Disclaimer - I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, and I never will. :( One can dream, however.
(A/N: Greetings, patrons. It's my first story!
I designed this story to be around the time of the Death T "saga" in the manga. Just a thought that popped into my head and I decided to run with it.
Because it's based on the early manga, I tried to stick to Japanese canon. Please tell me if I got anything wrong (other than there being two us in Yugi's name), because I swear something is wrong. Oh, well.
On with the main attraction.)
"I'm going to bed, Jii-chan!" Yugi called happily, his happy, childlike voice ringing throughout the second story of the Kame Game Shop.
He heard a grunted, "Oyasumi, Yugi" in reply as he trotted into his room, closing the wooden door behind him. He yawned and stretched a fisted hand upward, his pj's hugging his small body closely as he flopped onto the bed. Carefully, he removed the taut rope which wrapped around the lone ring sitting atop his cherished Sennen Puzzle. He cupped its upside-down pyramid shape and stared straight into the eye implanted in the middle, which seemed to return a lifeless stare.
'This thing is so... mysterious.' he thought to himself, surveying the golden Egyptian artifact and turning it over in his hands as if it were the first time he had ever laid eyes on it. The truth of the matter was, Yugi did this every night because of its sheer mystery.
'Ever since the day I completed it, after Jounouchi-kun and Honda-kun got beaten up by Ushio-san, I've been blacking out. Could it be there's something in there I'm not seeing?' he wondered, setting it in his lap and leaning back for a minute, sitting in silence and letting previous events replay themselves in his head. Then he reached for the item again and set it on the nightstand, pressing his head into the pillow.
"Well, it doesn't matter." he decided, another yawn telling him it was time to let sleep claim him. He tossed his body so it faced away from the Puzzle and closed his eyes, quickly succumbing to his weary state.
He was not aware of the dull glow the eye upon the Puzzle began to give off.
Yugi woke with a start, breathing a little heavily. He blinked and a draft appeared in the room, leaving the boy trembling.
"Whoa! What is that?" he exclaimed to himself, looking around the room.
The door was closed, but as he looked upon his windows, one of them wasn't - it was half-open and the curtain adorning it billowed away from the window. 'That's strange.' he thought as he swung his legs off the bed. Slowly, he went to the window and shut it in one, swift motion, glancing around the room to see if anything else was out of order. That's when he noticed something very different.
The Puzzle was no longer on the nightstand where he left it.
"Wh-what? Where's my Puzzle?"
Yugi frantically headed for the stand, searching under it and in the contents of the two drawers it contained. A whimper overtook his lips and his already wide eyes widened even more, his amethyst irises glistening in the moonlight. He flew for his door and cautiously went down the hall.
"J-Jii-chan?" Yugi questioned hesitantly, carefully edging towards the door leading to his grandfather's room. Strangely enough, the door didn't seem to be getting any closer. He walked faster, slowly shedding his cautiousness as it seemed the door was moving farther and farther away. His legs broke into a run, pounding the ground intensely in terror as he truly realized he was getting no closer to that door.
"Jii-chan!" he finally called again, with no answer. He started panting heavily and realized he had to stop, skidding his feet on the floor and putting his hand to the wall, letting himself catch his breath.
Yugi stared helplessly at the door which was his grandfather's room, then decided in resigned defeat to descend the staircase to the game shop itself. 'Maybe sitting in the lobby will clear my head,' he thought, going down the stairs. He hoisted himself up and sat on the counter and leaned over, resting his head on his left palm, wondering what had just happened in what felt like mere seconds. He closed his eyes and rubbed his right temple with his free hand, only to feel a sharp gust of cold wind blast his face. When the blast died down, Yugi's large, innocent eyes tore open and saw the glass-and-red-clad door flapping in the wind as if it were cloth.
But before he could even wonder why the door was open, the blast came again, sealing his eyes again with its sheer force and cold. He flinched and bent over further, desperate to cover his face from the gale by burying it in his legs. When the wind finally dissipated, he looked up to realize he was no longer in the Game Shop.
