Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The not to distant future ❯ There is only darkness ( Chapter 1 )

The shadow realm is sealed, Yami’s spirit is free, Bakura and Marik have been sealed in the shadow realm for good. The natural balance of things can return to normal. So then, why after two years are things in the other realm still shifting? What are these shadows that the three hikari’s keep seeing? And how will they deal with it without their yami’s?
Condemned

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh!

And this is my version of what happens after everything has ended. Just for the record, if I get things mixed up it’s because 1. I have not completely finished watching the last season, 2. I have not read the Manga, 3. It has been so long since I have actually watched the show from the beginning that I am not sure on the time frame of how long Yugi had the puzzle. But for this fanfic’s sake we shall say that he finished the puzzle when he was about 14~ ^-^



The not to distant future
By Yami Kitsune
Chapter one: There is only darkness



Have you ever thought that life was unfair? Is it fair that people still continue to smile when you can’t even force yourself to? Is it fair that the sun keeps shining when the pain in your heart tells you it should just stop? Is it fair that the life you had grown so used to was gone in the blink of an eye? Is it fair that the world keeps living when all you want to do is stop? Who would notice if you just disappeared? And why is it so easy to ask a question, but ever so hard to give a simple answer?

These were thoughts that seemed to be going through Yugi Mouto’s head on a daily basis. Life was so unfair, he of course had never worded this thought. Just because he looked like a child, didn’t mean he had to sound like one as well. Although he knew he was most likely acting like one. But didn’t he have the right to? After all the past two years of his life had not been all that great, and recent events told him that they were not about to start getting better any time soon.

Yugi sighed as he sat behind the counter to the game shop a gold box sitting in front of him. It had been so long since the first time he had opened that golden box. He could still remember the puzzle it hat once held, and he remembered the feeling he had gotten when he’d finally completed that puzzle. He might be nearly nineteen now, but his life really had not started until he’d finished that puzzle. Some people might laugh at him if he were to actually say this, but there were people who believed him, because they had been a part of that life.

Honda, Anzu, Seto, Ryou, Malik, Jou, and Yami. There were many others that Yugi had come to know after the puzzle had been completed, but none of them really touched his life as much as those seven people did. Yami had been the first, Yami had been the one who had really changed Yugi’s life. And he had also been the closest to Yugi. After all, Yami had been the spirit trapped in the puzzle. For nearly three years Yugi had created a strong bond with the spirit of the puzzle. After all, you couldn’t have a mind link with someone and not have a strong bond with them. Right around the same time the two school bullies, Jou and Honda had decided to hang around Yugi. Things started to look up from there, Yugi had friends. Anzu showed up shortly after that and joined the little group. Seto had never truly been a part of the small group of friends, but Yugi had still considered him a friend. After all the times the CEO had gotten wrapped up in their little adventures more often then not.

As for Ryou and Malik, Yugi had a bond with them mainly because they were also two holders of items similar to his puzzle. Ryou’s millennium ring had held a spirit as well. Malik’s Millennium rod originally did not have a spirit sealed within it. But there was now. The dark side of Malik’s soul had gotten to powerful. It had taken a lot to stop Marik, but they had succeeded. Yugi could still remember it all like it was yesterday, battle city was over and the clock had started counting down to the final duel that Yami would ever play in this life.

The memory of Yami turning and walking through the door to the next world was still so vivid in Yugi’s mind, he swore the light from that door had burned that image into his eyes so he wouldn’t even have the choice to forget. Not that he would ever want to. Yami had been the first person that Yugi had ever truly loved with all his heart. He had never said this to Yami because it would have been near impossible to have a relationship with a spirit. But it still didn’t make separating from him any easier. But, he had still had his friends. At least, he had had them for another few months. Anzu had finally been accepted to the dance school over seas she’d been trying to get into. Honda’s dad had been offered a new job position in the states. Ryou had gone back to England, Malik still lived in Egypt. Seto was just as busy as always. Jou still came around at least every other day. Yugi was grateful for this because he had a feeling he never would have survived the next big blow that fate had decided to throw his way.

As his thoughts turned to this incident he looked over to the picture of him and his Grandfather standing in front of the game shop. Yugi felt his eyes filling with tears. That wound was still to deep. It had not been enough that fate had taken the person he loved, his friends, but it had to take his grandfather too.

