Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Do You Dream of Me? ❯ Gift ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-gi-oh, Jou would be shown winning more fights.

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV AVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

Jou and Yugi waited excitedly outside the school gates for Honda to arrive. Finally they saw him, but it looked like things hadn't gone as he had hoped. His shoulders were slumped, and he was looking at the ground.

Jou put his hand on Honda's shoulder when he came up to them. "Sorry, bud. Better luck next time."

"Actually… she didn't turn me down flat. Just said the whole thing with Ms. Crono today had sorta put her off dating for the foreseeable future. And she didn't want to break school rules. But… she said the puzzle was cute." Honda sighed.

Jou clapped him on the shoulder. "There you go, man! Just keep at it, and you'll wear her down."

Another sigh. "I hope."

"Don't think about it, man. I got something to do to take you mind off it. Well? Come on, guys."

Honda and Yugi trailed along behind Jou. Jou had a map, which he referred to often. Wherever he was going, it was someplace he hadn't been before.

Eventually Honda asked where Jou was taking them. Just then, they arrived at a store called the Junky Scorpion. Honda exclaimed, "Too weird!"

Jou was enthusiastic. "They've gotta have what I'm looking for!"

They went in, and Jou soon found it. "Air Muscle! It's the real thing! I gotta have 'em!" He was holding a show, and practically drooling over it.

Honda was not impressed. Going to all this trouble over shoes? What a girly thing to do! Not that he said that out loud. Yugi said that high tech shoes were actually really popular.

Just then they heard a voice. "Hey! Don't touch those! They aren't for sale! Those are incredibly rare. You can't find them anywhere!"

It was an odd man with a beret, dark glasses, many earrings, a goatee and long hair. He was obviously trying to look cool, but Yugi wasn't impressed.

Jou was outraged. "You gotta sell these to me! I came a long way to find this shop!"

"I won't sell these to just anyone! You gotta prove you have the stuff!"

"You gonna sell them or not?" Jou was getting ticked off.

The owner smiled cruelly. "Let's see… How about this… Let's play a little game. See if you have the right stuff."

Jou looked at him like he was probably nuts. "A game?" Echoes of Yami.

The owner took a scorpion out of a box. "This scorpion is more than a mascot: it's a real one with real poison! I'll put it in the sneakers… Now! You got the balls to put your foot in there?"

"Wha…" Joey was shocked. "What is this, Fear Factor?"

Honda and Yugi were yelling at him not to do it. 'But… I've wanted these for ages! And Yami owes me a favor, so he'll heal me if I do get stung, right?'

He took a deep breath. "Daaahh!! I'll show you who's got balls!!" He slammed his foot in the sneaker.

And nothing happened.

The owner clapped. "Heh heh… You pass… Didn't really put a scorpion in. Just teasing you… I wouldn't ruin the sneaker like that!" It seemed like he was laughing at Jou. Yugi was getting a bad feeling about this guy… he nudged Yami.

-You might need to wake up again soon… Is it okay, twice in one day?-

Yes! Getting strong now, from Master's light. :Snuggle:

Yugi smiled, relieved. He was probably jumping at shadows, but years of being picked on had given him a sixth sense of when someone was planning something cruel. 'But I didn't see anything wrong with Ushio…' It wasn't that. He sensed… he looked and saw… threads. The spells Yami had woven? Wow, there were so many, woven together so complexly. Some, brown and grey and purple, clustered into a shield around him. Others, white and blue and red reached out to the people and things around them. Testing them?

The ones near the shopkeeper were writhing angrily. There was a sick black and grey aura surrounding him.

'Wow… Since when could I see stuff like this?' -Are you showing me this, Yami?-

Master has magic as well. Yugi saw his aura through Yami's eyes. White gold, scattering at the edges into a thousand rainbow hues. Glowing brightly, like a sun. Strong… so strong.

-Wow… I have really strong magic? Cool! This is like Harry Potter. Kid with no friends gets magic and lots of friends… Do you know how lucky I am to have you?-

Caring and devotion flooded Yugi. Sensations of warmth and light and soft sheets… heaven.

-Are you still arguing about who the lucky one is? I guess we both are lucky.- :laugh:

Smile.

"Hey, come on Yugi. We're done here." Honda was tugging at his arm. Yugi followed him out of the shop. Yugi followed, not paying attention to Jou's odd behavior. Skipping? Honda's eyebrows were raised. 'It's embarrassing to walk with him…'

-So… what are you like?-

Dark. Not black, but… dark grey. Soft. Like shadows. Shot thought with rainbow lightening, crackling with power. Contained, not wild. And… weak. Weaker than it should be. It should be blinding, but it seemed… sick. Drained. Golden wires encircled it…

-The puzzle?-

Yes. Why not strong. Weakened me to keep me captive. Getting stronger! Freedom wonderful! Gratitude.

-Ahhhh… You're so sweet… I'm the one should be grateful to you, for protecting me. I didn't even know what I was doing, solving the puzzle.-

? ???? Confusion. Only what Master deserves. Self not important.

