Reviews and critiques are welcome as to my writing skill. Pot shots at Christianity or any religion are not welcome at all. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any copyrights, trademarks or registry in Yu-Gi-Oh. Wish I did!
10
/I told you it wasn't a good idea, but you wouldn't listen. Now look what has happened – you lost!/ Yami was not happy.
/It's just a game, Yami./
/Has the past year taught you nothing? It is not just a game! It will become real! A time is coming when the seven Millennium Items will be brought together. We must be the ones who hold them – for the good of the world! So we must not show weakness, we must not lose/
/WE didn't lose – I did! For once since completing the Millennium Puzzle, I took a challenge and played it through by myself./
/AND LOST! I cannot allow it again/
Yugi was shocked at Yami's anger. /I don't need this right now. Leave me alone/
Yami growled in disgust and responded snidely /As you wish./ His presence left Yugi's mind.
"Are you alright, Yugi?" Téa asked. "You're awful quiet."
"Hey, Yug, don't be too down by your loss. You'll get him next time." Joey was trying his best to cheer his buddy up.
Yugi stood up. "I'm going to walk home. You guys stay here and enjoy the Championship."
"Wait a minute," Tristan responded, "we'll go with you."
"No! I just need some time to think things through. It's pretty hard to think while you guys are trying to cheer me up." Yugi smiled at them thankfully. "You guys are the best, but I need some quiet time." He gave the Puzzle to Téa, asked her to drop it off at the Game Shop on her way home, and left.
The weather, hot, humid and overcast, was as oppressive as his thoughts. /How confusing can life get? On one hand, my adversary, Kaiba, is now willing to be friends. I felt no hostility from him during our duel and he didn't once try to mess with my mind like he usually does. He seems totally different, except he is still an extremely good duelist./
/On the other hand, my friend, Yami, is really angry. He has never been like this before. Did I hurt his feelings or is it because I questioned his motives and asserted my control. Is he resenting that? I usually go along with his suggestions./
/And what happened during that duel? My cards failed me. They have never done that before./
/you never lost a duel while Yami was in control …/
/Is the Heart of the Cards for real? Or has Yami been manipulating the cards all along./
/you only lose when YOU are in control …/
Yugi walked out of the heat and into his Grandpa's store. Grandpa looked up and, seeing it was Yugi, said, "Don't feel too bad, no one can win all the time." Yugi looked at him confused. "I have been watching the Regionals on the TV and saw your duel with Kaiba. You'll get another chance to beat him."
"I don't know if I want to duel anymore." Both Yugi and his Grandpa were surprised at those words. But, as Yugi thought about it, it was how he felt.
"Why?" said Grandpa in his kind way. Then he noticed something, "Where is your Puzzle?"
"Téa is bringing it. I wanted to think things out without Yami interrupting. He is pretty mad about the duel, and I don't think he would have liked the direction my thoughts were going." Yugi leaned against the store counter. "You know, since I solved the Millennium Puzzle, my life has turned into one big duel. Every time I turned around someone was in danger and only I could go help them. If I didn't, people would be hurt, lose their souls, or the world would end.
"Yami told me it's inevitable that the seven Millennium Items will be held by only one person and that person would have ultimate power. He keeps emphasizing that we should be the ones in control of them, so the evil ones wouldn't. I have had four of them at once already. I don't want that kind of power. It corrupts people!"
"True, but, if not you and Yami, then who?"
"Can't there just be no one?" Yugi and his Grandpa looked at each other, neither one with an answer.