He was rendered speechless as all around, he could see nothing but darkness. He spun himself around - finding out in the process that he was floating effortlessly in his current surroundings - and found nothing but pitch black. He quickly checked his vision out of instinct and realized he could still see his own hand.
'Whew. I guess that's a good thing. I hope it is, anyway.' he mused to himself. 'But I have no idea where I am...'
As if to answer him, his surroundings warped, distorting themselves and growing strangely lighter and lighter. Eventually, he found himself in a room he had never seen before in his life. It was... bright. Uncharactaristically bright. The whole room was littered with various toys and things, and there was even a neatly made bed in the corner of the room. Yugi cocked his head in confusion before righting it again and going toward the bed. He was quite surprised to find the mattress was one of the softest things he had ever felt in his life. Though it was extremely tempting, but he found also that he wanted to find out why he was in here more than allowing himself to sleep. Reluctantly, he threw himself to his feet and he surveyed the room once more.
It was that moment that a cast-iron door caught his eye. It was perched right in the middle of the wall. The door seemed to be very imposing, gloomy almost, and it made Yugi cringe slightly. He hesitantly made his way to the door, took the side-jutting handle and turned it, and at once, the heavy door slid slowly toward him, revealing a thin hall, and across from it, a similar cast-iron door. This one, however, seemed to have vine-esque impressions jutting ever so slightly out of this door, and an Eye equivalent to the one on his Sennen Puzzle. The reminder of his puzzle completely confused him. What was this place, and... why was he here?
"Hello?" the teen asked quietly, wandering out of the room. He noticed the hall he was now standing in seemed to be extremely short. He surveyed the small strip of hall and found it ended in pitch, abysmal darkness, in both directions.
'How can this be?' Yugi thought, a little disconcerted at this. He cautiously put his hand on the door handle, conveniently ignoring the fact that his hand was trembling, and let the door slide backward, away. The place was dark and it made the boy's whole body shiver like his hands were already doing.
He slipped inside and blinked in awe of the place. The minute his whole body was five feet away from the door, the heavy thing slammed itself shut with a deafening thud. Yugi fell over on himself, covering his ears and closing his eyelids at the sudden loud noise. He was surprised to find that the room had brightened when he opened his eyes. Once more, the room had grown miles larger. His eyes widened in horror and he turned himself in a three hundred sixty degree circle and found the confusing labyrinth of staircases and doors at varying angles, differeny positions continued in every direction. The poor boy froze when he heard another cast-iron door close somewhere behind him.
"Looking for something?"
Yugi could not restrain the fearful squeal that slipped past his lips at the confident voice which called out to him; it didn't help either that it sounded all too similar to his own voice. Tears filled his eyes and he turned, only to have his horror doubled tenfold. The boy whom greeted his eyes looked as eerily similar to himself as his voice had sounded. His body was built like his, but somehow seemed a little taller. His hair was similar as well, but three or four of the golden bangs jutted straight upward. His face - which proudly bore a smirk - was built like his, but his eyes were not. Strangely, the eyes were harder, narrower, the irises of his were a deep blood red and he had a piercing gaze which seemed to peer deep into Yugi's soul. In one hand, he held the Millenium Puzzle so the point of it was facing upward, and having an exact carbon copy of the item around his own neck.
"Wh-wh-who... a-are y-y-you?" the boy warbled in fright. His doppelganger's smirk only deepened in reply.
He nimbly leapt down to the same level Yugi was, and held out his hand, the one wielding the Puzzle. "I believe you lost this." he replied, his voice smooth, a deeper version of the voice he had usually associated with himself. Hesitantly, the teen took the artifact from the mysterious soul and hastily put it around his neck.
"Y-you... d-didn't answer my q-question." Yugi stuttered in reply, still quite fearful. The other boy stared at him as if he had said one of the most insulting phrases ever known to man. The shorter one gulped and tugged nervously at the collar of his pajama top, looking at the golden-brick-laden floor. "Wh-who are y-you?" he asked again, placing a hesitant step closer to his doppelganger. "A-and wh-where am I?"
