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.

90. Consequences

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh

Update schedule: Hopefully biweekly

Chapter Warnings: Pack Politics, Nightmares/Terrors, Mentions of Death, Mentions of Mating Bond, Mentions of Mental Instability/Decay, Mentions of Torture/Being Eaten Alive, Self-Loathing

The Lunar Ascension is mentioned again, with a few small additions and changes to the story that were not mentioned/known prior. I'm not really sure when the next chapter will be posted, but I am making an effort to work on Dark Sky's sequel before then. I also still need to work on rewriting chapters 91-94 which will, of course, add time between chapters. Sorry for the inconvenience but hopefully this chapter makes up for it.

Chapter XC: Consequences

Work Log Entry LXXVIII: August, 2009 (Part III)

August 19

The hellhound has begun to have seizures, exactly four minutes after midnight and only two minutes after the transfusion.

She is foaming at the mouth, coughing up blood, shaking, and her breathing has become extremely labored. We do not expect her to make it through the night, but we will continue to monitor and intervene only where necessary.

In thirty minutes if she is still going through seizures we will administer medication to help ease them. She will be given fluids to maintain her hydration due to her vomiting and foaming.

It has been three hours since we initially administered drugs and fluids. Her condition has rapidly worsened but she is still hanging in there somehow.

Atem, on the other hand, still shows no ill effects from the blood transfusion from the day prior.

August 20

The she-wolf has survived. She is more aggressive than ever and almost looks as if she is simply suffering from a case of rabies. She foams at the mouth, throws herself at anything and everything that moves, and has changed in between seizures. She has mutilated yet another guard. She continues to throw herself at the bars of her cell and bite at anything that comes close.

August 21

The boss has decided to test her new aggression against other predators.

Atem's tests have been put on pause and all of our efforts are to be focused on her for the moment. The boss is very interested in her survival and invested in her strength. He finds it far more exciting than Atem.

August 22

The hellhound is to be placed in a fight to the death with a female grizzly.

August 23

She killed and ate half of the bear's brain before we could even fathom stopping her.

The boss was so impressed by this feat that he decided we are not allowed to intervene, however.

She ate the rest of its brain and devoured its heart soon after.

Her reasoning for these two organs is not something we can determine, as she didn't eat anymore after that.

Yugi tried his hardest not to show how on edge he was having Valon in the camp. It was not that he didn't trust him—if he'd proven anything recently it was that his neutrality secured Yugi his loyalty in some matters—but rather that the wolves were still visibly discontent. He had no idea how to alleviate it. Yami surely didn't, either. They had committed to bringing him there; Yami had been so adamant that if would be a good idea. He couldn't ignore that. And he refused to give in to the urge to try to please everyone by asking him not to come back. But the resurgence of aggression aimed at Yami made him nervous as well.

They'd turned on him bitterly. No blood had been drawn, but the squabbling had grown tenfold. Yami never let them pin him. He never tucked his tail. He never truly lowered his head. But he would let them nip and bite at him, sometimes pulling tufts of fur and others simply chomping their teeth. Usually his calm stance and refusal to flinch made them irritable enough to wander away. Other times it would continue for a few minutes. Yami would keep a neutral stance until he grew annoyed. And then, slowly, his ears would come forward. His eyes would lock with theirs. His tail would come up. And he would stare.

Yugi never heard him snarl. He didn't even see him flash his teeth. And he knew instinctively that Yami did not speak to them. Instead he simply stared. And from that moment the wolves squabbling with him would turn and skulk away.

Yami had taken to acting as the omega more often, however. He let them nip and bite and pull fur out. He let them raise their heads and posture and growl at him. He played the part with lowered eyes and a turned head, refusing to rise to the aggressive challenges they sometimes posed. He'd only lowered his head and wagged his tail once before he'd been pushed too far. Zane had turned on him a couple of hours after Valon had joined them, infuriated. They'd taken the pack hunting, resulting in discontentment and frustration with the wolves once more.

Zane had turned on Yami over a piece of meat. At first Yami had predictably allowed it to happen, backing away and even starting to move away entirely. But Zane had persisted. He'd turned on him violently enough that it had startled the other wolves nearby. Yami had not cried out or even spoken against him but to say, Back off, Zane in a dangerously monotonous voice. When he'd failed to, Yami had mauled him for it. He'd torn his face open and tossed him about like a doll. The entire display had taken nothing more than thirty seconds at the most.

He'd stood there, watching the former alpha with an expression that made Yugi's blood run cold. And then he'd turned his back on him and wandered over to grab his food again. He hadn't come back to Yugi's side, forcing Yugi to do so instead, and he'd never answered him when Yugi asked if he was okay. Yugi had settled for grooming him and falling asleep after, relieved when Yami followed suit soon after. He'd woken to him snoring softly, occasionally twitching but more often wagging his tail slightly.

If the wolves had ever forgotten his rank before, they remembered now. Zane may have turned on the other omegas at times—his brother included—but he'd never gotten too violent. Turning on Yami and being thrown almost ten feet away had reminded them exactly who it was they'd been snapping at before.

It was more surprising, however, that Aki never joined in. She never even showed Yami her teeth in frustration. She didn't give him sharp looks or bristle or sneer. She would look at him and turn away just as quickly. She'd never even turned on the other omegas. She'd remained oddly calm, even foregoing speaking badly of Yami or Yugi.

It was Yusei who had snapped at Yami, before turning tail and fleeing. Yugi had been in as much shock as Yami. But Yugi noted that Aki and Yusei were around each other more often. They'd stayed basically glued together since Valon had pinned her. They had shared food and even played catch with a bone and chased each other around the camp. When they'd gotten tired, she'd even allowed Yusei to snuggle into her side.

The sudden change made Yugi nervous. But it also begged the question of what else was happening in the camp. That couldn't have been a new development. They had to have been getting somewhat close before then. Had it been Carly? Was it Jack? Was it that Valon made them both so nervous that they found solace in each other's company?

There were much bigger things to worry about, however. The new disturbance had caused some disruption in the last day and a half. Valon had not turned on anyone but for asserting himself where necessary, pulling chunks of fur out and spitting with every hair on his back raised and his tail straight in the air. But he'd never gone further but to pin Shay, kicking snow on his face when Shay had continued to snarl at him. He had not turned on anyone maliciously. And after the initial shock of his appearance everyone seemed to more or less ignore his existence. He assumed that had to do with Yami playing the part of omega as well.

But, as long as everyone was healthy and remained alive, who cared? He needed, more important than his musing, to figure out when and how to implement training with the hellhound. Their discontent could continue as long as no casualties were caused by it.

Move over, he grumbled.

Yami huffed beside him. He'd been curled up in a tight ball for little over an hour. Yugi had been unsuccessfully trying to get him to either move over or allow him to curl up into his side. Yami knew what he was trying to do, but refused to comply. Yugi couldn't tell if he didn't want him to lay so close or if he was still hurting. Regardless, it frustrated him and he almost wanted to snap and get a rise from the black wolf.

But he didn't have to.

A snarl sounded further in the camp. Yami was on his paws instantly. His back leg threatened to collapse. His flank twitched and shuddered. But he still stood there. How he'd managed not to collapse when he'd been abused by the other wolves was beyond him. His leg still looked so frail and small. Yugi shrugged the thought off.

There was a small whimper, but the wolf in question obviously wasn't in pain.

Yugi got to his feet now as well, trotting forward a few steps. They were at a vantage point just high enough to be able to see over some of the other wolves' heads where they were nearest them. He blinked, eyes stretching wide with surprise. Valon was hunched submissively in the center, wagging his tail and whining. In front of him, Zane was staring, entire body stiff with confusion. The hellhound waited a moment, leaped forward to lick his chin, and then darted away again.

Yugi glanced over. Yami had gotten to his side at some point, slumped down as he stretched out to lay on his belly. His long paws were stretched forward, his wide paws hanging over the small incline of snow. His chin lay on his paws, eyes half-closed. Did you teach him that? Yugi asked quietly. Yami's eyes flickered and focused on him. I mean, he just… He was just pretending to be an omega like you do. I thought maybe that meant you were teaching him or something.

The black wolf yawned and closed his eyes. No. Valon is doing that of his own accord. He likely saw me and mimicked it. It makes more sense for him to do so anyways. He's the anomaly in the equation. He could stand to let them turn on him a few times as a show of loyalty.

Yugi nodded slightly, tilting his head and studying. As long as no one actually hurts him.

I don't think even Zane is brave enough. Yami's side twitched as if with a shiver. Yugi wondered if playing the omega had stressed him out in any manner. They did like to nip at his sides, after all. And no doubt Yami had simply allowed it until he couldn't anymore. Yugi hesitated a moment, then moved forward until he was almost standing on him. Yami didn't budge. Relieved, Yugi lowered himself to lay next to him close enough that their sides brushed. Yami grunted but did not argue. And Aki isn't stupid enough to do it again. Considering they're the biggest issues where he's concerned, I think he's fine.

You don't think Shay will try to fight him again?

Shay was never trying to fight him to begin with. He's not stupid enough to do so. He was posturing before. He tends to listen after he witnessed my fight with Yubel. He follows my lead when I tell him to do things or pay attention. Yami's breathing had begun to even out, voice becoming groggy. And I don't expect him to go back on that anytime soon.

