Puzzleshipping Collection Chapter 6: World So Cold, a yu-gi-oh fanfic

Title: World So Cold

Genre: romance, angst, hurt/comfort

Rating: T for language

Pairing: YamiXYugi (puzzleshipping)

Song: "World So Cold" by Three Days Grace

Summary: A Section from a Future Story Called "The Chronicles of Ra: Waking the Dragons". After losing his aibou to the Orichalcos, Yami is forced to face what his Yugi has become: a tainted minion to the Leviathan and Dartz's evil plan. Will Yami be able to defeat his tainted hikari and save Yugi's soul?

Me: Okay, my dear readers! This is a chapter that we have wanted to write for a really long time!

Lucy: Since we loved the episode "Self Destruct" and season 4 so much, we wanted to write a fic that was like our version of it, with a slightly different story plot and much more romance, though that season practically proved that Yami was totally in love with Yugi! If it was anyone else who had been taken away by the Orichalcos, Yami wouldn't have cried like he did with Yugi!

Me: But there are a bit of changes from the original, to make it more to our liking, as you will all see! We chose this song because it really fits this soon-to-come story!

Lucy: Will Yami win his Yugi back? Tune in to see!

Me: And we will admit that not only was this story inspired by season 4 of Yu-Gi-Oh, but some of the stuff was also inspired by Yu-Gi-Oh 5d's, though not too much of it, since the original Yu-Gi-Oh! is and always will be much better than 5d's ever will be!

Lucy: Anyway, enjoy the story! Dedicated to all my readers!

Chapter One: World So Cold

Yami stood in the center of the circle and called for Yugi. "Yugi!" he cried to the heavens. "If you are really here, then please, show yourself! It's me! Yami!"

He had lost Yugi to the Orichalcos.

He had been offered a way to see his beloved again, and even though he had to face a bunch of wicked spirits in the process, Yami would do anything to see Yugi again.

The lights that had been surrounding him circled and started making a human form. They grew and grew, making a shape that Yami was familiar with before vanishing.

Then Yugi appeared, floating before the Pharaoh.

Yami couldn't find his voice.

His lovely aibou looked different than he had before.

It was definitely Yugi, there was no doubt about it. His hair was the same spiked black and red star with blond bangs that Yami remembered, and his skin was still the same color, though maybe a bit paler than usual. His eyes were closed, so Yami couldn't see if they were the same amethyst color that he loved.

What was strange was the marking on Yugi's face and his clothes.

Under Yugi's left eye was what appeared to be a little crimson star. It hadn't been there before, and Yami was slightly shocked at seeing it. Then there were Yugi's clothes.

The hikari was wearing what appeared to be a sleeveless black top that exposed the majority of his stomach. The front of the "shirt" had crimson trim on it and snaked up to Yugi's neck, forming what appeared to be a spiked/feathery choker. The top was covered by a short shawl/cape that came to the middle of his back with what seemed to be a red rimmed hood.

On his arms, up to his upper arm, were fingerless black gloves. He wore a pair of black shorts with strange red designs on them, and a pair of pitch black boots. He wore what seemed to be a thick red belt that formed into a black cape that fell from his waist and dragged in the ground behind him.

Yugi groaned slightly and opened his eyes, and to Yami's pleasure, they were bright amethyst, though he looked dazed. "Y-Yami?" Yugi whispered, his voice hoarse. "Is it really you?"

Aibou, Yami thought in shock, reaching his hand towards Yugi. What's with those clothes? "Yugi," Yami whispered.

His fingers reached out for Yugi, but his arm went right through Yugi's form.

Yugi glanced over his shoulder at the star-haired yami, who was staring at him in shock. "You... came all this way just to see me, Yami?" the little hikari whispered, his cloaked shoulders shaking.

Yami turned to his beloved. "Of course!" he said. "I-I wanted to tell you how sorry I was."

Yugi lowered his head and closed his eyes with a strange smile. "I'm sorry too. I wish the whole thing never happened," he said. He frowned and slowly opened his eyes. "Why are you here?"

Yami looked taken-aback. "I wanted to see you, no matter what," he said.

"In this empty shell, Yami?" Yugi asked, glancing down at his solid, though spirit-like body with a frown.

