Tabi no Kokoro

Tabi no Kokoro

Disclaimer: The story of Yu-Gi-Oh, it’s characters and Duel Monsters are the property of Takahashi Kazuki. I’m not making any money from the work of fiction only using his wonderful characters and series as my backdrop and nothing more.

Author’s Note: Thanks to all who have reviewed thus far. I want to say something to my readers and that’s to please read carefully because failure to do so might yield confusion or one missing important information. And I don’t want people to become lost or confused. -your humble servant khenemetset

Rating: R
Pairing: Atem x Yugi

Chapter One: Journey’s Beginning

The airport…

Flying was never something that Yugi liked. There was too much involved with the whole action of booking a flight and then making it to the airport. It was something of a hassle to the youth and with everything else weighing on him he didn’t really like it. However, it was a necessary evil for his plan to work in the end. He adjusted his bag on his shoulder once more and walked to check in his bag and get everything finalized.

“Hello, Mr. Moto. Everything seems to be In order for you. I hope you have a pleasant flight.”

Yugi flashed the girl a smile and gathered his bag back.

“Thank you. I’m sure everything will be fine.” He said softly.

The girl gave him a smile in return and handed him back his tickets.

“You’ll go down the stairs there and go to the right. You’ll find the terminal there. The flight will be departing in about an hour and a half.”

Nodding he took his ticket back and started his walk towards the terminal. He heaved a sigh at how alone he felt at the moment. The last time he had made it here he remembered Atem chattering to him in anticipation of their trip. A smile came to his lips as he thought about that exchange; it was nice to see Yami so enthusiastic about it. Once he made it to the terminal he sat down and placed his headphones on his ears and listened to some music to pass the time.

Finally, he was able to board the plane and once he was in his seat he was going to remain there. It was going to be a long flight and Yugi leaned back in his seat, his violet eyes gazing out the window and he watched them load the plane for a few moments before he closed his eyes a second to clear his mind before the plane left the airport. Soon they were taxing down the runway and from there into the air. Yugi slowly opened his eyes and looked out the window once more at the clouds. Quickly, he found his thoughts wandering once more to Atem and his mistake of five years ago.

‘I have to make it right,’ He thought to himself. ‘I have to reconcile my heart.’

The last five years had been some of the loniest for him. The more he tried to not dwell on what happened the more he found that he thought about it. He knew he had done the right thing though. He loved Atem enough to let him go but that didn’t help to settle the ache within his heart. No matter how often he thought that it never healed his heart and it never made him really the same, carefree boy he had once been. He knew it was selfish to want Atem back but he did…there was no one who knew him as well as his darker counter-part had.

Soon he started to doze off…

Quickly, his heart and mind took over and landed him within the realm of dream.



“Aibou…I’ve longed to be with you.” whispered Atem’s voice and Yugi found his heart skipping a beat. “But, I was never sure of how to express those feelings to you. But, now I do.”

Strong tanned arms pulled a tearful Yugi into a warm and protective embrace. A gentle wind ruffled their twin tri-colored hair, only made different by the golden bangs that zigzagged along Atem’s star head. Those inviting hands then moved along the other’s back and Yugi leaned forward as succulent lips kissed his own lightly. He opened his mouth in the kiss and found a warm tongue enter his mouth hesitantly but soon the hesitation was replaced with a needful desire. Their lips parted a moment and Yugi’s violet orbs gazed upon his love.

“Atem, I love you with everything that I am. I wish for us to be together forever.”

Gentle lips silenced his words and he held onto Atem tightly, never wishing to let go of him. Finally, he was able to be with the other if only in the realm of dreams. Here he was able to play through his deepest desires that he never was able to do for real. Sometimes the dream were bittersweet but this one seemed to carry something more within it’s fabric -something more concrete perhaps than any other dream.

The warm breeze passed over them as they continued to kiss, hands wandering along each other’s bodies lightly. Then Yugi pulled back from the kiss, a hand gently going to Atem’s face and caressing it lightly. Atem looked down at him and he gave a small smile but there was something more than just that. From the moment that their eyes met Yugi felt like his heart would stop. The loving and yet lustful expression that those reddish eyes held had been something he always had wanted to see.

“I love you, Yugi. You’re the only one for my heart. I wish to be with you and give up my peaceful existence in the afterlife to be with you. Forever and always.” those dark lips said softly. “Will you accept me back into your heart even though I’ve made you feel such pain for so long?”

“Yes.” was his quick response. There was no way he would say anything else.

Atem leaned in and placed his lips on Yugi’s soft neck, suckling him lightly as he sent a wave of his love across their bond that they had shared for many years. That wave of love was all that Yugi needed and all that he had missed over the years. It was then that he noticed that he had been loved by Atem but he had been too dense to know it. The two of them had been harboring the same feelings yet had both been afraid to make the necessary confession to the other.

::I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you before.:: Atem spoke in their mind link. :: But it had to be this way. If I had confessed my love to you, parting would’ve been far harder for me. I needed to return home. I needed to have my soul depart this life so that I could be given the chance to return to you. ::

The words brought tears to Yugi’s eyes and he couldn’t help but bit back a sob. Atem then stopped his attentions on Yugi’s neck and looked at him. There was a small smile on his face as he brushed back the tears from his love’s eyes. Yugi smiled brightly at him like he used to and then Atem leaned in and kissed him once more. Their bodies pressed closely to one another a moment and then just as quickly as it had started the dream vanished into nothing but darkness


Tears had been rolling down Yugi’s face and he woke with a start. His dreams had never been like that, not had they even been that vivid. It was as if Atem was there with him and he looked around a moment out of habit hoping to see his spirit friend. However his violet eyes turned to a young boy looking at him with wide eyes.

