Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Duel Master ❯ Chapter Two:: Doppleganger ( Chapter 2 )

Title: Duel Master

Series: YuGiOu

Author: Katsuya Bakura

Genre: drama/angst/action

Warnings: violence, evil Yuugi (since when DON'T my fics have an evil Yuugi 0.0??), yaoi

Plot Bunny: It's been two years since anyone last saw Yuugi Mutou...... But now that Kaiba's holding a new tournament during winter vacation, just why are Marik's Rare Hunters back...when they're not even his anymore?

Disclaimer: You already know I don't own it, do I have to type it up for you again? If I owned it, you think you'd be seeing this on your TV screen rather than your computer one, ne? Oh, I only own Setsuna Seigyoku, Priestess of the Scales. ^.^ I thought it was about time Shaadi-chan got a girlfriend *glomps Shaadi plushie*

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~ Last Time ~

A blink. "The future world? What do you mean by that?" The stranger removed the hood of the cloak and the teen gasped at the resemblance, swallowing at the dark bloodstones and the tricoloured hair stood out like white on black, so to speak.

"I control time, space, anything else you can dream of. I AM you, little Yugi, a dark version of you. And you are the future ruler of the universe, the one they call the Duel Master........."

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- Chapter Two: Doppelganger -

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Yami was woken up by insistent pounding on the door downstairs at the back. Irritably grumbling, the ancient Pharaoh glanced at the alarm clock, which read 2:30 a.m.(1) before rubbing his eyes and getting up, placing a midnight-blue robe around his body. Sugoroku had died about three months ago so he lived on his own, running the Turtle Game Shop. He had tried to reach his hikari during that time but Yugi's mind traps were surprisingly strong for the little one...... Yami shook his head, the pounding getting louder as he neared the door. Now wasn't the time to dwell on the past, especially with that all-important KaibaLand tournament coming up in a couple of weeks come the end of school......

"A tournament is more important than me?" The voice was merely a hushed whisper but still audible. Yami froze slightly, turning around while his eyes widened in shock. His aibou was sitting on the kitchen countertop, dressed in elegant black robes of the magician design, scraping dried blood off a dagger's blade with sharp black nails, on his forehead a black upside-down Hex symbol. Yugi's long hair was pulled back in a loose braid, the blonde bangs flowing freely, one leg up beneath his chin while the other dangled off the edge of the countertop. Dulled amethysts narrowed and looked at him. "I really should have known better than to think otherwise."

"Y-Yugi......I......" His stammering was cut off by a cold smirk and the pounding on the door. "Spare me your goddamned lies, bastard, and just answer the door." The dagger disappeared in a sparkle of black light and the cold smirk grew as Yugi slid off the countertop gracefully. "Well?" There was uncomfortable silence between the "twins", minus the pounding for a minute, before Yami tentatively reached forward and opened the door, not expecting to be flung to the floor by a silver-white blur which turned out to be Ryou with his darkness not too far behind.

"Yami." Ryou panted slightly, looking as though he had run through the rainstorm to get here, Bakura looking a little puffed as well as the tomb raider closed the door and leant against it gratefully. The Pharaoh blinked before getting up, setting Ryou onto the ground in the process before the half-albino followed suit. "It's two thirty-five in the morning, Ra damnit." Crimson orbs glanced sideways a little to look at the area of the countertop, hiding his surprise when nothing was there. Maybe it was the morning haze giving him hallucinations...... Yami shook his head before going over to the cupboard and handing the two half-albinos towels to dry off, which were accepted gratefully. The fire was still burning in the heater so the ancient Pharaoh lead them into the den, the tomb thief flipping a light switch. The three let their eyes adjust to the sudden brightness of the room before talk began.

"What brings you two here at this hour?" Yami asked, taking the recliner while the other two took the couch. Ryou looked at Bakura, who nodded, before sighing deeply. "We ran into Yugi......but he's not the same as we remember him to be." Chocolate met crimson for a brief second, noticing the surprise in the Pharaoh's eyes. "I know it's a shock but it's true. The way he talks, the way he looks......he's not who he was before. He calls himself the Duel Master."

There was silence between the three for a moment with nothing but the rain pounding on the roof stopping the total silence. A loud crash was suddenly heard upstairs and a stream of curses in all the languages followed in three familiar voices. Yami, Bakura and Ryou began to go upstairs to see the cause of the noises.

"Ra damnit, Jeto, you could have warned us about the landings!"

"I'm actually surprised one of his inventions worked, miracles DO happen!" Maniacal snickering.

"Uresai, Hikura, you know as well as I do that the first test was a fluke!"

