Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, just a few OCs.


Chapter Nine

The perch remained irritatingly empty, no matter how many times she looked at it. There should have been something there. There should have been a bird with the next message from her colleagues. But there wasn't. And she hadn't felt the shift that signaled another soul coming in since that first one, which meant that they had not become swamped with work. It also meant that the soul was fighting them.

The woman leaned back with a sigh, rubbing her forehead to stave off the ache that was beginning to form. The other times she had come into this world the people that were competent, the light half of the souls passed down the line and out while the dark halves remained behind. But, that was what she got for deciding to go with a new bunch. She pulled her dark hair back, brown eyes narrowing in thought.

Without the bird, she still had to be ready for whoever was coming through. It would not be safe to assume that the light had already left its darker half to languish in the desert. She stepped outside of her temporary home, breathing in the scent of the forest.

Shrieks reached her ears, a smile crossing her face as she turned to walk around her hold, eyes lighting up as she saw the creatures that waited in their cages for her. Two giant praying mantises waved their forelegs, pressing against the bars of their cages in their eagerness to get out. The woman made a chiding noise, that enough to keep them quiet for now. "Hush, my pretties, you will get to run soon."

One hand went to the whistle that dangled from her neck, her fingers running over it before she let it drop. "As soon as they get here, you will get to run."

The creatures replied with screeches before they went back to scratching at the bars of their cages. The woman smiled before moving off again, walking slowly into a stand of trees and brushing her fingers over their trunks. She felt the magic flowing from her into the trees, partially closing her eyes at the sensation. This was one of the reasons that she never wanted to leave this world, the pure joy of being able to work magic, to do something outside of her mundane job of working as a secretary.

"Find the light." She whispered, feeling the soft breeze take her words away. "Find the thing that gives off this. Spread the power among yourselves and seek the light out. Once it reaches you, never let it go. It is a precious thing."

She pulled her hand away, a soft smile crossing her face as she folded her arms over her stomach and walked back towards her house. She sat down in the rocking chair that waited for her on the porch, taking in another deep breath of the forest air before she closed her eyes. From her spot, she could hear the rustle of the wind through the trees, the sounds of her pets as they became eager for a run and the sound of the river running.

The woman resettled herself into her chair, tipping her head back to enjoy the full effect of the breeze. She would sense the presence of the light soon enough, and then she would release her pets to drive the light towards her. Then, she would either apologize for her rambunctious boys and invite the poor soul in for food or rip the darkness away from it. Either way, her mission would be fulfilled.


Mayati woke up early, rubbing her face in an attempt to erase the tearstains from the night before. She sighed and stretched, a bit stiff from falling asleep in an awkward position. Beside her, Akhnamkanon slept on, snoring softly. She kissed his cheek before looking at the rest of the group, finding that Solomon was still asleep close to the fire. Mayati smiled and looked over at where Atem was.

Sometime during the night the two boys had shifted, Yugi now resting nearly completely on Atem's chest, head tucked under his chin and hand resting over Atem's heart. Atem looked like he could be asleep, but he was running his hand over Yugi's back, the motion probably meaning that he was awake. Mayati felt her smile grow wider at the picture that the two made, shifting so she could stretch out her sore back.

She must have made a sound because Atem opened his eyes, turning is head to look at her. He stared at her for a minute, indecision obvious in his eyes before it was shoved away. "Good morning...mother."

Mayati never knew how much she had wanted to hear that phrase until now. She had waited all her life to be called mother. She restrained herself from walking over, hating the rational part of her mind that said he was only saying that because of what he had been told last night. She was about to lean back against Akhnamkanon, stopping when she heard a muffled grunt from Atem as Yugi shifted so that the teen was now resting completely on Atem's chest. Mayati gave a soft laugh, gaining Atem's attention again. He gave her a smile before looking down at Yugi, the expression urging her to walk over to them.

"Pharaoh…"

"Hush, Yugi. I'm still here."

"Lost…no…soul will…"

"No." Atem held Yugi tighter, the whimpering that had been beginning stopping abruptly as Yugi sighed, the tension in his body starting to disappear. "None of those dreams now, aibou. I have enough of them for the both of us."

He looked up at Mayati as she crouched down beside them, resting a hand on Yugi's back, the teenager gave a soft whimper as the last of the nightmare began to fade away. "Save…somebody help me…moth-Yami."

"I'm here, aibou."

Mayati sat back on her heels, staring at Yugi. Why would he suddenly change from calling for his mother and call for Atem? Shouldn't he be used to a mother's comfort? She looked over at Atem, the question in her eyes.

Atem shrugged. "I'm always here for him."

"But what about his mother?" Mayati looked down at the hand was resting on Yugi's back.

