Sry for the long wait!!!! I hope u can forgive me!!! I've made a referance to IllusionWolf's Hyroi Kelidi, It belongs to them.

Warning: There is some mild swearing in the chapter.

Enjoy.


The next few days were seemingly normal. The Kaiba brothers would come in and run more tests on the merman, and Seto would wind up with more bruises. Mokuba and Yugi, however, were the only humans that didn't get attacked. Seto wondered about this but thought that it was because the merman didn't see them as a threat.

Yugi wore the puzzle when no one else was around, and after the first day it felt strange to not wear it. He had tried to give it back to Seto but the other human had only gotten zapped and Yugi would be scolded by the merman. In addition to this, the mind link hadn't come back yet but the emotionally link was becoming extremely strong.

On the second day, Yugi had decided to help the merman. He knew that Yami hated the experiments so he used all his acquired knowledge to sabotage the equipment. He stayed away from the computers but everything else was free dibs.

Yugi was still to afraid to go directly to the glass of the tank, his fears of open water still in effect, but he wasn't afraid to go up to the merman when he was out of the tank. He often stood nearby when the experiments were running.

He would get hungry every now and then, but not as much as before Mokuba started bringing an extra lunch. He was extremely grateful to the younger boy for that. Seto was always lurking in the background and that had always made Yugi uneasy.

But other than that, Yugi was actually [optional! starting to enjoy life. He had a friend and he knew people that didn't want to beat him up on first glance.

Unfortunately, good things never last for very long

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" one of the guards yelled. Yugi's hands froze and his eyes went wide in recognition. The guard that had yelled stormed over to where he was crouching and without much delay or warning, kicked Yugi in the stomach. Hard.

The food Yugi had gathered went flying across the room, landing in a haphazard pattern on the cold floor. He collided painfully with the floor, a sickening thud echoing loudly and the air rushing out of his lungs.

"Where's your payment, runt?!" The guard, Ushio, yelled as two of his lackeys laughed at Yugi's pain.

Ushio lunged at Yugi, grabbing a handful of the small human's hair and mercilessly pulling him up from the ground.

'Ouch!…' Yugi bit back a yell; he knew that if he showed any pain then Ushio would continue to beat him even longer. But it was extremely difficult and strangled whimpers were forced from his throat; his head really hurt!! It felt like a million needles were simultaneously embedding themselves into his scalp! Instinctively, his hands clawed at the meaty fist, trying to dislodge himself from Ushio's grasp.

"Well?!" Ushio demanded, shaking Yugi while he did so. "Where's my money?!"

Yugi whimpered; why did Ushio do this? The burly man knew that Yugi didn't have any money whatsoever, so why did he still demand it?

"I-I d-d-don't have a-any." Yugi stuttered, his voice coming out as a whisper.

Ushio jerked his hand, pulling deliberately on the spiky hair, and an insane smirk covered his face. He put his face only a few inches from Yugi's, close enough for the smaller to smell the tobacco and alcohol in his breath. Yugi would've gagged at the horrible stench, but he was in too much pain to even breathe.

"I keep you safe from the other guards and this is how you repay me?!" Ushio thundered, his voice increasing in volume with every word. Ushio pulled back his right arm, for he was using his left to hold Yugi in the air, and punched him in the gut, letting Yugi fall to the ground.

Yugi lay there, curled in the fetal position gasping for oxygen. His eyes dulled with pain while his vision was plagued with black spots, his mind began to retreat into its battered shell in an attempt to lessen the pain. He distantly heard Ushio and his lackeys laughing in the background, a coarse awful sound that grated on his ears.

"You're such a wimp." One of the lackeys said with obvious mockery. "Already down when we haven't even started."

Ushio threw another kick at the small human, watching in sadistic pleasure as the boy gasped and whimpered in pain.

"I think the runt needs a lesson about true pain." Ushio sneered and signaled to his lackeys. The two other thugs cracked their knuckles in anticipation as they advanced on the vulnerable boy.

