Yami
by TAFKAE

Chapter 1: Dreams Do Come True

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, and I hardly know the characters since I hardly ever watch it, but I love it anyway!

~*~*~

Joey slapped Yugi on the back as he caught up with him in the hallway. "Hey Yugi, what's up?"

"Oh hi Joey, nothing much," his friend replied, but he looked bummed.

Joey shot him a concerned look. "What's the matter? You okay?"

"I had a weird dream last night," Yugi replied.

"Let's hear it," his schoolmate responded.

"I was playing Duel Monsters against someone," he stated. "I couldn't see their face. But for every move I made, he had a trap planted. He always knew exactly what I was going to do."

"Rough," Joey breathed.

"Yeah, but that's not the worst of it. I lost horribly, and the spotlight shone on the other guy to say he was the winner…" Yugi paused, as if he wasn't sure what to say next.

"Well? Who was it?"

For the first time that day, Yugi actually looked into Joey's eyes, with a very serious air in his own. "It was Yami."

Joey backpedaled and fell over onto something soft. "WHAT!!? Yami? That's not -"

"I don't mean to bug you, Joey," Tristan growled, "but could you please get off me?"

Joey mumbled an apology and got off, then helped Tristan up. "Freakish, man," he whispered. "You think it means anything?"

"What, you falling on top of him?" Téa asked. "It could mean you're -"

"Can it, Téa," Joey interrupted. Téa laughed. Tristan frowned.

Yugi just watched them patiently, then spoke up. "Come on guys, this is important."

His friends looked at him. "What's important?" Tristan asked.

"I have this weird feeling, like something's seriously wrong with Yami." Yugi's eyes drifted to the left. "I haven't heard a word out of him all day, and that's just not like him."

"Well, you'd know better than we would," Téa said matter-of-factly. "We only see him when you're dueling, and even then he really only talks to the opponent."

"I know. But still…" Yugi looked disconcertedly back at his friends, silent.

Tristan nodded. "We'll be careful."

"Thanks."

"I'm not sure what we should be careful of, but -"

Téa whacked him on the head. "We'll keep an eye on you, just in case something happens."

"That's good," Yugi replied. "I'm not sure if anything actually is going to happen, but if it does, I know I can count on you guys."

Joey gave him a thumbs-up. "Hey, what're friends for?"

~*~*~

"…and that means that the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the squares of the legs, added together…"

Yugi sighed. The teacher was starting to drone again. He looked over at Joey's desk. Joey was leaning back, his mouth wide open, and a slight buzzing sound coming out. 'He's fast asleep,' Yugi thought, and yawned. 'I could use some sleep too…' Relaxing, he laid his head down in his arms and shut his eyes.

Then he heard it. He wasn't sure if it was real or just part of a dream, but he heard it. Laughter… evil laughter… but who…?

Yami appeared in front of him. "Hello, Yugi," he said, a confident smirk on his face.

"Yami? What's going on? You've been so quiet…"

Yami just smiled even more. "I've been waiting, Yugi… waiting for you to let down your guard like this."

"What are you talking about?"

"I want your soul," he said simply. "And I will take it!" With those words, he rushed toward the boy whose body he used so often.

"Yami, what are you doing?" Yugi shouted, backing away a step or two. Yami said nothing as he rushed past, kicking up a breeze. The other's hair fluttered. "Yami!" he screamed.

"Yugi!" the teacher shouted, snapping him back to reality. He sat up abruptly and looked at her; she was scowling. "I asked you a question."

Yugi lowered his head. "Sorry, ma'am, I guess I fell asleep…"

The class laughed, but just then Joey let out a tremendous SNXXXXXXX! and suddenly everyone was laughing at him instead.

The teacher stormed over to his desk and rapped him sharply on the head with a ruler. Joey instantly became more alert. "OW!!!"

"I'm ashamed," she growled. "Both of you will be serving detention this afternoon. I'll let Mr. Kohl decide what to do with you."

Joey and Yugi exchanged a nervous glance. Mr. Kohl was the assistant principal with a mean streak three miles wide and the charm of an eel.

And after hearing about detention experiences with him, no one ever passed within a mile of his office if they didn't have to.

~*~*~

Kold Kohl was what they called him. And they had good reason to. He could split hairs with that toothy grin, uneven moustache sitting on top of it and the way his eyes seemed to pierce into your soul and leave it feeling remotely like Swiss cheese..

"So I hear you boys fell asleep in class," he said evilly. "Well, I have the perfect chore for you…"

Joey and Yugi exchanged another nervous glance…

~*~*~

…and the next thing they knew, they were washing the floor in the cafeteria.

Joey picked up a banana peel and tossed it into a trash can. "Disgustin'. Nobody ever picks up their mess around here."

Yugi distractedly moved the sponge he was using around in little circles on the floor. "I need you to hear something, Joey."

Joey looked over at him as he tossed a tater tot at the trash can, missed, and ignored it. "What?"

"When I fell asleep in class…" Yugi looked down. "Something happened. Something almost happened," he corrected himself.

"What was that?"

"Yami…" He sighed. "Something's happened to him. He said he wanted my soul and he'd been waiting for me to let down my guard…"

Joey's gaze suddenly turned serious. "You're sure?"

His friend nodded. "Positive. Something's very wrong with Yami. And I have a feeling that if I fall asleep again, he's going to take over and do… something or other…"

"And you don't know what."

"But it has to be bad." Yugi shook his head. "I don't know. I don't… I feel like I'm trapped…"

~*~*~

Eventually the cafeteria was finished and they had moved on, but Joey did most of the work himself. It was quite a while later when he realized his compatriot was missing. After retracing his steps for several minutes, he reached the cafeteria -

- where Yugi was sprawled on the floor, fast asleep. Joey shook him gently. "Yugi, wake up."

Yugi sat up and rubbed his head. "Joey?" he asked.

"Yeah. You okay?" Joey just couldn't get over the fact that something looked different about his friend, and it bothered him.

Yugi stood and looked around. Just then, Joey noticed.

The marks on his forehead. The shape of his eyes. The flare on the back of his coat.

Joey gasped. "Yami…" he murmured.

Yami Yugi looked Joey in the eye and smirked. Too fast for anyone to see, his foot came forward and connected with the pit of Joey's stomach. The latter doubled over in pain and in the few seconds before he blacked out, wheezed,

"Yami… why would you…"

Yami smirked again. "Because you are weak, and I am strong."

*CHAPTER END*

You like? I need ideas for chapter 2, so if you want more, please review!