Dark Destinies

Chapter 1- a Yami No Game brews

Summary:

He was supposed to be dead, but he wasn't. Instead, he was involved in a Yami No Game (shadow game) with an enemy of the darkness he knew was only one thing he did know however. An only thing that kept him above all this insanity. Yugi was in danger. His life was in the edge and Atem's game abilities were their only chance. To win, he would have to use what he had fought against throughout his existence... the shadows.

Please enjoy! and as you guys that have uploaded stories before, you know how bad reviews are needed, so you know what to do. I will be answering any questions that you have too.

this is what you could call a prologue (if you want more info on how the story will proceed, read my profile and you'll find some sneak peaks)

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi...

His breath came out in short gasps. He felt the fear of drowning in the thickness of the dark, yet he pushed himself aloof insanity.

What had happened? He closed his useless eyes, not knowing how long he had been drifting aimlessly. It could have been hours, days, maybe even millennia since he had been here. It wasn't that different from being a prisoner of the millennium puzzle. Time just loses its importance in this type of place. It is nothing and yet it's eternity. He was an expert in the concept, or at least he knew the feelings it could produce. Loss, sorrow, it all came together.

The main problem was though, that he was supposed to be… dead. He felt a pang of loss swept through his body at the one word, but was he not supposed to be happy? The happy ending? The place where everything was sweet and painless?

He sought deep in his soul, but there was nothing more than unexplained sorrow. Was he not allowed to be happy even in the afterlife? No, scratch that, he let his gaze wonder around him… but it was futile, the darkness was too deep. Where in the name of Osiris was he? This was definitely not the afterlife unless… nope, this just wasn't. It couldn't be. But he had lost to Yugi, and he was supposed to have crossed over. Yugi! What had happened to him! Was he...

He sighed inwardly, calming down his sudden racing worries. Slowly, he brought them back into his grasp, but they were nothing more than thorns that threw his mind into chaos.

It seems that your thoughts are in disarray ancient young warrior…

Refusing to show so much as shock at the intrusive thought, Atem tensed, ready for anything. He wasn't used to hearing anyone but his hikari's voice inside his mind. He sighed. Yugi wasn't his hikari. He could hear a snarl-like laugh in his head now, like that of an animal that knows its prey can't escape. A growl became audible in the young man's throat, he was not prey. The laugher only became louder.

"Who are you!" the young man screamed, finding his voice dismantled as it traveled through the shadows, "Show yourself!"

No answer.

The young man gritted his teeth and felt the darkness respond to his rising anger. He started, confused. That had only happened when he had been given the millennium puzzle a long time ago. His father had been worried above explanation that the shadows would respond to the young man's feelings at such a young age, he had said to him that it meant that evil was within him, his son, the heir to the throne.

Darkness was indeed a part of him… greater than he wanted to admit. He had let it overwhelm him several times. He find himself trembling slightly. Eyes widening in realization, the young man set his jaw.

Indeed ancient young warrior… this is the shadow realm…

The young man could feel the intruder smirk in his mind.

I would have expected you to figure that out since your acquaintance with the dark is very close… unless I confused you with another ancient young one which I believe rather unlikely…

Of course, a voice with humor. The young man opened his mouth to talk and closed it again.

You answer to the name Atem, do you not?

Atem smirked at the mention of his name, so this voice knew him. Maybe he would be able to get some information out of him of why he was where he was.

I do wonder however, what brings you here… I was told that you were to cross to the afterlife, I did thought that after all that had happened, the world would tire of you…

Atem blinked at the question, confusion clear on his face. So this voice didn't know why he was not… why he was not.-

Dead? The Voice finished the thought and chuckled inhumanly, I do not know, though my guess is that I was destined to find your poor self and take my chance…

'Chance?' Atem could only wonder.

"Must that mean you just happened to find me? Here in the.-"

Shadow realm… yes, it could be said like such. It seems like someone decided you were still not destined to die completely. Though personally, I find you useless as in right now…

Atem glowered at the last statement, though he couldn't say anything in his favor since it was true. Yugi would have had something to say back to that kind of thing.

