Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ sSn Hrrt ❯ Prologue: Konbonwa Minna ( Chapter 1 )

sSn Hrrt

by Citrus Luver

Author's Note: First of all, I promise my title means something. It's not a brunch of gibberish. I can promise you that much, but what it means I won't tell. It's a secret, a secret that will be revealed later in the fic that is. But, if you don't figure out what the title means by the end of this fic, I'll tell you in the author's note of the final chapter. I know I'm evil. Second, Yami will be called Atemu. Third, Japanese names for the characters will be used. Fourth, there is no 'shadow realm' in this fic. They just die. Painful but true. Fifth, 'shadow games' will be called 'dark games' or 'yami no game'. Depending on how I feel when I write that day.

Oh and if you aren't fond of yaoi, shonen-ai, you know boy kissing boy I would advice you to trek no further. One, I don't want reviews flaming me saying, it's gross or something. You have been warned. What happens after this point is not my fault. Because this fic is going to have shonen-ai maybe even go as far as yaoi, there might be some straight pairings later. I'm not too sure right now.

This is an alternative reality fic. I'm sure even if I don't state this here you can probably figure it out after finishing the prologue. Reasons being the fact that the original manga, the one we all love and cherish, has ended. Yes, ended, there is a set ending, and the anime is soon to follow. Everything that happens after the set ending with Atemu leaving for death is other people's ides and stuff. Because of that reason, this fic will be alternate reality with a lot things in common, as in theories and occurrences just not happened in the same way as in the manga and anime that we all know and love.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh! Duel Monsters.

Prologue:

Konbonwa Minna

The boy breathed again. A warm liquid clogged his throat as another tear slid down his cheeks, landing on the large chunk of gold in his hand mixing with the already spluttered traces of blood that covered his hand and the odd multi-sided gold piece. He hated it when he cried, when he cried about his pain.

Chink!

Another piece of the puzzle was in place. His stomach lurched uncomfortably. He cursed at himself mentally… at his carelessness… at fitting another piece in so… so… carelessly. But it wasn't the first time that his blood, his tears had become trapped within the cracks of the puzzle. But that wasn't all, every time he fit in another piece… he never seemed to be able to removed it… binding with it his blood… yet once attached the traces of his flesh seemed to have disappeared into a complete nothingness.

He shook his head unrepentantly.

His hand trembled as he picked up another piece. He stared at it…the weird angles… the shininess of the gold.

No… no… I… I mustn't think like this… no.

Chink!

This one was easier. He didn't even have to think about that one. Sometimes… he couldn't help but wonder did the puzzle wanted to be put together? If it had a silent yet magnetic force of its own. Or were they just his own longings.

Chink!

A drop of red fell from his lips landing on the puzzle. Before he could wipe it away, it too became part of the gold chunk… snapping into place. Drawn like a magnet. The redness disintegrated into nothing… as if the puzzle was sucking it in… taking in his blood as priceless nutriment… like that of a vile and cautious vampire… taking away his soul… his life.

Chink!

His breath hitched again. It was easy tonight. Easy. Funny. He almost felt like laughing… yet the warm liquid in his mouth wouldn't allow it. He swallowed forcing the intrusive and ever persistent bile back down… leaving a pungent and vile taste in his mouth.

Chink!

"Yuugi!" A voice broke the small little void that the young boy had built for himself. No longer did he possess the feeling or longing to complete the puzzle any more.

Just a few more too. I guess today's not the day. Then again when is it ever… my time?

He rubbed the sides of the gold piece… the brilliance of the golden sparkle that the puzzle gave off created once more that certain longing.

Someday. Someday I will finish you… and when that time comes… freedom… freedom will come. I'll finally be free… free of… of everything.

