Light Amongst Shadows

Author’s Note – No, you’re not seeing things! I am actually updating again. Gods only know how long this’ll keep up, but I’m hoping the bunnies will stay alive and kicking for a while. My muses hate having to perform CPR on them. Something about having to cough up hair-balls or some other type of nonsense. But I am bound and determined to get these stories finished, even if it takes me a while. My poor beta is overworked this week!

Once again, my thanks go out to those who have been waiting so patiently for me to get the writing urge back. You guys are the best! Love and hugs goes out to my heart family, you guys know who you are. Thanks so much, Silvershadowfire, for donating your free time to go over the chapters I sent you.

Disclaimer – I do not own Yugioh. That honor belongs to Kazuki Takahashi, which most certainly isn’t me.

Chapter Four – Puzzles

As he sat there, listening to Ryou and Yugi talk, Yami was unsure as to how the two of them had pulled this feat off. He was sitting in a public restaurant with Bakura, which never happened. To make matters even more odd, the yami of the Ring had yet to throw any sarcastic comments towards the former pharaoh at all since the four had met up together to share lunch.

Typically, the thief was never around if he was with Yugi. It was part of an unspoken truce, try to avoid each other if at all possible. And for the most part, it worked. The times their paths crossed usually put Yami in a bad mood because Bakura and even Marik were working on the assumptions that they knew who he was. Even with the truce, those two loved to try to cause arguments and truth be told, Yami was too tired to give them that anymore.

Yugi had tried, on more than one occasion, to try and get him to ‘get to know’ the other yamis and allow them to see that he was not the ‘Pharaoh.’ His hikari had been one of the few to realize, once he’d healed enough to show it, that the ‘Pharaoh’ was nothing more than a mask donned to show strength and cunning. The inner personality that the mask hid had its own problems and that mask was created about the time Yami had taken the throne. To this day, only Yugi, his grandfather, and Joey knew about this and that was fine with the Egyptian as he trusted very few others with that level of personal information. He knew his aibou would explain it Ryou eventually, which was fine as long as the thief didn’t find out and use it to his advantage.

Due to his hikari’s request, Yami had not donned the mask and tried to show that inner self to Ryou. Yugi had bullied him into it today, claiming he wanted his yami to enjoy the luncheon without feeling overly stressed about keeping up appearances. He’d promised Yugi he would and started regretting that promise as soon as he realized who had accompanied Ryou to the restaurant with him.

Despite his unease, he had kept his promise and had not donned the mask that most people were familiar with. He had stayed open and friendly, listening to the chatter of the hikaris with a soft smile that was nothing like the arrogant smirk people were used to. What he didn’t know was that there were layers of insecurity, loss, pain, and loneliness showing in the warm garnet depths of his eyes.

Bakura had certainly noticed and spent the meal tossing the image of the emotions he’d seen the in crimson eyes around in his mind. Combined with what had happened the night before and the other times Yami had not been himself, the thief had himself a riddle to solve now. He knew his curiosity would get him into trouble one day. Up till now, he had never really cared and continued to sate his curiosity each time a new puzzle was handed to him.

Mahogany eyes observed the other yami throughout the meal, doing it in such a way that Yami would not notice. He was stunned by the mannerisms shown that seemed a lot more natural to the tri-colored haired man then what he had seen the other show previously. There was the small, insecure smile that was shyly shown from time to time when either of the hikaris made a cute or funny comment. Tension never really left the wiry frame but it eased each time Yugi laid a hand on his arm or hugged him, which the thief noticed he did a lot.

After the mean had finished, which Yami had not eaten a lot of, the smaller yami had excused himself. He’d thanked them for their company and insisted that Yugi and Ryou should spend some time together without eyes watching their every move. With a small nod to Bakura, he’d slipped out of the restaurant and had returned to the game shop to help Yugi’s grandfather.

Bakura had left as well, although he stayed close to the two chattering hikaris as they made their way to Ryou’s house. He’d entered his room through a window and positioned himself so he could hear the conversation as the couple came into the house through a more conventional way.

“Yugi-chan, was it me or did Yami seem different today?”

Yugi answered as he sank onto the couch, positioning himself close to his boyfriend. He had a feeling this question would come up and had prepared himself for it.

“You got to see Yami not the ‘Pharaoh’ today, Ryou-chan.”

There was a note of confusion in Ryou’s voice, which was echoed by his unseen yami.

“What do you mean?”

“Yami’s life in ancient Egypt was not like everyone thinks it was. He wasn’t pampered or catered to. In fact, from what little Yami has shared or I’ve seen in his nightmares, it was the exact opposite. His tutors were abusive, and the Council tried to run right over him once he took the throne. He created the mask of the ‘Pharaoh’ in order to be what he needed to be. No one would’ve listened to him had he shown his true self.”

Ryou shook his head, thinking about what Yugi had told him.

“Why haven’t we seen his true self before?”

Yugi knew the answer to this one as he’d discussed this with his yami before. In fact, it had been a very hot topic of debate and kept coming up every so often.

“He doesn’t want to be seen as weak.”