"She's never around, always at work or various social events." Atem sighed. "If I hadn't seen her myself once, I would still think that she had died. I've never seen his father, but aibou says that he's on a business trip. To the rest of the world, Yugi Mutou lives with his grandfather only."

"And you."

Atem laughed, nodding. "And me. But few know about me, and all but one acknowledge my existence. To others, I'm just the voice in his head that Yugi talks to." At her shocked look, Atem raised an eyebrow. "I'm a three thousand year old spirit. Except for when I switch with Yugi, I'm not solid or visible."

"Switch with him?"

"'S like voluntary possession." The sleepy answer came from Yugi opened one eye to glare at Atem. "Can't sleep. No talking."

"Yes, my pharaoh." Atem's chuckle was cut off as Yugi elbowed him in the stomach. A grumble came from the teen as he looked up.

"I hate the days when you're up with the sun."

"Sorry, aibou, force of habit." Atem released his hold on Yugi so the teen could adjust his position. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine." Yugi covered up a yawn, shifting the Puzzle that had been digging into Atem's side. "Sorry."

"I've suffered worse from Shadow Games."

They both winced at the shared memory, Mayati feeling left out of the discussion. Yugi laughed and pulled away, sitting to the side. "Mom had a talk with me about my personal stash of painkillers. She was worried that I was getting beat up again and not telling them."

Yugi rolled his eyes as Atem sat up in alarm. "Where was I when this happened?"

"Sleeping off the damage from the Shadow Game against Marik."

Mayati joined Yugi in his laughter, amused by the shocked look that Atem was giving them, settling into a more stable position. Atem reacted by reaching out to tackle Yugi to the ground before proceeding to tickle him into submission, the smaller teen flailing as he tried to push Atem away. Her son finally stopped his attack, holding Yugi in his lap, the teen struggling to get his breath back. Atem gave Yugi a tap on his nose. "Naughty hikari."

Yugi gave an indignant snort before leaning back to look at Atem. "You're a bad influence."

Atem gave another laugh, cuddling Yugi close. "I'll admit that, aibou."

Mayati settled back as she watched the two just cling to each other for a while, her smile dying into an expression of contentment. This is what she imagined having a family would be like, of course, those had all been the dreams of a little girl. But, for a single moment, she was able to pretend that Yugi was her son as well, and Atem was visiting them before he went off with his father for some minor business in the kingdom. None of this nonsense about lights and darks and nothing to do with the Pendant…or the Puzzle, whatever it was called now.

She glared at the golden pendant that hung from Yugi's neck, hating the Items more than ever now. Akhnamkanon had told her what had been done to create them, and she had hated them then, ready to tear Aknadin to pieces if she had seen him, but he had prudently kept out of her way. Now, she had even more of a reason to hurt Akhnamkanon's brother, because he had caused her son to die. And she hated the Items for breaking up her family, for keeping her son away from her and what deserved for thousands of years. If Atem hadn't been bound to the thing, she would have smashed it again, not wanting to stare at the eye on the front of the pendant that seemed to know everything.

"Time to move out." Mayati looked up as Solomon got up, stretching his back and groaning when it cracked. And, as easily as that, her happy image was gone. She sighed and stood up, brushing off her hands as Atem and Yugi followed her example. Akhnamkanon was the last one up, rolling his shoulders to relieve the last of the stiffness. Mayati took her husband's hand as Yugi bounded forward, Atem following at a more sedate walk, darting forward when Yugi stumbled.

"Alright there aibou?" Mayati sped up, her mothering instinct kicking in. She wanted to keep both of these boys safe from whatever was going on, especially if those accursed items were involved in it. She sighed in relief when she saw Yugi smile, looking sheepish. "Just a bit sore."

Atem just responded with a smile before helping Yugi up and walking on. Solomon was already waiting for them at the entrance of the temple, a makeshift backpack holding supplies. He herded all of them out, taking the time to ruffle Yugi's hair before they stepped out into the sand.

Immediately, Atem turned and started walking towards the mountains, which seemed much closer than they had been yesterday. Yugi hesitated before going to walk beside Atem, sticking close. Mayati went to follow them, wavering as Akhnamkanon pulled her back. He was still wary of their son, she realized. There was part of him that was not sure if they could trust him after the obvious show of his power over the shadows. She wanted to reassure him that Atem was fine, but knew that her knowledge of Atem was severely lacking when compared to Akhnamkanon's.

Carefully, she pulled her hand from his, making sure that he looked at her before she spoke. "It will be alright. We know why he's like that. We know why he acted like that."

"Yes. But is he in control?"