"Yuugi!" The voice called again… this time more persistence and louder as the voice carried into his room. The boy sighed… as he glazed longingly at the almost complete puzzle, just a couple of more pieces… then, then he could finally make his wish that he had been promised. He placed his prized possession back in the gold box engraved with Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, writing that even his grandfather, one of the world's top Ancient Egyptian expert couldn't fully decipher. But there was one symbol, a symbol that stood out beyond all the other symbols, an eye. The boy knew who the eye belonged to and symbolized, it was Horus's eye. An eye that spoke of power, an eye that pharaohs were associated with, and the boy loved and despised that symbol. Not because it symbolized power, but because of the way it was engraved upon the box. It showed. It shimmered with power, grace, and an artist's passion and love that had lasted for millenniums which now rested in his hands… but… it also brought something else. It brought him pain, and it tore him apart every time he touched the engravings. He looked longingly at the box one last time before placing it into his secret hiding place, under a loose floor board that lay under a piece of carpet in the exact center of the room.

"Yuugi!"

The boy flashed another look at the floor. Everyday, every time he slashed it under his floor it grew harder and harder for him to leave it. It was as if a strong magnetic force drew him to it… to complete it. And it hurt when he left it, as if a piece of his soul and heart was attached to the puzzle and the further away from it he was, the more it hurt… sometimes in the last eight years… he would lose sleep over the pain. When he was young, sometimes he would cry himself to sleep or curl up into a ball… and it would feel like cold knives were lodged in his body… knives that no matter how hard he would tug at could never be removed. And the only remedy towards numbing such intense pain would be working on the puzzle… and even that hurt.

Once, he thought he could escape such torture if he stopped working… then, then maybe he would be able to escape the web that he had driven himself into. After all, his grandfather did tell him that nobody had ever completed the puzzle… some spent their entire life trying to earn that eternal wish only to never receive it. Others had gone mad trying… that's why his grandfather was skeptical about letting his grandson have it that day when he discovered it in the old storage room. But, the plan backfired… for a whole week he refused to even look at the puzzle box, only to wake up each day worse then the next, till one morning his grandfather found him covered in blood… most not even his own. That's when the boy knew… he couldn't escape from the game that he started that fateful day. That's how he knew, how so many before him had failed… and he knew… some of the blood that covered him that day belonged to them. The so many that had failed before him… that's why when the puzzle devoured his own, he knew the puzzle had done it to the so many before him. Now, as he grew older, he grew use to the pain. His brain even learned to block most of it out, now it only felt like numb stabs. Stabs of pain that was as common to him as brushing his teeth or speaking or walking. It was part of his daily routine. Actually he couldn't remember a day when he wasn't in pain anymore.

At least today's Saturday, and a long weekend… hopefully I might even be able to finish this puzzle. Finish it. The boy couldn't help but scoff at his own words, finish. He had never been very accustom to such a word… in his mind… he never thought that anything in the world was even close to being complete… even puzzles, and games. There was always something else you could do with them… but, but this chunk of gold… when the last piece fitted in. It really would be done.

"Yuugi!"

"Coming, Jichan." The words left the boy's mouth… this time easily… the liquid that had once clogged his mouth just seconds before had lifted… like all the other times. He glanced back at the loose plank one last time before grabbing his bag from his chair… last night's homework done and neatly placed back in their appropriate folders. He then reached for the deck of cards on his nightstand. They weren't regular poker cards… but dueling cards. The boy loved the game, Duel Monsters. He was a champion at the game… a legend to duelists everywhere. He had after all beaten not only the creator of the game in his own twisted match but even beaten child prodigy and multi-billionaire Kaiba Seto not once but dozens of times. He was after all the Game King with almost zero loses… a near perfect record.

"Yuugi!" The voice called once more… a little more agitated then before. The boy gulped knowing he was probably going to get it soon… especially if he didn't manage to appear downstairs within the next ten seconds.

-------------------

The sound of quickened footsteps echoed throughout the house. While downstairs an elder man under five-foot stood… a look of aggravation mixed with an apex form of infuriation was ever visible upon his face. A wooden broomstick in one hand looked ready to split in half at any moment. Three teens were gathered before him… each taller than the next. A look of amusement was present on the two boys… especially the blond who was currently slipping side glances at the large glass display case to his left. A variety of powerful and even rare dueling cards were on display each ready for some obsessed duelist who was eager to fork over a large sum of money to claim.

Unfortunately one, he wasn't rich, so no matter how much he longed for the cards. They would never be his. Two, he knew it was pointless to try to enhance his deck with these cards. His own were after all pretty powerful, and he knew that if he used them the right way… someday… someday in the future he knew he could beat his best friend in a duel. After all that's what a real duelist does, strive for victory and play by honor and respect… not just by throwing out powerful monsters with no strategy. That wasn't the way to win duels, and he knew that… now.

