A Different Yugi

"Please give me one more month. I promise I'll have the money."

The earliest memory in my life would have to be my grandfather paying our debtors.

"Old man, you have one week. One week and our buds back in the backseat are going to put the screw in you, you know where! Keep that in mind the next time you decide to skip out on the payments, you conniving old dwarf."

Grandfather was a small man, with an even smaller shop. Business was as bad back then and that particular season was even worse. At the time I was a small baby, though baby may have been too strong of the word, since I felt like I had the mind of an adult. Looking back, despite how I looked, I was never a baby.

I knew too much about the world, and too much about my grandfather, who I should have realized was dying from old age and depression. Let me tell you more about my grandfather, because to me he is the most important person in the world to, at that time, and even now.

Despite being poor my grandfather was a kind man. He was a lonely man, and he didn't have any other relatives to depend on. He was constantly sick and he had many problems, some of which included alcohol.

Despite all his flaws Gramps was a kind person. He didn't let life bring him down, and did the best he could to support our two people family. He could have sent me to an orphanage, he could have gone into retirement, and left me a ward of the state, but no, he didn't do either. Instead he took his two year old grandson and raised him in the back of the shop.

These factors probably played in a role in developing my personality as I was continuing to grow. I am not ashamed to say that I grew up poor. The clothes I wore were several sizes too large, the food I ate could have been considered toxic at best, and I had issues with hygiene. That did not mean I was a bad kid, in fact I was fairy insecure, and it showed, oh how it showed.

Adults looked at me with disgust and the neighbors, Anzu's foster mother and Shizuka's parents, said nasty, yet untrue, things about my grandfather. Their children would often scorn me in the playground, and, being a small child, I had a hard time fighting off the bullies who tried to steal whatever meager possessions I had, which weren't much.

"Stay out of the park, Yugi. Next time we'll take more than your lunch money." Kami, I hated them.

If you think that I grew shy as the days went on, you're wrong.

I didn't grow shy when they talked about my grandfather. I didn't become shy when they stole the very meals off my lunch plates in an effort to spite me.

I especially didn't become shy when they talked about my height.

"Why doesn't that Muto kid join a circus? The kid'll make a fortune as a side show freak."

I grew angry.

Rage had practically boiled to the surface from my very being, it festered and burned with every taunt, it stunk like rubbing alcohol, but I kept it under careful locks.

I promised myself that I would channel this hatred, this desire to destroy, into something productive. That is exactly what I did. I used my anger as fuel and pushed myself to be better in sports and better in school. I took my rage and used it as armor against the bad things the other children said to me, and I taunted back in return. The real I, of course, was the child who just wanted to be left alone, but as time went on I projected an image of absolute danger.

"Yugi, please don't hurt me!"

Coupled with my ratty clothing, the haunted look of starvation on my continence, and the barely concealed anger I had at the other children, it would not have been a stretch to say that I scared people. Heck, I looked at the mirror once and terrified myself.

So then I had another problem. I was a growing kid who was not only despised for being the grandson of an alcoholic game shop owner, but I was also the kid that the neighbors should stay away from. That was probably the reason I didn't meet Anzu or Shizuka for a very long time.

"Oh, no! It's Yugi! We'd better get out of here."

They were my neighbors of course, but they ran away whenever I got near them in the sandbox.

Overall I had a normal life.

Until I stared having dreams about a giant among man, robed in a loin cloth, and covered in gold. At the time I thought I was gay, but the reality would be much worse.

I continued to push myself to study and one day it paid off. The school administration decided to promote me to the next grade, they offered a full scholarship for the semester, and I had to take it. Anything that could lessen the burden on my grandfather was acceptable in my eyes, but I should have seen the problem that would have caused.

"Whoa is that midget? Kid, what the fuck are you doing in this class? Kindergarten is that way. Hey, don't look at us like that. You want a cap in your ass, do ya punk? Hey, hey back away. Holy shit, this kid is kid's dangerous! Is that a knife?"

