Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Do You Dream of Me? ❯ Chapter 32

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-gi-oh. Do own three Cosmo Queen cards which I love to pieces.

 

I was an idiot and forgot to bring the Shonen Jumps with the manga I needed to do this the regular way home while visiting my family. Sorry to manga fans who wanted to see me do their favorite bit. In order to still update, I'm going to have to wing it. And this was where the plan said it would get more AU in any case, so it should be okay.

 

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The exhausted Yugi fell into warm arms. What… Yami?

 

Yes, Master. I am sorry, I should have been more alert so you did not need to tire yourself.

 

No, you needed to rest up after standing guard over me all night… Yugi felt a surge of energy as Yami carefully helped him recover. Wait a minute. He opened his eyes. “Yami?” So… Yami was holding him for real, not just inside his mind?!

 

Wonderful!

 

“Yes, Master?” Those concerned ruby orbs looked at him. To hear his voice for real, to be in his arms for real, to have him here…

 

“You told me you separated to protect Grandpa.” Yugi could stand now, but he wanted to just rest here as long as he could. “Why haven't you done this before?”

 

A blink. “You did not need me to before. And this is not something I like to do, Master.”

 

“…What?” Yami didn't want to hold him? Yugi felt hurt, but then he noticed what the sight Yami had taught him to use showed him. “You're drawing power to do this… from the Puzzle?”

 

A mournful nod. “I am not yet strong enough, Master.”

 

To have the Puzzle's power running through the veins of that borrowed body… now he was paying attention, Yugi could feel Yami shake slightly in a way not caused by holding Yugi's slight weight. “Thank you, Yami.”

 

It must be reminding him of his time in the Puzzle, forcing him to confront what he stayed in Yugi's Soul Room to avoid. It must be terrifying him…

 

And it showed in the back of eyes that should never have known fear, but only in the very back. Trauma and agony far overshadowed by concern and… love?

 

Here he was in Yami's arms, being held, with an expression like that on his face… it was a dream come true. There was more there than devotion to a savior, Yugi was sure of it. He reached up to touch Yami's face… and then he realized. He jumped to his feet. “Go back?”

 

Yami blinked. “Gladly, Master, but why? I see the games so far in your memory, and it might be better for you to have another by your side.”

 

“Go back before…” Yugi bit the sentence off. Cameras. Cameras everywhere here. Kaiba was watching. Kaiba had seen Yami, overheard that conversation. He tried to go over exactly what he had said in that daze induced by exhaustion and, let's face it, hormones.

 

Touching him for real had been so different from only doing so in his mind.

 

“It's too late, Yugi.” Kaiba's face appeared on screens, grinning that same calculating, sadistic grin. “Yami, is it? Welcome to Death-T, my real opponent.”

 

Yugi flinched. Kaiba knew. What was he going to do? And… real opponent?

 

Yami had been the one to duel Kaiba. Did that mean this whole thing…

 

“All the games so far, and the next one, were just to draw out by endangering those you seem to care about. An ancient spirit! Finally, a worthy opponent!” Kaiba laughed like crazy. “You gave me the extreme game I always wanted. You showed me a magic that even my technical genius can only produce a sad copy of! You showed me power, the power of games! I will have that power, Yami! Darkness.” A half smile. “How appropriate for the dark side of gaming. Magical talismans created by darkest murder… and the legends say power unimaginable goes to the one who gains them all. I got all the Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards. Their power now belongs to me and me alone! And I will get all the Millennium Items!”

 

Yami stared. “You… actually wish… they are poison!”

 

Kaiba laughed. “They are power, and I will have it! I will have what Gozaburo tried to deny me! Look!” And he held out a golden scepter. “The Millennium Rod. The previous owner used it to control minds… but he didn't think to take control of my agent. A sleeping potion in his drink… and the first goes to me! He was easy to defeat in a duel without his Item and off guard! I already know of where two others besides your Puzzle are, and I will get my hands on them, though it is proving more difficult.” A wild grin. “I'll need more power to fight mind-reading and seeing the future. But I will win, Yami.”

 

“You're not taking the Puzzle!” Yugi grasped it protectively. “You can't! Yami will…” He bit it back. He shouldn't expose any more weaknesses than he already had. Poker face, that was the way to play any game.

 

“You are a fool, Kaiba. The power you seek does not rest in the items, but in your own heart and those of your cards. You feel it, do you not? A connection to the Blue Eyes, why you feel so enraged it `betrayed' you to side with me. It did it to aid you, I am sure of it. So you would find that power. I gave you not a punishment as I have dealt out to so many others, but a lesson.” Yami did not think Kaiba would listen to this now, but after he faced him again… Kaiba had it in him to learn, he was sure of it.

 

Another defeat, another lesson… He had beaten Shadi with two Millennium Items, surely one would not be that much harder? Would it even lend its power to Kaiba?

 

…it would, Yami knew.

 

Millennium Items on both sides, shadow magic on both sides… why did this feel so right? Why was it almost impossible to hate Kaiba?

 

“I will defeat you, Yami! I will be the greatest gamer in the world!” Kaiba gloated. “Your Master will be me, not that useless squirt you had to coach through those easy games!”

 

“He didn't coach me!” Yugi was enraged now.

