Yugi was sitting in class, even when it was almost time to go home, just finishing up something, as he stood up, gathered what he was working on and set it away for the teacher to collect, heading to his small locker and slipper slot to get his shoes so he could go home. As he was getting his things together, taking his slippers off and grabbing them in place of his shoes, sliding them on, Yugi heard someone speak. "Yugi?"
Yugi cried out for a minute, then turned. "Oh... T a. You scared me there! What's up?"
"Yugi... I wanted to ask if..." T a blushed slightly. "If you wanted to go out with me... today."
"S-s-s-say what-!?! You serious!?"
"Yeah... unless you don't want to, which I understand because of..."
"T a. I'd be glad to do so." Yugi smiled. "You want me to come to your place or meet you somewhere?"
Hearing Yugi's response, T a's cheeks began to redden even more as she smiled. "How about I meet you at the Game Shop? About, say... six o' clock?"
"Six o' clock it is!" Yugi smiled, getting his shoes on, then cried out for a moment. Chuckling uneasily, Yugi grabbed his backpack, waving and ran off, T a blushing, but smiling.
Much later, at his home, Yugi was whooping with joy, hopping all over his room, Horus blinking while he "sat" at the end of Yugi's bed. "Yugi, how come you're in such a good mood, buddy? You've been hopping all over the place ever since you got home from school! I'm startin' to worry, since you've been at this for hours!!"
"I'm just stoked 'cause T a asked me out on a date, Horus!" Yugi fell backwards onto his bed, just beaming. "Problem is, it's 5:05 right now!! Oh, man, oh, man, oh, man, oh, man, oh, maaaaaaaaaaaan!" Horus just stood there, sweatdropping at Yugi's attitude, sighing.
T a looked at herself in the mirror, sighing a bit. "I still wonder why I asked Yugi out... was it because I cannot have Atem anymore... or...?" she looked at the long sleeved and tailed black shirt with white buttons and collar as well as her orange skirt, which went close to her knees, her legs covered in white stockings.
'I still don't get it. When Atem had left, I.. I was hurt, but... when I saw Rebecca hug Yugi, I got jealous... and when his soul was gone... I felt such a pain in my heart... such an emptiness... Just what is wrong with me!? Who do I have actual feelings for...? The one who's been like a hero to me, but is gone... or the one who's always been there for me for the most part, but I've hardly seen the real him...?'
Yugi himself didn't look too different, examining himself. He just had on a dark blue shirt, unbuttoned slightly with a white tank top under it, and light blue jeans. "Man... i am soooo nervous!"
Taro came up to Yugi's door, knocking on it. "Hey, Yugi, you in?"
"Yeah!"
Coming into the room, Taro blinked and said. "Well, someone is all dolled up! What the heck is goin' on, Yuge? You wouldn't need to be all dressed up. Unless... dude, no way!! T a finally aksed you out! That rocks!"
"How'd you...?! Oh, never mind." Yugi sighed, crossing his arms.
"Well, I did think she was startin' to come around after that thing with Mary, bro. I told her to be true to her feelings, and well, who knows? Even if she mighta liked Atem like that, maybe she likes you like that! This is a good sign, buddy! How fantastic! Maybe you can get an answer today!" Taro grinned.
Looking at his cousin, Yugi smiled, rubbing the back of his head. "Always so optimistic, Taro. Yeah, I hope so. I mean, deep down, I just wanted to hide my feelings for T a, like I've said. Maybe there's some hope. Well..." Yugi turned, looking at the clock. "Almost six. This is the moment of truth."
Taro grinned playfully, saluting Yugi. "Best of luck to you on your date then, Captain!!"
Yugi gave Taro a thumbs up, then headed out of the door, Sukiko blinking when she saw Yugi. "Yugi, dear, where are you going?"
"Oh! Hey, Mom! I was gonna be going on a date with T a. You, Dad, Grandpa, and Taro better not wait up for me! I'll be back when I can!" Yugi grinned, running to the steps leading downstairs to the Game Shop, grabbing his sneakers, sliding them on, tying his shoelaces, exhaling. Soon enough, he heard a knock at the door, and checked to make sure he had everything.
He walked up to the door, and looked right at T a, forgetting sometimes he and she were now the same height since his growth spurt some time ago. T a just smiled, lipstick on her lips as she said "Hey, Yugi..."
"Hey, T a! Right on time. Whoa." Yugi blinked when he looked at her, as she smiled, tapping her black strapped shoes onto the pavement softly.
"Whaddya think? I hope it isn't too much..."
"Naw!" Yugi blushed, smiling. "It's just enough! Soooo, uh, any real ideas of what we're gonna be doing?"
"We could just walk around Domino City. That's all Atem and I did besides the whole museum trip." T a smiled.
