I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

I Dream of You, In a World without You

The fields were lush and warm, and full of life. The Ushebti tended those fields, leaving Atem time to do what he wanted to do. Yet, even though the days were always bright and warm, the nights cool and calm, and the company always pleasant, what he really wanted could never be here at all. Suddenly a pair of hands covers his eyes, and a familiar voice speaks to him. "Guess who, Pharaoh!"

"Mana, you know you're the only one who does that." He says as he pulls her hands away. More and more, his memories of his old life were returning to him, and he could almost grasp the day he'd first met Mana. Maybe she did this on that first meeting? She breaks him from his reverie, bringing him back to the present.

"Well, All Mighty Pharoah Atem, you're the only one who'll play with me. Everyone else is so stuffy all the time, although I think that Master Mahad is beginning to lighten up, but then again Priest Set and Priest Isis are lost causes. The point being is that you're the only one who's any fun around here." She laughs, and it's really infectious. He can definitely recall times like this, but those memories still pale next to the memories he shared with him…

"You still there, Pharaoh? Come on, don't space out on me. It's a wonderful day today. I know, it's always a wonderful day, but this one feels really special, I just know it." He shakes his head vigorously, but he couldn't shake away the memories.

"I'm sorry Mana, I just…" She turns solemn. When did she learn to do that?

"You miss him, don't you? Yuugi?" She was right of course. If there could have been some way that he could have stayed with Yuugi without holding him back, he would have taken it without a second thought.

"Yeah, I do." WHAP! She lands her fist on the back of his head. Not hard, but enough that he could feel the feeling behind it.

"Good. Maybe now you understand how the rest of us have been feeling for the past. Three. Thousand. Years. Time doesn't exactly fly around here, you know?"

"Hey, it's not like I meant to be stuck in the Millennium Puzzle for three thousand years. That's just how it worked out. Don't take it out on me." She plays at bopping him on the head again, and he feigns being terrified. It didn't take long before they both broke out in laughter. "Oh, you're right, Mana. You've all been through a lot too; I shouldn't act like you guys don't matter. But still, I've never met anyone like him before, he was so amazing. He didn't realize it, but he was so strong, stronger then I ever was. Without him, I don't think I could have made it back here, where I belong. I just wish that I could see him again." She smiles at him, an impish look on her face.

"Well, if SEEING him is what you want, then I think that I can take care of that for you." Before Atem can say anything, Mana summons her Ka, the Dark Magician Girl. The Ka waves her wand in a wide circle, and in that circle the fields disappear, replaced with an empty void. "I've been practicing with Priest Isis, and I've gotten pretty good at the whole scrying thing. Just give me a moment to find him, and then you can watch Yuugi for a while. But not too long, we've got other stuff to do today, okay?" Atem nods, thankful for the opportunity to see Yuugi again. He waits patiently, as the scene before him becomes clear.

The school day had finally come to an end, and Yuugi and his friends were now walking home, discussing the events of the day, the empty sort of conversation where the meaning wasn't in the words, but in those who said them. Yuugi chatted along with the others absent-mindedly, his thoughts wandering to the one he'd once called the other him, but now recognized as Atem. He understood now, really understood, that Atem had to return to the afterlife, that he really couldn't stay, for both their sakes. He couldn't help but miss him, couldn't help but wish for an opportunity to see him, just once more…

"Yo, Yuugi, what's the hold up?" Back in the present, Yuugi realized that he must have stopped walking a while back. Everyone was ahead of him, looking at him with concern in their eyes. He figured that they must have been thinking the worst, so he tried to reassure them.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about stuff. You know how that is." They don't seem to buy it. They talk among themselves, too quietly for Yuugi to hear. Jounouchi and Honda departed then, while Anzu came up to him. They stood there, at the gate between the school and the outside world.

"It's okay Yuugi, you don't have to pretend. We all miss him, you know? You don't need to talk about stupid stuff like TV shows and pop music if you don't want to." She's trying to console him, he thinks to himself.

