So, I finished the YGO Duelist Manga (I'm waiting to finish the YGO Duelist part of the anime before I start the manga version of Millennium World), and I can confirm that Shadi and Yuugi/Yami don't meet at the end of Duelist Kingdom - only in what's regarded as "Season 0". I assume they meet again in the M.W. arc.

But I already had 500+ words written down for the anime version, so I'm thinking of writing the two different versions (back in Season 0 and in D.K.) as well as another for M.W. This is the anime version.

| Shadi (Season 1; Episode #)

He could sense his presence before he appeared. It was a peculiar one; faint and reminiscent. It had felt like its owner wasn't truly there – a ghost. The main reason why he could sense him lied in the man's possession of the Millennium Key. The presence of the item itself was mysterious, but coupled with the strange man, became very foreboding. He chewed the inside of his cheek before making a quick decision.

He had already nearly lost Yuugi to a Millennium Item, he wasn't about to let it happen again and so quickly.

Just as the man lifted the key to Yuugi's head, he was already across the hallway in Yuugi's soul room. The young man was sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, his fingers ghosting over the many toys and games lying about. Amethyst eyes were unseeing as they usually would seeing as Yuugi's eyes were focused on the outside world. As per usual, he hesitated a little at the entrance; intruding on someone else's soul room felt wrong. However, if he does not move forward now, that man will be the one who does it. More confident, he stepped inside. When he entered, Yuugi looked up at him a with confused look that gained a bit of concern at seeing his hardened expression. His eyes were clear now. "Other Me? Is something going on?"

His expression softened while he stretched out a hand. "Yes. Come with me, that man you just met - he is trying to intrude in our heart."

Yuugi's eyes glinted, showing that he knew what Yami was talking about. Without hesitation, Yuugi's hand was within his and he was giving him a trusting grin. A smile of his own crossed his face as he quickly led Yuugi to his portion of their heart. Just in time as well, for the door closed behind them just as he could hear the man's footsteps outside.

"Other Me," The shadow looked beside him to Yuugi. The young man was marveling at the tomb, most likely confused about what could be beyond his perception of sight. After a second was given for his pause, Yuugi looked at him and asked, "What do we do?"

Just as he said that, he heard the man's footsteps stop. Putting a hand to his hip, he pointed at a cracked, rock column that he knew had space behind it. He was relieved that his Aibou was swift to not only understand but quickly run behind the column as he turned to his door. The shadow took a deep breath in and let a confident smirk appear on his face, with Yuugi hidden and all the traps that lay throughout his mind, the man would have a hell of a time uncovering any secret he was looking for.

It was time to play a game.

Yuugi watched the exchange between Yami and the man, Shadi. As usual, he was in awe at how his Other Self could stay so composed and confident in the face of the false accusations. Watching him both now and the many times where he would duel in Yuugi's place always left the young man feeling a sense of amazement. How could one be so confident. It had taken him years to learn how to speak up for himself and yet there would be those kind of people, his Other Self included, who seemed self-assured from birth - did they know anything about the word 'fear'?

At that thought, Yuugi backtracked. Yami did have a fear - he had many fears, or rather a central fear.

Fears losing duels.

Fears of loosing a game.

Fears losing the Millennium Puzzle.

Fears losing his friends.

Fears losing his grandpa.

Fears losing Yuugi.

The spirit of the puzzle had a deep-rooted fear of losing anything. It unsettled Yuugi at times because, while his Other Self refrained from physical violence, he was more than prepared to do what he believed it took to "win". His last duel with Kaiba was evidence of that. His competitiveness and overwhelming pride had kept his Other Self going in that fight, a fiery flame that wouldn't go out even in the face of death.

However, his intervention as well as the duel with Mai seemed to have humbled his Other Self. Perhaps it was that event that led to that wall that stood between their to fall just enough for him to reach out to the spirit during the duel with Pegasus.

Yuugi's thoughts were interrupted when the lighting suddenly became glaringly bright in the area in front of the column he was hiding behind. He could hear his Other Self challenging the strange man to look for some "soul room" within the puzzle. Was that was this place is? The Millennium Puzzle? The young teen furrowed his eye brows.

