It had been a year since Yugi had walked into Snow Planet and had met his enthusiastic friend Kya and started to learn how to snow board. It had taken him a while to get the hang of it and after many weeks of bruises and sore ankles he found he was no longer falling face first into the white powder which surprisingly hurt a lot. Once he had got the basics down Kya had started pushing him, challenging him to try the rails and jumps and teaching him a new trick every day. Kya had always had a smile for Yugi even though he would admit his best friend scared him like no other as a trainer. He smiled as he remembered his first encounter with the curly haired brunet. She was right, he did have potential and after months of training she had thrown him into competitions where he found himself climbing the ranks to top positions. He shook his head and chuckled throwing his books into his locker and grabbing one's he needed for his next class. Yugi lived and breathed boarding, every day before and after school Kya had demanded him to be on the slope training, he didn't mind though as at the end of each session they usually found themselves having fun and messing around trying to outdo each other. Yugi heard a familiar crowed of people and his face dropped, even though he had found a new purpose that he loved he still felt the pang of betrayal in his heart whenever he saw his old group and his crush. Even though it had been over a year he still loved Yami and Yami still took no notice of him, even though he was still living with him and his grandfather in the game shop.
"What's wrong Mutou?" he perked up at the familiar drawl of the Kaiba Corp CEO and smiled
"Nothing Seto, just thinking" the older boy nodded, his arm's crossed and eyes dissecting his answer. "Hope Kya wasn't too pissed at me this morning" the taller boy's eye's softened at the mention of his girlfriend
"Far from it Mutou, she knows how much of bitch that rail is, she said you took a pretty hard fall off it, come to the medics before training so they can check your shoulder" Yugi chuckled, he knew it was Kya's idea and not Seto's. Yugi knew the blue eyed boy thought that whenever Yugi got hurt it would toughen him and that he shouldn't be coddled but his girlfriend would scold him, telling him that her protégée needed to be taken care of so no serious damage could go unnoticed and ruin his budding career.
"It's fine Seto, just a bruise see" the magenta haired boy took off his snowboarding jacket and showed him his arm, rolling it around to show no damage had been done except for a dark bruise starting to form "Barley even hurts anymore" Kiaba's eyes narrowed and shook his head
"That wasn't a request Yugi, Kya would kill me if you did any permanent damage, by the way she told me to tell you your new board was in" Yugi's big amethyst eyes widened in excitement and he jumped up and down causing Kaiba to glare at him "She wants you to try it out today before you guy's leave" Yugi nodded excitedly, Kaiba was paying for his girlfriend and friend to fly to New Zealand for their snow season so they could get in some serious training before the regional competitions that Kaiba Corp was holding in a few months. Yugi was excited to go away with his best friend, sure he had been to one of the mountains here before but he heard that the New Zealand ski fields were where you could get the best experience in and if they wanted to get scouted in the regionals it was where they needed to be. Ever since Yugi had started Kya had told him all about how their were scouts for potential sponsor's going to be at the regionals and if they got picked up that they could even one day reach the world champs to compete and Yugi had been striving ever since to achieve his new dream.
"It's here! I can't wait to try it out on majestic!" Kaiba chuckled at the nickname his girlfriend and friend had given the snow planet slope. He didn't know how he had put up with them for so long but when Kaiba had actually spent time with the shorter boy he found him to be much like his brother Mokuba and treated him as such.
"Yugi!" the boys turned around to find an out of breath Ryou running towards them a giant smile gracing his features "B-Bakura said I can go without him!" the boy held onto Yugi trying to catch his breath "I'm coming with you and Kya!"
"Guess I need to book a bigger place for you guys then" Kaiba sighed and walked off leaving Yugi with his white haired friend. Ryou had taken much pleasure in finding out his friend's new passion and joined him on the slope every day only the other boy skied. Yugi was shocked to discover Ryou and his family use to go away every year before they passed away to the slopes although Ryou would never gain the nerves to enter a competition much to Yugi's dismay.
