Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh.
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Yugi stood in front of the Fairy's Mirror adjusting his belts. "What do you think?"
Yami came up behind him and put his head over his shoulder to look at Yugi in the mirror. "Very appropriate. The bindings symbolize your control over your power, showing that you need such control."
"Dark bindings." Yugi kissed him. "For you."
"Not that those watching on television will know that."
"Many of the duelists will. Everything is going according to plan." Yugi smiled cheerfully.
"Yes, things are going smoother than I had thought."
Yugi nodded. "I told you it would be this easy. No one knows anything about magic, but duelists know they want it. Even Seto's not being a problem."
Yami nodded. "This tournament is clearly a plan to beat you."
"You mean us," Yugi corrected him.
"Yes, but when he fails we will become even more respected and he will have lost to us twice."
"Otogi joining him too looked like it might be trouble." Yugi frowned.
"But you defeated Otogi and you defeated his game masters soon after I awoke. He has no surprises left." Yami kissed Yugi's hair. "There is nothing you can't handle.
Yugi smiled to himself. "The new rules must be an attempt to keep me off balance. But they're similar to the real rules for when weak people needed to summon strong monsters. I think he remembers a lot."
"It is what makes him as worthy a foe as he is." Which was not very. "Seth has been well able to anticipate his moves and block them."
"And the Duelist Academy we have set up is already taking students."
"If we teach them the right ways when they are young, that is good. But the older ones are learning quickly." Yami tugged one of Yugi's bangs.
"I told you so." Yugi turned slightly to look at himself from different angles. "We're both fascinated by the differences between us. So are all the others." He laughed. "Seto is really strong, to be able to resist Seth. After I beat Otogi and introduced to him to Kalim, he joined our side right away. It was useful of Seto to find him for us."
"It is a sign of our imbalance, darkness and light crave each other, separated souls crave completeness." Yami kissed Yugi's hair.
"Of course." Yugi nodded. "Let's duel!"
"But the tournament starts at noon. Don't you need to get in position?"
Yugi rolled his eyes. "The tournament will be a snap. I want to spend time with you more. Jounouchi and Mai will do fine without us. Oh! Did I tell you? Jounouchi's sister has recovered from her operation finally. She and Kisara are going to be joining Jounouchi at the tournament to cheer him on."
"That is good." Yami smiled at him. "I have news as well. Bakura and Ryou will be joining us for the tournament."
Yugi clapped his hands in joy. "That's great! We hardly ever get to see them, they're so busy going around the world."
"We have been doing that as well, so those two do not deserve all the blame," Yami reminded him.
"Yeah, all the exhibition matches and being a special guest." Yugi nodded. "It's been so crazy since you awoke. I used to be a normal kid. Now I have you."
Yami pulled him close and kissed him.
Yugi stood on tiptoe and opened his mouth to deepen the kiss. Finally, Yami pulled away. "We should go."
Yugi pouted. "But I want to duel you! Just the two of us."
Yami shook his head. "To underestimate an opponent is to lose. We must take this tournament seriously." He caressed Yugi's cheek. "Tonight."
"Promise?" Yugi pleaded cutely.
Yami laughed. "Why would I lie about something like that? Especially to my partner."
"One last kiss."
That evening, Yugi looked around the incomplete stadium with Jounouchi, Mai, and the rest of his guards plus Shizuka and Kisara waiting for the others to arrive.
Bakura (Ryou in control) and Malik, Marik's light (how ironic that he had found his among the hated descendants of the sorcerers) came together. Seto was already there, standing carefully away from the rest of them.
He looked proud, determined, but Yugi could tell he was worried. He'd risked everything on this last chance. Yugi felt sorry for him.
Sorry he was being so stupid because of what Gozaburo had done to him. Of course he should trust them, Seth especially.
Seth swept in, smiled at Seto, and came over to bow to Yugi and Yami.
Yami took control to ask. "How is everything?"
"Perfect." Set smirked. "Seto's kept us from arranging 'clinics' for the duelists here to train them, but those we have already trained that are here have been dominating the tournament. I have heard many speaking of how they will sign up for the next clinic they can."
Yami nodded. "Excellent."
Seto was standing his ground, but pretending not to look at Seth out of the corner of his eye.
"I hope you get to duel him," Yugi said, taking control.
Seth nodded. "I don't have my hopes up. He will be trying to prevent it."
"But in a duel, that would help you understand each other."
Seth laughed. "What do you think this game of ours is, but a duel? He hasn't gone to any governments for help, not that they would believe them. He knows that this is our game, and a fair one. Look: he brought Mokuba. He would not risk him if he thought there would be any funny business at this tournament. Even though everyone here is ours but him."
Yugi smiled. "You're right, that is a good sign."
Yugi and Yami defeated Ryou and Bakura by a narrow margin, with the aid of the god. Seth defeated Jounouchi, Malik and Marik Mai.
