I don't own Yugioh, just my OC. Please enjoy! AU ending for this series is imminent, you have been forewarned. Hopefully, this was written well, I'm trying to work on my third person Point of Views let me know if anything stands out that can be fixed! I would really appreciate it. This ended up being super long. I don't think any of the other chapters will end up being 10k+. If they do oh god, it's going to take a while for these to come out.

Chapter 1: Pyromaniac

"I refuse," a quiet voice stated.

A woman with long, silky, black hair puffed out her cheeks in annoyance at the teen with extremely short, black hair. The teen stared at the woman with blank hazel eyes. The woman gave a sigh before studying the pale face of her niece. She couldn't help but take note of the gauntness of her pale face, and the bandages that covered the tips of her fingers and traveled to the middle of her forearms. Her dark eyes saddened before she sighed.

"You have to wear the uniform," She stated, "the female uniform is mandatory."

"Why's the skirt so short?" Her niece shot back, eyeing the orange blazer and lime green skirt with a slight look of distaste, "Are the men at this school sexist?"

"No," she replied, "you can always wear leggings underneath it."

She narrowed her eyes at the small smirk that tugged up at the corners of her niece's lips. She knew exactly what she was thinking. She gave the dark-haired girl a glare and the teen gave a blank one in return.

"The leggings cannot be patterned," She informed her niece in a blunt tone, "I better not be seeing any skulls or marijuana leaves!"

"Of course, Aunt Sachiko." The niece replied, rolling her eyes and finishing off her toast.

"You better listen, Winter!" Sachiko growled.

Winter rolled her eyes before rising from the dining room table and walking out of the room. Sachiko sighed and nursed a cup of tea as she thought back to the day before. Her brother-in-law had dropped his daughter off without even a warning. She didn't really mind since she liked her niece, but the reason behind his coldness was horrifying, to say the least. A candle had fallen over and set the house ablaze, along with her sister and her nephew who were still inside. The town even blamed her for the incident, which was ridiculous in her opinion. After all, Winter had rushed into the building to get her baby brother and mother.

Winter came back down the stairs and Sachiko let out a quiet squeal at how adorable her niece looked with the school uniform. She wasn't surprised by the black leggings that were worn under the lime green skirt. She noticed that white gloves had been put on. Winter brought a hand up to move her hair so that it would lay somewhat flat and Sachiko could see the burn scars scattered across her wrist. Sachiko felt her mood dampen a little at the memory of how bad her hands looked.

"Is this acceptable?" Winter asked, startling Sachiko from her gloomy disposition.

"Well, I wish you still had those lovely long locks," Sachiko teased, "but the short hair really does look nice on you."

"Thank you, Auntie," Winter responded, smiling softly before it fell from her face.

Sachiko didn't let her sadness show at that and perked up slightly as she handed over the bento she had made for the teen. Winter was pulling on her nice leather school shoes and Sachiko could see her little sister as the teen looked over herself for anything missing. Sachiko smiled as Winter picked up the bento by its black cloth wrappings.

"Remember," Sachiko started, "Try to make friends. I think they'll do you a world of good."

"I don't need friends," Winter stated, a dark expression passing on her features before returning to her usual blank expression, "They disappoint me."

Sachiko didn't have a response to that as Winter turned and headed out the front door. She closed the door behind her and started to walk towards the bus station. She had to walk down a flight of stairs, for some reason her aunt had to live as a cemetery groundskeeper, and looked at the two people that were waiting there. She eyed them slightly and quietly labeled them as people she didn't want to know or converse with. One was an Elvis impersonator reject that was listening to some horrible screamo that could be heard from his headphones he was playing his music so loud, and the other was a boy with lavender hair who creepily chuckling to himself. Winter took a spot away from the creeps and quietly questioned Domino city on the strangeness of their teenagers. She pulled out a piece of paper and bit her lip slightly. She wanted to go the address that was written down on the paper.

Kame Game shop.

She genuinely loved games and was really wanting to play a few. Playing games brought happier memories to the forefront of her mind, and with all the sad ones usually taking up residence in the front of her mind, she needed to focus on the happier memories. The bus came and the three students got in after showing their bus passes to the driver. The Elvis reject and the creep headed towards the back of the bus while Winter stood at the front with a gaggle of old ladies. A couple of them kept staring at her hair and she ignored them. She knew that she had two cowlicks at the top of her head, even when it was long, they had been there. It was always a spot that people had looked at. She looked out a window and watched the city pass as the bus made its way to her new school.

"Domino High," The driver announced, pulling over near the school.

Winter stepped off the bus and she headed towards the main office. She kept a blank expression on her face as the students around her gossiped to one another. It was always the same, no matter where she went people talked. They always gossiped more than they should. She opened the door to the office and sighed quietly as she noticed an elderly woman working behind a counter. The office reminded her of a bank, and she tilted her head slightly before walking up and lightly tapping on the glass.

"How can I help you?" The old woman asked.

"I'm Doyle Winter," Winter quietly stated, "My aunt enrolled me in the school yesterday. I'm just here for my schedule."

"Right, Doyle-San," The elderly lady confirmed, typing at her computer before printing something, "You'll be in the class with a few of our misfit students. If any of them give you trouble don't feel scared to come to us."

"Of course," Winter nodded, accepting her schedule before heading out to find the shoe locker on the paper.

She found her locker and quickly changed her shoes. She noticed that the girls around her locker backed up as soon as she approached, and she tried not to care. She tightened her grip on her school bag and bento before heading up the stairs to her class. The first year, class B. She quietly lamented the fact that she'd be spending the last three years of high school in Japan. She was lucky that her mother forced her to learn the language growing up. Even if her understanding of it in written form was horrible.

"Are you the new student?" The homeroom teacher asked in a haughty tone, she sneered at the taller student who didn't seem to care.

"Yes," Winter replied, her attention going to the students entering the classroom.

"You'll be introduced in a few seconds," The teacher stated.

She turned on her heel and entered the classroom. The class president stood up and called the class to attention. The teacher dismissed them and gave them a nice smile. A few of the students didn't find any comfort in her smile.

"We have a new student today," The teacher announced, "I'm sure you've all seen her. Please come in, Doyle-San."

Winter entered the classroom and the mutters started. The teacher relished in the gossip and noticed that Winter wasn't even phased. Winter was looking around the classroom with dull hazel eyes before they stopped on a singular student who was smiling. She almost blinked in shock at the student's hair color, or should she say colors. Blonde, black, and magenta? She had to question who taught him how to dye his hair, a quiet part of her wondered if it was his real hair color. His smile brightened and she quickly looked away.

"My name is Doyle Winter, it's nice to meet you," She quietly stated, giving a small bow like her Aunt told her to.

