Disclaimer: I don’t own Yu-Gi-Oh!. Only Jono is mine. This is the third part to Life Contract I and II. If you have not read either of them, I suggest you do so now.
Part One
“Catch me if you can, Seto,” a preteen boy with brown-blond hair and brown eyes laughed as he darted around to avoid the hands of his best friend, a future priest of Atem’s court.
Seto grinned as he chased the boy. “I’ll get you yet, Jono,” he retorted. He then laughed as did Jono as they chased and ran in their village, carefree and happy.
Seto’s eyes snapped open and focused on the stone ceiling of his Soul Room, his dream fading away. He sighed. I haven’t thought of Jono for so long and I know why I am now: Because of Joey. He looks so similar to Jono that they could be two souls that belong together like Kaiba and me.
“What’s that about me?” came Kaiba’s telepathic voice.
Seto blinked at his partner’s sudden question before saying, “I was just thinking about the two of us being together.”
“Well of course we are. Heh, hard to believe we weren’t getting along months ago considering we’re friends now.”
“Indeed and speaking of friends, I just had another dream about my best friend, Jono.”
“What happened to him?” Kaiba sounded genuinely interested.
“He survived the destruction of my village and resided in the pharaoh’s kingdom. He died when Bakura attacked my father and was being chased by Atem. Technically, Bakura’s Diabound killed him.”
“I am sorry about that.”
“Thanks. However, hanging out with your friend, Joey-,”
“Wheeler is not my friend.”
“Right, sorry. Anyway, hanging out with him is like being with Jono. He even looks similar.”
“How nice,” Kaiba said sarcastically.
“Kaiba? As it’s Saturday tomorrow, could I take over? Just tomorrow?”
“You can. I have a budget plan I need to work on and my Soul Room would be the perfect place to work on it in peace.”
“Oh? Can’t get that peace?”
“As it’s dinnertime right now, obviously not.”
“Ah. All right, well I’ll see you in the morning.” Seto ended the link and picked up his journal and a pen. He had been writing his modern world experiences, thoughts, and dreams since his first weekend out months ago. His entries were written in English instead of hieroglyphs and provided a nice transition between his old life and his new one. He began to write about his dream, his thoughts of Joey and Jono’s similarities, and his pondering of whether the two were souls that belonged together or whether Jono was reincarnated as Joey. “Either way, I plan to hang out with Joey and perhaps the others tomorrow,” he wrote before closing the journal, putting it aside, and going back to sleep. Oh, yes. I love spending time with Joey. So much like my friend. I miss him, he thought as he fell asleep.
Upstairs in Kaiba’s bedroom, the Millennium Rod glowed brightly and briefly before fading.
&&&&
Joey opened his eyes to find himself in a long hallway. On his left was an open door that contained items of his favorite things and people. There was a duel disk with a deck in it lying on a desk, a comfy bed, pictures of either his favorite Duel Monster or his friends and his sister, and a bookshelf of books. Opposite the open door was a closed metal door with an eye on it that looked like the one Joey had seen on Yugi’s Puzzle.
“Where am I?” he muttered to himself, his voice echoing in the hallway.
“Hello? Who’s out there?” called a voice like his own from behind the closed door.
Joey approached the closed door. “My name’s Joey. Who are you?”
“I’m Jono. I’m your other half or so I’m told. You and I are two souls that belong together until you die.”
Joey reeled at this news. He had another half like Yugi and Kaiba? Oh, boy. I don’t know if I need anyone to know about this. Well, maybe Yugi and the gang should know.
“Uh, Joey? Do you think you could open my door? I cannot as there’s no handle on my side.”
“Uh, sure. Okay.” Joey pushed down and opened the door. The sound of a phone ringing came up from the hall. “Oh, gotta go, Jono. We’ll talk later.” Joey left before getting a look at his counterpart who stepped into the hall, looking around.
He awoke in the real world, rolled over, and picked up the phone receiver. “Hello?”
“Morning, Joey,” came a familiar mature voice.
