Before It All Started

Sugoroku pushed his way through the crowded heat of the Egyptian markets, holding a heavy jingling leather sack. Panting heavily, he reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out his handkerchief to wipe the dripping sweat off his brow. This was one of the only places in Egypt where the rich and the poor mingled; farmers and jewelers were lined next to each other and just about anything could be found if you searched long enough.

Suddenly, the old man was violently shoved aside. He looked up to find himself in the middle of an angry mob. Glancing around frantically, his eyes landed on a stern little man at the fruit stand, hurling swear words in rapid Arabic at a small figure on the ground who looked nearly beaten to death by the masses. Squeezing in a little further, Sugoroku could catch a clear view of the scene.

He watched as the men's fists collided into the feeble body over and over again until he finally couldn't take the sight anymore. Drawing out the handgun from his belt, he made his way through the swarm of people.

"Move aside!" he ordered, raising the gun to shoot.

The men quickly scrambled out of the way, revealing the center of attention.

It was a skinny and dark little boy who had just lost his front baby tooth, kneeling on the ground with his head raised in defiance, cradling several apples in his arms. He couldn't have been more than seven or eight years old. Harsh bruises and cuts covered the young naked body. But that wasn't what caught Sugoroku's attention. It was the strikingly familiar thick crown of dark red hair adorned with golden streaks.

He placed his sack on the ground and offered a hand to the boy, who gratefully took it. "Are you all right, son?" he asked gently.

The boy nodded wordlessly, and as he lifted his eyes, Sugoroku noticed they were a brilliant shade of crimson.

"Don't help him!" someone yelled out from the crowd. "He's a thief possessed by the devil!"

Sugoroku chose to ignore this as he knelt in front of the boy, examining him closely. "What's your name?" he asked, smiling kindly as he raised his hand to stroke the boy's hair affectionately. "You remind me of my grandson."

"Atemu," the boy answered quietly.

Sugoroku pointed to the fruits in the boy's hands. "Did you take these apples from the fruit stand, Atemu?"

"Yes, sir," Atemu said truthfully, his voice unwavering. "I was hungry."

"Do you have a home?"

The boy shifted around uncomfortably. "I live here. The streets are my home."

Sugoroku sighed and reached into his sack for his wallet. "I'll pay for the apples he stole," he said to the man at the fruit stand. "Just don't hurt him again. He's still young."

The man snatched the money from Sugoroku's hand and went back to work, pretending none of this had happened. The people in the market, however, were not satisfied.

"The boy will just steal again," a cloaked woman pointed out. "This is not the first time."

"Then what do you expect to be done with this boy?" Sugoroku asked calmly. From the corner of his eye, he could see the boy taking large bites out of one of the apples, cupping the fruit to his mouth with both hands as if it were a precious jewel. "He's an honest boy, and steals merely to keep himself alive. What harm is he to you?"

"Look at his eyes! He's possessed!" someone cried out. "And you are too if you cannot see that!"

At this comment, the crowd went wild, and Sugoroku soon found himself being attacked by at least fifty men before he had the chance to ready his gun. In his shock, the sack in his hand slipped from his fingers and out of sight. It was almost impossible to tell the target of the stampede, and Sugoroku found himself on the ground, covering his head with his arms. Suddenly, a familiar black object in the dirt next to him caught his eye. Taking his only chance, he grabbed the gun and threw a random shot in the air.

The men froze, and within minutes, there was not one person left on the same street. Even the merchants had left their stands behind. Breathing a sigh of relief, Sugoroku stood and dusted himself off, looking around for his sack. Fortunately, it was still lying on the ground, the mouth slightly open. He steadily walked over and picked it up, counting the gleaming heavy contents inside.

There was one piece missing.

Feeling somewhat worried, the old man looked around, but there was nothing in sight except for a few stones and broken glass lying around. Just as he was about to count the pieces again, he heard a light shuffling of feet behind the fruit stand.

It was Atemu, and in his hand was the golden object Sugoroku was looking for.

"Come here, Atemu," Sugoroku said firmly. "Hand me the puzzle piece."

Atemu hesitantly took a few steps forward before backing away again. "No," he said meekly, clasping the gold tightly against his bare chest. The old man suddenly felt a pang of pity for the boy as he realized the boy had nothing, not even clothes to wear. "I found it."

For a moment, Sugoroku thought of letting the boy keep it, but changed his mind. "It belongs in my pouch, Atemu," he said, as he took out another similar piece of gold from the sack, "along with the rest of the pieces."

A heavy miserable look clouded over the boy's crimson eyes as he reluctantly walked forward and dropped the puzzle piece into Sugoroku's hand. Without looking up, he turned to leave with his thin arms wrapped around his torso.

"Atemu."

Atemu spun around silently as he heard the old man call his name.

"Would you like to come with me?" Sugoroku asked. He hadn't planned on this, but his heart was filled with pity for the boy. Besides, he missed his only grandson dearly. "I run a game shop in Japan. You'll be able to see the cars and bright city lights. My plane leaves in the afternoon, so you can still come if we hurry." He watched as the boy's eyes widened in hope, shining like two lively rubies.

"Please, sir," Atemu whispered weakly. "I'd love to go."

Sugoroku smiled warmly. "Come, let's get you something to wear outside these markets." He took the boy's hand in his own and continued on his way just as he had before.

Only this time, he was bringing along someone who would change everything.

- - -

Note: Okay, I've been wanting to write this story since forever, and I was about to burst from thinking about for so long. So here it is: the first chapter/story of the big thing. Atemu (or Yami) is eight at the moment, and Yuugi (who you will meet next chapter) is five. The goal of the story is to get the reader really attached to both characters, I guess. It's also to give a different approach to their relationship, since a lot of AUs usually make Yami into this sexy possessive guy who meets Yuugi in their later years and they hit it off immediately.

Yami - Something wrong with my sexy and possessive side?

Yuugi - …no, not at all. In fact, I like it.

Lanlan - Yeah, Yuugi's right. I'm just trying to hard to be original.

Yami - That had better be the case… (evil glare)

Don't worry, I haven't given up on Love, Yuugi. And I definitely won't be giving it up anytime soon. Anyway, you guys like the new idea? Any suggestions? Corrections on my grammar/spelling? Please review! Thanks! =]