/Your friend, Yuugi Mutou, will die within the hour. These words echoed
through my head before the full impact hit me. I knew he was going to die,
but in the within the hour? He could die in an hour, or even five minutes.
When this registered in my head, I didn't cry or freak out./
"May we please talk to Yuugi?" Ryou asked with a pleeing look in his eyes.
"Yes, you may, but don't make him stressed or he'll die sooner than necessary," commented the Doctor.
"Necessary? Sooner than necessary? He's already gonna DIE sooner than NECESSARY!" yelled Tea.
"And it's all my fault," whispered Joey as a few tears slid down his cheek.
Everyone stared at Joey. They weren't sure if to actually blame him for this or tell him it wasn't his fault. Ryou was the first one to speak up.
"Well lets go see Yuugi!" he tried to say cheerfully. It didn't raise anyone's spirits. The reason they were going to go talk to Yuugi was to say their final goodbyes.
"He's in the second door on the left," said the Doctor. He looked at all of us and frowned. "I'm sorry we couldn't do more."
"You tried, and that's all that matters," Tea simply said.
"That's all that matters? Yuugi matters, Tea! He's our friend. He's MY best friend. I can't lose him, I won't lose him," Joey started to cry again.
Unsure of what to do, Tea said, "I'll go talk to Yuugi first." With those words she started to walk down the hall to the second door on the left. After Joey stopped crying he spoke up, "I-I will go after Tea." He had a distant look in his eyes as if he was in another world. This world, reality, must be too harsh for him right now.
"I'll go after Joey," Tristan said after being silent for a while.
"That makes me last," Ryou whispered. He walked over to the chairs and sat down. His legs began to tingle with joy after standing up for so long. /I can't believe this is happening. Just the other day we were hanging out at Burger World with happiness all among us. I wonder how we'd act if we knew what was going to happen. Would we spend more time with Yuugi and do more of the things he likes? What will happen to Yami if Yuugi dies? Will he go back into the puzzle searching for a new owner?/
Ryou looked up as he saw Tea walking towards them. As she got nearer they could see that she had been crying. Her face was streaked with dried up tears and her eyes were bloodshot. Tea stopped in front of Tristan and hugged him. Ryou could see her shoulders shaking and he knew that she was once again crying.
Joey looked at Tea and then back down the long, white hallway. He sighed and forced his feet to move towards the door Yuugi was waiting behind. When he got to the door he just stood there, unsure of what to say to Yuugi when he saw him. Gathering all his strength and will, Joey turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.
The room was dark except for a small lamp next to Yuugi's hospital bed. Yuugi was laying down with tubes coming out of his nostrils and arms. When Yuugi saw Joey he gave him a faint smile. "Hi, Joey," Yuugi whispered.
"Hey bud," Joey greeted back while sitting in the chair next to Yuugi's bed.
There was a silence for a few seconds before Yuugi asked, "Are you mad at yourself, Joey?"
Joey knew the answer to this question already. "Yeah, Yuug. It's all my fault that th-this happened. I should've kept my big mouth shut. If only-"
"It's not your fault Joey," Yuugi interrupted. "It's not your fault, my fault, not anyone's fault."
"But, Yuug-"
"No buts, Joey. This was going to happen to me no matter what," Yuugi stated. These were almost like the words Ryou had told earlier on the phone. "It's what God has planned for us. If he wanted me to live longer, I would've lived longer. Everyone's time will expire; my time is just now."
"How can you say that, Yuug?" Joey asked in disbelief. Yuugi was talking about his death as if he... wanted to die.
"I've always thought that I was going to grow old in my sleep. I thought that I would finally die when I was able to do everything that I've always wanted. I still want to experience love; not just when I love someone, but when they love me back. Ever since I was little I've wanted to travel to America. I want to go to a concert, tasted American Skittles, drink orange soda with Pepsi, go to a night club, get drunk, and even have sex. I've never even kissed anyone before! When I found out that I was going to die, I thought about everything I still wanted to do," Yuugi said.
"You've never been kissed?" Joey asked feeling sorry for Yuugi. Yuugi had wanted to do so many things, but now he couldn't.
"That's another thing I'd like to talk to you about before I... go," Yuugi whispered. Joey had to lean in a little to hear Yuugi's words. "Joey? Will you do me a favor?"
