Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh

XX: Melancholy

"Yugi?"

He refused to raise his head, keeping his face buried beneath his wing and his paws over his muzzle. He made a soft noise of acknowledgment as his mother repeated his name and his father asked if he was all right. He huffed when they both nudged him gently.

"Yugi?" his mom whispered, somewhere between concerned and fearful. "Yugi, what's wrong?"

He let out a low sobbing noise. "He's gone."

His dad sounded bewildered. "Who's gone?" Yugi heard him shuffle his paws as he took the spot beside him. He ignored him, huffing and trying not to sob again. His throat was tight and his belly had knotted itself into a rock inside of him. "Who's gone, Yugi?"

"Atem!" he wailed. "Atem is gone!"

Both of his parents were quiet for a moment as they processed. Yugi whimpered and tightened his body into a ball, smothering another sob. His entire body ached.

"Atem…" His dad sounded perplexed for only a moment, then gentle. "Is that the little Sky Dragon you wanted to meet?"

His mother made a noise of disapproval but Yugi ignored it. He peeked at his father from beneath his paw and studied his face. He didn't look upset, smiling at him gently and waiting for an answer.

"Yeah. He… He flew away."

His father faltered and looked at his mother, asking, "Wait, isn't he…tiny? Why would he have left his nest already?"

"His brothers are mean," Yugi growled, thumping his tail before he could stop himself. His father's head snapped down, eyes widening in surprise. "They're jealous and…and stupid!"

Atem deserved better than them.

He huffed and turned away, flustered. "They're just…dung beetles!"

His mother snorted. "What a curse," she laughed. She nudged him gently as she plopped down beside him. "Oh, little Yugi, what makes you think he left?"

Yugi shifted his weight and sighed. "His mom and dad were calling for him. And I…I can feel it." He looked over uncertainly; she'd been disappointed in him for spying on the Sky Dragons. She'd been livid at him for hours, lecturing and snapping at him when he'd insisted he hadn't ventured further than the den mouth. He'd just wanted to see Atem again and he'd heard him and his mother had caught him and dragged him to the back of the den and held him hostage there. He sighed again, looking down at his paws. "I woke up and knew something was wrong. It's like…"

He struggled for a moment. "It's almost like the entire mountain is too…cold a-and sad or something." He fought a wail and stared at his stubby claws. He wished he was older, stronger, faster. He could have helped him had he been. He could have stopped them. He could have shielded Atem and… and… "I'm just really sad and tired. I want… I want him back."

His mom and dad were silent again for a long moment.

"I'm sure he's safe."

Yugi shook his head hard. "One of them attacked him! They put a huge hole in his side. He was so tired and hurt when I saw him yesterday and… and… What if he's not okay?"

There was another pause, this one much longer. And then his dad pressed his beak into his shoulder.

"He's a God Dragon." He sounded certain and warm. "He's going to be fine no matter what, Yugi."

"But he…"

"He's going to be fine, Yugi. He's smart and resourceful; all deities are."

"He was so sad…" Yugi trembled. Atem had looked as if he wanted to curl up under a rock and never come out again. He'd looked miserable, almost like Yugi himself felt.

"But he'll be happy again. Sorrow just leads to happiness. You have to be sad sometimes to understand what if means to be happy," his dad said gently. "It's just a part of growing up."

Yugi looked over at him, shaking his head. "I don't like it."

"No one does."

Yugi shook his head. "Atem doesn't deserve to be sad."

His parents swapped looks. His dad smiled and looked at him. "He has to be sad right now, Yugi, because when he's older and you get to officially meet him, he's going to be so, so happy."

Yugi looked up. "You think so?"

"Absolutely! He's going to be so happy to meet you, especially when you become his best friend."

Yugi faltered and shook his head. "I'm not going to be his best friend." He sniffed and looked at his paws. "I'm going to be his mate."

His dad froze for a moment and his mother echoed the word as if it were foreign. They looked at him as if he were a creature they didn't know how to address, frowning minutely. Yugi bristled faintly and scowled.

"Atem is mine," he huffed. "He's my mate. I know it! He's… I'm going to make him so happy when I get older!"

His mother frowned faintly. "Yugi…"

"I am! He's going to be the happiest Sky Dragon ever! I'm going to make sure of it."

"Don't make any promises now. The world is big and things change. You might think you love him now—"

"I know I do!" he snapped.

"Yugi, you're barely a year old."

"I don't care! I love him. He's going to be my mate and I'm going to make him happy and…and protect him!" Yugi growled, thumping his tail before he sighed and put his head on his paws. And he would…when the pain went away and it didn't feel as if his chest had been hollowed out. He would show him all the love he deserved, from the moment they met again. Atem deserved that. He deserved to be loved and someone devoted to him and… and… happiness.

Yugi was going to make him so happy.

He pulled his paws to his chest and whimpered softly. One day, he'd find him and they'd be happy forever after. He just… He just had to wait until then. And then he would be able to love him forever and make sure he was always happy and never left wanting.

Yugi shivered. "My hearts hurt."