Aah... /stares at fic/ Do not ask me where this one came from. I haven't seen the Doma arc (actually, I haven't seen anything beyond ep. 14, they're slow up here in Scandinavia with anime...) so I apologise for any mistakes inwhat little mention there is of it. It's AU; Yuugi appears in the Shadow Realm after having been "sealed away". Hm..... /rolls eyes/ Right. I'm calling Yami Malik Namu in my fics henceforth. What I give as explanations for his less than insane state, makes even more sense if you were to read my other fic (but it isn't necessary) "I Hate you Father".
This is most probably a one shot... I could possibly do more chapters to this one, elaborating on Namu and Yuugi's adventures in the Shadow Realm, but that is an open question.
Disclaimer; I don't own the show Yu-Gi-Oh! But I damn well wish they could hurry up with the translation of the manga so I could own more of those!
Warnings; Slight spoilers, AU... OOC? for Yami Malik
Pairing; Ehhhee...Yami Malik(Namu)xYuugi
From Here to There and Back Again, or; And Now For Something Completely Different
The windswept sand buffeted the two travelers harshly; the smaller of them even slipping in the sand and almost falling. The taller gave a grunt and caught his shorter companion's arm before he could touch the ground.
"Th-thank you," Yuugi gasped out, immediately having to spit out as much of the mouthful of sand as he could. Namu shook his head, his face twisting into a annoyed grimace.
"If you fall, you could get swept away to another part of the Realm, and since the reason for all this was helping you out of here, I'm not going to traipse around just because I lost you." The taller of the two muttered, carefully keeping his mouth behind the cloth coving his lower face, and then screamed frustrated.
"Damn this! Damn it all to hell!" Hands were flung in the air, and shadows suddenly flared, piercing the whirling sandstorm in wiggling tentacles of darkness. And then the wind stopped.
The silence was deafening after the roar of the wind, the two travelers staring dumbfounded at their surroundings, and then each other.
"... Well," The multihued-haired teen coughed, spitting out some more sand. "I wished we had known it was that easy when the sandstorm first hit."
Namu growled, eyes glinting dangerously as he looked around with definite intent of murder on his face. But since there was no one around to maul for their troubles, he sighed, and he seemed to deflate and calm himself. He rubbed his hands over his face tiredly.
"I think we keep forgetting that we actually have some control over the Shadows, both of us, and while we can't find the way out that easily, we can make the Shadows help us."
The shorter boy blushed embarrassedand nodded in agreement.
"I just keep forgetting... since it's always mou hitori no boku that..." He ended on a choke, remembering what had led up to this predicament. A hand on his shoulder and then he was hugged awkwardly.
"We'll get out, and when I see that stupid asshole, I'll kick his butt for you, since you won't do it." Namu said with his nose buried in Yuugi's vibrant hair. /Smells of incense, strangely enough... incense and jasmine?/ Pondering this strange combination, the spiky-haired blond almost missed the little Pharaoh's chuckles.
"Namu! Mou hitori no boku was just... just stressed. I don't know what I would do in a situation like that!" Yuugi protested, but one could hear the appalled amusement. Malik's formerly insane split personality shrugged and got to his feet.
"Doesn't matter. He needs a good kicking any way. And whatever happens, I'll look after both you and my bright one, little Pharaoh."
Yuugi looked up at the bronze-skinned "teen" and gratitude swelled in his chest. Had someone told him he'd be relying on Yami no Malik for support before the duel that had ended in him being sealed away, he would have thought they were crazy. Malik maybe, but his crazy split personality? Never! But things had changed, and now he could say he wouldn't have it any other way.
Flashback
He didn't know where he was, and he really didn't want to think on how he'd ended up here.
Shaking his head, feeling as if he was underwater, Yuugi groaned and pressed his knuckles against his closed eyelids. /Mou hitori no boku.../ Choking on that thought Yuugi raised his head and looked around, not seeing anything in the nothingness. /Well, that was coherent. Not./ Jumping nervously at a sound to his right, it had sounded like cloth rustling, the teen narrowed his eyes to squint out into the darkness, trying to see something.
"That won't help you know, little Pharaoh." That voice. Yuugi froze, instant terror gripping his insides. That familiar voice. Turning his head slowly his purple eyes widened and he gulped.
"Y-yami no Malik!" He squeaked out, his voice breathy in nervousness. The other rolled his narrow, duskily lavender eyes.