"Sure, Yuug, anything," Joey said while looking into his friend's violet eyes that had a deep sorrow in them.
"Will you, will you kiss me?" Yuugi asked with a pink tinting his cheeks. Joey's heart started to beat faster as he stared at Yuugi and replayed his question in his head. He couldn't believe what Yuugi had just asked him. "Please, Joey. I've never been kissed and if I could be kissed, I'd want you to be the person. Please, Joey."
How could Joey say no to that? He's thought about kissing Yuugi and doing more to him before, but this time it was different. This time it was Yuugi's last request of him. How could he turn that down?
A couple more seconds went by as the only sounds in the room was Yuugi's breathing and the beeping that let people know that he was still alive.
More seconds went by when finally Joey made his decision. He leaned forward in his chair until he was only inches away from Yuugi's face, and stared into his eyes. Joey smiled to himself as he thought about how happy this would make Yuugi.
Without any hesitation Joey closed his eyes and bent forward a little more until he met Yuugi's soft lips. Their lips grazed each other before Joey pressed down with a little more force; enough to feel the tenderness but not enough to bruise. Taking another step, Joey opened his mouth slightly and licked Yuugi's lips with his tongue. Yuugi obeyed this gesture and opened his mouth, inviting the warmth and wetness of Joey.
As Joey slid his tongue into Yuugi's mouth, tasting him, he could hear the tubes coming from Yuugi's nostrils, pump oxygen into them at a faster pace. Joey could feel Yuugi's tongue respond back. Their tongues danced with each other as Joey sensed Yuugi's happiness and satisfaction. Happy that Joey could help Yuugi out, he slowly pulled away from his smaller friend's mouth.
When Joey opened his eyes he saw the flushed look in Yuugi's face. Yuugi smiled up at him and said, "Thank you, Joey."
Joey just smiled back as he started to walk towards the door. Before Joey could walk out, he heard Yuugi say, "We'll meet again, Joey. When we do, I want to tell you everything about my new life. We'll be happy for the rest of eternity. Until then, I'll be waiting." "I'll be waiting, too," Joey whispered as he closed the door behind him. Tears started to flow down Joey's cheeks as he headed back to where his other friends were.
"How'd it go?" asked Tristan as Joey strode up to him.
Joey just stood there without a response. It was too hard for him to talk through all the tears. Tristan got the idea and patted Joey on the back before embracing him. After releasing Joey, Tristan walked down the hallway to Yuugi's room.
Ryou still sat in his chair as he watched the whole scene. He wondered what must've happened in that room between him and Yuugi. /Did Joey tell Yuugi that he loved him? Maybe Joey did confess and Yuugi told him that he loved him back. Whatever happened must've been really important to the both of them. I wonder what will happen when I go into that room. What do I say to a close friend like Yuugi? He's helped me with everything. Although I was too weak to control my Yami, Yuugi and his Yami saved me from Bakura's wrath. How could I ever thank them?/ Ryou sighed as he sat there watching Joey and Tea make there way to a bench. They sat down with their heads in their hands. Ryou only guessed that they must be crying.
A few minutes later Tristan walked to where Tea and Joey were sitting. Tristan sat down beside Joey and copied the others' positions. Ryou knew that it was his turn to go talk to Yuugi. As he stood up his heart started to beat faster. With every step he took down that hallway and towards that door, Ryou's heart quickened its pace. After what seemed hours, Ryou reached the door. He took a deep breath as he slowly opened the white door. What Ryou saw halted his breathing and heart. Yuugi was laying on a white bed with a million tubes coming out of him. Two tubes were coming out of his nostrils to help him breath.
That wasn't what really scared Ryou though. Yuugi was laying on his bed with his eyes closed. The small boy looked so weak and tired. The only sign of life was the beeping coming from a machine plastered on the wall.
Ryou stepped closer to Yuugi's bed. He was afraid to get too close, thinking that Yuugi just might break and shatter like his puzzle. As Ryou sat down in the chair, Yuugi's violet eyes opened slowly. A small smile came across his lips as he saw Ryou. "Hey, Ryou."
Ryou almost broke down and cried right then. Yuugi sounded so weak and far away. "Hey Yuugi," Ryou forced out.
