Wow, it's been quite a while since I updated this story.

Wynter: I'd say. Over a year.

I'm sorry! I lost motivation to finish it!

Wynter: Don't apologize to me. Apologize to them. *points to readers*

I am very sorry for not updating this story (and my other stories) sooner. Please forgive me?

Wynter: Serena and I do NOT own Yugioh or anything else. The only things that we own are the characters Serena and Wynter as well as the plot.

Enjoy!

Sanity

Rescue

The lobby was crowded when Bakura and Atem exited the elevator. They looked around and walked into the mass of people. All around them, people talked, laughed, some even sang. Atem couldn't understand it. He didn't know how people could be so happy knowing that all around them human beings just like themselves were being murdered just for being themselves. His confusion and anger did not help, though. It only served to make the shadows even angrier, and he kept wincing every few footsteps. Bakura laid a hand on his shoulder, and crimson eyes that were weary and steadily gaining an insane look to them, focused on his. He sighed and patted Atem's shoulder lightly, giving the other a reassuring look. Atem only winced in reply and turned away. A little kid ran into Atem and the shadows gave a horrifying lurch forward. Atem clenched his fists and closed his eyes in an effort to push them back. Bakura glared at the kid and told him to scram. The kid squeaked and ran away from them as quickly as his small legs could go. Turning back to Atem, he eyed the other, until the shorter Yami gave a jerky nod. The two continued on to the front of the hotel.

Standing next to the door, in a pair of khaki shorts and a t-shirt stood Dirk. He gave them a tight smile and ushered them out before him. Speaking softly so no one would hear him, he said, "We'll get changed on the way. I didn't want to appear to be too suspicious to the civilians."

"That's fine," Atem said as he walked shakily to the van where the rest of team waited. Dirk noticed and gave them a worried look. Bakura just shook his head and mouthed, "You'll find out soon."

Dirk nodded and the three got into the van. It wasn't a normal van. Inside was almost every technological device one could think of. Several members of Dirk's team sat at computers, pulling a plan together for when they infiltrated the warehouse. Bakura whistled softly and his hands itched to even look at one of the devices. Dirk noticed the look and nodded in amusement. Bakura made a beeline for the nearest member with a computer. He hovered behind the man, watching and asking occasional questions. Dirk was amused, and he shook his head before turning back to Atem. He frowned and said, "Okay, what's going on?"

"Well, it's like Bakura said," he started to say, "Yugi's been…"

"Kidnapped, I know," Dirk interrupted, "That's not what I'm talking about. Why do you keep wincing like you're in pain?"

Atem sighed and winced again. He ran a hand across his face as he replied, "You know how Yugi and I aren't exactly normal?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, we both control different powers," Atem said, "Yugi controls the power of light, and I control the shadows. We balance each other, basically. With Yugi gone, the shadows are slowly starting to take control. I don't know how much longer I can hold them back."

Dirk whistled, "Damn… and I thought my life was bad."

Bakura gave a bark like laugh as he turned around and said, "Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet."

"What do you mean?" one of Dirk's team members asked.

"Knowing these two," he replied as he jerked his thumb at Atem, "Things are about to get much worse."

An hour and a half later, outside the warehouse

"Alright," Dirk whispered, "It's almost time. Plane! How is the security?"

"Both guards are standing beside the front door," a woman with long brown hair tied into a pony tail and oval glasses said. She was laying flat on her stomach high on a tree branch. In her hands was a sniper gun, the scope fixed on to the two guards standing in front of the warehouse.

"Wait until Pegasus and Vivian leave the warehouse," Dirk said over a small hand held radio from inside the van. They were parked a few warehouses down. He looked over one of the computer monitors that showed infrared scans of the inside of the warehouse Yugi was located in. He gave a quick glance at Atem, who was wincing every now and then, as he continued, "When they leave, dismantle the two guards."

"Yes sir," Plane said as she trained her gun onto the left hand guard.

