The sky, gray and cloud-covered, hovered an indefinable distance above him.  The lilies, flowers still encased in bulging buds, were covered in dew. The moisture soaked through his star-covered pajamas and caused him to shiver with the dampness and cold..

Why am I wearing pajamas in a field? Yugi wondered. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was doing there, or how he had gotten there. He couldn’t remember anything.

As he got to his feet, the flowers began to uncurl and bloom, exposing their unblemished, pearl-white petals. He bent to examine one, deeply inhaling its scent.

He was barefoot, he realized as he stood again.

As Yugi glanced around, trying to see where he was, he saw a shape moving in his peripheral vision. He whipped his head around, and his heart leaped when he realized the shadow belonged to whom he had hoped.

“Anzu!” he cried, running towards the figure. She, too, turned towards him. Beaming, her face bright and happy, she opened her arms to receive him. Squeaking in happiness, he collapsed against her chest. She smiled lovingly down at Yugi. “I missed you,” she cooed, stroking his back.

Anzu pulled away to grin up at him, but her smile rapidly dissolved. Her eyebrows creased and her lips began forming a frown. She placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him away, her visage twisting into a snarl. “You’re not him!” she snapped. Her face continued to contort. “What happened? Where did all your strength go? You’re just weak little Yugi!”

Her words sliced into him like a knife. He just gaped, unsure of what to think or say.

The lilies wilted and died as her last word echoed around the landscape again and again.

“Yugi! ..Yugi! ..Yugi!”

The feminine voice suddenly transformed into that of a strong, confident male. The landscape, and Anzu, crumbled into ashes and disappeared, and Yugi felt himself falling, falling, into a consuming void.

He hit the floor, somewhere, though he couldn’t see anything. He was only aware of blackness.

“Yugi.” The voice was comforting, now, and as Yugi groped around in the darkness, a familiar face appeared before him, illuminated by a strange glow.

“O..Other me!” Yugi cried. “What are you doing here?”

The other figure advanced further, bending to place a hand on Yugi’s shoulder. The boy could now see him fully: his familiar hair was enrobed by a crown adorned with the Millennium Eye. He was clothed with a simple kilt, the royal clothing of an Egyptian pharaoh.

Yugi whimpered and placed his head against the other’s chest for comfort. “I...I missed you so much...I don’t know...how I’m going to make it,” he gasped. “I feel...so alone...”

“Yugi...” The pharaoh sounded deeply saddened. “Yugi, I wish I could stay with you, but I cannot. I must not visit you like this for much longer. This is where our paths must split.”

“But...”

“You are strong, Yugi.” The pharaoh smiled at him. 

“But even Anzu doesn’t care about me, now that you’re gone.” There was more than a trace of bitterness in Yugi’s voice. “Now that I’m just weak little Yugi again.”

“You have the strength within you, Yugi. It’s just a matter of realizing your potential.”

“What are you talking about? Please...stay with me...No...”

As Yugi spoke, he could feel the pharaoh shrinking from him, the solid flesh melting away. In only a few moments, he was again alone in the darkness.

“Goodbye, Yugi...”

“Noooo!” His voice broke as he reached around blindly.

Yugi sat up in bed, his eyes wide and panicked. He gazed around for a few moments, disoriented. His hand reflexively flew to his chest, yet he did not find the reassurance he sought.

The Millennium Puzzle was gone. As he knew it would be, yet its absence still tore at him. He had taken comfort in that piece of metal so many times...had traced his hands over the cold metal, delighted in its smooth surfaces and hairline cracks. 

He still wore the chain that he had kept the Puzzle on, when nobody else was around. Yet there was no salvation attached to it, now. 

“I just wanted...a friend...” A tear slipped from his eye as he fingered the empty chain. “I know, I found Jounouchi and Honda and Bakura, but...my real best friend was you...”

There was no response from the depths of his mind.

Nothing. Cold emptiness.

A footstep outside Yugi’s room caused him to panic. He rolled against the wall, pulling his covers over his head. The door opened a crack, then closed again. Yugi sighed in relief. He didn’t want anyone to hear him talking to himself. 

It would bring too many questions. 

Yugi was often awakened by dreams these nights. He usually had a lot of trouble falling asleep, especially after he awoke during the night.

As he lay in his bed, cocooned in covers, he felt the urge to be comforted by the familiar sight of his deck... his Black Magician, especially. His favorite card...

Yugi made sure that whoever had been in the hallway was gone, and then rolled out of bed and padded across the room. He walked to his desk and turned on the lamp – his cute clock with a smiling face said it was 2:23 in the morning. He’d be tired tomorrow. 

