Autumn: I'm back! I thank each reviewer with all of my heart.

Rika: (begrudgingly gives out giant soft mints to reviewers)

Autumn: This time I'm not in the dark so it might not be as haunting as some have said. And another point I need to clear, THIS IS NOT A YAOI! Yep, first time ever.

Rika: To those freaks who liked a Hikari's Yami, she IS making a sequel. It is slow going. Just thought I would throw that out there… And half credit to Icepool123 for helping out. (Autumn can't write without her)

Disclaimer: This dude called me up and gave me the rights to Yugioh! But when I met him, he said I had to sign the contract in the back of his big van behind the gas station near my house. I declined, so I do not, have not, or probably ever will own Yugioh.

Chapter 2

A Game to Remember

Atem put the old checker board in between him and the spirit. Slowly, he set up the simple child's game. Black game pieces on red and black squares on his side of the board, and opposite were red circles. The quickly sober teenager watched Yugi curiously looking around his surprisingly clean bathroom. He held in a laugh when the spirit jumped three feet when he accidentally sprayed cologne. (Yami don't need no cologne, he smells sexy on his own:)

"Are you ok?" Yugi turned to him open mouthed.

"It attacked me!" Atem could not hold in his laughter. He failed to notice that the mirror apparition closed his amethyst eyes, drinking in the first sound of enjoyment he had heard in many seasons. Yugi put the red canister down and sat across from his opponent. Strategies started running marathons in his head.

When the special mortal finished putting the game together, he pulled a coin from his leather pants pocket. "Heads or tails?"

Confusion dressed the other's features. "I have a choice?" More unexpected tears filled his crimson eyes. How bad could this nice child's life have been? What had he done to even have to ask a question like that? More questions without answers filled his mind. He shook his head, sending his tri colored locks in a colorful mess before it settled back into its usual crazy hair style.

"Yes, you should always have a choice." The spirit had a perplexed look gracing his angelic features. Atem barely caught the word "tails". Poor kid, spirit person. I feel so bad but I don't know how to help. Win the game descendant of the pharaoh. The one known also known as Yami paused for a moment. He could have sworn he had heard a girl's voice.

Turning his attention he switched back to the being in front of him. His thumb sprung the silver coin his in the air spinning. Then it returned back to his hand. Atem flipped it onto his tan elbow. Tails. "Are you using some spirit mumbo jumbo on me?" For the first time, Yugi's laughter filled the room. Pure, innocent, pain free laughter.

"No, that's cheating. I do not cheat." His pale arms wrapped around his sides as he gasped for air. It had been awhile since he had needed air as if he were alive. No. All thoughts of his eternal predicament were banished to the recesses of his mind.

He carefully moved a checker piece to a different square. Atem followed suit. Move after move. Concentration penetrated the room. To break the silence, the Egyptian asked, "So what is it like being a spirit if you don't mind telling?" The only sound was of a game piece moving across the board, jumping over the defense.

"Well," Yugi began. "It is just like being alive. You can feel everything when you turn sort of tangible. You can move things, sleep, and feel pain. When you turn intangible, it's like you're a misty cloud feeling only temperatures. You can bleed when you're tangible too." Shivers coursed through his very touchable body. "The main difference is that you know you're dead so you don't eat. Or have to sleep. It is also impossible to fall unconscious. It is a decision. When you get too weak, you go in a state of limbo and just simply exist, like meditating. "

The alive being was captivated. So this is what happened when you died! "Before you go thinking this is some miracle, think. The only way to stay after death is to make a deal with one of the creatures of darkness."

"Why would you do that?" He moved another black disk, jumping two of Yugi's red ones. His eyes glanced to see a horror stricken spirit. Atem suddenly sick inside and reached a hand to his new friend. Yugi screamed, "DON'T TOUCH ME!" He had jumped up and backed into the door. Words came out in strings from his paled lips. "It was an accident, no one meant it. You are stuck forever, NEVER LOOSE FAITH!" His form started to shiver. Light started cracking through his face.

The sennen eye glowed on Atem's forehead. If Yugi left now, he might never come back. Save him! The female voice commanded. "Yugi, please calm down, I'm sorry. Please don't go. I'm sorry." Two of the candles had blown out.

The panic stricken apparition stopped shaking, his form still wavering. "Light the candles again please."

Obeying, he did. The spirit's form was once again solid. "When I'm in the world of the living, all of the ritual items must stay perfect," he explained. A moonbeam white hand moved a red circle to a black square, evading getting jumped. The game was coming to a close. "King me." Yugi was in the lead. Then he inquired, "What is high school like? I don't remember good things about it."

Atem thought about it. "It's okay. The work is hard as all get out, but my psychotic duo helps me through it."

"Is that the two I gave a heart attack to?"

The tan laughed a deep baritone laugh. A thought then plagued him. He slowly asked, "Did you have any friends?"

The smaller thought for a moment. "A few, but there was an accident and they were gone. Joey, Tristan, and Tea were their names. They died two years ago. Drunk driver hit them after they left a party." A tear drop finally hit the floor. Atem reached over and wiped his cheek. Yugi gripped his hand painful tight. "Every time I have a reason to live it was snatched away. That's why I did it." Fear gripped Atem's stomach.

"What did you do?"

Rika: WHY DID YOU STOP?

Autumn: Duh! Evil cliffy! BWAHAHAHAA!

Rika: You need to quit talking to Bakura muse.

Autumn: I will when you stop dating him.

Rika: You mean hikari. Review and my evil hikari will get in touch with her writing buddy and continue.