-Chapter 3-
He opened his eyes and blinked again, he was in his room; he sat up on his bed, and swung his legs over so they met the floor.
"Huh…? Why'm I here…?" He asked himself looking up to the sky he could see through the ceiling; then looked around; there was no door that led out. "…I'm stuck in here…huh…?" He wondered as he got up, stepping carefully around the toys in the room. No matter how many times he put them away each time he appeared here, they'd be in the same spot. He looked to the desk, to see the Puzzle box, before deciding to go over to it, to trace the outer rim. "That's right…" He started, tracing the hieroglyphics he had tried for so long to remember that littered the faces of the box. "I wonder if he's alright now…" He briefly wondered, but then frowned. "How did I end up here…?" He looked back to the box, and picked up it. "This has you written all over it." He stated accusingly, but seemingly his anger faded away as he placed the box down, as if he had never wanted to harm it in the first place. "I guess it doesn't matter now…" He stated with a sigh and turned away only to see an intruder.
"Shadi…?" He questioned with a puzzled blink, only to see the man blink, and shake his head, to this he offered another blink, but seemingly closed his eyes and sighed.
"I believe he forced me out." Shada countered, looking down to Heba, making both Isis and Atem blink.
"Force you out…? How so…?" Atem asked first, beating Isis, who glared at him.
"He was there." Shada said with a blink, in his own stun.
"He was there?" Atem echoed. "Is that possible…?"
"Obviously it is quite possible…." Shada stated in a huff of annoyance.
He opened his eyes and groaned; his head hurt…Now, why did his head hurt…? He blinked and was then looking up to see Atem; oh…That was why.
He groaned again. "Nee...Sa rete ori masu mada memori no sekai...? Watashi wa kanari wareware ga nokotte kakushin shite i ta..." To the blank look he got he blinked. "Gesu wa... Shi nai…"
Atem looked to Shada, who looked to Isis. He on the other hand, felt a certain weight hanging from his neck, with a yelp of surprise, which made the other three look to him in alarm as he hastened to take it off and glare at it. "Sore wa subete anata no sekinin desu!" He scolded the Puzzle, and then looked to Atem, who was looking rather worried along with Isis.
"Here, have it back before I throw it in the Nile…" To this he held out the Puzzle for Atem, who blinked but took it back in a stunned silence.
"…So it sent you here…?" He looked to the voice, and frowned.
"Shadi…?" He asked, making them blink. "Wait, no…um…Shada…?" He asked, and the man nodded silently. "Yes! I remembered that one…Yes, the Puzzle sent me here…I can't figure out how though, considering it was placed back in the shrine…I wasn't even touching it at the time…"
Atem blinked. "You can even babble in our words…Impressive." To this he grinned. "But what shrine…?"
"Um…at Kul Elna…" He stated, to this Atem looked to Shada whose face was blank.
"Ah…Spoilers…? Oh, this is going to hurt my head…" He muttered as he scratched his head, and everyone else blinked.
"How can you suddenly speak our words….?" Isis asked, and he looked to her.
"Ishizu...!" He suddenly beamed to her, and she blinked. "Eh…You can thank the Puzzle for that…" He stated, and they all looked towards it.
"Oh…"
Atem blinked. "So you have a name, yes?" He asked, to this he nodded.
"Hm-m, Yuugi..." He stated, making them all blink, but was seemingly happy looking around.
Yuugi had the tendency to switch languages if he was talking really fast, or if he was overly emotional; it unnerved Shada, but made Atem want to laugh. Though, what unnerved Atem was he seemed to know where he was, even though he was from a different day...
"Yuugi…?" Atem asked, subtly frowning to himself, he couldn't quite get his name right, but all the same Yuugi looked to him.
"Hai, Atem…?" Yuugi asked.
"Those words again…." Atem pretended to chide, making Yuugi laugh. "How do you know your way around…?" He asked him, but didn't like how Yuugi grinned, almost evilly.
