached.

"Who are you? Did you solve the Millennium Puzzle?"

Yugi's eyes shot up towards the voice that came from above him, inside the closet. There, sitting on a stack of boxes, was a boy, older then himself, but he looked almost identical to him! Though, he seemed taller, and there was more gold in his hair. Was this his protector? His friend?

"Help me." Yugi whimpered quietly to the mysterious figure, eyes brimmed with tears.

"My name is Yami. Why are you so afraid?" The boy whispered back to Yugi.

"He's going to hurt me," Yugi cringed, eyes flashing over to the vents.

Yami looked down at the trembling boy, his heart wrenching as he watched Yugi cower even farther into the boxes by his sides. This boy seemed so frail, so innocent; a prime target for those who took pleasure in tormenting the weak.

"Where are you, Yugi?" The bully said almost sweetly, looking around the empty classroom.

"Yugi?" Yami murmured. "Are you, Yugi?"

Yugi nodded, a single tear falling down his cheek.

"Do not worry, Yugi, I will help you," Yami told him, eyes flashing with rage at the thought of ANYONE hurting this small boy.

"Thank you, Yami-san," Yugi whimpered.

Yami jumped down from the boxes, landing next to the cowering form of Yugi. He reached out to the door handle and opened it, making sure that when he exited the closet that Yugi couldn't be seen.

The bully turned. He was much taller then Yami, and his bulk was almost double his size. "Yugi, there you are. Ready for your daily pounding?" The bully asked, smirking.

Yami's eyes narrowed as he walked out of the closet, closing the door behind him. He held out his hand, which started to glow with dark energy. "Mind crush!" He bellowed.

The bully screamed, but that soon died off as the boy's soul left for the Shadow Realm. The bully's body crumpled to the floor in a heap, his face frozen in a scream of horror. With a flick of his wrist, Yami made the body vanish, leaving no evidence behind to what had happened to the boy.

Yugi emerged from the closet slowly, his backpack on his back and the finished Millennium Puzzle in his cupped hands. "Wh-what happened to him, Yami-san?"

Yami turned, his eyes softening at the sight of the small boy. "He will never hurt you again Yugi."

Yugi slipped off his backpack and laid the puzzle on top of it, running to Yami and throwing his arms around his protector. Yami stared down at the small boy in shock, but then hugged the small form to him. Yugi cried out in pain, and Yami released him immediately.

"Yugi? What is it?" Yami asked him worriedly as the young boy backed away from him.

"I-it's nothing," Yugi gasped. He couldn't let anyone know about what his father did to him. Then he would be taken away from his mother too.

Yami stepped closer to him. "Yugi, something is wrong. Why did you cry out in pain?"

"N-nothing Yami-san!" Yugi blurted out.

"Let me help-"

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Yugi gasped in horror as Hyoui appeared in front of him, brandishing his staff and pointing it at Yami's face. Yami took a step backwards, his eyes wide as he stared up at the form of the Dark Magician.

"Hyoui! No!" Yugi cried out. "You're not supposed to be seen!"

"Yugi? You have Shadow Powers?" Yami asked incredulously.

"Stay away from Yugi-sama!" Hyoui growled at Yami.

"I will not hurt him, Dark Magician," Yami told the monster, crimson eyes staring up at the tall form. "I only want to know why he was in pain."

"That is none of your concern!" Hyoui retorted.

"Hyoui! Stop! Don't hurt Yami-san!" Yugi begged, tugging on the Dark Magician's arm. "He protected me from the bully!"

Hyoui lowered his staff, staring down at Yugi. "You finished the puzzle, didn't you?"

Yugi nodded. "And I got my wish, Hyoui!"

Yami looked over at the Dark Magician. "I was locked inside the Millennium Puzzle, Dark Magician. Yugi set me free, and I will do anything I can to help him."

Hyoui took in a deep breath, looking over to Yami. "Then I hope that you can help Yugi-sama more then we can," Hyoui told him, disappearing back into his card.

Yami looked down at Yugi, smiling. "So, you have Shadow Powers," he murmured.

"What?" Yugi asked quietly.

"You can summon the monsters from the cards," Yami explained.

Yugi burst into tears. "P-please! Yami-san! Please don't tell anyone!" He begged, clutching the sides of Yami's jacket, which was identical to his own.

"Don't worry, Yugi. I will not tell anyone. I am here to protect you," Yami told him, wiping the tears from his angelic face. "If telling anyone about your abilities will endanger your life, then no one will ever know."

"Now, will you please tell me why you are in pain, Yugi?" Yami pleaded, kneeling down so that he was looking up at the small boy.

~*~*~

Dragon: Oh, that was just evil!

Bow: Oh shut up! They can found out how pissed Yami gets in the next chapter.

Dragon: Ah! No spoilers! I'll take SSJ Sky's idea and bring in a Spoiler sensor!

Bow: Ah! No! I'll stop!

Dragon: *snickers*

Bow: Wheeeee! R/R!

Dragon: What the HELL was that?!

Bow: I wheeed!

Dragon: Kill me. ..

Random Dragonslayer: That can be arranged! *pokes Dragon with pointy stick* I shall vanquish thee!

Dragon: *blinks. Then eats him*

Bow: x.x Remind me never to piss you off ..