Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Whisper Autumn Nights ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

Salem, Massachusetts - 1703

The tavern was packed with drunken men and card players. A brown haired waitress stood behind the bar countertop, her head pillowed in her arms and a bored expression on her face.

"Hey, waitress! Gimme another round!"

The girl stood up straight and looked towards the man who had called her. A frown appeared on her face. The man looked too drunk to even walk. "Sir, I don't think you need another drink."

The man glared. "Who said it was yer business, girl?! I'm a man and you do what I say!" He banged his hand down on the counter. "Now gimme another round! It should in on the house because of your disobedience."

The brunette sighed and complied, grabbing a glass off the shelf and filling it with beer. She handed it back to the man and walked away from the counter. She really hated her job, especially when she had customers so rude.

Her blue eyes swept upward as the doors to the tavern jingled open. A tall man in a long, brown trench coat stepped inside. He was soaking wet from head to toe due to the heavy storm outside and there was a scowl on his tanned face.

`Geez, it's about time someone good-looking came into this tavern,' the girl said to herself, walking forward to greet the new customer.

He stopped when he was right in front of her, and then the scowl suddenly disappeared. "Is there a room I can stay in here for the night?" He questioned. His crimson eyes searched hers for a minute, and the he smirked. "Teana, is it?"

Teana stepped back a bit; shocked that he knew her name. "How...how did you...?"

The smirk intensified as he put a finger to her lips. "I know these things," he whispered, winking. He walked a bit away from her. "And it's on your nametag."

Teana blushed. "You scared me, you know?" she replied, putting a hand on her hips. "So what's your name?"

"Atemu."

"Atemu?" The brunette repeated; the word being foreign on her tongue. "I take it you're not from around here with a name like that."

Atemu smiled, finding the Southern accent the girl spoke with rather cute. "No, I'm not."

Teana nodded. "So what brings you to America?"

The crimson eyed man shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I was looking for something." He stuffed his hands in his pockets, giving another one of his crooked smiles. "Not having much luck, though."

The brunette smiled and nudged against the tall man. "Maybe you're just looking in all the wrong places." She tossed her long brown hair in his face and headed towards a wooden staircase. "I'll show you to your room."

Atemu grinned and followed closely behind her. When they reached the room, he rounded on her, gripping her by her upper arm. "Any chance I could get you to stay with me the night?" he questioned.

"Mr. Atemu," Teana began in a scolding tone. "I don't even know your last name."

"I don't know yours," he replied smugly.

The blue eyed girl chuckled, brushing some bangs out of her face. "It's Gardner."

"Mutou."

Teana blinked. "Pardon?"

Atemu opened the door to the rental room wider as an invitation for her to come in. "My last name. It's Mutou. Now..." He walked further into the bedroom, motioning for her to come along too. "We're fully acquainted with each other. So I'll ask you again. Is there any chance I could get you to stay the night with me?"

The young waitress shook her head, laughing quietly to herself. "Why would you want to have my company?" She questioned innocently, stepping fully into the room and closing the door behind her.

A blush spread across her cheeks as she re-faced him. She had to admit, this man, this `Atemu Mutou', was quite a handsome fellow. Though it was part of her job as a tavern girl to sometimes stay the night with men, she had never been so flustered around them before. They were usually just drunken slobs. But not this man. He was different somehow.

Atemu hooked an arm around her waist and lowered his face so that his lips were close to her ear. "I happen to like beautiful things," was the reply before he swiftly moved lower and captured her lips with his own.

XXX

"Their relationship had been a very passionate one. It had lasted five blissful years, and then was destroyed when Atemu caught Teana with his cousin, Azzizi, Feeling betrayed and heartbroken, Atemu left Salem in a fury...returning only when he received the news of Teana's death three years later.

The death of his beloved had hit Atemu like a brick wall. He realized that one day he, too, would die. And what would be he after that? Nothing. His body would decompose, going back into the earth where it had been before he was born.

Atemu couldn't bare the thought of death. It was a punishment that he didn't deserve. If anyone deserved it, it was his deceitful cousin. And that was when an idea came to him. Atemu made a deal with the Devil himself; selling his soul and in the process gaining eternal life.

Thirsty for revenge, and now with the unlimited powers of Darkness that the Devil had bestowed upon him, the first thing Atemu had done was unleash his wrath upon Azzizi.

The murder of Azzizi was witnessed, and Atemu was burned alive in the center of the town. But because of his immortality he did not die, only fell into a deep slumber. A slumber that, to this day, he has not awakened from. Only by the reincarnation and meeting of his lost love, Teana, and his treacherous cousin, Azzizi, can cause his jealous Spirit to come back to this realm once again...."

The bell rang loudly. The students of classroom B2 clapped when their teacher finished telling the story. Slowly they rose from their seats and shuffled out the door, chattering loudly with their friends.

"Happy Halloween!" Ms. Ishtar said as the teenagers left the room in a rush. She sat back down at her desk, looking up when she noticed one student lagging behind. "Mr. Muto, what's wrong?"

The short boy blinked at the inquiry. "Oh nothing, Ms. Ishtar. That story was just a little...unnerving, that's all."

The black haired woman straightened some papers on her desk. "Well, it's just a fictional tale, Mr. Muto. You have nothing to worry about." She smiled kindly at him.

Yugi nodded. "I know, it was just scary. Plus, today being Halloween makes it all the more believable."

Ms. Ishtar chuckled. "Well, like I said before, it's just a tale. There's no such thing as vampires."

"Is that what he was turned into?"

The teacher smiled, remember that Yugi was a new student and that he hadn't heard the legend before, unlike the rest of the students at Domino High. "Yes. According to the story, Atemu was granted eternal life...but in order to stay alive, he was required to drink the life of others."

