Title: Better in Stereo
Summary: You, the other half of me, the half I'll never be, the half the drives me crazy; You, the better half of me, the half I'll always need, we both know we're better in stereo. Somehow, Yugi knows he'll always need his other half. His twin sister.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.
A/N: NO FLAMES! Not accepted.
You say it's wrong, I say it's right, you say it's black, I say it's white, you take a left, I take a right, but at the end of the day we both know…we're better in Stereo – Better In Stereo, Dove Cameron
Yugi Muto had never really been alone. He'd never been by himself. Except for the two minutes he had been without his sister while their mother gave birth to them. Ayali had been born first and had screamed until Yugi made it into the world. She had almost known that her brother was there because as soon as the nurses took Yugi to clean him, weigh him and measure him, she had calmed down and gone to sleep in her father's arms.
As they grew up it became Ayali's job to look after Yugi. She was always taller, stronger and smarter. She became Yugi's protector and she didn't hate it. Yugi watched as she grew and he idolized her. When they were 10 their parents died in a plane crash. Leaving the twins with their Grandfather, who told them amazing stories of his archaeological days. When he'd go to Egypt and make the most amazing discoveries.
One day when the twins were 14, he gave Yugi a 'puzzle' to solve. A bit of a challenge. He told Yugi that he could make a wish on the puzzle and it might just come true for him. So Yugi made his wish.
"Please puzzle grant my wish." Yugi wished for a true friend. And set about doing the puzzle. It took him a long time to finish it but he managed to. Then he made his mistake. Taking it to school. Ayali had been talking to her friend's friend, Téa Gardner, whom Ayali never really got along with, when two boys ran past. Ayali knew them as the boys who liked to goof off in class. One holding the box that Ayali knew contained her brother's puzzle.
"Hey, give it back!" Yugi's voice rang out.
"Come and get it shrimp!" the dark-haired boy called over his shoulder. The blonde who ran with him laughed and took the box from the other boy.
"Come on Tristan," he said, "we'd better give it back." He held the box out for a few seconds long enough for Yugi to get within reaching distance, but then he held it above his head. Well out of Yugi's reach.
"Better luck next time, Runt!" He laughed.
"JOSEPH WHEELER! Give it back!" Ayali snapped. He froze. No one messed with Ayali Muto, not even if they thought she was weak. Because her right hook was infamous. It had landed Wesley Michaels with a broken nose and a black eye, simply for stealing Yugi's lunch! Joey Wheeler was never one to go against his better instincts, and when he saw the look on Ayali's face, he knew better than to go against what she said. He hesitated but eventually let Yugi take the box from his hands. Once Yugi had it he ran off. Ayali gave Joey and Tristan once last disdainful look then followed after her brother.
"They're just jealous, Yuge. They want what you have." Ayali said, when she found her brother in the library.
"A sister who fights their battles for them?" He asked, sitting his chin in his palm.
"No, but…wait do you not want me to help you?" Ayali asked.
"I want you to stop beating up people who pick on me. I have to learn how to stand up for myself. You can't keep fighting for me." Yugi said with a shrug.
"If that's what you want. Then next time…beat up Joey Wheeler and Tristan Taylor by yourself." Ayali said getting to her feet.
"That's not what I meant, Aya–" Yugi began to backpedal.
"No, if you want to fight your own battles, that's cool. Do it yourself. But perhaps, leave the puzzle at home. Good luck Yugi." Ayali said, walking away. Yugi went to follow her, then thought better of it and sat back down. He had to remember not the have this with him now, but he liked the feeling it gave him He just had to be careful. Not always easy. Particularly now that Ayali was no longer protecting him from Joey and Tristan.
And they got meaner. Joey even managed to steal a piece out of the puzzle and throw it out the window. Yugi wanted to take back what he'd said to Ayali the week before. He wanted his sister back. His protector. He wanted his hero back. The one who made him feel like he could do anything, be anyone. Ayali was that person to Yugi. He just hoped he could stand up to bullies like she did one day. Yugi just didn't realise that the day would come a lot faster than he expected and he never expected he'd be protecting the very people who had made his life hell for the past year and half, and who had ruined the puzzle. He never thought he'd be saving Joey Wheeler and Tristan Taylor from a bully three times his size.
