A/N: This started as a 3-part ficlet in "Fluffy Days and Nights" but it proved suprisingly emgrossing to write, so I moved it here.
Sumary: What if Yugi, Ryou and Marik had met their Yami's in more positive circumstances? YxY RxB MxM
First up - Yugi x Yami. Even if you are not fond of the other pairings, these two will show up in the subsequent chapters, so stay tuned.
-Yami to Yugi-
=Yugi to Yami=
The final piece.
After 8 years, it was finally complete.
Yugi Moto felt his pulse quicken as he lowered the golden eye into the center of the Millennium Puzzle.
A soft "click" was all he heard before he was thrown backward in his chair by a pulse of energy.
Like a drawstring snapping taught, a connection formed in his mind. At the end of the connection, lurking at the fringes of his mind - a sense of "other". One moment he was alone, the next he was not.
And yet - he was not afraid. It was if he had been waiting for this moment his entire life.
The young duelist felt a curious sense of wholeness. It was as if he had "clicked" himself into place, rather then the final piece of the Millenium Puzzle.
It had been a few days since solving the puzzle, but he was finally beginning to understand.
The "other" he had sensed was a consciousness. It slept most of the time, coiled up like a slumbering dragon. If he concentrated, he could feel a reassuring strength radiating from it. Yugi was embarrassed to admit it was incredibly comforting. Each night he found himself reaching out to the presence, yearning for something he couldn't quite name.
Occasionally, as now, he felt the presence move. Whispered thoughts entered his mind unbidden, dark secrets promising unbridled power.
Experimentally, he gave a gentle tug on the connection.
The consciousness roared to life and he was overwhelmed -
A fierce desire to protect the gentle soul that had rescued him from darkness eternal.
Yugi's jaw dropped. The thoughts in his mind that were not his own.
Could his "other" self be evil? Surely not - it had protected him on countless occasions. Although he had no recollection of these events, Anzu had filled him in on what occurred while the "other" took control of his body.
Trying another tactic, Yugi concentrated on the feeling of happiness and joy he felt at the discovery of the presence and pushed that feeling along the connection.
It seemed to settle and Yugi got the distinct feeling it was purring.
If pain is all you know, can it still be called pain?
The spirit had no concept of pain. The sameness of his existence was punctuated only by the passage of time. He might not even have had that if it weren't for barely perceptible changes in the chains that bound him.
It seemed even the chains were not immune to time. While he could not see – the inky darkness surrounding him robbed him of most of his senses – he had somehow regained his sense of touch. The subtle cold pressure on his skin had gradually changed – becoming rough and fragile.
A few of the chains had even broken, freeing his hands and feet. Each of these moments was a cause for celebration, each small freedom cherished.
Then, between the space of one heartbeat and the next – it was over.
The spirit of the Millennium Puzzle languished in hedonistic delight, each sensation a poignant contrast to the darkness that had been his only companion for as long as he could remember.
Unable to resist, he reached out mentally and caressed the "other", the host he occupied. The connection was still tenuous, rippling with the power that had formed it. The spirit would take no risk in this regard. Having only just been "born" as it were, he nevertheless felt an uncontrollable desire to protect the other. He had never truly felt whole, he realized, not until this moment. The feeling was so overpowering it brought tears to his eyes.
An echo of his thoughts bounced back at him. With the thoughts came a sense of the emotion behind them - curiosity, innocence, and a touch of fear. While the puzzle was a harsh mistress, it had allowed this small boon – a connection to his other, that allowed them to communicate.
Unashamedly scanning through the memories of his host the spirit tallied the changes that had occurred. Some part of him knew that it had been thousands of years. Where exactly he had come from, however, was a mystery. He knew only what the puzzle would allow him to know.
One thing that was clear - if harm befell his host it would damage him far more than any harm to himself. It was distinctly foreign to him - to suddenly cherish something more than his own life. A small, instinctual part of him knew that in the "long ago" time, he had never felt such selflessness.