Yugi hummed, stretching out more comfortably beside him. Yami was asleep by the time he'd settled. His exhales were soft whistles, nose twitching every other breath. Yugi watched him a moment, then lowered his chin to his paws as well. He synced his breathing, tilting his head, and listened closely for his heartbeat. It was slow, steady, and there was no pain to be found in the noise.

When he began to fall asleep, his mind was surprisingly clear of anything. Stray ribbons of color began to sort themselves through, weaving about as if summoned. There was mostly red, then a dark maroon, various spots of blue and small specks of white and black. For a long time there was nothing but this. And then, slowly, with effort, as he grew numb to his senses, they began to weave together more fitfully. It became like a river, speckled and frosted along the edges like stones beneath a rippling stream.

Slowly it began to fray and separate, picking itself apart as if torn by claws. His surroundings became lighter, turning mostly white, and for a moment he was suspended in it. Then, as seconds passed, the white began to darken vaguely and take shape. Yugi found himself in the library of his school. The shelves were lined with books in a meticulous fashion, the smell of the air sickening with distant sweetness. A metallic edge crept into his senses and he stiffened, looking around. Something was wrong, but his mind could not pinpoint it. The doors leading to the hallway were nonexistent when he glanced toward them.

A rough hissing started in the back of his mind. Yugi spun, hearing it almost if it were whispering in his ear. Shadows seemed to stretch and dance across the wall beyond his shoulder. The figure in front of him foamed at the mouth. Blood flecked their saliva, small strands of bile covering the crevices of their lips. They seemed to be choking, breathing hard and rasping.

It didn't happen like this, some small part of him thought. And the smallest hope budded in him that if he remembered this it would smooth the edges. But now all he could do was tremble, eyes stretching wide. The boy's mouth opened, jaw slack and crunching as if shattered at the base.

"The shadows are bleeding."

Yugi backed up a step. His voice was raspy, small, but the edge was firm. "This isn't how it happened," he said loudly. Maybe he was stupid for saying it. It was a dream, after all. He knew it was. But some stubborn part of him repeated the words desperately. Some part of him had grown fearful, as if the differences needed to be sorted and remembered. "This isn't how it happened."

"The shadows are bleeding."

His head snapped back with an audible pop. Globs of foam fell from his jaw, trailing down his chin to the floor. They were slightly red, streaked with yellow and green and orange. His eyes rolled up in the back of his head with a watery noise. His teeth clicked and he dropped to the floor with a spasm.

Yugi stared at the body as it twitched and writhed. This isn't how it happened, he insisted, breathless. Witnessing this death was not calming. But he forced it away. His stomach lolled as he looked up again. The exit doors were there now, wide open. Yugi glanced down, surprised to see the body still there. He blinked, moving towards the door and out into the hallway

Immediately it bled away, almost disintegrating beneath his feet. Yugi only had a moment before the floor fell away and he seemed to be swallowed away into a pit of darkness once more.

But the darkness opened itself like a sore. It oozed, screaming and scraping. Something hot and sticky clung to him. He struggled against it, tossed about like a toy. Waves of blood swelled up, crashing against him. Yugi gasped and sputtered, the metallic taste making his senses reel. The cloying scent threatened to suffocate him.

He could feel hair clinging to his skin. Blood soaked every pore of his being. Teeth drifted past him, the wolf's jaw crushed to nothingness. Skulls littered the river. Screams billowed up, hollow cries of "Angel of Death" and "Atem" ringing through the darkness. He flailed his arms, kicking his legs, but there was no leniency in the blood's grip. He snarled when he heard laughter at the edge of his senses. The smell of decay was sweet and burning, with an edge like sulfur and flesh or hair.

"Resilience is the wolf's gift," a voice snarled. He blinked, trying to angle his head. All he could see was a dark shadow. His peripheral was glued to it, blinded. It laughed, dancing a brief moment. He snarled again, thrashing to stay afloat. But the sea of blood and bones seemed to disappear beneath him. And, as the shadow took form, its eyes a hideous red like hellfire, Yugi plummeted. "Resilience, Yugi. Remember that."

The laughter grew tenfold.

Yugi jerked awake. He stumbled to his paws, blinking rapidly. The newest flurry of snow blinded him. He blinked and shook himself out. His head snapped around to survey his surroundings. And for a moment he lost his panic and relaxed. But then he realized he no longer felt any hint of body warmth. There was no scent of mint and pine needles. His eyes snapped downward, widening though he knew Yami would be absent. The imprint in the snow was almost nonexistent. Yami had wandered away a while ago. Yugi bristled and looked around frantically, heart in his throat.

He noticed Valon first. The hellhound lay a few feet away with a rabbit in his mouth. Jonouchi was nearby, glaring, and Mai stood between them with her tail wagging hesitantly. Valon seemed to welcome the attention, wagging his tail and opening his mouth into a lopsided grin. Jonouchi bristled as Mai stepped closer.

Jonouchi charged him. Yugi blinked. The golden wolf pressed past Mai, almost knocking her over. His teeth were bared, body stiff. Valon considered him in surprise. Then he lowered and tilted his head. His tail dropped and his expression grew blank and critical. Yugi frowned, coming forward a step. Jonouchi raised his tail, bristling. Valon blinked. Then he rose to his paws, back arched and slunk away with his head down as if he were a scorned pup. Yugi watched the interaction curiously. Jonouchi feinted, snapping his teeth, Mai huffed, and Valon wandered off without a second look.

Uh, what was that?

Mai turned with a wag of her tail. Jounouchi glanced over, still bristling. The two of them eyed each other a moment and Yugi prepared himself should they go to blows. But the moment passed. His friend dropped his aggressive stance altogether, huffing and turning away.

Nothing.

Yugi snorted. But then he noticed it, a heavier and somewhat musky scent coming from them both. It made his head foggy for a split second. Something in the back of his mind prickled with unease. Another part bristled with agitation. And then pain lanced through him for a single second. He blinked again, realization washing over him.

They'd mated.

Envy made his blood hot. Congratulations, he mumbled dryly, though part of him was sincere, but that doesn't mean you get to bully Valon just because you think Mai might be interested in him. That's not how this works.

Jonouchi shot him a furious look. He growled low in his throat but Yugi ignored him as he scented the air and tried to pinpoint the direction Yami had gone. The blond wolf huffed, voice laced with frustration as he asked, And what about if it was Yami he was making eyes at? What would you do then?

Yugi stiffened. He'd rip his fucking throat out before he could blink. He stopped cold at the words he'd almost projected. Then he sighed softly. He wasn't happy with much of anything at the moment, and he was far from the right frame of mind to consider this. Yami was loyal; he'd never stray if they'd mated. He knew that. It was instinctive. If he was so loyal to him simply because he was his alpha, he'd be doubly so if they'd mated. But, considering the way things were going, he doubted it might ever happen.

Whoever he chose would be lucky to have him.

Yugi shook himself out. I'd let Yami choose, he said finally, when rationale rejoined him. If they were both human and he didn't suffer so much trauma, he'd have let Yami choose. Yami would find out who and what he wanted in life. And if it wasn't Yugi, he'd try his hardest to be his friend and support him regardless. It would kill him. But he'd do it. And then I'd make sure he was happy and stayed happy. Relationships aren't about keeping someone as your sole possession, Jonouchi.

The golden wolf looked as if he might answer, but the response was swallowed away. Mai had begun to wander away, in the opposing direction Valon had gone. Jonouchi hesitated a moment, whined, and then hurried after her. The she-wolf waited a few yards away, wagging her tail as he got to her side, and then both took off running. Yugi watched them, gutted, and bristled faintly as he caught the sound of footsteps.

Someone was headed for him, the faintest outline in the snow. He bristled more pointedly, coming forward a few steps on stiff legs. But the aggression fared instantly. He recognized the gait, slower than usual but powerful all the same. The wolf stopped a few feet away, black as an ink well. He stood there, eyes so vibrant they seemed to pulsate. And then the luster faded as he blinked and came forward.

I thought you'd sleep longer.

It almost sounded like an apology. He relaxed slightly, wagging his tail, and ducked his head to lick at his chin affectionately. He fought away a tremble. Yami looked slightly better than Yugi had seen him in a while. Something about his stance seemed far more at ease than it had been just hours before.

Where did you go?

Yami hesitated for a long moment. Something passed in his eyes, and then he licked his forehead and moved past him without a second glance. He only moved a few feet before turning around to face him again. For a moment he looked as if he might speak, but instead awkwardly sat down.

Yami kept his head slightly lowered, voice full of something like regret when he answered. I went to speak to Yusei about Jack. I…wanted more answers.

Jack? he asked, confused. He shook his head, puzzled, and then stiffened. Right! But…he said it was because Carly died. I mean, that…that is what he said, right? I was paying attention but I was watching Zane and Valon more…

Yami nodded. He did. He said Carly and Jack had bonded before she died. It's no wonder he became so much despondent after. I wasn't expecting him to turn on Yusei, however. He looked away, pricking his ears forward. I originally introduced myself to her because I knew she was going to die when I first crossed paths with her. But then I thought she was recovering. I thought Jack's efforts had made something of a difference. But she'd begun rotting again and I never noticed.