He knew that the spirit resided both inside his mind and in the puzzle, but not at the same time. When he went out and had the Millennium Puzzle around his neck, he felt his Other Self's presence in his mind as a constant, vigilant shadow. When he was sleeping, the spirit seemed to go back to the puzzle and, Yuugi supposed, "rested" in there. Could that mean that inside the puzzle was Yami's mind?

He heaved a silent sigh as the footsteps of the intruder faded. As this was the second time that they've had contact with each other like this, he wasn't too sure and Yuugi might not have a chance to ask this time either. Yuugi wasn't quite sure of the kind of game his Other Self was playing, but he knew that Yami's priorities will reside in the challenger for now.

Yuugi carefully crept from behind his hiding space to see his Other Self standing in place with his eyes closed. Tilting his head in confusion, he moved to approach him when suddenly a loud bam sounded as well as a startled cry.

"What was that?!" Yuugi gasped at the sound and looked up because it seemed like it was coming from that way, but then again it could be coming from the right? Though, maybe the cry had come from the upper left behind him?

He bit his lips anxiously as he looked around the cryptic room he was in. Even though he felt safe here, especially with his Other Self right there with him, Yuugi could feel a dark chill throughout the maze that was the inside of the Millennium Puzzle. He was starting to understand why Yami would probably prefer to be inside his mind during the day. Involuntarily, he shivered at the thought of being stuck in here for an unmeasurable amount of time.

Yuugi flinched away when he felt a hand at his shoulder. When his eyes turned to the surprised and concerned ones of his Other Self's, he felt guilty for his jumpy attitude. Head bent down, he stood in front of the spirit. "Sorry..."

He could see out of the corner of his eye that the spirit was giving him a searching look, but shook his head after a while. "It is fine - I have no doubt that you are a little overwhelmed with my soul room." His Other Self looked up to the right with a raise eyebrow. "It would seem that our intruder is feeling the same."

Furrowing his eyebrows, he asked, "What kind of game did you give him?"

Yami side-glanced him before looking back up. "He is searching for the secret to the power of the Millennium Puzzle - my true soul room. To do that, he appears to be opening doors, however, instead of the door to his prize, he seems to be opening doors to traps instead." Yuugi was pretty sure there was hints of some wicked amusement on his Other Self's face while he said that last statement. It unsettled him that the spirit could be so callous about the man's well being, but at the same time he could understand that the spirit probably didn't take kindly to the man's intrusion.

"What happens if he falls to those traps?"

His Other Self was a little slow to reply. "Then he will be trapped in the darkness of the Puzzle forever."

Yuugi looked horrified. "You actually gave him such a game?!"

Just as he said that, there was another surprised cry. Unable to let this go on any longer, Yuugi dashed past his Other Self in the direction he hoped would lead him to that man.

"A-aibou?!" Yami made a startled noise at his sudden movements, but didn't get far in following him as Yuugi quickly disappeared into the maze. Behind him, he could hear his Other Self shout, "Be careful with the doors! Any of them can be a trap!"

Those words continued to echo in the teen's head as he eventually got far enough in the maze. His running slowed a to anxious walk as he looked between the countless doors the spirit had warned him about. Any of them could be a trap? Did that mean not even the spirit knew what was the right door to his own soul room? Not even after the countless years he must've spent inside the puzzle?

The thought depressed Yuugi because it brought up so many terrible implications for not only the intruder, but for his Other Self. Just how long has his Other Self wandered these halls? Lost and confused by their winding pathways? Who knows how much longer he would have to if Jounouchi hadn't gotten his puzzle piece back for him when he was almost done solving it?

A flash of light beige appeared in his peripherals, startling him out of his thoughts. Was that the challenger? Yuugi could see that the man's posture was tense and there was a sheen of sweat on the man's face as he anxiously walked down the hallway. He seemed too focused to notice Yuugi's presence as he crossed into the hallway opposite from Yuugi.

Taking care not to be too loudly, Yuugi went to follow him.

What happens is essentially the same thing that happens in the anime. I just filled in the question 'What was Yuugi doing in the Puzzle anyway?" since the anime doesn't care to explain just how Yuugi suddenly was there to save Shadi from falling into the pit.

I'm trying to keep Atemu and Yuugi's POVs individualized with Atemu never giving himself a name and refraining from contractions while Yuugi does give him a name ('Yami').