Now I had children a year older than me to worry about. They were stronger and faster than I was. You have to realize that when you're a child a year could mean a huge chasm in strength and some of the kids in my class were power incarnate, so I had to use any tool I could get my hands on.

I could not defend myself as well with these new bullies and some of them even knew martial arts. Despite how far I had come, I was back to where I started. I still had my rage, and I still had my anger. That was all that saved me from falling into depression like my grandfather. They say blood always tells, and I didn't want to prove my neighbors right. I was my own man, and I would make my own destiny despite what the neighbors said.

"Yugi, what happened to you? Please, Yugi, tell me. Are the other kids bullying you again, do you want me to call the school? I can do that you know? I have friends there, I may not look like I do but they are old buddies of mine, please grandson, talk to me."

My glare softens as my grandfather hugs me. He blames himself for my situation and in all honesty I sometimes blame him for it as well. Today, I feel generous and decide not to push the subject. "We were doing wrestling in gym class, things are okay."

"I am glad, if you're in trouble please tell me. Now then, go take a nap; we'll do some repairs around the shop later."

"You want your teddy bear back? Are you going to cry? C'mon cry then, do it! Like we care if you run to your mommy, and wahhh. How old are you anyway? Thirteen? And still playing with stuffed animals, eh boys?" This is said by a boy in front of me. He's teasing a brown haired girl who occasionally plays by herself in the sand box. I don't know much about her, but I know her name is Anzu. "If you want it back, you'll have to do something for us."

I don't like the sound of this. Anzu isn't my biggest fan, and her mother often says my grandfather is an alcoholic, especially to others around town, but I am not about to let some high school boys bully the girl into going into some back alley with them. Not when I can stop it. I pick up some sand in both my hands and put it in my pocket.

"Look, it's that genius runt! What's his name? Pussy? No, Yugi! Beat It, kid, the adults are talking." He tries to shoo me away and his friends laugh with him. "What? You don't like your name, Pussy? How about we give you a new one? Like the shrimp that got his ass whoo-."

The sand from my pocket hits him strait in the eye, and I spear the bastard onto the floor. I stomp on his head once before one his friends have a chance to tackle me. There are three of them, and the leader isn't going to be getting up any time soon. Anzu takes one look at me, grabs the teddy bear, and runs. She's smarter than she looks.

Meanwhile the three goons are trying to catch me off balance, but I am far too fast for them. I have been chased down by too many kids before and understand how this works, and know what to do when I am in this situation.

"Come back here you coward! Didn't your drunk grandpappy teach you to respect yer elders!" He did, but he didn't teach me to respect assholes that prey on little girls.

The chase lasted for about five minutes and they corner me in the dead-end of an alley, and break my arm. I fight back and they leave with a few marks of their own.

"You've made a mistake today, we'll be back. We'll get your girlfriend eventually." Anzu isn't my girlfriend, she doesn't even like me. I don't tell them this. It looks cooler just to go along with it. There is something about having a girlfriend that makes other boys respect you.

"Yugi, someone threw a brick through the shop! It has your name on it." Interestingly enough the word Pussy Muto is written in permanent marker. How my grandfather thought it was me when my name wasn't specified boggles my mind.

He offers to call the police, I agree, and for time it works. The problem is the police have bigger things to worry about than one poor old man and teen vandals. To them it didn't seem like such a big deal, but to two poor people like us it meant a lot. Business was starting to suffer and fewer customers were coming.

It was after coming home one day with a sprained ankle that I became so angry at myself that I shoved one of my grandfathers working desks. Horrified that I had wrecked something I picked every piece of a gold 3D puzzle, one by one, and fixed them.

It was then, at that moment, that I had completed the Millennium Puzzle. That was the day my life changed. It was then my dream of the tall god- like Egyptian made sense. It was then that I met Yami.

"Kami, what are you?" I asked him.

"I am you."

"Yugi, please let me help you."