Joey sat up. “Seto! Kaiba let you take over again, huh?”
“He did. He said he needed peace to work on a budget plan. I was wondering if we could hang out today, just you and me. I only have today to get out and about.”
“Oh, well okay. How about we meet at that coffee shop you like in say thirty minutes?”
“Sounds good to me. See you there.” Seto hung up and headed out to meet his friend.
Joey hung up and quickly started getting ready to meet Seto. Unknown to him, Jono was exploring his Soul Room, trying to understand this new world he had been placed in. he knew why he was here in Joey’s mind, but saw no reason for it, save that Joey was his other half; a partner.
He looked through a book, but didn’t understand a word. He replaced it, shaking his head. I need Joey’s help to understand his language. He examined the pictures, not recognizing them or their names until he came across a picture of a tall brunette man with blue eyes.
Jono’s brown eyes widened. Whoa, he could pass for Seto’s twin only his skin’s not tanned. He’s clearly a friend of Joey’s. I wonder who he is. Well, I have to wait for Joey to come back to talk like he said he would.
&&&&
Seto sipped his tea as he listened to Joey talk about anything he wanted even if Seto already knew some of it. He related his sister’s recent visit and when he started in on Duel Monsters, Seto eagerly talked about the game, making comments about magic or trap cards and noticing combos that could be devastating.
“Wow,” Joey said as Seto finished laying out a three-card combo. “You really know your stuff.”
“Well, digging around in the mind of a gamer helps.”
Joey chuckled. “You are so different from Kaiba.”
“How so? I’m just as dedicated to Kaiba Corp and Mokuba.”
“Yeah, but I find it easy to talk to you and you don’t insult me like Kaiba does.”
“Ah, I see. Kaiba doesn’t consider you a friend, but I do. I like hanging out with you. You remind me so much of my best friend back in Egypt.”
“I do? What was his name?” Joey started to take a drink.
“Jono.”
Joey almost spit out his tea. That was the name of the guy in his mind! He swallowed his tea with difficulty. “He would look like me, right?”
“The same eyes, but more brown-blond hair. You also have the same friendly attitude and joy of life.”
Joey smiled at the comments while wondering if the one in him was Seto’s friend. Only one way to find out.
Part Two
“Jono!” Joey called that night as he appeared in his Soul Corridor.
An almost identical person exited the room with the metal door with a familiar easy grin. “Hi, Joey. I been wanting to talk with you.”
“Yeah, sorry about making you wait. I had a friend who only had today to hang out for a little while.”
“I understand. Now that you’re here, I’ve got some questions.” He nodded across the hall at Joey’s room. “I hope you don’t mind but I was looking around to understand your modern world.”
“Not at all. I’d probably do the same in your place.”
“I’d like to read and write in your language. I didn’t get much learning in Egypt although my friend did teach me a little.”
“I can teach you in an easier way than I learned. My friend, Yugi, mentioned it once.” He stepped up to Jono, raised a hand, and put his fingers to Jono’s forehead. He focused on his knowledge of reading and writing and felt the information being shared with his other half.
Jono’s eyes widened and stepped back. “Whoa. That’s…great. Now I know how to read and write.”
“Wonderful. So why don’t you follow me and we can talk?” Joey gestured to his room and entered with Jono behind him.
“I looked at your pictures and wondered who they are.”
“Oh, let me start with this one.” He held up a picture of a girl with long reddish-brown hair. “This is my little sister, Serenity. My parents are divorced and Serenity lives far away with my mom.”
“Di…vorced?”
“That’s when two married people no longer wish to be married to each other. It’s really hard if they have kids.”
“That’s awful. So…who are these people?” Jono gestured at a group picture.
“Oh, that’s Yugi, Tristan, and Tea. They’re my closest friends.”
“And this?” Jono pointed at the brunette man.
“Uh, well it looks like Kaiba, but it’s not Kaiba.”
“Huh?”
“Kaiba’s like us. He has another soul in him, too. Kaiba’s the president of the world’s biggest gaming company. The other person is my friend, Priest Seto.”
