" The Final Judgement "
By JessieHeart
*
"Yugi! Yugi!"
Ryou pounded on the Turtle Games Shop's glass door, ignoring the ever-taunting 'CLOSED' sign. It was barely 6 o'clock in the morning, and all Ryou could do was pray *somebody* in there was awake.
The door opened with a cheery, department store jingle. Yugi was standing there in his pajamas, bowl of cereal in one hand. He looked Ryou all over, noting that his face was flushed and sweaty. He had clearly run all the way there. The small boy smiled none the less.
"Ryou!"
Ryou eyes Yugi's smile and cereal warily. He could not believe that people were still living their lives, eating, smiling, being happy… How could there still be good in the world when his other self had disappeared and Ryou felt so terrible inside?
"Ryou? What's wrong?"
"Yugi, you've got to help me. I have to save my Yami!" Ryou said desperately, touching the Millenium Ring around his neck. Yugi's forehead creased in confusion, but he nodded and led Ryou up to his room.
"Wait here." He said, disappearing into the bathroom. Ryou sat in Yugi's desk chair, resting his face in his hands. The Ring hung loosely into his lap, still lifeless and empty as before. He fought to keep burning tears at bay.
Yugi returned to the room, dressed. He was carrying the Millenium Puzzle, and sat down on the bed. "What's wrong, Ryou?" he asked.
Ryou took in a deep, shuttering breath. "He's gone. My Yami's gone. You have to help me get him back. Surely your Millenium Puzzle's spirit will know how, right?"
Yugi frowned. He set the Puzzle beside himself and said, "Yami, can you help him?"
The Puzzle glowed and the faint illusion of an Egyptian came forth. Being a keeper of a Millenium Item, Ryou was able to see Yugi's darker half.
The pharaoh looked sullen and worried. He was silent for a long while, considering.
"If," he said at last, slowly, "The spirit of the Millenium Ring had left the safety of your soul, then he has passed into the afterlife. You can not reach him there."
Nobody spoke. Ryou felt as though a fire was lit behind his eyes. It was taking everything he had to keep the tears inside, because he knew his Yami was gone forever. His heart ached as if an entire piece had gone missing.
"So that's it then." Ryou said, voice shaking. "There's nothing I can do."
The pharaoh tried to council him. "You're better off without the spirit of that Ring. He thought nothing of your wellbeing."
Yugi nodded in agreement. "Time and time again he tried to sacrifice you in order to get the Puzzle. Now you can forget about him and live a normal life."
The pharaoh spoke again. "He was nothing but evil."
Ryou inwardly snapped. The flames in his eyes turned to pure anger. He jumped out of his seat and shouted at the other two.
"He was not! He was greedy, he was arrogant, and at times he was selfish and used me, but he was NOT evil! You never saw or knew him with he was at bay in our soul rooms, when all the injustices and sins would torture him into submission. But I did, I saw. *I* shared a soul with him, *I* alone truly knew him!"
The pharaoh looked away. Ryou fixed his gaze completely on him, as if trying to see inside his mind.
"If you know any possible way for me to save his soul from the Realm of the Dead, tell me. I need my Yami back."
Yugi blinked curiously at how Ryou said, "my Yami." The phrase was not possessive, rather it was that of a fond companion.
"Yami," said Yugi softly, "Is there nothing he can do?"
The pharaoh avoided their eyes. "There is something…" Ryou's chest filled with hope. "The power of the Millenium Ring can connect you to the spirit, no matter what plane he resides on. Only your mind can enter the Realm of the Dead, and your physical body will remain here. However, if something was to happen to your soul in that Realm… You will die."
Ryou looked at the pharaoh, ignoring Yugi's worried eyes. He swallowed and said more calmly than he felt, "Show me how."
*
By JessieHeart
*
"Yugi! Yugi!"
Ryou pounded on the Turtle Games Shop's glass door, ignoring the ever-taunting 'CLOSED' sign. It was barely 6 o'clock in the morning, and all Ryou could do was pray *somebody* in there was awake.
The door opened with a cheery, department store jingle. Yugi was standing there in his pajamas, bowl of cereal in one hand. He looked Ryou all over, noting that his face was flushed and sweaty. He had clearly run all the way there. The small boy smiled none the less.
"Ryou!"
Ryou eyes Yugi's smile and cereal warily. He could not believe that people were still living their lives, eating, smiling, being happy… How could there still be good in the world when his other self had disappeared and Ryou felt so terrible inside?
"Ryou? What's wrong?"
"Yugi, you've got to help me. I have to save my Yami!" Ryou said desperately, touching the Millenium Ring around his neck. Yugi's forehead creased in confusion, but he nodded and led Ryou up to his room.
"Wait here." He said, disappearing into the bathroom. Ryou sat in Yugi's desk chair, resting his face in his hands. The Ring hung loosely into his lap, still lifeless and empty as before. He fought to keep burning tears at bay.
Yugi returned to the room, dressed. He was carrying the Millenium Puzzle, and sat down on the bed. "What's wrong, Ryou?" he asked.
Ryou took in a deep, shuttering breath. "He's gone. My Yami's gone. You have to help me get him back. Surely your Millenium Puzzle's spirit will know how, right?"
Yugi frowned. He set the Puzzle beside himself and said, "Yami, can you help him?"
The Puzzle glowed and the faint illusion of an Egyptian came forth. Being a keeper of a Millenium Item, Ryou was able to see Yugi's darker half.
The pharaoh looked sullen and worried. He was silent for a long while, considering.
"If," he said at last, slowly, "The spirit of the Millenium Ring had left the safety of your soul, then he has passed into the afterlife. You can not reach him there."
Nobody spoke. Ryou felt as though a fire was lit behind his eyes. It was taking everything he had to keep the tears inside, because he knew his Yami was gone forever. His heart ached as if an entire piece had gone missing.
"So that's it then." Ryou said, voice shaking. "There's nothing I can do."
The pharaoh tried to council him. "You're better off without the spirit of that Ring. He thought nothing of your wellbeing."
Yugi nodded in agreement. "Time and time again he tried to sacrifice you in order to get the Puzzle. Now you can forget about him and live a normal life."
The pharaoh spoke again. "He was nothing but evil."
Ryou inwardly snapped. The flames in his eyes turned to pure anger. He jumped out of his seat and shouted at the other two.
"He was not! He was greedy, he was arrogant, and at times he was selfish and used me, but he was NOT evil! You never saw or knew him with he was at bay in our soul rooms, when all the injustices and sins would torture him into submission. But I did, I saw. *I* shared a soul with him, *I* alone truly knew him!"
The pharaoh looked away. Ryou fixed his gaze completely on him, as if trying to see inside his mind.
"If you know any possible way for me to save his soul from the Realm of the Dead, tell me. I need my Yami back."
Yugi blinked curiously at how Ryou said, "my Yami." The phrase was not possessive, rather it was that of a fond companion.
"Yami," said Yugi softly, "Is there nothing he can do?"
The pharaoh avoided their eyes. "There is something…" Ryou's chest filled with hope. "The power of the Millenium Ring can connect you to the spirit, no matter what plane he resides on. Only your mind can enter the Realm of the Dead, and your physical body will remain here. However, if something was to happen to your soul in that Realm… You will die."
Ryou looked at the pharaoh, ignoring Yugi's worried eyes. He swallowed and said more calmly than he felt, "Show me how."
*