The Pharaoh and the Wayfarer (Atem/Yami Yugi x Spirit! Reader)

Chapter 26: The Dark Spirit Revealed, Pt 1

I own nothing.
Chapter 26: Let the Games Begin

Honestly, Rain and (Y/N) weren't even surprised at this point. Having the Battle City finals occur on a blimp? Ah yes, that made perfect sense if you knew Seto Kaiba long enough. Fortunately, both girls kept their sarcastic comments to themselves as they all boarded, despite being one duelist short. Roland attempted to keep Duke, Tristan, Tea, and Serenity from boarding, but Mokuba talked them through (mainly by pleading with Seto), once again proving why he was the favorite Kaiba brother.
Everyone gathered into the viewing room as the blimp hit cruising altitude to admire the view.
"This is awesome!" Tea exclaimed, seeing the city lit up in the night. "I've never seen the city from this high up!"
Serenity nodded. "The lights are so beautiful. Thanks for bringing me, Joey."
"Juuust one of the many perks of being related to a champion!" The blonde boasted with a laugh.
"You call yourself a champion, Wheeler?" Kaiba jabbed as Rain crossed her arms.
"Seto, be nice."
"He's here by a fluke."
"Keep walkin', Kaiba!" Joey snapped.
The brunette only smirked. "Enjoy this while you can. And listen, I wouldn't get your hopes up too high, because it's a long way down from up here. Oh, and the last time I checked, monkeys can't fly."
Joey looked ready to kill him as Rain rolled her eyes, only to shiver as she felt the cooler air starting to affect her. Seto then stopped in front of Yugi.
"Yugi, I have some words of advice for you too: I'm aware that you haven't played your Egyptian god card, but it's time for that to end right here and now. So it had better be in your deck during the finals, because I intend to win it! This is my tournament, Yugi, got it!? And when the Battle City Finals are all over, I'll be the world's greatest duelist and the owner of all three Egyptian god cards, so say goodbye to Slifer the Sky Dragon and to any hopes you had of winning! And Rain, it's cold up here and you're already sinking your nails in. Get another jacket from Mokuba before you start bleeding all over the place!"
As Kaiba stormed off, Yugi immediately shot his head over to his companion. Indeed, Rain had started to dig her nails into her arms. She immediately let go upon being called out, much to Yugi's worry.
"Rain?"
"You all right there, hon?" Mai asked, noticing the whole exchange.
"Yeah." The Wayfarer said, not too convincingly. "I'm just...bad with the cold is all."
"You can take my jacket if you need it." Tristan offered, only for the girl to shake her head.
"No, it's okay. I'll go look for a spare from Mokuba."
(Y/N) then appeared in her spirit form. "Rain, if you need to switch-,"
"I'm fine." She said sharply before turning to her friends. "I'll meet you guys later."
Rain set off in a huff, even as the others looked at her a bit worryingly, Yugi especially, which made the girl feel that much more guilty.
(Y/N) of course had to follow. "Rain?"
The girl stopped in her tracks with a sigh. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you, it's just...hard..."
(Y/N) held up a hand. "Believe me, I understand given my own aversion to water recently. The memories that come with that kind of event, it is a lot for one person to process. I think it might be best if you perhaps told the others."
Rain huffed. "You know what happened, Gramps knows, Kaiba knows, and Mokuba kinda knows, does anyone else really need to?"
"Rain." (Y/N) said in a gentle tone. "What you experienced is something you will remain with you for the rest of your life, and the more people you open up to about it, the more support you can find to work through it."
"You know, you really sound like a mom right now." The words were incredibly bitter on Rain's tongue, even through a fake smile.
(Y/N) only smiled back sadly, knowing it was fake. "My job is to protect you, not just from physical threats, but mental ones as well."
"Fine. Maybe I'll tell the others...eventually. Just...not right now."
"Whenever you're ready."