The three could hear the first voice snort and say "Yeah right, in your dreams" as they stood outside the door of the guest room, eyes wide in some kind of shock. Standing in the centre of the trio was an adult who looked like someone had tried to merge Seto and Jou. Dead straight chin-length blonde hair (a/n; think the Android twins from DBZ), blue eyes that could bury you six feet under if looks could kill and wearing some sort of metal contraption that consisted of what looked like the thing you wore in that laser game connected to three golden circlets that were around their wrists and wired to a crystal-looking gemstone. He was wearing a dark green trenchcoat, black tank t-shirt, black jeans and combat boots, along with what looked to be duellist kingdom-type gloves only they were, you guessed it, black instead of pinkish-red and there was metal knuckle-bombs over them and a golden object practically clinging to his throat.

The second one looked like Bakura and Ryou, only a little different. For one, his untamed hair was brown while his eyes were blue, not the cold blue as the other but there was still the maniacal gleam to them. He was wearing a black turtleneck covered by a white trenchcoat similar to the other's, faded blue jeans and combat boots along with the same gloves as the other but the knuckle-bombs were replaced with spikes that looked sharp and deadly to the touch. There was a gun holster around his waist and, oddly enough, the millennium ring hung around his neck.

The last one looked like Yami, only with violet eyes and the lightning bolts weren't in his hair, which was all blonde, he was also a bit on the feminine side. He wore a sleeveless black trenchcoat covering a sleeveless red silk shirt, army cargo pants and combat boots, along with the same gloves the other two had, the knuckles covered by gold orbs, and various Egyptian jewellery covered his arms. The millennium puzzle lay around his neck.

The first one sighed and shook his head, starting to fiddle with the contraption around his body. "Look, I already told you guys once, that first test didn't work out because we didn't have the millennium crystal to power it up. You guys know it's the only item that will work my little time machine."

The Yami look-alike took the gold band off his wrist, the Bakura look-alike doing the same. "Well since we know it works now, Jeto, you can go back and fetch the others so they can help this blasted mission." Yami's doppelganger ran a hand through his blonde hair. "Jeez, my insides still feel weirded out by that trip," he stated as the other blonde, seemingly called Jeto, disappeared in a sparkle of dust, taking the contraption with him.

"Explanation please. Preferably now." The blonde and the brunet doppelgangers glanced towards the door, finding the other three staring at them in confusion. The brunet gave a cheesy grin, which was countered by the maniacal gleam in his eyes.

"Um......hi?"

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- Elsewhere -

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Yugi studied himself in front of the full-length mirror, looking at his regalia. It both looked and felt different. He ran a hand over the skin-tight robes, feeling the silk material like he had never touched it before. It was certainly a change from what he had been wearing mere hours before - he felt cleansed and refreshed but most importantly......dangerous. The way the Duel Master had described the future to him sounded heavenly......or was that hellish? Yugi felt cold hands clutch at his shoulders but was already familiar with their touch.

"How are you feeling?" his doppelganger asked, a cold smile curling. "Different," he murmured back, copying the smile. It was somewhat disturbing, nothing like how he used to be. But sweet, kind Yugi Mutou was gone, betrayed by those he thought he could trust, dead on the streets like homeless trash. No, this Yugi was unforgiving, merciless, cold, cruel......everything he should have been in the first place. "Did you watch?" Yugi asked as his future self sat down on the silk-sheeted bed. Black silk. Black was his colour now, the same colour as his soul and heart. No longer would he wear such trivial colours as blue or yellow, they presented innocence, presented light. He was darkness, had always been darkness and always would be. Black was the colour of darkness, as was dark red.

"Of course," the Duel Master stated, crossing his arms over his chest regally. "You were very good, learning how to manipulate images so quickly. But of course, you are me. I am merely here to make sure the future runs its same course for you as it did for me.

"What would have happened if you hadn't decided this should be so?" the little one asked, turning away from the mirror to regard him. "What would have happened had you not interfered with the time stream, mou mirai no boku(2)?"

"You would have eventually been taken by the darkness anyway," his future self purred lightly, tapping his chin with a forefinger. "I'm just here to make sure those worthless bakas don't form the resistance that plagues my reign." A dark look grew in Yugi's eyes. "You mean to say that in the future we have all the power in the world at our disposal and yet we have a measly little rebellion blocking our way to perfection? I can probably guess that pathetic "Pharaoh" Yami and his little friends, correct?" Already he was beginning to feel a hunger for power.

"Actually, since Yami and Marik merge in the future their name is Yarik," the Duel Master stated calmly, standing from his seat. "As have Jounouchi and Kaiba, the little half-albinos and Hiroto along with Mazaki and Kujaku and little Mokuba and Shizuka. Yarik, Jeto, Hikura, Maizu and Shikuba. Yes, those are the names of your future enemies and my current ones. You may get to meet them later on."