It's not your fault, Yugi blurted out, stunned by his own words. Yami glanced at him in surprise, confused. Yugi flattened his ears, embarrassed. I mean… I-it's not.

I never assumed it to be. Yami sounded more amused with the statement, eyes soft with laughter. I owe one of the hounds for that. I owe them for her infection and eventual death.

Yugi shifted his weight. She took him down, though. She…

A life for a life, if you can call it such. Yami flicked an ear. If I'm being honest, I couldn't care less about Jack and his decision to attack Yusei.

His eyes widened, stunned by the declaration. Yami scratched at his ear, peering ahead and refusing to look at him for a moment.

I wanted to know more about his spiral. None of us noticed it before he turned on Yusei. How did we miss it? Were we all so self-absorbed as to miss it? Or did we ignore it?

What makes you so sure there were even symptoms? Maybe we didn't miss anything.

Yami considered him silently for a handful of minutes. His eyes grew bleak the longer he studied him. No, you are right. There are hardly ever signs. We likely did not miss them. After all, this would be why mating for life is considered a blessing and a curse. He cast him a melancholic glance. I've only ever heard of it. But I know wolves lose their minds when their mates pass. The depression takes over tenfold and it's like…releasing a feral, rabid beast. There's something that triggers the aggression, the snap, and the wolf will turn on almost anything and everything with a pulse. Bloodshed becomes a game to them and death is nothing but a joke. Eventually the rabies symptoms of the disease take control. They become aggressive animals that aim for the jugular and never think twice. Or they become fools as their brains rot from their skills, laughing and fumbling about their remaining days in the grasp of a stupor. The former is far more common than the latter. It's so rare it's been declared a rumor.

Yugi shivered. Their death trigger it?

What else might be so alarming as to snap someone completely in half? Yami asked bitterly. He turned away with a tilt of his head. The wolf's mate is meant to be their one and only equal, whether by showing similarities or complete opposition in personalities. They love each other wholly, with no other in the picture. They become almost the center of their life, the pull of their gravity. It's only a feeling of completeness, in truth. But you understand what I mean. And, maybe if you don't now, you will one day.

Yugi wanted to snap that he knew exactly what he was saying, that he had known that feeling since the moment he'd met him. But the words were unnecessary. Yami knew, even if he hid away from it and so often feared acknowledgment of it.

It doesn't matter, however. Having someone who represents half of you—the only half you adore more than anything—taken from you would be devastating no matter how cold your heart or how detached you might otherwise be. Yami shook his head, sounding almost exhausted now. When it happens, you feel a part of yourself break with them. When you think or know they are dead, things…shift. Life loses meaning, survival becomes a cruel game, anger becomes your strongest ally, bitterness becomes your shadow, your heart darkens and turns to ice. There's no blood in your body, just sludge. When you bleed, it's a game of how much more you can take when the next pain comes.

Yugi stiffened, every fur on his body rising into a bristle. Yami…

His red eyes narrowed and flickered to focus on him again. Fuwa put me in that state. He chuckled softly, bitter and cold. That's what finally broke me. You asked me a while back and I didn't answer you. I was half-dead and he showed me the carcass of some white dog. He said he'd gotten you. And I didn't know if you could come back. So I…I snapped. Some part of me broke and from there the wound refused to close. Madness crept in. Killing became fun. Bathing in blood was how I reminded myself I was still physically there. Between dying and coming back, I found a solution to the pain. I realized I could lose myself in rage and ignore the pain when I attacked.

Yugi felt a tremor course through him.

The boars could eat me alive as they dared. I could snap their necks like twigs when I gripped their heads. I could decapitate them if I lunged from the ground hard enough. I sharpened my teeth on their tusks. Fuwa knew what he was doing. The mirrors infuriated me. Yami tilted his head. There was always some disgusting little bag of bones with black due and dull brick red eyes. I saw it constantly. And I used to break mirrors and cut myself and bleed when I ate glass. I wanted it dead. I wanted to eat that damn wolf. In my head that wasn't me. I was removed from this little beast in front of me. I saw it as…

Yugi waited for him to keep going. But Yami abruptly turned away, staring into the snow. He climbed to his paws, stumbling but catching himself.

Jack didn't deserve to lose himself like that.

Yugi bristled, drawing his lips back. Neither did you! he soar. He hurried forward a step, turning around to glare at him, but Yami refused to face him. Nothing you ever say or do could convince me you deserved that.

Yami blinked, then burst into laughter. I'm Atem! he roared, voice booming like thunder. Yugi flinched at the sound. The black wolf flashed his teeth in a hideous smirk. My very existence makes me deserving.

No one deserves that! Yugi snarled. I don't care how much you may loathe yourself, Yami. You could never deserve that.

Yami had ceased laughing at some point, but the bitterness had not faded from his eyes. He used to call me by your name sometimes. Fuwa used to call me Yugi. I never responded to it. But there was one day he did it, and I turned my head to stare at him. And I didn't know who to hate more—him for making me think you were a figment of my imagination or myself for falling for it.

Yugi flinched. Fuwa had known? He'd known even before Yami had admitted it to himself? He'd known Yugi was his weakness and Yami his. It was no wonder he'd used Yugi as a trap. Yami had been so lost and feral he'd nearly killed him for the fun of it when they'd crossed paths again.

I always thought you didn't recognize me that day by the lake, when Marik tried to kill me. Yugi trembled, watching him closely. Yami turned to him, staring coldly. But you did. You knew exactly who I was.

Yes. Yami peeled his lips back. I knew who you were. I hated you more than myself.

Yugi couldn't stop the shudder that ran through him. I thought you didn't know.

Yami chuckled. But you always suspected. There was always some small part of you that knew. He narrowed his gaze. You were never so stupid as to fail to realize.

Yugi turned away. You hated me more than yourself. He risked a sideways glance. Why?

Because I… Yami trailed off, eyes darkening; his pupils expanded. Then he shook himself out forcefully, nearly collapsing from the effort. You were my anchor. I held you on a pedestal in my own mind as the torture began. And I began to slowly but surely lose details. You became nothing but a wolf to haunt me and make my heart ache. And then Fuwa told me you'd abandoned me to this. He showed me the carcass. And I knew it wasn't you. But it no longer mattered. I… You were the embodiment of everything I had lost when I found you at the lake.

Yugi watched a flake land and melt on his nose. Your name is Yami. My name is Yugi. We're both Atem. He hesitated, raising his eyes to lock with his. Yami stared, cold and calculating, and Yugi felt as if he might shatter. All three names are four letters. And our given are only two apart. They both start with Y and end with I. Isn't that what you told me before? That you're Yami and I'm Yugi?

Yami snorted, eyes bitter as he turned away. Yes. He paused. But, Yugi… I realized you were never meant to save me. You didn't know how. And I don't even know if I truly wanted you to. When Fuwa broke me, I… I didn't care if I ever came back and sometimes I wish I hadn't. Things would be so much…easier.

For who? You? Yugi bore his teeth. That's not true.

Yami tilted his head. It'd put an end to this. It would be over. No one else would suffer for our existence. Do you… Do you never wonder how much easier it would be to just…give up?

Yugi bristled. No. I don't! But, of course, he had. Somewhere deep inside he'd considered it more than once. He'd thought of how easy it would be. If they had at least one of them, it would all be over, right? Yugi nearly trembled. When Yami had been gone—or when Yubel had attacked them in his own home…

I don't think about that. I never have and I never will. That's disgusting. I won't give up!

Interest made Yami's ears prick forward, eyes brightening curiously. Is that so? he said in some faraway voice, mumbling the words. And what if I were to die permanently? Say some miracle were to happen and I could not return to life. What might happen then? Would you continue to fight or give up?

Yugi was winded by the rebuttal. It wasn't possible. Yugi almost screamed at him for the mere suggestion. How dare he even say it? He wanted to bite him for the stupid response. But realization came then, too. He steeled himself. He breathed, forcing himself to focus. He stood straighter, raising his head and pricking his ears forward.

He locked eyes with him again. If it happens, I'll deal with it then. I'll finish this. He waited a breath. Then he steeled himself again. Afterwards…wouldn't matter. But I'll see this through first. I have to. I can't die. I can't…allow your death to kill me, too. One of us… One of us has to finish this, Yami.

Yami stared blankly for a moment. Then he chuckled, eyes sharpening and flickering away. I suppose that's where your bravery trumps my cowardice. I suppose that's where things become muddled and gray. I lost myself. But you're strong enough not to.

But I'm not, Yugi almost pleaded. He wished Yami would show bravery instead, that he had the courage and faith in this to believe him when he said things would be okay in the end. But he could not even utter the words. He was neither naïve nor dumb. He didn't believe it himself. And to say them in such a pitiful tone and hope Yami upheld them was nothing he could ask of him. So he remained quiet, watching as Yami began to walk past him.

Yugi trailed after him. Your cage mate…

Yami stopped short, turning just enough to stare at him in his peripheral. His eyes had darkened with memories and his expression was remorseful. Yes? he whispered. What of him?

He forced the mating bond with you.