 

Yami's eyes narrowed. “I did not. I slept to gather my strength. I trust my Master. He knows what you do not. You think the Items will mean you do not have to learn. You want to rely on the power of others? That is weakness. To face your games without and with his friends by his side, that is strength!”

 

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. “I will defeat you!” Why did this seem so familiar? Something in him wanted to tell Mokuba to cancel his match, ignore the rest of Death-T, just bring Yami to him now! Before anything could happen. He needed this duel. His hand stroked the Rod, a habit he had picked up quickly. “A Game Master like you should only serve one greater, not a kid! I will not let you bow down to anyone else but me!”

 

Yami laughed, and the laugh had a dark edge that to Yugi showed the scars of Yami's torment. “You would fight the Items then?”

 

A blink. “What?”

 

“I am their prisoner. Once, I had power. Now? I have no memories, only my skills and magic and the one whose light was great enough to draw me out of the darkness. Your light is not great enough, Kaiba. I would return to the Puzzle and I would be destroyed before I let that happen.” Yami nodded firmly. “Can you face what you choose to rely on? They will use you, Kaiba. As they use me for I know not what.”

 

Yugi's friends in the room and Mokuba in the command room where Kaiba was sitting silently watched the exchange.

 

Mokuba's head was spinning. Magic? Magic Items? But they had made Kaiba alive again. Made him work on Kaiba Land with new vigor. Helped him fulfill his promise.

 

If Kaiba wanted that shiny gold thing around Yugi's neck, Mokuba would make sure he got it.

 

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. “Once you are mine, genie, then I'll learn your lessons. Now? I will defeat you and claim my prize.”

 

Yugi stared. “Genie?” …the idea had never occurred to him, but now he thought about it… Egypt was in the area the taled of Genies came from… Had Yami never been human? Or like in the movie… Imprisoned in a talisman.

 

Yami had been human. He was sure of it. Even if this all was fantastical.

 

“You will not defeat me.” Yami laughed. “Not even in my reduced state. Not when you still have so much to learn.”

 

Kaiba smiled that smile again. “We'll see, Yami. One more game and then you face me. It will be a duel unlike any other.” And the screens went black.

 

“…perhaps. Yet somehow I have the feeling it will be a duel like many…Seth.” Yami turned back to Yugi. “Should I return to the Puzzle and let you face the last game?”

 

Yugi thought. “I want to duel Kaiba now. Saying those things about me… and he'll never take you! But we should duel him together.” Leaving aside other things he wanted to do together with Yami… he really was beautiful. He even made a school uniform look exotic and hot. “Maybe you should warm up?” He smiled and hugged Yami, who stood almost a foot taller than him yet still didn't make him feel little. “I know you love to game, so you can have the next one by yourself.”

 

Yami smiled, hugging him back. “I am proud to be your champion, my Light and my Master.” A brief kiss to his hair.

 

“I'll watch and cheer you on.” Yugi left those arms reluctantly. He wanted to ask Yami to manifest more, but… not until he could do it without the Puzzle. He didn't want to see darkness in those ruby shadowed eyes when he looked at him. “You can use my body.”

 

“Hold on a sec,” Jou interjected. “If he's got his own body, than why has he been using yours all the time?”

 

Yami looked at Yugi, who sighed. “He's having to use the Puzzle, Jou. He's not strong enough not to. And it makes him remember. And I don't want him to be indebted to it. You remember Shadi.”

 

Jou shivered. “That was really creepy at the end there. Completely psycho. I have to hand it to you Yami, you don't use Yugi as a… as a puppet, you know? Even if you do possess him”

 

Anzu whapped him on the back of the head. “What he means is, you're our friend.”

 

Yami's eyebrow rose. “I thought you did not trust me for Yugi-dono's sake, Mazaki-sama.”

 

Anzu, Jou, and Honda looked at each other. Finally Honda shrugged. “You got to trust people sometime. And you've really helped us out a lot. So you're our friend?”

 

“I am not wor…” Yugi elbowed him.

 

Say yes!

 

But I am not worthy…

 

They're my friends and yours too!

 

They are your friends, Master.

 

And yours too. You're not a slave, Yami. I know you want to be mine, but you're my friend and my equal. Maybe when Yami was reminded of the Puzzle's power was not the best time to remind him Yugi was just as helpless against the Puzzle as Yami was. I want you to be their friend.

 

Jou, Anzu and Honda were looking from Yami's eyes to Yugi's, as they quickly figured out they were talking. About what?

 

“I… thank you for the honor of your friendship, Jounouchi-sama, Mazaki-sama, and Hiroto-sama.” Yami bowed to each of them.

 

“What's going on?!” Johji yelled, kicking his legs and waving his arms in Honda's back carrying thing.

 

“Ow!” The flailing limbs were hitting and kicking Honda. “None of your business!”

 

“At least he was quiet through most of that,” Anzu said, looking on the bright side. Another part of that bright side was that she wasn't carrying the brat.

 

“May I return now, Master?” Yami looked at Yugi with pleading eyes. He missed the light and warmth so much already, though he could sense it looking at Yugi. Such a bright soul…

 

Yugi held out his arms. “You're always welcome.”

 

Yami walked into his arms and rested his chin on the top of Yugi's head before disappearing.