"That's disgusting," the short boy said, sticking his tongue out. "I don't understand how someone could be so evil."

Ms. Ishtar stood up, piling some papers into her brown briefcase. "Well Mr. Muto, I must be going. I'm bringing my niece Trick-Or-Treating for the first time tonight, and I still need to finish putting together her costume." She walked over to the door and opened it for him. "Have a nice weekend."

Yugi nodded, scurrying out of the classroom and towards his locker. The hallways were not as crowded as they were when school first let out. Small groups of friends were clumped together in corners and on the stairwells, but they were hardly in his way.

`I can't wait until tonight,' the boy thought, twirling the combination to his locker. `Anzu actually agreed to go to the school's Halloween dance with me!'

Anzu Mazaki...She was popular. Honors roll student and the captain of the competitive cheerleading squad, Anzu was beautiful, benevolent, smart, and smart. Everything Yugi wanted in a girl. And she had actually agreed to go to the dance with him!

When he had first moved to Salem from Japan at the beginning of the month, he had been scared out of his wits. He thought that no one would like him. But already, he had made a group of friends.

"Hey, Yueg!"

The tri haired boy turned around, seeing a tall blonde teenager walking down the hallway. He waved and stopped when he reached the locker. "What's up, man?"

Yugi shrugged his shoulders, grabbing the necessary books from his locker and putting them neatly into his book bag. "Nothing. Just getting my books, then I'm going to go home and get my costume ready for tonight." He closed his locker and locked it back up. "What are you dressing up as tonight, Jounouchi?"

Jounouchi grinned. "Mai and I are doing a couple costume set! She's dressing up as a cop, and I'm dressing up as a jailbird!" He laughed and led his best friend out the double-door entrance of the school. "What are you going to be?"

"I already told you. I'm dressing up as Dracula. Though, after listening to that creepy story about that vampire, Atemu, I'm a little hesitant."

Jou chuckled. "That's just a stupid story they tell us every Halloween. It's not true." He shifted his backpack onto his left shoulder. "What's Anzu gonna be?"

Yugi blushed. "She didn't tell me. She said she wanted it to be a surprise."

The blonde whistled. "I bet it'll be one of them sexy girl costumes. I think she really likes you, Yueg!" He pulled the boy into a headlock and gave him a noogie. "Sheesh; one month at this school and you're already raking in the hot girls! You sly bastard! You never told me how much of a ladies man you were!"

The short teen's face was tomato red. "Jou...it's not like that. I don't think she likes me in that way." He giggled, freeing himself from the headlock. "It'd be nice if she did, but I think she only likes me as a friend. And at the moment, that's good enough for me."

"Whatever you say, pal."

"Hey, Yugi!"

Said boy turned, his face lighting up when a brown haired girl came running towards him and Jounouchi. "Hello, Anzu," he greeted politely.

Anzu smiled sweetly at him. "I was wondering what time you were going to pick me up tonight."

"P-pick you up?"

The brunette laughed. "Yeah, for the dance."

Yugi looked away, his blush returning. He didn't have a card. He didn't even have a license. "Anzu, I forgot to tell you...I-I can't pick you up tonight. I...don't have a car."

Anzu smiled in understanding. "Its okay, Yugi. I'll come get you around seven, alright?"

"O-okay..."

Waving goodbye, the teenage girl made her way back to her friends. Yugi hung his head in embarrassment. "I can't believe it. She must think I'm a total loser now."

Jounouchi rolled his eyes. "Nah. If she thought you were a loser, she would have broken the date off." He shrugged his shoulders. "Not having a car isn't that big of a deal, Yugi. Lots of people that go to this school don't have cars yet."

"But Jou, I don't even have a license."

The blonde smirked. "So? Even if you did, you don't have a car. So it doesn't make that much of a difference does it?"

The tri haired teenager sighed. "I guess not. I just...I just want her to like me." His face flushed slightly.

Sniggering to himself, Jou patted his short friend on the back. "Yeah, I know. And I'm sure she does," he said encouragingly. At hearing someone calling his name, he looked up. A grin formed on his face when seeing a red haired girl waving him over. "Gotta go, Yueg. See you tonight!"

Yugi nodded and watched as his best friend ran over to the girl waiting for him. He smiled, thinking it was cute that Jou walked home with his sister, Shizuka, everyday. It made him wish he had a sibling to walk with...or even better, a girlfriend.

Sighing once more, the short teen made his way past the school gates and slowly down the sidewalk. Humming to himself, he started kicking an empty Pepsi can in front of him. He smiled, picking up the pace. He was eager to get home and finish his costume.

Who cares if he didn't have anyone to walk home with? Tonight, Anzu was his date to the Halloween dance! She was all his for the evening, and no other guy was going to change that!

Maybe there was a chance for him and Anzu after all?

Feeling overwhelmed with joy at these thoughts, Yugi began to sprint down the street towards the house he and his grandfather lived at.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

The Old Salem graveyard was a deserted place. It was a rundown cemetery, and no one had come to visit the deceased that rested there since over three hundred years ago.

In one of the large rooms of the cemetery, a coffin lay open. A young man, who seemed no older than nineteen, lay perfectly still in the coffin. His eyes were closed, and his arms were crossed over his chest.

There was an inscription carved at the base of the tomb, written in an unknown language.

Here lies Atemu Mutou. Lover of the unfaithful, cousin of the deceitful. His body shall rest in this slumber until the meeting of the two betrayers in the next life. Born: 1684 Burned: 1711

The young man suddenly stirred, and his eyes blinked slowly open.