Chao- Gah! Why must the actual writing be so hard!

"Talking."

"Thinking."

Chapter 10: Without His Second Heart Part 1

The group awoke and found themselves back within Yugi's room. Slowly, they stood up, ensuring they would not lose their balance and fall. Their bodies were heavy, but they pushed aside their own health to inspect the other was well.

"Everybody made it back alive?" Joey asked as he rubbed his dizzy head.

"I think so." Tristan grunted.

"I'm fine." Tea replied after catching her breath.

All three glanced down at Yugi, who appeared to be resting peacefully. However, they all understood from past experiences the situation will turn worst before it could become better. None of them could believe their friend was not only having another trial within the Shadow Realm, but he was also suffering from a physical disease.

At that moment, the female teen dashed out.

"Tea! Where are you going!?" Joey asked.

"I need to go get something!" Tea answered.

She raced down the hallway towards a closet. Sliding the door open, her eyes scanned the cluttered shelves. Among seeing a vacuum cleaner, rolls of toilet paper, and worn out bathroom towels, she finally saw what she was looking for. Reaching for the item, she noticed how quiet the house was. She assumed the other two Muto members were either out or were acting extra quiet in order for Yugi to rest. Quickly, she went back towards the ill teen's room.

"What were you looking for?" Tristan asked calmly.

"This." Tea replied as she took a bag and ripped it open.

The package fell onto the floor. The male teen with brown hair picked up the item and read the object was a heating pad. He then passed it to Joey and walked closer towards Yugi. He gently removed the covers. As he did, the blonde adolescent understood the plan, so he carefully moved Yugi's pajama top up.

Tea leaned over and placed the heating pad on Yugi's abdominal area.

"Hopefully this will help ease his stomach," she explained her idea to her two friends.

The boys nodded in agreement as they repositioned Yugi's top and bed sheets. They were grateful to have someone like Tea, who treated both physical and emotional wounds.

Tea took a seat on a chair and gripped her friend's small hand tightly. She waited with anxiety, for she knew a Shadow Game was never an easy task. Her childhood friend was alone in these challenges, for they were design to test him.

"Yugi, please be all right," she prayed. "I know you can make it through this; you've been through tougher times."

The sleeping boy turned to his side slightly. His pajama top caught between his sheets and slid down a little. The two male teen's eyes widened seeing a burnt mark on Yugi's left shoulder.

"Woah, when did Yug get that burn?" Joey questioned with fascination and worry. He did not remember seeing any other marks upon the boy's body other than the gashes on his left arm. He also did not recall his buddy coming into contact with fire other than the gloomy incident at the abandoned warehouse.

"That looked like it hurt." Tristan remarked with curiosity.

"That's from… when we were young…" Tea informed quietly.

The boys looked over at their female friend and noted her eyes were filled with grief yet gratifying at the same time.

"Who did that to him?" the male teen with brown hair asked.

"It happened when we were in middle school." Tea answered, her voice becoming a bit shaky. "Yugi was avoiding me, and for a while I didn't know why."

"What!?" Joey yelled in disbelief, failing to comprehend why his small friend would ever treat the person he cared about in such a manner. "Why was he doing that!?"

"He was trying to protect me," the girl responded.

The two boys looked at each perplexed. They then returned their glances towards Tea.

Tristan decided to ask, "From who? What was going on?"

Flashback

"Hey, Yugi," a young version of Tea greeted.

A little boy with tri-color hair sat at his desk alone. He had a deck of cards scattered around, and he was looking at a game book. He glanced up and greeted back softly, "Hi, Tea."

"It's been awhile since we've been able to talk," Tea stated with her usual, cheery smile. "Do you want to do something after school today?"

Looking back towards his book, his facial expression tried to cache his worried feelings. He decided to answer, "I'm sorry, but I'm kinda busy."

"That's what you said last time." Tea replied a bit annoyed. She suspected her friend was lying to her. As it pained her to admit, she knew Yugi was not as occupied as he claimed to be. Although she did not understand why the boy was doing such a thing, she wanted to spend time with her small pal.

Outside the classroom, voices of students who shuffled through the hallway outside could be heard. As panic entered his mind, Yugi gathered his materials as he quickly replied, "I'm sorry."

He quickly left the room.

"What's with him?" Tea sighed as she placed her hands on her hips.

End Flashback

"I then found out he was avoiding me in order to save me from my so called friends and popularity." Tea continued.

Flashback

"Yugi, that isn't your decision to make," a girl with short brown hair and blue eyes declared. "I decide who I want to be friends with… Popularity doesn't mean much in the end."