"Yami, please, go away. Don't bother me, not now, please, not today. I had hard enough period at school. I had a bad day at work, and I am about to have a worse day in my mind. If you have any mercy, at all, please let me be."

I was terrified of him. He was an entity that haunted my dreams. He told me to wear the Millennium puzzle. With it I would have the power to defend myself against everyone and everything. He offered me protection and salvation and, in exchange, he wanted my friendship.

You can see now why I was skeptical I learned long ago that nothing in the world is free, and the price that Yami was asking for was too great. My friendship isn't something I give away easily.

"I understand, Yugi. I really do. I just want to let you know that if you ever need me, I am always here. In your heart, and in your mind."

He couldn't get any creepier if he tried.

"Excuse me, sir. Can you help me find my glasses?"

As usual I am in the park collecting the bottles people throw out. Business is slow and I can make some lunch money gathering the plastics in the neighborhood. The recycling companies don't pay much; I have to collect four of five dozens of this to trade for lunch money, but it beats starving.

Today I am hampered by a little red headed girl tugging on my pants. For once the kid I am talking to is smaller than me, which is unusual considering my grandfather is a dwarf and I seemed to have gotten much of his genes.

"Sir, please," she says. She's wearing a white shirt and black pants. In truth I know who she is. She's Katsuya, or Joey, as he likes to be called, sister. Joey used to be a happy kid that ran around the block playing tag with the locals, but with their parents failing marriage he's just a plain angry brat who is becoming increasingly dangerous to hang around with.

"Don't call me sir." I put my bag down and rub my dirty hands on my pants. "Beat it kid, I am busy," I tell her. Shizuka, looks frightened at my words. I sigh and rub my dirty hair. I think of one good reason why I should help her. Normally I would, but I need to eat, but then look at her teary green eyes and I change my mind. "Alright, tell me where you think you dropped it."

Four hours later we find her glasses and she has another problem. "My mommy was supposed to pick me up." Anguish colors her tiny features. She doesn't need to explain what her problem is. This happens occasionally with parents that are about to be divorced. They are so wrapped up in their fights they forget about the kids they are supposed to take care of.

I should know. Anzu's parents fight all the time. I can hear their screams from my small room that I share with my grandfather in our game shop. Those fights with her parents would be followed by the sound of Anzu crying. It was those times that I felt sorry for her, despite my jealousy towards her, and the fact that she had both a mother and father.

I give the little girl my hand, and she tugs at it. It's so small. I don't have any younger siblings so it feels strange as I walk her to her apartment in the rundown slums that we all occupy. More than once she asked me if my hair is real and I tell her that it is. She tells me my hair looks cool, and that actually gets a small smile on my face.

It's when I am leaving her at her front door that she manages to surprise me. "I don't care what the neighbors say about you, I think you're a nice person, Yugi Muto!"

I don't turn around as I leave her in her front door. I don't want her to see me cry.

"I won't let you take the money! That's to pay for my grandson's tuition!"

My grandfather tackles the robber to the ground. The two of them are fighting while I am dialing the police. The man has a gun, and I am scared. A kid like me shouldn't have to deal with problems like this. "Officer the Game Shop is being robbed, hurry! He's going to kill my grandpa!"

I run to the kitchen and grab a knife. It's the first thing that comes to my mind. "Yugi, don't do this. There is another way!" As usual Yami's exotic voice is spouting unhelpful advice. I ignore him and rush to do battle. I don't care if the man is twice my height and four times my body mass, I can't let him kill the only family I have left.

"Yugi, no! Run!" my grandfather shouts when he sees me blazing towards him and his attacker, an attacker who suddenly realizes that he has to get off my old man or else he's about to skewered by a brat.

He rolls out of the way just as the blade hits his chest and gives me a vicious right hook that sends me sprawling on the ground.

My nose is bleeding and the world is turning hazy, but I get up and don't let go of the knife. He turns around and I see his gun. He runs for it, and I run for him while he is running for the gun. "Son of a bitch!" he yells as my blade slashes him on the back of his thigh. "Idjit! I let you off easy, but fuck this shit! I am gonna kill you!"