Yugi lifted his deck off its position in the center of his desk, in the midst of scattered homework papers. His grades had actually improved since the Pharaoh had left, since he focused on work to distract his mind. Before, he’d preferred playing Duel Monsters.

He shuffled through the cards, finding his favorite and pulling it out, tilting it so the light reflected off the embedded foil. Rainbows bounced against his tired eyes.

“Black Magician...” Yugi murmured. “You got me through so many duels...you, and the help of the other me...But was it even me that you cared about? Me that you fought for? Or was it...him?” 

The ghost of a tear slid down Yugi’s face. “I...miss you...”

He was talking to the air, though he wanted to reach his other half. He didn’t know if the dream had actually been a message from him, or just Yugi’s fevered mind trying to fulfill its desires. He did want to talk to his other half again, but ever since the final Sealing, it seemed like there would never again be a chance to do so.

The Black Magician remained in his fixed pose on the card, a confident smirk on his face as he raised his staff.

“I wish I could be like you...” Yugi whispered. At this point, he wasn’t sure if he was talking to the Black Magician or his other half. He didn’t really care.

Another sound outside his door caused Yugi to quickly switch off the light and scramble back into bed. He didn’t want to be caught awake – it would undoubtedly lead to lectures about how he needed sleep for his health. Which was probably true, but his body simply did not want to oblige. Yugi didn’t want to tell anyone how he felt, because he knew that would lead to so many questions...if he tried to explain the entire story, they’d probably think he was crazy. People had acted alarmed enough if he slipped and mentioned “the other me”, or was caught talking to himself.

He turned over and tried to sleep. Gradually, his body’s objections dissolved, and he slipped into a dreamless slumber.

~ 

On the other side of Domino Town, another boy was lying sleepless in his bed. 

Ryou Bakura. Another one of the fated few chosen to possess Millennium Items. However, destiny had not been as kind to him as it had been to Yugi. His spirit had not been benevolent; the Bakura of the past had been evil and abusive. Although he had disappeared along with the Millennium Ring, Bakura now felt strangely empty and alone. He was radically different from his darkness; he was kind and caring, or at least that was what people told him. The people who weren’t afraid of him, that is. The people who hadn’t died at his hands. His bloody hands...

The silver-haired boy turned over and pulled a crumpled photograph out from under his pillow. Though it was too dark to make out the details of the picture, he had long ago memorized every detail of the faded image. It had been taken on one of the family trips to Egypt, to visit Bakura’s father on one of his archeological digs. A younger, much happier version of himself was standing next to a younger girl, whose hair was considerably darker and tamer. Bakura’s hair was still white and fluffy, and his brown eyes were perhaps even bigger. They were both grinning and holding their hands in v-signs.

“Amane...Imouto-chan...” he murmured, a burning sensation stinging his nose as he tried not to succumb to the growing urge to cry. 

His sister’s death had been the point where Bakura’s life had really started go downhill. He couldn’t remember anything from that time very well. Everyone said that she had died in a car accident, but he worried that wasn’t true. He hadn’t been in the car when it happened. He feared that he had been lied to, and that he had somehow been responsible for her death. His memory was so blank...He had loved her...it would be fitting that he would have somehow killed her, he thought. It would have been a fitting prediction of what was to come.

He had gotten his Millennium Ring right after that, he thought. His father had given it to him. Bakura didn’t see his father very much, and it had been a treasure. A memento from one of his digs in Egypt.

Yet it had started to consume him and tear his life apart. He began to be alienated from everyone he was remotely close to, for if he ever invited them to his apartment, the Ring turned him over, and...

He had even transferred to Domino High School because it had grown to be such a problem. Yet, he had still not realized the full potential of the Ring’s dark powers until then, until he had transferred to and met Yugi...

Yugi...

Bakura wondered vaguely how Yugi was coping with the loss of his other half. He’s probably taking it harder than I am, the silver-haired boy reflected. The other Yugi was a friend to him, a companion...My other half, what was he? He just wanted to destroy everyone...

He wanted to finish the thought with “even me”, but it didn’t come. Yugi had said that Bakura’s darkness had tried to protect him during their duel, though Bakura had no memory of the incident. If he tried to think about it, he could remember nothing except blackness, and a few confused moments of intense pain and the swirling faces of Yugi and his companions.

He...hurt people...He probably killed people... Bakura stared at his hands. He could only make out the barest outlines of his pale fingers in the darkness, yet the blood staining them stood out bright in his imagination.