Yami noticed this and instantly felt horrible. He closed his red eyes tightly. "It's my fault," he told the hikari. "I gave in to my darkness, and you paid the price."

Yami looked up and saw that Yugi still wasn't looking at him.

He continued.

"Now that you're gone, the darkness is starting to grow inside me. Without your light to keep him pure, I'm becoming evil," Yami said to the star-haired hikari.

Yugi gave a dry chuckle. "Is that a fact?" he murmured.

This went unnoticed by Yami, who continued to speak. "Perhaps what Raphael said is true- perhaps I was a wicked Pharaoh. What if I am the one responsible for the destruction of Egypt? If it's true, then it's my soul that should be locked away. Not yours."

Yami shivered and felt tears filling his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

"I don't know what to do. I don't know what's good or bad," he whispered painfully. "When you are with me, I can feel the heart of tenderness and forgiveness. Right now, all I feel is emptiness. Total blackness. It's awful, Yugi. Even if I keep dueling, all I do is hurt people. It's just as Rafael said. There is a dark power in my heart. I'm even afraid of getting my memory back."

Yugi scoffed, which made Yami glance up.

"What good is that now?" the star-haired hikari spat. His back was still facing Yami, and his black/red shawled shoulders were shaking. "I'm the one who's been locked away forever."

Yami felt a stab of pain at Yugi's hateful tone.

"I-I'm sorry," he whispered.

Yugi scoffed and turned to glare full on at Yami. "The last thing I need is your pity, Pharaoh!" he snapped.

Yami flinched. Yugi always called him "Yami" or "Mou Hitori no Boku". And when he did call him "Pharaoh", he was never this cold. He never sounded as evil as he did now.

"Aibou," Yami whispered.

Yugi ignored him. "If you are really evil, there's only one thing to do," he said. "Did you only came to see me to talk of your weakness. Did you only revive my soul to demoralize me?"

Before waiting for Yami to answer, Yugi started walking past Yami.

It was around this time that Yami noticed the Duel Disk that appeared on Yugi's forearm, over his black glove. The Duel Disk was black, and looked almost like a dragon. Pure evil.

Yugi turned to Yami with a glare when he was on the other end of the circle. "Your spirit should be locked away, too, and I'm going to do it," he told the man he loved.

Yami flinched and felt himself shaking. Why, Aibou? he found himself wondering.

A smirk, one that rivaled even Bakura's evil smile, flashed across Yugi's lips. "I knew this day would come. I knew I was going to have to duel you sooner or later," he said.

Yami felt his heart skip a horrid beat. "Aibou!" he called, taking a step forward. He felt his heart hurt when Yugi flinched and stepped slightly back, though he was far enough away as it was. "You misunderstood! I-"

"Silence!" Yugi snapped. "You don't deserve to be part of this world! It's time you learn your place, Pharaoh!"

Yami frowned and shook his head. "No, Aibou," he whispered. His heart felt as though it weighed a ton, and it hurt. "I-I don't want to do this," he whispered again.

Yugi clicked his tongue angrily. "It's time for you to pay!" he yelled. "If you're really sorry, you'll do this. If your heart has really become dark, I will beat you. Your dueling ability is stronger than mine, but I'll still beat you."

Yami's heart almost stopped at Yugi's final heartless words before their duel started.

"I'll defeat you and take it as an eternal goodbye between you and me."

I never thought I'd feel this
Guilty and I'm broken down inside
Livin' with myself nothing but lies

I always thought I'd make it
But never knew I'd let it get so bad
Livin' with myself is all I have

I feel numb
I can't come to life
I feel like I'm frozen in time

Livin' in a world so cold, wasting away
Livin' in a shell with no soul since you've gone away
Livin' in a world so cold, counting the days
Since you've gone away, you've gone away

Yugi began the duel by playing one monster face down and ending his turn. Yami drew and summoned Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts (1500 ATK), attacking Yugi's face-down monster, which strangely was also Gazelle. Yugi snarled slightly at this, but said nothing. Gazelle's defense points were 1200, so Yugi's Gazelle was destroyed.

Yami gasped and glanced up at Yugi. "Aibou, we... We're holding the same cards," he said.

Yugi scoffed and rolled his amethyst eyes. "Copying me now, are you, Pharaoh?" he spat the title bitterly. Yugi drew, then played another monster face down.

