Well, I'm glad your happy Yugi! Because of you drugging me, everyone's mad at where I left off!
Atem: You learned a very valuable lesson, didn't you?
Yeah, don't give Yugi the key to the medicine cabinet. And as punishment, you have to do the disclaimer!
Yugi: Whatever. It's worth it since you were in the shower all night scrubbing sharpie off your face! DHITS does not own Yugioh or the Sharpie co. But she did own a bottle of Nyquil!
Yeah...Bakura's a pervert!
Bakura: What?
You lure little boys out of beds to follow you into a dark alley on a raining night in their PJ's! To rape them...Isn't that right Yugi?
Atem: 0.o Somebody start the story before this gets any weirder.
Yugi: To late. o.0
Atem waited out the bombardments af questions being thrown at him. Once everyone settled down, he was able to ask some of his own.
"Tea, Tristan, what are you doing here? I heard you both were out of country."
"You couldn't have come at a better time!" Tea squealed, holding onto the Pharaoh's neck. "Mai had her baby a few weeks ago!"
"A baby?" He looked over at Mai, gently holding the bundle of blankets, she smiled and shifted them around some, then tilted it to face Atem.
It was a little girl. She had Mai's long, curly locks and Joey's deep brown eyes. She gave a weak smile, the one only a newborn can muster. So soft, so gentle, so pure. It reminded Atem of the same innocence Yugi once possessed. The care-free glow of a child. It reminded Atem of why he came here in the first place.
"So..." he began slowly, "You said everyone's here?"
"Yup. Now that you're here, everyone of our close friends are here!" Joey said, sitting in a chair across from Atem.
"Perfect." Atem thought. "I got them right where I need them."
"So," he said, taking a pause, "Where's Yugi?"
"Who?" Tea asked, releasing her grip.
A knife may as well have gone into Atem's heart. Tea didn't know who he was talking about. He stood up.
"Yugi. As in Yugi Motou! As in the kid you spent four years of your life with!"
An awkward silence filled the room. Joey shifted uncomfortably in his seat, as did Mai. But Tea and Tristan, held the same, clueless look. Both thinking the same thing.
Who is he talking about?
Atem shook his head. "How can you not know who I'm talking about?"
Tea held her finger to her chin for a moment. "OH!" She shouted. "I know who you're talking about now! Yugi, he has brown hair, right?"
"No." Atem mouthed, unable to say the words for real.
"Atem, listen man." Joey said. "We and Yugi, just sort of, feel apart after you left."
"According to him, you abandoned him."
"You have seen Yugi, then? How is he?"
Atem clenched his fist. "Yeah, I saw Yugi. He told me his story, I came here to see if it was true. As far as how he is...he's been better."
"He's bad, isn't he?"
"I still don't know who you're talking about!" Tea and Tristan shouted. Atem turned to face them, tears in his eyes.
"He loved you. And you just left him?"
"Now, Atem, you need to calm down." Joey said.
"Calm down!" he shouted, "Yugi told me you guys were never interested in being his friend. You only wanted to be mine. I thought he was crazy, drunk. But now," Atem started to walk back, "I'm starting to believe him. He's changed you know. He's become distant, tougher. What did you guys do to make him so?
Tristan stood up. "Maybe it's not entirely out fault."
"What do you mean? You do remember him?"
"How could I forget? But, maybe you did something to upset him."
"Like what?"
Tristan scoffed. "Well, let's see. You almost killed Kaiba, he was brought to the shadow realm countless times due to you, you sold his soul for a pointless victory and ended up losing anyways..."
"Tristan! There's no need to go there." Joey said, but the damage had been done. Atem looked down as the memories of his greatest mistake ever flooded back to him.
*Flashback*
His life points dropped to zero as he screamed. But it wasn't over yet. The seal needed to feed, and it choose it's prey. It came in closer around the Pharaoh, his head lowered in defeat. He was ready to be taken away, to pay for his mistakes, when he was pushed out of the way by two, little hands. He turned around to see his hikari looking deeply at him with his large, violet eyes.
"Yugi!", he cried, "Yugi What are you doing here?"
"It only needs one of us, so I'm letting the seal take me instead."
"No...Yugi!"
But it was to late. The seal had taken it's victim.
*End Flashback*
"He never trusted you the same, after that."
"Yes, Tristan. I am aware. But it's not about that. You guys left him in his time of need. Why?"
When no gave him an answer, Atem turned back to Ryou.
"Come one, Ryou. Let's go."
As the two headed to the door, Joey called after them. "Wait! How long has Ryou been here?" He said these words with tears in his eyes.
"The entire time." Was Ryou's response.
"I...want to see Yugi."
Atem and Ryou looked briefly at each other, then nodded. They lead Joey outside and got into his car and drove off.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The Tomb Robber examined his area. It was an old, abandoned hotel. He sat in the lobby, digging through the front desk. He found pens, cards, flyers, and cigarettes. He picked one up and held it in his skinny, bone like fingers. He dug a little deeper and found a small, silver square. It was heavy, but it was exactly what he needed at a time like this. He lit the cigarette and put it to his small, chapped lips. They curled around it and he inhaled as deep as he could. Once he was to the point where he'd reach max capacity, he slowly blew it out, watching the smoke ring's birth and death.
Yes, this was exactly what he needed. This place would work perfectly. The sign out the front door marked Condemmeded was dated back over ten years ago. This would be what he needed.
Now all he had to do was get everyone here. It would be easier than he imagined.