Seto defeated Isis and Isis (was it fate that they had the same name?) by calling on Kisara instead of his god, which she had.
When he summoned the dragon, he had looked at Kisara. Who smiled and waved at him. His eyes had widened, then hardened and turned away.
Seth smiled. So did Yami and Yugi.
That night, Yami and Yugi let the others visit but then kicked them out so they could have that private duel inside their soul rooms. That way nothing would get damaged by the forces they wielded.
And afterwards, they did as their bound souls demanded.
Lying there, Yugi mused, How can Seto refuse this?
He is strong, but wrong minded. Yami licked his ear. His soul's ear. It felt better here than in real bodies. It felt better with Yami than they remembered other people being.
Yes. He is as great as Seth. Yugi shook his head. How can he want to keep the world the way it is when… no, he must want to change the world.
They found out how much he did the next morning, when Noah attacked.
Seto's getting stronger. That was the penalty game we used on him.
Seth was the one who ended up battling Gozaburo, sending his soul to darkness while Seto looked on, furious his enemy was destroyed by another, his vengeance taken away.
Kisara blasted away the missiles.
Seth defeated Malik and Marik.
Then Yugi and Yami dueled Seto.
The battle raged, god against god and they knew he was a worthy opponent, that he was worthy of their cousin Seth. But in the end, it was inevitable.
How could only light stand against both light and darkness? Divided instead of united, he could not hope to win.
Seto stayed to watch them duel Seth. Yugi was surprised.
It is wise to study your enemies, Yami reminded him.
Yes, but this is great! He'll see Seth duel. He duels beautifully. This will help Seto come to his senses and join us!
As well as show off the skill of both of us to the world. Yami grinned, drawing a card. "My turn!"
It was a difficult duel since they had Obelisk and Osiris while Seth had Ra. But, in the end, Seth could not stand against them either.
They shook hands after the match. "Next time," Seth promised them. "I will defeat you soon."
"Eternal rivals," Yami confirmed. Yugi nodded.
Seto watched.
Flying back to Domino on the blimp, Yami and Yugi made love again in celebration.
We're winning.
Yes. We always win.
We'll have enough duelists soon for the plan. Simultaneous strikes all over the world.
Yes, it is a good plan. Destroy their military equipment before they can go to alert and use it against us. Tanks and missile launchers would be problems for the weaker duelists, but not if they're melted into slag first.
Yugi smiled. Also, we would have to kill people if they fought. Not making examples, but people die on battlefields. But if we have shock on our side, and overwhelming force, and crush the first resistance but show mercy, then we can make our changes.
Once people see the world we will build, how they lose nothing and gain so much, magical healing for one thing, they will accept us over time. Yami nodded, then kissed Yugi's shoulder.
Yes, like Seto will accept Seth. I can't imagine refusing you. Yugi kissed him back.
They lay there like that, joined together for a while as the blimp flew through the night.
Yami broke the silence, saying It is all thanks to you.
What do you mean?
You solved the Puzzle and freed us. After five thousand years we are free and complete.
Not all of us, not yet. Poor Seth, he's had to wait so long.
It will be worth it, you are worth anything to me and I am sure he feels the same.
You're worth anything to me. I spent so many years trying to solve it, but it was all worth it. Yugi caressed the lines of Yami's back. Everything's so wonderful now, and it's only going to get better after we put things back the way they should be.
The last war. No more sorrow. Yami sighed. Remember? The people who built our empire thought they had ended it all, but then it was destroyed by good intentions.
I can't believe they thought you were evil. Yugi hugged him. I mean, light and darkness have to go together. Yin and Yang. It's common sense. You're not human without darkness. I'm not without darkness, you still existed even before I found you.
We would both die if one of us was destroyed. Yami squeezed Yugi. It was a vow that would never happen.
I'm glad. I died trying to live without you before, and now I know what I was missing I would do the same in this life. A kiss. I'd rather die and never be reborn if you would never be with me.
Souls cannot be destroyed. But they can be removed from their existences in this realm and sent to the shadow realm or sealed as we were.
The sealing destroyed us. Yugi shuddered and clung to him. We'll make sure nothing like it happens again.
Yes. We will. Yami squeezed him again. Even Seto has not sought to repeat the spell, and we have enchanted the Puzzle so it cannot break again.
We will have ages together, like we should have had. There will be no death, no pain, no sorrow. Dartz was even talking about terraforming Mars! It'll be amazing.
Yes, it will. Atlantis will rise again as soon as we have control.
That's good. Those poor people who died when the spells on it stopped working because Dartz died… Yugi shuddered. The world is a horrible place without darkness.
It is strange, but light is needed as well. Yami hugged him. It was terrible to be without you in the Puzzle.
Yugi hugged him back. I'm glad you're here now. We're together. We're happy, and everyone will be happy soon.
Yes. They shared a kiss.