Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or the characters. I also don't own the OCs Ami and Yori Muto. They belong to CoreyPeters.
This one-shot is for CoreyPeters on DeviantArt.
It was the day that started the rest of their lives.
Though it sounded kind of cliché, it was true. When Téa returned from New York, it was the start of something beautiful. Never had the woman expected what awaited her when she got off the plane.
Yugi had been the one to come and pick her up from the airport. Their reunion had been one she would remember. He waited at the gate, a warm smile on his face and a glint in his eyes that Téa couldn't place. She ran up to him, called his name and gave him the biggest hug. "What are you doing here?" she asked him. But he never answered her. He did something completely unexpected.
That day was the day Yugi kissed her for the first time.
She had been completely surprised but so unbelievably happy. A laugh escaped her as she asked her best friend, "What took you so long?" When Yugi told her he hadn't wanted her to give up her dream, it opened her eyes to just how much he cared. He'd let her go, knowing she'd return one day. In the meantime, Yugi busied himself by achieving his own dream, creating his first game which was starting to grow in popularity.
They were married in the spring, a lovely outdoor wedding. All of their friends with there, Joey and Tristan creating chaos while Bakura watched in amusement from afar. Even Seto Kaiba and his brother made an appearance, a secretive way of showing his support. After all, he'd never admit that they had become friends. So many others that they met through their adventures were there. Yugi's grandfather was so happy for them.
Everyone was so happy.
Even when they had their first dance, Téa had to admit that she loved the confidence Yugi had as he pulled her close to him. He had grown up, come into his own, since she'd been away. Memories of all their past adventures came back to her. It was hard to believe that they were here, now, together. No one could ever separate them. There were no more evils they needed to fight.
They could just be and revel in each other's presence. The look in their eyes told them everything they needed to know. Yugi and Téa were so very much in love. They were about to embark on a whole new adventure, just the two of them.
Nine months later, the couple was out celebrating their one-year anniversary from their first date. It was around Valentine's Day, honestly, the day after Téa had come home. It was so surreal then, the two dating from square one. Honestly, they already knew everything about the other. They wrote each other every week when she lived in New York and spent late nights talking on the phone for hours despite the costs. Even so, dating was a new experience for them, one which they made sure to embrace as much as possible.
Yugi took Téa out to the restaurant where they had gone for their first official date, a nice, elegant place that still had a casual undertone. After a lovely dinner, the two found themselves in a park alone, walking under the stars. Téa was surprised when Yugi stopped her in the center of the park.
"Yugi, what's up?" she had asked.
A soft chuckle escaped her husband as he took in her wary eyes. "Nothing," he assured her. "Everything is good."
Téa was about to ask him when he stopped her then, but then Yugi pulled her close to him. He hugged her tightly, swaying their bodies in the cool, February wind. His wife sighed and wrapped her arms around him, bending down to place a chaste kiss on his lips.
Yugi surprised her when he deepened the kiss, the two returning home to celebrate their anniversary in a different way.
A few weeks later, Téa became extremely ill, and worry filled her husband immensely. They both took off from work to go to the doctor worried it could be something serious. Worry soon turned to joy as the doctor smiled at the two. "Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Muto. The two of you are going to be parents."
The nine months that followed were full of many ups and downs. Téa didn't have the worst pregnancy, though she did have to deal with morning sickness and all of the late pregnancy symptoms.
On a sunny yet cold day in the fall, November seventeenth, a daughter was born into the world.
She was a beautiful little girl with hair like her mother's. The child also had such vibrant, green eyes.
"Welcome to the world," both proud parents said, admiring their beautiful baby. They exchanged warm smiles, saying together the name they picked. "Ami."
Ami was a bright and kind child. Anyone who met her was absolutely taken with her. Even Kaiba had stopped by a couple of times, once to see the baby and the next to gift their daughter with a golden necklace with her name. Of course, he had just left the package there, but it was the thought that counted. After all, he still had to show that he cared about his rival's progeny, even if it was from a distance.
Their friends enjoyed spending time with her. Of course, most of them were big kids at heart. Téa and Yugi would plan outings with their daughter, taking her to the park to meet with Joey, Tristan, and Bakura. Even Duke would join in sometimes. It was like nothing really changed.
