YD: Erm… I was reading this incredibly good story, The World Without Me, by Eternal Cosmos. EC-sama graciously let me use that story's plot. But don't be alarmed, my story will be nothing like that one. If you like Dark Harry, read it!

HS: Yes, I do realize that I am neglecting my runaway and crossover stories…

Return to Me, Salvation

The war waged on, neither side seeming winded. Ryou bravely fought off several Shadow monsters bent on devouring his pure soul. Jounouchi directed several of their allies to help different people. Even Kaiba was helping. He was with Malik, destroying several enemy monsters with the combined powers of their polymerized dragon.

Unfortunately, Yuugi had been grabbed while healing one of his fallen friends. Even Hikari could not help her master. Atemu's magic swirled around him, powered by his emotions. They jumped and collided with each other, mirroring the nervousness he felt. Hikari screeched angrily at Bakura, who was using Yuugi as a shield and hostage.

The Winged Dragon of Ra held its place beside Atemu, hissing at Bakura's Diabound. Bakura clutched Yuugi tighter, holding the knife at his neck. Yuugi knew the only reason Atemu wasn't attacking was him. He was the Pharaoh's one real weakness.

"You know I won't hesitate to kill your little whore." Bakura sneered, nicking the pale skin slightly. Yuugi winced, trying not to move or breathe. Atemu growled, feeling the uncontrollable urge to kill rage within him. His Shadows responded, slashing every which way. Hikari roared her fury to the heavens. She circled the enraged Pharaoh, hissing angrily.

(Do it, Yami. You know Diabound is getting stronger by the second. Don't let me hold you back. Destroy Diabound.)

/Aibou…/

Atemu sighed; his Shadows stilled around him. He knew what he had to do. But he sure as hell did not want to sacrifice Yuugi to kill Bakura. Yuugi smiled sadly at his darkness, eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

/I love you, aibou./

With a voice that did not betray his inner emotions, Atemu ordered Ra to kill Diabound. Bakura's eyes widened. He clearly had not expected Atemu to sacrifice his light.

(I love you always. Hikari will keep you sane. I'll give her the rest of my power.)

Ra's fire consumed the beaten Diabound, killing Bakura in the process. As promised, Bakura's knife slid across Yuugi's pale neck. It was his last transgression against Atemu's soul… and his most damaging. Atemu watched the light die from his lover's eyes. Hikari roared her fury and mourning.

The remnants of Yuugi's spirit and magic lifted from his body. They swirled around Atemu lovingly one last time before flying towards Hikari. The dragon absorbed the light, black scales glowing white. Her shape changed slightly due to the amount of new magic flooding her system. Silver eyes were suddenly flecked with amethyst. Her ebony scales seemed brighter in a way.

The dragon looked down at her master, intelligent eyes knowing just what her master was going through. She flew down to Atemu, reverting to her natural form in seconds. Kitten eyes padded up to the distraught Pharaoh who was clutching the body of his former lover. Hikari knew her master was trying his best to hold back tears. She jumped onto his leg and licked his cheek.

"I… I can't believe he's… gone, Hikari…" Around him, his friends subdued the rest of the enemy monsters. They cheered elatedly, knowing that they had won the war. Their cheering promptly stopped the moment their eyes landed on Hikari, Atemu, and the fallen figure of Yuugi. Dimly, Atemu could hear someone start sobbing. His grip tightened.

"Atemu," Jounouchi appeared at his line of sight, trying to get the unresponsive teen to get up. Atemu only whimpered slightly, a few tears escaping his eyes. Hikari gently licked the tears away.

"You have to let go, Atemu. I know it's hard. But you know that Yuugi wouldn't want you to linger on his death." Malik said softly. Atemu only responded by burying his face in Yuugi's clothes, trying to absorb his dead lover's vanilla scent. Already, Yuugi was getting colder and his scent was dissipating. Yuugi was gone.