It won’t go away...no matter how much I wash my hands it won’t go away...

Bakura balled his fists, his stomach twisting in a familiar knot of guilt.

I couldn’t help it...or could I? Was I aware of what was happening? I don’t even remember anything....

He turned over again and stared at his clock. 2:23 AM. He had school tomorrow. He would stagger through it, struggling to stay awake, and then he would return home and fall asleep on his desk while trying to finish his homework. This had been happening nearly every day since his other had been defeated.

I wasn’t good enough to go with Yugi and the others into his heart, to seek the Pharaoh’s memories...I wasn’t good enough. Even separate from him, I wasn’t good enough...

The burning in Bakura’s nose grew stronger, until he was unable to suppress a small tear from edging out of the corner of his eye.

I tried, but it wasn’t enough...I tried...

Still in the darkness, Bakura traced a fresh scar on his upper arm, causing a fresh surge of pain. He had inflicted it himself, after his Darkness had left....there had been a wound there, which he hadn’t remembered getting. He got the feeling that his other half had inflicted it himself for one reason or another.

It had begun to heal. Bakura hadn’t wanted that.

So he reopened it, one night in the shower. A slash of the razor, to atone for his sins. Penance through the blood and pain. And a way to remember the presence of his darkness...the pain reminded him of the other half he was now missing. Missing....despite everything he’d done...

He didn’t want the wound to heal. He wanted it to remain there as a fresh sign of the fact that he was never good enough for Yugi, for any of them. It was the symbol of his darkness, and it would stay.

But right now, it hurt. Ached. Throbbed. His spirit, as well, hurt; with the absence of his Darkness, he felt much more empty and alone than he should have felt. Than he was obligated to feel. Allowed to feel.

Sighing, Bakura rose from his bed and stood. The soft carpet tickled the bottoms of his feet, pressed between his toes. It was a small comfort, yet one he didn’t deserve...

He deserved a mat of nails. Or coals. Scalding coals that would sear the bottoms of his feet as he tried to cross them. Maybe then he would be worthy....if he burned away the sins....

Several times a night, Bakura followed the path that his feet traced. He walked from the bed to the door, and opened it carefully and slowly, fearing that he would awaken his mother. He didn’t want her to know that he was still awake. He didn’t want her to know about his recent insomnia, for fear that it would cause her to take him to a doctor. Which was the last place he wanted to go, especially if the doctor tried to send him to a psychologist. After all that he’d been through with his Darkness, the thought of seeing a psychologist terrified him. He would probably be diagnosed with some severe disorder and forced to take drugs. He didn’t want to become someone else...he also didn’t want to have to talk to a stranger about his personal problems. Yet, still, there were times when the idea of talking to someone was admittedly appealing.

He exited his room and crawled, carefully, down the hall. In the recent weeks, he had learned that if he crawled, the floorboards were less likely to creak.

Finally, Bakura reached the bathroom at the end of the hallway. He pushed the door open – it was still open a crack from his earlier visit, so he didn’t have to actually turn the handle and open it. Which was good, because the squeak of the turning doorknob might draw attention to him.

Bakura’s hands moved from the warm carpet of the hallway to the cold, unforgiving bathroom tile. He crawled in, pulled the door closed, and turned on the light. Then, almost reluctantly, he dragged himself to his feet and faced the mirror.

His face looked haggard and worn. Although he had by no means calm while possessing the Millennium Ring, his current appearance was even more tortured. His large, brown eyes were shot through with red, and dark circles marked his pale skin. He seemed even more delicate than usual, and his veins stood out against his skin. Blue lines...they appeared so fragile, yet they contained his lifeblood. If they were severed, he would die.

Sighing, Bakura splashed some water on his face and cupped his hands beneath the faucet, allowing himself a refreshing drink. He then trudged back to bed, trying to be as quiet as possible. Upon arriving, he settled back into his bed for another several hours of tossing and turning. He hoped for a few minutes of blessed sleep before being roughly awakened for school.

~

The next day, Yugi shuffled absently through his deck after class, trying to organize his thoughts enough to head home. He was tired – exhausted – due to his attack of insomnia the previous night. The fluorescent lights of the classroom burned into his eyes as he stared at the cards, though he had long since memorized their text. He still enjoyed Duel Monsters, along with all other games, but he couldn’t help feeling like Duel Monsters was a part of the past. A facet of his personality that his other half had dominated...

