Chapter 1: The wish and the puzzle

The school bell ringed out as some students ran out to enjoy a game of basketball. Every student left the classroom, all except one who was stacking cards alone.

"Hey Yugi", one of the male students called out as her tower collapsed and she looked towards him, "Don't play by yourself, come on out play basketball with us."

"Yeah… but what if the team I join loses?" she said in small timid voice and a small smile.

"Yeah that is true", he said before walking out of the classroom leaving her sitting alone in the empty room.

As Yugi gather up her playing cards she wished that she could play a game with everyone every now and then. She always bring some type of game with her to school.

"Ahh I know, I'll try to solve the treasure I always carry around!" said Yugi as she pulled out a small gold box out of her bag.

"Though my treasure is inside this box. It's an absolute secret", she said to herself, "It's a puzzle. Though you can see it, it's something never seen before. The answer is…"

But as she was about to open the box, it was swiped out of her hands. She turned her head in surprise to see that it was Joey Wheeler who snatched her box.

"Joey!" she softly yelled.

"Yugi, what are you looking at all by yourself?" he said while staring at her box, "Can see but never seen… looking at things that don't make sense."

"Please give it back", she yelled as she tried to reach for it, but Joey held it up high where she can't reach. Joey threw into the air towards the where Tristan Taylor was standing there and caught it. Joey then ran towards the door to join his friend and took the box into his hand again. Yugi quickly made her way in front of the two.

"Come on you always stay in here all by yourself, so forget about this silly box and come out an play", said Tristan.

"Yeah this box is boring so why don't ya forget about it or trying getting it back with all your might", said Joey after he took peek inside, but both Joey's and Tristan's eyes went into shock to what they saw next.

"Please give it back I hate fighting and violence and that box mean so much to me please give it back to me", said Yugi with tears rolling down her cheeks. They both were in shock to see her in tears, but soon return to reality when the box was taken from Joey's hand by Tea Gardener.

"Tea", shouted the two them.

"You two should be ashamed of yourselves bullying a girl until she cried", Tea shouted as she stood next to Yugi, "If it boring then give it back!"

"We weren't bullying her we only wanted her to play with us", cried Joey.

"Then maybe you two should next time try asking her in different way!" screamed Tea.

"YES TEA!" shout the two boys as they quickly left the classroom in huff.

"Here Yugi", said Tea as she handed the small box to the young girl. Yugi wiped the tears from her eyes as she turned head towards Tea, then looked at with a small smile across her face took back her box back and sat back down at her desk.

"Those two are really getting on my nerves, are you sure your okay Yugi", Tea said in concern.

"Yeah I'm fine and I don't think Joey and Tristan are bad people they just didn't know how much this box means to me", Yugi respond with a soft smile.

"By the way what in the box anyway?" Tea asked as she stared at the small box.

"I'll tell you but you have to keep it a secret", said Yugi in a little childish tone, with small wink.

"I promise", said Tea who stare at the golden with curious eyes. Yugi took the lid off and Tea's eyes widened as she stared at a bunch gold pieces. "It's pretty what are these pieces for?"

"It's puzzle, an ancient puzzle from Ancient Egypt. See these markings on the front of the box. From my interpretation, what's written here is, "The person who solve this can ask me to fulfill their wish". I've been working on it for quite a long time, but I'm not giving up yet and never will.", said Yugi with a determined smile across her face. Tea smiled at her determination, but then started to wonder why it meant so much to make her cry.

"Hey if you don't mind me asking, but why does this puzzle mean so much to you", asked Tea. Yugi's eyes widened at her question. She looked down at the pieces with sad eyes nearly on the verge of tears. "You don't have to tell me if it makes you upset!"

"No its okay I'll tell ya. This puzzle means so much to me because my mom gave it to me", said Yugi with a sad smile.

"Your mom?" asked Tea.

"Yea it was my grandpa who found the puzzle years ago. He gave it to my mom when she was little and dare her solve it, but never got close to solving it. Then she passed it on to me for my 7th birthday and told me that she knew that I was the one that could solve the puzzle. After that I was determined to solved the puzzle and make my mom proud of me, but then the accident. A few months after getting the puzzle, both my mom and dad were in a horrible car accident that killed my dad instantly and put my mom in intense care at the hospital. I didn't really cared that my dad died, he never cared about me. My mom was the only parent I could rely on beside my grandpa, but the next thing I knew was she was gone. She passed way couple days after the accident. So I promised myself that wouldn't give up on puzzle no matter want and so I can have my wish granted", said Yugi with a determined smile and eyes on the verge of tears.

"Your mom sound like she was an amazing woman and hope I you finish the puzzle", said Tea.

"Thanks she was amazing", said Yugi.

"Hey want is your wish?" said Tea with a curious smile.

"Sorry but that's my absolute secret", replied Yugi with a giggle.

"Man I can't believe Tea had to ruin our fun", said Tristan as he and Joey walked down hall.

"Yea we weren't bullying her, we just her to play with us", said Joey.

"By the way what was in that box anyway?" asked Tristan.

"It was some kind of puzzle, but she won't finish it", said Joey as he opened his hand revealing a small gold piece with an eye in the center, then moved towards the open window and threw the piece out and into the pool.

"Now maybe she'll give up on that puzzle and play with us", said as they continued to walk.

"But we did make her cry wouldn't that be considered bullying?" asked Tristan.

"I wonder why she cried like that over such a little box?" Joey thought until he and Tristan were knocked to grounded and snapped back to reality. He looked up to yell at the person who knocked them down, until he realized who had knocked them down.

"Ushio", replied Tristan.

