First of all, I'd just like to say a big thank you to Wolf Flash. Without you, Nakama, this story would cease to exist. Arigatou for the fantastic idea that inspired what I feel to be my best work yet. Another huge thanks to Minasantaria, for sticking by my crazy ideas and offering support, and also to Winter-Rae, for accepting the official position of Beta-reader (God knows I need one) and also offering support. And I'm definitely not forgetting to thank Saffire Blade, for her supportive attitude and constant chattering. In short... thank you, all of you.

Anyone who's reading this, thank you. I've poured a great deal of my soul into this story, and I hope it satisfies your tastes.

Warning: This is not a happy story. Please read at your own risks, as it contains violence, along with abuse, death and attempted suicide in later chapters. The rating may rise to Mature if I feel it should.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters from Yu-Gi-Oh! This story was made purely for entertainment and not financial purposes.

Yugi lay serenely upon a bed of white roses, cheeks pale and his expression peaceful.

The young King of Games looked both content and beautiful as his remaining family gazed down at the youth, tears in their eyes. Sugoroku Mutou gently clasped his grandson's deathly cold hand, a stifled sob escaping his lips. For an old man close to death's door himself, he certainly had not expected things to happen like this. No, he had not expected to see the one person he considered the brightest star in the sky, the loveable little boy he had cared after for many years, to meet a sudden, grim end before his rightful time.

Standing a fair bit off to the side, a teen that looked startlingly similar to Yugi laughed: a bitter sound full of regret and self-loathing. Eyes flickered reproachfully to the teen, yet no one had the heart to reprimand him. Though the his cheeks were dry and his mouth twisted into a disgusted frown, it was clear from the look in those crimson orbs that he was deeply affected by this loss. Sugoroku placed Yugi's pale hand carefully back beside his body, before bowing his head in respect and slowly moving away. Yugi's mother took his place, weeping quietly over her son.

Careful not to disturb the painful hush hanging over the parlour, Sugoroku made his way to Yugi's lookalike, placing a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. The teen flinched and quickly pulled away from the warm touch, secretly preferring the cold air around him. It matched his strangely disoriented mood. The older man blinked, concerned, and reached out again – this time to capture the teen a soft embrace.

Yugi's lookalike froze, and after a few seconds of contemplation, began struggling to escape Sugoroku's hold. The older man resisted out of worry for what he considered the last link to his fallen grandson. Pulling back slightly, he attempted to look into the teen's eyes. "Atemu-"

"No," came a distraught whisper as the teen turned his head away, deeply ashamed for a reason that Sugoroku could not understand. "No. Yami... my name is Yami."

"Yami... no one blames you."

Yami's struggles came to a sudden, unexpected stop, and all Sugoroku could do was watch at the teen closed his eyes, fighting an internal battle within himself. "No one blames me..." he mumbled, eyelids twitching.

'...But I blame myself.'

Sugoroku sighed deeply and pulled Yami back into his arms, offering as much comfort as he could. Though the teen hadn't said a word, the older man knew that guilt was plaguing him with fervour. But as much as he wished to offer him guidance and whisper words of understanding and care, Sugoroku could not.

Though it had taken him a long time to become aware of it, there was a certain link that existed between Yugi and his other half, Yami. A powerful link which traded their emotions back and forth along with their combined thoughts. A simple mental touch could unravel into a torrent of despair or a flurry of happiness, causing the identical teens to break into sombre grimaces or dazzling smiles within seconds. The older man knew he couldn't begin to comprehend the loss the teen in his arms was feeling.

For Yami, however, the emotional turmoil ran far deeper than anyone could have suspected. The large part of his mind where Yugi's thoughts and feelings had resided felt painfully empty and bare – devoid of the spark of life Yami was so blatantly used to. The bright, joyful spark he had always taken for granted and now missed with every inch of his being.

The thing that irked the teen the most, right down to his core, was how everything was dramatically wrong with Yugi's funeral.

He did not care how many people told him otherwise: but for Yami, it was a disgrace to Yugi's lasting memory. The most ironic thing was that his aibou was draped in a dainty white robe, swathing his form shapelessly, when Yugi had always preferred the comfort of his suggestive black leather. The colours contrasted so badly within his inner eye that he winced, finally tearing away from Sugoroku and turning instead to gaze at the smooth wooden coffin.

Yami hadn't liked the hymns, either – they spoke of praising a god and worshipping a saviour from heaven. Yugi would have inwardly scoffed, while plastering a sweet, content smile on his face. His aibou always put everyone else's feelings and needs first before his own, a feat Yami had chided him for time and time again.

'Oh Ra, Yugi... aibou... why? Why did this have to happen?'

Sugoroku watched on, feeling utterly helpless at the teen wrapped his arms tightly around his quivering form, eyes flickering closed in an attempt to hold back the dam. Yami could not, and would not, cry. As sinful as he felt, standing in the breezy parlour as the only person with a dry face, the former Pharaoh could not bring himself to do the deed. He was dishonouring Yugi's memory outright with his insolence, that much he knew from the hateful glances Yugi's mother and Anzu frequently threw his way, and yet...

