I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, I only own my own characters. Reviews are always welcomed so feel free to leave one. Please enjoy!

Warning! This story does have gore and supernatural elements! It will be far darker than the original anime and manga! You have been warned! Read at your own risk.

Also, there is some use of Japanese, the translation is spotty as I am still learning the language.

Chapter 1 A Contract Paid in Blood

It was quiet in the car. That was one thing that the two occupants inside could agree on. There was a lack of any sound, save for the sound of the car moving on the road. The two occupants of the car were focused on their tasks.

The driver was an old man with blue eyes and wispy white hair. The passenger was a very androgynous girl with waist length ash colored hair that covered her right eye. They both shared similar features, such as blue eyes.

"How are your grades?" The man quietly asked.

"Fine," The girl gave a short answer as she turned the page in her book with a long slender finger, "I'm passing."

The man gained a nervous expression on his face. She had never been that short with him before. He stopped at a red light and quickly gave her a look. She was pale, pale enough that she looked unhealthy. The black tank top she was wearing hung from her slender frame and showed just how skinny she was.

"Light's green," She stated as she looked up from her book.

He let out a hum and started to drive once again. Domino City passed by them quickly as they drove further in. Buildings of all sizes surrounded the area. The building that they finally stopped outside of was a small store that had an apartment attached to it.

"We're here," The elderly man announced as he pulled the keys out of the ignition.

The girl got out of the car and slung a bag on her shoulder. She looked up at the building with dull blue eyes before giving a small sigh. There wasn't even a name for the store yet, but she could tell from the windows that it was one that would be selling sweets. He had bought a café. Her line of sight then moved towards the shop at the end of the street. Kame Game shop? She made a mental note to check it out.

"The furniture should be here in a few hours," the man stated as he walked around the car.

"So, we have time to get the boxes unpacked," She muttered in thought.

"It shouldn't take long, Kohaku," The man informed her as he looked for the right key to unlock the door to the building, "An hour at the most."

"I'm not too worried about how long it'll take, Ji-Chan," Kohaku quietly replied as the front door was opened.

The building had a slightly musty smell to it. Two pairs of blue eyes took in the floating dust in the air and gave a sigh in unison. A shared look went between the two before the front windows were opened to air out the shop part of the building. The door that leads to the living quarters was opened.

The two began to unpack the car. Kohaku was limited to how many boxes she could carry, and she had a look of annoyance on her face. She glared at the cardboard box in her arms as she felt the eyes on her person. She was being stared at by the pedestrians walking on the street. She headed into the house to put the box in the room that she had chosen for herself.

When she came out of the building, she was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt under the tank top to hide how skinny she was. Her Grandfather didn't comment on it as he picked up a box and headed in. He heard footsteps following him. The sounds of Kohaku's vans were muffled against the wood floor.

He placed a box in his room, the closest to the stairs, and looked out of his doorway. She had to choose the room furthest away from his own. Though he couldn't blame her since it faced the rather empty backyard. That was the one thing he had made sure the home came with. He remembered the garden that his son-in-law had grown and how many times he had found her sitting under a tree surrounded by flowers.

"Ji-Chan," She stated as she stopped by his room, "There's a man by the car that wants to talk to you."

"I believe that's my old friend," He stated as he headed down the stairs.

Kohaku gave a nod in understanding before heading back down as well. She stopped before she exited the building as she heard something fall from upstairs. She shook her head and continued onwards. She wanted to be able to sleep on her bed, not on a futon. The floor was a dark hardwood and wouldn't be comfortable to sleep on.

The man she was talking to was short, much like herself, and was wearing light pink overalls over a blue shirt. She couldn't help but think that the pastel look fit him. She eyed him a bit as she snuck over to the car and grabbed another box. As she scurried away, she could hear her grandfather chuckling and saying that she was shy.

She used to be shy, but after everything that had happened to her recently. She had mostly lost that part of herself. Sure, there were times when she felt shy, but they had been too far and in between. She couldn't help but be annoyed at being called shy.

Her Grandfather's friend had left by the time the moving van with their furniture showed up. They were lucky that the movers were paid in advance to help them move everything in. A frail old man and an even frailer teenager weren't the best options to move furniture with. The men followed their directions without complaint so there weren't any problems for the two.

