Disclaimer: I don't own it (runs away crying)

Chapter 11

Yugi woke the next day still hugging the dagger to him. He had not slept well, dreams of Atemu in pain and torment had plagued him and he had no idea what to do about it. He wondered if there was another way to get to the afterlife other than dying. If there was then maybe he could get there and help Atemu though he had no idea what he could do.

'Maybe Jii chan knows a way' he thought to himself. He wondered if it was possible to bargain his own soul in exchange for Atemu's freedom from this evil being.

'Maybe if I offer him my soul he will let Atemu go.' He knew that was a huge risk and Atemu's captor would probably use Atemu again to destroy the world but he had to try. But first there was the problem of actually getting to the afterlife and after that how was he going to find Atemu? He could be anywhere and he guessed that it was a pretty big place possibly endless. The dagger in his hands might be able to help him as it was showing him visions of Atemu so maybe it would help him find him.

He got up still dressed from the day before having not bothered to change and went to find Sugoruku.

He found him sitting at the kitchen table staring into a cold cup of coffee. He looked as if he had not moved for quite some time. Yugi cleared his throat and the old man jumped slightly.

"Yugi you're awake! Did you sleep well?"

"No Jii chan I didn't, this dagger keeps showing me visions of Atemu in torment somewhere in the afterlife I have to get there and help him."

"You can't be serious? I mean you know as well as I do that there is only one way to get there and there's no way I'm letting you do that to yourself and besides what will you do if you find him?"

"I have a plan but I need your help to find another way to get to him, will you help me?"

"Well the Ishtars would have been better people to ask."

"They're dead, Atemu killed them under mind control."

"Oh I'm sorry Yugi." Sugoruku said. He had no idea about that as Yugi and Atemu had chosen at the time not to tell anyone about it.

"What's done is done Jii chan but I have to find a way to get to Atemu."

"I don't know if it's possible Yugi I mean think about it, if it were possible to get to the afterlife without dying don't you think it would be written somewhere? There's nothing not even a hint in the tombs I've visited or in any of the papyrus I have read." (A.N. Papyrus is an ancient Egyptian form of paper that they wrote hieroglyphics on)

"Well there has to be a way and I swear I will find it. I can't stand to see mou hitori no boku in so much pain." Yugi said stubbornly.

"The other you." Sugoruku muttered. "He's not really that anymore though is he? I mean you don't share a body anymore and he is his own person."

"Well I still think of him as the other side of me Jii chan. Apart from a few small differences we look virtually the same and besides when he came back this time I asked if he minded me calling him that and he didn't. He still calls me aibou."

"Fair enough."

The doorbell ringing interrupted them and Sugoruku rose to answer it. Yugi decided he needed a hot chocolate in order to think about how he was going to help Atemu when a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Yug, what are you doing? Since Atemu came back none of us have seen you." Jou said coming into the kitchen.

"I'm sorry Jou we've been a bit busy over the last few days."

"Busy? Doin' what? In case you hadn't noticed dere's somethin' destroying things out dere! What you two been busy doing? Playin' Duel monsters?"

Jou was obviously upset that his small best friend had apparently been ignoring him and everyone else since Atemu came back and he had a good mind to have a go at the pharaoh when he saw him.

"Jou I think you'd better sit down so Yugi can explain." Sugoruku said when he was able to get a word in edgeways. Looking very puzzled, Jou sat and Sugoruku excused himself to leave them to it.

"What's goin' on man?" Jou asked.

"It's a long story Jou and started not long after Atemu returned. Someone controlled his mind and made him do all that stuff you've been seeing on TV and hearing on the radio."

"Wha?" Jou looked totally dumbstruck. Of all the things he expected Yugi to say, this was definitely not one of them!

"Yeah it's true and now Atemu's gone again." Yugi said tears threatening once again.

"Gone? Gone where?"

"Back to the afterlife. I…I had to kill him to end what was happening, if I hadn't the evil thing possessing his mind would have destroyed the whole world! But I couldn't do it, Atemu had to do it himself and now he's gone."

