HELLO READERS!

Okay, 3 chapters in and I don't think I'm doing too bad so far. If anyone is confused by my chapter titles, they come from lyrics from songs that inspire me or give me ideas for a specific chapter. I feel like I'm going to end up using a really out there lyric and someone is going to review saying "What the FUCK is with the chapter titles?". So this is just a friendly reminder. :)

Was everybody okay with the length of the last chapter? It was about 1.5 times longer than the previous two. If you want them to be longer, let me know so I can throw a few hundred more words in.

And the last thing, how badass is Mrs. Zamumba? Pretty cool name too, eh? ;)

Anywho, enough of my drabble. On with the chapter!

This chapter is brought to you by "Candles" – Hey Monday, "Wish You Were Here" – Hey Monday

Chapter 3: Blow The Candles Out


Yugi woke from his nap a few hours later. He started to sit up on his bed, but had to brace himself. He was using his cut arm to support most of his weight and had to switch. His Kuriboh alarm clock read 2:00 PM. Yami and the others would be finished school in another half an hour.

His stomach started to growl at the lack of food from noon. He got up and after a quick stretch, being careful not to stretch his left arm too much to avoid the cuts reopening, he made his way to the kitchen. He took out a plastic cup of microwavable ramen from the cupboard. He poured water in it and fired it into the microwave. 3 minutes later, it was ready to eat. Yugi grabbed a fork and made his way back up to his room, locking the door behind him. He glanced back at the alarm clock.

"2:10," Yugi thought, going over to his desk and turning on his computer "I may as well start that assignment Mrs. Zamumba gave me."

Yugi had always been into games, and that worked to his advantage. Since Yami got his own body and nobody paid attention to him anymore, he had a little more spare time to plough through a few more games.

"A character I identify with and can be compared to…." He racked his brains for someone like him "There's Hope Esthiem from Final Fantasy Xlll. We're almost the same age. I don't really look like him, but I think I would have had the same sort of reaction if I was thrown into the Purge and became a Pulse l'Cie. Maybe a little less vengeful though. And unfortunately, we're both vertically challenged."

Yugi began typing away at his assignment and eating a bit of the ramen he made earlier. He was almost finished when he made huge realization.

"Nobody ended up ignoring Hope. Nobody left him behind," Yugi thought sadly, "Lightning, Snow, Vanille and everyone else were with him to the end. No matter what happened. When he would get frustrated because of their situation, when he passed out on Pulse, when he cried in despair and even when he tried to kill Snow, they stuck by him. I'm the complete opposite of Hope. How could I think we were anything alike?"

He erased the progress he made so far. He got up from his desk and walked across the room to his bed after a quick glance at his clock.

"2:30," He thought, "They just got out of school. They'll be back anytime now."

He looked out the window from his bed. It was a beautiful day out, but the last place he wanted to be was outside. He glanced down at his left arm and then brought it up to his face for a better look. No blood managed to seep through the bandages he applied before going to sleep.

"There's another difference," Yugi thought bitterly "Hope never cut. He didn't need to. Nobody ever abandoned him. Lucky bastard."

He heard the door open and close downstairs, signaling Yami's return. The sound of conversation and laughter told Yugi he had brought everyone with him. Yugi was in no mood to deal with anyone so he crawled back in his bed and pulled his pillow over his ears.

"SHUT UP!" Yugi screamed into his bed, muffling his cries "Is it not enough that you left me all alone, but now you have to come and rub it in my face? I can't even leave my room without having to put up with this!"

Deciding he couldn't put up with this anymore, Yugi threw on his sweater and approached the top of the stairs. They moved into the living room. He tiptoed down stairs and made his way out the door.


Throwing a pair of ear buds in his ears and putting his hands in his sweater, Yugi walked down Main Street of Domino. He went into a few different shops, but nothing really spiked his interest. He made his way further down the street until he was at the window of a cake shop. He peered inside to see cakes of every kind, every colour and shape.

"Hmmm. Cake," Yugi pondered, "Maybe that's what I can do. Yami's birthday is tomorrow and I haven't gotten him a gift yet. Maybe I'll make him a cake."

Yugi raced home to look online for the perfect cake to make for his other half. He hoped that this would be it. Maybe the cake would remind Yami that he does in fact still exist. He opened the door slowly and stepped inside. He peeked into the living room; they were watching a movie. He tiptoed back upstairs to his bedroom.

He immediately planted himself at his computer and began searching for the perfect cake for Yami. His search led him to some very strange and complicated cakes, some calling for ingredients he knew he would never be able to get. In the end he settled on a regular chocolate cake. Not as stupendous as Yugi would have liked it, but definitely doable, and figured Yami would appreciate it nevertheless. He looked at his clock again. 9:00PM. It didn't feel as late as it did, but Yugi was still exhausted. He printed of the recipe for the chocolate cake and a homemade icing and went to bed with dreams of standing over a massive cake.