"Calm down, little Pharaoh. My displacement in the Shadow Realm let me gain control over the darkness I was set to watch over. I have my reason back. Besides, it isn't you Malik dislikes, it's the Pharaoh. I have no reason to hurt you."
Blinking rapidly, Yuugi stared, before collecting his thoughts from their mental scattering.
"You... What are you? I mean..." The short boy gestured helplessly with one hand and Yami no Malik shrugged then sat down opposite of Yuugi, crossing his legs.
"I am what modern psychology would call a split personality. I was first created to handle what my bright one couldn't, to keep watch over and handle our darker and more violent emotions, that are more than what my bright one can stand."
Yuugi nodded, it made sense after all. He wasn't a spirit, and he hadn't been Malik, so he had to be something else, and this actually made sense.
"But what happened?" He asked curiously, but silently. He didn't want Yami no Malik angry.
"When I killed the reason for which I was created, I lost focus. I had nothing to control myself with... It overwhelmed me. HIS blood was everywhere. Coating it, TAINTING it. I couldn't let my bright one live in a world dirtied like that... he would NEVER have been free from HIM then. It all had to BURN. To DIE." The spiky haired blond hissed, face contorted with anger and hate, an edge of insane clearness creeping into his eyes. Yuugi hesitated for a second, before laying a hand on the knee in front of him, stretching slightly to be able to reach.
"It's okay. He isn't here now." Yuugi could only guess that it was Malik's father Yami no Malik was talking about, but the pain and anger he could clearly see hurt him, was hurting the other, and Yuugi couldn't help but want to help. For better or worse Yami no Malik had gained his, well, maybe not friendship, not yet, but something more beneficial than bone-freezing terror at least. Whispering, Yuugi wasn't sure his words would reach the angry other of Malik, but lavender eyes cleared and the head was raised so his face wasn't hidden by all that hair anymore. Yami no Malik's lips twisted into a bitter smile.
"I won't loose control as I did before, but I've noticed I have a tendency of dwelling a little too deep when HE gets mentioned." It wasn't an excuse as much as an explanation, and Yuugi shrugged, smiling brightly, determined to lift the mood.
"Okay, now, what are you going to call yourself?"
The split personality of Malik goggled at him, looking gob smacked.
"I... haven't thought of anything..." He trailed off, and then grinned lopsidedly; eyes glimmering with what Yuugi would have said was irony. "But I guess Namu is good enough. My bright one used it when trying to fool you and your group, and the meaning fits me."
Yuugi frowned, and then shrugged. It didn't seem as if Namu thought there was anything bad connected to the name, and somehow, it seemed to fit. When Namu asked him how he'd ended up here, Yuugi explained all about the recent troubles, and when he came up to how he'd been sealed here, and his other going quite "off his rocker" Malik's other scowled.
"I'll kick his goddamned ass when I get you out of here. He's supposed to be the most caring and careful one?" Namu scoffed, the muscles in his right hand twitching, as if longing for something familiarly sharp to deal out some of the promised ass-kicking. Yuugi protested, shaking his head.
"... wait. Get me out of here?" He echoed and the spiky-haired blond shrugged.
"Why not? You can't stay here anyway, and I know I'll be able to return to my bright one soon. We're still one, and he needs me."
End Flashback
Which had led them up to where they were now. It seemed Namu could follow the "weaker points" of the Shadow Realm, spots where it would be easy to get out and return to the real world. But these weak points were unstable and collapsed quickly, so they were basically just following in the steps of the collapsing weak points, hoping to reach one of them before they collapsed. Yuugi hadn't understood what his companion had meant with "weak points" at first, but now he was beginning to. He was actually beginning to feel the flex and flow of the energies around them, the Shadows that made up the place known as the Shadow Realm, and there were spots where the energies didn't flow as thickly, or got disturbed, that was what one could call "weak points", easy access into the real world. A Yami no Game did the same basically, but in the real world's "side"; thinning the edges of reality and allowing entrance for the Shadows. But now... Looking around, Yuugi could only see endless dunes of sand rolling lazily across the landscape, and he couldn't feel any weak points at all. Not even a flicker, the energies of the Shadows were like the landscape around them; unbroken and unending.
"Namu?" He asked nervously, the silence was starting to get to him. Not even a whisper of a breeze could be heard, and he could swear that their steps were muted too, the sand that they sent skittering with the feet not stirring any sound at all.
"I don't know... this feels... strange. As if we're in the eye of the storm. Damn! I can't feel anything. It's as if we're in the middle of an ocean and no wind anywhere!" Namu cried angrily, kicking at the sand with a disgruntled expression. Yuugi's eyes widened.