Within seconds they were kicking and punching Yugi, shouting insults the entire time. Yugi tried his best to stay conscious and the small fragile shell that had grown around his soul began to crack once again.

Minutes that seemed like hours passed and the mini-gang ceased beating on the defenseless teen. The two lackeys took their places behind Ushio with satisfied smirks on their faces.

Yugi was in extreme pain. It hurt to move, and it even hurt to breathe!! His body was sporting millions of new bruises and his mouth was bleeding profusely. Pain clouded his mind and the room tilted precariously in a number of directions.

One word was going through his mind right now, much like a broken record.

'Why?'

Why was he alone? Why was he in pain all the time? Why did these people beat him up? Why did nobody want him? Why did it hurt so much?

Why was he still alive?

It was surprising that he hadn't committed suicide long ago. He still hadn't died form malnutrition or abuse. No matter how many times he had thought about it, something always made him want to live.

A sharp glint in his field of vision brought him back to his surroundings. He turned his head, trying to ignore the horrible pain the action brought, and looked in the direction it had come from.

And froze.

Ushio was grinning sadistically again and he was slowly advancing towards Yugi. But that wasn't what had caught Yugi's attention; no, it was something more deadly and promised Yugi more pain.

In Ushio's hand was a pocketknife; the blade was stainless and Yugi had a feeling that it wasn't going to stay that way.

'Oh no, oh no, no no no no.'

"Let's continue, shall we?"

His screams echoed throughout the entire room.

/Wake up, little one. Wake up./

Yugi's pain clouded eyes slowly opened. Colors and shapes blended together and a ferocious pounding filled his head. Painfully, he dragged his mind into semi-consciousness.

Hissing in agony, he sat up on the blood stained floor. His half-clotted broke and he began to bleed again.

He slowly made his way to his alcove, the only safe haven he knew of. He nearly cried out when he fell halfway there. Extreme pain shot through his entire body when he made contact with the unforgiving floor.

He was lucky, he supposed. He had passed out after the fifth or sixth cut. He shuddered, unthinkingly causing more pain to his sensitive nerves. This was one of the worst beatings that he had gotten since Ushio had found him. Yugi tried to avoid him as much as possible but there were still times when Ushio decided to seek him out like tonight.

The Kaibas had left early today, and Yugi had been heading back to his alcove to put the Puzzle back on. He had been planning on trying to talk to Yami again or just relax at least, until Ushio had shown up. The thug had seen the Puzzle in Yugi's hand and had attempted to take it, but was met with an electrical shock. He had then gotten angry, grabbed it by the rope and threw it into the tank, watching with satisfaction as it sank to the bottom.

Yugi made it to his alcove, short of breath and full of pain. He pulled himself up to the small sink and attempted to turn the water on. Yugi knew that he needed to get his wounds cleaned before they got infected.

The cold water made his already throbbing wounds sting ferociously. He sobbed through clenched teeth, trying not to make a sound and barely succeeding.

Crystal clear water soon turned into and ugly shade of red; the sickening color twirled down in a small imitation of a whirlpool.

Multiple times, Yugi had to stop and regain his breath, cringing when he noticed that he had a few broken ribs. His head was throbbing and his slow pulse pounded in his ears, getting slower and slower every minute. Dimly, Yugi realized that if he didn't do anything to make the bleeding stop soon, he would die of blood loss.

His mind was growing foggier and his movements began to slow. The room tilted in every possible direction and then some. The extensive pain his entire body was experiencing almost made him want to die.

Something in his mind stirred at that thought. A long suppressed memory was beginning to resurface in his mind. A weird sort of determination filled his soul, leaving him to wonder what was happening. His eyes slowly closed of their own accord, his body and spirit only wanting to sleep.

