Summary: Yugi, Crown Princess of Clow Country, and Yami, an archeologist and her best childhood friend, have been together since they met at age 7, when Yami mysteriously appeared out of nowhere with no memories prior to their meeting. One day, while visiting Yami at his workplace, about to confess her love for him, Yugi unlocked a power that scattered her memories as the forms of cards when Yami tried to save her. Now Yami's on a quest to find Yugi's memories with the help of Joey, a magician, Seto, a swordsman, and Kuriboh, a creature with the ability to cross dimensions, each from different worlds. Can Yami handle saving his beloved's life at the price of Yugi from knowing Yami as her secret love, to a stranger she barely knows?
Warnings: Genderbending, the usual (some oc-ish characters and inappropriate language), eventual bloodiness and anything unmentioned.
Pairings: YamixFem!Yugi, SetoxFem!Joey, BakuraxFem!Ryou, MarikxFem!Malik
Disclaimer: Besides the ideas for this story's existence and writing, I own nothing. DON'T STEAL MY STORIES, PLEASE! I don't own Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles or any of the Yu-Gi-Oh! series.
Memory 1, Part 2: Start
"Do you remember the first time we met?" Yami asks Yugi, after they both sat up and stared at the distant ruins for a while.
"Of course." Yugi smiles as she recalled the sight of a kneeling boy of seven, an elderly gentleman in the same position as the latter asked her father, King Aknamkanon*, for permission to explore the sacred ruins of their kingdom. "We were so little back then."
The princess giggles when she recalled what she thought (and still thinks when Yami gets excited) the moment her seven-year-old self saw his face. "You were so cute the first time I saw you seven years ago, when you visited the palace with Grandpa Muto."
A small blush graces his cheeks as he unknowingly pouts, red orbs sneaking a side glance at his companion. "I beg to differ. You were clearly the cute one."
Yugi blushes brightly at his words, easily seen even in the light of the setting sun. Yami smirks before a sad smile replaces it.
"I can't believe it's been a long time since I came to this kingdom. It barely felt like yesterday when Grandpa would describe the adventures he experienced in his younger years." A lightly tanned hand clenches into a fist. "Even if he never got to finish what he started. But he told me, despite that, he lived a happy and fulfilled life."
Yami stands to get a better look at what little could be seen of the excavation site. Yugi looks up at him before slightly nibbling her bottom lip, then takes a small breath.
"Yami, if I asked you to come live in the palace, would you?" Large amethysts watch as shocked reds snap in her direction.
Despite being startled by the unexpected question, Yami instantly responds with, "Live in the palace? I can't do that."
"Why not?" Yugi frowns. "There's plenty of rooms to choose from and you spent enough time there to claim it as a second home."
Red eyes return their gaze back to the ruins. "The palace was built for those with royal and noble blood, and I don't want to change that. Besides, with the jobs I do, I make enough to be able to keep my own place and still have enough left over for the necessities and emergencies."
"It's not about if you're not making enough! It's just…" Yugi moves her gaze to her hands. "I barely see you anymore. Today's the first time in months where we have spent more than a few minutes together. I really don't like it."
Yami glances down in surprise as her grip on her apple tightens. "Don't you get lonely, too?"
"Yes, of course I feel that way, too." He reassures her, moving his body until his front faces her. "But those ruins are the work I need to complete for Grandpa."
"I know, and I'm so proud of what you're doing for Grandpa Muto, but it's not easy. I still miss spending time with my best friend."
"Ah..." A soft gasp left Yami's lips at her declaration before he kneels closely as Yugi continues, raising her hands until her apple hovers below her sad smile.
"Every night when I try to fall asleep, I always wonder what you're doing and what you're thinking, if you're eating ok and taking care of yourself…" She closes her eyes. "…and if you spared any moments to think about me the whole time you're working."
"Yes, I do." Yami smiles, but Yugi keeps her eyes closed.
"Truly, I do think of you." Yami outstretches a hand towards the petite girl's face. "How can I not?"
