How it Could have Been
Jul. 21st, 2004 01:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sagesariaTitle: How it Could Have Been
Category: Fanfiction, anime/manga, Yu-Gi-Oh
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Summary: Yami is sent into an alternate universe, six years in the past, where nothing is right. Can he set things straight and return to his own time?
Status: Incomplete
/.../Yugi to Yami
//...//Yami to Yugi
Chapter 1
I had gone to the Shadow Realm many times before,but it was never like this. It was thanks to Yugi that we had our narrow lead;switching between our minds to keep Pegasus from reading our cards. But now,I felt we had to drop that strategy. My little Hikari wasn't used to using his mind to control his monsters instead of the simulaters. He was exhausted,and yet he insisted on continuing the mind shuffle strategy.
It was our turn. Yugi was in control. It was the most horrible thing I ever felt. I heard the heavy pounding of his head and heart,and I felt his body tremble as his breathing grew harder.
//Yugi,this is too much for you! We have to drop our strategy. Please,let me handle this!//I begged. I knew what would happen if Yugi reached his limit.
/N-no.../Yugi replied,/I-I'm ok. Juh-just let me...play a card.../
//No! I'm not going to let throw your life away!//I forced my way through the barier holding me back. I pushed Yugi back into his Soul Room and I was standing before Pegasus.
/Spirit...what are you doing?/Yugi gasped through exausted breath,/Pegasus will...read your thoughts...the minute you draw!/
//I know,Yugi.//I answered,//That's why I'm going to play without looking at the card.//
Slowly I reached for the deck. I closed my eyes prayed quietly to Ra and to the Heart of the Cards that this card would save us the duel. I felt the card in my fingers. I opened my eyes,and without looking,slapped the card face-up on the dueling table.
I felt a presence behind me,as I had the last time I played a card. Whatever I played was emerging from the blackness behind me. A crimson blurr brushed past me,and before I knew it,the Time Wizard was standing on the field.
Pegasus wasn't phased. He mearly smirked and chuckled softly. I didn't like it when Pegasus laughed. It always meant he was up to something.
"Smart play,Yugi-Boy. Not even glancing at the card until it was played,so as to evade my Millenium Eye's magic without puting Little Yugi's life at risk. But once again you have underestemated me."
"What?!"
"It's my turn."Pegasus drew a card from his own deck,looked at it,and laughed again,"First,I'll use the Magic Card Brain Control to take control of your Time Wizard."he lightly placed the Brain Control card on the field. Two ghostly hands clenched themselves around the Time Wizard and pulled him onto the other side of the field,next to Relinquished.
"No! Time Wizard!"
"And next..."Pegasus took another card from his hand,"I'll play this little doodad."He turned the card to face me,so I could see it. It was a magic card,and it's picture was a hand of playing cards,all aces,one of each type;heart,spade,club and diamond.
"What is that?"
"It's called Time Gamble. It's a special card I made just for this very duel. Let me show you how it works."He placed the card on the field. The Time Wizard spun a few times,and when it stopped,it's Time Roulette wand had changed from four skulls and two time machines to the four playing card symbols.
"Time Gamble changes the Time Roulette power of the Time Wizard so that the steaks are much higher. Instead of effecting Duel Monsters or Life Points,it effects the fate of your soul."I gasped. My soul? What does that mean?
"The heart represents what is. If the arrow lands on that,nothing happens,and your soul is safe. The spade represents what was,and your soul will be sent to the past,unable to change anything. The diamond is what will be,and you will be sent to the future. The club,my personal favorite,represents what could have been,the possible past."
So the new Time Roulette will send my soul to the time period specified by the arrow. This was bad. With my soul gone,Yugi will be unable to defend himself. His own soul will be shredded and lost in the Shadow Realm,and Pegasus will be free to take the Millenium Puzzle. My only hope was for the arrow to land on a heart.
"Go,Time Wizard! Spin Time Roulette!"
Slowly at first,then faster and faster,the arrow spun,making me dizzy as I watched. I prayed to Ra once again. Please spare me. Please be a heart.
The arrow began to slow. It went sluggishly accross the spinner. I closed my eyes and crossed my fingers.
A bell-like sound was heard. I opened my eyes. The arrow had landed on a club.
"You lose,Spirit of the Millenium Puzzle!"Pegasus laughed maniacly as my surroundings grew,if possible,darker. I felt as though a great hole had opened underneith me. My soul left the Millenium Puzzle...left Yugi's body. I saw Yugi's small,fragile form collapse to the floor,then the world spun around me. All I knew was the whistling in my ears and the feeling of my stomach in my throat. I was falling...falling...falling...falling...
Chapter 2
I opened my eyes. I was lying face-down on a hard concrete pavement. The impact I must have hit would have squashed me to jelly,but surprisingly I was unharmed. It must have been part of the Time Wizard's magic.
I pushed myself into a sitting position. I wasn't sure where I was,but I was definetly somewhere in Domino City. I was in an ally between two buildings. Out ahead of me was the city,as busy as ever. Cold white snow stuck to my hands and soaked through my clothes.