“Seto!?”
Joey looked at Jono who seemed shocked, making Joey think that his other half and Seto’s best friend were one and the same. “Did you know him?”
“Know him?” Jono laughed. “He’s my best friend.”
“No kidding. I spent the day with him because Kaiba only gave him one day. Don’t know when the next time will be.”
“Why such a limited time?”
“Kaiba’s got a company to run. If he needs privacy to think or work then he lets Seto take over. Probably because it would look suspicious to see Kaiba looking like he’s in a coma or something.”
“Do you think we could do that? Switch control, I mean.”
“Sure. Just ask first.”
“Of course. We’re friends now and forcing control is a good way to ruin a friendship.”
“I agree.” Joey yawned. “Well, time for bed. I think I’ll tell our friends about you.”
“Will they understand? Oh, of course they will. After all, Kaiba has Seto.”
“That’s right. Actually, Kaiba’s not friendly to us. We learned about Seto from Yugi who shares his body with Pharaoh Atem who is Seto’s cousin.”
“The pharaoh’s around too? Wow, I’d love to meet him.”
“If they ask to see you, then you can take over. Oh and you’re welcome to look around and dig around in my mind if you like.”
“Thanks. I think I will.” Jono watched Joey leave before selecting a book to put his new knowledge of reading to use. Wow. Joey’s real nice and very trusting, which isn’t surprising as I’m the same way. We are so much alike, except my hair’s dual-colored. I look forward to meeting Joey’s friends and maybe even the pharaoh. Jono turned another page and continued to read, delighted to be able to do so.
&&&&
“You get that budget worked out?”
“I did. I got the peace I needed to work on it. Did you enjoy your day?”
“Yes. I spent it with Joey.”
“What!? Why would you want to be with Wheeler? Do you know how that reflects on me?”
“Of course I do. Besides, I like Joey. I just don’t understand why you don’t. He’s a nice guy.”
Kaiba was silent for a moment. “It’s…complicated. I believe our personalities clash- badly.”
“Really? You seem to have a few things in common; enough to build some kind of relationship.”
Kaiba laughed. “Seto, you’re joking.”
“I’m not. You both have a younger sibling that you’re protective of.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“You’re both the same age and both of you love to duel.”
“Yes, but I am a superior duelist while Wheeler is a third-rate one.”
“That’s not the impression I got from your memories of the Battle City finals and the Kaiba Corp Grand Championship.”
Kaiba’s eye twitched at the recollections. The fact that Wheeler almost beat him had been humiliating and why he had been extremely aggressive in defeating the blonde. He had to admit that Wheeler had handled himself well against Zigfried despite losing.
“Well?” Seto prompted.
“All right. He’s a good duelist. But our personalities do clash in a way that causes us to insult each other, me more than him.”
“Of that, I have no doubt. Is it possible for you to be nicer to Joey? You seem to be civil with Yugi.”
“Yugi is a rival and a great one at that. I respect him for his skills.”
“Yes, I understand that. Atem is a great duelist and though I grew stronger, I could never win, but I respected him for that. He kept me improving.”
“You sure you weren’t losing on purpose since he was the pharaoh?”
“I’m sure. I tried my hardest but I always lost.”
“Like the first weekend duel months ago?”
“You’ve been looking through my memories too, have you?”
“Our bond goes both ways, Seto.”
“And we’re getting off the subject. How about instead of being nicer, how about treating him like you do with Yugi, starting with calling him Joey instead of Wheeler?”
“I…guess I could do that. I’m telling you right now that it won’t happen right away.”
“Of course. Years of dislike doesn’t disappear overnight.”
“Why does Wheeler like you?”
“He said I was easier to talk to and I don’t insult him.”
“I could insult him less, but his reactions to them always amused me.”
“That’s demented, Kaiba.”
“I know, but I will try to be civil to Wheeler. Good night, Seto.”
“Good night, Kaiba.”