"Yami." Her voice stills his hand. "There's something I've been meaning to say to you for quite a while."
The resolve he heard was unlike the usual determination from the smaller girl, silent and a little uncertain. His heart thumps a louder beat from the worry he feels. "You could tell me anything."
"It's just, I just-" Yugi lets out a shuddering breath before she opens and darts her eyes to catch Yami's gaze, cheeks slowly turning pink. "Yami, I-!"
BONG!
Startled yelps leave both their mouths as Yugi and Yami lurch backwards and sideways respectively, the evening chimes continuing their fierce tune.
"I always hated those bells." Yami grumbles after he sat up and helps Yugi to her feet, carefully eying her for any possible scratch.
"Yes, but they do make a good remainder of the time, though I have a feeling my sister must have done that on purpose." Yugi tucks her apple into an inside pocket of her cloak. "I should be going."
"Let me escort back-"
"Nope, I can make it back on my own." Yugi whirls away, her back to Yami, who raises an arm to make a protest. "About what I needed to say to you…"
Unseen by Yami, the rosy cheeks of the princess flare brightly. "I'll tell you next time we see each other, okay?"
Blinking, Yami eventually smiles as he brought down his arm. "Okay… Yugi."
"I will tell you, I promise." Yugi then walks away while a giddy smile sneaks onto her face, incredibly happy Yami said her name. 'So please, wait for me a little longer, Yami!'
When Yugi was a good distance away, Yami frowns, a hand rising until it rests against the cloth above his heart.
"Grandpa, what should I do?" In his eyes, sadness dims their brightness. "While we've been friends since childhood, she's the princess of this kingdom and I'm just one of many citizens in said kingdom. Any love that goes beyond friendship can't go on… Yet..."
A heavy sign leaves his lips. "My feelings won't change, regardless of those facts."
40 Minutes Later
The Royal Palace
Yugi peeks around the pale pillar she's hiding behind before she tiptoes towards the hall leading to her room, nearly passing the slightly opened doors leading to the throne room-
"I didn't know you were practicing ballet, little sister."
-before the honeyed voice of her older sister halts her in her tracks.
With a quick swallow, grip tightening on the cloak in her arms, Yugi enters with a fake smile.
"Hi, Queen Mai!" Yugi greets the woman laying beneath transparent, white drapes with what little cheer she could muster. "I'm home!"
"Why must you spend your time with that little kid?" A blonde beauty, wearing a thin, dark lilac dress with long, flowing sleeves leans back against a large, circular bed-like seat, an arm probed up by a large pillow with the connecting hand acting as a resting place for the side of her face. Her other hand twirls a long lock of hair with one finger, a single gold bracelet lightly swinging from the motions as a bored look from sharp amethysts was directed at the tricolor-haired girl.
Mai stops playing with her hair to fiddle with the pale purple jewel of her gold necklace, the thin chain shining in the dimming sunlight. Her sandal-covered feet, tucked loosely together at her side, shift to drape and dangle over the edge of the cushiony chair. "That kid is wasting every second of it."
"I didn't waste any time and Yami's not a kid." Yugi huffs as she pouts, cheeks puffing while a glare shoots from her narrowing gaze.
Painted lips curl into a smirk. "From where I'm standing, he's a kid."
Yugi darts over and throws herself against her sister, glaring as she brings their faces close to each other. "He is no kid! He has a steady job that allows him to keep his own place and a variety of skills he can use for whatever task he takes up in his free time! He's smart, hardworking, and very able!"
"Hardworking? Maybe, but he's still a kid."
"Mai!"
Yugi nearly attacks her sister before a chuckle stops the spat, causing the sisters to turn and stare at their appearing audience.
"The people would be surprised if they could see how the royal siblings behave in private."
