Disclaimer: I'm only saying this once, in chapter one: Yu-Gi-Oh! is owned by Kazuki Takahashi and various television networks. I do not own it, nor would I ever be able to come up with something as magnanimous as it.
A/N: Here you go guys. Chapter one!
Chapter 1: Return
…
Solomon Mouto closed Kame Game Shop on a chilly evening in mid March as the screams from the living room above the shop escalated. Solomon ran up the stairs to see what predicament warranted such a high noise level. He stopped suddenly as two people he thought were long gone fought viciously in his living room. Solomon glanced at the ancient Pharaoh Atem, at his multi-colored hair much like his grandson's, and Yami Bakura, whom Yugi had explained was the spirit embodiment of Zorc Necrophades and Thief King Bakura. He inhaled sharply.
The two spirits, Solomon assumed they were still spirits, turned at the unexpected noise. "Grandpa," Atem said, happy to see his partner's grandfather as he realized why this place had seemed so familiar.
Yami Bakura sneered and muttered something darkly under his breath. Solomon chose to ignore him and focus on the problem on hand as a whole. The year and a half after Yugi completed the Millennium Puzzle had stripped him of reacting poorly to odd situations. Instead, he sought Yugi out. Finding him sitting on the couch with a confused expression, Solomon inquired about the, presumably dead, spirits of the Millennium Puzzle and Ring.
Yugi shrugged. "I don't really know. I heard screaming..." Yugi was cut off by Yami Bakura lunging at Atem in retaliation of a comment Atem had said minutes before.
"Pathetic!" He roared, a fist curled in mid air, ready to smack against Atem's face. "You call me pathetic, Pharaoh? I'll have you know, I am darkness!" He caught Atem's neck in a tight grip.
"And I defeated you," Atem stated calmly. He stared directly into Yami Bakura's eyes, as if not noticing the trembling fist a few inches from his face. Atem smirked as Yami Bakura's other fist tightened around his neck. "Violence? How befitting for someone of your status." He looked down his nose at the expression twisting Yami Bakura's face further.
As the quarrel threatened to turn physical, and far far uglier, Yugi made a motion to his ear, mimicking a cellular phone call. Solomon blinked and imperceptivity nodded his head as the two spirits resumed their earlier fight, conveying that Yugi should, in fact, sneak off to call his group of friends before the situation became uncontrollable. Yugi walked into the kitchen to murmur quietly into the cordless phone.
"And what do you mean by that?" Yami Bakura ground out in an ugly tone.
Atem's smirk widened. "That is your only effective strategy."
Solomon placed a hand on Atem's shoulder, making sure to stay out of Yami Bakura's line of fire. Just in case. Atem jumped back, quickly composing himself when he realized where he was and who was observing his interactions. "May I ask, what is going on?"
Atem turned, dodging Yami Bakura's released punch. He cocked his head, and waved a hand in the other's direction as if to explain the entire fight, effectively shrugging off any blame. "That is not what I mean. How are you here? You both," Solomon emphasized. "Have been gone from our world for a year."
Both the spirits' eyes widened at this announcement. "How can that be?" Atem asked as Bakura cursed and muttered, "You're lying."
"The last thing I remember is walking to paradise after my duel with Yugi," Atem said. He tilted his head, trying to bring up memories of paradise, and finding he could not. He remembered the end of the ceremonial duel, the tears, the aching in his chest as he walked to the platform doors to leave this world behind, the blinding, yet beautiful and peaceful, light as the doors parted. Then nothing.
Solomon rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He sat down on the couch to alleviate some of the numbness that left him feeling as if his head were severed from the rest of his body. He spoke, important necessary questions, but didn't realize what was being said until it echoed back through his brain. "What about you," he addressed Yami Bakura. His voice lowered, a testament of his dissatisfaction with the former Thief King.
The spirit of the Ring's scowl deepened. "It doesn't matter." He crossed his arms against his chest and leaned against the wall, trying to meld to the hard surface.
"The last thing he remembers is my victory against him in Millennium World," Atem boasted. Solomon sighed as Yami Bakura's expression morphed from annoyed to homicidal.
"And that's why you started fighting," he concluded. Yugi returned to the living room, bearing a small tray with four cups and a tea kettle.
"Mom was making tea while I was in the kitchen," Yugi said as explanation. He handed a cup to each spirit: an indication to sit down and drink. He neglected to mention his phone calls aloud, but at his nod, Solomon understood that backup was on its way.
