I promised myself I wouldn't do this when I got back on here. But I feel that I need to just sit down and write. This is the only real premise I got going in my head, so I'm gonna go for it. It may fall into the pit of "never gonna get finished" like one of my other stories, but at least I'm working on something!

Truthfully, I came up with this question that is the plot of this story years ago. I am a cannon writer now, and a lot of my stuff will dwell on blank spaces and little moments in the show more than AU stories. Taking the original source material is what I identify with more in this couple, and for me, it's more of a foundation for their relationship when you look at the series. That's one way my tastes are different than before.

As promised on my tumblr, a "last night before the ceremonial duel" story is in the works. Not as soon as I thought. Plot bunnies seem to be scared of me now. I wanna do something unique. But I'm ranting. Let's get this started shall we?

I don't own Yugioh. Did you know that? No? Yes? Good!

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The rumbles started before my tears could begin to dry. He was gone. The puzzle was gone. My life was gone. Was that enough? Apparently not, because before I knew it, Jou-kun was grabbing my shoulder and shouting in my ear to run. His shouts made him sound like he was under water, even as he stood right next to me. All I could focus on was the closed door, and who was never going to walk back out. I was glued to the spot, the world around me fading. Gone. He's just gone. But I allowed Jou to awaken me from my grief-stricken stupor. If I don't run, I'll be gone too! I found my legs and began to run after the others.

As I turned, a gleam of white light catches my eye back towards the door. My mind was not capable of focusing in on more than one thing at a time, so I continued to turn towards the stairs. That light beckoned to me more than the mysterious white shape in the corner.

I'm the last to ascend the stairs, and for a moment, I contemplate staying there at the bottom. I could join him sooner. I didn't have to let this be it for me any my other self. The white light could have been there for a reason. Maybe he wants me to stay and be crushed by the collapsing temple.

"YUGI! NOW!" Jou shouted for me.

My legs carried me up the stairs, even though with every step upward the reality of what just happened. Every step echoed the same word. Gone. Gone. Gone. The sunlight was blinding and I nearly collapsed again. He told me to stand, but the moment my feet touched the desert sand, I felt emotionally drained. I stood out of the way of flying dust to join the others. I gave one heavy cough as the dust reached us and turned towards what was now a pile of rubble and stone. My breaths began to become ragged. My tears had disappeared, but reality was sitting on my heart like a large weight, suffocating word, gone, was being replaced by a new one. No No. Please no.

I didn't noticed until Jounouchi stepped forward that everyone behind me was dead silent. No one knew what to say or do. We were all silent and still. I flinched when I felt Jou touch my shoulder again.

"Yugi?" he hesitated for a moment, waiting for my response.

The weights on my chest were making it harder to breathe. In my mind, I was searching. Like a blind man in the dark, I was wandering with my arms in front of me, searching for the normal source of my comfort. But he wasn't there. He would never be there again. I won. He's gone. That's that. No happy ending. There's just nothing.

My ragged breaths shook me as I nodded to him. "Yeah, Jou?" I wasn't even going to try to sound strong right now. Fuck, someone help me breathe. Help me!

"Did you want to stay here for a little while? We can wait here in the car for a little bit. Isis said before we left that she has some water in the car. Do you want some water?"

His concern settled my churching stomach for a moment. I nodded shakily.

Jou removed his hand from my shoulder and returned to the car near the canyon walls. I was fighting the weakness in my legs. Should I fight it? I didn't know what to do. I wanted to stay there, as close to the last place I ever will see him, as possible. But there is nothing there. Nothing but desert sand and sun. What does one do in a place like this? Do you stand and wait for death? Or do animals bring you food in the desert as you sit like the pining lovers of yesteryears waiting to see him emerge from the rubble and say, "Just kidding"?

I must have been losing it again and drifting off into that faded universe again. Jou took my hand and raised it. He placed the water bottle in it with his other hand and clenched my fingers around it. I muttered a thank you. In an almost trancelike state, the words were echoing in my head. No. Gone. No. Gone. Gone, gone, gone… My hands moved to unscrew the cap of the bottle. I felt everyone's eyes on me as I brought it up to my mouth to take a sip.

As soon as the water hit the back of my throat, it was like a revival. The words disappeared. All there was, was reality. My legs gave out and I landed on my knees in the sand, hugging my chest and sobbing anew.

My friends were on me in an instant. Jou had an arm around my shoulders, probably in an attempt to soften my fall. Honda was leaning next to me, his face tear-stained, but no new tears are forming. I notice this, even as my gaze remained in the ground. Anzu placed a hand on my back. I knew she was still crying small sobs. I'm glad she's not letting me see. She knew he was mine. They were all allowing me the room to grieve, because it's more my grief to bear. Sure, they knew him too, but he was mine.

I began to sob loudly as I realized that soon, I would have to get up and leave. I would take the boat back to Cairo and lie in bed. Alone. I would go home and sit in my room. Alone. I would be alone in the moments where I took being with someone for granted. I tried not to. In fact, I had thought I was doing a good job of appreciating him when he was there. But the pain tells me otherwise. The weights got heavier and began to hurt. My sobs got louder and I began to choke.

Jou put his arm around my back as I sobbed, my hands wrapping around fistfuls of sand. I lost the water bottle, but I didn't care. I felt another presense behind us as I continued to cry.

"Let's make this easier by getting him to the car now," I heard Jichan say. "It's best to let the healing start sooner rather than later."

I was limp. Jou helped me up to my feel and lead me to the car. He put me in the backseat. I felt everyone's gazes on me. The only person I made eye contact with as I sobbed was Malik. His eyes held some kind of loss and emptiness I couldn't place. I could tell his look meant he felt for me. I couldn't help but be appreciative of this. I didn't know him incredibly well, but a part of me knew that he understood in some way. Our gazes broke as he slid into the front seat.

Once I was seated, Jou buckled me in. My cries had calmed at that point, but I was suddenly longing to look upon the rubble longer. He could emerge! It wasn't my dreaming, it could really happen!

No..no..no

The doors to the car all slammed shut one at a time. Rashid started the engine. I snapped out of my stupor for a moment.

"No!" I shouted, my hands and face pressed against the glass. I suddenly wanted to stay. My eyes weren't leaving the site of his last steps. And the light.

Jou had a hold of my arms as the car started to move. I continued to shout and cry. My stare remained on the pile of rubble until it was no longer visible. From then on, I was left to my silent, shaking sobs. Jou let go of me once this happened and the drive became silent.

Gone. And I did it. I felt light headed. I won. I was supposed to, right? That was my mission. It was my job. He had to leave and take everything with him. Mou Hitori no Boku, my other half of my soul, is completely gone without a trace.

But the light… I opened my eyes to stare out the window at the moving desert surroundings. The light… Could it be a gift? One last fleeting piece of him. And I left it behind! He tried to leave me something of himself, of his time, and I blew it! The tears flowed more freely after this.

His final smile, and the light. Those are the only two things I had left to remember him by.

I didn't know why, but the memory of the light kept coming to me, even when my grief killed me the most on the journey back home. I felt all alone, but wondered what the light meant, if anything. For the moment, I had to figure out what the rest of my life could be without him. I didn't see any way it could be any good.

I loved him and he loved me, but had that been enough to carry me through the rest of my years?

But the light wasn't a light, it was a shape. A person. But I was right about something, he was there because of me. But when I went to bed alone that night, I didn't know it. I simply went to bed crying, as I had been doing all day. How much longer that would last, I had no clue.

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Again, I am a cannon writer. Bonus points to those who know who it is ;) Please review! s