Part Three
Joey smiled and hummed to himself as he got dressed. He was getting together with his friends and he looked forward to the get-together. He sensed a nervousness that wasn’t his and figured it was Jono. He knew Yugi and Kaiba could converse with their other halves via telepathy and decided to try it.
“You okay, Jono?”
he asked. He was delighted when he got a response. “I’m a little nervous.”
“Yeah, I sensed that.” He looked into the mirror and saw Jono drifting behind a shoulder. He glanced back, but saw nothing; Jono was only visible in the glass. He turned back to it.
“What if they don’t like me? Or if my presence drives your friends away?”
“Jono, they’ll like you. Your presence won’t drive them away. Remember, Yugi has Atem and no one ran from him.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Okay, let’s go.” Jono vanished and Joey headed out of the room and the house.
&&&&
“So, you talked with Seto yesterday?” Tea asked.
Joey grinned. “Sure did. He’s so different from Kaiba; easy to talk to and he doesn’t insult me. He’s a nice guy.”
“He sure is,” Jono agreed. “Maybe he can get Kaiba to be nicer to you.”
“Maybe. The guys needs friends.”
Joey blinked when Tristan waved a hand and said, “Hello? You there, Joey?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“Well, you looked like you were in outer space or talking to yourself.”
“I wasn’t exactly talking to myself,” Joey said slowly. He then stared at the table and shifted uncomfortably.
“You okay, Joey?” Yugi asked.
Joey looked into Yugi’s concerned eyes and could almost see Atem looking through his friend’s eyes too. He sensed Jono shifting on his feet. He sighed. “Guys, I have something to tell you.” He took a deep breath. “I have another soul inside me. Just like you, Yug’.”
Tristan and Tea exchanged wary looks while Yugi seemed amazed. “You do? What’s his name?”
“It’s Jono and get this: He’s Seto’s best friend.”
Yugi’s mouth dropped. “He is? Wow, that’s amazing.”
“Can we meet him?” asked Tea, suddenly interested.
“Sure.” He closed his eyes and said, “Come out and say hello.”
The switch from Joey to Jono was noticeable as some of the blond hair turned brown. He opened his eyes and gave everyone a shy smile that was nonetheless friendly and so reminiscent of Joey. “Hi,” he said.
Tea and Tristan blinked in mild surprise while Yugi smiled warmly. “Hi, Jono. Joey didn’t say a lot about you.”
“Mostly because I didn’t tell him much and he hasn’t explored my memories.” Suddenly, he blushed and said, “Oh, gods, I’m sorry.”
Yugi blinked at this outburst. “What?”
“I was talking about memories and I learned from Joey that the pharaoh had been trying to recover his.”
“It’s okay,” Yugi said. “Atem has his memories now and were we surprised when we learned we would stay together.”
“Like Joey and me.”
“Don’t forget Kaiba and Seto,” Tea said.
“Or Ryou and Bakura,” Tristan added.
Jono’s head whipped around to look at Tristan. “B-Bakura?” he whispered, voice trembling slightly.
“Yeah. You okay, man?”
Jono shook his head. “It’s just it’s because of Bakura’s monster that I died.”
“Oh, Jono. That’s terrible,” Tea said, putting a hand on his shoulder. This gesture gave Jono comfort and he felt at ease with people he didn’t really know.
I will have to look through Joey’s memories of his friends to know them.
“I apologize that your life was cut short,” a deep voice said, catching Jono’s attention. He looked over to see that Yugi and Atem had quietly switched.
Jono immediately got up and knelt before Atem. “My pharaoh. I do not blame you for trying to stop the thief. I was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Nevertheless, I am sorry and you do not need to kneel. It’s not necessary.”
Jono rose and resumed his seat. “As you wish.”
“Joey said you’re Seto’s best friend,” Atem continued. “But he lived in a village before becoming a priest. How did you end up in my city?”
“The village was destroyed by a band of robbers. I managed to escape and traveled to your city, looking to earn a living. I succeeded in running a fruit stand for a few years until that fateful night.”
“When did you end up in Joey’s body?” Tristan asked.
