Chapter Six – Poison Dagger

Yugi's POV

Yugi smiled, he was happy for Aria. He knew how it felt to be separated from someone you care for, get them back and then be separated again.

Yugi fiddled with the key that was now holding his yami's soul, he couldn't believe he had him back. It felt like such a long time they had been apart for even if it had only been a year.

Yugi wasn't really paying attention to what Aria and Marik were talking about but he still heard when Marik said "We should get back, I wanna look at Yugi's cut as soon as possible."

Yugi nodded, the cut was really starting to get painful now. So they started their long walk back to the hotel.

They needed to sort out one thing as they walked, "Marik will have to share a room with Kaiba, his is the only one that has a spare bed, is that okay with you, Moneybags?"

Joey had been the one to start this conversation; Yugi suspected it was so he could be the one to annoy Kaiba by insisting that he shared.

Kaiba seemed to have the same thought as Yugi as he replied calmly with, "I don't mind, Mutt, just as long as he keeps to himself and on his half of the room."

Yugi sighed.

Why couldn't they be more civil when talking to each other? They fight worse then two little kids… it's wasn't much to ask them to at least stop with the name-calling.

"I have no problem with keeping to my side of the room, Kaiba, it's just whether you can keep your ego on yours." Marik added to the conversation.

Great even he's being childish… I really don't need this now, not while my cheek is hurting this badly… Dammit I swear every time I take a breath it gets worse.

"I'd watch it if I was you, Psycho, I still haven't forgiven you for nearly ruining my tournament." Kaiba retorted.

Yugi heard a sigh in his head. It seemed as if even Yami was fed up of their constant fighting, and he'd only just got back.

Marik's eyes narrowed, "What did you call me, Dragon Boy!" Aria, who had been walking next to Marik not really paying attention to the argument, jumped away from him, obviously startled by his sudden shout.

"I called you a Psycho, as in you know psychopathic. That is what you are after all."

Yugi facepalmed, Kaiba was making this worse, why couldn't they be mature for just once in their lives. That last comment from Kaiba it seemed was the final straw for Marik, because as soon as Kaiba had finished he was on the ground clutching a hand to his jaw.

Marik stood over him, his fist still raised, "That was for calling my a psychopath, you baka."

He then turned and continued walking. Aria looked from Kaiba to Marik then followed, she did not look happy with him. Kaiba looked just about ready to murder Marik, thankfully he didn't, he just stood up, brushed himself off and started walking.

Yugi heard him muttering angrily as he walked past.

"Wait a go, Joey, look what you started."

Even Tristan seemed to be annoyed with how they'd all acted.

"Hey! That was not my fault; I didn't tell him to punch Kaiba. Though I must congratulate him on that later…" Joey got a whack to the back of the head from Tristan as he walked past for saying this.

Joey, being the immature idiot he is, stuck his tongue out at the back of Tristan's head. Only to receive a rude gesture, using one finger, from Tristan.

/Looks like nothing's really changed since I left…/ came Yami's voice from in Yugi's head.

The hikari couldn't help but laugh, /Yeah, they're all still as immature as ever…/

With that he started to follow the others. Yugi, though one of the shortest of the group, would normally be leading, but he was trailing behind.

"Maybe it's the heat, you aren't used to Egyptian temperatures." Marik suggested, after being told off by Aria he had returned to his calmer attitude.

Aria looked at Yugi closely, her eyes full of worry, "Maybe we should stop so you can have a rest, Yugi, there's a spring near here with some trees you can sit under to cool down."

Yugi shook his head, though he wanted to, and need to, rest he wanted to get back to the hotel more. His cut cheek was really starting to hurt him badly now.

"I'll be fine, I just wanna get back so Marik can sort my cheek out."

Marik frowned at the short young man for a while; he seemed to be debating something, "If you're sure, I guess we could keep going…"

Yugi had tried to continue to walk at this point, but Marik put an arm out to stop him, "But you must tell me if you need to rest, Yugi, you're looking kinda pale and that worries me."

"I feel fine, Marik, please don't worry about me." Yugi lied, he didn't want them to worry about him.

It's probably nothing… or at least nothing a good night's sleep can't fix, which is what I intend to do when we get back. Sleep… 'til about lunch tomorrow.

For some reason Yugi was feeling unusually tired.

/Want me to take control, Aibou?/

In Yugi's tiredness he accidentally spoke out loud to the Pharaoh rather then through the mind link, "Nah, I can handle walking back."

Everyone gave him a strange look.

Great now they think I'm talking to myself… that is not going to persuade them that I don't need to rest…

"Yugi…" Aria's voice was full of concern; "Maybe it would be best if you had a little sit down…"

"I'm fine, really…" He walked around Marik, and staggered slightly.

Marik steadied him, "Yugi, you are not."

"I agree with them, Yug', you're looking really pale." Joey was looking at him in a very anxious way.

/My Aibou, I think it would be for the best if you did as they wished and rested for a few minutes./

Yugi clenched his fists, he really wasn't in the mood for this right now, his cheek was extremely painful.

"Look, everyone, I'm fine. I don't need to rest. I'm tired, yeah, but a good night's sleep will cure that. All I want right now is to get back to the hotel so Marik can sort out my cheek, which by the way is excruciatingly painful right now!" Yugi hadn't meant to shout, blushing he muttered, "Sorry…"

"Why are you sorry, Yug'? We're the ones that didn't think about how much that cut was hurting you. Sorry buddy," Joey paused for a second to smile at Yugi, "Well, shall we get going, bud?"

He turned and started to lead them out of the desert. Yugi was about to follow when his vision suddenly blurred.

/Yugi…/ The spirit's voice was faint in Yugi's head, this worried him more then his lack of vision did.

/Yami? Can you hear me?/

He didn't get a response.

/YAMI!/

Still no response.

What the small hikari didn't know was that his other self was lying unconscious in the middle of his maze of a mind room.

Yugi walked unsteadily forward, "Guys…?"

But before he could say anymore the ground was rushing up towards him. Yugi closed his eyes and slipped into unconsciousness as his head hit the floor.