Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Do You Dream of Me? ❯ Test ( Chapter 20 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh, or Shonen Jump would be paying me for this, or ceasing to pay me given how much I haven't done.

 

I'd like to thank just-heike, who added the 500th story to my Y/Y C2 archive, the Pharaoh's Rule. She requested I do her gift-fic centered around the `love tester' chapter, Duel 41, in the manga. Now, rewriting the manga is what I'm doing in DYDOM. Duel 21 is the next chapter, technically, but much of what is in between is Death-T, which I'm actually seeing get done pretty quick. And this entire thing is AU, so I have no problem switching these 2 chapters and doing the love tester instead of the digital pet now. I'll probably do the pet next week, to try to stay in order. Also, just-heike? You were just a little off about the manga. The teacher took Yugi's tester, and then Yami was holding Anzu's when it and Yugi's programmed one beeped.

 

Okay… here goes. I'd really like feedback on this, as I'm really trying to catch up to where I was now instead of doing semi-filler. Thank you!

 

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

 

Yugi knew he was acting like a kid, enthusiastic and jumping around, but, well…

 

It was annoying when people thought he was a kid because of his height, but these were his friends, and his Grandpa, and his Grandpa's friend. They wouldn't make fun of him. And Grandpa would probably always see him as a kid.

 

Up until Yugi's puzzle became a memento of him for real.

 

Tonight… had been really scary. Yami terrified, so afraid of being taken away, seeing… or hearing, or talking to the Items, which had done this to him… so angry on Yami's behalf.

 

So afraid for him. He'd wanted to fight, wanted to help, but Yami had known he couldn't win, been willing to be taken away again rather than see Yugi be punished by them.

 

Tortured by them.

 

Yami was huddled up in the bed in his soul room now, cuddling one of the stuffed animals, body all covered by the blankets. Yugi had put him to bed that way: it had almost made him feel safer to be hidden, even so obviously, back when he was really a kid instead of just looking like one.

 

But Yami hadn't been able to rest peacefully while Yugi was seething, angry and afraid and relieved. So, he had to calm down, cheer up for him. And for everyone else. And it was easy to be cheerful, now that Yami had calmed and he could feel his contented sleep again.

 

This whole thing had seemed… sort of like a game, a harmless one. He'd saved Yami and Yami would save him and always win. Yugi was used to always winning at most games. And they'd won today.

 

But someday they might lose.

 

So he acted like a kid, cheering them all up, until they got to a burger joint. Sugoroku paid, they got the burgers, and they took them to the deserted patio outside.

 

Yugi wondered if now was maybe the time to tell them things, but they all started eating, and so he did to. He gobbled down two burgers, at first not feeling hungry and then realizing he was ravenous. Fries were passed around and people got up to refill drinks, but then, finally, everything was eaten and there wasn't really any excuse left for him to not talk, for them not to listen, and for them all to pretend it was over.

 

They were not looking at him, in a way that he meant knew they were all focused on him, waiting for him to start talking. So he did.

 

“Grandpa, you know you gave me the puzzle?” he began, trying to find words.

 

Sugoroku nodded. “I found it in Egypt, when I was younger.”

 

“You told me some archeologists found it and all died.” Yugi was confused.

 

Sugoroku laughed. “I just told you that to scare you into letting me have it back. It is worth a lot of money as a museum exhibit, you know.”

 

Yoshimori nodded. “I think Kanekura was planning to sell it on the black market. There were papers scattered all over his desk when he was found dead, and a man lying unconscious outside his door. The police haven't released his name yet, but I remember seeing him at the museum several times.”

 

Yugi shuddered, a hand instinctively grabbing the puzzle, and his mind soothing Yami as he almost awoke at the twinge of fear. No. No one will take Yami away.

 

“I think this that man was the one who killed him.” Yoshimori held his head in his hands.

 

Yugi nodded. Shadi had probably killed him before brining him the puzzle back. His hand tightened on it.

 

Jou and Anzu exchanged a glance at that. They'd both seen. They knew Yami was important to Yugi, that Yugi really cared about him, but… they thought Yami was a good guy, but if he wasn't, Yugi was really leaving himself open here, vulnerable here. To someone pretty dangerous.