"Yuugi, what took you so long? Something I wonder which one of us is older," scolded Mutou Sugoroku when finally the boy appeared.

"Gomen nasai Jichan," the teen mumbled… a thin streak of crimson red slowing appeared upon his bright, amethyst eyes.

"Don't do it again," scolded Mutou-san.

"Yeah, Yuugi. You almost made us late… again," accused Anzu. She was a pretty, thin brunette, with a pair of flashy midnight blue eyes, adorned with a bright neo-yellow tank top that emphasized her bosom. Something the school wasn't too fond of… because of that a bright blue bow tie was sewn upon her shirt. A mini-skirt traveled suggestively up her long legs. "Not that is wouldn't make those two happy," grumbled the young woman. Her lively blue eyes traveled swiftly to the other two teens in the room.

Honda Hiroto and Jounouchi Katsuya, best friends since middle school, two teens had more of a passion for recreational activities than book-work. A small giggle escaped from Yuugi's lips. "Come on. Let's go before Jounouchi-kun starts drooling over Jichan's case."

"Hai."

Sugoroku sighed… shaking his head helplessly as he watched Anzu drag Jounouchi out the door. They had officially been going to school for a month now… never missing a day something Sugoroku never thought would be possible since that day that Crawford-sama challenged Yuugi to a duel. Life had finally returned to normal. No more skipping school, now they actually had a chance of graduating from high school even Jounouchi with all the money he was winning by placing in dueling tournaments that were held biweekly now and from his job.

************

Ding!

The final chime of the school bell rang. The sound of students' feet running through the high school just waiting to sprint out the door for their long awaited long weekend. Among those was a strange looking group, only one female among three males. One being pure blond, he had once been know for his teasing and beating others up… even the upper class men when he was younger. Another had brown hair forked to a tip; he too was an ex-bully. He used to follow the blond around. They used to best friends, together they made an unbeatable fighting team. They once were feared by all… now… they rarely even thought about going back to their old ways. Another was a girl. Beautiful, sleek brown hair, shoulder length, she had the best grades in the bunch. A natural leader, a team go-getter, the class president yet instead of hanging out with other girls in her class she instead choose to hang out with these guys. Friends, she had known for years. The last was the most peculiar of the bunch. He had raven black hair that crowned his ivory white skin. Electric yellow bangs forked at the ends that hanged limping over his bright amethyst eyes. Deep red violet highlights outlined the black. He was short… shorter than any of his other friends, yet in matters of games he was a genius, yet he wasn't at all that bright in school. He was a genius in strategies and is able to devise brilliant tactics in short amounts of time, yet in school he couldn't do a simple calculus problem. He could catch any bluff, any cheat, and any flaw, yet he couldn't write a paper with zero mistakes even if his life depended on it. The boy was a genius… anyone could see that when he's playing a game. He was like a prefect creation gone wrong, and that went beyond schooling.

"I hate this new schedule. How do they expect anyone to not die of boredom from listening to someone who talks like that… and none stop too. Heck, I never knew anyone could talk so much in an hour," grumbled Jounouchi Katsuya as he let out another yawn. His eyes looked blood shot as if he hadn't slept in days, which technically he hadn't. For the last few nights, to earn extra money he had been going to Kaiba Corp. to test out their newest inventions which usually turned out to be either testing Kaiba's newest duel disk or his new RPG stimulation. Kaiba Seto had worked him hard… making him earn each yen the hard way. The only good thing that came out of working for Kaiba was that he could earn a lot of extra cash, which working at any restaurant couldn't even match even half of the salary Kaiba gave. As for how he got the job, it was because of the mutual respect and strong rivalry between Yuugi and Kaiba. Ever since Yuugi beat him in middle school in duel monsters, Kaiba had been striving to win back his title as world's greatest and mightiest duelist… a feat that to this day he still hadn't been able to accomplish yet.

"I can," countered Anzu. She rolled her eyes. Her left hand twirled her backpack strap… interweaving it around her index finger.