The boy's hardened eyes closed for a minute or so and then came closer to Yugi. "I'm... I'm you." the boy replied, and Yugi's eyes widened again, his voice trembling now.
"H-how can that b-be? I'm m-me!" he protested in disbelief, now taking two steps away from the strange boy. The taller cocked his own head in confusion and his eyes narrowed.
"You are the host of this body?" he asked bluntly.
Yugi blinked. "Host? Body? What are you t-talking about?" he asked, a hint of desparation in his voice, desparation to understand.
The other simply sighed and turned his back. "The puzzle." he replied softly, the tone hardly leaving his voice. "Puzzle...?" the shorter asked at first, then his hand went over the golden inverted pyramid and a gasp slipped through his jaws and colored his face, if one can imagine an equivalent of a gasp coloring a face.
"Th-the blackouts..." Yugi whispered, and a swift nod came from the other boy.
"I am you, mou hitori no ore." he repeated in a normal tone, turning his head so one blazing red eye stared into his own amethyst. "Mou hitori no..." Yugi started to repeat, curiously staring at his counterpart.
"I only come when you or your friends-" the word slipped past his lips as if his life depended on removing it from his memory "- are in danger. Particularly my precious Anzu. You remember nothing, but I remember all." With that, a sigh was breathed as if to cement his words. Curiosity quickly filled the place in his mind previously filled with fear and he carefully treaded closer to the boy whom claimed he was his "other self." This naturally confused poor Yugi to no end, and just as he was about to open his mouth again, he was cut off by the mysterious boy.
"As for where we are..." he continued, slowly making himself pace in front of the shorter boy. "The two of us are in my soul room."
Yugi only stared at him in reply and another blink allowed his confusion to be known. "Soul room?" he inquired, flinching as the boy turned to him and once again stared him in the eyes.
"Yes, mou hitori no ore." he growled in reply, a little annoyed. "Must I have an echo?"
The shorter boy turned away at that. At the silence, a grunt was heard from the "other Yugi" and he continued as if he said nothing to Yugi's repeated remark. "It is the epitome of my mind." he continued in a somewhat brisk tone. He noticably paused and Yugi felt a shadow over him.
"Look at me." The "other Yugi" commanded in a level tone, and the shorter one obeyed. They stared into each other's eyes and the taller blinking despite himself. Yugi's gaze now seemed to contain questions which he did not bother to voice, leaving the taller spirit confused.
"You're a strange boy, mou hitori no ore." the other boy commented, his voice softer as if to warrant sympathy. Yugi merely shrugged in reply. "I can say the same for you." he added slowly, watching the "other Yugi's" reply expectantly. The taller of the two doppelgangers ever so slightly cocked his head, seeming to be at a loss for words.
"Who are you, really?" Yugi pressed, his voice soft and solemn. The "other Yugi" froze, his eyes widening now. "I..." his voice seemed to crack, which only raised more questions in Yugi's head. Then, a sigh, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. He popped open one eye and gazed at Yugi, frustration clearly evident in his eyes. He removed his fingers and came a little closer to the boy.
"I don't... know who I am."
Yugi blinked and stared at his doppelganger, at a loss for words for a while. "O-oh. I... didn't think..." he stammered. "Didn't think what?" his other thundered suddenly, making Yugi's eyes widen in terror all over again.
"Mou- mou hitori no... boku..." Yugi mumbled, only to have a snarl make him eep into silence. The confidence in his voice made Yugi wonder how the boy managed to cease any danger that happened to come their way - nonetheless, he didn't want to find out like this. He wisely kept his jaws level and shut, watching the other boy with a meticulously cautious eye. Something about him terrified him, especially now that he had gotten on his other's bad side.
"You didn't think that perhaps I don't like to admit freely that I have absolutely no idea who I am?" he roared, his fists clenching and his eyes seeming to grow a deeper red in fury. The smaller boy cringed and took a step back.
