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Originally, he had attributed the self esteem boost to some sort of early stage of puberty. In hindsight, it had definitely started when he completed the Millenium Puzzle. After solving such an enigma and making some new friends on the same day? Yugi figured he’d earned a bit of confidence. When the confidence persisted, a kernel of stoic resolve amidst an already cheerful mind, Yugi thanked his luck and thought nothing more of it.
That all changed when he dueled Kaiba.
When the match began, he found his fear and doubt slip away, replaced by that level voice, that assuredness that promised not only would he win this duel, but he would never need fear Seto Kaiba again. The whisper that helped him in his schoolyard duels grew louder with each card played, till it was a stream of thoughts almost distinct from his own. And as the match grew more perilous, his thoughts and that resolve synchronized in response, till Yugi could swear he spoke with two voices.
(And once his opponent was defeated, still wasting his breath over the “impossibility” of Yugi’s victory, Yugi made good on that promise to himself.)
Yugi walked out of KaibaCorp with the knowledge his grandfather was avenged, and his family was safe from Kaiba. His friends greeted him with praise and wonder, and a couple good ol’ “I knew you could do it!”s, and Yugi happily relaxed into their good company. When he got home that night, after visiting his grandfather in the hospital, Yugi was suitably exhausted. What an adrenaline rush! Like he was a whole different person!
As Yugi got ready for school the next morning, he realized that “whole different person” was still there. Nothing more than helpful whispers now (You need to bring extra cards to school today, you promised Joey you’d help him work on his deck.) but present and distinct, nonetheless. Yugi tried to ignore the unease in his gut as he went to school, but in the silence of his home that afternoon (His grandfather was fully recovered, but the hospital was keeping an eye on him for another day just in case.) it only grew. It was an unnerving mystery, but Yugi was never one to back down from a puzzle.
“Hello?” He said aloud.
There was no reply, after all, no one was home and the shop had been closed for a couple days. (It’s nearly 6 now- you should make some food for yourself.)
He started making a snack. He couldn’t cook like his grandpa, but his grandpa might not be home tonight and he still needed to eat. The house would be a bit lonely with just him, maybe he could call Joey? Having dinner with Joey and his family would be nice. (Joey has practice today.) Maybe Téa then- Tristan’s family made some good food though. Maybe they could all get together, watch a movie or- Wait.
“Who are you?” Yugi tried again. (Who was he talking to?)
“You!” He was getting a bit frustrated. It was hard to tell where he ended and the voice began, and vice versa. As soon as he thought he found a part of his mind that sounded different, he would find only his own inner monologue echoing back at him.
With a decisive huff, Yugi turned away from the stove and sat down at the kitchen table. He breathed in and out, doing his best approximation of a meditative state. This always seemed to work in movies. He found the breathing part easy enough, he breathed all the time after all, but he wasn’t entirely sure what came after that. So he just thought about himself, and the duel, and his predicament.
He was Yugi Moto. Something other than him had played with him, against Seto Kaiba. He had beat the odds and won against Seto Kaiba, the reigning champion, by doing the impossible: summoning the unbeatable Exodia. He had done as his grandfather taught him, and trusted in the Heart of the Cards, and his trust had been rewarded. He was still reeling over that, if he was being honest, but he had school to go to, friends to hang out with, and food to make, so he didn’t let it worry him.
So what was he doing now?
Jumping at shadows, probably. That was the most adrenaline-fueled game of his life, of course he’d acted a bit weird! He- (The water is boiling.) -totally forgot about the water he was boiling!
Yugi jumped up to turn off the stove, then froze. Talking aloud obviously wasn’t working, neither was meditation (More “organized thinking” than meditation.). Maybe this could work instead.
He sat back down. He put his hands together, (the water is still boiling, Yugi.) and took a deep breath. Then another, (There is a lot of steam coming off the pot.) and another after that.
Yugi dutifully ignored the overboiling pot, (What are you doing?) and pulled out his Duel Monsters deck from his backpack. The feeling had been strongest when he was dueling, right? Now that he had its (It?) attention, maybe he could get it to talk to him in a duel.
Yugi shuffled, then split the deck. (Not a standard way of playing) This wasn’t a standard duel. He placed both parts in front of him. Not entirely sure what he was doing, He pulled a card from each deck. Polymerization from the left, and Dark Magician from the right. Huh. (You can’t play Sha- Duel Monsters with one person.)
“But we’re not one person, are we?” Yugi said triumphantly. The more the voice talked now, the more he could distinguish it from his own thoughts. That stoic flame at the back of his head gained a shimmering new emotion for a second: a flash of surprise and fond annoyance. (Very well. Please turn the stove off. I’d rather our house did not catch fire.)
Yugi did turn the stove off, before sitting back down with a face of pure pre-teen determination.
“Who are you?” He said aloud again, mindlessly reshuffling the cards in front of him.
(I am you, and I am not you. I have no name you would recognize but your own, but if you must distinguish us, you may call me The Pharaoh.)
“Where did you come from?” He asked, (Look down.) once again splitting the deck.
“Down? What-” Yugi’s gaze met the glimmering gold of the Millenium Puzzle, and his eyes widened.
Yugi held the Puzzle curiously, (When you solved the Millenium Puzzle, Yugi, you allowed my spirit it’s freedom. In return, I have done my best to help and guide you where I can.) before drawing two separate hands from each part of the deck.
“Spirit... Pharaoh... The Millenium Puzzle is from Egypt, right? Are you the spirit of an Egyption Pharaoh? Wait- did you just make me do that?” Yugi said, (Do what?) a bit taken aback.
“Set up the cards! I did it without thinking at all, yet pulled the right number of cards for both hands!” (I thought you wanted to duel?)
“I- Oh right. I guess so. I’ve never dueled myself before.” Yugi took the hand from the deck to his right, and gave the cards a cursory glance, “It’ll be strange to be able to see each other’s hands.”
(A good challenge, then.)
“Right. I play Silver Fang, in attack mode. How’d you learn to play Duel Monsters anyway?”
(I play Time Wizard, also in attack mode. That is an interesting tale- you see, long ago, when the pyramids were still young…)