The bell over the door wrong and Yugi quickly wiped his eyes before turning to greet his customer. He smiled a little when he saw it was Jou. The blond had grown his hair out so it was now a little past his shoulders, he had started warring leather jackets and tight jeans. The new look had suited the blond boy that Yugi couldn’t really say anything against it. And considering that the blond now worked part time as a bartender it definitely suited him.

“Hey Yug.” Jou said walking over to the counter. “I thought you would be closing up by now.” He said and glanced at his watch. Yugi blinked and looked around at the clock.

“Yeah, I guess it is past time to close up.” He said sliding off his chair. He was still shorted then Jou, but he had actually grown quite a bit in the past two years. He was now as tall as Yami had been. Yugi walked over to the door and locked it before flipping the sign to closed.

“Don’t you have work tonight?” Yugi asked as he turned back to his friend. Jou shook his head.

“Nah, I got Nathan to take my shift. He needs the extra hours and I’m caught up enough on bills” Jou said with a shrug. “besides, I thought you could use some company today.”

Yugi sighed. “I’m okay Jou, really.”

“Yeah I know. But I also know you still miss them. I mean loosing Yami was hard enough, but exactly a year later-” Jou stopped when he saw a tear roll down Yugi’s cheek. Jou sighed rubbing his head. “I guess I’ll never learn when to keep my big mouth shut.” He said before turning and walking over to the counter, he grabbed Yugi’s coat and tossed it at him. Yugi blinked in confusion.

“Come on, we’re going out.” He said. “You look like you need some fresh air. We’ll stop by visit gramps and then we’ll go get some pizza or something.” Jou said. Yugi smiled and pulled his coat on. He grabbed his wallet and keys before shutting off the lights.

“Alright. Thank’s Jou.” He said as they left. Jou grinned at him helping Yugi lock up before they walked down the street.

A shadow stood in the corner of the shop once the lights were out. It watched the two boys leave before turning it’s attention to the gold box left on the counter. Then to the picture. The shadow lifted it’s hand.

“….yugi…” It whispered in a rough cracking voice. It picked up the picture and looked at it. Running it’s hand over the picture of the young boy in the picture. Then, just as if a wind had blown it away, the shadow was gone. The picture falling to the floor. The glass cracking as it landed.

~~~~~~~~~~

Yugi sat on Jou’s couch laughing. He couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed so hard, let along the last time he’d actually gone over to his best friends house just to hang out. Jou pealed off his now soaking wet shirt.

“Damn defective soda cans. They’re out to get me I swear.” He said tossing his short onto his old gym bag. He looked at Yugi and grinned. “Now that’s the Yugi I remember.” He said as he sat back down. Yugi smiled back at him as he got his laughter under control.

“You’re supposed to make sure the can hasn’t been shaken up before you open it.” Yugi said as he opened his can and all it did was hiss a little. Jou glared at Yugi’s can of soda as if it were a traitor. Yugi took a peace of pizza and bit into it. He looked around Jou’s apartment. Nothing had changed since the last time he’d been over here a few months ago.

“It’s nice to see that something will always be the same.” He said taking another bite of his pizza. Jou looked at him smiling a little.

“Yug, you know I’ll never change. I’m not smart enough to.” Jou said with a grin. Yugi sighed shaking his head. “Look Yug, I know things are hard but they’re bound to start going up hill sooner or later.” Jou said as he picked up his exploded soda and took a sip.

“I know Jou. Things are never as bad as they seem. But things look a lot different when you’re the one stuck in the middle.” Yugi leaned back on the couch running his hand through his hair. “I just wish, I could go back, even for a single day have things the way they were before.”

“You know, I used to wish the same thing when my parents split up.” Jou said. Yugi looked at him and blinked. “I couldn’t understand why they had split up. And I couldn’t understand why I had to live with my dad, and Serenity had to stay with mom. But things happen for a reason, you might not be able to see the reason now but maybe later when you look back on things you’ll see why they had to happen the way they did. If my parents had never split up, me and my dad never would have come to Domino, and if I had never come here I wouldn’t have met you. I never would have had a great teacher when I wanted to learn duel monsters, and I never would have made it through Duelist kingdom. And gotten the money for my sister’s operation.” Jou said. “See, things happen for a reason. We might not like the way things have to happen. But they always seem to work out for the best in the end.” Jou took a big swallow from his soda as Yugi sat there staring at him as if he’d never seen Jou before in his life.

“I…never thought of it that way.” Yugi said looking down at his lap. What Jou said held a lot of truth to it. Yugi had to look at things differently, look at the bright side of things. After all, wasn’t that what Yami had taught him to do? And his grandfather as well? //Just thing of this as another challenge you have to over come.// The voice in the back of Yugi’s mind said. “Thank you Jou.” Yugi said and finished his pizza. And he was reminded yet again how lucky he was that he still had Jou with him.