The next morning, Yugi awoke with a fiery determination in his amethyst eyes. He looked at the clock and realized he slept in. Praising the fact that it was a Saturday, he changed into a new set of clothes that included a pair of clack jeans and a black tank top, and left his room.

"Yami?" he called through the house. No answer.

"He must be out," Yugi thought, "Excellent! Time to get started!"

Before he went to the kitchen, he made his way to the bathroom. He removed the bandages from his arm in order to let his cuts get some air. And without Yami around, he wouldn't need to wear his sweater. He decided the best method of disposal would be flushing his bandages down the toilet. It took a good two or three flushes, but they made it down and out of sight.

Yugi brought the recipes he printed from the night before downstairs with him, as well as his sweater just in case Yami came back. He started to get everything he would need out when his stomach began to roar. He looked down at it. The most sustaining thing it had in the past day was the ramen from yesterday. Yugi quickly got two pieces of toast down and got to work.

After a few long hours of mixing, blending, pouring, baking and praying that this turned out okay, Yugi finally completed the cake. It was a messy process. The apron he was wearing was a testament to that. He even got a little creative and garnished it with chocolate covered strawberries. In white homemade icing were the words "HAPPY BIRTHDAY YAMI" and outlined in red icing The kitchen clock said 4:30, Yugi wondered if Yami was going to be home anytime soon. He wiped his face with his hand, catching icing from his cheek. He piled all his dirty pans, bowls and utensils into the sink and started to clean them.

It was only when he was totally finished cleaning up and putting everything away when he heard the door open and Yami stepped inside.

"DON'T COME IN THE KITCHEN!" Yugi screamed, quickly throwing on the sweater and lighting a candle in the middle of the cake.

"Yugi? Is everything okay?" Yami's baritone voice called out, getting closer.

"Yeah!" Yugi replied, "Everything is okay now! Come on in!"

Yami entered the kitchen and eyes his widened. There was Yugi, standing behind the kitchen table. But on the table was a massive chocolate cake with a birthday message on it just for him. A single candle burned in the middle of the cake. He looked back up at Yugi, who was sporting a huge smile. He took a few steps towards the table.

"Happy Birthday, Yami!" Yugi said cheerfully.

"Yugi, you did this for me?" Yami asked in astonishment.

Yugi nodded.

"But, this must have taken you all day to make!" Yami proclaimed.

Yugi nodded again and laughed a little.

"Yugi," Yami said, coming over to his side of the table "This is amazing! I can't believe you did this for me! Thank you so much!"

"I'm just glad you like it," Yugi's face flushed a little. His heart was going a hundred beats a minute. At last, it was all over.

"I can't wait to share this with everyone! They'll love it!"

Yugi's heart stopped beating rapidly.

Then a hammer smashed it to pieces.

And to make matters worse, a nuclear explosion blasted the pieces into oblivion.

Yugi looked down at the ground. He couldn't face Yami now. Hell, he may never be able to face his other half again. He suddenly found it hard to breathe. Tears began pouring from his eyes down his crestfallen face. He turned and made his way up the stairs.

Yugi's sniffle brought Yami back to reality. He turned around to find his light wasn't there. He heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Yugi?" He called "Where are you going?"

At the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs behind him, Yugi doubled his pace. He bolted to the bathroom, grabbed the razor and ran into his room. He caught a glimpse of Yami ascending the hallway and locked his door tight. He tore off the sweater and made multiple cuts on his already injured arm. When he felt his arm was shredded enough, he dove onto the bed and sobbed into the pillows, the sheets being stained with blood.

"Yugi?" came Yami's voice from the other side of the door, followed by a few knocks.

"GO AWAY!" Yugi screamed at the door, throwing his alarm clock at it.

The thud was enough of a sign for Yami to know he had deeply upset his hikari. He made his way downstairs and picked up the phone.

"Jou?" Yami called into the receiver.

"Hey!" Jou replied, "What's up, Yami? Ready for us to come get you yet?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be able to do anything tonight. Something's come up."

"Oh, well I hope everything's okay. We'll just have to do something later!"

"Of course," Yami gave a small smile, "Thank you for understanding. Bye, Jou."

"Later, Yami," Jou said and the two hung up their phones.

Yami looked back to the staircase. What was bothering Yugi so much? One thing was certain: he was going to find out what.

Meanwhile, locked in his room, Yugi drenched his pillow in tears. His eyes were puffier than ever and he couldn't stop shaking.

"What am I supposed to do now? It's over."