Yami bristled, pupils dilating briefly. Yes, he spat, and it was stupidest damn thing he could have ever done. He sentenced himself to death.

Yugi searched his face. The anger was vivid but the sorrow made his heart shake. He loved you. He loved you enough to do that. He sacrificed his life for yours. He was breathless for a moment. I can't imagine the amount of love he felt to be able to do that.

Yami stiffened for a moment. Something in his eyes was fractured, raw and bleeding, and Yugi realized what he hadn't before. Shizuka had said something similar. She'd spoken of the green-eyed wolf. She'd known somehow. And Yami had lost himself to grief. He'd lashed out, killing her violently. It had not been with malice, but with acute and hideous pain.

His breathing was uneven. He swayed on his paws. His eyes had glazed over. His body shook with trembles. And then he focused for a single moment on Yugi. He looked as if he might lunge. And then he tossed his head back and forth frantically. His voice was quiet and gruff as he raised a paw to claw at his face frantically.

I don't.. I don't want to talk about this! he sobbed. And Yugi flinched as the black wolf threatened to collapse. I don't… Why would you…? Why? I can't…

Yugi looked away. I'm sorry, he whispered. But he found himself lacking any depth to the apology. It was shallow and weak and he felt shaky. Yami was in so much pain when he turned back that he'd begun shaking finely. He couldn't face him. I shouldn't have. I just…

No, you shouldn't have! he burst out furiously. He was shaking harder now. But there was something in his stance that spoke of restraint as well, as if his temper were boiling just beneath the surface. He was wired, statuesque but for his tremors. You have no right!

Yugi nodded. I know. He hesitated. The words were on the tip of his tongue again. But he could hardly fathom them at the moment. Yami's cage mate had sacrificed everything to see him to safety. He'd given his ability to love, his time and friendship, his attention, his health and safety, his commitment and future. He'd given his life. He'd given his aspirations and faith and everything else he possessed. And he'd done it because he'd met Yami and decided there was something in him to cherish. And he'd fought with everything he had to secure his survival. But how did he force it? Why did he have to?

Yami stared at him as if he'd been struck. For a single second he looked as if he might turn away and flee. And then he blinked a few times. His eyes grew wide and confused. And finally he lowered his gaze and stared down at the ground.

I don't…I don't know how he did it. I'd never heard of it before then. I…I thought wolves mated naturally. But he…he forced it somehow. He…did something that should have been impossible. Yami sounded lost and confused as he continued. But he…did it. And I…I…I couldn't reciprocate.

Some small part of him almost burned with pride. And then came the shame. He bristled, a shiver running through him. He shouldn't have been happy about it. He shouldn't have been so damn spiteful about something like this. It was heartbreaking. It was terrifying. It was disgusting. Yugi shook his head, looking away. His ears pricked forward, head tilting once more. He wrinkled his nose, curling his lips back.

He was pathetic.

Couldn't? he said softly. Why not?

Yami was silent for a long handful of minutes. His voice was bitter and quiet. I'm not… He shook his head. Because he wasn't my mate. He wasn't what the gods intended for me. And I was never what they intended for him, either. So, I do not understand how he could do such a thing.

He'd ruined himself for this scared, lost red-eyed wolf in front of him. Yugi wanted to laugh. His heart was pierced with pain, chest laden with aches. He shook his head. This was the same wolf who barely a month ago had broken down in his kitchen holding him, sobbing and clawing and blubbering. Yugi shook his head again. He wished he was human again.

He wished he could have held him tightly and soothed it all away. He wanted to bury his fingers in his hair and hold him close and breathe him in, smother himself with his scent. And he wished more than anything that he could tell him he loved him, that he would have given him his heart and soul to make him happy. It didn't have to be eternal. It could have been short and swift and he would have treasured it no matter what.

But it passed. Whatever opportunity he might have had, it was gone.

You can't blame yourself for the decisions he made, he whispered softly. He chose to save you. He chose you. He chose you over himself. And I'm…I'm not worry that he did it. You're…you're here, with me. And I…I could never regret that.

Yami stated blankly, then turned away. His voice was soft and low as he mumbled, You're my best friend, Yugi. I could never regret anything to do with you, either. And I'm sorry that I…lash out so often and hurt you so much. I'm sorry that I act so spiteful towards you at times.

Yugi shook his head immediately. It's okay. I…I like the idea that you feel safe enough to be angry around me. If you were only ever nice to me all the time I would wonder if you were sick or something. Or if you were afraid of me for some reason.

Yami blinked. What? He went to speak again, but the sound of other wolves approaching made him falter. His red eyes flicked to a point past Yugi's shoulder. The white wolf turned his head. They both studied the small group of yearlings running through the snow. Yusei was trailing them, limping heavily, Chazz in the lead, Syrus and a few others chasing after.

Slow down! Yusei whined. He stumbled and nearly hit the ground. But he caught himself somehow, panting. He shook himself out, stumbling when his leg almost collapsed, and took a seat. The others only stopped when they noticed their alpha and beta sitting there watching them. Yusei scrambled over to them, breathless. That wasn't fair!

Chazz snorted. You were the one bragging about your speed.

Yusei glared at him, flustered, then glanced uncertainly at Yami and Yugi as if he expected them to lash out. His ears flattened against his head as he turned to look away again, huffing. You can't just ask how I won and then run off while I'm trying to tell you! He seriously messed up my leg, remember?!

Syrus was wagging his tail rapidly. Oh, come on, Yusei! We're just having some fun!

Yusei huffed a breath. Chazz turned to speak to him, but Yami interrupted when he asked, You were talking about fighting Jack then?

Chazz faltered, tail dropping and eyes widening. He glanced at them and then to Yusei again. He hesitated a few seconds, flicking his ears back and forth rapidly a few times. And then he shivered and looked away. We were swapping stories about our best fights.

Yami blinked. Oh? Is that so? He leaned forward, wagging his tail slightly. Yugi glanced at him in bewilderment. If we're swapping stories, I have one. It'll trump any story the rest of you have. And I bet even Yugi can't top it.

Your fight with Yubel doesn't count, Yuya argued. He huffed, head tilted, one ear flattened and the other forward. Yugi thought he looked like a curious German shepherd puppy. He thought of Blankey for a moment and felt shame worm its way through him. He hadn't even been able to help Honda before Yubel had gotten to him. And he didn't know what it was that had been done with her. He guessed they'd put her in a shelter. Yugi decided, chest squeezing, that if he managed to survive all of this, he would find and get her back. That's common knowledge!

Yami snorted. Yubel? She's not my best fight.

Kotori narrowed her eyes, shaking her head. You have a better fight than that? There's no way! she scoffed. You couldn't have a better fight than that. You took on a bear! She was a bear! And you held your own against her!

The black wolf wagged his tail again. I killed a tiger, he said, grinning sloppily. He flicked his ears a few times, then took a seat. Immediately the group of yearlings swapped looks, hurrying forward to plop down. Yugi almost laughed at the display. They refused to look away from Yami now, attention glued completely to him. And the black wolf was clearly enjoying it, making his voice low and velvety as he spoke. It was about three months ago. I wasn't with the pack and had not been for at least two months. I had met Yugi relatively close to then.

Yugi took this as a cue to come closer and take a seat. He stretched out and lay his chin on his paws, closing his eyes and steadying his breathing. Yami was still setting up the story, mentioning the fire at the restaurant and Yugi's wound, when Yugi dozed off. Yami's voice remained with him, enveloping him, soothing and soft and warm. And all the white wolf could truly think was, I'm making the right choice. And some part of him was assured in this. But the other was hesitant, wondering beneath the pull of sleep.

He did not dream for what felt hours. His mind was comfortable, splendidly silent but for the occasional stir of voices. Yami's pulled at his senses the most, of course, as he'd trained himself to respond instantly to the sound. But now he slept through it. And if his voice might have risen, it was not by the time Yugi finally came out of his doze in the darkness to glittering ice and deep blue shadows beneath a clear night sky so brilliant each star might be detailed.

Yugi yawned, slowing rising to his paws. He stretched, bones popping with stiffness from spending so much time in the same position. The white wolf looked around for a moment, expecting at least one wolf to be there to notice him. But it was, to his surprise, more or less empty but for the single canine he found standing a few feet back.

Aibou? he demanded curiously. He wagged his tail, excited but tentative as we. Yami blinked, watching him with his head tilted. For a single second Yugi wondered if he was hallucinating. But he realized abruptly Yami was looking past his shoulder, the positioning of his eyes giving the appearance of peering straight at him. Yugi looked over, spotting several wolves now. What are you doing here, Yami?

Yugi said the words softly, warmly. He wagged his tail as Yami glanced toward him. The black wolf stared a moment or two, then mirrored the tail wag and turned away. His ears pricked forward as he looked around. The wolves in the shadows were not close enough to identify. They seemed to be all but nonexistent in the dark, hidden and blended.

Abruptly a shape burst forth from the dark. Yami bristled, alarmed, peeling his lips back to show his teeth. But he stopped short. The gray male that had jumped over the snow dune hardly seemed to care. He strode lazily forward, gait calm and steady. Yami blinked, forcing himself to relax. The male didn't bother to so much as look at them for more than second. But he could see someone else now, jumping down a small incline and running forward. Yami flicked an ear, unsure of himself.

