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During the battle with Imori, he felt his body so cold.
A cold that chilled every bone and the heart, until it started to hurt. He was about to be lost in an everlasting darkness forever just a second ago if his hand didn't reached for the puzzle.
But still...this wasn't the reason.
Something was missing. His other heart. His other self.
Without him, his chest was feeling like a hole pierced through him, emptiness. His soul only knows loneliness, trapped in an infinite labyrinth that emits no heat. The cold of a lonely tomb, abandoned for 3000 years. A void that has no end, as if it had always been this way.
Until a warm, tender sensation, one day appeared. That soul is so warm and pleasant, it's mere presence generated a mysterious peace. No longer felt pain. The cold slowly disappeared.
Suddenly, it was gone.
His other soul is going to be sacrificed inside the pot to be consumed by the dragons. But is he going to get it back if he wins this duel?
"Heh..are you worried?" Imori said as he noticed the other Yugi's gaze looking at the pot, "This jar needs three months to digest one soul. If by some extraordinary fluke you actually manage to win our next duel, you'll get your soul back as new"
His sharpened eyes focused on him, keeping a serious and determined face. He wasn't going to hesitate any longer now.
Imori began to laugh frantically as he saw how Metal Dragon was about to die "That's it! The flood has take it! Yugi, your dragon is dead, and so you-..huh?! No..is still alive! But even so, his body is rusting!"
"Metal Dragon!" Yugi shouted "Give me the last of your power!"
His metal dragon spread its wings like blades, propelling itself towards the wooden dragon, tearing its body apart.
"Now, the Earth Dragon is back!" The branches that consumed his dragon fell, returning all of his energy. The boy paled, clenching his teeth tightly "No..you can't!! Water Dragon!" The Earth Dragon's earthquake cracks swallowed the water dragon until it sank into the deepest abyss
"I..I...I have lost! Everything..!"
The other Yugi stand up and raised his arm after winning the duel "Imori, normally you would have a more original penalty game, but this time, you had it yourself prepared..it's your turn to feed your soul to 25 ravenous dragons!"
The boy's soul began to leave his chest, leaving it behind in a small ball of light that entered the jar.
His eyes blinked and a little gasp sounded in his mouth when he saw a tiny yellow soul coming up from the ceramic pot.
"It was true..only one soul can be placed inside.."
Then, the tiny mass of light approched him. A look of genuine relief crossed his face as he felt his other self's soul touch and slowly enter his body once again. He smiled, closing his eyes as he brought his hands together, hugging his chest tightly to welcome back such a gentle spirit.
"Thank goodness..I got my other heart back..!"
It's so warm he thought.
Knowing that he was back there, calmed him completely. Yugi...was resting somewhere on his own soul room. If he had failed for even a moment, he might never have been able to get him back. The spirit that resides in the puzzle watched the other door that was in front of his soul room, always half open.
That was where that gentle warmth came from. The heart of an innocent and sweet child, full of toys and games. Sometimes...he could hear sobs from it. So muffled and timid, as if they didn't want to be heard. Those were the moments of this little boy feeling weak and lonely. Although he was often curious to approach that door, where there was only a hallway that separated them, he didn't want to hurt it.
He couldn't touch his fragile heart and stain it with his darkness.
The spirit just stayed still, appreciating the distant warmth of his other self before entering his cold, dark room. His desires to be strong made him come out and wake up, but it was better this way. If they didn't meet, he would never hurt him.
He opened his door, with the Eye of Wdjat shinning on his forehead, knowing that once again, his mind will forget what happened.
Is better this way
"Yugi! We're counting on you! Our lives are in your hands! Please, defeat Zorc!"
"I will"
Yugi looked up, his heart began to beat frantically as he stood on the game board and could see it from his now reduced view.
He was sure. He would come back to help them.
But he didn't expect that he would ever see his face. Even if he had often thought he dreamed about it or has seen it in his imagination, the reality was very different.
Before, he was afraid of him
He was afraid of what happened every time his memory was blurred, of the kind of spirit that would have been born from his own heart when he completed the puzzle. He was afraid...of becoming someone evil and dangerous, who would hurt those he loved most without being able to avoid it. And what terrified him most was that his friends would reject him if they ever found out.
Keeping it as a secret hurt much more. But neither Jonouchi-kun, nor Honda-kun or Anzu had rejected him upon learning it. He no longer had to fear his other heart.
Right now, they were all watching and trusting him.
"So that's...the other me"
Their eyes finally met. Like a mirror, from which you could see differences.