“It was yesterday morning. I was confused at first. I was in the afterlife happy to be with my family and Seto and then Seto suddenly vanished. I didn’t know that he was connecting with his other half. Then, I felt myself being pulled from the afterlife and placed in Joey’s mind, technically. I was told that Joey was my other half and we had to stay together until Joey dies whenever that is.”
There were nods all around. Yugi, Ryou, and Kaiba had all said the same thing about their respective other halves.
“What kind of family did you have?” Tea inquired, wondering if it was similar to Joey’s.
“Actually, it was just my parents and me. I had a good childhood, assisting my parents in the fields with the other villagers and playing with the other children, like Seto.”
Jono talked on about daily life in his village; the labor, mealtimes, clothing, jewelry, and games. He was surprised to find that the games of leapfrog and piggy-back were still played today; though piggy-back was more of a game between a parent and his or her young child.
“So, what games do teenagers play?” he asked, regretting that he hadn’t explored Joey’s memories extensively; he had been fascinated with his ability to read. He planned to remedy that oversight as soon as possible.
“Maybe we could show you,” Tristan said. “That is, if Joey’s okay with that.”
Jono tilted his head as he heard Joey say, “Go ahead and have fun.”
Jono grinned. “Joey’s…cool with it.”
Atem and Yugi switched back as the gang stood to show Jono a good time. “He’s a lot like Joey, but different too,” Yugi said.
“Yes, just as Seto is like Kaiba, but he’s different as well. For one thing, Seto likes Joey,” Atem said.
Yugi followed his friends into the arcade, ready to have fun with a new friend.
Jono couldn’t believe what he was experiencing. He was in a world that seemed magical. If Joey and I weren’t two halves of a whole, I wouldn’t be here to discover this. He watched Tristan and Yugi demonstrate different types of games and as Tea showed off at the dancing game. He tried out a few and enjoyed himself. He knew he would remember this forever and intended to start a diary to record these experiences so that he could re-live it through reading. I know one other thing I want to do, but first I have to ask Joey a couple of questions.
Part Four
“Joey, any idea of where Kaiba might be?” Jono asked as the gang split up around mid-afternoon.
“Probably in his office, even though it’s Sunday. Honestly, if not for Mokuba and Seto, Kaiba would probably live in his office, he’s such a workaholic.” As Joey mentioned Kaiba’s location, an image of the building appeared in Jono’s mind. “You plan on seeing Seto?”
“I was. It’s been a long time.”
“Months, actually. Uh, Jono? Kaiba won’t know you’re not me.”
Maybe, but it’s possible Seto’s mentioned me.”
“Could be; just thought I’d give you a heads-up.” Joey sensed the link was closed and laid back on his bed. It was kind of cool to not be controlling his body and letting someone else do it. I know Kaiba loves controlling a situation, but he’s learned to let Seto out once in a while.
&&&&
Kaiba was signing some paperwork enjoying the relative peace of the office on a Sunday afternoon. He shuffled some papers around and sensed Seto exploring his mind again. He had to admit, there was something comforting of having the priest learn about his past, though he rarely discussed what he uncovered. Maybe I should look through his mind next time he takes over. Who knows what I’ll learn.
A knock at the door drew his attention. His right hand drifted beneath the back of his trench coat to grip the Millennium Rod before saying, “Enter.” It opened and Kaiba scowled as he released the Rod. “Wheeler, what do you think you’re doing and what is with your hair?” He eyed the brown hair that was mixed in with the blond.
Wheeler stepped up to the desk and rested his knuckles on the desk. He looked right into Kaiba’s eyes. “I am not Joey,” he said.
Kaiba raised an eyebrow. “Really? You look like Wheeler.” Clearly Wheeler’s playing a lame joke and I was prepared to be civil to him. So much for that idea. Wheeler continued to stare at him. “I am here to see Seto. Tell him it’s Jono.”
Kaiba gaped as the name struck a chord. “You’re Jono!?” He got a nod. “Hold on.” He closed his eyes as he traveled to his Soul Corridor. He saw Seto in the hall, looking anxious and eager. “Go ahead and see your friend.” Seto grinned as he moved forward to take over.