The small boy did not reply. He only looked down at the ground with embarrassment and shame. He knew his friend was correct, but the world around him scolded otherwise.

"Yugi," Tea called out.

The pre-teen glanced back up. He looked over his friend's shoulder, and his eyes grew wide. He knew he had to leave, "I should get going."

"Yugi, you're not going anywhere!" Tea ordered as she grabbed her buddy by his sleeve. "We're not done talking!"

"But—" Yugi tried to argue when he was cut off by a student who had called out Tea's name.

The girl who was named turned to see her so called companions with their boyfriends, the same ones who enjoyed picking on Yugi.

"What are you doing with him?" one girl asked.

"I'm just having a chat with my friend." Tea answered sharply, tired of being told who she should be with. She wanted to be treated as a person, not exist only for the amusement of others.

"Why," another girl asked. "It doesn't seem like that. It seems more like you're a mother bird looking out for a baby who can't take care of himself."

Tea couldn't find an answer to the statement. She never really thought about why she chose to hang out with someone like Yugi. The two had just simply always known each other since they were young. She looked at the ground, attempting to piece together an answer, but could not.

Yugi looked towards his only friend. He couldn't stand seeing her unhappy. She was willing to sacrifice her own friendship and popularity, so she could be with him. He didn't want her feeling inferior to the group of misfits. He wanted to stand up for his friend like she had been doing for him.

"Why don't you just leave her alone!?" Yugi finally shouted.

The girl with brown hair looked over towards the boy.

He took a few steps and stood right in front of the girl.

"She hasn't done anything to you guys." he continued courageously. "She's only being polite to anyone she meets. I don't see what's wrong with that."

Silence fell among the group.

Tea looked over at the brave student with awe. "I have never seen Yugi like this. What caused him to suddenly change?"

One of the boys smiled a wicked smile.

"Guess you're not as weak as we thought," he said calmly, exhaling a puff of smoke from his cigarette. "Perhaps we could help gain your popularity."

"I don't want your opinions." Yugi replied with backbone and nerve.

"What," the boy asked as his smile diminished.

"It's just like Tea said, who cares?" the small boy repeated.

The ring leader of the group turned unsatisfied with the response he received. He snapped his fingers, and the two taller boys grabbed Yugi by his shoulders and upper arms.

"Leave him alone!" Tea ordered. Despite her command, the bully chose not to respond to her.

"What do you want…" Yugi asked calmly, not wanting to abandon Tea.

"Ya know, standing up for your girlfriend isn't a bad thing," the main bully complimented.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Tea snapped embarrassed. "He's just a friend who happens to be a boy!"

Hurt flashed within Yugi's eyes, but he continued to stand his ground.

"Perhaps we won't do so much damage if you do one thing," the mean child persuaded. He reached for a cartridge from his pocket, took out a fresh cigarette, and instructed haughtily, "All you have to do is smoke one of these."

"Why would I want to do that?" Yugi questioned plainly.

"Because it'll make you look cool," the bully explained. "Since you're going to high school, why not start off with looking cool a bit younger? They're sure to have respect for you."

He lit up the white stick and held it in front of his victim's face.

Yugi became quiet.

Tea waited anxiously for her friend to answer; her heart pounded hard against her chest. She didn't want her friend to fall into peer pressure because of her. Her eyes widened hearing, "No way."

Yugi held a look of confidence on his face. He explained assertively, "I don't need to start a disgusting habit to make friends in high school. I want friends who like me for who I am."

"Don't talk that way to our boss!" one of the body guards yelled, nearly shattering Yugi's eardrum.

The main bully looked annoyed.

"Fine then," he replied coldly. "Have it your way."

He strolled over towards Yugi and pulled down the boy's white shirt. Yugi tried to break free but could not. The ring leader placed the hot, burning stick on his victim's shoulder. Closing his eyes in agony, Yugi yelled as the flaming sensation burned through his skin.

"Yugi!" Tea screamed.

When the fire went out, the bully flicked away the cigarette and mocked, "You'll never get friends like that. Who would want to hang out with someone as weak as you?"

The two body guards released Yugi and walked away with the other female students.

The petite child fell to the floor, relieved it was all over.

Tea rushed towards Yugi's side and placed her hands on her friend's shoulder for comfort.

Yugi opened one eye as he asked, "Are you all right?"

Tea smiled. She couldn't help but feel gratitude towards her buddy for standing up for her. She didn't understand why the sudden change but was glad to see the pre-teen finally standing up for himself.

"Yes," she answered, "What about you?"

"It just stings a little," he answered.

Tea helped Yugi stand up.

"Let's go and place some cool water over the burn," she suggested with care.