Yugi nodded, walking right behind T a before standing right at her side.
The first stop, T a had wanted to browse around a CD store, Yugi looking about also, scratching his head when he gave some samples of the music a try. T a looked at him and giggled a bit. 'Just like a little kid sometimes still. But he's matured a lot more than he's realized... maybe more than all of us have realized...'
Yugi chuckled when he listened to some of the music, T a walking over to him. "Is any of it good?"
"Yeah." Yugi smiled. "I was enjoying this stuff so far. What about you? Did you find any good ones you might want to get?"
"Not really, sadly. Besides, most of it I've had already." T a replied. Yugi slid the headphones off, setting them down as he smiled.
"We could always do something else if you want to, T a. I was tempted to go to one of the other game shops around, see if I can get some boosters. Dad said he'd just like to see if there was anything he might add for his Deck... and who knows? Maybe I'll get something to add for your Deck!"
"Alright with me." T a smiled, the two stepping out of the music store, as they began to walk again. "So, T a, I hadn't asked before, but what made you wanna get more into Duel Monsters?"
"Well, Yugi, I don't want to be just a cheerleader all my life to you and the others. When I Dueled against Crump, when we were in that virtual world Noah made, I felt a bit nervous because I lacked some skills in Dueling... part of me realized that when I was calling out for you."
"...You mean Atem..."
"No, it was both of you I was calling to."
Yugi blinked, blushing softly, but T a smiled, both of them entering a card store, Yugi looking around, as well as T a. Yugi picked up a few booster packs, looking at them. T a walked over, blinking. "Think you got some good ones, Yugi?"
"We'll find out." Walking to the counter, Yugi smiled, setting the packs down.
The person working the counter began to ring up the price of the boosters, smiling. "That'll be 665, please." Nodding, Yugi began to dig around in his wallet, looking at how much he had as he pulled out a 500 yen bill, then a few coins; one 100 yen coin, and a few 10 yen pieces. "OK, I got 670 there."
"Thank you very much." The courtesy clerk bowed, taking Yugi's money, then handing him a 5 yen coin. "And there you are, sir."
"Thanks again!" Yugi smiled, walking over to T a who smiled also. "So, you hope to get anything good?"
"Who knows until I open it." Yugi took the first booster pack, sliding the second one into his pocket, opening the first booster, looking at the 9 cards he had gotten. Yugi then cried out when he saw one card, T a doing the same. "Yugi, are you OK?!"
"Yeah... I just got a nice card I could use in my Deck!" Yugi smiled, holding out the card, which had the art of what looked like a Roman Colosseum, but inside, along the arena floor was Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4 and Armed Dragon LV3, about to battle one another it seemed.
LEVEL COLOSSEUM Field Magic Card Effect: When a Monster that includes "LV" in its' card name battles, if its' ATK is lower than the ATK of the Monster it battles, increase the ATK of the Monster that includes "LV" in its' card name by 1000 points during the Damage Step. Once during your Main Phase 1, you can send 1 face-up Monster on your side of the Field that has "LV" in its' card name to the Graveyard. Special Summon the Monster that is written in the card text of that Monster from your hand or Deck, ignoring the Summoning conditions. The Special Summoned Monster cannot attack during this turn, and its' effects cannot be activated.
"Level Colosseum?"
"You remember Tristan's Field Magic Card, Skyscraper? Well, this is like that, only for Level Monsters, like the ones I run in my Deck, T a. It's a handy Maigc Card! I am gonna try to fit it into my Deck Let's see...." Looking at the other cards he had, Yugi smiled. "Hey, I also think I found a nice card for you to use."
Handing a card to her, Yugi smiled, as T a blinked, looking at the card.
"She's beautiful... Etoile Cyber, eh? Let's see..."
T a began to look over the effect, smiling. "A nice effect, but why have her with me, Yugi?"
ETOILE CYBER Earth/Warrior/4/1200 ATK/1600 DEF Effect: When this card attacks your opponent's Life Points directly, the ATK of this card is increased by 600 points during the Damage Step.
When his best friend asked him that, Yugi blushed but smiled. "It's 'cause she reminds me of you! You're a dancer, so is she, and you're both pretty, so, that's why I reccomended Etoile Cyber for you, T a! Ha ha hahahahahahaha!!"
T a blushed but smiled, then, on instinct or for some reason, she nodded to herself, following up with a kiss on Yugi's cheek. 'I think I finally understand.... just a bit is all... of who I may really have had feelings for all this time... just maybe...'
Yugi blinked when T a did that, his face now completely beet red. "Uhm... how come you did that?"
