Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Do You Dream of Me? ❯ Chapter 56

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

 

And here's another gift-extra chapter, this one for the 1000threviewer. I was unable to get in contact with Eliza-Stonetear for some time, but I finally managed it. She requested magic-wielding Yugi.

 

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Yugi concentrated on the mirror. They had tried with doors first but he'd never managed to get them to work. Yami said it was because this was his home and he was so used to going through the doors he couldn't focus on something else being on the other side of the door. He'd never walked through a mirror before. Although it had always seemed like he could, that a mirror was somehow a door. That was why this might work.

 

The reflection is so real, Yami had marveled. They wouldn't have had anything like a full-length mirror in ancient Egypt, unless it was made out of bronze.

 

Yugi focused on the idea of the Shadow Realm, swirls of shadows filled with flickers of mysterious light. Pushed those shadows at the mirror until they filled it, his reflection disappearing and the mirror seemingly becoming a doorway into darkness.

 

“I have to walk through believing I can walk through. Like at the train station in the Harry Potter books, right?”

 

Not quite the same. Push your hand forward.

 

Yugi did so and encountered the smooth glass. “It's no use, I keep thinking that a mirror is there.”

 

Imagine your hand going in.

 

Yugi tried. “It's working!” He rejoiced as his hand moved through what seemed like a gel. “Should I go all the way through?”

 

Yes. You are doing well, Yugi. A warm unseen hand on his shoulder.

 

Yugi pushed through. “I did it!”

 

Yami appeared beside him. Now the mirror was a door of light through which he could see, strangely blurred, his room. “Soon you won't need a door.”

 

“When you do it the shadows just appear around us and we're here.”

 

“Practice.” Yami waved a hand and the mirror-door was erased. “Any game takes practice.”

 

“This is magic, not just any game.” Yugi waved his hand in the air: it trailed ribbons of shimmering light. “It feels so great when I do it.”

 

“It always feels great to win.” Yami seemed amused. He waved his own hand and doused Yugi's light. “Don't just give off power like that. It's wasteful.”

 

“It's pretty, and you told me it was good practice.” Yugi summoned more lights.

 

“You have moved beyond the stage where you learn the simplest method of summoning your powers. We have an enemy who might attack again at any time. Not to mention the lesser foes.”

 

“All those bullies and people who made you keep waking up to protect me.” Yugi sighed, looking at the glorious colors. “You're right, I shouldn't be wasteful.”

 

“Focus on creating light, not just pushing power out through your hands.”

 

Yugi focused and Yami's jacket began to glow, colors slowly changing. Yami looked at it, delighted.

 

Even though he'd quit calling Yugi Master he still considered him the source of everything good. Warmth. Comfort. Light. Yugi realized what him doing this must mean to Yami and resolved to do it more. More lights. He summoned more light, orbs floating in the air, until the shadows were banished from this small corner of their realm. Gently shimmering lights because he couldn't keep it from changing colors.

 

“Beautiful,” Yami breathed, looking at him. Yugi blushed slightly, then smiled at him and held out his hand. Yami took it, kissed it. “My light. My everything.”

 

Still that worship. It felt wonderful to be worshipped, even if Yugi didn't think it was quite deserved. Yami disagreed with him. Yugi kissed him. Still new to it though Yami was a wonderful teacher. Still that touch of innocence. Yami had no shame.

 

Shadows appeared, snaking around them, and Yugi worried at first he'd lost control of his lights while thinking about Yami, but then he realized they were Yami's shadows that were dancing. Dancing for him, twisting and turning, harmonizing with the shifting lights. “Beautiful,” Yugi whispered, though his eyes never lost lock with Yami's.

 

They just watched for a time, but too soon Yami dismisses his shadows. “We cannot stay here too long, you are building endurance but we need to focus on your training instead of spending our time her on other things.”

 

“Right.” Yugi nodded and the lights disappeared. “What should I summon first? Kuriboh?”

 

Yami shook his head. “No, you have moved past that. Draw, and see what comes to your hand. Nothing above four stars on the card, I don't want to teach you summoning stronger ones without sacrifices yet.”

 

“The real thing is different from the game, huh.” Yugi drew from his Grandfather's deck. Sugoroku had insisted he keep it, that he had earned it, after Death-T. Yugi had tried to argue, these were his Grandfather's allies, but Yami told him his Grandfather wanted to give them to him to protect him. So Yugi had accepted.

 

Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress. Level four and fourteen hundred attack points. “Are you sure I'm ready for this?”

 

Yami squeezed his shoulder. “My powers will encircle yours, I will keep anything bad from happening if you overreach yourself.”

 

“Just I've never summoned anything strong completely on my own before. Won't we be fighting together?” Yugi pleaded.

 

“…I wish we could count on that.”

 

Yugi did too.

 

“I want you to be safe, Yugi. You have to learn how do fight without me.”

 

Yugi summoned all his determination, eyes fierce (as fierce as Yugi could be), and held up the card. “I summon Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress in attack mode!” He felt a little saying the game's summoning declaration in actual magic, but Yami said while he was learning he should stick to what he knew worked. The game and the real thing were connected closer than chess and warfare were.

 

He felt himself pulling: the monster wasn't resisting the tug but still it was hard. He felt the magic doing other things, wrapping around the monster and bringing it to this strange in-between place.

