So I am sure that their are tons of these kinds of stories out their but I wanted to toss my hat in the ring and give a character study a try. Yami has always interested me as a character, especially when you add in the story lines from season 0. Basically this is just going to be a bunch of oneshots, discussing Yami as a character and how Yugi helped influence his humanity and vice-versa. Thanks for reading and please feel free to send me reviews and let me know what you think!

This chapter takes place at the beginning of the series, I wanted to write about what I thought Yami would have experienced while he was waiting for Yugi to finish the puzzle it's meant to be a bit disjointed. It incorporates a bit of a story line from season 0.

I can see only darkness. It surrounds me, envelops me, it's all there is anymore. I don't know how long I've been here, in the darkness, time escapes me. Sometimes it feels like years, sometimes it feels like mere moments.

I was someone, once. It's funny how one moment you can be completely human, with memories and a purpose and a name, and the next moment all you are is darkness. I see nothing, I feel nothing, I think I may be floating but I can't be sure.

It's been ages; century's, or has it only been days? Sometimes there are voices in the darkness, I try not to hear what they say but they whisper to me. They tell me things I don't want to hear, horrible things, I think they change me. I feel different, I don't know who I used to be but I feel like someone new.

The voices return and the darkness is maddening, am I going mad? Sometimes I scream, or I think I do, I can hear nothing but the voices and the silence. I wish I knew where I was, who I was, what I was. I have nothing anymore

I am blank
I am new.

I was something once, when I entered the darkness so long ago how long has it been? I had a purpose, humanity, now I am nothing.

I am waiting.

Then there is light.

A small light, if I turn just so I can see it. It's small but it's growing. It hovers above me, it grows slowly.

Soon the light changes, it feels warm, like, sunlight? I remember sunlight. It overcomes the darkness and I can see again.

Then there are voices.

But not my voices, not the ones that whisper sweetly to me, these are other voices. They sound human, not like the ethereal whispers I am used to. They also sound panicked Do I know what panic sounds like? yes, panicked.

Objects begin to take shape in the light and it grows larger.

I see a building, light shines into my eyes but it is dark beyond the light.

I see a boy, he's small. He lies on the ground, injured? Yes, injured.

There are others behind him; they seem to be, fighting? Or losing a fight.

The small boy talks, his voice is weak, quiet, but I hear him.

He made a wish, a wish on the puzzle.

My puzzle. How do I know that?

He wished for friends.

He holds something in his hands, something gold, a piece of the puzzle.

He reaches his hand toward my window of light and the world explodes.

There is pain, like my body being pieced back together. Then there is light, and I see everything.

I see the small boy on the ground, I know he is an innocent, I know he saved me; he freed me from the dark.

I know the boys behind him are fighting for him, or they were; now they lay motionless on the ground.

I must not let this pass.

I feel a tug, like my soul being pulled from where it rests.

Suddenly I am the boy, I lay where he once lay, I see what he sees.

I am staring at a golden pyramid, my puzzle.

I grasp it, place it around my neck.

I stand on legs that haven't been used for centuries.

The small boy freed me from my prison. I will not allow him to be harmed, or his friends.

There is a man behind me, he laughs at what he's done. I turn to face him; he's tall, taller than me. It matters not; I am powerful, so powerful. The voices helped me realize it. I will defend the boy.

I smile at the man, he stops laughing.

"Shall we play a game?"