-YGO- The Art of Mediation

[hitokirisan]

I come with a work-in-progress fic, but on a different fandom. Behold the shiny show that is Yu-Gi-Oh!

And before anyone asks, no, I'm incapable of writing a number of fictions a day, nor am I in the habit of switching fandoms in a single day; I'm just uploading previously existing stuff.

Title: The Art of Mediation
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Humour
Pairings: well, none; you may ship Ishizu and Yugi's Kuriboh plushy
Characters: Yami, Yugi, Ishizu, Kaiba
Warning: Yami's general lack of ability to adapt the modern world
Summary: Ishizu couldn't imagine the Pharaoh having a row with the Chosen One; now she was finally treated to the sight. With Yami on a tantrum and Yugi thoroughly frazzled, all Ishizu could think of was that this wasn't included in a tombkeeper's job description

Notes:
In the canon, Yugi and Yami's relationship is extremely close and harmonious. They never argue with each other, maybe with the exception of the Orichalcos part. But even that scene isn't a true argument - Yugi pretty much owned Yami with his verbal assault (and he doesn't mean to truly blame the darker spirit, either).
Therefore, this fic is born out of the question: what would raise an argument between Yugi and Yami, and how would they go about it? Of course, no one can escape the pharaoh's wrath: Ishizu and Kaiba get pulled (unwillingly) into the picture as well.

And a picture to go with the story...




I.

When questioning how the argument began, "he started it" was the last thing Ishizu had expected to hear from the pharaoh.

Yami hadn't said that in actual words - Ishizu would probably be struck speechless if he did - but had instead opted to coat the childish idea in regal language.

"Aibou has just informed me that he has little need of my protection thereafter, " Yami had told her, eyes narrowing in an expression that was half irritation, half genuine anger. The former pharaoh was sprawled out on the coach, a king on his throne; one hand absently flipping TV channels with a flick of his wrist.

Yami stopped, accidentally, at the anime channel. He scowled at the garishly dubbed characters on the screen before moving on to the next channel. Switching through television channels, it seemed, only served to worsen his mood.

"I have come to the understanding that Aibou does not appreciate my interference in any of his affairs. I shall refrain from doing so in the future. After all, he was my host and I do respect his views." The pharaoh glanced up at her, ruby eyes narrowed, and went back to pressing his remote with regal resolution.

That's basically "you know what? Don't come to me when you're in trouble next time!", done pharaoh-style, thought Ishizu sarcastically as she stood at the doorway. Closing the door behind her, she approached her lord with a sigh bordering on reproachful.

"Pharaoh. The chosen one could not possibly mean this, and you know it."

From what Ishizu knew of Yugi, the gentle teen saying that he didn't want Yami's involvement in his life would be as likely as Malik declaring that Yami was his favourite person on this world. It would probably have to take either a drastic change of character or a highly unusual turn of events to achieve that.

"I know very well what Yugi means. After all, I literally live in his mind. "

The operative tense being "lived", Ishizu corrected mentally. Pharaoh, three millennia of solitude have made you forget how difficult communication can be.

Shifting slightly to the left, she placed herself between Yami and the television, forcing the ex-pharaoh to turn his attention on her.

"I won't argue with you, pharaoh." Atem was proud, stubborn, and hated to lose - three traits that made arguing with him a daunting task. Knowing this, Ishizu promptly gave up on convincing him about Yugi's intentions. In his heart Yami probably knew that Yugi meant no harm anyway. "But please - just tell me what happened. I won't be able to help if you aren't telling me anything."

"Your help is neither desired nor needed here, tomb keeper," Yami sniped back - a little uncharacteristically - and gave Ishizu a lazy wave. "You are now dismissed."

Ishizu gave him an appraising gaze, not even bothering to tell him that he couldn't exactly "dismiss" her like he used to. This was not his kingdom, and she was not Isis. At times, too caught up in the memories of a life past, Yami tended to forget such things.

Ishizu did not begrudge him for that - for a person who'd recently regained a body along with memories of a life three millennia ago, she actually thought Yami was coping pretty well. Usually, a gentle reminder from Yugi would help the pharaoh separate the past from the present; but Yugi was currently upstairs, sulking.

"In that case, Atem, I will ask the chosen one instead. I think he'll be far more cooperative than you are."

Yami snorted, and didn't even bother answering.

Half a year after the ceremonial battle, Ishizu had come to check if the pharaoh and his light were doing well. It was meant to be a formality, something she owed them for all the troubles she'd caused them. She'd expected to find the two leading a picturesque life - Yugi watching TV on the couch, perhaps, while Yami rearranged his deck with an ease befitting his title as the King of Games. Both looking up and smiling as she entered their house.

She certainly hadn't expected to find the two in the biggest fight of the year. Yami hadn't even bothered to open the door for her - he was obviously in too bad a mood to do so. Instead, a dark tendril had wrapped itself around the door, yanking it open for the dumbfounded tomb guardian. Ishizu was about to chastise the ex-pharaoh for the all-too-liberal use of his shadow powers when she saw the pharaoh's expression for the first time.

It was a rather bizarre sight, Ishizu decided, to see her pharaoh arguing with the chosen one. Like everyone else, she'd always held the vague perception that Yami and Yugi lived in eternal harmony - Yugi was far too kind and forgiving to hold a grudge against anyone, much less his darker half; and Yami would never consider hurting his light in any way, even emotionally. The notion that the two could get into an argument in any shape or form was rather surreal.

Normal people, Ishizu reminded herself, do get into arguments once in a while. It was probably an essential part of human life, and it probably applied to Yami and Yugi as well.

The problem was she couldn't exactly say that Yami and Yugi were normal in any sense of the word.

"Yugi," she called out, gently, and the teen looked up towards her, startled. He didn't seem to be making much headway in his work; pen hanging in midair, he was staring off into space with an expression that was angry and sad in equal measures.

"Oh, Ishizu-san," he made an effort to smile at her, "you could have told me you're coming. Please come in."