Suddenly everything that had just happened hit me with full force. The Time Gamble Roulette had landed on a club. I had been sent to the possible past. And Yugi...my poor little Hikari...without my soul to support him...his own soul was...tears welled up in my eyes as I recalled the horrible image I saw before I fell into this world. I failed. I failed Yugi.
What was I going to do now? I had been so determined to protect my lighter half that I never thought of it. Was there anything else I could do?
I figured the best thing to do first was to possibly find out what time I was in. I slowly rose to my feet and began to walk into town. There wasn't much difference in appearance,so I couldn't have gone too far back. It must have been close to Christmas,as there were brightly colored lights and decorations on every house and store on the street,and people were racing back and forth,their arms full of packages and bags. The sun was slowly setting in the west. I looked around and saw a used book store nearby. Surely they would have a callendar!
The jingle bells on the door tinkled as I opened it. Warmth imediatly wrapped around my body. Christmas Carols were playing softly on a nearby radio. I stepped into the tiny store and looked around. Sure enough,sitting on the reception desk was a little daily calendar. I walked toward it and leaned foreward to get a good look at it. It read December tenth,2000(A/N:As a random,half-logical guess,I placed the series in 2006,as it couldn't be too far ahead of us,but definetly in the near future. Hollographic simulations that can read cards would definetly take a while to be invented. I'll shut up now.). So I hadn't gone too far back. Only about six years.
"May I help you?"a voice said,making me jump. I looked up and saw a woman coming from the other room.
"Oh no,I was just browsing. Er...Merry Christmas."I exited the store. So now I knew what year I was in. Now what? Was there anything I could possibly do with my life,now that I'd lost the one thing I cared for?
Suddenly,as if Ra himself was answering me,I heard a voice crying "Stop! Theif!"I whipped around,and saw a young boy running across the snowy street. I couldn't believe my eyes.
It was Yugi. But he looked different. He was,if possible,a bit shorter then normal,and the features in his face weren't as pronounced. He looked like he was about eight years old. He was unnaturally skinny,his clothes were baggy and torn,and his face was covered with bruises and scratches.
I watched as he ran down the street,a small object clamped in his little hands. He had just reached the other side when someone grabbed him around the waist.
"Lemme go!"I heard Yugi scream as he kicked and thrashed in the woman's grip. She tried to take the object(which appeared to be a big red apple)from him,but he refused to let go of it.
"No! I-It's mine! Leggo!"Yugi struggled out of her grasp and stumbled backwards. By now everyone on the street had surrounded him. He looked around franticly,searching for means of escape.
"Now young man,"the woman said,trying to sound patient and reasoning,"You know it's wrong to steal. Just give me that apple and we'll let you go with no punishment."she held out her hand.
"No!"Yugi backed away,shaking his head. The woman was shocked,but other people in the crowd spoke up.
"Can you blame him? I mean look at him! Poor boy must be half starved!"
"Do you suppose he's lost?"
"Lost,or homeless."the first woman stepped closer,bending down to Yugi's level. He backed away a bit more.
"Are you lost,little boy?"she asked kindly. Yugi said nothing.
"Where are your mommy and daddy? Are you an orphan?"again Yugi said nothing,but he seemed to cringe at the word 'orphan'.
"What is your name? I could help you get home."Yugi looked at her with a face of pure horror. Then he backed away even more,shaking his head and wimpering quietly.
"What's the matter? Don't you want to go home?"
"N-no!"Yugi repeated.
"You need food and shelter,young man. Please,come with me."She smiled softly and held her hand out.
"NO!"Yugi screamed,then turned and ran,pushing his way through the crowd. Everyone was absolutly shocked.
"Now what's with him? He seemed terrified of you,dear."
"That just wasn't right! Even homeless aren't afraid of other people!"
"But I wonder...those scars on his face...do you think he was...?"
"The poor boy. Such a sad sight,especially at Christmas time."
I ignored the crowd and watched Yugi run down the street,crying. As quickly and quietly as I could,I ran after him. Something was troubling my Aibou,and I was going to find out. As long as he was alive,no matter what the circumstances,I was going to protect him.
***
Yugi ran until his weary legs couldn't run anymore. He started to walk. As he did,I noticed that he was limping,as though serious damage had been done to his leg. This was getting more suspicious by the minute.
A lot of the walking was uneventful,but then something happened. Yugi stopped walking. He looked up at the building we were passing by. There was a long pause,then he looked away and began to run,as if frightened by the building. I glanced up at it. A big sign on the front read in big bold letters;
Domino City Orphanage
Yugi did seemed frightened when the woman asked him if he was an orphan. My guess as to what was going on was growing more and more likely.
I continued to follow Yugi for what felt like hours. Finally,he turned a corner and disappeared into a thin back-alley between two appartment complexes. Not wanting Yugi to see me,I peered around the corner very slightly.
The alley was musty and smelly,with garbage strewn all over the place. In the corner was a small pile of thrown-out dirty clothes which must have been used as a bed. Over it,there was a big,ragged table cloth draped over two iron rods that were propped against the wall,like a canopy. A tiny fire was burning in a pile of sticks in the opposite corner. It looked as though Yugi was using this place as shelter.
Yugi knelt in front of the fire,trying to warm his freezing,numb fingers. He took the apple he stole from the supermarket out of his pocket and began eating it quickly and greedily,as if he hadn't eaten in days. Sadly I watched the pitiful sight,consuming the little food he had,the light of the fire highlighting the blemishes on his skin.
