Star: Hi everyone! How was everyone's new year? I had a good, and hope you had one too.

I have great news! I am starting my new story "Bright Shadows" This is the first chapter, and I hope you guys like this one as much as Deepest Dreams. I have not stopped Deepest Dreams, and unfortunately, that story will be ending soon, so I have decided to start my next one.

summary: The Shadow Creatures, a race as old as man itself has entered into a period of deadly civil wars, where a group of rebels led by a mysterious man, try to take over the throne. The king of the Shadows, Yami, was wounded in an attack on his life. He flies to the city of Domino where he collapses. When he wakes up, he finds himself in the care of the human, Yugi Mouto. Though the Shadows and the humans are mortal enemies, the 'Master of the Dark Ones' finds himself falling in love with this boy. He fights against both his race's laws, and the assasins sent after him in order to keep Yugi by his side forever. But when Yugi is attacked, will he keep the human with him, or will he push the boy away in order to protect him? And what will he do when the rebel leader turns out to be someone he knows very well?

(couples: Yami/Yugi, Bakura/Ryou, Marik/Malik, Seto/Jou, Otogi/Honda)

I hope everyone likes this story. I personaly don't like this first chapter very much, but I hope that you people do. So please enjoy the chapter of my BRAND NEW STORY!!!!!!!!!!

disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh, so stop asking!

"speech"

'thoughts'

----------------Meeting the Darkness--------------

A scream pierced the air, as the sound of swords clashing filled the chamber. The smell of blood, death, and steel filled the area, drawing all into the battle. Battle cries crecendoed as hundreds of men in black robes stormed into the room. Some fought with weapons, others with their fists, while others took to the skies and attacked from above.

The defenders were heavily outnumbered, though they continued to fight valliantly to drive the invaders out. They faced the intruders head on and did not shy away from the battle, but drew their swords and raced into the war. They fought and fought, refusing to let the others, men who had once been their comrades, win the throne.

Flames licked at the heels of the men as they continued their struggle. The fine silk draperies that had once decorated the chamber were soaked in blood, torn and tattered, feeding the fire that grew in its power. Everything was destroyed, covered in the sticky red substance, and things only became worse as the battle grew.

"Protect the Master!" a young brunette cried over the sounds of the war, defeating an enemy and quickly deflecting the blow of another.

The men obeyed, surrounding the throne, trying to keep their king safe from harm. The brunette stood at the front of the line, flanked by a blonde haired boy at his left. With a quick look back, the brunette charged, his cry echoed by the men. The blonde shot down an archer from the sky, and was about to take off himself when a yell of pain caught his attention. It seemed that the entire battle stoped when the voice reached the ears of the warriors.

The blonde and brunette turned behind them and quickly located the source of the cry. Their eyes widened as they looked upon as their leader fell to his knees in pain, an arrow piercing his right shoulder. The brunette started to rush to him, intent on saving his master, when the battle restarted.

The traitors grew more confident, the injury of the leader giving them an energy boost. They felled the ones who stood in their way, inching closer every time to the throne. The ones in the air tried to attack the wounded leader, but the king's faithful soldiers retaliated, giving their lives to protect their king.

The leader rose to his feet, his eyes clentching shut in pain. He had suffered many wounds, but was not about to give up. He had to help his men, despite the cost. He looked at the brunette fighting to reach him, and smiled. He could always count on his friends at a time like this. Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to revel in the thought as arrows rained down on him from the sky. He quickly raised his shield, and ran down the steps of the throne.

"Go back!" he yelled to the other boy. "Don't worry about me!"

"But Master-" the other boy started to say, before he was cut off, having to protect himself from an assailant.

"Go back!" the king said again, as he slew a man, his sword already drenched in the blood of others. He did not need for his friend to worry about him. He could fight along side his men just fine. He might have been injured, but he wasn't about to let that stop him. He turned and faced a group of invaders, sword ready to fight.

"Well, well. If it isn't our great king. Hiding behind your slaves, Master?" one of the men said, speaking the word master as if it had burned his tongue.

"I never hide behind anyone. And I never run from traitors like you," the young king spat back, anger filling his eyes.

"You should have run when you had the chance, because now you will die!" the man said as the group charged into attack. They would win and take over the throne. They would please their new master, at all costs.

The king blocked their attacks, and dodged another, all the while trying to keep a steady ground. He knew he was out numbered, and he knew that with so many attacks, he had no chance to take the offensive, but he was determined to win. He would protect his people, and he would stop these men from taking over the world.

