Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Past, Present, and Future ❯ Old Enemies, New Friends...And Maybe More ( Chapter 1 )

Priestess: All right, I'll admit that I'm obsessed, both with writing Darkshipping and writing in general. Will you read my fanfiction now? It's good, even if it's not original exactly. I'm fairly certain that it hasn't been done before…or at least not that many times, since I've never read a fanfiction about it and I've read over a million…If you don't know what I'm talking about, read this!

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If it weren't for the strange creatures, seemingly miraculous technology, and other strange things that were being sold; the marketplace of 3817 A.D would have almost seemed like a cross between a present-day marketplace or a bazaar. But since the technology and beings and items on sale were there, anybody from the twenty-first century would have likely passed out.

Of course, when you've lived for millenniums, you rarely pass out unless somebody knocks you unconscious-or sends you to the Shadow Realm, depends on the somebody.

A young man, not very far past his teens, floated from the sky and landed effortlessly. No one batted an eye, either at the act or at his appearance. By this day and age's standards, he was a perfectly normal human being-the fact that he was neither normal nor human didn't really come into account.

He was wearing the white-and-red (and gold if you count the jewelry) outfit he had worn in Ancient Egypt, for in this day and age there were too many worlds for there to be a single set 'style.'

He looked quite different than he had in the twenty-first century, but it very similar to Ancient Egypt. He was tall and well-built if not overly muscular, with facial features that matched Yami no Bakura's and shoulder-length white hair. His eyes, which had been various shades over his lives (the most memorable being dark blue in ancient Egypt and chocolate brown in the twenty-first century) were a color between cerise and violet, but otherwise they were the same eyes.

The same eyes…albeit without that freakish madness that had marred them for so many millenniums, though there was still something haunted in the very depths. That was one thing that would never change.

Moving swiftly and skillfully through mutants, aliens, robots, humans, and more; somehow managing not to brush against a single person; he stopped at a stall of sweet fruits rather like plums-but deep emerald and much tastier. Selecting two, he looked both over. Imperceptibly, without use of technology or mutations-he preferred using pure skill when thieving-he turned his head to both sides and scanned the crowd for anybody watching him.

Finding none, he flicked the wrist of his right hand ever so slightly and dropped the best of the fruits into his pocket. In the same motion, he moved the one still in his left hand to his right hand and picked up a second one so it looked like he hadn't even moved.

It happened in the blink of an eye, so fast that neither robot nor human nor alien nor psychic nor any person or being of any kind could perceive.

But one person did.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the famous 'Yami no Bakura,'" sneered a familiar voice behind him, and he tensed up. "Still up to your old tricks I see?"

He was only shocked for a moment, then he permitted himself the slightest of smiles and turned. "Pharaoh," he greeted, cordial, but with a very slight threat underlying the word. "I was wondering when we'd run into each other again. There has yet to be a life when we haven't ended up running into each other…By the way, I'm called Kage now."

"Shadow," the man nodded, speaking more to himself than to Kage. "That fits. I'm called Yu-Gi-Oh…I suppose it could be worse, though it's sad that most people here don't even know it means 'King of Games.'"

He looked different than he had when in Yugi, but similar. He was taller, though he still only reached Kage's shoulder, and he had a tan. His hair, while similar, was rimmed in a blue stripe and inside of it a white stripe instead of just one red stripe. And his eyes were a smoky green, and his face was almost exactly the same. And he was still wearing that damned leather…

Yu-Gi-Oh watched Kage distrustfully, ready to attack in the blink of an eye but waiting for Kage to attack first. However, Kage wasn't in the mood to fight.

"Don't even start, Pharaoh," he warned. "After three more world wars and whatever disaster happened right after you killed me in the twenty-first century, not to mention just about everybody in the world knowing about the Millennium Items, there are so many thieves and bandits running around that I don't need any more fights."

"None of them are adequate challenges and apparently either Kaiba's reincarnation hasn't come around yet or he doesn't have one right now," replied Yu-Gi-Oh, flinching only slightly when Kage mentioned the disaster. Kage didn't know that once the Millennium Ring was purified and the tablet destroyed, an ancient prophecy had come true and the Gates of Darkness had been opened. All Kage's bad memories had materialized, and the world was nearly destroyed.

Kaiba, Malik, and Yu-Gi-Oh had managed to save the world, but they were killed in the process and bound to Millennium Items-though Kaiba would become one with his reincarnations instead of becoming his reincarnations' alter egos, and Mariku instead of Malik was turned into a yami (Spirit of the Millennium Rod, to be precise. Kaiba was bound to the Eye.)

The reason Yu-Gi-Oh didn't want Kage to know was because when he killed Kage they had already read the prophecy but Yu-Gi-Oh refused to believe it was about Bakura because it stated that the one to open the Gates of Darkness would have a pure heart. It was Yu-Gi-Oh's mistake, and the world was still feeling its effects.