Yugi realized, as he glanced around the room, that he – or, rather, his other half – had been the glue holding together his group of friends. Anzu, Honda, Jounouchi....Although his dream the previous night had frightened him, and he didn’t like to think about it, he knew that its implications were very real. Anzu was losing interest in him now that the Pharaoh was gone. And with her diminishing interest in him, she spent less and less time playing Duel Monsters. He had a strong feeling that she had just interested herself in the game because it was something he enjoyed, and that playing Duel Monsters was a way for her to get closer to him. Jounouchi still played, but his interest was waning after he had, in his mind, achieved his goal of becoming a true duelist during Battle City. Honda had never really played, and just supported Yugi and (especially) Jounouchi; both boys had, upon return from Battle City, become increasingly interested in dating and girls and less interested in games.

Yugi sighed. They had pledged to be together forever, but it seemed that ‘forever’ was a much shorter time than any of them had thought. It seemed just like yesterday (really, it was only a couple of months – though so much had happened) that the four of them had stood outside Kaiba’s duel arena while Anzu drew the friendship symbol on their hands. Their friendship had gotten him through many trials, and while Yugi knew Jounouchi and the others still cared about him, their common interests seemed to be diminishing. Games were Yugi’s primary focus in life – his grandfather had even named him after gaming. Yet the others were far less interested.

He also suspected his companions were unsure of how to deal with him after the Pharaoh had left. None of them had really understood the relationship that Yugi and his other half shared, but they could all tell that his loss had affected Yugi greatly. But none of them could understand, so they shrank from Yugi and his problems, not wanting to admit they had nothing to say. 

Nobody could understand...except...

Yugi glanced to the side, noticing Bakura. The boy was resting his head on his arm, appearing to be asleep on his desk. Yugi wasn’t sure if he was feigning sleep to avoid attention, or if he had actually drifted off. Yugi stood, curious, wondering if Bakura had any plans for the evening. Although Bakura had always been kind to Yugi, he had never really been one of Yugi’s closest friends. Reflecting on this, Yugi realized that Bakura’s dark half had really been the reason – any opportunities for them to develop their relationship had been cut short by the rivalry of the ancient Pharaoh and tomb robber. Yet, now, that the spirits were gone.... perhaps Bakura was feeling as empty as he was. Approaching Bakura was worth a try, anyway; Yugi hated seeing anyone upset, especially someone he considered a friend, and he considered it his duty to try to help Bakura.

He walked over to Bakura’s desk, slowly. He didn’t want to wake the boy if he was asleep, but he hoped Bakura would acknowledge his presence if he was awake.

“Oi, Bakura-kun,” Yugi said softly. 

Bakura snapped his head up, a terrified look in his eyes for a moment. When he saw that Yugi was the one addressing him, his face relaxed somewhat, and his typical grin appeared on his face. “Yugi-kun! How are you?” 

“Fine,” Yugi mumbled evasively. He was not fine, and he suspected Bakura wasn’t either.

“Great! Me too,” Bakura responded, still pasting a grin on his face.

“Bakura-kun...” Yugi lowered his voice and bent to even his face with that of the slouching Bakura. “I know you’re probably going through a lot right now. If you need to talk to someone, please, feel free to talk to me. It’s Friday, I don’t have any plans for tonight, and for once we don’t have that much homework... Do you want to come and play Duel Monsters with me at Kaiba Land or something?”

Bakura’s face clouded for a moment, then returned to its former brightness. “I don’t know if I can...But, I don’t see why not!” he added, confusing Yugi by his apparently contradictory responses. “Do we...do we have to play Duel Monsters, though? I’m no match for you, really. And thinking of Duel Monsters reminds me of...” He trailed off, not wanting to finish. He didn’t need to: Yugi knew what he was going to say. The only two times he had seen Bakura duel...well, hadn’t really been Bakura playing.  It had been his other half. Bakura had only regained control at a few points during those duels, yet the duels seemed to have been taxing and painful for Bakura.

In the first duel, Bakura had had to struggle with his other half to protect Yugi and his friends. The second duel...Bakura had been hurt, lost, and confused; at that point, his body and mind were merely pawns in the battle against the Pharaoh.

Yugi knew Bakura was recovering, but he also knew the process wouldn’t be easy for him. Playing Duel Monsters was like reliving the memories all over again. Especially playing with his Occult deck, which his darkness had nearly defeated Yugi with...

Neither of them really wanted to think about that.

“Okay, we don’t have to play Duel Monsters if you don’t want to,” Yugi replied with a smile. He wondered why both he and Bakura were making so much of an effort to appear happy, since neither of them were and both knew it. “I love all games. Are there any that you really want to play?”

