Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Do You Dream of Me? ❯ Chapter 41

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh.

 

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“So, what you're saying is,” Jou summed it up, “About five thousand years there was this Pharaoh with the power of the gods who inherited these really freaking powerful talismans from his dad. This big evil attacks, and the Pharaoh sacrifices himself and his name to seal it away. Then the High Priest, who was his cousin, gets the throne and carves these big tablets so people will remember the Pharaoh? Didn't work really well, did it?”

 

Seth grimaced.

 

Professor Hopkins nodded. “That's right, young man. Everything else has been lost. There is one legend that says his name was Kkwy, which means darkness, but that's probably apocryphal.”

 

“Darkness?”

 

“Yami?” Yugi looked excited.

 

“Yes, Yami is Japanese for darkness, isn't it? There might be more to that legend than I thought.” Professor Hopkins looked thoughtful.

 

“Kkwy,” Yami said experimentally.

 

Seth shook his head. “That's not your name.”

 

Yami sighed. “I know. But Yami is my name now.”

 

“If you are indeed the High Priest, then your name was Seth,” Professor Hopkins said to him.

 

Seth nodded. “I know. Everything else you have said feels true. Thank you for coming to tell my friend this.” He turned to Yugi and the others. “Thank you for inviting me. Please forgive Seto for his actions. He was not himself. He had not been himself for a long time.”

 

Mokuba nodded. “That's right. My brother isn't like that. Well, he was, but he won't be again. I won't let him.” Seth wouldn't either, but still. Seto was Mokuba's big brother. He had to help look after him to make up for how much Seth had needed to give up to look after Mokuba.

 

Seth smiled down at Mokuba and squeezed him briefly. “You will not, little cat.”

 

“Quit it with the cat stuff.” Mokuba pouted. “If you have to call me an animal, I can be a little lion. Kittens are for girls.”

 

Anzu folded her arms. “And what's wrong with girls?”

 

“I'm not one.”

 

“Good save.” Jou gave him a thumbs up. “Anzu's got a good arm on her.”

 

“She wouldn't dare punch me! Seth wouldn't let her get away with it. Right, Seth?” Mokuba grinned up at him.

 

“It would depend on the provocation.” Seth smiled back. “Far be it from me to prevent you from learning lessons.”

 

“You mean you'd let her hit me?” Wrong answer.

 

“If you deserved it.” Seth nodded. “Saying girls are worthy of being considered sacred cats is not something that would deserve it. Remember? The shadow punishment is helping your brother.” Seth touched his hand to his, no, Seto's heart. “Lessons must be learned.”

 

Mokuba frowned thoughtfully. “I guess.”

 

“If someone attacked you, well.” Seth smirked. “It would be Seto's right to deal with that. I would simply give him my power and my suggestions.”

 

Mokuba nodded, satisfied. “That's better.”

 

“It's getting pretty late.” Jou stood up. “You'd better head home, Anzu.”

 

She checked her cell phone. “Oh my gosh! Mom's going to kill me if I walk home this late. I'm going to need a ride.” She looked around hopefully.

 

Jou pulled her up. “Come on, I'll walk you home.” They could talk on the way.

 

She nodded, understanding. “See you tomorrow, Yugi.”

 

“Bye, Yugi.” Jou waved.

 

Yugi smiled at them. “Meet up at the arcade at noon?”

 

“Sure. Are you going to bring Yami?”

 

“Of course I'm bringing Yami.” Yugi touched the puzzle around his neck to reassure himself.

 

“No, not like that. I mean, is he going to be there in his own body? Because people are going to wonder if you show up with a twin out of the blue one day,” Jou pointed out.

 

“Oh. No.” Yugi sighed and leaned against Yami. “Having his own body is tiring. He won't be able to do it again until a few days from now, not and have enough reserves in case anything happens.”

 

Yami nodded. “I would like to play those games with you another time.”

 

Jou laughed. “You're all about the games. Maybe Yugi will let you take over for a few rounds of something?”

 

Yami looked at Yugi, who smiled. “Sure!”

 

“So we'll see you both tomorrow then, and you can cheer me on at DDR.” Anzu smiled and waved goodbye as the two of them went out into the night.

 

Sugoroku yawned. “I think those kids have the right idea. I'm an old man who should have been in bed hours ago, especially after the day I had yesterday. Should we call it a night?”

 

Professor Hopkins nodded. “I still have jet lag, and I've been talking for hours. It's been good to see you, old friend, but I think we should say goodbye for now.” The old friends embraced and Professor Hopkins headed for the door. “Coming, Professor Yoshimori?”

 

He nodded. “I'll drop you off at the hotel and then go home to my family. Motou, you're invited to the conference that's going on now, I'll register you as a guest. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.”

 

“I'd love to come. I can have Yugi watch the shop so I don't miss any lectures.” Sugoroku smiled. “Good night, Professor Yoshimori.”

 

“Good night.”

 

Seth gracefully stood up and Mokuba pushed himself out of the big armchair to join him. “We should go too. It's past Mokuba's bedtime.”

 

Mokuba looked outraged. “I don't have a bedtime!”

 

“Yes. And that's probably why your grades have been slipping. Two Bs? You're Seto Kaiba's brother, you can do better than that.” Seth nodded firmly. “You're going to bed at ten at the latest.”

 

“Did Seto say that?” Mokuba tried to find a way out of it.

 

“No, he's busy, but if you show that you do fine with a bedtime of ten maybe he won't make it nine.”

 

Mokuba grimaced. “Good point.”

 

“You've got that spelling test the day after tomorrow, and I know you haven't studied at all.”

 

“I've been busy helping Seto with Death-T and then helping you out.”