(Timeskip)

As it turns out, Mokuba had the foresight to know it was too cold for Rain's comfort and had left for the sole purpose of getting her a bomber jacket she had left with the brothers on one of her trips. That got him a big hug as he led Rain to the upper deck, where her room was. Given that she was the daughter of a close business partner, Kaiba made sure she got the VIP treatment, and totally not because deep down he felt like Rain was the closest thing he and Mokuba had to a sister.
"Geez, Mokuba!" Rain whistled as he led her inside to the massive room, decked out in fine furniture, a king sized bed, and a fully stocked mini fridge. "You guys didn't have to do all this for me!"
"Of course we did!" The boy insisted, jumping onto the bed. "You and Carter are always doing nice stuff for us, so it's only fair we return the favor. Oh! I made sure to pack the fridge with your favorite sodas and snacks!"
"Bless you!" Rain sung, immediately running to open a bottle. "This is why you are my favorite. Just don't tell your brother that, you know he gets jealous."
Mokuba laughed as the Wayfarer began to chug down the soda, feeling the caffeine already starting to kick in. "Hey, Rain?"
"What's up, kiddo?"
He glanced away, almost looking guilty. "About your bracelet. Is...is it true? There's another you in there?"
Rain blinked, not expecting this question. Glancing over, she saw (Y/N) sitting on the bed. The spirit nodded as Rain took a seat on Mokuba's other side.
"So, Yugi told you, then?"
Mokuba immediately looked back at her. "So it's true then? There really is another you? Seto didn't believe it, but I just keep thinking about how you seem to change-,"
Rain patted his head. "Okay, okay. The Millennium Bracelet does have a spirit inside, a spirit who is in fact her own person. Her name is (Y/N)."
"That's what Yugi...er, Other Yugi told us!"
Rain chuckled. "That one's called Yami. You'll probably be seeing plenty of both of them during this tournament."
"Um...can I meet her?"
She gave him a look. "You've met her before, Mokuba."
"No, for real!"
The two partners looked at each other before nodding. Rain then handed control to (Y/N) who then smiled at the younger Kaiba.
"Hello, Mokuba. It's nice to meet you properly."
Mokuba looked in awe. "You look almost exactly Rain, but your eyes are different! How did I never notice that before!?"
The queen chuckled. "Don't be too hard on yourself. Rain didn't notice I was here for the longest time, and I was in her head."
"So, you're (Y/N)? Just who are you and are you here to protect Rain?"
She nodded. "In life, I was a Wayfarer, just like Rain and Carter. My duty now is to unlock the secrets of the Millennium Items, prevent a coming a calamity, and hopefully find my memories again. I'm here to help Rain, just as Yami is for Yugi."
Mokuba rubbed his chin before smiling. "Okay! If you're here to help Rain, then that means you're a friend of mine!"
(Y/N) smiled softly and hugged the boy, who hugged back. "I'm glad to hear that, Mokuba."
Eventually, the boy slipped from her grasp. "Sooo, when we were talking to that other spirit, he said you two knew each other when you were alive."
"Yes, that is the case."
Mokuba grinned mischievously. "He said you were close. I wonder how close."
"You're a little young for that kind of snooping."
"Oh, so it was that kind of relationship!"
"Hush!" (Y/N) said, giving the boy a firm tap to the head. "Maybe I will tell you about it one day, but for now, that's between Yami and I."
Mokuba giggled, knowing pretty much exactly what the relationship was given the deep blush on the spirit's face. However, he knew when and when not to push his luck, so he just decided to refocus on the most important part of the conversation.
"So, you'll protect Rain, no matter what?"
She patted his head. "You have my word."
He hugged her. "Thanks, (Y/N)."
Just then, a knock came at the door, catching the attention of the two. Mokuba ran to open it, his voice laced with a mischievousness as he greeted the person there.
"Oh, hi Yugi."
Glancing over, (Y/N) saw it was in fact Yami at the door.
"Hello, Mokuba." The older male greeted. "I just came to check on Rain."
Mokuba happily stood to the side. "Go right ahead. I was just leaving. Nice meeting you, (Y/N). Have fun!"