Bakura looked down. “The only one that I’m really good at is Monster World, and...” He trailed off again. Yugi sighed, realizing that the only possible good memories Bakura could have associated with gaming had become tainted by the actions of his darker half.

“We don’t have to play anything if you don’t want to,” Yugi urged. He was getting a bit frustrated – it seemed that there was nothing Bakura could do without evoking painful memories. “We can just go out and get something to eat or drink, and then explore, see what happens...”

Bakura blushed slightly. “I’d love to, but...I don’t have any m— ”

“Don’t worry,” Yugi said brightly. “I brought my wallet. I’ll pay.”

“Just like a date, huh?” Bakura giggled. 

Yugi just stared. “Err..I d-didn’t say that...” he stammered, trying to find words. He had never considered the possibility of a romantic interest in Bakura, and though he thought – thought – Bakura was just joking, he couldn’t be certain.

Bakura blushed deeper. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Where do you want to go?”

“Anywhere. Let’s get something to eat first, okay? But after that, if it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to stop at home. I want to drop off my stuff. You can, too,” he added, nodding at Bakura’s stuffed backpack.

“O-Okay,” Bakura replied, nodding. “But why do you want to spend time with me? Why not Jounouchi, or Honda-kun? Or Anzu?”

“I just don’t, okay?” Yugi didn’t feel like talking about this with Bakura. At least not now. Maybe after they’d discussed other issues first...but not yet. Yugi didn’t feel comfortable telling other people his problems – he had just confided in his other half for so long that he had forgotten how to talk to others.

“Sorry...Where do you want to go?” Bakura repeated. 

Yugi wasn’t sure why Bakura was pressing the issue, but he decided to humor him. “Well, I heard there’s a new burger place that opened near the park downtown...” he said, trailing off. 

Bakura laughed. “Never could resist burgers, could you? Sure, that sounds fine. I’ll pay you back tomorrow, I promise...”

“Don’t worry about it,” Yugi replied, smiling. “It’s not a problem.”

~

“Yugi!” Bakura cried, staring at the tray as Yugi carried their food to the table where he was waiting. “A double burger, fries, AND a milkshake? There’s no way you can finish all that!”

“You must not have seen me eat, then,” Yugi laughed.

“Where do you put it all?” Bakura teased, smiling. Yugi smiled back – it seemed like efforts to cheer Bakura up were working, at least marginally. He could tell that this smile was genuine.

“Just because I’m short doesn’t mean I don’t eat! Besides, I’m still growing. At least that’s what Grandpa says....though I don’t know, considering he’s the same height as me. Oh well. Let’s eat!” Yugi took a large bite from his burger. 

Bakura smiled slightly at Yugi’s vigor, but only picked at a sesame seed on his own burger’s bun. Yugi swallowed, feeling a bit awkward. “Aren’t you hungry, Bakura-kun?”

“Oh! Oh...yes,” Bakura stammered, acting like he had forgotten about his burger. In reality, he liked just watching Yugi; he hadn’t wanted to be distracted by eating. Yet, not wanting to disappoint Yugi (especially since he had been kind enough to pay for the entire meal), Bakura began to eat his burger as well. He savored each bite, instead of wolfing it down like the smaller boy. He was more delicate than Yugi, he noticed. 

They ate quietly. Yugi was true to his word, and not only finished all of his food, but also ate some of Bakura’s fries. Although Bakura was taller, his appetite was nowhere near Yugi.

After they finished, Yugi detected a barely perceptible sigh from Bakura. He knew the boy wasn’t happy; he had hoped that they would have a chance to talk. He thought that Bakura might be able to manage his problems better if he spoke about them.

“So...” Yugi and Bakura left the restaurant, and Yugi glanced up and down the busy street, trying to find their next destination. “Is there anywhere in particular you want to go?” Yugi had originally planned to take Bakura to his grandfather’s shop after they ate, but he decided that he would accompany Bakura wherever he wanted to go.

“No...” Bakura seemed a bit distant, as if he was withdrawn into himself rather than really listening to what Yugi was saying. “Wherever you want...”

“We can go to Grandpa’s shop....I want to drop off my stuff anyway, and we can find some game to play...I’m sure there’s something there you’d enjoy. Besides,” he said, gesturing towards Bakura’s backpack, “I would’ve stopped there before, but the burger place was a lot closer.”

Bakura forced a smile onto his face again. “Sure...”

Yugi sighed quietly. He wanted to get Bakura to open up, but it didn’t seem like an easy prospect.

