When Yugi had gotten the chance to be an exchange student to France, she knew that it was the break that they needed from their adventures with their friends surrounding the Millennium Items and Shadow Games.
'I can't believe we're going to Paris, France!' She sent to Yami as the plane landed down in the airport. 'I'm so pumped!' She heard the other chuckle in her mind.
'Yes, Aibou.' The male spirit replied in her mind. He projected himself next to her in the conveniently empty seat. He looked exactly like her, minus a few differences. Both of their hair was based black, though hers was tipped Amethyst and reached her mid-back, and his was tipped in crimson and spiked up. They both had blonde bangs framing their faces, but while she had a small one in the center of her forehead and the rest framing her face, he had four of his bangs shooting up through his hair like lightning bolts. The last difference, besides their gender, were their eyes. Hers were wide and a sparkling Amethyst, while his were narrowed and his eyes a sharp and almost deadly crimson.
Their situation might've freaked out anyone else had they been chosen to solve the puzzle- a male spirit inhabiting a female's body. But it didn't really bother them, they trusted each other to the point that there were absolutely no secrets between the two. And in love.
'Remember that you promised Jounochi and Anzu that you'd contact them as fast as possible.' He 'spoke'.
'Ah, thank you for reminding me, Mou Hitori No Boku!' She said happily. 'I'll do it when I get to the house!'
'By the way, who are we staying with?' Yami asked as Yugi stood up, floating beside her as they walked off the plane.
'I don't know.' Yugi replied sheepishly. 'I know that they'll be holding up a sign with my name on it. I was too excited to hear their last names...'
'That's alright, Aibou.' Yami chuckled again. Yugi was just too cute.
She walked over to where her suitcase would be unloaded, finding her red one and pulling it out of the others with little difficulty before looking around for the sign. Was it written in French? She wasn't completely familiar with the language yet- she knew more about English thanks to Ryou.
She pulled out her English to French book (she knew enough to be able to say just about anything, so it wouldn't be so hard) and looked down at the notes that she had made on a sheet of paper that she had used to make notes on the way there for what the sign might read before looking around for any signs that looked similar. Then she spotted it. Written in French, and then again in Japanese, was the words 'Welcome Yugi Hikari Motou'. She smiled, Yami observing the airport for any threats as he floated behind her. Holding up the sign was a big man with brown hair, and next to him was a woman, Chinese, she realized, with short, black almost blue hair. Yami disappeared back into the Millennium Puzzle that hung around her neck.
"Uh, Hello!" She spoke the them in broken French, glancing down at her translation guide as they looked at her expectantly. "I-I'm Yugi Motou." She held out her hand for them to shake and they did so happily.
"Pleasure to meet you." The big man said. "I'm Tom Dupain-Cheng, but you can call me Tom, and this is my wife, Sabine."
"Pleasure to meet you sweetie." She said sweetly. "Come along then, Marinette will be coming home from school when we reach the bakery." Yugi's eyes widened in joy, figuring that their house was like hers- the home above the store. This made her even more excited. In her mental vision, Yami had paled at the thought of Yugi getting sugar high. They huddled into the car, Tom helping her with her suitcase. She talked with the two of them happily, conversing on what they did and how their life was like. Every now and then Yami had a question, but other than that he was quiet and observing, as he usually did.
When they made it to the bakery, they had just exited the car when a young woman rushed over to them happily. She had her mother's hair in the style of pigtails, and her eyes were a bright sky blue.
"Hello, papa, maman!" She exclaimed happily. "And you must be Yugi!" She held out her hand to shake, and Yugi took it just as enthusiastically. "I'm Marinette."
"Pleasure to meet you." She replied.
"Here, I'll help you get settled while Maman and Papa take care of the shop!" Yugi nodded happily, and her host parents chuckled happily and gave her consent. She took her suitcase and listened while Marinette gave her a small tour, ending with where Yugi's bedroom was, which was considered the guest bedroom.
"I'll be in my room in you need anything, Yugi." She explained.
"A-Alright." She waved goodbye when Marinette left the room, and Yami projected himself again.
"You'll be taken care of well here." He spoke out loud this time. "Grandpa would be happy to know that your in good hands."
"Yeah!" She said happily, pulling out her laptop so that she could send her grandfather an email. "I'm so happy- do you want to practice our French?"
"Sure!" He smiled happily at Yugi as she got her notebook out that had a list of all of the words and phrases that they had both memorized. They practiced together until Sabine popped in to tell them it was time for dinner. Yami had disappeared when he felt someone coming- he was always weary of someone seeing him. Though only people with either an experience with the supernatural or strong magic, whether used or untouched, could even get a hint that he was there, much less see him. It had happened only once, when Yami's guard had been... not all that attentive, someone had seen Yami floating around and conversing with Yugi, and they had freaked out, even going as far as trying to take the Puzzle that hung around Yugi's neck away.
Yugi walked downstairs to eat with her host family, talking about traditions and other things that happened not only in France, but in Japan too. They were really curious about everything, but the only thing that caught Yami's ears was... strangely familiar.
"We have four super heroes protecting France." Tom said happily.
"Super Heroes?" Yugi asked, tilting her head to the side, and Marinette nodded.
"Yeah, Volpina, Queen Bee, Cat Noir, and Ladybug." She explained.
"They fight against Hawk Moth- he sends Akumas, or Magical Butterflies, to people and turns them into super villains." Sabine said with a voice that sounded as though they were only talking about the weather.
"That's so cool!" Yugi gushed. "Hanasaki-kun and Jounochi-kun would love to hear about this!" They all smiled at Yugi, and although his Aibou didn't catch it, Yami could tell that Marinette was... embarrassed? He decided to file it in the back of his mind to ponder on later.
They learned that school started in about three days, and everything Yugi would need to know about school (apparently there was this mean girl in class named Chloe) and Marinette CLEARLY had a crush on someone in class (though no one ever mentioned his name), and when they went to bed, Yugi was more than happy to know that Yami was actually willing to relax, a feat in itself, around the family. She fell asleep with a smile on her face, unaware of the events that were to follow.
9864258975325898642269975325895325995326896426
"She's so cute!" Marinette said happily to Tikki, the Kwami watching her chosen as she drew in her notebook. "And she gave me the perfect idea for a new outfit that I could give to Yugi as a proper welcome gift!"
"... Marinette?"
"What is it Tikki?" Marinette asked, looking up from her paper.
"There's... you know that pendant that she wore?"
"Oh, yeah! She said it was called the Millennium Puzzle and that she had put it together just over two years ago." Marinette glanced at Tikki curiously.
"Well, you see, I don't know anything for certain, but there's something almost magical about it." She said. "I'd have to talk to Plagg- he knows more about Egypt than me since cat's were worshiped and sought for guidance."
"Could Yugi be in any danger?" Marinette asked, worried for her new friend.
"I don't think so." Tikki replied. "But if she does have magic, it would be a nightmare if she became an Akuma."
"Gotcha!" Marinette smiled before focusing on her notebook once more. "When do you talk to Plagg, anyway?" She asked off-handedly. Tikki paused. She definitely couldn't say 'during school'.
"Sometime during the week." She replied vaguely, picking up a cookie Marinette had swiped from the table and chomping down on it. "We don't do it often because we want to keep our chosen' identities secret, but I insist because all he eats is Camembert." Tikki rolled her eyes and Marinette giggled.
"Sounds like the complete opposite of you, Tikki." She said, before placing her pencil on her desk and hopped into bed.
"Night Tikki." She said cheerfully. Tikki finished her cookie and hopped into bed with Marinette.
"Night Mari."
91929384869594827267292939596958846261729394958858