Chapter Thirty-Four: The Dead and the Dying

"Last night I had a dream. I heard a voice and it was calling my name. I told Mum and Dad. And Mickey. Anyone else would think I was mad. Not those three. They believed it. Because they've met The Doctor. So they listened to the dream. And that night, we packed up. Got into Dad's old jeep and off we went. Just like the dream said. Followed the voice. Across the water. Kept on driving hundreds and hundreds of miles. 'Cause he's calling. Here I am, at last. And this is the story of how I died."

-Rose Tyler

"No." Yugi felt the world turn around him, reaching out for the Pharaoh as he was yanked back through the Void and into the parallel world, reeling as his feet came to rest on something solid again. He stumbled, trying to keep his balance as he shook his head, looking at the room around him. It was the same as the one that he had just left, but it looked like it had been partially destroyed. He scowled and looked at the others, watching his mother look at him. He shook his head, waiting until all of the others had taken their buttons off before raising his hand to rest over his. "I'm sorry."

He pressed the button, catapulting himself back into his world, stumbling on landing again. Yugi took a deep breath, trying to control himself as he looked for the Pharaoh, finding the Time Lord staring at him in shock. He reached for the button, nearly ripping it off and throwing it back through one of the glass plates of the office, watching the plate shatter and hoping that the Pharaoh got the message. "I'm not leaving."

"But that's your whole family again. You'll never see them."

Yugi shrugged. "You've got to leave home sometime."

"Yugi, you'll be stuck here!"

"Stuck with you, that's not so bad." He smiled, watching as the Pharaoh's eyes widened. Yugi resisted the urge to walk over and hug the Time Lord, knowing that he wasn't completely forgiven for pulling that stunt, but it meant the world to him that the Pharaoh didn't order him back, that the Time Lord gave into his request.

"Change all these numbers to six. It'll seal off the holes." Yugi nodded and dashed to the computer, quickly looking over the screen before beginning to type, moving as fast as he could. As he worked, his gaze strayed to the other computer, watching the security feed. He could hear the Pharaoh moving the clamps, glancing up to see that the Time Lord had positioned them by the walls behind each lever. Yugi smiled and looked back down, sucking in a deep breath as he stared at the screen. "Cybermen on their way up, one floor below us."

That brought the Pharaoh to his side, the two of them staring at the feed. The Time Lord glanced at the clamps before rushing over to put them up on the wall, activating them as he pressed the red button on the base, testing them before rushing over to look at the screen, Yugi jumping back into him as he watched a third Cybermen with a gun stand between the pair and the door.

"You will not pass."

"You will allow us to pass or risk being deleted."

The guard Cyberman pulled itself up before shooting the two, Yugi surprised to see that the suit was shaking, leaning forward as a black streak ran from the eye of the Cyberman, listening to the feminine quality to its voice. "You will not pass. I will fight. I will fight forever."

"Oh Mai." Yugi turned to look at the Pharaoh, watching as the Time Lord shook his head before looking back to the levers. "Ready?"

"Should be." He backed away from the screen to allow the Pharaoh to make the last adjustments, smiling when there was a chime as the system started up. The Pharaoh nodded and backed away, turning to look at the window.

Outside, the Daleks swirled around, stopping their exterminations to turn toward the tower, Yugi's breath catching in his throat. He automatically reached for the fragment, the Pharaoh's hand on his arm stopping him. The human looked up at the Time Lord, the Pharaoh pushing Yugi toward the lever on the right side of the room. "Get ready."

Yugi jogged over to where the lever resting against the floor, on the side closest to the wall. He looked over to the side, the Pharaoh already in position. He nodded, feeling like he should say something, but finding that he couldn't think of anything. He could just stare at the Pharaoh and hope that this would work, because he wanted to spend the rest of his life with this crazy alien. He wanted that forever he had promised to the Pharaoh. He wanted all of time and space as long as the Pharaoh was there. He found himself smiling as the Pharaoh nodded back, the two of them pushing the levers up from the floor, Yugi wincing as his slid into place, already reaching for the clamp on the wall.

His hand closed around the black handle as the suction started up, Yugi shoving his arm through the space and clinging to it with all his might, narrowing his eyes as his bangs knocked against his face, turning to look at the Pharaoh. They flashed each other a smile, Yugi looking back toward the window as it broke, Daleks streaming into the room. He leaned out a bit, yelping and pressing himself back as Cybermen came flying up as well, the final glass panels of Mai's office shattering and the desks thrown to the side as they slammed into them. Yugi gave a relieved laugh as he saw that it was working, his eyes widening as Cyberman joined the Daleks that were pouring through the broken windows, parts of the floor and the walls giving way as the Void exerted its pull.