"You're leaving?" Yugi spun around, his heart clenching at the deep baritone voice that rung through Yugi's ears. It was the first time his look alike had talked to him outside of home where he would usually acknowledge him briefly if they crossed paths. Crimson eyes stared at him in shock looking down at Yugi who was still a few inches taller than him. The smaller boy blushed as he took in his other half's outfit, the same blue uniform with a leather, sleeveless vest underneath and signature neck belt that Yugi had long ago abandoned for a more relaxed look
"Oh, hey…Yami" he nodded, taking off his snowboarding beanie that he usual wore as they weren't allowed to wear it in class and throwing it in his locker as well, trying to ignore the pain rising in his chest. Why pay attention to me now?
"Are you leaving?" this time the question was more forceful as the ex-pharaoh took in his Hikaru's new laid back appearance. His matching school uniform was carelessly chucked together and underneath he wore a burton logo t-shirt and high top chucks. Yugi froze looking to Ryou for help who was gapping at Yami
"Why do you even care Yami?" Yugi replied, slamming his locker closed and turning angrily to him, the pain of the other boy's abandonment flowing out of him. Yami looked at him, his lips pursed in a thin line and Yugi swore he saw hurt flash in his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something when a yell rang out
"SHORTY!" Kya ran up to him and wrapped her arms around her friend and also pulled Ryou with her "I can't believe were going! Come on we need to get to Majesty to try out the dark magician and your new bindings!" Yami pulled the girl away from Yugi and glared at her
"If you don't mind I'm trying to have a conversation with my aibou" Yugi cringed at Yami's nickname for him and Kya turned on Yami, anger flashing in the girls eyes
"Woah, Kya I can't leave, schools just stared, the majesty is just going to have to wait and did you name my custom the dark magician?" Yugi felt Yami's eyes bore into him trying to ignore him. Kya's smile returned but still stared defiantly at Yami
"Yeah, I remember saying he used to be your favorite duel monster so I got one of the guys to make the bottom design of that and if I don't say so myself it looks damn amazing, of course because it was my idea!" Yugi chuckled and gave his best friend a hug "Oh shorty don't get all soft on me now, my protégée has to be tough! Especially since I expect you to finally tackle the devil rail!"
"Aibou?" Yami's voice sounded softer and Yugi looked at his crush, his head was cocked to the side, staring at him intently
"Oh, don't worry Yami it's only for a couple of months. I have…um…training to do" Yugi didn't want to give anything away to his darker half. He was not going to let him ruin this for him to. Yugi had come so far and he didn't want to get dragged back into a world of card games and ignorance. He had found a passion in the cold embrace of the snow and the freedom his boards gave him, not to mention the adrenalin he got when he finally landed a new trick
"Come on Shorty, the longer we stand here the less time you have to finally conquer the devil and don't worry I got gramp's to ring the school and pull you out today, even you Ryou if you want to come along!" Yugi nodded and pulled out his boarding jacket and beanie out of his locker that he had placed in their ten minutes ago. He turned to Yami once again, giving him a weak smile
"Look after grandpa for me okay? I'll be back in two months so not long at all" Yugi was pulled away by Kya who practically dragged him down the hall, babbling to him about how he was finally once and for all take on that damn rail that had given him the same bruise on his shoulder this morning.
….
Yami sunk down in his next to his sandy haired friend Joey and sighed, why was his aibou so cold towards him and what exactly was he training for? He sighed and leant on one of his hands that was propped up on the desk. Sure he and his little Hikaru barely spent much time together now but that was because Yugi was gone before he got up and then when he got home he quickly ate his dinner and went to bed. Yami had eventually given up, to distracted by his friends and dueling to put in any effort towards the younger boy and he knew he could have tried harder when did we become so distant?