The group waited and a few moments later, the door to the warehouse opened and out stepped Pegasus and Vivian. They closed the door behind them as they chatted quietly together, heading towards a 1937 black Rolls Royce Phantom. Pegasus held the door open for Vivian and she climbed into the passenger side, setting her purse on the seat as he closed the door. He climbed into the driver's side and the two took off down the road. All movement in the van stopped as the car drove by them. Atem almost fainted as he tried desperately to prevent the shadows from making the car explode. Once the Rolls Royce disappeared from view, Plane focused the sight on the guards and fired twice. Two tiny darts filled with just enough poison to make them go unconscious. The first dart struck the left guard and he fell with a soft thump. Before the second guard even had a chance to turn, the second dart struck him in the neck and he slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Dirk, Atem, and Bakura all hurried out of the van and over to the warehouse. Dirk slowly opened the door and peered inside. He spotted Yugi tied to a chair; his head slumped over like he was sleeping. Layla was sitting over at a desk next to one of the walls, scribbling away at something furiously. A look over of the rest of the warehouse revealed nothing threatening, so he opened the door, the creak giving away his presence. Layla looked up and gave a sigh of relief as she tossed her pen down onto the desk and hurried over to them. Bakura elbowed his way past Dirk and glared down at her, "Where's shorty?"

"He's over there," she said as she pointed to Yugi.

Atem pushed his way past Bakura and Dirk as he entered the warehouse. He looked towards where Layla was pointing and almost collapsed. The shadows relaxed at the feel of their light so close to them and the strain put on Atem by them lifted considerably. He was able to wearily walk over to Yugi and grab his shoulders in a gentle grip and shake him, "Yugi, akhu, wake up."

A small groan was heard as Yugi slowly woke up, revealing dulled amethyst eyes, a result of the chloroform. He lifted his head and blinked his eyes a few times as he gazed into the worried and tired face of Atem, "Where am I?"

"You're in a warehouse in Niagara Falls, koi," Atem said as he started to untie the ropes holding Yugi to the chair.

"How did I get here?" Yugi murmured as he shook his head, a large headache making itself known as he did.

"Pegasus and Vivian kidnapped you last night," Atem replied as he undid the last of the ropes holding from around Yugi. They fell to the floor and he pulled his hikari into his arms. A sigh escaped his lips as he buried his face in Yugi's hair. He tightened his arms around Yugi, "Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?"

"I'm fine," Yugi murmured into Atem's neck. He shuddered slightly as he took a deep breath, "Just scared. I had no idea what was going to happen."

"It's going to be okay, little one," Atem whispered. The two of them stood up and it was then that Atem finally got a good look at Yugi. There were cuts and bruises all over his body, some of which were still bleeding. His body shook in anger as he tightened his grip on Yugi's arms slightly.

Bakura walked over to them and wrapped a long jacket around Yugi. He didn't think the others needed to see the marks all over Yugi's body. It pissed him off. How could someone do such a thing and not feel an ounce of remorse for it? If he saw those two again, he was going to make sure they regretted hurting Yugi. The boy, after all, was like a brother to him, and Bakura protected his family. That was, of course, if there was anything left after Atem got through with them.

The group was just about to leave when the front door to the warehouse slammed open to reveal Vivian and Pegasus. Both groups stopped and just stared at each other. A large scraping sound broke them out of their stupor and everyone jumped at the same time. Vivian reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small pistol. She aimed it as the group fled in different directions. Firing off a round, the bullet hurtled towards Atem, who had his back to her. A cry rang out as Yugi pushed Atem out of the way, the bullet entering his chest and lodging in his right lung. The shot and yell stopped everyone in their tracks, including Pegasus who was looking at Vivian in shock. Atem dropped to his knees and pulled Yugi into his arms, panic and fear evident in his eyes as he all but screamed, "Yugi!"

"A-Atem…" Yugi murmured weakly. He coughed and blood dripped out of the corners of his mouth.