The room was quickly filled with the screams of Cybermen and Daleks, Yugi looking up as he heard a voice shout, "Emer-gency. Temp-oral. Shift!" but couldn't see the Dalek that had screamed that. He wasn't even sure if he had heard right. He could have shouted and never heard himself, the sound of the pull and the screaming was too loud. But Yugi was still laughing, glad that the plan had worked.

He looked over at the Pharaoh, catching a glimpse of the Time Lord through the rush, his heart pounding faster at the sight of the Pharaoh. With his longer legs, the Pharaoh could partially brace himself against the lever's casing, giving him the ability to turn slightly. The Time Lord had turned to look back at the windows, watching the rush of Cybermen and Daleks as they streamed past him, his red eyes narrowed against the wind. With his hair blowing in the wind, his black coat streaming out behind him, Yugi was sure that the Pharaoh never looked as beautiful as he did then. Yugi got a better hold of his clamp, swallowing harshly. Oh, how he loved the Time Lord.

Yugi started at his own thought, not sure if he had ever actually admitted his love for the Pharaoh, thought or otherwise. He had just existed in that state without ever recognizing it. His smile got wider, Yugi suddenly wanting to shout those three words across the room, but there would be a better time for that. There would be plenty of time for that.

He winced as something hot landed on his leg, Yugi turning to look at the lever, his eyes widening as he watched sparks fly from the lever, the lever slowly sinking back to the floor. He glanced back up at the flow, realizing that they were slowing down. If it stopped, then he and the Pharaoh were dead. Their only chance was to get the lever back up. He let go of the clamp with one hand, reaching for the lever. When he couldn't reach it, he let go entirely, allowing himself to be pulled across the floor before he grabbed onto the lever, using that to hold himself in place.

"Yugi!"

He looked back over at the Pharaoh, the Time Lord's eyes wide and frightened. "I've got to get it back up!"

Without waiting for an answer, he pushed his weight against the lever, struggling to move it back into position. He smiled as it began to rise, feeling the tug of the Void get stronger the higher the lever rose. He narrowed his eyes against the wind watching the base of the lever and waiting for it to lock into place. Yugi grunted as he slammed the lever home again, barely hearing the click before the screaming began again.

He struggled to get a good grip, tightening his hands around the lever until his knuckles were white to keep from behind pulled into the Void, staring at the clamp that was just out of reach. He wouldn't be able to make that, so his only chance was to keep a hold here. Yugi gritted his teeth and held on, glancing under his arm at the Daleks and Cybermen, surprised to see them thinning out. He just had to wait them out and the Void. Then he would be safe. Yugi smiled with relief, turning to look at the Pharaoh.

His smile didn't last long, his fingers slipping over the rubber cover on the top of the lever. He tried to get a better grip, his hands slippery with sweat, Yugi finding that he couldn't look away from the look of horror on the Pharaoh's face. The Time Lord was only hanging on with one arm right now, looking through the flow like he could find a way to dart through and save Yugi. "Yugi, hold on!"

Yugi nodded, watching the last Dalek fly past him, the metal creature careening close to him, making him flinch away, breathing a sigh of relief when it didn't hit him. But the move had cost him; his fingers slipped more. Yugi stared at his fingertips, barely holding onto the lever, having time to look back over to the Pharaoh before his grip slipped from the lever. "No!"

"NO!" He heard the Pharaoh scream, Yugi closing his eyes as he plunged toward the Void, trying not to think about anything, certainly not what he was leaving behind in both worlds. "YUGI!"

His eyes snapped open as he ran into something solid, staring up at Daniel, the man braced against the pull of the Void just in front of the opening. Yugi turned to look at the Pharaoh, reaching out to him before he was pulled into the parallel world and dropped to the floor as Daniel fell.

"Yugi!"

"Yug'!"

He scrambled to his feet, ignoring their shouts and running over to the wall, running his hand over the surface, trying to find a weak spot. It was solid all the way through, Yugi watching as his hand trembled on the wall, swallowing. "Take me back."

Daniel's voice seemed to come from far away. "The Jumpers aren't operational. He did it. It's closed."

The world closed echoed around Yugi's head like a death toll, his resolve breaking as he finally processed the words. This was it, he would never see the Pharaoh again, or the TARDIS. Never travel through time and space. Never see the man he loved.