Their daughter really enjoyed dancing like her mother. At times, they caught themselves wondering if she would share that same passion. She was still so young and never mentioned anything. Any time Little Ami was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, all she could say was "everything" making whoever was listening chuckle. Honestly, the proud parents had no doubt their daughter could do anything she set her mind to.
She was a very happy child, and a daddy's girl. Ami had Yugi wrapped around her fingers, something that amused Téa greatly. Until Ami started school, Yugi was working from home. Really, he just had to manage the game he created. He spent time thinking of new ideas, asking his daughter for input.
Téa caught them dancing together many times, and it made her heart melt. Yugi was always a caring and compassionate soul, but the way he was with their daughter was indescribable.
It was one day, when the family was taking a walk in the park, that Ami was introduced to dueling.
Yugi had been fairly tight-lipped about his dueling days since their senior year of high school. He hadn't given it up. In fact, he played Joey quite a bit of times to help his friend practice for the professional syndicate. Still, Téa was surprised when he didn't start teaching their daughter to play right away. Of course, the woman knew it would probably be difficult for her husband. It was such a big part of his life, and it was an even bigger part of their life.
As much as Yugi had grown, deep down he still missed the spirit who had been with him through the majority of their high school years. The adventures and trials they had endured as partners were both dangerous and life-changing. Yugi accepted all that transpired, but he would always miss Atem. They all would. Part of Téa wondered if the reason Yugi hadn't even shown their daughter his duel monsters cards was because of the peril it put them all in on more than one occasion.
That day, though, fate decided to bring their past into the limelight.
"Daddy, what's that?"
Téa and Yugi halted and looked to the scene their daughter was pointing. The biggest smile appeared on Yugi's face as he saw two kids dueling in the park sporting KaibaCorp's latest model of duel disk.
"Those kids are playing Duel Monsters," Yugi had told his daughter. "It's a very popular card game based on monsters from Ancient Egyptian carvings."
"You like games, Daddy," Ami chimed. "Did you ever play?"
"I did," Yugi told her, Téa listening very intently as to how much her husband planned to convey of his story. "I played a lot in the game's beginnings. Your Uncle Joey and I even took part in some tournaments. It was a very important game to a really good friend of mine, too. He and I fought side by side a lot back then."
Ami had this dreamy look in her eyes as she looked back at the two kids. The monsters were fighting, and one got beaten, but another card came up and the other boy's monster was back. "Can I play too?"
A sad smile appeared on Yugi's face as he looked to his wife. Téa knew Yugi missed that part of his life, even the parts full of turmoil. It wasn't as dangerous now to play, the cards nothing but paper and simulations. All the dark magic had been locked away again, for good this time. A supportive grin and a nod were his answer.
"Sure, Ami. I can teach you. We can stop by Grandpa's game shop later and make you a deck."
Little Ami's cheers made Yugi all the more excited.
So many amazing memories were created over those beautiful three years. Téa and Yugi were a very close and tight-knit couple. They faced their everyday struggles, but they worked together through them all. Watching Ami grow up was incredible, and it always managed to take away the pressure of all the adult tasks they were forced to deal with. Their home was full of nothing but love. It was truly a blessing.
Yugi was teaching his daughter to duel sometime after her third birthday. She couldn't quite read yet, but Yugi introduced her to the different types of cards. He showed her some of his favorite monsters, monsters that meant so much to him and Atem over the years. Those stories, Yugi decided, he would wait to tell his little one until she was older, but for now this was enough. Sharing his skills and memories with her was enough.
He took her to the game shop to help her pick out cards she would like to use for a first deck. Even Yugi's grandfather was excited to show off the special cards to his great-granddaughter. It was a game that united their family, after all, passed down three generations now.
On this night, however, Yugi left his daughter with his grandfather. The man offered to watch the little one and teach her the basic rules of the game while Yugi took Téa out. It had been a while since the couple had an official date night, not that they minded Ami tagging along for the ride. Still, they needed some time alone to be with each other.
