Disclaimer: I own nuthin', and nuthin' owns me, except for my parents and the government and George Bush. Darn, that really doesn't leave me with much liberty, ne?

Cry of the Black Magician

Chappie Six: A Hikari's Tears

"Mou Hitori no Boku!" Yugi leapt from his hiding spot around the door frame to the kitchen.

Atemu paled. His crimson eyes grew wide in shock. "How much of that did you hear, aibou?"

"Enough to know that you were just gonna go and kick the bucket, not bothering to tell anyone until you could barely talk anyhow! Why didn't you tell me?" Burning tears now ran freely down the short teen's already soaked clean cheeks.

"I- I didn't want you to worry, to be unhappy... I used to promise you that I would always be there, that together we could never really lose... but now that I have my memories back, I know that I can't always be there. I didn't want to hurt you-"

"SO YOU THINK ANZU CAN HANDLE THINGS AND NOT ME!"

"NO! That is NOT true-" He started to cough from shouting, and couldn't stop. The pain in his stomach, chest, throat and head was worse than anything the ex-pharaoh had ever felt before, like a giant's hands rending his soul. When the coughs finally stopped coming, he forced his eyes to stay open, and held Yugi's gaze.

"Yugi." His voice was barely beyond a bone-rattling rasp. "Yugi, out of every single person in this world, present, past or future, you have been, are, and always will be the most important to me. You are not just my friend and gaming partner. You are the one that gave me life, and opened my eyes when they were closed, closed for three thousand years. I did not want to bring hurt to your eyes, but I see now that I was wrong, terribly wrong. Can you forgive me? Please?"

As an answer, Yugi ran to his yami and threw his arms around the weak older boy, tears ripping themselves from his eyes and drenching Atemu's shirt. The ex-pharaoh gently rubbed the smaller's back, tears in his own eyes.

"I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO! IT ISN'T FAIR!"

"Yugi..." Atemu murmured, "It's all right..."

"NO, IT ISN'T! YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUR OWN DEATH LIKE IT'S NATURAL!"

"It is. Everyone dies, Yugi."

"NOT SO SOON!"

"Unfair things happen in this world, aibou."

"I KNOW, BUT YAMI-"

"No, Yugi. Death is inevitable, as every wise man knows." Yugi just continued to scream at the top of his lungs. His love for his Yami boiled into powerful fear and hatred and he punched the couch over and over. Anzu tried to soothe him, but it didn't work and he just lunged at her instead, posessed by fresh crafted rage. Their friends in the kitchen heard Yugi's shouts and came in to see Anzu jump back from Yugi in shock, Atemu coughing so hard his face was grey and Yugi on the floor thrashing from side to side and screaming for all he was worth.

Mr. Bakura stepped forward. "I do believe we missed something."

The room went deathly silent except for Atemu's hoarse, uncontrolled coughing.

"What happened?" Shizuka ventured timidly.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Yugi screamed, "WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT ATEMU HAS HIS DEATH DAY ALL PLANNED OUT FOR US! WOULD YOU ALL LIKE TO HEAR?"

"Actually," said Mr. Bakura calmly, "We would. Atemu?"

He didn't get a response. Atemu's face was grey as he continued to choke and gasp into his fist. He finally stopped coughing, breathing slowly so as to take in enough air to allow him to talk. Then he told them.

Silence is NOT golden.

"Oh, hun." Mai had been in tears since Atemu's second sentence. "Oh, hun." She didn't get it, though. Whe they'd dueled in Duelist Kingdom he'd been that sly, tricky powerhouse, and now he was this... thing...

How?

"A-Atemu?" asked Ryo timidly, "Um, how long do you, um..."

"I know what you mean. I still probably have around two months."

Shizuka bit her lower lip and started to cry. Ryo patted the girl's back to comfort her.

"How will it... happen?" asked Otogi.

"If memory and instinct serve me right, it'll probably be when I catch a normal cold, or a flu, or something of the like, and it'll weaken me to the point where I... won't be able to ever get up."

"Atemu?" asked Mai, voice choked.

"Yes?"

"This may sound awkward, and you've got a girlfriend and I've got a boyfriend, but... can I have a hug?" He simply spread his arms in answer, and soon the whole group was one giant group hug, all linked together by fear and sorrow. Even Mr. Bakura was crying.

Atemu really was dying, and this time no amount of magic would bring him back.

Oh man, I feel so BAD now! I'm killing him off! Waaaaa!

Review Reply:

Man Electric Fire, you are a new pathetic sick-fic author's dream come true! Thank you SO MUCH for reviewing me and being so nice and loyal! I luv you! Could you tell me in your reviews whenever you update something? I try to find all your stuff but you've written so many and it's all so good that I get all overwhelmed and confuzzled and... I sound pathetic. But could you? Actually my parents don't let me date either, not that I'd ever want to though. Not yet. Eew. Do y'all know how many GERMS ya can get kissing some guy who probably hasn't washed out his mouth in like a decade? Gross, man. I'll give y'all that BBxElectric Fire story during the Thursday dress rehearsal, or if it's not finished by then (Not likely) it'll be posted here! Okie-dokies? Yes, everyone's got to feel sorry for poor sweet baby Ryo, I just hate to make the poor guy so miserable, but, sniff it's for the sake of drama. (I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not.. WAAAAAAAA!) For your BB ficcy, do you want something sappy, like... "Beast Boy found her that one cold winter's night, coughs shaking her entire body as the stars glinted in her wide ocean-hued eyes, proclaiming to the world once more the ancient constellation myths of old..." or something like Fire's Voice? It can't be as good as what you write, cuz you're great and I'm totally new and my stuff's really icky, but... It comes from the heart, ne? And how can you go totally wrong if it's BB, huh? See y'all tomorrow! (I'm typing this Tuesday night, I dunno when you'll read it.) Sorry about the long boring drabbling reply, but I just love to talk!