What I Do For My Yami Chapter 1: Prologue—The Orichalcos Brought Us Closer
"It only needs one of us, so I'm letting the seal take me instead…" Yugi spoke, his soft voice resonating through the uncomfortable—almost nervous—silence that hung in the air. Reaching out to push the other half of his soul away from the perilous glow of the Orichalcos, he ignored every word of protest and remonstration that came from the Pharaoh, knowing that if he did, he would never go through with what he was doing.
"This is for the best, other me," the hikari thought to himself, smiling through the shiny tears that threatened to fall down his face if he so much as blinked. Shutting his eyes, trying not to let fear overcome him, he stepped into the mystical emerald circle of light bordered with the writing of an ancient cryptic curse. He felt his soul being torn from his physical body, and a cold emptiness overwhelmed his entire being.
Opening his amethyst eyes, Yugi took in the sight that lay before him. Stone walls of gray surrounded him, seemingly closing in little by little, as the moments ticked away meaninglessly. Not a single golden ray of sunlight managed to penetrate in at all. A putrid odor stung his nose, and he wrinkled his face in disgust, wondering exactly where on earth he was.
Hopping to his feet in a burst of energy, he felt himself being jerked back by invisible threads. As the boy strained to get free, the threads seemed to entwine around his wrists even tighter, cutting into his pale skin. Crying out in pain, he suddenly heard a whispered sinister chant that made a chill run down his spine.
"Oh great Leviathan… It will not be long now before we acquire the Pharaoh's spirit…"
Fear gripped his pounding heart, and he plopped back on the floor much less than gracefully, as his legs turned to jelly. Recalling the events that had led to this, Yugi wondered how much time had passed since he had been separated from his other self.
Come to think of it, did his dark side even care about him?
Or was he hanging around in Domino City having fun while his aibou suffered in this dark, dinky cell? Was he playing Duel Monsters, winning all the tournaments that were held, defeating Kaiba for the millionth time? Was the Pharaoh enjoying life for all it was? No—rephrase that—Was he enjoying Yugi's not-so-perfect typical-seventeen-year-old life for all it was? Maybe—Yugi dared not ponder—Yami was even on a date with Tea…
Rare abhorrence, infuriation, and a touch of resentment built up in Yugi's mind, heart and soul, making his blood boil as it coursed through his veins. Tears pricked at his eyes as he envisioned Tea smiling down happily at Yami, reaching out to hold his hand, passing him a rose from which the thorns had been so carefully removed…
"It's not fair…" Yugi bent to rest his head on his knees, cool, salty, unguarded tears slipping down his cheeks.
Yami accepted the flower innocently, gently smiling at her. The girl moved over to hug the Pharaoh who shyly returned her tight embrace. "Yami I love you…" she whispered, finally seizing the opportunity to express her true feelings to the one she had loved for what seemed like infinity… She leaned in, moving in for the kill.
"I should be living my life, not you!!" Yugi screamed, not caring whether anyone heard him. He seriously doubted it.
A conflicting part of Yugi's soul told him that his other half was still concerned about his aibou, that he would not simply forget him just because he was a wandering, purposeless soul and Yami had control of their physical form now. Yugi remembered that time…
"I promise that we will stay together forever…" Yami smiled endearingly down at his quietly weeping aibou.
"No matter what…?" Yugi mumbled, shyly gazing up at his other self.
"No matter what," Yami repeated, his comforting words calming Yugi considerably. "You can count on me, aibou."
Yugi threw himself onto the cold, grimy, sandy stone floor, sobbing even harder than before. He was missing his other self deeply. Without his darkness, he was only half a soul. He was incomplete.
Finally crying himself to sleep with the strings cutting into him, the little light lay exhausted and trampled on the floor, waiting for the darkness within his heart to claim him.
When he awoke from his dreamless slumber, nothing seemed to have changed. He was still stuck in that sunless room, seemingly awaiting his death. But was he dead or alive…? He couldn't really tell the difference anymore. Who cares anyway?
Yugi suddenly heard his darkness call out his name. Perhaps… Just perhaps… He wasn't alone. He had his other self with him. Yami was here to make everything better, to get him out of this place and back where he belonged—in Domino City with his grandpa and best friends.
The Pharaoh materialized before him, spiky hair and all, and the light felt his jaw literally drop, and resisted the urge to run over and hug his other half. Yugi wasn't sure whether he could trust Yami again. After all, if not for him, Yugi would not have been stuck in that horrendous hellhole.