Ushio was the school's biggest bully. He was a senior. When he approached Joey and Tristan had told them he'd seen them picking on Yugi and he was here to give them a taste of their own medicine. Now he had seen it, everybody in the school had – but no one had thought to act on it. Next to Ushio, Joey and Tristan were pussy cats. Ayali stood a little ways away, with her friend Yuki and, of course, Téa. Then she spotted her brother making his way towards them. Don't do it Yugi, Ayali thought, don't get involved!
"What are you doing?!" Yugi cried. Ushio spun around an evil smile coming over his face. Joey and Tristan were beat up and slumped on the ground. They'd had enough but Ushio never let it go unless his girlfriend told him to stop. And she never did.
"Well look who just showed up, it's Little Yugi, just in time to watch me wipe the floor with these guys." He leered.
"Get back! Leave them alone!" Yugi said.
"Who's gonna stop me? A little shrimp like you? I don't think so. Get lost." Ushio snapped.
"I won't let you! These guys are my friends!" Yugi cried stepping in front of Joey and Tristan's prone forms. Ayali was stunned. She couldn't believe it. These two boys has terrorised her brother! And now he was defending them!
"Ok, tough guy. You jump to the head of the line! Say you're prayers you runt. And this time big sister's not around to save you." Ushio sneered. Ayali left the courtyard and headed straight to the principal's office. Telling him that there was a fight going on. He followed her out in time to see Ushio land the last punch on Yugi. Ayali cried out at seeing her brother on the ground and ran over to help him. The Principal called Ushio into his office and asked Ayali to bring the others. By that afternoon Ushio was expelled and Yugi was home with Ayali with a packet of frozen peas on his cheek. Joey and Tristan were sitting at their homes thinking about the runt that stood up for them. He had been tortured by them, they had always been mean to him, and they had played 'keep-away' with the puzzle! Joey had even thrown a piece into the pool! Joey made his choice, he left the house not telling his father where he was going, he snuck into school and dove into the pool fishing out the piece he had thrown in it only a week earlier.
It was the next afternoon that Joey turned up at the Muto's house. He asked if he could speak to Yugi and Ayali reluctantly went to get Yugi. The two boys went to the park across the road to talk. Joey held out the piece he'd taken from the puzzle.
"This is your's." He said, Yugi grinned and slid the piece into place. He thanked Joey and the two stood in silence for a moment before Joey spoke again.
"I want to apologise Yugi. I've been acting like a jerk." He said.
"Oh, were you acting?" Yugi countered.
Joey laughed, "I guess I deserved that one. If you ask me, I think Tristan and I may have underestimated you." Yugi looked confused, "You know Yugi, you're a tougher kid then I ever gave you credit for. Maybe we should hang out more often. What d'ya say?" Joey gave Yugi one of his trademark smiles and Yugi agreed. Ayali noticed the extra spring in Yugi's step and when Yugi returned to school, puzzle around his neck, no one teased him and if they did two boys stood up to them.
Ayali watched as Richard Carter tried his luck at teasing Yugi but he was soon silenced by Joey's left hook. Tristan strode next to Yugi and kept an arm around the smaller teens shoulders. Protectively like Ayali would have. She was impressed. These two boys who were bullies to anyone who looked at them the wrong way were suddenly protecting their prime target as if they had been friends all their lives and Ayali was happy to see that it was finally happening for Yugi. He finally had some friends. Tristan Taylor, the reliable one. Joey Wheeler, the comic relief and Yugi's best friend. If you saw Yugi then it was sure bet that Joey wasn't far behind and the same went for Joey, Yugi was never too far behind (hindered only by his short legs).
