Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!.

In a different Light

Chapter One

Yuugi Mutou slouched in his seat behind the counter, boredly thumbing through his Duel Monsters deck. It was Saturday mid-afternoon, and Yuugi was left watching a deserted store after his grandpa took a nap and asked Yuugi keep an eye on things.

The boy let out a sigh as he ran his fingers over his Dark Magician. It wasn't that he didn't like helping his grandfather out, but left alone and unable to leave wasn't really his preferred way of spending the weekend.

The bright chime of the entrance bell shook Yuugi from his thoughts, and his head shot up to find a familiar white-haired boy enter the store.

"Ah, Bakura-kun!" Yuugi called out cheerily, hopping from his seat and waving his good friend over. The boy smiled and approached.

"Hello, Yuugi-kun. What are you doing behind the counter?"

"Grandpa asked me to watch the store for him. So, what brings you here, Bakura-kun?" Yuugi asked, standing on his tiptoes to see over the counter easier.

Ryou looked slightly hesitant. "Well, I was kind-of hoping I could play a game with you… but if you're busy…"

Yuugi glanced around Ryou at the door. No one was nearby… and it was rare for Ryou to want to play with Yuugi due to the situation with their yamis…

"To tell the truth, you're the first person who's come in yet today. I'm sure it'll be fine if we play it here in the store."

Ryou brightened up at his friend's remark. "That'd be great!"

Yuugi grinned. "Come on, let's go pick out a game."

Yuugi practically skipped down the hallway towards the storage cabinet, delighted at the prospect of escaping from the boredom, while Ryou followed at a more moderate pace, amused smile on his face as he watched his friend. Yuugi was so easily excited…

The shorter boy stepped into a musty back room, pulling a small chain to turn on the solitary lightbulb. The small yellow light flickered and dimmed for a second before illuminating the room, revealing a myriad of all sorts of games on home-made wooden stand-up shelves, along with a thick layer of dust. Yuugi grinned as he stretched out a hand to lift a board game from the shelf in front of him, wiping off the dust with his sleeve. That was one of the great things about living in a game shop…

"Hey, what about this, Bakura-kun?" Yuugi turned around, waving the rectangular box so the plastic pieces inside clinked together.

"I'm not sure…" Ryou glanced at the innocuous game. "Isn't that game for more than two people?"

Yuugi blinked, then checked the box again. "Oh! Right. How about…"

Yuugi stood on his tiptoes, reaching out for a game on a shelf that was just beyond his range. Finally he knocked it into his hands, blowing the dust off and this time checking to make sure it was a game he and Ryou could play alone. He would like to have Yami come out and play with them, but being a spirit made it hard for him to hold the cards, not to mention that when one yami showed his face the other was not long to follow.

Besides, Yuugi thought with a smile, if they played a game against Yami, it was pretty much already determined who would win.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Yuugi glanced down at the mutely colored box and frowned.

Three or more players… maybe all the ones in this area are.

"Hey, Bakura, I'm gonna go grab a puzzle or something. Wait here, okay?" Yuugi knew the back room could be something of a maze to someone who hadn't maneuvered it before.

Ryou nodded, and Yuugi grinned, dashing off to try and find a puzzle.

Yuugi wandered further in, grateful for the common bare patches in the stacks; otherwise, it would almost completely dark. As it was, in the corner he found himself in, there was enough light that he could see easily enough, although it was slightly darker than his eyes were accustomed to.

Yuugi grabbed a puzzle box from the shelf, glancing it over to make sure it wasn't too simple or too challenging.

Suddenly, a dark chuckle rang out near his ear.

Yuugi let out a cry and leapt up in surprise, half-turning around to find Yami Bakura stand but a few feet from him.

"B-Bakura…!"

Before either could further react, there was a flash of light and Yami Yuugi stood in his hikari's place, glaring at the smug Bakura.

"What do you want, Bakura?" Yami demanded, folding his arms over his chest.

Bakura frowned and leaned back, although a smirk soon returned to his face.

"I believe I already told your hikari, Pharaoh. I wish to play a game with you."

"With our Millenium Items at stake, of course." Yami said blandly, then sighed. "Very well, let's get it over with."

Bakura let out a low chuckle as the Shadow Realm began to for around them. Oh, how the Pharaoh would rue assuming this would be like the other times…

Because this time, Bakura actually intended to win.

A few seconds later, and the battleground was formed. The yamis sat across from each other, with an odd mirror in-between them. The mirror was odd in the fact that they could see to the other side as easily as they could see behind them.

Behind them stood their hikaris.

"What?!" Yami exclaimed, twisting in his seat to face Yuugi.

"Yami—!" The boy ran towards his other half, only to be stopped short as tendrils of darkness rooted him to the spot.

"Bakura, what's going on?" Yuugi cried in confusion before Yami demanded the exact same explanation.

Ryou just stood behind his yami, eyes wide. He had been making himself lunch, when control was snatched away without warning. And now this… Ryou didn't know his yami was going to try and fight Yuugi again soon, but he supposed it wasn't really a surprise. He had a bad feeling about this, though… Bakura wouldn't separate from him unless he specifically needed Ryou or he felt incredibly cocky… or both.

Bakura smirked, gazing at the two.

"It's the game, Pharaoh's yadonushi. You can't leave the spot, or else you'd ruin it. And we don't want that…"

Yami's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Bakura, what are the rules to this game?"

"Little more than an… endurance contest. Whichever of us turns away from the mirror first loses. Don't worry," Bakura added as an aside when he saw Yami about to protest, "the game hasn't started yet. It wouldn't be fair if you were disqualified before we got to have any fun, would it?"

Yami growled softly. He had a feeling Bakura was more concerned about his "fun" than being fair to him…

"So we have to continue looking at each other for a long time, is that it? Although I don't like the prospect of having to look at you for that long, that can't be all."

Bakura frowned. "No, that's not all. Each person is able to… encourage to other to turn around in whatever way they desire." The look on his face slowly morphed into a dark grin. "That includes manipulating our surroundings… adding or blocking sounds, changing vision… even directly affecting any other persons in the area…"

Yami gasped. This was all about their hikaris… anything could happen to them, and he couldn't help them without losing! And Bakura knew how protective he was… he knew that he couldn't bear to see Yuugi in pain, and also that he wouldn't allow himself to bring harm to Ryou either. While Bakura would have no problem with harming either…

Bakura chuckled as he saw the realization drain his enemy's face of color.

"Bakura! This isn't fair!"

"How? You are allowed the same resources I am. It would be your fault if you choose not to use them."

Yami clenched his fists, then let out a quiet breath. He could still win this… he would just have to think.

"Well, if there are no objections…" Bakura suggested, letting his voice trail off.

Yuugi and Ryou both glanced at Yami worriedly, but the spirit remained silent. A grin crept upon the white-haired yami as he watched the Pharoah's bowed head.

"Let the Shadow Game begin!"

Author's note: Why am I starting this out with a Shadow Game, you ask? Because obviously it's what happens after that matters. ^^ Anyway, there's some stuff in here which is built off of theories not generally considered true, but will for this fic. They'll be explained over the course of the fic. And the chapters in this fic will be kinda short, but this is shorter than the usual ones will, sorry. ^^"