The she-wolf to join them was mostly black, with a brown and slightly tawny undercoat. Her gray eyes were warm and soft. Her tail wagged rapidly when she got within a few yards of them. The gray male didn't react to her, continuing toward Yami and stopping only an inch or so away from him.

And I used to think you looked bad in the labs.

Yami tilted his head. I only remember beating you when you got too close.

Oh, is that what you call getting knocked over and your face torn open?

As the victor, I do.

The she-wolf snorted. Okay, calm down. I'm sure if you ask nicely, Yugi will say you're both cute.

He shook his head immediately. Paws down voting for myself.

Yami and the gray male both turned to look at him. The she-wolf snickered, wagging her tail. Her eyes were locked on Yami now as the Pure-Blood shook himself out and turned back to the gray wolf, mumbling, He's still upset about how I told him he wasn't adorable and fluffy once.

I'm not surprised. The gray wolf studied Yugi a moment. I still can't believe you're the one who killed me. I'm a better fighter than Yubel could ever hope to be and somehow you managed to kill me. How the fuck does that work?

Yugi bristled immediately at the sound of her name. His eyes flashed and his body tensed before he huffed, looking away. Yami shook his head. Bakura, don't start, he warned. The gray wolf shot him a look that said he didn't give a fuck what Yami said to him. The black wolf stepped forward, raising his head and eyeing him. Abruptly Bakura turned away again.

Well, your usual friends couldn't help you today, Bakura announced, voice cold. They send apologies, I'm sure. Whatever; I don't care. Ra sent me and Morrigan sent Echo. We're to lead you to them to have some kind of important conversation or something stupid like that. I don't honestly know and I sure as fuck don't care.

Yugi snorted. You're always so friendly and helpful. I'm so glad we got to meet like this again, he scoffed. But he was wagging his tail when Yami glanced over; his anger had long since been replaced with laughter. It's nice to see you again, Echo.

She blinked, wagged her tail again, and turned to Yami. He apologizes for not coming to help you himself, but he's…busy.

Yami swallowed a whimper at the reminder. Bakura was staring at him with cold eyes, watching for any hint of weakness. I didn't know you could be busy in Paradise, he said wryly to avoid trembling. Considering it is meant to be a peaceful resting place, you would assume that one would never be busy again.

Echo was quiet for a few seconds. Then she glanced at Bakura, turning away. He has a few things he's trying to discuss with Slifer. So far, he hasn't gotten anywhere with it. But he did manage to convince Morrigan and Skoll to help him with something or other. I can't tell you anything, though. It might change things and they're already too tentative. I can't be the one who sets things into motion. She turned to Yugi. But I do know there's something big awaiting you today.

Me? Yugi murmured, bristling faintly. His eyes shot to Yami, boring into his. Just me?

It's for both of you, Bakura corrected coldly. He turned to Yami, brown eyes dark and smoldering. Yami was not sure what he read there, if it was anger or perhaps concern. But it was gone instantly. It's not just for Yugi. It's for you as well.

He nodded slightly. But some small, selfish part of him wished it was just for Yugi. He wished the gods would forget he existed and leave him to rot to death on his own. Maybe if he tried hard enough, he'd force them to kill him. After all, a Pure-Blood so broken as he was dangerous if he did truly snap one day; if he were to lose himself entirely, he could bring the world to its knees and never look back. And wouldn't everything be so much easier after that? Yami truly almost wished for nothing more.

Why is it snowing? Yugi asked suddenly. If you weren't here, I'd think I was awake in the real world right now. When did it start snowing here? Why is it snowing? I thought Paradise was supposed to be peaceful. It kind of looks chaotic with all the snowfall.

Yami wanted to smother him with licks for distracting them like this. The question had made them both turn away, examining the snowfall. Yugi looked over at him quickly, checking to see that he was okay before the conversation continued. Yami had the impulse to step closer and press into his side, to try to melt into him. If it had not been for their presence, he might have burrowed into his side and fallen fast asleep. But Bakura was there, watching him, and he knew Echo remembered what he had told her that day she lay there dying. He had no room to show weakness, he realized.

Even if his cage mate had been there, he wouldn't have done it. That would have been more out of respect for the green-eyed wolf, but Yami would have at least tried not to look so weak before him, either. He had, after all, sacrificed truly everything in order to save him. In the reverse, Yami would have hoped his charge wouldn't rub it in his face that he was not all that he'd hoped he could be.

The guilt was enough to make his flesh crawl. He narrowed his gaze, bristling, and pricked his ears forward. If he were even half as brave as his cage mate had been—but then, he couldn't even bring himself to think his name anymore. It hurt too much. It destroyed him every time he so much as considered it. Trying to even think straight long enough to get the first syllable out was enough to almost wind him.

Yami flinched when Bakura turned to him again. The gray wolf startled, tail raised and snarl immediately across his face. Then he blinked, losing his tension altogether. You're jumpy as ever, he scoffed, voice oddly amiable. The snow was oddly silver in shade with the smallest touch of white in the center and gold on the very tips, Yami noted as he looked away. He tried to ignore the stare Bakura cast him but it was cold and harsh, burning through him. I wasn't expecting you to be so scared of everything. Your own shadow sets you off these days.

His voice was bitter when he snapped, Was there ever a time it didn't, Bakura?

Bakura looked stunned by his tone. Then he shrugged it off, shaking his head. I think I remember a time when you were braver than this, he murmured. But he didn't continue. Yami almost shivered with relief despite his displeasure toward the response.

He certainly didn't remember that. Or…no, he did. He did remember. He just refused to think so far back any longer. The wolves he'd known back then were all dead. Should any be alive, they likely mourned themselves and wished for death to swallow them. He wasn't stupid. Depression had been contagious in that place. It smothered them equally, refusing to be subdued by any means. It hated them all with a passion, great and terrible and looming over them when it had not sunken its teeth into each and every one of them.

Yami shivered and ignored it when the others turned to stare at him with varying expressions. He raised his eyes to Echo's. You said we were expected somewhere?

No, actually, I did, Bakura sneered. Yami refused to look at him and Echo stared at Yugi awkwardly, head tilted and gray eyes troubled. Yugi looked pointedly at Bakura, however. He looked as if he expected him to lunge, but the gray wolf hardly seemed to care as he shook himself out. The snow laden on his pelt dissipated, gleaming like diamonds. Yami froze, momentarily mesmerized by the display. And, yes, we do have somewhere we need to take you both.

Okay, let's do this then. I'm tired and I want to get back to sleeping regularly at some point, Yugi said wryly. But he was staring at Yami in his peripheral, his gaze sharp and burning through him. Is that okay with everyone else or am I asking too much?

You've suddenly got a pair of balls on you, Bakura snorted. He turned away, trotting forward a few steps and pausing to shoot them a glare over his shoulder. Well? Are we going or not? You just said you were in a hurry.

Yugi shook himself out, rushing forward. Yami fell in step hesitantly behind him and Echo dashed past Yugi to Bakura's side. Yami did not bother to move any faster or gain the spot beside Yugi. He kept his pace even and slow. His paws felt heavy with dread and he swore his senses swelled with something he couldn't quite name. It was familiar and powerful, almost like death but with a soft edge that reminded him of blood. He could not breathe for a single moment, skin crawling fiercely.

Yami.

He looked up, confused. Yugi was so far ahead he could barely tell it was him there against the snow. Yami blinked, flattening his ears against his head. He'd stopped walking at some point, he realized. And for a moment some part of him swelled with defiance. He could stay there. He could hide in the snow and ignore the outside world.

What was there outside anyways? He truly had nothing there to care about. Everything was painful and grievous and he could barely stand himself or the things around him—

But the pain wasn't numbed here, either. And it was apparent to him now there was nothing he could truly shake. The grief would remain no matter what, the pain would always stab at his heart, and fear would always eat at the earth beneath his paws.

And, here, the reminders were not just memories. They were breathing and moving about. They spoke and played and wagged their fluffy tails. They growled and howled and bore their teeth and flicked their ears. They looked at each other—at him—and could display their disdain then and there. He had no refuge here.

I have none in the real world, either, he thought. He tilted his head, looking as the white wolf began to move toward him. His eyes were wide, confused and troubled. He stopped a few feet away, tilting his head to mirror him with a concerned expression. Yami hesitated a moment, then stepped forward. It was hard to do a second time, but he managed by some miracle. He lowered his eyes and looked at the snow, stopping mere inches from him.

Aibou?

He shook his head, unable to muster the energy to tell him not to call him that. The ensuing argument would only exhaust him further. He waited a long moment, then closed his eyes. It wasn't fair, he mumbled, what I told you earlier… It wasn't fair of me.

Yugi blinked. Earlier? he echoed. But it took him only a moment to understand before he tilted his head and offered him a small smile of bright white teeth. He wagged his tail. You don't hate me now. So it's all okay!

Yami had the feeling then Yugi was just as afraid as he was at the moment. It startled him, because despite the many times Yugi flinched away from conflict, he'd never been as cowardly as Yami. He didn't hide behind fights to assert himself or appear stronger. He didn't hate himself or want to dig his way out of his own skin. He didn't want to kill needlessly or hide behind conquests or battle to make a name for himself. He didn't hide when things got harder. He didn't confront them outright, but he usually waited and studied and tried to find an angle he could win with. And, from there, he would succeed.