Seto opened his eyes to see Jono standing in front of the desk. He smiled as he rose, came around the desk, and embraced Jono. “Jono, my dear friend. It’s great to see you again.”
“Same here, Seto. Joey told me it’s only been months since you left the afterlife.” The two parted.
“Correct. So, you and Joey are like Kaiba and me. When did this happen?”
“Yesterday morning. He let me take over earlier today. I got to play at the arcade with his friends.”
“Did you get to see Atem?”
“I did. He felt bad that I died the night he chased Bakura. I told him I didn’t blame him.”
“Of course. So, you discovered video game. Have you heard of Duel Monsters?”
“No. Joey shared his knowledge of reading and writing with me last night. I was so happy with that I neglected to explore his mind. Is Duel Monsters a game?”
“It’s a popular card game. It is based on the Shadow Games that were held at the palace.”
“The Shadow Games. So, modern people play it as an actual game?”
“They do. Kaiba is an excellent duelist and from his memories it seems Joey is a good duelist too. I’d wager there’s a deck somewhere on you. I’d be happy to tell you the rules.”
Jono patted his pockets until he reached into an inner jacket pocket and pulled out a deck of cards. He turned over the top card and read the name: Panther Warrior.
Seto looked over his shoulder. “Hmm, that’s not a bad card. The only drawback is that it can’t attack unless you sacrifice another monster.”
“Then, why would Joey have it in his deck?”
“I recall times when Kaiba saw Joey duel and he uses a card called Scapegoat to summon monsters he can use as sacrifices.”
“Seto? You do realize that I didn’t understand a word you just said, right?”
Seto laughed. “Yes, of course. I’ve familiarized myself with the game over the last few months. Please sit and let me explain how the game is played.” He drew up a chair beside the office chair and gestured to it as he sat.
About an hour later, both men were looking over Joey’s deck, pointing out combos and Seto said he would speak to Kaiba about helping to provide at least a couple of new cards.
“Think that’s possible? I mean, I know Joey and Kaiba don’t get along.”
“I could acquire those cards and present them to you or Joey next time I take over. I know how to hide memories from Kaiba.”
“I don’t want you to risk the bond you’ve got with Kaiba just to help improve a deck. It’s not worth that.”
Seto smiled. “You are just as I remember. All right, I won’t sneak behind Kaiba’s back. Besides, he may agree anyway.”
“Was Kaiba accepting of you residing within him?”
“Are you kidding?” Seto laughed. “He, at first, thought I was a dream. He refused to open my door so that I could leave my room and denied my requests to take over. After a month of being together, I tricked him into opening my door and then I forcibly took over. When I was ready to switch, he was furious that I tricked him. I fled to my room and locked it, believing he hated me. I had consigned myself to severing all ties with him and to suffering a true death.”
“No!” Jono gasped. “Not a true death!”
“Yes and I was convinced that was where I was going until Kaiba spoke to me. He had had time to think and realized that sharing his body with me was not really a bad thing and that he didn’t hate me. He proved it by letting me take over for the rest of the afternoon and shared his business knowledge with me. I returned the favor by ‘teaching’ him to read hieroglyphs.”
“Wow. I didn’t have to trick Joey into opening my door. He’s a very trusting soul.”
&&&&
“Enjoy your day?” Joey asked as he laid in bed that night.
“The best. Thanks for letting me take over for the day.”
“Hey, no problem. I spent some of the time looking through your mind, learning about you.”
“You did? I’m planning to do the same tomorrow.”
“You might want to get some sleep. I have to go to school tomorrow.”
“School?”
“It’s where I learn about history, math, and language, things like that.”
“Is that where you learned to read and write?”
“Yeah.”
“Great. Then, I’ll look through your mind after school. Night, Joey.”
“Night, Jono.” Joey closed his eyes, smiling. He had an eternal friend and looked forward to sharing his past experiences with him and having new adventures together.