"It's… not quite like that, Anzu. I mean, I do wish that he were here, with all of us, but I've been thinking about it, and more then ever, I realize how wrong it would have been for him to stay with us. He told me, after the ceremonial battle was over, that I was the only Yuugi Mutou in the world, but it took me a while to really appreciate what he was saying with that. He…" He pauses, still a bit unsure, still a bit scared to speak his feelings out loud, instead of silently feeling them in his heart. She puts her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't stop. I want to know what this has been like, for you." He feels her warmth, sees her smile, and finds that strength that he was looking for.

"Thank you. Anyway, while he was here, he had to live through me. Through me. At first he would just take over, and even though later on he always had my permission, he still had to use my body to do anything. Looking back, I gave up so much time from my life, so that he could have his. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret it, not any of it. Still, there were things I wanted to say, to do, that I wouldn't even consider because he always came first. Maybe it's just a little selfish, but I want to be able to be me, to pursue my dreams, without feeling guilty about it. I think that he was beginning to feel that way too, near the end. He seemed really reluctant to come out on the surface after the Memory World. Maybe he was trying to embrace his old memories, I don't know. But what I do know is that I need to believe that he was right. It's the only way that I can honor his memory." She takes her hand off his shoulder, and brings it around his other shoulder.

"I have to admit, it was always a little weird, there being two of you, only it turns out that the other you wasn't you at all but another person all together. I'm really glad that he came into our lives, and I'm grateful he was able to help you gain the confidence you always needed. I wouldn't trade those days for anything either, but I do like being able to look at you, and knowing for sure who I'm looking at. It was really hard, not knowing how I really felt about you, always being scared that I was betraying our friendship, that I wasn't giving you the consideration that you deserved. You know that I'd never do anything to hurt you, but I just couldn't figure out what the right thing to do was, and I-" Yuugi felt a surge of confidence overtake him, so he brought her face down a few inches, and kissed her. They held the kiss for a few seconds before letting go. "I suppose that was some of that confidence I mentioned a little while ago, was it?" Yuugi nodded.

"I just wanted to let you know that I never, ever, blamed you for the situation between us. I mean, if you thought that you were confused, than I was positively confounded by the whole thing." He looked away, and began to shuffle his feet. "I… I wasn't being too presumptuous, was I? Because if you didn't want to, then I totally understand and-" Now it was her turn to silence him with a kiss. This one lasted just a little longer, but only a little longer.

"Do you know how adorable you are when you get all worked up like that? Don't worry, you're all the Yuugi that I want, and I don't think I could be any happier." They smiled, their faces shining in each other's eyes.

"Shouldn't we catch up with Jounouchi and Honda?" She shook her head.

"Nah, they're the ones who decided to send me to cheer you up. Why don't we just walk around for awhile, see where our feet take us?" He nodded, and they left the gate behind.

Atem couldn't deny that he was proud of Yuugi. Not only had he come to accept what he tried to tell him that day, but he finally decided to show some confidence and take the initiative with Anzu. He felt like celebrating, but it wasn't like there was anyone around who would care that Yuugi had finally gotten together with Anzu. At least, that's what he thought, until Mana spoke up.

"WOOOH! All right Yuugi! Make sure you give her some tongue next time, it's not like she's been waiting for years or anything. That's right, you two just walk around town, stake out the best spots in advance, we wouldn't want the action to get interrupted or anything." Atem looked at her with shock in his eyes.

"What the… how can you be cheering him on like this? I never mentioned anything about Anzu or anything like that." Mana stuck her tongue out at him.

"Looks like the All-knowing Pharaoh isn't all he's cracked up to be. Who do you think I've been practicing my scrying on, hmmm?" He processed, or at least tried to process what she just said.

"Wait a second, do you mean to tell me that you've been spying on us? For how long?"

"I think it was around the time when that Seto look-alike tried to kill you. By the way, thank you for wearing all that leather. It definitely motivated me to practice every day." Mana skipped off, humming a cheerful song to herself.

"Well, I guess Yuugi's unusual fashion sense had some use after all." Atem chased after Mana, not at all worried for Yuugi's future.