Ishizu smiled back, a little indulgently. Despite the recent argument he'd had, Yugi was making an effort to be hospitable. She took a seat on his bed, noting the sheer number of duel monster plushies on his bed. Absently, she set a Kuriboh plushy on her lap.

"I was talking to the pharaoh downstairs," the tomb keeper started, and watched as Yugi's features harden slightly. It was a strange expression on the light's face, one that she wasn't accustomed to. "There seems to be an…argument?"

Yugi muttered something, suddenly very intent on the calculus problem on his desk. Ishizu thought she heard a grouchy "he started it" coming from the normally mild boy, and sighed in irritation.

"Not you too, Yugi. The pharaoh has already given me the cold shoulder downstairs. You don't have to do it again."

The teenager looked back at her, amethyst eyes apologetic. "Um…I'm sorry you have to put up with…that." He tilted his head in the direction of the living room downstairs; Yami's intense displeasure seemed to be pressing in through the open door. Even in his distress, Yugi still had the ingrained habit to apologize for every bad thing that happened, whether or not it was his fault. It made Ishizu wonder - again - how anyone, much less the pharaoh, could be mad at him in the first place.

"It's alright," the tomb keeper told him, smiling reassuringly. Yugi was incredibly easy to guilt-trip, and it made Ishizu felt as though she was leading a lamb astray. She was coaxing the truth out of Yugi for a good cause, but it didn't make her conscience feel any better. "Can you tell me what happened? Maybe I could help."

"Um," the boy stuttered again; the fight with Yami seemed to have left him stumbling over his words more than usual. "It was like this…"

Ishizu should have known. At the end of the day, the whole thing had to do with some punk, the pharaoh's over-protectiveness, and dark magic.

Kaiba Corporation was - yet again - going to introduce a newer and far more exciting version of the Duel Disk. Or at least that was what Kaiba told the media, armour-clad arm nearly hitting the podium as he swept his arm over it in emphasis. Watching the news on TV, Yami raised his brows in slight amusement. The CEO's exaggerated motions always had the effect of adding an extra exclamation mark or three to the end of his sentences.

"This is so cool, the other me!" Yugi exclaimed, half-flailing as he watched the demonstration video of the new Duel Disk with rapt attention. Where the monsters would, for the most part, float stoically over a player's field until command was given (or something was done to them), the new Duel Disk enabled them to respond to various dynamics in the game now.

Yugi gave an amused chuckle as the Celtic Guardian in the video leered derisively at a newly summoned Watapon in attack position. The difference in attack points had apparently triggered this particular reaction.

"I wonder if I could talk to the Dark Magician mid-duel with this Duel Disk?" Yugi wondered enthusiastically, still leaning towards the TV like an overexcited child. Yami watched him affectionately, reminded of how Yugi had always loved the Dark Magician card.

He didn't bother to remind his lighter half that he could, in fact, summon the Dark Magician anytime Yugi wanted. Instead, he turned his attention back to the TV and Kaiba's solo drama.

"…to commemorate the introduction of this new product, Kaiba Corporation is organizing a dueling event next Monday. Skilled competitors, chosen from all around the world, will duel each other with our latest piece of technology. The winner of the event…" He straightened suddenly, gravity-defying white coat flaring skywards as he paused for a dramatic effect, "…will get to duel Yugi Mutou, the King of Duelists."

There was a moment of silence as both dark and light blinked at the television in disbelief.

"I can't believe I wasn't even informed about this!" Yugi wailed, glaring at the Kaiba on his TV, "Kaiba-kun knows I have a test next Tuesday!"

Now that there was no desperate need to sign himself up for a bunch of Duel Monsters tournaments - because really, he'd got himself involved in competitions like Duelist Kingdom and Battle City for one important reason or another - Yugi didn't duel publicly as often. Schoolwork and daily life had caught up with him after Egypt. He had spent many hours poring over his books when it became apparent that having been locked in the Orichalcos seal, or defeated a long-dead Pharaoh in a card game, wasn't going to help his studies one bit.

His darker self, however, had built himself a new fan base under the alias of Mutou Atem in a matter of two months. Ever the supportive one, Yugi was incredibly proud of his partner's achievements and had taken to voicing out his approval every time Yami gained a new title. Maybe that wasn't the best idea; it seemed that Yami was now out to collect every gaming title that ever existed, as though he was collecting Pokémon.

However, Yugi's busyness didn't quite prevent Kaiba from calling on him from time to time. From Kaiba's perspective, he was too good of a duelist-bait to be left unused; in any given tournament, simply putting his name on the roster would attract a horde of top-notch duelists from all around the world. Tired of seeing Kaiba Corp limos appearing randomly in front of his doorstep, Yugi had finally given up and presented his timetable to Kaiba one day.

"So that Isono-san doesn't have to hunt me down all over the city every time you need me," he'd explained with a small smile. Kaiba had grunted and took the timetable, in gratitude or distaste he didn't know.

From that time on, Kaiba had taken his timetable into account and only tended to call him when he was at least available. The brunette had apparently decided that a distracted King of Duelists wasn't going to do much in terms of publicity.

"Just study earlier, aibou. Though I'm more interested in knowing why they aren't inviting me as well," Atem rested his chin on a fist, eyeing the screen with mild irritation. It was always exhilarating to duel his aibou in the public arena, and seeing them duel always sent the audience into a sort of elated hysteria for weeks.

His lighter half shot him a look. "Because, the other me, one Ceremonial Duel a day can't be good for anyone's health. It's fun, but it's practically nerve-racking! Grandpa was nearly hyperventilating on the front bench when we did the Spring Tournament duel!"

Yami chuckled at the memory. "Who said anything about going all out? We could just have a friendly duel, that's all."

"…and you're sure that you can best me in an ordinary duel," Yugi returned impishly, and Yami huffed. The truth, he acknowledged, was that he could no longer say confidently that he could win against Yugi in any kind of duel. The chances of him winning were probably 50-50.

Kaiba probably didn't include Yami in this tournament for good reasons. The public couldn't handle the stress of watching the two duel, the competitors couldn't face the despair of being up against two Game Kings in a row; in addition, the teenage CEO knew leaving him out would irk the ex-pharaoh.