"Spoilers….!" Yuugi stated happily and threw a pillow towards Atem harmlessly, who caught it and glared at Yuugi, who grinned to him almost innocently.
Atem especially hated the newfound word spoiler.
Yuugi blinked as he watched Atem and Seto converse, and he tried hard not to laugh, he could still see Kaiba when he saw Seto, so it made it even funnier that they had the same name. As much as Yuugi tried he still slipped up in the language department, he also found it hard to follow along what they were saying as well, not so much with Atem and Isis, but everyone else was hard to follow. Shada was still a mystery to him; looking so much like Shadi it was scary. Though…they probably had a hard time following what he said as well.
"Yuugi…?" Yuugi blinked as he heard his name being called and looked up to see Atem looking at him worriedly, with a nod, Atem smiled then turned back to scold Seto, making Yuugi laugh, even though he didn't understand why. It was funny that Atem still cared even though he didn't know him. Yuugi pondered as he walked outside, he wouldn't be alone for too long; he'd give Atem five seconds to realize he left his eye sight.
Yuugi sighed as he finished drawing the Puzzle in the sand. "Mou Hitori no Boku…" He drew his hands around his drawn up knees, though, he guessed that he shouldn't call him that anymore…But he still wanted to, Yuugi didn't think he would mind…Wherever he was…
"Yuugi…!" Yuugi looked up from his drawing, to see Atem coming up to him. "There you are…What have you got there…?" Atem asked nodding towards the picture.
"I drew the Puzzle…" Yuugi told him, pointing towards it, and Atem frowned.
"Why do you call it a puzzle…?" Atem asked him, and Yuugi looked to him.
"Because I solved the pieces of the puzzle that made it up…" Yuugi started to tell him, going back to the sand and drawing what looked like the other Items. "Everyone who knew it called it the Millennium Puzzle." Yuugi looked up to see Atem blinking.
"Where do you come from, Little One…?" Atem asked of Yuugi who blinked at Atem's name for him and sniffed, but hid it from Atem as his hand smoothed out the sand below him.
"…Would you take spoilers for an answer…?" Yuugi asked a little hopeful he would say yes and leave it alone.
"No…How would I knowing the days you come from hurt anything…?" Atem asked.
Yuugi didn't answer, in any form Atem knew, but this time he heard him trying to hold back tears.
Yuugi looked to his cards, with a frown. "I don't know how you got in here; Mou Hitori no Boku had you…" He contemplated with a blink. "If you're here, then…" Yuugi quickly gasped as he laid the cards out, it was their deck; the one they had created together—and there they were the three—
"Yuugi…?"
Yuugi gave a yelp and tugged the God Cards from view. Why and how…did he have this deck? He looked up to see Atem walking in with a frown.
"You well…?" He asked, referring to the yelp, Yuugi nodded, and Atem saw the cards. "Ah, the mural slides. Care to explain…?"
Yuugi blinked. "Um…Sure…" He said, putting the three cards back in his holster, fully out of view. Atem might not understand the symbols, but he could understand pictures, and Yuugi was pretty sure Atem would understand those three pictures well.
Atem lent against the wall, Yuugi still had the fascination of the outside, though he briefly wondered where his blue tunic cloak had been placed, and yet again where the mural slides were, but Atem ended up laughing at Yuugi as he bounded from the nearest window back to Atem, only to stare up in awe at the man next to Atem.
"You're….Mahaado….right…?" Yuugi asked with his head sideways, and missed Atem's astonished blink, not remembering having told the boy the man's name. Mahaado nodded.
"And you are Yuugi." He stated making Yuugi giggle and nod.
"You're a priest." Yuugi stated lightly, pointing and the Millennium Ring, making the two nod.
"You know a lot about our days." Mahaado noticed.
Yuugi laughed nervously. "Ha-ha….About….that…"
There was absolutely no reason why Yuugi knew a lot about these days. Yuugi sighed, who was he trying to fool? The man over from him could be excused. He soon yelped when Mahaado lent down to him.