 

“I know.” Seth patted Mokuba's hair. “That's why I'm going to help you study tomorrow.”

 

“Really?” Mokuba looked excited.

 

Seth smiled tenderly. “Really. Then I'll play Capsule Monster Chess with you.”

 

“You promise?” Mokuba looked a little suspicious.

 

“I promise.”

 

Sugoroku remembered getting Yugi to study with games of Magic and Wizards, or Duel Monsters as it was now called. This Seth was a nice young man, for an ancient spirit. He seemed almost familiar. No, that was just déjà vu. “Good night, you two. Or three.”

 

Seth looked up. “Seto apologizes.”

 

“Apology accepted.”

 

“I will tell him that.” A nod of approval. “I hope you are willing to duel him again in the future.”

 

“Duel the Champion? Sure.”

 

“Champion?” Seth looked at Yami. “He is still the official champion, as Death-T wasn't an official duel. But that duel was televised.”

 

Yugi grimaced. “I've had to stay inside all day. Reporters. But they left at five.”

 

Seth frowned. “You send Yami to answer the door when we could have been reporters?”

 

“He sensed it was you.” Yugi shrugged. “He was eager to see you again.”

 

“I was.” Yami smiled at Seth. “May we have that duel another day? Ma… Yugi is tired. We stayed up talking last night.”

 

“I also need to wait on that duel. Until Seto has finished his heart. Then it will be the two of us against the two of you.” A smirk. “We'll see how long your winning streak lasts.”

 

“According to what was said tonight, it has lasted over five thousand years.” Yami laughed, Yugi and then Seth joining him.

 

“Eternal rivals,” Seth said seriously. It was a promise, a vow.

 

Yami nodded, understanding the gravity of the statement. “Eternal.”

 

Mokuba was studying them as they talked. He made a mental note to talk to Jou and Anzu, Honda to. They knew Yami, and he might learn something. He wasn't sure he liked how Seth felt about Yami.

 

As long as his first priority was Seto, that was fine. So he would ask how loyal Yami was to Yugi. Seto's research had dug up a lot of times that Yami had defended Yugi with magic, and Seth was defending Seto.

 

But Seth had never called Seto Master. Not that Yugi was calling Yami Master anymore. Why had he stopped suddenly?

 

Mokuba vowed to find out.

 

“Good night,” Seth looked at Yugi, Yami and Sugoroku as he said it.

 

“Good night,” they chorused.

 

Seth nodded in acknowledgement and headed for the back door. “Come, Mokuba.”

 

“Sure. Bye, guys!” Mokuba waved goodbye and hurried to keep up with Seth's strides. Just like Seto. It was one more thing that told him it was okay to like Seth.

 

Yugi yawned and stood up. “Grandpa, I'm going to bed now too.”

 

“Good night.”

 

All three of them headed to their rooms, Yami to Yugi's room.

 

When Yugi had closed the door behind him, he asked, “Exactly how long do you think you can stay solid?” He took Yami's arm.

 

“Another hour? Perhaps a little more?” Yami seemed surprised. “Why do you ask, Ma—Yugi?”

 

“I want to lie down with you in the real world, like we always do in my Soul Room.” Yugi led him to the bed. “I'll lie down, and you can rest on top of me until you have to go back.”

 

Yami smiled and nuzzled Yugi's shoulder. “I would like that very much.”

 

Yugi changed into his pyjamas: no point in modesty with someone who shared his soul. He blushed, realizing that he wanted Yami to see. He didn't look at Yami to see if he was watching, but he wished he could feel Yami's emotions when Yami was outside of his soulroom. He could only feel what they deliberately sent to each other right now.

 

He was learning to sense feelings, but Yami was shielded, against everyone, not just Yugi. It was part of why people mistook him from Yugi, he didn't feel different. Almost everyone was at least a little empathetic, Yami had told him.

 

Once in his light blue star pyjamas (he had considered sleeping without a shirt, but decided no with a blush. He would wear what he wore in his Soul Room. This was just the same thing) he pushed aside the covers and lay down on the bed.

 

Yami's clothes changed to match the pyjamas, only they were dark blue. Yugi had noticed that Yami was fussy about clothes. The thought made him smile.

 

Yami crawled into bed, arranging himself carefully on top of Yugi. This was a little trickier here because in the Soul Room they didn't have to worry as much about putting too much weight on Yugi's stomach or bones jabbing him (Yami was so thin), but Yami connected himself to Yugi so he could feel what was uncomfortable and they were soon settled.

 

Yugi wrapped his arms around Yami, who lay with his head on Yugi's chest and sighed happily. “This is nice.”

 

“Is it better like this?” Yami asked curiously.

 

“I don't know. It's like apples and oranges. On the one hand, you're here. In the real world, in my bed. Solid and everything. It makes it feel more real, more intimate, even though I know our souls touching is the most intimate thing.”

 

Yami sighed. “I feared that you would reject the intrusion when I first slept in your Soul Room, but I could not resist it.”

 

“You didn't have anywhere else to go but the Puzzle. I didn't mind.” He didn't want to think about the Puzzle right now. He played with Yami's hair. “When it's our souls, I can feel what you feel. That's wonderful, knowing how much you care about me. Love me. Maybe it's too much.”

 

“Do I worry you?”

 

“A whole lot. That's because I care about you so much.” Yugi smiled. “But I'm glad I do.”

 

Yami nuzzled Yugi's chest. “I am glad you do as well.”

 

“You're not going to say something about wanting me not to worry?” Yugi was pleased.

 

He felt Yami's lips move slightly through the fabric, smiling. “I truly am glad. It is your decision. You have chosen to love me and I cannot reject that. I love you too much.”