The puzzle had chosen this young man. No – that was not right. This young man had been born to be the other half of his soul, they completed and balanced each other.
Reaching out once again to caress the consciousness that slumbered next to his, the spirit basked in its warmth and innocence.
A ripple of anger - his hosts' recent memories passed before his eyes, so much violence against the gentle one. The boy, who it seemed was not as young as he appeared, disliked being small. Suppressing a laugh, the spirit took control of their shared form, casting illusions over the young body. It would not do for him to appear innocent. It was no difficult task to make minor adjustments to how others perceived this body, to create a more intimidating figure. He had no desire to change his host entirely - and he knew with unusual confidence that there was a limit to his power.
While some might consider it to be the ultimate form of narcissism, the spirit had to admit part of him was attracted to this young man. This was, of course, nothing he would ever be able to say or express. After all - he was essentially a parasite.
Rifling through memories, he discovered a name - Yugi.
He paused to cherish the name - to imprint it upon his heart. Yugi.
YugiYugiYugiYugiYugi
It was a name he would never forget.
With a groan of pleasure, the spirit fell back upon a soft bundle of cloth. His new memory supplied a name - comforter. The object beneath – Yugi's bed.
Perhaps if he served this new master well, Yugi would allow him to experience more of this world.
"Are you there?"
The silence was deafening. Yugi concentrated on the connection to the other consciousness within his mind. The connection slipped from his grasp at the lightest touch, perhaps sensing his inexperience.
Yugi had been trying to talk to the "other" for days without success.
With a sudden stroke of insight, he reached into the holster that held his deck and pulled it out, thumbing through the cards until he found the Dark Magician. The only times his other self had appeared occured when he was in danger... or about to duel. Yugi had no intention of putting himself in danger, so a duel it would be.
Simply staring at the card seemed to have no effect. Frowning in concentration Yugi returned the card to the deck and tried a different approach.
"It's time to duel"
He felt foolish saying the words out loud, but shook off the feeling and began to shuffle the cards.
Success at last.
As always, the transformation was euphoric. A searing heat that started in his chest and flowed outwards, burning away all traces of innocence in its path. A tingling at the back of his head warned him of the disorientation that came next. The other consciousness gathered up Yugi's mind and pushed. It was not a forcible movement but a gentle setting aside as if to say "let me take care of you".
Yugi struggled against the fatigue that followed - determined to stay awake.
Now in posession, the other Yugi looked at the deck in his hands and around the room in confusion.
"What is this? There is no opponent."
The spirit of the Millenium Puzzle reached out with his mind and clicked something out of place. Yugi eyes widened as the body that was his and yet not his stepped to the side – and he did not follow. Looking down, Yugi yelped as he saw straight through his body as if he were a ghost.
Drifting away with jerking motions, Yugi turned and looked into his own eyes. His other self looked different, taller with more angular eyes and vertical fringe.
"I wanted to meet you" Yugi said, smiling in what he hoped was a friendly manner.
The spirit look down at the deck of cards questioningly.
"It was the only way I could think to call you." Yugi looked down at the floor and clasped his hands together.
"There is another way" The spirit touched his forehead with two fingers, smirking.
-You may speak to me this way, master-
The words sounded clearly in Yugi's mind.
Shocked, he felt the connection thrumming with power - his other self had changed it somehow
=My other self=
Yugi smiled, this reminded him of talking to an invisible friend.
-Yes, master.-
=Thank you. Thank you for granting my wish, for giving me friends.=
-You should not thank me. I inhabit your body like a parasite-
"NO!"
Yugi winced as his other self stepped backwards, his eyes wary.
-! I am sorry, master!-
=No! I am not your master. We are... partners=
-Yes, aibou-
He felt a warm flush of pleasure at the words.
"What is your name?"
The spirit looked away and crossed his arms.
"I do not know. The puzzle will not allow me to remember."
"You have to have a name!"
"You may call me... Yami"
A/N: This one will not be updated quite as frequently as the others it takes longer to write. Protip: reviews really do make me write faster!