"So you come from a different day, to us, little Yuugi…?" Mahaado asked politely.
Yuugi thought it would be best not to be upset over the name he had been given by Mahaado, and nodded in the same sense.
"He won't tell me when. Saying it will spoil…" Atem huffed, making Yuugi giggle, only succeeding to make Atem glare at him, which only resulted in Yuugi laughing.
"So how did you end up here, Little One…?" Atem asked, he wanted his answers, Yuugi sighed.
"The Puzzle sent me here…I think…"
"Why…?"
"I don't know." Yuugi replied truthfully. He had no clue how he was here, nor why. "So maybe if I knew—Argh! Mou Hitori no Boku doushite watashi ni itte kure naka tsu ta no Sennen Pazuru ki o shiyou suru houhou…? Masaka! Watashi wa mou ki ni shi nai…!"
With the glare Yuugi sent the Pendants way, the two thought it best not to ask what he had said. Atem didn't want to have to send someone to fish out the Pendant from the depths of the Nile.
Atem watched with a curious frown, from where he was told to stay by Yuugi, who gave him the be-quiet-(universal)-notion, as he spoke his words in what seemed excitement, as if he had forgotten Atem couldn't understand him. Atem watched Yuugi continue to creep up on the vase for some reason, whispering in those words of his, as his excitement rose, once he had successfully got near the innocent vase, he suddenly tipped it over, making Atem blink even more so when it suddenly made a humanoid noise.
Yuugi laughed. "Mana…!" He announced pointing down at her disfigured form proudly, as she lay there blinking up at him.
"How did you know she was in there…?" Atem asked, as he came over to them, watching as Mana got herself up, and brushed herself, looking glum.
Yuugi grinned. "The vase moving gave it away."
"Aw…!" Mana groaned, making Atem grin.
"What is your fascination with hiding in vases, anyways…?" Atem asked her with his frown returning. Yuugi looked between the two.
"A hiding spot from Master…!" She announced proudly.
"…Maybe you should stay closer to him more, Mana…" Yuugi started in a quiet voice, making both Mana and Atem look to him.
"Why do you say that…?" Mana asked with a blink, but Yuugi shook his head and turned away to face a near window. Atem frowned, but blinked when he heard him sniffle.
"Taisetsu na no chikaku ni taizai-jin…Anata ga shitte iru koto…toki karera feudo hanarete..."
Even if Atem didn't understand a word Yuugi had just said, even the soundings sounded sad. What had this boy seen through his life…? What had he been through…?
Atem would never know.
He watched as Yuugi looked back to them with a ghost of a smile; he then walked away silently.
And they wouldn't chase after him.
Memories were painful. That much Yuugi could say was true. With a saddened smile he looked up to the sky. Was Mou Hitori no Boku happy now where he was…? It would be saddening to know if he wasn't. Going through all they did, just for… He sniffled again, as he watched a bird he couldn't put a name to shuffle past him. Yuugi moved so that he could sign symbols in the sand, fleeting symbols that meant the world to him.
Yes, memories were painful, that much was true. But losing them was worse. Living with them might be harder.
"This must have been how you felt…Mou Hitori no Boku…" To this he clenched his eyes shut, feeling the tears gathering. "Doushite…? Doushite yame ta no ka….?" He sniffled again as he opened his eyes to see a lone tear drop fall onto the symbols, and disfigure their meaning. "…Doushite…."
One thing could change everything. To the symbols in the sand, one drop of water was all it took.
One drop was all it took to disfigure it…to wipe its meaning from view. He placed his fingers over the lines. "Watashi de wa nai...Tsuyoi... Niyotte jibun…" He told the symbols blankly as if they could hear him. "Naze watashi wa koko ni...?" Yuugi asked the disfigured symbols, hoping they would give an answer.
….They didn't, and he doubted they ever would again.