/No!/

Like a dam was suddenly broken, bits and pieces of a lost memory flooded into his mind. It came all jumbled and out of order, like the memory of a child; yet he was able to catch small parts of it.

Dark water…no air…so cold…let me sleep…greedy current…lightening…greedy current…

Golden light…more air…no more pressure…warm…so tired…heavy chest…

A flash of red and purple…a game starting…hope…alive…challenge…tri-colored hair…red scales…purple fin…

Crimson eyes.

A warm feeling surrounded him as the broken memory finished playing. He finally remembered how he had survived that day. A small smile showed through the pain. At least now he new that him surviving wasn't a mistake, that someone had gone out of their way to save him.

Dimly, he sensed something curl around his mind. It was coaxing, gentle, and very familiar.

'Yami.' Yugi gave in to the merman's mental pull, allowing him to do what he pleased as Yugi completely relaxed into the mental hold.

He could trust Yami.

Yami was furious. He couldn't believe what those savages had just done to Yugi. The small human could barely even move right now! He so wanted to teach those brutes a lesson they would never forget, but there were more important thing to do right now. Like making sure that Yugi didn't die.

He quickly swam to the wall closest to Yugi, picking up the Puzzle as he did so. He had been ecstatic when the Puzzle landed in the water, but he wished it had been under different circumstances. The Puzzle was agitated and worried, apparently it had taken a liking to the small human. Which meant that it would help him save Yugi.

He encircled Yugi's mind with his own, carefully pulling at Yugi's attention. He needed the human to know what he was doing so that he wouldn't rebel and hurt himself. Yami gave a great sigh in relief when Yugi willingly gave in to Yami's call.

He called upon his ocean's magic, laying a healing spell on the water Yugi was using. It glowed a pale blue as it took effect and he made sure that Yugi kept in contact with the water; it was the only way for his magic to work.

Yami knew that he would have to have some kind of physical contact for the deeper healing to work, but for that he would need Yugi to be inside the tank with him. He doubted that Yugi's fears would allow him to do that, but maybe he could find a loophole.

But for now, he would focus on lessening the pain Yugi was in. Doing so wasn't really as hard as it could be; he just had to separate Yugi from his nerve endings. The hard part was reconnecting the mind with the body.

Yugi's half-lidded eyes became glossy with fatigue and they acquired a faraway look. Once Yami was sure that the pain was at a manageable level, he laid a webbed hand against the glass and used the control he had over Yugi's body to draw the boy's attention to himself.

The human's head lifted at the unspoken influence and his glassy amethyst eyes locked onto Yami's own crimson orbs. He gently bade Yugi to put one hand on the glass, right on his own. Yugi did so without any hesitation and the hold Yami had on Yugi's mind locked into place.

That done, he slowly drifted to the right, thankful when the Puzzle helped to establish a stronger 'rope' that would function without close contact. He carefully drew the human out of the alcove, trying to not lose eye contact. The small body shook under the strain but still remained upright. Yami would have to hurry if he didn't want Yugi's body to fall out on him.

With multiple pauses and nerve wrecking concentration, Yami finally got Yugi to the top of the tank; he was extremely thankful that he had seen the strange metal staircase and overhanging platform earlier. He coaxed the human to the middle of the catwalk, also thankful that it was only a few feet from the surface of the water.

Yami sighed in relief, now he just had to get Yugi in the water. He surfaced; waiting a few precious seconds for his breathing to adjust and readied himself to catch the human. He sent the command into Yugi's nervous system, noting that Yugi's mind had gone silent. Yami watched as the human's body swayed and tilted forward…

Then suddenly leaned backwards and became still.

'What?' Why did Yugi's mind just reject his command? The human had been fine getting up here, his mind hovering in and out of consciousness. Yami sent another command, this time with a bit more force and his temper stirred when he was refused again.

'Why resist me now?' He pondered on this, trying to understand so that he could find a way around it. He was jolted back to the current situation when he felt a violent lurch come over the link.

