Before the Dawn

Yuugi ran ahead of Yami, kicking the snow away as he raced through the park. Yami smiled at his hikari's child-like behaviour, but said nothing. Yuugi was happy, and Yami would never want to wipe the bright smile of his aibou's face, although it was getting rather dark. And cold.

"Yuugi...I think we better be heading home now." The smaller boylooked up to Yami, his large amethyst eyes sparkling with happiness behind golden bangs.

"Okay, I've had my fun. I can see you're not enjoying this too much."

Severe understatement there; Yami had never experienced this cold substance known as 'snow' before, in fact he had never even realised that winter was supposed to be drastically colder that the other seasons. He shivered to emphasize the point. As a result of his inexperience with snow, Yami was wearing a thick coat, gloves and a scarf, whereas Yuugi was wearing a jacket.

"Yuugi, come on it's freezing!"

Yami was stillshivering as the two began to walk out of the park gates, Yugi running ahead looking for more snow to make into snowballs. Yami sighed as one of them hit him in the chest, and Yuugi ran further into the dark night, laughing playfullyat his Yami.

Crouching down, gathering snow to payback his hikari with, Yami didn't see exactly where Yuugi had been running, and didn't see the twin bright lights heading straight towards his aibou. Until it was too late.

"Yuugi, get off the road!"

"What? Yami?"

Yami rushed over, dropping the snow he had collected, and ran to his hikari's still form. The driver skidded to a stop and jumped out of the car, rushing to Yami's side apologising over and over again, his eyes wide not quite believing what had just happened.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't see him...it's so dark and the roads are icy...and he-"

"I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses, do you have a phone or something? My hikari needs an ambulance not your apologies."

Nodding the man frantically searched his coat pockets for his mobile, and quickly dialled 999.

Yami stared down at his hikari; there wasn't too much blood, just from a few scrapes here and there. But the force of the vehicle had knocked the small boy out, and his breathing was becoming shallow. Yami swallowed the lump in his throat and blinked back tears. Taking his hikari's soft delicate hand in his own gloved ones he let the tears trail down his cheeks.

"The ambulance is on its way now."

Yami nodded to the man and continued to hold his lights hand.

"He's very special to you. Isn't he?"

It was more of a statement than a question, and Yami chose to remain silent.

"Is he your little brother, or something?"

"No. He is...very special to me."

"Boyfriend?"

"NO! I would never deserve something this pure and innocent. Never. HisGrandfather was right; he said I was no good for him. He wanted me to leave Yuugi alone. He was right, I can't protect him..."

The tears flowed, dripping onto Yugi's pale hand.

"I'm really sorry; I should've paid more attention to where I was going..."

Yami couldn't speak for fear of breaking down. He wanted nothing more than to banish his soul to the Shadow Realm for what he had done, but something was keeping him from venting his anger.

Yuugi.

He didn't do that anymore, he wasn't the cold-hearted person who he had been 5000 years ago.

Yami was interrupted from his thoughts by the sirens of the ambulance which had pulled up. The paramedics were now insisting that he let go of Yuugi's hand, which of course made him grip it tighter.

The paramedics soon learned that you shouldn't try to separate a yami from its hikari.

"Do you want him to die? He needs medical attention and we can't help him unless you move out of our way!"

Yami sent a death glare to the paramedic who had dared speak to him in that way. But did as he was told, and went to stand by the man who had caused all of this, angrily wiping at his tears.

"Listen, I know this isn't what you'd want to hear right now...but...you're not going to sue me or anything are you? I mean it was an accident, and I-"

A split second later he man was lying on the floor clutching a bloody nose. And Yami felt better than he had in the past few minutes. He would have injured the man further but Yuugi was now in the ambulance and they were ready to go.

Glaring at the man on the floor he climbed into the ambulance and sat next to his light, once again holding his hand. This time though the paramedics said nothing, only continued bandaging his head and hooking him up to an oxygen mask.

Yamiteased Yuugi's golden bangs free from the bandages which were tightly wrapped around the smaller's head.

"We are doing everything we can. Is there anyone you would like to call?"

"Yes; his grandfather. He can't be hurt too badly, right? I mean there isn't much blood..."

"He has bad internal injuries, I'm not too sure how extensive they are until we can get him to hospital, there we can run further tests..."

Yami nodded numbly, his brain confused and in shock.He took the cell phone from the womans hands, and dialed the Game Shop.

"Hello? Game shop"

"Grandpa? It's Yami-"

"Where are you? It's getting late, you two better be heading home soon."

"Um...grandpa...we're in an ambulance, meet us at the hospital...I'll explain there."