Yami drew in silence, then held up Polymerization and Berfomet.

Yami fused Berfomet with Gazelle to form Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast (2100 ATK). Then he played Alpha the Magnet Warrior (1400 ATK), using it to destroy Yugi's defense monster, and attacking directly with Chimera.

Yugi's life points went down to 1900.

Yugi frowned and scoffed, glaring at nothing. Yami felt a cold shiver snake up and down his spine when he felt Yugi's glare shift over him. It was like ice was encasing him.

Why, Aibou? Yami wondered. If we have the same hands, then why didn't you use Monster Reborn to bring back Gazelle and block me? Are you trying to lose on purpose?

Something snapped in Yami's mind.

Or are you trying to throw me off so you can use another new strategy?

Yugi's defense monster turned out to be Sangan, which, when it's destroyed, allows Yugi to move a monster from his deck to his hand. Yugi smirked at Yami evilly.

Yami flinched, his heart racing. "Aibou," he whispered.

Yugi ignored his yami. "It's my turn," he answered, drawing a single card. He set a card face down, then played Card Destruction, requiring him and Yami both to discard their hands and draw a new one.

Yugi chuckled, and it scared Yami.

It was not the chuckle that Yami had fallen in love with. It was one that rattled through him, like venom. Pure evil. His aibou was taken over by something.

"Now our hands will be different and you can't cheat any more," Yugi spat.

Yami felt pained by this, and looked at the ground, squeezing his fist. His heart was pounding painfully in his chest. "Yugi, why are you acting like this?" he called.

Yugi laughed wickedly again. "I'm just a reflection of you, Yami," he spat. "We're exactly alike. The darkness that dwells inside you is also inside of mine, you see. Yours hasn't awakened. Your demons are dormant. But mine..."

Yugi shivered with silent laughter, and closed his eyes.

"Mine have awoken to their full strength."

Yami couldn't take much more of this. It hurt. Seeing Yugi act this way, seeing him dressed in those horrible (yet strangely attractive black and crimson clothing), and seeing that bizarre star under his left eye.

"Aibou, please stop!" Yami begged. "It's meaningless to continue this duel!"

Yugi seemed to freeze, and glared at Yami. "Why is it meaningless to continue this, Yami?" he snapped.

"Isn't it?" Yami asked.

Yugi frowned and looked away at the ground, and for a moment, Yami thought he saw the beloved boy that he loved yet again. "Indeed you are very strong, but I know your weakness, and the darkness in your heart," Yugi said.

Yami paused in shock. "M-my what?" he breathed.

Yugi bit his lower lip hard enough to draw some blood. "Yami, you are arrogant, and persist in your own honor. You just want to do what you want to do," he snapped.

The star-haired hikari glanced away sadly.

Yami noticed that as before, Yugi no longer looked like the tainted person that he had been turned in to. He looked like the beloved little teen that Yami had fallen in love with.

"But it won't work. If you only have one value, it's impossible to see others' pain and sorrow. Haga or Mai-san, even the sadness of the Three Swordsmen- you can't see it," Yugi said.

Yami took a weak step towards his beloved. "I-I wish I could take it all back," he said.

"It's too late," Yugi said. "You have shown me who you really are! An evil Pharaoh who only cares for yourself! You're a coward!"

Yami flinched when he saw the tears of anger and pain that seemed to fill his beloved's eyes. He reached for Yugi, but drew his hand down when he knew that it was pointless.

"Yugi-"

"Yugi's dead!" Yugi hollered, reaching up and covering his ears with his fingerless gloved hands. "You murdered him! His innocent soul was tainted the moment you betrayed him!"

Yami gasped and stepped forward, unafraid this time. "Yugi, no!" he called. "I-I never betrayed you! I've come all this way to save you! I never stopped thinking about you, Yugi! Not even once!"

"Be silent!" Yugi yelled, taking his hands away from his ears and glaring painfully at Yami. "You never cared what happened to me as long as you had power, Pharaoh! I was just some sacrifice to you! I never meant anything to you, Yami! You were just using me! You never gave a fuck about me! You never loved me, Yami!"

Yami felt heartbroken by the accusation.

"My love, I-" he started, but was interrupted when Yugi drew another card.