Yami immediately scolded himself for wasting time; Yugi's body was fading fast and the teen's consciousness wasn't doing any better. He needed to start healing Yugi now or there will be some permanent damage.

He searched Yugi's emotions, delving into the human's subconscious carefully. Yugi's automatic defenses tried to push Yami out but in his weakened state he didn't make any progress.

'Fear? What does he fear? It couldn't be me, he trusts me now. What is it-'

Yami's eyes grew wide as he realized what Yugi was so afraid of. He hadn't thought it was possible but the evidence was right in front of him.

Yugi was afraid of water.

Though this seemed impossible to Yami he couldn't help but feel sorry for the little one. This was why Yugi had shied away from the tank that first day; it was filled with water. 'Perhaps…' Yami began. 'Perhaps I can help him with his fear. But first I need to heal his wounds.'

He stared up at Yugi, who had sat down and small tears were leaking from the glazed amethyst orbs. Yami sank beneath the surface for a moment, readying his muscles for the act he was about to do.

If Yugi wasn't going to come to him then he was going to go to Yugi.

With a strong flick of his tail he propelled his body out of the water. Yami quickly reached his arms for the catwalk and pushed himself all the way up. He landed with a subtle thud, his arms and hip taking most of the impact.

Yami coughed for a moment, expelling water and getting used to air, but his lungs switched easily. His crimson eyes locked onto the human next to him; the teen's breathing was becoming erratic and the small form was trembling. Yami could feel the emotions swirling beneath the surface; his search must have brought Yugi's fear to the front of his mind.

He gently laid a hand on the teen's pale face, feeling how the once smooth skin was now torn and bruised. Yugi unconsciously made to move away yet the pain he was in prevented any movement. Tears began to form once again as his current pain and his fears mixed together.

Yami noted that Yugi was spiraling downward, mentally and physically. He carefully turned Yugi's head to face him, seeking eye contact with the fragile human. He was slightly frustrated when Yugi continued to look at the water beneath him. Yami needed to distract Yugi from his fears, at least until he was healed; he bent his body so that he came in-between Yugi's line of sight and the water. Dull amethyst eyes flickered momentarily when Yami did this and Yugi eyes slowly trailed upwards before locking on Yami's face.

Crimson locked with amethyst.

Yami sent as much reassurance and protection as he could through the link, trying to let Yugi know that everything was all right. He could see the internal battle in those purple depths; the reason for his fear was probably playing over and over again in his mind.

Yami soon realized that unless Yugi's fears were dealt with he wouldn't be able to fully use his healing magic on him, seeing as how it was water magic it would hold that certain feel to them and Yugi would probably reject them.

Now knowing what to do, he carefully maneuvered Yugi until he was sitting in his lap, cringing at ever whimper the human emitted. Yami positioned Yugi so that he was almost facing him, and with an encouraging pulse from the Puzzle he put it around both of their necks.

He leaned close, laying his forehead against Yugi's and pushed gently on Yugi's mind. Yugi began to resist him, feeling the ocean through his magic.

/Yugi./ Yami called. /Let me in, little one. Let me help./ He could feel the Puzzle lending its aid, strengthening his call to the human. /You're safe, little one, let me in./

He could tell that Yugi wanted to accept his call but his fears held him back. Yami pushed again in an attempt to reach Yugi's soul; the soul would recognize him even if the mind wouldn't. He felt the defenses give for a second and he reached forward, this could be his only chance.

Suddenly he was through, tumbling right into the reason for Yugi's greatest fear.

The wind whipped through the air, catching the sail and forcing the boat to tip precariously to the side. The occupants of the boat desperately reached for anything that would keep them from falling into the ocean's murky depths. The waves became fierce and they crashed into and over the small boat, sweeping away anything that wasn't tied down.

