Memories

The radiant sun was set perfectly above the beach as the bubbling waves washed on shore. The beach was remote so hardly anyone knew of it. The only people currently on the beach were playing on the hot sand. They had been running in circles for hours, leaving many trails behind them in the dusty rocks. All had a smile planted on their face. Each glowed with happiness.

One of the people stopped. He was tall and muscular, sporting a bathing suit that looked good only on him. His long, ebony hair fell into his eyes, which he instinctively brushed away. The man fell to his knees, laughing.

"I give up, Allison. I give up. You win. The sun setting on the ocean is better than the sun rising," he said.

The only female on the beach stopped and put her hands on her waist, smiling. Her strawberry-blond hair was pulled back into to a rare ponytail, allowing her husband to clearly see her violet eyes. "Oh, no, my love. I am not going to let you give up that easily, Nathan. You nearly tickled me to death, you tickling monster. Let's see. Should I tickle you or… tickle you? What do you think, precious?"

Allison looked down at the extremely small child standing to her left. His violet eyes shone as brightly as the sun. His milky white skin was developing a slight tan. His tri-colored hair was spiked. He was missing his two front teeth, as well as a bottom one, making him look adorable. The child stuck out his rosy lips, looked upwards, and tapped his face with his skinny index finger.

"Um. I like them both," the boy squeaked. "How a-bout we tickle him, 'n' then we tickle him!"

"Okay, Yugi. Whatever you say. Get ready, Nathan. We are not going to hold anything back," Allison said as she and her child ran up to the muscular man, tickling him once they reached him. Then didn't stop until the sun was setting on the grassy hills behind the beach. By the time they finished, each had a face redder than cherries. When they were done with their game, they laid on their overly large beach towel, cuddling.

"Allison?" Nathan asked his wife as his child gently snored between them.

"Yes, love?"

"How on Earth did we get such a wonderful child?"

"We didn't. Yugi came from Heaven remember?"

"To give you guys happiness forever, right?" Their child said, startling his parent.

"Yes. And no matter what happens to make us sad, you'll be there to cheer us up," Nathan whispered.

Yugi sprang up, and skipped over to the calm water. He giggled for no apparent reason. "I love you guys sooooo much," the boy said, turning to the beach towel.

Yugi's eyes widen. "Guys…" he whispered. The towel was empty. Breathing hardly, the young boy ran to the sandy towel. He shook it. "Mom-my? Dad-dy?" the young boy said. Suddenly, Yugi heard a cracking noise around him. The ground shattered, leaving a pit of darkness. Yugi fell, crying for his parents.

"Yugi, stop your whimpering," a husky voice said in front the small kid. The owner of the voice's face was hidden in the shadows of his bedroom. He reached down and touched his foster child's shoulder. Yugi flinched by the contact of his "father's" hand. The boy was shaking hardly, tears leaking out of his eyes.

"Your parents aren't comin' back, kid. You're stuck with us for the rest of your life. But don't worry. If you listen, we won't let anything harm you. We will love you always, well, maybe until you look less… cute. But don't worry, I don't think that will ever, ever happen," the man whispered the final words softly into Yugi's ear.

Yugi looked up with blurred eyes. His eyes were no longer sad, but fearful. "Please, if you love me so much, why do you hurt me? Why do you hurt me when I ask you not to…" Yugi voice cracked.

"Listen, kid," the man's voice, which had just been so soft, said roughly. "You will do as I say, you stinking bastard. If I say to stop crying, you will stop crying. If I say to lie still, you will lay still. If I say to jump off a bridge, YOU WILL JUMP OFF A BRIDGE. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!" the man yelled.

All he got in response was a short nod.

"Well then, lie down. You know what to do," the man said, returning to his husky voice. Yugi, shaking harder than ever, fell backwards and began to unbutton his pajama shirt. When he was done, he placed in the headboard and then commenced to take off his pajama bottoms. When he felt the air in the room touch every inch of skin, he looked up to see that his foster father hadn't moved since he said his last words. The man's eyes were just, just, just scanning the youth's body on the bed.

Yugi shut his eyes as the man took off his clothes. Yugi heard someone begin to pant. Suddenly, a weight pounced on the bed. "Don't worry, love, it will be nice, like it always is."