"What if that is where we are? In the middle, or some equivalent, of the Shadow Realm! The Shadows would be most stable here, wouldn't they?"
Namu's own narrow eyes widened slightly and he nodded.
"Of course. Now what?" He said with a groan, squinting to look out over the sun-drenched desert surrounding them. Yuugi sighed and shrugged, staring at nothing in the distance with unfocussed eyes. Since there was no weak points to follow, and they couldn't feel and movement in the Shadows, it would be hard to get out of this part of the Realm. They simply didn't have anything to anchor them to. They knew of course that the Shadow Realm probably didn't look like the desert currently surrounding them, but they were used to surroundings, landscapes, and so that was what they got. They expected it and the Shadows bent slightly to accommodate their impromptu "houseguests". Yuugi was quite sure he'd only survived this long since he was used to the Shadows by now, and was still wearing the Puzzle... or would that be a shadow of the Puzzle, a representation of its Shadow powers cast by the real one mou hitori no boku was wearing? Maybe. He didn't know.
Since he was so intent on staring at the nothingness on the horizon (just more sand, sand, and, oh, yes, sand and blue sky) he first dismissed the shimmer in the corner of his eye as heat waves. They were quite frequent on hot days, and especially in a desert. One would have to forgive him for forgetting that this was hardly a normal desert, he had much on his mind. So when the shimmer grew more pronounced and started to glow with a moon-pale, blue-white light it was no wonder he whirled around, eyes wide.
"Namu!" He called out, warning his companion. The darker of the two jerked around too, and without seemingly to think about it, took a step forward and placed himself in front of Yuugi. The teen in question scowled but accepted his position; it wasn't so bad, actually... Fighting down a blush, he moved back slightly so he wasn't pressed up against the Egyptian's warm back. Namu shifted, but didn't move with him, Yuugi was thankful to notice.
/We don't have time for me getting... ah... besides, he's Malik's split personality!/ Yuugi scolded himself. Not that he was sure why that would matter, but it kept his brain quiet for the moment and concentrated forward, on the strange glow. Which grew in intensity to a burst of light before dying down, revealing a tall, statuesque woman in blue and white robes, long slivery hair dancing in a non-existent wind. She smiled kindly at Yuugi and he grinned back, for some reason feeling really good. This one was not of any danger to them. He stepped around Namu, who growled at that, but let him, and bowed politely.
"Hi, I'm Mutou Yuugi and this is Namu."
The woman bowed too, her expression serious, but gentle.
:Hello, Master Yuugi. I felt your call, and think I can help your predicament a little.: Her voice was warm and husky, bringing thoughts of velvet-black, warm desert nights spent by the Nile to his mind for some reason. But it had sounded strange... very close, almost as if he'd heard it in his head...
"Oi, Yuugi, what did she say?" Namu asked, sounding bored, but when Yuugi turned his head to look up at his taller friend, he saw the intense gaze leveled on him, the suspicion bright and hard in those narrow eyes.
"You... couldn't hear her? Oh, never mind... she said she can help us. I know she means well, Namu. I can feel it!" Exuberance bubbled within him, and Namu looked at him for a tense second before smiling just a trifle and nodded to the Duel Monster. She bowed her head in answer, apparently amused by their interaction. But then something hit him and Yuugi turned back to the white-and-blue clad monster and frowned slightly.
"But what do you mean; you could hear me call for you? I didn't do anything..." feeling confused, he trailed off. Her laughter rolled over him like warm water.
:All who have control over the Shadows can call on us, but some of us simply fit the caller better and we hear the call more clearly and answer. I would not be surprised if your friend over there gets an answer too, soon. His call is strong, and insistent, but it has probably not been answered yet because he is not what one would call a "regular" human being, and so it would be hard for any of us to distinguish his call from his other's.:
Yuugi nodded, and decided not to tell Namu yet. It would probably be a nice surprise for him if a Duel Monster came to him of free will. But...
"Are you my soul monster?" He has heard of these so called "Kas", and he wondered if she was his. She shook her head.
:No, Master Yuugi, I am merely one that would probably fit your style and personality. The spirit bound to you favors the deck you were given by your grandfather, but you don't feel like it fits you anymore, do you?: Her voice was gentle, and she didn't mean anything malicious with her question, but Yuugi was uncomfortable anyway. He hadn't wanted to admit it, their deck was beginning to feel more like mou hitori no boku's, and not his. Not because he didn't duel very often on his own, but rather because the longer he was with his other, the more he was simply coming to the conclusion that the deck didn't fit him, as the magician (he guessed this was what she was, she seemed to fit the overall design of one) had said.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't even ask your name!" He blurted out embarrassedly. She chuckled.