"There's a lot I want to say to you," Yuugi croaked out.
"Don't waste your breath on me," Ryou caringly said.
"I'm not wasting my last breaths. What I need to say is important," Yuugi said.
Ryou felt so guilty. /What would everyone else think if they found out Yuugi wasted ten too many breaths on me?/
"Ryou, you became my friend ever since I met you. You didn't see me as a little freak as everyone else did. When Bakura used you like that, I got so angry I had to do something. I'm sorry that I chased Bakura away from you."
"Yuugi, you shouldn't be the one that's sorry. I should be sorry."
"Sorry for what?" Yuugi questioned Ryou.
Ryou wasn't sure. He just felt that Yuugi shouldn't be sorry for Ryou when he was the one.... "I don't know. For everything?"
Yuugi made a small snort at this. "That's why I like you so much, Ryou. You're always thinking about others and how they feel that you don't think enough about yourself. You don't realize it, yet, do you?"
Ryou wasn't sure what Yuugi was talking about. "Realize what?"
"You'll see, one day," Yuugi replied.
Ryou didn't know what to say to this so he asked, "What's going to happen to Yami?"
Yuugi just stared at Ryou until he answered, "Yami and I talked through our mindlink. He told me that since the world has already been saved he isn't needed anymore. All traces of the Shadow Games has been destroyed and five of the millenium items have been destroyed. My puzzle and your ring are the only ones left. Yami told me that he could either join me in the afterlife if I truly wanted, or he could stay here on Earth with another owner. I told him to stay here on Earth and protect it just in case anything else will happen. That's where you come in," Yuugi explained. Ryou was a little nervous because Yuugi was using a lot of energy.
"Where do I come in?" Ryou asked with worry in his voice.
"Yami said it would be best if it was you that kept him."
"Me? Why?" Ryou was bewildered at what Yuugi was telling him.
"Since you've already owned a millenium item and know more about it than anyone else, he said that you should own the millenium puzzle. You've been connected to the past somehow and he says that your connection will make it a lot easier for him to talk to you and occasionally take over your body."
Ryou felt a little dizzy after hearing all of this.
"I originally wanted Joey to have it, but Yami says it's best for you to own the puzzle. So, could you, Ryou?" Yuugi looked up at Ryou with pleading eyes.
"Yuugi, are you sure? I mean, you don't want him to join you?" Ryou asked.
"He'll join me later, don't worry," Yuugi just smiled.
"I-I don't know what to say," Ryou whispered. "You and Yami have grown so close, and I'd feel like I'd be intruding on your bond. Of course-"
Ryou was interrupted as Yuugi started to cough again. This time he coughed up blood. "Yuugi?"
Yuugi stopped coughing and looked worse than ever. "Please Ryou."
Ryou just blinked and then slightly smiled. "Okay, Yuugi."
Yuugi smiled and reached to take his puzzle off. Ryou felt awkward as he took the millenium puzzle from Yuugi and put it around his neck. A new sensation spread over Ryou. It was a strange feeling; a feeling that made part of Ryou feel weak and tired. Yuugi coughed again and Ryou finally realized what this new feeling was. It was what Yuugi was feeling. Ryou figured that since Yuugi is still alive, him and Yami are still connected and this is causing Ryou to feel whatever Yuugi is feeling. This only made Ryou more depressed as he felt the fragility of Yuugi and its increasing weakness.
"Ryou?" came a small, faint voice.
Ryou looked up at Yuugi. "Yes, Yuugi?" Ryou had no idea that this would be the last time he spoke to Yuugi using his name.
"Take care of Yami and the others. I know you'll find happiness in your life. I'm still awaiting my happiness," Yuugi whispered.
"What do you mean?" Ryou became even more worried. /What's Yuugi talking about?/
"I haven't found true happiness in this world. In the world I'm hoping to go to, I'll feel no pain and have no worries. I'll be able to do whatever I want and I'll just happily wait until you and the others can join me. It'll be where true happiness exists; like heaven," Yuugi explained with a distant look in his eye. /I could feel the sensation in me weaken slowly. I didn't want to admit it, but I knew Yuugi was dying./
"I'll miss you," was all Ryou could think of to say. He just sat there watching Yuugi depart from this world and enter his own perfect world.
