Chapter 7: I can
"YUUGI, NO!" Jounochi screamed from his standpoint, feet away. Yuugi couldn't kill Yami no Bakura; he was too innocent, gentle, to do such a thing, to sink so low as his adversary had. But Jounochi didn't notice that Yuugi's blade wasn't aiming at Yami no Bakura's blackened heart.
The cutting edge of the dagger slashed dead-center through the Millennium Symbol of his Millennium Ring.
"Goodbye… Yami no Bakura…" he whispered. Yami no Bakura's eyes shattered before Yuugi, body falling to the ground, writhing with screams as he fell away into the pit of shadows. A spirit, a demon forever broken, to fade away as an old photograph, into the shattered pieces of a hell bent soul. "And as for your existence…
"… No one can ever know."
With a clink, the dagger fell to the ground.
Yuugi swayed upon his feet, feeling the ground beneath him fading away. His vision blurred sharply, but the smile, the pure, almost asinine smile never leaving his face. He had done what he had wanted to do; he had saved his best friend, had avenged his fallen Pharaoh, and has locked his problem away forever behind closed doors. Now he could fall.
Now it was over.
"Yuugi!" Jounochi dove forward, catching Yuugi's slender body in his arms. He turned him over, observing the deep, red hole that marred his chest, looking at the ashen tincture of his face.
"Jounochi," Yuugi coughed slightly. "I did what I wanted to do… and I did it all by myself." He sounded like the old Yuugi, the one who dueled and laughed, had fun and smiled.
"Yeah, buddy, you did." Jounochi managed a watery smile. "You really did, man."
"Thanks… Jou…" Yuugi smiled again. "Do you remember… when you said that it wasn't like me to not wear the puzzle?"
"Y-yeah…"
"You were right.. always right." Yuugi muttered softly, still grinning to himself. "It almost wasn't me at all.. I was being so different. Hiding. Trying to.. to ignore my problem, put it off… but I didn't want to hurt you or anyone else… but I guess I still did, didn't I…"
"It ain't over, Yug, come on, buddy," Jounochi said waveringly, trying to appear optimistic as blood seeped from Yuugi's wound. "I'll call Honda, and Otogi, and Anzu, and we'll get an ambulance an'… an'… everything'll be fine."
"Arigatou, Jounochi." Yuugi whispered, his own eyes filming over with a thin line of tears. "You, and Anzu, Honda, and Otogi. Looking out for me like that… you always looked out for me like an older brother and I never said how much it meant to me…"
"Yug, let's not rattle off all this loopy-goopy last will crap, man, it ain't over yet!" Jounochi choked on a sob. "You're not gonna die, man... you can't die…" Yuugi smiled and closed his eyes, a thing track of tears running down his cheeks.
"I can." He whispered. "I can… and I'm so sorry."
A/N: DUDE! Is this the end of Yuugi! I should know, I'm the author has no clue anyway. Ah, the clueless fanfic writer. (aren't I annoying as hell?) tee hee.
Thank you so much to you who reviewed every chapter; you have no idea how much that meant to me, really. Thank you for taking interest in my story; I appreciate it. never gets reviews! .
Let's see now, now how is Jounochi gonna save his fading friend? You and I both know he'd never let him go without a fight. But who will come to Jounochi's aid when it looks like the end of the line for Yuugi? Next chapter, 'If you can hear me, help me, please.'
