A/N - Big thank yous to Dragon for allowing me to take over her story, and Dukie for editing it like always.

"Well aren't you a strange looking creature?"

"I am not."

A delicate dark eyebrow rose over sapphire eyes as Seto looked at the small childish creature in front of him. The thing had to be a few years younger than himself making it about 5 in human years. But he was strange looking, with odd tri-colored hair made up of crimson, ebony, and gold that stuck up in all directions and framed the child-creature's bronzed face and eerie but intriguing crimson eyes. He was dressed in a simple slave's clothing of thin white material that wrapped around his waist like a kilt, and his bare arms were crossed over his equally thinly clothed chest.

But that wasn't what made him stand out the most.

No, it was the dragon-like black leather wings that stuck out of the child's back and the swishing black, arrow-like tipped tail that made his new possession strange.

"Oh? So looking like a dragon reject is normal?"

"It's normal for me!" the child-creature pouted as he narrowed his crimson eyes. "Look I didn't cause me to be this way. Go ask your father why he thought I should look like this."

"Excuse me?" Seto's eyes held a look of confusion as they settled on the golden collar wrapped around the other's neck.

"He didn't tell you?" Seto shook his head. "Your father made me. I was created for some reason and now I'm supposed to be yours."

"Mine? Why?" The blue-eyed boy was clearly confused. He knew that some elders possessed the ability to create monsters – creatures – on a whim. And most of those were used as slaves or warriors but this one was a child. What could be the purpose of him? He was seriously going to have to talk to his father about this. He hated being confused.

He shrugged his shoulders, "How am I supposed to know that?"

"So what am I supposed to do with you?"

"Take me for a walk." The other said, with a grin on his face.

"Aren't you supposed to be a slave?"

"Yes."

"Then why are you giving me orders?"

"Cause I can, Master."

Seto blinked at the smug look on the younger one's face. "You think you're cute don't you?"

"Of course I am." The creature cocked his hip out and crossed his arms over his chest, tail swaying back and forth in lazy strides.

Seto snorted, narrowing his eyes. Such big defiance for such a little thing. And unfortunately, this thing was his. Well he might as well keep it and train it well. Not many people – even ones of royal blood – had Shadow Creatures at their disposal. This could come in handy later.

"So do you even have a name, or am I supposed to call you slave from now on?"

That good-natured look and smug smile quickly vanished and replaced with one of anger. "Do that and I will make sure your life is a living nightmare," the smaller one hissed out.

Years of his father's training was the only thing that kept young Seto from taking a step back as the dragon-like creature's bright crimson eyes seem to darken until they were almost black. He could almost see the Shadow Realm swirling in their mists.

"But just so you know, my name is Atemu."

Atemu's voice was no longer full of venom but back to its teasing tone, the sudden change making Seto wonder just what kind of demented creature his father had given him.

"Alright then Atemu, my name is Seto."

"This place is big," Atemu commented in awe as Seto rapidly led him through the massive halls of the palace. Golden statues lined the corridors and a curious Atemu was eager to reach out with his small hands and touch one. Seto however was quick to react, grabbing Atemu's arm and continued to yank him down the hall.

"Don't touch anything!" Seto quietly hissed to the child-creature. Silently he cursed his father for giving him the pet. He figured that this was simply another of Gozaburo's ways to make his life miserable.

"You're hurting me!" the boy protested.

"So?" Atemu gave no reply and Seto figured things were okay until he suddenly felt a coldness seep through his lean body. Shivering he paused in his stride and looked back at Atemu whose eyes were once again a black color as the shadows were summoned. "Will you stop it? We have to hurry!"

Like before, the change in Atemu was instantaneous and Seto once again began quickly dragging him along. "Seto, what's wrong?" he asked in his innocent, child-like voice.

"There are rules involving your kind," Seto quickly explained, but he left it at that. A prince like him couldn't be caught breaking the laws, although he wouldn't be punished.

Rounding the corner, Seto was relieved to see the guard who stood in front of his royal chambers was fast asleep. Normally such an act would result in the person's death but for once Seto was glad, which spared the guard his life.

Shoving open the large, heavy doors, Seto quickly dragged the Shadow Creature inside. Finally he let go of the child's arm as he strolled over to some baskets, dropped to his knees and began pawing through the contents inside.

"What are we doing here?" Atemu complained as he stood in the middle of the room; his tail swished back and forth across the floor and he fluttered his wings out of boredom. "I told you to take me for a walk. I hardly call this a walk."

