Hi there, this is my first yugioh fanfic and I'm trying to make it funny and thoughtful at the same time. That sounds impossible, doesn't it? Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its' characters.
Spirits are Insomniacs
In the depth of night, when most everyone is asleep, the moonlight shone through the widow of a slumbering boy. The young boy slept peacefully, unaware of another presence in the room - after all, not everyone had the luxury of sleep, not even in this unholy hour. Yami leaned against Yugi's desk, the moonlight that shone through the window giving him a ghostly appearance - silent, unseen and motionless.
He just stood there, staring off into space, besides, that was the only thing he could do.
It seemed that being the silent spectator was his main role, now that all the battles have been won. Sometimes, this made him feel like a weapon, but he didn't complain - because in all honesty, it was the only time he felt a vague sense of purpose. None the less, everything he ever did automatically became Yugi's credit. But he found that he didn't mind in the least. The kid confused him at first, but he had grown accustomed to Yugi. He had to admit, he enjoyed his company.
Yugi was such a child, even if he was now in his mid-teens - he had a pure heart and innocent mind. Two things that were so very rare to find in this new world. But Yugi was also very determined in the things that he did, especially when these things involved his friends. Those were all good qualities, but the one Yami had been the most intrigued by was that Yugi could always bring out the best in people.
He always tried to give them a chance before he judged them and in turn, they would usually live up to his expectations.
Yugi believed in the good in people, even the ones who didn't seem to have any good in them. He had a way of wiggling himself into people's hearts, somehow making them better. Yugi showed them just how good the world could be just by being himself.
But Yami always saw the worst in people, because they always wanted to take something from Yugi and yet Yugi still gave them a chance. Yami didn't understand the concept. If someone hurt you, shouldn't you hit them back? Yami didn't know the answer, but stepping down to their level was not it - still, why give them a chance if you're sure they'll waste it?
He sighed "Well, Yugi... you have a talent for raising even more questions..."
At the time, Solomon Moto was passing his grandson's door, murmuring incoherently in a half-asleep state. "Really need to stop eating spaghetti and strawberry milkshakes before bed..." he yawned widely before something familiar reached his ears - a low mumbling sound coming from behind his grandson's door.
Solomon frowned slightly, it was unlike Yugi to stay up this late at night. Gingerly, Solomon crept over to his grandson's door and slowly twisted the handle. Peering inside the room his eyes caught something that made him rethink the idea of wearing glasses.
There, leaning on the desk was a see-through Yugi!
Solomon shook his head, hoping that the motion would chase away any hallucinations he thought he might be having. It didn't work. The ghost-like Yugi stayed where he was and since he didn't seem to notice his presence, Solomon decided to look him over again. Seeing as this wasn't an illusion, the old man began to take notice of all the small difference this boy had compared to his grandson.
He was slightly taller than Yugi and had three blond bangs in his hair Yugi didn't. But the most striking difference was the sharpness in his eyes - the cold determination. That was the harshness that Yugi's soft eyes could never hold.
Just for a few second Solomon was speechless and at that same time Yugi's see-through look-a-like turned his head to him. His purple eyes, maybe just a shade brighter than Yugi's own, widened in surprise.
Solomon felt awkward under the boy's intense gaze "Uh, um, hello." he greeted hesitantly. The old man pushed the door open completely, revealing himself in all his pajama-wearing glory. The boy's eyes widened further, which Solomon thought was strange. "If I may ask... where is Yugi and why are you in his room?"
The boy seemed to snap out of his daze, tilting his head in the direction of the bed and, sure enough, Yugi lay there - sound asleep. Solomon felt a wave of relief wash over him, his eyes softened as he turned back to the other boy.
"Alright, now, what are you doing in my grandson's room? And... excuse me but, why are you see-through?"
The boy blinked, thinking over his answers. This was the first person who could see him in this ghost-like form, besides Yugi, and he did not want to freak out Mr. Moto in any way. Finally, he decided to be honest, as Yugi would with his grandfather.
Seeing as he was still a bit speechless by the turn of events, Yami merely gestured towards the see through Millennium Puzzle hanging from his neck.
Something in Solomon's mind clicked, he looked over to his grandson's bedside table and, unsurprisingly, there was the real Millennium Puzzle - resting just out of Yugi's grasp. Solomon nodded his understanding, his mind going over every single time Yugi had told him about what had happened at Duelist Kingdom. Yugi was hesitant to tell the tale of the Shadow Game but had nonetheless shared it with his grandfather, and right now, Solomon was most thankful for the knowledge.
"Ah, I see... you're the person who helped my grandson Yugi and his friends. I haven't had the time to thank you as of yet, haven't I?" No answer. Yami just stared at the man at a total loss - he wasn't used to being seen, let alone thanked. Yugi usually got all the 'thank you's. After a brief pause Solomon began talking again, "You are the spirit of the Pharaoh who was trapped inside the Millennium Puzzle, correct?" Yami could only nod at the man's openness - well, at least now he knew where Yugi got his trustful nature.