The teasing smile is aimed towards the two siblings as a female comes into view. Her eyes, the color of the bluebell sky, glitter with a kind glint within the healthy paleness of her long face, long strands of black trailing behind her alongside the bottom, green-lined edges of her white dress and cloak as she walks. Her long sleeves, also lined at the openings in green, firmly wrap at her wrists while her hands held a thick, brown scroll.
"Misty!" Yugi smiles at the sight of her sister's best friend and head priest. "What brings you here this time of night?"
"This would be the reason, Princess Yugi." Misty lifts the scroll before she uses a small table placed by the window overlooking the kingdom to place and open the scroll. "This is a map of a newly discovered underground series of tunnels below the kingdom."
"Tunnels? Really?" Yugi gets up and walks over to Misty to look at the map, soon followed by her sister, who leans besides the window after a quick glance.
"Yes." Misty smiles down at the princess. "To think, after thousands of years, we didn't know about them until now. Who knows what could be down there?"
Yugi glances up, curiosity in her eyes. "What does this mean for us?"
"For you, this means your hardworking friend will be very occupied for a long time." Mai smirks mockingly.
Snap.
"You would love it if Yami's not around!" With that final exclamation and an intense glare, Yugi runs off from the throne room.
"Please be cautious with the princess, My Queen." Misty pleads, shooting a look at the royal as the latter comes to stand beside her. "The boy is very much cherished by her."
"Drop the formalities, we're alone." Mai grumbles, still looking in the direction of her runaway, little sister.
"As the subject of the Queen, I cannot."
"Misty, long before being my subject, you're my friend first." Mai turns to smile at Misty.
The raven-haired beauty hesitates, then smiles back. "Yes, Mai."
"It's just, even after eight years, something about him still irks me." The blond beauty leans back against the edge of window, hands resting on the edge. "I don't know if it's just something all older siblings feel when their little sister is getting taken away by any boy."
"Still…" Mai glances at the ruins, the area she figured the boy was already hard at work in once again. "He's the one for her, based on the prophecy."
"Yes." Misty, hands rolling up the scroll, serenely smiles. "Yami is the destined one meant to be at Princess Yugi's side, and she for him. That cannot be denied."
"Neither can what was seen in my sacred visions of their future." Misty frowns as she recalls tiny peak of the hardships the two will experience after a certain event occurs. "Your sister has an uncanny power unlike anything that has been seen, and while I don't know what it can do, it's extraordinarily strong. It will remake the world while bring tribulations to them and this kingdom."
Misty swallows as her worry for the gentle princess and kind boy she had the honor of watching over grows. "And they both won't be able to stop what's supposed to be without numerous sacrifices."
"It's the 'they both' part I don't agree with." Mai huffs, causing a sigh from Misty.
"You'll never give up, Mai…"
Elsewhere In The Palace
"Baka! Mai, you baka!" Tiny tears nearly leak from Yugi's eyes as she storms into her room. She hastily flings both herself and her cloak onto her large, fluffy bed before wrapping pale arms around one of many pillows. Yugi rolls back and forth as she fumes. "Why does she always act like that when Yami comes into the situation!?"
Eventually, Yugi lays still, her gaze soon drifting to the closed doors of her balcony before getting up and opening them. The gentle night breeze ruffles her clothing and hair as Yugi loosely wraps herself in her cloak, stops before the stoned edge of her barrier, and crosses her arms on top the smooth stone before resting her head.
"I bet, with the new development, Yami's happy." Yugi giggles. "I wonder if he's going to pull another all-nighter."
Recalling her day with Yami, Yugi springs up, a sudden idea forming. "That's it!"
Reaching into her cloak, Yugi searches until she grabs and pulls out the apple, beaming as her cheeks heating up in her excitement. "I'll make him a picnic for luncheon tomorrow! With all his and my favorites to enjoy together!"
"And with that kind of setting, I'll tell Yami then… I'll say…" A bigger flush spreads onto Yugi's face as her smile grew. "With all my heart, for you only…" She brings her apple to her lips. "I love you."
Then, Yugi startles as a silvery bong rings; soon, it's followed by more bongs while the princess listens to the mystifying tune.