He broke at that thought, tears running down his cheeks as he leaned against the wall, pressing against it like it would fall over and he would see the Pharaoh on the other side. "Take me back. Please, please, take me back!"

"Yugi…"

"NO! Pharaoh, please. Please, please no. I need him." Yugi slapped the wall with his hand, relishing the sting. It took his mind away from what he had lost for a split second. But it wasn't enough, it would never be enough. "Take me back!"

There was no response from the others, Yugi taking a shuddering breath and leaning against the wall, just sobbing. Who was going to hold the Pharaoh's hand now? Who was going to talk him out of his depression? Who was going to keep him safe and sane when everything was going wrong? Yugi pressed his forehead against the wall, gritting his teeth as he tried to stop his sobs. It wouldn't end like this, it just couldn't.

His sobs were suddenly brought up short by a faint brush over their link, Yugi standing up straight and pressing his cheek to the wall, the link strengthening for a moment before fading. But it was enough, he could still feel the Pharaoh on the other side of the wall, Yugi closing his eyes and concentrating on the link with everything that he had. He ignored the world around him as he tried to send everything that he was feeling, all his love to the Pharaoh in the hopes that he could calm the Time Lord. He could still remember all too well the look of horror on the Pharaoh's face. The Time Lord had to know that he was safe.

Yugi lost himself in the faint swirl of emotions between them, trying his best to keep the link up to full strength only to have it slip from his concentration, Yugi opening his eyes when he realized that his only tie to the Time Lord was fading away. Just a few more moments and it would be gone completely. Yugi shivered at the thought, reaching out with all his strength to the Pharaoh only to have the link disappear completely.

He gasped for breath, going stiff against the wall before sliding down it. He heard shouts from the others, too focused on the faint pulses of sorrow that were coming from the other end, the spaces between them getting longer until they stopped completely, Yugi jolted into the present. He looked up at the people that surrounded him, Joey and Junri kneeling at his side. He trembled for a moment before launching himself at his mother, pressing his face into her shoulder as he cried. "I lost him, Mom. I lost him."

"Oh, Yugi." She didn't say anything else, just stroking his back and rocking him as he sobbed.

---

The Pharaoh let his head fall back against the wall, sitting with his back to the white space and staring at the mess of what used to be Mai's office. His eyes slid closed, concentrating all his attention on the link, the link that was horribly broken at one edge. It was painful to even think about it, the Pharaoh opening his eyes a moment later and pushing away from the wall onto his feet. He could feel the frantic scrambling of the TARDIS against his mind, his ship panicked over the sudden lost of her link to Yugi, but he was too lost to respond. He just walked away from the wall, forcing himself to keep walking or he would spend the rest of his lives waiting there in case Yugi came back.

He picked his way through the debris, automatically going to the elevator and riding it down to the level where they had stored the TARDIS. The Pharaoh walked out, ignoring the dead bodies scattered over the floor, absently stepping over them as he searched for the TARDIS. It was the only think that he had left to think about, the only think he could think about. Because, if he got to the TARDIS, he could figure something out and he could go back and get Yugi.

A flash of blue caught his eye, the Pharaoh stopping and turning toward it, finding that the TARDIS had fetched up against some metal beams, vaguely upright. But it was enough for him; he needed to get out of his death trap quickly. He dug his key out of his pocket and walked over to the time machine, fitting the key into the lock and stumbling up to the console, frantically putting in coordinates for space, wanting to get away from all of this. The TARDIS hesitated before obeying his order, the Pharaoh gritting his teeth before forcing the TARDIS to greater speed to get away from Earth before letting her go.

He hesitated in the console room before turning and running for his room, nearly pulling the door off of his hinges as he lunged for paper and a pencil. The Pharaoh hesitated for a moment before turning and running for the library, not hearing the worried hum from the TARDIS as he barged into the room, picking up the books that she had left for him before he was racing for the console room again, dumping everything onto the console before flipping through the books.

The Pharaoh pushed himself to his limit, forcing himself to work faster as he skimmed through the books, theories and equations taking over his thoughts instead of thoughts of Yugi. The latter would hurt too much; the latter would stop him from functioning. He had to keep going, had to keep looking because he would be able to do this. He would be able to find a way to get his companion, his Yugi back. He was a Time Lord; the universe had to bend to his will. He was from the proud planet of Gallifrey, a master of the universe and all the dimensions that were in it. Nothing could stop him.