Yami's heart hurt as he looked at him. He was so tired of this game they played. Yugi tried so hard to show him support and Yami abused it outright, hiding behind it. He'd done it since the moment they'd met. He could almost convince himself he saved him for that reason alone. He'd known his own features by then, how different he looked as a human and how alike they seemed.

I don't want to have this discussion here, Yugi said abruptly. Yami blinked. When had his eyes hardened and his mouth shut? When had he dropped his tail and begun staring at him so harshly? When had they fallen into this standoffish position? I won't have it here, let me rephrase. We can discuss it when we're back at the camp and not before.

Yami hesitated. Then he stepped closer, pricking his ears forward and almost bumping noses with him due to proximity. It doesn't matter. I'm sorry. He lowered his head. I'm sorry I said that before. I'm sorry I did all that to you.

Enough, Yugi snapped, bristling and curling his lip back. I don't want to hear it.

And what if this is the only time I have the chance to say this, Yugi? What if we have no chance later and—

I don't want it! Yugi snarled, teeth nearly clipping his nose. I don't want your apologies. I want your help. I want your… I need you. Do you understand? I don't care for your apologies. I don't care for your grief about things beyond your control. I care that you stay with me, that you help me, remaining safe and…and maybe I can't keep you that way. But I want to try. And you apologizing for things that you can't control; it does nothing for either of us.

Yami blinked. He could hear Bakura and Echo hovering nearby, pacing as if they expected a fight any moment. He couldn't make himself rise to that challenge. He wouldn't find the anger necessary to fight Yugi here and now. So, he settled for his usual bitterness and self-hatred, hissing, I hurt you and I take and take and take. And then what is left of you at the end of this, Yugi? Where does it all end? Either I destroy you, or we perish together. What would you rather? You cannot keep supporting my failures and taking the burden of my mistakes for your own.

I offered a long time ago to do just that, Yugi spat. He raised his tail, but it did not go higher than his spine. It was almost a friendly stance but for his angered expression. He snarled low in his throat but did not turn on him. And maybe it's not fair to either of us. But this is how it is. And we can either wallow in self-pity or we can pick ourselves up and try again. Which would you rather, Yami? I can't afford to go so far in the past that I can't get back here. And neither can you. I can't afford for you to. Do you understand? I. Need. You.

The repetition made him tremble. Yami felt his hatred sour, curling in on itself and folding. He bristled, then looked immediately away again. This truly wasn't the best time to have this conversation. Yugi was right. But then when else might they? He could hardly think of another time more suitable. But then, this conversation, as much as he might push for it, was one he was not truly ready to have. He'd have to step back and analyze the millions of mistakes he'd made leading to this point. He'd have to dwell back on his memories and pluck them forth and pull them apart and slowly force them into the air between them.

And he couldn't do that.

Yami conceded with a small nod. He wanted to ask why he would ever need him. The chaos he'd brought into his life, from the very beginning to now, was overwhelming even to him. Yami could not imagine being in Yugi's shoes and being forced to pretend it was all okay for his sake. If Yami had never known loneliness, he would assumed the thought to be the embodiment of it in its purest form. But he'd known loneliness like a faithful shadow for years now and it wasn't this admission. The sight of Yugi's face now, the reality the distance between them had grown so immense he could not scale, was enough to make him almost tremble.

This wasn't how it should have been. But he did not know how to fix it. And he had no power to change the mistakes he'd already made. And he didn't think he could save himself, let alone the boy in front of him who was most deserving.

Right. Let's go then. He moved past him, pausing only to glance at him. Yugi was staring, eyes tired and face exhausted as if he'd been hollowed out. The white wolf had lowered his head, staring at him almost as if he did not recognize him. Yami wondered how often he himself had worn such a desolate expression. But for the moment he refused to linger on that. I'll race you.

Yugi offered him a hollow little smile, one that just barely touched his cheeks. He shook his head and turned around. Yami put on a small burst of speed, surprised when Yugi mimicked him in order to match his stride. When they reached the other two wolves, Bakura and Echo watched them with considerable confusion. He ignored them, slowing down, and Yugi did the same as they both came to a stop. He did not have the words to explain, so he didn't bother, and the white wolf offered nothing.

They walked for a long time in silence. Bakura and Echo occasionally glanced at each other and then the other two, as if to verify they were still there. They moved in mindless silence, Yami stumbling briefly as he regained his footing.

Seto said he was hoping to see you at some point, Bakura said abruptly.

Yami stumbled, halting a step, and blinked in confusion. Seto? he mumbled in bewilderment. He knew the name. He could even match it to the face. But it made no sense. They'd interacted only a handful of times before his escape. He blinked and looked away. Yugi had stopped at his side, watching him intently. Why?

Bakura tilted his head, eyeing him. He's your cousin, he scoffed, as if Yami were slow and needed a reminder of how to communicate. So why wouldn't he want to eventually see you?

Yami laughed sharply. I could think of a number of reasons, he snapped. He shook himself out, ignoring the sympathetic look Yugi cast him. I can't think of a single reason for him to want to see me.

Yes, and he's dead now. So maybe you guys should try to get closer, Bakura snorted. He turned away again. Whatever. He asked me to tell you and so I did. If you don't see him, I don't care. I agreed to that, not making you meet with him. If he wants to see you, I'm sure he could figure out how to put in the effort for himself sometime.

Yami flicked an ear. Then he stopped walking altogether, spitting, Why are you both here? Why did Ra send you? Why not someone else? Wouldn't it have made more sense to send someone else entirely? Seto makes more sense than you, Bakura. And Echo, regardless of what I told you that day, you have no reason to be here, either. So why?

Oh, don't get your fur so ruffled, Bakura scoffed. He trotted ahead even as Echo froze, stunned by the outburst. I don't know why she sent us, either. Maybe she decided to be a bitch and chose differently for once. Maybe it's because she wanted to remind you both or why you are. Who knows? I'm not a god. I couldn't tell you to save my life.

To remind us who we are? Yugi echoed a long moment later. His voice sounded far away, lost and barren, as if he were struggling to speak. He shook himself out, straightening immediately after. What the hell does that mean?

Bakura blinked and turned around. Echo looked away, ears pricked and muzzle pointed toward the ground. For a moment they stayed silent. Then she turned to him, tilting her head. You're both Atem, the original and the secondary.

Well, yeah, Yugi said slowly. That's why everything is so fucked up in my life. What are you getting at, though?

Yami tilted his head, startled by the hostility creeping into his tone. Yugi… He couldn't find words when the white wolf turned on him. His blue-violet eyes were clear and cold like gems, and Yami nearly flinched away. He looked as if he wanted to dig his teeth into his face at any moment. It was stunning how quickly he'd gone from supportive to aggressive. And he knew Yugi recognized him, because he was staring him in the eye, bristling but not snarling.

There was no light in his eyes that said he did not know who he was or why he was there standing. And if Yami could have recognized him in the midst of all the turmoil brought on by his feral state, he knew for sure that Yugi could do the same.

What she's saying is that you've both acted as Atem, Bakura snarled. His eyes were cold with frustration. Yami blinked, looking away even as Yugi stared almost pointedly at his neck. Yami wondered for a moment if he truly would strike out at him.

And?

We're the best examples of it, he snapped, flashing his teeth. You tore my head off, your first kill as a wolf if I remember right. And Yami showed mercy when he told Echo that story while she was dying. Individually it does not look like much, but considering they mirrored each other's behavior it makes a difference. Until that point Yami was the only one with blood on his jaws. And Yugi, you were the only one to take time to comfort someone as they lay dying.

Yami flicked an ear. He remembered Obelisk mentioned it once, when they'd spoken of his stance as beta and said he would relinquish his rank for Yami without conflict. He'd said something of Yugi talking to a yearling as she lay dying on a ledge during a hunting trip gone wrong. She'd tumbled over the side, speared in the side and bleeding to death. Yugi had stood and spoken to her the entire time.

Yugi blinked, head snapping around. You were with Echo when she was dying?

If Yami had been suspicious, he would have thought the tone slightly hostile. Instead he blinked, flicked an ear, and mumbled, Yes. But he didn't have the strength to explain why. There had been so much he'd told her in those few minutes. And, while she had been in such pain, it'd offered her the solace she'd been so desperate for at the time. He closed his eyes and shook the memory away. It had been so hard to tell her those things, but they'd given her as much happiness as they had him pain.

Yami opened his eyes again. Bakura was staring at him blankly. Yugi was studying him. Yami watched Echo from the corner of his eye. He almost wondered if she would speak. But she was watching Yugi, as if she thought he might lunge.

When you acted so much alike it meant you were rubbing off on each other. It means you're working together, learning and growing. It means you're unified. Echo fell quiet for a moment. But you've been spiraling backwards. Yugi, you're becoming colder, and Yami, you're getting lost in yourself again. For you both to survive, that can't happen.

Yami snorted. Survive? he sneered, turning on her. You call this surviving? It's the most miserable excuse for that I've ever seen.