"We should've asked them to stay and help put everything together, Ji-Chan," Kohaku stated as they struggled with the mattress to her bed.

He agreed with her on that one as the mattress let out a loud thump as it landed on the box-spring. The two were sweating and breathing heavily. They took the chance to take a break and have something to eat. It had been a few hours since lunch.

Kohaku watched as her Grandfather moved around the kitchen with a speed that was usually unlike the man. From her spot at the isle counter, she could see everything he was doing. Everything that was cooked she had a first-row seat to see how. She couldn't help but make mental notes as to how he made things.

To her Grandfather cooking was an art form as drawing was to her. He could make dishes that tasted as though they belonged in a five-star restaurant. She couldn't help but wonder why he had chosen to join an archeology group back in his youth. He could've been retired and famous with his skills, but he did own a café. It didn't make sense to her.

After their dinner, they went to their rooms and finished unpacking. The first light to go out was her Grandfather's. He didn't have much to unpack except for some old photos and clothes. Kohaku had far more to unpack and didn't want to spend two days doing so.

She frowned as she grabbed a box that was labeled "books". She only had three more boxes to go and then she could sleep. She opened the box and eyed the thick tomes with slight dislike. It was going to take a while.

As she grabbed the first book, she couldn't help but wince at how her wrists strained under the weight. The dinner she just ate was the first real meal she had received in two years. It showed by how thin she had gotten and how pale she was. She couldn't help but feel her stomach churn as it attempted to digest the rich food.

She put the book on the bookshelf and started the automatic process of emptying the entire box and putting everything on the shelf. An hour had quickly passed by the time there was one book left. She reached into the box for the last book and brought it out. She frowned at the book in her hand.

It was a weird book. For one it didn't have a title anywhere on its surface. For another, it had a glossy black cover that was thought to the touch. She ghosted a finger across the cover of the book and felt a ridge standing out. She couldn't make out what it was. She was wondering why it had a belt around it. Did her Grandfather buy her a journal?

She sighed and undid the buckle attached to the belt. As soon as the book opened, she felt a burning pain on the underside of both of her forearms. She tossed the book down and looked down at her arms. Her eyes widened in horror as the sleeves of her white shit began to rapidly turn a bright crimson.

She began to panic and scrambled to her feet. She needed to call an ambulance. The amount of blood she was losing was not good. She'd die of blood loss within two hours. She reached for the door with a blood-covered hand and it slammed shut just as the tips of her fingers touched the doorknob.

She let out a strangled cry as the skin on her fingertips was ripped off by the sudden motion. She felt something grab her legs and begin to pull her towards the book. She placed her hands on the floor and pushed herself up. She fought against the force that was pulling her and began to pull herself towards the door.

How the hell had her Grandfather not hear this? She gave a curse upon remembering that he was extremely hard of hearing. Something grabbed the back of her head and slammed her head down. She saw spots in her vision as her forehead harshly connected with the hardwood.

She let out a scream and tears began to fall from her eyes as something tore the sleeves off her shirt. Her scream increased as something forced itself into the cuts on her arms. The blood flow that had started to slow down increased in intensity as whatever it was attempted to push further into the cuts. Her heart gave a jolt and her eyes grew wide.

Everything went quiet. It was as if time had stopped, but she was aware it hadn't. The pain was gone. Whatever had happened seemed to stop for a moment. She let out a shaky breath and relaxed.

It was a mistake when she decided to relax.

Her mouth opened in a silent scream as the pain came back tenfold. The blood had returned but this time it was strange. It was moving as if it had a mind of its own. It splattered on everything.

She groaned when it covered the pages of the book. As soon as it did, the pain stopped once again. She was left breathing heavily on the floor with her hair matted together by blood. She was tense and refused to allow herself to relax.

"Payment accepted," A voice rang out.

She couldn't put a gender to it. It was mixed by both male and female tones. It did cause chills to go down her spine. It was cold and malicious and reminded her of him. The source of all her problems.

Suddenly, she knew what to do. She closed her eyes and focused on pulling. She let out a cry when something touched the wounds on her arms, but she continued to pull. Eventually, the pain receded, and she opened her eyes.

The blood was off the ceiling. She was grateful for that. She sat up and ignored the pain that wracked her body. Her room looked like nothing had happened. She scanned the area for the black book that caused her all that pain, she was ready to burn the damn thing and found it lying on the floor.

