There's going to be a lot of formatting errors for a little bit because I originally wrote these to be on deviantArt, so I used i /i for italics instead of actually italicizing it, which will not proceed to bite me in the but. *sighs * Oh well.

Comments copied from dA:

[coming soon; sorry]

CHAPTER 1 -_-_- Insomnia

Yugi brushed his teeth and tried not to fall asleep while the Pharaoh lectured him on avoiding enemies and not forgetting that he was famous; stay away from mobs, avoid girls that breathe too deeply, if they say they're your biggest fan ask for their name so they could file a restraining order later. Yugi didn't really see the point of this; he wasn't i that /i much of a celebrity. He hadn't even won the Battle City finals yet, and it seemed like he might not be able to, either. Sure, he had somewhat of a famous name—the kid that beat Kaiba, the kid that beat Pegasus. He knew the pools for him as a favorite were strong; almost as strong as Kaiba's. Not that he kept track of the betting pools. Damn Joey. But this was so much more than a game, those guys had no idea—his friends were constantly in danger, even his very soul! Maniac after maniac demanding Shadow Games… and there wasn't anything Yugi could do about it. Turn down a duel? He couldn't! Besides—they always made sure to make the stakes of not playing too high to refuse. And no one could help him, because he didn't want to hurt them. Not Joey, not Tea, not Tristan, not even Seto "His Highness" Kaiba. Pffft, Seto. Running some kind of evil tournament. Did he have any idea what his creation had turned into? He probably didn't mean to kill anyone. ...Probably. God knew the Princess wouldn't worry too much if Yugi wound up on the obituaries after suffering from a strange coma after a "harmless" card game…

Note to self, he really must tell his friends to keep him on life support, for the love of god keep him on life support, if he ever fell into a "coma" —coughgotstolenbytheshadowrealmcough.

He looked up in the mirror where the spectral illusion of the Pharaoh stood behind him, his arms crossed and his face unhappy. He wasn't mad at Yugi, just… not… exactly content. Yugi knew why—the Pharaoh had heard through their connection everything he'd thought; he hadn't bothered trying to shield his thoughts, which he could do if he thought about. And the Pharaoh knew exactly why Yugi was thinking them.

He was afraid, still afraid. i What if the god cards get stolen? What if I can't complete the puzzle? People won't leave me alone, what do I do? I have so much homework from the tournament, oh god I'm going to drown. What if I get challenged to another Shadow Game but I lose this time? What happened to Yami Bakura, will he come back? /i

"I'm sorry," he admitted finally, sighing. He put his fists against the sink and leaned over it, his eyes closed and his toothbrush still gripped in one. He couldn't feel the Pharaoh do it, but he could tell he'd put a hand on his physical counterpart's shoulder.

i It's alright, /i he promised Yugi. He sounded genuine, but it wasn't a big surprise—the Pharaoh didn't lie in anything, at least as far as Yugi knew. He might have lied to make him happy, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know if the Pharaoh did or not. Yugi sighed again.

"It's really scary," he admitted. He could tell the Pharaoh nodded. "I don't want to lose any of you guys; these stakes are high. i Too /i high. If I didn't have your fate and the fate of the world on my shoulders, I might just drop card games altogether."

i No you wouldn't. /i It wasn't accusing, it was just the truth. The Pharaoh was never rude or sarcastic to him; he simply called things as he saw them. And the Pharaoh knew Yugi too well to believe for an instant that his latest statement could hold any validity. i You live for games, Yugi. Your desire to play them flows through your veins more thickly than blood. What's the chemical formula of glucose? /i

"Uhhhh…" Yugi started, knowing that he should know it; didn't he have a biology test coming up later that day?

i What's the attack, defense, type, and attribute of Dunames Dark Witch? /i

"Eighteen-hundred, ten-fifty, Light fairy!" he cried out proudly. The Pharaoh nodded to himself.

i And that one isn't even in your deck, /i the Pharaoh said. Yugi sighed, getting the point.