"So formal," a quiet statement caught her attention.

The teacher snickered quietly at that and then gave Winter a false smile. That seemed to get a reaction out of the tall teen. They way her shoulders tensed was enough evidence of that. She quickly cleared her throat as hazel eyes turned to her.

"You'll be sitting next to Mutou Yugi," The teacher informed her, "Mutou-san, stand up please."

The boy with the shocking head of hair stood up and smiled warmly at Winter as she slowly walked to her seat on his right. She took her seat and Yugi sat down with his small smile. It slowly turned shy as he worked up his courage to speak to her. She was putting her bag on the hook for it and didn't even spare him a glance.

"It's nice to meet you," Yugi quietly greeted.

"It's nice to meet you as well," Winter replied as she looked up before bowing her head slightly and turning her attention to the teacher.

Yugi made a small face at the highly formal way of speech and noticed the gloves that Winter wore. He had to wonder if she was germophobic. He peeked at her notebook and noticed the small and tidy script she did with her kanji and hiragana. He turned his attention to his own and noted that his handwriting was bigger and a bit messy when compared. He shook those thoughts from his head and began to take notes of his own.

The entire class sighed in relief when a recess went into effect. Yugi brought out a two-player game from his bag as Winter brought out a small sketchbook to draw in. Yugi was setting up his game when he heard something that surprised him. He tensed at the words he heard.

"I heard she set her house on fire," a female student from class D stated.

"Really?" One of his fellow classmates asked. "Are you sure, she seems kind of nice once you get past her formality."

"Are you joking? I thought she was kind of a bitch," The girl from class D stated.

Yugi looked over at Winter and noticed that she had paused in her drawing and was staring at the paper in front of her with blank eyes and her mouth set in a straight line. He shuffled uncomfortably in his seat as she set her pencil against the paper and went back to drawing. He would admit that he got curious and looked at the drawing. He blinked at the artwork of a Duel Monster, something that was in production with a few articles in a gamers magazine that his Grandpa got monthly. He heard that at one point the creator of the game sent out a contest for a spot to create an official card. A girl in San Diego, California had won it. He noted that the Dark Magician Girl was staring at him with a small wink and cheeky grin on her face.

"Ah," Yugi stated, "You're really good at drawing."

Winter jumped in surprise and turned to him with slightly wide eyes. It was the most expression that anyone had gotten out of her in the last few weeks. Her cheeks turned a pale pink as she looked down at her drawing. She was hoping that no one would notice her drawing.

"Thank you," Winter quietly stated, "I've been drawing her for as long as I can remember. D-Do you want it?"

Yugi looked up at her with wide eyes before a grin spread across his face and he gave a nod. She gave a small signature in the left corner and dated it before handing it over to him. He gently placed it in one of his folders and Winter seemed surprised at the care that he handled the drawing with. She couldn't help but be reminded of her Grandfather, who was currently in America fighting for the right to be her guardian since her father stopped being one, and his love for the arts. Yugi turned back and noticed a soft faraway smile on her face and he felt his cheeks heat up. He couldn't help but think that she should smile more, her smile was lovely. It was quickly hidden behind her expressionless facade and he brought his desk to sit against hers and she seemed surprised as he grinned and offered his game to her.

"Odin's Ravens?" Winter quietly asked, "You like games, Mutou-San?"

"Yeah," Yugi nodded, setting up the two decks and the flight pattern, "My Jiji runs a game shop."

"Would it happen to be Kame Game shop?" Winter asked, her English words clear and less formal than her Japanese.

"Yeah," Yugi affirmed.

"I was wanting to go there after school," Winter quietly admitted, "Maybe you'll see me again today."

Yugi was ecstatic about that. For some reason, Winter didn't really scare him or bother him that much. He thought she seemed…sad. Like something had happened that had caused her pain. He'd rather hear what happened from Winter than from a rumor that came from his classmates. He turned his attention to the game as the two took to the game with slightly serious expressions. Winter was the first to go and Yugi noted that she was able to move four spaces ahead of him with a single flight card. She easily drew a new card and ended her turn. Yugi was only able to move two spots and he drew two new cards after placing one in his auxiliary deck. His eyes widened slightly when she was able to take another two spots. She won within two turns and blinked when she noticed that she had.

"Ah," She quietly stated, looking down at her hand, "I guess I had a really good hand."

Yugi blinked as she showed him the hand she had gotten. He had to admit that it was a lucky draw. She could've ended the game ten different ways and he wouldn't have been upset. He finally seemed to have found someone that enjoyed games as much as he did.

"Remember first to twelve truly wins the game," Yugi reminded her, she blinked, and her eyes softened slightly.

"Right," Winter stated, they started up a new round and Yugi won the second round with five points.

They started the round that seemed like it would finish the game and Winter was amused as Yugi won the last round and finished the game. She tilted her head slightly before letting out an amused sigh. Of course, she had to find the one person who was good at games. That was just her luck.

"You're really good at games," Winter admitted, she helped Yugi pack up the game as students started to return to class, "I hope we can do this again, Mutou-San."

"Yeah," Yugi agreed, as the teacher walked back in.

The two pulled their desks apart and Winter noticed a brunette with blue eyes walk up to Yugi and give him a friendly smile. He flushed slightly and smiled back as Winter pulled out a new notebook to take notes in. The teacher began to lecture on Math and the students either took notes or stared out the window. After two hours the school finally ended, and Winter was quick to pack all her things away before walking out of the classroom. She changed her shoes at her locker before leaving the school completely. She blinked in surprise when she saw Sachiko waiting for her with a motorcycle.

"What happened to your van?" She questioned in English.

"I decided to air out your moms' old motorcycle," Sachiko replied in Japanese, "She left it to you in her will, plus I know you have a driver's license for it too."

Winter gave a stiff nod at that and accepted the helmet that Sachiko handed to her before climbing on behind the older woman. Sachiko smirked and revved the engine before taking off towards their home. She could feel Winter relaxing slightly the longer they drove. She parked outside of the house and got off. Winter slowly followed and removed her helmet with somewhat shallow breaths.

"Winter? Are you going to be okay?" Sachiko asked, rushing forward to gently place a hand on her Nieces back.

"The doctors said it might take a while for my breathing to go back to normal," Winter admitted, "They also said it could take years. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"Don't push yourself," Sachiko scolded, she got a small smile in response as Winter headed inside and removed her shoes.

Sachiko followed and watched as the teen headed up the stairs and into her room. She chuckled slightly, there was a spark of happiness in her eyes again. She wanted to thank whoever brought it back. In her opinion, it had been far too long. She blinked in surprise when Winter came back down in civilian clothing. The black sweater and light blue skinny jean combo made her happy, but she was curious as to where she was going.

