Chapter 3

Faded Memories

Sometimes, the truth is built form a thousand lies.

Yugi slowly made his way home while trapped in his own world. The side remarks about his well-being do not even penetrate his hearing. After walking the short distance from school to home, he announced as always, "Grandpa, I'm home." He heard a glass shatter on the floor. "Grandpa?" He asked concerned and ran to the kitchen.

Solomon had his hands gripped tightly against the counter top. Yugi paid no heed to the glass and ran to him. "Grandpa, are you alright?" Tears rolled down the old man's cheeks and fell to the floor.

He answered, "I just... Haven't heard you say that in so long." Before the teenager could comprehend the situation, he found himself in a bear hug."I sometimes used to think I had heard you say you're home and you were never there." His elderly guardian admitted. Yugi let out a tiny sigh and returned the hug. After a moment, Solomon wiped his eyes and went back to fixing their dinner.

Yugi went upstairs and sat on his bed to think. Papers covered the surface area of his bed, an unhealthy amount of homework. A crazed chuckle escaped him. "I never thought I'd be doing something this boring after..." He trailed off. What had he been about to say? A dark room with swirling scarlet eyes came to mind. Fighting off rising panic, he shoved the almost memory away. Clearly it was something he did not want to remember.

The young adult worked on his school work for a solid hour with no thoughts in particular before he suddenly felt a cold chill. Yugi looked up at the mirror he had in his room. There was nothing special about the reflecting device besides that it obviously needed a dusting. Unable to concentrate, Yugi stood up and peered at it curiously. Another shiver went down his spine. Since when do mirrors frighten him?

Spectrophobia is the fear of mirrors and/or one's reflection.

Atem looked around his apartment in slight pride. It had taken a little over two weeks, but every bit of glass and trash that he and his roommates had destroyed was swept up and thrown away. Now the place was spotless. Excepting the bathroom.

Bakura came out wrapped in a towel. "So when are we replacing the mirror?" He asked while dragging a comb through his hair. His tan friend gave a small shiver.

"Never." The albino gave a half-hearted sneer.

"Since when are you a pansy woman? Though judging by your choice of clothing, I'd think you're going homo on us." Atem looked down at the apron he was wearing and felt the bandanna in his hair. Then he gave a curtsy.

"Only in your wildest dreams late at night when no one can hear you- OOMPH!" Bakura broke into laughter as Marik lied on Atem's stomach, still reading a psychology book after he tackled him.

The tan man sighed, "You two all make learning difficult you make it, it." Atem beat on Marik's back with the dust pan.

"Get off you big lug! I can't breathe," he complained. Marik ignored him while Bakura snickered and went into his room to get changed. Atem suddenly had the textbook in his face.

"This word no know!" He wailed. The smaller teenager squinted the word into focus.

He read out slowly, "When a person or animal is met with emotional trauma, they may have repressed, or hidden, memories of the event causing- Marik, why are you reading about psychology?"

"Reason you know not that I," he answered smugly. "Trauma?" he asked.

Atem let out a sigh. "Trauma is a body wound or shock produced by a sudden physical injury, as from violence or an accident. Does that answer your question?" At his nod, he nearly yelled, "Then OFF!" Marik jumped off and hid in his place behind the couch. "How the hell does he still fit there?" he muttered.

The only 'sane' teen in the apartment went to the kitchen and took off his apron since it didn't smell too bad. He winced as he saw his cut up hands. If those scarred, they would look pretty ugly. Atem looked around for a minute, trying to find something to do. He decided school work might be worth a pitiful shot and sat down in his room, scattered by dozens of papers.

After a while, he heard a knock on the door. "Come in, Kura." Bakura's head poked in.

"Not that I'm the girly, sentimental type, but can we talk?" Somewhat afraid by this statement, Atem nodded.

Bakura awkwardly stood by the door, remembering the last time he had come in. He had successfully summoned his friend Ryou and one of Yugi's past lives. "It's about after Halloween..." Pain started behind crimson eyes.

"I don't want to talk about them. You don't either." The albino dragged his big toe across the floor.

"I know. But I think Yugi might have a right to know what happened."

Atem whispered, "He doesn't remember anything. Why should we force him to? Yugi was tortured for two years. Maybe this is his chance to live a normal life."

His friend snapped, "Cut the bullshit. Did you see him today? He looked miserable. Marik told me about how you dragged him away before he could ask Yugi if he remembered his girlfriend." Crimson eyes looked at their owner's folded hands.