His pride remained stubborn to the point of allowing shame to lash away into his heart. Instead, he had laughed – laughed – as he remembered the priest droning on about a shy, timid Yugi Mutou that Yami had never even met. The teen's little hikari was actually rather jovial and jolly, bouncing around on his toes while attempting to put a smile on people's faces and some cheer into their spirit. Needless to say, Yugi's happiness was so infectious it reminded Yami of a constant Christmas celebration.

Hatred seared into Yami even more as he mentally cursed the foolish coach driver who had drove Yugi to his doom. Part of him longed for the dark energy of his Shadow Magic, so he could have perhaps sensed what was about to happen... prevented the disaster that tore a hole through the entire Mutou family and Yugi's party of friends. But no matter how many times Yami constantly belittled himself for his foolish mistake and that terrible accident, he could not change what was already set in stone.

With another quiet sob, Yugi's mother moved away from her son's coffin, and Sugoroku took this as his que to guide the distraught teen before him over to Yugi so he could pay his respect. Yami did not resist as the older man gently gripped his shoulder before steering him towards the dreaded object. Upon arrival, Sugoroku slowly let his hand slide from the teen, and he stepped back, head lowered to offer him some privacy.

Yami stared down at his aibou's peaceful face, unsure of when he had re-opened his eyes, but he couldn't bring himself to care. An eerie calm spread throughout his body, and the teen felt his shoulders visibly relax along with his constant quivering. Just gazing upon Yugi's face – Yugi's content, smiling face – blocked out the rest of the world, and Yami felt as though he was floating on an endless sea of clouds; holding him in a warm, comforting embrace, if only for a few precious moments.

And then the comfort was gone... Yami stood back in the parlour, once again trembling violently as he stared at Yugi's pale face, willing those amethyst orbs to open. But they did not, and the tri-haired teen knew they never would. His trembling increased greatly in tempo, and tears pricked at the corners of his eyes.

Slowly, almost unwillingly, he reached a hand down to the pocket of his jacket, pulling out the well-worn edge of a familiar card. Pain struck Yami's heart as he stared down at the much-loved Duel Monster, purple robes surrounding a serious, determined face. The Dark Magician had always struck by him in even the most dramatic and risky of duels... the former Pharaoh was absolutely certain he would stay by Yugi's side, even now. Tears still threatening to overpower him, Yami shakily clasped Yugi's icy hand, and slipped the card inside its grasp.

Sugoroku slyly watched from the corner of his eye, touched at the gesture. Dark Magician was Yami's absolute favourite: even more so than the Egyptian God cards. To let it rest beside Yugi inside a soon-to-be grave...

Rivets of water ran down the old man's face, intertwining with the wrinkles that symbolised all the suffering he'd seen.

Yami clenched his eyes shut once more, tightening his grip on Yugi's hand. Dark Magician was slightly crushed from the force of his grip, but the teen neither knew nor cared. Yugi, his aibou, was gone... gone forever, into the realm of the afterlife. Gone, and leaving behind a grieving world full of people lost and broken, just like himself.

'Ai...bou...'

The teen could take the building pressure on his heart no more. Fighting furiously with his pride, tears of sorrow and regret turned to tears of loss and anger. With as much grace as he could muster, Yami hastily placed Yugi's hand by his side before making a dash for the door. Sugoroku jumped in fright and, after a moment's hesitation, ran after the emotionally ailing teen. It took him only a minute to catch up with the tri-haired boy.

Yami's eyes were blurred by a multitude of tears begging for release, and for this reason he could not see where he was going. The wall collided with his side on several occasions, until a strong, gentle pair of arms pulled him backwards, causing him to yelp in distress. "Get off!" He hissed darkly, attempting to wrench himself free.

"Atemu-"

"My name is Yami!"

The sheer bitterness and anger in Yami's voice startled Sugoroku greatly. His arms slackened and without a moment's hesitation, Yami was gone, racing down the hall towards the ebony doors between him and the freedom he craved.

A large bang signalled to the teen that he had reached his destination – he had left the parlour. But still he did not stop. The teen was filled with an insatiable urge to run, run from the horrors behind him. Sugoroku's echoing voice, laced with worry and concern, could not penetrate through his shattering defences. All Yami could feel was the guilt and mind-blowing agony wearing away inside of his heart, his soul, his everything.

Onwards he raced, further and further away from Yugi's empty shell, from the crowds of despairing mothers, daughters, sons and fathers – from Yugi's family and friends, nameless strangers he had yet to properly meet, and anyone else he could have hoped would understand. With each passing second, Yami continued distancing himself from the painful reminder that he, once again, had failed the world. And, more importantly, the constant message imprinted into his memory... that this time, he had failed his aibou.

Yami fled.

Thank you for reading this chapter - it took me a while to sort out the emotions. I wanted to have Yami give Yugi something precious to signify how much he misses him...

Next Time: Seto and Yami's confrontation... I wonder what will happen? Yami collasped?! Oh no! What, Seto's going to...? Oh dear!

Stay tuned, and please review...