Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh. There. You happy?

I could do better research, but I'm not going to.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

The medicines made his head feel fuzzy. In the other world he lived in, what everyone called the fantasy world, he could have used his magic to compensate, but nothing worked here. He thought perhaps if there was an attack… but this world was much less perilous than the fantasy world. He wondered why Yugi would want to leave this place for a world where he was attacked by bullies and other riff-raff so often.

There was so much about this that didn't make sense, and them telling him this was madness made it worse. If he wasn't sure that he wasn't Yugi (how could anyone ever mistake that him for that bright soul? These people were fools) he himself would have doubted his tale.

There had been test after test, finding nothing. He didn't tell them he couldn't sense the other world when the Puzzle was absent. His skills were enough to keep them from finding out its importance, and the Puzzle used its powers to hide itself on occasion.

Another piece of evidence that this was real, though one he would not point out to him. What if…

They thought the true Yugi was the fantasy. What if they broke the Puzzle, cut him off from Yugi? Left him here, a thief of this body…

He was smarter than Yugi, he let their tests find that out. Though Yugi was smarter than they thought, only hesitant. A trait Yami, as he insisted they call him so hopefully they wouldn't get him mixed up with Yugi, most certainly did not share.

They both excelled at games.

They talked about MPD and other things, paranoid fantasies (in the fantasy world Yami had to be paranoid, to guard Yugi)… Yami didn't pay much attention.

He had not yet gone to the school Yugi had used to go to before the Puzzle was solved, the family reputation wouldn't stand for a mad child. He took courses online and would have helped Yugi in his realm study the same things, but he was not allowed to do so.

The Puzzle did not allow him to do many things, including tell Yugi of the world he had left. He played the role of the dark avenger, and something in him loved it, loved to live out Yugi's fantasy and punish his foes.

Or was the fantasy world the true one? It certainly seemed just as real.

Or did it matter what was real, as long as Yugi was happy? And he was.

If he truly was part of Yugi, as all around him claimed, then was this narcissism? To be so enthralled with his other self he drifted into double vision whenever he could, aware of both this world and the other, the world that was so much more important because Yugi was there?

He idly worked on solving another Rubix cube in yet another waiting room, waiting for Sugoroku to come pick him up.

Sugoroku was much more intelligent and tolerable than the ones he could barely believe were Yugi's parents. If the Puzzle had indeed created a world exactly as Yugi wished, than Yugi showed good taste in having his parents gone most of the time and 'Solomon' there for him, his grandfather instead of a hired servant.

He would eat and work out (he had to keep the borrowed body, Yugi's body, in good shape), and then play poker (a game much inferior to Duel Monsters) and then go to bed. Tired. Already so tired. He hoped they would give up on this medication soon and try yet another futile one. One that wouldn't make him so sleepy.

Kaiba was definitely up to something, and he would have to be alert to handle it when it came.

All of those were minor obstacles, endurable. What distressed him most was that Yugi was starting to become fearful of the one who could not announce his presence.

Why would the Puzzle not let him explain himself? Did Yugi want him to remain a mysterious protector? Why when that scared him so?

It was strange. They were both worried that others would think them mad. Yugi for blacking out, and Yami for, well, Yugi.

Other than that, they were both happy. Yugi with the friends he had not had in this world, and Yami with, well, Yugi.

Yugi enthralled him. So beautiful, so kind… enduring a little muzzyness was no hardship for the honor of protecting him. He sighed happily, fingering the completed game, a sigh that turned into a yawn.

/\/\/\/\/\/

"I wish I could say we could expect to see improvement soon, but it's been several months. All we can do is keep trying different medications and see if they do anything. And therapy, of course, to try and get it through to him that it's not real, just… his head playing a real nasty trick on him." The psychologist sighed, looking at Sugoroku over steepled hands.

Sugoroku nodded. "I'll be sure to tell Mr. and Mrs. Motou that when they ask for an update on his condition. I still can't believe it, doctor. He was a… lonely child, but he always seemed… perfectly sane. No more prone to fantasies than any child."

The doctor shrugged helplessly. "If a person's brain turns against them… have you seen the movie A Beautiful Mind? A very intelligent doctor spent years under the impression a figment of his mind was his best friend. It can happen to anyone, with the right genes and the right conditions… we may never know what the trigger was, if there was a trigger."

He shuffled through papers. "All we can do is keep plugging away it. If we find the right medicine, there's a chance it will all just go away." But he doubted it was going to be as easy as that. "In any case, he has agreed to… not mention his condition, act as though Yami is a nickname in public. I think it would help to re-introduce him to his old life, affirm that this is real, this is where his real memories are."

Sugoroku nodded. "I haven't felt right, keeping him at home all this time. But it wouldn't be a good idea to tell the school. He's been teased enough for being small and weak."