Yugi tossed the apple coar aside and stood up,shivering. Slowly he hobbled to his bed of old fabric and lay himself down. He pulled a thin,moldy blanket over him and curled up undernieth it. He shivered for a few minutes,but then started to fall asleep.
Chapter 3
The next morning it had begun to snow. Most of the Christmas lights had gone off,and once again people were running about shopping.
I brushed a few crystaline snowflakes out of my hair as I walked down the road. I hardly noticed the people I was almost bumping into. My mind was set on one thing. I had to see the deal with that orphanage.
***
Home-made Christmas decorations were hung all over the front of the building. When I entered,though,the lobby was almost entirely empty of both decorations and people. There wasn't even a secretary at the front desk. Maybe they weren't open today and some clutz forgot to lock the door.
Either way,I went past the front desk and made my way down the long hallway. This building must have been really old. The walls were beginning to show signs of age,and the celing was dusty and covered in cobwebs. The designs of the wallpaper and the tile floor looked like they were made a long time ago.
At last I found a tall,wooden doorway. I heard some noise within. This must have been the dormitory. I opened the door just barely and looked into the crack.
It was,indeed,the dormitory. There were two rows of bunk beds,one on each side. I'm guessing that one side was for boys and the other was for girls. There were lots of little boys and girls playing around inside. They looked like they were in the five to eleven year range.
Suddenly,further back in the room,a fight broke out between a pair of children;a boy and a girl. The boy had the girl in a headlock and was pulling her hair. The girl was screaming and trying to grab her opponent. All the other children had gathered around them to watch the fight,making it harder to see what was going on.
Only a few moments after the fight had started,someone entered the room from a door on the other side. A woman. She must have been a teacher or headmistress or something. She was tall and skinny with thin black hair that had been cut so short that she looked like someone out of those "Join the army" posters that Yugi had been studying at school. She had blood-red nails so long they were more like claws,and her arms were long and muscular.
She saw the two children fighting and almost litterally shoved her way through the crowd.
"Break it up! Break it up!!!"she screeched. Her voice reminded me of a Harpy Lady. She grabbed the boy by the scruff of the neck and wrestled the girl from his grip. The girl was soon freed,then the headmistress(or whatever she was)slapped the boy hard across the face with a loud SMACK! that made me jump.
"What have I told you about fighting?!?"she screached at him,waving a finger at him so hard that her nails threatened to scratch his nose,"What have I told you?!?! That it's against the rules,right?!?! RIGHT!?!"At this point the poor little boy was clutching the place where he was hit and choking back sobs. I could see the tears welling in his eyes.
"Mrs.--"he started to say,but she quickly slapped him again across the other cheek.
"Don't you talk back to me! I'm the headmistress and you do as I say,YOU GOT IT!??!?!"the boy said nothing. He just stood there,sobbing quietly.
"You didn't answer me!! Stop crying!!! Stop crying right now!!!!!"she threatened to hit him again by lifting the back of her hand to him.
At this point the headmistress's screaming was completely drowned out to me. I noticed movement in the crowd of people watching. One boy had put his arms around a younger one and was walking him to the door. I quickly stepped back to let the door open as they stepped out.
The older boy looked about eight years old. He had light brown hair that barely scraped his shoulders,and blue eyes that were entirely focussed on the little one.
The younger one looked only five. His untidy black hair grew all the way down his back and his greyish-violet eyes were filled with tears. He was shaking and sobbing in the older one's arms.
"I hate this place,big brother. Why did we have to come here?"I heard the little one cry.
"This was the only place we had to go."the older brother replied,"But don't worry,I'm here to protect you."he hugged the younger gently and protectivly. I knew at that point who they were;Seto and Mokuba Kaiba,when they were young.
Kaiba slowly looked up and saw me. Gently he pushed Mokuba behind him.
"Did you..."he started to say,"hear all that?"I knew he was referring to the headmistress.
"Yes."I replied grimly,"Is she always like that?"
"I'm afraid so. But the sad part is that this was one of her good moods."
"Really?"
"Yeah. She's letting him off easy now. But sometimes she drinks a lot of booze,and then things get really ugly. She gave me this,"he pointed to a big bruise over his left eye,"and gave my brother this."he gently lifted the back of Mokuba's shirt and showed me. Fingernail scratches were all over his back and shoulders.
"She did all that?"Kaiba nodded
"I'm beginning to think we should've been like Mokuba's friend,Yugi."my eyes perked up. He knew Yugi!
"Yugi?"I asked,hoping I sounded like I didn't know him.
"He used to live here. My brother made friends with him. He got the worst of it when Mrs. Garris was drunk. Every time. He ran away about a week ago."
I knew it! Child abuse! That's why Yugi's in such bad shape! And that's why he's afraid of everyone! He thinks that they'll hurt him! And now I knew that he was friends with Mokuba. That could be the key to earning his trust.
Unfortunetly,we didn't have any more conversation time,for the harpy's screech rang out from behind the closed doors.
"Kaibas!! Where are you?!?"angry footsteps were heard. Kaiba just barely had time to mouth "Get out of here!" before Mrs. Garris burst the door open. I quickly hid behind a nearby plant and watched.