Now that Kaiba couldn't duel with Yami as often - he was too busy planning yet another Kaiba Land in Europe, inventing new Duel Monsters products and developing electronic games in the same time that he simply couldn't find the time - Kaiba had subconsciously taken to irritating Yami with small, mundane things on a regular basis. It was, Yugi thought, Kaiba's way of coping with not being able to challenge Yami whenever he wanted.

"Aibou, are you doubting my prowess with the cards already? I should be insulted," Yami drawled, inciting an "of course not!" from an amused Yugi. "In that case, I'll simply have to prove my strength in this tournament."

He stood up, intent on giving Kaiba a piece of his mind via the phone. It didn't really surprise him when it rang before he could reach it, the teenage CEO calling to inform Yugi of the arrangement and offering a tutor to help him deal with the test.

"…and here comes the King of Duelists, Mutou Yugi!"

Despite the number of different titles he'd acquired in the dueling world, his first title - which wasn't really his in reality - had stuck, and he was generally known and addressed as the King of Duelists. Amidst the deafening roar of the crowd, Isono's announcement was accompanied by a sudden burst of smoke on the dueling field. Yugi's opponent - a grown man who'd battled all the way up to championship just to duel Yugi - looked like he was on the verge of having a fit. Sitting cross-legged on the VIP bench, Yami found that he couldn't blame the guy; he himself had experienced, first hand, how utterly terrifying it had been to have Yugi on the other side of the arena, determined and ready.

The crowd leaned towards the stadium as one, waiting with baited breath for the legendary King of Duelists to appear. It came as a great surprise, therefore, when the smoke eventually cleared to reveal…an empty platform.

Isono looked momentarily stunned, before explaining in a stuttering (and rather unconvincing) voice that there had been some circumstances, and that Yugi would be appearing shortly. Watching the whole fiasco in his control room, Kaiba twitched. So much for staging a spectacular appearance for the little twit. Coattails swishing, he turned on his employees with an air of a lion about to pounce on its prey.

"I want to know where the hell Yugi is. Now." His command was met with the busy tapping of keyboards, his staff checking the surveillance cameras within the premises to locate the petite duelist. Fishing his mobile out of his trousers, Kaiba entered Yugi's number. Yugi wasn't one to pull a disappearing act for no reason; this, if anything, told the brunette that something was wrong.

Yugi's phone was off. Go figure. He paused, jaw clenching in irritation, and decided to try Atem's number instead. It didn't really surprise him when it vibrated in his hand, the former spirit calling to demand where his aibou had gone and threatening magic-related punishments if anything happened to Yugi.

"Shut up for a moment, Atem," Kaiba snapped, and felt grimly triumphant when his rival abruptly cut himself off in the middle of a threat. "I have nothing to do with it and you know it. Where did you last see him?"

"At the waiting room. He was going over his deck…" Kaiba could feel the tension rolling off from the other end of the phone; it was starting to distract him as well. Damn Yami and his over-protectiveness over his little ex-host. "I'll go look for him."

"Stay put, you aren't helping," the brunette told Yami curtly, tapered fingers tapping on his screen until the image of Yugi's waiting room appeared. Seeing Yami run off in panic would probably send the spectators in the stadium into a mad frenzy, and Kaiba wasn't ready to see his tournament blow up in his face just yet.

The waiting room was empty. Kaiba frowned, about to shift the image to the corridor outside when one of the communication staff called his name breathlessly, receiver in one hand.

"Seto-sama, someone has found Yugi-sama!"

"Show me the image," he told her with a clipped voice, and she obliged, switching the screen to a corridor not far from the waiting room. Arms crossed, Kaiba gazed down at the screen.

One of his guards was bending over what seemed to be a dark lump on the side of the corridor couch. Frowning, he zoomed in on the lump, only to realize that it was in fact a mop of tri-coloured hair poking out from behind the couch.

"Well, I'll be damned," he muttered darkly. He was about to inform Yami of the new development when the once-pharaoh hung up on him with a sharp beep, having read his apprehension and no doubt rushing over to his aibou's aid.
When the teenage CEO arrived at the scene, it was to find a very agitated Yami attempting to shake Yugi out of unconsciousness, and the guard looking extremely helpless. Watching the whole scene from the side, Kaiba quickly decided that it was going to be one of those days.

II.

"I've already told you, the other me, I'm fine!" Yugi protested, muffling a cough, and attempted to rise from the couch. He was forced to lay down when a sinewy arm blocked his way, his yami looking down sternly at him from his perch on the side of the couch.

"You can't even stand properly, aibou. You shouldn't move until the doctor arrives." Atem's voice was quiet, but it was the sheer intensity in his ruby eyes - so unlike his soft amethyst ones, Yugi noted absently - that made his stomach twist uncomfortably. It brought up memories of days long past, when Yami had been less sane and more willing to resort to violence and darkness in solving problems.

"I'm ok…" Yugi repeated, meekly, though he made no further move to get up. "I have to go out, the whole stadium's going to freak out if I disappeared on them!" His eyes turned to Kaiba, questioning; the CEO let out a small snort, having read the question on his open face.

Now that they were separated into two entities, the difference in personality between the two Yugis was striking. Not that he ever cared much about which Yugi he was dealing with even before the ceremonial duel, but it still felt odd and foreign to Kaiba.

"No. Do you think I'm going to let my tournament go to hell like that? We're arranged some performances to amuse the spectators for the time being. It's a matter of time before they ask questions, though." He didn't sound very concerned, though. Probably because he was Kaiba Seto, and Kaiba Seto was never concerned.

Yami glared; Kaiba wasn't intending to put his aibou at peace one bit. He was about to tell Yugi to "let Kaiba handle it" when he caught the genuinely worried expression on the smaller boy's face. He halted, resisting the urge to cover his face. At the end of everything, it was always that expression that got him.

"Alright, alright. I'll go out and duel in your place; you stay put and rest. After all, the crowd is usually content with seeing either of us appear on the arena," he turned to Seto. "Does that work?"

