Title: Of Dragonballs and Duel Monsters
Chapter: 2/?
Author: Murasaki Rose
Beta: none
Genre: Action/Adventure/Alternate Universe/Comedy/Crossover/Drama/Fantasy/Supernatural
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Duelist Kingdom
Warnings: Some shonen-ai, swearing, and violence.
Pairings:  YxYY, YBxR, other pairings later.
Disclaimer:  Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all it's characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. Dragonball, Dragonball Z, and Dragonball GT are all the property of Akira Toriyama, Bird Studio, Toei Animation, and Funimation Inc.  In other words, I don't own any of them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  However, Jianu, her family, and all other OCs in this story are mine.  If you'd like to borrow them, please ask me first and give proper credit.
AN: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy, /text/ = hikari to yami mindlink, (/text/) = yami to hikari mindlink, #text# = English

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 2 - Reflect and Converse

Opening theme: Higher and Higher

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

After school Jianu decided to introduce Yugi and his friends to the other six transfers: Akira Wales, Miraku Nagata, Takeshi Rio, Marion Sydney, Sean Dublin, and Chujitsu Montreal. It turned out that they and the still-absent eighth student, had not only been friends since childhood but were also staying with the same host family.

Yugi's friend's were quite surprised that one family was willing and able to take on eight teenagers until, much to the consternation of his friends, Takeshi let it slip that they were being hosted by the Briefs family. This stunned the Domino teens, since both Capsule Corp and the Briefs family were known to be the richest, most powerful, and most eccentric family in the world. Easily taking notice of the unspoken tension that had arisen between the new teens and his friends, Yugi decided that a trip to the arcade would work as a perfect ice breaker. After all, what better way was there to relieve tension than to take out your stress and frustrations on pixilated characters?

Over the course of the afternoon, Yugi's friends quickly learned that Jianu, an excellent gamer in her own right, was still no match for her small cousin who consistently beat her in every game they played. Except for table hockey, where Jianu gained a glorious victory . . . of 4 points. But what really surprised Yugi's friends was all the trash-talking that went on between the two tri-colored teens. Usually whenever Yugi played anyone, he was simply happy and continually polite, but this was not the case when he played his cousin.

During every game they played Yugi and Jianu would toss insults and threats back and forth like a pair of competitive siblings, with only their smiling faces and genuine laughter assuring the others that they weren't being serious. Jianu's friends thought nothing of the cousins' behavior, but Yugi's friends were a bit stunned at seeing this new facet of their small friend.

After a particularly vicious round between the two, Jonouchi finally asked, "Wow Yugi, what's with the language?"

Yugi gave him an embarrassed smile, "Ah well . . . it's ah. . . it's just something we picked up from our older cousins."

"You see, once a year the entire Kreiger family has a reunion at our grandparent's home and while the adults caught-up we'd end up playing games with our other cousins," Jianu explained, "and they always insulted each other while they played."

"So you just picked up that behavior unconsciously?" Anzu asked, relieved that there really was no actual malice between the two cousins.

"Yeah, but at least we don't tackle each other and wrestle around on the floor like they do," Yugi added with a chuckle.

No one really had a response to that, so the two tri-color haired teens took the advantage to herd the group over to the Skee Ball lanes for the next round of games.

Family oddities aside, the teens still had a lot of fun playing games, eating junk food, and just plain acting their age.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Later that evening when the teens headed home and Jianu had stopped off at the game shop with Yugi to say hi to Sugoroku and her aunt (her friends having left the arcade earlier), the rest of Yugi's friends discussed the newest member of their group . . . and her unusual pendant.

"Another magical item? Does their family just naturally attract weirdness?" Jonouchi groaned, raking a hand through his messy hair in frustration.

"It could be a fake," Hanasaki offered, though he didn't feel his idea was quite right. But having been fortunate enough to have missed out on the more dangerous events involving the puzzle, he was far less wary than the others were.

"Yugi's puzzle is real," Ryou was quick to point out, his thoughts falling to the Sennen Ring under his shirt.

"True, but the legend might be just that. A legend," Anzu reasoned.

Honda was more pessimistic, "Yeah, but the Sennen items were "just a legend" and somebody blew up their school."

"You don't think that Jianu was responsible for that do you? She's Yugi's cousin for crying out loud!" Jonouchi exclaimed, angry that the other could even suggest the idea. While he might not know the girl very well, she shared the same light aura that Yugi possessed making him want to protect her like he did his best friend.

Holding his hands up in surrender the brunet explained, "That doesn't mean anything, but that wasn't what I was implying. What if somebody was after that dragon ball and just blew up their school as a cover?"

Ryou looked pensive, "If that's the case and the dragon ball is real, then who ever is after it is a very dangerous individual."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. So let's just keep an eye out for anyone or anything out of the ordinary and leave it at that, all right?" Anzu said, taking charge and breaking the melancholy mood that was settling over the group.

Catching Honda's eye Jonouchi gave the brunet a silent message and a received a sharp nod in reply, they'd keep both eyes open and an ear to the ground.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Later that night, a tired Yugi shuffled into his bedroom, more than ready to get some much needed shut-eye. It had been quite an eventful day, what with reuniting with his cousin and spending the afternoon at the arcade with all their friends, but now that the excitement was over, as well as his homework, he was exhausted! After changing into his pajamas he was just about to crawl into bed when he felt the familiar presence of the spirit of the puzzle materialize behind him.

(/Gomen, mou hitori no ore (1),/) the spirit murmured, wrapping transparent arms around his small savior.