Eyes slowly closing, Yugi gently rocks. "What a pretty sound. I never heard this kind of instrument before."
A furrow on her brow grew into view, her mind gradually going into a haze. "But this bell-like song… Why is it… so familiar…?"
Unknown to Yugi, she began casting a pale, lilac glow before floating into the air above her balcony, a hand reaching out to the far ruins.
"It's… calling… for me…"
In the haze, visions flash by one after another.
One of a painting of a symbol of wings, surrounded by a circle; a strange eye, hovering above the wings, twinkles ominously.
A strange, patterned roof of a castle beneath the light of the moon.
The wicked redness of an encircled, bat-like symbol, shining in the shadows.
Of a grand castle under a night sky, lit up by swirls of beautiful blue lights.
And…
Yami banging upon a glass wall as he shouts unheard words.
When the apple falls down and rolls away on the balcony floor, the princess is nowhere in sight.
Unknown Time
Hidden Location
"Hmm~" A man with long, silver hair hums as he runs a finger over the top of a glass of red wine. "It's time."
He glances at a floating figure, caged within a glass container of water, dark red symbols floating and surrounding the container as they languidly spin.
"The moment we've been waiting for…" A wicked smile flashes. "…has finally arrived."
A figure within the shadows says nothing as small beings creep up from the shadows in the room before surrounding the man, crackling snarls and chirps of individual sounds whispering out while the only two people lock their gaze at a large circular surface with a static image.
The Ruins
Yami steps down the old stairway, a hand holding a lantern and the other an open tome as he reaches the floor of the newly discovered, underground level. Stepping into the only room accessed by the stairway, he glances down at the engraving on the floor, consisting of a pair of wings surrounded by a circle. A little bit above the wings, a strange eye is carved with one of the two lines beneath curling into a spiral at the end. Between the eight-stranded wings and through the eye was a thin line, indicating the large symbol was an entryway to another, possible area.
"If only I knew what it meant." Yami places his lantern on a makeshift hook and casts a look at the current page of the book, flipping the page. "I could then figure out what key's needed to open it and see what it leads to."
A random sound causes Yami to look back up before he smiles in surprised happiness.
There, with her back to him, Yugi stood, slowly glancing at the interior of the old room, wrists loosely wrapped in her cloak.
"Princess Yugi?" When she didn't respond, Yami steps closer. "Yugi?"
She merely looks at him over her right shoulder, a blank expression in her eyes.
At the sight of the unusual look from the usual expressive princess, Yami frowns and, with a growing hint of worry, cautiously questions, "What's wrong? Why are you here this time of night?"
Yugi only smiles; but it disappears before she turns her head and looks down at where the symbol is. She kneels down and moves to place her hands on each wing while Yami watches, his unease increasing.
"Yugi-" He's cut off when, the moment both Yugi's hands touched the ground, the symbol glows; the room shakes almost viciously the same moment the lavender glow appears, spreading until the glow flares as it covers every inch of the structures of the ruins while the rumbling effects those close by.
Yami anxiously turns his head as bits of dust and stone falls above. "What's going on-?"
But he immediately forgets the ongoing quake when the stone ground beneath Yugi parts open; the princess begins floating as the hidden passage beams another glow alongside a powerful gush of wind before she slowly descends.
Roughly blinded and pushed back by the air, Yami futilely reaches out a hand before Yugi disappears below.
"Yugi!"
Same Moment
The Palace's Throne Room
At the sudden force coming to life, Mai and Misty both pause and snap their heads towards the desert, instantly seeing the bright light radiating from the ruins.
"The ruins…" Mai whispers, eying the mystical event.
"It's here already…!" Misty pales as she watches alongside Mai. "It's already began!"
Mai growls, before swiftly turning and shouts, a gold glow engulfing her hands, "Guards! By my order as Queen of Clow Country, ready your battle gear and get the magicians!"