Yuugi glared at his Puzzle box, with a frown, how had it sent him here…? Why here off all places? A place where Atem was? A place where he knew yet didn't. Yuugi sighed in defeat and flopped back onto his bed, looking up at the night sky through the glass. He knew he had not been in Egypt long, perhaps a little over a week. He didn't mind at all, being with Atem, and all. But Atem didn't recognise him at all, as it should be; this Atem hadn't met him yet. But Yuugi was still saddened by it. He missed the version he knew, but with that thought he realised the version he knew would be gone if and when he got back to his own time stream. Sighing again he closed his eyes, to wonder if time was moving in his own timeframe… What happened to make this happen…? He opened his eyes to look back at the box, what possible reason would it have to bring him here…? Yuugi frowned, what possible motivation could it have had? He didn't know; he just wore it around his neck; Mou Hitori no Boku would probably know…
Yuugi growled it wasn't as he could walk up to the darn Puzzle and ask it!
"…You look as if you wish to have the will to throw the Pendant in the Nile…" Atem stated cautiously, getting Yuugi out of his thoughts and looking to him.
"Huh, maybe…? I just wish I knew why it brought me here…I don't know how to work it…" Yuugi told with a frown, placing out his legs in front of him, Atem blinked when Yuugi looked to him again. "Could I have it for a second…?"
Atem frowned. "The last time you had it you fell unconscious…." To this Yuugi shrugged.
"It returned my memory, perhaps it can send me back…"
"I suppose, but you must take it off, if it pains you." Atem cautioned, to this Yuugi nodded, knowing that Atem would give out this condition. Atem sighed, and gave the Pendant over to Yuugi.
Yuugi grasped the Puzzle and slung it around his neck and held it to his eyes to look at the lone eye it carried.
"Watashi wa anata to nani o shi masu ka…?" Yuugi asked the Pendant, and briefly registered to Atem sighing, to him hearing Atem he looked to him.
"You like confusing me, with those words of yours, don't you, Little One…?" Atem asked, to this Yuugi giggled, but set his eyes back to the Puzzle.
But as soon as he did that the world went dark.
Yuugi blinked. He had not moved, but somehow he had been drawn inside the Puzzle. After he realised that fact he groaned. He didn't feel like roaming the Puzzle at that moment.
"Yuugi…?" A voice near him said.
Yuugi looked and there stood Atem as he was five seconds ago, he had been drawn in to….?
"Gah…! Aou, subarashii...! Tada subarashii…!" Yuugi growled.
Despite the situation they were in, it made Atem chuckle.
"Those words again, Yuugi…" Atem said, making Yuugi groan. Even here he could not understand him. "I'm guessing you know where we are…" He prompted Yuugi in hopes he would tell.
Yuugi nodded. "Inside the Puzzle…"
Atem blinked. "People can go inside the Pendant…?" He asked.
Irony…Absolute irony…Of course Atem would be the one to ask that particular question!
Yuugi said nothing, but grasped his hand and marched forward. He didn't know what to find, or why Atem was here. But knowing Yuugi, it would stumble out and hit him in the face, like always.
It didn't hit him in the face. But when he looked back to see Atem, he wasn't there anymore.
"Eh….?" He voiced in confusion and looked around. He was nowhere. As if he had suddenly vanished, perhaps he had. Yuugi sighed. The Puzzle sent Atem back to his world, yet didn't seem to want to let Yuugi back to his. He sighed.
"Typical…"
But sighing would get him nowhere, he knew that, he kept on; listening for sounds of anything he could follow. Perhaps someone would walk up to him to find him and lead him home.
His eyes widened when he saw the shadows shift and make out a figure. He hadn't meant it quite literally.
Nor did he expect the figure to look so much like himself…
"Aibou…!"
Nor say those words to him.
Yuugi stared wide eyed as his yami came up to him, with an expression that was torn between worry and amusement.
"You just love making me worry, don't you, Aibou…?" He asked him.
Yuugi blinked. "Huh…? What…?"
He sighed. "Come on, Aibou, we need to go…" To that he let out his hand to Yuugi, who took it, even though he felt his head spinning.