Ah! Yes! The boy you grew fond of… Yugi Mutou…

"What?" Atem had no idea what was going on, but he knew that he was beginning to hate The Voice for intruding his mind. And to speak Yugi's name like that! The Voice seemed to have poured poison on the words, "Where is he! Where is Yugi!"

He should be fine… I think… at least for now…

"At least for now," that was not good.

"Do not dare touch him," Atem said, "I warn you, do not."

But you are not part of the Kid's world anymore ancient young warrior…

You have not been part of any world since a long time ago and you know it. How would you be able to help Yugi? You would only hurt him… again and again…

Atem suppressed a gasp. The voice was right yet again, he had never truly belonged with Yugi and the gang… Hell! He had been a burden to them all. They had traveled everywhere for him and, in the process, they had put their lives at risk for his sake, but to belong nowhere?

You are a shadow Atem, you are only a memory of who you once were…

The words stroke home like daggers to the heart, and Atem flinched slightly. He didn't want to admit it, it couldn't be true… he couldn't just be a memory. He couldn't just be nothing. He couldn't… he was Atem, pharaoh of Egypt, Yami to Yugi. He had a name. But then why was he feeling so empty inside?

"Why am I not in the afterlife?" Atem muttered and let himself go numb, feeling the shadows engulfing him. He knew it was wrong, as the shadows were evil. The thought made him chuckle, he had used shadows since he could remember, yet he had fought them alongside Yugi, defeated them, and yet here he was, surrendering to the comfort of sorrow the shadows themselves had to offer him.

It was so foolish, to let the shadows control his feelings. He should have been threshing and snarling at this intruder just to know what he was planning, but his sorrow was too great.

He was both a prisoner and a master of the shadows. It had been foolish to think Yugi could help him at all, but he had tried, and Atem owed him big time. He couldn't let anything befall the boy.

"Don't you dare touch Yugi!" he yelled, feeling a bit more confident. Yugi was his light. No one would extinguish it with him on guard. "If you do hurt him I, I…"

You what? You don't have a body of your own. You cannot even warn him from here…

Atem gritted his teeth, those were only details. They could be fixed.

Ancient young warrior… I believe it is time for you to awaken once more… I see you will to fight still burns strong. It shall amuse me…

"You forget who I am," Atem said, "Why must I return to the realm where you yourself said I do not belong?" The words clung to his own ears and he wanted to take them back. It was wrong to say he did not belong with Yugi and the rest.

Indeed, I must guess an explanation, rather than the happiness of being out of here, is of outmost importance to you…

Atem said nothing, who did the intruder thought he was? A foolish boy driven by insanity? They were more plentiful than he had thought.

The owner of the voice came closer to Atem. He could feel t. It seemed to whisper in his ear, It's been some time, and I am growing weary of lying low in the human world you see… It laughed, I have decided you will provide me with some entertainment. Let us see who of us is stronger.

"Why would I play your game when I have nothing to win or lose?" Atem said, fearing what he already knew.

You shall play… for what you could lose would make your soul tremble… It smirked, Yugi Mutou…

The former pharaoh snarled, he just HAD to ask.

Laughter.

I guess we have a deal… Yugi shall be the prize…

"Wait! No!" Atem screamed. This couldn't be. His thoughts tumbled within themselves. He couldn't put Yugi into danger yet again. And the shadows were not helping him clear his mind from unwanted feelings.

With no further waiting, I shall give the main rules…

Atem didn't like that. The one stating the rules always has the advantage. Was there any way he could get out of this?

No there is no way, unless of course you do not care what happens to the soul of the King of Games?

"Don't get Yugi into this!" Atem said. He didn't want to cause Yugi more pain.

I shall give you five earthly days beforehand to accommodate yourself. In this time, I will not make a move against you or Yugi. Pretty much everything goes apart from some things…

"Of course…" Atem said, his mind giving up all too easy in trying to get out of it. Instead, he sharpened his mind to the rules.

You may only die three times… each time you die, there will be two days before you can return… Leaving Domino City will be against the rules. Just as setting foot inside Yugi's home will be prohibited… The voice seemed to be making the rules on the spot. Any other questions?

Atem found himself thinking the rules through, imprinting them to memory, already pointing out gaps that he could use in his favor. Though he restrained himself from thinking them through, he didn't want the intruder to hear his thoughts any further. He thought of the last two rules and frowned. Giving him restricted area to maneuver was something a coward would do, as if the intruder was scared of Atem hiding. It was actually so stupid it was intelligent.

