Shadows That Bleed

by YamiYugiPuzzleshipper

Pure-Bloods are said to be myths, not even well-known within stories. "A specialized genetic coding of the moon and the dire," their spoken lore proclaims. They are creatures beyond the power of mortality, gifted by the gods themselves. Known as the Eternal Ones, their existence once extinguished, resurrection foretells a powerful omen.

55. Exchange

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh

Update schedule: Every other day

Chapter Warnings: Night Terrors, Attempted Killing, Hallucination, Character Death

Okay, so, I'm going to try to keep this from impacting anything like my update schedules right now. But I'm pretty upset about something that happened in my life just recently. I'm not going to bore anyone with details or anything like that.

But if I miss an update, it's either because I'm dealing with that or because I got tired after work (cause the gods know I'm taking on a lot more hours than I usually would because of everything going on) and decided that I needed sleep haha

Anyways, so! This chapter is a surprise~!

Chapter LV: Exchange

Work Log Entry L: June, 2005 (Part II)

June 20

As soon as it has begun, it seems to have passed. "Atem" seems to have grown stable once more. But his memory and some of his behavioral patterns appear to be shot.

He seems to belatedly realize what the feeding schedule is and what is expected of him during his time alone. Sometimes he looks completely and utterly confused.

But other times he has a clear quality to his eyes and keen knowledge of everything around him.

June 22

"Atem's" dig from this grave he has been hiding in is slow and rather weak in comparison to the downward spiral he took to get there. But he is making progress and I cannot question it.

The wolf that looks like me is vicious by nature, not by breeding or experimentation.

I am almost too afraid to approach it.

June 24

A guard has asked about the wolf's similar appearance to me.

The boss believes that it is a way of camouflaging themselves. He says that sometimes, when puberty comes to a werewolf, it allows them to alter their appearance significantly.

He says that some wolves do not look like their parents in any way, shape or form.

He claims that the wolves do this in order to make it easier to hide away in plain sight if a hunter should come after them.

They do not often take on unique physical characteristics but rather random genetic alterations in order to blend in better.

None of their DNA is especially theirs, he claims.

He claims that that is why "Atem" looks nothing alike his own parents.

He says that the Pure-Blood will be the ultimate creature to task itself with camouflage upon reaching maturity.

He is certain that "Atem" shall come to look more unique and yet somehow duller than all of the wolves we have been experimenting on so far.

He says that all it will take is for his body to go through its last stage of metamorphosis and "Atem" will come to have a permanent pigmentation to his hair and skin and eyes.

He says the reason he knows this is because his brother looked nothing like himself or his parents by the time he hit puberty and "Atem" looks nothing like he did as a child either.

I suppose this must make it an exchange of sorts.

The werewolves sacrifice their individuality in order to blend in with the humans alongside them. It grants them safety but makes them one of the sheep.

June 26

I do not know whether it is possible that "Atem" will change so drastically.

For now, however, his skin is pale white. His eyes are pitch black and without a hint of color. His nails are bleached like paper. And the hair on his head is so white that it can put snow to shame.

The she-wolf was only about as tall as his knee. She was so young and tiny that he could not even think straight upon seeing her. It was odd to even consider that a wolf could be so small when he was so used to seeing them so much bigger, full grown or within their yearling stage. She must have changed prematurely, for she was several sizes too small for any use.

Yugi stared at her listlessly, unable to do more than simply gape. She was running, a small brown wolf beside her, shorter by only an inch. And the two of them were dashing as quickly as their small legs would allow them. But they did not make it far.

The brown wolf was blindsided by a kick to the shoulder. And the she-wolf spun on his attacker. Her teeth sank into their leg and the human kicked violently. The brown wolf had taken off without a second look.

But the crying the black female let out made him turn back. Wide blue eyes stared at him. Yugi watched for a moment as the small wolf quivered pathetically. His tail was between his legs and his eyes were wide with horror.

Yugi blinked.

The brown wolf backed up. The female screamed and struggled. Someone had snatched her up by the scruff. And another was holding a syringe. Yugi felt dizzy looking at it.

For a moment the she-wolf clawed at the air. She twisted and kicked much as the large blue-grayed-eyed male had before her. But she was too small and her paws were so far off the ground. She could gain no traction. And her thrashing seemed simply to annoy the man holding her.

The syringe was plunged into her throat. She thrashed weakly, for the first time allowing Yugi to fully see a chest smeared with gray against black. The brown wolf lunged forward. The light in its eyes was murderous and angry. But it did not make it anywhere near her. A gunshot was fired.

The brown wolf was hit so violently by it that he flew back. Those yards his body was tossed were drizzled with blood. And when he landed, he did not move again.

Yugi groaned under his breath, shivering. The fighting was fading from his vision again. And his body felt ragged as he began to recover consciousness once more. He had not expected to see more of the escape. He had not even thought for the smallest of moments that it might come to him in dreams as well.

And yet, as he tried to sit up, he noticed the stickiness.

Yugi snapped his jaws, scrambling. His legs shook and he bit at the air. The liquid drenched his limbs, tugging at him. The river was swelling. Blood was rising. The earth seemed to scream with it. And then he was tossed and tugged.

No! he snapped desperately, chomping his teeth. Stop it! Morrigan! Ra! Slifer! Obelisk!

And yet the liquid did not leave him. He flailed. The saltiness drenched his tongue. He snarled. The blood swelled and tugged on him. Yugi paddled his paws. His head spun. His eyes felt weak and strained. He sputtered and snarled again.

And then there seemed abruptly to be silence.

Yugi felt a sharp and hideous pull on his back.

He twisted, snarling and snapping.

But all he could see was darkness.

It bunched upon him, becoming all but endless in his eyes.

Yugi kicked and squirmed. He writhed and wiggled. He wondered if this was how that she-wolf had felt, if it had been similar for the gray-eyed wolf even as he'd been killed as well. He thrashed again, snarling and snapping. The blood soaked every pore in his body, pushing through him and into his marrow.

Atem.

Enough! he pleaded, clawing in vain at the liquid, as if it might somehow propel him upward. Enough! Please!

A god among mortals sent to plead among the dead, a voice laughed, delighted with his struggles. Yugi snarled again, frantic as he kicked and strained. He panted and snapped again. But everything was blackened rather than red and he did not think he tasted salt anymore. What a contradiction you truly are, little Atem.

He snarled furiously. Who are you? he demanded. I don't know your voice.

You are not meant to yet. But in time you and I will cross paths and meet, Atem. The voice was chuckling for a moment. Although, seeing as you so often find the gods meddling with your affairs, perhaps it will be sooner rather than later.

Yugi panted and kicked again. The darkness was far too warm, almost blistering with heat. Gods? he commented quietly. Are you Skoll or Hati?

There was only silence to meet the question. And Yugi found himself falling faster than before. He dropped and splashed into what appeared to be crystalline water beneath the most brilliant stream of moonlight. He blinked, flipping beneath the surface of it, the ripples soft and beautiful overhead of him. And then he breached the surface again, swimming to the shore.

He gasped and sputtered when he reached the sand. But his aching sides were more aflame with pain than physical ache. And so he drew in a deep breath and padded forward into the snowy terrain of Paradise.

Ra? he called quietly. But he swore the trees seemed silent around him. And the darkness was heavier than he'd ever noticed in this serene place. So he fell silent after a moment, unnerved by these discoveries. He flicked an ear and flattened them against his skull as his fur lifted into an uneasy bristle. The wolves were gone. Why were the wolves gone?

He forgot the voice he'd listened to prior. He forgot the fact that he'd called for four gods to come to his rescue. He even forgot the fact that he'd been hallucinating prior to returning home hours earlier. Now he simply padded forward with his muscles tightly knit and his body aching with tension.

His head lowered and the fur along his scruff rose into a hideous bristle. He breathed out a rasp, all but panting. Then he moved faster, feeling much more the prey than he ever had the predator. He shivered, all but shaking, and felt his stomach knotting as he hurried forward.

He thought of coyotes as they slunk about with their tails between their legs and their teeth on display. A nervous coyote was not a happy one, nor was it pretty.

A nervous wolf was a threat that went unsurpassed should they be cornered.

Yet Yugi felt entirely too small and nervous.

And he was dizzy as he continued through the trees. The beams of light from the moon and stars overhead were weak and small where they broke through the trees. He shivered and shook again. Snow came in a blistering torrent, untouched even by the cloudlessness overhead.

Yugi looked about himself.

Then he looked forward again.

And, slowly, feeling sick, he wondered at the thought of turning back and fleeing. But none of this happened. Instead he continued forward.

The trees thinned out as if by some unnatural, shifting wind. The flurries picked up speed, then fell away again and came back in a small tornado of movement. But he flicked his ears and kept his eyes forward as he continued. His belly ached and his throat felt tight.

His lungs were constricted.

His paw touched something hard and slick. He pulled it back, stunned. And then he looked about himself rapidly. The shadows seemed to stretch and loom, blackening away any exit he could have taken. He had not realized formerly just how much the earth had flattened.