"What are you two doing out here?!? I didn't say you could leave the room!!! Get in here!!! NOW!!!!!!!"I winced as she grabbed Kaiba by the hair and Mokuba by the scruff of his neck and dragged them back into the dormitory.
She kicked the door shut with a loud SLAM!!! that shook dust off the celing. I took heed in Kaiba's word and left as quickly as I could.
***
The snow had begun to fall harder and faster now. I made my way down back to Yugi's shelter,the snow clinging to my hair and eyelashes. He probably wouldn't be going anywhere in this weather.
I found it pretty quickly. Sure enough,Yugi was still there,curled up under the only sorce of warmth he had. Poor boy must have been freezing. I slowly and quietly approached him. He was still asleep.
I carefully began to unbutton my jacket. It was a nice jacket,made from real leather with soft,comfortable fabric lining the inside. It was very warm,perfect for wintertime.
I slid the jacket off of my shoulders,shuddering as the cold touched my bare arms. This was my only sorce of warmth,but Yugi needed it more then I did. I gently draped it over his little body. He didn't wake up,but he snuggled into the warmth left in my jacket by my wearing it before. He was much more comfortable.
I wanted to stay longer,but the newfound cold without my jacket forced me to leave for shelter.
Chapter 4
The cold cut through me like a knife. I didn’t realize how used to the warm Egyptian air I was until now. Any other man could have been ok in this weather, but I was paralyzed with cold, hugging myself and shivering like a leaf in the breeze.
“Why don’t you have a coat, sonny?”
I turned to meet the owner of that voice. It was an old woman, smiling gently at me.
“You must be freezing!” she exclaimed, ”Here, put this on before you catch cold.” she lifted a blue wool sweater up to me. You can always count on an old woman to have an extra sweater or two. I politely took it and nodded in thanks.
Gently I slipped my arms through the sleeves of the sweater. The wool itched a little bit at first, but then it was warm and comfortable. It wasn’t often that I received such a nice gift from a total stranger.
I continued my way down the road, easily weaving through the crowd of people. I wasn’t even aware that I was moving. My mind was clouded with the thought of what I had just seen. Yugi, my own Hikari, abused! I couldn’t stand the thought of anyone doing harm to him. Especially someone who is supposed to be protecting him. I could only imagine the suffering he must have gone through. I just couldn’t stand it.
Suddenly I was pulled back into reality. I was on an empty street surrounded by houses. Lights twinkled all around the rooftops and snowmen perched themselves in front of every other house.
I caught my reflection in a nearby window. I chuckled to myself that I looked good in the sweater I had received. But then my eyes wandered beyond my reflection and I saw into the house that owned the window. It was a small, cozy-looking room, lit only by the warm fire glowing in the fireplace. There were three people within; a man and woman, and a little boy, no older then eight turns. I watched quietly as the little one pranced about happily, taking the shimmering glass balls of red and green that his mother handed him one at a time and placing them lovingly on the big pine tree sitting upon a rug in the corner.
I leaned back against the wall. I hadn’t resided awake in the Millennium Puzzle long enough to see many Christmases, but watching this child brought back one of my fondest memories of my early days connected with Yugi…
***
“Oh wow, Grandpa! It’s beautiful! The best Christmas tree you’ve ever brought home!”
I didn’t know that they were doing, but it intrigued me. I stayed in the puzzle and continued to watch. Yugi run about the storeroom gathering boxes and carrying them to the living room. Muffled rattling and jingling sounds came from within the boxes. I wondered what was in them that made such pleasant, almost musical sounds.
Soon Yugi had brought up all the boxes. He looked up at the handsome tree that his grandfather had brought home. It had thick, healthy branches of needles and it just barely scraped the ceiling. A smile stretched across his face. I didn’t know what about this tree was making him so happy, but I couldn’t help smiling to myself as I watched.
Yugi began to open the boxes. There was a long, green cord inside. It rattled softly as he pulled it out. There was a little plug on the end. Curiously I watched Yugi take the plug end of the cord and push it gently into an outlet behind the tree. I was startled and dazzled at the same time. Hundreds of little lights all around the cord lit up in bright colors of red, blue, yellow and green.
Once the lights were wrapped around the tree, Yugi returned to the boxes and extracted a long, silvery mass that felt so soft between his fingers, like the fur of a cat, almost. It rustled quietly as he carried it to the tree. The colors from the lights reflected off of its surface as it was lovingly draped around the fresh pine limbs. Beautiful. I didn’t know what this was all about, but it was beautiful nevertheless.
Whatever this unusual ritual was, it continued to play with my senses and dazzle my mind. Everything amazed me, from the glittered glass balls that felt so brittle in Yugi’s hands, to the tiny gold bells that tinkled in a pleasant melody, to the sweet-smelling candy that hooked onto the branches so gently. I didn’t know it then, but soon I would see what this whole ceremony was about, and it would soften my heart the way Yugi’s smile does.
***
I opened my eyes. I must have fallen asleep, for I was sitting on the white ground, still leaning against the wall. I slowly brought myself up and dusted the snow off of my pants and legs. That dream had given me determination. Someway, somehow, I was going to help Yugi, and punish the woman that had done this to him.