She leaned over and gave a small quick kiss on Yugi's cheek.

End Flashback

"I was very grateful for Yugi's help." Tea admitted as she continued watching over her friend. She could tell the difference between Yugi and her former classmates who claimed to be her buddies. Even though she made many acquaintances with some of her other peer groups in high school, she still chose to hang out with her friends she had made through Yugi. Although she wanted more female pals, she was happy being in a group who accepted her for who she was, the same desire Yugi retained as well.

"But didn't Yugi tell anyone else what was going on!?" Tristan asked, alarmed how his friend was treated before they met.

"Yeah! I don't think his parents and Gramps were unaware to the markings on Yug!" Joey added.

"He told me the reason why he didn't want to tell his parents was because he didn't want his parents to get new jobs since the closest school was a little far away." Tea explained, "He told me he would be able to make it through school, and he was willing to stand up for himself and try new activities in high school."

Joey and Tristan looked at each other. They then glanced back over at the sleeping boy.

"She probably doesn't know it, but that kiss must have meant a lot to Yugi." Tristan thought to himself, "Like a hero in a comic book saving a damsel in distress, he received a kiss as a reward for his heroic effort."

"Wow, standing up for Tea like that, wanting to take care of his family, believing violence wouldn't solve anything…" Joey closed his eyes and grinned a little. "Maybe he was already a man before I came along…"

Flashback

"What's going on!?" a young adult in a sapphire school uniform demanded to know.

Three tall, muscular teens glanced towards the blonde in an ally, all with the same clothing.

What concerned the blonde adolescent with honey colored eyes the most was that a group of thugs had encircled his pal, a small boy with tri-color hair.

"This ain't got nothing to do with you," one of the bullies stated.

"Oh, I think it does." Joey replied as he punched one fist into his hand.

"Joey! Don't!" Yugi pleaded. He recently made companions and enjoyed the time he spent with the one called Joey. He did not want to see his new friend harmed because of him.

"Relax Yug," the slow witted young adult reassured, "It's all good."

"Since when are you friends with him?" one of the bullies asked as he raised an eyebrow at the situation. "Last time I checked, you were the one picking on him."

Joey grew quiet. He regretted some of his actions and words towards the petite boy. But he wanted to show his concern for his new friend by not allowing anyone to pick on the boy. He also wanted to demonstrate his gratitude towards Yugi, showing him what it meant to be a friend.

"That was a past life," announced another familiar voice. Everyone turned to see Tristan, who stood in front of Yugi. Within the brunette's eyes, they showed he was ready and willing to take any punches, kicks, or even bullets. Glad his own life had changed for the better, he stated with a smile, "Things are different now."

"As usual, you're late to the party man!" Joey said with a grin.

"Ain't no party without me!" Tristan replied.

"Get them!" the ring leader ordered.

The fight was on.

The two male teens acted their best in defending their new buddy. After receiving several punches, the other two bullies ran off realizing they were no match. The last one who remained bypassed the young adults and punch Yugi in his gut. The boy gasped in pain and fell to his knees as he clutched his abdominal area. Distressful thoughts swirled his mind, and a few tears slid down.

Joey was now filled with rage. He slammed one fist into the guy's face, knocking out a few teeth. The bully sprinted off in fear.

The blonde tried to catch his breath as he watched the coward speed off. A part of him felt sick for mistreating someone like Yugi. His thoughts were interrupted hearing Tristan say, "Yugi? Are you ok?"

Joey raced over and knelt down along with the other two.

The small teen opened one eye and looked towards his new friends. The two stood by his side, not leaving him when he was having trouble. They both had looks of not only concern but also compassion on their faces, expressions the young boy had yearned to see throughout his life but never really had a chance to experience himself.

Until now.

"I'm… fine," he choked, tears streaming down his face.

"Yug!" Joey called alarmed. "What's wrong, bud!? Did they hurt you anywhere else!?"

Yugi shook his head but allowed the tears to continue to fall.

Joey and Tristan looked at each other confused and concerned. They assisted Yugi to stand up and walked with him to his home, which later became a new hang out place for everyone. Little did the two know, the tears Yugi conceived were of happiness and joy as the young boy became relieved to have friends to help him out.

End flashback

A glimpse of light caught the male teen's eyes. He glanced towards Yugi's desk. On it were a gold, upside down pyramid, a deck constructed from packets of Duel Monster cards, and a letter from Domino University addressed towards Yugi.

"Come on Yug," Joey cheered on mentally. "Don't leave us like this! We still got so much to do before graduation!"

"Yugi, sometimes we need a little pain in order to make ourselves strong." Tristan thought. "And you've been proof of that."