The doctor blinked. "Small and weak? He seems normal enough for his age."

Sugoroku sighed. "Yes, he has had a growth spurt recently. And he's been exercising… it seems as if his physical health is improving at the cost of his mental."

"Don't think of it that way, that's a good sign." The doctor took a note of it. "It shows that he isn't withdrawing into this fantasy world, if he's still putting effort into things in the real world. And he's keeping up his studies?"

A nod. "Yes, he's putting more effort into them than before. Although, he has been very tired since he was put on this last medication."

"Yes, I've written a prescription for a new one. I haven't seen any signs of improvement, though it's hard to tell now that he's clammed up on us. I think talking more would be a good sign, and it's one that hasn't shown up. But if he's feeling a side effect to this extent without the medicine working even though we've given it enough time to…" the doctor shrugged. "Time to taper him off of it and try the next one." He handed Sugoroku some papers. "Here are the directions for it, and a copy for his therapist."

"Thank you. I think I'd better take him home now, if that's all?"

"That's all. See you in three weeks." And the doctor started closing the file for his next appointment.

Sugoroku stood and went to the waiting room where Yu… Yami, was. It was strange. He'd known Yugi all his life, and now… Sometimes he acted like an entirely different person, like there was something looking through those eyes that just… wasn't Yugi. If he had been superstitious he would have thought of possession.

Sometimes, though… he knew this was Yugi, anything else was ridiculous.

One of the few things Yami had said about his fantasy world before he'd clammed up was that there was a Sugoroku in it, and that they were family. That was Yugi. Such a sweet boy.

If he was going back to school now, Anzu would be so relieved. Yugi's family hadn't wanted him to see anyone until he could act normal, which meant she'd heard some rumors, and then he hadn't shown up at school, and he'd had to send her away from the mansion when she'd come by, begging to see him.

The shame to the family… overpowered any good that might be done to Yugi by seeing his best friend again.

On the other hand, his parent's wealth meant he was getting the best treatment available, and could live at home instead of an institution.

And if his parents didn't have the money, would Sugoroku be taking care of him like this? He was an old family retainer, worked for them since he was a boy. He'd seen Yugi's father grow up and now he played games with young Master Yugi.

The boy was a genius at games, even if his family disapproved. Withdrawing into a game world… perhaps he shouldn't have encouraged him. Perhaps this was all his fault. No, that was nonsense.

The trigger… it was that Puzzle, he was sure of it. Yugi had been so focused on solving it, working on it for years, sometimes ignoring other things… he'd smiled, thought every child should have a dream, and then he had solved it and this had happened.

They should try taking the Puzzle away from him. But whenever he tried to ask the psychiatrist about doing it, tell them about it, the words just wouldn't come out of his mouth.

It was strange, frightening… It was just his conscience, after all. The boy had spent so much time on it, to take it away would be criminal. Everyone should have a treasure.

Right. That was why.

"Yu… Yami?" He shouldn't call him Yugi, that was the agreement. They would all just… act normal, and hopefully soon this would be over and he would have his Yugi back.

"Yes, Gran… Sugoroku?" He yawned, looking up from a completed puzzle. Every spare second he had, games and puzzles. As though his life depended on it instead of it just being a hobby.

"It's time to go home now. Tomorrow we'll need to pick out new clothes, you're going back to school on Monday."

Yami, and it was easier to think of him as Yami now he was right in front of him (red eyes, hadn't Yugi's been brown? And all that hair gel… red and gold highlights? He hadn't used dye…) nodded and put the puzzle down. "And after dinner we'll play. I wish Duel Monsters existed in this reality. The other you is very good, and there aren't any games quite like it." That secret smile, knowing much Sugoroku didn't.

"Yes, I will play with you, but I thought we agreed you wouldn't mention the fantasy world except during therapy?"

A snort. "Not talking about it won't make Yugi's wishes go away. But you ignoring it is better for me." Intelligent, those eyes, with none of Yugi's softness.

"Yes, well…" And what could Sugoroku say? "Let's just get on home, Yami."

Yami stood up, and there was sleekness in that movement, a predator going from lounging to ready to move, though not threatening. He regarded Sugoroku as a… friend? Ally?

Sugoroku didn't know what he would have done if the one looking out of his Yugi's eyes had not known him, or worse, seen him as a foe. Yami seemed to regard him as annoying, with his insistence on seeing him as Yugi, but benign. Willing to play with him, at least.

Sugoroku had been evenly matched against Yugi. He stood almost no chance against Yami.

Eerie, those eyes.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

I'm sorry, it's been really crazy and I haven't been able to work on DYDOM. I wrote this a while ago but was holding off on posting it until I could guarantee regular updates. I'm posting it now as an apology for being late with DYDOM, which I promise will be posted Sunday. Thank you.