"How do you figure that?"

A deadly grin curled on his future self's lips, showing sharp canines. "They are already here........."

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- Mutou residence -

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The three blinked as Yarik finished explaining everything and Jeto arrived back with Maizu and Shikuba (I'm not gonna be bothered explaining their outfits, let your own imaginations run wild :P). "Let me get this straight," Yami started, pausing to get a good look at the two girls. Impressive. He shook his head, getting those perverted thoughts out of his mind before continuing. "You guys are all from the future where my aibou has unleashed the shadow realm and its darkness on the world? And we are the last hope of mankind so we fuse to make a stronger force? What of Otogi and Shaadi?"

"They would now be Ryuaadi," Hikura explained, running a hand through his brown locks. "They do our research on the apocalypse in Egypt. Even though the darkness has covered the future world, the apocalypse has yet to come for us. So far he has uncovered one riddle; "One step forward, two steps back is the rule of the world turned black. Once with success, advance again, with persistence you shall win"(3)."

"We're not exactly sure what it means as of yet," Jeto continued for Hikura, unlocking the time-travelling device from his body. "Ryuaadi is still looking it up in the ancient scrolls and will inform us of anything through my time-com. Ishid is helping him."

"Let me guess - the fusion of Isis and Rishid?" Ryou's assumption was met with an affirmative nod from the mirais. He rubbed his temples, sighing. "Don't you guys get confused? I mean, were you all reborn in the process of the fusion or do you remember when you were separate beings?"

Shikuba smiled gently, understanding dancing in her storm-grey eyes. "We do remember back when we were two separate beings, we remember every emotion we felt, everything that happened to us as individuals. And yes, it was kind of like rebirth, but not entirely. I'm still studying up on the matter with big brother."

Maizu paused for a minute and closed her eyes, the room falling silent as they watched her concentrate. According to what Yarik had told the trio, she could sense darkness in a way that none of them could. Violet eyes tore open fast and a grave look was on her face. "He's already here." Yami blinked, confused. "Who?" She looked back at him, brushing shoulder-length brown locks away from her eyes. "The Duel Master. And I'm afraid he's already taken your Yugi to the darkness. It would have happened eventually but I'm guessing he's here to make sure our future turns out the way it is just as we're here to prevent it from happening." She looked at Jeto. "We should have gone back a few hours before."

Jeto shook his head, blonde locks flying into his eyes. "No, the millennium crystal doesn't work that way. It goes back to the time when darkness overtakes its original owner, not before and not after. And it returns to the present time in our reality."

Bakura looked into his mug of coffee and swirled it before taking a sip. "So who did the crystal originally belong to and what's its other powers? I've heard of its legends but I never once believed it was real." His and his hikari's fusion mirai sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"The millennium crystal originally belonged to Yugi's mother but when she died it was passed to him," Hikura began, gaining the attention of the others in the room. "The crystal creates a strong bond with its owner from the moment they touch it to their death. We managed to obtain it during a mission not too long ago. Legend says that whenever the crystal is separated from its current owner, it creates a wave of agony and the owner will stop at nothing to get it back. But for some reason it didn't effect him as it should've, our theory is that the darkness inside of him was too strong and easily eradicated the wave. Yarik, because of our fusion's, was no longer connected to the Duel Master so the wave didn't effect him either."

"I, on the other hand, was able to sense it incredibly well because of my psychic ability to sense darkness," Maizu stated softly, looking away. "I've never felt such pain in my life, not even when I was taken by the Rare Hunters......." She paused before looking up, violet eyes glimmering with unshed tears. "......Excuse me, please." The tall woman stood and walked away, disappearing into the surrounding darkness lit only by the fire and overhead light.

Jeto glanced at his little sister, speaking calmly. "Shikuba, go after her, please. Make sure she's okay." The raven-haired girl nodded silently and took off after the older one. Noticing the three other's confusion, Yarik decided to explain.

"Maizu was......captured about three years ago in our timeline. The Duel Master he......he raped her.................."

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- Elsewhere -

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Jounouchi shifted under the cotton covers, closed eyes marking his sleeping status with the semi-loud snores coming from his lips. Yugi stood, watching the blonde in the shadows, arms crossed over his chest. His eyes narrowed to a scathing look to the second-rate duelist as he mumbled something about food and turned over, facing the wall. "Only a pawn," the smaller whispered menacingly, as if reminding himself of why he had come. "You never cared for me, Katsuya, why else would you have gone to Yami's side as soon as I ran away? None of you thought to look for me, I was only a lap dog you had lost. But now the tables have turned." A slow cruel smile curled, mimicking the glint in his bloodstone orbs, soft fingertips almost gently reaching out and touching the blonde's forehead, instantly being transported to the dream in Jounouchi's mind.........