"I've had enough!" Yugi snapped, glancing over at the card with a sad smile. "This card- this wonderful and evil little card. This one that tainted me, the one that gave me comfort when I was in the darkness. The one who opened my eyes and showed me that you never loved me. Why would I have this in my deck?"

Yami gasped when he realized what the card was. "Aibou, no!"

Yugi glanced up at Yami with a pained smile. "It's too late, Yami," he whispered, and Yami noticed the tears building behind Yugi's eyes, as if he didn't want to believe that Yami had betrayed him, but something was causing him reason to doubt his beliefs. "It's too late," the star-haired hikari repeated softly.

Yugi played the Seal of Orichalcos.

Do you ever feel me?
Do you ever look deep down inside
Starin' at yourself, paralyzed?

I feel numb
I can't come to life
I feel like I'm frozen in time

The Seal formed around them, and stretched across the playing field. Yami heard Yugi's agonized scream as the Seal engulfed him, and he was forced to remember the cry Yugi had released when the Seal first captured him.

From where he stood, Yami saw a strange symbol, like the Seal itself, form on Yugi's forehead and then become invisible again. He noticed Yugi's lovely amethyst eyes widen in agony. The whites of Yugi's pure and innocent eyes turned black, to mirror the taint that his soul had absorbed. It was horrible, and Yami could hardly watch.

The amethyst color of his eyes, his irises stayed the same, but stood out from his now pitch black scleras (also commonly known as the "whites of the eyes").

The crimson star under his left eye glew and then dimmed again, and Yugi looked up and smirked wickedly at Yami. Yami flinched at his beloved's totally evil look and the dark aura that resonated around him. Yami noticed that the Seal, which had appeared on Yami's forehead when he had used it, was not present on Yugi.

It was as if the rest of Yugi's innocence had been tainted. His now blacked scleras were suppose to be the very symbol of Yugi's tainted soul, as Yami now realized.

"Now it's payback time," Yugi snarled with a smirk on his lips. "For taking my soul!"

Yami started to protest. "Aibou, no!" he pleaded. He felt tears forming in his eyes, but after taking a long look at Yugi's tainted black and amethyst eyes, Yami's shoulders relaxed, and he bit his lower lip. "Please..."

Seeing that Yugi wasn't going to listen to him, Yami realized that he had no choice but to replace his hand and go on with his and Yugi's duel, though it pained him.

Yugi smirked. "Ready?" he asked. He activated his face-down card, Monster Reborn, and used it to bring back Dark Magician Girl, which he'd just discarded to the graveyard.

Yami gasped as the Dark Magician Girl appeared on the field and glanced around, confused. She barely had time to question anything before Yugi summoned another monster. He summoned Obnoxious Celtic Guardian.

"Yugi, no!" Yami shouted.

Yugi smirked wickedly and threw his hand to his monsters. "Okay, monsters! Embrace the powers of the Seal! Embrace your inner darkness and relase your inner demons as I have!" he called.

The two monsters threw their heads back and screamed as their eyes were tainted black as their master's was, but when it ended, they turned and smirked evilly at Yami, having gained 500 attack points due to the seal, raising Dark Magician Girl's attack to 2500, and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian's to 1900.

Yugi used Obnoxious Celtic Guardian to destroy Yami's Magnet Warrior, and Dark Magician Girl to destroy Chimera. Yami's life points went down to 3100, and he had no monsters on the field.

Yami glanced up and decided to use Chimera's special ability to bring back Berfomet in defense mode (1800 DEF).

On Yami's turn, he summoned Big Shield Gardna in defense (2600 DEF), thinking that it would protect him from Dark Magician Girl's attack. Yugi responded by summoning Queen's Knight (1500 ATK, raised to 2000 by the Seal of Orichalcos), whose scleras turned black as well. Yugi smirked at Yami again.

He said nothing, and then played Magic Formula to raise Dark Magician Girl's attack by 500, to 3000 points. He destroyed Berfomet with Queen's Knight and Big Shield Gardna with Dark Magician Girl, then attacked Yami directly with Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, bringing Yami down to 1200 life points.

"It won't be long now," Yugi said. "Soon Yami will be locked away forever, where he belongs."

Yami shivered and glanced up, finding himself staring deep into the blacks of Yugi's tainted eyes. He whispered his love's name, and noticed how Yugi chuckled wickedly at it.

