Mistakes are not things he attributes to himself.

Not to say that he hasn't made some in his lifetime. Not at all. All people make some mistakes, no matter how powerful they may be. But his mistakes had been few and far between. A card placed too early, too late, or in the wrong place. Misreading an opponent perhaps. Never too disastrous. Nothing that he couldn't make a comeback from.

What happened? How could everything go so very…wrong?

In the span of one day – No. Not even a whole day. In only a few hours, he had made…how many mistakes? Five? Twenty? A hundred?

Or only one? One huge mistake. One that…he could not fix with a card. And one in which there would never be a release from. One mistake that was…Unforgivable.

He had never made a mistake that he had thought was unforgivable before. Even his biggest mistake had been forgiven. After a while that is. That duel with Kaiba…He had only tried to help…

They had melded seamlessly for so long, sometimes he forgot that not everything that he thought was necessary, his partner would think as well. Mercy was more in Yugi then himself. They would have won, but, perhaps his partner had been right. Winning was not always the most important thing. But, so many times it was. More often than not winning could mean the difference between life and death.

Or worse.

Mistakes happened. But they should never be this…significant.

He hadn't won. He had lost. Not just the duel, but something…infinitely more important.

Because of a mistake. His mistake.

Only he should have to pay, for his mistake.

It wasn't…he couldn't…no…he…it wasn't fair…

A single mistake. A mistake that he had to answer for.

But…he hadn't. Yugi had. And he had…let him.

Another mistake.

His first mistake, was getting himself in a situation in which he needed to be saved. He was supposed to be the strong side. The one who did the saving. The hero, even if he didn't deserve the title. His first mistake.

The second mistake, was letting himself be saved.

He had made the mistake. He should be the one paying for it. He should not have let his partner save him.

But he had. He had dug his own hole, but he had let Yugi jump into it. He had gotten into trouble, but he had let himself be saved. He had taken a coward's way out. His mistake. His.

Why had Yugi saved him? After his mistake…After doing something so…wrong…So…stupid. After giving in the darkness that was always there, but had always been…controlled. After he had pushed away his own partner…

He had still been saved.

Mercy was always more in his partner than in himself. He couldn't stand stupidity, even in himself. He deserved anything and everything that was coming to him. He had made a mistake. He had lost. He should be punished for it. It was right. It was justified. He deserved it.

He had been saved.

Why?

Don't do it…don't save me…keep away…it's my fault…I deserve this…I played that card…I made the mistake…

He had been saved.

His mistake. But then…perhaps…simply losing himself wasn't enough. His mistake was too great for one punishment. Losing only himself? No. He deserved so much worse than that. Everyone he knew…everyone he cared about was fair game. They would all be sacrificed to punish him further. He deserved it. They didn't. Only after they were all gone, and he was alone, would he be able to lose himself. Maybe then they would come back…Yugi…he could not be forgiven. He couldn't…

He had the opportunity to apologize. He took it. Coward. Yugi had saved him and all he could say was 'I'm sorry'? No. Apologizing meant he thought he could be forgiven. There was no forgiving this mistake. He had to do more. Maybe an exchange could be made. He should be taken instead. It was his mistake after all.

The meeting had…not gone as he had expected. Yugi had every right to be angry with him, he just didn't think he would be. It was confusing, how much he felt he deserved to be held responsible for what he had done, and how much it hurt to hear his partner tell him how evil he had been. And then he had wanted to duel! He couldn't fight his best friend! His partner! His other self. His better self…

Yugi would not take no for an answer.

The duel was going…badly. He went all out at first, wanting this over with so he could talk to Yugi. Really talk to him. And then Yugi…his light, his partner, his friend…

Yugi made the same mistake.

But it didn't seem like he was making a mistake. He seemed so sure of himself. Like he had been hoping to draw that infernal card. But why? What if he lost? Can a soul be sealed twice? And worse…if Yugi won…

If he lost another duel, there would be no one to save him. He would be sealed away, and his soul would give the Leviathan all the energy it needed.

Then Yugi would not be saved…

He…he couldn't lose! As much as he wished to somehow make it up to his partner, to give penitence for his mistake, he could not. He had a duty to two worlds. As much as Yugi meant to him, he…he could not save him now.

The attack was unleashed. The trap was activated. His best friend's soul was bound yet again in a prison he did not deserve.

All because of Yami, and his catastrophic mistake.

"I'll save you! No matter what it takes!"