"Are you afraid of him?" Mayati tipped her head to the side, watching as Akhnamkanon looked up to where Atem was walking confidently ahead before sighing.

"I no longer know what to think. He has changed beyond what I remember, and yet, there are moments when I think I see Atem and not the creature..." Akhnamkanon winced as Mayati gave his shoulder a slap, glaring at him and daring him to let the sentence go on unfinished. "I do not know what I meant, Mayati. All I know is that our son has changed and…"

"He was bound to do that." Mayati gave him a smile before walking ahead, wanting to talk to Atem, to find out about what had happened during the interval between being let out of the Puzzle and being forced into this world. She looked back at Akhnamkanon. "He grew up while you weren't looking."

He let her go with that, Mayati walking up past Solomon to fall into step beside the two boys. She noticed that Atem was the first to notice her, turning his head slightly so he could watch her. Yugi looked over at the movement from Atem, a bright smile breaking out on his face. It was the younger teenager that spoke. "Hello."

Mayati gave a nod of greeting to Yugi, watching as Atem looked over at her, the guarded look in his eyes relaxing somewhat. "Hello, mother." His eyes darted back to where Akhnamkanon was still trailing behind them. "Father still doesn't trust me?"

"He's more worried about you. Seto," she noticed that they both jumped when she mentioned the name, "came to the afterlife talking about how powerful you were…are in the art of shadow magic, and it worried your father."

Atem gave a curt nod, the message horribly clear. He was not going to trust his father until Akhnamkanon put of bit of effort into being trustworthy. She sighed, looking over at Yugi to see the teenager looking slightly distressed. He reached over to take Atem's hand, drawing her son's attention to him. "He's just worried about you."

"Aibou…"

"Please. You should talk to your father." Mayati looked away at those words, remembering that Yugi hardly ever got to see his parents. She heard Atem sigh, glancing up to see him look back over his shoulder.

"Alright, aibou." Atem's response brought the smile back to Yugi's face, the teenager not letting go of Atem's hand but moving closer and encouraging Atem to wrap his arm around his waist. The slip into these positions seemed so natural, Mayati finding herself questioning why she was not reading more into their actions. After all, they had been sharing a body and mind; it was natural to want that closeness back.

Atem looked over as he sensed her gaze on him, his arm tightening around Yugi before it relaxed. She took in the protective gesture without a second thought; Atem had been doing that ever since she had met him here. He would always shift towards Yugi, just enough to be able to defend the teen if anything horrible happened. Mayati made the conscious decision to ignore this, not willing to pry into this side of Atem. "How long have you been with Yugi?"

It was Yugi that answered, blinking before seeming to run over something in his head. "About four years. Close enough to four years, but it feels like so much longer. Especially with everything."

"Everything?"

Yugi looked over at Atem, who just shrugged, the motion the signal for Yugi to continue on. "Well, when Ya-Atem first came from the Puzzle I wasn't aware of him, he just took over whenever I was in trouble or had been hurt to save me. I still can't remember everything from that time quite clearly," Atem winced at this, looking down at the ground, "but I don't really worry about that much. He helped me beat Kaiba when he wanted to kill me and helped save my grandfather twice."

The teenager launched into a tale of their adventures that had Mayati laughing for a while. Initially, his exploits with his friends were funny, until he got into Duelist Kingdom, her laughter stopping when the Items made an appearance again, the cursed ring and eye. She noticed that Atem would hold Yugi slightly closer when the teen was approaching certain parts, like when Yugi had nearly been lost to the shadows during his championship duel.

It seemed like the Items had continued to cause trouble even after Atem had sacrificed himself to save the world from darkness. Mayati shuddered as she heard Yugi talk about their fights with Marik, watching Atem continue to hold the teenager close, his eyes sometimes losing their focus as he stared ahead.

"We were going to the museum to try and get Atem's memory back when…" Yugi suddenly trailed off, shivering. Mayati looked at him with worry, noticing that Atem was not helping him on as he had during the other times the teen had faltered. She thought she saw a shiver run over Atem, the arm that he had around Yugi pulling the teenager flush against him. Yugi shook his head when he looked back over at her. "I'd rather not talk about that."

"Alright." Mayati took a small step back, watching as Atem leaned toward Yugi, resting his head against Yugi's. She was close enough to hear what he was saying, shivering at the softly spoken words.

"I'm sorry, aibou."

"I forgive you, Yami. You know that." Atem shivered and pulled Yugi into a hug, stopping for a moment before releasing the teen. Yugi stopped Atem from pulling completely away, rewrapping Atem's arm around his waist with a smile before allowing Atem to walk forward. Mayati had to smile at the astounded look that appeared on Atem's face for a moment, shaking her head before dropping back to walk with her husband.