Bakura frowned when he heard that answer. Yami had been known as one of the most powerful Shadow Magi Egypt had ever produced. He was one of the few people who could Summon any of the gods from the Shadow Realm and was considered even more unique because he could Summon all three at once if need be. On top of that, he’d mastered the Forbidden One himself – Exodia. That in itself was a feat given Exodia’s nature. Only one other had managed to Summon that one, and the battle had crippled the caster. To consider Yami weak was to underestimate the man.

“But Yami isn’t weak.”

Yugi’s answer was quick to follow Ryou’s observation.

“I know that, you know that, but Yami doesn’t see it. I think a lot of it is due to his training as a child. They kept pushing him to be better, be more powerful. Nothing he did was enough. I really don’t know for sure though, Ryou-chan. From what little he’s shared, only one person really saw what his life was like and that was Seth.”

Chocolate eyes showed understanding as he pondered what Yugi had just told him.

“If that’s the case, Yami must be very lonely. If Seth’s memories followed him when he reincarnated, then there’s a very good chance they’ll never surface. Kaiba is very adamant about his disbelief in reincarnation and has no use for magic.”

“He’s very lonely. I do what I can to help him, Ryou-chan, but there’s only so much I can do. I think a lot of it is that he’s having to adapt to this new time, deal with whatever issues followed him, and try to be strong for me. I know it’s getting to him.”

There was a long silence before Ryou broke it.

“Yami looks tired.”

Yugi nodded, leaning back and reaching for his boyfriend’s hand. Ryou smiled as he threaded his fingers through the smaller fingers.

“He hasn’t slept well since regaining his body. Either nightmares, night terrors, or flashbacks, which have kept his sleep restless. I think he may get one night out of a week where he sleeps through the night.”

Bakura winced, glad he couldn’t be seen when he had that reaction. He’d had his own fair share of restless nights but to have that many, no wonder Yami was looking so careworn.

“Yugi-chan, how is he surviving that?”

“Jii-chan has been keeping an eye on him. You know he’s been home schooling Yami since he got his body. There was just too much for him to learn, and Yami wouldn’t be able to keep up with the demands of Japanese school. So during lessons, Jii-chan makes sure he sits down and rests while working on his assignments. If it gets too bad, we find ways to put him to sleep during the day. So far, it’s been working.”

There was another short pause, and then Ryou’s voice floated up to his yami.

“We’ll have to include him in group outings, encourage him to stay relaxed. It’s warming up more and more so we can do outdoor things. That seems to help relax him, I’ve noticed.”

“As long as we don’t spend as much time in the arcade, I think it’ll work. He loves games, but the loud noises there put him on edge after a while. You’re right, Ryou-chan, outdoor activities will be best. As long as Tristan doesn’t try to get him to swim with his shirt off again.”

Bakura remembered Ryou telling him something about this and listened closer as Ryou responded to the comment.

“I’ll never understand why Yami took that so badly. It isn’t like him to snap at people like that.”

“He’s not comfortable with his body. It took a lot of damage when he was growing up. I’ve only seen glimpses, I know there’s a lot of scarring.”

Ryou shook his head, slightly confused by that.

“When Bakura gained a body, it wasn’t a lot like his old one, which was scarred pretty bad from what I remember. His new one has a few scars, but nothing like what he’d had back in ancient times Why was Yami’s when it was given to him?”

“There was something about the spell that pulled Yami’s old body back into play. Isis and Shadi said it was because he was the key for the spell that sealed the Shadow Realm. All I know is that it nearly killed him when he got his body back.”

Both yami and hikari froze when they heard that piece of news, thinking back to the ritual that had granted the three yamis bodies so they would no longer have to remain in spirit forms. Malik and Ryou had gone first but when it came time for Yugi to go through it, Shadi and Isis had pulled the small hikari into a separate chamber. For some reason, Malik had stood guard outside of it. In spite of his exhaustion, he’d refused to let the two curious yamis anywhere near it.

Later, Marik and Bakura had joked around about the Pharaoh getting preferential treatment due to the fact the bodies showed up naked. Now, thinking on Yugi’s comment, he wasn’t so sure.

Yami had practically been carried out by Shadi and treated with gentle care. Bakura and Marik had recovered energy quickly after the ritual, but the smaller yami had taken over a week to regain strength. During that time, they’d remained in Malik and Isis’s home and Yami had been sequestered away, seeing only Yugi, Shadi, Isis, or Malik.

Even after all of this time, Isis and Malik had never told anyone the reasons behind all of that. Each comment about the Pharaoh being pampered was given a harsh, cold look and an equally cold voice telling them to knock it off.

Ryou, seeing the haunted look in his love’s eyes, didn’t question the comment and simply tugged Yugi into his arms. The smaller hikari went willingly, soaking up the comfort and love radiating from his boyfriend.

Bakura leaned back against the wall, eyes holding a thoughtful expression as he thought about everything he’d learned today and the things he’d seen since the three of them had gotten their bodies. Something didn’t add up at all, and he was going to find out what was going on. The idea that he’d been wrong about someone didn’t sit well with him, and he knew he had to find out.

The game was on now.


Author’s End Note – Woohoo! That one down. Ra knows how many more to go. Thanks for sticking with me and for reading. For those who want to be on the mailing list, please add a good email address when you review. Thanks again and see you next time!