Seto rolled his eyes, keeping his back to the child; the last thing he wanted to do was upset the moody Shadow Creature again. "I told you there are rules," he simply replied as he continued as he continued searching through the baskets. Finally he found what he was looking for and pulled out the thin golden leash. Turning around he showed it to Atemu who was quick to protest.

"Oh no!"

"Shadow Creatures have to remain under the control of their master the entire time," Seto explained with a triumphant smirk on his face.

"I may be your slave but I am not your pet!" Atemu argued. For the third time since they met a short time ago, the child's eyes were turning darker.

"It's the law! If you don't obey it then you can live out your days here in my room. Try to escape and I'll tell my father, who'll make sure to send you back wherever you came from."

Atemu scowled but his eyes returned to normal. With a smirk, Seto walked over and clasped the leash to the gold color around the child-creature's neck. Wrapping the end of the leash around his right hand, Seto backed away slightly and gave it a small tug. With a pout on his face, Atemu obediently walked forward.

"Good Boy!"

"Don't get used to this," Atemu dryly replied as he puffed out his chest. "One day I'm going to be the most powerful creature in the world! You should be nice to me now, so that I'll be nice to you then!"

Seto wanted to roll his eyes again, but a small part of him felt sorry for the small Shadow Creature. The child had powers the young heir only barely understood and it seemed wrong to force the boy to do his bidding.

The brunet shook his head, his dark hair falling over his ocean blue eyes; he needed to keep focused. The child was merely a tool for him to gain the power he wanted, needed. He certainly wasn't going to wait around for his father to die before seizing power but he knew that Gozaburo was a powerful foe.

Atemu continued to glare at Seto while the brunet mused over the future. Finally Seto's mind wandered back to the present. "Come on, let's go for your walk."

"Can you let me go now?" Atemu complained as he tugged on the leash. The pair was walking through an outside courtyard, which was located in the middle of the palace. Next to them a pool, filled with sparkling water, was so tempting to Seto who wanted to shove his young charge into it.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because, I told you, it's the law." Seto made sure to keep a tight grasp on the leash. Atemu was behaving for the most part but with his shimmering black wings, Seto didn't trust the Shadow Creature not to fly away.

"This place sucks," Atemu quietly grumbled to himself. "You're a prince, can't you do anything?"

"Perhaps…" Seto mused; this was the moment he was waiting for. To be able to use the Shadow Creature he had to build a trust between them first. The child had an attitude problem, which Seto knew could be a problem if not corrected. "I could speak to my father…"

"Please do!" Atemu eagerly begged. The Shadow Creature began bouncing up and down on his small legs in excitement. "I'll be your friend forever if you do!"

Seto paused; he never had a friend before. There were other children around the palace, the sons and daughters of advisors but Seto never liked them. He found them snobby and preferred to spend his time alone. Having a friend would be…odd.

"Seto? Seto…?" Seto blinked and stared down at the young creature standing in front of him. "Are you okay Seto?"

"I'm fine, just a little tired," he lied. "I've been up since dawn." High above them in the sky, the sun was rapidly lowering and the first signs of darkness were beginning to appear.

"We can go back then I guess," the Shadow Creature suggested with a small shrug of his shoulders. "Until today I never even existed and I could use a break."

With a silent nod of his head, Seto turned around and began leading Atemu back to his chambers. Obediently the child followed him and not another word was shared between them until they were once again in Seto's room.

"So…do you enjoy your new Creature?"

"Yes Father," Seto automatically replied as he picked at his food. Next to him, his burly father was gorging on anything edible on the table. Also at the table were Gozaburo's five advisors, whom Seto ignored. "Although I am curious as to why you created him for me."

"Don't be a little brat and question why I do anything!" Gozaburo snarled at his son. "Your mother would be ashamed of you if she could see you now!"

Seto blinked in surprise. It wasn't the first time his father had lashed out at him but in those other times, Seto would admit his father had reasons to be mad at him. "It was just a question, that is all."

"Questions only lead to trouble."

"Funny…I thought questions led to knowledge."

With a fierce growl, Gozaburo yanked Seto's plate away from him. "Go to bed!"

Silently, Seto stood and marched out of the dining hall. With his back turned to his father, Seto rolled his eyes in annoyance. His father was in a bad mood but that was no reason to take his anger out on him; he had done nothing wrong.

"Slave!" Seto yelled out as he shoved open the heavy doors to his room, planning on taking his anger towards his father out on the Shadow Creature. Instead he found the child curled up on his side, on his bed, fast asleep.

