Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Hunted ❯ Chapter 10 ( Chapter 10 )

Malik followed Yugi to Atem's lab. As he entered, Yugi was in his normal form laughing. Malik couldn't help but laugh because Yugi still had cat ears and a tail. Atem entered, “Uh, Yugi, you might want to concentrate on losing the ears and tail.”

 

“Huh,” Yugi turned to look behind him and saw the tail, “oh, right.” After a few seconds, the ears and tail vanished. “That was fun, Yami.”

 

Atem laughed at Yugi's enthusiasm. Malik looked at Atem, “What were you guys doing in here?”

 

“Yami found some old vampire lore and wanted to test out a theory,” Yugi explained. “I volunteered.”

 

Malik brightened, “Can I try too?”

 

Atem told him what he needed to do and Malik followed the instructions. After a few minutes, he turned into a falcon. “Wow, Malik,” Atem stated, “You are really good at this.”

 

Ishizu came back in with some drinks, “How did a kestrel falcon get into the house Atem?”

 

Yugi started laughing, “That's Malik, Ishizu.”

 

“Finally living up to our heritage, little brother,” Ishizu stated.

 

 

“Malik, I heard that,” she warned her brother. Malik looked at the floor, suddenly ashamed that his sister heard his thoughts.

 

Yugi and Atem had heard Malik as well and Atem immediately started writing down his observations in the book he kept on the boys.

 

 

After Malik changed back, he and Yugi went to go look for Ryou to let him in on their newest discovery. Unfortunately, they couldn't find him or anyone else for that matter. Yugi decided to head to his room and rest from all the excitement.

 

 

Ryou had hidden in his room after waking from a nap and finding that he was a dog. He panicked and crawled under his bed. Atem entered, looking for the vampire, “Ryou, are you in here?”

 

Ryou whimpered and crawled out from under the bed. Atem knelt down, “I see that you've discovered your animal form. I must say that you look like a very healthy jackal.”

 

Ryou whined and turned to hide under his bed again. “If you concentrate on your normal appearance, you'll change back,” Atem suggested. “I'll leave so you can do so. By the way, Yugi and Malik can change as well.”

 

He left the room so that Ryou could try to change back. After he changed back, Ryou found Atem in the library, “You mentioned that Yugi and Malik can change. What did they look like?”

 

“Yugi was an Egyptian Mau and Malik was a falcon,” Atem replied. “What amazes me is that the forms you three took are in one way or another linked to Egypt. In fact, according to this book all three animals were worshipped by the ancient Egyptians.”

 

Ryou was amazed, “The strangest thing is that we were really into ancient Egypt and anything relating to it. Well, that and the animals we can become were our favorites even before we were turned.”

 

“Do you mind if I took a sample,” Atem asked, “to compare your genetic make-up to that of a regular vampire?”

 

Ryou nodded, “I suppose so.”

 

After Atem drew some blood, Ryou excused himself from the lab. He wanted to find his friends and to give Yugi his present, unless Marik found and ate it again. Ryou found Malik in the den watching a movie with Duke, Tea, and Odion. He decided to go ahead and look for Yugi.

 

 

Yugi woke from his nap feeling a little hungry. He was headed downstairs to the kitchen when he ran into Marik. “Sorry, Marik,” Yugi said.

 

Marik looked at the small vampire, “Where are you going?”

 

“I was hungry and thought I might find an apple or something to snack on,” Yugi answered.

 

Marik shrugged and headed to his room. Yugi resumed his trek to the kitchen where he found some grapes. “There you are, Yugi,” Ryou said, causing Yugi to jump. “I've been looking all over for you. I made you a special treat.”

 

Yugi's eyes brightened, “Really, Ryou? What is it?”

 

Ryou pulled a tray of cinnamon rolls and double chocolate cookies, “Here you go, Yugi. Happy Birthday.”

 

“Ryou,” Yugi said with tears in his eyes, “you didn't have to. Thank you.”

 

Ryou handed Yugi the tray and guided him from the room, “Now go. I'm going to try and order out before the sun goes down.”

 

Yugi nodded and went in search of the others to share his birthday treats with, but only after he made Ryou take a cookie. He found Tea, Odion, Duke, and Malik in the den. They took a cookie each and wished him a happy birthday. Then it was on to the library where he found Tristan, who took a roll. “Joey might be in his room listening to music or something,” he told Yugi.

 

Sure enough, that's exactly where he was. Joey took a cookie and mussed up Yugi's hair. Yugi ran into Bakura on his way to find Marik and Ishizu. “Want a cookie or a cinnamon roll,” Yugi asked him. Bakura snatched one of each before disappearing down the stairs.

 

Marik turned down Yugi's offer, but he left a large cinnamon roll on the table before leaving the room. Marik saw it and felt bad because he had stolen Yugi's treat earlier. But at the same time, he was glad that Yugi still left him one. The last stop was Atem's lab, where Yugi found both him and Ishizu. “Ryou made me a birthday treat and I wanted to share with everyone,” Yugi said as he held the tray between them.

 

Atem selected a cinnamon roll and Ishizu picked a cookie. They both thanked Yugi and wished him a happy birthday. Yugi smiled and bit into his cinnamon roll. “So, Yugi,” Atem began, “what were your birthday wishes?”

 

Yugi smiled, “I always wanted a brother, and I got you; Malik and Ryou have always been my `honorary brothers'. Ever since we escaped, I have wished for a safe place where we were accepted despite our differences. You guys took us in and accepted us. I had hoped to get to see my grandpa, and you gave that to me.”

 

“Those were very good birthday wishes Yugi,” Ishizu pointed out. Atem set his roll down, “Yugi, while you were unconscious when we first brought you in here, I took some samples. There's something I wanted to tell you.” Yugi stopped eating. “I never told anyone that I had been adopted at birth or that I had a twin.”

 

“What are you saying Yami,” Yugi asked.

 

Atem continued, “Without the slight variations from the vampiric DNA, your samples very closely match my own. Yugi, I think you may be my twin brother.”

 

Yugi dropped his treat on the floor in shock. Atem looked at the small vampire, “Yugi?”

 

“I think we need to speak with Grandpa,” Yugi whispered.