He fires the bullet and I side step it, while sending a jab with the blade. My grandfather tackles the man from behind, giving me time to send a swipe at his stomach. The knife hits deep, and blood is coating his black shirt.

He turns the gun towards my old man, and is about to fire, when he hears the call of sirens. He looks to escape, with the money bag filled with most of my grandfather's life savings. He points his gun at me and fires.

I hear is an empty click.

He's out of bullets, and I am holding a knife.

He runs, and I chase.

The police are breaking through the front door, but he takes the back. Just when I think I can't run anymore I feel Yami's presence. My mind becomes sharper and I feel stronger. I catch up to the guy in no time and tackle his feet. In an instant my body is reacting on its own as Yami's presence becomes stronger and I have the man in some kind of Egyptian wrestling hold.

"Stop you're going to break my arm." I don't show him any mercy. I break his arm. Minutes later the cops catch up and drag him into the car. The officer makes a comment that I have a future in law enforcement and I tell them that I'll think about it.

One of them offers me a membership to the junior cadets. They tell me they'll help toughen me up and food is free. "We'll see, sir. I never considered a career in fighting the bad guys before, it's just not in my character."

I didn't see Yami that night, especially not in my dreams. I didn't have to. He made his point. He knows I need him.

"C'mon babe, you know you want to go out. Tonight I am free, ditch this punk and come with me." The taller boy shoves Bakura, a mutual childhood friend of both myself and Anzu, into a locker. Bakura has always been nice to me, and I have a feeling he is gay. I think that because he blushes when I help him out, like I am about to do right now.

"Koji Nagumo, you never get tired of pulling this shit on my watch, do you?" I say. I walk up to this piece of shit. He's the tallest kid in Anzu's grade. I normally don't have to deal with kids as large as him since I am year below Anzu's grade, but that's going to change next week when I skip another grade and into her class.

I make it a point to take down this bully now, let him know that he won't be able to mess with me, saving Bakura and Anzu is just secondary.

"Yugi, I heard of you. You're that kid Saizo and his crew beat up at the park." That memory makes me angry, but that's okay. "But you took care of those punks last month didn't you?" I did. Yami, despite his annoyance, knew over a hundred fighting styles. It was like he had a hall of tutors, like he was a man born to do battle.

Whoever trained him must have wanted him to be the best because when he took over my body, he displayed a range of brutality that was beyond reason.

Koji eyes up my ready form. "You want to stay away from wimps like this." He points to Bakura who is afraid. Bakura's alaways afraid, it's nothing new.

"I think I know who I am supposed to hang with, Koji. Now if you would leave my buddy here alone, I'd appreciate it." I try and stay calm; it's hard because Koji is a giant. He makes Joey and his assholish friend Tristan look like dwarves. Kind of like me.

Koji isn't happy with my reply. "That was a free offer Muto, next time watch your back." He walks away.

I leave, or at least I try to once Koji is gone but a hand grabs my arm. I turn around to see Anzu, tears are falling down her face. "Thank you, Yugi." I try and say something to her, but words aren't coming out.

This is the first time the two of us talk. The two of us grew up side by side in the same neighborhood, we should be really close since we are nearly the same age, but we aren't. I am a loser who lives in a game shop, and she's a girl with a broken family. We both have issues to work out, but refuse to admit it.

"No problem, Anzu. What are neighbors for?" I don't say friends, we aren't friends. I walk away, and I can feel her staring at my back. That's all she ever does. She does not approach me, she doesn't ask me over, and she certainly doesn't want to be associated with Yugi.

What else is new?

"Why is that new kid the class rep?" A guy at the back of the room calls out.

"Because, Joseph, unlike you Yugi has the highest test scores in his year. He demonstrates great leadership skills, and is an excellent role model to other students. He is always on time, he doesn't get into detention, and he completes all of his tasks. Best of all he is polite to his teachers, you can learn a thing or two from this boy."