 

This place of swirling shadows wasn't all of the Shadow Realm, Yami had shown him. There were forests and graveyards, castles and cities where monsters roamed. To summon the dragon here was easier than summoning him to Earth, but not that easy.

 

The dragon was close, he knew it, if he could just overwhelm that last bit of resistance…

 

Swirls appeared and the dragon flew through.

 

Yugi cheered. “I did it! It seemed really easy. Was it?”

 

Yami nodded, clapping. “You've grown much stronger.”

 

“It's different from doing it in dreams or with you.”

 

“I know… shortcuts that make it simpler. You need to discover what works for you, however Yugi.”

 

“I'll figure them out.” I promise. I won't be weak, I won't lose when you need me. Yugi's determination shone through. Yami understood, and hoped he wouldn't need those tricks. He would indeed figure them out, and soon. Yugi was already a great game master, and this was no different. These were Shadow Games.

 

“I have faith in you, Yugi. Now. Send the dragon home.”

 

Yugi focused, and the dragon started to be sucked through another swirls. Yami winced. “No! Not the Graveyard!”

 

“Sorry!” Yugi apologized to the dragon. “It's just you don't un-summon monster in Duel Monsters, so I can't just focus on the card. It's like getting here without a door.”

 

“I know. Keep trying.”

 

Yugi had an idea. “How about if I return you to my deck? That's the equivalent, right?”

 

“Yes. But no card, Yugi,” Yami instructed him. “I know you always keep your deck with you now but you can't always count on having the cards. An opponent could make it part of the Duel that you not use them.”

 

Yugi clearly hadn't thought of that. “Alright. Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress! Return to my deck!”

 

A roar and the dragon withdrew. Yugi looked at Yami, who nodded. “Excellent work, Yugi.”

 

Yugi grinned at him, filled with the feeling of success. Then the strategist in him frowned. “You know, he isn't a really strong monster. Grandpa's deck is a great deck, but I think we need a deck that has our allies, not monsters that work for us because they love Grandpa.”

 

Yami nodded. “You are right. Perhaps we should have two decks.”

 

One for Yugi and one for Yami? There Yami went talking about them being separate again. Yugi didn't like it when he did that. Still. You couldn't count on opponents being stupid. One of these days someone would demand that Yugi fight them solo. He remembered how Imori had taken him out first. He needed to get stronger, to learn how to fight on his own without Yami guiding him. That was why these lessons.

 

Besides that Yami loved teaching him, loved feeling Yugi's power and strength. Yugi felt the same about Yami, however, which was part of why he liked to rely on Yami's powers. He also liked the idea of his own Shadowy Knight, someone watching over him, guarding him, fighting for him.

 

Yugi realized that sounded like he was some girl who loved fairy tales. Still, it was true.

 

But he couldn't be a helpless princess. He was a game master, and Yami was going to need his help to beat Zorc.

 

“I guess we should, Yami. We could combine the decks most of the time, or at least some of the cards from each so we have a deck to fight together with.”

 

“I think you should use your deck in most duels, Yugi. I will advise you, but it is your life, your honor and reputation.”

 

“You mean you won't help me duel?!” Yugi was shocked and hurt.

 

“No! I won't abandon you!” Yami looked hurt that Yugi would even consider that idea. “But you need the practice. I will advise you.”

 

“But I have to get stronger.” Yugi raised his hands and sent lights out as far as he could, straining his powers, feeling the burn. He needed to get stronger. He would.

 

“That's enough for today, Yugi.” Yami's hand in his pulled him out of his trance. “Can you summon the mirror door again?”

 

Yugi looked around and tried to remember where it had been. They hadn't moved that far while they were training, or had they? Everything was relative here. They could have drifted.

 

No, don't think like that. You can do it as long as you don't let yourself loose faith. The door will appear… there.

 

And it did. “I did it!” Yugi exclaimed, surprised and pleased. Then he staggered, falling into Yami's arms.

 

“You will be fine.” Yami kissed him on the forehead and picked him up, carrying them through the mirror. Unlike when Yugi did it there was no sense of resistance, it was like an ordinary door. Yugi looked behind them and it was an ordinary mirror once again.

 

Yami laid him down on the bed and climbed in next to him, rubbing Yugi's temples. Yugi wondered why until he sensed a bit of a headache dissipating under Yami's ministrations. “That feels good, Yami.” He sighed. “I can do a lot more with you guiding me. I feel really weak when I try to do things on my own.”

 

“I had to do it with you at the beginning so you could sense how it was done. The training will only get more difficult from this point on.”

 

“I don't expect it to be easy, Yami. I'm just used to mastering things quickly.”

 

“You are a master. Most need talismans, focuses, spells, to do what you do with your own soul,” Yami reassured him. “So much power you glow with it.” He kissed Yugi's forehead.

 

He had a talisman. The Puzzle. But they weren't using its power if they could avoid it. Even though they made him think of the Puzzle, Yami's words cheered Yugi up. “Maybe I could have a practice duel against Seto sometime!”

 

Yami chuckled. “I doubt he would let anyone but Seth see his beginner fumblings.”

 

“You're right, Yami.” Yugi giggled. “I hope he's not giving Seth a hard time.”

 

“Seth will be able to handle him.” Yami had no doubt of it. “If he had won me, however, we would be driving each other mad.”

 

Winning Yami. That had been Kaiba's goal at Death-T. That and vengeance. Yugi drew Yami closer. Held him tight. Never letting go.