~~~~~~~~~

The apartment was pitch black as Yugi made his way inside. He was exhausted and didn’t bother turning on the lights as he undressed leaving his coat hanging on the chair in the living room. He’d pick up his mess in the morning, right now he was to tired to care. He fell onto his bed already falling asleep before his head hit the pillow.

The shadow from before appeared next to Yugi’s bed and stared at him. It’s hand stretched out brushing some of Yugi’s hair out of his face. “Yugi.” He said in that same rough voice that sounded as if it hadn’t been used in a long time. “Yugi.”

Yugi whimpered and rolled over onto his back. The shadow stared at him and then looked around the room. Sitting on Yugi’s desk was his deck of duel monsters. The desk looked as if it had not been touched in a long time, a thin layer of dust covered everything on the desk, including the cards. The shadow picked up the card on top. The Dark Magician.

“…hmmm…yami…” Yugi whimpered in his sleep making the shadow turn around to look at him again. The shadow walked back over and sat on the side of the bed still holding the Dark Magician card. Putting the card on Yugi’s chest the shadow leaned over so his face was level with Yugi’s. “Yugi.” it said again. Yugi’s eyes opened a fraction. The shadow chuckled still very close to Yugi. Yugi was instantly awake, his eyes snapped open, but as they did, the shadow vanished as quickly as a dream. Yugi sat up and looked around the room quickly, everything was the same, except…Yugi looked down and saw his dark magician card sitting on his lap. Yugi had not touched his deck since his grandfather died, so he knew he had not put the card there.

The sound of someone chuckling still echoed softly in his ears making the hair on the back of Yugi’s neck stand on end. Someone had definitely been in here. Yugi looked at his door, it was still closed, as were his windows, whoever had been in his room had literally vanished. Yugi swallowed hard staring at the card in his hand. Yugi got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. The person who had been in his room could not have been from this realm. //A shadow…// Yugi thought, that’s all he’d seen when he’d opened his eyes. But he hadn’t been fully awake.

//Are you sure you saw what you think you saw?// He asked himself. He had been tired when he came in. Maybe it had been a dream after all? //Then what about the card?// He asked and held up the card to look at it. “I…picked it up before I went to bed….” he said. “That must be what happened…It can’t mean…it couldn’t have been a shadow creature. We stopped the shadow games, the shadow realm is sealed.” Yugi told himself firmly. “Everything in there is trapped and isn’t coming back.” He said and stood up going over to the desk and putting the card back on top of his deck. He stared at the things on his desk for a moment before turning to head back to bed.

“…don’t get your hopes up again Yugi.” He told himself. “Stop living in the past…things will never get better if you don’t stop this foolishness.” He said rolling over and hugging his pillow. A tear rolled down his cheek as he held it tightly. “…and stop talking to yourself…there’s no one there to answer you any more.” He berried his face in his pillow. A peaceful night sleep now lost. //One last night of wishful dreams// He told himself as he drifted to sleep. His mind retreating to his dreams where everyone was still there, and Yami had never left, he had gotten his own body once his memories had returned. And he and Yugi could now be together forever.

~~~~~~~

From where he sat on the thrown looking down into the smooth surface of the water. Yami watched Yugi with sad eyes.

“My Pharaoh. I do not think this wise, you may give the boy false hope.” The person to the right of Yami said.

“I am giving myself more false hope then I shall ever give Yugi.” Yami said and watched Yugi cry himself to sleep. He stood up and walked down to the water. “Besides, if what I have hard is true, then I must do this. To restore balance it must be done.”

“Of course my pharaoh. Will you continue your search for the two lost souls within the realm of darkness?” The person asked looking at Yami. Yami continued to watch Yugi in silence for a long moment before nodding.

“The sooner I find them, the sooner I can set things right.” With that Yami turned leaving the room, his servant followed quickly.

TBC>>>