Yugi took his wife out dancing, the two connected nearly the entire time on the dancefloor, even when they got tired. It took their hunger to pull them away, the two grabbing a quick bite to eat at the burger joint where Téa worked in their high school days. They laughed at the memory of Téa threatening him and Joey when they found out her secret. It had been part of the reason they had been so close. The boys had kept their promise, and Téa had kept her job and was able to save for school in New York.
She had to admit, she didn't miss working there, especially when she and Yugi shared some tumultuous memories of that place as well. To this day, they never really discussed them.
It was a lovely night, the two enjoying the peaceful wisps around them. They took the long way home, walking side by side, hand in hand. And then they returned home together, taking advantage of the fact that they had the house all to themselves.
From this night, Téa became pregnant with their second child.
Obviously, they hadn't known it at the time. It wasn't until Téa was home alone with her daughter that she had suspected the possibility. While the two were playing together, the mother felt an overwhelming sense of nausea. She had rushed to the bathroom with a concerned daughter chasing after her, and when she got sick Ami grew very worried. She was still very young and did not understand what was happening.
"Mommy's okay, baby," Téa assured her daughter. "I'm okay."
Ami didn't buy it, but she couldn't really question her mother. When her father came home and her mother pulled him into another room, Ami's dread only grew.
But soon enough, she learned that her mommy wasn't really sick. There was something her parents said about a baby, that she would be having a brother or sister. At that thought, Ami grew a bit more excited, but she was still wary. Why was the baby inside her mommy's tummy?
The months passed by swiftly, and Téa managed to get through her second pregnancy with just a little bit of fuss. On the twenty-fifth of August, another little girl entered the world, little Yori Muto. During the delivery, Ami waited with her Uncle Joey and Uncle Tristan in the hospital waiting room. The child felt anxious and confused as to why they were in a place where sick people went, but everyone kept assuring her that her mother was not sick and would be just fine. Uncle Joey even dueled with her over a tabletop while they waited, the perfect distraction from the fact that Ami wasn't allowed to see her mother and that her father was not with her.
After many hours, Yugi came to get his daughter, a bright smile on his face as his best friend wished him and Téa the most sincere congratulations. Then, Yugi took his daughter's hand, planning to bring her to her mother and the new baby.
Ami was led through the white halls, the sounds of doctors and nurses talking, beeps of machines, and voice over the loudspeaker surrounding the child. She had never been to the hospital before, and there was just so much going on. All the halls looked the same, too, so she stuck close to her father in fear of getting lost.
Téa was sitting up in a bed, holding a little bundle in her arms. Her brown eyes lit up when she saw her husband and child enter the room. "Ami," she called lovingly. "Come say 'hello' to Yori."
"Yori?" Ami repeated. She guessed that was the baby's name.
Yugi brought her over, and Téa revealed the little child in her arms. Yori was so tiny, a little, wrinkly thing with a light brown patch of hair on her head. Ami observed the baby with curious eyes, stared at her little face until Yori opened her eyes revealing her beautiful, purple eyes. The three-year-old was completely mesmerized, so much so he didn't notice her parents exchanging knowing glances.
"This is your baby sister," Yugi introduced her to his eldest daughter. Ami continued to look at the baby in her mother's arms, curious green eyes meeting the tiny pair of violet. The older child smiled and reached to take her sister into her arms, careful to not drop her. "It's up to all of us to protect and teach her."
Ami adjusted to life with a new sister and having to share her parents' attention very well. The two grew up together; Yori always looked up to her older sister. They were best friends, and they did everything together. They both enjoyed dancing like their mother, but as Yori grew older she started to find fascination, much like Ami had, in Duel Monsters. The two played every chance they got, even to settle some of their arguments. They bonded through their dueling.
It didn't take them long to realize that Yori had to work really hard to try to overcome Ami. Quite a few times, Ami overshadowed Yori. Ami knew it was because she had had more experience with the game and that Yori was still young, but she knew her sister could be a contender one day. She always tried to turn their bouts into lessons for Little Yori.
"Aw, not again!" Yori grumbled, dramatically throwing herself over, lying on the floor.
Ami chuckled at her sister's antics and began gathering up her cards. The two had just had another of their matches, Ami taking two out of three. Yori did well the second bout, and she had nearly done Ami in during the third time. "You're getting better. It was just the luck of the draw for me, like it was for you in the game before."