 

They would trust Yugi's judgment, but they would keep an eye out. A silent agreement passed between them.

 

Yugi knew he had to say something, though, “There's a spirit inside here. He doesn't know what his name was, doesn't really remember anything except how to do things. Like magic, and gaming… it was… hurting him.” He gulped, and continued, “Really bad. For a really long time. But, when I solved the puzzle, it stopped.” He smiled a little. Even with all this, what he had done for Yami, even if he didn't know at the time made him happy. “And he's really grateful, and he's watched over me since then.”

 

“Magic…” Yoshimori muttered. “There are… legends, about a dynasty around 3000 years ago. They were even more divine than most Pharaohs, they could summon the servants of the gods and there was one who could even summon the gods themselves, with the help of sacred talismans that the gods bestowed upon them to save the country from invasion. They held off the tribes for another 50 years or so, but when the third pharaoh died, they managed to conquer Egypt and erased all the traces they could. There's so little to go on… carvings of mythical creatures hidden away… there is a Dr. Arthur Hopkins who is a friend of Sugoroku's who has some very wild theories…” Yoshimori shut up. This was how he'd gone wrong. All the mysteries, the myths and legends that had sucked him into valuing the past over the present, long-dead strangers over his living family.

 

He wanted to help. But he wanted to just go home… too much had happened today.

 

Yugi looked to Sugoroku, who nodded. “I have a few of his books that I can give you… he feels certain that the monsters were real. Maximillian Pegasus, the creator of Duel Monsters, which is called Magic & Wizards here in Japan, actually based a lot of the game on his theories, and some digs of his own.”

 

“Duel Monsters?” Yugi breathed. “Yami… he summoned monsters. Like the ones in the cards. For real. He remembers doing it before… before the puzzle trapped him.”

 

Anzu looked at her watch. Sugoroku noticed, and stood up. “Well, Yugi, Anzu, Jou, we'd best get you home. It's getting quite late, and I think this is something best talked about after we've all gotten a good night's rest.”

 

Yoshimori stood as well, adding, “I will look in the archives and see what I can pull together. And Arthur Hopkins should be easy to get a hold of, depending on how much we tell him.”

 

Sugoroku shook his head. This was something that should probably stay as much a secret as possible, and Arthur was a good friend but he never knew when to be quiet about a discovery. If he wasn't a genius in the field, between his `crack-pot' theories and tendency to leak details he would never have been able to get tenure. “Thank you, Yoshimori.”

 

Yoshimori shrugged. “Should we look at our schedules and decide when we should get together again? Perhaps in a week?” He needed time to do the research… he needed time.

 

They all nodded.

 

“Good night then.” Sugoroku shook his hand. “Now, let's get you all home.”

 

They dropped Anzu off in the suburbs and Jou outside the apartment complex, and then Sugoroku put Yugi to bed.

 

And Yugi slipped into the bed in his soul room, and just held Yami. He needed this, needed to know that he was safe here, in his light and in his arms.

 

In the morning, Sugoroku gave Yugi a packed lunch and let him sleep in a little. Yugi hugged him before he went to school, and Sugoroku hugged him goodbye, smiling.

 

Did Grandpa know something he didn't know? But there was no time to ask, and he didn't want to know right now. They were safe for right now. He wanted a nice, normal day.

 

They met up outside the school, well before the bell ring, and Anzu cheerfully announced she had something for them all: little heart-shaped gadgets. “They're called `lovely two!' They're portable love testers! You type in your name, birthday, and blood type! I don't know how the program works, but it creates a special waveform from your personal data. Then you go around and press the button. If you're next to another person with a `Lovely Two,' and they've got the same waveform as you, then both `lovely twos' make a noise like a little bell ringing! When that happens, you're supposed to be perfect for each other!”

 

Jou and Honda rolled their eyes, and pocketed theirs without bothering to program them, but Yugi, always intrigued by a new game, programmed his and pressed the button. No noise. Anzu shrugged. “We better as friends, anyways.”

 

Yugi smiled, nodding.

