Namara: Hello all. You can consider this puzzleshipping if you want. If so, then this is my very first puzzleshipping, and perhaps my last. I am writing this story for two friends, Icepool123 and AutumnRainingLeaves (ARL). These two are friends of mine, two of my best friends. Icepool showed me this song one day, and I had to agree with her that this is a song meant for Yu-Gi-Oh! ARL, she is a supporter of puzzleshipping, so this is for her as well; her and her muse Rika. Also, Icepool, I hope your muses enjoy this as well. Enjoy all. I also must thank my muse Yami for helping me with this one-shot.

Yami: You're welcome, Namara.

Namara: *smiles* Enjoy my readers.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN YU-GI-OH! OR THE SONG 'I'm With You' BY AVRIL LAVIGNE. YU-GI-OH! BELONGS TO KAZUKI TAKAHASHI.

«blah, blah, blah» is Hikari to Yami

/blah, blah, blah/ is Yami to Hikari

Yu-Gi-Oh! Yu-Gi-Oh! Yu-Gi-Oh! Yu-Gi-Oh! Yu-Gi-Oh! Yu-Gi-Oh! Yu-Gi-Oh! Yu-Gi-Oh! Yu-Gi-Oh! Yu-Gi-Oh! Yu-Gi-Oh!

I'm standing on a bridge

I'm waiting in the dark

I thought that you'd be here

By now…

I stood in silence within the dark place that I have come to know as home. I haven't been able to see around me for so long it seems; perhaps it has been a long time, or perhaps it has only been a few days… Either way, it seems like forever. This darkness is all I know. I know, deep within myself, that I was important at one time; that I lived around other beings like myself. But all I can see now, all I hear and exist with, are shadows and darkness. Sometimes, I will think I see a small glimmer of something I can only describe as a light from what my faded memory of it allows. However, just when I think I have reached this light, it goes out.

There's nothin' but the rain

No footsteps on the ground

I'm listening

But there's no sound…

When that little bit of light; that small shred of something other than cold and darkness dies away, I feel as though I've been crushed beneath a rain of despair. Occasionally, I'll strain my ears for something; any sound that would tell me I am not alone…there's nothing for me to hear. No other being to even try to hope for.

Isn't anyone tryin' to find me?

Want somebody come take me home?

It's a damn cold night

Tryin' to figure out this life.

Won't you take me by the hand?

Take me somewhere new?

I don't know who you are

But I, I'm with you

I'm with you…

I wonder if perhaps I had a family or friends. Maybe I did, but my memory is so far gone that I am not even sure I know the meaning of friendship anymore. The very word itself will every so often disappear from my mind. Other times, I'll become overwhelmed with fear, heartbreak, loss, and hopelessness, and I'll cry out for someone, anyone, to free me from this wicked prison as I shiver in the cold night of this place.

Am I even alive? Do I breathe? I try it out. Yes, I can, but it isn't necessary for me. Does this mean I am dead?

Look there! The light has returned! I must reach it this time! There is a feeling, some force telling me to not let this light go out! I run for the small sliver of glowing yellow (at least I think that is what the color is). I have reached it, and it didn't fade! Should I touch it? For so long, I have gone without any other color than black, are the other colors safe? I suppose there is only one way to find out. I reach out to touch the small cut in the dark skin that has held me. As my fingers brush the slit, another set of fingers brushes my own!

"Please! Help me out of this place!" I cry in hope that the other being can hear me. I try to take the other hand in my own, desperately wanting something to cling to for hope. The hand grasps my own! Could this be the chance I have waited for? Could it finally be time for me to go somewhere new? To longer wander this endless abyss?

I move to closer to the bright light. As I get closer, I see another being, perhaps one like I am! I do not know who this person is, but I am not letting go. I am with them now. My hope is with this being!

I'm looking for a place

I'm looking for a face

Is there anybody here

I know?

'Cause nothin's going right

And everything's a mess

And no one likes to be alone…

I am suddenly pulled forward through the small portal of dazzling light. I blink and realize that I am in a very strange place. I can't help but look for the face I saw; the face that belonged to the other being. I turn my head and find myself staring at the face again in a shiny surface, no, wait, it's different…this must be my own… At another look around, I realize that there are creatures around me, bearing down, fangs, claws, and horns prepared to strike. An unimaginable amount of protectiveness and rage swells within me at the sight of these beings threatening not only me, but also the person who saved me! I will NOT allow them to do any harm! Instinct takes over at this point. In a flash of darkness and a shout of rage, I banish the creatures. The moment they are gone, I feel myself yanked back.