Yugi bit back the tears feeling that he had already cried an ocean for the loss of Atemu. Jou was looking at him sceptically.

"I dunno whether to believe you or not. I know you too well Yug to believe you could even consider killing anything let alone Atemu."

"It's true Jou follow me and I'll show you."

Yugi led them up to his room and showed Jou his blood stained mattress. Jou gasped in shock and then gave Yugi a hug.

"I'm sorry man, I just didn't think you could do it."

"I didn't, I couldn't go through with it, Atemu plunged the dagger into his own heart. That's not all though I've been getting visions of him in terrible pain wherever he is now and I want to help him but I don't know how to."

"I'll help ya." Jou said feeling awful for his small friend.

"Thanks Jou but I don't know how you can help."

"Well ya can count on me anyway buddy."

They stood for a while Yugi taking comfort from his friend and Jou wondering what they could do about Atemu. Eventually Yugi broke away and sat on the bed staring at the floor and feeling as if the situation was hopeless.

"I don't know what to do." He said forlornly. Jou looked at him.

"Listen where exactly is Atemu?"

"Well he's in the afterlife being tortured by the one he sold his soul to in order to return here in the first place."

"He sold his soul?"

"Yes, he was desperate to return here so he agreed to pay with his soul for the chance to come back but he didn't know what was going to happen."

Jou's mind began to work overtime as he thought about everything.

"Yug, your souls used to be connected by a corridor in your mind didn't they? You once told me about it and you used to talk to Atemu in your 'soul rooms' am I right?"

"Yes you are but since Atemu left after the ceremonial duel, the door was shut and I don't seem able to get there anymore and besides it was all through the power of the Millennium Puzzle that we were even able to do that. Also Atemu's spirit shared my body, it's different now and I don't think we can re-connect like that again."

"But what if you had the Puzzle again? Surely the power is still there isn't it?"

"It probably is but it's buried under a big pile of rubble at the doorway to the afterlife that Atemu went through so I don't think that's an option for us."

They both lapsed into silence trying to think.

Yugi suddenly remembered that the evil being had known about his phone conversation with Marik and had sent Atemu there to kill him. What if he had some sort of window to the real world where he could watch and see what was going on? He had obviously heard what Yugi had been saying so was it possible that he could hear him now if he cried out to him?

"Jou I think I know of a way!" he said and Jou almost jumped out of his skin the room had been so quiet.

"How?" he asked hoping that it didn't involve death. Yugi told him his plan and Jou nodded.

"It might work but how are you going to get him to draw you into the afterlife?"

"I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse."

"What offer?" Jou asked looking worried.

"I can't tell you just promise me one thing okay?" Jou nodded uncertainly. "If this works and Atemu comes back. Promise me that you will stop him from coming to find me okay?"

"Yugi what are you planning?"

"I can't tell you! Please understand I have to do this. I have to save Atemu's soul no matter what."

"Yes but at what cost?" Jou muttered. He had a sneaking suspicion he knew what Yugi was planning but he decided that if he pushed him too much, Yugi would get angry at him for not trusting him.

"Okay buddy I promise."

"Thanks Jou. He may not come back of course after all his body is dead, he has nothing to come back to I just needed you to promise."

"Ya got it Yug, I'll make sure he doesn't come searching for you."

Yugi was still sitting on the bed and he held the dagger close to him. Doing so gained him a brief vision of Atemu again and made him more determined than ever to get there and carry out his plan. Taking a deep breath he shouted.

"WHOEVER YOU ARE THAT POSSESSED ATEMU'S MIND I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!"

Anobi who had seen everything through his stone, smiled evilly. So little Yugi wanted to come and try and rescue Atemu did he? Well let him come, he would just trap him here along with Atemu and see how far he got!

He began an ancient chant that would draw Yugi's soul into the afterlife…

TBC…

Okay another one yay! See you next chapter – will Anobi listen to Yugi or not? Watch this space! Lol that sounded so corny urgh…