/As the sensation slowly faded away to nothing, I could tell that Yuugi was happy. The beeping in the room turned into a steady ring. I gave Yuugi one last glance before I exited the room. The hall seemed longer than when I first came down it. When I finally reached the small open area, Tea, Tristan, and Joey were all asleep. I looked at my watch and realized an hour had passed since I went into that room./ Taking a deep breath, Ryou made his way over to the sleeping trio and said, "He's gone."
With those two words, all three of them woke up. They stared up at Ryou.
"He just passed a few minutes ago," Ryou tore his gaze from them. They looked so shocked and sad at the same time.
Tea started to cry and Tristan just sat there in silence. Joey was the only one that spoke, "Did he give that to you?"
It took Ryou a few seconds before he realized Joey was talking about the puzzle. "Yes. He said that he wanted to give it to you, but it'd be better if I had it since I used to own the ring."
Joey just smiled and stood up. "I'm happy for him."
Ryou, Tea, and Tristan all looked at Joey with questionable gazes.
"He seemed really happy that he'd be able to go to a place that he'd fit in. A place where he could be happy," Joey explained.
/I smiled as I thought about Yuugi. He did seem happy./
"Well, we should go and inform Mr. Mutou," Tea said in a shaky voice.
All four of us headed to the elevator and Tristan pressed the down button. Their was a calm silence that spread throughout them as they waited for the elevator to come. This calmness lasted all the way down to the first floor and out the exit doors. On the drive to their different homes, everyone thought about their special friend and his desire to move on.
Tea- I know you're happy now Yuugi and I'm happy for you. I just wish I could find true happiness as you have.
Tristan- Who knew that dying could be so wonderful? I guess you always had that talent for knowing things no one else knew.
Joey- Wherever you are Yuugi, I can't wait to join you. It must be wonderful to live somewhere that you could be happy all the time. I'd like to go there some time, and you better be there when I get there, or else.
Ryou- As you died earlier tonight, there was a smile on your lips. Just the thought that you were going to go somewhere that was better than here must've been enough. I'll do as you said and take care of Yami and the others. I hadn't fully realized it earlier but I realize it now... you're truly happy as we speak right now. I wonder if you can see us from where you are. If you can, I want you to take these words and remember them, we'll be joining you some day...
"May we please talk to Yuugi?" Ryou asked with a pleeing look in his eyes.
"Yes, you may, but don't make him stressed or he'll die sooner than necessary," commented the Doctor.
"Necessary? Sooner than necessary? He's already gonna DIE sooner than NECESSARY!" yelled Tea.
"And it's all my fault," whispered Joey as a few tears slid down his cheek.
Everyone stared at Joey. They weren't sure if to actually blame him for this or tell him it wasn't his fault. Ryou was the first one to speak up.
"Well lets go see Yuugi!" he tried to say cheerfully. It didn't raise anyone's spirits. The reason they were going to go talk to Yuugi was to say their final goodbyes.
"He's in the second door on the left," said the Doctor. He looked at all of us and frowned. "I'm sorry we couldn't do more."
"You tried, and that's all that matters," Tea simply said.
"That's all that matters? Yuugi matters, Tea! He's our friend. He's MY best friend. I can't lose him, I won't lose him," Joey started to cry again.
Unsure of what to do, Tea said, "I'll go talk to Yuugi first." With those words she started to walk down the hall to the second door on the left. After Joey stopped crying he spoke up, "I-I will go after Tea." He had a distant look in his eyes as if he was in another world. This world, reality, must be too harsh for him right now.
"I'll go after Joey," Tristan said after being silent for a while.
"That makes me last," Ryou whispered. He walked over to the chairs and sat down. His legs began to tingle with joy after standing up for so long. /I can't believe this is happening. Just the other day we were hanging out at Burger World with happiness all among us. I wonder how we'd act if we knew what was going to happen. Would we spend more time with Yuugi and do more of the things he likes? What will happen to Yami if Yuugi dies? Will he go back into the puzzle searching for a new owner?/
Ryou looked up as he saw Tea walking towards them. As she got nearer they could see that she had been crying. Her face was streaked with dried up tears and her eyes were bloodshot. Tea stopped in front of Tristan and hugged him. Ryou could see her shoulders shaking and he knew that she was once again crying.