It wasn't what they expected. True, they had thrown normalcy out the window, when Yuugi had split in two at the gates of the Afterlife, then duelled each other.
But when they both disappeared, instead of the lone one who was meant to leave…It really wasn't what they expected, nor when the gates closed, sparking worry for the teens.
Mokuba turned to Kaiba. "What happened, Nii-sama…?"
Kaiba growled. "Like hell am I supposed to know….?"
"Something has intervened…" Ishizu commented.
"What gave it away…? The fact that they are both gone…Or the fact that the door closed…?" Kaiba asked sarcastically of her, and she glared at him.
"Where did they both go…?" Anzu asked as she stood where Yuugi had been only five second ago, she looked to the stunned faces, and didn't need to be told that Yuugi wasn't meant to disappear as well.
It was true that they had thrown normalcy out but what they really didn't expect was for one to reappear with the other unconscious in his arms.
"Atemu…!" Most people yelled to the now blinking ex-Pharaoh.
"Uh…Hello…?" He voiced confusedly, but he looked from Yuugi to Anzu, masking his own worry and puzzlement for the moment. "Anzu, is Aibou alright…?" He asked.
Anzu blinked, but came over, throwing her questions to the back of her mind for the moment; knowing Atemu would never answer them when Yuugi was in anyway hurt. She had learnt well over the past years, with the both of them; you don't ask questions when the other one was harmed in anyway.
Atemu drew Yuugi out, so Anzu could check. "He seems fine, just unconscious…."
"How is that fine…?" Jounouchi huffed to Anzu.
"Well, it's better then—" Anzu was cut off by trembles in the surroundings.
Atemu out of spite drew Yuugi closer to him, as if the action alone would protect him.
"The place is collapsing…!"
"Run for it...!"
With that they ran for the exit.
"So, Atemu….You gonna tell us what happened…?" Jounouchi asked of Atem. "Or ya gonna leave us in the dark…?"
Atemu knew he wasn't meant to be here, he also knew that his Aibou wasn't meant to be unconscious nor was the Puzzle meant to do what it had done. But Atemu was grateful to it once again.
"It was something the Puzzle did…." Atemu started with a frown. With Ishizu in the lead, she led the way back the way they had come.
"The Puzzle did what…?" Anzu asked catching up to walk with Atemu, who still had hold of an unconscious Yuugi; surprisingly no one had asked to take Yuugi off Atemu. They knew they had no chance in the first place, nor did they want to suffer the glare they would receive.
Atemu sighed and shook his head. "I'm not exactly sure…"
They all blinked and sighed, minus Kaiba who couldn't have cared less.
"Perhaps Yuugi knows…?" Anzu asked hopefully.
Atemu didn't reply to her, nor did anyone else. What Atemu knew was that the next time Yuugi woke could possibly be a little awkward.
With the trek ended, they ended up in the hotel.
Jounouchi laughed nervously, while Honda hit him over the head, and Atemu sighed.
"I'm going to go put Aibou down…" He told them, Anzu nodded and handed him a card key, while glaring at the other boys.
"You know how to work this, right…?" Anzu whispered to him, he nodded. His Aibou had used it before, and shown him in his excitement of using them.
Anzu sighed, but froze when an arm slung over her shoulders.
"He doesn't know about the sleeping arrangements, does he…?" Jounouchi asked in a snicker.
"Oh, be quiet. They'll be fine!" Anzu retorted to him angrily, and walked off.
"She's pissed." Jounouchi stated.
"Gee, what gave it away…?" Honda asked sarcastically.
Atemu had seen a complication as soon as he opened the door one handed, while the other held Yuugi to him so he wouldn't slip out of his grip and fall. But he wasn't about to voice it, as he closed the door with a swing of his foot, and walked over to place Yuugi down on the lone bed in the room. Atemu sighed as he sat down on the edge of the bed and looked back to his Hikari.
Atemu was worried; it would be truly ironic if his Aibou woke without his memories. With a sigh, Atemu got up and wondered over to the curtains to pull the string to close them, perhaps all he needed was sleep.