Yugi smiled shyly, the little figurine showing a blush on the cheeks, "This is the first time we've met, right?"
His other self nodded as he returned the smile, "Yes, you put your life on the line to fight with your friends, that courage brought us together"
Yugi immediately agreed looking with greater determination in his eyes. He can feel both of their hearts already connected. They had to rely on his ability to defeat Bakura and beat Zorc.
"So.."Other Yugi" " Bakura speak again, "From now on, you'll throw the dice and control the entire adventuring team. But if the player characters hit points reach zero, your friends souls and bodies will die!"
His gaze remained fixed on him, showing a strong death glare. A heavy pressure grew in his chest, if he loses here, all his friends could lose their lives.
The only way to avoid it is to put an end to Bakura's technique of rolling critical attacks with the dice.
The game continues.
Zorc's severed hand began to mutate and split, transforming into two new monsters. His minions covered him as he turned around
"Are you running away, Zorc? Fight us right here!" Yugi exclamed seeing him walk away
The Demon's dark voice resonated again, "I have a special place prepared for our duel together! Make your way to my castle while the fires of hatred still burn in your heart!..If you can, that is!"
As Bakura narrated, he spread his wings and flew away into the distance of the map, entering the castle.
Yugi shuddered completely, they couldn't face him now even if they wanted to, "We're playing right into Bakura's script..! We really are stuck in his game world!"
He could feel his mind connected to his other self, hearing his rough voice inside his head again
"You're right. Bakura made Zorc appear when the adventurer's guard was down. Then he was able to seal your souls into lead figures, everything is gone according to his plan! He's a Game Master to watch out for"
"And when Bakura rolls the dice, he always gets a critical!" Yugi replied "Is there any way we can win?"
His other self smiled with confidence "There is!"
Just as he had said, once he rolled the dice, they spun until they landed on both zeros, giving the warrior a super critical hit and destroying one of the monsters. Bakura recovered from the shock, clenching his jaw as he pursued the next step of the game. It was Yugi's turn.
"We need as many monsters allies as possible before entering Zorc's castle!" Even without looking at him, he could feel his other self nodding in agreement. He pointed at the dragon in front of them, "I'm capturing you!" He activated his beast tamer ability by pulling out the magic hands. But because it was a piece of Zorc's body, the chance of getting brainwashed was very low and he needed to roll a number less than ten or he would fail. He wasn't going to hesitate, his heart was telling him so.
"I believe in the other me!"
Then he throw the dice.
The white haired boy watched the small dice spinning with a sly look; what had happened before must have been just pure luck, he was sure of it. And when one of them stopped with the number eight, his suspicions were instantly confirmed.
"Heh..the red dice of the ten sides is an eight! There's no way you can-...Huh?" suddenly the dice spinning on the board hitted the other one to change back the roll "It can't be! This technique-!?"
The other Yugi opened his mouth "One of the many ways of cheating with dice, is the double hit. The same as your "Run of criticals", Bakura!"
The dice stopped, now showing the numbers zero and two. He has made another super critical hit. The brainwashing attack was a success, allowing Yugi to have two new allies for the team.
Seeing that the other Yugi knew the double hit trick, Bakura couldn't afford to cheat more and make his game a match he couldn't get away with if they both did the same strategy. He looked up from the board staring at him...it's time for a rule change. By prohibiting the dice from spinning when rolling them, Yugi would no longer have a chance of getting critical hits.
The real battle was going to start.
Seeing his friends about to die from Zorc's attack after all their efforts to fight back, stopped his breathing. No...this can't be happening.
This whole game was rigged since the beginning so that they had no chance of winning! There has to be a way! A way to stop the cruel twisted world that Bakura has created!
His friends, his other self..!
Bakura laughed out loud, "Yugi, Zorc's magical attack has the power to kill characters with more than 50 hit points in an instant! All of the players are dead"
Panic was growing. His deep red eyes shaking in shock
"Well then" the boy continued, "It's probably pointless but..I'll calculate each character's status on the computer. The end result will be the number of hit points each character has remaining" He said without stopping moving his fingers while typing "But either way, it'll be less than zero no matter what"
The sound of the keyboard sounded far away. Only his heartbeat ringing in the ears.
He finally hit "Enter" and the boy opened his eyes in disbelief with the result, "What? What is this?!" He didn't blink to confirm that his vision was not deceiving him: Each player really had 1 life point left.
Absurd. No matter how much he checked, couldn't find any errors in the calculations. So why?!