He had never noticed the reality of this.

Yugi flattened his ears and looked at the ground. There was a soft bubble of water beneath it all, splitting and popping almost noiselessly. He shivered and pressed a paw down again. The snow seemed to vanish beneath his touch.

And the ice seemed to crack and splinter.

He swallowed hard.

And then he screamed as it burst.

He was immediately jerked up and away. The violence of the movement made his eyes nearly pop out of his head. He thrashed, kicking and flailing. And then he blinked, an "oof" noise startling him. Quickly his eyes scanned his surroundings.

And then they lowered.

"Oh gods, I'm sorry."

Jonouchi kept rubbing at his eye, where the skin had been stripped raw from a single violent slashing motion on the smaller boy's behalf. "Jesus, Yug. Who needs fists when you can just claw someone?" he muttered.

"Yeah, you'd be surprised how many times I haven't asked myself that," he quipped dryly. Then he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed softly. "You okay?"

Jonouchi rubbed at the mark again. "Am I bleeding?"

"No." Yugi huffed. "I didn't even hit you that hard, you big baby."

"You definitely could have knocked the air out of me if I hadn't been prepared."

"Yeah. You were so prepared to move out the way that you still got hit." He rolled his eyes. "But you're okay though?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." The blond grinned at him cheekily. "It takes more than that to harm good old Jonouchi Katsuya!"

Yugi was quiet for a long time. Then he tilted his head and looked at him curiously. Jonouchi had always hated his first name. He'd never responded to it when Yugi had used it, aside from once or twice hitting him upside the head and telling him to knock it off. Every time Yugi had said it, the blond had argued and snapped at him relentlessly. And now he wondered if it was because his dad called him by his first name. Or if it was because Shizuka had preferred to call him by it at one point or another.

He shivered, quickly turning away again. "That's always a good thing. You can use that thick head of yours to do something more than cause arguments. It'll take the blunt of the blows."

"You're such an ass."

Yugi grinned at him in return. "And yet you sleep and eat here rent free. And I saved your life, didn't I?" he teased. "So what does that make you, the rectum or the sphincter?"

Jonouchi opened and closed his mouth once. Then he pursed his lips. "That's…actually a really good question now that I think about it."

The smaller teen smirked. "See? This is why I'm the brains." He turned away again and looked about the sky blue walls of his room. "So, did I scream or anything?"

The blond startled out of his thoughts. His head snapped up and he considered him curiously for a long minute. "No, you didn't scream. But you were thrashing. And I thought you were about to shift or something."

"Shift?" Yugi repeated in puzzlement. Then he turned his head, blinking, and shook his head. "No, I wasn't about to change."

He nodded slightly. "That's good to know then."

The smaller teen hummed in acknowledgment, turning away again. "You hungry?" he asked quietly. He thought briefly of the way Jonouchi had shown up at school with bruises throughout junior high. It had never occurred to him then that it was his dad, just that it could have been a rival gang of whatever kind that had caused them.

Back then he had never once thought that a parent would lay their hands on their kids. He had grown up with such safety from violence that the very idea had shocked him.

He wondered if it was worse knowing the one to harm you, realizing your genetic relation to them. He wondered if it was more harmful to know and understand that someone meant to love and care for you wanted only to harm you instead.

Because now Yugi wondered at that wolf's words. He'd said that he loved him enough to provide the distraction to run. He'd said that the man on the staircase did not care for him. And he wondered if perhaps the man there had done the great many things that he could not remember.

But he did not know if that man was related to him. The faceless, masked figure had seemed to think simply telling him to stay would be enough. And perhaps it might have been at one time. Yugi remembered the way he'd thought for a moment of simply turning tail into his cage again.

"Hell yeah, I'm starving! What's for breakfast?"

Yugi raised a brow. "I was about to ask you that."

"Ooh! I really want one of those boar sandwiches right about now!" Jonouchi rubbed his stomach and the small teen blinked at the growl it let out. "Or just a sandwich."

"So then go make one." The small teen ran his fingers through his hair. The blond gaped at him and Yugi raised a brow. "What? You know how to make a sandwich."

"But I'm the guest!" he wheedled.

"And? I'm your alpha. Now go do what I tell you."

The statement was met with a snicker. The smaller teen grinned easily and turned away again. He stretched and ran his hands through his hair again.

"I'm going to take a shower first. You hog all the hot water," he griped, yawning and moving to stand up. Jonouchi gave him an annoyed sideways glance, a pout forming. "What? Be glad I don't take you outside and hose you off like a dog."

The blond burst out laughing. "You're an ass."

"Yeah." He flashed him a wide smirk. "I'm pretty sure that's why we're such good friends."

Jonouchi wandered off a few minutes later and Yugi turned on the water as hot as it would go before adding cold water. The faucet did well to mostly drown out the noise in his head but the whispers would not cease.

His name was in every other breath, declaring him Atem, Code Name Atem, or the angel of death. He could not think straight beyond this noise. But the warm steam coming from the tub beneath his face did well to help calm his nerves. He closed his eyes for a moment but flashes of his dream came in distorted flickers.

He cringed. The screaming of his own voice was loud and panicked. Bakura was snarling. The female pup screamed. The male was shot through. The gray wolf with blue-gray eyes was eviscerated…

Yugi closed his eyes tightly and tried not to puke. They'd held him up on his hind legs. They'd…

He shook his head. The heat was blistering. Billows of white steam cut into his skin. He struggled for a moment to breathe properly. Then he shook his head again.

The sound of blood on concrete was the heaviest thing he could recall. It echoed in his ears and dimmed his thoughts and efforts to calm himself. The panic bit at his insides as vibrantly as it had within the woods as the hallucination had taken over. And the dreams made his skin crawl as he thought of them once more.

Yugi pressed his mouth into a thin line, stripping himself and looking at the steam. He turned the shower head on and ignored the way the air seemed to harden as if with lava. He shook his head stepped inside, pulling the curtain behind him.

When he got back out, Jonouchi was sitting at the table chewing on a granola bar and messing with a plate of eggs. Yugi raised a brow and sighed, shaking his head as he muttered, "You would never make it a day on your own."

"I so would! I'm just rusty cause I don't have to do everything for myself anymore."

The smaller teen snorted. "You burned eggs. Do you realize how hard it is to burn eggs? All you have to do is move the stupid things with a spatula."

The blond scoffed. "Yeah, but I like to have good eggs."

"And that requires burning them then?"

"Yes. It absolutely does." Then he grinned and quirked a brow, considering him. "It makes them taste better. Not that your eggs are bad or anything. They're almost perfect."

"Yeah, that's cause they're not burned."

"The bottom needs to be crispy. If it's not, the eggs are boring."

Yugi smirked and shook his head, moving towards the fridge for a moment. His stomach was tossing with anxiety and he hardly felt the need to do more than look inside and swallow thickly to be able to ignore his dwindling appetite.

"Burned food is what leads to early cancer."

"You just pulled that out of your ass."

The smaller teen snickered. "Yeah, I might have." He closed the fridge door again, turning to him with a brief twitch of his lip in the beginning of a snarl. "The lycanthropy would destroy it altogether anyways. Especially since you were already infected before then."

"You think it cures everything?"

"I think it kills everything else. I don't know that it cures it." He shrugged. "I mean, I don't think if you're infected prior to getting a certain illness or disease that it will do much of anything. I think you'd no longer have it in a matter of days if that's what you're asking. But I don't know that it will reverse the effects of a disease you already had."

Jonouchi swallowed a large bite of granola and looked at him with a tilt of his head. "That's probably true." When he bit into the granola again, Yugi had the abrupt memory of a bone splintering beneath his jaws. The sound made his head spin and his stomach knot painfully. "I wonder what it could do to cancer and stuff like that."

Yugi shook his head, trying his hardest not to think more of the sound and what he immediately thought of upon hearing it. If he considered it longer than absolutely necessary, he had no idea what he might do. As it was, the exhaustion of his lack of sleep and reacting to his nightmares was enough to wind him entirely.

And thinking of blood or broken bones only made him feel worse than he already did. The smaller teen moved to take a seat across from him, thinking for a moment to grab one of the granola bars from where they rested on the table in front of them. He almost grimaced, the thought making him want to vomit.

So he sat back in his chair instead and grimaced slightly as he drummed his fingers on the table. He'd wait until school started before he did anything else. Maybe by then he would feel healthy enough to be hungry and actually want food.

---

If Jonouchi was concerned about his lack of appetite, he did not say anything. And he did not make a point of saying that Yugi had skipped the meal when they met up with the others. So he had to assume that Jonouchi was not too terribly worried about it. Or that he was not willing to try to tell them when he know Yugi could hear him doing so. When he did not know he was a wolf, he might have done so, but now he was quiet and seemed mildly unnerved as he waited.

So the small teen pretended that he had not noticed and ignored anything and everything to do with it. His stomach had grown more aggravated than he'd assume it would. And now he felt like he was burning. But the walls seemed to be growing closer and his fingers were shaking slightly. The air had grown heavier, enough to make his stomach knot more furiously.