"Yugi!!!" His parents yelled, trying to find out where their son was. Lightning flashed and the resulting thunder drowned out any noise except for the angry waves and fierce winds. Rain began to beat mercilessly out of the sky, making it even harder for the humans to see.

Yugi was trying so hard to stay on the boat; his small body and lack of strength were both factors against him as the rain beat down. He barely heard his parents calling his name and he tried to see through the curtain of rain. Lightning illuminated the sky once again and Yugi saw that his parents were at the other side of the boat.

Scared and frightened of the knife-like waves that were constantly crashing into the side of the boat, he tried to make it to where his parents were. Somehow, he knew that if he could get to his parents he would be all right

A rather large wave began to rise and approach the defenseless sailboat. Lightning crackled across the sky, illuminating the angry sea and the deadly wave that was fast approaching, which went completely unnoticed by the people on the boat.

The wave crashed headlong into the boat sweeping over the deck and almost submerging it. Yugi was swept across the deck, his hands grabbing desperately at anything to stop his decent to the ocean. Right as he was about to be swept off the side of the deck, his right hand collided with the rail. He quickly grasped onto the only thing that would keep him from being swallowed by the hungry waves.

He coughed as the seawater tried to force its way into his mouth and nose. The water from the last wave had barley receded before another one crashed onto the deck. Yugi tried to keep his hold on the railing as the waves and wind tossed this small boat back and forth, trying furiously to prevent the ocean from swallowing him up and taking him away from his parents.

"YUGI!!!!!" His head shot up as his mother once again screamed his name. She was on the other side of the boat, one hand holding onto a rail while the other was holding onto an orange life jacket. She and Yugi's father were trying to make their way towards Yugi when everything tumbled down.

Lightning snaked through the sky, finally deciding on a target. In what appeared to be slow motion, it lanced toward the broken sail, its bright light temporarily blinding Yugi and making him see spots. His vision cleared and he saw the look of pure terror on his parents' faces. The lightening struck the top of the sail and time resumed.

Crack! BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

The force of the thunder and the electrical charge that ran throughout the boat forced Yugi's hand from its semi-secure hold on the rail, sending him crashing into the waves. The dark foamy water closed over his head and, even with the life jacket, the current dragged him down.

He panicked, trying desperately to reach the surface. Air, he needed air. His eyes were wide open but all he saw was the dark foamy water and flashes of light that appeared above him. His lungs burned as he desperately swam in the direction he thought the surface was.

At the last second he broke through the surface, gasping for air and trying to stay afloat among the angry waves. His small body was tiring extremely fast and he was relying heavily on his orange life jacket as he was tossed around.

BOOoooommmm!…

The thunder split the air particles apart as the sound traveled through the waves and his small body. His mind was a panicking mess as another wave towered above him.

He got one last look at the demolished, burning boat and that look of horror on his parents' faces, before the towering wave crashed down on him, sending him into cold, wet, darkness.

Yami gasped for breath, his heart racing as if he had just out swam a mako. (fastest shark) He had felt that memory just like it was his own. Yami now knew why Yugi was just so terrified of the water; it had taken his parents and dragged him into their inky depths. Wait a minute, where was Yugi?

His crimson eyes opened to darkness, his surroundings unnaturally silent except for the smothered sobs. Yami searched for any sign of where he was and tried to spot Yugi. The human was no longer sitting in his arms but he suspected that he wasn't in the waking world anymore.

He flicked his fins, seeing as how this darkness allowed him to move like he was in water. Yami glided towards the crying sounds, noting that they sounded familiar. He wandered in this nothingness for who knows how long and the crying never increased or decreased in volume; he had long since realized that the noise belonged to Yugi.

"Yugi!" He called out, subconsciously knowing that he would be understood. "Yugi where are you?!" He continued to wander in the dark void in hopes that the little one would answer him.

"Little one, it's Yami. Please tell me where you are!" The sobs continued to come, but they seemed to be getting louder. "I want to help you."

'…Yami?'