Yugi, Jonouchi, Honda and Anzu stood up, visibly affected by the attack, but they were able to get back on their now tiny feet. The Other Yugi showed a surprised reaction at seeing them all still alive, "Everyone! You made it!" exclaimed with relief
Both of their eyes meet once more. Crimson and lavender staring at each other for a second, sharing not only the body, but a deep and genuine comfort, making the previous fear disappear from within. His other self watched the little figurine with a warm smile appearing on his lips, speaking through his thoughts.
"Even when our souls are separated, we're never apart. If my other soul died, mine would die too. This game isn't over yet!"
Yugi nodded. They'll never give up no matter what.
Thanks to Ryou's sacrifice, Zorc had been defeated and the spirit of the Millenium Ring separated from his body, the White Wizard used his last remaining power to transfer the soul of its bearer back, awakening the unconscious boy. He really was the kind and calm Ryou Bakura they'd met before. As they recovered their bodies they looked at the motionless figures in silence in the middle of the board. It was as if they were smiling, or at least that's what they thought.
A few days later, they were back to their routine entering class when they saw the white haired boy greeting everyone, now he seemed to look in much better health.
"Good morning, Yugi-kun, everyone!"
"Morning, Bakura-kun!"
"Yo! You got the bandage off your hand?" Jonouchi asked as he notice his left hand uncovered
"Yes! The doctor said that there were no serious damage and I can now move it again" said Ryou, putting the box he brought with him covered with a cloth on top of his desk, "There's something I want to show y'all"
The group looked at him in confusion "Something to show us..?" "What is that?"
"I made it myself" He lifted the black cloth, showing the box which was totally transparent, having a small diorama with hand-painted figurines inside. Every detail perfectly done and with great care. The boys couldn't help but jump with excitement when they recognized the small figurines.
"Wow! So cool!" both Yugi and Jonouchi shouted instantly
Ryou smiled with their reaction "This diorama is a memento of that adventure. A symbol of our friendship when we fought together against the monsters"
Yugi felt very happy when he saw the diorama and heard Bakura-kun's words. Even though it had been dangerous, his entire body could still remember the adrenaline from the excitement of being part of Monster World. He hoped to play again all together, with all of those figurines. His big eyes stopped when he looked one of them who was holding a dice.
"The other me.."
A small squeeze touched inside his chest. Yugi knew that this time it wasn't a dream...he had finally met him.
Just seeing him there, as another figurine with his friends, gave him a powerful mix of emotions, he really is their friend, right?
His hand reached down to carefully caress his puzzle with delicate fingers, smiling at the thought that he was there with him. Since the beginning.
"My other heart" when he closed his eyes, Yugi could still see that face again, like a different reflection of himself.
That night, he had been much more interested in staring at the puzzle for hours than in his own homework, constanly thinking about his other self. The boy sat on the floor of his room at the side of his bed, holding the puzzle in both hands while his knees supported it.
Although nothing might happen this time, his heart was beating anxiously. Maybe the real reason is...how happy Yugi was to feel company. To have someone to talk to instead of his own thoughts, as it had been until now and for as long he could remember in his life.
His eyes gazed into the golden eye with a gentle smile, "Other me" Yugi said, almost a whisper. The bright object didn't react, nor did it seem to do anything. He was kinda ready for that.
"I wanted to thank you for what you did last time" Yugi continued talking alone in the middle of the room, but really hoping that the spirit inside the puzzle was listening to him, "When we fought together, I could feel being totally connected to you, as if we were one.."
His cheeks were blushing, so shy and nervous, but he wanted to continue saying everything, so Yugi looked at the puzzle in his hands again.
"I...I was very happy. I was so glad that I could met you at last, because I knew it, you know? From the first moment I completed the puzzle, I was aware of something I couldn't explain, no one would believe me. At first...I was afraid of that feeling" he confessed lowering his gaze a little, "I didn't understand why my mind was so fuzzy and couldn't remember anything, always the last thing I remembered was feeling angry, hurt and scared..."
Yugi paused. The grip of the hands tightening slightly.
"It was you, right?" Yugi asked "You did it to protect me"
The puzzle didn't react.
A tiny sigh escaped from his lips. Great warmth flooding his chest.
"Yet...you didn't do that again this time" finally Yugi said after a few minutes of silence. He had a sweet smile without taking his eyes off the shiny golden ornament, "My memory was not erased. I..I'm.." Yugi picked up the puzzle that was resting on his knees, leaning it against his heart, not letting the piece go of his embrace.
"I'm so glad I didn't forget about you, Other me..."
