Not how this is going to go in Clanverse

Yugi watched the Nile flow past and realised something.

This was it.

The war with Voldemort was over, Atem had gotten his name and memories back, and tomorrow they were going to Duel for possibly the final time.

Tears flowed down the Hikari’s face.

It wasn’t fair.

It was and it wasn’t.

It was fair because if Yugi won, Atem would finally get to rest, after five thousand years.

But it wasn’t fair because they’d been a team for over ten years and Atem wouldn’t be having to make this journey if the Death Eaters hadn’t killed the body that he’d been using for the last seven years in the final battle against Voldemort, causing the Pharaoh to end up back in the Puzzle, and inside Yugi.

Atem had once sworn that they would always be a team, and yet now he was going to leave Yugi forever.

He’d explained his reasons, saying that he couldn’t let the shadows fall into the wrong hands, that he couldn’t share Yugi’s body for the rest of Yugi’s life and that it was time for him to find out where and when he’d come from.

Yugi had fought to get Atem’s name for him, to help him defeat Zorc, but now, with his deck set and the cruise boat heading down the River Nile, it had sunk in that this was it, their last night as yami and hikari.

Yugi wiped his face with the back of his hands. He had to let Atem take over to construct his deck. He and the Pharaoh had had a conversation earlier, in which Yugi had demanded that Atem didn’t go easy on him. It was supposed to be a test of Yugi’s true skill and whether it was time for Atem to leave. It wouldn’t be a proper test if Atem went easy on him, and had told the Pharaoh he would be furious if Atem dared to go easy on his hikari.

For this reason, Yugi had left the Gods out of his deck.

They were Atem’s cards, he’d been the one that had won them in Battle City, and he was the one that they answered to without question, even Yugi had trouble with them on occasion.

Yugi closed his eyes and entered the corridor between the Soul Rooms, knocking on Atem’s door and waiting.

Atem pulled it open, took one look at his hikari and opened his mouth, “Yugi…”

“I’m ready, I think.” Yugi said before Atem could say too much more, “I know you have to do this, and I still want you to go at me full pelt. It won’t be fair if you don’t.”

“I know.” Atem said, his voice tinged with sadness. “Should I knock on your door when I’m ready?”

“I think I’m gonna go to sleep.” Yugi said, looking at the ground, “I want to be at my best tomorrow, so you can have the body… if you want…” Yugi trailed off.

Yami put a hand under his Hikari’s chin as he realised how badly he was shaking and tilted the young man’s face up.

Tears flowed down Yugi’s face.

“We don’t have to do this.” Atem said softly, though Yugi could tell his heart wasn’t in it, “Ask and I’ll stay.”

“I can’t.” Yugi whispered back, “It’s unfair to you and it’s selfish of me.”

“Yugi, you’re the least selfish person I’ve ever known!” The Pharaoh protested, “I don’t have to leave, I don’t really want to…”

“You do though, or you wouldn’t have asked me to ask you to stay!” Yugi blurted out, “It’s time for us to move on and move apart and…” Yugi’s voice cracked and he fled into his soul room, locking the door and locking Atem out.

Atem just stood there for a few minutes, not really knowing what to do or say. Everything Yugi had said was true, Atem did want to finally rest, and he did want to leave Yugi in peace… asking Yugi to ask him to stay had been Atem’s final get out clause, and if the Pharaoh was honest with himself, he was scared.

He took control of their body and smiled sadly at the view that he opened his eyes too.

The River Nile, the river a deep blue to match the skies reflected in it, where the river mud didn’t tint it, in front of them as far as the eye could see. The night sky, beautiful and peaceful, the stars that twinkled reflecting in the waters…

Atem wondered if Yugi had chosen this especially for him.

The Pharaoh sighed and turned away as someone came up on deck, heading for his… no Yugi’s room and the last time he’d ever construct a deck for a Duel.

-----------------------------------------------

“Yu…” Harry trailed off before getting too far, the young man in question looking over at him out of old habit. Crimson eyes and a more regal pose told him that this wasn’t Yugi, but Yami… sorry Atem… who’d been given control of their body. “Atem.”

“Harry?” Atem asked as he looked over, confused, “Yugi and I thought everyone was asleep.”

“Can’t sleep. I guess you’re ready for tomorrow though.” Harry half asked and was surprised when Ya…Atem shook his head. “But…?”

“Yugi’s deck is prepared, I have to make mine.” The Pharaoh looked wistful and unhappy, “Yugi knows most of my tactics but he’s demanded I give him a proper duel. To be fair to Yugi I can’t go easy on him any more, I stopped years ago. He’s nearly had me in so many tournaments now that I really think tomorrow he might actually beat me officially.”

Harry smiled sadly and then tried to cheer up as a shadow crossed Yami’s face, “How’s he taking it?”

“Hard.” Yami admitted, “I think no matter what happens tomorrow, it’s going to be hard on him. He’ll need his friends more then ever.” The Pharaoh’s hand went to the chain around his neck without him thinking, the silver cartouche that Tea had brought him, on a much shorter chain then the Puzzle, caught the moonlight and the hieroglyphs that spelled the Pharaoh’s name sparkled in the light.

“I’ll be there for him.” Harry said, with a determined look that didn’t look out of place or unusual on the seventeen year old teenager who’d survived a war, killed a Dark Lord and saved most of the school. “We’ll always be your friends too, you know that right?” He asked the Pharaoh who looked surprised and then nodded.

“I know.” Yami said, sounding grateful, “Thank you Harry.” Yami nodded and walked down the stairs to the lower levels, heading for Yugi’s room.

Harry watched him go; unsurprised that he’d seen tears in the Pharaoh’s eyes.

Yugi and Yami may have thought that everyone but them was asleep but actually no one was.

Some of the group had been dreading this point for years; others hadn’t long been initiated into their group but knew that Yami would move on tomorrow.

The Pharaoh thought they were all friends of Yugi’s and were coming to support the hikari in his final duel with his ‘brother’ but the truth was they were all coming to watch and say their farewells.

Joey, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Tea, Tristan, the Muto twins’ Grandpa and Yugi’s parents, Malik, Isuzu, Obeon, even Seto and Mokuba were all coming to watch the Ceremonial Duel and say goodbye if Yugi won.

It wasn’t fair for Yugi and Yami to have gone through so much, only to be ripped apart once everything was settled.

But then nothing in their lives ever had been fair, and maybe it was time for Yami to rest.

Harry just wasn’t looking forward to watching the Mutos be forced into a duel in which a real victory meant losing a friend.