 

Then the three boys ran in. Today was the day the achievement test scores were released! “Yugi! Honda! This is the war to settle the score!” Jou called out, holding his bingo card.

 

“You got it!” Honda agreed.

 

“I call it, the Achievement test bingo game!” Yugi said, psyched.

 

They colored in squares on their bingo cards based on the test scores while Anzu looked at them, now sure they were insane.

 

Jou growled. “Darn! Not even one line!”

 

Yugi cheered, “All right! I got three lines!”

 

“I got one…” Honda said, smiling at the card.

 

Yugi nodded. “Just like we promised, Jou has to buy three burgers for me and two for Honda!”

 

“No prob! I'll take it like a man.”

 

“You never lose, do you?” Honda commented, smiling at Yugi with an eyebrow raised.

 

“Are you three having fun?!!” Tsuruoka, the guidance counselor suddenly came up to them, and started yelling at them about their low rankings on the test.

 

“You three stooges!” he finished, then noticed something. The “lovely two!”

 

He took it, saying that he was a teacher and superior to slackers like them it was his right to do whatever he wanted with it, even though it was allowed at school, and was about to step on it, when Yami roused to defend Master's possession and Mazaki-sama's gift.

 

“We have skills! Skills you could never match! I never lose a game!”

 

As the counselor stared at the timid Yugi suddenly becoming so forceful, Jou and Anzu watched closely, and Honda watched them. Had something happened while they were at the museum?

 

“Is that so?” Tsuruoka said in a mocking tone, recovering himself. “Then why don't we play a game, eh?”

 

Yami was not impressed with the teachers here. First the Chono person had plotted to expel Honda-sama over a love letter, and now this person threatened to expel Master, Jounouchi-sama and Honda-sama if he did not find the game within an hour, after this person had half an hour to hide it on campus.

 

No problem. The device searched for those who were similar to Master, it said in Master's memories, those who loved and cared for Master. He was never Master's equal, but none could match his devotion. Master smiled happily at that, and Yami inwardly cheered, happy that Master did not feel the sentiment was above Yami's station.

 

When the 30 minutes were up, Anzu offered him her device. Yami shook his head. “You have already programmed it, and I would not wish to waste your work, Mazaki-sama. Honda-sama, Jounouchi-sama, might I borrow one of yours?”

 

Honda whistled, not wanting to hand his over. He'd seen a classmate giving Miho one, and he was still hoping…

 

“Sure.” Jou nodded, handing his over.

 

Yami bowed his thanks, and answered the questions. A fool like that, thinking he could use a game against him… he had set his own undoing in the game, for with the Shadow magic a game could be nothing but fair.

 

The fool had no confidence, to batter children down so to soothe his own ego. The other device would be with him. But where could he have gone?

 

To use magic to find him would be unfair, like to find the device with magic, though he easily could. He looked for a while, then Master suggested a place where a Teacher might go and not fear students entering. Wise Master… Yami sent his thanks.

 

“You can't come in here! This is the teacher's lounge! Students aren't allowed!” Tsuruoka yelled, clearly panicking.

 

Yami measured the distance to him with his eyes. Four cubits. Within, according to Mazaki-sama, the device's range. He smiled. “I do not need to.” He pressed the button.

 

Bibeep

 

Bibeep

 

Bibeep

 

The bell-like sound rang out, coming from Tsuruoka. Yami smiled as Tsuruoka panicked.

 

Jou and Honda followed the noise up to the teacher. After all, they didn't want to be expelled either… and grinned as they tackeled him and pulled off his wig.

 

Bibeep

 

“Please don't tell anyone my secret!” Tsuruoka begged, and Yami stayed his hand. No need for a Shadow Game: fear for his vanity would keep the fool in line.

 

Yami ceased pressing the button on his device and the noise stopped at Jounouchi-sama handed Master's back to him and he handed the one he had borrowed back to Jounouchi-sama, after erasing it. “Thank you, Jounouchi-sama.” He bowed, smiling.

 

They suspected him, for Master's sake, but they all sprang to his aid, as well as Master's. Friendship… he smiled, returning to the light of Master's soul, as Master regained his body and yelled, “Yatta!”