"Yugi?" Honda murmured, a slight touch of alarm in his tone. He looked him over. "Are you okay? You're not looking so well right now…"

Yugi tried to nod but the muscles in his neck ached too violently to allow him to do so. So he scrunched his eyes up, muttering, "Headache" in a low voice. But the small teen felt somewhat dizzy and his stomach was still knotting. It felt as if fire were rearing through his veins, violent and hissing beneath his skin.

But he wondered how convincing he sounded and he doubted they believed him for even a moment. Exhaustion tugged at the edges of his acknowledgment, dizzying him further. His head seemed to pound, his heart leaping to his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter. His lungs were too tightly constricted.

A tremor rattled through him.

His body was too tightly knotted. His stomach was burning. His blood was hot beneath his skin. His bones felt molten and iced over. He nearly collapsed, head spinning and lungs squeezed too tight. His legs were wobbly, but not quite trembling.

Yugi shook his head slightly again, opening his mouth just enough to breathe in. His teeth were cold at the inhale, as slight as it was.

"Yugi? Holy shit," Honda cursed. Anzu was gaping, unable to stop herself. She could not think of any words to say, too stunned to speak. And, as she simply shook her head and stared in horror, Jonouchi sputtered. Yugi could not understand their shock, nor the waves of terror which burst upon his skin like fire and embers cutting into his nerves. "Oh shit… Oh holy shit… What do we…?"

"His entire mouth is…"

Yugi reached up, shaking hands clasping upon his scalp. His fingers caught and knotted themselves within his long hair. He hissed and clenched his jaw now. His body was shaking now. And he could not truly comprehend the way they all stared at him. He gasped and sputtered.

His nails punctured his skin.

Blood caught upon the keratin.

Under his nails the liquid pooled dark red.

He hissed.

He snarled.

He shook.

Then he clenched his jaw further.

Hatred swirled within his body.

Despair clutched at his heart.

Pain tugged upon his insides.

Desperation swept through him.

He sputtered.

He gasped.

His eyes snapped open. His body trembled. He snarled and breathed harder. His vision was stilted and pained. The edges of his sight were burned with black like ashes. He shivered and blinked. His eyes burned for a moment. He was dizzier than ever. His heart was in his throat.

He kept his fingers pressed into his scalp. His hair tugged. His mouth opened and closed. Blood had begun to pool in his jaws. He did not know the pain of a wound however. And his friends were gaping at him. He nearly swayed and fell from his standing position.

Abruptly he remembered Yami.

He remembered the thrashing.

He remembered the blood.

He remembered the snarling.

He remembered the panic.

He remembered the way he'd opened his mouth.

He remembered the white of his gums.

He remembered the sight of his teeth falling.

He remembered the way his eyes had rolled up.

And he remembered why he had seen these things.

He had been changing.

He had been—

Yugi had grabbed him. He'd tackled him. He'd held him. He'd snapped him out of his terror. He'd calmed him, if only slightly. He'd brought him back to awareness. He'd woken him enough to allow him to regain himself. He'd slept at his side despite his reluctance, had cleaned away his puke when he'd woken him hours later…

I'm changing, he thought frantically. A tooth fell from his gums as if in affirmation. He felt dizzy and frantic. He moved a hand and the spike of enamel fell forward into his palm. The white was almost invisible amongst the red blood. And he nearly crumpled to the ground. He clutched harder at his hair with his other hand, tugging harshly on the strands. Then he caught another tooth.

Why was he…?

What had triggered…?

He grunted. A shift in his back brought a pop of his spine. He was grabbed abruptly. Something caught his arm. He trembled. Then he was jerked forward. The violent action made him nearly fall to his knees. His shaking limbs made his steps awkward. Yugi gasped and sputtered for air.

And only when he raised his eyes from his hand did he realize. Jonouchi had caught his wrist. And he was dragging him forward. He was running as quickly as he could. And Yugi was stumbling awkwardly behind him. He staggered and panted. And then he found himself falling forward.

The blond had tossed his arm.

He'd tossed the smaller boy.

And Yugi hit the ground so hard it winded him.

He curled up on his side.

He blinked stupidly up at the other boy.

"Shit, Yug, you need to stay here for a minute. Try to calm down." The blond was looking at him frantically. His head turned back and forth down the hallway. Yugi could not hear much of anything. And no one seemed to be speaking. The small teen was dizzy and anxious. "I'll check on you during break. Try not to do anything…"

Yugi could feel fire in his guts.

Jonouchi had shut the door when he'd run out of words. He couldn't find the right adjective. So he'd turned the lights off and shut the door behind him. Yugi almost panicked that perhaps it was locked. Then he remembered himself.

The door locked from the inside.

His head was swimming. Yugi found a hand moving forward. He was shaking. His shoulders were trembling. His arms were straining. He gasped and choked. Blood filled his mouth. His gums were burning. His teeth had begun to fall rapidly. And then, as he struggled forward, an eruption of pain came forward from the very pits of his mouth.

Bone snapped.

Flesh separated.

Yugi crawled forward. He reached up. His fingers struggled for the knob. He clutched desperately. Then he slipped. The lock clicked, triggered by his shaking uncoordinated fingers. He fell onto his side. His arm moved to clutch at his belly. Flames threatened to eat through his blood and marrow.

He clenched his eyes shut.

Pictures danced through his mind.

His head was swimming.

His heart was racing in his throat.

His hands were shaking again.

He sputtered for breath. His eyes snapped open again. Dust lay upon the bottom of the door. The metal was faded in the corners. The pain nearest it was tainted grayish. Yugi gasped and folded his fingers. His nails dug into the skin of his flank. He clutched at his shirt. Then he tugged and twisted his wrist.

The room was darker than he'd assumed it could be. Or perhaps it was simply that he was so close to the door. It was dark. It was shadowy. It was gloomy. It was—

Yugi couldn't focus any longer.

Pain rifled through him.

His spine snapped when he writhed.

Muscles twisted and coiled beneath his skin. He panted and nearly screamed. A gargle left his throat. He thrashed on the ground. His sneaker hit the door hard. He covered his other eye with his palm, fingers folded into his skin. The echo was deafening.

Bile burned at the back of his throat.

He saw blood.

It was so bright and red.

It was daunting to look at.

And his head was spinning even more than ever. His eyes squeezed tightly shut. He gasped. Then he coughed violently. The pain in his throat was harsh, acute. He gasped and sputtered. He shook his head. His hand fisted further in his clothes. He clenched his jaw. Canine teeth, scissored and too sharp, cut through his gums.

His tongue was coated in a metallic taste. His head was dancing. He slowly opened his eyes into slits. He looked at the gap of the door again. Then he gasped for air again.

So much blood.

There were bones scattered about in the dust. The light from the window of the door had turned bright ominous orange. The air was cast about with broken branches. Shattered twigs and scattered feathers danced in his sight. He shuddered. Then he snarled. Then he choked.

Yugi felt the earth moving beneath him. The ground shook and thrashed. His body was frozen above it. And then the wind whipped upon his skin, cutting into him. And the metallic scent made him shake harder. He choked. Teeth clicked together hard, chattering with pain.

He felt his eyes rolling nearly up into the back of his head. He sputtered. His fingers clutched harder at his own skin. Blood splashed upon his nerves, so heavy that it burned through him. His eyes snapped open again, staring ahead. He shuddered. The ground shook.

Red appeared before his eyes.

There were specks and various shades.

They bore into his sight.

They cut their way into his senses.

He trembled.

He shook.

And he recognized further.

He knew.

Abruptly.

With certainty.

It was not merely color.

It was a pair of eyes.

And they were burning into him.

He opened his mouth. The name was sputtered. The eyes flashed and glinted. He trembled harder. Then he gasped the name again. And, hideously, blood shot from his mouth. It flecked the floor. It hit the wall.

And then, as those eyes seemed to open more fully, boring down on him, Yugi felt an immense and incredible pressure. It bore upon him and Yugi opened his mouth wide.

He screamed.

---

There was an odd, intoxicating scent which smothered his nose. It burned, making him recoil, yet the edge of such pain invigorated him. He breathed in deeply. His lungs were incredibly hot, tightened to the point of stunning him. He kept his eyes shut, however, his body tightly clenched in a fetal position. He could not tell what he resting on, only that it was cold. But he had the feeling—or perhaps it was knowledge of some kind—that he was not in the same place as he had once been. But where he'd been before did nothing to clarify this.

Yugi could not remember where he'd been.

He didn't know now where he was.

"I saw your eyebrows twitch. You haven't moved since you were brought in here. So you have to be awake, right?" The voice was oddly mild and soft, easy enough that his immediate instinct was not to lash out. But then he recognized her voice and so felt sickened and small.

"How long have I been…?" He was croaking and if he had not originally known what he was trying to say, he would never have understood himself. But the formation of his lips moving to speak the words did well to tell him.