And let's be honest, shall we? Yugi chimed in, voice bitter and resentful. Only one of us is going to make it out of this alive. We can't both survive this. But thanks for the joke.

Yami almost gaped at him, horrified. But Yugi refused to face him, staring at Bakura as if to challenge him. But Bakura simply huffed with a shake of his head and turned away to lead them along again. Echo flinched and followed and Yami hesitated before following. An abrupt snarl made his head snap around; Yugi was not looking at him, hanging his head and growling under his breath.

Yugi?

He blinked, head snapping up and eyes locking on him immediately. The frustration faded instantly as he stepped closer to lick his forehead and nuzzle his neck. I'm okay. Don't worry about it, he mumbled before turning away.

Yami wanted to argue but couldn't find the energy.

When they reached the center of a large field, the moon high overhead and showing between a wide expanse of clouds scattered about the sides, the stars shining beside it gloriously, and the sky ribbed with a thousand different shades of blue and red, Bakura stopped. Echo came to a halt a few steps ahead of him, then turned to face them. Yami was still staring up at the oddity of the formation of the sky overhead. Nothing touched the glow of the moon, the silver and white too powerful to be shielded or blocked aside by the clouds. The flakes did not even drift in the direction of it and the sky was darker beyond those brushstrokes of color, so deep that Yami felt as if he were staring into a void. He bristled uneasily, the thought striking him with such clarity it made his skin crawl.

He could feel it now, an intensity that swept through and left him almost breathless. He could feel it like a breeze, pushing through his fur and wrapping around him to smother his senses, pressing like a blanket. Every muscle in his body felt tight and raw beneath it. His legs felt all at once as if they could move and never stop and so laden with weight that he could not move them. His nose burned with smells now, tingling as if he'd stuck it in a basin of oil that rubbed the muscle raw. His skin tingled and itched and his ears felt altogether clogged but somehow full of noise as well. The air tasted oddly crisp but somehow humid and sticky as well. He didn't know exactly how to navigate the unfamiliar sensation but he could not shake it.

He could feel his hair standing in every direction now. When he lowered his gaze from the sky and looked ahead of them, his stomach lurched. His mouth felt dry as he looked about. The wolves before him were standing near the center of a clearing with a tall gorge-like stone formation as if the ground had been scooped with a paw. He tilted his head, peering towards it with a mixture of unease and mild excitement. When he drew in a breath, he swore he could taste something in the air like dense ivy and nightshade, brambles and ice water. He wriggled his nose, trying his hardest to catch the scent more noticeably. But he could only taste shadow and moonlight now.

Yami tilted his head and looked away towards the edges of the clearing. There they were. Ra was seated with her tail around her paws, posture straight and eyes locked on them. Slifer had her head lowered slightly, her stance straight but for her neck, golden eyes locked on his face. Obelisk was standing, eyes narrowed and half-closed, head slightly tilted, seemingly staring off into the distance. And, across from each, reigning by their domain, came the hellhounds. Yami stiffened at the sight. Morrigan mirrored Slifer's position perfectly, Skoll Ra's, and Hati Obelisk's. The three of them were staring at him, however.

He bristled faintly. Skoll was an off-white color much like Sartorius, silver beneath the moonlight but most likely a creamy white color in the sun. His eyes were a ghostly aquamarine, so pale that they became almost silver when he tilted his head a fraction. And Hati was a wolf that stood too tall, with large paws and long legs and a denser coat much akin Yami's own, his head broader and his muzzle wider. His eyes were like spilled wine, chillingly cold as they bore into his.

Obelisk watched him closely now. Slifer bristled faintly, shifting her weight. Morrigan twitched slightly. Hati was oddly still. Skoll flicked his ears and pinned Yugi with a stare. Ra turned her head to look over her shoulder and towards the hollow in the stone behind her. And, to Yami's shock, a wolf came out. He stiffened, bristling in surprise. But the newcomer merely shook himself out, green eyes bright and full of excitement as he looked towards the gods with a wag of his tail. He flicked his russet ears and trotted forward with his tail raised partially.

Hati began laughing soon after. Ra spun on him, snarling, and the six of them fell into a quarrel that sounded like some big cats fighting. But Hati was still laughing, a deep and hideous noise that set Yami's fur on end. The green-eyed wolf trotted straight over to Bakura and Echo, wagging his tail. Yugi was statuesque beside him, staring blankly and studying Yami's cage mate with an expression he could not read. It was not aggressive, nor was it upset in any manner. But he didn't like that he was watching him so closely either.

Glad to see your balls finally dropped! Bakura laughed. Yami's cage mate snorted and stretched himself out, wagging his tail again. Yugi was still staring blankly. Echo watched Yami with something like pain in her eyes. I wasn't expecting you to ignore Slifer like that.

He straightened again, standing taller. Slifer has her wires crossed if she thinks she can stop me from doing what I need to, he announced. He turned his head to look over at Yugi, wagging his tail. The rest is all you. I can't do anything more than I have. But I don't doubt you'll manage it on your own.

The white wolf pricked his ears and raised his head, confused. Huh?

Yami didn't have a chance to back up. His cage mate turned to him, trotted closer, ran his tongue over his muzzle and murmured, I'm glad to see you! He wagged his tail faster, eyes sparkling, and then turned back to Bakura. We should probably move along. They'll want to speak to them on their own, don't you think?

Bakura snickered, staring at Yami's startled face. He looked as if the world had just been made for him. Yami blinked, still unsure whether to respond to his cage mate or not. But all he could think of was apologies and pathetic whispers and the plea that he not hate him for the choices he'd made or the things he hadn't been in control of. His heart hurt as he kept his eyes locked on the two gray wolves.

His cage mate turned to him for a single second, eyes warm and soft and so deep he could have drowned in them. But then he turned away again and murmured, Come on, Bakura. I'm sure Hati and the others would like to speak to them alone.

Yami pricked his ears forward, bristling as he mumbled, Hati? in such a low voice he was amazed it was even audible. His cage mate and Bakura both turned to him and his former best friend—his death barring this title singularly—blinked as they considered each other a moment longer. Yami almost trembled, heart racing in his chest and making him nearly stumble. He felt it almost impossible to breathe for a long minute.

You know Hati is interested in you, Bakura snorted. He's been raving about meeting you for a long time now.

A long time? He was dormant until a little while ago, wasn't he? Yugi asked quietly, voice slightly suspicious and with a cold edge creeping forth. I thought he was dormant until recently.

Well, yes, Echo mumbled, hesitant as she glanced at Yami, but he was also conscious for a while before he decided to bring himself to this state and meet you both. He's been watching Kris and Valon and Yubel for a month or two now. But he's been curious about Yami for a while. He's been curious about him since he heard that Yami managed to snap Obelisk's neck that day in the woods. And he's been even more interested recently because he found out about the things that he's gone through.

Abruptly his cage mate turned on him, voice quiet but full of meaning as he whispered, Don't let anything he says get to you. He runs his mouth and he says things he shouldn't. And he's…no one that you should worry about, okay? He's not the god you need to pay attention to. He was quiet for a moment longer, then leaned forward as if he might lick him again. But his green eyes had darkened and become somewhat icy, as if he were within the heat of a storm he did not quite know yet how to weather. Promise me, Yami, that you will not let him get under your skin. It will ruin you.

Yami stiffened, eyes widening. Yugi bristled beside him, snarling softly, and looked as if he might lunge should his cage mate come any closer. But his former friend merely blinked, taking his silence perhaps as affirmation or Yugi's aggressive stance too much to bear, and turned away to begin walking. Bakura went after him, and Echo trailed him almost immediately.

Yami watched them until finally they seemed to disappear beneath the onslaught of snowflakes. But, as he looked into the darkness, he found himself stiffening. Bakura had stopped and turned around. His ears were pricked, his eyes glittering in the shadows. He was staring straight at him, expression one of cunning and power that Yami felt he had not seen much in the days leading to the escape.

You've grown a lot from the little runt I used to pick on, he said quietly, softly. Don't forget that you're not the same scared pup you used to be back then.

He bristled, going to answer him, but the gray wolf was gone a moment later. Yami felt oddly alone, cold beneath the rays of moonlight and the dense shadows of the night sky. He knew he wasn't there abandoned and left to his own devices despite the feeling. Yugi was there beside him; he could feel him staring, even if he did not turn to look over at him as he might have before. A part of him could not bare to even listen for his breathing. He didn't want to upset him further, or to hurt him by acknowledging that some part of him wanted nothing more than to chase his former friend into the dark and never come back.

It's so odd, a voice sang abruptly in the dark, like the distant howl of the wind or the sound of ice fracturing beneath sunlight. It was warm, soft, and some part of Yami was amazed by its design as it tickled his ears. He turned his head, bristling once more, and found himself staring straight into the eyes of the off-white hellhound god. Skoll stood a mere yard from them. His aquamarine eyes were gray with moonlight. We all created the two of you, placed everything into you that we thought would create a wolf that could carry this burden and thrive beneath it. And yet, somehow, it never occurred to us that you both would look so much alike as humans and yet distinctly opposite as wolves.