"Oh, don't worry. We seem bound to him as much as we are to each other. When our hosts were Vietnamese soldiers that ended up on the same platoon, he was that stupid captain. And when we were all surfers in California, and nights of the Round Table, and that time when you two were witch hunters and my host was said to be a warlock."

Yu-Gi-Oh frowned. "My host back then was a total bastard. I did him the favor of killing you and your host, and he still threw the Puzzle away."

"And you call him a bastard?" replied Kage, lifting his eyebrows pointedly. "But my host Raul is involved with Malik's reincarnation Namu and they live in the same spaceship-it's bigger than the stinking blimp!-so if I want a challenge I can just duel Mariku."

"Lucky you," muttered Yu-Gi-Oh. "My host Chrysippus is friends with the reincarnation of most of Yugi's friends, though their names aren't nearly as predictable-Jonouchi is 'Joey,' Honda is 'Tristan,' Anzu is 'Téa,' Otogi is 'Duke Devlin,' Shizuka is 'Serenity,' and Mai is still…Mai. Kind of confusing, really."

Without realizing it, he had been moving forward with every word, and now they were barely three feet apart. When Yu-Gi-Oh realized this, he held still. For a while, the only noise came from the crowd. Then, eyes downcast, Yu-Gi-Oh murmured, "I'm sorry."

Kage, who had been listening with uncharacteristic interest, blinked. "Huh?"

"I'm sorry," Yu-Gi-Oh repeated, his voice almost too soft to be heard. "I-I've been remembering all my past lives, including Ancient Egypt-not all, but…bits and pieces. I know…I know about Kuru Eruna. And I know that we were…you know…And I knew that I still killed you, in spite of all that."

"Oh, that's all right," Kage replied lightly. "You were even more of a bastard in Ancient Egypt than you were in your other lives, I'm used to it."

Yu-Gi-Oh flinched slightly, then permitted himself a sheepish smile. "Well, I guess I deserved that. I'm still sorry." He sighed sadly. "Sometimes I wish we could just start over."

Kage snorted. "But we can't, 'Yu-Gi-Oh,' because no how many times we supposedly 'start over' the result is always the same. We've always been enemies. Even in times when you didn't remember me-which was almost always-we still started out on the wrong foot and stayed there. Sometimes it was your fault, sometimes it was mine, but it isn't as if we can just kiss and make up."

Yu-Gi-Oh looked at him pleadingly. "Why not?" he whispered, though he knew Kage was right.

Kage shifted uncomfortably. "Because life doesn't work that way…not for us. We are the only ones who can overcome the sands of time, and I bet you hate it as much as I. You and I have never been anything but enemies, bound to this world, bound to each other, bound to eternity in a kind of living hell." He sighed and muttered, "What a way to spend forever…"

"Exactly," replied Yu-Gi-Oh, suddenly aware that he was so near to Kage he could feel the heat rising off him in waves. He blushed at this realization, but ignored it and continued. "It isn't fair. And with the tablet and Egypt gone, we have no reason left to fight. And if we're going to be stuck together anyway, why can't we just…"

"Let go of hate, let go of pride, let go of eternity," intoned Kage, aware that Yu-Gi-Oh's words were identical to thoughts he had been thinking for years no. They were now so near their breaths mingled. The scent of desert sand (Kage) and sandalwood incense (Yu-Gi-Oh) was so familiar to them both that they could almost taste it. "I've let go of hatred already…and you must have let go of pride to say all that…maybe we can…"

Then the last millimeter of space between their lips was gone, and a jolt of unexpected pleasure ran through his body as he realized they were kissing.

Yu-Gi-Oh's eyes widened, but he hesitated for less than a moment before wrapping his arms around Kage's waist. The kiss was so gentle Yu-Gi-Oh permitted Kage's tongue entrance the moment he felt it. Kage explored the insides of Yu-Gi-Oh's mouth hungrily, holding him as close to him as he could. Yu-Gi-Oh tasted like peppermint and valuable silks, Kage tasted like exotic spices and something he couldn't identify.

Sweet as the kiss was, it was briefer than it could have been. Kage pulled away and held Yu-Gi-Oh close against his muscled chest, resting his chin on Yu-Gi-Oh's shoulder. "When we were in Ancient Egypt, I used to hold you like this," he murmured, feeling tears prickle against his eyes.

"I missed you," Yu-Gi-Oh whispered against Kage's chest, feeling tears entering his eyes as well.

"I know," replied Kage, removing his arms from Yu-Gi-Oh. "I…" he trailed off, not wanting to seem like a wimp. He knew from Yu-Gi-Oh's grateful smile that the young (in body if not in age) Pharaoh understood. A sudden idea came to mind, and he touched the band on his wrist. Yu-Gi-Oh gripped his arm as they raised up and started flying in some unknown direction.

"Where are we going?" he asked, the wind rushing past them. Kage smiled-a real smile for once, not a sad one or an evil I'm-going-to-kill-you one or a smirk.

"My place."