Yu-Gi-Oh! Ch2
As Yugi was called "King of Games" now he was quite popular. And as almost every famous star he didn't have only people around who liked him but also people who really hated him, some in a peaceful way, other that wanted the young boy to be dead to gain advantage. The duel monsters hype was still going and a lot of people wanted to duel the young king. Most of the time Yugi duelled with them and he always won.
Now that his grandpa was in hospital he had to take care of the game shop. But one thing caught Yami's attention again and again: The millenium items were stored in that little shop. If someone robbed the shop and took the items with him ... Atem didn't even want to think of it.
"Pharaoh ... calm down! No one is going to rob the shop. The items are safe here ... besides I always carry the puzzle with me and no one ever tried to steal it! And actually the items are stored in the safe and only I and grandpa know the combination to open it!", Yugi said, he talked in that innocent and happy tone he ever spoke in. Yami sighed. The room was silent for a while, until Atem took a deep breath and finally started to speak in a very serious tone: "Yugi ... I have to make a decision ...!" The boy was surprised a little and asked what decision his friend had to make. The pharaoh took another deep breath. The body of ancient Atem formed next to Yugi, still the body was ghost-like. "I have to choose whether I stay with you in this world, or leave this world and return to where I belong. If I choose the second option we will never meet again but the Millenium items would be sealed forever ...", Atem spoke, slowly and trying to make his point. He considered leaving this world to seal the items and protect mankind.
"I know you only want to protect us and you really miss your old life but what about your friends here? What about me? I know this sounds egoistic but I need you by my side, not to protect me but to be my friend ... I can't even think of saying goodbye to you ... forever ...", the boy said, he really sounded sad and tears welled up in his eyes. Yami looked at him and replied: "I understand how you feel ... but I really have to make my decision. I know I promised to protect you and to stay by your side but on the other side my fate was to protect this world from the darkness and I fulfilled it ... I'm done here and when I leave this world, it will be protected forever! Even though we would never meet again I ..."
Yugi opened the safe and watched the millenium items in it for a while before closing it again. "It is your decision ...", the boy mumbled and locked the shop from inside.
After that was done he climbed the stairs to his room and took off the puzzle, to place it on the table in the room. The connection between both of them was really strong: Even if Yugi didn't wear the puzzle as a necklace he was still able to communicated with the pharaoh and also "swapping" their souls was possible. Anyways whenever they wanted to think alone and not see the other, which was very rare, they could cut the connection between them and this was exactly what Yugi did. He cut to connection and laid down on his bed staring at the ceiling. "Why is he telling me about this decision he wants to make? I know he isn't sure of what to choose ... But why do you ask me? Don't you know I cannot let you go ... after all we've been through, you became an important part of my life ... I couldn't even describe it to you ...", the young boy thought. "Make your decision without me ... I cannot help you with that ... I guess I couldn't make such a decision on my own either ...", he added.
As hours passed, Yugi had fallen asleep; dreaming something that seemed weird to him. He dreamed of being in Egypt, in ancient Egypt to be more precise. He was next to pharaoh Atem who had to make decisions for his people. It were very serious problems the taller one had to face to help his people. Strangely Yugi dreamed that he was the king's advisor. Anyways Atem was the one that was supposed to protect the smaller one and not the other way round as it actually should have been.
Suddenly Yugi woke up, by a sound coming from downstairs. He slowly and most impotant silently walked to the stairs, climbing down a few and trying to see what it was that caused the sound. He climbed down tge rest of the stairs. Now he could see someone standing at the door, locking it from inside. Yugi recognized the person: It was his grandfather. "Grandpa! You're scared the hell out of me ... I thought someome was going to rob the shop ...", the boy smiled and hugged his grandfather. The old man hugged him back and said: "I sorry I've been so loud, coming in ... but I'm glad I'm home and everything is alright now!" Yugi nodded.
Suddenly there was a light coming from upstairs. "The puzzle!", the said fast and ran to the stairs. Atem was standing right in front of him. "Yugi ... I made my decision ...", he said and didn't look at the smaller one. "And? What did you choose?", Yugi asked. Yami didn't answer and looked to the door. Solomon, Yugi's grandfather walked over to them and stood beside his grandchild. "Go ... Hide somewhere!", the pharaoh ordered. "Wha ...", Yugi couldn't even finish his sentence; he was interupted by the sound of the breaking door. The room seemed to reject any light and filled with darkness, only the puzzle Yami carried with him was glowing and filling the room with little light. The darkness consumed the light, only leaving a small spot lit up.
"Well, well, pharaoh Atem! It's time you leave this and every world once and for all!", a dark figure said as it entered the shop. "That voice ... isn't that Pegasus'?", Yugi asked surprised. There was a little light shining under slightly purple hair. "The millenium eye ... but how is this possible?!", Yami thought. "You wonder how this is possible? Easy: I'm not that Pegasus you've been talking of ... I'm darkness ... I shall optain all millenium items and let your soul vanish at once, Atem!", the dark figure answered. Yami quickly looked at Yugi, then back to the figure. "My soul won't leave this world, except I choose it to be that way ...! As long as I've got friends to stay by my side ...", tge pharaoh started but stopped as the figure pulled out a crossbow, aming it at Yugi and playing with his finger on the trigger. "Do you really think you have your own will? Do you think you have a chance living in this world? You got to be kidding me!", the figure said louder and louder until he shouted that last sentence. The nameless pulled the trigger, causing the arrow to fly into Yugi's direction with incredible speed.