Category: Fanfiction, anime/manga, Yu-Gi-Oh
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Summary: Yami is sent into an alternate universe, six years in the past, where nothing is right. Can he set things straight and return to his own time?
Status: Incomplete
/.../Yugi to Yami
//...//Yami to Yugi
Chapter 1
I had gone to the Shadow Realm many times before,but it was never like this. It was thanks to Yugi that we had our narrow lead;switching between our minds to keep Pegasus from reading our cards. But now,I felt we had to drop that strategy. My little Hikari wasn't used to using his mind to control his monsters instead of the simulaters. He was exhausted,and yet he insisted on continuing the mind shuffle strategy.
It was our turn. Yugi was in control. It was the most horrible thing I ever felt. I heard the heavy pounding of his head and heart,and I felt his body tremble as his breathing grew harder.
//Yugi,this is too much for you! We have to drop our strategy. Please,let me handle this!//I begged. I knew what would happen if Yugi reached his limit.
/N-no.../Yugi replied,/I-I'm ok. Juh-just let me...play a card.../
//No! I'm not going to let throw your life away!//I forced my way through the barier holding me back. I pushed Yugi back into his Soul Room and I was standing before Pegasus.
/Spirit...what are you doing?/Yugi gasped through exausted breath,/Pegasus will...read your thoughts...the minute you draw!/
//I know,Yugi.//I answered,//That's why I'm going to play without looking at the card.//
Slowly I reached for the deck. I closed my eyes prayed quietly to Ra and to the Heart of the Cards that this card would save us the duel. I felt the card in my fingers. I opened my eyes,and without looking,slapped the card face-up on the dueling table.
I felt a presence behind me,as I had the last time I played a card. Whatever I played was emerging from the blackness behind me. A crimson blurr brushed past me,and before I knew it,the Time Wizard was standing on the field.
Pegasus wasn't phased. He mearly smirked and chuckled softly. I didn't like it when Pegasus laughed. It always meant he was up to something.
"Smart play,Yugi-Boy. Not even glancing at the card until it was played,so as to evade my Millenium Eye's magic without puting Little Yugi's life at risk. But once again you have underestemated me."
"What?!"
"It's my turn."Pegasus drew a card from his own deck,looked at it,and laughed again,"First,I'll use the Magic Card Brain Control to take control of your Time Wizard."he lightly placed the Brain Control card on the field. Two ghostly hands clenched themselves around the Time Wizard and pulled him onto the other side of the field,next to Relinquished.
"No! Time Wizard!"
"And next..."Pegasus took another card from his hand,"I'll play this little doodad."He turned the card to face me,so I could see it. It was a magic card,and it's picture was a hand of playing cards,all aces,one of each type;heart,spade,club and diamond.
"What is that?"
"It's called Time Gamble. It's a special card I made just for this very duel. Let me show you how it works."He placed the card on the field. The Time Wizard spun a few times,and when it stopped,it's Time Roulette wand had changed from four skulls and two time machines to the four playing card symbols.
"Time Gamble changes the Time Roulette power of the Time Wizard so that the steaks are much higher. Instead of effecting Duel Monsters or Life Points,it effects the fate of your soul."I gasped. My soul? What does that mean?
"The heart represents what is. If the arrow lands on that,nothing happens,and your soul is safe. The spade represents what was,and your soul will be sent to the past,unable to change anything. The diamond is what will be,and you will be sent to the future. The club,my personal favorite,represents what could have been,the possible past."
So the new Time Roulette will send my soul to the time period specified by the arrow. This was bad. With my soul gone,Yugi will be unable to defend himself. His own soul will be shredded and lost in the Shadow Realm,and Pegasus will be free to take the Millenium Puzzle. My only hope was for the arrow to land on a heart.
"Go,Time Wizard! Spin Time Roulette!"
Slowly at first,then faster and faster,the arrow spun,making me dizzy as I watched. I prayed to Ra once again. Please spare me. Please be a heart.
The arrow began to slow. It went sluggishly accross the spinner. I closed my eyes and crossed my fingers.
A bell-like sound was heard. I opened my eyes. The arrow had landed on a club.
"You lose,Spirit of the Millenium Puzzle!"Pegasus laughed maniacly as my surroundings grew,if possible,darker. I felt as though a great hole had opened underneith me. My soul left the Millenium Puzzle...left Yugi's body. I saw Yugi's small,fragile form collapse to the floor,then the world spun around me. All I knew was the whistling in my ears and the feeling of my stomach in my throat. I was falling...falling...falling...falling...
Chapter 2
I opened my eyes. I was lying face-down on a hard concrete pavement. The impact I must have hit would have squashed me to jelly,but surprisingly I was unharmed. It must have been part of the Time Wizard's magic.
I pushed myself into a sitting position. I wasn't sure where I was,but I was definetly somewhere in Domino City. I was in an ally between two buildings. Out ahead of me was the city,as busy as ever. Cold white snow stuck to my hands and soaked through my clothes.
Suddenly everything that had just happened hit me with full force. The Time Gamble Roulette had landed on a club. I had been sent to the possible past. And Yugi...my poor little Hikari...without my soul to support him...his own soul was...tears welled up in my eyes as I recalled the horrible image I saw before I fell into this world. I failed. I failed Yugi.