"Yugi, I promised that I wouldn't tell your parents." Tea reflected. "Would you have been mad if I did?"

Xxx

Yami stared down at the closed door once more. His heart pounded against his chest with anticipation. He wanted to be by Yugi's side during his final match against the Shadows.

"Yugi was always by me," he reflected. "He was so brave. He was always so willingly to place himself before others in times of danger. His courage was something I haven't seen. He had a pure soul. But now… He hasn't been at all like himself. And the Shadows wish to test his heart… Yugi…"

Yami remembered the pieces of the past he saw about his partner. His own heart ached once more as the action and words entered his mind. He didn't understand why anyone would act so cruel to someone who just wanted a friend. Despite the pain, he was grateful the young boy survived it, and pieced together his own heart.

"Yugi, you've managed to endure harsh times nearly on your own. I know you have the ability to make it through whatever the Shadows have for you. You can be strong with your own heart as well."

Xxx

Tears finally stopped flowing down the teen's face. A small amount of pain remained in his heart, but it slowly vanished. He felt a warm sensation enter him, similar to what he felt after he fainted in the Shadow Realm at Duelist Kingdom. He wasn't sure what took place but was glad he had the comfort and compassion of all of his friends by him.

"My friends… believe in me." Yugi whispered to himself as he placed his hands over his chest. "Like before… I can feel it… But… but what am I… supposed to do?"

The small adolescent stood up. Trembling, he turned away from the pit and took a step forward.

The Shadows zoning in from behind him froze. When the boy took another step closer to the classroom, the Shadows moved back a little.

The teen stopped. He was lost in thought once more.

"Why am I seeing myself?" he pondered. "I always told myself I have friends now. I… I don't have to be alone. I'm happy to see them and know my family doesn't have to worry about me… I'm not living in the past… am I?"

When he opened his eyes, he saw himself in the hallway. When the two eyes met, he saw his younger self's orbs were empty. What caught his attention was a Duel Disk on the smaller boy's arm. Before anything could be said, a sudden flash was made, and the young adolescent felt the same device on his own arm.

"What… what is this?!" Yugi questioned out of disbelief. "Am I supposed to duel myself!? How can I if the game hadn't been brought over to Domino yet!?"

Despite the time fringe, the smaller Yugi drew a card. He placed one card on the field and had Alpha the Magnet Warrior (1400/1700) on his side. He appeared done with his turn.

Yugi knew the monster in front of him was a card from his deck. He remembered he and the spirit of the Puzzle decided to add the card since it could be combined with two other specific monsters. He glanced down towards his own stack of cards.

He wondered what types of monsters laid in his deck. He wasn't sure what would happen next, but he drew a card. He reviewed the ones he had in his hands, and he saw the Celtic Guardian, Beaver Warrior, Horn of the Unicorn, Feral Imp, and Silver Fang.

"What is this!?" Yugi gasped. "All these cards are from when I entered Duelist Kingdom!"

He looked up and saw his younger self still waiting. He gazed around and saw there was no place for him to run; everywhere became a dead end. Even if there was a place to sprint, Yugi wasn't sure what would lie ahead. Even though he hadn't actually seen any other students, and there wasn't anyone walking down the hallway, Yugi feared there might be some bullies roaming about that he never wanted to run into ever again.

"Is this all I can do?" Yugi pondered, looking at his hand. "Just play this game and see what happens?"

He pulled down his sleeve and saw his progress he made so far in the overall game. This was indeed his final challenge. Even though he didn't know the full outcome, he knew this was his last chance to escape and see his friends once more.

"I play Celtic Guardian (1400/1200) in attack mode!" Yugi finally announced. "And I end my turn."

The familiar elf like creature appeared and was ready to go into battle. Yugi did not like the fact his opponent, which was himself, had placed an unknown card, but he felt it was best to keep his own monster in attack mode. The cards could not destroy each other, but the sword wheeling monster could easily be destroyed by the magnet-like creature if placed in defense mode.

The smaller boy drew one card. He placed Gamma the Magnet Warrior (1500/1800) in defense mode and ended his turn.

Yugi drew a card and observed what was on the field. He already was aware of the powerful combination that could be formed between the monsters. He knew he had to stop the plan as soon as possible; otherwise, he'd be at a disadvantage.

"My turn!" he declared. "I play my Feral Imp (1300/1400)!"

He placed down another card and continued, "I then activate my Horn of the Unicorn, increasing my monster's attack to 2000! And I use it to attack Alpha the Magnet Warrior!"

A static type lightening grew around the horn of the demon creature. It shot the blast towards the gray, magnetic monster.

The other Yugi's life points decreased to 3400. His eyes remained empty.