The woman sat up as she sensed something, a smile crossing her face. Her eyes slid closed again, focusing on the faint pulse of bright light that appeared behind her eyelids. This one was a strong one, different from the others that she had sensed. Strong, young and pure; an amazing combination. She allowed herself to bask in the light, jumping when black tendrils wrapped around it, acting as protection from her.

She sat up with a hiss, narrowing her eyes. How dare that darkness touch that light? They had to be torn apart for that beautiful light to survive. She stormed around to the back of her house, ignoring the excited noises that the creatures were making as she walked up towards them. She rested a hand on each cage, watching as they calmed. "Find it, my beauties, find it and save it from that…thing!"

The creatures gave a screech as they disappeared, sent into the forest on the other side of the river. They would always find their way back to her, that was the least of her worries. Right now, her priority was that bright light that was surrounding by the darkness. She viciously wiped the tears that had gathered in her eyes away before turning toward the river, walking calmly through the forest, heading for the bridge across the river. She would be there to make sure that nothing went wrong with this.


Yugi sighed as he entered the cool shade of the forest, not bothering to wonder how a forest was thriving directly on the edge of the desert. This world was strange enough without having to try and reason out the scientific reasons behind it. He took a deep breath and sighed, untying his jacket where he had tied it around his waist earlier when the temperature rose. He looked up at the dappled sunlight with a smile. He turned back towards Yami, watching his darkness shrug on his jacket as well.

His grandfather walked over to the nearest tree and sat down, the makeshift backpack set down on the ground beside him. "How about a rest?"

Yugi nodded, staking out his own place to sit, scooting over when Yami came to join him, wrapping his arms around Yugi and resting his chin on Yugi's shoulder. Yugi could still feel the tension in Yami's body, reaching up to rub his shoulders in a comforting manner. "You can relax a bit, mou hitori no boku. You're one big knot."

The comment got a snort from Yami, but he did as Yugi commanded, relaxing a little even though he stayed alert. Yugi sighed, leaning back against the former pharaoh. "How's the stomach wound?"

"Getting better. Still hurts every once and a while, but never when I'm with you." Yami gave his neck a kiss, making Yugi shiver as he hit one of his sensitive spots. Automatically, he tilted his head to give Yami more access, getting a shiver from the former pharaoh. "Now, aibou, not here. Unless you want to shock your grandfather."

Yugi leaned backwards, gently pushing Yami against the bark of the tree that they were sitting against. "Is that all you think about, Yami?"

"I was trapped as a teenager in a Puzzle for three thousand years, and then shared a mind and body with the object of my desires, who is also a teenager." Yugi stiffened as Yami brushed a few fingers over his side. "It's not my fault if I'm a bit…preoccupied."

Yugi laughed as the fingers found a ticklish spot on his side and took advantage of it. The smaller teenager tipped forward laughing, struggling to get away. Yami just followed him, easily pinning him to the ground as he continued to tickle him. Yugi writhed on the ground, looking up at his grandfather. "Grandpa…help!"

Solomon laughed and shook his head. "I'm exhausted from crossing that desert, Yugi. These old bones haven't had to do something as strenuous as that in a long time. Let an old man rest."

"Grandpa!" Yugi managed to wriggle away before Yami dropped on top of him, holding him down as the teenager laughed, looking over his shoulder at his smiling darkness. "Get off, Yami!"

"You've worn me out, aibou. I can only take so much." He looked up and winked at Solomon. "I've got years on your grandfather and I still have to put up with you."

"You've got my body to do it with!" Yami allowed himself to be pushed off, leaning back as Yugi scrambled a good distance away before pouncing on the former pharaoh. "Why are you complaining?"

"Aibou, of all the things I could complain about, your body is not one of them." Yugi blushed at the wink that Yami gave him, pushing away from his darkness before walking back over to his tree. He was aware that Yami was watching him, remaining on the ground until he was sure of where Yugi was going. Yugi allowed himself to be pulled into the former pharaoh's lap before he sighed, leaning against Yami's shoulder as he drifted off to sleep.

He woke as Yami sat up abruptly, throwing him forward. Yugi caught himself on his hands and knees, looking over his shoulder at Yami as the former pharaoh slowly got to his feet, scanning the area around them. Yugi cautiously stood up, looking over at his grandfather as Solomon stood up as well. A moment later Mayati and Akhnamkanon were on their feet, staring at Yami as he took a few steps forward, still tense and alert.

They all jumped as birds shot from the nearest trees, chattering nervously. Yugi spun around at the next flock of birds, backing up until he ran into Yami. The former pharaoh caught him, keeping a hold of his shoulders as he turned to look around them. Yugi glanced over at Solomon, noticing that the elderly man was edging away. He reached up for Yami's hand, encouraging Yami to follow him as they moved back to the main group.