"Who?" asked Jounouchi. A blank look drew upon his face as he watched Anzu and Honda exchange a mutual, sly look. A small laugh escaped both their lips. "Who?"

 "No wonder, Kaiba calls you a mediocre fool."

"Hey! Whose side are you on, Honda?"

"No, Honda's right. You are mediocre, and you talk too much. Even Yuugi agrees with you, right, Yuugi? Yuugi?!"

No answer left the tri-colored boy's lips. Actually he wasn't even looking at his friends or listening for that matter… instead his normally cheerful amethyst eyes were glazed over, holding onto the ground before him. It wasn't as if he was looking at the ground or as if he found anything interesting about it. Actually, it looked like he wasn't all there… like every time when he started thinking a lot… overly a lot. Like before each dueling event… his friends would find him like that. Deep in thought, shuffling though his deck as if he was looking for something that wasn't there. Only, they knew how long those would last, a couple of minutes, fifteen tops. He would be in this daze… in his own little world… as if he had built a wall around himself that couldn't and wouldn't be broken. Yet, there was something else… each time after he came back from his 'little world' and when he drew his first card. It looked like a part of him was tearing away… like a part of his soul was slowly leaving him… as if he wasn't having that much fun dueling… actually… for the longest time. He had never dueled for fun… something big had always been at stake in one form or another.

"Yuugi?" exclaimed Anzu once more. Still no comment… no answer left Yuugi's lips

"Wonder what's wrong with him," muttered Honda.

"He's been like that all day. He almost blew up the chemistry table… remember Honda?"

"He what?!" cried Anzu horrified.

"Yeah, you weren't there were you? But… it was pretty funny. Huh Honda?"

"Yeah, real funny Jounouchi," grumbled Anzu… yet deep down in the pit of her stomach she was worried. Yuugi hadn't been himself since they got back from their trip to America, which had been nearly a month now. He always looked distant. He would rarely smile anymore, his old, genuine, signature smile. The one he used to have back in middle school. He used to smile a lot especially the first year they became friends with Jounouchi and Honda. Now, he would only smile for them… not because he wanted too… but because he had to. Quite often he could be would on the school roof during lunch glazing into the middle of no where… and every time she would question him about it. He always seemed offended… as if that time was his own… his private time… and place. Something that other people shouldn't know about.

The final beams of sunlight that day cast upon the four friends as they left the school… blinding them momentarily. The blinding heat surrounded them as summer slowly closed in. It had been another hot day. The temperature soaring high in the upper 30's. There wasn't a single cloud in the darkening sky to shade them from the final blazing rays of sunlight that remained in the day. It was almost eight at night now. The stars and the full moon would be coming out soon. The Saturday night traffic of families going home. The sounds of the final rounds of the metro bus as it speeded though the city avoiding yet another red light. The students' voices as they left to finish their final errands for the day. Seldom could the sound of a bird's calls be heard. This bustling city filled with its numerous people was like all the other cities in the highly dense Japan.

Once again they neglected to take the bus home. Another hour's walk awaited them, since going home that always chose the long way though the park. Sometimes they would even stop at a dueling store to check out the competition or even buy another pack of dueling cards, but not tonight. Tonight had been the longest day that spent at school all week.

"Yuugi," Anzu muttered again laying her hand upon her childhood friend's shoulder. It took the sixteen-year-old awhile to discover an added on weight to one of his shoulders.

"Huh?" He muttered looking up. His eyes blazed with innocence. A small blush glazed his porcelain cheeks. "Gomen ne. Boku…"

"You okay, Yuugi?" asked Jounouchi… a trace of worry lingered in his voice. He too feared for Yuugi. It was something he just couldn't keep himself from doing. He like Anzu and Honda both feared for Yuugi as if, he could be taken from them at anytime. As if he wasn't normal like them, but he stood on a different plain from them… a higher plain. As if he was a porcelain doll that could shatter and break at anytime, sometimes when Yuugi gave them one of his stares… it looked as if he was staring deep into your soul. As if he was waiting for someone to speak, to break him from his curse or even to tell him that this wasn't his place that he didn't belong here. He, Anzu and Honda had many discussions about that when they first became friends. Wondering if was he supposed to be somewhere else? If his life, his very fate was messed up, was destiny playing a cruel joke on him just to torture or test him some more, yet they never spoke of such things. They didn't dare… fearing that it might cut their time short with the teen that had in more ways than one, changed them all… in one way or another.