"Where do you think, you're going?" Sachiko questioned, placing a hand on her hip.

"There's a game shop that a classmate lives at," Winter answered, "I'd like to pick up a few games."

"Grab me a puzzle while you're at it," Sachiko stated before shuffling off into the kitchen.

Winter shook her head and headed towards the motorcycle. She brushed her fingers again one of the handles and remembered her problem breathing while riding behind Sachiko. She took a deep breath before swinging a leg over the side and climbing on, she decided that she had to live a little for once. She started up the motorcycle and placed her helmet on. It only took two seconds before she backed out of the house's driveway and started driving through the residential area. She followed the speed limit and noticed that her mother didn't put a muffler cap on the vehicle and thanked her quietly. She had always hated how some people in America would buy one too big and drive with them on. The noise they'd make was not something she missed about America. She stopped in an area next to Kame Game shop and took a deep breath before smiling slightly, her cheeks were a light pink and her eyes had some life in them. It took a few seconds before they slowly dulled again, and she reverted to her expressionless ways. She stuck the helmet under her arm and headed inside the shop.

"Welcome," an elderly man greeted with a kind smile, she blinked at how similar his hair was to Yugi's.

She had an answer about his hair now unless his Grandfather also gelled his hair into spikes, it could be naturally spiked. She gave a tight smile before looking around the shop in slight curiosity. The old man didn't take much offense to it, his Grandson warned him beforehand of a customer that might seem rude but was nice when you got to know them. He thought it was cute that his Grandson had a small crush on the girl that was currently looking at each of the shelves in thought. She reminded him of a youth his son used to be friends with.

"Would your surname happen to be Akahoshi?" The elderly man asked, and he got a look of surprise to appear on her face.

"Not mine, but it's my aunt surname and my mother maiden name," Winter truthfully admitted, "It might end up being it."

He could tell that was a sensitive topic and sent the girl a sad smile as she gave a soft one in response before turning back to the shelves. She seemed to find something and reached up to grab a game. Her sleeve rolled down her arm and his eyes widened at the burns that lined her arms and he watched as her hand twitched slightly before she grasped onto a puzzle and gently brought it down. She then grabbed one of his specialty games and he smiled at the game she picked up. Hounds and Jackals, a game he had picked up in his youth when he had gone to Egypt. He rung up her items and she handed over the twenty-five thousand yen she owed, and he placed them in a bag for her and she was genuinely surprised at that.

"Jiji!" Called a familiar voice, "Okaa-San wanted to know if you wanted tea! Ah, Doyle-San!"

"Hello Mutou-San," Winter greeted with the smallest of smiles.

Yugi beamed at the fact he was able to get a smile out of her at all without her sadness mixed in. Grandpa snickered on the inside at how his Grandson was beaming like a fool and the girl was giving him a look of fond endearment. He hoped his Grandson could get the girl since his son had been unable to, although he truly loved the woman who he had married. Winter took her bag and Yugi noted that she was looking at the watch on her wrist.

"I should get going, my Aunts probably worrying about me," Winter stated, she looked like she'd rather stay and talk but she truly had to go, "I'll see you in class, and thank you Mutou-San for the games. I think I'll be a reoccurring customer."

The two Mutou boys waved as he exited the store and Grandpa turned to Yugi with a sly smile on his face. Yugi ignored it and smiled happily as his mother came to check up on the two. Her eyes widened at the smile on her son's face. The one on her fathers scared her a bit.

"So, that's the new student you were telling me about?" Grandpa asked.

Yugi jumped slightly before blushing slightly. He felt a little embarrassed about being excited to get her to smile. He then scratched the back of his head in a sheepish manner. His mother gave him a raised brow as his cheeks flared up, even more, she had only seen this kind of reaction from her son when it came to his childhood friend Anzu.

"She has a nice smile," Yugi admitted, "I want to be her friend, she seems lonely."

His mother's eyes softened at that and she gave her son a small kiss on the head at how sweet he was, though he spent too much time around his Grandfather. Another friend that was a girl would be good for him, especially one that had similar likes. She was surprised that her father-in-law agreed with Yugi.

"Her mother had the same smile," Grandpa admitted, "That woman used to be friends with your father, they grew up together."

"Ah, Akahoshi-San?" Yugi's mother asked, "I remember her, she used to be such a delinquent riding around on that motorcycle of hers. She was a kind person even with her tendency to do things the hard way."

"What do you mean by that?" Yugi questioned.

"She used to get in a lot of fights to protect her friends," His mother smiled, "She even stood up for me once when someone was trying to force me to date them. I've never been able to thank her."

Yugi tilted his head slightly at that before nodding and his mother headed hack into the kitchen. Yugi smiled and headed back up to his room to work on his treasure. He felt like he was finally getting close. After eight years of attempting to solve his puzzle, he felt as though he was truly close. His night was filled with attempts at solving his puzzle.

Sachiko walked past her niece's room and peeked in to see if the teen was awake. Winter was sitting at her desk with a picture in her uncovered hands. She winced at the dark red burns that covered Winters' hands. She knew that the pain of picking things up was long gone due to the medicine she put on her hands at night, but the scarring from such burns was going to be a topic of conversation for the rest of her life. Winter put the picture facing down on her desk and turned to get her medicine and bandages. Sachiko quickly ducked out of sight and continued to her room. She simply sighed before heading to bed.

A whole week had passed, and Winter slowly found herself excited at the prospect of school. The next Monday was very different from her first as Winter finished up some leftover homework over breakfast. Sachiko had talked to her Grandfather and he told her that things were going well in the custody battle and that he should be home soon. She finished making a bento for Winter and noticed that Winters homework was just about finished. Winter finished it within the span of three minutes and placed it in her school bag before wolfing down her breakfast. She got up and cleaned her dishes before grabbing her bento and school bag.

"I'm off," She quietly called.

"Don't cause any trouble!" Sachiko called after.

Winter made a face at that and looked towards her motorcycle in sadness. She wasn't allowed to ride it to school, Aunts rules. Apparently, her Grandfather was okay with her riding it to school. She was if you asked, she wouldn't have admitted it, slightly excited to see her Grandfather again. She went to her bus stop and ignored the two students that she was unfortunate enough to share it with. She brought out a textbook and began to read it, glad for how small it was compared to an American textbook. Her eyes danced across the pages as she got on the bus and put away her book. She didn't want to look rude, and she'd rather look out the window if she had to. An old lady with a basket filled with yarn studied her for a few seconds before smiling and patting the empty seat next to her. Winter took her up on that offer.