It was another few weeks and then Téa joined to rag-tag group of friends. Ayali didn't like it but then she didn't have to. It was Yugi's choice to have Téa join them. And if Yugi wanted Téa in their group then that was ok with her. Well sort of. Ayali knew where Téa worked. And she wasn't supposed to work at Burger Palooza, she wasn't old enough. But then if she was one of Yugi's friends, Ayali wouldn't cause any trouble, as much as she would have liked to.
Téa actually really got on Ayali's nerves after a while, it seemed that no matter what the boys did it was always wrong, or it was too dangerous. She was forever warning Yugi to be careful. She was a whining, whingeing nag! She was insufferable and Ayali wondered how she never got on the nerves of the boys. Though Ayali could see she got on Joey and Tristan's a bit. But Yugi seemed to take it in stride. Ayali noticed several things about Téa she'd never seen before. And she never really wanted to see again.
Téa seemed to have an unnatural attachment to Yugi. Ayali knew her brother was attractive, but Téa really seemed to have a MASSIVE crush on him. She was the most worried about him (next to Ayali) and she was forever trying to help protect him. Lot of good it did her. Yugi never saw it, thanks to him being just a little naïve. Ayali was at least thankful for that! But Ayali did catch Téa looking smugly at her from time to time. The smug look seemed to say 'he doesn't need you anymore…he's got me instead.' Ayali may have been happy for Yugi to have friends, but she didn't have to like them.
Duellist Kingdom was the longest Yugi and Ayali had been apart. Neither liked it but they really had no choice it was duellists only. No family. And Ayali had business to take care of. When their parents died they left their company to Ayali. So Ayali was suddenly in charge of an oil drilling company. One of the biggest in the world. So while her brother was away winning a championship she was running a company. Luckily most of her classes at school asked for a lot of theory so she was used to doing lots of paper work. She barely had time to keep up to date with news of the tournament, though she did hear that Yugi had won and was now known as 'King of Games'. Ayali was very proud of him, he was doing something her had always wanted and he was getting some recognition out of it.
It was Joey who posed the question to Yugi on the boat coming home from Duellist Kingdom about Ayali not being with them.
"It sucks that Aya couldn't come with, doesn't it, Yuge?" The tall blonde asked, Yugi gave a mirthless laugh.
"Yeah I guess. And yet Aya wasn't invited, nor would she have been. She doesn't play Duel Monsters and has no real interest in it. I know she'll be proud of me, but she has never understood it. To her, it's just a card game. Like that Pokémon one." Yugi said.
"JUST A CARD GAME!" Joey spluttered.
"Yep, she has never understood it. In fact she only owns one card. It's the Winged Kuriboh. It's her favourite card and she takes it everywhere with her. But she doesn't get it and that is really our main difference." Yugi said. He wasn't bitter about the fact that his sister had dissed the game he loved so much. But that was their main difference. And many in appearance.
Ayali looked up sharply as the door of her father's office opened with a bang and stood up when she noted the small form that was slumped against it.
"Yugi!" She was at his side in seconds, "what on earth is going on?" the 16-year-old asked. Yugi breathed deeply for a moment. He hadn't seen her since before Duellist Kingdom and it had been three weeks since he got back and hadn't seen hide nor hair of his sister.
"I missed you." He hissed wincing at the pain that shot through his chest as he spoke.
"I missed you too, what is wrong? Are you hurt?" She asked.
Yugi shook his head, with a wide smile, "Stitch from running." He whispered, Ayali sat back on her heels and laughed.
"Ok, funny guy. Get up." She hauled him to his feet and grabbed his wrists, she pulled them behind his head and made him stand up straight, "breathe deeply for a moment." She instructed and soon enough his stitch vanished and he could breathe properly again. Yugi grinned at her and let her roll her eyes at him. They had often had these exchanges as children. Yugi would run too far too fast and get a stitch and use it to trick Ayali into thinking he was hurt.
"So…you won Duellist Kingdom." She said sinking into her father's leather chair again. Yugi smiled and sat down in the armchair off to the side.
"Sure did. Joey tell you?" He asked.
