Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! © Kazuki Takahashi
Author's Note: Six months ago, I set a personal goal and started this "100 Themes" challenge. Six months later, I think I've written for … four themes? Something like that. Yay, personal goals! Anyway, this was written for the prompt, "Things you find in a book." How this story relates to the prompt, I will never know.
"Did you know the Egyptians used to keep African greys?"
Other Yuugi, currently also known as the Pharaoh, blinked and glanced over at his partner. Yuugi was sitting on the library floor surrounded by several piles of books, each one on the subject of Ancient Egypt. Yuugi looked up to where the other Yuugi was sitting on one book pile, turning the current one around in his hands to show him a picture of said animal. The other Yuugi frowned.
"A bird?"
"Yeah," Yuugi said, tilting the book back with a smile. "Well, a parrot. It talks. Mimics your voice."
He was treated to Yuugi's memories and the concept of said parrot, and he wrinkled his nose. "How irritating," he grumbled and Yuugi grinned, turning the book back around.
"They kept monkeys, too," he continued, and then looked thoughtful. "I wonder what it would be like to have a pet monkey."
"Probably as irritating as the parrot," other Yuugi replied, crossing his legs and folding his arms. Yuugi laughed and turned back to his book, falling quiet as he was lost in his reading. The other Yuugi watched him for several long moments before going back to his own thoughts.
Since they had found out he was a Pharaoh, Yuugi had taken to Ancient Egypt with the same enthusiasm he showed his games. In a way, it made the other Yuugi happy: he hadn't seen his partner this excited about something, since— He cringed and pushed that thought away. He really didn't like to think about the time before Yuugi had realized that playing games often meant a trail of broken, bleeding bodies behind him.
The other Yuugi hid a sigh and glanced toward the puzzle on his lap. It really hadn't been too much of a shock that he was linked to Ancient Egypt. His fondness for ankh-shaped jewelry not included, the puzzle had been found in an Egyptian tomb, was in the shape of an inverted pyramid and one only had to peek inside to see the hieroglyphics adorned on each wall. Really, it was so obvious, the other Yuugi wondered how they went so long before putting two-and-two together. (But, to be fair, Yuugi had yet to read the part where Ancient Egyptians liked to steal souls and play dark games...)
Still... the other Yuugi wasn't sure if he liked the idea of being a Pharaoh. And it wasn't because he had learned that, according to the books, most Pharaohs were inbred and married their sisters (Yuugi had kept mute about it, but he did give his other self an odd look or two). And it wasn't the fact that he didn't like that thought that he had been a living god on Earth and the ruler of an empire; it appealed to his vanity, knowing he had such a prestigious title, even if he couldn't remember any of it.
It was just...
"Other me?"
He glanced over at his partner, and Yuugi was giving him that look. Like he could see right through his other self (metaphorically), and knew everything that he was thinking. Perhaps he could — Yuugi was far more astute than anyone ever gave him credit for. It almost made it pointless to hide things from him, but that didn't mean the other Yuugi didn't try.
"It's nothing," he said with a wave of his hand, but Yuugi merely lifted his eyebrow. The other Yuugi tried to ignore it, uncrossing and crossing his legs again and closing his eyes to ignore Yuugi's gaze. He didn't like that Yuugi had become so adept at reading him in such a short of time, especially when he had been so careful about keeping himself hidden from Yuugi. He didn't like to admit he had feelings, least of all to Yuugi, not when he had put Yuugi through hell. Penalty games, soul stealing, fires... He was still surprised Yuugi hadn't said "good riddance" and let the puzzle burn in the fire.
Yuugi let out a hum, and the other Yuugi cracked open an eye to watch him shuffle over to sit beside him. He cradled the puzzle in his lap, and the other Yuugi felt the distinct sensation of fingers running through the grooves of the wood. It was comforting, reminding him of all that Yuugi had risked to keep him safe and alive… And it was enough for him to snarl angrily, and look over at Yuugi again.
"I was a Pharaoh," he began, but the rest of the thought escaped him and he snarled again. Yuugi said nothing and the other Yuugi appreciated that. It was always hard for him to put his emotions into words; he much preferred a duel disk or a penalty game. He managed, though, Yuugi stroking his thumb along the sides of the puzzle all the while.
"But I am also you," he finally said, looking off toward Yuugi's pile of books. Therein lay the problem. He had accepted that about himself. He was Yuugi Mutou. He was the other Yuugi. He was the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. That was who he was. That was who he was happy with being. Being that meant he would be with Yuugi forever...
But being a Pharaoh... That meant once, he had been a real, living, breathing, physical person. That meant he had a mother and father of his own, friends of his own, a life of his own. That meant he wasn't Yuugi, he was someone else entirely. But knowing he had been alive meant that he wasn't simply a being brought to life by a young boy's wish. He was a ghost of a long-dead man, tied to a set of items that were linked to dark magic and dark games. And since that was the case, what kind of person had he been...?
He couldn't voice any of this, wishing he could disappear into the silence of the puzzle where he didn't have to think or feel. He didn't want to get to know the person he had been. He simply wanted to be Yuugi Mutou.