"I know," he said helplessly. "I know. I just… I feel so useless! I can't do anything to protect all of you, and I need to rely on i you /i for my i own /i safety! I can't do anything! Joey can fight in a real fight if he needs to, Tea's mind is so strong and sure, Tristan's so confident! And what can I do? Memorize some numbers on cards. Can I really make a future out of card games? I know some people can, and have, but… I'm not like them. I don't have what it takes." He leaned against the sink despondently, not really looking at anything. He could tell the Pharaoh was very not pleased.

i Yugi! /i he snapped, genuinely angry. i Don't say that! You aren't useless—there's a /i lot i you can do! Your happiness and your very soul brought all of us together to become the friends you have now! Your optimism and encouragement not only do but have brought all of us back from the brink in times of trouble. When an opponent or a particularly unfortunate situation has me shaken up, it's always been your support and friendship that has given me the courage and strength to pull through! And you're an incredible duelist in your own right, as well! Do not put down your own skills! /i

"Then I'm doomed to life as a support character?" he asked, staring at nothing again. The Pharaoh made a sound of disgust.

i Yugi, why are you acting like this? This isn't like you—are you sick? /i Yugi blinked slowly, pulling himself out of his stupor.

i It isn't fair of me to be scaring the Pharaoh like this, /i he thought in the deepest part of his mind, part he knew the Pharaoh couldn't reach. i I don't have any right to let my worry change who I am; my friends are strong for me, and I need to be strong for them. I /i know i I have their support, and I have to stop squandering that by letting my hopelessness get the best of me! /i He drew his hand into a fist and smiled confidently into the mirror. Even if hte Pharaoh hadn't heard his words, he had still been able to feel Yugi's emotions shift. He sighed with relief.

i I'm glad /i, was all he said. Yugi turned to him and smiled apologetically.

"You're right—I really shouldn't be worrying so much. There isn't much I can do, but what I can, I should. Everyone has their problems—Joey isn't the brightest star in the sky, after all, but when we all join our powers and abilities we become unstoppable!" The Pharaoh nodded to himself.

i Now /i that i sounds like my partner, /i he said. Yugi opened his mouth to say something else.

"Yugi! Are you on the phone at this hour? You need to eat or you'll be late for school!" Yugi panicked and threw his toothbrush into the sink and started pulling on his uniform.

* *

"Summon Skull! Attack his life points directly!" he shouted, pointing and gesticulating and everything even if his duel disk was safely tucked away in his backpack. Joey let out a loud groan and tilted back in his chair, putting a hand over his face.

"That stupid Needle Wall!" he shouted in dismay. "Three, not two! He doe'n't have any monsters in two! Ah jeez…" He looked at Yugi between his fingers and the enormous smile on his face. Joey dropped his hand and gave his friend a sort of irritated smile.

"You win again, Yug," he said, waving his hand passingly over the card field the two had made of their desks. Yugi had won by a landslide, not that anyone watching was surprised. Yugi didn't usually lose; in fact, none of them could remember the last time he had lost.

Yugi's smile widened and he started gathering his cards.

"I guess," he admitted, "but I think we both won—that was a really fun game, Joey! And tight, too! I'm sure I felt my heart stop for a couple of seconds!" Joey snorted.

"Whaddya mean? Ya won by more 'n a landslide, Yug—ya buried me in an avalanche!" Yugi laughed at the joke as Joey started putting his cards back into one pile as well.

"Yeah," he said, "but a couple of turns ago when you had three monsters on the field and I didn't have any, I was sure I was toast!" It took a second, but Joey smiled.

"Yeah, I had ya on the ropes there, didn't I?" He tilted his head back and laughed, and Yugi's smile grew even larger.

"Hello there, guys." The two of them looked at Bakura, who was standing at the side of their desks. They hadn't noticed him among the cloud of students who had wanted to watch the duel; even if most of them weren't duelists themselves, they'd heard about the Battle City tournament and knew a little of Yugi's and even Joey's fame. After this duel many of them wondered why on earth so many people would be even interested in such a boring game; others were now even more interested than before.

"Hey there Baku—" Yugi started. He suddenly stopped. Bakura looked ragged, and tired. He didn't look hurt, just exhausted, as if he hadn't slept in a while. He didn't look right at all.

"Oi, Bakura, ya look awful!" Joey said, ever the user of tact. Bakura winced.

"Yeah," he admitted, "I don't seem to have been sleeping well lately." He blinked owlishly, but Yugi was certain that it wasn't just to reinforce his point. What on earth was with Bakura?

"Is anything the matter?" he asked, putting his deck in his backpack quickly before turning back to Bakura. Bakura shook his head. He staggered slightly, putting one hand to his head as if he was reeling. Yugi's arms twitched forward in response, but managed to stop himself. Bakura wasn't falling, although it looked close. The bags under his eyes were almost as dark as the skin of Joey's Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

"Just not… sleeping well…" he said. His shoulders jerked slightly and Yugi felt his concern flare.

