Yu-Gi-Oh (c) Kazuki Takahashi
The was the last fic I wrote and the last fic that I will write. It's not the best, but it has special nostalgic value.
Ever since I was a kid, I've been able to see people's souls.
The first time I can actually remember seeing a soul, though, was in the middle of second grade. The world turned dark and yellow, like the sun was setting, even though it was the middle of the day. The children turned to demons and angels and shadowy ghosts. The teacher stood like a golem over us, with roots and flowers sprouting from her earthy skin. I must have freaked out, because I remember the golem-teacher trying to comfort me and only making me freak out even more.
It used to be really bad. I used to try to walk down the street with my eyes closed because I was afraid to see people's true natures. And believe me, some people have really scary true natures. It all depends on how true to their consciences they've been. If they did something that was bad, then their soul turns into a monster. If they act so bad that they can't even hear their conscience anymore, then their soul turns into a skeleton—dead. It's a terrible thing to see.
When I was helping Grandpa in the Game Shop, I met someone with a dead soul. She was a kleptomaniac, and she was a good one, too. I knew something was wrong with her the first time I saw her soul. And when she left, she had taken a hundred and thirty-eight dollars worth of merchandize with her.
My sight caused me a lot of problems. I didn't want to interact with anyone because I was afraid of most of their souls, so I spent most of my time by myself. And even though I hated being alone, I was comforted by the fact that inanimate objects don't have a soul.
Then I turned ten years old. I was sick of hiding because of my sight, so I decided to learn how to control my ability. Now I can turn it on and off whenever I want. I don't use it very often, but sometimes I sneak a peek at my friends' souls, just out of curiosity.
Tea is a princess. The crown on her head, a little silver circlet, means that she's a good leader, but she's very modest about it. The crown covers a little star on her forehead. The star means that she has big dreams for her future, but the fact that the crown is covering it means that her concern for the people around her is keeping her from achieving her dreams. There are flowers in her hair, which means that she's a little vain, but the flowers are roses, which means that she's trying to be beautiful to impress someone she's in love with. There are rings on her fingers, a symbol of intense loyalty, and she's barefoot, which means that she's a free spirit.
Tristan's kind of a mystery. He's got a little bit of darkness around him—he has secrets—so I can't see his entire soul very well. But he's very earthy and very rooted, which means that he has a firm resolve and he doesn't yield to anyone easily.
Joey, of course, is a volcano. He's all earth and fire and lightning, so he's unyielding, spontaneous, and difficult to control. The fire is really intense and big enough to almost swallow him, so his fiery temper can get in the way of the rest of his life.
Grandpa is an old librarian. His age means he's really mature. He has an open book in his hand, which means that he knows a lot and he's willing to pass his knowledge on to others. He has scars on his body, which means that he's experienced a lot of hardship, and he has chains weighing him down, which means that he has regrets.
And Atem… I was the most curious about Atem's soul. When Atem was a spirit, I couldn't see his soul. But when he got his own body, I almost immediately looked at him. Atem is an angel king. There's a leadership crown on his head. He has gray hair, reflecting extreme maturity, but otherwise he's just a young man, so he's young at heart. He has wings like an eagle, which means that he has a pure heart and the best of intentions. He carries a sword, but it's sheathed—he has had enemies, but they're gone now.
I don't like to look at people's souls very often. It seems like I'm violating their privacy by finding out everything about them without them telling me. My friends are alright—I already know everything about them. But I can't do it with strangers. It wouldn't be fair.
My friends would probably want to know what their souls were like if I told them what I could do. That's one of the reasons why, when she was alive, my mom told me never to tell anybody about what I could do. People want to skip the hard work of finding out who they are, and so they'll come to me as a shortcut, she said. She's probably right, but… sometimes I want to tell my friends anyway. I'm sure that they would understand, and they wouldn't ask me what their souls looked like if I didn't want them to. But my mom told me not to tell anyone, and I need to honor that if I can.
Yugi and Atem sat across from each other at the kitchen table, eating cereal for breakfast. It was midsummer, and neither of them had anything to do today. They had fought off boredom by spending all of their allowance at the arcade, swimming at the beach, and playing Duel Monsters. Although they were bored, it was good that Atem came back to life when he didn't have to worry about school. That way, he could adjust to the modern-day world without the worry of tests and homework.
But Atem had been acting very strange lately. It hadn't started when he came back to life—on the contrary, he had been practically glowing with happiness when he received his new body. It had started a few weeks ago, but Yugi had no idea why.