"You remind me of a girl who used to deliver flowers for me," The old woman stated in a sad tone, "She was a good worker."

"I see," Winter quietly muttered. "What happened to her?"

"I believe she passed away a few weeks ago," The woman stated, she had to think about it.

Winters' face became surprised before shifting into neutrality. She gave a short nod of understanding and the two sat in a comfortable silence before Winter got off at her stop. She traveled inside the school and was surprised to find someone waiting at her locker. Yugi stood there with a small smile that brightened when he saw her.

"Good morning, Mutou-San," Winter greeted.

"Ah, Good morning Doyle-San," Yugi greeted. "Please call me Yugi."

"Okay, Yugi-kun," Winter relented, "Then call me Winter."

Yugi nodded and Winter quickly changed shoes before following him up to the classroom. He talked the entire way and he noticed that Winter was content to listen to him and add a comment every so often. He felt a warmth in his chest and was happy that he made a new friend. Winter smiled slightly as she listened to Yugi talk. The little guy ended up being a friend to her, and she was happy about that. She was doing what Sachiko wanted her to do. She almost stopped in her tracks when she saw something move in Yugi's shadow. She passed it off as being the light from the windows changing position as the sun continued its slow trek up the sky. A part of her wanted to say something different, something supernatural.

"Are you okay?" Yugi asked her.

"Just lost in thought," Winter stated in a sheepish tone, "I'm sorry."

Yugi nodded his head as they entered the classroom and were met with the gossip from the female students. Yugi found it strange that the female students were creating gossip about his friend. He knew that she was a kind person. He didn't believe the rumors about her starting a fire that killed someone. He heard her breath hitch as she heard a particular rumor that hinted at a sibling's death. The two sat down at their desks and he noticed that Winter was staring at her desktop with a blank expression. If he had looked away, he would've missed the tears that slowly traveled down her nose before landing on the sleeve of her uniform. He felt sad at the scene as the girls continued their harsh gossip.

"Would you knock it off!" The brunette, from the week before, yelled.

"Anzu," Yugi quietly stated, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

The classroom had silenced at Anzu's outburst and Winter was looking up at her with surprise on her face as the tears were finally made known. A few of the girls that had been gossiping genuinely looked apologetic when they saw the tears, others scoffed slightly and believed them to be an act. Winter quickly wiped her tears away and Yugi gave her shoulder a pat.

"She has never done anything to you to deserve this kind of treatment!" Anzu continued, performing her job as the class president, "Why don't you guys give her a chance?"

"She's unapproachable!" A girl cried, "Somehow only Mutou-Kun was able to get close."

"She's kind of scary with that blank expression on her face," another girl admitted.

Anzu huffed at that as they started to gossip again. She gave Winter an apologetic smile and got a soft one of understanding and gratefulness back. Anzu blinked in slight surprise before calling the class into a standing position to greet the teacher. The class went smoothly, and everyone took off at recess. Yugi looked towards Winter, Anzu had gone to play basketball and noticed that she was staring at her sketchbook in thought.

"Want to play?" He asked, holding up a few cards.

"Sure," she nodded, scooting her desk next to his.

He decided to build a castle out of cards with her and noted that she was able to get a few on the top for him when he couldn't reach. A student tapped on the desk and the cards fell. The student turned red as he sheepishly stared at the two friends who looked a little upset that it had fallen.

"Would you guys like to play basketball?" The student questioned.

"No thank you," Winter softly declined.

"Any team I'd join would lose," Yugi sheepishly stated, Winter gave him a look and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You're right," their classmate stated, he turned and exited the classroom.

Yugi made a face as Winter began to clean up the cards that had fallen to the floor. He began to wonder if he could trust her with his treasure. He smiled slightly and thought back to the advice his mother had given him. 'She sounds a little cut off, but willing to be friends. Give her time and she'll eventually show more of her personality to you.' His mother was a very wise woman. He brought out his treasure box and set it on his desk. Only to have it swiped by one of the few natural blondes that went to Domino High.

"What is this?" He questioned.

"Jounouchi! Please give it back!" Yugi pleaded, jumping from his seat and attempting to grab at the box.

"Since you're jumping around like a girl this must be pretty valuable to you," Jounouchi stated, he held it up higher as Yugi almost got close to it.

Winter decided right there and then, and upon seeing the frantic look on Yugi's face, that she was going to do everything to help her new friend. She got up from her seat and easily towered over Jounouchi, she guessed being six feet tall was a good thing, for once. Jounouchi noticed her and she gave him a cold look as she easily grabbed the box from his grasp.

"Here," She stated in a gentle tone to Yugi, handing him the box, "You need to leave Yugi alone Jounouchi-kun."

Jounouchi backed up from the look she was giving him. He knew that he could handle her if she got violent, but he'd rather not hit a girl. He gave the two a glare before exiting the classroom, his hands deep in his pockets. He inwardly smirked to himself, he had slipped into the box and grabbed a piece of whatever was inside. He stepped up to an open window and tossed it into the pool next to the school. He knew that was going to drive Yugi crazy, not being able to solve his treasure. He walked past a taller student with large bushy eyebrows. He felt angry just looking at his face. He clicked his tongue and wisely walked away.

"You should stand up for yourself," Winter softly scolded Yugi.

"I know, but one look from you startled him," Yugi stated.

"I used my height to my advantage, it's as much of a blessing as it is a curse," Winter joked with a small smile.

Yugi perked up at that and beamed. She was finally opening up to him. He was making progress, he hoped that he could continue this. He sheepishly looked towards the treasure box and placed it back on his desk before clearing his throat. For theatrics of course.

"If you can get this riddle right then I'll show you my treasure," Yugi grinned.

"Okay, I'm game," Winter stated, fixing him with a curious look.

"I am something you can see, but haven't seen," Yugi stated.

Winter crossed her arms and reiterated the riddle to herself in English. She tapped a finger against her chin and Yugi caught sight of her burns, thankfully they were a bit pinker than the angry red they had been, he sighed sadly and then blinked when an "Ah" expression appeared on her face. A bright smile slowly spread across her face and he felt his cheeks heat up.

"Is it a puzzle?" She asked.

"Y-Yeah! How'd you figure it out?" Yugi asked.

"Well, a puzzle is a picture that can be seen but has yet to actually be seen," Winter chuckled, "It's a clever riddle, did you come up with it?"

"I don't know," Yugi truthfully stated, he gripped the lid to the box, "I doubt that I did, but I do know that I promised to show you the treasure."

He opened the box and Winter was met with the gold pieces to a puzzle. She looked at Yugi and he smiled as she gently picked up a piece. It let off a very small, golden glow at her touch and a content expression appeared on her face as she looked at the puzzle.

