A/N: So this is an idea that I randomly came up with last night, and I just had to do it. I hope I've stayed true to the characters in this…I know that there are only two, but I can never really tell if I make Yami sound enough like Yami…so you'll have to tell me. Also, THIS STORY IS NOT YAOI. There will be a point in this chapter where it may seem like it…but it's not.

Summary: What if no one came in time to save Yugi from the burning warehouse? Yugi makes one last wish on the Puzzle he had just recompleted that changes everything. As Yami does everything in his power to resurrect his partner and deal with Marik, he discovers that there was more to the wish than he had originally thought.

Reviews would be nice! :)

Dying Wish

The heat was unbearable.

Everything seemed like a horrible dream. That is, if I were capable of dreaming. I dreaded not having that luxury…because then, having my one and only partner on the brink of death might've been a nightmare. I would've taken the most disturbing nightmare my mind could stir up over the horrifying reality I was faced with.

"I can't…just leave you…"

Yugi was completing the Millennium Puzzle again. I could sense that much. It was almost done, but until it was once again whole, I wouldn't be able to communicate with him. I could feel each piece sliding into place…and I could feel the intense heat emanating from the flames.

Just as the last piece slid into place, there was a loud crash. I appeared behind Yugi and watched him in disdain as he attempted to dislodge the Puzzle from the dueling platform. No matter how hard the little one pulled, the pin holding the necklace in place wouldn't budge.

I sighed in resignation. There was only one thing left to do.

"Leave me here, Yugi."

Yugi shot a glare over his shoulder. "No! We've come way too far, we've conquered way too much to just…to just let it end here…I can't leave you here!"

I took a step toward him. "You must, Yugi! Get of here while you still can, save yourself!"

Yugi shook his head defiantly. "I could never! If Joey, Tristan or Téa were trapped in here, I'd save them…you're no different! I would never leave a friend behind!"

He turned back to the Puzzle and once again began to pull. I walked to his side and watched him with great concern.

"Yugi, please…I would never be able to go on if you were to…"

"Don't worry! We'll get out of this, we always do!" Yugi cried out, but his feigned confidence couldn't hide the fear in his eyes. If he waited too long, he would die…and he knew it.

"I'm sure our friends are already sending for help…" Yugi said, his expression darkening with a frown. It was a rare sight to see Yugi Mutou frown. I hated seeing him like that.

"If our friends are indeed sending for help, then you can leave, and come back for me once it is safe."

Yugi's shoulders heaved. "N-no! By that time, it would already be too late…and I c-can't imagine life without you…"

If I still had a beating heart, it would've jumped at his words.

If I were a living person, I would've saved Yugi. I would've dragged him out of that warehouse, no matter how much he complained. But being the translucent spirit that I was, I couldn't do a single thing to protect him…

Yugi looked around and spotted an iron bar that must've fallen from the ceiling. He picked it up and placed it through the loop in the pin holding the Puzzle to the dueling platform. He pulled with all of his might, willing it to move. When it inched out slightly, Yugi's frown turned into a massive grin.

At the sight of that, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Once the Puzzle was securely in Yugi's hands, he would leave the burning death trap. I looked at his face with renewed confidence, only to have it stolen away from me again.

His eyes had a dull shine to them, and they were halfway closed. I could see the exhaustion in them, and it tore at me relentlessly. His face looked ashen, and he had begun to cough. I knew that it was the start of something bad…though I wasn't entirely sure what it was.

I could see his muscles beginning to fail him. He was having difficulty pulling on the bar, his arms shook with the effort. However, the pin was once again inching out of the hole it had been nailed into. As it finally fell out completely, everything seemed to move in slow motion.

Yugi pulled the bar out and dropped it onto the ground. He wrapped his arms around the golden object and stumbled blindly toward the exit…only to see that it was blocked by flaming pieces of wood. Yugi stared at the pile as if he didn't comprehend the situation. After a short moment, he looked around wildly for another exit, only to see that he was trapped inside.