Atemu missed the constant babble and bubble of emotions his Hikari provided that streamed over their mind-link. No matter what memory his Aibou woke up with, it would not deter Atemu away from protecting him once more.
Yuugi opened his eyes, the place was dark, but not as dark as he remembered where he was when he last was, he groaned and tried to shuffle about, though when he realised he was on a bed somewhere, Yuugi blinked and looked around only to fall on a figure he knew.
"…Mou Hitori no…Boku…?" He asked and the figure twitched suddenly and lifted its head with a blink.
"Aibou…!" He sounded getting up slowly from leaning on the bed, from using it as a makeshift pillow to a now seat. "How are you feeling…?" He asked Yuugi, who blinked, as Atemu placed his hand over his forehead to search for a temperature.
"Now very confused, what happened…?" Yuugi asked while trying to get the sleep out of one eye once he sat up, making Atemu chuckle.
"Well…After the doors opened, you and your friends talked to me, and I looked back, you were starting to disappear though the next thing I knew I was wondering the depths of the Puzzle once again, only to find you there a short time later, as well…" He told.
"Ah, so that really did happen…?" Yuugi asked, though Atemu wasn't sure if the question was for himself or for him.
"What do you mean, Aibou…?" Atemu asked of him, and Yuugi looked to him.
"This might sound strange but the Puzzle sent me somewhere…" Yuugi started slowly, but Atemu nodded.
"I know it did, I remember it. I wasn't sure if you would though…" Atemu stated and Yuugi blinked.
"You remember? Why didn't you tell me…?" Yuugi exclaimed with a pout, making Atemu chuckle and pat his head.
"These memories were created when the Puzzle sent you back, so I remembered them when I was walking in its depths waiting for you." Atemu stated.
"Oh…" Yuugi started with a blink, but then caught up. "You were waiting…?"
"I didn't know it then, but after I remembered, I waited for you so I could find you." Atemu told him giving him another pat on the head which forced out a giggle from Yuugi. "After you took the Puzzle to look into it, and we were drawn into it, I was sent back a week before with no memory of you, but I was more attached to the Puzzle, which was something it couldn't take away, but I didn't know why." Atemu stated, and Yuugi nodded. "I also remember you speaking Japanese, which I can now understand. I'm sorry for causing you trouble, Aibou…" Atemu spoke and soon found the curtains now more interesting, so he could turn away.
Yuugi blinked, if he remembered, and now he could understand everything he said—oh…
"Nee…Atemu…?" Yuugi asked, bringing Atemu to look at him again, with a nod. "It's okay." Yuugi told truthfully with a smile, making Atemu chuckle.
"Of course it is, Aibou." Atemu chuckled, patting Yuugi again, who responded with a yawn, which he tried to cover. "Now, I think it's time for you to go back to sleep, Aibou." With this he got up, making Yuugi blink.
"Where are you going…?" He asked him while he looked up to him.
"You need your sleep, Aibou. I'll sleep elsewhere."
To this Yuugi really blinked, in realisation there was only one bed. "You can share mine." Yuugi offered; he knew he only took up a little space.
Atemu blinked. "Um…Aibou….?"
To this Yuugi rolled his eyes, with a sigh. "I'm not letting you sleep on the couch when you can sleep next to me."
Atemu chuckled. "Alright, alright..." He caved with a slight sigh, climbing over Yuugi, and on his way over, he nuzzled the side of Yuugi's face making him giggle.
"Nee…Atemu…?" Yuugi voiced sleepily, and got an affirmed response from Atemu. "Do you know how and why the Puzzle sent me back…?"
"No, but for whatever reasons it had, I'm glad it did. Do you know why…?" Atemu asked while making sure he wouldn't be taking up more of the bedding then needed; then threw the rest of the covers over Yuugi.
"I don't know either, but I'm still glad." Yuugi voiced with a smile as he snuggled down into his pillow gratefully.
"Night, Aibou…" Atemu chuckled to Yuugi.