“That way...” Yugi said, gesturing behind him. Bakura nodded, and turned to follow Yugi. 

The boys walked most of the distance in silence. Bakura seemed even more introverted than usual. Yugi occasionally pointed something out to Bakura – a poster advertising the latest Duel Monsters expansion, or new Monster World campaigns – but the boy always seemed so startled whenever he was addressed that Yugi began to feel uncomfortable doing so. 

“There you are, Yugi!” his grandfather said as they entered. He sounded a bit worried. “And- Oh, hi, Bakura.” His tone shifted noticeably as he addressed the silver-haired boy, and, guiltily, Bakura realized he was probably recalling an incident with his dark half.

“Mr. Mutou, I...I’m sorry, if..he..did something, it wasn’t me, and I’m sorry,” he stammered. “I d-don’t know what he did to you, but- ” Bakura stammered hopelessly. 

A smile slowly crept onto the older man’s face. “Don’t worry, I know they got rid of him. Forgive me for being rude.” He turned to address Yugi. “Where’s Anzu?”

“Anzu? Oh...she’s always busy after school...” Yugi turned to Bakura. “Come upstairs to my room, I’ll show you the puzzle I’ve been working on.” Bakura paled slightly at the word, but Yugi chuckled. “No...not that puzzle...just a normal jigsaw puzzle.” He gestured towards the stairs.

“Make sure you do your homework!” Sugoroku called after the boys as they climbed to the second floor.

“Aah, so this is your room?” spoke Bakura, gazing around the simple, yet comfortable-looking, chamber. A yellow-quilted bed stood at one end of the room, with an abstract painting of geometric shapes adorning the wall above it. Yugi also had a blue-doored closet and desk, scattered with various textbooks and Duel Monsters cards. The whole room was filled with bright colors. Bakura also noticed a picture of Yugi and his friends above the desk – Anzu, Jounouchi, and Honda. Just like always... 

“Yup,” Yugi said, leaping onto the bed and bouncing once before falling backwards to gaze at the ceiling. 

Bakura walked over to the desk and curiously lifted a few of the cards. “I haven’t seen these before...” he murmured. As he reached for another card, he noticed a chain lying on the desk – the same chain that had once held Yugi’s Millennium Puzzle. He lifted it curiously, turning to face Yugi. “Isn’t this...”

Yugi sat up with a jolt, realizing what Bakura was holding. “Don’t touch-” he began, but Bakura’s eyes widened and he immediately dropped the chain, slapping one hand with the other. Yugi frowned. “Sorry...I didn’t mean to talk like that to you. I just...am sensitive about that. Yes, the Puzzle used to be on it.” He looked down. “I still wear it a lot. Just not to school, because I don’t want people to ask about where the Puzzle went. I figure that if I don’t wear it at all, people will figure I just got tired of it after awhile. It just looked like a piece of jewelry to most people, you know.”

Bakura sighed and nodded. “Yes...just like my Millennium Ring.”

Yugi ran his hand over the blanket, smoothing it. He remembered his dream the previous night...and how he had been kept awake afterwards. Suddenly, sitting on the soft quilt, he felt unbearably tired. He tried to suppress a yawn, but Bakura noticed.

“Are you tired? Maybe I should leave, and you can get some rest...”

“No, I’m fine,” Yugi replied. “Sit down, make yourself comfortable. Of course, we could go out again if you’d rather...”

“No, no, this is fine.” Bakura sat down at Yugi’s desk chair, still not looking at him straight.

“You can come sit next to me...” Yugi could sense Bakura’s discomfort, and wanted to try to reassure him. To his surprise, Bakura blushed deeply, but he murmured “O..okay...” and hesitantly moved to join Yugi. However, he sat about as far away from Yugi on the bed as he could, and still seemed unprepared to look the spiky-haired boy in the eye. 

Yugi realized that the conversation he had hoped to have was not going to get anywhere unless he initiated something himself. He finally decided not to beat around the bush, and just ask Bakura directly what he was wondering.

“Bakura,” he questioned, “how do you feel now that the Ring is gone?”

Bakura instantly swiveled to look at Yugi, his large eyes swelling with pain. With just those few words, Bakura’s expression had changed from blushing to pained. Yet, from the look in his eyes, Yugi knew that he did want to speak.

“I....I don’t know.”

“Bakura, you can tell me anything,” Yugi urged. He had to admit that he was encouraging the boy partially for his own benefit – he wanted to be able to talk about how he felt, as well. That was one of the reasons he had invited Bakura over at all. He had wanted a conversation about this issue.