For the first time in his life, he lost track of time, his time sense shutting off as he worked, his entire mind focused on the problem in front of him. The pile of discarded books grew taller, an equally large pile of paper that was covered in crossed out scribbles following it. When he ran out of books and paper, he turned to the view screen, searching through all of the TARDIS records to find something, anything. There had to be something that could help him or all of this knowledge had no purpose.

Finally, he ran out of sources, ran out of ideas. Everything he had come up with was impossible. No one could survive a trip across the Void without having a hole there waiting for him, and he had sealed up all the holes in the Void. He would have to wait for years until the TARDIS could find one, and that was if he could come up with something that could find them. And even that was turning out to be impossible. Even if he could have done that, there was no guarantee that Yugi would still be alive after all of that time. There was nothing he could do.

The Pharaoh stumbled away from the console at that thought, glancing to the mess that he had made on the floor. He flinched as the TARDIS gently nudged his mind, his time machine trying to console him, but he just shoved her away, getting down on his hands and knees to go through the crumpled pieces of paper, searching for something that he would have missed, some math that he had done wrong. He quickly exhausted that, turning to search through the books against before slumping to the floor, feeling the TARDIS gently probing his mind again. This time, he didn't push her away.

She offered him comfort, the Pharaoh too numb to realize just what she was offering it for. Why did she think that Yugi was lost, there was no reason for that? He would get him back; he would always go back for Yugi. He could get Yugi back. He was a Time Lord.

He was the last of the Time Lords. There was no one to run support for his TARDIS, to help hold the hole open long enough for him to go through and come back. He had killed all of them to save the universe, and he had destroyed his only chance to get Yugi back.

He was sure that he screamed in rage, hearing the sound echoing around the console room, but he didn't remember ever opening his mouth. The Pharaoh stumbled to his feet, pacing around the console, grief and rage running through his mind, taking turns at being in control, but it did nothing to help him. It only reminded him of one thing over and over again.

The universe was cruel.

The Pharaoh stopped on a rotation of the console, staring in shock at the blue cloth that was hung over the railing, trembling as he stared at it. His tentative hold on his control snapped then, the truth of what he had just realized hitting him hard.

Yugi was gone. And he was never coming back.

His knees gave out, the Pharaoh falling to his hands and knees, still shivering as he reached up to hold onto the console, clinging to it for dear life. The Pharaoh choked on a breath of air, something blocking his throat. He coughed, trying to clear the obstruction, his eyes watering before he finally gave in, turning to face the console and sobbing. He felt the TARDIS brush against his mind, refusing to take the comfort that the TARDIS offered him, the time machine understanding before beginning her own morning, the Pharaoh shivering as her keening echoed in the console room and his head. She was mourning Yugi like he was dead, and he might as well be to them, they were both stranded in this universe while Yugi was in the other.

And he had never felt as alone as he had now.

---

"There." Namu pulled away, crumpling the paper from the band-aide in his hand and stepping back. "That should do it."

"T-thanks." Miho frowned as her voice trembled. She didn't like being this weak, especially surrounded by women who always acted flustered. It annoyed her to no end, especially today. She had been stuck in the basement as the metal humans had attacked, the men wanting to protect them. She had wanted to point out that she was just a secretary, no one important. It was more important for the others to stay alive, but they had said something about honor and locked them in there. Then she had hours to listen to those women and ponder over how she had once behaved, long enough to have her decide to never act like that again.

And then Namu had come to save the day, bursting into the room and pulling her out as the metal men raided the basement from the other side. They had run back to his apartment, huddling in a closet until they were sure that everything was over. Miho sighed and looked out the window, staring at the clear sky. Everything was over, the metal men gone to wherever they had come from. She bit her lip, staring off at the Kaiba Corporation Tower. "They had something to do with it."

"I know." Namu sighed and flopped on the sofa beside her, reaching out to pull his laptop onto his lap, handing her the remote. Miho took it and turned on the television, flipping quickly to a news channel. She paid little attention to the break that they gave for weather, perking back up as they returned to the news about the attack this afternoon.

"The entire area around Domino City has been swept and reports say that it is clean. Other reports are filtering in from the rest of the world and there have been no sightings of the metal men or the squat creatures. People are advised to be cautious about walking around at night on their own." The reporter cleared his throat and looked around before glancing down. "The list of the dead is being complied, but we have put out an official one on our website."

"Namu!"

"Already on it." She nodded, turning back to the television as he typed in the address.