:I am Silent Magician, Master Yuugi. I hope to serve you well.: She said formally and bowed again. Beside him, Namu shifted irritated and restlessly.
"Can we go now? Is she going to help us or not?" He barked and Silent Magician smiled, winking at Yuugi.
:Pay him a little attention and he'll be as right as rain, Master. He is a protective and attentive being and apparently doesn't like to be ignored. Come.: So saying, the silvery-haired Duel Monster started to float away in the direction Yuugi had been looking before she appeared, waiting patiently for them to follow. Namu snorted violently and grimaced, but Yuugi grinned and grabbed the bronzed hand, again fighting a blush. Namu looked down at the teen in confused wonderment, but when Yuugi didn't acknowledge it in any way, merely started to walk after the serenely floating Silent Magician he shrugged and followed. Yuugi scowled at the stately woman as she apparently said something then laughed at him.
The palace was huge, sprawling out over the sand, gleaming like a dark-sandy jewel in the sunlight that was bouncing off its walls and the ceiling. It seemed very out of place, as there was nothing else but the palace around, the desert looking exactly like it had done before. Namu and Yuugi had been surprised when they'd suddenly just come upon the building, as if it had sprouted out of the ground like some strange desert flower. Carvings and relief covered the walls in vibrant colors, so bright and clear they somehow seemed alive. The stone under their feet was warm, but it was simply too warm to have only been warmed up by sunlight. Frowning in suspicion, Namu glowered down at the floor, carefully stretching out his senses connected with the Shadows. Then he felt it; the power that pulsed deeply, slowly under them, all around them. This was indeed the heart of the Shadows. Within that deep beat there were three separate ones. Namu looked up from his staring at the floor, gaze transferring to the boy beside him, who also looked up.
"The three Gods..." Yuugi whispered, awed. Namu nodded but didn't feel very impressed (or rather, didn't want to show he was impressed) and sneered. Finally they stopped, Silent Magician hovering just in front of them. The room was giant, and Namu was sure, that if they had a compass, it would have showed that each corner corresponded to one compass-point each. The ceiling was far, far above them, pillars and arched cross-beams stretching upwards to give support. In the middle of the room, on the floor, there was a carving of the Eye. Silent Magician turned around and swept a hand out to indicate all the archways that were everywhere on the walls, leading into shadowed darkness beyond and with gossamer-thin hangings covering the openings.
"Silent Magician says we can use these doors to quicker get where we will go. She can't help us any more than that, but will take us back here if there is no weak point in the place we end up in." Yuugi "translated" the silent communication between him and the Duel Monster. Namu nodded and grinned sharply, eyes glittering.
"Let's go then. This is much better than just wandering around." Then he frowned. "I... I'm sorry I couldn't help you more..." He hissed, angrily. He didn't want to apologize; actually, it felt as if he had to tear those words up from within him, the words scratching against his throat and brain as he pronounced them. A small, almost luminescent pale hand was laid on his upper arm, just above his elbow, curving around the sun-warmed skin and muscle.
"You helped. If you hadn't been there, I would have had to wait for mou hitori no boku and Jounouchi-tachi to help me. I'm not sure I would have wanted to wait without doing anything. Without you, I wouldn't even be here!" He stated with a grin, and Namu grimaced down at him before laughing.
"Yes, yes. If you say so." He muttered, then, with half a second of hesitation, grabbed Yuugi close to him and hugged the shorter boy, while sinking down on his knees so they would be more similar in height. Yuugi's arms went around his neck and buried in the positively untamable hair that graced Namu's head and leaned his head down. They were silent for a while, just enjoying the other's company. Who knew if they would come upon a weak point the first time they went through one of the doors, and then they would have to deal with however things were in the real world, or if they would have to look some more. And honestly, Yuugi couldn't say he disliked that idea. A shudder seemed to run through them both simultaneously and they separated, Namu getting to his feet.
"Let's go, little Pharaoh."
Yuugi grinned and nodded, and walked up to one of the doors with no other decision for this one than whim. Taking Namu's duskily tanned hand in his own, he almost bounced with excitement. With and internal chuckle he grinned back at Namu and took a step behind the jewel-colored drapery covering the doorway, Silent Magician glowing like a beacon beside him. /And now for something completely different./ He quipped as the Shadows swirled and took them elsewhere.