Bakura just looked down. His face flushed again, but Yugi could tell from his vacant expression that he was ashamed, and debating whether or not to tell Yugi what he was thinking.

“I...” he began, then cut himself off. “I...Why is this so hard?” He banged his fists against the blanket in frustration. “I...” His large, luminous eyes began to fill with tears. “I...miss him...sometimes.” He turned toward Yugi, but stared at the floor, burning with shame. “I know he and...the Pharaoh...were enemies for thousands of years. So you’ll probably hate me for telling you that...”

“No, Bakura, it’s okay...” Yugi was torn – he wanted to comfort the boy, but wasn’t sure how to do so. “I miss the other me, too...I can understand how you feel.”

Bakura still couldn’t look at Yugi. A tear slid down his still-flushed cheek. “But...But the other me was...different. I...we didn’t talk much. I wasn’t even sure what he was. When he took over – at least, I guess that’s what happened, from what people told me – I couldn’t remember what happened, at all...My memory has such huge gaps...We talked occasionally. He was...he seemed to want to use my body for his own ends. Yet...at the same time, he understood me on a level nobody else has.”

Yugi just nodded. He could tell it was good for Bakura to release his pent-up feelings. 

“In the beginning, he stopped me from getting close to anyone. He’d turn people into Monster World pieces if they came over to my apartment...” He sniffed. “They’re back to normal now that he’s gone, I think, but I had to transfer schools because of it. Everyone was scared of me.” At this, he turned and stared straight at Yugi. The anguished look in his eyes caused Yugi’s stomach to lurch with concern, yet he still wasn’t sure what to do.

“They were afraid of me, Yugi! Me! I’m about the weakest guy you’ll ever meet. They were afraid of me...”

He looked down again, closing his eyes. “It hurt...But...But...Maybe some part of me...felt stronger? I don’t know, but...we didn’t get along all that well when we did talk. He called me stupid, naive...he always seemed deeply pained by something, though. Something horrible must have happened to him back in Egypt...He called me his host, but...that made me feel important. I...mattered to him, he needed me...He...said it was his duty to protect me, once.” 

He turned to look at Yugi again, his eyes burning with pain, narrowed in an attempt to stop the tears. “He was never like your Pharaoh, but...I...miss him.”

Yugi nodded. “I understand how you feel, Bakura. You don’t need to feel bad. Half of your heart has suddenly, literally, disappeared...” Bakura’s eyes grew wide, and he regarded Yugi with surprise. He still expected Yugi to yell at him.

“I miss the other me...” murmured Yugi. “I miss him a lot. I feel so lonely a lot of the time... and Anzu really only cared about him, it turns out...why am I not surprised? I’m so weak, and pathetic, and I look like I’m eight years old! No wonder nobody cares about me!”

“That’s not true, Yugi...” Bakura’s voice nearly disappeared, and he closed his eyes tightly, trying to halt a new barrage of tears. “I...I care...” he whispered.

Yugi blinked. “Even after everything I haven’t done for you? I’m really sorry, Bakura. I always ignored you, for Honda, Jounouchi, and Anzu...I knew them for longer, yes, but I should’ve realized that there are always opportunities to make new friends... That sometimes are even more loyal than the old,” he added bitterly.

Bakura sniffled quietly, his cheeks still wet and eyes still red from tears. 

“It’s okay, Bakura.” Yugi smiled, then reached a hand out to place on Bakura’s arm, hoping the physical touch would help comfort him. However, Bakura’s result was unexpected.

His eyes flew open suddenly. “AAAAH! Aa-itai...” He jerked away from Yugi and clapped his own hand over the spot, his eyes squinting shut to try to block the apparent pain.

“Bakura? Are you alright?” Yugi’s concern was evident in his voice.

“Y-yes, Yugi, I’m fine...”

“I don’t believe you,” Yugi said firmly. He reached towards Bakura and, despite the other boy’s protests, removed his hand from the spot he had been clasping. He attempted to roll up Bakura’s sleeve, but the blue material bunched impossibly at the elbow.

“Take your jacket off,” Yugi commanded.

“N-no, Yugi, I’m just fine. Please...”

“Take it off!” Yugi’s voice grew sharp, though mostly out of concern. “I need to look at your arm...”

“But...” Bakura tried to turn away, his eyes shut tight. “No, I can’t...”

Yugi lunged towards him. “Am I going to have to make you take it off?”

Bakura squeaked and pulled further away. “Fine...” he sighed. “Please don’t yell at me...”