"Mokuba!" The former Queen said with a scolding tone as he took off.
Yami, a little embarrassed, sighed before smiling at (Y/N). "I see you two have gotten acquainted."
"It is nice to be able to speak to him as myself." (Y/N) admitted as she moved over to allow her husband to sit next to her. "I was a little shocked that you told the brothers about us though."
Yami rubbed his head. "Sorry for not talking to you about it first. I felt Kaiba needed to understand how much danger allowing the tournament to go on like this is putting everyone in. He's in complete denial even after his experience with the Millennium Eye."
"That doesn't shock me. Kaiba is the 'seeing is believing type' and even then, he practically needs to be struck on the head for it to sink in. Mokuba, on the other hand, seems to be taking it well. He was always the more open one to Wayfarer stories." (Y/N) then chuckled. "Though, that could just be because of his age."
The two glanced at the door, almost expecting to spy the younger Kaiba eavesdropping, not noticing their hands instinctively drifted to one another's. Eventually, when they did notice, both blushed but didn't separate.
"How is Rain?" Yami quickly asked, trying to divert the conversation. "She seemed shaken. Worryingly so."
(Y/N) sighed. "I have my own challenges with water. For Rain, her battle is with the cold."
"Why?"
The former queen shook her head. "That's for Rain to tell when she's ready. However, if Yugi wants to know a bit more, Mokuba knows the basics."
She swore she saw the Millennium Puzzle jolt, as if Yugi was bashful his ploy had been seen through. Yami all but confirmed it when he placed his other hand on the puzzle.
"Saw right through our tactics?"
(Y/N) smirked. "You, I find, I can read fairly easily, even lacking certain memories, kianga."
Yami, per usual, had a positive reaction to her nickname for him, causing his hand to cup hers more so.
"And how are you, shagngu? I assume running around the city wasn't exactly refreshing."
She sighed. "Honestly? I'm exhausted. Rain and I are used to traveling, but running the length of a city is a bit too much even for us."
Yami then glanced away, a guilty look on his face. "(Y/N), about today when I was dueling Strings-,"
"I understand why you sent me away." She assured him. "It was the right decision."
He turned and hugged her. "I need you to understand, it wasn't that I doubted your abilities, I would never do that to you or Rain. I just...I couldn't stand the idea of you being in danger. Every time, I get these horrible visions of you-,"
His grip tightened as (Y/N) knew what memory he was talking about. She'd be lying if she said she didn't have nightmares about reliving her death, and she could only imagine how much it weighed on Yami. Even without context from the legend, it was clear she had died protecting him from someone, and her husband seemed to hold a sense of responsibility for protecting everyone, even to the detriment of himself. Not wanting this to weigh on him further, (Y/N) wriggled from his hold and took his face into her hands, touching their foreheads together.
"Yami, that wasn't your fault. It was my choice, and I don't regret it for a moment. Whatever happened back then is in the past. Here and now, we're together, and nothing short of divine intervention is going to separate us again. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."
He took a breath, leaning a bit towards her. "I love you."
Her eyes widened at his bold declaration. Despite the weight of his words, he seemed to have a confident yet soft smile. She smiled as well, feeling her heart swell.
"I love you too."
The two drew closer, their lips inches from each other, only to leap apart as familiar voices came barreling in.
"Geez! Check out the size of this place!" Joey whistled as everyone came waltzing in.
Tea at least seemed guilty about barging in. "Joey, at least knock!"
"The door was wide open!" He argued. "And like you guys have room to talk! You came barging into my room to mooch!"
"And you came here for the sole purpose of dumping us on Rain." Tristan shot back.
Joey ignored him. "Hey Stormy, how did you get such an awesome room!?"
"Nepotism." (Y/N) said a bit more sharply then she intended, slightly annoyed they had been interrupted.
"Sorry for the intrusion." Serenity said, trying to reel in her brother who was prodding at everything. "We just wanted to compare rooms and Mokuba told us you were here."
"Nice digs." Mai admired. "A girl could get used to this kind of treatment.