Unfortunately, something appeared through the trees before they could reach the group, towering above them and chattering. Yugi gasped and stumbled backwards, taking Yami with him as he tried to get away from the creature that was looming over them.

It resembled a praying mantis, the folded forelegs moving slightly as it edged its way out of the trees. Yugi though he saw a flicker of wings, but was distracted by the head of the creature as it turned to fix multifaceted red eyes on him. The small teenager froze, eyes going wide as the creature made a rapid clicking sound, shivering as the sound was repeated by something off to his left.

Yugi turned to look at the source of the new sound, yelping when he was suddenly yanked around. He stumbled into a run, aware that Yami was pulling him along. Yugi struggled to get out of his darkness' grip, looking over his shoulder at the two creatures. "What about Grandpa?!"

"They're after us, Yugi." Yami looked over his shoulder as well, Yugi surprised to see actual fear in his eyes. "They'll come after us and leave them alone. We'll find them again."

Yugi nodded. He didn't want anyone getting hurt because of him, least of all his grandfather. Solomon had suffered too much already because of him. He ducked his head and concentrated on running across the forest floor, leaping awkwardly over roots that Yami's longer legs seemed to easily carry the former pharaoh over. Their heavy breathing was the only thing that was heard for a while, until a tree crashed down in front of them, both of the teenagers stumbling to a stop.

One of the creatures had managed to cut them off, stepping easily over the fallen tree and clicking at him. Yugi hung onto Yami's arm as he turned around, eyes widening when he saw the other creature right behind him. He swung around, pressing his back against Yami's, feeling the former pharaoh tense. "Dodge right, Yugi."

Yugi threw himself to the right, wincing as he hit the ground as one of the creatures lashed out at them. Yami followed him, scrambling back to his feet before backing through the trees, holding out a hand for Yugi to grab on to. The two edged backwards through the cover of the trees, searching for any sign of those creatures. Yugi jumped at the sound of another tree falling, Yami turning his head sharply to glare at the source of the sound, hand tightening around Yugi's.

Slowly, the sound of rushing water invaded their senses, Yugi turning around to try and see the source. He caught flashes of sunlight off the water from behind him, a large body of water by the look of it. Yugi was about to draw Yami's attention to it when the former pharaoh gave him a shove in that direction, a tree coming down right where they had been standing as one of the creatures tried to reach them again. Yugi nearly fell, grabbing a hold of one of the nearby trees and pushing off at a fast sprint.

He jumped at the cold brush of shadows as Yami called on his power, the former pharaoh's run immediately slowing down at the drain on his energy. They burst out into the open, Yugi waving his arms frantically to stay balanced as they both nearly fell into the river. He looked over his shoulder to see that Yami had stopped on the edge of the small path that they had stumbled upon, still glaring up at the creatures that were looming over them. Yami glared at them before throwing a wave of shadows in their direction, his other hand reaching for Yugi and shoving him into the river.

Yugi gave a short scream before he fell into the water, cautiously opening his eyes as he slightly distorted sound of someone else entering the water reached him. He saw the silhouette of another body, hanging in the water for a moment before pushing up towards the surface. Yugi followed, coughing and spitting water out of his mouth. An arm wrapped around him, pulling him close to Yami as they both tried to stay above the surface of the water.

Coughing, Yami brushed a wet bang from Yugi's face, a shiver running through the former pharaoh's body. "Sorry, aibou."

"That's fine." Yugi looked at the bank of the river where the creatures were watching them, one hissing at the wound that was across its abdomen. "At least it got us away from those things."

Yami gave a curt not before turning to swim for the other shore, the movements even slower than they should have been. Yugi, concerned for his darkness, swam up beside him. "Yami?"

"Still tired from yesterday, aibou." Yami ducked his head under the water and came back up, bangs plastered back out of his eyes. Yami shook his head before continuing his swim. "But nothing to worry about."

"What about your wound?"

Yami shot him a look, a mixture of exasperation and love, before shrugging. "It's been getting better. I told you, I hardly feel it when you're around." He shot Yugi a crooked smile before turning his eyes back to the opposite shore. "But that's true above everything, aibou."

Yugi smiled, concentrating on keeping pace with Yami as they tried to get to the shore. He winced as his palms scraped against some of the hidden rocks, thankful that they didn't start to bleed. He didn't need Yami going into his overprotective mode while the former pharaoh was hurt as well. At the thought, he looked over at the former pharaoh, biting his lip as he saw Yami falter, going under for a short moment before popping back up, spitting out the water that had gotten into his mouth.