Assuming that he would only appear whenever Yugi was in a dangerous situation, a small disappointment weighed on his throat. They could only speak through their minds back then, but he would like to see him out of the puzzle just like that moment. Without any extreme situation around them. Maybe just chatting, even playing games together and being able to know something more about the mysterious spirit.
Yugi thought that maybe his other self also felt the same as him to not to erase his memories of their first meeting.
When he got into bed to sleep, Yugi silently watched his puzzle lying on his side. Lost in his thoughts, with his most valuable treasure, that now kept something more important inside. Wondering when he will see him again...
His eyelids were beginning to feel heavy, giving in to tiredness and slowly his whole body was falling asleep, Yugi took one last look at the Udjat eye of the puzzle. "Good night, Other me" It didn't take long for the boy to sleep peacefully.
In the middle of the darkness, the puzzle glowed.
A soft glow illuminated the room, creating a shadow from which the spirit residing within slowly emerged. The spirit opened his deep crimson eyes and remained still in the small bedroom. It was already late at night, only the moonlight came through the window leaving just one side totally dark. He stood for a few minutes watching at the crescent moon in the sky, his incorporeal body seeming to shine alongside it.
Then, he moved his head to his side, looking at Yugi sleeping curled up in the sheets.
"My other self.."
The spirit watched him silently, like a guardian watching over his dreams, and when he noticed that he was breathing calm in a peaceful sleep, his serious face changed, softening his gaze along with a smile.
The same one he had when they met.
Yugi's words echoed in his mind over and over, lowering his eyes with guilt, "It's true...I didn't wanted to make you forget me.."
From the moment he was awakened in the puzzle, a strange emotion welled up inside him. The desire to protect this boy. To give him all the strenght and prevent him from suffering any harm ever again. He felt his pain, locked deep within his soul. And as if he were eternally grateful for freeing him from his lethargy, he wanted to protect him desperately.
The spirit was confused. Is this overprotective instinct part of himself? Despite feeling a constant emptiness in his soul and his mind wandering without a path...that instinct remained. A remnant of what perhaps he was before. He couldn't tell if he has been somebody after all.
Someone else before being "Yugi"
But he was sure that if they never met, he could keep him safe. Without engulfing him in his own darkness, as powerful as it was deadly. He couldn't do that. He didn't deserve to suffer his pain and emptiness when he came to the side of the other pure heart. One that despite having suffered, was still open and warm. Calling to him...even though he didn't answer, he could hear it.
Then, he saw his eyes. Kind, gentle eyes. Violet irises staring at him and connecting straight to his heart. He wasn't afraid of him. Just showed a welcoming joy, as if he had been waiting to see him all his life. The painful cold was fading away. Feel warmth again. One that seemed so distant and unattainable, without a body of his own to belong to.
Beautiful reddish orbs focused their attention on the sleeping boy beside him, slowly approaching the bed. For some reason, his gaze was filled with sadness and loneliness but his young face still expressed serenity.
No matter how much he hesitated, no matter how much he feared putting him in danger...
"I also want to meet you again" the spirit said, his voice sounding deep but velvety, not feeling from this world.
Yugi began to move in his sleep, making small noises. A nightmare, perhaps? His hands seemed to be groping for something, until he finally reached the puzzle and bring it close to his chest, hugging it gently covering the item between his hands.
The spirit gasped in shock.
Unconsciously he leaned back a little, bringing his hand to his chest, his eyes stunned. Did he..feel touch? He could appreciate it for a brief moment, something that seemed soft and warm. Delicate hands touching skin. A caress.
He was paralyzed. His left hand brushing against his own cheek, right where he had felt it. Is it possible? Could a heart that stopped beating a long time ago feel again? The young spirit raised his head, looking at the boy embracing the puzzle in which his soul lives. He had felt those small, delicate hands before, and he had felt them now too.
He sat cautiously next to him on the bed, his hand moving very slowly, hesitating a couple of times, until he finally brought it closer to his other self. A translucent hand, shining like the moonlight, carefully moved the blonde locks that fell on his face, like a soft breeze.
"..Other..me.."
The spirit froze for a few seconds, taking in every reaction from him. He wasn't sure if he was sensing or just dreaming about him, he could only watch as Yugi called out to him in his sleep, gently hugging the puzzle and giving an adorable smile in return.
His other self slowly moved his fingers back, tucking his blonde hair behind his ear. His thin lips formed a permanent curve as he stays next to the boy.
Maybe we'll meet again soon...my other heart.
That day was much closer than they both thought, when Grandpa brought with him a mysterious package with no return address on it