Joey looked at Tea and then back down the long, white hallway. He sighed and forced his feet to move towards the door Yuugi was waiting behind. When he got to the door he just stood there, unsure of what to say to Yuugi when he saw him. Gathering all his strength and will, Joey turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.
The room was dark except for a small lamp next to Yuugi's hospital bed. Yuugi was laying down with tubes coming out of his nostrils and arms. When Yuugi saw Joey he gave him a faint smile. "Hi, Joey," Yuugi whispered.
"Hey bud," Joey greeted back while sitting in the chair next to Yuugi's bed.
There was a silence for a few seconds before Yuugi asked, "Are you mad at yourself, Joey?"
Joey knew the answer to this question already. "Yeah, Yuug. It's all my fault that th-this happened. I should've kept my big mouth shut. If only-"
"It's not your fault Joey," Yuugi interrupted. "It's not your fault, my fault, not anyone's fault."
"But, Yuug-"
"No buts, Joey. This was going to happen to me no matter what," Yuugi stated. These were almost like the words Ryou had told earlier on the phone. "It's what God has planned for us. If he wanted me to live longer, I would've lived longer. Everyone's time will expire; my time is just now."
"How can you say that, Yuug?" Joey asked in disbelief. Yuugi was talking about his death as if he... wanted to die.
"I've always thought that I was going to grow old in my sleep. I thought that I would finally die when I was able to do everything that I've always wanted. I still want to experience love; not just when I love someone, but when they love me back. Ever since I was little I've wanted to travel to America. I want to go to a concert, tasted American Skittles, drink orange soda with Pepsi, go to a night club, get drunk, and even have sex. I've never even kissed anyone before! When I found out that I was going to die, I thought about everything I still wanted to do," Yuugi said.
"You've never been kissed?" Joey asked feeling sorry for Yuugi. Yuugi had wanted to do so many things, but now he couldn't.
"That's another thing I'd like to talk to you about before I... go," Yuugi whispered. Joey had to lean in a little to hear Yuugi's words. "Joey? Will you do me a favor?"
"Sure, Yuug, anything," Joey said while looking into his friend's violet eyes that had a deep sorrow in them.
"Will you, will you kiss me?" Yuugi asked with a pink tinting his cheeks. Joey's heart started to beat faster as he stared at Yuugi and replayed his question in his head. He couldn't believe what Yuugi had just asked him. "Please, Joey. I've never been kissed and if I could be kissed, I'd want you to be the person. Please, Joey."
How could Joey say no to that? He's thought about kissing Yuugi and doing more to him before, but this time it was different. This time it was Yuugi's last request of him. How could he turn that down?
A couple more seconds went by as the only sounds in the room was Yuugi's breathing and the beeping that let people know that he was still alive.
More seconds went by when finally Joey made his decision. He leaned forward in his chair until he was only inches away from Yuugi's face, and stared into his eyes. Joey smiled to himself as he thought about how happy this would make Yuugi.
Without any hesitation Joey closed his eyes and bent forward a little more until he met Yuugi's soft lips. Their lips grazed each other before Joey pressed down with a little more force; enough to feel the tenderness but not enough to bruise. Taking another step, Joey opened his mouth slightly and licked Yuugi's lips with his tongue. Yuugi obeyed this gesture and opened his mouth, inviting the warmth and wetness of Joey.
As Joey slid his tongue into Yuugi's mouth, tasting him, he could hear the tubes coming from Yuugi's nostrils, pump oxygen into them at a faster pace. Joey could feel Yuugi's tongue respond back. Their tongues danced with each other as Joey sensed Yuugi's happiness and satisfaction. Happy that Joey could help Yuugi out, he slowly pulled away from his smaller friend's mouth.
When Joey opened his eyes he saw the flushed look in Yuugi's face. Yuugi smiled up at him and said, "Thank you, Joey."
Joey just smiled back as he started to walk towards the door. Before Joey could walk out, he heard Yuugi say, "We'll meet again, Joey. When we do, I want to tell you everything about my new life. We'll be happy for the rest of eternity. Until then, I'll be waiting." "I'll be waiting, too," Joey whispered as he closed the door behind him. Tears started to flow down Joey's cheeks as he headed back to where his other friends were.
