Okay, enough of my babble. Yugi, start up the disclaimer then get back in the kitchen!
Yugi: You're really bossy...
Edokina: But you still wuv me! (snuggles)
Yugi: Heh heh... sure... (rolls eyes) (( fangirls...)) Oh! Disclaimer, right. Edokina does not Yu-Gi-Oh! Although she said she would've killed Anzu off in the first season if she did... (glares)
Edokina: What? It's not my fault she's such a hate-able character...
A Friend's Return
Yugi walked silently down the street, an umbrella held above his wild hair, bending it in random directions a bit but shielding it and his top half from the rain. He didn't know how he felt about the rain. He loved it because it was so calming, but he hated it because it always ruined his jeans.
He found his thoughts drifting to the Pharaoh once again. He missed him dearly. It had been a year today since they'd dueled, and the Pharaoh had walked through those gates to join the others from his time. He vaguely wondered if the people inside had missed him, then dismissed the thought as silly; of course they would miss their pharaoh.
A whole year… it was still so hard to believe. Yugi was now in his first year of college. He kept his books and supplies in the messenger bag that sat on his right hip. It was a fifteen minute walk from his house to the train station, half an hour on the train, then another ten minutes to get to school. About an hour total. It was shorter by car by about twenty minutes, but he'd just felt like walking today. He knew that he wouldn't be able to concentrate on the road.
He could still feel the ghost of the Millennium Puzzle against his chest, and a part of his heart felt like is was missing. Sometimes this feeling got so bad that it hurt. And it took him a whole month to figure out why.
He loved Atem.
You never know what you've got until it's gone. He had no idea who said this, or where he'd heard it, but he believed it one-hundred percent. A part of him believed that Atem would stay forever. Maybe if he'd figured out his feelings sooner, he could've used them as a more convincing reason for Atem to stay.
But it was much too late, and the shell of a boy continued his walk in the rain. He was halfway home now.
He was still renowned as the King of Games. Before, he'd never thought he deserved the title, and hated receiving all the credit for Atem's skill. But now that he'd beaten him, he supposed he could accept the title. But he still disliked getting credit for Atem's work. Even now, the news channels would sometimes play highlight reels of what they saw as his best duels, still oblivious to the fact that it was those duels that had saved the world from destruction.
Yugi stopped at a crosswalk and pressed the button, then waited for the light to change. While he waited, he stared at himself in the puddle at his feet. He didn't change much. He was almost as tall as Atem. However, he'd stopped growing, so the only way he could be taller was if he measured and grew his hair more. He managed to laugh at this, and caught another glimpse in the puddle. The serious, "I'm buried in thought- leave me alone" look really didn't suit him.
Although, neither did the, "awww, man! Just what I needed…" look he was giving now. A car had driven by too fast and splashed the puddle all over him. That's what I get for staring into it in the first place… He thought, and crossed the street awkwardly when the light finally changed. He hated wearing wet clothes; they stuck to him like a tongue to a flagpole in the middle of winter.
"Grandpa, I'm home!" He called when he made it back. His grandfather's age was finally catching up with him. He couldn't get far without his cane now, but other than that he was the picture of good health. For a man his age, at least.
"Yugi! I'm so glad you're home! What took you?" His grandfather called from the kitchen. It sounded like he was making tea, because he'd just silenced a whistling kettle. "I decided to walk today, remember, Grandpa? And the rain holds everybody up. I'm surprised that I even managed to catch the train in time." He noticed that his grandfather was pouring two cups of tea, "Oh, no thanks, Grandpa. I'm gonna take a hot shower first. Some jerk splashed me with water while he drove by, and I don't want to catch a cold or something."
"Oh, this isn't for you, Yugi."
Yugi stopped, halfway to the stairs, and turned around, "It's not? Who's it for then, Grandpa?" The only company they ever had were Yugi's friends, and they'd all gone home for the day due to all the homework they'd been assigned. So who…?
"Oh, an old friend of yours, Yugi. Why don't you come in and say hello before that shower you were talking about?" He chuckled. Yugi followed him into the living room, helping him carry the other tea. His eyes fell upon the being on the couch and he almost dropped it. It fell from his hand, and he'd fumbled to get it under control and spilled half of it onto the floor as his right hand gripped the teacup and his left dove for the saucer it had sat on.
"Yugi! I know it's shocking, but must you be so clumsy with my best china? And spilling the man's tea, even!" He pretended to sound mad, but he understood completely and added another chuckle and handed the man the cup he'd been carrying.
"Thank you, Mutou-san. Yugi, it's been a while, hasn't it?" The man laughed.
Yugi continued to stare in disbelief, his voice hardly audible when he'd found it and muttered, "Atem?"
Edokina: Yays! Atem is now back! Now that I've defied logic, I can get on with it! Sorry if it's a bit short... I'll try to make the next one longer! Let's just hope that it works out that way...
Yugi: Huh? But I thought that you already-
Edokina: (Shuts Yugi up) Already started? Yes! Hah hah, Yugi, you are so not good with secrets.
I'll post it in a few days, hopefully! I'm going on vacation soon, and the story can't come with me, so with any luck I'll manage to get the next one up before I leave.