Exhausted, the two of them climbed up onto the opposite shore, dripping wet. Yugi found a flat rock and scrambled on top of it, spreading himself out on its surface and sighing as the sunlight hit him. He opened one eye as he heard Yami haul himself up beside him, the former pharaoh not laying down, but instead staring at the other side of the river. Yugi shut his eye, sighing. "Are they gone?"

"Not entirely. I can still see some movement from where they're patrolling the shore. We should keep moving, aibou."

"Yami, we're both soaking wet and tired."

"Still…" Yugi sighed as the former pharaoh trailed off, sitting up as the silence began. He gave a stiff nod before peeling off his shoes, dumping the water out of them before wringing out his socks. Next, he took his jacket and shirt off, shivering as the air hit his bare chest. He tried to get as much water out of them as he could before slipping them back on, shuddering. Yugi smirked as he found Yami staring at him, gently reaching out to pull the former pharaoh closer.

They shared a hug for a moment before Yami stood up, brining Yugi to his feet as well. The former pharaoh glanced back at the opposite shore, the slight relaxation of his muscles showing that the creatures had finally left. Yugi swallowed and hopped down from the rock, Yami following a heartbeat later. "What about Grandpa?"

"Now, we find him." Yami closed his eyes for a moment, Yugi shivering at the touch of shadows before they disappeared. The former pharaoh swayed for a moment, one hand coming up to rest on his forehead as he winced. Yugi walked over to him, gently pulling the hand away and kissing Yami's forehead. The former pharaoh opened his eyes slowly, blinking before tipping his head to the side.

Yugi entwined his fingers with Yami's letting their joined hands swing between them for a minute before beginning to walk back into the forest. "You're searching for them now?" Yami nodded, the motion getting another wince. Yugi looked down at the forest floor, carefully navigating around the roots. "Just don't overdo it, Yami. I still need you here."

That got a smile from the former pharaoh, Yami giving his hand a squeeze. The two lapsed into silence as they continued into the dappled shade of the forest, Yugi stumbling over roots. The smaller teen looked for a safe place where he and Yami could rest until the shadows found his grandfather, hoping that it wouldn't take that long. He didn't trust Yami or himself to stay up much longer, the energy deficit from yesterday plus the pull from today draining them.

Yugi stumbled to a stop in a little glen, smiling at the cover that the trees offered him, leaning against one of their trunks as Yami nearly collapsed at the base of the tree. He frowned as he noticed the way that Yami had wrapped an arm around his stomach and was breathing heavily, the exertion from their walk not enough to cause that reaction from the former pharaoh. Yugi knelt by his side, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Yami?"

Yami sighed, resting his head against the tree and closing his eyes, a smile on his face. "I'm fine aibou, just a bit sore."

"Mou…" Yugi trailed off frowning, staring out into their resting place. He had thought he had heard a growl and the sound of creaking wood, but it could have just been his imagination. He looked around, the hand he had resting on Yami tightening for a moment before relaxing. Yugi felt the former pharaoh start, attempting to get up, but Yugi kept him down with a slight bit of pressure. "Did you hear that?"

Yami looked at him before closing his eyes again, the two of them straining to hear anything other than the soft background noises of the forest. Yugi looked down at the former pharaoh as he opened his eyes and shook his head, mouth opening to speak when the sounds came again. This time there was a distinct growl, followed by the creaking of wood.

Yugi stood up, Yami scrambling to his feet beside him. Cautiously, the two spread out, searching for the source of the sounds while staying within reaching distance of each other. Yugi came to an abrupt stop as he heard the sounds again, swaying in place as it seemed like it was coming from behind him. He turned his head to look over his shoulder, eyes widening as he saw a branch stretching out towards Yami. The end of the branch gave a little flick, reminding Yugi of a snake. He heard the growl again, stiffening before throwing himself at Yami, knocking the two of them to the ground before the branch could touch the former pharaoh.

They both grunted as they hit the ground, Yugi rolling onto his back to stare in shock at the questing branch, not liking the hiss that came out of the forest around them as the branch withdrew. He scrambled off of Yami, taking a few steps back, jumping as more growls echoed through the area. Yugi caught sight of another branch inching toward them out of the corner of his eye, spinning around so he was back to back with Yami.

The branch twisted, sinuously moving closer to Yugi. The teenager swallowed harshly before stepping to the side, eyes widening as the branch followed his movements. He saw a shudder run down the branch, his only warning before it shot forward, Yugi rolling to the side as Yami dropped to his knees. Yugi sat up as the branch withdrew, the growls growing louder.