The girl looked down to her Kuriboh card. Honestly, if it hadn't been for him, she would have lost.
The girls had their own unique style of dueling. Ami had chosen a deck similar to her father's, complete with knights, magicians, and ancient magic. Yori's deck mimicked Téa's, being a fairy type deck, her star and most treasured card being her Dancing Fairy. There decks weren't exactly like their parents', though. Both girls wanted to become their own duelists. They just found comfort in the familiarity of the cards.
A sigh escaped the younger girl as Yori toyed around with her gold name necklace from Kaiba, just like Ami had her own necklace. She had to admit that Ami had a point. It just bothered her that all the times she actually managed a win—and those times were few and far between—were usually due to luck. Yes, her sense of strategy was improving, but Ami still outmatched her when it came to tactics. Yori knew she was young, knew that Ami had been playing longer than she had been, but it still wasn't fair.
Though, who said anything had to be fair when playing your rival.
That's how Yori saw her older sister, as both her friend and rival. Ami was her hurdle to overcome, and Yori knew one day she might actually reach her sister's skill level. Every match, she was working herself up to it, but she still managed to fall short. Still, that wasn't enough to keep the little girl down.
Yori was determined to truly beat Ami one day, and it would not be because of the luck of the draw.
Yori was disheartened when Ami decided to go away to private school.
In fact, the day she left was awful for the young girl. Her sister had always been her best friend, and now she was gone. It felt like she was gone forever aside from the letters Ami sent home to their parents and to Yori. Even so, it wasn't the same. What made it even worse was that Ami didn't even come home in the summer, but she would send Yori new duel monster cards for her birthday.
Still, Yori didn't see Ami much and it made her sad. She missed her best friend.
Yori would rather have had Ami in Domino City with her than in some random place for so many years.
During these times, Yugi and Téa would tell their daughter stories of when they were apart. Téa was gone for three, almost four years, and Yugi had waited for her to achieve her dream. Those stories kept Little Yori going in the three years her sister was away. At least, until then, she got to read her sister's letters.
Until one day, her parents wouldn't let her see.
The letter came like clockwork, Little Yori watching the mailman hand deliver it to her mother. She quickly left her room, running as fast as she could only for her smiling parents to put the letter away and tell her she couldn't see. Her father went as far as hiding the letter in a drawer when he thought the child wasn't looking. A determined glint filled the preteen's violet eyes.
She would see what was in that letter.
Later in the night, Yori snuck out of bed and wandered around downstairs, going for that letter. She was very careful to stay quiet, her parents still asleep in their room, none the wiser to what their daughter was doing. As expected, the letter was still in the drawer where her father at put it. The fourteen-year-old yanked that letter right out.
With her trusty flashlight, Yori went to the table and read it, her eyes widening at the message.
Her sister was graduating early, a result Yori had never considered and apparently the reason she took all those summer classes. In addition to that, she would be coming home early and wanted to surprise Yori. Still, there was one last part of the message that got to her.
"Before I come home, there's something I want to do first. Uncle Kaiba is hosting another Battle City Tournament. That's right. I plan to take part in the next Battle City Tournament. Don't tell Yori."
Yori blinked, not looking at the rest of the letter. Why wouldn't Ami want their parents to tell her about that? Ami spent so many years dueling her. Shouldn't she want her sister to know? The teenager pouted, slightly angry, and then her eyes wandered over the remaining contents of the letter.
It was then that Yori realized what her sister had been doing all those years.
Each and every time they argued, Ami had been the one to convince Yori to duel. Even though Ami defeated her almost each and every time, she still gave into Yori's wishes. When Yori managed to just barely win, Ami praised her instead of being frustrated that she lost. She would point out her best moves and give pointers on her worst.
All this time, Ami had been training her sister.
But for what purpose, Yori wondered as she reread her sister's letter home. It was the usual letter telling how school was and how Ami was excelling in all of her classes, but then at the end there was this little line that she reread, "I plan to take part in the next Battle City Tournament. Don't tell Yori. I want that to be a surprise, too."
Why would she want to surprise Yori, and why would she tell her parents not to tell her?