"Is it from Egypt?" Winter asked, turning the piece in her hand.

"Yeah," Yugi nodded, "I think my Jiji found it while he was cleaning the store."

"That doesn't explain where he got Hounds and Jackals," Winter smiled slightly, "How long have you been working on this puzzle?"

"Eight years," Yugi answered without missing a beat.

"Eight years?" Winter asked in English, her eyes wide and staring at Yugi in awe, "I would've given up after a while, you are tenacious."

"What?" Yugi questioned, only understanding half of what she said.

"Sorry," Winter apologized, switching back to Japanese as her face grew slightly pink, "I stated that I would've given up after a while, you're pretty tenacious."

"Ha-ha," Yugi chuckled slightly, "I think the engravings on the side say that whoever solves the puzzle gets a wish, but you probably think I'm a kid for believing in those kinds of things."

"Not really," Winter truthfully shrugged, "I can't blame a person for a wish when I myself have one."

"What's your wish?" Yugi asked.

Winter looked at him and he saw the sadness come back as she gave him a small smile. Her hands clenched at her skirt and if her hands had been uncovered the skin would've turned pink instead of white. She seemed to think for a few minutes before speaking.

"I would wish for my baby brother back," it was said in such a soft voice that Yugi almost didn't hear it.

Yugi sadly smiled at that before looking towards the treasure box as Winter put the piece back in. The soft glow around the piece had stopped upon leaving her hand. She shyly looked towards the windows and Yugi watched as she struggled for words.

"I'm not ready to tell what happened, please give me some time," Winter softly asked.

"Of course," Yugi loudly stated scaring Winter slightly. "I'll be here waiting for when you want to tell me."

"Thank you, Yugi-kun," Winter stated. "Want to study together after school?"

"Sure, my place?" Yugi asked.

"It might be closer than mine, plus I don't want my Aunt to jump you," Winter admitted as her face slowly went blank, "She did that to me my first time visiting, it wasn't fun."

Yugi chuckled at that and Winter gave him a look as students came back in. The desks parted and Winter sent an angry Anzu a worried look. Anzu was glaring at a few of the male students and Winter wisely stayed out of it as the teacher came in to teach. School eventually ended and Yugi gave Winter a smile as she packed all her things away and gave yawn. Yugi found it funny that she smiled happily while yawning. He knew that she didn't realize it. She stood up from her seat and the two headed towards their lockers. Shoes were changed and they headed outside.

"Mutou Yugi-kun," a deep voice stopped the two.

"Yes?" Yugi answered in confusion.

"I'm from the moral committee," The student informed him, "have you been picked on by anyone in your class?"

"No, I haven't experienced anything like that," Yugi stated.

"Hold on!" The student stated, "I'm going to investigate it! So, relax, Yugi-kun, from now on consider me your paid bodyguard."

"I don't think Yugi wants that," Winter spoke up, the student's eyes sliding to her as she glared at him with narrowed eyes.

"She's right," Yugi spoke up, grateful that his friend stood up for him, "Let's go, Winter-Chan."

Winter blinked in surprise as Yugi grasped onto her wrist and began to walk out of the school. After they turned a corner and were out of sight of the school Yugi dropped her wrist and sighed in relief. Winter stood up straight and ignored the crack her back let off. She spared the school a look and narrowed her eyes slightly. There was something off about that student, to her at least, he seemed…crooked. She felt uneasy about him and began to worry about Yugi. She couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. She was brought out of her thoughts as Yugi opened the door to the Game shop.

"I'm home!" Yugi called, stepping into the shop.

Winter followed him as his Grandpa appeared from behind the counter. She smiled in a very small greeting as Yugi beamed. Yugi excused himself for a few seconds to put away the puzzle. His Grandfather was surprised at the mention of the puzzle.

"You haven't given up on that yet?" Grandpa asked.

"Who said anything about giving up?" Yugi asked, a small pout on his face.

"It takes a very intelligent person to put together that millennium puzzle," Grandpa responded, "That thing has a varied history, the millennium puzzle was found in the early nineteen hundreds and the English archeological team who removed it from the tomb of Pharaoh all died mysteriously."

"Spooky," Winter quietly muttered, she frowned as it sounded very familiar.

"They all said the same thing score they died," Grandpa stated, "They all talked about a shadow game."

Yami no game? Something about that terminology caused a frown to appear on her face. It sounded so familiar, but she couldn't place where she had heard of it. Her mother used to tell folklore and mythology to her instead of bedtime stories, maybe she heard it from her.

"What's a Shadow Game?" Yugi asked, "I'm curious now."

Winter gave a small smile at that. Leave it to Yugi to be excited about demonic powers. Winter blinked at that sudden train of thought. She needed to see if her Aunt had any of her mother's journals. She knew for a fact that her mother wrote her stories down in them. Grandpa pointed something out on the box and Winter joined Yugi on looking at it.

"The engraved symbols on the box roughly translates to 'to the one who controls me, I will give dark wisdom and strength'," Grandpa translated.

"I knew it!" Yugi exclaimed Winter and Grandpa jumped in unison at the sudden loud noise, "My wish will come true!"

"Hey give it back!" Grandpa stated. "I can sell that for a lot."

Yugi began to rush to his room and Grandpa followed. Winter stood in the store with wide eyes as Yugi's mother peeked in to see what the commotion was about. Winter couldn't help but be amused by the two. She felt a bubble of laughter rise and fought to keep it down. She didn't want to appear rude by laughing at them.

"I knew it! You just want to sell it!" Yugi's voice floated from upstairs.

His mother sighed slightly before looking towards the source of soft laughter. She was taken aback by the taller girl, but then her eyes widened. She looked just like her mother, except the hazel eyes that belonged to her Grandfather. Winter blushed slightly and gave a small cough to stop laughing.

"I'm sorry," Winter apologized, "I shouldn't have laughed at them."

"It's all right," Yugi's mother stated, "Those two can be very spirited sometimes. You going to study with Yugi?"

"Yes Ma'am," Winter nodded.

Well, she can certainly see why her son called her very formal. Those manners were of an ingrained sort. The Mutou matriarch smiled softly and welcomed the tall teen into her house and smiled in relief as she seemed to have a semblance of Japanese customs. Yugi came barreling down the stairs and smiled as he grasped onto his schoolbooks. Winter had promised to help him with his English if he helped her with her Japanese. Surprisingly she was wonderful at speaking it, but her reading skills were horrible. The two sat down at the coffee table and started on English first.

"English is a strange language," Winter stated, "You have the Queen's English, Australian English, and then American English."

"Eh? There are differences between the three?" Yugi asked.