"You were screaming, locked in a computer room on the third floor," she explained softly. Yugi opened his eyes slowly, unsure whether the light might burn them. Then he drew in a deep breath as the young woman shuffled about, looking for something or other. "You were bleeding and so…traumatized…that we had to give you a sedative in order to calm you down. You kept screaming for a while before it kicked in. But we weren't expecting you to pass out like you did."

"A sedative?" he mumbled. He shifted his weight to move and attempt to sit up. The nurse gave him a grim, tight-lipped look. Yugi reached up to run a hand through his hair. It was knotted, but his scalp was no longer as sensitive as it might have been had he still been bleeding. And his tongue, he knew, was pressed against average human teeth, no longer surrounded by sharp formations of shearing enamel. "I thought we didn't have them at schools…"

"We've had them because of the stress brought on from the deaths that have happened so recently. The police have allowed us to do this, although the doses are rather low. We don't want anyone to become addicted through exposure or anything of that nature. We just want a way to help calm those in need…"

Yugi nodded slightly. He wondered what had happened to the teeth he'd had in his hand. He wondered at the ones that he surely must have lost amidst his screaming. The small teen flexed his hands for a long moment, studying his fingers. He swallowed thickly, reaching up to run the digits through his hair.

Had he swallowed them?

During the Change, the vomiting often caused them to be forced out into whatever surroundings they were within. And the high acidity of the stomach fluids probably did well to make the traces of DNA rot away. Or maybe he was just fabricating that part. He didn't know enough about the levels of acidity to say much of anything. He shook his head at the thought. He wasn't sure there was a way to test that either.

But he'd seen Yami swallow those teeth in the midst of his panicked, frenzied change that night. Yami had lost them, had swallowed them when he'd begun thrashing harder. Yugi had never truly seen his neck move or the action come to pass, but he hadn't seen any while they'd cleaned.

It was true that Yami could have found them, possibly hidden them away. But he had not noticed any hesitation or confusion in his method of cleaning as he'd felt necessary.

"Oh." Yugi ran his hands through his hair. He looked at her, wondering at whether his panicked state upon screaming until his neck was raw was what had caused the Change to reverse. He knew that strong emotions caused the Change to begin with. But he wondered if perhaps it was possible to trigger its regression as well.

"So, have you ever had prior problems?" she asked, suddenly uncomfortable as she clicked her pen and readied to write some answers on a sheet of paper. Yugi blinked, then slowly raised his eyes to look at her in bewilderment. "I looked at your recent attendance record and I was rather surprised by the results. You've been skipping rather abundantly as of late."

He blinked. "I haven't been feeling all too well."

"I understand that your classmates recently made some wild accusations about you regarding the murders."

Yugi nearly snarled. "Yes."

"You left school early due to it." She began to scribble on the paper. Her actions were not rushed in the slightest, almost lazy in all reality. "And you've been recently showing symptoms of incredible depression."

He scowled at her. "It doesn't matter." He moved to stand up but his legs felt wobbly. He was dizzy as he shook his head. "I don't need sedatives."

"I think you should go for an evaluation of some kind. It would be wise for you to see what is going on. I've never seen anyone start screaming like that out of pure anxiety."

Yugi didn't speak for a long moment. Then he shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "It's not necessary."

She shook her head. "Yugi…"

He bristled. "No. I'm telling you it's not necessary." He glared at her furiously. "There's no reason whatsoever for me to do it."

"You had locked yourself in a room and were screaming—"

"And? It doesn't matter. I already know how to deal with it." He paused. "I've been handling it even without medication. As you already said, I've been skipping school and leaving early on certain days. Clearly I have it under control even without having to swallow a million pills a day."

"You can't honestly—"

"I'm not talking about anymore with you."

"You realize that if I were to contact your mother—"

"Feel free to if that's what you want to do. She won't have much to say about it."

"And what exactly does that mean?"
"That she won't have much of an opinion about it. You're forgetting that I can deny treatment anytime I want. And I'm allowed to say no to any suggestions a doctor might have about my behavior or this predicament."

"Yugi, I understand that you're a little scared—"

"Scared?" he scoffed furiously. "I'm not scared of medicine. My mom is a vet—one of the best in the world. I help her with surgeries. I assist her with those kinds of things."

"Yugi—"

He shook his head, annoyed. "I'm not going on medication." He was already on so much. "And I'll deny any advice that a doctor might give me about it. So I had an anxiety attack. It happens. It's not like I'm the only one in the world with them."

"Yugi…"

He hated the way she sighed at him. Disgust burned through his veins for a moment and he shook his head in annoyance. He got off the table he was seated on and dusted himself off awkwardly. He felt sick for a moment, but he did not think it had to do with anything involving the medicine. Nor did he think it was residual nerves. He shook his head slightly and looked at her for a long minute.

"Am I allowed to go back to class?"

She frowned at him noticeably, then sighed again and shook her head. Her eyes flashed with annoyance and she snapped when she spoke next. "I'll write you an excuse for today and tomorrow."

He blinked, surprised at the statement, then bristled faintly. She assumed that he would need two days to recover from a panic attack? He almost snapped at her, then hesitated. Was it possible that it took others more than a day to recover from something like that? Was it possible that someone remained fearful for over a day?

He swallowed hard. "Thank you," he finally mumbled, clearing his throat. He shook his head and watched as she went back behind her desk to dig through some paper slips. After a moment or two she produced a single sheet the size of a common sticky note and wrote the date, her signature and the reason for his absence. She handed it to him with an annoyed look, then turned away and dug through her folders for a similar sheet which she wrote an almost exact replica of the note upon.

"And I'm assuming your mother will be picking you up?"

He snorted. "Yeah."

"Good." She left it at that and Yugi ignored her once more as he turned on his heel to leave the room. He did not bother to look back at her, his stomach knotting briefly. He had not noticed the little porcelain cat lying on her desk before he'd walked past it. He had not taken note of the poster of a cat on the door beneath the window.

How odd…

He had not truly realized before then that the little office had been a showroom for cat accessories. It surprised him to notice this. And, when he paused and glanced back as he shut the door, he wondered at the noise of a cat meowing. Was she watching a video on cats?

Yugi shook it off.

In the end he did not truly believe it mattered to begin with. So he shook his head and headed for his locker instead. He did not understand how it was that his memory did not recall anything to do with his backpack prior to his screaming fit. He could not remember if he'd gone there first and put his items away or not. He did not know if perhaps his friends had put them away for him.

Hesitantly he used the combo to snap the door open, swallowing hard. In front of him his bag hung from the small hanger in the center of the roof. All of his books and binders were set about in a perfect line there. And he shivered as he considered it curiously. Had his friends moved it for him? Had they hung it like that?

Or… Had someone else done it?

Yugi shook his head, closing his locker quietly. It would be a good idea to leave it for the next couple of days, right? Or was it smarter to simply take it home and then run off? He couldn't tell. Thinking about it was almost exhausting to him.

In the end the blue-violet-eyed teen left it. He took the back exit for the staircase, hurried down the stairs without a second care, and wandered into the quad. The instant the cold air touched his skin a sense of relief came through him. His lungs felt cool, losing their tightness, and he ignored it as he continued forward.

The snow was crunching heavily beneath his weight and he ignored the way it seemed to resound endlessly in his ears. He needed to get out of there. He needed to run. If he had another panic attack, at least in the woods he would be mildly safe. If someone at the school knew of him or was hunting him in any manner, he might be easily caught and killed. At least in the snow he was camouflaged, right?

Yugi doubted it. But he needed to run at the very least. He needed to get rid of all the energy that tore through him so endlessly. He felt dizzy and exhausted and the stress would be easy to outrun in his wolf coat. It was easier to race beyond the initial fears and work away the tension with physical means.

He wondered if that was why some people liked to have sex to ease their stress. The reality of it made him feel sick for a moment. He remembered Yami telling him sex with him would cure him of all his woes. And he nearly laughed, but almost puked as well.

He was past his house before he bothered to truly take a look at his surroundings. He was walking so fast he almost wondered if he was actually running. But he ignored this.

He stripped of his clothes the moment he was far enough into the trees. He trotted at a breakneck pace, anxiety crashing through him. His head felt light and his steps unbalanced. He shook himself out. He panted. Then he took off running towards the camp as if such a thing might help to ease his blooming frustration.

But his body felt warmer. And he was running faster than he'd ever truly bothered before. It was not anywhere near the speed he'd propelled himself with upon being hunted by those dogs formerly. He shivered and his tongue felt swollen and frozen for a brief moment. And then he slowed.

Movement had come through his eardrums.

A small patrol was moving about in the trees nearby. He faltered in his steps. The first face he took note of was Yusei, the blue-eyed wolf munching on a small mouse he'd caught. Beyond him was Echo, the she-wolf sniffing about the snow lazily. Near her Mai was playing with a stick, throwing it and chasing it happily. Otogi was watching her. And Marik was watching him, Yugi realized.