Frantically, he looked around, mouth dropping open as he saw the branches on all the trees that surrounded them twitching and coming to life, growls coming from the trees themselves as they reached out for their prey. He felt Yami nearly pick him up to get him to stand up, shoving him forward. "Run, aibou!"

They took off again, ducking the snapping branches that reached out for them. Yugi jumped to the side as a branch came whipping out at eyelevel, falling into Yami's arms. Yami pushed him forward again, both of them barely missing the tree that tried to lasso their necks. Yugi gasped for breath as he was forced to contort himself at a run, feeling his muscles protest from the unnatural positions he was forced to use to escape.

He felt Yami rest a hand on his shoulder, the shoulder being jerked forcibly back as Yami shoved him out of the way of another branch, the former pharaoh tumbling to the ground with the move. Yugi pushed himself to his feet, ducking under another snaking branch to get to Yami, worried that the former pharaoh was still lying on the ground. "Mou hitori no boku!"

Yami turned toward Yugi, gasping for breath as he pulled himself to his feet, shaking with the effort. Yugi wrapped an arm around Yami's waist, helping him along. He noticed that the former pharaoh winced away from any touch to his side or stomach. Yugi shifted so he was supporting most of Yami's weight before trying to hurry them from the glen, eyes widening as the trees closest to them began to move. He looked over his shoulder, seeing the trees still as they passed them. So there was no escape from this.

He jumped as he felt the wind of something's passage go by his cheek, seeing the tip of a branch before it disappeared out of his line of vision, hearing a strangled noise from Yami the next moment. Yugi was pushed out of the way, rolling as he hit the ground. The teenager quickly sat up, eyes widening as he saw that the branch had wrapped around Yami's neck, attempting to choke the former pharaoh.

Yami scrambled at the branch, trying to get it off of him as it tightened around his neck. A root shot from the ground, tangling itself around Yami's leg and pulling him down. Yugi shot forward, his motion cut short as something yanked at his own leg. He turned to see a root wrapped around his ankle, tugging at him slightly as he tried to get away. Yugi gave his foot a yank, trying to break free and failing. He gritted his teeth and moved as far forward as he could go with the root still holding him, reaching out for Yami.

Yugi nearly screamed in frustration when he realized that he wasn't close enough to reach the former pharaoh, still trying to stretch his arm to reach Yami. "Mou hitori no boku!"

Yami opened one eye, moving one arm to reach for Yugi, their fingers just brushing against each other. Yugi attempted to lunge forward, nearly losing all of his gained ground as the root that held his ankle yanked him back. The teenager clawed at the ground, getting back within his meager reaching distance, touching Yami's fingertips again. "Aibou."

A root appeared from the ground, wrapping itself around Yami's wrist before forcing his arm back to his side, a gash left in the earth from the path it had traveled. The branch around Yami's neck tightened, making him choke and gasp for air, eyes opening wide before they slid shut.

Yugi gave a hoarse shout as Yami lost consciousness, glaring at the branch that slowly uncoiled itself from around his neck. Yugi flipped over onto his back, clawing at the root that was around his ankle, giving an annoyed shout when it wouldn't release him. He had to get to Yami, something could be wrong with the former pharaoh. The teenager flipped back onto his stomach before reaching out for Yami, feeling the insistent tug of the root around his ankle. He felt like screaming as Yami remained out of reach.

"Calm yourself, little light." Yugi looked up at the soft voice, staring at the woman who had entered the glen. She pushed back a braid of dark hair off her shoulder, the sun revealing her tanned skin. Some sixth sense told Yugi to remain silent, something about the woman seeming off, like that first man and Fuwa now that he thought about it. He tensed as he watched her walk closer, his natural inclination to trust people having been shoved away by this nagging worry. Some of his apprehension must have showing in his eyes because she squatted down. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

She looked over at Yami, turning her head to get a better look at him. "You've got a very handsome darker side, little light. A shame that you would give such an evil creature such a beautiful face." She gave a hum, moving so she was leaning over Yami. "But it says a lot about you."

The woman looked back at him, tipping her head to the side. "Why don't believe that you are handsome?"

Her question had Yugi sputtering for a moment, completely thrown by its innocent nature before he shook his head. "Who are you?"

"I am no one important. Just someone trying to save the light." She was absently running her fingers through Yami's hair as she spoke, the motion making Yugi bristle in anger. No one was allowed to touch Yami without his permission. Yugi tried to move again, immediately yanked back again, clawing at the ground to keep from sliding too far back. He looked up as the woman gave a soft laugh. "Don't struggle so; I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"Get away from him!"

She stood up and took a step back, hands going into the air in a sign of surrender. "Alright. See, I'm not touching him."

