Yugi walked into the game shop after school and saw his grandfather putting cards in the glass counter. "Hi grandpa, what are you up to?" he asked. "Oh Yugi! I'm just putting some new cards in the case, do you want to see them?" his grandfather asked with a smile. "Oh...no thanks." Yugi said, looking at the floor. "Yugi..." his grandfather began. "I don't want to talk about it right now." Yugi said and went up to his room.
Yugi shut the door and dropped his backpack on the floor. He went to reach for the puzzle around his neck and sighed. "After all this time and I still reach for the puzzle...even though it hasn't been around my neck in years." Yugi said to himself. He flopped down on his bed and stared at the ceiling, thinking about Atem. "I miss you as much as I did the day you left..." Yugi whispered and turned to face the wall, letting the tears run down his cheeks.
"Oh, hi , is Yugi here? I didn't see him after school." Tea said, walking into the store. "I think he's having a rough day today, he didn't want anything to do with my new cards I just got in." he frowned. "Poor Yugi...he just hasn't been the same since the pharaoh left us." Tea said. "Well, they did share a brain for years, he must be feeling a tad bit lonely." his said. "But he always has us, he should know that." Tea said. "But when you guys weren't around, it was just Atem and Yugi. Think about it, if you had someone that you could always talk to, that was with you wherever you went and they just left, wouldn't you be a bit lonely?" he asked. "Well yeah, but...it's been a few years since then." Tea said. "Why don't you call Joey and the others and have them come by? He needs some cheering up. Just please, remind them not to mention duel monsters around him." he smiled. "Okay, that's definitely going to help cheer him up." Tea said and ran to call the others.
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Yugi came out of his room and sat in the living room with his friends and grandfather. "You feeling any better Yug?" Joey asked. "Yeah, thanks for coming over." Yugi smiled. "So your grandpa said he had some new cards-" Joey was cut short by Tea punching him. "What did I say before you came over?!" Tea yelled. "Tea, no, it's okay." Yugi said. "We just don't wanna upset you buddy." Tristan said. "At some point, I'm going to have to get used to this." Yugi said. "But Yug, you haven't even looked at your cards since that day." Joey said. "I honestly don't know if I'll ever be able to look at them again." Yugi said. "Yugi, don't say things like that!" his grandfather said. "It's only the truth grandpa...I'm not sure I can ever duel again." Yugi said, looking down. "Do you think that's what the pharaoh would have wanted?" Duke said, finally speaking up. Yugi looked up at him and the others watched for Yugi's reaction. "No...he would want me to keep dueling..." Yugi said. "Uh hey, guys...isn't that Kaiba on the TV?" Tea said, looking over. "Turn it up!" Joey said.
"Fellow duelist, it's been a long time, but once again, I'm going to begin a brand new tournament." Kaiba said. Everyone in the room gasped. "I thought he was done with all of this." Duke said. "This time, the rules are a little bit different." Kaiba said. "Aren't they always?" Joey asked. "We are going to once again be using the duel disk system, but to get to the finals, you must defeat a group I've trained to be elite duelists. If you win, you will receive a small piece to a puzzle that will connect to make a star. Once you have all of your pieces and have the star, come to Kaiba Land for further instructions." Kaiba said. "What is he trying to pull now?" Tristan asked. "And if the King of Games wants to come out of retirement to protect his title, I will expect you there Yugi!" Kaiba said and the screen went blank. "Of all the times to do this, he chose now?!" Tea yelled. "Yug..." Joey began, but saw that Yugi had run out of the room. "Yugi!" the all yelled. Yugi locked himself in his room and screamed into his pillow. "Yugi, open the door, man!" Duke said. "Yugi please." Tea said. Tears were streaming down Yugi's face, he couldn't stop crying. "We ain't leaving until you open the door Yug!" Joey said. And they didn't, they sat there for hours.
Yugi got up out of his bed and went to his closet and pulled out a box that was covered in dust. He rubbed off the dust and opened it to reveal his cards and duel disk, he stared at them and with a shaky hand, he picked up his deck. "I don't have to prove anything to Kaiba..." Yugi thought and looked at The Dark Magician, he hadn't looked at that card since the last day he saw Atem. He put the duel disk and cards in his backpack and climbed out the window, he needed to be alone.
"It's been too long, I'm busting down the door." Tristan said. Joey helped Tristan knocked down the door. "Where is he?" Duke asked. Tea looked over to see the window open. "He must have climbed out of the window." Tea said. "Damnit Yug..." Joey said.
/~***~\\\\\
Yugi went down to the pier and sat, watching the sun set on the horizon. He clutched his deck in his hand and held it to his chest. "Always believe in the heart of the cards Yugi..." he heard Atem's voice in his head. "But what if I don't have the strength to do this without you?" Yugi asked himself. He sat there for a long time, staring out at the horizon, the wind blowing his hair. "You know we'll never truly be apart, right?" he heard Atem's voice again. Yugi shut his eyes tight and began to shake. "I miss you, Atem..." Yugi whispered to the wind. "Never give up!" Atem's voice was yelling at him this time and Yugi's eyes sprung open. "You're right...you would never let me give up like this...you would want me to keep dueling..." Yugi said.
"Yugi! There you are buddy!" Joey said, running up to him with the others. "I'm sorry guys, I didn't mean to sneak off like that." Yugi said. "Hey, we understand, but you scared your grandpa to death!" Tea said. "After sitting here for a while and thinking, Atem wouldn't want this for me..." Yugi said. "You're damn right he wouldn't." Tristan said. "I'm going to duel again." Yugi said, tears running down his face. "We believe in you Yugi!" Duke said and they all hugged him. "And Yugi, never forget, he's always with you." Joey smiled. "Thanks guys." Yugi smiled and held his cards tight.