He bristled faintly. Then he shook himself out again. Yusei, he greeted, startling the other male. The gray wolf jumped several feet in the air, eyes wide and shock and bewildered. He pricked his ears forward, his prey dropping from his jaws. He blinked with wide eyes, breathing out in a loud snort of noise that made the air almost completely white in front of his face.

Yugi blinked. Sorry.

I didn't think you'd be here, Mai commented curiously. She had grabbed the end of her stick again, tail wagging happily. Her violet eyes peered back at him with pure surprise and affectionate warmth. I thought you'd be at school.

I didn't want to stay for my last handful of classes. There's nothing important going on in them, he dismissed. But he thought he had an acidic tone and he saw Yusei blink at him in surprise. Yugi wondered briefly if they'd pulled him out of school for this. He wondered after that if he'd even been given the liberty to go to school to begin with. His heart ached but it was instantly replaced with a pulse of disdain. No quizzes, so it's not really worth staying.

Otogi flicked an ear, watching him. School is stupid.

He would have laughed had he been human, because Mai immediately snorted, No, you were just too stupid to keep going. The male gave her a glare. Yusei blinked and looked at them. The she-wolf bumped him in the shoulder, saying, Don't listen to him. School is important. Otogi is just a stupid boy.

Yugi shook his head, snickering. And you thought she liked you, he teased, moving to take a seat. Yusei wagged his tail as Otogi snorted loudly and shot his alpha an annoyed glance. Had Yugi been capable, he would have smirked and flashed him the brightest smile he could have.

She's fickle, the black-furred male defended himself. He flicked an ear as Yugi laughed louder. Then he flattened his ears against his head and pouted, lips drawn back at his cheeks to grimace at him pointedly. The white wolf wagged his tail in response.

From what I've seen, she's not too terribly fickle, he commented with a flick of his ear. She still hasn't done anything with Marik.

Mai shuddered. The male in question looked at him intently. Then he shook himself out and moved to scour the snow for any sense of prey or a toy such as the she-wolf's stick.
That's disgusting.

I know. That's why I said it.

She shook herself out. Yusei considered them both. Then he flicked an ear. His eyes were on Yugi now and the white wolf hesitated as he was given a picture. It was of himself, his face sallow and his eyes tired. His ears seemed to droop slightly and his cheeks looked sunken with stress.

Did he look like that already? Had his anxiety done this to his expression in that short an amount of time?

The thought made him bristle and he rose to his feet after a moment. I'm fine, he dismissed with a flick of his ears. The younger male lowered his head slightly, a somewhat unnerved and confused expression on his face. Yusei nodded when he stared at him rather pointedly.

Is something wrong?

Yugi bristled slightly at the sound of Marik's voice, annoyed by the very thought of answering another inquiry after such a statement. And so he sighed loudly, shaking his head, and, in a firmer tone, snapped, I am fine.

His words made Mai, Otogi and Echo pause to look at him in surprise. But the intense stare Marik cast upon him made him feel sick. They looked at one another, lavender against blue-violet, and the white wolf huffed.

You all worry without reason. He felt dizzy for a moment. He felt as if he were mimicking Yami in the statement and his heart clenched. A small tremble came through him before he shook himself out to scatter his unease aside. The canine flicked his tongue to run over his nose and pricked his ears forward. I'm going to walk…

Yusei flicked an ear. An image appeared within his mind, of him and another wolf of unidentifiable traits. The fur flickered with color where they canine moved at his side and the white canine flicked his ears.

No, Yugi answered with a shake of his head. I'm going alone. I don't need the buddy system right now. It's unnecessary.

The gray wolf blinked, nodding, and then dipped his head. His blue eyes fell back on the rodent he'd caught and he munched on it without a second look at him. Yugi watched him for a single moment longer. Then he turned on his heel and began to trot quickly away from them.

The anxiety was cutting through his skin more fiercely than he'd ever assumed it would. He was dizzy again. His heart was in his ears. His vision was blurred in the corners almost as if he might cry. But wolves had no tearducts and his stomach knotted as he slowed his pace.

The slope he'd come over was crystalline and pristine but he recognized it as well. He cast a small glance about, a lazy and slow caution. His belly ached and knotted further. And then he shook himself out once more.

He glanced towards the sheer drop of stone nearby, the same that Yami had been fallen over the side of the ledge. He'd landed, bleeding and soaking the snow. Yugi remembered packing the gunshot wound with ice. He remembered Yami limping, the ice breaking from the movement. He shuddered at the memory.

And, for the briefest of moments, he wished he could have burrowed back inside of the den they'd made in the snow. He wished he could have the same protection from the world as he'd given Yami from Espa and Panik that day.

But he brushed this off again. A shake of his coat made him anxious but somehow helped to calm him all at once. He lowered his head, scenting the snow beneath him, and began to move forward once more. The air seemed to bite through his thick fur. And he swore he felt teeth nipping at his skin. It was not alike the wind searing through his coat and touching upon his flesh.

And so he stiffened.

His head turned and the wind tugged gently upon his fur again. He stepped forward, pace slow and uneasy. He could sense something eerie pressing upon his insides. He felt as if his heart were being gripped by claws and a firm, cutting hand. He slowed further. His fur rose into a soft bristle.

Yugi.

His head snapped around. But he could not find the source of the voice. His ears pricked forward, tension making him nearly tremble. It was a female voice. And it was only mildly familiar…

Was it Morrigan?

Was it Ra?

They had sounded similar at times, though Morrigan had an icier, somewhat thicker and nearly smoky tone. And Yugi recalled it effortlessly now that he tried to dig up such memory. But it stuck in his throat, an uneasy and unsure response. He shivered and the wind cut through his fur again.

It felt like teeth.

Why did it feel like teeth?

Yugi bristled and looked about the clearing around him. The trees were skeletal and bare. The shadows were short and soft in definition. The sun was blinding where its light touched the ice. He looked about himself again.

Morrigan? he called out softly, unsure of himself. But the wind seemed to whistle as it cut into his ears. And he felt small and sickly as he shuddered once more. A part of him recoiled in dismay at the very realization of such noise.

Is that…?

No, he realized. He didn't believe it was her anymore than he believed the psychic preaching Kokurano had attempted to press upon his classmates formerly. When he'd been alive, he'd been annoying in this aspect. And it had frustrated him more than he'd ever cared to admit.

Now, especially, the thought infuriated him. Why was the pudgy sixteen-year-old occupying his mind? He did not need him there in the slightest. He had heard his message the first time. He'd heard it in his dreams more often than that.

So why…?

Yugi pricked his ears forward once more. No, it wasn't Morrigan. But the presence was not male and he could not identify it.

The corners of his vision seemed to tighten painfully, pulled black in the edges. The white wolf shivered and shook himself out. His head angled upwards. The sky was so pale blue and the sun was an immense, horrifying golden orb overhead. He shivered and shuddered. And then he turned away again.

He stepped forward cautiously.

No words came to him.

No voice spoke in his mind.

He shivered again. He slunk forward a step. His ears flattened against his head. And he kept forward. Perhaps it was simply the residual tension of his memories. Maybe it was as simple as the idea that Espa and Panik had once been there. He remembered jumping through those flames, his flesh burning, his pitiful screams.

Yami had been laying there, writhing and panting and snarling. And he remembered the way the black wolf had looked at him, panicked and horrified at the concept of doing such a thing. But he'd followed him. He'd rallied himself despite his terror. And he'd followed Yugi on his command as he'd asked of him.

Yugi paced forward a few steps faster. Then he trotted, passing through the flatter clearing of snow with little difficulty. It occurred to him not to head this way. Perhaps it was the memories that tugged at his fur. Maybe it was the idea that he'd come here to save Jonouchi as well.

Maybe it was simply that the eeriness was wearing upon him. He forced the thought away, then pressed forward once more. He was exhausted now. His legs felt weak and tired. He slowed his pace. And he fell once more into an unsteady, almost limping stride.

His ears flicked.

He swore he heard his name again, this time on a breeze that sheared through his coat. He slowed further, coming almost to a complete stop. His vision seemed to pulsate for a brief second, as if somehow irritated. He wondered at it, just as his heart attempted to beat faster and encompass his hearing.

He shuddered. The lake before him was oddly chaotic. It did not look as if it were something solid. It seemed almost to waver and wobble beneath his very eyes. He shivered, then bristled and flicked his ears.

Rationally the lake had to still be frozen. The snow had not gotten a good melt. And the temperature was far too cold for it to thaw. He shivered again, then took a small step forward. When he stretched a paw out to touch the surface, the ice bobbed.

He pulled back, alarmed. The bank was solid, but the snow soft under his paws. He looked around once more, sickened and bewildered. Jonouchi had been trapped beneath it before he'd gotten there. But that had been weeks. Why was it now that the ice was just as broken as it had been then?

Yugi shivered. He looked around again. Then he turned away and shifted his weight. Voices resounded in his ears. He swore his name was spoken again—Yugi and not Atem. The urgency in its tone made him bristle. But he could find no source for his name and so he turned away again.

