A/N: As much as I would LOVE to I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters. I do however own my character and the story <3
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As I walked down the street, I kept my head lowered as usual. The surprised, and sickened looks I attracted from other people on the street embarrassed me to no end. Tripping over my shoelace, I tumbled to the ground; adding yet another scrape to my already bleeding arm. I cried out, but pulled my self up. 'I refuse to be weak. How can I expect to become a strong duelest, and defeat those dumb bullies at school if I cry over some stupid scrapes?' Although, there are much more than just a couple scrapes on my body. My arms are such a dark color from the bruises alone it was hard to believe, and my once new shirt was hanging off my small frame in shreds.
It had been the same routine everyday since Duel Monsters had been introduced by the great Maximillion Pegasus. Once I get to school, a group of guys who call themselves the best duelest in Domino City beat the shit out of me. They believe Duel Monsters to be a "mans" game and that girls don't deserve the right to play. They seem to believe that hitting me and making me bleed a little will stop me. That it will scare me into never playing again; but they are sorely wrong. No matter what they do I will not give in. I may just be some eight year old girl, but I'm a great duelest...and one day I will show that to the rest of the world.
As I was limping home, I spotted the orphanage that I pass everyday, its my signal that I'm almost home. Sighing in relief, I knew that my mom would be home to help me clean my freshly opened wounds. Then, remembering yesterdays conversation I felt my face fall sadly.
~Flashback to yesterday~
My mother sighed as I limped through the kitchen door.
"Again Melinda? When are those boys going to leave you alone?" She asked the worn out question. I felt a couple tears leak from my eyes. The only person who ever saw me cry was my mother.
"I'm sorry mother. But I refuse to give in to them." I sat down at the kitchen table as my mother carried the first aid kit over to me. She continued ranting as she began cleaning the gash on my leg. Today they had actually used sticks on me.
"They are never going to stop, you need to tell a teacher," she insisted. I winced as the peroxide touched my open flesh, and rapidly shook my head back and forth.
"No! I am just as much allowed to play CARD game as them! They're just stupid boys!" I yelled like a child. I sounded like a little girl who was complaining that boys had cooties. My mothers sad eyes looked up at me from my leg. She gently touched my bruised face.
"You are so stubborn my daughter." I smiled, it hurt but I didn't let it show. I had grown very tough since we moved here.
"I must have gotten that from you," I stated. My mom tried to smile but it failed and she quietly went back to bandaging my leg. I knew how much it hurt her to see me like this everyday. Worse each day when I came home from school. But what was I going to do? I would never, NEVER, give in to ANYONE.
~Back to present~
I blinked my eyes and looked at my surroundings. Noticing a swing set over by the orphanage, I went to sit on it and rest before I finished walking home. As soon as I sat down, my leg cried in relief as the pain started to decrease, and it began to pulsate as if it had its own heart beat. I breathed in the fresh air as the wind blew gently through my long dark brown hair. Suddenly, my little peace was disturbed by a couple of voices.
"Seto...look over their. Who is that girl?" Came one voice. Keeping my head lowered, I looked up through the curtain on my hair to find the owner of the voice. I noticed two bodies; one was short, and he appeared to be younger than I; he had long, messy black hair. I looked to the taller one who appeared to be older than me, with brown hair that fell to the back of his neck and into his eyes just slightly.
