Beyond Destiny. (Puzzleshipping)

Shattered Hopes.

Tossing and turning in his bed, Yugi struggled to sleep. Tears pricked at his eyes and soon dripped onto his pillow. It had been 3 weeks since Yami left and Yugi had never felt so alone. He had always had Yami beside him, day and night. Without his other half, Yugi was incomplete. Shattered.

The sleepless night soon led to the gruelling Monday morning. Yugi forced his lifeless body out of bed. Stepping over towards the mirror, he half hoped to see the pharaoh alongside his reflection. He sighed heavily as all he was was his short, frail, stature. After getting ready and picking up his bag pack, he paced down stairs to find his grandfather at the table. He sat cautiously and kept his hands on his knees, trying to avoid eating the breakfast that was made for him. His Grandpa frowned as he watched his grandson mope hopelessly.

"Yugi. I know you miss the pharaoh deeply but it has been 3 weeks and you just have to let him go. Like Yami said, you are going to face many new challenges and you have to get through them with the courage he gave you. But moping around, feeling sorry for yourself will get you nowhere. I know it may sound harsh. But Yugi, you have to get back to your life and pick up where you left off."

The boy's body loosened and his eyes closed slightly.

"I know grandpa, I'm sorry. It's just I have had him by my side for the last 5 years and all of a sudden, he is gone. It's like a piece of me is missing." Yugi said in a hushed tone.

"I know my boy. But there is nothing you can do. You just have to step up and find something to concentrate on. That should take your mind off the pharaoh." Grandpa desperately tried to cheer the younger one up.

"I guess you're right. Anyway, school starts soon. I gotta go." He smiled, sitting up from the table and waving goodbye to his grandpa.

His grandpa heaved a deep sigh as his gaze shifted to the untouched breakfast adjacent to him.

*********

"Yugi... Earth to Yug. YUGI!" Joey screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Hu? What?... I'm sorry Joey; I'm just a little preoccupied right now."

"I know, Yugi. We all miss the pharaoh. I can't even begin to imagine how you must feel. It's strange being back at school, not saving the world from 5000 years old shadow creatures."

The group sighed.

"Atem will never, ever be forgotten. But for now we have to move on. Especially you Yug."

"Joey's right. You have been like this for weeks now. We need to get back to normal. We have to go back to the way things were before you completed the millennium puzzle." Téa replied, a small tear threatening her eye.

Yugi just stared at his desk. How could get move on from the person who taught him everything? The person who was there for him when he needed it most. The person he loved.

**********

The rate at which the words appeared on the page decreased. Yugi was finding it beyond difficult to do his school work. He dropped the pen in his hand let his head drop onto the desk with a loud thud. Unphased by the pain, Yugi let his eyes slam shut before the tears began to fall.

Suddenly a flash of light appeared behind the boy. The mysterious Shadi appeared before Yugi's eyes. His body emerged from the rippling ground and his eyes shot open as the floor is sensed beneath him.

"Shadi! What are you doing here?!" Yugi cried.

"Yugi. I am here to tell you something. The pharaoh, Atem, is going to return."

"What?!" A glimmer of hope shot through Yugi's eyes. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"The pharaoh's destiny was complete and his soul was finally at peace. That is until the evil Bakura appeared in the spirit world. He discovered a way of returning to this realm and planned to do so through your friend, the good Bakura. I don't know how, but I do know that the pharaoh tried to stop him. The only way to stop evil Bakura was to challenge him to a duel. The winner would be able to return to this world. The pharaoh had to win in order to stop Bakura from destroying everything he had saved. But to do this he paid a great price. His freedom. He is now stuck between worlds. Now that he has no millennium puzzle to retreat to, he must have a body of his own. Similarly, to when you two duelled before his departure, your spirits must come together and then split into two separate bodies. But only you can do this for him."

"I'll do anything." Yugi's eyes lit up with sheer happiness.

"Very well. We must do this now. We are running out of time. Okay Yugi, close your eyes. This may hurt a little."

Yugi did as he was told. For a moment he felt cold. He then began to wonder if this was all a cruel joke. But then, all of a sudden a surge of lightning struck through him. He yelled out and dropped to his knees. Cowering at the pain, he winced but tried to hold back the sounds as much as he could.

"Yugi" a deep and powerful voice came from above. Yugi snapped his head up and saw the pharaoh standing in from of him.

"Pharaoh!" He cried, jumping into his arms and holding the taller man tightly. "I thought I would never see you again! I'm so glad you are here. I have missed you so much!" Yugi's eyes began to water as he dug into the pharaoh's chest.

"I have missed you too Yugi. Its great to see you again." Yami wrapped his arms around the other.

"I'm so sorry about you losing your freedom. Shadi told me about your duel with Bakura ."

"It's alright. I guess being the the pharaoh means you can never truly be at peace. Though my destiny is fulfilled, there is always a new adventure waiting."

Yugi chuckled.

"I am just so relieved that I have you back."