"Just great," the young prince muttered to himself as he stalked over to the bed and began poking the child in the sides until confused crimson eyes opened. Rolling onto his back, Atemu looked up at Seto with an annoyed expression on his face.

"I was asleep you know. Normally people who are asleep wish to remain asleep."

"You got me in trouble," Seto accused, crossing his arms over his chest as Atemu sat up on the bed. "Father got mad when I asked why he created you."

Atemu blinked, now sitting cross-legged. "That's hardly a question to get upset about."

"Yes, well now I'm hungry because of you."

"Actually I'm kind of hungry too," Atemu replied ignoring the angry look Seto was giving him. "What do you have to eat around here?"

"Nothing!" Seto yelled, finally losing it. "Haven't you been paying attention? Father got mad at me and sent me to my room!"

"So?"

"That means I can't leave this room until morning!"

"Again…so?" Atemu simply replied, looking at Seto as if the prince was stupid. "Sneak out."

Seto was speechless. He did not break laws, rules and commands set down by his father. "What?"

"I'll be with you of course," Atemu happily chattered, as he hopped off the bed, forcing Seto to take a step backwards or else the Shadow Creature would have hit him. "My powers will come in handy."

"Neither of us are going anywhere!" Seto protested but Atemu was already hurrying over to the door, with his leash in his hands.

"Come on it'll be fun!" Atemu replied, tying the leash to his collar and then tossing the other end to the brunet prince.

Seto would have protested further but Atemu was already shoving the door to his room open and peering outside. "There's a guard outside but he's asleep." Seto rolled his eyes, vowing to do something about the lazy guard. An assassin could sneak in and kill him with a guard who slept all the time.

The prince continued to curse the guard as Atemu led them through the hallways. It took Seto a bit to realize that a purple mist was seeping around them on the floor. "Atemu?"

"Relax that's just from a small spell so we'll appear invisible," the Shadow Creature explained. Atemu looked back over his shoulder and Seto saw his dark eyes.

"You can do that?"

The child nodded his head.

"Okay fine, but you're going the wrong way."

Seto took the lead as they turned around and hurried to the massive storage room where the food was kept. The pair, with help from Atemu's powers, easily broke into the room.

The duo hastily stuffed themselves with food; even with Atemu's powers there was no guarantee that they would not get caught. Seto knew he would be okay, but he was worried about what would happen to the little Shadow Creature. The child, although powerful, would be no match for more experienced of his kind.

"Come on let's go," Seto quietly ordered as Atemu shoved another piece of bread into his mouth. "We're going to get caught."

"You worry too much," Atemu mumbled as he gulped down the rest of the food. The stale bread was a nasty mush against the back of his throat but the Shadow Creature didn't care.

Tugging on the leash, Seto dragged Atemu out of the storage room. Automatically Atemu summoned his shadow powers again and they stealthily made their way back to Seto's room, where the young brunet immediately ushered the young creature back inside.

"We took too long," Seto hissed at the small Shadow Creature, scolding him. "For such a small thing, you certainly ate a lot."

"I couldn't help it!" Atemu protested as he quickly untied the leash attached to his golden collar. "I never ate food before. I wanted to try everything!"

"We would have gotten caught!"

"No we wouldn't have. My powers protected us."

"And if we came across a stronger Shadow Creature?" Seto stressed as he glared at the brash Shadow Creature who had begun happily hopping around the room. "My father does employ more of your kind as guards for around here. It's highly possible that one could have found us."

"Have faith in my powers!" Atemu boasted.

Seto rolled his eyes as he began pulling off most of his white and blue robes, until he only wore a kilt, similar to the one Atemu had on. Trying his best to ignore the hyper Shadow Creature, Seto crawled under the covers of his bed and laid his head down upon his pillow. Closing his eyes, Seto attempted to go to sleep when he felt the rustling of blankets behind him. Rolling over, the young prince's ocean blue eyes were met with Atemu's crimson ones.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Going to sleep," Atemu simply replied. With a tired yawn, the Shadow Creature closed his eyes.

"Not in my bed!" Seto protested. He tried shoving the child-creature out of his bed but was unsuccessful moving the dead weight.

"If not here, where am I supposed to sleep?" Atemu inquired, keeping his eyes shut and snuggling closer to Seto's warm body."

"The floor?"

"Try again."

Seto scowled but allowed the young Shadow Creature to remain by his side. Tomorrow he would find a way to teach the child that he was the boss. Then he could start teaching Atemu how to be an obedient servant.