"From a preliminary search of the Kaiba Corporation Tower, we can be sure that none of the employees or the visitors that day survived. Police have found human remains in one renovated area of the tower, apparently from experiments run on humans by the aliens that appeared. The Executive Board of Kaiba Corporation has nothing to stay on this matter, saying that they rented the building to the company and expected better from them. More people from this foreign company will be coming in to take care of the rest of the damage, but we are not permitted to go inside. That list is the only thing we have."

The man sighed, staring at the ground before looking back up with a smile. "Please keep tuning in for more information. We will keep you updates as soon as things are released."

Miho sat back, shutting off the television and placing the remote on the couch next to her. "Well, that was useless."

"It got us the list of the dead. That's a start." Namu frowned, staring at the header at the top of the page. "All of these people were registered as employees with some English company, but it doesn't have a name."

"What company doesn't have a name?"

"A secret one."

She looked over at him. "You can't be serious."

"I am." Namu glanced at her before scrolling down the page, his eyes widening as he stared at something there. When Miho went to lean over and look, Namu was scrolling again, giving the page a cursory skim before hitting the control and F keys, looking over at her. "Names of your friends?"

"Um…" Miho ran the list over in her mind, flinching before deciding to go with a safe one. She really didn't want to know if any of her close friends were dead, and Mai had completely separated herself from the group when Yugi had disappear. "Mai Kujaku."

He typed in the name, Miho leaning over as they waited for the computer to work. Her mouth dropped open as her name appeared near the top, Miho covering her mouth and shaking her head. "No. Oh no."

"Miho, I'm-" She didn't hear the rest of his sentence, pulling out her phone and calling Joey. Even if they two weren't seeing each other anymore, Joey had the right to know.

She found that she couldn't stand still, getting up from the couch and pacing the floor, letting Namu get back to his searches, missing the thoughtful look that passed over his face. She turned to face the kitchen, tapping her foot as the phone continued to ring, smiling when she got Joey's house phone picked up. No one would be at work after this. "Joey?"

"I think you have the wrong number miss."

Miho froze at that, glancing back at Namu before shaking her head. "No. I'm calling for a Joey Wheeler. This is his number."

"Oh. Oh." Miho felt her stomach twist at the second oh, staring at the wall. "He hasn't been back here for months now. The police called off the search for him. I'm sorry to tell you this, but he's been declared dead."

"Is there…a body?"

"None that they've found. But I'll call you if something comes up. Listen, I'm really sorry."

"No. No, that's fine." Miho hung up the phone, shivering before turning to stare at Namu, not liking the look he was giving her. "J-Joey's dead."

"You're not going to like this, baby." He motioned her over, Miho hesitating before walking to sit by him on the sofa, staring at the screen where his finger was pointing. The phone drowned from her numb fingers as she read the names, her mouth dropping open in shock. Junri Mutou. Yugi Mutou.

"No. No, not Yugi. Oh God, not him too." She swayed in place, shaking her head. She barely recognized the sound of Namu setting down the laptop before he wrapped his arms around her. Miho collapsed into him, sobbing into his shoulder as she clung to him. "It's not fair. It's not."

"I know, baby, I know."

"He's never done anything wrong. And…and they were so nice, but they've have nothing but bad luck and…and…I want him back." She felt Namu tense, too far gone to recognize it. "I want my friends back!"

Namu relaxed, shifting so she could sit in his lap. "Hush, we'll work this out. No one makes my darling cry, no one. I'll get to the bottom of this."

Miho nodded, snuggling closer to him. He kissed the top of her head before going back to his staring. "But I might not have enough power…that's a Prime Minister thing…"

Her grip tightened on him for a moment before she sat up. "Do it."

"What?"

Miho took his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. She couldn't see anything through her veil of tears, but that didn't matter. If Namu could stop this from happening again, then it was worth anything, it was worth everything. "Get yourself elected Prime Minister, I don't care how. Just get the power to stop this."

"Of course, Miho. Of course." He turned his head to kiss her palm. "I'll do anything to keep this from happening again. Besides, this country needs a competent leader, it has for a while."

"Thank you." She collapsed into his arms again, Namu kissing her forehead before picking her up and carrying her to their bedroom. He settled her on the bed, pulling back the covers before slipping her underneath them, following her under and cuddling her close. "Thank you."

"Anything for you, my darling. Anything for you."