"Your Yugi's dead," he answered. "You killed him when he betrayed him."

"Stop it, Yugi!" Yami begged. "Please!"

Yugi chuckled and then started cackling. It sent shivers down Yami's spine, hearing the one he loved so much laughing in such a wicked fashion. It didn't suit the boy he loved. So pure and innocent. Nothing as pure and innocent and beautiful as Yugi should be laughing in such a cold and evil way. It just wasn't right.

"Not yet," Yugi answered. "It's show time."

Seeing that there was nothing he could do, Yami drew a card and set one card face down. He played the Giant Soldier of Stone in defense (2000 DEF). Then he played Swords of Revealing Light to prevent Yugi from attacking for three turns, thinking that it would give him three turns to talk some sense into Yugi.

Yugi started cackling evilly again. "That shit won't work against me!" he spat.

Yami gasped. Yugi never dropped the S-bomb, or swore in any other way. It was horrifying, hearing Yugi speak like this, and it made Yami fear that his Yugi was in fact gone, replaced by this evil one, this tainted creature.

Yugi, Yami thought, gripping his fists tightly, nails digging into his flesh. How do I save you from this dark force controlling you?

"Your Swords mean nothing," Yugi continued. He quickly sacrificed Celtic Guardian to summon Catapult Turtle (1000 ATK, raised to 1500 by the Seal of Orichalcos).

In horror, Yami realized that this is what he did last time. When he was controlled by the Orichalcos. He had summoned the Catapult Turtle and caused damage to Raphael.

Yugi chuckled as he agreed. "Now it's time for you to experience the consequences of your own evil," the star-haired hikari said. "Now you will never duel again. It's all over."

Livin' in a world so cold, wasting away
Livin' in a shell with no soul since you've gone away
Livin' in a world so cold, counting the days
Since you've gone away, you've gone away from me

I'm too young to lose my soul
I'm too young to feel this old
So long, I'm left behind
I feel like I'm losing my mind

"Yugi, wake up!" Yami pleaded. "You have to wake up!"

Yugi laughed evilly. "I'm wide awake, Yami!" he yelled back. "I'm finally awake. Awake to the truth of this life. You never loved me! I was just some pawn to you!"

"No, Yugi, never!" Yami insisted. "I love you!"

Yugi looked pained for a moment, as if Yami's words had somehow snapped his true self; the innocent, loving boy that Yami loved; back into control of his body. Yugi flinched and hugged his body, trembling and shaking his head slowly. He murmured that Yami was lying and that none of this was true, that Yami never actually loved him.

That's it! I need to convince Yugi that I really do love him in order to break him from the darkness that is clouding his mind! "Yugi, my love, please listen to me! I love you!" he shouted.

Again, Yugi flinched and shook his head as if he were getting a headache. Yugi's scleras, tainted black, seemed to turn white for a moment before turning right back to black. "Shut up!" he cried, almost pleading.

"I love you, Yugi!" Yami yelled as loud as he could. "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you! I fucking love you, Yugi!"

"BE QUIET-!!" Yugi yelled as loud as he could. Yami flinched at the hatred that filled his lover's tone. He stepped back when he saw Yugi glaring daggers in his direction. "You played me for a fool, Yami. You played with my heart, and after finally letting my inner demons take me over, I'm seeing who you are for the first time."

Falling silent again for a moment, Yugi sacrificed Queen's Knight to Catapult Turtle's effect.

Yami shouted, "No!"

He remembered sacrificing Dark Magician Girl in his duel with Rafael. Yugi launched Catapult Turtle, and Yami lost 1000 life points- half of Queen's Knight's attack- bringing him down to 200.

Yugi smirked evilly at his lover. "One more attack and you'll become a prisoner of the Orichalcos, just like me," the star-haired boy said. "It doesn't hurt too bad, Yami, especially not if you become a minion to the Orichalcos."

Yami glanced up at Yugi's cruel face and realized that is what he must have looked like when he had used the Seal of Orichalcos.

Oh how scared Yugi must have been when he saw me like that, Yami thought, slowly straightening himself up. I scared you, Aibou. I gave you reason to think that I didn't love you, and because of that, you let your inner darkness take you over and are now this thing.