"Shhh…" Atem said as he pressed a hand over the wound in Yugi's chest, putting pressure on it in an attempt to stop the bleeding, "Don't talk. You're going to be fine, love."

Yugi struggled to take in a breath as his lugs filled up with blood. His eyes glazed over as he stared up into watery crimson eyes. He took a deep breath and whispered out haltingly, "Atem… I… love you…"

His eyes closed as he took one last breath, his body falling limp in Atem's arms. Atem's eyes filled as he gently tried to shake Yugi's shoulder, hoping the smaller Hikari had merely passed out, "Yugi? Yugi? Yugi!"

He clutched Yugi's body to his chest as he wept brokenly as he repeated Yugi's name over and over again. Bakura clenched his fists as he closed his eyes and fought against his own tears. He had no idea the pain Atem was going through, but he knew he could sympathize. If anyone killed Ryou, he'd go insane and hunt down everyone he could. Turning his gaze towards Vivian and Pegasus, he hissed out violently, "You!"

Vivian shrank back against the glare and looked helplessly at Pegasus, who backed away from her slowly. Bakura took a step forward when a large vibration shook the warehouse. Everyone that was standing lost their footing and fell to the ground. Looking around in panic, Bakura's gaze fell on Atem, who was still clutching Yugi's body. The shadows swirled around him, anger present in the way they danced black, red, and gold. They flickered like hungry flames attacking very dry wood, encasing Atem's body in nothing but shadows. He slowly laid Yugi's body down onto the floor, the shadows creating a cage like embrace around the smaller Hikari. Standing up, the shadows moved away from his body, revealing him to be floating a few inches off of the floor. His hair was waving in a non-existent wind and his eyes were pure black. Bakura doubted that the being in front of him was Atem anymore. It looked as if the shadows had taken over every part of Atem's body, his rage and sorrow fueling them on. Indeed, when Atem opened his mouth to speak, it sounded as if a thousand voices spoke at once, "You killed him… You killed our light!"

Vivian and Pegasus both cowered on the floor, their eyes wide in fear. Every instinct in them told them to run, but their bodies refused to obey. The shadows took a step forward and Bakura fought with himself to not move. He didn't want to attract the shadows attention, not as out of control as they were right now. Once the shadows, using Atem's body, glided past him, he took the risk and bolted to Yugi's side. The cage of shadows refused to let him close to Yugi's body, but he didn't need to reach the smaller Hikari to see the soft glow around Yugi. He was so distracted by what was happening to Yugi that he jumped when he heard a scream pierce the air. Whipping his head around, he watched as the shadows lifted Vivian in the air, dark tendrils wrapped tightly around her throat. They pulled her close to Atem's face, looking deep within her soul before snarling and engulfing her entire figure. Her screams were like music to the shadows' ears and a twisted grin crossed Atem's face. Bakura grimaced when the shadows proceeded to peel her skin off slowly and painfully. He heard several bones crack as they broke under the pressure of the shadows' grip. Her screams cut away to a painful gargle and the shadows sneered in disgust. They slipped into her body through her mouth, eyes and ears, swarming through what was left of her before exploding outward in a shower of blood and tissue. Bakura staggered backwards as blood hit him in the face. Using the edge of his sleeves, he frantically wiped the blood away and almost missed the low groan coming from his left. Glancing over that way, his jaw dropped when he saw Yugi's eyes flicker open. Dropping down to his knees, he knelt next to the shadow cage as he said frantically, "Yugi?"

"Bakura…?" Yugi asked weakly as he fought to keep his eyes open.

"Come on, Yugi," Bakura said as he tried to reach out to Yugi, the shadows hissing and pulsing when he got too close, "Wake up. Atem needs you right now."

At the mention of Atem's name, Yugi's eyes flew open and he struggled to sit up, but the cage wouldn't let him get very far. His eyes scanned the warehouse until the fell on Atem's form a little ways away, now devouring what was left of Pegasus.