She slowly got up to her feet and walked over to it. She picked it up with a trembling hand and opened it. The blood was gone from the pages and instead was a long line of numbers and names in glistening red ink. She turned the book to see a title in crimson writing on the front cover.

The Book of Blood? The title sounded like something right of a cheesy horror movie. It had proved that it was far more dangerous than Freddy or Jason. She ran a finger over the glowing gold eye of Horus that had appeared on the cover as well. That was what she had felt on the book before she foolishly opened it. It was there to protect people from the book. Too bad it wasn't visible, or else she wouldn't have opened it.

She had an interest in the occult and old religions. Her favorite had been Ancient Egypt's pantheon of gods. She would've taken the warning seriously. It was plastered on a book that screamed evil now that she looked at it.

She sighed and reluctantly turned back to the pages. She flipped through them until she came across the last entry. She paled even further at what she saw.

鈴木琥珀- 契約は22:00に署名しました。 1996年9月30日.

She didn't remember signing a contract. She then remembered her blood splattering against the crisp white parchment that made up the pages in the book. She felt her knees give out as she contemplated what kind of contract she had unwillingly signed. Just what sort of contract required blood anymore?

A winced as she felt something move under her wounds. She looked down and made a face. There was an ankh carved into both of her forearms. They were deep carvings as well that continued to ooze out blood. She was about to go find a first-aid kit when her blood moved. She froze in place and watched as it moved once again.

Ah, so that's what kind of contract requires a signature in blood.

That was her last thought before she stood up and moved around her room in autopilot. She was putting everything in the boxes away and when she finally emptied the last box she stood still. She started to inwardly freak out. An Ankh was a symbol of life, not a symbol of satanic powers dealing with blood manipulation! She was ninety-nine-point-nine percent sure that was what she had just signed up for.

She ran a hand through her matted hair and grimaced at the feel of crusted blood. She needed a shower. She looked for her alarm clock and found the black cat shaped object. It was telling her that it was indeed, eleven o'clock at night. She headed towards her newly packed dresser and grabbed a pair of new pajamas and underwear.

There were three bathrooms in the building. One for the café, one across from her Grandfathers room, and one attached to her room. She walked into it and found a small box sitting on the counter. She placed her clothes next to the box before opening it.

The first smile in two years graced her face at the appearance of toiletries. She unpacked them and gently placed them in her new purple shower caddy before starting the water. The building hadn't been used in a while, so it took the water some time to heat up. As the water warmed up, she undressed. She caught sight of herself in the mirror.

She looked like a walking corpse. She could count her ribs with ease and every time she breathed it looked painful. No wonder the pedestrians had stared at her. She looked like she was about to drop dead at any minute.

She brushed the fingertips of her uninjured hand under her eyes. The skin was dark there, permanently bruised from years of sleepless nights and malnourishment. The rest of her skin was pale and gave an unhealthy sheen under the fluorescent lights. She looked down at her arms and noted that the Ankhs looked better than they had.

The bleeding had stopped, so she might not have to call an ambulance. She tested the water and decided it was the perfect temperature. The moment she got into the shower she bit down on her knuckle to stop from screaming. She had to curse her forgetfulness.

She had forgotten that cuts hurt when water hit them. She let out a shaky breath and slowly moved towards the shower caddy. She needed to clean out the wounds and then dress them for the night. She almost screamed in surprise when blood shot out from her wrist and wrapped around the bottle for the shower gel. She felt the urge to mentally pull and did so. The blood shot back into her wrist and the bottle ended up in her outstretched hand. She stood still for a few seconds.

So, she was essentially Spider-Man, but with blood. She was trying to be angry with that, she really was. It was almost worth the pain she had gone through. Almost being the keyword.

Her shower was filled with pain and slight disgust as the access blood was rinsed from her body and hair. When she stepped out, she was clean and looking a bit flushed from the hot water. It was a healthier tone that was slowly fading as her body cooled. With how her Grandfather cooked she'd be healthier within a year. She had faith in the man.

She was about to get dressed when she paused. She was fixated on her reflection. She looked just like her mother did. With her long hair curling gracefully down her back. She felt anger and grief flare up in her arms she pulled on the ash-colored tresses.