"Yugi, I can't lose!" Yami shouted to the boy he loved. "If I do, I can't set you free, and two worlds will crumble away!"

Yugi laughed evilly again at Yami's words. "You don't care about anything like that, Pharaoh," he spat with a sarcastic laugh, as if Yami had suggested that the sky was orange. "You don't care about anything- you're evil. Last time, you didn't care who suffered. Even if it was me, the boy you swore that you loved! What a fucking joke!"

Yami felt his heart tighten as Yugi turned and looked at the Dark Magician Girl.

"Go!" the hikari commanded.

He sacrificed Dark Magician Girl to Catapult Turtle's effect. Yami screamed out his love's as the attack hurtled towards him. He couldn't lose! He'd never be able to save his lover from this horrid darkness if he lost!

Realizing that he had no other choice, and in the heat of the moment,, without much thought, he activated his trap card, Divine Wind, which reversed the attack onto Yugi, doubling its strength.

Yugi gasped, his black and amethyst eyes widened as the attack neared him. A smile, sad smile creeped across his face as the attack came closer, and his eyes seemed to lose the blackness that tainted them.

"He was able to defeat me," he whispered.

The attack landed against the star-haired hikari, and Yugi was covered in thick smoke before he was thrown off his feet, into the air, and then thrown against the ground a few feet away.

Yami won the duel, but he was horrified.

"What have I done!?" the star-haired yami shouted as he saw the boy that he loved laying motionless on the ground on the other side of the dueling field they had been playing on. "YUGI-!!"

Do you ever feel me?
Do you ever look deep down inside
Starin' at your life, paralyzed?

AS soon as the monsters and the Seal of Orichalcos vanished from the field, Yami rushed across the field as fast as he posibly could to hold the fallen Yugi in his arms.

"Aibou!" Yami hollered. "Aibou!"

The star-haired yami dropped to his knees and held Yugi in his arms. His aibou felt so thin and frail, and Yami shifted under the feeling of the black and crimson clothes that his aibou was wearing. His hand rested on Yugi's bare side, revealed by the pair of shorts, the belt-like shawl around his waist, and the midriff bearing black top and cloak/shawl with the hood that he wore.

"Hang in there, Yugi!" Yami called. "Don't die on me!"

Yugi's eyes weakly fluttered open, and to Yami's pleasure, the scleras were back to their normal white color. The strange crimson star was still under Yugi's left eye, however.

Yugi glanced over in the direction of Yami's voice, his expression weak. "Ya...mi," he murmured softly. He smiled sadly up at his yami, and Yami noticed how dull his beloved's amethyst eyes were. "Where are you?"

Yami's heart almost stopped. "I'm right here, Yugi!" he called to the boy that he loved.

Yugi smiled slightly, his expression exhausted, his amethyst eyes (which were back to normal), as dull as they could get. "I can't see you anymore, Yami," he whispered.

Yami's heart pounded painfully at this. "Yugi," he breathed in horror.

Yugi slowly reached his fingerless gloved hand towards his yami, following the sound of Yami's voice until he felt Yami's cheek on his fingertips. He rested his hand against Yami's cheek and smiled at the warmth that resonated from his beloved's body.

"Yami," he whispered, his voice weak.

Yami clenched Yugi tighter in his arms and reached up with one hand to rest it over Yugi's, over the one that was caressing his cheek. He whispered Yugi's name lovingly and closed his eyes tightly.

"Yugi," he whispered. "Yugi, I'm sorry, this is all my fault."

Yugi was still smiling, though Yugi could tell that Yugi was in pain. Yugi stole one last glance in Yami's direction, and then seemed to go limp and close his eyes, his breath almost stopping.

Yami became panicked and started shaking Yugi slightly. "You have to hang on, Yugi! You're going to be okay!" the yami promise. He brushed some of Yugi's blond bangs from his face. "Come on. Look at me, Yugi."

Yugi opened his eyes and looked over to Yami with a slight smile.

"Y-you... passed the test, Yami," he whispered.

Yami was confused, and stared down at the boy that he loved. "Test? What are you talking about? Did you plan this, Yugi?" he dared to whisper this as softly as he could.

Yugi shook his head slowly. "No, not me," he whispered. "I-uh!"