The Queen, as the bright glows shoots from her hands and spreads her message throughout the palace, turns to Misty, as a different glow begins engulfing her figure.
"Head Priest, by order of your Queen, ready your staff and come with me to the ruins."
Misty kneels with a hand over her heart, as a green light forms in the grip of her other hand. "With honor, Queen Mai."
The Ruins
Outside, unknown to Yami, a large gathering of cloaked figures come from rapidly formed portals that just as swiftly disappear, individual weapons being drawn as they approach the boy's frightened coworkers.
When the gush of wind and glow disappears, Yami doesn't hesitate to jump down after the princess.
With a firm impact, Yami crouches as he frantically looks until he spots the glow from a random doorway. He bolts forward, setting a fast pace until he follows the glow to another room. To his short relief, Yami at last spots Yugi, still floating as she hovers in front of another engraving of the symbol, front facing away.
"Another symbol…! It's like she became a part of it!"
Abruptly, Yugi arches as wings, made up of strands of light, came from her back, starting slim before flaring out widely at the end of each strand, mirroring the symbol of wings behind. As Yugi unloosens and goes back to her previous position, the eye creeps upon her forehead, shining brightly.
"Yugi!" Yami worryingly cries as the strands of light curl, forming half-claws. Yugi slowly clasps her hands together and brings them to the middle of her chest, the emptiest of emotions expressed in her eyes.
"What's going on…?" Yami questions in horror before springing into motion as the wings begin blocking his view of the princess. "Yugi! I'm coming!"
Hidden Location
The silver-haired man and his companion look when the boy begins climbing the wall, steadily closing the distance between him and the princess.
He smiles. "This wonderful power of passing through dimensions… It's finally awakening."
The Ruins
Almost within reach of the princess, Yami stops when, to the boy's horror, Yugi begins sinking into the engraving on the wall, her figure slowly disappearing inch by inch.
"YUGI!"
With a push of his foot in a burst of strength, Yami jumps, arms outstretching. Flying across, he reaches the princess and quickly grasps her; when a force tries pulling her back, Yami uses his sinking body to put more weight in his pull and frees the princess. As they both fall, Yami doesn't notice as Yugi smiles and the symbol of the eye disappear before they both hit the ground, his back taking most of the damage.
Soon afterwards, the large wings, with a visible cracking, shatter; in his astonishment, Yami observes as the pieces form into rectangular-shaped objects and shoot into the sky, quickly fading away.
He puts the matter aside as he quickly sits up and kneels over Yugi, gently shaking the unconscious girl. "Yugi! Yugi, please talk to me!"
Yami ignores the growing debris falling around him, too focused on Yugi as he checks her temperature by placing his forehead against hers.
"Cold… and getting colder!" Yami grabs and uses her cloak as a makeshift blanket, tucking it around her figure as best as he could before placing his arms underneath and picking her up. "I'll get you out of here, just hold on!"
Hidden Location
"The process has been interrupted." A figure spoke, standing to the right of the silver-haired man, both watching as the boy carries the princess out of the trembling building from within the massive mirror. "The awakening has failed."
"Very true, but we got what we wanted from it. This is merely the beginning." He scratches the ear of one of many small creatures at his side.
"Because, in the end, the power to cross space and time…" He smirks. "…will still be mine."
The Ruins
Stepping out from the passage, Yami barely had a second to comprehend the situation as the royal guards defended his civilian coworkers from attacking figures before one came at him. A shout leaves the boy's lips as the cloaked figure came closer before, with a swing of her hand, Mai pushes them back with a long, leather whip, knocking the attacker out. Her thick, dark purple cloak flies as she whirls, the metal armor shining underneath while she whips any enemy caught in her double spin.
"You sure took your time, kid!" She keeps an eye out for any more of the attacking enemy. "Is Yugi alright?"
Red eyes glance down at the girl in his arms. "I don't know."
"That's not the answer I want!" Mai knocks down another enemy before calling out, "Misty, I need a prognosis!"