What was I going to do now? I had been so determined to protect my lighter half that I never thought of it. Was there anything else I could do?
I figured the best thing to do first was to possibly find out what time I was in. I slowly rose to my feet and began to walk into town. There wasn't much difference in appearance,so I couldn't have gone too far back. It must have been close to Christmas,as there were brightly colored lights and decorations on every house and store on the street,and people were racing back and forth,their arms full of packages and bags. The sun was slowly setting in the west. I looked around and saw a used book store nearby. Surely they would have a callendar!
The jingle bells on the door tinkled as I opened it. Warmth imediatly wrapped around my body. Christmas Carols were playing softly on a nearby radio. I stepped into the tiny store and looked around. Sure enough,sitting on the reception desk was a little daily calendar. I walked toward it and leaned foreward to get a good look at it. It read December tenth,2000(A/N:As a random,half-logical guess,I placed the series in 2006,as it couldn't be too far ahead of us,but definetly in the near future. Hollographic simulations that can read cards would definetly take a while to be invented. I'll shut up now.). So I hadn't gone too far back. Only about six years.
"May I help you?"a voice said,making me jump. I looked up and saw a woman coming from the other room.
"Oh no,I was just browsing. Er...Merry Christmas."I exited the store. So now I knew what year I was in. Now what? Was there anything I could possibly do with my life,now that I'd lost the one thing I cared for?
Suddenly,as if Ra himself was answering me,I heard a voice crying "Stop! Theif!"I whipped around,and saw a young boy running across the snowy street. I couldn't believe my eyes.
It was Yugi. But he looked different. He was,if possible,a bit shorter then normal,and the features in his face weren't as pronounced. He looked like he was about eight years old. He was unnaturally skinny,his clothes were baggy and torn,and his face was covered with bruises and scratches.
I watched as he ran down the street,a small object clamped in his little hands. He had just reached the other side when someone grabbed him around the waist.
"Lemme go!"I heard Yugi scream as he kicked and thrashed in the woman's grip. She tried to take the object(which appeared to be a big red apple)from him,but he refused to let go of it.
"No! I-It's mine! Leggo!"Yugi struggled out of her grasp and stumbled backwards. By now everyone on the street had surrounded him. He looked around franticly,searching for means of escape.
"Now young man,"the woman said,trying to sound patient and reasoning,"You know it's wrong to steal. Just give me that apple and we'll let you go with no punishment."she held out her hand.
"No!"Yugi backed away,shaking his head. The woman was shocked,but other people in the crowd spoke up.
"Can you blame him? I mean look at him! Poor boy must be half starved!"
"Do you suppose he's lost?"
"Lost,or homeless."the first woman stepped closer,bending down to Yugi's level. He backed away a bit more.
"Are you lost,little boy?"she asked kindly. Yugi said nothing.
"Where are your mommy and daddy? Are you an orphan?"again Yugi said nothing,but he seemed to cringe at the word 'orphan'.
"What is your name? I could help you get home."Yugi looked at her with a face of pure horror. Then he backed away even more,shaking his head and wimpering quietly.
"What's the matter? Don't you want to go home?"
"N-no!"Yugi repeated.
"You need food and shelter,young man. Please,come with me."She smiled softly and held her hand out.
"NO!"Yugi screamed,then turned and ran,pushing his way through the crowd. Everyone was absolutly shocked.
"Now what's with him? He seemed terrified of you,dear."
"That just wasn't right! Even homeless aren't afraid of other people!"
"But I wonder...those scars on his face...do you think he was...?"
"The poor boy. Such a sad sight,especially at Christmas time."
I ignored the crowd and watched Yugi run down the street,crying. As quickly and quietly as I could,I ran after him. Something was troubling my Aibou,and I was going to find out. As long as he was alive,no matter what the circumstances,I was going to protect him.
***
Yugi ran until his weary legs couldn't run anymore. He started to walk. As he did,I noticed that he was limping,as though serious damage had been done to his leg. This was getting more suspicious by the minute.
A lot of the walking was uneventful,but then something happened. Yugi stopped walking. He looked up at the building we were passing by. There was a long pause,then he looked away and began to run,as if frightened by the building. I glanced up at it. A big sign on the front read in big bold letters;
Domino City Orphanage
Yugi did seemed frightened when the woman asked him if he was an orphan. My guess as to what was going on was growing more and more likely.
I continued to follow Yugi for what felt like hours. Finally,he turned a corner and disappeared into a thin back-alley between two appartment complexes. Not wanting Yugi to see me,I peered around the corner very slightly.
The alley was musty and smelly,with garbage strewn all over the place. In the corner was a small pile of thrown-out dirty clothes which must have been used as a bed. Over it,there was a big,ragged table cloth draped over two iron rods that were propped against the wall,like a canopy. A tiny fire was burning in a pile of sticks in the opposite corner. It looked as though Yugi was using this place as shelter.
Yugi knelt in front of the fire,trying to warm his freezing,numb fingers. He took the apple he stole from the supermarket out of his pocket and began eating it quickly and greedily,as if he hadn't eaten in days. Sadly I watched the pitiful sight,consuming the little food he had,the light of the fire highlighting the blemishes on his skin.