And then the light went off in Yori's mind. Ami never told her parents not to show the letter. They always gave it to the child when they were done reading. It would always have a little part specifically written for Yori to encourage the girl to keep up with her studies and to duel as much as possible. Maybe she told them to keep the letter from her knowing that Yori would find a way to see it. Ami knew how strong-willed Yori was.
Maybe her sister actually wanted to face her at the Battle City Tournament.
Ami stood proudly at the top of a tall building in the city. She had just beat her final opponent, clinching herself a spot in the Battle City Finals. Dusting off her red tank top, she looked up at the sky and breathed in the city air, reveling in the fact that she was home, in her element. After allowing herself to feel the wind just a little bit longer, her blue skirt blowing, Ami raced down to the streets below, ready to head to the stadium.
She had missed Domino City while at school, but it was well worth pushing herself through all her classes so that she'd never have to leave again. Ami had missed her family, her little sister especially. She mentally chided herself for keeping her presence a secret from Yori, but if she knew her devious sister, she figured Yori would find her sooner or later. Most likely, she snuck a peek at the letter when their parents weren't looking. Deep down in her heart, Ami was counting on that.
What she wasn't counting on was that Yori would be standing in the stadium, waiting for her. Her young sister, clad in a green skirt and light pink t-shirt, was standing proudly, arms crossed. There was no way Ami couldn't tell what her sister was doing there, the huge duel disk being her first clue.
Yori had seen the letter, and she took that as an invitation to join the Battle City Tournament.
This worked out much better than what Ami could had dreamed.
The seventeen-year-old walked up to her sister and gave her the biggest hug she could. "I missed you, little sis." And then she smirked. "But don't think that means I'll go easy on you."
Yori squeezed her sister tightly and grinned without abandon. "I wouldn't want you to, big sis."
The two pulled away from each other, green meeting violet, as they made a mental promise to give it their all.
As fate would have it, Yori and Ami were matched up in the first match of the semifinals.
The two faced each other, standing on opposite sides of the stadium. They readied their duel disks and drew there cards, declaring the ever popular phrase of "Let's duel!"
Ami was the first to make a play, summoning Magician's Valkyria to her side of the field. She played a facedown and then turned over the turn to her sister. For a first move, Yori summoned Shining Angel. Equipped with the Cestus of Dagla, Shining Angel destroyed Valkyria. That wasn't a problem for Ami as she activated a continuous trap, one that would allow her to summon Spellcaster-type monsters with 1500 attack or less whenever a monster was destroyed. This led her to summon the Maiden of the Moonlight.
The next order of business was to bring her other magician back, sacrificing the two monsters to summon the great and powerful Dark Magician. Yori could see this coming from a mile away, hoping that her sister would attack. Once Shining Angel was destroyed, she could special summon her Light Effigy. One her next turn she summoned Athena with the one sacrifice, and for good measure she found a way to special summon her favorite monster, Dancing Fairy, inflicting extra damage to her sister by her goddess's effect.
The older sister was impressed. Yori had come far very quickly. Her quick moves and counters would be enough to concern even skilled duelists, but Ami wasn't bothered. She had plenty of ways to protect herself. She summoned her Kuriboh and played a couple of facedown cards in case her plan wasn't effective like it usually was. Then, she let it go to Yori who was still so caught up with the adrenaline of her own moves.
Ami seemed to be left wide open, and Yori attacked. Immediately, Ami triggered her defense, multiplying her Kuriboh and creating a way. Dancing Fairy couldn't break through. Yori grimaced, always disliking this trick of Ami's. For now, she couldn't do much, so she played a couple of facedown cards.
Once it was Ami's turn again, she summoned Gemini Elf and took out her sister's favorite card.
She may have lost a monster, but Yori had another trick up her sleeve. Her facedown card was going to change everything. After Ami declared her attack, Yori instinctively moved her hand to the card's edge before pulling back. She didn't want her sister to know she had a plan, not yet, or she'd play something to counter it.
"I end my turn."
Yori smirked, the ball in her court, and her sister left herself wide open. Her hand moved to activate her trump card. Ami's expression reflected surprise, but a cocky grin replaced her confusion.
"Bring it," the older girl challenge.
"Just remember you asked for this." Yori's expression never changed as she activated her card.