He'd make a run for the trees again. Then he could backtrack and move for where he'd left his clothes. If he did that he could hide away. He could wait out whatever it was that had come to lurk there, ready to spring upon him.

He was trotting before he could reconsider it. His paws were rapidly rising and falling in the snow. His eyes sought the tree line. His fur rose into a bristle. But the snow was softer here. And it seemed to break rapidly beneath his weight. He swore he sank beneath it further than he ever had before.

He shook this thought off, hurrying his pace. His paws seemed to race with his efforts, despite the snow which cushioned his speed.

He faltered, blinking, and stumbled to a halt. The snow was steaming in front of him. And, when he blinked, he saw splotches of red. For a brief moment he struggled to interpret the meaning of this strange sight in front of him. And then he blinked again.

Some part of him scrambled for answers, for it surely understood the image.

It was blood.

And it was fresh.

Yugi blinked, unable to move.

Had he been shot?

That didn't explain the angle, however.

And he hadn't heard it.

He couldn't feel any pain either.

Yugi blinked slowly. His mind scrambled. No, the angle… He turned his head slowly. His neck ached from the direction and bones popped from the tension.

He stared, blank and uncoordinated.

Had…?

The wolf next to him stood with his head raised. His jaws were smeared red. His ears were pricked. His shoulders were squared. His fur was in a bristle. His tail was held high. And his eyes leered down at him hatefully.

Yugi blinked. Why…? he finally managed to breathe out, confused and bewildered. The ice seemed to cut through his fur as he shivered, the wind tossing about his form. He blinked and stared, blinking again in stunned horror.

Had he truly…?

The wolf wagged his tail. His incisors held stray scraps of white fur. And blood soaked much of the enamel of his canines. Yugi blinked at him and stared at him blankly.

Why? he snarled. Did you truly just ask me why, Yugi Motou? Or do you prefer being called PB-A 26? Or just Code Name Atem? Atem? Which one? Do tell me.

He blinked again, eyes still stunned. The wind bit at him. And he could feel the soft tingling upon his neck. The wind nipped at the wound but the skin was already coming together. It'd been superficial. Yugi hadn't felt it because it had been a teasing bite more than a true attack. His fur and his own movements must have been what had stunted the wolf's ambush.

Yugi pricked his ears forward. Atem… he hissed. My name is Atem.

Oh, but it's not, is it, Yugi? Not truly. The wolf was sneering as he stepped closer. His teeth flashed brilliantly, fangs glinting like fresh peaks of ice. You aren't Atem.

No? he asked in turn, moving to shift his weight. He remembered Obelisk saying to watch the distribution of balance. He remembered the way he'd told him to lunge up rather than forward if the opening was secure. He remembered the limp body of the gray wolf he'd killed in that hall of mirrors within the desolate greenhouse. I'm not Atem?

No. You're not. You're masquerading as him. His lips peeled back entirely to show his sharp teeth. His ears pricked forward. His eyes danced and darkened, then constricted to mere pinpricks against his irises. You've been parading around as him. But you're not. You never have been. You never will be. You're. Too. Weak.

The last word was punctuated with a hideous bite. He sidestepped it, shielding his throat. I'm not Atem? he repeated.

Atem would never play at being a member of the single weakest most pathetic species to grace this planet. He bore his teeth and chuckled when Yugi stepped aside once more. He circled him, giving a slow and methodical chase. No, no, no. It's disgusting the way you've treated the very name of Atem.

Yugi backed up when he moved forward. The name? You preach at me about my own name? he demanded icily. He needed to keep him distracted. He'd keep him… He'd keep him talking. And he'd look for an opening in the meantime. He could kill him if he got the chance—

Don't mistake me for my sister. She may preach and the pack may consider her a priestess for her visions, but I am not the same.

Visions? His head was spinning. Priestess?

She sees the future. He stalked forward. Yugi backpedaled rapidly to keep him from gaining on him. But the shock of the idea made his blood hum in his veins. How was it possible? How had he never…? No one had ever even mentioned… She calls them hallucinations sometimes. But we all know better. She predicted when you would come, an imposter with a pelt as white as the snow.

She had hallucinations? She saw future events? She saw things like his arrival? She saw Yami joining them too? Had she been able to see that? Yugi felt sick. Could she tell him when he would come? His heart threatened to shatter in his chest.

Could she tell him when he was going to be there? Could she tell him if he was going to be in good health? Could she tell him if he would survive the war?

That image I showed you, the wolf stated softly, abruptly, coming closer with bitter estranged eyes. Of the pup within the sewers, awaiting experimentation. It was not you.

No, Yugi agreed, a dizzy feeling coming over him once more. He recalled the fuzziness of the image, the slightest and smallest hint of a smudge across the memory. He'd projected it well enough to prevent his initial assumption, but Yugi had been sitting on that memory. And he'd wondered at the slight wobble. He'd wondered at the angle of the small pup in question. Because it was you, wasn't it? It was your reflection.

He pulled his lips back so far that it looked as if they might stretch to his eyes. And the wrinkles made it look hideously as if his skin were somehow unattached to him as a whole. And so his face seemed almost to morph, a hideous shark-like smirk coming upon his features.

And here I assumed you stupid. He stalked closer. His pace increased only mildly. Yugi backed up rapidly to avoid his gaping maw. Because the wolf was rushing and Yugi was struggling to maintain such distance. And, as he backed up again, his paw breached the ice.

The water swept up to meet him immediately. He growled, pressing his weight forward. Marik stood a few inches from him. His lavender eyes were unfocused, wild, a multitude of delusions crossing through them. He could see it. He could sense it.

You truly think you're Atem.

I have always been Atem, Yugi. I simply bid my time. I had initially planned to kill your alpha—Yugi bristled, first with shock and then with hatred; how dare he threaten Yami—when he'd masqueraded beneath my name as well. But he'd been smart enough not to leave the camp. It was almost as if he'd sensed that I'd kill him the moment I got him alone.

Yugi shook his head. Yami would have split your skull the moment you came at him, he spat. But a sense of wavering disbelief came through him. Marik had been biding his time within the pack, awaiting the chance to kill… You had no chance against him.

Marik flashed him a brilliant mouth of teeth as sharp and white as polished blades. He inched closer, ears pricked forward and a maniacal gleam within his lavender eyes. The only time that worthless worm ever did anything of power was when he'd struck out against the former alpha. And, had he been strong enough to kill her, I would have done the same to Aki and then ripped his throat out as well.

You couldn't kill him. He's a Pure-Blood.

He's not, Marik sneered. Someone as insignificant and pitiful as him could never be so high upon the hierarchy.

Yugi bore his teeth. You're a fool, Marik. There are two Pure-Bloods. There are two meant to be Atem.

There is only me.

No, there is me. Yugi snapped his jaws when he attempted to get closer. His nose wrinkled dismissively at the white canine. And the way the shadows moved upon his eyes made Yugi nervous and disgusted. There is Atem.

Marik flashed his tongue over his nose. Yes. Because I am Atem. He bore his teeth and pressed forward regardless. When Yugi snapped, he aimed for his shoulder. The white wolf stumbled but did not fall back. Do you fear the water, little imposter? Do you remember drowning in those damn tanks?

Yugi struggled not to tremble at the very memory. He bore his teeth and kept his footing. I remember a lot, but fear isn't one of those things.

He shook his head. Denial is always a beautifully misused weapon, he sneered. And then his muzzle snapped into his shoulder and he stumbled furiously back, stunned by the impact. Yugi panted briefly, then squared his shoulders once more. But you forget something, Yugi.

He bore his teeth.

I am a god. I see beyond your false words. I know the depths of despair and anger and the light of affection and adoration. You will never know these things, because you have not been touched by the other deities.

I control two of them.

Slifer and Obelisk respond to anyone to proclaim themselves Atem. And they play within the roles I assign them without a second thought as they cannot match the wit of a creature made too powerful to be contained such as myself.

Yugi was thrown backwards this time, hitting and crashing through the ice. The water tossed about his fur and cut upon his skin. His breath was swallowed away even as he pushed upon his senses and struggled to breach the surface.

Marik was at his side now, he realized. The ice was solid there. And the wolf watched him callously from his perch. I broke the ice hours ago. Ishizu had a vision. She said you would find your way here. She said there was something that had to happen here, an exchange of some kind.

An exchange? he demanded, pushing to attempt to grasp at the ice nearest him. It bobbed and fell beneath the water under his weight. Yugi plummeted with it, forcing his head back up before his nose could be encompassed as well. The cold was enough to stunt his movement and Yugi swore beneath his breath. He remembered the sedatives, though he'd so easily metabolized the drugs that he could not truly blame this physical grogginess on this of all things.

An exchange of hierarchy.

Yugi tried again to grasp at the ice where his grip slipped. He fell back underwater for a brief moment, though his nose did not disappear under the dark liquid. He grappled at a new piece of ice. You're delusional, Marik, he snarled softly. He caught his dewclaw on the frozen sheet and tried once more to tug himself out. But the ice bobbed again. And the male chuckled behind him.