A low wail escaped his mouth. Malik and Jounouchi backed up immediately, warning the others not to get close. Only Hikari stayed next to her distraught master. His Shadows reacted to his distress, circling him. He clutched Yuugi's body and cried. No one moved or made a sound. Even Kaiba did not taunt the grieving Pharaoh. They were all silent and simply watched Atemu cry his heart out.

"He's not going to get over this, you know. He and that other half of his were just too closely bonded. I could practically see a chain linking the two." Kaiba whispered.

"He's right. Yami is not going to recover. He won't be the same Yami we know anymore. Eventually he'll drive himself insane with the grief and pain." Ryou replied dejectedly. The cloth Anzu had given him was turning red from all the blood dripping from the wound. They all agreed to let Atemu grieve without disturbance. No doubt no one except Hikari would be able to get near him without a one way trip to the Shadow Realm.

Hikari watched them go, nuzzling her master slightly. Her nose was wet from all his tears but she paid it no mind. Worried for her master, she pawed at his ear. He looked up briefly. But it was enough for Hikari to register his internal emotions. His normally crisp cerise eyes were dead. He looked absolutely destroyed. And of course… he was.

Hikari promptly changed to her dragon form and nudged Atemu. He knew what she wanted. But he did not want to leave Yuugi behind. The grieving Pharaoh clutched the body to his chest, shaking his head at the dragon. Hikari growled menacingly. She would never hurt her master but he was being ridiculous.

She snapped at Atemu, startling him. Never in the five years Hikari had been with him and Yuugi had she ever been cross with him. He caught her eyes and jumped at how intelligent she was. Hikari had truly grown into a magnificent creature, a given since she was born from his and Yuugi's combined magics.

"Hikari… I…" The dragon merely growled, growing cross with her master. Reluctantly, Atemu got on her back. He still clutched Yuugi's body. Hikari paid it no mind, both having no desire to leave Yuugi behind in such a place.

Atemu clutched Hikari's scales, holding Yuugi at the same time. He paid no mind to the fact that he was attached to the body of his dead partner. He just didn't want to accept the fact that Yuugi was gone yet.

Without Yuugi to keep him from going insane, Atemu doubted he would last long. He just couldn't live without his precious partner. Yuugi was all he had. Until Hikari.

Aishizu had come to them one day, with a proposal. She knew Yuugi's yearning for a child, a family. Atemu had been all-against Yuugi magically altering his body, even though neither knew if it were even possible. He didn't want to lose Yuugi, no matter how great the temptation to start a family.

Aishizu gave them a chance to have a child. By pooling their magics, a child could be born. But before they could try anything, Bakura started his war. Times grew desperate and both agreed having a child at this time would put themselves and the potential child at risk. The child would be a weakness both could not afford to have. And the child itself would be in peril at all times.

Though Yuugi had tried to ignore it, a burning need filled him. The desire to hold and cherish became too strong. Atemu had felt it too. They agreed on a kitten. When the kitten first opened her eyes, she had been confused. But the magics within her gave her power. She had grown and developed a second form. Her second form was a shimmering black dragon. Her second form proved very helpful. Two months after her "birth" Bakura had tried to kill them in their sleep. Hikari had saved them both and earned herself an enemy in return.

Her original form was so cute and cuddly as a kitten would be. Her silver eyes immediately drew in any soul. Her beautiful white fur was stunning and ever so soft. Yuugi had promptly named her Hikari, the Japanese word for light. Atemu had only gazed fondly at his precious light. He was elated that Yuugi was happy. They both were ecstatic that they had someone to care for.

Some of their friends had thought that the kitten would drive the two apart. Yuugi paid so much attention to Hikari that they were sure Atemu would be jealous. And of course, he was. But Yuugi convinced him otherwise. The kitten brought them even closer, if it were possible.

But now Yuugi was gone and those memories would be all that Atemu had.