"Is that really you?" Yugi asked, a pure ray of hope in his heart.
"Yugi, I've found you!" his darker counterpart cried in elation.
"You came all this way just to see me?" Yugi couldn't believe his eyes and ears. Yami was here just for him! Not because he had accidentally stumbled across this connection to the spirit world!
"Of course, I wanted to say how sorry I am."
"I'm sorry too. I wish this whole thing never happened."
"It's my fault. I surrendered to my inner darkness. I allowed my anger to take over and you paid the price. Now that you're gone the darkness is starting to grow without your light to keep me pure. I'm becoming evil, Yugi. I'm beginning to believe what Raphael said about me is true. Perhaps I was a wicked pharaoh. What if I am the one who is responsible for the destruction of Egypt? If I'm capable of such horrific behavior then it's my soul that should be locked away," Yami began to apologize profusely, trying to purify himself of his guilt, driving Yugi to frustration.
His hikari had told him not to activate the Seal if Orichalcos, he'd even grabbed his arm to stop him from playing the evil spell card.
But what had he done? Pulled away like Yugi was the one in the wrong. The Pharaoh always did things on impulse and regretted it later.
"Well, what good is that now? I'm the one who's been locked away forever! Not you!" Yugi cried, letting his anger overpower him for once. The broken expression on his Yami's face told him that he should not be doing this, should not be yelling at his other half like this.
"I'm sorry."
"Well the last thing I need is your pity, Pharaoh. If you're really evil then there's only one thing to do," the light rolled his eyes.
"What're you saying?"
Smirking, pleased that his Yami was going to be stuck with him, Yugi mentally bid good riddance to loneliness. "You said it yourself, didn't you. Your spirit should be locked away with mine and I'm gonna do it."
"Wait, you misunderstood me!"
"As usual, the Pharaoh's going to back down. Funny how he manages to duel everyone, even Pegasus and Joey, but when it comes to me, he's always runs away," Yugi thought to himself, annoyed that his darkness was going to belittle him again.
"Oh, so now you're taking back what you said? Make up your mind! You don't deserve to be a part of this world!"
It was always "No Yugi!! It's dangerous!!" or "Stop!! You could be hurt!" with the Pharaoh when Yugi was concerned, and Yugi was sick and tired of it. He wanted to be treated like a seventeen-year-old for once, despite his height.
"Yugi…"
"It's about time you started taking some responsibility for what you've done. There's only one thing left to do and you know it. You need to be a man for once and face me in a duel now!"
"No. Please."
"Too late. It's time for you to pay! If you're really sorry then you'll do this." Yugi said, in the most threatening voice he could muster. "Hehe, being evil is kind of fun…"
The duel commenced, and Yugi couldn't believe that his Yami, the King of Games, and whatever else everyone seemed to love calling him, was losing dreadfully. The hikari dealt the finishing blow, confident that he would be the victor. However, that was not to be, as he had neglected to notice that there was a face down Spell or Trap card on Yami's side.
With the activation of the Trap card, Yugi gaped as his life points diminished. He was oh so close to defeating Yami, and then they could be locked away—together—forever, without the horrible irritant that was Tea Gardner. Yugi smiled momentarily at the thought.
But Yami had won.
Mentally cursing as he fell to the solid ground, Yugi felt his darker half take him into his arms. A light blush formed on the lighter's face, Yami seemed to be blushing too… Moving to touch Yami's arm, the realization that he'd been wrong about Yami all that while hit him hard in the face.
Yami would not betray him and go out with Tea. Yami would not just abandon him that way. Yami would not take over his body and go around proclaiming that he was Yugi Mutou, leaving his hikari's soul locked away forever.
"Don't give up this fight, I'm always with you…" Yugi reached up to touch his dark side's face as the surroundings seemed to fade away, slowly turning to an all-too-familiar shade of black, but not before the Pharaoh kissed his forehead delicately.
Yugi knew he couldn't remain with Yami—or at least not until the three-thousand-year-old spirit defeated Dartz and reclaimed the lighter half his soul.
Opening his amethyst eyes, Yugi took in the sight that lay before him. Stone walls of gray surrounded him, seemingly closing in little by little, as the moments ticked away meaninglessly. Not a single golden ray of sunlight managed to penetrate in at all.
But Yugi hugged his knees in the vast darkness and giggled. The hikari knew for sure—he loved himself. Especially his darker side.
"I know you'll come get me, Yami."
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