"Mou hitori no boku..." he whimpered, trying to fight his frightful emotions. "WHAT?" came the enraged reply, and a squeak came from Yugi.
"P-please... st-stop..." he stammered once more, and to his surprise, the taller boy's eyes seemed to soften. "I have another question for you..." he added in a quiet voice. A deep sigh came forth and Yugi looked up to see the "other Yugi" trying to calm himself. Then he stared at Yugi again.
"Ask your question." he told him, his voice once again level. "But... do me a favor, and don't mess with my head. It's messed up enough without anyone's added help."
Yugi gave a hesitant nod. "Wh-what do you know?" the boy asked gently, secretly afraid of what the other's reaction would be. He was pleasantly surprised when the other simply walked a little closer, solemnly blinking.
"I know I've been sealed here, the twisted and secretive epitome of my own mind, for three millenia." he replied softly, his voice now faltering a little. "Unbeknowst to all those who tried, I controlled who could and couldn't solve the complex puzzle that now hangs from both of our necks at this moment." The now-established-elder boy then paused, staring into Yugi's amethyst eyes again.
"Being a restless spirit inside a pyramid-shaped prison is not something you escape from with your sanity, mou hitori no ore. Especially for so long..." he fell silent yet again and shook his head slowly. Moved, Yugi went over to his elder doppelganger and put his hand on his shoulder, hesitating when the elder's head shot up and his muscles tensed at the touch as if he were just insulted. After he took in the situation, however, he relaxed his muscles and sighed.
"Three millenia of people trying to solve my Puzzle has left me jaded on the subject of the human race, Yugi." he stated solemnly, the first time he used Yugi's name. His head dipped as he continued. "So many of them just saw the 'wish' part of solving the puzzle, and it shocked me. I had no idea how materialistic humanity became... it is still this way."
The younger boy nodded and stared at the floor now shyly. "I-I realize that." he muttered in reply, just loudly and slowly enough for the ancient spirit to catch his words. "The box housing my puzzle then came into the possesion of your family. My expectation was the same as the rest - another twisted soul who simply wanted power, mammon, for their own hateful purposes." he continued. Yugi cocked his head in slight surprise.
"You describe humanity as if they all were like Kaiba-kun." he blurted out, at which the elder boy could not restrain a soft chuckle.
"In their own little ways, I suppose they are..." he mused, eyes slowly moving to the right as he looked up again. "I've never thought of it before. And at that time, I also never thought of finding a halfway pure soul such as yourself when your family came to possess the Puzzle." The skin of Yugi's skin turned a bright shade of scarlet at that.
"You started solving it... eight years ago, correct?" he asked at once, and the younger of the two nodded slowly. A smirk, for the first time since the two had met what felt like ages ago, cracked through the normally impassive face.
"I at first thought you were like the rest. But the more time we spent together... the more I began to doubt the stereotype I had put on my peers. I turned over the notion - over and over, mind you - that perhaps you were different..." he seemed to trail off, as if to recall the events. "But that idea was cemented the day that piece of the Puzzle with the Eye upon it was stolen from you. I remember Jounouchi-kun had it." At that memory, his eyelids closed and his smirk disappeared. "He was different, was he not?"
Yugi gave another solemn nod, tears misting his eyes now. "Yes. Jounouchi-kun wasn't that much of a friend." he confirmed, twisting his finger around one of his bangs. To his great surprise, he found the elder "other Yugi" over him, his hand on his shoulder now.
"Jounouchi-kun is different now, mou hitori no ore." he asserted in a strangely soft yet still confident tone. "You alone were the one to get through to him. Remember?" The younger boy stared up at the ancient spirit and nodded. "Ushio-san..." he whispered in recollection. A swift nod was the other's reply. "Yes, Ushio-san. The baka..." he growled in addition, making Yugi laugh a little.