"How'd it go?" asked Tristan as Joey strode up to him.
Joey just stood there without a response. It was too hard for him to talk through all the tears. Tristan got the idea and patted Joey on the back before embracing him. After releasing Joey, Tristan walked down the hallway to Yuugi's room.
Ryou still sat in his chair as he watched the whole scene. He wondered what must've happened in that room between him and Yuugi. /Did Joey tell Yuugi that he loved him? Maybe Joey did confess and Yuugi told him that he loved him back. Whatever happened must've been really important to the both of them. I wonder what will happen when I go into that room. What do I say to a close friend like Yuugi? He's helped me with everything. Although I was too weak to control my Yami, Yuugi and his Yami saved me from Bakura's wrath. How could I ever thank them?/ Ryou sighed as he sat there watching Joey and Tea make there way to a bench. They sat down with their heads in their hands. Ryou only guessed that they must be crying.
A few minutes later Tristan walked to where Tea and Joey were sitting. Tristan sat down beside Joey and copied the others' positions. Ryou knew that it was his turn to go talk to Yuugi. As he stood up his heart started to beat faster. With every step he took down that hallway and towards that door, Ryou's heart quickened its pace. After what seemed hours, Ryou reached the door. He took a deep breath as he slowly opened the white door. What Ryou saw halted his breathing and heart. Yuugi was laying on a white bed with a million tubes coming out of him. Two tubes were coming out of his nostrils to help him breath.
That wasn't what really scared Ryou though. Yuugi was laying on his bed with his eyes closed. The small boy looked so weak and tired. The only sign of life was the beeping coming from a machine plastered on the wall.
Ryou stepped closer to Yuugi's bed. He was afraid to get too close, thinking that Yuugi just might break and shatter like his puzzle. As Ryou sat down in the chair, Yuugi's violet eyes opened slowly. A small smile came across his lips as he saw Ryou. "Hey, Ryou."
Ryou almost broke down and cried right then. Yuugi sounded so weak and far away. "Hey Yuugi," Ryou forced out.
"There's a lot I want to say to you," Yuugi croaked out.
"Don't waste your breath on me," Ryou caringly said.
"I'm not wasting my last breaths. What I need to say is important," Yuugi said.
Ryou felt so guilty. /What would everyone else think if they found out Yuugi wasted ten too many breaths on me?/
"Ryou, you became my friend ever since I met you. You didn't see me as a little freak as everyone else did. When Bakura used you like that, I got so angry I had to do something. I'm sorry that I chased Bakura away from you."
"Yuugi, you shouldn't be the one that's sorry. I should be sorry."
"Sorry for what?" Yuugi questioned Ryou.
Ryou wasn't sure. He just felt that Yuugi shouldn't be sorry for Ryou when he was the one.... "I don't know. For everything?"
Yuugi made a small snort at this. "That's why I like you so much, Ryou. You're always thinking about others and how they feel that you don't think enough about yourself. You don't realize it, yet, do you?"
Ryou wasn't sure what Yuugi was talking about. "Realize what?"
"You'll see, one day," Yuugi replied.
Ryou didn't know what to say to this so he asked, "What's going to happen to Yami?"
Yuugi just stared at Ryou until he answered, "Yami and I talked through our mindlink. He told me that since the world has already been saved he isn't needed anymore. All traces of the Shadow Games has been destroyed and five of the millenium items have been destroyed. My puzzle and your ring are the only ones left. Yami told me that he could either join me in the afterlife if I truly wanted, or he could stay here on Earth with another owner. I told him to stay here on Earth and protect it just in case anything else will happen. That's where you come in," Yuugi explained. Ryou was a little nervous because Yuugi was using a lot of energy.
"Where do I come in?" Ryou asked with worry in his voice.
"Yami said it would be best if it was you that kept him."
"Me? Why?" Ryou was bewildered at what Yuugi was telling him.
"Since you've already owned a millenium item and know more about it than anyone else, he said that you should own the millenium puzzle. You've been connected to the past somehow and he says that your connection will make it a lot easier for him to talk to you and occasionally take over your body."
Ryou felt a little dizzy after hearing all of this.
"I originally wanted Joey to have it, but Yami says it's best for you to own the puzzle. So, could you, Ryou?" Yuugi looked up at Ryou with pleading eyes.
