Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Strange Magic ❯ Chapter 1

Strange Magic

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to series or characters. No profit made.

The stars twinkled through the window into the bedchamber under the roof and down to the spike-haired boy that was sitting on his bed in a dotted pyjama, gazing up at them.

So there were many things that they - his other self and he - would not find out so soon, now that Kaiba's giant duel tournament had been brusquely put to an end by the police and local authorities, and "Battle City" had turned into the old Domino City again. There would even be school the next day… A strange feeling, after for only one weekend everything had turned so existential somehow. There was his other self's quest to find himself, there were Malik and his God Cards and his goal to kill him…All those things going on plus many he didn't know much about because his other self wouldn't let him…And it was all put to a halt, and they wouldn't know when things would be set into motion like that again. A halt during which he would go to school, hang out with his friends and somehow, somehow not think about all those things… impossible as it was. With a sigh he lay back on the bed, his eyes still fixed on the stars outside.

From the corner of his eye he saw the air beside him brightening up and gave a weak smile. His other self had appeared. His Yami, as he used to call himself sometimes - his dark side. Yugi wouldn't believe such declarations, knowing what a good person his other self was. He might have a maze and trap doors in his mental chamber, but that didn't make him dark.

"Yo aibou[1]," his other self greeted him quietly. "So you don't find any rest either…I thought I'd come out for a bit."

Yugi smiled at him, reflecting on what to say to him and settling for a friendly "of course."

His partner's shimmering form sat down beside him on the bed, making Yugi's heart ache with the remembrance of what he had realised this weekend, that as soon as his other self regained his memory he might have to leave him. "I don't want you to go," he muttered. "But of course you must find back your memory…"

His partner's hand reached out to him, not touching him with matter but lying on his shoulder visibly. The astral comfort brought a smile to Yugi's face again, small though it was. "Aibou," the former pharaoh said earnestly, "I don't want to leave either. I told you so." After a small pause, he went on, "I'll try what I can to stay with you…promise." He smiled. "Only if you don't mind sharing your body with me all the time, of course."

At these words, Yugi's features had brightened, and now he was laughing lightly, feeling the impulse to hug his partner but remembering in time that he would just fall flat onto his bed. "I don't mind at all," he stated with a firm smile. "It would be wrong if you weren't there…We belong together, you know."

The pharaoh smiled. "I know. My other self. I like how you've turned out. Now, don't worry about that." He looked out to the stars as his aibou had done earlier and then cast a probing look at the boy himself, coming to a decision. "I'll even go so far as to promise you, I will stay with you, no matter what." His astral eyes were fixed on Yugi's, which in turn widened with delight.

"I…really?! - I… you… I don't even know what to call you!"

The pharaoh regarded the boy, in whose smile the sun had just risen. His hikari, his light indeed. "Just Yami," he insisted. There was no name he could remember, and 'my other self' could become tiresome after a while; probably more so for the boy who had to say it each time he wanted to address - well, his other self.

Of course Yugi protested, but he cut him short with a wink: "Who says dark is bad? There are beautiful dark things out there…" He then stopped himself.

Yugi regarded him with interest. "You're hiding something from me," he stated.

His partner sighed. "Yes… I'll talk to you about it. But now you have to sleep. You've got school tomorrow, and you'll be tired anyway." He pointed at him. "And that's my body, too."

Yugi chuckled lightly and let his other self…his yami? convince him to finally crawl under the blanket and try to sleep. "Good night," he murmured. "Thank you… Yami…"

The last word still came out uneasily, but the addressee just nodded and ran his matter-less hand through the boy's form. "Sleep. Don't worry… I'll stay with you."

When he knew that Yugi had fallen asleep, he, too, disappeared within his Millennium Puzzle, leaving the room in silence.

---

"Yugi!" His grandfather's voice rang up from downstairs, "Anzu is here to pick you up!"

Quickly Yugi threw on his school uniform jacket, which he had discarded on a chair earlier. The Millennium Puzzle was dangling on its usual chain around his neck; however its inhabitant was still filling up the air beside him, remarking, "She likes you."

Yugi rolled his eyes laughing. "Come on! You know it's not like that!"

His yami winked, not easily deterred. "Why not? She's a pretty girl, isn't she?"

With a headshake, Yugi grabbed his schoolbag. "You're always making fun of me! But it's really not like that." He smiled. "Now go back to your puzzle!"

When his grinning yami had disappeared in the Millennium Puzzle, he headed out the door, in time to hear his grandfather yell his name again.

"Yes, I'm here!" Yugi answered while running down the stairs. "Hi Anzu!"

"Hi!" the girl greeted him cheerfully. "Let's go!"

"So, Yugi," Anzu hesitantly began while the two of them were walking to school. "Are you glad the tournament was stopped, or do you regret it?"

Yugi shook his head. "I don't know… There was so much at stake, and we don't even know about everything, there was so much mystery going on… Maybe I'm glad it's over for now."

Which he was; besides those things didn't matter very much anymore, now that his yami had promised to stay with him anyways - despite everything, that had been his main worry. And then… Yugi smiled. "It's good to just be with you people again and not worry about all of that for a while."

Anzu nodded. "Yes, I can imagine. And how is your…your other self? Is he okay?"

"I think so…" Yugi did not want to discuss this until he knew what his yami was hiding from him. Quickly he searched for a distracting subject. "Did you do all your homework? I didn't get anything done last night, so I only have a bit…"

The girl laughed. "Won't Jounouchi be sad? Then he can't copy from you!"

Yugi smiled despite himself. "Aw, stop knocking him! You underestimate him!"

Anzu raised her eyebrows. "Do I?"

"Sure," Yugi murmured. Somehow this talk didn't work out. He didn't want to fight with Anzu, but hearing Jounouchi being insulted, and if ever-so-slightly, was something he couldn't take; besides he didn't want to be drawn into their constant quarrel. "You just don't know him like I do."

The girl just shrugged and they walked on.