Yugi felt a shock. He yelled in agony. He gripped his chest as he tried to regain his normal breathing pattern. He did not understand why he suddenly felt such a powerful throbbing.

"What's going on?" he pondered surprised. "Why did I… feel that?"

When he recovered, he looked across and saw his opponent draw a card. The smaller Yugi summoned Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts (1500/1200).

Yugi stared down at the fantasy creature. He recalled when he and Yami were constructing their deck for Battle City, Yami insisted they add this type of card, and Yugi had agreed. Reflecting the choices, he believed some of cards imitated Yami's personality. Thinking back, he now believed some of the options demonstrated not only the differences between the two but also their skill levels.

He snapped into reality seeing his younger self had sacrificed his monster and summoned Archfiend of Gilfer (2200/2500).

"No!" he mentally gasped. "Now his monster's attack is higher than my own!"

The giant monster swooped down and crushed the Feral Imp.

Yugi cried out in pain. He tried his best to maintain balance. He waited a moment before drawing a card. He viewed what he had and tried to form a strategy. He did not wish to be attacked directly by such a powerful card. He decided to place one card in the Magic/Trap area and a monster face down in defense mode.

The other Yugi chose to attack once more.

"I activate my facedown card!" Yugi announced. "Mirror Force! Archfiend of Gilfer attack is bounced back and destroys your monster!"

The red, fiend type monster was destroyed.

Both players underwent a strong pain slamming into them.

Yugi cried out in agony, perplexed why he was feeling such throbbing again. He placed one hand on his chest. He still felt the warmth from his friends. He wanted to be with them before the end of the year was up, like he had been for Tea before entering high school. He drew one card.

"I sacrifice my Celtic Guardian and summon my Summon Skull (2500/1200)!" Yugi explained his turn.

The familiar fiend type monster made an appearance.

Yugi was glad this was one of his monsters he kept while sharing a deck with Yami. He ordered, "Summon Skull! Use Lightning Strike to attack directly!"

The beams of light struck the smaller boy, and he fell to his knees. His life points plummeted down to 900.

When the attack was made, Yugi underwent the same pain. He fell to the ground. He looked up to see his younger self was already standing and placed one card in the Magic/Trap area.

"Should I… attack?" Yugi tiredly pondered as he struggled to stand. "Or… does that card… have some sort of trap to it?"

He examined his side of the field. He had one monster on his side. It took him awhile before he could summon something powerful. He wasn't sure what other monsters lurked in his deck nor his adversary's. He decided to play it safe and end his turn by saying, "I place one facedown."

The smaller Yugi drew a card. He activated Brain Control.

Yugi gasped seeing his Summon Skull leave his side of the field. He already knew what would be coming next: The skeleton fiend monster attacked directly with its sharp claws. Yugi screamed in pain. He fell to the floor once more. He then felt something trickle down his face.

Slowly, he lifted one weary hand on the side of his face. He felt something warm. Looking at his hand, he gasped seeing blood had stained his fingers. He then glared towards his younger self and noticed the other Yugi also had red gush on his face in the same area.

He panicked.

He made the connections between the monsters and the pain he felt.

He finally realized what type of game he was playing.

"Has this all been… a Shadow Game!?"

He remembered right before he was in the mysterious forest a flash from the Puzzle quickly occurred. He became confused why he was playing all these games. He then realized his darker half tried to warn him but could not for some reason. He looked at his deck.

He knew if this was a Shadow Game, he needed to defend himself. Although his opponent had lower life points than him, if the Shadows continued on with their normal pattern, he knew he may be absorbed by the darkness. He needed time to think of a plan to save himself. He placed another monster in defense mode and switched his Summon Skull to defense mode as well.

The younger Yugi placed another monster in defense mode. He then sacrificed the two monsters and placed a different card on the field. On his side emerged a purple wizard with a green staff that had 2500 attack points.

"That's the… Dark Magician." Yugi gasped.

He glanced at his deck and noticed none of the cards he drew was the dark mage or any cards that could be used in a combo with his favorite card. He questioned what type of deck he was using and what his opponent had even if it was himself. He panicked, unsure what else he could use to defend himself. His depression began to swallow him once more.

Even though Dark Magician was his favorite, it was also the card his darker half used often in battle. Yugi debated his relationship not only with the monster, but with Yami as well. He did not know if he really was worthy enough to have the card and the strong pharaoh by his side.

Yugi closed his eyes and whispered to himself in a defeated tone, "What can I do?"

To be continued…

Chao- Geez these duels take FOREVER to write! How on earth did the almighty Kazuki Takahashi managed to do even one with a weekly deadline!?