---

"Yugi." He smiled at the familiar voice, hating himself for turning around. When he woke up, he would remember all of this, and he would still feel that ache. He could mentally touch were his bonds with the Pharaoh and the TARDIS had been broken, running his mind over the rough edges that never seemed to go away or stop hurting. But he was always so eager for these dreams that weren't dreams. For a moment, the bond would be nearly fixed, proof enough that the Pharaoh was trying to contact him and could only reach him like this.

He turned around to look at the Time Lord, watching the Pharaoh take a deep breath before shaking his head. "Oh Yugi."

"Yeah, I know."

"What's happened to you?"

Yugi shrugged, settling himself down on the ground, tangling his fingers in the apple grass. "It's been hard."

"I only saw you…"

The pause indicated that Yugi needed to fill in the gap, the human smiling at the Pharaoh. "Seven days ago."

"A week?" The Pharaoh stared at him before reaching out to touch him, Yugi doing nothing to close the distance between them. He didn't want to hurt anymore, but he hated this distance. The Pharaoh stared at him a while more before he sighed and flopped down beside Yugi. "This world moves faster than ours."

"Really? It's been dragging along for me."

He gasped as the Pharaoh took his hand, feeling the link flare to life again. Yugi closed his eyes, gently testing the link before leaning towards the Pharaoh, the two of them clinging to each other. Yugi rested his head on the Pharaoh's shoulder, shivering as the Time Lord stroked his back. "Yugi, what have I done to you?"

"Nothing. I did it to myself. I should have listened to you. Then I wouldn't be here."

"That doesn't matter now." The Pharaoh pulled him back, brushing Yugi's bang from his face before running a finger down Yugi's cheek. "You've lost weight and those bags…"

"I know."

"You've never told me what happened when you got here."

"And I probably won't." Yugi gave a half-hearted smile. "I don't want you worrying about me, Pharaoh."

"I still do, Yugi." The Pharaoh sighed and rested his forehead against Yugi's. "I don't have long."

"You never do."

The Pharaoh smiled at that. "I wish I had longer. I live for these moments."

"I do too."

"I just wish-" The Pharaoh cut himself off with a shake of his head, looking at Yugi. "You still following those instructions I gave you?"

"Yeah, we'll be there just on time."

"Good. Good…" The Pharaoh's outline faded, Yugi panicking and holding him tighter, feeling the tears come. They came every time and he could never stop them.

"Please don't leave me!"

"Yugi." And then he was gone, Yugi falling forward to land face first on the apple grass, picking himself up onto his hands and knees to watch as the lawn itself dissolved into nothing. He ducked his head, tears running down his cheeks as the dream fragmented.

Yugi woke slowly, blinking as he stared at place he was in, turning his head slightly to see a red-headed woman bustling around before allowing his eyes to fall shut again. He wouldn't be falling back asleep again, he knew that much. They were too close, he could feel it. Yugi took a deep breath; clenching his eyes shut tighter at the clean oxygen he breathed it, recognizing it after many uses. It was only then that he registered the oxygen mask on his face. So it was a bad one this time. Yugi sighed, turning his head to the other side.

As soon as he had walked away from that wall, everything had fallen to pieces. He had collapsed, lost consciousness and spent a week in the hospital only to come home and lose weight. He hadn't stopped eating completely, but he had lost interest in large meals, resorting to snacking through the day. There were days when he would be alright, days he would be a crying mess and days when he wouldn't get out of bed. And then there were the days when he couldn't get out of bed. Ever since he walked away from that wall, his health had been horrible.

Junri wasn't affected and neither was Joey, which meant that it had to do with his intimate bond with the Pharaoh and how it had abruptly been cut off. Yugi was willing to take that as an explanation, but he was tired of collapsing randomly and waking up to the beeping of hospital equipment. And he was tired of worrying his mother. He was just tired all the time, his sleep pattern ruined to. There were days that he couldn't sleep and days that he couldn't keep his eyes open. And when he did dream, he was falling away from the Pharaoh again, falling into the Void. He had been happy when the Pharaoh had started showing up in his dreams, coaxing him to go and find this one place. To his surprise, his family had listened.

Daniel had packed them all up in the van, leaving Mai behind to run Torchwood, and had started to drive them away under Yugi's direction. The only person that was completely baffled by the sudden move was Serenity, Yugi opening his eyes and looking at the young woman as she bustled around where he was laying in the back. Serenity had come along as his nurse, the job she usually held at the house behind the game shop.

"Yugi, oh thank heavens." She hurried over to him, kneeling at his side and taking the oxygen mask away, Yugi coughing for a moment before sitting up, the world spinning around him.