"Night, Mou Hitori no Boku…"
To everyone else, seeing Yuugi and Atemu next to each other was something they hadn't seen overly well before, but for the two, it was just like communicating with each other, just now they were both visible.
"So, Yuge…!" Jounouchi greeting, in the hall when both Atemu and Yuugi came out of their room "You alright now…?" To this Yuugi nodded, and watched Atemu out the corner of his eye, making sure if he had any trouble he could be quick to explain to him, and save him from modern day embarrassment, and a lot of stares from foreigners….and the time soon arrived.
"Aibou…?" He questioned making both Yuugi and Jounouchi turn, to see him pointing at something. "How does this work…?" Yuugi quickly chuckled and went to help the old spirit.
"It's a vending machine." Yuugi told him, seeing the various items through the glass, and Atemu sighed.
"I knew that much how does it work, Aibou…?" Atemu asked curiously.
Yuugi chuckled, as he took out some change. "Watch…." Yuugi advised, making Atemu nod as he pushed in the combination for a soda, and placed in the change.
"…Aibou, it just ate your money." Atemu stated with a blank look, not knowing whether it was meant to do that or something else, but however, he looked to Jounouchi who seemed to be doubled over in fits of laughter, Atemu frowned, and looked half ready to pout.
"Jounouchi-kun…" Yuugi started, and it made him stop laughing.
"Sorry, it was funny."
"Not to me." Atemu stated fairly, now fully pouting.
"Here." Yuugi said to Atemu, giving him the soda. "In exchange for money, you can buy what is in there by pressing in the code."
To this, Atemu now understood, to show he did, he nodded to his little Hikari.
"So you don't know what happened either…?" Anzu questioned Yuugi, who shook his head, though Atemu looked as if he just remembered something.
"Oh, Aibou, remind me to reteach you Egyptian sometime." Atemu stated with a blink, not noticing his statement caused their friends to become confused.
Yuugi played annoyance. "Oh, so you didn't like my trying?"
Atemu chuckled. "The words you said barely resembled anything."
This caused Yuugi to blink, and sigh. "How come you were so good at Japanese, when you had no memory?"
The two of them didn't notice their friends watching them like a tennis match.
"Because I had eight years to learn it in the Puzzle, you on the other hand just appeared..."
Yuugi blinked. "Oh yeah…"
"…What's going on…?" Anzu stated with a blink, making the two turn to them.
"A…Long story…?" Atemu asked himself, and Yuugi nodded.
"It's something we can tell on the plane…!" Yuugi stated with a smile.
"How are we going to do that, Aibou….?" Atemu asked, making Yuugi blink, then turn to Kaiba.
"Don't you dare bring me into this…!" Kaiba stated with a glare, making the rest of them laugh.
~Sometime later…~
Atemu walked through the front door on the Kame Shop, chuckling slightly as he shook his head and closed the door with one foot, then looked around.
"Aibou…!" He called, when he saw the place where his Aibou usually was at this time of day, was vacated, which normally was the counter, when his grandfather was out, he minded the store. Nothing had changed in the years Atemu had stayed here, not that he was going to leave any time soon either.
"Nee…! I'm in here…!" Yuugi's voice called, from the distance Atemu could tell he was near the lounge, to this Atem chuckled and walked through, following the voice of his once-and-still Hikari.
"Morning, Aibou…" Atemu greeted, and Yuugi turned around smiling.
"How was your walk…?" Yuugi asked in his way of greeting, making Atemu chuckle as he came up to Yuugi to pat his head, he was still smaller then Atemu, not that the two minded, he had still grown, Atemu had just grown more.
"I knocked someone over who was running late." Atemu commented.
"Was he okay…?" Yuugi asked in concern for both of them, with a blink.
But Atemu nodded. "He is fine, just late for the Academy opening..."
Yuugi brightened. "A dualist…?"
Atemu nodded. "Winged Kuriboh was calling out to him."