I try really hard not to blush. I do, believe me, but it comes out in full bloom, like red tulip in spring. The teacher finishes introducing me and I look around to see if I recognize anyone. Bakura and Anzu are sitting in the front, and Bakura waves at me to take a seat next to him. I comply and class begins.

"Thanks for saving my butt back there, Yugi, sorry for the trouble," Bakura says, during our lecture. It's hard to do this and not get caught since we are at the front seat. "You've been watching out for me ever since we were kids. I just want you to know that if you ever need anything, just ask. If you're out of groceries again, I could always give you some. We don't have much either but-."

"Bakura, you don't have to give me anything. I don't like bullies," I tell him, maybe a bit too harshly. "I can't stand it, they think they can do whatever they want, they think no one else is going to do anything about it just because they're bigger, and have a bit of power. You know how I feel about trash like that, I don't mind watching your back, just be sure to watch mine."

He is stunned at my statement and so is the rest of the class. I must have been talking too load. Anzu giggles right beside me, it's the first time I hear her laugh, and I fight the impulse to smile. My feelings for Anzu are mixed at best, but she isn't a bad person.

The teacher coughs into his hands and clears his through. "As entertaining as Mr. Yugi's speech is, I think we should get back to the lesson. Thank you Muto for your opinion on certain members of our class, but if you could discuss such a sensitive topic in the privacy of your own time, I would greatly appreciate it."

Joey and Tristen laugh, the rest of the class join them. I fume and try to go through the rest of the lecture without feeling more embarrassment, and it's hard to do so when Anzu keeps slipping notes to my desk saying words like "I like your speech" or "I hate bullies to! Do you want to be friends?" It's hard to decide if things are looking up, or going down.

"Settle down, guys," I try and tell my classmates. It's part of my job as the Class Rep to give the morning announcements. Our school is too cheap to afford a PA system so most of the announcements are given through members of the student council, in which I am sadly the vice president. "Listen, this is importa-."

"Hey, Tristan, the dwarf is trying to say something. Short stuff, why don't you raise your tiny voice? Its' bad enough we can't see you from back here, but we can't hear you neither." Joey snickers at his own jokes and gives Tristan a high five. I make a point not to go over there and break his arm, a Class rep can't be seen going berserk on other students, no, that part of my life is done.

"You should listen to Yugi," Anzu says, standing up. "He's only trying to do his job. You guys can learn a thing or two about responsibility from him. He's looking out for us. We're all classmates here, we're all friends. Why aren't you guys being more understanding, why can…" I try and block out the rest of her speech, Anzu goes off on a tangent about friendship and honor, the girl's got to realize that this is a school for criminals; no one here gives a shit about friendship.

You would think after Anzu, or Tea as I sometime call her, would have realized that friendship means squat around here, especially after one of her girlfriends spread a rumor about her being some kind of prostitute just because she works late nights in the burger joint downtown. I think it's the waitress uniform, I got the wrong impression the first time I had run into her wearing that..

"You're making me mad, gentleman. You don't want to do that-." At this point someone throws an eraser at my head, and it bounces off and hits Anzu square in the jaw. Its one thing to hurt me, but when it effects other people that it's personal. "Alright who threw that!"

No one answers, it's like they never heard me. Figures, I don't look dangerous, not as dangerous as I looked as a ruff kid. If anything I haven't grown much since then, I am still the same short punk with the weird genetic hair style that seems to dye itself back to a strange combination of yellow and red, despite my efforts.

"It's okay, Yugi, I am alright," Tea says, clutching her left eye. "I have to go the infirmary though, just to check it out." She smiles and makes to leave. It's when the same person who threw the eraser at my face tries to hit Tea in the back of the head that I get pissed.

My anger turns into its own source of magic, thinking about all the times these people have disrespected me. I want them to stop, I want them to obey, and I want them to kneel! Power wells up into my voice box and I can feel Yami meld with my body.