Kaiba gave a nonchalant hum. "It'll work if I say so."

Yami raised a brow at his arrogance, but otherwise said nothing as he ruffled his aibou's hair gently and walked off in the direction of the stadium.

It occurred to him, halfway through the duel ("Dark Magician, Magician of Black Chaos and Curse of Dragon - attack the player directly!") that in his preoccupation, he hadn't even asked why his aibou had fainted in the first place.

When he'd finished slaughtering his opponent with the new Duel Disk - he'd been on autopilot, and could almost feel the Black Magician's questioning gaze on him as he gave out commands absently - Yami hurried back to the corridor, only to find Yugi in the care of one of Kaiba's personal doctors and two security guards. A while after Yami's own departure, the CEO had arrived at the stadium for the awards ceremony, though judging by Seto's more-irritable-than-usual expression, Yami suspected that he was not at all impressed by the champion's skills.

Yami dismissed the thought as irrelevant as he approached his aibou, who brightened considerably as he spotted him.

"Atem!" Yugi was reverting to his official name now that there were strangers around. Though Yami did his best to adjust, the word always sounded foreign on Yugi's lips. " You won."

Yami shrugged it off. It was a moot point, and Yugi didn't really frame it as a question either. "Aibou. How are you feeling?"

"Fine, although my head hurts where I've fallen over," the petite duelist smiled softly, and Yami could see that he was speaking the truth. "Can we go home now? I really want to revise for the test!"

"Not before the doctor says you can go," Yami returned, unyielding. "Aibou, you just fainted."

"It was just a fainting spell…too tired recently," Yugi said, dismissing the ordeal with a simple wave. But Yami could see those purple eyes blinking a little unnaturally, the smile becoming a little strained. Even the doctor was suddenly checking Yugi's head with an odd sort of concentration. He hadn't been a master gamer for nothing.

"Aibou," he rubbed his temple a little exasperatedly, "please don't lie to me. You know it never works."

Yugi averted his eyes, guilt literally exuding from him in waves. Even if Yami wasn't sure if he was lying before, he sure was now. "I'm not…"

Atem cut him off. "Did someone do this to you?" There was that steeliness in his eyes again, the sudden look of vengeful darkness, that made Yugi instantly wary.

"No," Yugi looked back at his guardian, this time looking far more determined. "I just…fainted."

And no matter how many times Yami had broached the matter afterwards, that was that.

Yugi's stubbornness - a trait that the light shared with him, if he was honest enough with himself - could be truly infuriating at times.

"Kaiba," Yami began bluntly when the other man picked up the phone, "I want to know what happened this morning."

Kaiba had stayed by his aibou's side when he'd gone off to duel in Yugi's place. The man had, for security's sake, installed numerous surveillance cameras all over the place. It made perfect sense that he would know what had been going on, whether from Yugi himself or from his near-magical contraptions.

He turned slightly towards the room that he and Yugi shared; his aibou was reciting facts about the Meiji Restoration in a decidedly monotonous voice. The coast was clear, at least for now.

"He didn't tell you?" Yami could feel the smirk even down the line, and suppressed the urge to come up with a biting comeback. There was a sound reason why he didn't want to call the CEO in the first place, but if someone was trying to harm his aibou, he needed to know. Kaiba's penchant of gloating at him at every possible moment was starting to get on his nerves; he'd have to get him back on the dueling field one day or another.

"He said it was a fainting spell," his ironic tone told Kaiba what he thought of the excuse. On the other end, Kaiba gave a derisive "hmph".

"Then it is as he said. Quit bothering me with such pointless questions, Yugi," Kaiba said, momentarily forgetting to address Yami by his new name. It actually happened quite often after the Ceremonial Duel, but most people either thought he was mixing the two "brothers" up, or - for those who knew better - had already made a point of ignoring it.

Then he slammed the phone on Yami.

The ex-pharaoh twitched, and wondered why the hell he'd ever thought of choosing this man as his priest in any in his incarnations. Cousin or not, surely any reasonable pharaoh would've had his head cut off for his insolence by now.

The worst part was that he understood what Kaiba was saying between the lines. I know what happened and you don't, and I'm not going to tell you.

For some reason, this irritated him more than anything could.

Later that night, he'd returned to his - and Yugi's - room in a ruffled mood, only to find his aibou asleep on his modern history textbook. The little light had probably fallen asleep in the middle of his revision. Yami raised his brows, a tender smile tugging at his lips. Despite his darker half being an embodiment of ancient Egyptian history, Yugi had never gotten around to appreciate the more recent part of history. Unwilling to wake his aibou, he pulled the book out from under him, replacing it with a pillow. Yugi's brows drew together for a second, before his mind decided that the pillow was that much more comfortable, and he returned to a deep slumber.

Then it occurred to him.

He could…find the answers he wanted in Yugi's soul room. Not only was the soul room home to Yugi's soul; it also served as a storeroom to his memories. If he could see Yugi's memories of what had transpired in the morning, he would know.

Even though he'd acquired his own body, his mind was still closely linked with Yugi's. In all honesty, he was initially surprised that their soul rooms still existed. He'd thought that the soul rooms were products of the puzzle's magic; and now, with the sealing of the puzzle, they should no longer be able to access the soul rooms.

Yugi, however, had grinned when he'd voiced that issue aloud. They were initially one soul, one ankh, he said cheerfully, and it made sense that they should be able to access one another's mind even if they no longer share a body.

Yami smiled at the recollection. Yugi always had a knack for simplifying complex situations like that.

His aibou had also told him without reservations that Yami was welcome to his soul room whenever he felt like it, when it became apparent how much his darker half liked the warm, cozy atmosphere of his soul room. Yami had found himself there on many occasions, poking Yugi's toys and watching his thoughts and memories drift by like clouds in the sky.

The once-pharaoh hesitated as the immorality of the act registered with him. Yugi, however generous, would not approve of him looking into memories he'd decided to keep to himself. Besides, he would be taking advantage of Yugi's hospitality, and it would be the worst repayment he could offer for Yugi's trust.

