#ittybittydragons

Perhaps the dragons were sent to watch over Atem. Fierce protectors, assigned a mission from those who cared for him in the previous life. Perhaps the gods simply had a sense of humor.

Perhaps it was both.

Whatever the reason, Yugi could almost say he was used to it all at this point. Used to Gandora's glowing jewels lighting up dark rooms at night, used to watching where he put his feet so he didn't accidentally kick an inquisitive dragon underfoot, used to moving demanding reptiles off the counter to prepare dinner.

Waking up in the mornings, now, included a quick survey of the bed to see which small dragon had arranged itself around him in which position, and how much he would have to twist to slip out from under the covers without disturbing them. Often it was no use and the creatures woke anyway, immediately tumbled off the bed and followed him from the room, demanding breakfast in high voices.

This morning, however, he opened his eyes and found he was the only occupant in his bed. That should have been his first suspicion, really.

The second suspicion had the short duelist throwing the covers off and bolting upright, as the image directly in his line of sight finally sunk into his slowly waking mind. The window facing the bed had been left open to catch the summer evening breeze. And now the screen was gone.

Yugi obeyed his fist instinct and sped from the room, hurrying through his home, eyes darting around each room as he tried to locate his little charges. Surprisingly, Slifer was the first he found. The crimson dragon's hind legs and tail were poking out from under the kitchen table, the sound of scrabling claws indicating he was chasing a dust bunny again. Hearing Yugi tromp into the room, he pulled his head back and chirped demandingly at his charge.

Yugi didn't have time to address the dragon's demands and instead continued searching. He found Gandora asleep in the living room, coiled in the soft tube of the cat tree the dragons had adopted as their own. Blue Eyes was likewise, curled up on the back of the easy chair. She uncoiled and leaped up all at once as Yugi ran in, and hissed her displeasure at being woken so abruptly. Yugi barely heard her. Three down, one to go.

He was about to knock on Atem's bedroom door next, not wanting to wake the other duelist but getting desperate. A shrill screech from outside, however, decided his next course of action.

Wearing nothing but his blue pajama bottoms, Yugi bolted outside and onto the sidewalk. Thankfully it was still early, the sun not quite up above the horizon, painting the city in dim blue details. The sidewalk under his bare feet was still cool from the night. Yugi's eyes darted up and sighted the open window of his bedroom, then tracked down and found the pushed-out screen on the sidewalk directly below, beside a leafy green bush. The bush was shaking and gave another angry screech. Yugi hurried over.

"Ra," he breathed in relief, as the feathered dragon viciously attacked the offending branches for holding it in its clutches. Before Ra could work free and fly off, prompting Yugi to chase him down the sidewalk in his sleepwear, or just set the bush on fire, the duelist reached out and scooped the golden reptile out of the leaves. Bits of green and sharp twigs clung to the dragon's feathers and scales. It opened its jaw and hissed at Yugi for his audacity.

"I know, I know," he murmured, leaving the screen behind because it was more important to get Ra inside quickly and safely. He tried to soothe the ruffled feathers, putting up with the sharp talons sinking into the skin of his arms as he carried Ra back indoors. The dragon bit at his wrist for his efforts.

As soon as he was inside, Ra wiggled free and took up a position on the kitchen table, preening its feathers in a conscious manner that meant the entire morning had happened entirely as it intended. Slifer was still half under the kitchen table and peered out cautiously, avoiding Yugi's eye contact, prompting Yugi to wonder if it was the trouble-making red dragon who had actually pushed out the screen and then left Ra be the one to investigate the new "opportunity." Regardless of who was at fault, all four dragons were soon gathered in the kitchen, shrilly demanding their breakfast.