Yugi woke up in a hospital bed, the fluorescent lights making him squint, he had been here before. He looked down at his left arm, it was bandaged and stitched. Yugi took a huge sigh of defeat and just stared at the ceiling, he was being watched by three nurses. 'Why can't I die?' Yugi asked himself as tears ran down his face. "Atem…" he whispered.
"We have to take this leap." Joey said. "What if it doesn't work?!" Tea yelled, crying. "It has to work, or Yugi…" Tristan began, he couldn't finish his sentence. "He's going to die." Seto finished it for him. "I can't lose my grandson…" Soloman cried, Tea had her arm around him. "I'll do it." Joey said. "No way! If something goes wrong…I can't lose you." Seto exclaimed, grabbing Joey's hand. "I gotta do this babe." Joey stated, looking into Kaiba's eyes. "Atem will be able to see me, right?" Joey asked. "If everything goes right, then yes." Seto said, he was uneasy. "I just gotta be in there long enough to convince him to come back." Joey sighed. "I don't think you're going to have to convince him, once he knows that Yugi is in danger, he'll be right back here." Duke said. "I'm afraid he's going to freak out when I tell him what happened to Yug…" Joey trailed off. "He probably already knows something is wrong." Tea said. "The bond between them will never fully go away, Atem is probably sensing Yugi's pain." Soloman stated. "Then let's do this." Joey said.
Kaiba lead them to the virtual reality pods and programmed the coordinates of the pharaoh's palace and the year. Joey was ready to climb in the pod when Seto grabbed his wrist and pulled him into his arms. "I love you, puppy." Kaiba said, he was actually scared. "I've never seen you so scared." Joey said, looking up at him. "I'm scared to lose you." Seto said, kissing him. "I'll be okay. I gotta do this…for Yug." Joey said, climbing into the pod and taking a deep breath. "You ready?" Mokuba asked. Joey nodded and closed his eyes. They activated the machine.
/~***~\\\\\
Joey opened his eyes slowly and he looked around, he was standing in front of the pharaoh's palace. "I made it…" Joey whispered, shocked. He wondered if anyone else could see him, since he was just a hologram. Joey walked through the palace, searching for the pharaoh. 'I just gotta be here long enough to tell him, I don't know how much time I have.' Joey thought to himself. He reached the room of the pharaoh's throne, but he wasn't there, but he heard his voice in the distance. Joey ran, he realized then just how desperate he was.
Atem was leaning against the railing on his balcony, his mind was consumed with thoughts of Yugi. "Little one…" he whispered. He hadn't heard Yugi's voice for days, he was starting to believe he was going crazy. He craved to hear his voice, instead, he heard another.
"Pharaoh…" Joey began. Atem turned and he gasped when he saw Joey. "Joey?!" Atem exclaimed. "Are you really here?" Atem asked. "Nah, I'm just a hologram, Kaiba's newest invention." Joey said. "It's so good to see you Joey…but why are you here? How's Yugi?" Atem asked quickly. Joey looked away, he could hear the desperation in the pharaoh's voice. "Joey…please tell me he's okay…" Atem's voice was shaking. "I'd be lying if I said he was alright." Joey said, refusing to make eye contact with Atem. "I was afraid of that…I've been sensing his pain, Joey." Atem said, clenching his fists. "You need to come back." Joey stated. Atem was shocked at that statement and looked up at Joey. "Joey…I can't leave here." Atem said, disappointed. "Your destiny has been fulfilled here pharaoh…Yugi needs you. And from the looks of it…you need him too." Joey stated. "I miss him so much Joey…what has happened to him? I keep feeling sharp pains in my body and I hear his voice…calling to me." Atem explained. "Pharaoh…I don't know how much time I have left here, I came because Yugi is going to die if you don't come back." Joey said, tears building in his eyes. Atem gasped, grabbing on to his railing behind him for support. "What do you mean, Joey?" Atem asked, his voice shaking. "He's tried to kill himself…twice. I…had to jump into the river to save him when he jumped off the bridge. He's been in the hospital since, he cut himself with a loose screw he found on the floor…he said he was desperate. Every time we ask him why…he says it's because he can't live without you." Joey explained, barely looking at Atem.
Atem was shaking, his eyes stung with tears as they spilled down his cheeks. "No…not my aibou…" Atem whispered. "Come with me pharaoh…please…we can't lose him to the shadows, not again." Joey pleaded. Atem thought of when Yugi sacrificed himself to save Atem from the shadows. Yugi needed him, and he had to be there for him. "I'll go." Atem said, almost instantly. "I love him, Joey…I miss him so much it hurts. He needs me, I need him. I need to save my light." Atem said. "We need to beg the gods of Egypt to allow my return." Atem added. "How do we do that?" Joey asked. "Follow me, we don't have much time!" Atem said, and ran towards out of the palace.
/~***~\\\\\
"He's in." Mokuba said. "Is he alright?" Seto asked. "His vitals are completely normal, brain waves are stable, he's inside the palace." Mokuba said, bringing up a visual screen. "It looks like he has about two hours to get the job done." Mokuba added. "We better hope that's enough time." Tea said. "It has to be!" Tristan said. Kaiba watched Joey's vitals on the screen, he told Joey to contact them once he had found the pharaoh.
"Seto, come in, can you hear me?" Joey asked.
"I'm here!" Seto exclaimed, pressing the intercom button on the machine.
"I'm with Atem, we have to go speak to the Egyptian gods. We have to ask them to allow Atem to return." Joey stated.
"How are you going to do that?" Seto asked.
"Atem knows what he's doing, I'll contact you soon." Joey said.
"Be careful, puppy." Seto said.
"Will do, babe." Joey said.
"Did you just call Kaiba, "babe"?" Atem asked, in the distance.
"Uh…gotta go." Joey said and the speakers went silent.
Everyone chuckled a little.
"It will be so wonderful to have him back." Tea smiled. "Don't get your hopes up, Tea." Tristan said. "We need to stay positive! They have to let him come back!" Duke exclaimed. "And what if they don't?" Tristan asked. The room grew silent; they knew what would happen if the gods denied Atem's return. "Atem is Yugi's dark half, Yugi is Atem's light half. Without the other, they cannot survive, surely the gods will see that." Soloman said. "Let's hope." Seto whispered.
/~***~\\\\\
Yugi stared at the ceiling, trying to use any will power he had to rid himself of the loneliness he felt. 'I need to get out of here…I have to escape.' Yugi thought to himself. 'Once I find a way out of here…I'll jump again.' Yugi thought, closing his eyes and smiling. 'And this time, I'll succeed.'