"Who's a bully?" asked Ushio with a stern look in his eyes.

"No one lets go Joey!" said Tristan who grab Joey off the floor and started to run away.

Later after school

"Hey", a voice called out to her as she was leaving. Yugi turned to the voice to see Ushio standing behind her.

"Ushio", Yugi answered trying not to show any signs of nervousness.

"Your Yugi Mouto right? There something I wanted to ask you, aren't you being bullied by anyone in your class?", asked Ushio as walked towards her.

"What? That not true", answered Yugi.

"Just wait. Since your such a nice girl it no wonder that answer in such a manner. But now you can rest easy now, because from now I'll be your bodyguard", said Ushio.

"Wait a second, truthfully there isn't any trouble going. Please excuse me", said Yugi as she turned and ran out of the school yard and toward her house.

"What was up with that guy?", Yugi thought as she ran. She wasn't very comfortable being confronted like that. Yugi didn't stop running till she was near Kame Game Shop, a.k.a her house. "I'm home grandpa", Yugi called out as she walked through the door.

"Your late Yugi", said her grandpa from behind the counter.

"Sorry I was caught up at school", answered Yugi,

"Let me guess you be work on the puzzle again", asked her grandpa while his granddaughter answered with a nod, " 8 years and still haven't given up."

"Who said anything on giving up, I made a promise to mom and I attend on keeping it to get my wish", answered Yugi as started heading upstairs to her room. After finishing her homework, she went right back to work on the puzzle for almost 8 hours.

"She definitely my daughter's child, she has her mother's spirit. She doesn't give up easily, you would be proud of her Haruko", thought her grandpa as he watch his granddaughter work hard on her puzzle before walking away.

"Not this piece. When I finish the puzzle I'll finally get my wish. My wish for friends, friends who won't betray me and stick by me no matter what. Thats one of my wishes, but I wonder is it alright to wish for something else along with my wish for friends", Yugi thought as worked on her puzzle. She grabbed a piece of the puzzle and clutched it in her hands and stood up from her desk chair and walked in front her wall mirror. She just stood their staring at her reflection, she was about a couple inches below Tea's height so she was pretty short for her age, her skin was pretty pale, she had child-like violet eyes and had long black hair with crimson-violet tips along with golden bangs that look like lighting blots. She had already gotten changed for bed into a oversize white shirt and a pair of black shorts. Yugi was actually a bit of a tomboy, she doesn't really wear girly clothes that often and she wore the boy version of the school uniform, but did also wore the girl version of the uniform on some occasion and she was also flat chested which didn't help with her appearence. She just shut her eyes tightly and thought to herself again," I know I'll probably sound a bit greed when I ask for this,but if possible along with my wish for friends, I wish for someone just for me, someone to love me for me. But it might be impossible for that wish to come true, who would ever fall in love with me," she open her eyes and for a moment she thought she saw someone in her mirror standing next to her, but it was gone. She looked towards the wall clock and decided to get some sleep, after put the puzzle piece back on the desk and turning off the light she crawled into bed, threw the cover over her and started falling sleep with a handmade stuff Kuriboh in her arms, not realizing that her un-finished puzzle was glowing.

The Next Day At School

"Yugi," a voice called out to her just as she was heading into the building. Yugi turned around to see Ushio standing right behind.

"Ushio what is it?", Yugi asked in a timid voice.

"I need you to come with me for a bit, I want to show you something," Ushio replied with a stern look across his face. Yugi was so nervous she just answered with a nod and started to follow him. He guided her to the other side of the school, just she turned the corner her eyes were shocked at what lay before her. Joey and Tristan on the ground, leaning against the building, bruised and in pain.

"Joey, Tristan!", she yelled as she ran towards them, but Ushio stopped her before she got any closer.

"How is this, as your bodyguard I've dealt out punishment to these bullies", Ushio answerd with a cruel smile across his face.

"I never asked for this, this is just cruel! Joey, Tristan are okay?", Yugi yelled as kneeled in front of the 2 injured boys.

"Yugi are satisfied now?", Joey spatted at Yugi while in pain.

"What? Your wrong I would never ask for something this cruel!", Yugi yelled in complete shock.

"Move Yugi, I'm not finished dealing out their punishment", said Ushio as he shoved Yugi to the side. Then he kicked Joey right in the stomach. Yugi went into complete shock, she couldn't stand seeing this torture go on any longer. She quickly got to her feet and stood right in front of Joey and Tristan with her arms spread out.

"Stop! No more!", yelled Yugi, even though she was trembling in fear inside.

"Oh my Yugi. Are you covering for them? Your pretty strange this is your chance get revenge. Punch them! Kick them!", yelled Ushio.

"Theres no way that I would do that to my friends!", Yugi yelled. Joey was shocked at this girl's words. She consider them friends after the way they treated her.

"Really these two your friends. They were the ones who bully you and took your puzzle", said Ushio while glaring into her eyes.

"That wasn't bullying. Joey did that because he want me to play with him and toughen me up a bit", said Yugi.

"You really are a strange girl, but oh well it time for you to pay me. Bodyguard charge is 2000 yen", replied Ushio with a wicked smirk across his face before walking away.

"2000 yen!", Yugi shouted in shock.

Later that day after School at the game shop

"What am I going to do? He said 2000 yen, there no way I could pay that much. What should I do? What's wrong with me? At such a time and I'm working on the puzzle", Yugi thought to herself as she worked on the puzzle. "This isn't the right time to be working on the puzzle, but I feel as if I always knew how to put it together. What's going on? I feel so awful, but slowly the puzzle starting to fall into place."

Click

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Just as she pla