Waking the Dreamer

**

For five thousand years, the spirit slumbered

Drifting in and out of sleep and hazy half-sleep

Never fully aware of all that surrounded him

Caught up in a dream and forgetting who he was

and what he was meant to be.

"And this is my greatest treasure!" Yugi announced, digging through his backpack, as all the other kids had run out of the classroom for their break. He pulled out a small golden box, covered with Egyptian hieroglyphics, grinning in pride as he showed it to his new friend. "I got it from my grandfather's game shop. It was in the back, all covered in dust and stuff."

Seto examined the box, tracing a finger along the symbol of an eye on the side. "What's in it?"

Yugi pulled off the lid, revealing a dozen gleaming golden pieces. With great care, he picked them each out and laid them on the table for Seto to look at. "It's a puzzle. A very old puzzle, from Ancient Egypt."

The spirit stirred lazily, as he felt the touches to its treasured vessel. But he knew the touches of the small one…When the puzzle was complete, the small one would be his partner, and friend. When the boy had first obtained the puzzle, his touch to the golden pieces had nearly startled the spirit out of his sleep. But now he was used to it, and could continue his slumber.

"I haven't solved it yet," Yugi continued. "It's really complicated."

"Maybe I could help?" Seto offered. "I'm pretty good with solving complicated things." He picked up one of the golden puzzle pieces, turning it over in his hands, examining the shape and craftsmanship. It was well made, and could very well be as old as Yugi said it was.

That new touch- a stranger- caused a ripple of curiosity and anxiety to dredge the spirit up from the depths of his sleep, suspending him in the place between slumber and waking. Almost lucid, the spirit struggled for further clarity to discover the identity of the new one, the stranger that had touched his Puzzle. But it was so hard…the puzzle was incomplete, he could not fully wake. So he lay back and watched, with a dreamy languorousness. Who was this?

"Sure, you can help!" Yugi agreed. "It'll be great to see this finished. I don't even really know what it'll look like."

Seto pulled up a chair to Yugi's school desk, and the two began their work on the puzzle, carefully trying and fitting pieces together, chatting idly as they worked together. Slowly, the puzzle began to take a shape.

The spirit drifted in hazy bliss and amusement as the two boys worked to solve his puzzle. The puzzle pieces had been the resting place of his soul for so long…he felt each touch to their smooth golden surface as if it were a touch to his own body. The small one's touch was a familiar comfort, though the boy's hands always trembled with excitement as he solved each small challenge of the puzzle. But the other… the stranger had a confident, unhurried touch, and the spirit found himself very curious indeed about this one.

"What are you two geeks doing?"

Seto looked up, glowering at the two boys he had found beating Yugi up in the alleyway. Yugi looked up as well, gulping softly and dropping what he was working on. The two pieces he'd just fitted together clanged softly on the table, breaking apart.

"Er, it's nothing, really…" Yugi murmured. "Just a game." As the two bullies approached, Yugi whispered to Seto, "That's Joey Wheeler and Tristan Taylor. They- they're not as bad as they like to seem."

"Of course they're not," Seto muttered, frowning at Joey and Tristan. "They only fight with people smaller and weaker than they are. And lucky for the rest of the world, that's only a very small percentage."

Joey glared at Seto. "Are you calling us weak?"

Seto smiled in a bland, innocent sort of way. "Well, on the bright side, you're not as dumb as you look."

"Guys, stop it…" Yugi broke in, as he hastily scooped up the puzzle pieces and put them back in their box.

Joey frowned, scooping up a handful of the pieces to look at them. "What are these things, anyway?"

The spirit shifted restlessly, struggling to wake, struggling to escape this dark lethargy that held him back. So many strangers now…was this a friend or enemy? The small one indicated he feared, but more respected, these boys… It confused the spirit. 

"Th-they're puzzle pieces," Yugi said, hesitantly reaching out a hand for them. "Please, could you give them back?"

"Yeah, sure." Joey dumped the pieces back onto the table, while carefully palming one, hiding it in his jacket pocket as he turned to leave. "Come on, Tristan, it's boring in here."

Yugi sighed as he put away the remaining pieces. "You see? They're not so bad… I think if they ever decide to stop beating me up, we could even be friends."

Seto raised an eyebrow at him. "Yugi, you have the most forgiving nature of anybody I know. Why would you want to be friends with those two, anyway?"

"They can be nice," Yugi defended, pouting. "They just pick on me because I'm so small and stuff, they're really trying to make me be stronger…"

"If you say so." Seto stood up. "I'll be right back, alright?" He headed out of the classroom, looking around and heading after Joey and Tristan.

"Think it's worth anything?" Tristan was saying, peering at the little golden puzzle piece. "That is solid gold, isn't it?"

"I guess so," Joey muttered, holding the little stolen piece up to the light. "Yugi really shouldn't bring such valuable things to school. They might get stolen."

"Excuse me," Seto said calmly as he strode up to the two. "So glad you're enjoying that little puzzle piece, but I'm going to have to ask for that back now."

"You again?" Joey muttered, pocketing the piece. "Can't you ever stay out of anyone's business?"

"Not really," Seto said with a shrug. "But I suppose I could make the effort if you'd quit bothering Yugi."

Tristan snorted. "What is he, your boyfriend or something?"

"I don't really think that's you're place to judge, considering how often I find you two together," Seto commented. "Now, are you going to hand over that puzzle piece or not?"  

Joey eyed him for a moment, then finally slapped the puzzle piece into Seto's hand. "Yeah, sure. Probably not real gold, anyway. You know… You and that Yugi kid ain't so bad sometimes… even if you act like you rule the world."

"Of course," Seto murmured, pocketing his prize. "Someday I plan to." With a slight wave farewell, he walked back down the hallway to Yugi's classroom.

"You just gave it back to him?" Tristan asked, as he and Joey went the other way. "What for?"

"I dunno…" Joey murmured. "Just seemed like the right thing to do. Like, what if Yugi really needs that piece for something? Something really important."

"I think you've just gone mushy in the head," Tristan retorted.

"Yeah, maybe," Joey laughed.

The spirit relaxed, ensured that he was en route back to where he belonged. The more of the puzzle that was put together, the stronger he felt… and it had only taken a little nudging to the stranger's true nature to make him return the puzzle piece. Those two weren't so bad after all.

"Seto!" Yugi cried as Seto walked back into the classroom. He held out the almost-completed Puzzle. "Look! I've almost got all the pieces in, but I think there's one missing! See?" He pointed to the hole.

"It's alright, Yugi," Seto said as he came in. "I met up with those two boys in the hall, one of them took a piece by accident, and wanted to return it." He set the piece down on the table.

Yugi was delighted. "Yeah, this is the piece. We could probably finish it before class now, want to try?"

Seto nodded, and the two began work on the puzzle once again. There were only a few more pieces to put in, and with them both working together, it was assembled fast. Yugi held up the last piece.

"Alright, this is it," Yugi announced. "It is…"

The spirit waited with acute anticipation.

Yugi snapped the last piece in place. "Finished!"

Finished! The darkness around the spirit lifted, revealing all the doors and corridors of his own soul, closed off to him for so long. And illuminated with a gleaming golden light, was the path to his freedom.

The stylized eye design on the puzzle began to glow with the fierce joy of the released spirit. Seto shielded his eyes, and Yugi gasped, taking several stumbling steps backward. An identical symbol glowed briefly on Yugi's forehead, and with a soft, keening cry, he crumpled to the ground.

Seto's eyes widened as the glow faded. "Yugi?" He knelt beside his unconscious friend, shaking him gently. "Yugi, wake up!"