Solomon smiled "Then Mister Pharaoh I believe I need to thank you for helping in my rescue," grandfather turned to glance at the sleeping form of his grandson, his smile softening "and to thank you for keeping Yugi safe, I can only hope that you will protect him in the future... he has a talent of getting himself in all kinds of troublesome adventures..." the man allowed himself a sheepish smile. Here he was, in his grandson's room at the unholy hour of 3 A.M. in the morning talking to an ancient ghost of a Pharaoh who had previously spent about 5000 year trapped in a puzzle and thanking him for saving him - a shopkeeper - from a mind-reading lunatic. Makes you feel quite silly when you say it, doesn't it?
But surprisingly, the Pharaoh allowed a smile to grace his lips. Mr. Moto was quite the eccentric type but Yami found that, like his grandson, he enjoyed the man's presence.
Solomon felt content with the brief exchange. He yawned, suddenly remembering just how tired he really was.
"Well Mister Pharoh-"
"Call me Yami."
"Uh, alright my boy." It was strange how easily he could call him that, Solomon thought sleepily "It is getting late so we better be off to bed." Yami could only arch a brow at the statement and realization suddenly hit Solomon.
"You don't sleep, do you?"
Yami simply shook his head. He hasn't slept as long as he could remember. Spirit's didn't need to sleep, they didn't have a body that needed resting and besides, the Millennium Puzzle didn't have a bedroom, or any kind of bed for that matter. Yugi had once told him that the inside of the Millennium Puzzle reminded him of a hotel, and after Yugi had explained what a hotel was, the shorter of the two began wondering why there weren't any beds. "Must be that they all have booby-traps, it would be interesting to stay at a hotel like that."
Solomon sighed "Well, what do you do when everyone else is asleep?"
"They usually take no notice of me when it is day either. I spend most of my time like this or in the Puzzle, all though I prefer being outside it." Solomon nodded, sparing a glance at the Puzzle on Yugi's bedside table.
"Yes I see, if I was stuck in something so stuffy I would be claustrophobic as well."
The Pharaoh chuckled. It wasn't the space that bothered him, it was the fact that it was empty. Not a single soul but his own. He was truly surprised to find a new door that he could actually open and was even more surprise to find there was another behind it that he could also open. Behind that door, rested Yugi's mind - in which Yugi was considerate enough to invite him in from time to time. The memory of their first encounter was quite vivid to say the least, well, the first encounter in which Yugi was aware of him - Yami.
"Well, I'm not sure of what I could do about that,"Mr. Moto mused out-loud, a long pause followed before Solomon abruptly snapped his fingers "Ah I know! I'll read you a bed time story! That always made Yugi fall asleep!"
And before Yami could protest Solomon was already out the door and in the search of the old story books, leaving Yami stunned beyond belief.
"You'll like Grampa's stories," he heard a sleepy voice say. He turned to Yugi as the boy stifled a yawned "He always starts with Egyptian ones."
"Your favorite, I believe?" Yami chuckled, what was it with the Motos and making everyone feel better?
Yugi grinned sheepishly "What can I say? I love Egyptian myths... I think you will too."
A comfortable silence followed, disturbed only by the distant sounds of Mr. Moto's search and rants about spring cleaning. Yami decided to finally voice his thoughts "How much have you heard?"
Yugi yawned "Grampa usually stumbles around the house right about now."
Yami nodded, a brief smile crossing his face as he gazed out the open door of the bedroom "I shouldn't keep the poor man awake," he said with a heavy sigh "There is no way for me to even fall asleep."
Yugi gazed at the Pharaoh, Yami always put others before himself. He didn't like being the center of attention nor being reliant of others, he actually liked it the other way around. Maybe Yugi could think of a way to fix this.
"Humph," Yugi mulled over the options before an idea occurred to him "Here, let me try something!" Yugi exclaimed and grabbed the Millennium Puzzle that instantly transported both Yugi and Yami to Yugi's soul room. The toys still lay haphazardly on the floor but there was one big difference - there was a bed next to the bright-green wall. Yami glanced at Yugi, who smiled in return.
"I wished for a bed and here it is!" he explained, obviously proud of his accomplishment, he turned to Yami with a broad grin. "Ya' going to go to sleep now?" he chirped "Or am I going to have to read you a bedtime story?"
"Ha ha, very funny." Yami said sarcastically but smiled nonetheless.
"Good night Yami." Yugi said while closing the door of his soul room and returning to his own bed in the Kame Game shop as Solomon came dashing back into his bedroom.
"Okay, I found the book! Story time!"
I tried to make it funny, not sure if it worked. Please tell me what you think and if I should continue writing for yugioh.