…
The backup arrived in the form of three males, Joey, Tristan, and Ryou. "Hey, Yug'," Joey said as the group entered the house without knocking. Ryou and Tristan wore matching expressions of concern as they let themselves in the house. Joey plopped down on the couch, in between the two spirits and grabbed a half drunk cup of tea. He took a generous swig, before noticing the spirits.
He jumped from the couch with a high-pitched shriek and spat out the green liquid. "Bakura!" He scanned the room quickly, eyes shrinking away from the spirit of the Millennium ring to latch on to the Pharaoh Atem. "Other Yugi?" he said, before correcting himself. "Atem, you're back?" His countenance darkened. "And you're back?" He glared at Yami Bakura. His fist curled around the small tea cup.
Tristan sagged against the wall, still standing near the door, one shoe off and the other momentarily forgotten, and Ryou's face drained of any color he had. "Yami?" he whispered, his voice catching even as the long disused name sprung from his lips without his conscious volition.
At that, Yami Bakura spoke, with a hint of his former arrogance, his eyes not quite as malicious, "Partner." His tone dripped with icy venom, as if Yami Bakura was plotting on how to torment his former host, tone conveying each potential abuse once inflicted by him. "Did you miss me?"
"Oh no you don't," Tristan regained his ability to function. He kicked his remaining shoe off, stepped up into the living room, and crossed the room to stand by Joey's side, near Yami Bakura, as if trying to act as a physical barrier between Ryou and Yami Bakura.
"I wouldn't worry too much about him," Atem said. He moved to stand next to Yugi, grasping his partner's hand. He knew from Yugi's extra wide eyes and placid smile, that his partner was upset. A year spent sharing a body with the boy had its benefits. He smirked at the information he intended to provide, not at all bothered by it, but knowing full well the spirit of the Ring would be seething. "I cannot summon any of my shadow magic, so I doubt he can."
Yugi's mouth dropped, then he caught himself, and closed it. That explained the sudden screaming match and borderline fist fight he had walked into, not more than an hour ago. If the two spirits couldn't summon their magic that must mean…
"You can't use your magic?" Joey looked away from Yami Bakura, who held a glaring contest with the floor, rage intensifying even as he knew he didn't have his magic to rectify the situation.
"What does that mean?" Tristan asked.
"I have some ideas," Solomon offered, "But I think I should ask Arthur about it. And we should get in touch with the Ishtars." He clicked a finger around his own tea mug.
"Ishtars, as in Marik?" Yugi asked. He leaned forward the couch, hands folded, propped under his chin. "And what ideas?"
"I think the spirits might be human," Solomon said slowly. He studied the two spirits, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Atem shifted nervously, and Yami Bakura continued to glower. Ryou's complexion regained an iota of color, so he looked sickly pale, rather than dead. "Bring me a knife," Solomon called out suddenly to Mrs. Mouto in the kitchen.
Yugi's mom stepped out of the kitchen. "Dad?" She looked at the amount of people in the living room, swiveling her head at the sight of the two extra people whom held similar physical characteristics as her son and his friend. "What is going on?"
"Get me a knife, dear," Solomon repeated.
"Grandpa?" Yugi asked, glancing from Solomon to his mother.
Mrs. Mouto returned with a steak knife. Her face screwed up in confusion. When Solomon grasped the knife, he addressed Yami Bakura, pointing at him with the knife. "Hold out your arm," he said.
Yami Bakura raised an eyebrow. He continued to keep his arms crossed. Ryou cottoned on to what Solomon was planning to do first. "No don't!" He placed himself between Joey and Tristan, who inadvertently blocked Yami Bakura, and Solomon, who still had the knife pointed at Yami Bakura. "You can't just cut him!"
Comprehension dawned on everyone's faces. Yami Bakura glanced at Ryou without his usual look of malice momentarily, as if in thanks, before hatred clouded his features again. Mrs. Mouto quickly grabbed the knife from her father's hands, tossing him a dark look to convey her displeasure, and returned it to the kitchen.
"Why can't we?" Joey asked.
"He deserves it," Tristan agreed, "after all he put us, you, through." He emphasized Yami Bakura's treatment of Ryou as a host, the constant half-awareness, the lies, the deceit.
Ryou resolutely kept his eyes on Solomon. He ignored the silent meaning in Tristan's words or the justified anger pooling in Joey's eyes. "You said he was human, yeah? No human deserves that kind of abuse."
"But he abused you!" Atem said. At his words, everyone remembered the long periods of starvation Ryou had suffered because Yami Bakura neglected his body, along with the injuries he had inflicted on Ryou. "You didn't deserve that."