"Huh? Why do you ask, Jounouchi-kun?"

"Oh… err…" mumbled the young man going off into one of his normal nonchalant mumbling. A groan escaped Honda's lips as Anzu sighed. They were hopeless. Jounouchi was well… he could seldom finish a sentence around Yuugi when he acted like this lately without chickening out. As for Honda, he was most of the time not always there. Kawai Shizuka, Jounouchi's sister had been keeping him busy lately. The two had been dating for two weeks now, Honda's longest girlfriend ever… actually his first. Him and Miho's relationship didn't turn out so good… turned out she wasn't really into him and only used him to get free lunches and other stuff… stuff Honda still wasn't ready to indulge upon.

Once again it was up to her to come up with something quick before Yuugi got too suspicious. That was his one true flaw, he believed in people a little too much… that everyone had a good side to them… that's how Bakura Ryou nearly killed him. How Crawford Pegasus nearly destroyed him, his grandfather, Kaiba Seto and Kaiba Mokuba. How Seto nearly killed them all in his little 'amusement' park. How Malik nearly killed him with all his 'slaves'. Finally how Dartz nearly destroyed him and tried to reset the whole world. Why, Malik and Dartz hated Yuugi so much to this day they never quite figured out. They had even come up with a strange idea that maybe there really was a fate and destiny in this world. That they were traveling on one path and them on the other one, and something went wrong that destroyed the link between the two paths causing nothing to make sense.

"Yuugi, Jounouchi, Honda you guys want to go to the arcade tomorrow? Have some fun before school starts up again?"

"Yay! Arcade! I'm all for it," shouted Jounouchi. A smile immediately spread over his face at the thought of going to play games.

"I'm up to it. Shizuka and I don't have a date tomorrow," said Honda… even as he spoke they knew he was mentally going through his schedule. A sour look appeared on Jounouchi's face at the mention of his sister. He still felt uneasy about the fact that Honda was dating his little sister… at least it wasn't Otogi who Shizuka fell for. He still was a little bitter about being put in the dog costume and having majority of the city watch his degradation from top duelist to a mutt.

"Well…" said Yuugi uneasily. "I don't know. I should probably help Jichan run the store tomorrow. I haven't been helping him lately… and…"

"Yuugi! It's just half a day to a day tops, and we've been working really hard lately…"

"Hmph," coughed Anzu under her breath.

"Okay, you and Anzu have at least. You deserve a break besides I want to challenge you to at least one game tomorrow. We haven't played arcade games in nearly a year now."

"Well…" muttered Yuugi. A thoughtful expression slowly appeared upon his face like when's he's trying to make an important decision.

"Come on Yuugi. If you say no, we'll come to game shop tomorrow and kidnap you if you don't get there by noon," threatened Jounouchi. A laugh escaped Yuugi's lips.

"All right… all right. I'll come Jounouchi-kun. I don't think Jichan will be too happy if you try kidnapping me again. He almost killed you with his broom last time."

"Yeah, that bruise lasted for a week," grumbled Jounouchi. He cringed just thinking about that experience. It was back when they first became friends. Jounouchi had wanted Yuugi to come to the arcade with him at midnight for the all night event, but Yuugi had declined. Unfortunately Jounouchi wouldn't take no for an answer and ended up trying to break into Yuugi's bedroom. Unfortunately he got the rooms mixed up and ended in Sugoroku's bedroom instead. The old man thinking Jounouchi was a robber bashed him on the head with his broomstick. Jounouchi's screams had awaken Yuugi which was the only reason he didn't end up in the ER.