Hikari landed in front of the apartment he and Yuugi had shared. As soon as Atemu was standing, Hikari reverted back to her original form. The cat purred and bounded ahead. Atemu followed at a more sedate pace, holding Yuugi's body. He tried to keep the tears from blinding him. But a few tears managed to escape his eyes, falling on Yuugi's face. He was already cold, as a body would be without its soul.

Hikari's persistent mews brought him back to Earth. No matter how powerful the small cat was, she could not open a door. The simple fact used to make him laugh and cheer up a little. Now he only nodded the cat as he unlocked the door. He and Hikari scanned the place, searching for any unpleasant surprises Bakura may have left before he died.

There were no surprises in the apartment. Atemu set Yuugi's body down on the couch and pulled a blanket over him, covering him completely. As strong as everyone thought he was, he was nothing without his partner. He couldn't bear to look at Yuugi's face again, lest he collapse into tears.

Hikari jumped onto his knee and nuzzled his face. Atemu noticed that Hikari's eyes were flecked with amethyst… a very familiar color of amethyst. He almost burst into tears again. He recalled the last words of his lover. Yuugi had transferred his power to Hikari, before he died. Otherwise, the power within him would simply fade away, searching for another worthy vessel.

Atemu was glad that Hikari had traces of Yuugi's power. It kept him from losing his mind. He picked up the kitten and stroked her soft fur. She purred, sounding so much like Yuugi when he was happy. He choked back sobs and Hikari licked his nose.

"I can't believe he's gone, Hikari." The cat mewed sadly in response. "I… I have to prepare his… funeral… Dear Gods, Hikari, what am I going to do?"

About a week later, all of Yuugi's old friends and Atemu gathered together. Atemu had decided on a regular burial. He had shed his tears and felt he could shed no more. The people around him were clinging to each other, mourning the loss their brightest friend.

Atemu just stood there, numb all over. His Shadows were oddly calm. Hikari kept glancing at her master worriedly. His lack of emotion was scaring her. After only a week, Atemu was losing grip on life, despite Hikari. The cat could only do so much. Atemu needed his other half. Every second without Yuugi was killing him slowly. It was torture and it was driving him to the brink of insanity.

Atemu wasn't aware of how long he stood there, staring into the distance. Yuugi's friends had left a variety of different flowers. There were daisies, white carnations, white lilies, zinnia, and thyme. Atemu loosely held a red tulip in his hand.

He sank to his knees, crying again. The red tulip lay in front of him while he clutched a small locket. The small gold locket was in the shape of a heart. Inside, there was an amethyst. The color reminded Atemu of Yuugi's eyes as they sparkled with mirth.

Hikari sat there, watching her master sorrowfully in dragon form. The emotions Atemu was emitting made her nervous and she changed instinctually. She could see how much he missed Yuugi and it pained her that she could do nothing to alleviate that sorrow.

"He didn't deserve any of this!" Atemu shouted to the heavens. "Damn you all! I HATE YOU!" He sighed and unclenched his fists. The locket dangled from around his neck, glinting. Atemu fell forward and Hikari instantly caught him.

A bright light suddenly enveloped the two, pulling them upwards. Hikari recognized the magical signature as unthreatening. Her form curled around Atemu's unconscious body. His emotions had worn him out.

As they ascended, a note fluttered down and landed next to the forgotten tulip. Tomorrow, Jounouchi would come and find the note. He was be shocked and horrified but understanding. The rest would be angry for Yami leaving but ultimately, they understood.

My friends,

I cannot bear this pain in my heart anymore. The hole in my heart is growing by the second. I am sorry if I seem to be running away. But this is my choice. Yuugi was my life. Now that he is gone, I have nothing left to live for. Hikari chose to come with me, as she has no other family. Please don't hate me. I loved Yuugi and always will. My bond with him just runs too deep.

I'm sorry,

Atemu

To Be Continued

YD: Nothing much to say here. Please review.