Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh!.

Hi guys! I know I'm in the middle of a project right now, but while the illustration is being finished, I thought I'd act on a strike of inspiration I had while browsing some Yu-Gi-Oh related blogs. And let me tell you, the anime did a sweet job of completely dropping the ball (in a bad way) on Yugi's and Yami's reunion towards the end of the Waking the Dragons arc. I mean... that build up and then... basically "oh hi glad to see ya, let's go".

I know this has been done before, but if you don't mind hearing another version, this is mine.

Also, if you're curious, check out my ongoing collaboration project: "A Taste of Apple"! Illustrations too! All done by the amazing and talented linkyiwakura! :D

How I Know
Atemusluckygal

Feeling both triumphant from the victory and emotionally exhausted from the multiple traumatic events to have taken place before, the pharaoh watched happily as his most treasured friends awoke from their comatose state. Groans and low mutters of confusion filled the room, but he stood where he was to watch them wake. Though he was elated to see them all stand, his eyes immediately fixed on Joey's rising form. He still looked ashy and dazed from his previous duel with Mai, but he was standing, and his eyes were open and full of life. It wasn't long before his trademark goofy grin surfaced on his lips. Tristan slapped him on the back. Téa placed a hand on his shoulder. All were expressing their immense delight at seeing each other again, alive and well.

Yami's gaze shifted to Kaiba. He remembered the last time he saw Kaiba conscious, when he was limp in Yami's arms, muscles trembling from the strain, telling him to take advantage of the "gift" he'd given him—the magic card's effect to transfer his last monster's attack points to his partner's remaining life points—and defeat Dartz, before his head fell heavily over his forearm. Now, Kaiba had dropped to one knee and drew Mokuba into his arms, with all the humanity and compassion Yami had ever seen from him, living in the single tear trailing down his face. For once, Kaiba completely ignored Yami's presence and his opportunity to challenge him for the sake of his brother.

A warmth was approaching him in the middle of the cold temple. Yami turned his back to his friends to face it, and was met with a glowing ball of light, roughly the size of a bowling ball, floating towards him. Yami smiled as he held it carefully in his hands, as if it would break at the slightest pressure. A light that pure and bright could only represent one thing: Yugi's soul. It was hot on his hands, but Yami didn't care. As he reabsorbed it, Yami felt that same heat spread through him from head to toe. His mental state must have been in despair for so long that it turned his soul cold in its anguish, and he didn't notice until now. Yugi's mere presence in his mind seemed to restore balance, with invigorating sensations of joy soon to follow.

Yami tapped out of the outside world for the moment, his consciousness residing in his mind for the time being. He exited his soul room door and left it open in haste. He hurried to the other side of the hallway and stopped as he reached for the handle on Yugi's door. His hand hovered over the metal, his pale skin glowing by the radiant bright colors of the door, sudden hesitation rigidly keeping him there. Yami had been so blind excited to see Yugi again that he didn't expect all the guilt and shame to slam him before he let himself face him once more.

And the worst mental picture he could conjure up for that moment appeared before his mind's eye. Opening the door to find Yugi glaring coldly at him, violet eyes once bright as a happy sunny day narrowed in disgust as his hands balled into tight fists at his sides. He could hear Yugi's trembling breaths as he had long internalized the betrayal Yami had so brazenly dealt him and was biting his tongue against the curses Yami was sure were sitting in his throat.

When the handle turned on its own, Yami could do nothing but gasp. He tried to turn on his heels to retreat, but some compelling force—perhaps his own will, or even Yugi's—forbade him from moving an inch. The door widened as the young boy's soul pulled back the handle, and Yami was shocked to see his expression.

Relief, joy, even admiration. Not even the slightest hint of contempt.

Yami's jaw dropped, something he didn't often do when he was in control of the body. He stared at Yugi, whose soul form was standing right in front of him, with nothing but unintelligible noises escaping his mouth.

"Pharaoh!" Yugi exclaimed, smiling widely like a young boy greeting his beloved father.

Yami drew a shuddering breath. His voice was a fraction the volume of the boy's call. "Yugi…"

Yami anticipated that Yugi would approach him seeking an embrace, but in a rare moment of sensitivity, he determinedly asserted one first. He stepped forward before Yugi could respond and wrapped his arms tightly around the boy's small shoulders. Yugi was visibly shocked, and even felt a bit tense in his arms for a moment, but Yami continued to hold him. Tears were no longer kept back at a cost to pride; it was just them there in that mystical hallway and no one else, and for the first time, Yami didn't give a single damn about Yugi seeing him cry.

This reunion meant so much more to him than his dignity.

A lump at the base of his throat choked the words he spoke. "I've missed you."

Yugi's arms encircled his waist, gentle as a lamb. "I'm so happy to see you."

Yami's face tensed as more tears fell. He closed his eyes, choosing to say nothing and letting his actions speak for him. His body trembled and he had no energy left to stop it. Yugi simply held him until he was ready to let go, but not a moment before.