"Is that why you left this morning…?" Yuugi asked blinking up at Atemu.
Atemu chuckled and patted his head again. "Perceptive, Aibou, but yes, I felt that he was meant to have him."
"Do you know his name…?" Yuugi asked with his head turning curiously, making Atemu chuckle.
"Of course, and so do you…" Atemu gave way, and then proceeded to watch as Yuugi seemingly wanted to jump up and down, Yuugi was still, very much a child at heart, and Atemu minded not.
"Jaden-kun…! I always wanted to know who he was, and how he got that card! It was you…!" Yuugi stated pointing to Atemu who tried to look innocent.
"Well, I didn't know at the time either, Little One. I know he needs the card." Atemu told, nodded as he walked to the kitchen, knowing Yuugi would follow him in curiosity. Atemu still got called "Yuugi" by a lot of outsiders, and Atemu didn't mind, to them; he did not exist. And that was alright.
"To guide him….?" Yuugi asked, and Atemu nodded as he dipped into the fridge, to grasp a water bottle, and looked to Yuugi asking silently if he wanted one, and then threw him one as well when he nodded.
"To guide him back to find his cause once he loses it…" Atemu stated after opening the bottle.
"Ah…! That reminds me, did you send a copy of the cards we used in our deck to the Academy…? They've been asking for it." Yuugi pondered to Atemu, who nodded.
"I did that as well, though, I'm keeping the God Cards, if they don't mind." Atemu stated in a sigh, making Yuugi giggle slightly.
"Of course you are."
"Aibou, guess what…?" Atemu started.
"What…?" Yuugi asked interestedly.
"…Full circle." Atemu finished with a grin, making Yuugi laugh.
"Naturally…! Now, let's go meet up with the others before they send out a search party for us, again, and let's hope we get back in three years this time."
Atemu sighed, but Yuugi laughed. "Where do you think Kaiba is taking us all this time…?"
Yuugi laughed again as they headed for the door. "Who knows..."
With this he turned the sign on the door to "closed", knowing Sugoroku wouldn't be back for awhile, but he knew they were going. Atemu chuckled as they both left.
"Nee, Atem, do you think Honda-kun will bring Shizuka-chan along…?" Yuugi asked Atemu.
Atemu barked a laugh. "Just as likely as Jounouchi bringing Mai…"
Yuugi snickered as they set of heading for another adventure, not knowing where the group would end up, but what they did know was that the world didn't need saving once more, but they had their decks...Just in case.
-Fin
Bring on the wonder,
Bring on the song...
I pushed you down, deep in my soul...
...for too long...
Japanese translation:
Nee…Sa rete ori masu mada memori no sekai...? Watashi wa kanari wareware ga nokotte kakushin shite i ta... – Right...are we still in the Memory World...? I was pretty sure we left...
Gesu wa... Shi nai – Guess…not
Sore wa subete anata no sekinin desu! – It is all your fault!
Hai - Yes
Mou Hitori no Boku – The Other Me
Mou Hitori no Boku doushite watashi ni itte kure naka tsu ta no Sennen Pazuru ki o shiyou suru houhou…? Masaka! Watashi wa mou ki ni shi nai…! – The other me why did you not tell me how to use the Millennium Puzzle…? No! I do not care anymore…!
Taisetsu na no chikaku ni taizai-jin…Anata ga shitte iru koto…toki karera feudo hanarete... – Stay close to important people…You never know…when they will fade away…
*Note on the mentioned symbols that Yuugi placed in the sand were "もう一人の僕" which are for "Mou Hitori no Boku" – "The other me"
Doushite yame ta no ka? – Why did you leave?
Doushite – Why
Watashi de wa nai... Tsuyoi... Niyotte jibun… – I am not…Strong…By myself.
Naze watashi wa koko ni...? – Why am I here…?
Watashi wa anata to nani o shi masu ka? – What will I do with you?
Aou, subarashii...! Tada subarashii – Oh, great….! Just great
Aibou – Partner
Nii-sama – Honourable Older Brother