"I think you should've stayed in bed," he said seriously, starting to stand up. Bakura shook his head, reeling again when he was finished; his eyes popped open wide and he lurched a little.

"No, no, there's no reason for that," he said, trying to smile reassuringly at them and failing spectacularly. "It's not that bad; I'm fine. Just a little… i yawn /i… tired…" His eyes fluttered closed, and he started to tilt to one side before abruptly catching himself.

"Come on," Yugi said, his voice firm and no-nonsense; he put one of Bakura's arms around his shoulders; he had to stand on his tip-toes to be any kind of support. "Let's go to the nurse's office. You can lie down there." Bakura seemed like he was about to protest, but no sound came. Joey blinked and had just opened his mouth and started to get up when the bell rang. Like a stage cue, the teacher walked in.

"Moto! Wheeler! Ryou! What do you think you're doing?!" the teacher demanded. Bakura jumped in surprise, putting a surprising amount of strain on Yugi. Once he'd settled, Yugi looked over his shoulder, but found that it didn't work; he lifted Bakura's arm up and peered from under it at their teacher.

"Bakura's not feeling well," he explained. "I was going to take him to the nurse's office." The teacher frowned, his brow furrowing. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"And why can't he go himself?" Yugi paused.

"Because… he's… not… feeling… well…" he said slowly, as if not really sure the teacher was actually asking him this. There was a pause, and then the teacher nodded huffily.

"Alright. Moto, take Ryou to the nurse's office. You have ten minutes! Now go!" Joey suddenly leapt up, slamming his hands on his desk.

"Now wait just a minute, there! I'm gonna go too, and help Yug out!" he shouted. "An' ten minutes i'n't enough time for i anyone /i to get to the nurse's office an' back when they're carryin' a sick—" Yugi held up one hand.

"It's okay, Joey," he said, smiling reassuringly at him. "I'll be fine with Bakura. You stay here and pay attention for me, okay?" Joey glared at him for a second, then at the teacher, then turned back to Yugi. With a resigned sigh he dropped back into his seat.

"Alright, Yug, what e'e' ya say." He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms behind his head and put his feet up on the desk. Yugi started shuffling away, holding Bakura—who was slowly becoming heavier and heavier with each moment that passed—and listening to the teacher berate Joey for his "poor posture", something he knew Joey was absorbing none of.

"Ten minutes, Moto!" the teacher repeated right before he made it out the door. Yugi nodded once, thinking secretly to himself that the teacher was a bitter old fool who really needed to get—

i Yugi. /i Yugi didn't stop slowly shuffling with Bakura; it had taken a couple years, but he'd finally learned how to internalize reactions to the Pharaoh's abrupt emergences.

i What's up, Pharaoh? /i he asked as he dragged Bakura. He could feel the Pharaoh's unease deep inside of him; the Pharaoh hadn't slept since he'd awoken, but he hadn't said much of anything either since their conversation in the bathroom.

i Yugi. Doesn't Bakura's condition seem strange to you? /i the Pharaoh asked. Yugi blinked in surprise, but kept walking, feeling Bakura's weight drag against him. i He was gone for nearly a week in a row, and suddenly arrives today, looking as if he hasn't slept in months. Doesn't any of this seem suspicious to you? /i Yugi frowned and shifted Bakura's arm into a more comfortable position.

i I guess, /i he admitted, i especially when you put it that way. But what could it mean? I don't think Bakura's home-life is too bad, and it's not like he'd be staying up countless nights and fighting in this tournament, /i he added. He could feel the Pharaoh consenting to these points.

i True, but his condition still doesn't seem right. Whenever we've seen him he's been relatively happy—compared to you and Tristan and, especially, Joey, he may not have that high of energy, but he's always been better than this. This doesn't sit right with me, my partner. /i Yugi frowned as he helped Bakura down a stair case.

i It doesn't sit right with me either, /i he admitted, i but there's nothing we can do right now. Bakura's almost asleep as it is, and I can't learn anything until he's rested some. /i He felt the Pharaoh ascent to this.

i Very well. /i Yugi could feel the Pharaoh's presence start to lessen. i I will trust it unto you, then. /i He felt the Pharaoh recede until he was just the soft glow of consciousness somewhere in the back of his mind, just a little stronger than if he was sleeping.

The Pharaoh was watching.

He always watched Yugi.