As the boy felt rough lips touch his tender, young private, he began to whisper, "Stop. Please. Stop."

In less than ten minutes, the boy pleaded for his foster father to stop, only to raise the man's lust for him.

"Yugi! Yugi! Wake up!"

A boy in his late teens was standing over a slightly younger one, feeling helpless. The small room, where he and a younger version of himself slept, was being lit by the full moon outside. Though the room was really only meant for one bed, the occupants were somehow able to squeeze two in. Clothes were thrown everywhere, but yet were in an order only two people on the planet could fully understand.

The older boy was awaken from his dreams by a scream. It took a second for him to realize it was coming from Yugi. The older male was now standing over Yugi, trying to wake him up by shaking him.

"Yugi, come on Yugi. Wake up! Open your eyes and it'll all be okay. Come on, Yugi," the older boy said. His attempts were useless, as the young boy continued to shake and scream. "YUGI, WAKE UP!"

Yugi's eyes sprung open. He saw his dark side, Yami, standing above him. Yami's crimson eyes, his perfect eyes, which always made Yugi feel safe, now scared the young boy. The red orbs were glittering with tears of otter fear and helplessness. Instead of the strong confidence that radiated from the dark's eyes, only fear glowed from them. Yugi had to look away.

"Yugi. Are you okay?" Yugi could sense the concern pouring from Yami's words. Yugi shut his eyes and turned over so his back was facing his dark. "Yugi, answer me. Please. Tell me what's bothering you."

Yami felt powerless as his light began to weep. "Yugi…" Yami's voice broke. Why was Yugi crying? What frighten the boy so much?

/Yugi, tell me. Was it… was it the dream, Yami asked his light through the mind link he had with Yugi.

/…Sorry for waking you up, Yami. Just go back to sleep. I'm fine. Please, go to sleep./, Yugi responded.

/Yugi, tell me. What happens? I know it is about… the Home. It will help if you tell me./

/Yami… Don't tell anyone. The gang finally thinks I am, normal. They will feel sad for me again. I can't let them think that I…/

Yugi paused. He heard creak from the weight of a second person going onto it. Yami sat down near Yugi's head. Yugi felt his dark gently left his head and put on his lap. Yami fingers lifted from an unknown place and landed on Yugi's tri-colored hair. Yami slowly ran his fingers through Yugi's hair. Yugi gasped from the soothing touch. Tears disappeared from Yugi's eyes, only to appear in Yami's.

/Yami… Don't.. don't cry., Yugi said, his eyes still closed.

/Tell me what's wrong and I will stop./ Yami smiled through his tears. Yami saw Yugi's lovely, violet eyes open in the moonlight. The amethyst orbs peered into Yami's ruby eyes. The light bit his lip.

/He will never leave, will he?/ Yugi asked as he looked away from Yami.

/Who?, Yami asked, though he already knew the answer.

/Him. He… hurt me. He hurt me so much. It is all his fault. I.. I guess I wouldn't have met the gang, or… you, if he didn't… Oh, Yami, why did he do it?/ Yugi broke down every barrier he created and began to cry.

Yami brought his light closer, so close Yugi's face was digging into Yami's hard muscles. Though he knew he shouldn't, Yugi liked having his dark so close. Yami continued torun his fingers throughYugi's hair.

Yami took the hand he was using to support himself from the bed to his light's arm. Th dark began to rub the young boy's arm. Yami frowned as he felt the long, straight bumps on the soft skin. They were scars of pain and desperation. They were scars of the horrible life Yugi had before Yami came.

Yami looked down to his own arms. The same cuts on Yugi's arms were on the young Pharoah's. When he was told he was able to seperate from the puzzle, and Yugi, Yami knew that he would recieve many aspects of his light's body. Yami hadn't expected to get the cuts. He was somewhat glad to have them. The dark was now always reminded that he had to protect his sweet light.

An hour had passed and Yugi was still being cradled by his dark. Yugi had stopped weeping half an hour ago but Yami didn't have the heart to let go of his light, not that he really wanted to.

/Yami, thank you for staying up. I know you have that huge test tomorrow for sci../ Yugi started.

"Yugi. You are more important to me than any test."