One day in early July, Grandpa had sent Atem out to pick up some ricotta cheese for the lasagna he was making. Atem returned nearly five hours later, fuming with anger. He slammed the cheese onto the counter, although it was far too late for any lasagna, and retreated to his room without a single explanation for his behavior.
Although Yugi had pestered Atem for days, Atem had only vaguely explained that he had been "held up" and that the delay had "merely frustrated him." Yugi hadn't believed it, because Atem continued to act out of character. He would have mood swings—happy to angry to sad, and back to happy again, all in a few hours. He would walk into the bathroom right after waking up and emerge exhausted and ready to go back to bed. Atem always said that he was fine, but Yugi kept getting more and more concerned.
Yugi didn't like to look at people's souls. When Atem had come back to life, he had looked at Atem's soul once, but that was all. But maybe looking at Atem's soul would provide some explanation for his sudden change.
Yugi continued to eat as he accessed the power that he had put away all those years ago. He felt his eyes burn slightly, and then his vision changed. The world seemed to be covered in a sepia-toned haze. Colors dimmed, and light faded. He looked at his partner and nearly choked on his cereal. Sitting in Atem's place was a monster.
The creature that represented Atem's soul was terrible. It was scarred and bleeding and chained, writhing and screaming with pain. Its limbs were deformed and its face was twisted. Swords were lodged in its back, and it was oozing black blood from its limbs.
Yugi dashed to the bathroom, panting and holding his stomach. He tried to decipher the signs with a clear head. Scars—hardship. Chains—regret. Deformed limbs—helplessness. Sword wounds—the triumph of an enemy. And the monstrous form—a symbol of an unconscionable action. Yugi had to put the pieces together to form a whole picture.
The most logical conclusion was that one of Atem's enemies had forced him to do something that he hated and regretted. And because the wounds on Atem's soul were fresh and numerous, he had probably been forced to violate his conscience repeatedly over the past few weeks. But why had Atem kept silent? Why hadn't he told Yugi and the others? Was he trying to protect his ego? Was he trying to protect them?
Someone knocked on the bathroom door. "Yugi?" Atem asked. "Are you alright?"
Yugi turned off his soul vision. He didn't want to see Atem's soul again, not while it looked like that. He flushed the toilet, although he hadn't used it, and opened up the door. "Yeah, I'm okay," Yugi said. "The cereal just didn't settle in my stomach very well."
"That's unusual," Atem replied thoughtfully. "You eat cereal for breakfast nearly every morning. You could be ill."
"Oh, no, I'll be fine," Yugi said lightly. Atem seemed dissatisfied, but he didn't push—he turned back to his own breakfast and left Yugi to his nervous breakdown.
This was bad. Atem's soul was in agony, but since he hadn't told Yugi anything about it, Yugi would have to admit his power to bring up the subject. And to admit his power would be to break his promise to his mother. He couldn't do that unless there was no other choice.
Yugi lingered in the hallway until Atem passed by. "Atem," Yugi said. Atem stopped. "You've… been acting a little strangely lately. Have you noticed?"
Atem sighed. Every time Yugi started talking about this, Atem became more and more frustrated. "You've brought it up, but I told you, I'm fine," Atem insisted. "Yugi, this is getting somewhat irritating. Why won't you believe me?"
"Because you're not… acting like yourself," Yugi said. "It's like whenever you go into a room, you come out a completely different person. And sometimes you're angry and sad for no reason at all. I don't know what's up with you, and you won't tell me."
"Maybe you're just not used to living with me as an actual living person," Atem retorted defensively. "I was different when I was a spirit. When I received a body of my own, I changed."
Yugi clenched his fists. Atem wasn't the only one getting annoyed. "That's still doesn't explain why you only started acting weird when July started," Yugi said. His voice began to raise. Why wouldn't Atem just be straight with him? "You know what day I'm talking about. You went out for cheese and you came back furious. And ever since then it's like you went crazy. Why won't you tell me what's really going on?"
"Yugi, for the last time, nothing's going on!" Atem yelled. His voice echoed through the empty hallway. The two boys stood, staring at each other, breathing heavily through their nostrils.
"Yeah. I can tell," Yugi snapped. He opened the door behind him and slipped into his room. He fell on his bed.
He had never fought with Atem before. For that matter, he had never fought with anyone before. Atem had yelled at him. And all because of some lie. Yugi knew that he was right, and he was certain that Atem was just pretending to be ignorant. But would Yugi really have to dishonor his dead mother just to get Atem to be honest with him?