A laugh escaped from Honda at the mention of that incident. He still remembered Jounouchi walking into the class the next day with a huge bump on his head. He had teased Jounouchi weeks about that, something he wished he hadn't done now. It was one of those little things that Honda did in the past that caused Jounouchi to cringe each time he went over to his house to pick up Shizuka. That was another difference in Jounouchi's life. His father had died two weeks earlier from some drug overdose, which only left his mother as his only other living relative. As luck would have it, she found a new job here with her new husband, the two haven been married for two months at that time. Now, at least Jounouchi's life was a little more stable. At least he had a clean house to come home to each night and a regular meal. The only disadvantage to this living arrangement was the fact that his new stepfather found Jounouchi to be inferior in every way possible, which was why he couldn't count on his new father for any more support than his biological drunk father. That was the reason, he worked for Kaiba even through it had caused his degradation back to a mediocre fool.

***********

The rest of the walk the game shop was done in silence… it was an awkward silence, one that rarely happened. Jounouchi was still sour that Anzu beat him in a video game at Burger World and gotten into an argument with Honda when he mocked him about his defeat. While Yuugi had once more slipped back into his subdued self. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk. He longed to talk, share everything with his friends, but he couldn't. It hurt too much. Ever since he left the game shop this morning, the pain that normally demised into short stabs of pain by that time he got to school had only gotten worse. Not only did his stomach feel like it was on fire, but this strange music filled his head. It was as if it was intruding into his personal space, and no matter how hard he tried to push it away. It kept coming back worse each time.

By the time he pulled opened the door to the game shop, nearly all the strength left within him was gone. All he could manage from his dried lips was a simple 'ja'. A simple wave of his hand felt like swords stabbing into his hand. He watched his friends leave, turning at the block to return to their separate houses. It was late. With quarter exams coming up, school had been extended an extra couple of hours each night, sometimes even Sunday school was required. It was one of those new rules that the government had just started to require.

The game shop was dark like it normally was. The grandfather clock in the living room chimed ten. His grandfather was probably asleep by now or up in his bedroom watching some perverted TV show. Each step pained him as he grabbed hold of the support afraid that he would topple over any second. The staircase seemed so long today. His legs felt like lead as they weighed him down. The sound of voices came from his grandfather's bedroom. Yuugi immediately knew his grandfather was watching TV again and from past experience knew it was a bad idea to pester or even attempt to talk with him when a pretty lady had already captured his attention. Besides, Yuugi worried if he even had the energy to speak without toppling over, and he didn't want his grandfather to worry about his health especially with an important gaming convention coming up.

Placing his backpack on a chair, his attention suddenly fell to the loose floorboard. The almost complete puzzle laid there just waiting to be completed. It took almost all his remaining energy and self control to not yank the plank loose and finish the puzzle. Yuugi had long deduced that tonight was the night, no matter how long it would take. He would finish the puzzle tonight. The pain coming back to full power. His strength demising, they were all signs that tonight would be the night that he could try to finish his ten long years of struggles.

Yuugi sighed as he sank into the warm water. All tension slowly drifted away. The soreness and aching pain in his back slowly drifted away into oblivion. An old song was playing, one of his grandfather's many CDs that he kept over the years.

"Chotto shita asobi demo... Tsuminonai uso demo... Sonna omoi de ni... Kokoro ga uzuku yo," sang Yuugi. The words flowed out of his lips matching the singer's perfectly. That was another one of Yuugi's many hidden talents. He was a wonderful vocalist, yet he was too shy and embarrassed to sing in front of other people. Only his close friends and grandfather had ever heard him sing before. Anzu once even tried signing Yuugi up for auditions to be the school's Christmas performance. He had declined saying he wasn't good enough.

"Doko kara ka waite kuru yuuki to kibou de. Obore sou ni natteru kimi o tasuke ni. Dare ni mo shinjite moraenai donna ni. Nagai michi o aruite mayou koto naku susundemo." His voice slowly decrescendo, the candles that he had let in the bathroom flicked before going out, leaving only the distinct fragrance of lotus blossoms in the atmosphere. Yuugi sighed sinking deeper into the watery abyss.

A loud knock broke the silence, dragging Yuugi out of his motionless and mindless state. "Yuugi, you in there?" The voice of his grandfather covered the pitch-black bathroom.

Yuugi sighed pulling his now nearly numbed body out of its laying down position. "Hai, Jichan."

"Turn the lights on. I don't want you slipping in there. Oh, and I left you a midnight snack in your room. Don't stay up too late."