Yugi gave a curt nod as she stepped closer to him, violet eyes carefully watching her every move. He tried to shy away when she sat down next to him, gasping as a root wrapped around his middle, prevent any more movement. Yugi tried to escape, opening his mouth to demand to be set free and jumping when another root burst from the ground to act as a gag.

"There now," Yugi tried to pull away as she began to stroke his head, "that's better. I won't hurt you like the others did. I just want to make you happy."

Yugi felt his eyes beginning to droop, heart pounding in fear as he tried to stay awake. His eyes slid back to Yami, reaching out with his mind for his darkness, the resurgence of the emptiness in his mind waking him up. 'Mou hitori no boku!'

'He can't hear you.' Yugi stiffened at the voice suddenly in his head, the feeling of emptiness becoming stronger. The voice wasn't Yami, it wasn't his other half. It was a foreign invader. It was wrong. He thrashed as he tired to expel the voice, screaming against the root that acted as a gag.

'Get out of my head!'

'Such interesting things here. You have created a whole life for that creature, interesting. Is that your way of dealing with him? But then, why are you so afraid of him leaving? You should be celebrating.'

'Mou…' Yugi winced as the emptiness grew; now becoming an ache in his head. He whimpered through the gag, trembling as his world narrowed to the pain of being left alone.

'It's alright, little light. I'm here.'

'No.' The voice was wrong; it was too soft, too high. Where was the familiar baritone?

'Yes. It's just me. It has only been me.' Yugi shook his head, opening his eyes to stare at Yami. He flinched as a burning sensation ran across his mind. 'Not him. He is unimportant.'

'No.' Yugi struck back weakly, devastated when the woman's voice remained where it was. 'No. He's my other half. I need him.'

The woman scoffed. 'No you don't. He has fooled you into thinking that. You can stand on your own.'

'I know I can stand on my own, but I want him with me!'

'You do not need him!' Yugi screamed at the burning sensation that ran through his body, his vision whiting out until the burning had stopped, leaving him panting for breath as the woman rubbed his back soothingly. 'I'm sorry, little light. I shouldn't have lost my temper, but you have to understand, this isn't healthy for you.'

Yugi barely had the energy to flinch as the burn trickled across his nerves, not fighting it anymore. It hurt too much to fight, his body bruised from the hold of the roots as the ache from the silence in his head, wanting the soothing touch of the shadows again.

'That's it. Just relax.' Yugi whimpered as the burn increased with every word. He knew what she was trying to do, forcing his mind to succumb to her suggestions. But he should have been able to resist. Yami had worked with him on this, partially out of fear of Marik and the slim chance that Yami wouldn't have been able to help him fight against the powers of mind control that Marik had. He should have been able to fight, but there was something else. 'You don't need him. Come away with me.'

The burn appeared again, triggering a thought. The man that they had first run into had said that they could work magic in this world; which was probably allowing her to invade his mind. Yugi gave another muffled scream as the magic burned him; tears running down his cheeks as the weakly tried to fight her off, earning a soft rebuke.

'Relax.' Yugi hated himself for following her orders, drifting away. He gave a weak cough, looking back over at Yami.

'I'm sorry, mou hitori no boku…'

'That's right. Just listen to my voice. I'm the only one you should worry about.'

'I wasn't strong enough.' Yugi closed his eyes, ready to give up so the burn would go away, so the voice would leave him alone.

'That's right. Come with me so the darkness is broken…'

Yugi's eyes snapped open, not hearing the rest of her sentence. She wanted to harm Yami, just like the rest of them. And he wouldn't let that happen! Yugi bit down on the root to keep from screaming as he called upon the magic he had received from this place, surprised when it responded so quickly.

"What?"

'You will not harm him!' Yugi saw the look of surprise on the woman's face before his magic exploded outward. He shut his eyes against the bright glow, feeling the roots that held him down burning with the intensity and dropping off. The teenager winced and stood up, stumbling as he tried to remain standing.

The glow faded, leaving him in the perfect silence of the glen. The woman had been thrown back against a tree, looking panicked as she stared at Yugi. He gave her a cursory glance before walking over to Yami, pleased to find that the magic had burned the branches and roots from him. Yugi leaned over to brush his fingers against Yami's cheek, gasping at the cold touch of the shadows before kneeling down to throw one of Yami's arms across his shoulders before wrapping his own arm around Yami's waist.

Sure that he had a good hold on the former pharaoh, Yugi turned to glare at the woman, beginning to back out of the glen. "As long as I stand. You will not hurt him."

The woman shook her head, looking like she was about to stand up but then deciding to remain against the tree. "Your light cannot exist with the dark."

Yugi began to walk forward, pausing once to throw a retort over his shoulder before continuing the drag Yami out of the glen. "I exist because of the dark."


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