Separation

Everything starts out normal, for Yugi anyways. But when Marik shows up, everything heads south. How will Yugi survive in the Shadow Realm without his yami to switch with?

Chapter 1

The Dream

I am running from something, though I don't have a clue as to what it is. I don't think it's something you can actually see, it's just a big shadow. But none the less, I wish to get away from it. Then, I see my yami, my hope.

"Yami, Yami help me," I plead.

But Yami says nothing. He doesn't even move. It's like he's glued to the spot, or frozen like a statue.

"Yami help," I plead again.

"No," Yami replies.

And then a big black vortex opens up from underneath me, and I fall through it.

I landed with a thud on the floor. I was head first on the floor. I was halfway out of my soft bed. I slipped the rest of the way out and sat on the floor, rubbing my spiky head.

"Owww," I moaned quietly.

"What happened?" Yami asked.

"I don't know really," I replied, looking up into the soft, semi-transparent face of Yami. "I just had this really weird dream and woke up down here."

"What dream was it?" Yami asked me.

"Um, it was the same one as I've been having for the past week or so," I replied, climbing back into my bed. "It's really strange, I keep having basically the same thing, but every time I have it, something in it changes."

"What do you mean?" Yami asked.

"Well, like the first time, I was simply running towards you. Then a shadow appears and I am running from that," I explained as I looked into Yami's face, trying to read what he was thinking. "You help me. But each time, you get less and less helpful."

Yami didn't say anything, he just thought.

"Yugi, are you okay?" came Grandpa's voice from the hallway.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I called back.

"Alright then," Grandpa answered as he walked back to his room.

"See you tomorrow Yami," I tell the pharaoh.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," he tells me.

I lay my head down and close my eyes. I picture the soft face of my yami in my mind as I fall asleep. I feel Yami softly brush my forehead with his hand as I fell asleep. The next morning, I wake up with a massive headache. It felt as though some one had put my head in a vice and tightened it as tight as it would go.

I moaned slightly as I walked down the stairs to breakfast.

Yugi, maybe you should stay home today Yami suggested.

I sort of wished he hadn't chosen to talk mentally with me at the moment, but I guess it was better than talking to him out loud.

Nah, I'll just take some aspirin before I leave for school I replied.

Yami didn't say anything. I hoped he trusted that I knew what I was doing, though I think I was crazy too. But I was going to school mostly because my friends were there. I didn't want to worry them.

"Good morning Yugi, sleep well?" Grandpa asked as I sat down at the table for breakfast.

"Not really," I replied.

Grandpa set my breakfast in front of me. He sat down across the table. I really didn't fell hungry right now, but I'd eat some, just to make Grandpa happy and to show Yami that I'm ready to go to school. Just then there was a loud knock at the door. I winched. My headache was still at full power for I hadn't taken any aspirin yet.

"I'll be right back," Grandpa told me, standing up from the table and going to and going to answer the door.

He came back with a big box that he left in the living room.

"New shipment of cards just came in," he told me.

Every word anyone said felt like a hammer was pounding away on my brain. A hit for every word.

"Yeah," I said, looking down at my food, trying to sound interested.

Breakfast was toast and eggs. Joy.

"Can I ask you to help me sort them after school today?" Grandpa asked.

"Sure," I replied.

I wish he would just stop talking.

"Are you okay Yugi?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just got a massive headache after falling on my head last night," I replied.

"Oh, well take some aspirin before you leave for school and you should be fine," Grandpa told me.

I ate the rest of my breakfast.

See, Grandpa's not worried," I told Yami.

Hmmm, was the pharaoh's reply.

Yami, it's nothing to worry about. It's just a headache.

That's not what's concerning me Yami replied.

Then what is it? I ask.

Nothing that can't wait until after school, he told me. And if you don't hurry, you're going to be late.

I looked at the clock and realized that I had ten minutes to get to school. I got some aspirin, said goodbye to Grandpa and sped out the door. I got to school and inside my class just as the bell rang.

"Man Yugi, you cut it pretty close there," Joey whispered to me.

"Yeah, I know," I replied.

"Where were you this morning?" Tea asked.

"I had a massive headache and had to grab something for it before I left," I told her.

"Okay class, settle down now," the teacher's voice boomed.

I winched slightly. The aspirin helped, but my headache was not completely gone.

"Your head still hurt?" Joey asked.

"Yeah, a little," I replied.

The day went pretty smoothly after that. My headache was gone by lunch time. At lunch, Tea went off somewhere else so Joey, Tristan and I all sat together.

"Hey Yugi, can we let you in on a secret?" Joey asked.

"Um, sure," I told him.

"Tea's completing her basic dance class and is moving onto the advanced class," Tristan leaned over and whispered in my ear.

"Her final performance for that class today right after school," Joey told me. "We're going to throw a party for her afterwards at Tristan's house."

"We need you to get her to come to my house some how, after," Tristan finished.

When the last bell rang, I caught up with Tea at her locker.

"Hey, Tea," I said.

"Yeah, what's up?" she replied.

"Um, I was wondering if you could come over to Tristan's house with me to help him with something," I lied.

I'm not a very good liar, really.

"I've got something I've got to get to right after school, but I can help afterwards," she told me, raising an eyebrow.

Blast it, she knows I'm lying, hope she'll still come.

"Do you know when it'll be done?" I asked.

"Yeah, about seven," she replied.

"That'll be fine, see you then," I told her and then I ran off.

Yugi, Yami's voice startled me.

Yes? I answered him, slowing to a walking pace.

I feel like something terrible is going to happen at this party

It's just a little celebration, what could happen?

I've learned something, never ask 'What could happen?'.