Yugi clumsily backed away from the flames until he tripped over a piece of stray wood. He hit his back hard on the ground, knocking the wind out of him. He coughed and sputtered, struggling for air. I ran to him as fast as I could and knelt beside him. I could see the tears running down his blackened cheeks as he looked at me with immense sadness.

I felt a sharp pain. I wasn't even sure where it had originated…I just hurt. Every part of me was in agony as I watched him struggle to stay conscious. I had never felt such physical or emotional pain…even without my memories; I knew that it was true.

Yugi opened his mouth to speak and took another shallow breath. "I'm sorry, spirit…I've failed you. I've failed you…"

I shook my head and I could feel the ghost of tears on my face. "No, no Yugi, don't say that, don't ever! You have not failed me, and you have not failed yourself! Get up, you must fight! Please!"

Yugi smiled at me sadly. "Spirit…I only wish that you could have your own body, separate from mine…then you could've gone to school with me, gone to football games…"

I laughed, but it was as empty as I felt. "Yugi, you don't like football."

Yugi gave a small chuckle before going into another coughing fit. He took a moment to steady himself before looking into my eyes once more. "You should be able to go to movies, go out with friends, meet new people…and have a life beyond me."

I reached out and placed my hand over his, which was still wrapped around the Puzzle. His hand felt so cold, and the unbearable pain intensified. "I don't want a life beyond you…you are my world, partner, you're my life. I would go to the ends of the Earth for you, you must know that…"

That's when a thought occurred to me. I looked down at my hand and realized that it wasn't just going through Yugi's like it normally did. I was touching him.

Was it some sort of sick joke? Did the gods want to give us one moment where we could hold each other before the end? My tears streamed down my face as I reached both hands out and pulled Yugi to my chest. The pointed edges of the Puzzle pressed against my chest, but it didn't matter to me.

"I can't live without you, Yugi!" I cried out. I could feel him sobbing into my chest. "I just…I just can't, because I…because I…"

There was a loud clash behind us. I whipped my head around to look, and I saw that part of the wall had collapsed. Not only that, but there were people on the other side.

Men in yellow coats streamed into the building, sprinting toward us at top speed. I just stared at them, my hold on Yugi tightening protectively. I couldn't be sure if those people were there to help Yugi or just to steal him away from me.

Yugi was so still in my arms. It frightened me, so I loosened my hold to get a look at his face. His eyes were closed, and his mouth was slightly agape. I shook my head in denial. That couldn't be the end…there was so much we had to look forward to. We still had a destiny to fulfill, right?

"Yugi…" I whispered as my throat closed up. I gasped for breath until I heard footsteps directly behind me.

"Sir…let him go."

I blinked. I looked down at Yugi's face once again and shook my head. "I can't…I can't…"

"If we have any chance of saving him, you must!"

I released Yugi and backed away. I vaguely heard water as the men attempted to put out the flames. My eyes didn't leave my partner's face, however. My partner's normally vibrant face had turned into one that was lifeless and sickly. I hoped with all my might that the strange men could save Yugi, but part of me knew that it was hopeless.

"Sir, come with me, you need to get checked out."

I blinked again. I didn't understand. How could those people possibly see me? I was a spirit, only Yugi could see me…

The first man picked Yugi up, cradling him gently in his arms, and proceeded to walk to the crumbled wall of the warehouse. The second, however, knelt down next to me.

He tenderly placed a hand on my shoulder, sending a jolt of confusion through me when it actually landed. I could feel his hand. He could see me, and he could feel me.

"Please, we need to find out how much smoke you inhaled, and we need to check for burns…"

I absent-mindedly stood and followed the man. As we walked, though, my mind was only wrapping around one thing.

I placed my hand over my chest and felt as my heart pumped blood through my veins. I gasped and new tears pricked at my eyes.

Yugi could very well be gone. I might've lost him forever…

But for some reason, I was alive.