"I won't Jichan. Arigatou ne, Jichan." The sound of retreating footsteps then the sound of a door pulling shut announced that once more the house was empty and quiet. Once again he tried leaning back, but this time tranquillity wouldn't come. He dunked his head once more into the tub before stepping out. Remembering his grandfather's words of caution Yuugi hit the light switch. The once aromatic candle now lay limping on a plate. Now the only traces left of it was the amethyst wax that dripped onto the sink. Yuugi sighed before yawning. He placed his hands on the sink for support as he stared at his reflection. His skin emitted a flush red tone, which normally was pure ivory white. Beads of water trailed down his face. Yuugi sighed in contentment before pulling on his pajamas, a shade of beautiful baby blue with little yellow stars. His hair hang limping, traces of water still dripped down his face. He took the wax pan with him as he exited the room. He would deposit it in a trash can later.

Suddenly, the hall seemed so ominous. It was a feeling he never experienced before. The striking of the grandfather clock downstairs announced the time, eleven. The witching hour would start soon. Yuugi trembled even though it was so hot now. The heat around him seemed to enclose around him. It was just like those horror movies that Jounouchi was so fond of watching, which normally meant dragging Yuugi with him. As he passed his grandfather's bedroom, he suddenly felt so meek and alone. He set the pan down on the floor before standing up. His breath became raspy again. Half of him wanted to run into his grandfather's room and ask to sleep with him. Something he did a lot when he was little when there was a thunderstorm. Yuugi wasn't fond of thunderstorms at all, especially when the lightening and thunder happened at the same time.

"Yuugi, you need something?" A tired, yet concerned voice questioned. Without knowing it, Yuugi had opened the door to his grandfather's room and walked in. Sugoroku was still awake. A novel in his hands, a small lamp emitted a warm glow something Yuugi longed for now… warmth even though it was so hot… even this late at night.

"Nothing, Jichan," said Yuugi quickly. "I… I just wanted to say, good night." The boy mumbled before turning around to leave.

"'Night, Yuugi." The old man chuckled as he watched his sixteen almost seventeen-year-old grandson exit. "Pleasant dreams," he whispered even though he knew Yuugi couldn't possibly have heard him… it just felt right saying it this time. A warm smile stayed on Sugoroku's face as he marked his large novel and set it aside. He flicked the light off and slid into a dreamless sleep.

While Yuugi had just made it back into his room, the almost complete puzzle laid in hands. It had taken a lot out of him to not beg his grandfather to let him stay with him for the night, yet somehow… haven said good night it made him feel like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He didn't know why… but it just felt important to say 'good night'.

Clink!

Once more, another gold piece snapped into piece. Yuugi gasped. The pain returning once more. The vile, bitter liquid forming around his esophagus as if waiting to forever suffocate him. His hand hit the cold sides of the gold puzzle box before drawing out another piece. The sides protruding outwards. The young teen absentmindedly stroked it. Rubbing it against his fingers. The coldness felt so nice, so much like an ice cube. His stomach turned… yearning to regurgitate the midnight snack his grandfather had left for him. Yuugi gasped. The piece slipped from his hands and fell into place.

Clink!

That had never happened before… a piece falling into place like that. Maybe just five, ten tops before it would finally be done. Yuugi grinned. Butterflies slowly started to form in the pitch of his stomach. Would he actually do what so many before him had failed at? Would he be able to make that wish that that had been promised to him?

Clink!

Another piece, another step closer. His mind burned. The song within his mind soared. Glory was so close. Once more Yuugi reached for the box, only to stop himself mid way. It was the first time he had ever done so. His glaze fretted to his phone. For one uneasily moment a strange surge plagued him… it was mixed with uncertainty and fear. What would happen when he finished he puzzle? Not once, in these last ten years had he ever questioned what would happen when he finally placed that last piece into the puzzle. It wasn't something he had ever worried about, but now… as the moments drew near Yuugi couldn't help but wonder? What would happen? Would the pain go away? Would he be alone again… bored without anything to do? Would it feel different than any other completion?