Yugi tossed the apple coar aside and stood up,shivering. Slowly he hobbled to his bed of old fabric and lay himself down. He pulled a thin,moldy blanket over him and curled up undernieth it. He shivered for a few minutes,but then started to fall asleep.
Chapter 3
The next morning it had begun to snow. Most of the Christmas lights had gone off,and once again people were running about shopping.
I brushed a few crystaline snowflakes out of my hair as I walked down the road. I hardly noticed the people I was almost bumping into. My mind was set on one thing. I had to see the deal with that orphanage.
***
Home-made Christmas decorations were hung all over the front of the building. When I entered,though,the lobby was almost entirely empty of both decorations and people. There wasn't even a secretary at the front desk. Maybe they weren't open today and some clutz forgot to lock the door.
Either way,I went past the front desk and made my way down the long hallway. This building must have been really old. The walls were beginning to show signs of age,and the celing was dusty and covered in cobwebs. The designs of the wallpaper and the tile floor looked like they were made a long time ago.
At last I found a tall,wooden doorway. I heard some noise within. This must have been the dormitory. I opened the door just barely and looked into the crack.
It was,indeed,the dormitory. There were two rows of bunk beds,one on each side. I'm guessing that one side was for boys and the other was for girls. There were lots of little boys and girls playing around inside. They looked like they were in the five to eleven year range.
Suddenly,further back in the room,a fight broke out between a pair of children;a boy and a girl. The boy had the girl in a headlock and was pulling her hair. The girl was screaming and trying to grab her opponent. All the other children had gathered around them to watch the fight,making it harder to see what was going on.
Only a few moments after the fight had started,someone entered the room from a door on the other side. A woman. She must have been a teacher or headmistress or something. She was tall and skinny with thin black hair that had been cut so short that she looked like someone out of those "Join the army" posters that Yugi had been studying at school. She had blood-red nails so long they were more like claws,and her arms were long and muscular.
She saw the two children fighting and almost litterally shoved her way through the crowd.
"Break it up! Break it up!!!"she screeched. Her voice reminded me of a Harpy Lady. She grabbed the boy by the scruff of the neck and wrestled the girl from his grip. The girl was soon freed,then the headmistress(or whatever she was)slapped the boy hard across the face with a loud SMACK! that made me jump.
"What have I told you about fighting?!?"she screached at him,waving a finger at him so hard that her nails threatened to scratch his nose,"What have I told you?!?! That it's against the rules,right?!?! RIGHT!?!"At this point the poor little boy was clutching the place where he was hit and choking back sobs. I could see the tears welling in his eyes.
"Mrs.--"he started to say,but she quickly slapped him again across the other cheek.
"Don't you talk back to me! I'm the headmistress and you do as I say,YOU GOT IT!??!?!"the boy said nothing. He just stood there,sobbing quietly.
"You didn't answer me!! Stop crying!!! Stop crying right now!!!!!"she threatened to hit him again by lifting the back of her hand to him.
At this point the headmistress's screaming was completely drowned out to me. I noticed movement in the crowd of people watching. One boy had put his arms around a younger one and was walking him to the door. I quickly stepped back to let the door open as they stepped out.
The older boy looked about eight years old. He had light brown hair that barely scraped his shoulders,and blue eyes that were entirely focussed on the little one.
The younger one looked only five. His untidy black hair grew all the way down his back and his greyish-violet eyes were filled with tears. He was shaking and sobbing in the older one's arms.
"I hate this place,big brother. Why did we have to come here?"I heard the little one cry.
"This was the only place we had to go."the older brother replied,"But don't worry,I'm here to protect you."he hugged the younger gently and protectivly. I knew at that point who they were;Seto and Mokuba Kaiba,when they were young.
Kaiba slowly looked up and saw me. Gently he pushed Mokuba behind him.
"Did you..."he started to say,"hear all that?"I knew he was referring to the headmistress.
"Yes."I replied grimly,"Is she always like that?"
"I'm afraid so. But the sad part is that this was one of her good moods."
"Really?"
"Yeah. She's letting him off easy now. But sometimes she drinks a lot of booze,and then things get really ugly. She gave me this,"he pointed to a big bruise over his left eye,"and gave my brother this."he gently lifted the back of Mokuba's shirt and showed me. Fingernail scratches were all over his back and shoulders.
"She did all that?"Kaiba nodded
"I'm beginning to think we should've been like Mokuba's friend,Yugi."my eyes perked up. He knew Yugi!
"Yugi?"I asked,hoping I sounded like I didn't know him.
"He used to live here. My brother made friends with him. He got the worst of it when Mrs. Garris was drunk. Every time. He ran away about a week ago."
I knew it! Child abuse! That's why Yugi's in such bad shape! And that's why he's afraid of everyone! He thinks that they'll hurt him! And now I knew that he was friends with Mokuba. That could be the key to earning his trust.
Unfortunetly,we didn't have any more conversation time,for the harpy's screech rang out from behind the closed doors.
"Kaibas!! Where are you?!?"angry footsteps were heard. Kaiba just barely had time to mouth "Get out of here!" before Mrs. Garris burst the door open. I quickly hid behind a nearby plant and watched.