The next words I say startle me because they come out sounding far deeper than I intend. "Silence!"

The class stops.

I didn't know I could sound like that. It was a single word, but it sounded like the command of a king. The deep voice was strong, powerful and confident: All the things that I strive to be. Even Joey and Tristen are having a hard time fighting what I just said; they are stunned that a different voice came out of my throat.

"Now, let's get a few things straight. I am the class representative. When I say listen, you will listen. When I arrange activities, you will do them. When command you to do something, you will damn well do it!" I tell them, my eyes narrowing. "Anyone who disobeys will have to answer to me, and, believe me, you aren't ready for that!

"Yami. Sometimes you rule."

I know.

"So you're moving, huh."

"Afraid so, Yugi. I'll be packing tomorrow, Joey's already packing today."

"That bad is it?" I ask.

She pauses to think. "My parents have been trying to keep it together, but with the economy and all, well, my dad just hasn't been home all that often." Shizuka takes a deep breath, this is the hard part. "I think my dad's been cheating."

I sigh and shake my head. Most of the neighbors already know this, it isn't news. Joey was the one most affected by it. He gets real angry when people talk about his dad like that. Worst of all he doesn't believe his father is having an affair with his co-workers. Frankly, I don't know what to believe, and I don't particularly care. It's just that my part time job as a crossing guard has me looking after kids a year my junior.

Shizuka, or Serenity, depending on the day, has a hard time believing I am in Joey's class. I find that strange since Joey spends most of his time in the apartment complaining about super midget embarrassing him in front of the class on a regular basis.

"Do you need any help packing? I get off work in an hour. I am a lot stronger than I look." Especially after all the training Yami keeps putting me through. "Unless, you invited some other friends to help you out."

She shakes her head, her eyes moisten for a moment, just a fraction and I already know the truth. "I don't have any friends. The other kids… the other kids." This is the hard part. "They make fun of my thick glasses. Oh sure, a lot of girls there have glasses, but not like mine."

She points to her thick old lady spectacles. I try not to laugh at them; they are thicker than Tristen's skull. "The optomologist says if I take these off for too long my eyesight will continue to fail." She gets off the park bench. "Anyway, I should probably leave. It was nice talking to you, Yugi." Before I could protest she stands in front of me and gives me a hug. Like Anzu, Shizuka is a lot bigger than me, and yet, as her body trembles, it is she who feels so small.

"Stay away from my sister Mutu! Do you hear me? The next time I see you near her again Tristen and me-."

"Tristen and I, it's pronounced Trist and I. I just came to drop her off. I didn't mean anything by it."

"Good bye, Yugi, I'll miss you." Shizuka runs up the stairs when her brother cusses. She's one of those girls that don't like getting their family members angry. The girl's had a hard life as it is without me making things worse. I'll see if I can sort this out before I leave.

"Wheeler, listen. This isn't the time."

He looks like he is about to comment but I cut him off. "Do you really think you can take me without Tristan?"

He takes a moment to think and restrains himself. I may have changed, but my reputation as a kid still clings to me. He's seen what I can do to those who push me, and as dumb as Joey thinks he is, he isn't actually that foolish. His instincts are telling him not to approach, and for once he listens.

I scratch my head, put one of my bangs away from my eye, and sigh." I'll see you at school. Don't be late, two more times and you'll be on suspension leave." I could never understand why lateness is rewarded with suspension, seems like a strange concept to give students who don't come to class even more reason not to show up by making them stay out of school for three or so day.

"See you around, Wheeler."

I walk back home, with no incident for once. Before I close the door to the shop I see large clouds, darker than night, gathering across the endless sky. Something is coming, I can feel it. Destiny is approaching, crawling, and slithering. Like acid, twisting and correding whatever it touches and it has its sites set on me. Monsters are rising, shadows are falling, and me, little Yugi, is going to be in the heart of this.

There is a storm coming. I can feel it. Yami feels it too. My happy days are going to shatter

They always do.

And I welcome it.

End