Not waiting for the angry response he knew he would get from the old man he ended the call and handed the phone back, not wanting to face a similar reaction from Jounouchi.

The woman smiled in sympathy.

"He didn't take it too well?"

"He hates me. Always has done, he thinks that I'd be a bad influence."

"Don't worry. I'm sure everything will work out fine."

Yami nodded, not believing a word. He didn't need to because at that moment the ambulance stopped and Yuugi was rushed out and into the hospital, leaving Yami to wait for the next three and a half hours.

Three and a half hours is a long time when waiting for someone you care about when you know that they could be dying at that very moment.

Yami had made several attempts to rush into the ER whenever he felt panic through the mental link which had severely deteriorated. The security guards were all keeping an eye on him now.

Yami just glared and picked up a random magazine, not bothering to actually look at the title or anything.

"Smash Hits? I would have thought you would have been more of a Kerrang reader myself."

Yami turned around and saw Jounouchi, and behind him was Yuugi's grandfather. Yami threw the magazine down and stood up, but was cut off by Sugoruko.

"Yami; I don't want to hear it. Jounouchi and Honda have already packed your stuff; it's in your car which is outside."

Jounouchi threw the keys at Yami, who caught them clumsily.

"I don't want you anywhere near Yuugi ever again. Do I make myself clear? I knew you were nothing but trouble. The only reason I let you stay was because Yuugi insisted."

"Yeah, just leave. I'll make sure you never come near Yuug again." Yami stared at the two, about to resist when the doctor emerged looking rather upset.

"Mutou-san? I'm afraid that Yugi has suffered to much brain damage and internal bleeding. He hasn't got much longer, he isn't going to wake up. Would you like to see him anyway?"

Sugorukoblinked a few times, stunned before nodding, tears caught in his eyes.

"Gramps, can I come and-"

"Yes, I doubt the doctors would mind. We can always tell them you're his cousin or something."

"Can I?" Yami started, half-afraid of the answer he knew he was going to get.

"I thought I told you to leave?"

Yamirefrained from swearing at them both and turned away, storming out of the hospital andslamming the car door shut. Heturned the radio on full blast as he sped down the motorway. A heavy rock song was playing on his CD player; he hated the radio like Yuugi did, too much pop music. They both liked rock.

Had liked rock.

Yami didn't care now. He let the tears come as much as they wanted. Everything was ruined now anyway. He was going to lose Yuugi, and he had no one else to turn to.

He loved this song, it was by Evanescence, one of his and Yugi's favourite bands. Usually they liked heavier stuff, but this band was really good.

Take a breath and I try to draw from my spirits well
Yet again you refuse to drink like a stubborn child
Lie to me
Convince me that I've been this sick forever
And all of this
Will make sense when I get better

Yami was choking between sobs, not even really looking where he was going on the motorway. Not caring.

He just wanted his hikari...he could feel the shards of their mind link slowly fading away...tearing him up inside.

I know the difference between myself and my reflection
I just can't help but wonder
Which of us do you love

Yami slammed a fist into the steering wheel, refusing to believe that Yuugi was dying. He wouldn't believe it until he felt it.

Yuugi was lying in the ICU room, a breathing mask on his pale face as his breathing was barely noticeable. The heart monitor beeped every few seconds, but was beginning to waver.

Yugi was dying.

Jounouchi was trying to comfort Yugi's grandfather, but when the short beeps merged to one they both knew that it was over. Doctors tried their hardest to resuscitate the small boy, but his injured body shut down, taking its final breath as his soul slowly drifted from his body.

Jounouchi just watched as the doctors announced that Yuugi had died, tears escaping his honey eyes.

'Yugi? YUGI! No...' Yami screamed into the mind link. There was nowhere to send the message to, Yuugi's end had been permanently blocked off. Yami knew his hikari was gone.

Dazed and upset he just carried on driving, attempting to turn the music up even louder to block out his thoughts. He sang in time with the lead singer as he changed lanes to the oncoming traffic.

His voice normally strong; now wavered with depression and self pity.

"So I bleed

I bleed

And I breathe

I breathe now...

Bleed

I bleed

And I breathe

I breathe

I breathe-

I breathe no more..."

To be Continued

For information, Smash Hits is a pop music magazine, Kerrang is a rock music magazine. I'm not saying that pop music is bad, I just prefer rock, and I think that Yami and Yuugi would too.

Also 999 is the number for emergency services in England, I have no idea what Japan's is, so I'm using the one I know!

Next chapter is the last.

Please review.

Revised: 8th February 2005

-Dagger