Misty appears from their left. "Right away!"
"Place the princess over here." Finding a safer place to take cover, Misty places her hand on Yugi's forehead before a small green glows where their skins meet. When the glow fades away, Misty moves her hand and does the same to Yami.
"Now your memories of what happened are mine as well." She frowns, placing her hand down. "You saw giant wings of light shoot from her back and then transformed into cards, correct?"
"That's right." The boy nods, not releasing his grip on Yugi.
"Those wings… were the manifestation of her spirit and soul."
"What? Her spirit and soul?" Red eyes down at the seemingly sleeping face of the princess, freeing the arm under her knees to clutch one of her hands as Mai comes and kneels as well, back and ears to them as she keeps look out for any stray opponent.
"The very core of who she is. All the memories from birth to present left; not just from her, but from this plane entirely." A grimace overtakes as frustration leeks from Misty. "They're gone."
"Her memories!?" Mai glances back, eyes wide.
"What happens now?" Yami asks, his grip tightening as his gazes stays on Yugi.
"Without them both, her body is just an empty shell. Without them…. " A grim look shadows Misty's face. "The Princess will die."
"Is there anything I could do to help her?" Desperation leeks from the boy's voice, looking up.
"Yes. You're her chosen." Mai unexpectedly comforts, then grins at Yami. "So go and save my sister."
Yami blinks, then smiles, "Without a doubt."
"Quickly, we must go to the chamber!" Misty gestures towards another passage in the ruins before another wave of assailants began surrounding them.
Mai stands, a cracking sound ringing out as lightning lights up her whip. "I'll take care of these guys."
With a wicked glare, she grins, teeth flashing. "Not even one will slip pass me."
Misty hesitates, but stands and urges Yami to hurry.
The princess secured in his arms, Yami follows the head priest as she leads the way into the sacred chamber. After reaching the room, Misty whirls around and positions her staff, free hand resting in the middle of a crescent moon emblem.
"Hold onto her tightly and don't let go." Light flashes as it circles the staff and shoots to the ground, quickly forming a circle containing the phases of the moon beneath Yami's feet. "I'm now going to send the both of you from here to a completely different world."
Yami tucks Yugi closer as the circle beams, then oozes thick clouds of light and dark blues, swirling in the air as Misty shouts, "There, you'll find someone who will have the capabilities to help you!"
"But who is this person!? How am I supposed to find them!?" Yami shouts as the clouds begin merging and closing in.
"Her name is Cynthia and she's known as the Dimensional Witch!" Misty could barely be seen in the disappearing gaps of the clouds. "Tell her what happened and she'll be able to guide you from there! Do whatever it takes to save Princess Yugi!"
"Hold on, Yugi!" Yami whispers to Yugi, securing his grip as they are fully engulfed by the portal and disappear.
Unknown Time
Tokyo, Japan
Space distorts as it imitates the process of a water droplet before bursting, revealing Yami holding Yugi securely as they fell from the evaporating portal, the former landing in a crouch with his eyes shut tight.
Snapping his eyes open, he immediately spots a woman with long blond hair, wearing a form-flattering, dark blue dress with white trimming, a transparent cloth doing little to hide the gentle features of her face, even with her deadpan expression.
"Are…" Yami hesitantly starts, and inhales a small breath. "Are you the Dimensional Witch, Cynthia?"
The woman holds her expression as she stares calmly at the young male. "I've been given that name."
Yami stiffens, before leaning forward. "Please! She needs your help."
The lady continues to stare.
Yami brings Yugi a little bit closer. "She's Princess Yugi of the kingdom of Clow Country! Please, may you help save her life!?"
Memory 1, Part 2: Ended
A/N: Besides the first chapter, I'm mostly redoing everything. I'm a glutton for punishment via hard work. If you have the time, please leave a review &/or a criticism so I may fix, add &/or make edits! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and have a good day. Hope you're healthy and staying safe!
Revised and posted: 6/9/22