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Jounouchi's ice-cream sundae disappeared just as the creamy goodness was about to enter his mouth, the entire scenery changing around him. He got up from where he fell to the floor, rubbing his ass and wincing a little, brown orbs looking around at the darkness surrounding him. It was cold, almost freezingly so. Jounouchi wrapped his arms around himself, covered in only his boxers (excuse me while I drool here...... *.*)and socks. A dark purple glowed in front of him and he blinked, shielding his eyes away from the nearly blinding light.

When he looked again, he could see a middle-sized, lithe but muscular figure standing before him and he instantly recognized it as Yugi. Different, but still the small one he had come to enjoy the presence of. But then he remembered that Yugi had disappeared two years ago, they hadn't been able to find a single trace of him.

Yugi laughed and shook his head, the sound and gesture that would have been gentle was filled with such cold malice that it made him rear back, blinking in surprise. "Jounouchi, you're such a fool. I was right here in Domino and you still didn't find me. But now I require your assistance." The silk-bound hikari walked forward almost seductively, making Jounouchi lean against a wall he couldn't see when the small body pressed against his easily.

Jounouchi was suddenly afraid when he saw the glowing Hex symbol on his friend's forehead, the blue-black contrasting greatly with their surrounding darkness. A cold smile curled on Yugi's lips and the bloodstained orbs glinted almost psychotically, a small hand reaching up and running down the jawline of the blonde's face. "Surrender to me, Jounouchi, your brave Pharaoh isn't coming to save you like he never did me. You were all to stupid to not realize just who you'd pushed away, you never acknowledged the potential deep inside of my soul, you never wanted to unleash it."

"I......" Jounouchi swallowed, trying to push the small one away but found that as soon as he did, cold metal that he identified as chains wrapped around his arms and legs. "I d-don't know what you're talking about, Yugi. It was Anzu and Tristan, the both of them suggested we leave you alone for a while because of what you'd been though during Battle City......"

There was a dark chuckle, the other's thumb now caressing Jounouchi's chin. He shook his head, making his long braid sway back and forth behind him. "I don't give a fuck about your excuses," Yugi spat, making the blonde wince. "When you're with your little friends you're all talk but when you're alone you're scared shitless. I'm surprised I didn't notice this before. As I was saying, I require your help a little, Katsuya. I need you to be my little spy, a double agent if you will. Your precious Game King has friends from a distant future, so much more than you would ever be to him."

For a moment their eyes met and for a split second Jounouchi could feel darkness enter his body, the blonde shaking his head and turning away, eyes distant. "You can deny it all you want, Katsuya, but you are a mere scapegoat to their cause, you just get him closer to the victory he needs to maintain his title. You're his lap dog or, as Kaiba would say, a Chihuahua, following him devotedly at his heels. The glorious Pharaoh doesn't care one whit for your lives, he's only there because of the millennium items." Leaning closely to the blonde, he whispered the last words.

"......He doesn't love you......."

Jounouchi swallowed once more, a sick feeling entering his stomach. Part of him agreed with Yugi's words while another part protested strongly. But it was true......all of it was true. He felt Yugi step away from him as he became encased in a sphere of darkness. Outside, Yugi's cold smile grew into a cruel one as he watched the transformation take place. His future self had said that, given enough darkness and convincing examples, the blonde would succumb to the shadows and would eagerly await any orders given.

Quite soon Jounouchi was kneeling in front of him, not in a submissive manner but a respectful one. Dark chocolate eyes were unblinking as they stared at the ground, not hesitant to ask the question. "What do you wish of me, Yugi-sama?" Even his previously raucous tone was quiet.

"So much better," he purred, hand reaching down and jerking the blonde head up. "Watch over the oh-so-wonderful Pharaoh and his little friends for me, yadounshi. Any plans they make inform me of them."

"As my lord commands......"

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Yugi took his hand away from Jounouchi's forehead, smiling coldly before disappearing into the darkness. That was one less of the "Shining Friendship" group to take care of. And so pathetically easy too.

In the blonde's room, long, loud malicious laughter rang clear.........

End Chapter Two

(1) Ryou and Bakura were across the other side of town from where the Game Shop is. That was how long it took them since their meeting with the Duel Master

(2) "Mou mirai no boku" = "the future me"

(3) I borrowed this from Alundra :P

R+R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!