"Hey Yami, what's got you so down?" he felt worried eye's on him and looked up. Anzu, Joey and Tristian all looked at him, concerned in their eyes
"I, When did Yugi change?" there eyes widened at the mention of their forgotten friend "I tried to talk to him in the hallway before he left with some girl and Ryou, he…he was so cold towards me" Joey patted him on the shoulder and shrugged
"No clue Yami, we haven't seen him or talked to him in so long we didn't even notice" Joey's voice sounded regretful, disappointment emitting from him and their two other friends "He seems happy though"
"How do you know that?" Anzu smiled at him and nodded trying to reassure Yami that his other half was well
"From when we do seem him around he's always smiling and laughing with Ryou, Bakura, Marik and Malik so he must be ok" Yami couldn't help feel sadness well up in him, wasn't it his job to make his aibou smile? Had he really let him down that much? "And we always see him around with that girl Kya, Kaiba's girlfriend" since when did Yugi hang around with Kaiba and his girlfriend?
"I just, I miss him" the others nodded in agreement, without Yugi they felt that their group was missing something "I wish I knew what it was he was up to, he never told me where he was going" the group stared at him with wide eyes
"He's leaving?" Tristan gasped, shocked that Yugi even had the confidence to leave the city without them. Yami nodded solemnly and frowned
"Yea, for two months, training for something apparently. Ryou's going with him" the group cast a worry look at their friend knowing that he was in love with the smaller boy "Have I been so bad to him that he can't even share with me that?"
"Yami…We haven't even talked to him in over a year…we all treated him badly" Joey's words were a whisper but they all knew they had done wrong by their friend. "Hey why don't we ask Bakura! You said Ryou's going with him maybe we can find out what's been going on through him!" Yami looked up and smiled
"Yea, that sounds like a good idea!"
…..
Yugi looked down at his new board in shock, when Kya said that it was amazing she wasn't joking. Underneath the glossy fiber glass the Dark magician stared up at him and Yugi couldn't help but smile. Just like when he played duel monster's he knew that the dark magician would give him the strength to overcome anything in snowboarding even that damn rail he thought to himself. The happiness was laced with sadness though as it reminded him of Yami, even with a new path he was still connected to his darkness. He pulled his goggles over his beanie and stared down at his plain black burton boots a sense of determination flowing through him todays the day I beat the devil. He picked up his new board a stalked into to slope room staring directly at the 3 meter long and meter and a half tall rail you will not beat me this time!
"Hurry up slacker and get your ass on the lift, if you want to win regionals you need that rail!" Yugi nodded walking over to the pogo looking objects hanging off a thick wire. Clipping his boots into his board and tightening his new black bindings he stood up and grabbed onto one of the pogo's and leaned back waiting for the jolt of the lift moving. He remembered when he first tried to do this and had fallen straight on his face, holding up the lift as he slowly moved out of the way as Kya laughed at him. After a few minutes he jumped off smiling at Kya who was staring at him, trainer face on. She pointed a finger at the devil rail "That Yugi, is the one thing standing between you and your dream. Time and time again it has bruised you, sprained you and left you defeated. But not here, not today…today you shall stare the devil in the face, slide the dark magician over its cold steel and defeat him!" Yugi cracked up laughing, Kya was acting like he was about to go into battle "This is not a laughing matter shorty!"
"I'm sorry Kya! It's like I'm about to run head first into battle!" her brown eyes glared at him and she folded her arms huffing
"Well excuse me for being awesome and trying to give you the best pep talk any coach has given their student!" Yugi smiled, no matter what happened this girl in front of him could make the day brighter "You ready?" Yugi nodded. He jumped so his board was facing down the slope and pulled up his blue bandanna so his nose was protected from the cold. He stared down the slope and spotted his target, determination flaring up in his eyes again. He jumped and felt his new board slide down the slope, heading towards the left, Yugi lifted the back of one of his heels while planting the other one down so it turned to the right and he continued to gather speed. People stopped to watch him, snow flicking out the back of his path as he continued his weave down, eye's focused. He came nearer to the devil and rises his arms to his sides, one pointing directing at the cool steel and the other to the top of the hill. He heard Kya yelling at him words of encouragement as he lifted up his legs and jumped, managing to miss the lip of the rail and land perfectly sideways, the board skidded quickly and Yugi felt exhilarated Finally I've done it! He smiled triumphantly too soon and his board started wobbling out of his control fuck he felt himself slip off the fail and braced himself for the impact of the snow, thankfully this time he had managed to avoid falling on it. He lay on his back, winded as Ryou came skidding to a halt next to him and offered his hand to help him up.
