Disclaimer: Do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… Do, however, own a bunch of audio tapes with (low quality) audio copies of the American dubbed episodes =o)
Unknown Identity
Chapter Eleven: Strange Illness
"Yami? Yami, where are you?" It was three days after Yami's strange incident with the knife, and in the meantime Yugi had not heard so much as a peep from Yami. He seemed to have disappeared. They were a part of the tribe now, but Yugi was more concerned about his friend. He had excused himself early from the celebrations, saying he felt a bit ill, and had gone to lie down on a mattress that Ashkari said was made especially for him. Then he had thrown caution to the winds and had completely let go of his body, intent on finding the spirit.
"Yami!" Yugi called again. He had looked in the hallway and in his soul room, but the spirit was nowhere to be found. He had even walked through Yami's soul room, as far as the Dark Magician would let him, but hadn't found him there either. He called again into the darkness, ever hoping to hear an answering shout, but none came.
"You must let me continue, Dark Magician," Yugi pleaded.
"It is too dangerous, Yugi," the Magician said. "I cannot let you go in there alone."
"Then come with me!" Yugi cried.
"I can go no farther than this," the Dark Magician replied flatly. "Yugi, I fear for your yami as well, but I cannot let you pass. You would perish." Tears appeared at the corners of Yugi's eyes as he gazed into the darkness beyond the Dark Magician, but he knew it was useless. The Dark Magician was completely loyal to Yami, and he would never allow Yugi to pass if Yami had ordered him not to. Turning, he made his way out of the darkness before once more taking control of his body.
"He's awake!" Ashkari shouted in surprise as Strange-Eyes' eyes fluttered open. "How do you feel, Strange-Eyes?" she asked gently.
"Horrible," Yugi replied truthfully. His head felt like it was going to explode, and his skin was burning. "What happened?"
"I don't know," Ashkari replied, shaking her head. "You said you felt ill and came to lie down, and this is the first time you've moved in a week. You haven't been able to keep down any food or drink, and we were afraid that our newest tribe member was going to die."
"I feel like I still might," Yugi said.
"And its no wonder," Ashkari said, placing her hand on his brow. "You could cook a fish on your skin – if you were careful not to let it burn." Yugi smiled. As awful as he felt physically, the pain of losing Yami was much worse, but for the first time in two months he didn't feel weak.
"Well, now that you're awake, do you care to tell us how you want to be buried?" Ashkari asked. She sounded serious.
"What?!" Yugi yelped. Ashkari shrugged.
"I don't like it any more than you do," she said, "but none of the witch doctors for miles around have had any success at removing your illness. It is likely that you will die. The chief wants to know how the Strange-Eyes would like to be buried."
"I don't think I'll concern myself with that just now," Yugi said flatly. "I'm not going to die just yet." Ashkari raised an eyebrow, but Yugi never heard what she said because suddenly his vision swam and he found himself in a dark mysterious place filled with threatening shadows.
I…I can't go on, Yugi thought. His hand trembled.
You must! Yami's voice came. You have to win this duel, for your Grandpa!
For my Grandpa… Determination suddenly reared in Yugi's young heart, and his hand approached the deck again. He pulled the card, glanced at it. A smile flitted across his face as he lay it face-down…and collapsed.
Yugi!
I can't do this, Yugi thought. I can't risk hurting Kaiba, even to save Grandpa.
You can, Yami replied. You must.
No! It's not right, Yugi insisted.
"Celtic Guardian, attack!"
What are you doing?!
"No, stop! Stop…" I can never duel again, Yugi thought…
Yugi's eyes fluttered open again. "Yami…" he whispered. "Yami, what's happening…" There was no answer. Yugi lay silent, shivering with more than cold, as he relived the memories over and over again. Just two short clips, two tiny clips from his old life…and yet they filled him with terror.
Dueling, he realized. I was dueling…but against who? And who was the Grandpa I was trying to save? Who was the Kaiba that I didn't want to hurt? Who was I? But the silent confusion in his mind gave no answer.
A/N: I know, I know, the flashback lines are all wrong, but… ^sigh^ I don't have the time to listen to the tapes to find the lines (I don't really have time to be uploading this, actually, but – who needs school, anyway? ^grin^) ^glances at chapter titles^ I have a thing for the word 'strange,' methinks…
And that's all I have time to fix today, I'll try and get the other half edited and reposted tomorrow morning before school…Tenna telwan! ('Until later' in High-Elven)