Gemini

The pharaoh led Yuugi into an averaged sized room, a large oval table placed directly in the middle. All over the walls pictures and writings of past victories were portrayed, trying to depict the valor of all of the pharaoh's that had used this room before for wars. Inside, many other men had already gathered, standing to greet their rulers.

Yugioh went to the end of table and sat down, pulling Yuugi down with him to sit between his legs. He was quite pleased to hear the young man sigh contentedly, falling like a puzzle piece into the pharaoh's arms. Probably drifting off to sleep.

One of the members of the war council looked at the pharaoh oddly. "Sire, is it all right that the Light sleeps during a time like this? Won't we need his input as well?"

Yugioh snarled. "He hasn't had a descent meal in days. The manipulation of the puzzle last night drained his energy, and if you hadn't noticed, he hasn't quite recovered yet. He will sleep until he is well again."

The council man sighed, resuming his seat. It was going to be another one of those days.

The pharaoh waited until everyone was seated. "Why don't we begin?"

"Well," an aged man in purple robes began. "As you know, many of the villagers don't understand why we have to be at war in the first place."

Yugioh sighed hard, rubbing his forehead. "The surrounding sects of our country that are uncivilized are barbarians. They eat their deceased. They eat their enemies. They've even begun to hunt humans for sport."

The faces of most in the room were green and pale.

"We are at war with them to stop such barbaric behavior. They have already started filtering over the borders."

"Yes sire, we know this, but how are we going to get our troops out of the spot where they are at the moment? We have to get them home safely, and currently they are in a small valley, surrounded by hunters on every side." The man pointed to the little figures standing on a large map that was lain out on the table. On it, it showed the pharaoh's army in gold figures and where they were located, and what their form was, while obsidian showed the enemy, where they were located, and what their formation was.

"Well, first off, we have to get a scout or a herald in there to give them some inside information. There are hidden pathways that they can travel, but it must be done in small groups. The problem is, getting all of them out without them getting noticed," another man jumped in, pointing to some hidden areas that were, indeed, on the map.

"And what about the small group over here," Yugioh asked, pointing to a small caravan that held supplies and a few dozen men. "If the others get out, they'll run. Right into them. With the amount of surrounding enemies, it will be a slaughter." He pivoted a bit in his seat, showing the other's position. Yuugi's weight pushed against his chest, giving him an actual form of comfort.

Now, though, Yuugi sat up, quietly observing the map and figurines placed on it. He frowned thoughtfully, looking over the pieces carefully. Everyone was surprisingly silent, watching him curiously.

Yuugi's hand moved and hovered over the little figures just outside of the valley, acting as if he was about to move them. Then suddenly, his hand shot to another area of the map that had not yet been noticed, what would equate to about three miles due north. There was another group of men there, about four dozen. With surprising speed, he moved those pieces over to the small caravan placed outside of the small valley, strategically placing them, well hidden, just outside of the secret pathways. He moved the small caravan three miles north, where the four dozen men had previously been. What was more, he seemed to have spotted other areas of escape, and a small little inlet to the valley that was surrounded by nothing else but mountains. They way he had set it up was when the troops inside of the valley made their escape, they were bound to alert the enemy. Thus, when they were split up and heading off in the different paths, when the enemy caught up with them, they would be out, and an ambush would be awaiting the enemy.

Smiling happily, he sat back into the pharaoh's embrace, closing his eyes again and drifting off to sleep.

Most of the council men gaped at Yuugi. Yami inwardly smiled. He knew that he would have eventually seen the other group to the south, but it would have taken him a lot longer to place them.

His eyes glimmered as he looked up at the other members at the table. "Send word for the armies to regroup. Send in a scout that won't get caught and have them relay the plan to the ones trapped in the valley. We have a war to win."

****************

Yugioh stood in his room, gazing down at Yuugi. The young man was looking at him curiously, arms folded neatly in front of himself.

"You impressed a lot of people today, Yuugi."

The boy looked up at him oddly. His look said it all. You really expect me to understand all that?

"Hmm, right." He folded his arms behind his back and took a couple of paces to the left, then a couple to the right.

"Where did you come from, Yuugi? Everyone wants to know. Hell, I want to know. I have people screaming at me to make them happy. I have troops that want to come home. Everyone says they want the barbarian threat to end. We go to war, people think it's pointless. I'm at my wits end!"