They used to monitor our breathing. They used to see how long we could hold ourselves above the surface of the water. Marik watched him coldly. But you, I know, were never exposed to such a thing. You were born a human, weren't you? And then that hellhound bit you.

Hellhound? Yugi bit out, baring his teeth. The ice seemed to cut upon his fur and tug him downward. The air was cold enough to crystallize much of the water droplets that clumped his fur together. He pawed at the ice again.

No lycanthrope has red eyes. Not even the experiments could have done such a thing to them. The gray and tawny wolf peered at him dismissively. Only hellhounds have such disgusting eyes.

Yugi wished he could have caught his throat in his teeth. He'd kill him. Yami was not a hellhound. And if he knew him to be a lycanthrope, how could he possibly think Yami to be a hellhound? How could he possibly not realize that one bite would have rendered the beta the same species? Surely there was no way a hellhound produced a lycanthrope or vice versa…

Yugi fell under again. His muscles felt frozen, aching with the frigid cold. He surfaced immediately again, however, and Marik huffed in annoyance. Yugi was a little stronger than he'd initially anticipated then. His ears flicked lazily forward and then back. The white wolf was shivering all over, and his ears flicked to shed some of the water there.

I don't know how you managed to trick us all into believing you to be a lycanthrope, he said abruptly, making blue-violet eyes flicker towards him in a panic. He delighted in the sight of such emotion there. I suppose changing forms could do such a thing for the hellhound's scent. Unfortunately I don't remember the smells from the labs as well as I used to. I don't think I was exposed to the hounds as often as others were, anyways.

You're… That's wrong.

Stupid little imposter. Nothing in this world is about what's right anymore. Nothing in the pack is balanced upon such juvenile ideals! It is about survival. It is about destroying the hellhounds and the humans and winning. It does not matter if someone thinks it is wrong, as long we are victorious at the end of it all.

Yugi shivered violently, eyes flashing as he looked at him. His ears pricked forward. His lips curled back. He looked sickened as he stared at the gray male.

You are concerned about what is right and wrong. That alone is a weakness, Yugi Motou. You don't understand the vastness of it all. And that is not at all what Atem understands. You care too much for the weakest links within the pack.

Yugi hooked his claws on the ice. He struggled for a proper grip. The other male got to his feet. And then he moved towards the bank. Yugi watched him with a horrified expression.

Your gums are already white. And your eyes are glazing over. It won't be long now. I don't truly need to wait to see you pass into Paradise, now do I? Marik commented dismissively from the bank, watching him with cold lavender eyes full of laughter. Maybe I'll retrieve your frozen body from beneath the ice one of these days.

Yugi tried to pull himself up. His hindquarters were dead weight, he realized. He couldn't feel the entire lower half of his body any longer. He ached with the cold. And his fur was soaking wet, the water crystallizing quickly upon his hair.

You're still trying? Marik commented curiously. Yugi panted and kicked desperately with his back legs. They were numb but they still moved. Perhaps if he kept them moving, maybe he could get the circulation to flow back into his limbs. Maybe he could regain his feeling there and get back up…

Well, I suppose if you truly want to get out of the water, I'll just kill you here. It'll be more fun anyways. I always have liked to taste blood in my mouth. Marik watched him now as Yugi panted and kicked once more. But the water clutched at him too tightly and the air in his lungs was too shallow.

Yugi could feel it.

He was losing himself.

The sensation was not unlike what he'd felt several times prior. He'd experienced it his first time going through the Change. He'd felt it when the wolfsbane and silver had coursed through his veins.

His vision was tight around the edges, smothered with black.

Yugi.

His nose bobbed under the water. He could feel the ice filling his lungs as he panicked and drew in air at the wrong moment. Dizziness made his movements slack faintly.

Yugi.

His eyes strained for a point of focus. But his vision was still blackened. And he felt as if his lungs might burst with the pressure of water in them. But he resurfaced again and his legs kicked as if on autopilot. He thought briefly of the adrenaline rush. He thought momentarily of the way he'd reacted so instinctively in his action of playing dead upon being caught by Ushio.

And so his legs continued to kick desperately, his paws scrabbling for a grip. He bore his teeth and his breath rattled from his jaws. But in his eyes Marik no longer stood on the bank. Rather, facing him with dark blue eyes against bright golden fur was Ra.

He's won, he whispered at her. He couldn't move his paws any further to embrace the ice and pull himself up.

You have given up? the goddess demanded harshly. I had never assumed you to be so weak in the face of difficulty.

Yugi clenched his eyes shut. I won't even be able to see Yami before I die, he thought bitterly, to himself more than to his ancestor. But he knew she heard him all the same. There was something about the silence within his ears that told him this.

You will not die here. The declaration was soft and firm. You will not die this day.

His eyes opened only slightly. She still stood there on the bank, watching him. He could see the edges of her fur cut away with white, pronouncing her spectral formation before him.

I don't have the strength…

The she-wolf stepped closer to the ice. Then I will give you mine. The declaration was underlined with a soft and brilliant tingle throughout his limbs. He kicked, the energy lightly pressing upon him. He shivered as heat began to push through his veins. His heart had begun to race faster than ever.

Pain continued through his limbs. But the warmth seemed to hold it mildly at bay. Yugi blinked, stunned by the sensation, and then weakly pulled himself forward. His legs strained and his body threatened to fall back. Yet he retained his strength. And he managed, shockingly, to pull himself out of the water.

He collapsed there atop the ice. Water fell from his jaws when he heaved for air. Marik huffed as he began to move towards him, stepping through the illusion Ra had created. The wolf snorted and bore his teeth.

You're a bit more resilient than I gave you credit for, Yugi.

Yugi slowly raised himself to his paws. His eyes flashed dangerously as he moved to take a step forward. The strength returned in waves now, as if Ra were filling him with more energy. He did not take a moment longer to consider such a thing.

He could muse over that later.

I don't know what kind of delusions you live in. I don't know why you're so desperate to pretend to be a god. I don't understand your hatred towards Yami. I don't understand your hatred towards me. I don't even know why you decided to try to kill Jonouchi. He shook himself out just enough to lose some of the extra weight. But he could slip out of his grip more easily if he remained drenched as he was. And I don't know why there is so much animosity in your heart. And I'm sorry you had to suffer like that in the labs. But you. Are. Not. Atem. I am Atem.

Marik snorted and shook his head. His teeth were bared as he came closer. I'll rip your throat out to ensure your death this time.

Yugi raised his head. I am Atem. I am Code Name Atem. I am PB-A 26. I am the Pure-Blood. I am the god. I am the myth. I am the lore. I am the prophecy. I am the final breath. I am the war. I am the bloodshed. He stepped forward. Marik blinked, this time mildly surprised by his declaration. And I am the one chosen by the gods who have since forsaken you, Marik. I will show you why I am the one they chose to be their champion.

A stillness hung in the air around them. Time seemed to come to a stop. The world seemed to be smothered into silence. And Yugi thought briefly that perhaps he himself had somehow gone deaf. But he'd heard his own voice. And he could hear the sound of his heart racing within his chest.

And he could hear Marik's harsh breathing. He could see those furious trembles. He was full of hate. He was full of disdain. Yugi could feel it pulsing from him in waves. But mostly, more than even this, he could smell the smallest twinge of bitterness, underlined with sweetness and traced with slight sourness.

Marik was afraid.

It came from him beneath the other emotions.

But Yugi understood it.

It was his declaration that the gods had chosen him. Because Marik had formerly assumed that to know them meant they had come to support him. Perhaps he had seen them sometime in his dreams or maybe he had known them while beneath the earth in those damn labs.

But he must have realized it then, as Yugi stared at him silently. He must have known abruptly that the white wolf was the one they'd chosen. He was the one that they'd allowed to be born in those labs, a creature abused and endlessly reformed to their will through experiments.

He'd realized the truth of his statement.

Yugi blinked.

In that millisecond of time his eyes were shut Marik sprang. The silence seemed abruptly to shatter. Yugi heard his heart in his chest, pulsing through him violently. The blood was roaring through him. In an instant, counting the beats of his own heart, Yugi twisted away.

Marik missed, skidding on the ice. He nearly fell over the edge, then tuned to face him. You're already half dead. You realize this, correct? You realize your own mortality?

What's one death when I can come back again until the end of my days? Yugi sneered. He opened his jaws wide but did not run for him.

Marik lunged at him again. Yugi ducked beneath him, counting the heartbeats. Then he angled his head and snapped his jaws. But he missed his legs and instead caught his tail. He bit harder than he had ever thought himself capable.

Marik spun on him and Yugi released, aiming for his throat. The gray wolf ducked. His jaws snapped on cold air. Marik tossed his head and caught his throat. The blow made Yugi stumble sideways. He was stunned, pain crashing through his nerves.

