Hello all! This is my very first Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic, and I hope it's decent! There was something about the scene where Yami is alone in the train after Yugi was taken away by the Seal of Oreikalcos that struck me - and from that this fanfic was born! I hope I do the character justice.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, or any of its characters.


He's gone. And it's all your fault, all your fault, your fault, your fault the train choked out as it made its way down the track. It continued to sway as Yami made his way past Téa, apologizing, and into the corridor where he could be alone to think.

Alone. All alone…

It hardly seemed real. It couldn't be real. So many times, he had taken control of Yugi's body and dueled, and talked, and moved with his body. But never had he felt so alone in it, except for that heart-stopping moment during the duel with Pegasus. And that was all he felt – alone.

He punched the side of the train car and slowly slid down the wall. He looked at his hand and detachedly looked at the bruise rising red and blue on the knuckles. Why couldn't he feel the pain? He had never shirked at physical pain when the situation called for it, although he did avoid it when possible; but he had suffered a great deal today. The wear and tear of the duel, intensified by the Seal of the Oreikalcos, weighed upon his muscles. He had badly bruised his knees when he fell to the ground in exhaustion and defeat. His body had been flung about like a sack of potatoes. Not to mention, the left side of his face was like a massive bruise after Joey had punched him to try and make him "get a grip." Everything should have been aching. But he didn't feel anything. At all.

"Yugi? No! What are you doing here?"

"It only needs one of us. So I'm letting the Seal take me instead."

"No! Yugi!"

And then he was taken, ripping away half of Yami's being, and half of his heart. Where there should have been pain, there was only emptiness. Pain would have been a blessing, but he couldn't even feel that. There was only a great hollowness, not only within his body but seeming to stretch beyond him and reaching to the very expanses of space. Nothing but the foreboding, condemning echo: your fault…your fault…all your fault.

I know it's my fault, he thought as he folded his arms on his legs and laid his head on them. His temple crashed against the Dueling Disk strapped to his arm and reminded him that it was the disk that sent Yugi away – probably forever. A sudden spurt of anger filled him and he felt the urge to rip it off and fling it far away from him, but he hadn't the energy. He instead focused on dispelling the anger – he couldn't let it get out of control again. It made terrible, awful things happen.

All my fault. It should have been me!

Oh, aibou. I am so sorry. So, so sorry. It should've been me. If only I had listened to you. And because I didn't listen to you, you are gone, perhaps forever. I knew that I cared for you like a brother, especially since the duel with Pegasus, but I did not realize just how much you mean to me, until now, when it may be too late.

You are gone, and you've left behind a hollow half. Without your light, your joy, your friendship to support me, I am nothing but a hollow chasm, folds of darkness upon darkness smothering and swallowing everything.

He could feel a single tear etching its way down his face. If only our enemies could see the great Pharaoh now. And yet the thought caused him no shame – let hundreds gawk at his humiliation and dejection, he could endure it. But the thought that Yugi was gone forever – and all because of his own actions – …it was almost unbearable. So he could feel something – he was nothing but a bruised shell, hollow with nothing but emptiness and shame permeating the void.

Joey had said "Snap out of it" and flung Yami to the ground, trying to shock him back into action. Yami knew that their only hope to save Yugi was if he fought on. But…he couldn't. He knew that they desperately missed Yugi – he was their dear friend. Could anyone understand what he had truly lost? Not merely a friend, but his inspirer, his motivation. How could he fight without the inspiration? He couldn't!

….but he had to.

He lifted his head and stared resolutely into space. I can't see how we can save Yugi from my mistake. But if there's still even the smallest chance that we can rescue him, I've got to take it for his friends. And, of course, for Yugi. Even if it's hopeless, I have to fight – for Yugi's sake.

He felt the train shake and heard his friends cry out in surprise. It was time to go. As he quickly steadied himself against the shaking wall and started to run down the corridor, he realized something. He was still an enormous hollow with Yugi gone, but amongst the shame and emptiness within him, there was a small flicker of hope. There was no time to reflect on it, but he could feel it spurring him on. Yugi's eternal hope had always inspired Yami, now perhaps Yami's hope could save Yugi. And he realized something else.

He didn't feel quite as hollow anymore.


A/N: Aibou = partner;
And there it is! Thanks for reading! Now, please push that little review button at the bottom and let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is appreciated, but any just mean comments will be sentenced to the Shadow Realm. You have been warned.