Chapter 4:

Founding of a Friend

Somewhere in the lake, Atem was floating towards the bottom unconscious. His Kuriboh had gone back in its capsule after he defeated the Kairyu-Shin with a single wing attack. But now, he was at death's door, he was the sacrifice to the riddle.

On the surface a tall boy with maroon hair and dark red eyes wearing a dark red tank top, black pants and boots and black gloves was fishing, just lying back on his boat. From the corner of his eyes he saw something floating in the water. "What the?" he said getting a closer look at it. "A boy!" he whispered and dove in. A she came in reach he grabbed him and pulled him to the surface and placed him on his boat and paddled to his home.

Atem opened one eye weakly looking at the person who saved him. "…Yu…Yugi…?" he moaned before passing out again.

Atem slowly stirred feeling a rush of wind over him. He slowly opened his eyes looking around and finding himself in a nice bedroom. He still had his duel armor on him but his capsule monster belt was on a desk beside him. "Where…where am I…" he moaned weakly, trying to sit up.

"I wouldn't try to sit up if I were you," a voice said. Atem turned seeing the boy who saved him leaning against the doorway. "You've been in the lake for over four hours. What were you doin' there?"

"Who…who are you…" Atem asked weakly. "The name's Kaida. I found you floating in the lake while I was fishing and brought you here," the boy said.

"I…I need to find my friends…" Atem moaned trying to get up. "Hey man, easy. You're still hurt," Kaida said. "What were you fighting?"

"…I was…fighting…a Kairyu-Shin…" Atem whispered. "Oh, that thing? That's been pestering the lakes for a while now. Did you kill it?" Kaida asked.

"Yes…" Atem replied.

"Thanks man. Oh I never got your name."

"It's…Atem…Now please…I need to go find my friends," he said trying to stand. "It's a long way up the river, " Kaida said as he helped the pharaoh up. "You should slow down for a bit."

"I've been slowing down enough up to this moment," Atem protested. "I need to get back up there."

"I should go with you," Kaida said. "It's dangerous in those woods."

"No, you stay here, with your family. I've risked too many lives to have to risk yours."

"So…if I'm right, you got a girl that you like?" Kaida asked.

"It's not your position to judge who one person is in acquaintance with..." he looked up at the hill where he had drifted down from."... but it's true..."

"Ah. Well good luck. Maybe we'll see each other again sometime," Kaida said.

"Hopefully. Goodbye, Kaida," Atem said as he walked through the woods. Not far from him, Yuki was still upset over the loss of the man she loved along with everyone else. "Guys, we have to keep moving," Joey said.

"What's the point…we lost someone. There's no point of going anymore…" Yuki said softly. "If Atem were here, you'd NEVER say that!" Joey snapped at her. "What makes us so different from him?"

"She loves him, Joey," Tristan said.

"Since when?!"

"Since you egged him on to asked her out, genius!!!"

"You guys, I'M TRYING TO THINK!!!" Yelled a distraught Yuki.

"Dang, quit being such a drama queen, Yuki," Joey snapped. Yuki didn't say anything, but she didn't do anything about Joey's remark. As her own rebuttal, she slapped him across the face

"Whoa!!" Tristan cried. "Oh it's a fight you want?!" Joey cried.

"You guys! STOP!" Yugi cried. "Atem is dead! We need to move on!!" Joey cried. "Right," Yugi said. "Come on Yuki," he said slowly going over to her. Yuki just sobbed. "I can't…there's no point of going on!!" she cried.

"Yuki...the pharaoh...would have wanted us to continue," Yugi said sadly. "I just can't go on anymore…" Yuki sobbed.

"Yuki...please..."

"Don't go all emo on us now, Yuki," Tristan said. "We need to keep ourselves together now at the most. Please help us by lightening up."

"C'mon Yuki, I'm just as upset as you are. He was my closet friend. We have to keep going...for him."

Yuki just cried and didn't say a word. Yugi knelt down to her and tried to comfort her. Yuki wiped her eyes and calmed down a little. "Alright…let's go…"

Yugi smiled and they headed on their way. Yuki didn't say anything half the time they were walking. The group ended up near a village that looked like a ghost town, only very run down houses lay about.

"Man...This place is creepin' me out," Joey said. Yuki sighed sadly and went off to look around. "Yuki, wait up!" Yugi called going after her.

"Leave me alone…" she snapped. Yugi was taken aback, but left her alone. He sighed sadly. She wandered in an abandoned warehouse and sat there and started to cry. "Atem.." she sobbed. She sat there in silence, trying not to cry out too loudly. Why do I feel this way? She asked herself. Why do I have this sensation of fear... Atem, I need you...

Not far from where she was Atem wandered in the village where they were at, trying to surprise his friends. Yuki, there's no hiding this, he thought. I love you and I would sacrifice my life for you, but I just won't stay away. "Yuki! Everyone! Can you hear me?!"

"Joey, did you hear that?" Yugi asked. "Yeah," Joey replied. Yuki heard the voice and looked around outside the warehouse. "Hello?" she called. "Are you there!?" Atem yelled. He was sure they were nowhere to be found, but he yelled louder still. "Guys?!"

Yuki ran out listening to him but as she got closer, she stopped at the sight before her. Atem was alive! "Yuki…" he smiled. "ATEM!! Oh my Ra, you're alive!!!" She ran up to him, arms wide, and heart open, and knocked him over, crying into his chest. "ATEM! What happened!? I was so worried about you! Are you hurt!? Do you need help?!"