Duke entered next, giving a redundant knock at the door. "Don't know why any of you are surprised. Kaiba likes her more, no duh she gets special treatment."
Yami and (Y/N) stood up, hoping no one had noticed the intimate moment they were having. As Yami walked over to the others, (Y/N) spied Mai by the wine cooler.
"Rain, you've got good taste!" She complimented. "Though, aren't you a bit young for this?"
"I'm guessing Seto wants me to hand it off to my grandfather. They like using me as a go between."
Mai gave her a grin. "Mind if I snatch one?"
"Be my guest. It's one less bottle for my grandfather to chug or split between him and Yugi's grandfather on poker nights."
"Speaking of Yugi," Mai's voice was laced with intrigue. "I hope we weren't interrupting something important. You and him seemed like you were a little close on that bed. Does the King of Game finally have a Queen?"
(Y/N), face flushed red, gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. "Mai..."
The blonde held up her hands, though kept her coy demeanor. "Hey, no judgments! I have been routing for you two from day one! If you want some privacy, I'd be more than happy to chase the kids out for you."
(Y/N) rolled her eyes. "Forget it, the mood's gone anyway."
"Oh, so there was a mood."
"Shush!" The queen said a bit more aggressively.
Mai backed off, though with an air of victory about her. (Y/N) felt embarrassed, though she did catch Yami's eye and he gave her a reassuring smile that put her at ease. Fortunately, the two were spared any embarrassing questions by the monitor in the room flicking to life to reveal Roland.
"Attention duelists, the Battle City Finals are about to begin! Mr. Kaiba requests the presence of all finalists in the main hall!"
"And so it begins." (Y/N) said as Serenity smiled between the duelists in the room.
"Good luck, all of you!"
Joey nodded, getting pumped up. "Game time, guys! Let's go!"
Tea, Tristan, and Duke cheered as they all began to file out of the room, running into Kaiba. The brunette looked like he wanted to make a smart remark, but a well placed (Y/N) kept him quiet as he went on ahead. Joey looked like he wanted to start something, but the former queen kept him back.
"Let it go, Joey."
"I'm gonna show that rich boy." He growled.
"Save it for a duel."
As they walked towards the main deck, Namu suddenly emerged from his room. Joey, in better spirits after seeing his friend, walked up to the purple eyed male.
"Hey Namu!"
Namu greeted them all with a nod. "Before we begin, let me just say, may the best man win."
"I will." Joey boasted. "And let me just say I hope you're not too disappointed when I beatcha!"
"Well I admire your determination, Joey. Let's go."
The two turned to head towards the main hall, however, Namu seemed to peek at (Y/N). Before (Y/N) could give her own wishes of luck to him, the boy seemed to fidget uncomfortably before following after Joey.
Rain appeared beside (Y/N). "Did you notice that too?"
"I did. He didn't seem shy before."
"Maybe Yami has to worry about him having a crush on you." Rain teased.
(Y/N) side eyed her partner. "Wouldn't the crush be on you then? In which case, try to warn Yugi."
That got Rain to shut up for the rest of the trip as the group made it to their destination, being greeted by a feast that was thankfully lacking in Millennium Eyes. Tristan, Joey, and Duke were immediately pulled in by the food, though Duke and Tristan were seemingly sabotaging each other's attempts to approach Serenity; Yami and Mai were chatting about the competitions; and Tea and Serenity were also having their own chat. (Y/N) was left to peruse on her own as Seto was being antisocial as always.
"Good evening, Rain."
(Y/N) turned to see Bakura behind her, smiling sweetly.
She smiled back and nodded. "Good evening, Bakura. All set for the main event?"
"As I'll ever be." He answered, taking a spot next to her. "I'm looking forward to it. Perhaps you and I can have a duel."
"Are you sure you'll be fine? From what the others told me, you were in pretty bad shape. I'm surprised they even let you out of the hospital."
"I keep telling all of you, I'm fine. Though, I can't say I don't appreciate the concern from you."