"No one does," Ryou repeated. He narrowed his eyes. He snapped in anger, "If you want to prove something, why don't you test yourself?"
A few seconds passed as the occupants of the room stared at Ryou, mostly shocked by such a brash comment. Ryou never told them off—in fact, he never told his spirit off, even though he probably deserved it. Ryou blanched, looking up at Atem with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry, Atem. I didn't mean that. Please don't cut yourself just to prove a point."
Yami Bakura laughed, a twinge of insanity present, "As if Pharaoh would scar himself for anything or anybody." He held out a hand to indicate he wanted the returned kitchen knife. Something heavy settled in his gut, and suddenly the idea of proving if he was, in fact, human consumed him. "If you're so damn interested, I'll do it."
"I don't want you to do it either."
"I don't mind," Tristan said, and Joey nodded vehemently in agreement.
When no one handed him the knife, Yami Bakura flexed his fingers on one hand, and sank his fingernails into his bare arm. Ryou's eyes widened. Atem could only stare in horror as little beads of red appeared around Yami Bakura's fingers, tainting the skin with fresh blood.
"Jesus! I knew you were crazy," Joey exclaimed then cut himself off, unable to finish the sentence. Tristan watched silently, mind spinning, but thoroughly siding with Joey's sentiment.
As the blood stained his fingernails, and the crescent shaped wounds stung, Yami Bakura felt relief. Even the proof that he was human did not, momentarily, bother him. In that instance, the red staring out in contrast against pale skin, his anger dissipated, evaporated into a hazy mist that seemed to shroud his mind.
…
The impromptu meeting disbanded quickly after Yami Bakura had cut himself with his fingernails. "You feel okay with him?" Joey had asked Ryou after leading him to a semi-private corner.
Ryou gazed at Joey, at a loss for words. His once fearsome, manically sadist of a spirit seemed subdued somehow, like the light had been cut off. It was hard to explain, but Ryou doubted he would make an attempt to hurt him, at least not tonight. And surely they would be spending the next couple weeks before the new school year figuring out this mess. Ryou replied, "I'll be fine."
"Don't forget," Tristan butted in. "This time, he doesn't share a body with you. And you're physical health doesn't affect him anymore. He doesn't have to keep you alive." He caught Ryou's eyes, forcing the other to view the concern he and the others felt for him, the worry that Ryou's semblance of a life would crumble.
Ryou swallowed. He hadn't considered that. Even almost a year after he was freed from the spirit of the Millennium Ring, he had not forgotten Yami Bakura's negligence and general lack of concern regarding his welfare, nor the havoc it wreaked on him. Still, he reassured Joey and Tristan, if only out of habit. "Guys, I'm sure it will be fine. I promise to keep my mobile on tonight, okay?"
He waved the brand new cellular phone at Joey and Tristan. A few weeks ago, out of guilt surely, Ryou's father had bought and express mailed him a top-of-the-line clamshell style cellular phone, with a promise to replace it when the rumored cellular phones with internet access became available (even as early as next year, they were saying). Ryou noticed Joey's face cloud with jealousy, and he immediately felt bad for waving around something none of his friends could afford, aside from Tea maybe.
"If you're sure?" Joey said, envy making him a bit more pliable. Ryou flashed another smile and repeated his assurances.
Ryou rushed his goodbyes, wanting to be away from the stress of the group and their needling concerns, but also afraid of what would happen when he and Yami Bakura were alone. He steeled himself for the long night that awaited them as he closed the door to the Mouto's and started their trek to his apartment.
…
A/N:
Arthur is Professor Hawkins/Hopkins, Rebecca's grandfather. He's not going to play much of a role in this, but I think Solomon would refer to him on a first name basis if we're using English names (speaking of which).
I know the names of the characters are going to be an issue. It's kind of like teaching an old dog new tricks, just not going to happen. I tried to use the proper Japanese names, but three paragraphs later, I would find myself typing Tea rather than Anzu or Joey rather than Jounouchi. So I apologize for that. I do try to keep this relevant to Japanese culture because Yugioh is originally Japanese.
Clamshell (flip) cell phones did exist in 1998 (which is when I place this story in the Yugioh verse), but from what I could tell (from the god that is wiki), they were very expensive. Also, Japan was the first country to have cell phones that could access the internet, which was available in 1999. I imagine in 1998, there would be rumors about it. Sorry if the information is incorrect (wiki). I was nine in 1998, and didn't acquire a cell phone for another ten years.