I blink open my eyes and look around. The place I am in is truly confusing. Stairways crisscross around the endless hallways and corridors, going every which way, some even upside-down! There seem to be hundreds of doors, almost every one of those leading to hundreds more. The surfaces are like gold colored stone, the doors made of some type of metal. One of these doors has light seeping through the cracks around the frame.

I approach the door, and put a hand on the handle. With a deep breath, a turn of my wrist, and a slight pull, I open the door. The light is blinding for a moment, before it dies down to a more tolerable level. I step out and find that I am standing in a sort of corridor that seems to stretch into endless blackness in either direction. Directly across is another metal door. Out of pure curiosity I go to the door. The handle is warm, something I haven't felt in a long time. I gently turn the handle and open the door. Within is a room; within the room, several strange objects are strewn about. The walls are soft white.

I look around, hoping to see the face of the person who looks like me. Hoping to see the only other person I know. I don't want to be alone anymore, and now that I now there are other beings, I want to meet the others. But most of all, I want to see that one face, that one face that I now know.

I want so badly to know what's going on. I suddenly hear a voice. It sounds young, if I can even remember what youth sounds like. One thing for sure is that the voice holds innocence. It was a sweet sound to behold. Almost like…what is it called? Music? Yes, that's it, music! Music to my ears!

I strain my ears to hear more, and the voice becomes louder. I want so badly to see the face again. I want so badly to look into that being's world. Almost as though answering my wishes, I am no longer looking at the white walled room, but into a different room, staring down at an odd triangle shaped pendant. The voice is loud and clear now. Somehow, I understand the words spoken, even though the language is foreign to me.

"…I wish I had a real friend…"

These were the words I heard. I may not remember what being a friend really means, but for this person, this savior, I would try my hardest to be exactly what he wants.

I feel a connection, a link to this person beginning to grow. I have no idea who this person is, but I will try to be his friend.

«Please, Puzzle, grant my wish. All I want is a friend…»

I am not sure how I knew how to do this, perhaps my desire to assure my savior that I would try to do as he asked, I replied within my mind…

/I will. To the best of my abilities, I will. I promise./

I do not know if he heard my reply, maybe he did, judging by the bit of surprise I felt come from him. I really can't say though.

Oh, why is everything so confusing?

Maybe I'm just out of my mind

Yeah…

The next day, my little light wore the strange triangle around his neck. Something from my faded memories told me it was called the 'Millennium Puzzle' and that I was connected to it. Little Light's world was so amazing, yet confusing as well. Growling beasts race past on what looked to be black stone paths. I do not remember much; for all the amazing and strange things fascinated me that I saw and heard in this world of color and light. I do know though, that one moment we were walking along, and the next, we were in a shadowed alleyway with a much larger creature like us looming above.

In that instant I was reminded of the first time I saw Little Light's world, and the creatures that attacked then. My reaction was on instinct, I imagined pulling Little Light out of harm's way and standing in his place, and somehow, it happened…

I did not question it further; I jumped into action. I challenged the fool who dared to come across my savior and me.

By the time I was done with the other being, he wouldn't be seeing the light of day again. I imagined telling my savior that everything was ok, that he could come out. And it happened. We switched places (as I came to call it).

I could feel the confusion from Little Light. He hadn't noticed the man I had just dealt with that was hidden by the dark shadows of the over hanging structures. A word was called out and Little Light turned. A girl approached us. She spoke a word…

"Yuugi!"

Yuugi…was that Little Light's name? I know I smiled to myself. I now knew his name. It was a name I could recognize, a name I could come to answer to, protect, and serve. I know knew who he was by name, and I hope I get to know Yuugi better. I hope to be a true friend to him.

I couldn't help but wish to tell Yuugi my own name, but I did not know it…I listened for anything that could fit. Any word that meant something I could be known as. I listened through Yuugi's ears to the conversation he and the girl were having. A heard a word, Yami, and somehow knew its meaning. I smiled to myself yet again. It was perfect for now.

/I am Yami. I will protect you. I will be your friend. I'm with you, I promise…/

«A true friend…that's what I really want…please Puzzle, grant me this wish…»

Namara: And end. I hope that was ok at least. Finished it at 11:00 on a school night…yeah…mom would have my hide if she knew that. Ah well. Let me know if it was worth me risking my tail to finish this. ARL, Icepool, I am especially looking forward to your responses to this.

Yami: Please review. Let me know I didn't give away all this information for nothing.

Namara: What he said. So, just press the little blue button and review for us please! Thanks!