"Yeah, there's different spellings and different saying," Winter informed him, "It's why it's one of the hardest languages to learn. The sentence structures are different as well, in Japanese you have different sayings for one's self."

"I see, and English has some?" Yugi asked.

"I, me, and myself," Winter stated, writing them down so Yugi could see, "It depends on the topic of a sentence, like 'I will be going to the store'."

Yugi could understand that a bit as she wrote it down and then added the 'I will' as 'I'll'. He found it rather simple. He had to wonder if playing games had something to do with it. He grabbed the worksheet that the teacher had assigned, and he began to work on it, asking some questions every once and a while. They finished and then moved onto Japanese literature. Yugi noted that Winters problems laid in the Kanji of the stories. She had troubles guessing the different meanings. They finished the reading and Winter gave him a thankful smile.

"Thank you, Yugi-kun," Winter smiled, taking a sip of the tea that Yugi's mother had brought them. "I really appreciate it."

"No problem," Yugi grinned, leaning back into the couch.

The two continued to rest and eat their snack before a very familiar face made itself known. Grandpa was talking to Sachiko as she happily conversed with him. Yugi looked over at the woman and couldn't see the similarities in the two until he saw her smile. It was the same kind of soft smile that made him smile.

"Sorry she's been here a while," Sachiko apologized.

"She's been a delight to have over," Grandpa stated, "They finished their homework a few minutes ago."

"Oi!" Sachiko called to Winter, "It's time to go."

"Okay," Winter quietly stated, "See you at school Yugi-kun."

"Of course!" Yugi grinned.

Winter smiled slightly and gave a wave before leaving with her Aunt. Yugi continued to sit at the coffee table with a smile on his face. His mother smiled at that as he finally got up to clean up the items from the snack. They ate dinner and talked about how his schooling was going before they all headed off to do their own things. Yugi was up late working on the puzzle and had gotten close to solving it before falling asleep.

The next day he was met with a van outside of the shop. The passenger window rolled down and Winter smiled at him from the front seat. He smiled upon seeing her smiling at him. She looked as though she had just woken up with how badly her hair was sticking up.

"My Aunts on her way to work and offered a ride," Winter quietly explained, "Need a lift?"

"Thank you," Yugi stated, quickly climbing into the back seat of the van.

The two in the front had drinks and Yugi was handed a can of tea with a slightly apologetic smile.

"I didn't know what you'd like so I got you a tea," Winter quietly stated.

Sachiko smirked before she started to drive the two to school. Yugi wasn't upset with the tea, he was happy that she had even thought about him joining the ride. He was even glad that he was even getting a ride to school. Sachiko dropped the two off and they waved to the older woman as she drove off.

"Yugi-kun, this might sound weird, but," Winter started, she looked down and kicked at the ground slightly, "Be careful around Ushio-san, there's something…off about him. I can't really explain it."

"Yeah," Yugi nodded his agreement, he felt that way as well.

Winter gave him a thankful smile and the two started to head up to their classroom. A blonde teacher glared at Winter as they passed her. Chono, the teacher that held homeroom, was a stickler for the rules. She didn't like the fact that her newest student was permitted to wear gloves. She didn't care that it was for medical reasons. The brat just set her off the edge. She went into the class and smiled as the other students were called into attention. She guessed that she had to put up with it until she could call for a surprise inspection.

Yugi and Winter looked bored as the entire school day went on. Yugi was nearly falling asleep having been working on his puzzle late into the night. Winter was bored because she had already been in most of these lectures back in America. She had her sketchbook out and was working on another picture of the Dark Magician girl, but this time the Dark Magician was also in the drawing as well. She wanted to smile at the fact that they were drinking tea together. The Dark Magician girl was talking about something and the Dark Magician was listening with his eyes closed. She jumped when the recess was called. Yugi let out a yawn as the students went to play basketball. Winter finished her drawing by signing it and dating it as well.

"Yugi-kun," a very familiar voice got the two's attention, "Would you come with me for a minute."

"S-sure," Yugi quietly agreed.

Winter got up and gave him a look as she followed. He knew that she didn't trust Ushio. She was worried about something happening to him. He thought about it and decided that he'd rather have someone with him that would have his back. The two followed Ushio outside and the sight that met them had Winter's blood boiling. Jounouchi and his friend Honda were laying against each other. Beaten to a pulp with blood coming from their noses.

"Honda-san, Jounouchi-San!" Winter called, running forward to help the two, "Ushio! What the hell?"

Yugi has never seen Winter angry before, he was glad that it wasn't aimed at him. Jounouchi groaned slightly and Winter winced as she searched her pockets for something to stop the bleeding. She took a few minutes to think before pulling off her gloves and wiping some of the blood off the two's faces.

"It was my duty to punish these two," Ushio stated.

"But this is too cruel!" Yugi yelled at him.

"Move," Ushio demanded, he grabbed Winter by the shoulder and easily tossed her out of the way, "I'm not done punishing these two."

He kicked Jounouchi in the chest and Yugi let out a yell of disbelief. Winter got up from the ground cradling her hands to her chest as some blood dropped down from them. Yugi rushed in front of Jounouchi and Honda and Ushio stopped his attack. Winter took her chance to get him away from those injured. She rammed into him with her shoulder and he was forcibly moved a few feet away from the boys.

"Why are you protecting these jerks?" Ushio asked the two, gaining his balance with ease.

"Because we can't do that to our friends!" Yugi yelled at him, Winter hesitated for a second before nodding in agreement.

"Most people hate their bullies," Ushio stated, "You're a pretty nice guy for callin' two punks like these your friends."

"It wasn't bullying," Yugi muttered, "This punishment is no good."

"Alright then," Ushio stated, a sly grin spreading across his face, "I'll take my payment now, it's two hundred thousand yen."

"Two hundred thousand?!" Yugi and Winter yelled in surprise.

""For two hundred thousand you can hit them for as much as you like," Ushio stated, "Are you unsatisfied that I didn't hit them enough?"

"You've done more than enough!" Yugi shouted, "If anyone else is beating them up more it's me!"

"Fine, have it your way," Ushio stated, grabbing Winter by the back of her blazer, "I'll just make sure to leave a few bodily reminders for you."

With those final words he easily tossed Winter over his shoulder and she hit the ground with a sickening thud. Yugi's eyes widened as she struggled to get up and he started to move towards her. He was stopped by Ushio who picked him up by the collar. He closed his eyes as a fist was slammed into his stomach before slamming into his left cheek. His beating continued until a feminine hand was placed on Ushio's arm. He dropped Yugi and backed away in disgust from her hands. The burned skin was angry and inflamed by the sun and blood was dripping from her palms.