"How many times will you be able to die?"

Once dead, the game will end…

There was a trick there, Atem thought, but instead decided to go along with it.

"Therefore, if I kill you, I shall win." The creature smirked inside Atem's mind, there was definitely a trap there.

"Can you leave Domino City?"

Indeed…

Atem nodded mentally, he believed he already knew what the creature's tactic would be. "What about bodies? I do not own a physical body."

Is it that you do not know when to shut the questions? Atem couldn't help but growl at that. It was imperative that he knew as much as he could.

I shall see to that… do not question me further…

Atem smiled for the first time in what seemed like forever. He loved when his enemies gave him answers without knowing. He now knew he couldn't fully trust the rules. He knew that as the game proceeded, the rules were subject to change. That had been the unsaid rule, rules were just going to keep coming as the game proceeded.

Adrenaline rushed through the former pharaoh's veins. He could feel It. The shadows were exalted at the promise of a Yami no Game between Atem and his new rival. They knew both their contestants would use them. There would be pain.

'Yugi,' Atem thought. He couldn't let any harm befall his friend.

"Very well then," Atem said, "Let the shadow game begin!"

"Yugi!" A scream threshed through the stadium. Louder than all other cheering and screaming. Yugi looked around startled, the voice was pained. As if it was dreading something. It was not a normal voice cheering his name or.-

Yugi blushed and raised his face to the packed stadium. He could never get used to the idea of so many people watching him, cheering him on. Neither the screens that reflected his every move to who knows how many people out of the stadium. It was supposedly worldwide.

"Yugi!" the same distinctive voice called again, this time more urgent. Yugi bit his tongue, he recognized that voice. But he was just imagining things, he would never see him again. He sighed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, The King of Games!" Mokuba yelled, making Yugi jump. Kaiba's brother came tumbling up the arena to stand besides Yugi, smiling widely as Yugi's lip stretched absently into a cheap copy for a smile. The voice calling him had seemed to stop, but Yugi couldn't keep his mind off it. He could be almost be certain the voice wasn't anyone from the crowd, it was inside his own mind.

"So now, Yugi!" Mokuba said in the microphone and the audience broke into an excited cheering. Mokuba waited until they had calmed before continuing.

"Will you accept the invitation to the World Cup in Austria and kick some butt?"

The audience cheered all the harder.

Yugi smiled at them. He looked toward the front, spotting his friends immediately. All of them were nodding so hard that Yugi couldn't help but laugh out loud, his half-child-man's laugh echoed through the stadium. He instantly cut it off, but his smile didn't left.

"Is that a yes Yugi Mutou?" Mokuba said laughing. He placed the mic under Yugi's nose and before Yugi could think of anything else, he grabbed the mic and silently thanking Atem for everything he had done, said firmly to the audience,

"I will!"

Cheering exploded and in a matter of seconds and just as fast, his friends were surrounding him. Joey hugging him so tight that he was sure his eye balls were not where they should be. He squealed at the idea.

"Stop it Joey! You are gonna kill Yugi!" Tea said, "then you'll have to deal with the fangirls!"

Joey let go immediately, probably remembering the last time.

"I'm just so happy!"

Yugi sighed contently, though the happiness he had been feeling dimmed away greatly. He gazed at everyone, their voices being zoomed out as he quickly entered his mind, but where there have been two doors, there was only one. He sobbed quietly and as the gang noticed, they quickly helped him off the stage and into the duelists' area.

Once out of unwanted eyes, Yugi's tears began to stream down his face, he couldn't help it. The voice he had heard was Yami's. He couldn't believe his mind was playing tricks with him again, Atem was gone. Gone…

No! He had to stop. Atem would not be happy if he knew Yugi was crying over him! He had to be more like Atem, he had to be brave. He had to remember why Atem had left.

The gang tried to console him, Tea breaking into tears as she tried to tell him that everything was going to be fine. They all knew why Atem had to leave, they were supposed to have been ready. It had been a whole year and Yugi just couldn't cope with it sometimes.

Outside, he could hear thunder raging over Domino City. A storm was brewing.

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