Author's Note: I've decided I'm going to compile random one shots that pop up in my head here. Most will probably be stand alone but I'm not against the idea of linking some one shots together. Genre will range and will be listed in the Author's note so you'll get an idea of what you're about to read.

Title: Back to the Basics

Genre: Angst

Characters: Yami and Yuugi

Pairings: None

Prompt: Pride

The spirit would admit to his pride. He carried it like a heavy garment on his shoulders as he tried to be a suitable guardian to his light.

He did not take kindly to those who jabbed at his pride. Who made him look like a fool to his peers, who made him realize his flaws and weaknesses. The ones that would attack and dig into those weaknesses until he could hardly breathe.

Which was a humorless thought because as a spirit he could not breathe. The lungs he used to take in the much needed oxygen to survive belonged to another. One that he cherished greatly. Who he would give anything to see unharmed, even lay down his pride and his afterlife.

So often in the duels he engaged in his pride would become a martyr. Especially when he lost those precious to him. Then agony salted his wounded pride when they were used against him as bargaining chips, or as mindless slaves. More so when his light was used in such a way because that meant that he had failed in a far more grievous way.

With pride also came wrath, quick on the heels when provoked. It had been worse during the beginning stages with his light. When they'd just met. When his light's inherent goodness had yet to seep in and make him feel human again. Sometimes he was thankful but other times he wished for that cruel efficiency to strike down an offender once more. To make them understand their grave mistake.

Now he felt more like a being of all talk and no substance. This idea burned tenfold when he received the parchment in the mail. A calling card. Nothing more than a picture of a very familiar blond haired teen. There was a gasp from his light somewhere in the recesses of their shared mind. His face was a broken and bloodied mess and the spirit figured as much. Their companion would not have gone without a fight. Written on the back was a messily scrawled message, naming a time and place.

He felt his light shift and it was obvious that he could sense his dark's malevolent mood bubbling up like tar. The dark felt his light's curious and nervous brush over the mind link as if he were afraid he'd be burned if he got too close. A word of caution and perhaps even a plea entered his mind, but he threw that to the wind.

He tore the picture up having already memorized every little detail of both the picture and the information on the back. Grabbing a jacket the spirit exited the game shop.

It was about time he got back to his roots.

Author's Note: The trouble of running into some old works is that you haven't the slightest idea on where you were taking it and so then you're left fumbling for a coherent direction and conclusion. Once more I find it is better to keep it short than to drag on and on about absolutely nothing. Which is a specialty of mine.

Characterization was probably more off than I intended, but I wanted a Yami who was pushed to his limits so much so that it caused him to want to revert back to his darker tendencies. Yuugi stayed rather passive, but I figure he's biding his time and will break through to Yami should things begin to take a turn for the worst.

Anyway, more chapters will be added at some point, see you next time.