"Yuugi, are you sure? I mean, you don't want him to join you?" Ryou asked.
"He'll join me later, don't worry," Yuugi just smiled.
"I-I don't know what to say," Ryou whispered. "You and Yami have grown so close, and I'd feel like I'd be intruding on your bond. Of course-"
Ryou was interrupted as Yuugi started to cough again. This time he coughed up blood. "Yuugi?"
Yuugi stopped coughing and looked worse than ever. "Please Ryou."
Ryou just blinked and then slightly smiled. "Okay, Yuugi."
Yuugi smiled and reached to take his puzzle off. Ryou felt awkward as he took the millenium puzzle from Yuugi and put it around his neck. A new sensation spread over Ryou. It was a strange feeling; a feeling that made part of Ryou feel weak and tired. Yuugi coughed again and Ryou finally realized what this new feeling was. It was what Yuugi was feeling. Ryou figured that since Yuugi is still alive, him and Yami are still connected and this is causing Ryou to feel whatever Yuugi is feeling. This only made Ryou more depressed as he felt the fragility of Yuugi and its increasing weakness.
"Ryou?" came a small, faint voice.
Ryou looked up at Yuugi. "Yes, Yuugi?" Ryou had no idea that this would be the last time he spoke to Yuugi using his name.
"Take care of Yami and the others. I know you'll find happiness in your life. I'm still awaiting my happiness," Yuugi whispered.
"What do you mean?" Ryou became even more worried. /What's Yuugi talking about?/
"I haven't found true happiness in this world. In the world I'm hoping to go to, I'll feel no pain and have no worries. I'll be able to do whatever I want and I'll just happily wait until you and the others can join me. It'll be where true happiness exists; like heaven," Yuugi explained with a distant look in his eye. /I could feel the sensation in me weaken slowly. I didn't want to admit it, but I knew Yuugi was dying./
"I'll miss you," was all Ryou could think of to say. He just sat there watching Yuugi depart from this world and enter his own perfect world.
/As the sensation slowly faded away to nothing, I could tell that Yuugi was happy. The beeping in the room turned into a steady ring. I gave Yuugi one last glance before I exited the room. The hall seemed longer than when I first came down it. When I finally reached the small open area, Tea, Tristan, and Joey were all asleep. I looked at my watch and realized an hour had passed since I went into that room./ Taking a deep breath, Ryou made his way over to the sleeping trio and said, "He's gone."
With those two words, all three of them woke up. They stared up at Ryou.
"He just passed a few minutes ago," Ryou tore his gaze from them. They looked so shocked and sad at the same time.
Tea started to cry and Tristan just sat there in silence. Joey was the only one that spoke, "Did he give that to you?"
It took Ryou a few seconds before he realized Joey was talking about the puzzle. "Yes. He said that he wanted to give it to you, but it'd be better if I had it since I used to own the ring."
Joey just smiled and stood up. "I'm happy for him."
Ryou, Tea, and Tristan all looked at Joey with questionable gazes.
"He seemed really happy that he'd be able to go to a place that he'd fit in. A place where he could be happy," Joey explained.
/I smiled as I thought about Yuugi. He did seem happy./
"Well, we should go and inform Mr. Mutou," Tea said in a shaky voice.
All four of us headed to the elevator and Tristan pressed the down button. Their was a calm silence that spread throughout them as they waited for the elevator to come. This calmness lasted all the way down to the first floor and out the exit doors. On the drive to their different homes, everyone thought about their special friend and his desire to move on.
Tea- I know you're happy now Yuugi and I'm happy for you. I just wish I could find true happiness as you have.
Tristan- Who knew that dying could be so wonderful? I guess you always had that talent for knowing things no one else knew.
Joey- Wherever you are Yuugi, I can't wait to join you. It must be wonderful to live somewhere that you could be happy all the time. I'd like to go there some time, and you better be there when I get there, or else.
Ryou- As you died earlier tonight, there was a smile on your lips. Just the thought that you were going to go somewhere that was better than here must've been enough. I'll do as you said and take care of Yami and the others. I hadn't fully realized it earlier but I realize it now... you're truly happy as we speak right now. I wonder if you can see us from where you are. If you can, I want you to take these words and remember them, we'll be joining you some day...