"Atem?!" Yugi cried coming over to him. "Dude! You're alright!!" Joey cried. Everyone rushed over in a group hug. Atem chuckled. "Guys I'm fine," he smiled. "What happened to that Kairyu-Shin?" Yugi asked. "The riddle said for a sacrifice."

"Atem... I don't care what happened... I 'm so happy you're alive..." she hugged him close and Atem rubbed his fingers in her hair. "It's all right, Yuki. I'm okay... I'm here now..."

"Atem…I want to tell you something…" Yuki said sheepishly. He sat there and gave her a look that read: 'Tell me everything.'

"I…I love you," Yuki said.

"I...I love you too..." Atem said. Yuki looked up at him tears in her eyes. "Atem…"

He smiled down at her and kissed her deeply. "Uh, yo!" Joey interrupted. "Hate to break up the smoochy moment right now, but we have a situation here!"

"Atem, " Yugi asked, "How did you know we were up here?"

"I have the puzzle to sense you, remember?" Atem said. "Oh! I forgot!" Yugi said digging in his backpack. "I found the third scroll!"

"Let me see that..." he took the scroll from Yugi's hands and read it. "Your journey is almost at end, but you're not through. Beware the terror of the ghost, victory is too quick to boast. Beware the betrayal of a friend, at this your journey's end. Complete this task as darkness ensues..."

"A ghost?" Yuki asked fearfully. Unaware to the group a floating figure was flying around the houses as it came towards Yuki entering her body. "Ahh!" Yuki screamed holding her head. Suddenly, her eyes grew cold and soulless. "Yuki…? What's wrong?" Atem asked placing a hand on her shoulder. "HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" she cackled taking his arm off.

"Yuki?!" Atem cried. "Hey, kid, what's going on?" Tristan asked. "Fire capsule!!" she shouted firing her Dark Magician Girl. "Yuki, please! Stop this!!" Atem cried. "HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! Magician Girl, destroy them!"

The monster fired on them as they scattered. "Yuki…I…I don't want to fight you…" Atem said.

"Foolish mortal!!

"Yuki, stop! We're your friends!" Tea' cried.

"Foolish girl!! Attack!"

"Look out!" Atem cried shoving her aside and taking the hit. "HA, HA, HA, HA! You're a fool, PHARAOH."

Atem weakly tried to stand. "Yuki…I…I don't want to fight you…but I have…no choice…" weakly raised his launcher at her but was too weak and fell to his knees panting heavily. "Hey!! Atem!!" a voice called. Just then the ghost left Yuki's body and she fell to her knees. "What…what happened?" she asked.

"Kaida?!" Atem cried. "You guys okay?" Kaida asked.

"Yeah!" Joey cried.

"Come on, I'll take you and your friends to my place!" Kaida cried.

"Come on, guys!" Atem cried taking Yuki's hand and they all headed for his home.

"You live alone?" Tea' asked. "Yeah. It's been a ghost town for over eighteen years for me," Kaida said as they entered his home.

"You raised yourself?" Joey asked.

"Since my parents died, yeah."

"Wow…that's rough," Tristan said.

"I lived in this house since I was a baby," he said. "You guys can stay here for a while."

"Wow…" Yuki said in awe. "You guys hungry?" Kaida asked.

"We're furnished!" Atem smiled.

"That's famished," Yuki giggled. "Oh…then yes," Atem said. Kaida smiled and went to go make lunch for his friends. The couple sat on the couch gazing into each others eyes. "Atem…I was so worried about you earlier…" Yuki said.

"Yuki...it's okay…I'm here and that's all that matters," Atem said holding her close.

Later, Kaida came back with a plate filled with chopped fish and lobster claws. "Alright, everyone, eat up!" he smiled.

Atem took a lobster claw and stared at it, smelled it and took a bite.

"Wow! These are great, Kaida!" Tea' cried. "Thanks. Had to gut a few fish and some Mad Lobsters earlier last week," he said.

After lunch, Yuki went outside staring at the now setting sun. "Yuki?" Atem called. "Come on inside, it's cold."

"I'm fine," Yuki said. Atem came over and sat beside her. "You look sad. you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah…" Yuki said sadly.

"Yuki…about earlier…"

"I'm sorry…for hurting you," Yuki whispered.

"It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was. I almost…almost…"

"Yuki…" Atem whispered holding her close, letting her cry on his should. She just sobbed apologizing over and over again. He rocked her slowly running his fingers through her hair. "Shh…calm down…it's okay…" he soothed as she still continued to cry.

"Where is that old friend gone, lost in a February song, tell him it won't be long until he opens his eyes," he sang softly. She still cried but calmed down some due to his soothing voice. "Where is that simple day, before colors broke into shades, and how did I ever fade into this life," he continued as he helped her up and they slowly began to dance along the shoreline of the river.

"I never want to let you down, forgive me if I slip away," Yuki sang. "When all that I've known is lost and found, I promise you I, I'll come back to you one day."

"Morning is waking up, and sometimes it's more than just enough, when all that you need to love is the front of your eyes," Atem sang.

"I never let you down, forgive if I slip away, sometimes it's hard to find my ground, cause I keep falling as I try to get away from this crazy world," the couple sang as they danced like they were on water as the sun began to set ending another day.

"And I never want to let you down, forgive me if I slip away," Yuki sang wrapping her arms around his neck. "When all that I've known is lost and found, I promise you I, I'll come back to you one day," Atem sang holding her close. "Where is that old friend gone, lost in a February song, tell him it won't be long until he opens his eyes."

The couple kissed each other deeply and headed inside the house for the night.