Her eyes wildly moved around before settling on a pair of scissors. With a determined glint in her eyes, she grabbed the scissors and brought them to her hair. She paused upon nearing the tresses. If she cut it, there would be no going back. She steeled herself and cut through the first fistful of strands.

In an hour she had cut her hair to where she was almost unrecognizable. It had a fringe that completely covered her right eye, and the rest of it was a few inches above her chin and curled to frame her face. The back of it stuck up in curls that pointed upwards and made the back of her head resemble a duck-butt. She was happy with it, even though it made it even harder to tell that she was a girl.

She pulled on her pajamas, a black long-sleeved shirt and black pants decorated with eyes. She was starting to wonder if her Grandfather was a goth as well. With the way he picked out her clothing, she was starting to find that to be a believable explanation. She shook her head and frowned. She needed to stop focusing on such things.

She grabbed her dirty clothes and tossed them in her hamper before heading to bed. The moment her head hit the pillow she was out like a light. The book and her contract were forgotten. She didn't have any dreams, just nightmares of the last two years.

She was woken up by someone gently shaking her shoulder. She blearily looked around until she saw her Grandfather. He gave her a slightly amused smile before motioning towards her clock. She stared at it for a few seconds before her mind screamed at her.

She had to go register for school and have her picture taken. She quickly got up from the bed and almost ran over her Grandfather as she ran around for clean clothes. She picked out an outfit and ran into the bathroom. The door slamming shut followed her frantic actions.

Her Grandfather chuckled as he walked out of her room. He was most likely going to see something like that tomorrow. The mad dash of someone trying not to be late. He was in the kitchen when he heard footsteps thundering down the stairs.

Kohaku was dressed in black jeans and a black graphic long-sleeved shirt that stated In God We Trust with the Illuminati symbol on it. He was quite glad he had picked that out for her. It suited her. He pulled on a pair of socks as she put on her new boots. Within an hour they had made it to the school.

Domino City High School. It was a large building that seemed to house a large section of the city's student population. The students outside were walking in and took notice of the black car that had stopped at the curb. The rumor mill began once the occupants got out.

Kohaku found herself missing the cream uniform of her school back in Tokyo. It had been a pain the ass to save up for and buy, but at least it wasn't the monstrosities before her. Apparently, the school had two sets of the female uniform, one pink and blue the other orange and green. She was going to go insane with those choices.

The two headed into the office and were greeted by a nice elderly lady behind a sheet of glass. It worried Kohaku's Grandfather that the administration would need glass covering the desks. What kind of school was he signing his Granddaughter up for? His worry increased as a blonde woman in a green two-piece suit walked past them. She gave his Granddaughter a nasty look and he found himself incensed on her behalf.

It didn't take long for her registration to go through. It was her picture that was taking the longest. She refused to smile for her ID and registration form. No one would know it was her if she smiled. Something she'd told the woman taking her picture, multiple times at that. She eventually won and her sullen expression was immortalized on film.

The two headed outside and noted that it had been a half day. Students were walking home and talking almost themselves. Kohaku let out another sigh as her Grandfather looked excited at the prospect of her having friends. She did have friends; they were all back in Tokyo.

She looked around the schoolyard and noticed something. A boy her size was being pushed around by two boys significantly taller than him. She felt her hands clench around the plastic bag carrying her uniform. She could only see him.

"Kohaku," Her Grandfather called as she walked up towards the three.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing?" She asked the taller boys in a dangerous tone.

"What's it to you?" The blonde of the two asked with a slight sneer, "We're only trying to make him man up."

"Is that what you tell yourself to help you sleep at night?" Kohaku fired back in a venomous tone and she stepped up close to the boy and lowered her voice, "And what would you tell yourself if he decided to end his suffering from your attempts to make him man up?"

The blonde backed away from her and she gave him a blank look before spinning on her heel and walking back to her Grandfather. The boy who was being picked on looked after her with wide eyes. She hadn't meant for him to hear her words, but they had carried down to him. They were harsh, but it caused his tormentors to leave him be. Even if the blonde was giving him an odd look that seemed somewhat guilty.

"It was none of your business," Kohaku's Grandfather stated.

"So?" Kohaku questioned, "It got him to back off."

"What did you say to that boy?" He inquired.

She went silent at that and crossed her arms across her chest. If he knew what she'd said, he'd never speak to her again. It had been an underhanded comment, but she had stepped in without thinking. She didn't want to see another him hurting someone.