His voice croaked with emotion. "I'm sorry." It was all he could think of to say, though the sentiment was meant to express so much more than that. "I'm sorry I was so weak." Yugi didn't respond, though his arms tightened around him ever so slightly. "I can't believe the horrors I subjected you to because of my own pride and selfishness. You were right all along, Yugi. I could have avoided causing you and others so much hurt if only I had not played that card. If only I had listened—"

Yami felt Yugi roughly shove him away, causing him to stagger on his feet before balancing himself. As he found Yugi's eyes again, he jumped at seeing a very similar angry expression to what he had feared would've been his greeting earlier at Yugi's door. His hands shook at the sight, horrified, watching his brief prophetic vision come to life before him. He didn't know how much more emotional suffering he could endure.

"How are you still dwelling on this?" Yugi asked him irritably. "Do you really think, after all we've been through, that I'd just condemn you with my hatred forever? Do you even know me at all?"

Silence rang in the hallway. Yami had no words in response.

"I forgave you, Pharaoh. I forgave you the moment you played that card."

Yami's breath hitched. "What? How? I said terrible things to you… I even shoved you away. How could you offer your forgiveness so readily?"

"Pharaoh, I knew what the Seal of Orichalcos was doing to you. I could feel it taking over your mind. It felt awful to watch its evil influence tormenting you and manipulating you and there was nothing I could do to stop it, and nothing I could say was getting through to you, because it wouldn't let you listen. It fed on your fears, anxieties, insecurities and turned you against your own nature, to someone so hateful and power-hungry…"

Yami pressed his eyes tightly shut. Yugi's words were difficult to swallow. "I know, Yugi. I was weak and couldn't fight it off. And that costed us."

Yugi shook his head. "You are not weak. You've always been, and always will be, incredibly strong. In fact, I didn't think you could be any stronger, and yet here you are." He opened his hands to illustrate his words.

Yami stared at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Pharaoh, when I look at you now, I don't see any weakness. I see a man who had been through hell and back on the journey to free me, due to his dedication to our partnership. I may not know all that happened between then and now, but the evidence is plain to see."

Yami turned away, unable to look him in the eyes.

"I can tell that your strong will only barely came through for you. You've been dragged through the mud repeatedly over the last few days. Your trust in yourself and your mental resilience has been tested to the limit, hasn't it?"

The silent pharaoh only nodded, still keeping his head turned.

"You survived more mental and emotional battering these last few days than I could ever withstand, not to mention all those millennia you spent in there"—he pointed to Yami's soul room door—"by yourself before I even met you. And yet, the first thing you did when you saw me was hug me. You've never done that before. Despite us sharing mind and body, I've always tried to give you your space, so I was not exactly expecting that. But that's when I saw your new strength." He smiled as Yami finally reinstated their eye contact. "Your determination to fight for what's right even when the odds are stacked high against you, and your willingness to surrender yourself if it would appease those trying to hurt you…"

Yugi stepped forward, ignoring Yami's slight jerk back and placing his hand up on his shoulder. "That's how I know that the soul who put that card into play that morning wasn't you. That's how I know… what kind of pharaoh you were."

Out of all the kind words Yugi had shared with anyone, Yami had never heard a speech so meaningful to him. Any time they had resolved to just operate as the "same" person for the sake of simplifying matters in the outside world had always given him a hesitation he never brought up to Yugi. It was because he simply did not possess this kind of insight, this open and forgiving heart. He might've been able to pass as Yugi during a dangerous situation… but he could never be Yugi. In a lot of ways, Yugi had become so much stronger than him, and he didn't seem to be aware.

A female voice, distant and soft, echoed in the hallway. "Yugi?"

Both Yugi's knew that voice well. "Téa," Yugi whispered. He removed his hand from Yami's shoulder.

"Your friends are waiting," said the pharaoh. "They've missed you dearly. You must go to them."

Yugi nodded. "Right." A pause, and a look of concern. "Pharaoh, will you be okay?"

Yami nodded slowly, as if also trying to convince himself as well as Yugi. "Don't worry about me. I will be fine. Just go see your friends."

"Our friends," Yugi corrected.

Yami smiled. "Right."

Yugi disappeared from view, taking over the body for the first time in so long. It seemed like it had been lifetimes since Yami could stand in his soul room while Yugi handled things. He chose to stay inside while Yugi reunited with the gang; he felt that he still might be too tender to hear them express how much they missed him, when he was the reason he was absent in the first place. Instead, he opted to give them some privacy and wait patiently for when he was needed again.

Looking around the room, he noticed that there were a few less doors in his soul room than there were before. They still looked nearly endless in every direction, but somehow it didn't feel so overbearingly infinite. He wondered what the significance was. Did some memory doors disappear because he was more certain of his past reign as a just one? It did seem that the more memories he gained while in the present, a door or two would vanish.

It wasn't long before the tension from stress affected him from Yugi's distress. It would seem that Dartz still has something in store for them. Wiping the last of his tears, he straightened himself and prepared for battle.

"I won't fail you again, Yugi. That's a promise."

END

T_T