"We shouldn't force him to remember. When he comes to us again, then we'll share the truth. You didn't see what I saw. His spirit was.. Broken. Covered in scars. Starved. I-I can't remind him of that. He barely looked human."

"Why?" Bakura asked. "That story had a happy ending. Why can't he remember saving all those kids and I never thanked him for helping me find Ryou. Why?" He shook his head and left the room with a "it just isn't fair."

Atem looked out his window but his eyes focused on his reflection. Disgusted with what he saw, he threw his a book at the curtains and watched them swish closed. He put a hand to his forehead and leaned back in his pillows, clearly defeated.

You just left me behind in a world I don't know any more.

Yugi finally managed to get his heart rate back to normal. Every reflective surface in his room was covered in either tape or an article of clothing. "I'm scared." He admitted to no one in particular. It was past twelve at night and he was acting like a four year old who was afraid of the dark. His light still shone at full blast.

The small eighteen year old sat on his made bed hugging his knees. He was terrified of the nightmares. "I feel like some malevolent spirit is after me." Not even thinking, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"Yes?"answered a girl.

"I'm sorry, wrong number."

A giggle emitted from the cellular device. "I get that a lot. It's okay. Bye!"

"Bye." Yugi pressed the red button. Joey's number was gone. Some strange girl owned it now. Tears remained unspilled in his eyes. "He's really gone." He sat dumbstruck for a minute before deciding he had to see for himself.

Yugi crept down the stairs and snuck out of the house after grabbing a jacket. This November was unnaturally cold. He shivered down the street and wished he had thought about shoes. The concrete seemed intent on sucking his warmth through the soles of his feet.

He hummed "It was all a lie" under his breath before stopping at the cemetery. Yugi drew in a deep breath to hopefully take in some courage. He walked behind a large bush and crawled through the hole some person had hacked into the fence. Without wiping the dirt from his pajamas, he walked through the home of the dead.

As he read each tombstone, he suddenly fell to his knees.

Joey Wheeler

16

You will never leave our hearts

"Joey," Yugi whispered and allowed his tears to fall. This was just like the previous afternoon. This was definite evidence his friends were never coming back. "Oh... Oh god." He stood up and went down a few more rows before stopping at a different grave. This one had fresh roses on it.

Tèa Gardner

Now dancing among fellow angels

A memory forced its way behind Yugi's eyes.

Tèa sneezed and giant wings unfurled from her back. Her body contorted back into its previous state from before the accident. The blood ceased its slow dripping from her body. Her clothes transformed into a gown of light.

"An angel? What the heck? It's almost as if I was there." He knelt beside the tombstone and put a hand on it. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." Yugi let more tears come and go before suddenly falling asleep.

He appeared in a desolate wasteland. The place was surrounded by gray and giant cliff walls. The sky was far overhead and looked overcast. Only a few random drops of blood in places gave the only color. Yugi tried to remember this place because it felt horribly familiar.

Yugi turned around and saw two figures floating in the air. He covered his gasp of shock to see himself and Tèa dancing in the sky. Tèa really was an angel. The teenager crept closer to hopefully hear some of the words they might be speaking.

Suddenly a different person came into view. He was a short teenager with tan skin and wild three colored hair. It was that guy he had ran into earlier! Yugi about called out to him, but the unknown young adult smiled and looked down before disappearing. Pent up with confusion, Yugi let out a frustrated wail.

Bright aches woke Yugi up. He blinked and looked around the still dark graveyard. "Oh crap." He muttered and tried to stand up. Immediately he fell back over from the hollow pains of sleeping on the hard ground. "ooh," he groaned.

A bright light made him close his eyes. Then a warm arm hoisted him to his feet once more and helped him walk to the weirdly unlocked gate. The arms let Yugi go and he turned to thank his rescuer. To his utmost shock, Tèa stood beside him with a dazzling smile.

Autumn: So how to continue. I know! Blind-

Icepool: *covers mouth* No. Absolutely not.

Autumn: Why not?

Icepool: Because I said so.

Autumn: But we can do whatever we want since only ONE PERSON REVIEWED!

Icepool: *crosses arms* This is a strictly peachshipping story. No ifs ands or buts.

Rika: I don't know. Psychoshipping, Darkshipping, Yamishipping, Blindshipping, Tendorshipping all seem to be showing.

Icepool: SHUT UP! *cries*

Rika: Reviews give us guidance!