"Was it because of him?" Her Grandfather asked, "He's in prison, he can't hurt anyone anymore."

She refused to respond, and he gave a sigh. So much for getting her to open up. He parked outside their new home and she quickly headed inside. He watched as the door swung shut and he moved to where he was leaning against the steering wheel.

He wondered what he could do to get her to smile. He missed that smile. He snapped his fingers as a sudden thought came to him. He started the car up again and drove off. He had just the thing.

"Where did he go?" Kohaku muttered as she paced her room.

Her eyes caught sight of the black book and picked it up. It was still unbuckled, and she opened it. It still had the lists in it. She closed it and buckled it up. She placed it on her bookshelf and noted that blended in with her other books. She couldn't have picked it out if she hadn't known where it was.

"Kohaku!" Her Grandfather called down, "I have a surprise for you!"

Kohaku walked down the stairs and was welcomed to the sight of her Grandfather with his friend and the boy from earlier. She was tempted to walk back up the stairs. The boy recognized her; it would've been hard not to since her hair was as strange of a color as his. He slightly paled as the two's eyes met. She was able to ignore the guilt with ease and looked towards her Grandfather.

"It's outside," He told her.

She made a face at that and headed outside. She was welcomed to the gardening section of a store. She was faintly aware of her Grandfather walking behind her as she stared at the flowers that were waiting to be planted. She was touched. He remembered.

"I thought it would be a nice way to get to know our neighbors," Her Grandfather stated, pulling her attention away from the flowers, "This is my old friend Muto Sugoroku, and his Grandson Yugi."

"It's nice to meet you," She stated, remembering her manners and giving a small bow.

They began gardening. The two elders were seemingly unaware of how tense the air was between their respective Grandchildren. Yugi didn't know how to talk to someone who seemingly had such a short emotional range, and Kohaku was socially illiterate. How she had made friends in Tokyo always baffled her.

"D-Do you like games, Kohaku-Chan?" Yugi asked.

She gave a shrug as she dug in the ground to plant some lilies. He felt a bit discouraged and wondered if he was wasting breath attempting to talk to her. She didn't seem to want to be friends with him. He reached for a flower to plant and turned to see where he could plant it.

He was surprised and horrified when he watched Kohaku pull up her sleeves revealing the carvings in her arms. She tensed as she seemed to remember that they were there. She quickly brought her sleeves down and stood up. She was fleeing from a situation she didn't want to be in. He quickly got up and hurried after her.

"Kohaku-Chan," He quietly called, and she stopped in her tracks, "A-Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," She stated.

It sounded unbelievable even to her. She unconsciously touched her arm. There wasn't any pain from it. It had completely stopped hurting.

"Did you…" Yugi cut himself off from asking such a question, it wasn't his place.

"I didn't, it came from a stupid decision," She replied in her soft monotone.

It was quiet between the two and the air was stifling. Kohaku heard a sound and quickly moved so that it would seem as though they had taken a break to get something to drink. She found an old tray and placed four glasses on it. Yugi watched in slight confusion as she filled the glasses with ice before adding water. He understood when her Grandfather walked in.

"I thought something had happened," He muttered, "You took off in such a hurry."

"It was just a thought that struck me, sorry for worrying you, Ji-Chan," She stated.

She hated lying to him. He was the only family she had left. She needed him the dark about what had happened. He wanted her to have friends, well it seemed like he was getting his wish. She would be friends with Yugi just to make him happy.

She brought the water outside and everyone took a break. The weather was nice, but a bit cool. Fall was upon them and the weather was starting to reflect it. The flowers they just planted would die within a month or two, but at least it will look nice for a short amount of time.

"Do you like flowers, Kohaku-Chan?" Yugi was attempting friendship once again, he was surprised when she nodded.

"I'm fond of yellow roses," She admitted.

It was because they meant joy and friendship. They used to always bring a smile to her face. She didn't know if they could still do that. She was a different person from then. She looked towards the rose bushes that needed to be planted and got up to plant them.

It was quiet after everything had been planted. Sugoroku and Kohaku's Grandfather was playing a game of chess while Yugi and Kohaku talked. Well, Yugi mostly talked while she gave a nod of her head or a short answer. He didn't bring up the carvings in her flesh and she acted like they weren't there.

It was the start of a very strange friendship.