"You okay Yugi?" the spikey haired boy growled at the one above him, his amused smile teasing him "You were so close this time!" Yugi accepted his hand and heaved himself up just as Kya joined them
"Back on the lift Yugi! No time for rest, we are going to do this again and again until you get this right!" This is why Yugi feared Kya as a trainer, she was relentless and Yugi knew that he was going to need an ice bath after this or the plane trip tomorrow was going to be agonizing
…..
Yami followed Bakura into Kaiba land frowning, why would Yugi be here? He didn't duel anymore? "Bakura, Yugi won't be here" the white haired boy spun around, blue eyes glaring at him
"Are you that ignorant Pharaoh, Kaiba land isn't just for dueling" Yami glared back, what was he talking about. He spun around, beckoning him to follow once again and lead him to a large building unknown to Yami "Now remember what I said, if you even try to convince Yugi not to leave tomorrow I'll have your head. He's doing well and he could go so far so if you in anyway stand in his way I'll make you regret it pharaoh" Yami nodded and smile on his lips, finally he was going to learn why his aibou was so busy. He followed Bakura into the building and was lead over to a big window that looked into a giant white slope. He gazed shocked, looking over the people inside trying to find a familiar face. He spotted the girl who had taken Yugi away today right at the top, pointing vigorously down to an intimidating rail and talking to a shorter boy that Yami knew could only be one person
"That's Yugi?" he asked in utter disbelief and heard Bakura chuckle. He couldn't take his eyes of the smaller version of him who was nodding and intently listening to the girl Kya
"Yip, he's been trying to tackle the devil rail for months now. Damn thing is impossible the only person whose done it is Kya herself" Yami frowned, was his aibou going to be hurt? "Don't worry Pharaoh he isn't as fragile as you think, just watch" His heart clenched as he saw Yugi turn and start descending down the slope, gracefully swerving side to side and Yami's mouth dropped he was so good
…
"Come on Shorty! Don't let the devil beat you! You can do this! I know you can! Heck your skills are better than mine now and if I can do it then so can you!" Yugi frowned, his confidence wavering. His arms, legs and back were aching after his many attempts at the rail ending up in failure "And you don't want to let that bastard Yami get pleasure out of watching you fail do you!" Yugi's eyes widened yami's here? "That bastard is down there, in the café Yugi, watching you, waiting for you to prove you're not good enough so show him my protégée! Show him what you're really made of!" his eyes hardened and he nodded. He was going to show him finally that he was someone without him. He turned his board and raised his hand to fist bump Kya and took off. His speed gaining every second, eyes focused on one thing and one thing only. Three…two…ONE! Yugi jumped, the sound of his board slapped against the steel of the devil and he leaned back a bit. Balancing out the weight of his speed. He had never been so sure of himself and he decided to turn around backwards on the rail with a new sense of accomplishment and a push to challenge himself. He heard Kya yelling at him excitedly and smiled as he neared the end of the railing. All he had to do was land it and he had defeated the devil rail. He lifted his legs and jumped off, the air rushing under his board and braced for the impact of the snow. He felt his board shudder but kept control and continued to the end of the slop raising one of his arms in the air and fist pumped I DID IT! I beat the devil rail! He lift both tips of his feet and came to a stop, spraying snow at the window in front of him and the shocked crimson eyes of Yami but Yugi didn't notice. He was too filled with the joy and excitement that he had finally bet the rail that he despised. He felt someone tackled him to the ground in a bear hug, boards still stuck on both their feet clashing together awkwardly "You did it shorty! I knew you could do it! I'm so proud of you!" Yugi hugged his dear friend back, his grin 100 watts
"Thank you Kya! Thank you so much, without you I could never have accomplished any of this" his friend chuckled and ruffled his head pulling him up and into another hug
"No Yugi, this was all you" he looked through the glass and his eyes met Yami's crimson ones who stared at him in shock and awe. Yugi smiled at him, knowing that his darkness could never bring him down again.