But - he thought back to the scene of Yugi lying unconscious on the ground - Yugi had the unfortunate habit of being too forgiving of anyone, even his aggressors. This had landed the boy into more dangerous situations than he could count, and he couldn't afford to let that happen again. He wasn't his light's guardian for nothing - and if he must protect Yugi from himself, then so be it.

He'd regretted the cruelty of his earlier shadow games, but had never quite regretted the reason behind them. He'd pledged his loyalty and protection to Yugi the moment the boy released him from his golden prison, and he would do anything in his power to uphold that pledge. And in the end, maybe… just maybe…his faithful protection would be adequate repayment for Yugi's trust.

And besides - a hopeful part of his mind chirped - Yugi didn't need to know this. He could simple go in, read the memories, go educate the despicable villain on proper behaviour (not necessarily with a Shadow game, though), and life would return to normal.

That decided, he willed himself into the sleeping boy's soul room, taking care not to disrupt Yugi's sleep as he made his way across the virtual room.

Yami should have known. At the end of the day, it had been Yugi alone who'd been able to beat him in any sort of games, and it made sense that the boy would be able to foil his plan, as well.

Still, he hadn't imagined that he would be caught in the act, like some petty thief who'd been caught with one hand in a handbag. Had he the presence of mind to think about it, he would realize that he was stuck in an extremely uncool and less-than-kingly situation. If his friends (or worse yet, Kaiba) ever caught wind of this one, he would never hear the end of it.

This was, however, the last thing on his mind as he stood frozen - his aibou's memory before him, his aibou standing behind him. Like a movie, the memory had skidded to a halt when Yugi had woken from his sleep, but not before Yami had a good look at a black-clad man lunging at his aibou in that Ra-forsaken corridor. It was enough to let him know what had actually happened.

"Aibou…" he started, but Yugi intercepted; his voice was not exactly cold, but it was the use of his name - outside of public scrutiny - that made Yami flinch.

"Outside, Atem."

And Yami found himself back in his body all of a sudden, Yugi's amethyst eyes fixing on him in an unreadable expression.

"…Why?" was all the light managed to say, eyes wide with disbelief.

This time around, it was Yami who had to duck from his gaze. But his tone was defensive. "You were keeping it from me."

It was a moment before Yugi could find his voice. "And that is the reason you decided to hack my memories?"

"No! I mean, I did…" he was intent on looking at anything except Yugi. "but it wasn't…what could I have done when it is so obvious you were lying? I…I have to protect you - it is my duty. You know that!"

Yugi's eyes flared up a little at the accusation. "The other me! Don't you think I have a good reason for keeping things to myself? You've never tried to break into my memories before, and I trust you enough to think you wouldn't do it!"

Yugi's words held truth, he knew. Still, it didn't quite stop Yami's voice from rising in anger.

" That is because you've never hidden anything important from me before! Do you not trust me enough to tell me?" Flame-coloured eyes snapped back to Yugi now, indignant. "Even Kaiba knows, Aibou."

"I don't know what you'll do! You looked so angry…and that man was…" the sight of searing red eyes, bright with simmering rage, flashed through his mind again, and Yugi closed his eyes, suddenly struck speechless.

"In other words, you trust Kaiba over me to ensure your safety. You know what Kaiba had tried doing to you in the past, yet you seem to deem him more reliable. Fine." Yami raised both hands in mock concession. "For your information, I will do what it takes to protect you, and nothing more."

"And this is why I couldn't - I can look after myself too, you know! I don't need you punishing every other person who tries something funny!"

There was a strange gleam in the smaller boy's eyes, and if Yami had been calm enough, he'd be able to identify it as hurt. But he was oblivious as he crossed his arms, regal facade surfacing on its own accord.

" Then I apologize for meddling in your affairs, Yugi. If this is what you desire, I will take care to keep out of them next time."

With that he rose from his chair and left the room, proud and uncompromising like the pharaoh he once had been.

In a small part of his mind, however, he knew that "meddling in Yugi's affairs" wasn't exactly what he should apologize for.

Kaiba's mobile vibrated, shaking his entire worktable as it tried to garner his attention. The brunette studied it with a glower, before picking it up with the air of one handling a C4 explosive.

"Kaiba!" Yami's voice had an undercurrent of rage as he addressed the CEO. "You know Yugi had been attacked, and you just decided to keep it silent. I thought that you'd have more honour than that."

Yami had been fuming silently in the living room - he couldn't go back up, when his light was in the bedroom - when it dawned on him that Kaiba had purposely neglected to tell him that Yugi had been in danger. He could be in danger even now, if the man from the memory was still on the loose.

Kaiba had never been truly close to them - he had always been far too standoffish to be considered a friend - but deliberately letting Yugi get hurt was too cruel, even for him.

Snatching up the phone with a growl, he'd dialed Kaiba's mobile without a second thought.

"Atem, damn it," Kaiba's fury was more pronounced this time. He was beginning to regret ever giving his direct contact to this tricolour-haired nutcase. He wouldn't have but for Mokuba's insistence that they were friends, and friends give their phone numbers to each other. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Yami glanced at the wall clock. 2:31. He ignored it, pressing on with his accusation. "You knew Yugi was assaulted."

"So he did tell you something after all," the brunette answered dourly. "Say, what's your point?"

"Aibou never thinks much about his own safety. That much I know. But how could you just…stand aside and do nothing while he got himself hurt? At the very least, you could have told me when I asked."

Kaiba seemed to be making a palpable effort in controlling his breathing. "Two things, Atem: one, it was Yugi who'd asked me to keep it from you. If you have an objection, take it to him. Two, I already had the scum who attacked Yugi arrested, and he won't be getting out of jail anytime soon. It seems like he is an old friend from your shadow gaming days; apparently he wanted a long-awaited revenge, but couldn't quite distinguish you from Yugi well enough."

The CEO paused, giving a dry chuckle when he read Atem's astonishment across the line. "Get your facts straight before you decide to waste my time with inane accusations next time."