"Tch," Ushio clicked his tongue, "You better bring my money tomorrow, or else the pain from today will be nothing compared to tomorrow's."

He sashayed off while chuckling darkly and Winter ran forward to help Yugi stand. She held out a hand and after a few seconds, he accepted it. She winced in pain but helped pull him up as she moved to help Jounouchi and Honda stand up. Honda had flinched at her hands but Jounouchi had easily accepted the help up, though he grasped at her wrist than her hand.

"You two going to be okay?" Winter asked.

"We'll be fine," Jounouchi nodded, he handed her back her gloves.

She gave him a quiet thanks before turning to Yugi with a sad expression. Yugi was looking down at the ground with his hands balled up into fists. Jounouchi sighed quietly as he and Honda left the two friends. Recess this day marked the end of school. She gently touched Yugi's shoulder and he jumped in surprise before she began to lead him back into the school.

"Wait for me?" She asked, "I'll be right back."

"Okay," Yugi replied, his voice quiet and the tone somber.

She rushed up the stairs and easily made it to their classroom. She picked up their things and quickly raced back down the stairs. Yugi was still waiting but had changed his shoes. She quickly changed shoes and handed him his bag.

"Let's see if your Jiji has a first-aid kit," Winter suggested, "Mine was stolen a week ago."

She got a small nod in response. The two walked all the way to the Game shop and she opened the door with worry written on her face. Grandpa saw the expression and immediately knew something was wrong when she gently guided Yugi into the shop. The two were covered in scratches and bruises, he couldn't tell who looked worse. He gathered the two and led them inside to be patched up. His Daughter-in-law hurried in with the first-aid kit. She started on Yugi first and noted that Winter relaxed at that.

"I'll give Sachiko-Chan a call," Grandpa stated.

"Ah, she's working in the next town over," Winter informed him, "She said she'd be back tomorrow afternoon. I have the emergency number she gave me."

She dug in her bag and eventually found the slip of paper that Sachiko had given her. It was handed over to the elder before he went and gave the woman a call. She had cursed but told him she couldn't leave her job. He understood that and quietly made sure that having the teen over for the night was okay with Hana, Yugi's mother.

"Of course, it's okay!" Hana yelled.

Winter had jumped and Yugi had slowly moved towards her since he was fully patched up. Hana quickly snatched up the teens' gloves and made a mental note to wash them. Then she worked on the teen's hands and face. She sighed at the horrible burns that covered the girl's hands and used some aloe and bandages to keep them from getting infected. Yugi had far more bandages on his face though Winter had a rather large one on her cheek. The two were told to change, Grandpa lending Winter an old sweatshirt and shorts that had been left at his house by her mother. She thanked him profusely and he chuckled softly. She may have looked like her mother but had her Grandfathers gentle disposition. Dinner had gone without any problems and Yugi perked up at the sight of Hamburgers. The two friends had gone up to Yugi's room to count money. Winter added on her own two thousand to help him out.

"We still don't have enough," Yugi muttered, he started to build the puzzle.

"It does put us in a pretty tough spot," Winter agreed, sitting on his bed and watching as he built the puzzle, "Though I've heard that times like this cause larger problems to become clearer. I'm beginning to think that it's true."

Yugi blinked after sliding another piece of the puzzle into place. Winter gave him a small grin and he finally smiled back as he continued to put the puzzle together. She got up and rested her arms against his desk to watch in awe as piece after piece clicked together. Soon enough a pyramid came to be in his hands.

"All I need is one more piece," Yugi stated, she investigated the inside of the box and her face fell.

"There are no more in the box," She quietly informed him.

He gasped quietly and soon the two were searching his room for the piece. Yugi stopped and tears started to stream down his face. Winter knelt next to him and placed a hand on his back. He sniffed loudly and she felt horrible at the fact that there was a piece missing. The door opened and the two turned to look at Grandpa.

"Oh my, the puzzle is completed!" Grandpa exclaimed in surprise, picking up said puzzle and examining it.

"No, in the end, I couldn't finish it Jiji," Yugi softly stated.

"Yugi, you've worked on this puzzle for eight years pouring your hopes and dreams into it," Grandpa stated, "You should have more faith."

"Eh?" Yugi asked.

"If you do your wish shall come true!" Grandpa held out his hand and there it was, the missing piece.

"Jiji," Yugi sniffed, he bolted into his grandpa's arms and embraced the man.

Grandpa chuckled as Yugi thanked him for finding it. Winter had a grin on her face at the fact that it had been found. He placed his grandson down on his feet and smiled down at him.

"I wasn't the one to find it," Grandpa stated, "A while ago one of your friends arrive at the store with it, he asked me to give it to you."

Yugi turned back to put the piece in the puzzle and Grandpa sent Winter a thankful smile. That 'friend' had informed him of all the problems his Grandson was having, he was glad that she hadn't been scared away. Not many people would have his Grandsons back. She gave him a sad one back and nodded before turning to watch Yugi put the last piece in. Grandpa quickly slipped the money his Grandson needed into his school bag and quietly left the two alone, giving a simple 'good night' to the two and receiving one from each of them.

"My hearts pounding," Yugi quietly stated.

"You can do it Yugi," Winter softly cheered.

Yugi placed the piece into the slot and the room was engulfed by a bright, golden light. Winter let out a small gasp and covered her eyes as a beam of light hit Yugi in the forehead. She winced and attempted to see what was happening. Yugi's shadow and her own grew until they stood up on the wall in a menacing way. Yugi's eyes turned a deep crimson and a golden eye of Horus stood out against his forehead. Winters' eyes grew wider at the change of her friend and her knees buckled slightly and she fell to the ground.

"Y-Yugi?" She called, reaching out towards her changed friend.

He turned and gave her a slightly insane smile. It softened as a hand was held out to her and she accepted it after a few seconds. She was helped up to her feet and she studied the Yugi in front of her. This Yugi wasn't really Yugi. He felt too different for it to be her friend. She tilted her head slightly. She had to call him something.

"So, who are you exactly?" She quietly asked.

"Who knows," he responded with a shrug.

"I guess I'll have to call you spirit for now, because you aren't Yugi it'd feel wrong to call you Yugi," She started rambling, she was very confused and nervous.

She had no clue what was going on. The spirit hummed at that as he grabbed the phone and dialed a number. She watched in amazement as he was able to call Ushio and ask him to meet at the school for the money. He turned to leave but she stopped him by grasping onto his wrist with a light grip. He turned to look at her and she sighed softly.

"I'm going along to make sure you have some form of first-aid," she informed him, her cheeks heating up.