"He also aided in confirming to me that you were the one I had been waiting for for three millenia." Yugi's blush returned again, this time a little darker. "I'm... h-honored, mou hitori no boku." he squeaked out. The hand which was surprisingly still on his shoulder squeezed.
'That feels good.' he thought warmly.
'I heard that, mou hitori no ore.' came the ancient spirit's voice in Yugi's head, making him scream in surprise.
"You- you can read m-my mind?" he exclaimed, shock making his voice half an octave higher. The "other Yugi" couldn't help but laugh briefly at the pitch change.
'Yes, I certainly can. Our very souls are bonded, Yugi.' he replied directly within his head, making him cringe again.
'S-so we can always share things like this?' he asked, a little unnerved still. 'E-even when I don't want to?'
The spirit gave Yugi a halfhearted smirk. 'There are such things as barriers, little one.' he said in reply. Yugi's blush turned to almost the exact same color as his doppelganger's eyes. 'O-oh. R-right. O-of course.' he stammered, and the other boy chuckled. Soon, Yugi started chuckling as well, and the two spirits left each other to laugh at their situation, and when they both had calmed down, Yugi stared directly into his counterpart's deep red eyes yet again.
"So... what happened to Ushio-san, mou hitori no boku?" he decided to ask, and instantly noticed the "other Yugi's" eyes glisten in amusement.
"Baka-chan?" the ancient spirit joked as closed his eyes. "After you completed the puzzle, Yugi, I challenged him to a Yami no Game." he told him, watching the young one's eyes widen. "Y-yami no Game?" Yugi asked, slightly shaken. "What is that, exactly?" The spirit took a deep breath and their eyes locked.
"A Yami no Game is a game where I rope some hapless, baka soul into a game because they've shown themselves to be hopelessly inept." he stated, spitting out certain words as if they were poisonous. "I make it so they cannot resist, and I make the game so it challenges their faults. Thus, the Yami no Game reveals an individual's true nature." Yugi nodded, his eyes barely giving away his worry. The elder spirit raised an eyebrow.
"Why do you look so worried, mou hitori no ore? I assure you, I do not challenge any old person I happen to find. Just those who seem to be malicious in nature." he persuaded softly. Yugi breathed a relieved sigh. "Oh, good." he said, rubbing the back of his head with one hand sheepishly. "I-I was afraid you challenged people just for the fun of punishing them."
That was when his doppelganger turned his back to him. "No, little one. I used to be that way, but you have shown me that that is not always correct." he winked in addition, and Yugi couldn't help but smile. A smirk lit up the ancient spirit's face in reply as he took a nimble leap up onto a higher story.
"W-wait!" Yugi called, a little disappointed. "Wh-where are you going? I have more questions!" A sigh was the "other Yugi's" first reply.
"No. I have to let you sleep sometime, or you won't be able to function tomorrow. I'd feel guilty, little one." he grunted firmly in reply. Yugi's head hung. "Oh." was all he said. "Don't seem so upset, mou hitori no ore. We see each other every day - you just don't know it." he reassured his young counterpart. Yugi immediately looked up and saw the smile in his eyes as well as the halfhearted smirk plastered on his face. A brisk nod of determination confirmed the boy's contentment with the affirmation. The other's head turned in the same direction as his body. He raised his left hand in a small wave.
"Oyasumi... aibou."
Before Yugi could reply to the spirit's new name for him, the doppelganger snapped his fingers and Yugi found himself waking up with a start in his bed as if he had never left. He blinked and looked himself over, and realized he was not wearing the Puzzle now. In a shortlived panic, he turned and found the Puzzle was in the same place he had left it before he went to bed. He sat up and stared at it for a long time, turning over recent events in his head. He conveniently ignored the fact that dawn was breaking.
'Was that... was that all a dream...?'
~ ~ Owari ~ ~
That's it.
Just because it's my first story doesn't mean I want any of you to go easy on me after you click on the button below. Knowing me, I probably need some criticism. Just as long as it isn't flaming, we're good.
Happy reviewing!