Something about that set off alarms in (Y/N)'s head. True, while it was said with sweet Bakura's tone, something about it rang hollow.
"Just be mindful of your health. You wouldn't want to worry everyone."
He chuckled, getting a bit closer. "I suppose not. I'm interested to know how you've settled though, Rain. I feel as though we haven't spoken as much as we should since Duelist Kingdom."
"No, and I apologize for that. You have been out sick plenty of times though."
"I suppose you're right. Though," He glanced at Yami. "It seems you've had plenty of company without me. Especially from Yugi."
If there was ever a time to bait out the truth, it was now, and the former queen would not allow the opportunity to be missed.
"I suppose you can say that. It's been wonderful having friends like the others, but I feel a certain kinship with Yugi that I don't with the others."
"Really?" (Y/N) could hear the barely contained growl in his voice. "Do tell."
(Y/N) intentionally glanced at Yami, who noticed and smiled back at her.
"He understands me and I feel as though I can share anything with him. We've thrown ourselves into danger for the other, what else would you call that? Perhaps-,"
"Truly nothing's changed."
(Y/N) crossed her arms. "Couldn't last five minutes, could you, Spirit of the Ring?"
The facade dropped and (Y/N) could feel the malice from the male beside her, though to his credit, he kept a straight face.
"I suppose not, your highness, though I am flattered you'd recognize me even when I was acting as my lesser half."
"I wouldn't insult Bakura considering you have to survive off him like a parasite."
"Perhaps, but aren't all of us in the same boat, (Y/N)? Forced to live off weaker hosts just to remain in the present?"
"Unlike you, Yami and I see Yugi and Rain as our equals. We depend upon and look out for one another."
"Please, the Wayfarer girl is nothing without you, and as for your precious Pharaoh, well he's not much better off than little Yugi. Poor thing, can't even remember his own name, his wife, their-oops." The Thief King smirked maliciously. "Can't give too much away. Especially not before I get what I want."
"Still chasing the Millennium Items then?"
"Among other things."
The look he gave her made her skin crawl and she could feel Rain's anger boil in the bracelet. Still, the female spirit held her ground.
"Watch your step, thief. We have another enemy to deal with."
"Ah yes." He said mockingly. "This Marik, I'm well aware. While your concern for me is touching, I've already made my own arrangements."
So they were working together. It wasn't shocking, scum tended to pile together after all.
"He's after Rain, you know. Not unlike how you insist on pestering me." The male's eye twitched. "Oh, he didn't tell you? I suppose it makes sense, after all, that puts you at odds with one another."
The spirit huffed. "He's nothing but a foolish child. If I must dispose of him, I will. Nothing will stand in my way."
"I must know, were you this arrogant in life, or was it something you acquired in death?"
He smirked. "Oh, (Y/N). Perhaps if you'd put a little more effort, you could remember. How tragic not to be able to remember those who matter most to you."
"I remember the man I love, isn't that enough?" That elicited the expected reaction as the Spirit of the Ring grabbed her wrist with a crushing grip. "Whatever you're after from me, I can't and won't give it to you."
"I'd watch your tone." He said in a warning voice. "I am a patient man, and I will not be swayed in my hunt, ḡurāb."
(Y/N) snatched her wrist from him. "Don't take a familiar tone with me. I don't care what our relationship was in the past. Here and now, you have proven yourself my enemy. However, since you insist on invoking a relationship I remember nothing of, then in the name of that so-called 'relationship', I ask you to leave us in peace."
Something about her words seemed to strike a chord with the spirit, not evoking anger this time, but instead for the briefest instant she saw melancholy in eyes. Before she could further infer about it, Yami, who had noticed something had been wrong with this exchange, interjected himself in the conversation, strategically placing himself between 'Bakura' and (Y/N).
"Good evening to you both." Yami said in a friendly tone. "Wishing each other luck for the finals?"
The Spirit of the Ring masked his malice as well as could behind a sweet expression. "Indeed. Rain was just inquiring about my health."
"Well, you did worry everyone, Bakura." Yami retorted. "Are you certain you're up for this?"