There was something familiar about the spirit, she just couldn't put a finger on it. She pulled on her shoes and followed him. She couldn't help but think he moved fast for someone who was five feet tall. They made it to the school, and she walked behind him until he stopped at a piece of gymnastic equipment called a boxed vault. He looked at her and motioned for her to wait on the equipment. She nodded and took a seat on the equipment and he joined her with ease. She felt on edge as Ushio showed up and complained about Yugi not being around.

"Yo, Ushio," The spirit greeted.

"I have to say you deciding to pay up has lightened my mood," Ushio stated, "I don't know why you're wearing a costume, but whatever give it up already."

"I have it here, but I seem to have brought four hundred thousand by mistake," The spirit stated.

"Four hundred thousand?!" Ushio and Winter yelled in unison; His was full of greed while her's was genuine surprise.

"But there's a catch," The spirit stated, "Since handing the money over would be boring, we're going to play a game."

"A game?" Ushio asked.

"Yes," The spirit affirmed, jumping down from the vault and grinning manically at Ushio, "But this isn't any game, it's a shadow game. So, how about it if you win you get an extra two hundred thousand."

While Ushio thought about it Winter sent the spirit a concerned look. She did not like where this was going. She had to wonder how far he was going to go. If it would be traumatizing or murderous. There was no in-between with shadow games. She blinked at that. How'd she know that?

"Interesting," Ushio slowly grinned.

"To play we only need one tool," The spirit stated, "That knife you're hiding."

Ushio hummed and drew the knife from an inner pocket of his trench coat. He stabbed it into the wood of the vault and pinned Winter to the equipment by her sweatshirt. She glared at him as she attempted to get her ability to move back. That knife didn't want to be pulled out by her. The spirit seemed to grow angry at that and she felt a shiver go down her spine. There was someone she wouldn't want to piss off.

"Okay, the game is set," The spirit stated, grasping the handle of the knife and freeing her.

"Money and the knife?" Ushio asked.

Winter got up from her spot and moved to stand between the two. Almost like a referee. The spirit thought that she was most likely safe where she was standing. Her hazel eyes, which had been a shade darker the day before, met his and they showed her curiosity and worry.

"These are the rules," The spirit began, "The players take turns placing money on the top of their hands and stabbing through it with the knife. All the money on the knife goes to the player and then it's the opponent's turn."

He could almost feel the worry that Winter was projecting. He didn't spare her a glance as he felt the shadows wrap around him. He didn't even bat an eye at the fact that her shadow was slithering around the area in a snake-like fashion.

"The game ends when there are no more bills left," The spirit stated, "The winner is the one with the most bills, oh and if you stab your hand you automatically lose and give all of your winnings to the opponent."

"Turns out you do have guts," Ushio stated in a dark tone.

"One last thing," The spirit stated, "If you break a rule, you'll be cursed with a penalty game."

"Let's begin already!" Ushio snapped.

The two played Janken, or rather rock-paper-scissor, and the spirit won with paper over Ushio's rock. The bills were piled on his hand and he stabbed the knife into the stack on the top of his hand. He jostled the knife around before pulling it back and removing the stack of bills from his hand.

"Only ten bills," The spirit sounded amused, "I tried to use a lot of strength but not many stuck."

Ushio's turn was interesting since he used more strength then he intended to. Yet, he got twelve bills and chuckled darkly. The spirit wasn't fazed by that and Winter began to sweat nervously from the atmosphere between the two. Oddly enough the rest of her was freezing and it wasn't that cold of a night. She stayed quiet and watched as the two battled each other in a game of wills, she ignored the white clouds that came with each breath she took. The money pile began to grow smaller and smaller as the two took turns. She sent the spirit a look as he taunted his opponent. It was on Ushio's last turn that things got hectic.

"All this money will be mine!" Ushio stated.

He went to push the knife into the money but paused. He started to shake, and she started to get a bad feeling. He was staring at the money in a longing way and she moved towards the spirit. If the spirit noticed he didn't say anything.

"The answer is simple," Ushio growled, "there's a simpler way to get the all the money and not injure my other hand. I'm the one holding the knife, so I'll use it to defeat you Yugi."

Ushio swiped the knife at the spirit and Winter quickly moved him back. The spirit was surprised at the fact that she willingly faced a knife to keep him safe. He felt his power grow as a suitable penalty game came to mind.

"Just as I thought," He started, "You couldn't follow the rules. This eye can see what lies within your heart, you are nothing but a greedy bully who hurt my friends and attempted to steal money from me. Enjoy the illusion of greed."

"It's money!" Ushio shouted in glee, grabbing onto the leaf's that were falling from the trees.

Winter noted that it was suddenly warmer as the Spirit looked towards Ushio with a cold look domineering his face. His hands went into his pockets and he turned away from the scene, Winter following shortly.

"What did you do to him?" She asked.

"I made it so that the object of his greed would be all that he will see," He replied. "Are you hurt?"

Winter blinked at the question before remembering that the knife had been used to pin her sweatshirt to the vault. She flushed slightly at the question before answering.

"I-I'm fine," She stuttered, "Are you okay? He did attempt to kill you, Yami."

"Yami?" The spirit questioned.

"It fits," She shrugged, "You control darkness so the nickname fits. Friends give each other nicknames, right?"

She could be wrong in thinking that he was her friend too. Yami stared at her for a few seconds and watched as she slowly began to redden. Her cheeks had turned a light pink whenever she blushed, but now they were a bright red from her embarrassment. He smiled slightly and felt the insanity that plagued him quiet down.

"That's correct, hime," He teased.

She seemed to pout at the nickname before chuckling slightly. The two headed back to the Game shop and she removed her shoes. He watched as she yawned slightly before turning to him with a sleepy expression.

"'Night Yami," She quietly told him, heading up to the guest room for some needed sleep.

He stood there for a few seconds before heading back to his host's room. He laid in bed and switched back with his host who quickly fell asleep. The next day the two friends were woken up by Hana and given breakfast. Winter didn't know how to thank the Mutou family and Hana could tell.

"Just continue to be good friends with my son," She requested, "He needs them."

"It will be an honor Mutou-San," Winter honestly replied.

The two headed off to school with waves and farewells to Grandpa, who had gone to sweep in front of the store. Yugi was happily humming to himself, overjoyed that he had finished the puzzle. He missed the spectacle that was Ushio. Winter hadn't, she almost felt bad for Ushio. She shook her head and changed her shoes with Yugi. The two began to talk on the way to class and were stopped by Jounouchi.

"Yugi, Winter," Jounouchi stated, "How are your injuries?"

"I'm fine, how are you?" Yugi asked, Winter nodded that she was the same.

"I feel fine, speaking of which," Jounouchi scratched his cheek, "I also brought a treasure with me, want to see it?"