"No one had to tell me. It was all over the news. Check it out." She tossed her phone at him and he caught it, he scanned the headline of the Domino Times that stared back at him. Local Boy Wins Duel Monsters Championship. Of course most of the article talked about the game and a small portion of it mentioned Yugi, Ayali and their parents. Yugi suddenly noticed something about his sister.
"Aya…you got that metal out of your mouth!" He exclaimed, she laughed at him.
"Sure did. While you were away." She said grinning at him showing off a row of brilliant white, straight teeth.
It was only a few days until Yugi confronted Ayali about why he never saw her anymore. She only attended school on certain days and on weekends he never saw her. He saw more of Kaiba then he did of his own sister!
"Why don't I see you anymore? I'm spending more time with my Duel Monsters rival then I am with you!" Yugi said.
"I'm sorry Yugi, but I'm really busy. I can't be spending all my time with children." Ayali shuffling papers on her desk.
"YOU ARE A CHILD!" Yugi exploded.
"I'm almost an adult and I have a company to run." She said looking at him sharply.
Yugi's jaw dropped open, "You sound like Seto Kaiba! Who are you now? I don't know you anymore!" Yugi cried.
"I'm sorry Yugi, but you know what? Who do you think is running Dad's business? Who keeps Cook and Maria, Daisy and Mary in employment? Daddy may longer be with us Yugi, but I'm running his business. Someone has to." Ayali said. Yugi then realized that yes, whenever he was there the house was always tidy and dust free and there was always a wonderful smell coming from the kitchen. So his favourite maids and cook were still there. He thought he'd heard Maria singing once or twice as well, but passed it off as his imagination. So they were still around and Ayali was the one who kept them around.
She made sure that Maria could pay for her son's schooling;
Cook had the money to buy that bike her grandson just had to have;
Daisy had to pay for her college tuition but their father had always helped out with that;
Marigold was the youngest and she needed to pay for her senior year.
Ayali understood all the needs of the employees and told them that even if Daisy and Marigold were no longer babysitting herself and Yugi they could remain on the payroll by working with Maris or Cook. Daisy took up the job of helping Cook in the kitchen, while Marigold worked alongside Maria by making Ayali's bed and helping to tidy the house. It paid their bills and the money from the oil drilling kept coming in. Ayali had learnt the ropes from a young age and now she was multi-millionaire at 17 and she rivalled even Kaiba for the richest teenager. Though oil-drilling was important, Kaiba did game-creation. That was popular with teens and children. He needed the money to support not just himself and his staff but his little brother as well.
Yugi knew that Ayali was busy but he still invited her out one night to have dinner with him and his friends. He knew she didn't get along with Téa but he also knew that Téa was out with her parents for a dinner at a very different place. So they didn't have to worry about that. Yugi, Joey, Tristan and Duke Devlin were all meeting up to have dinner together. Joey and Tristan had also spoke to Bakura but the other boy had declined. Ayali and Yugi decided to walk to the diner as it was nearly three blocks from the house. Ayali and Yugi passed the time by talking – catching up and discussing everything and anything.
"Téa's not going to be there?" Ayali clarified as she and Yugi walked to the diner.
"No. Why do you hate her so much?" Yugi asked.
"I don't hate her, I just don't get along with her very well. Also – you don't see it – but she has like this massive crush on you. It doesn't bother me that a girl crushes on you, just that it's her." Ayali explained.
"She's my friend Aya! Why can't she like me?" Yugi snapped as he paused to turn to her.
"I'm not saying that! I'm saying she's into you romantically." Yugi paled, "it's really endearing how spectacularly ignorant and naïve you are." Ayali sighed, "Yami surely can't be this naïve." She shook her head.
"About cell phones he is." Yugi grinned.
"Cute, like they had those in Ancient Egypt!" Ayali said, stonily.
"Don't patronize me! I'm not a child!" Yugi snarled.
"But you are a child Yugi. You are barely 17!" Ayali said.
"Are you honestly arguing with me right now?" Yugi snapped.
"Are you sassing me?" Ayali hissed.
"No!" Yugi defended.
"Then I'm not arguing with you." Ayali said, flippantly.