Once again the phone caught his attention. He dropped the near complete puzzle on the ground. It felt so easy as if the puzzle wanted him to go to the phone. Absurd. Yuugi sighed before dialing a number. He wasn't sure who he had exactly called till the answering machine picked up. Jounouchi. He had called Jounouchi… yet as the long beep ended… Yuugi wasn't sure what to say. "Konbonwa Jounouchi-kun. Yuugi." Somehow as he hung up the phone a strange feeling of completion filled his soul. Once more he dialed a number… Honda this time. The machine picked up. Like with Jounouchi's message he said the same… then with Anzu. As he finished calling his three friends… relief filled his heart. It just felt odd… something he had never done before telling his friends good night, but this time it felt right. A tingling feeling went through his heart as the next four pieces slipped into pass. All the while he felt at ease… the pieces slipping together. Even the blood that fell from his mouth didn't bother him for once. The inability to breathe, the pain in his stomach… he couldn't feel any of it.

Clink!

Another piece done. Yuugi gasped… just one more left. One more… the center piece… somehow he knew the center would only take one piece. His hands trembled… Am I really going to be able to do with no other has ever done before? Complete this puzzle? His hand trembled as it reached into the hieroglyphic inscribed puzzle box only to touch gold… solid gold. There were no more pieces left. Startled and distressed Yuugi picked the box up… and shook it. He didn't know why he shook it… cause he knew there was nothing in it. Tears steamed down his amethyst eyes as he went to the secret compartment in the floor. He dug around in the dark to find nothing. Tears fell blinding him as he tore his room apart looking for the missing piece only to discover that it wasn't anywhere. Tears steamed down his face… damping his pajamas. The glow that the puzzle once gave off was gone… now it laid on the ground… lifeless. His strength was gone… the adrenaline rush left him exhausted as he collapsed next to the puzzle. His hands hugging it tightly. Tears fell as he waited for death to claim him like with all that couldn't finish the puzzle. "Ilie, ilie, ilie…" he continued to whisper.

"I failed," whispered the boy. "I failed you… mister." An image of that strange man dressed in a white robe… a turban on his head filled Yuugi's mind. His eyes were blue… they showed no life in them. Around his neck was an ankh and in his tanned hands was a scale. His voice was different, strong, and filled with sadness. He was the man that gave him the task of finishing the puzzle… told him of the wish… and his sacrifice to finished this ancient puzzle. How, once he completed it his one true desire could become a reality if he was the chosen one destined to possess the puzzle. The strange man had even told him that he had sensed something different from Yuugi… something he never sensed from any other soul. Now… now Yuugi felt like a failure as the room suddenly went dark. A strong warm breeze blew into the room disturbing his already ransacked room. Guess I have to clean it tomorrow...if I live.

Blood slipped from Yuugi's mouth pouring over the puzzle… his eyes dulled over… as darkness would soon claim him. Just as his eyes closed… he thought he saw a blinding gold light. "Guess I'm going to see what death is like," Yuugi mumbled bitterly. "Sayonara Jiichan, Jounouchi-kun, Honda-kun, Anzu. Arigatou…" His whispered as his eyes closed… trapping him into darkness…

----TBC------

A/N: Okay. First of all I know Yuugi beat Kaiba when he's in high school, and he didn't become friends with Honda and Jounouchi till high school either. I just need them to be friends earlier in this fic without them having them to be older than what they are in anime/manga cause I need their ages the way they stand with Yuugi just about to turn seventeen. Also I know, Yuugi completed the puzzle in eight not ten years. Another change that I need without changing their ages so technically here, he gets the puzzle just before he turns seven. Also everything that happened in the anime/manga starting with original yami no game to Atemu returning to Japan from the KC Grand pix, instead of finishing in one to one and a half years, here is took a little over two years. As for the whole puzzle completion thing more will be explained later. So how was it? I'm not even sure if this is original or what. I haven't read a whole lot of Yu-gi-oh fanfics, just a note, most are actually yaoi and set in modern times. Very few have I read are actually set in the ancient times. So if anyone already wrote a fic like this… all I can say is gomen… gomen nasi and hopefully mine will be different as the fic progresses... cause this summary is a little off from the actually plot line of this fic. Cause I can't give the second half till later without ruining everything. So besides that, how was it? Good, bad, indifferent please tell me?