"It's not him, Yugi," Bakura said as he turned to watch the shadows tear apart Pegasus' body, "He lost control. There's nothing left of Atem but the shadows now."

Slowly, Yugi raised a hand to the shadow cage and closed his eyes. A few seconds later, the shadows around him melted away and slid back to merge with the ones controlling Atem. Yugi slowly stood up and walked towards Atem, making sure to keep the jacket Bakura wrapped around him over his body. Atem turned around, the shadows swirling a multitude of colors as they assessed the threat in front of them. Yugi halted a few feet away from them, the shadows darting out to engulf his body. He ignored the freezing cold feeling as they lifted his body up to bring him close to Atem's face. With as much strength as he could, his magic pulsed a slow yellow color around his body as he tried to convey his love and affection to them, willing them to recognize who he was. The shadows paused in the assessment of him for a few moments, unsure of where the feelings were coming from. Slowly reaching out, Yugi cupped Atem's face, the shadows swirling uncertainly in his eyes as Yugi leaned closer and pressed his lips against his Yami's. Closing his eyes, he tried to convey all of his love, light, and happiness to the shadows through the kiss. Bakura watched as the shadows swirled around the pair, flashing various shades of violet and crimson as Yugi continued to kiss Atem. It seemed like hours to Yugi, but it was only a few seconds before he felt his feet connect back with the floor. Warm, strong arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him closer as he felt Atem respond to the kiss. He moaned when he felt Atem's tongue slip past his lips and caress his slowly, lovingly.

The shadows melted away, going back to their original forms as if nothing had even happened. The only trace of Vivian and Pegasus existing was what Bakura had wiped off of his face. Their bodies and souls having been destroyed in the fit of pure rage that the shadows had fallen into when Yugi had died. The kiss lasted several more minutes before Yugi pulled back, gasping for air, staring up into bewildered crimson eyes. Atem ran a shaky hand through Yugi's hair as he stared down in shock at the smaller look-a-like. A tender smile curled over Yugi's lips as Atem whispered, "How…?"

"The light. It healed my wounds and brought me back to life. I remember hearing several voices telling me that I had to go back," Yugi explained as he leaned into Atem's touches, his eyes falling shut in contentment, "They said I had to go back because the shadows were out of control and would destroy the entire world if I didn't. They said I was the only one who could stop them."

"I… I don't remember what happened," Atem murmured as he continued to touch Yugi. The arm that was still wrapped around Yugi's waist tightened as he thought about what happened, "I remember holding your body in my arms, my heart breaking. I remember the shadows taking over and floating in pure darkness, not caring what happened. You were gone so there was nothing left for me to live for. The next thing I know, you're in my arms and we're kissing."

"The shadows took control and destroyed Pegasus and Vivian," Bakura said as he walked up to them. He was still slightly wary of the two of them, considering everything he had seen within the past few days, "They're dead."

Atem and Yugi looked around, just then realizing where they were. Dirk and his team stood at the back of the warehouse, staring at the two of them in shock and fear. Atem winced and turned back to Bakura as he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Bakura said as he shrugged a shoulder, "The worst that happened to me was the shadows throwing Vivian's blood at me. I swear, my hair's going to be tinted red for the rest of my life."

Yugi and Atem just stared at him for a moment before bursting out laughing. Bakura frowned at the two of them before throwing his hands up in the air in defeat and muttering, "Fine! Fine! Just make fun of the psychotic albino why don't you! Can you at least laugh at me after we leave this place? I want to get home to my Ryou."

Wiping tears out of their eyes, the two look-a-likes fought down their laughter. Yugi nodded his head and smiled at Bakura, "Sure. Let's go home."

Yay! Everythings okay now!

Wynter: You killed Yugi.

It was necessary! Besides, he came back to life.

Wynter: Humph.

Don't forget to review! See you in the next chapter (which is really extremely short and mostly just an epilogue.)

Jaa!