He shrugged out of the outer uniform jacket. Underneath it, he wore a simple pale blue short-sleeved shirt. Yugi gasped when Bakura’s left arm was exposed, however. There was a deep gash there, unbandaged and uncovered. Dried blood was caked around the outside of the injury.

“Bakura! What happened to you?!”

“N-Nothing...”

“This isn’t nothing! What happened? Did someone hurt you?”

“Nobody important.”

“Nobody important!? Tell me! I’ll take down whoever did that to you! Nobody gets away with hurting my friends!”

Bakura sighed. “I said, nobody important.”

“Tell me! I’ll duel him! If he won’t duel, I’ll fight him!”

“Please don’t,” Bakura said. He sighed and looked away.

“Bakura, please! Why won’t you tell me who did this to you? Did he say he’d hurt you if you told anyone?”

Bakura’s eyes narrowed suddenly. “He might as well have,” he said, getting up off the bed. He rummaged in his uniform pants pocket, then produced a folded pocketknife. “Happy? This is who did it to me.”

Yugi joined Bakura, took the knife, and examined it. “It says your name on the handle...This is yours? You mean you did that to yourself!? WHY?”

“The other me did it first,” Bakura responded, looking away. “I don’t want it to heal. I want it to remain, as a symbol of him. Because I don’t have anything else to remember him by.” Bakura took the knife again and placed it back in his pocket.

“If you were caught with that at school, you’d be expelled! Especially after all the rumors about you killing people late at night on the streets of Domino.”

“You have the other me to thank for that,” Bakura said coldly. “He’s a murderer...and...I miss him.”

Bakura sank to the ground, again assaulted by tears. “I miss him...”

Yugi knelt beside him, gripping his other shoulder. “Look, Bakura, it’s alright...You just need someone who cares about you.” Yugi stared, unwavering, into Bakura’s shining brown eyes. “Promise me that you’ll never hurt yourself like that again.”

Bakura closed his eyes. “I can’t...”

“Promise me!” Yugi yelled. “I can’t stand seeing you hurt, and knowing that you did it to yourself makes it ten times worse! Promise!”

Bakura’s eyes flew open, and he just blinked. A slight blush appeared on his face again. “O-okay...” he murmured, shutting them again. “I promise. I just hope I can keep it...”

“We don’t have school tomorrow...How about you call home and ask if you can stay here tonight? I’ll go ask Grandpa. I’m sure it will be alright with him.”

Bakura just looked to the side. “There’s nobody to call...my parents aren’t home...I’ll leave a message, though, just in case they get home and are worried...”

“Come on downstairs with me. I’ll ask Grandpa, and you can use the shop phone.” Yugi patted Bakura’s shoulder reassuringly, smiling. He stood and grabbed a tissue from the box on his desk, handing it to Bakura.

“Th-Thanks,” Bakura murmured, standing and pulling his jacket back on. He winced slightly as the fabric brushed the only partially healed slash on his arm.

“Grandpa,” Yugi called as they made their way down the stairs. “Can Bakura sleep over tonight? We don’t have school tomorrow, and he brought his backpack with him.”

“I don’t see why not, as long as his parents say it’s okay.”

“I-I’ll call...” stammered Bakura, still a bit confused and distraught. He dialed the number mechanically, and suffered through the ever-familiar voice recording. He heard it whenever he called home, and he hated its fake cheerfulness. His message was short and abrupt.

“It’s Ryou. I’m staying at Yugi’s tonight. Call if you have any questions.” He hung up and turned to Yugi, a broad smile pasted on his face. “So, what was that game you were telling me about?”

Yugi blinked. “Er...I’ll go show you,” he said hurriedly, and turned towards the stairs again.

“I don’t have a change of clothes or anything...” Bakura murmured as the boys entered Yugi’s bedroom again.

“That’s okay! I’m sure I have something you can borrow. That is, if you can fit into it,” he added with a nervous chuckle. “I’m so short...” Yugi walked over to his closet and threw it open. He laughed quietly and pulled out an oversized sweatshirt and sweatpants. “Some aunt of mine sent me these for my birthday one year. I’d never even met her before, and, well...she didn’t know how short I was. I couldn’t return these, because I didn’t know where she got them...I bet they’ll fit you, though. They’re comfortable, here.” Yugi tossed the clothes to Bakura.

“I hate to be rude, but...” Bakura looked down. “Do you think I could take a shower before changing? I feel...dirty.”

“Sure, Bakura,” Yugi said, smiling. “Whatever makes you feel better.”