Yugi had never been more frustrated then he was with his sister. Sure, Ayali was his twin and he loved her more than anything, but she was starting to get in his nerves and aggravate him to the point of snapping. He conveniently 'forgot' to visit her, he was always 'charging' his cell phone when she rang and he always 'had homework to do' when she wanted to meet up with him. Ayali knew he was avoiding her, but she had no idea what she had done wrong. She asked Joey if he knew but the blonde simply shrugged.
"If it's something you've done – you'd do better asking Téa. Yugi seems to tell her everything." Joey said.
"But you're his Best Friend!" Ayali cried.
"But Téa can keep a secret better than I can. Trust me if Yugi doesn't want you to know something he'll tell Téa." Joey admitted.
"I don't get along with Téa. She doesn't like me and I don't know why!" Ayali wailed.
Joey laughed, "Oh that's easy. To Téa, even though you're only his sister, you're her competition for Yugi. Téa has always liked Yuge, it's just that now at 16 she's realized that she got this massive infatuation thing. She's got a crush on Yugi and you are an obstacle in her way to getting him." He said.
"But like you said – I'm his sister!" Ayali sighed. Joey simply shrugged at her helplessly. He couldn't tell her why Téa was so jealous.
"Yeah, his twin sister. That's the point that Joey's making. You are his closet female relative and you don't even know him anymore! What kind of sister is that?" A female voice made the pair of blondes turn.
"Oh Miss Gardner how kind of you to join us. Maybe you can tell me what it is I've done to drive my brother to avoid me!" Ayali stated, she had her hands on her hips and she looked like someone you'd never want to cross, but Téa wasn't just anyone. After verbally bashing Joey and Yugi for turning up at her workplace and giving her the idea that if they let slip she wasn't 18 she could be fired – she'd kept that same fiery temper and now it was turned on Ayali.
"You've done nothing and that's the problem! You're so busy running Daddy's company that you've forgotten Yugi." Téa said, matter-of-factly. Ayali wasn't convinced this is purely innocent friendship.
"Yugi is impossible to forget. And I love my brother! So you'd better stay out of his love life Téa!" Ayali said, Joey watched this exchange like it was a tennis match. Usually he would have stepped out but he thought it best for this one – not to.
Ayali knew she had one chance to win Yugi back to her corner. And this was the way to do it. Using her influence over the Kaiba Brothers she was able to buy a number of Kaiba's rare cards. But not with money. With a share in her company as long as she could have share in his. And a 'date' with Mokuba. The youngest Kaiba brother was adorable with his infatuation with the oldest Muto sibling. Ayali didn't see anything wrong with letting Mokuba take her on a date. Even if he was a little young for her. He was mature though – he had grown up fast due to losing his parents when he was just a baby and because Seto had become involved in the Company letting Mokuba be a huge part of it.
But she supposed that Seto had tried to keep Mokuba a child for as long as possible. At the orphanage they'd been at – she'd heard all about it from Mokuba – Seto had gotten them adopted when he was 12 – Mokuba about 5. Ayali hadn't thought about their lives as being so hard. Most rich boys got everything handed to them on a silver platter. But unlike her father, Seto had to work to get the company from his step-father. Her father was handed it from his father-in-law and it became Muto Oil (A/N: Muto Oil – Moto Oil – Motor oil…get it?)
Ayali looked down at the note she'd written to Yugi. It was short but it was heart-felt. She tucked it into the envelope with the cards and slipped it under the game shop's door. Now all she had to do was wait. To see what reaction she got. And she had to get ready for her date with Mokuba. Shaking her head slowly she thought about where the young tween might take her. Mokuba was only 12 and he was kind of cute for a kid. Seto had chuckled when Mokuba had mentioned it, but Ayali agreed. She thought it sweet.
Yugi smiled down at the cards in his hand. All rare and all of them used to belong to Kaiba. His sister had a way to win people over and she'd done just that with Seto Kaiba, it helped that she used to date him. That was probably a major point in the getting of these cards. Her note had a P.S. mentioning how she'd gotten the cards from Kaiba. Shares in her company and date with Mokuba. He smiled at the date with Mokuba, he was a sweet enough kid but wasn't he a bit too young for her? Whatever, Aya had agreed and was probably spending a nice dinner with the youngest Kaiba.