The gray and tan wolf tossed his head. The movement knocked Yugi off balance immediately. And then he swore his paws were thrown off the ground from the force. He nearly collapsed, a sense of limpness coming through him. He felt numb as the snow seemed to explode in his face when he rolled. Then he flailed on his back and rolled quickly to his paws again.

The other male was on him in a second. Teeth tore into his shoulder. Blood sprayed across the snow. Yugi's eyes widened, the pain enough to aggravate him. He panted, startled by the force of the blow. He felt sick to his stomach. And his legs were burning with pain now. He could feel the pain in his nerves, the way they slowly began to but surely tingle with pressure.

But the pain was unrelenting and the bite to his side nearly sent him falling. He yelped, then spun to face him. He snapped his teeth but the wolf barreled him over. Yugi grunted and kicked, infuriated. His back leg cut into Marik's eye. And, unlike any other wolf, Marik simply grunted. There was no scream or snarl. He simply wrinkled his nose again.

Yugi kicked once more. Then he twisted and rolled for his feet. He struggled to stand upright, then panted. The claws had caught Marik in the eye again. And the wolf was pawing lightly at the wound there. He had ducked his head and closed the eye. But the other was wide open, boring into his face. The fury there was of a madness Yugi had never seen before in his life.

His heart lurched. Marik stared at him as if he were nothing more than a creature he was meant to hunt and mutilate. And the thought made him bristle fearfully. He was not sure what he had been expecting. He had suspected for a while that it had been Marik to cause so many problems within the pack. Ever since he'd sneered at him about Mikiyo Yugi had had the smallest nagging suspicion. He had paid it no attention, hopeful that perhaps he was somehow wrong. But he'd also caught the wolf's scent on Jonouchi's phone, even if he had not truly recognized it before. But he'd been paying attention as well, when he'd realized that Marik himself had not gotten into line that day when he'd introduced himself properly to the pack.

He had not paid it much mind, as he'd known the wolf beforehand. But when he'd come across Jonouchi's things that night, he'd been able to catch the scent of a wolf he had not recognized. And there were truly only two wolves he had considered to be capable of lashing out at him in any manner as he'd begun—and that was Aki and Marik. But he'd known Aki's scent. And so he had crossed her name from his list.

You should have just remained underwater.

Yugi growled softly, hateful. He shook himself out and bristled, squaring his shoulders. His side burned in agony. And his legs were still tingling. His head was spinning now, a part of him incredibly fearful. He'd gone after Jonouchi simply for being associated with Yugi. He'd planned to use the other boy's death as a way of weakening him. Then he'd have turned on him when he'd gotten him alone. The whole time he'd been pretending to want his approval, he'd been laying the groundwork. He'd been preparing to sidle into Yami's place as his beta, so that he could weaken him further and then kill him.

But Yugi did not know why he had not waited. He did not know why it was that Marik had failed to stick to this plan. Why he had stepped out of line and so suddenly was bewildering to him. Had Fuwa given him some sense of confidence he'd lacked on his own? Or had it been his own sister to encourage this behavior? Had her declaration of an exchange done something to embolden him in that manner?

The thought was overwhelming to him for a moment. And dots and pinpricks had begun to dance within his vision. His eyes stung and he felt sickened. But he forced himself to ignore this. His muscles pulled taut.

Marik charged him. Yugi lowered his body further into the ice. His fur rose into a bristle and he bore his teeth furiously. He remembered the training he'd undergone with Obelisk and the reality of this alone kept him calm. But he'd only performed the attack once. He'd gotten fed up when he'd fumbled one too many times trying to use it again. And then he'd grown annoyed enough to simply walk home afterward.

But he'd done it that once.

And his muscles remembered it.

He waited a moment longer. The gray and tan wolf opened his jaws wide. And Yugi sprang forward. He did not aim for the neck as Marik was so clearly doing. The wolf was too fast for that, he knew. And he was aware of how dizzy he was now. He could not accurately aim as it was. So he did as he had done against the gray deity before.

He caught Marik's back paw. And he threw his weight sideways. Marik yelped as the bone popped from the force. The blood which came from the wound was enough to burn his tongue. Yugi quickly moved to weave beneath him. Marik turned on him, balance undone. He snapped his teeth at his face and missed.

Yugi tipped his head down and bit at the limb again. His teeth caught the fractured bone. He tugged hard. Marik tried to pull his paw away. He flailed, balance don three legs. And then he bit at him again. Yugi waited a moment, looking at those sharp teeth. They shut a millimeter from his eye as Yugi tugged again. He nearly had him off balance now.

The movement sent him falling backward. Yugi sprang on him immediately. His teeth clamped down hard on flesh. Blood sprayed down his throat and along his cheeks. Bones cracked and a screech tore through the other male. The gray wolf struggled for his feet. Yugi tossed his head. The pain made Marik tremble and flinch visibly. He nearly collapsed, but bit at his shoulder.

The blood loss was enough to slow him, however. And Yugi's coat was still soaked. His teeth tried for a pelt too wet to cling to. And then the gray wolf struggled. He tried to flail and nearly fell again. Then he snarled and bit once more but lost his grip just as easily as he had before. Yugi was panting where he'd caught him in the forehead. His teeth pressed down mercilessly and he bristled once more.

Yugi released him for only a moment.

Marik scrabbled to claw at the pain in his skull.

The white wolf drew in a deep breath.

Marik whined and nearly collapsed, his back leg straining beneath his weight.

Yugi waited the moment out.

He counted heartbeats.

He counted breaths.

He counted every second.

And then he shot forward.

Marik screamed and flailed as he fell over again.

Yugi kept his teeth on his throat. Blood swelled into his mouth. He shook his head again. Fur flew through the air. Blood speckled the snow. Marik screamed and snarled and kicked again. His claws cut into his shoulder and then his chest. He scrabbled furiously. And then the gray wolf clamped his jaws harder.

Do you still believe yourself to be Atem now? the white canine wondered out loud, eyes flashing. He shook his head and the rip in the other's throat worsened. You seem afraid right now. Do you think that you won't come back? Maybe now you've realized you're just a delusional Full-Blood.

Marik kicked harder. His teeth snapped at his leg. But he missed as Yugi shifted his weight back. The white canine snarled and glared at him. But those lavender eyes were wild and fearful and still somehow terribly full of resentment.

I'll kill you, Marik snarled, and then I'll kill that blond rat like you prevented the first time. And then I'll rip Yusei's head from his body and cleanse the pack of the unworthy. I'll tear your little followers to pieces.

I don't think you understand that you're going to die here today, Yugi commented coldly, snarling. I don't think that you understand what it means to be blessed by the gods. Because Ra gave me the strength to crawl out of the ice. And I was promised that I would not die here today. And since there's an exchange meant to happen here, I'm thinking that it involves your life for mine.

You think that you can kill me?

I know I can. But he still hesitated, if only because he was stunned by those furious lavender eyes. He could not understand how it was that the wolf in front of him could be so hateful and yet so terribly scared all at once. How could someone survive in that state of mind their entire life? Because this was no new development. Something inside of Marik was broken. And that was something that had shown itself in its entirety only now…

May Slifer guide your traitorous soul.

The statement was met with a snarl. Marik struggled harder, frantic now. And Yugi stared at him, their eyes locked where they could see each other. He could see that Marik recognized the words. And it gave him the smallest sense of satisfaction even as something old and worn inside of him seemed to fray.

And then Yugi tossed his head.

Marik went limp in his jaws. The snapping noise resounded in his ears. Yugi kept his grip for a moment longer. And then he released. His body trembled and his breathing was uneven and tense.

Had anyone heard his screaming?

Had anyone heard their squabble?

Yugi shivered. He was too exhausted to care. He was too exhausted to want to take cover. He was too fatigued to do much more than blink. He was not sure he could handle it if someone were to ask.

Who would believe him?

Fuck, would Ishizu blame him for her brother's death? Would she want revenge for it?

But she knew the future, didn't she?

She'd seen his future.

She'd seen an exchange.

And she'd spoken of it to Marik.

And the bastard had turned on him.

Yugi fell upon the task of simply drawing in air. He could not think of much more he could do at the moment. And so he simply shut his eyes and took a seat. His entire body seemed to fold upon itself. He gasped and sputtered for air.

His lungs were cold and frozen within his chest.

Yugi shivered as the wind tugged upon his fur.

And then he noticed something within its touch.

In an instant he was frozen.

He could not breathe.

Something powerful and great, terrible in its strength, had traveled with the wind. Within its cold touch was a strength he did not know how to interpret. But it rolled through his body and it left him cold and frozen and tense.

His heart pounded and his mouth grew dry. He felt dizzy and sickened. And his ears flicked and quivered. He was shaking before he could stop himself.

Another stray wind touched him.

He trembled and turned his head. He was not sure what it was. He had no name by which to call it.

But he knew it was coming closer.

And it was moving fast.

And the surprise? The traitor was exactly who you guys thought it was! Congrats! This is probably (hopefully) going to be the only thing so obvious about this story or any of its events.

It's an earlier posting because I have way too much to do tomorrow to find time to post. So I figured better early than late, right?