And for the second time in the day, he slammed his phone on Yami.

"…shit," Yami declared to no one in particular, and wondered if he had truly, inexcusably wronged Seth so much in his pharaoh days that the man had developed a time-transcending grudge against him. Maybe he'd forgotten to pay the Seth's wages as a priest, that must be it.

Throwing the phone back to its cradle, Yami wondered how the whole thing had gone to hell without his knowing it.

When Sugoroku came down to breakfast next morning, he found Yami watching the morning news - since when was Yami interested in the news? - with a decidedly stormy expression, and Yugi beside the dining table, reciting his history in a tone that can only be described as murderous. He hesitated, wondering if a field magic card had been activated in his living room without his knowledge.

"…Kido Takayoshi, also known as Katsura Kogoro, was a statesman based in the Satsuma domain. He was one of the Ishin-no-Sanketsu along with Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi…" Yugi murmured darkly, sipping from his glass of juice.

"That's Choshu for you, not Satsuma," Sugoroku corrected, and Yugi looked momentarily thrown off before muttering his assent. "How's the preparation going?"

"Badly," Yugi replied, rubbing his eyes irritably. "Couldn't sleep well yesterday. I think I'm going to fail the test today, Grandpa."Sugoroku could have sworn he caught Yugi's glare lighting on the back of the couch. The news reporter's voice was cut off quite abruptly; Sugoroku realized that Yami must have switched to another channel. Maybe the news didn't interest him anymore. He blinked in the ex-pharaoh's direction, before turning back to smile at his grandson.

"You're going to do fine. Just pull yourself together," he reassured, and Yugi nodded, still looking considerably tired. Finishing his juice with a large swig, he stuffed the textbook back into his backpack and made for the door.

"I'm off, then. Bye Grandpa!"

Seeing his grandson off with a wave, Sugoroku noticed how Yugi didn't attempt to address Atem at all. Something clicked, and he turned to the figure on his couch, bushy eyebrows raised.

"Yugi's angry at you." He said in wonder.

The pharaoh didn't dignify that with an answer, but from the way his gaze drilled holes into the television, Sugoroku thought he had a pretty good idea.

"And you, Atem? Are you angry at him?"

This time, Yami did look up, perhaps jolted to attention by the sudden question.

"Yes and…no," he licked his lips, musing. "It…isn't just about Aibou- but…!" There was a silent flame behind his eyes as he trailed off, not ready to have a civil conversation with the old man yet.

Sugoroku looked a little surprised at the lack of conviction - unlike Yugi, who had a tendency to let the end of his sentences drift uncertainly, Yami usually declared his words in a way that didn't leave any room for challenge. He was born and bred as a king, and doubt over his commands were probably most unwelcome from his point of view.

Overlooking the moment of lapse, Sugoroku let out a breath. He'd seen enough arguments in his days to know that Yami still some time needed to figure things out a bit. He probably needed a little longer, considering that he was entirely unused to the concept of arguing, whether in this life or the past one.

"You're not going to leave the house anytime soon, are you?" it was said with a kind, understanding tone.

A noncommittal grunt was his only answer, but Sugoroku knew Yami too well to be affronted.

"Well, I'll bring you lunch later then."

Having said that, Sugoroku started towards his game shop, setting up the counter to begin business for the day.   
III.

That was how Ishizu found her pharaoh, eight hours later, still sprawled on the couch in a surly mood. The morning news had long since ended, moving on to various shows - a few reruns, the afternoon news, a cooking programme, a cartoon with a ridiculous plot - for the day. Yami, however, hadn't so much as shifted.

Ishizu was of the personal opinion that Yami might as well move on from his unproductive funk as well.

The corridor outside Yugi's room was a good vantage point that overlooked the whole living room. Tilting her head over the corridor's rail, Ishizu watched in resigned exasperation as her pharaoh persisted in his imitation of a stone statute. At her side, the Chosen One had given up pretending to do his schoolwork; his gaze followed Ishizu as she checked briefly on Yami.

"He's still down there, isn't he," Yugi observed gloomily, and Ishizu couldn't help raising a brow at his tone. He had apparently confined himself to his room after he'd returned from school, not wanting to confront his darker self. The small teen was immensely relieved when Yami continued his relentless channel-surfing, not acknowledging his aibou's return in the slightest. But sooner or later, Yugi would have to go down to the living room for dinner - or, if he didn't appear, Sugoroku would force him to. It was obviously not a prospect he enjoyed.

Ishizu stepped back into his room, ebony hair swaying gracefully behind her. If she was going to be the mediator by default, she'd rather start from the gentler one. If she happened to fail, at least she wouldn't be attacked by rabid shadow creatures or the like.

"Is it that hard to forgive the pharaoh?" Ishizu asked, affecting puzzlement. "Once, he had used your body to punish those he saw fit. Some he'd turned into human fireballs, some he'd sent to mental hospitals, and some he'd even killed."

Yugi winced at the reminder, thinking of the days when he used to wake up with blood on his hands and no recollection of what had transpired. Ishizu continued, tallying the numerous crimes Yami had managed to commit in a short span of two years. It occurred to her that it was probably enough to warrant lifelong imprisonment, had it been committed with anything other than magical means.

"He'd very nearly sent Seto plummeting to his death in Duellist Kingdom, and he lost your soul to the Orichalcos seal. Still, you forgave him each time. What makes it different this time around?"

Yugi seemed to freeze for a moment. "But this is…different! What kind of person would just break into your memories when they know you don't approve? It's almost like picking the lock to someone's diary and then leafing through it! And when I caught him at it, he made it sound like it was entirely my fault! For not trusting him enough!"

Personally, Ishizu thought that Yami did have a point, though she wasn't about to say it at this stage. Yugi spun in his seat to face her, wide amethyst eyes narrowed to half their size. "A single 'sorry', and I would have let it pass. I didn't expect him to counter-accuse me and then cut me off and walk away when I tried to explain!"