"Come on, Bakura," Yugi said, his voice cheerful and reassuring. "We're almost there. Just down the hall." Bakura's eyelids fluttered in response, and Yugi felt him become even heavier. Yugi was almost sure his back was going to snap when he finally managed to force the door open and get Bakura to the bed. By now Bakura was more out of it than in, and Yugi had to physically push him onto the bed and straighten out his legs for him. He leaned over and panted audibly once Bakura was lying on the bed, seemingly already unconscious.

After his heavy breathing, Yugi took a careful look at Bakura's face.

He didn't seem hurt in any way; just tired. Exhausted, body and soul. There were deep circles under his eyes, and even as he slept his eyelids fluttered as if he was having a horribly vivid nightmare. Even in sleep Bakura looked troubled and helpless.

Yugi looked around, abruptly realizing that the nurse hadn't moved to help him. He noticed a sign on the door and sighed to himself—the nurse was out for all of today. Of course she would be. He turned back to Bakura, where he lay on his back with his arms sprawled out to his sides and his legs half-bent as if he was somewhere between sleeping on his back and sleeping on his side.

"Hey Bakura," he said quietly, not really expecting Bakura to answer. "Will you be okay if I leave you here alone to sleep?"

"Don't go… Yugi…" Bakura muttered, forcing his eyes open. Yugi blinked in surprise.

"You're still awake!" he cried. Bakura nodded weakly, just pulling his chin up and down in minute gestures.

"I've been… really lonely this last week…" he admitted, his eyes opening and closing like blinds again. "It's been horrible… I've been so alone…" His eyes stayed closed this time. Yugi looked at the clock, but it had already been fifteen minutes; he was late as it was, so he could see no harm in staying with Bakura.

"Sure," he said, smiling at Bakura and sitting on the edge of the bed. He could see the edges of Bakura's lips pull up in a slight smile.

"Thanks," he said. There was silence for a second, and then Yugi felt himself unable to resist asking.

"What's wrong, Bakura? Really? Why are you so tired like this? And where have you been?" There was silence for a couple of long moments, in which Yugi worried. But then Bakura answered.

"I can't…" he started. Yugi's eyes climbed up his forehead; Bakura was shaking his head back and forth, using what little energy he had. "I just… I can't…" Yugi reached forward to put a hand on his chest and calm him, but Bakura hugged himself with one arm so tightly and so suddenly that there was no room in Yugi's mind for doubt that it had been a defensive measure against him.

"Bakura…" he started without realizing he was speaking; he was surprised by how sad and hurt his voice was. He watched as the tension in Bakura's body released helplessly.

"I'm sorry… Yugi. Things have been… really hard… lately." He opened his eyes a little, and stared at the ceiling. His brown eyes seemed sad and faraway, and somewhat… scared. Scared and lost and confused and, most of all, completely without hope. "I don't know what to do. And there's no one I can talk to…" Yugi was suddenly leaning over him, one hand resting over his heart and his face distraught.

"You can talk to me, Bakura! We're friends! You know that I'll always help you whenever I can!" he shouted. Bakura shook his head.

"No, Yugi. Especially… especially not you." Yugi leaned back, surprisingly hurt by this statement.

i It's alright, Yugi, /i the Pharaoh said, reemerging at his partner's distress. i Whatever's causing him to stay awake must be messing with his mind; why else would he seem so helpless? I sense something very dark at work here, Yugi. I'm not sure it's safe to associate with Bakura anymore. /i

i Pharaoh! /i Yugi cried out helplessly. i How can you think that?! I don't know what's going on with Bakura, but he needs us now more than ever! How can you say we should stay away?! /i He looked at Bakura, his eyes pained. i He /i needs i us, Pharaoh. /i

i Partner, /i the Pharaoh started. Bakura opened his eyes and looked at Yugi.

"I'm really sorry for worrying you… Yugi…" he said. "Why don't you… go back…? I'll be okay…" Yugi looked at him, but he realized there was nothing else he could really do. Bakura was worrying him—one moment he wanted him there, and the next he clearly wanted him go. The Pharaoh tugging at his attention and trying to make him leave wasn't helping either.

i There's nothing you can do for him if he won't let you, /i the Pharaoh said firmly. i I know you want to help, but there's nothing you can do. Give him some time—we can find out more later. /i

"Alright," he said aloud to both of them. He stood up and threw Bakura a final glance. "I'll come check on you after school, okay?"

This time Bakura really was asleep.