"I wanted to, if you don't mind." T a smiled, taking Yugi's hand, and yanked him along, causing Yugi to cry out as he tried to walk as fast as he could to catch up with her. After he managed to, he set his cards into his pocket and said "Maybe I'll hold out on these til later. Also, I can help you expand on your Deck like you wanted me to do. I got a few other cards that are good in mind for you."
"I'd like that, Yugi." T a smiled, as the two walked side by side, looking up at the sky. "Ya know... it's amazing how close winter will be soon, isn't it?"
"Huh?" Yugi blinked.
T a just smiled. "I seem to like winter the most of all seasons, Yugi. And no, it's not because spring is close behind. But like it was said in Fruits Basket, that when snow melts, it does become spring... but I like winter because of the purity the snow brings, how it almost feels like a whole new beginning. And the snow hitting the ground just captivates me."
Yugi smiled also. "I'm glad you feel that way, T a. Myself, I feel like for me, everything's been a new beginning since Atem has been gone... like I'm living my life again as a much different person. But I'm not gonna be like Atem. He was his own person, and all I can be is myself... a better myself, but myself nonetheless." Yugi stopped for a moment, near a bridge looking over a small part of the ocean, T a standing next to him. "My other self was a good, strong person, T a, but I can't be expected to be like him.... that'd be wrong..."
"I never wanted you to be like him, Yugi." T a gently placed her left arm on Yugi's back, resting her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. "I never want you to be like Atem... I may have cared for him, but deep down, I've always cared for you somehow too... but I guess I never saw it until now. So please stay as yourself.... you're just fine... the way you are..."
"T a..."
As they stood there, it was just peaceful for Yugi and T a, as both felt... content. Nothing in the world could go wrong for the two... even if Card Hunters attacked them...
But luckily, nothing of the sort happened... the two just remained where they were before, heading to get something to drink. Yugi was laughing a bit, sipping his tea. "So, like I said, Taro was standing on his hands, then he falls down flat on his stomach! It was so funny!"
T a giggled a bit. "Wow! That souinds very hilarious if you ask me, Yugi!"
Yugi smiled. "Hey... T a, would you believe me if I told you I could see something beyond what anyone else could see?"
"You mean like ghosts?" T a blinked, sipping her tea.
"No, what I mean... is a Duel Monsters spirit. Ya remember Horus the Black Flame Dragon? Well, turns out, besides my dad sending all three to me... I can see him. I know it sounds loopy, but it's true."
T a smiled at Yugi, nodding. "I believe you, Yugi. After all, with what you went through, anything is possible, right? Besides...."
Horus soon enough appeared, landing right on Yugi's shoulder, transparent to anyone else as he blinked. "Uh, Yugi, do you think she realllly believes the fact you can see me?"
"I can... see you..." T a blinked in surprise, Yugi turning to Horus and smiling. "Well, I think she does now, Horus... she can see you after all."
Horus blinked in surprise. "Another one! Great! First it was Kaiba, and your cousin noticed me a bit too, and now your girlfriend notices me! This is insane! How many people are gonna be able to see me and the others!? It's just gonna be an odd experience."
"Um, is Horus always so mouthy?" T a giggled softly, but happily at how Horus was.
Yugi nodded. "Yeah, he sure can be, but he's also wise... for someone that's supposed to be my partner." Reaching up, Yugi patted Horus's head as Horus smiled, T a smiling also. 'Loses one partner.... he seems to gain another one somehow...'
After a bit of time, Yugi and T a began to walk back to Yugi's place, Yugi smiling at her. "Hey, T a, listen, about your Deck, maybe you can gimme some time, I can get access to Grandpa's cards, see if I can find good ones to help it, then play test it with you."
"That, I'd like a lot, Yugi. And I had a nice time tonight... thanks again. I guess I wanted to know something, and now I do."
Yugi smiled, Horus chuckling. "Glad to hear it."
"Well, I'll see you about that Deck assistance, Yugi. Is it true? That Taro helped Melody?"
"Yeah! It sure was!" Yugi grinned, as T a hugged Yugi and then waved bye, before heading off. Yugi smiled and exhaled. "Felt good for once to not have to Duel, Horus... I'm glad for it."
"Me too, bud. Just one question... WHEN THE HECK ARE YA GONNA USE ME AGAIN!?!"
"Would you relax!?" Yugi snapped. "I'll do my best to call you out next time, I promise!"
"You better, man! I'm supposed to be your partner, and yet I feel as if I get no love... N. O. L. O. V. E!"
"Quit being such a drama king!!" Yugi snapped back, the two partners starting to bicker a bit, but it wasn't the kind of harsh bickering, but more of two friends arguing over something... and that was all that was needed. Yugi laughed as did Horus, when both headed inside of the Kame Game Shop.
-[To Be Continued...]-