"Yugi," Ishizu was completely undaunted by his outburst. If she could face down her homicidal cult leader of a little brother without a blink, she could easily deal with an upset teenager. "What the pharaoh did was…improper. But you must understand that he did it for the sole reason of ensuring your safety. The pharaoh thinks of himself as your guardian; your safety means more to him than anything on this world. You could imagine how he felt when he saw you - all of a sudden - lying on the ground, unconscious, possibly dead. You remember how he'd reacted when he lost you to the Orichalcos seal?"

It was a roundabout way of guilt-tripping Yugi again, and Ishizu knew it. What she was saying was essentially "whatever Yami did, he did it under the shock of seeing you half-dead'. Her smile, serene and all-knowing, hid victory as the point struck home. Yugi looked hesitant as he mulled over what she'd said, and it was a very good sign.

Another five minutes, and she'd have him convinced.

"That guy…went after me because the other me forced him to stab his shin in a shadow game, two years ago. I didn't really want the other me to know - he'd either blame himself for it, or go after that guy for revenge. Maybe both, I don't know," Yugi admitted quietly, and the tomb keeper gave him an encouraging look.

"But that guy couldn't do anything more than push me to the ground, and Kaiba-kun eventually got a hold of him near the stadium, so I didn't think it was necessary to bother the other me with things like that! He…deserves release from the things he'd done in the past. He wasn't all that stable then - but he is now. It's all that matters, right?"

"I understand," Ishizu nodded - half to Yugi's words and half in veiled satisfaction- as she watched Yugi's rage dwindle down to a simmer. She only needed to let his anger burn out on its own accord, now; just like all the times she'd let Malik rant and rave to his heart's content until her brother eventually gave it up in favour of some food.

"But today, I had to explain to the press jammed in front of my school gate that no, foul play wasn't intended, I am neither facing a crisis in my life nor giving up duelling, and Kaiba-kun isn't in the habit of poisoning his rival on his own premises, and will you guys please let me take the test in time!

And when I was finally able to get past the crowd, I couldn't concentrate on the history test as I hadn't so much as closed my eyes last night! Of all twenty-four hours in the day, the other me had to pick a fight with me right in the middle of the night!"

A flash of dark magic, spiked by anger, was all the warning Ishizu got before she caught sight of Yami, standing just outside the door.

"So you think it appropriate to lay all the blame on my shoulders," Atem said icily, and Yugi's head snapped towards him. "You see me as the source of all your misfortunes. Why am I not surprised?"

"I didn't say that! Stop putting words into my mouth!" Yugi retorted, anger rekindled at the accusation.

"I'm merely stating a fact. If you find me a nuisance, Yugi, you could always ask me to leave this household. You know you have that right. As opposed to blaming me behind my back."

"I…!" Yugi spluttered, cheeks flushed with outrage. "The other me, you're impossible!"

With that he stormed out of the room, Yami looking slightly thrown off as his light brushed past him, footsteps thumping nosily on the stairs.

Ishizu couldn't quite conceal her annoyance as she rounded on Yami. Two more minutes, and she would have a calm Yugi on her hands again. She folded her hands on her lap, repressing a sudden urge to smack the pharaoh upside the head. Couldn't he have chosen a better time to appear?

"Pharaoh. Don't you have channel surfing to do?"

Yami blinked at her, quizzical, and gathered up his regal posture once again.

"I've come to pick up my deck. I wasn't expecting a discussion on my many failings."

Ishizu's gaze sharpened into something akin to a glare, and the word "mutiny" glided through Atem's mind before he stared back at her evenly, unwilling to back down.

"Pharaoh," she sighed in resignation at her pharaoh's lack of remorse, "you can cut the sarcasm. You owe the Chosen One an apology, and you know it. If you mean to talk to Yugi, you could at least do it in a more civil fashion."

Collect his deck, indeed. From the way Yami had been seeking asylum before the television all day, Ishizu highly doubted he would be willing to brave Yugi's territories to collect a deck, when he didn't need it in the first place.

He had obviously come for the Talk, and he was failing badly at it. Ishizu pushed her hair back absently, and wondered why no one had told Yami that people don't usually start a peace talk with accusations. Probably because the only enemy in Yami's past life was Zork, and making peace with evil was in and of itself unthinkable.

Yami simply made a show of retrieving his deck from his bedside, but from the tense set of his shoulders, Ishizu knew he wasn't going to do anything with them - other than shuffle them in sheer restlessness. Ishizu decided to take pity on him.

"Yugi is afraid of what you might think and do if you know of…the circumstances behind his injury. He thinks you might start beating yourself up over the incident, or try to exact revenge from the man involved - he wants neither of these to happen. Even if he lied to you, it was because he doesn't want to hurt you in any way. He wants your life to be free of regrets. If it is anything else, he would have taken it to you," the tomb guardian started, falling into the simple rhythm of recounting the incident in a clear, logical manner. With any luck, it could be an exercise of the same guilt tripping technique she'd used on Yugi.

However, Ishizu mused, with Yugi it had been easier. She didn't need the Millennium necklace to see what the teen's concerns were, what he was actually angry about, and how she could go about addressing them. With Atem it was…a little more difficult. The pharaoh's thoughts tended to go off in a hundred different tangents all at once, and gathering them into a manageable database could be quite a task.

"What I had done in my…earlier days is my own burden to bear. If he thinks I'm still going to Shadow Game the man into oblivion, then he has far too little trust in me."

"What you did to that man the first time around is not particularly confidence-inducing. Can you begrudge Yugi for feeling a little traumatized?" Ishizu retorted readily, and Yami faltered a little before his past wrongdoing. Ishizu took the opportunity to steer the topic away; they were going nowhere with this blaming game.

"Pharaoh. What do you intend to achieve by holding on to this grudge? Do you want Yugi to apologize to you? Are you still unable to forgive the fact that, as you put it, 'Aibou doesn't trust me'? Or…" she steepled her fingers in front of her, "is your pride preventing you from reconciling with him?"

Yami turned to her, looking slightly bewildered to have the whole argument put to him as a multiple choice question. "This issue is not as simple as you think it is."