Suddenly the leader felt searing pain in his side, the glint of a sword drentched in his blood catching his eye. He tried to move, but was hit again, this time with the hilt of the sword in his ribs. He saw the world start to dim, but refused to lose. He got up and fought back, managing to kill one before another bolt of pain flew through his leg.

"MASTER!" he heard someone scream in the distance, but the sound of his heart beating drowned it out. He heard it start to slow, as he lost more of his blood, but refused to quit the fight. Another strike hit him in the shoulder blade, traveling up till it reached his neck. He screamed in pain, and tried to run, but was blocked.

He saw a man lift his sword to end the battle, when a silver streak nailed him in the side. He looked into the worried eyes of another friend, and gave a small smile. "Thanks for the save," he whispered.

"Master, you must flee. You have to get to safety!" the silver haired boy said, helping the wounded leader walk.

"No, I can't leave you guys," the other replied as he defended his friend from another blow.

"Master, you can't stay. They won't stop until you are dead. You need to get to safety," the blonde said as he rushed up to help.

"But-"

"GO! We'll stop them," the brunette yelled at him.

The king nodded in defeat, and ran away from the others. Once he was back at his throne, he removed his breast plate. Huge black wings sprung from their encagement, free to move now that the metal was not blocking their way. He opened his dark wings, the light making them shimmer with traces of red inlaid in them. With one last look at the battle, he took off into the air. He felt the wind rushing past him, delving deep into his wounds, causing him to wince in pain.

He broke free from the chamber, and flew out of his palace. He stopped to survey the area, taking in the fire and destruction that littered his home. With a heavy sigh, he took off again, searching for a place to hide.

Blonde bangs covered his vision, as he scanned the town below him, deciding instead to take to the forest. He would not endanger innocent civilians at any cost. He tried to hide in shadows, when he saw more assailants flying towards the castle. Even from his distance he could hear the battle.

His vision started to blur at the edges, and paniked. 'No, I can't fall now,' he thought as he sped up, streaking across the night sky with urgency. Soon, though he felt his wings become heavy, the loss of blood finaly taking its toll on the king. His eyes frantically searched for a safe place, and headed off towards a grove of trees in the distance.

Unfortunately in his flying he had not noticed where he was going, and had ended up in a large city. What was worse was that it was a human city. The king cursed his stupidity, before letting out a cry of surprise when his wings collapsed from exhaustion, and he dropped out of the sky. He fell through some trees, crying out each time he hit a branch. When he finally reached the ground, he just lay there.

Once he regained himself slightly, he tried to sit up, but found that he was now even more injured than before. "Damn trees!" he yelled, realizing as a spark of pain went through his ribs, that yelling was not the best thing to do. He tried to sit up again, but only managed to lean against the trunk of the tree. He felt pain in his left shoulder blade which only meant one thing: his left wing was broken.

The king cursed his bad luck. With a broken wing, there was no way he could get back home. He couldn't walk home either, because he was much too tired. The king had lost a lot of blood in the battle, and was now weakened and exhausted. He saw his vision start to blur again, but knew he couldn't pass out in the middle of a human city. If any human found him, who knows what they would do. The leader growled, as he thought of humans taking him, doing research on him, trying to find out what he was.

As he was cursing the humans, his ears picked up the sound of footsteps heading in his direction. He paniked and tried to hide behind the tree, but to no avail. His broken wing was dragging on the ground, and his good one was scraping against the bark of the tree. He couldn't escape! He was trapped, and only hoped that the shadow of the tree would hide him enough. His breaths came out in frightened, rapid pants, as the footsteps came closer.

He closed his eyes, hoping that he wouldn't be noticed, when to his bad luck he heard the footsteps stop, and a surprised gasp rang through the night. He knew it was over when he heard the human come closer. He started to fall into unconsiousness, his body having enough for one night. He faitnly heard a voice call him, male by the sound of it.

"Are you ok?" the human asked, worry, confusion, and slight fear in his soft voice.

The king opened his eyes, and looked into the human's eyes above him. Worried amethysts stared back at him, roaming his body and taking in his wounds. The eyes stopped for a moment at his wings, before traveling back up and meeting the kings eyes again.

"Leave………me," the king whispered, his eyes drooping as they slowly slid shut.

"Who are you?" the boy asked.

"Yami………I am Yami," he answered, as he finally slipped into darkness.

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Star: TADA! I hope you all liked it! Please review, and wait for the next chapter of Bright Shadows and Deepest Dreams!