“You’re Yugi Moto, the King of Games!” the boy said to him.

“Um…yeah.” he replied lamely.

“I’ve seen all your duels. You’re awesome. Will you duel me?”

Yugi blinked and rubbed his eyes. He couldn’t really refuse besides it would keep his mind off everything else. He smiled then at the child and nodded once.

“Sure. What‘s your name anyway?”

“Oh, I’m Tatsuki.”

“It’s good to meet you. After all two duelists should know their name of their opponent right?” Yugi smiled at the boy as the boy nodded.

Both duelist then took out their decks and soon a spirited match ensued. Yugi hadn’t remembered the last time he had enjoyed a duel. It was nice to play the game with nothing at stake for once and he found himself chuckling and smiling more and more. Maybe this was just what he needed to help him feel better about everything. This was actually the first time that he had played the game without thinking about Atem at all.

“You have an impressive deck.” he said to Tatsuki.

“It’s not nearly as cool as yours though.”

“Well, this decks been with me for a while now. I guess I know how to use it, but that pyro deck you have there is a formidable foe indeed. You almost had me a few times there.”

“I would’ve beat you if it hadn’t been for your awesome skills.” he chirped happily.

Yugi gave a chuckle and ruffled the boy’s hair lightly.

“Well, you have a few things to learn about stragity but I think you have the makings of a wonderful tournament duelist.”

“Really?” the boy’s brown eyes widened and then he smiled and threw his arms around Yugi to hug him. “Thanks a lot, Mr. Moto.”

“Just call me Yugi.” he said as he hugged him back. He was touched by the affections given to him by the boy. It made him even more happy than before.

“Alright! Yugi, it was an honor and I promise when I do the tournament circuit I’ll make you proud.” Tatsuki grinned and then got up and went back to his seat in the back of the plane. Yugi looked back at him and smiled brighter still. It was nice to make someone so happy and he felt himself cheering more than before for that duel.

‘Thank you.’ he thought to himself. He would say thanks to the boy later once the plane landed for now he was going to bask in the warmth of having helped someone and made someone else happy. For now his dream was on the back burner. For now he would allow himself to forget his sorrow and just be happy for the sake of being happy. That happiness carried him for the rest of the flight and through his slumber as well.

Over the airport intercom the voice spoke, ringing brightly out over the din of voices.

“Welcome to Cairo.”

He took a deep breath and looked around a moment searching for the boy and his family in the terminal. He finally saw them and ran towards them.

“Thank you for the matches on the plane, Tatsuki.”

The boy turned and smiled widely at Yugi. Yugi bowed to him and his family and then he stood up once more with a smile just as wide at Tatsuki’s was. Quickly, the boy hugged him again and he said brightly.

“Maybe we’ll be able to duel again.”

“I’d like that. You have no idea what you did for me.” He gave him a tighter hug before he backed away from him.

“Later, Yugi.” Tatsuki waved as he left and Yugi waved in return smiling.

Yugi found himself smiling a little as he gathered his bag over his shoulder. Everything seemed to be changing for the better now. He even found that that emptiness within his heart seemed to be less. He was curious about this for a moment and as he walked down the corridor he wondered how a simple duel could’ve made him feel this much better. There had to be something more to it than just that. For now his dream was still foggy within his mind but he was sure to remember it later when the time was right.

His feet hadn’t taken him too far before he paused a moment at a small vendor stand. It was the very same one that Tea had bought the cartouche that she had given Atem. A small smile graced the youth’s lips in somber memory of the moment. It had been just as hard for Tea to let Atem go as it had been for him. But, at least she had known what her feelings were for the spirit -unlike poor Yugi. He gazed into the small glass case, his eyes focusing on a small cartouche it would be perfect to have inscribed later.

“Yugi,” called a familiar female voice.

Yugi turned and found himself face to face with Ishizu Ishtar as he paid for his small trinket and gathered the bag into his hands. Another smile broke out over his somewhat tired features and then he walked closer to her and wrapped his arms around her in a warm and friendly hug. He slowly pulled back from her and adjusted his bag on his shoulder once more.

“Thank you for letting me return. I know I wouldn’t have been able to make this trip otherwise.” His light tenor voice was filled with sincere gratitude.

“You are always welcomed here. You know this Yugi.”

She smiled at him and returned his hug lightly. She had changed at all in five years, Yugi noticed as she looked at him intently. A frown came to her dark features and she gently caressed his cheek in concern. She was about to speak something when they were joined by Marik and Odion.

“It’s good to see the two of you as well.” Yugi said delaying anything else the Egyptian woman wanted to tell him.

“The boat awaits you Yugi. Just as you asked.” Marik said softly.

“Thank you. All of you.” He smiled brightly at them. “I guess we shouldn’t delay should we.”

The three siblings turned and Yugi followed them in silence. He smiled though; his arrival here wasn’t as sad as he thought it was going to be. He felt lighter in heart than he had in all five years. Maybe it was something to do with being here. Maybe it was something else entirely. But for the first time in a long while he felt like himself. He thought to himself as they drove.

‘It’s good to be here.’