Yugi could only imagine how that was going down right now. But he knew Aya, she'd try to make it seem as normal as possible. She was a good natured girl and Yugi knew that she would try to remove the awkwardness of it all. But he could imagine the looks they be getting, the youngest Kaiba son with a girl almost old enough to be his mother – scratch that – they were probably being looked at like they were siblings. The same looks Yugi and Ayali got when they went out. Siblings yeah, that would be the looks they'd get. At least, Yugi was almost sure of that. He really hoped he was right because if he wasn't…Ayali would never live it down. And that taunting would come only from Kaiba and not from Yugi…at least not at first.
It wasn't awkward that a 17-year-old girl was going to dinner with a 10-year-old. They could be siblings. Or – and Ayali saw this in the odd and slightly disgusted looks they were getting – mother and son. She rolled her eyes slightly at the absurdity of it all. Mother and son? She was 7 when he was born! It was ridiculous. But anyway they sat and ate dinner and talked and Ayali even let Mokuba try his best 'flirting' with her. It was actually rather endearing of the young boy. Ayali would smile and laugh at his jokes – like any good date. But she was really only humouring him and she was sure that Mokuba knew that. But he took it as if she did really like him.
"Well I had a really nice night Mokuba." Ayali said, as she stood with Mokuba at the door of the Kaiba mansion. Usually he would have taken her home first but Seto had him on curfew.
"Yeah, I had a good time too." Mokuba agreed. Ayali knelt down to be his level and gently pressed a kiss to his cheek. He blushed scarlet and when she presented him with her own cheek, he pressed a kiss to it also.
"I have a lovely time, Mokie. Thank-you, for such a wonderful evening." Ayali said kissing his cheek once more and standing up. Roland holding the door of the car open to take her home. The evening had not been a complete disaster. And hopefully her brother had accepted her apology.
It was a Saturday and they had gathered for Yugi's birthday. He had invited nearly everyone he knew. Even Seto, Mokuba and Rebecca. Yugi just hoped that Ayali could make the time to come and see him. It was their 18th birthday after all. She deserved to be here as much as he did. He looked around at all his friends and the two piles of gifts – everyone had known to bring two. There was just one person missing. As Yugi joined his friends and pulled the first gift towards him the bell on the door downstairs rang. Grandpa went down to get it, already they could hear the drumming of long nailed fingers on the glass counter top. So they were female. It wasn't until Grandpa returned that Yugi knew who it was.
"I couldn't miss out on this could I? My own birthday party!" Yugi and Ayali had always shared a birthday party, it hadn't mattered when they liked different things they still made it work. So the present opening began. Nothing too spectacular from their friends – the usual. But it was their birthday, they were 18, they were together. It was always going to be the Muto twins, forever and always. Just the way it should be.
"I thank you all for being here. And I know its lame and old-person-ish, but I wanted to say something. I may be King of Games and all that and have my amazing friends – but I think there's one person I'll always need." Yugi said, he didn't notice Rebecca give Téa a smug smile, she thought he meant her, "I'll always need my other half. My sister." Rebecca's jaw dropped as Yugi turned and looked to Ayali. She smiled even as he broke into a run and allowed her for the first time in a long time, lift him clean off the ground in a hug, his arms were around her neck and her's were around his waist. It had been a long time since they'd hugged like this and she'd missed it.
"You're the half I'll always need, Aya. I'll never be like you but that's ok. Because I need my other half." Yugi mumbled into her neck.
"The other side to your coin. The Ying to your Yang. All of the other terribly cliché 'other half' terms they use." Ayali laughed.
"But most of all…I think we're pretty good by ourselves, but…" Yugi trailed off letting Ayali grin and pick up where he left off.
"I agree, we're better in stereo." She grinned and hugged him just a bit tighter. Yugi had never been happier.
We both know,
We're better in stereo.