-NO! You're a person too! You deserve for me to be grateful to you! I owe you, like you owe me. I care about you and value you. You're my friend!-

? Made Master angry? Sorry!

-Do you understand what I said?-

?

Yugi sighed. -I guess it's too much for you right now. I'll be really glad when we can both be capable of thought at the same time, this is really frustrating…-

Regret. Anticipation. A memory: Yami telling Anzu he would teach Yugi magic.

-Cool! Thank you!- :hug:

Happiness.

Yugi returned his attention to the real world… just in time to feel the alarms go off! Yami awoke and turned quickly, blocking some teens from jamming a tire over Jou's head. Jou and Honda came alert as well, and sprang into action. Soon the three attackers were on the ground.

"These must be the Muscle Hunters the guy was talking about." Jou said, panting.

"Muscle Hunters?" Yami asked.

"Oh, it's you. Thanks for saving my butt." Jou said sheepishly.

"It was nothing. I still consider myself in you debt, Jounouchi-sama." Yami bowed.

"It's okay. You can call me Jou like everyone else."

Yami's eyes widened. "I thank you for considering me enough of a friend to be informal, but I cannot."

Jou was confused. "Why not?"

"You are Master's friend, and hence a person of high importance. I am only his possession. I do not deserve to address you informally. I must give you the honor you deserve." Yami bowed. "I regret I cannot fulfill your request, Jounouchi-sama. Normally I would do what you ask of me, as I owe you, but I cannot take that liberty."

"Um… okay, man." Jou's eyes were still wide. He looked at Honda. A possession… the spirit saw himself as a slave? Or… a thing? Owned by Yugi, like the puzzle that contained him…

Yami changed the subject. "So, what should we do with these three?" He gestured to their attackers, who were trying to crawl away. Yami gestured, and chains of shadow bound them.

"Oh please… just let us go!" One pleaded.

"We were just trying to make some money… the shopkeeper, he's the one who's responsible…" Another babbled.

"What!" Jou yelled. "That bastard…"

Yami's eyes narrowed. "Jounouchi-sama, would you yield your right of retribution to me? I would like to repay that man for his treachery. It is the least I can do to repay you." He bowed.

"Wha… I guess, but what should we do with these guys?" Jou pointed at the bound ones, who were being seriously weirded out by the moving shadows that held them down. One was whimpering.

Yami smiled. "I think they've had enough of a scare put into them. They were only minions, not the source of the evil, and they fought fairly. Something to prevent further misdeeds should be sufficient. Agreed?"

Honda nodded, and so did Jou. Yami walked over to the boys.

"Hear me now…" He intoned, and they quailed at his gaze. "For the crimes you have committed against others, and attempted to commit against those it is my duty and pleasure to guard, let every blow you strike by felt by yourself as well, unless your heart is free from darkness."

He waved his hand, and darkness shot through with strange light covered them, and then it, and their bonds, were gone. A second later, so were they.

Yami turned and bowed, then darkness covered him and he was gone.

VAVAVAVAVAV

The shopkeeper was worried. 'Those boys should be here by now with my sneakers…' The bell over the door dinged, he turned with a sarcastic question on his lips, only to be confronted with a level gaze from one of the kids who had accompanied the idiot who'd bought the sneakers earlier.

Finally the kid spoke. "I see. Those sneakers are just a way to make money…"

"Get out of here, kid! Didn't you see the sign? We're closed!" The shopkeeper was worried.

"I know that you paid the 'Hunters' to steal sneakers. What will you do?" A slight smile. A smirk, really.

The shopkeeper started to deny it, but he only got one word out before realizing it wouldn't work. This wasn't the kind of person you could bluff. "Look… how 'bout I give you your own pair of sneakers? What size?" He turned to rummage among the shelves. And pull something out of a box.

"Seven should do it."

The man turned and raised an eyebrow. "Seven? That's way too small for you."

"They wouldn't be for me."

"Alright, seven it is." The man opened the box, took out the shoes… and slipped something inside them. He held them out to Yami. "Here, take them! They're yours!" 'When you reach for these sneakers, all you'll get is a poison sting…'

Yami reached out his hand… and dropped coins in one of the sneakers. The one with the scorpion.

"W…What?! Why did you put coins in the sneaker?!"

A laugh. The owner was worried now. Things weren't right.

"It's a game! Just like your test of courage! Only this time there is a scorpion in that sneaker!"

"Uh…!" The shopkeeper was speechless.

"The rules are simple! There are ten coins in this sneaker. We'll take turns pulling out coins and hoping your scorpion doesn't sting us. The person who takes the most coins wins!"

'What… What is this brat…?!' The brat's smirk deepened, almost as if he had heard that… He shook his head. He couldn't let this kid psych him out. "I'll take your challenge. But on one condition! If I win, you owe my 100,000 yen for each coin! I'm a business-man, after all!"

"Okay! 100,000 yen for each coin! On the other hand, if I win… all I want are these sneakers."