/It's all right, mou hitori no boku (2),/ Yugi replied, knowing what the other was apologizing for. /If Jianu-chan hadn't shown up, I know you would have protected me./

(/Demo (3) I . . ./)

/I know,/ Yugi interrupted, turning in the spirit's embrace. /And I told you, it's all right,/ he continued, curling his small arms around the lithe waist of his darker half. Lifting himself up on his toes, he pressed a warm kiss to the other's lips before dropping back down to snuggle against his chest. /Aishiteru (4)./

(/Aishiteru, aibou./) the spirit replied, giving in to the shorter teen's wishes and burying his nose into Yugi's soft hair. It was no use. No matter how much he blamed himself, Yugi would refuse to allow him to bear the guilt, it just wasn't in his nature and it made the spirit love the teen all the more.

As the two boys held each other a thought occurred to the dark spirit, (/Aibou (5)?/) he began, still holding Yugi in his arms.

/Hai?/ the teen lazily replied, feeling far too comfortable to even raise his head.

(/That girl who rescued you. Your cousin. You two are close?/) Like the others, he too had noticed the sibling-like bond between the two tri-color haired cousins and was curious.

Without lifting his head, Yugi tilted his face to smile up at the ghostly presence of his other half. /Uhn, we've always been like that. We used to play together a lot when we were kids. She was the only one of my cousins that didn't mind losing all the time when we played games./

A chuckle. (/Really? None of them could beat you?/)

Yugi blushed modestly, /No, but Jianu-chan didn't mind, she just kept trying. And her dad always said: 'Everyone's got their own talents and that instead of being jealous of what we don't have, we should be proud of the ones we do.'/

(/That's very sound advice, aibou./) Yami no Yugi commented, steering his tired lighter half towards his bed.

/Uhn,/ the teen replied, crawling into bed and snuggling under his covers.

(/Will you tell her about me?/)

/Hai. But I want to introduce you to her alone. She'll worry if you just take over, so you'll have to come out in spirit form to meet her./

(/????/) Baffled at his light's last statement, the spirit stared in confusion at the teen.

Laughing at the spirit's wide-eyed expression, Yugi explained, /It's okay, mou hitori no boku. She'll be able to see you just fine. It's her other inheritance./

Yami no Yugi arched an eyebrow, (/Other inheritance?/)

/You know that she's a marital artist, ne? Well, that's from her mom's side of the family. But her dad's side is different./

(/How so?/)

Yugi smiled wryly at his other half, /Jianu's father and my mother come from a long line of psychics. Their abilities vary, but nearly all of them can see spirits./

Yami blinked at his other, if Yugi's family could see spirits, why hadn't his mother seen him before?

Sensing the spirit's confusion, Yugi answered his question before he'd even voiced it. /Mom's power is latent. She doesn't really have any psychic abilities of her own. What she told me is that she's like a psychic booster, instead of having power herself, she enhances other people's power./

That made sense. (/And your own abilities?/) he asked curiously.

Yugi grinned, /I knew you were gonna ask that. My powers are dormant most of the time, unless there's another active psychic nearby./

(/Like your cousin./)

/Uhn./

(/So what can you do?/)

/Just telepathy really. Grandma Kreiger says I have really mild empathic and latent telekinetic abilities, but I'm not so sure./ He paused and winked impishly at his darker half, /Oh, and I can see ghosts and spirits too./

Yami smiled at his lighter half, (/Indeed you can, aibou./)

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

(/Anything within the dragon's power . . ./)

Pulling his shirt over his head, Ryou paused to address his darker half, /Yami, please don't try and steal Jianu-chan's dragon ball./

Materializing in front of his hikari, Yami no Bakura smirked at the gentle teen, (/What's wrong? Afraid we'll get caught or of what I'd do with it?/)

/More like what you'd do with all seven of them,/ Ryou countered, eyeing the transparent form warily.

Yami no Bakura chuckled, (/Fear not yadonushi. As tempting as they sound, I prefer to accomplish my goals by my own power./)

/Then why do you want the Sennen items? Aren't you after their power?/ the teen asked, his disbelief clear in his tone.

Crossing his arms and turning away from his light, the yami made a soft 'hmph' before replying. (/I may want the items, but not for their power, hikari. I have a far more personal reason for acquiring them./)

Wide, chocolate eyes stared at the thief in confusion at both his behavior and his response. 'Is he . . sulking?!' the teen thought before managing to ask, /What? Why then?/

(/You wouldn't understand,/) the spirit replied in answer, much to the irritation of his hikari.

/How do you know? If you really are the darker half of my soul, then shouldn't I understand you better than anyone?/ Ryou asked indignantly.

Staring at his light in wide-eyed surprise Yami no Bakura gave serious consideration to his response before answering the teen. (/You may be right,/) he conceded finally. (/Perhaps I will tell you . . ./)

Ryou's eyes lit up-

(/-but not tonight. It's late and you have school in the morning./)

Stunned, Ryou stared at his yami as if the dark spirit had suddenly grown another head. /Since when have you been the responsible one?!/ he asked incredulously.

Chuckling in amusement Yami no Bakura faded from view, leaving his bewildered hikari even more questions to mull over tonight.

-

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Closing Theme: Yume Wa Oshite

5/5/04
re-edited: 08/20/06
re-re-edited: June 11, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

1 - other me (informal)
2 - other me (formal)
3 - but
4 - I love you (romantic)
5 - partner
6 - landlord, nickname yami no Bakura uses for Ryou in the manga