"What are you two doing out here?!? I didn't say you could leave the room!!! Get in here!!! NOW!!!!!!!"I winced as she grabbed Kaiba by the hair and Mokuba by the scruff of his neck and dragged them back into the dormitory.
She kicked the door shut with a loud SLAM!!! that shook dust off the celing. I took heed in Kaiba's word and left as quickly as I could.
***
The snow had begun to fall harder and faster now. I made my way down back to Yugi's shelter,the snow clinging to my hair and eyelashes. He probably wouldn't be going anywhere in this weather.
I found it pretty quickly. Sure enough,Yugi was still there,curled up under the only sorce of warmth he had. Poor boy must have been freezing. I slowly and quietly approached him. He was still asleep.
I carefully began to unbutton my jacket. It was a nice jacket,made from real leather with soft,comfortable fabric lining the inside. It was very warm,perfect for wintertime.
I slid the jacket off of my shoulders,shuddering as the cold touched my bare arms. This was my only sorce of warmth,but Yugi needed it more then I did. I gently draped it over his little body. He didn't wake up,but he snuggled into the warmth left in my jacket by my wearing it before. He was much more comfortable.
I wanted to stay longer,but the newfound cold without my jacket forced me to leave for shelter.
Chapter 4
The cold cut through me like a knife. I didn’t realize how used to the warm Egyptian air I was until now. Any other man could have been ok in this weather, but I was paralyzed with cold, hugging myself and shivering like a leaf in the breeze.
“Why don’t you have a coat, sonny?”
I turned to meet the owner of that voice. It was an old woman, smiling gently at me.
“You must be freezing!” she exclaimed, ”Here, put this on before you catch cold.” she lifted a blue wool sweater up to me. You can always count on an old woman to have an extra sweater or two. I politely took it and nodded in thanks.
Gently I slipped my arms through the sleeves of the sweater. The wool itched a little bit at first, but then it was warm and comfortable. It wasn’t often that I received such a nice gift from a total stranger.
I continued my way down the road, easily weaving through the crowd of people. I wasn’t even aware that I was moving. My mind was clouded with the thought of what I had just seen. Yugi, my own Hikari, abused! I couldn’t stand the thought of anyone doing harm to him. Especially someone who is supposed to be protecting him. I could only imagine the suffering he must have gone through. I just couldn’t stand it.
Suddenly I was pulled back into reality. I was on an empty street surrounded by houses. Lights twinkled all around the rooftops and snowmen perched themselves in front of every other house.
I caught my reflection in a nearby window. I chuckled to myself that I looked good in the sweater I had received. But then my eyes wandered beyond my reflection and I saw into the house that owned the window. It was a small, cozy-looking room, lit only by the warm fire glowing in the fireplace. There were three people within; a man and woman, and a little boy, no older then eight turns. I watched quietly as the little one pranced about happily, taking the shimmering glass balls of red and green that his mother handed him one at a time and placing them lovingly on the big pine tree sitting upon a rug in the corner.
I leaned back against the wall. I hadn’t resided awake in the Millennium Puzzle long enough to see many Christmases, but watching this child brought back one of my fondest memories of my early days connected with Yugi…
***
“Oh wow, Grandpa! It’s beautiful! The best Christmas tree you’ve ever brought home!”
I didn’t know that they were doing, but it intrigued me. I stayed in the puzzle and continued to watch. Yugi run about the storeroom gathering boxes and carrying them to the living room. Muffled rattling and jingling sounds came from within the boxes. I wondered what was in them that made such pleasant, almost musical sounds.
Soon Yugi had brought up all the boxes. He looked up at the handsome tree that his grandfather had brought home. It had thick, healthy branches of needles and it just barely scraped the ceiling. A smile stretched across his face. I didn’t know what about this tree was making him so happy, but I couldn’t help smiling to myself as I watched.
Yugi began to open the boxes. There was a long, green cord inside. It rattled softly as he pulled it out. There was a little plug on the end. Curiously I watched Yugi take the plug end of the cord and push it gently into an outlet behind the tree. I was startled and dazzled at the same time. Hundreds of little lights all around the cord lit up in bright colors of red, blue, yellow and green.
Once the lights were wrapped around the tree, Yugi returned to the boxes and extracted a long, silvery mass that felt so soft between his fingers, like the fur of a cat, almost. It rustled quietly as he carried it to the tree. The colors from the lights reflected off of its surface as it was lovingly draped around the fresh pine limbs. Beautiful. I didn’t know what this was all about, but it was beautiful nevertheless.
Whatever this unusual ritual was, it continued to play with my senses and dazzle my mind. Everything amazed me, from the glittered glass balls that felt so brittle in Yugi’s hands, to the tiny gold bells that tinkled in a pleasant melody, to the sweet-smelling candy that hooked onto the branches so gently. I didn’t know it then, but soon I would see what this whole ceremony was about, and it would soften my heart the way Yugi’s smile does.
***
I opened my eyes. I must have fallen asleep, for I was sitting on the white ground, still leaning against the wall. I slowly brought myself up and dusted the snow off of my pants and legs. That dream had given me determination. Someway, somehow, I was going to help Yugi, and punish the woman that had done this to him.