"How bad was it?"

"Bad." Serenity stood up, nervously wiping her hands on a towel. "You just collapsed and started twitching. We thought it was a seizure, but it's never happened before and there were no other signs of it. And then you just stopped breathing."

Yugi winced, glancing out to the rest of the van, surprised to see that no one else was there. He turned to look at Serenity, watching as she reached for his coat, helping him slip it on. "Now, I have no idea what is out here or why you insisted on going now; but it's almost time."

He nodded, swinging his legs from the makeshift bed and moving to the door, sliding it open and looking at the cold beach they were on. Yugi shivered, reaching up to pull his coat more tightly around him before looking back at the nurse. "Thanks, Serenity."

"You're welcome. I just…I hope that this fixes you."

"Yeah, you and me both." Yugi hopped down into the sand, walking around the van, having to use the side to steady himself. He stumbled as he rounded the back, feeling someone catch him, looking up to find Joey peering down at him. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." Joey helped him upright, holding him steady as Yugi tried to get his balance. "You sure you want to do this, Yug'?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." He gave Joey a smile, trying to convince his friend to see through the year and a half of him being in and out of the hospital. It didn't work, Joey just watching him worriedly. Yugi shook his head and tried to laugh, the sound seeming hollow to him. "I'm fine, Joey. Everything gets worse before it gets better."

"I just don't want to find you dead one day Yug'. And please don't say that you want that."

"I don't, Joey, I don't. I want to live as much as the next guy. I just would rather not live like this." He motioned at himself before giving another smile. "Where are Mom and Dan-Dad?"

It still sounded odd to him, calling Daniel Dad and Solomon Grandpa, but he was adjusting. After all the hours they spent hovering over his bed in the hospital they did feel like they were related to him. And he had never seen his mother so happy. If it wasn't for him, she would have been glowing, Yugi wincing at the thought. It wasn't fair to her having to worry about him; she should be enjoying her marriage and the life it brought her. Instead, she was spending her nights beside his bed at their home or the hospital.

He walked around the corner of the van, waving at Junri and Daniel before turning out towards the beach, barely noticing the rocks or the waves. He was looking for something more important. For months the Pharaoh had been calling him here for some reason, Yugi forcing himself onward despite the way his legs were shaking. Cautiously, he prodded the fragment from its dormant state, taking a quick look at the world with its help before letting it go, a bit disturbed by how quickly it fell back into sleep.

There was indeed something here, and he was walking straight towards it. But that something had to be what he was looking for. It was only a matter of time before he saw it.

Yugi turned to look back at his parents, noticing the strained look on all of their faces, making sure to give them a smile to let them know that he was alright. He had to be alright for their sakes. He turned back around only to come to a quick stop, staring at the sight in front of him.

A section of the beach wavered for a moment before stilling, Yugi holding his breath as something slowly appeared on the beach, staring up into red eyes. He bit back a sob at the translucent form of the Pharaoh, realizing for what it was and shaking his head. "Come to haunt me here?"

"What? Oh, the image, right." The Pharaoh took out the sonic screwdriver and aimed it at something, Yugi assuming it was the TARDIS console. Slowly, the ghostly image of the Pharaoh became solid, Yugi reaching up to touch the Time Lord's cheek only to have the Pharaoh step back. "I'm still just an image."

"So…so you're not coming to get me?" Yugi whispered the words, his gaze dropping to the ground. He had hoped that the Pharaoh would come and rescue him from this life, that he could return to their adventures. But he had been hoping too much apparently. Yugi gritted his teeth and looked up at the Pharaoh, trying not to cry, he had done enough of that already.

"No. It would all collapse and…Yugi what have I done to you?"

He knew what he looked like, deathly pale with bags under his eyes, and he had lost a lot of weight, his clothes hanging loosely on him. Yugi tried to smile, the expression not reaching his eyes. "Nothing."

"Yugi…"

"How long have you got?"

The Time Lord was taken aback, staring at Yugi for a moment before nodding slowly. "About two minutes."

"That long?" Yugi tried not to be disappointed as the Pharaoh nodded, wrapping his arms around himself and shivering. He saw the Pharaoh start forward, trying to come and pull him into a hug before the Time Lord remembered that he wasn't really there either, the Pharaoh taking a half step back, staring at the ground. Yugi couldn't help the laugh that slipped past him at that, shaking his head. "Look at us being awkward around each other. When did that happen?"