This "issue" is generally coined an argument, and the only thing that complicates it is your mind, Ishizu thought dryly, allowing herself a little sarcasm.

"Atem, please, think carefully about this. Lashing out at Yugi mindlessly will only cause more unnecessary harm. You feel anger, but is it really directed at the Chosen One? It hurts Yugi immensely, you know," Ishizu added for good measure, "to be fighting with someone he cherishes so much."

Yami looked mildly uncomfortable at hearing "hurt" and "Yugi" put into one single sentence. The tomb keeper smiled, knowing that she had one-upped him - albeit in a not-so-honourable way. Now she understood why all the villains had the uncanny tendency to target Yugi as a way to get at his darker self.

"This situation is my fault, and his as well. I…do not know what I should say to him. I have seldom been engaged in an argument…" he said the word carefully, as though uttering it alone might jinx him,"…before."

Ishizu could sympathize, though she found the situation a little comical. Not many people in Atem's time - even the strong-willed High Priest Seth - would dare argue with the living Horus; the best they could do was phrase their grievances in form of a humble advice and hope that the Pharaoh would accept it. And in the duelling ring, Yami tended to get the upper hand of any argument automatically by winning the duel. That was probably why no one could effectively disprove his lengthy friendship speeches, despite how ludicrous they often found them.

"Maybe you should try apologizing," Ishizu suggested placidly, turning a flat look at the once-pharaoh as he tensed, hackles raised. It reminded the tomb guardian strongly of a feline on the defensive.

"And before you argue that you 'were merely trying to protect aibou from harm and therefore not in the wrong', you did intrude on his privacy knowing you weren't welcome. You know it well, my pharaoh; you just aren't ready to accept it."

Yami's russet eyes shifted uncertainly, as though he didn't find Ishizu's proposal appealing.

"I do owe him an acknowledgment of my wrongdoing. I would admit that much. But this is not the only - he needs to realize that he can trust me more than this. That I won't go berserk and start sending those who threaten him to the Shadow Realm…" he grimaced at Ishizu's pointed stare. "…again."

There was an uncomfortable silence until Yami continued with a small cough. "Really, I rather think we should be over this for at least two years already. As aibou's guardian, I personally think that man deserves a lesson for daring to assault him at all. Though if Yugi had dissented - if he had expressly forbidden me to do so…" he paused, darkly contemplative. "I would have heeded him. There is no need to keep anything from me."

Ishizu studied the regal countenance, thinking of the one and only time when Yami had turned a deaf ear to Yugi's pleas - and how that had turned out in the end. The encounter with Raphael had traumatized Yami in a way no other event, however horrifying, could.

"Well said, pharaoh," the tomb keeper caressed the Kuriboh plushy as she smiled at him, like a teacher complimenting her student on a right answer. "It seems that you are clear about what you want to tell the Chosen One. Why don't you go and find him now?"

The once-pharaoh froze, momentarily looking as if Ishizu had recommended that he activate the Orichalcos field card in his next duel. He brushed at his lightning bangs in a futile show of disinterest.

"…I think it may be prudent to give Aibou some time to calm down, especially after our last…confrontation."

Ah, stalling. Ishizu hid a knowing smirk, recognizing the adolescent tactic for what it was. She wasn't going to put up with it, though. "Pharaoh, this isn't like you. No matter what you may think, stalling won't get Yugi talking to you again. The best thing you can do is steel yourself and get it over with quickly."

Yami's face was blank of emotions, but Ishizu saw his fingers brushing over his deck instinctively, seeking comfort in his trusty pieces of cardboard. She sighed, patience wearing thin. Enough was enough.

"Pharaoh, for your sake as well as mine, I'll be straightforward with you. Are you going, or do I have to make you?"

She had the satisfaction of seeing the regal figure look stupefied. Visibly collecting himself, Atem backed off from her, having heard the line from Yugi's mother enough to actually feel threatened.

He narrowed his eyes, incredulous, and backed off until his legs hit the bed. "You wouldn't dare. It would be treason against your king."

"You can try reporting my treasonous act to the Domino police, then," Ishizu was wryly amused. "Come on, pharaoh. You know better than anyone that time waits for no man."

"How is this maxim even applicable to our current situation?" Yami protested, and was astonished as she reached out to steer him by the shoulders. Ishizu had always been tough - manipulative if need be - but he hadn't thought it was in her to manhandle someone.

"I can walk by myself," he gritted out at her, gathering his dignity around himself like a cloak, and stalked off towards the door.

Ishizu folded her hands in her lap and followed him, demure and elegant once again.

It took a while to find Yugi - the living room, the kitchen and the bedrooms all turned out suspiciously empty - and Sugoroku turned an odd but otherwise apathetic gaze on them as they checked briefly on the game shop. Curious, thought Ishizu, that it would take so long for Yami to pinpoint his lighter counterpart. She knew well that the pharaoh had the ability to sense the person who was essentially part of his soul. And even if he couldn't, the premise was so small it was a wonder they hadn't bumped into him already.

The only explanation was that he knew, clearly, where Yugi was, and was taking a deliberate detour to places where he wasn't in. It irritated her a little that she was taken for a fool, but she thought she could allow Yami a little waywardness. Her king, like all kings, did not like his intention laid out before him like cards on the table. To those in a king's immediate service, Ishizu reminded herself, tact is an essential virtue.

"Maybe he's in the storeroom?" she suggested pointedly, kohl-lined eyes blinking at her Lord in a way that was disturbingly knowing; Yami had even started checking the bathrooms, and she thought, exasperatedly, that the length he'd gone to in order to avoid Yugi was starting to get ridiculous.

"The storeroom," he repeated, oddly testy.

"The storeroom," she affirmed, and knew that she'd won the contest of will when Yami spun, closing the toilet door behind him with unnecessary violence.

Yami started towards the storeroom, with a kind of strange resolve that bordered on agitation. As she dutifully shadowed her lord, Ishizu thought - with a sudden tinge of sadness - that if Yami was so disproportionately stressed out at the thought of initiating reconciliation, there was still a long way to go before he could fully settle down in this world, this era.