The owner laid the sneaker on a table. 'Urk… The mouth of the sneaker looks like the jaws of a shark…"

"Then I'll go first!" Yami said. As his hand lowered slowly he felt a flash of worry from his Master. He smiled at his Master's sweet concern, and sent him a feeling of confidence. He knew how to deal with scorpions… and the owner would act as Yami had predicted. In a shadow game, one is bound to act according to one's nature…

He reached in slowly, and took out a coin. "One down…"

The owner was disappointed. He couldn't trust the scorpion not to sting him… "Now, it's my turn. One question! As long as you stick you hand in the shoe to grab the coins, anything goes, right?!"

Yami smiled. The end was near. "Yeah."

"I see… If that's the case… HYAAA!" The owner plunged a knife into the sneaker. "Then this goes too! Too bad scorpion, but if you're dead, I can take all the coins at once!" And he did so. But… his hand didn't come out.

"Ha Haa! This game is mine!! Pay up kid!!" He yelled.

"You got greedy and took a fistful of coins… and now…

'My hand's stuck!'

"And is the scorpion really dead?"

A shuffling sound… and a scream came from the shop.

"In the shadow games, those with weak hearts always lose! If you had any love for your scorpion or your sneakers, I couldn't have foretold how this game would turn out." He sighed.

His Master was sad… he regretted causing that. He hoped the gift he had one would make up for it… he gently took the scorpion out of the sneakers and put it back in its box. Then he fixed the sneaker, took the other, and teleported back to Jou and Honda.

"Wha!!? Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry, Jounouchi-sama." Yami bowed. "I have dealt with the shopkeeper. I have a question. Are these good shoes?" He held out the sneakers.

"Um… yes, they're cool. How'd you get them?"

"I won them." He looked down at them, lost at thought.

"What's up?" Yami had a strange look in his eye, sad, but not really… just… strange.

"I was just thinking… these are the only things that have been mine for as long as I can remember. I am glad to have them, so I can give them to Master. They're a poor gift, he deserves so much more, but…" Yami sighed. "They're the best I can do. Goodbye, Jounouchi-sama, Honda-sama." He bowed, and when he straightened, his eyes were purple.

Yugi bent down, with a soft expression in his eyes, and began to put the shoes on. Jou and Honda waited until he had finished. He sat looking at the shoes a long time, an odd expression on his face. Caring… and sad.

He stood up, and the three of them went home.

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV AVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

SilverWing147: Thanks! And he is, isn't he.

Chibi Pharaoh Yami: Y&Y=Kawaii. And thanks! I hope you like this!

Writer of the night: O.O I write until I am done with the shadow game. Somehow, they have all ended up the same length, except for that one that was really two chapters mashed together. Sorry!

Hikari Hiei (): Negation is saying no. Sorry, I use big words. And I agree with both statements.

Koishii no tenshi: I love cuteness, and thanks for the listing!

Demonandgoddess: Wow! You reviewed every single chappie on Mediaminer! Thanks a ton!

Cherazz22784: Yes, she is horrid. And you're welcome.

Flowers: Thanks, and here you go!

Chigiri: Thanks for saying you like my portrayal!

Amber Eyes: I've decided to have them talk about when Shadi shows up.

Flowacat: Yes… so sad.

Silvershadowfire: When I first read your review, I went WTF? Then I read my review responses… I didn't mean I was going to end the story then, I meant I was going to end the Yugi-not-knowing-Yami-really-loves-him then. Sorry for the confusion. As I said earlier, this and Devotion are going to be my epics. They will go on indefinitely. I already have Monster World planned out. And I know, I know…

Strega: I love this review! I like things I get to rant about. I said Yami is a simple character because he has simple motivations. You said he had a complex character because he has conflicting traits. We are both right. He has one priority: Yugi, but fulfilling that mission leads him to develop interesting traits. He is definitely not two-dimensional. He views Yugi as perfect because he is Yami's savior: whatever traits he had, Yami would approve of. Notice how he goes from disliking modesty to approving of it. And he isn't sweet because sweet doesn't protect his precious Master. His pride… he wants to be worthy of Yugi: he's the only protector of the most important being, so he has to have some worth to be worthy of the position: so he gets pride from the association. He would never submit to another: no one else is worthy of the same respect as Yugi. I agree with everything you said. You did not mess up in writing that review. Write more! I love you!

Amarin Rose: You do?! Thanks!

Sylvia Viridian: Yes, he can. But he isn't really stupid… read Devotion for my view on him.

Angel Reaper: I explained things in previous responses. I am doing all the games, and I will do my theory on Shadi when he shows up.

Fairy-of-Fortune: Wow. Overloading on compliments.

Lily Maxwell the Dark Angel: Actually, I've only seen the first four episodes of the fist series subbed. This is based of the manga. And I won't rush, I promise!

Pharaoh Atemu's Angel: My 100th review! Love you!

Aislynn Goldleaf: Yu-gi-oh is not a kids series! Read the manga! Or watch the episode in which people get eaten alive!!!!

Osiris-Lee: Um… can't give too much away. You're going to have to wait, sorry.

Yami Youkai: Yes, I like the way they sort of talk too. And they will keep it up! And they will trust him eventually. They already mostly do… they're just cautious. And wouldn't you be?

Authoress formerly known as Liz: Thanks!