A dim light was spotted in his peripheral vision, small and pale but still there. He spun around to face it and immediately swam towards it. He knew that it would lead him to Yugi and his Puzzle was urging him on.

"Yugi," he called gently. "Let me find you, I want to help."

The small light was getting closer and Yami could just barely make out a human form in the middle of it. Determination filled Yami as he speed forward and he almost leaped for joy when he recognized the spiky hair of the younger.

His eyes narrowed in concern when he got close enough, Yugi's appearance was closely mirrored to his physical one outside. Cuts and bruises littered the see-through form and the boy's clothes were dripping wet. Yugi was trembling violently, either from the cold or fear Yami could not tell, and the amethyst eyes were closed tightly. Faintly, Yami could hear whispers floating around, none of them belonging to Yugi. They all sounded hateful and venomous.

"Yugi?" Yami called softly, frowning when Yugi didn't react. He swam closer, carefully reaching a hand into the faint light that surrounded Yugi.

Yami's first thought was just how cold Yugi's skin was; it felt like he had been submerged in the Antarctic ocean for way too long. Something else that was bothering him was that the whispers were getting louder.

Electricity suddenly sparked between his hand and Yugi's face, and the whispers sharply came into focus. Spiteful, mean, hateful comments swirled around them and the pain-filled screams of three people were twirled together in a vicious tornado that was tearing Yugi's soul apart.

Freak-Stupid orphan-Nobody wants you-Not enough room-Another one-No room-Reassigned to another foster home-runt-worthless-unwanted-brat-Stupid orphan-Freak.

The voices clawed at him, attempting to draw him in with the hateful words and pained screams. He fought against them and pulled Yugi closer to his body, knowing that the teen was most affected by the jeering taunts. The Puzzle flashed once in warning before attacking the unseen voices directly. The sounds screeched as they were silenced and only Yugi's quiet cries filled the silence.

Yami looked to the spiritual form of Yugi, once again noting the numerous scars and the tattered clothing. He could see his own hand through the back of Yugi's transparent form. The small boy was shaking in his grasp and crystalline tears fell on his bare arms as they escaped from tightly closed eyes.

"Yugi?" He called gently, sighing when the human took no visible notice of him. He pulled Yugi into his lap and tucked the transpired head under his chin, his arms wrapped securely around the fragile waist as he continued to whisper.

"Yugi, little one, why don't you answer me? You can trust me. I will not harm you. Please speak to me." He continued with the quiet encouragements, patiently waiting for some sign that it wasn't too late. His patience was rewarded when he felt the trembling stop.

'…Yami?…' A small question floated over the link sounding weak and tired. Yami took no time in replying, his voice reassuring and calming.

"Yes, little one. I am here, I won't leave you."

'You…wont leave?…' The quiet mental voice sounded hopeful.

"I won't leave you, Yugi. I promise."

'But…they left me…and…they promised.' In a more resigned tone. 'Why would anyone want to stay with a worthless orphan like me…'

"Yugi," Yami said, he could feel Yugi's soul shrink back into the darkness. "Yugi, listen to me, you're not worthless. You're important, don't let what they've said drag you down." He pulled the human onto his lap, latching his arms around the transparent form.

'But…what if they're…right?'

"They're not." Yami interjected, his voice resounded sure and confident. "There are people who want to be with you."

'…Who…'

"Me." Yami realized. He had grown attached to the small creature that held so tightly to him. He had instinctually fallen into the role of a big brother as he spent more time communicating with the teen. "I will protect you, Yugi. I will never leave you alone again." He sent loads of reassurance through their link, wishing that Yugi would believe him.

'…promise?'

"Yes, Aibou. I promise." Yami could still feel the lingering doubt that radiated from Yugi's form. There had to be some way to convince him, some way to prove what he said to be true. Simple promises weren't going to be enough anymore for the broken child, he needed something stronger.