Yugi clenched his fist and grit his teeth as a wave of pain coursed through him. He sensed Yami's dismay, since he tightened his hold on the boy and whispered his name.

Yugi coughed, a violent and pained notion, and then turned his attention back in Yami's direction. "I-I truly had believed you had betrayed me. As much as I didn't want to, I did," Yugi whispered. "I... I believed that you didn't love me. I believed the demons inside me and became a minion to the Orichalcos. I caused you pain, and for that, I am sorry."

"Yugi, don't apologize!" Yami said. "If anything, it was all my fault! I-I'm so-"

Yugi shook his head slowly and smiled at the star-haired man, and though in pain, he tried not to show it. "You have nothing to be sorry for, my dear Yami. You did what was best for me and for the world," he whispered.

Yami could sense that Yugi was getting weaker and weaker with each second.

Yugi slowly reached up with his black-gloved hand, the one that wasn't on Yami's cheek still, and placed it over Yami's Duel disk. He gave a weak and agonized laugh.

"No matter how much you suffer, trust in our bond," Yugi said. "You are not fighting alone. Always believe that your friends and the monsters are with you, Yami."

Yami was silent for a moment, and then he shivered. "But now what?" he whispered.

Yugi stared at Yami for a moment and gave him the same smile that Yami had fallen in love with. "I-I know that you are going to save the world, Yami. I-I'll be... rooting for you, wherever I am," he promised.

Yami whispered Yugi's name softly, and then whispered it a bit louder, more desperately, and laced his arms as tightly around Yugi as he could without causing the boy any harm.

Yugi weakly wrapped his arms around Yami's shoulders and buried his head in Yami's shoulder, near the crook of his neck.

"I love you... Yami," Yugi whispered with the last of his strength.

Yugi felt Yami trembling, and he smiled. Yami whispered that he was sorry and that he loved Yugi. Yugi was so happy that he didn't even notice that his body was slowly turning into little beads of light and vanishing.

It started from his legs, from his black boots, and worked up to his black and red shorts and the red belt with the long shawl that came like a cape in the back of the shorts, and then worked up to his torso, to his shoulders where the shawl and hood and midriff bearing top was, then to his gloved arms, which were laced around Yami's shoulders. and then finally, to his head, where Yugi felt tears forming weakly in his closed amethyst eyes.

And then, he exploded into light beads of light in Yami's arms and vanished.

I'm too young
I'm too young

Yami gasped and drew away in horror. Yugi had just vanished into thin air. Yami was stunned and shocked. He reached to where Yugi was, as if trying to cling to the boy that was gone.

Realizing that Yugi was gone, Yami wrapped his arms around himself and shuddered.

He remembered the coldness that had resonated from Yugi's form, and he remembered Yugi's last words. He recalled how weak and exhausted Yugi looked as he said them.

"I love you, Yami."

Yami grit his teeth, and let the tears finally flow down his cheeks. He hugged himself tightly, and whispered Yugi's name, as if the boy was going to come back in his arms if he continued. Yami shivered and whispered Yugi's name repeatedly, his voice getting louder and louder until it was a hoarse shout.

He slowly rose to his feet, looked into the sky, and cold have sworn that he could hear Yugi whispering that he believed in Yami, and that Yami would rescue him.

Yami closed his eyes and shouted to the heavens, "Aibou! I'll rescue you!"

And wherever Yugi was, Yami knew that Yugi had heard him, and he knew that Yugi trusted him again. And he knew that Yugi would eagerly wait until the day that Yami came and rescued him.

Me: Oh no! Yami still lost Yugi, but at least Yugi is no longer tainted by the Orichalcos anymore! But that must have been horrible for poor Yami to have to suffer through!

Lucy: Yeah! Hopefully, if enough people like this, we will write this fic and get it up as soon as possible!

Me: We had always wondered what would have happened if Yugi was a bit more evil in the episode, and we loved seeing how hard Yami was trying to snap Yugi out of it!

Lucy: And though I liked the episode's fluff moment when Yami was holding Yugi, I liked ours as well! But nothing beats the original story line, so don't think that we are dissing it! We love the episode, and we just wanted to write our own version of it with our own personal touches to the plot, guys!

Me: Please review, and we shall update as soon as possible and will try to get this fic up a bit later if enough people want us to! Please no flaming! We tried really hard and are kinda nervous!