Yuugi hadn't said a word through his internal debate, stroking his thumbs against the side of the puzzle. The other Yuugi glanced over at him, wondering what he had heard, but that question was answered when Yuugi looked at him from the corner of his eyes.
"I think you are still me, other me," he said, his lips briefly quirking into a smile. "You have my memories, and you'll always have them, so that makes you me, right? But..."
He trailed off and the other Yuugi felt a stab of panic. "But?" he prompted, and Yuugi flushed, ducking his head to look down at the puzzle.
"Do you remember the duel with Mai?" he asked, and the other Yuugi cringed. He did, but he wasn't particularly keen on remembering it. Yuugi swallowed, and gripped the puzzle tightly. "Before that duel, I thought you were part of me. The part of me that wasn't quite good; the part of me that— t-that..."
He trailed off again and the other Yuugi could see the tears in his eyes. Alarmed, he slid off the pile of books to sit beside him, Yuugi squeezing his eyes shut and whispering, "During that duel with Mai, I realized you were actually a different person. You weren't just a dark side of me. You were a good person."
"Partner," the other Yuugi murmured, his brow creasing. He wasn't a particular good person, though — they had plenty of evidence to the contrary...
Yuugi must have heard that thought, because he shook his head, opening his eyes to look at him. "No. I made you do those things," he said, and the other Yuugi flinched, opening his mouth to deny it. Yuugi cut him off with another shake of his head, gripping the puzzle tighter in his hands. "Yes. It was my anger, my weakness, me. You just acted on it."
The other Yuugi winced, not liking the fact that Yuugi even entertained that thought. "Partner," he tried again, but Yuugi let out a funny, little, horrified laugh, squeezing the puzzle.
"Really, if we're honest, that says more about me than anything else," he said tonelessly, and then looked up at his other self. He smiled then, a brilliant, beautiful smile. "But... but... you, other me. You're you. You're someone Anzu wants to date, and someone Jounouch-kun and Honda-kun look up to. You're cool. You're a Pharaoh. You're special."
It hurt to hear that, for two different reasons: the fact that his partner thought that way about himself and that his partner thought he was someone to look up, when it was he who adored Yuugi above all things. "Don't think that way, Partner," he whispered, and Yuugi gave him a serious look.
"Then don't think that way either," he shot back and other Yuugi blinked. Yuugi quickly smiled again. "Whomever you were, other me, I know you were a good person. For whatever reason, you got stuck in the puzzle, but I know that it was for a good reason, too. We'll figure it out, either way."
The other Yuugi winced again. Yuugi believing that about him was equally as painful as the fact that his partner thought so little about himself. He looked away from Yuugi, unsure of how to feel anymore, but he frowned when Yuugi whispered softly, "And if that isn't the case, other me, well... we'll both learn how to be good people. Together."
He looked back at him, but his partner was no longer meeting his gaze, tracing his fingers along the puzzle. The other Yuugi was again lost for words, even though he wanted to say so much. Yuugi was a good person, he was the very definition of goodness and kindness and courage, he was the light of his world.
But he knew it would be no use. Just as he really didn't believe he had been a good person, Yuugi would never believe he was either. We're both the same that way, the other Yuugi thought, and Yuugi looked up with a smile and a nod.
Yup, he thought back and the other Yuugi flinched, but kept quiet. Yuugi looked down at the puzzle once more, before he lifted it up to his other self.
"Together, other me?" he asked, and the other Yuugi frowned, looking from the puzzle to Yuugi. Yuugi's smile was so hopeful that it made the other Yuugi feel a stab of guilt. Yuugi believed in him so much, but it didn't change the fact that he probably hadn't been a good person. It didn't change the fact that he had done horrible things in the name of justice. It didn't change the fact that he was part of the Millennium puzzle, and the Millennium items were clearly bad.
But...
They could learn. They could learn to be good men. Together. The other Yuugi smiled at the thought, feeling a trickle of hope. He could be a good man. With Yuugi's help, he could.
"Together," he whispered, reaching up to cup both Yuugi's hands and the puzzle. Yuugi's smile grew into a brilliant grin and he let out a "hm!" with closed eyes and a nod. The other Yuugi nodded, too, his own smile growing before they both dropped the puzzle back into Yuugi's lap. The puzzle seemed to gleam, and the other Yuugi felt a warm feeling go through him. Together, the puzzle seemed to say.
With another grin, Yuugi reached for his book again, opening it up to the page he left off. The other Yuugi smiled and settled in to watch him read, Yuugi laughing suddenly and pointing toward a particular passage.
"Did you know a Pharaoh's hair was never supposed to be seen?" he exclaimed and they both looked at each other's hair. Yuugi whistled softly, tilting his head. "I wonder how you managed that?"
The other Yuugi felt a smirk growing on his lips. "We'll find out together, I suppose," he murmured and Yuugi grinned again.
"We will," he said with a nod. "Together."
Author's Note: Another question to ask: "Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction, why you no like pronouns?" Seriously.