He waved off the accusation. "I keep telling you guys, don't worry about me. You have yourselves to look after. I look forward to dueling you both. Good evening."
As he excused himself and walked off, Yami's polite facade dropped.
"That isn't Bakura, is it?"
(Y/N) rubbed her wrist. "No."
"Persistent, isn't he?" There was a hint of growl in his tone before he turned to his wife with a soft and concerned expression. "Did he hurt you?"
"He has a strong grip, but he's not so bold as to act out in the open. He's too cowardly for that."
Yami huffed in agreement, still staring daggers at where the white haired male had slinked off too. Rain and Yugi also appeared beside their partners.
"First Marik, now the Spirit of the Ring." Yugi said worryingly. "Can this get any worse?"
Rain rolled her eyes. "With our luck, most likely. Still, I don't know what's worse: the idea of that Marik creep coming after me or how that spirit freak keeps leering at (Y/N). I don't know how you can stand it, (Y/N)."
"Believe me, it's a test of my patience not to strike him every time he opens his mouth."
"I say go for it." Yami said bluntly. "It might actually shut him up."
"Uh, Yami, he's kinda holding the real Bakura hostage." Yugi reminded his partner, who immediately looked guilty.
"Oh, right."
Rain smirked. "Oh give him a break, Yugi. I'd be protective too if someone called my spouse ḡurāb with an implicit tone like that."
(Y/N) could feel the anger boiling in her husband and glared at her vessel.
"Rain, stop baiting him." (Y/N) then took Yami's hand, attempting to calm him. "Yami, it doesn't mean anything."
"It clearly means something."
She sighed. "It's the word for raven in our language. Ravens are the sacred animal of the Wayfarers. He was probably just trying to get a rise out of me."
Yami looked like he wanted to continue to argue, but was interrupted by Kaiba deciding to begin with some prompting from Joey. The room went dark as everyone turned to the main stage as a Blue Eyes themed lottery machine rose up from the floor. Roland took his place next to it.
"Finalists and guests, may I have your attention please? The first two duelists for round one will be chosen by lottery to guarantee fairness. Each pair of opponents will be selected completely at random. You've all been assigned a number from 1 through 9. The selector will now choose the first two numbers. The second pair of numbers will not be drawn until a winner is declared in the first duel, thus you will not know your opponent's identity until just before you duel."
"I'm fighting the urge to yell out Bingo." Tristan joked to Duke who kept a straight face.
"Go ahead, I'll laugh."
"All nine balls are of equal size and weight. The result is 100% random."
"Unless magic's involved." Rain snarked as everyone received a number.
Kaiba was 1, Joey was 2, Yugi was 3, Mai was 4, Namu was 5, Bakura was 6, Marik was 7, Rain was 8, and the mysterious final participant was number 9. Roland stepped up to the machine as the balls began to whirl around.
"And the first duelist is...number 6!" Roland announced. "Bakura!"
"Me?" The Spirit of the Ring feigned shock. "Duel first?"
"You sure you're all right man?" Tristan asked, no one realizing the puppet master in front of them.
Tea joined in. "Yeah, Bakura, you should really be resting, not dueling!"
"Oh, don't worry. As I told Rain and Yugi, I'm fine. Being the first duelist chosen just took me by surprise."
Everyone turned back to the machine as it picked the next duelist. To (Y/N)'s dread, number 3 popped out.
"Bakura's opponent is duelist number 3, Yugi Moto!" Roland shouted. "The first duel of the Battle City Finals will begin immediately in the Stratos Dueling Arena!"
"Why does this not surprise me?" (Y/N) muttered to herself as the Ring Spirit continued to play dumb.
"I guess I'm battling Yugi! This should be fun!"
Both former rulers wanted to glare at their enemy who was deliberately trying to aggravate them. (Y/N), keeping her temper in check, simply took her husband's hand.
"Yami."
"I'll defeat him." Yami assured her.
"I have no doubt you will. I was going to say try not to kill him. He still has Bakura's body."