Thankfully the Pharaoh didn't answer his question, just smiling at him. Yugi shivered at the smile, hating the way that the Pharaoh's eyes remained solemn and sorrowful. He didn't want to recognize this as the last time they would see each other, he wanted to live under the delusion that the Pharaoh would appear and take him away again. He didn't want to give up on the last hope he was clinging to. He cleared his throat, already feeling tears come to his eyes. "So, what's going on back home?"

"It's only been a few days." The Pharaoh glanced around at where they were for the first time, frowning. "Where are we?"

"Somewhere in Russia, outside of Magadan. It's a little bay whose name I can't even begin to pronounce, but it translates to Dark Game." The Pharaoh gave a choked laugh, Yugi nodding. "Yeah, it's been a year and a half for me."

"A year and…That must have pulled the two worlds out of sync."

"Yeah." Yugi nodded, not really caring, he was just living for the sight of the Pharaoh and the sound of his voice, reaching up to wipe the tears from his face and wishing that the Pharaoh was the one doing it. "So, have we been declared dead yet?"

The Pharaoh stared at him before nodding slowly. "All of you."

"Well, here we are, the living dead."

"Don't say that." Yugi was taken aback as the Pharaoh snapped, the Time Lord looking embarrassed. He turned his gaze to the group behind them, staring at them. "Looks like everyone is alright."

"Yeah, everyone is good. Grandpa, Joey, Serenity, Mai, Mom, Dad and the baby."

The Pharaoh did a double take. "She's not."

"Yeah, three months now." Yugi shrugged as the Pharaoh turned back to look at him. "They had their wedding sometime this year. I couldn't come, I was comatose."

"Yugi…"

"It was as small private thing, just to see if they could work like this. If it does work, they'll have a bigger public wedding so that Grandpa and I can come." He couldn't smile at that, staring up at the Pharaoh before shaking his head. "We never imagined this happening, huh?"

"Oh, Yugi."

"The thing is I wouldn't trade any of it for the world."

That brought an almost true smile to the Time Lord's face, the Pharaoh nodding. "Me neither. Not a second."

Yugi nodded, staring out into the cold sea and swallowing harshly. The Pharaoh wasn't coming through to get him, which meant that this was his one chance to say it. He had been hoping to be able to say it when the Pharaoh had returned to help him back home, but that chance was gone, that life was gone. He had to get adjusted here, his medical problems aside. He glanced up at the Pharaoh, quickly wiping the tears from his face. "I-I…I love you."

The Pharaoh was surprised by that, his eyes going wide for a moment before he just smiled, Yugi seeing tears running down his cheeks. "Yugi…"

"Please."

He nodded, understanding what Yugi was asking for. "I suppose, if this is my last chance to say it, Yugi Mutou-"

The Pharaoh faded from sight, Yugi staring at the spot where the Time Lord's image had one stood, one hand reaching out shakily to touch the place where his hand would have been. Yugi's arm fell back to his side as he swayed in place, the sudden enormity of it all crashing down onto him. He had lost everything, the life he enjoyed and the man he loved. He had lost it all in a mere second and there was no going back. There was no reason to hope anymore.

He fell to his knees on the cold sand, staring straight ahead, his vision blurring with tears. This time, he didn't try to wipe them away; he was allowed to cry now. Yugi leaned forward, resting his weight on his hands and curling them into the sand, needing to feel like he was on something solid in case he drifted away. But maybe drifting away would be a good thing. He would drift right on out of this world, through the Void and into the world where the Pharaoh was. Maybe he would drift right out of his body, leaving behind all the medical problems that had popped up when the links had broken. Maybe he would just keel over and never wake up again, it might be worth it for the pain.

Yugi took a shuddering breath, looking up suddenly as a hand landed on his shoulder. He stared up at Junri before launching himself at her, holding her close as he sobbed. "He's gone, Mom. I lost him."

"I know, sweetheart."

"I loved him."

Junri's gentle rocking stopped for a moment before she continued, Yugi too far gone to realize that. He just held onto her, whimpering as Daniel came to pick him up, carrying him back to the van. He was placed in one of the seats, probably the one closest to all of the supplies incase he keeled over again, Junri scrambling in beside him instead of Serenity. Yugi reached for her again, pulling his mother close and clinging to her as Daniel started up the van and began the long drive back to Japan

TO BE CONTINUED

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And that's the end of this one. I hoped you enjoyed it. Be on the look out for the next one, even if it takes a while, I haven't given up on this series. I love it too much to do that.