The boy closed his eyes, scared of being killed. He somehow prepared himself for immense pain and death to come at him. After a few short moments, that seemed to last forever, Yugi opened his eyes again, only to see the pharaoh in front of him falling to his knees. The boy's eyes widened and screamed: "YAMIII!"
The figure left the shop and light returned. The pharaoh fell to his side, slowly putting a shaking hand to the arrow in his chest. "Yami! Why ... Why did you ...?", the boy asked and started to cry. "I promised to ... protect you ... but now ... it's ... it's over ...", Atem replied slowly, powerless, panting.
"Don't say something like that! I ... I will get you to the hospital! They will be able to help you, just hang in there!", Yugi almost shouted and rushed upstairs to get his cellphone. He typed some numbers and called Kaiba; Yugi knew that Kaiba was the only one he knew who had a car and was allowed to drive. No one picked up. Yugi now called Mokuba, Kaiba's brother, same problem there: no one picked up. The boy started to panic and now called Joey, he needed help. Outside it started snowing heavily; no one would drive through that kind of storm, the streets were just too slippery.
Joey picked and asked sleepy: "Yug, what's wrong? It's only 3 in the morning ..." Yugi cried but tried to speak clearly: "I need help ... Yami is badly hurt amd I think he will die if I won't get him to a hospital soon ... Kaiba didn't pick up and since it's a snowstorm outside no one will be able to drive me there ... I just need someone to help me ..." Joey fell off his bed and jumped up again. He quickly replied: "Don't worry, Yug! I'll be there as soon as possible! I'll help you!" He hung up.
Yugi ran downstairs and knelt next to the pharaoh. "Hang in there ... Joey is coming to help you ... We will get you to a hospital, just stay strong and don't die on me!", the boy said quickly, crying even harder. Atem looked at him and slowly nodded. Yugi wanted to pull out the arrow of Yami's chest. "Don't ..." , the pharaoh said. The boy looked into the taller one's eyes. "If you pull it out ... I'll bleed out ... within seconds ...", Yami added whispering. Yugi nodded. He brushed his tears off his face but they just kept running down his cheeks. "Even if I die ... it's okay ... I had ... a great life ...", the pharaoh whispered, still panting and slightly smiled.
Now Joey ran into the shop. As he saw Yami, lying on the ground with that arrow in his chest, he stopped immediatly. "Damn ... That not good at all ...", Joey mumbled. He tried to get the pharaoh onto his back to carry him. He was very careful not to hurt Atem. Yugi said goodbye to his grandfather and follwed Joey outside into a small snowstorm. "Hey pharaoh ... your skin is burning hot ...", Joey said. Atem replied: "I know ... it's poison ..." The egyptian was really weak now; his eyes were half closed and he almost had no strength to keep his head up. "Don't die! We're almost there!", Yugi said.
As they arrived at the hospital there were nurses awaiting then at the entrance. "Young Mr. Moto?", one of them asked. Yugi nodded and the nurse added: "Your grandfather called us!" The boy asked: "So you know what happened?" The nurse nodded and Joey said: "Quick! He's been poisoned and he's getting worse ...!" Now a doctor came to the entrance, pushing a barrow. "Lay him down, I'll take care of him!", he said. Joey did as he was told and the doctor brought Yami to a surgery room, which the doc locked after he entered.
After about one hour of waiting - Joey fell already asleep - the doctor came back to the two males and said: "I did all I could but we cannot nutrilize the poison right now ... we need to create a antidote first, and this will take some time ..." Yugi nodded and asked: "May I see him?" The doc told him to follow and walked down the hallway. in front of a room he stopped, looking at the boy: "That's the room he's in ... I'll leave you alone now ..." With that the man walked away and Yugi slowly entered the room.
Atem laid on a bed, his eyes were closed and his breathing was very weak. Yugi was afraid, the pharaoh was going to die. He walked over to the bed and stood right next to it, looking at Yami. The pharaoh opened his eyes and looked at Yugi. "I'm sorry ... I ... chose to ... stay in this world ... but now ...", Atem whispered until the boy interupted him: "Stop right there! Don't say something like that, don't even think about that! You're going to be okay soon!" Yami looked into Yugi's eyes and didn't say any word. Something was different about this look in Atem's eyes, the way he looked into the boy's eyes was caring, loving but also apologetic. Again the pharaoh apologized in an extrem low voice. "My body ... the poison ... is killing me ...", he mumbled. Yugi moved his head closer to Yami's to hear what he said.
Atem put a hand on Yugi's back and pulled the boy closer to him. He kissed the smaller one, then he smiled sligthly. Yugi turned tomato-red and wasn't able to say anything. The pharaoh shut his eyes.