Then Yami had it. There was a specific protection spell that only the royalty could do, and Yami was the only one to successfully complete the spell. It was so strong that it could manifest into a semi-corporeal being, though it could also remain hidden if desired. The spell was a symbol of protection and trust, only given to one person.

"Yugi." He spoke, gaining the human's attention. "I know a way to prove what I say is true. Do you trust me?" He needed to make sure that Yugi trusted him. Otherwise the spell wouldn't be as powerful.

Yami felt the smallest of nods against his chest, the first physical answer he got from the human. He smiled as he ran a webbed hand through Yugi's hair and said,

"Then relax, little one. Let me quell your fears."

Carefully, Yami began to weave his magic together. Blue colored tendrils drifted around them, mixing with other hues of gold, red, and black. He held Yugi close to him as the teen tried to shy away, obviously sensing the ocean's magic through him, and submerged him in reassuring feelings.

"It's alright, Yugi. These magic is a part of me, they will not harm you." He wove some of the Puzzle's magic around the human, knowing that Yugi wouldn't be as afraid of it. True enough, Yugi's soul relaxed once again and Yami began the second stage of his spell.

The magic that was assembled twirled in a brilliant light display, ethereal snakes ghosting over the human's transparent body. Yugi, who had opened his eyes a few seconds earlier, was gaping openly at the majestic colors. Yami couldn't help but smirk in amusement at the child-like fascination.

He began to chant, his deep voice echoing in the darkness. A golden snake appeared before them, taking the image of a cobra. Each individual scale seemed to have its own prism, catching different shades of gold, red, and black.

The cobra swayed closer to Yugi's face, inspecting the person it was to be given to. An almost intelligent gleam shown in the beady ruby eyes as it starred directly into amethyst eyes. The cobra skated as close to Yugi's skin without actually touching and a black tongue lightly flickered against his forehead, eliciting an unbidden shiver from the human.

Its hood flared open slightly, revealing an eye-like pattern on the inside, and it gave an appreciative nod of it head. The golden creature leaned forward, wrapping its coils twice around Yugi's neck before slithering around his upper left arm. Yami's eyes lowered as he focused on his spell.

Yugi found his limbs to be unresponsive as the cobra wound loosely around his arm and neck, its thick coils almost touching each other. He couldn't keep his eyes away from the potentially deadly snake that settled its head in the hollow of his neck. A cool tongue flickered against the side of his neck and warm scales touched his skin.

In a sudden, bright flash of light, the golden cobra froze, its body becoming like that of a metal. The extra tendrils of magic spun around them in a fiery tempest and Yugi felt a sudden spike in his mind. Amethyst closed in a faint while crimson eyes looked on in accomplishment. One of the most difficult spells in existence had just been completed flawlessly and it had been given to a human of all things. Man, if the people back home heard about this…

Yami looked fondly at the small teen in his arms, inspecting the life-sized cobra that curled protectively around Yugi's neck. He marveled at how the tiny scales caught in the light and reflected a golden spectrum into the surrounding darkness. On the outside of the hood the scale pattern imitated that of the Millennium Puzzle, an upside down triangle with the Eye of Horus in the center.

The transparent form slowly began to solidify and Yami pulled them both into the physical world. He kept a reassuring grip on Yugi's soul, absently realizing that it was a lot easier than before. He awoke in his own body, skin slightly dry from being exposed to air for so long, with a sleeping Yugi in his arms. A webbed hand brushed the dripping bangs away from the sleeping human's face affectionately and the golden cobra gleamed innocently in the dim lighting

With a relieved sigh Yami leaned forward, allowing gravity to pull his body back towards the tank beneath him. Air swept past his skin as he fell through the air, and his body tensed as he broke into the water's surface and sank to the sand covered floor.

With the still-asleep Yugi in his arms.


Well, there u have it. I hope it was entertaining. I want to thank my beat for this wonderfull chapter.

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