Yuugi frowned.

A knock at the door stopped the pharaoh's ranting, and he hastily opened it. "What?" was his curt answer.

"Here, my Lord. The item you requested." A man held up a large wooden box polished smooth.

"Good." He took the box and was about to close his door when the man interrupted. "Oh, forgive me my pharaoh, but someone was demanding redemption on their lost son."

Yugioh roared with stress. "I can't take this anymore!" He slammed the door shut ferociously.

Yuugi sighed on the bed. "Dare mo ka manzoku saseru no wa muri."

The pharaoh stopped dead and looked at him oddly. "Excuse me?"

Yuugi looked up at him and smiled. Getting up, he took the wooden box from the pharaoh and placed it on the bed, wanting Yugioh's complete attention as he wrapped him up in a hug. "Ai shite imasu." He whispered. A kiss on the cheek. "Ai shite imasu, Yami."

These strange words comforted him, and he found himself falling into the embrace.

"Itsu made mo tsuzukeru," he whispered again, sending small shivers down Yugioh's spine.

Yuugi lifted his head, gazing with warm amethyst eyes at his yami. "I love you, darkness." His accent was thick with the language of his native tongue. "My darkness. Mine." He ran his hands over Yugioh's face, much like the pharaoh had done to him that morning.

Gods, he truly was loved. And this young man was saying so in multiple languages. Suddenly, a strange thing struck the pharaoh's mind like a siren on her victim. He owed Yuugi something. He needed to give something back to this strange man that was showing him so much love. So much compassion. Yuugi had not asked anything of him Nothing.

Just the ability to save his life last night.

"I love you, Yuugi." The young man's pale face exploded with a smile, and that seemed to be the only repayment that he could ever ask for.

He was amused to see a glimmer in Yuugi's eyes, an idea flashing before his mind. Opening his hands in a familiar fashion, he put his left hand in the pharaoh's right. "Ai shite imasu," he said. He moved his hand over to the left one. "I love you."

So that's what that phrase meant.

Yuugi started again. "Ai." He moved his hand to other one. "Love."

"Ai means love," the pharaoh reiterated. "But wait. Love. Ai. Ai shite imasu. You say love first when you say 'I love you.' You must say things backwards. No wonder our language is so confusing for you."

Although most of that probably didn't make much sense, Yuugi seemed to understand what Yugioh was getting at. He smiled.

A piece of ice fell off the pharaoh's cold heart. 'This smile is for me. All for me. I have never had any one else smile at me so happily before.'

"Where did you come from, love? How did you know that you were so needed here?"

Yuugi simply hugged him back.

*******************

Bakura stood quite angrily, taping his foot impatiently. "Well," he demanded. The girl in front of him shifted her head slightly, afraid to give any answer. "I don't have all day, damn it! Show me where the hell the pharaoh's little brat is!"

The girl's wings ruffled slightly. She was standing firm.

"You better have a change of heart like you name implies here. I have to find the quirt before Shadii does!"

The duel monster sighed, shaking her head. She pointed off into the darkness behind her.

Still Bakura waited.

A purple mass stepped forth. "Come on Mahaado, spit it out. Where is he?"

The Dark Magician looked at him crossly, eyes clearly stating that Bakura was not his master, and he had absolutely no reason to listen to the ex-thief.

"You know Shadii as well as I do! He's not going to stand for this! We need to send someone to wherever it is that Yuugi went of to and warn him! Someone that can defend him from shadow magick!"

Pure defiance.

"You little shit, you know where he is, don't you!?" The gears in Bakura's head began to turn. "Of course, you're the one that took him. Probably back to Yami, ne?"

The Dark Magician's face didn't even flinch. He was hiding something, and he was good at it. And his own monster was trying to hide it as well.

Now it all fit together. The shadows were trying to help. Bakura gasped. "Shadii's powers will be useless to him if he tries to use them against Yuugi. No wonder you don't want anybody interfering. The help isn't needed."

The Change of Heart sighed.

"Fine. I just won't use the Shadow Realm as a portal to get there. There are many other ways to time travel. Yuugi's grandfather is going crazy, making my hikari sick with worry. I have to let them see for themselves that nothing is going to happen."

The Dark Magician ground his teeth together in annoyance as the Tomb Robber vanished from the shadow realm.

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Yeah! Another chappie down! *cheers*