Yugi snorted. You didn't do it on purpose? He had stepped forward, positioning himself between Yami and the hellhound as if he expected the deity to attack. He stood taller than usual, his entire body stiff as if he were leaning forward slightly in a manner meant to make himself look bigger and stronger than he had formerly. His ears pricked forward and his voice was cold as he continued. What does that say about this flawed design?

Flawed? Skoll repeated. He tilted his head and peeled his lips back into something akin a smirk. Is that what you choose to call it? I call it a miracle. The two of you even finding each other was unprecedented to us. In truth, you were never meant to cross paths. You would have survived your encounter with Ushio when Tomoya chased him away. Tomoya would bite you and die soon after. You would stumble through your recovery of memory on your own and eventually you would come across the pack. Yami would have been long since exiled from it and likely hiding about somewhere in the mountains where the wolves could not find him. He was never meant to reach the city, never meant to enter it and find you. He was not the one meant to bite you. He was never even meant to come to know of your existence until the final battle came about. And then he would know you.

Yami blinked and raised his head slightly. What had set them off in the opposing direction then? What part of their decisions had so heavily altered it all? What had triggered this change? When had their paths veered so sharply?

Yami blinked. Then he turned and looked over his shoulder into the trees. His cage mate… He'd changed everything, hadn't he? He'd been Yami's one and only friend, the core reason he'd allowed himself to exist any longer than necessary. And he'd been the one to save him that day when he'd almost given up so many times before. He'd gotten him out of the labs. He'd offered him guidance about the outside world before he had even gotten to set a paw there.

He had, with only words and affection and warmth, changed so much in Yami's favor. He'd done everything he could to save him, going further than Yami had ever thought possible. He'd never befriended someone before him, nor had he shared his cage or meals or had someone take care of him or shared such warmth with. He'd influenced Yami's decision to save Yugi that night, just because he'd shown him that same mercy and told him that perhaps he'd need to share the favor one day. When he'd bitten Yugi, it had not only been because he had sensed potential in him—to hide, to survive, to care about in a sense he had only ever for his cage mate—but also because of the strength his friend had once given him. He had not meant to replace him with Yugi, but the idea of having someone somewhat reliant on him as he had been his cage mate had lessened his loneliness the smallest degree.

He turned to the white wolf now. He'd set a chain reaction into effect, hadn't he? He'd brought about the ripple of differences when he'd chosen to stay and remain and bite Yugi instead. And when he'd approached him for aid for his wrists, Yugi had set off the second set when he'd allowed him to remain with him there at the house.

How would he have known me then?

Yami flicked an ear. You would die. He means that you would die, being Atem. And I would know you from that.

Yugi blinked, blue-violet eyes shooting to Yami's now. What? he spat out before he seemed able to stop himself. Wow. That's just great. They were already planning for my death and everything ahead of time.

We plan the lives and deaths of every wolf in existence, Skoll corrected him calmly. But never before have all six of us been so heavily involved in such a thing. Your birth, of course, was an omen brought about by necessity and so we orchestrated as far as we might.

Then what changed?

Skoll was silent for a moment. Things changed when free will was brought into play. Ryou was never supposed to place a wolf into Yami's cage. And he was never meant to be unafraid of humans or scarred so terribly he could not bear to be around them. He was meant to be hidden away, to shield himself and stay out of range of any humans. The city was meant to be out of his range entirely. He tilted his head, watching them both with scrutinizing eyes. He was meant to be brought back into the fight by his own madness. It ensured that death would come about the moment he set foot within the labs again. But he was never supposed to return from his state of oblivion when Fuwa captured him, either. That was an attempt by fate to correct the various miscalculations made by our errors. But it became dangerous and the failsafe collapsed when he so stubbornly refused to forget you in the midst of it.

Yami flicked an ear. Yugi glanced at him sideways once more. But he didn't speak again, turning back to the deity almost instantly.

And then came your reliance upon each other. Atem was, as Ra has said before, meant to be a creature of resilience and self-reliance, so powerful he could make the world quake beneath his will when the time came. He blinked once, long and slow, and stared at them both pointedly as he picked his next words slowly. But this was disproven as many of our theories regarding Atem were. Things went further astray and Yami broke his path entirely when he snapped Obelisk's neck that day. We lost all ability to predict or see or measure the both of you. That had been lost in regards to you, Yugi, before then, and Yami had slipped through our grasps before he awoke to Fuwa's tortures. But it has been irreparable since that moment. Obelisk was the only one truly tied to him any longer. Yami had scorned death when he refused to enter Paradise upon dying so many times for fear of meeting his…companion here. He had scorned life when he turned his back on Ra when she visited him in dreams disguised as you. All that remained was his tie to Obelisk, as war was still so constant in his life, from his internal struggles to you to Yubel. War was everything for him in that state. And then he fought Obelisk and overpowered him as if he were nothing. And he cut his binds to us as if we were but toys.

Oh? Yugi growled. He had moved a step closer to the hellhound, angling his body more precisely between them. Yami was behind his shoulder and Skoll before Yugi's face, right in front of his muzzle. The white wolf stood tall and vicious, as if he were trying to draw his attention from Yami entirely. And now the six of you are here for what then? To fix that?

Fix it? Slifer murmured. She had come forward at some point during the exchange, standing to the side of the hellhound to face Yami with glittering golden eyes that glowed like the sun despite the darkness. No. We cannot fix it. We know that. Things have tried to rectify themselves on several occasions and failed. Willpower is something that the living possess and the gods no longer know. We've had to disregard and abandon our own for the sake of balance. And now we shall leave it to you to find the solution to the various problems to arise later.

Yami flicked an ear. It sounded as if they were abandoning them. His heart skipped a beat, panic crashing through him. But he could not find the strength to object. He could not even breathe long enough to think of a way to speak against them.

These times…call for special measures, Ra said quietly when she approached them as well. Things have gotten too far out of the way of balance for us to truly resist interference. Intervention is necessary.

Some small part of him trembled fearfully. Was judgment to be cast? He could not imagine it would be favorable. If what Skoll had just said was true, it meant that they were no longer governed by the gods. And if the gods could not control them, what was to say that they would not simply kill them for that very reason? Yami's heart raced in his chest and he couldn't help the snarl that threatened to rise from his lungs.

Hati was standing a few feet away from him now. Yami bristled, turning on him and staring coldly. The black wolf-dog stood at roughly the same height, but his back was much straighter than Yami's own. His tail was longer, straight as a sword, when he raised it in the air, but it also curled like a husky's when he moved it over his back. He sized him up for a moment before the realization crashed over him. He was sizing him up as if he were nothing more than a wayward hellhound. He was sizing up the god of war as if he were a toy. Yami blinked and turned away as quickly as he could, but his fur refused to lower. The hellhound was too close to him.

But don't mind what my brother has told you both, Hati said quietly. His eyes were locked on Yami's and he swore they looked like dried and fresh blood, like an oozing wound that was trying to heal itself. His voice reminded Yami of the wind scraping its way through barren tree branches, of the echo of a gunshot through the air, deep and rumbling like the roar of flames. You will find out more in a minute or two.

Yami went to answer him, some part of him hostile and the other desperate to understand. But it faded a moment later and he found himself instead watching Yugi with a confused expression. The white wolf was still staring at Skoll, but he had flicked his ear in Hati's direction and he knew for a fact he was watching him as well. He was between the two of them due to his placement and the direction Hati had come. Thankfully they both seemed calm for the moment. He wasn't sure what he might do if Yugi were to lose his temper thinking Yami needed his protection in some manner.

Follow me, Hati growled, raising his tail, and trotted ahead. Yugi watched him a moment, then blinked and picked his way after him. He didn't look back to see Yami, a part of him still aching at the conversation they'd been having. Instead he kept his steps almost in line with Hati's, listening closely as Yami followed inches behind him.

When they got to the entrance of the cavern—he supposed that had to be what it was; he didn't quite have any other way to describe it—he swore his skin prickled. Anxiety crashed through him for a single second, then dissipated as an eerie sense of calm crept over him. His skin crawled and his fur rose and fell in a wave of a bristle. He slowed as he set foot upon smooth stone that seemed to shimmer and pulsate like rippling water beneath his weight. He swore the air danced about him for a moment, a thick blanket which wavered as he passed through it, moving much like mist and shimmering before his eyes. He shivered, bristling once more briefly, but did not slow further. And, the deeper into the darkness, the heavier the air became.

It was thick and painful, reminding him abruptly of jumping through those flames that night. The dense smoke that had clung to his lungs and made him dizzy and seemingly clogged his nose had been similar to this feeling now. He felt as if the soot clung to his fur again, pressing forcefully down upon his skin and the entirety of his frame. Yugi shivered, blinking, and slowed a step.

It smelled earthy now. The air was wreathed with the smell of mud, the harsh crispness of ice, the metallic stench of something akin blood, and the heavier scent of ivy and perhaps something like…wolfsbane. But around that was the smell of starlight, the fresh growth of pine needles, bark hinted with cherry, and the smallest touch of running water and burning sunlight.

What…? Yugi mumbled. He stopped moving entirely for a moment. Yami slammed into his back. They hit the ground with a loud thud and clicking as their nails slid across the surface of the stone. Yugi was reminded suddenly of when he and Yami had first entered Slifer's tunnel. He'd landed atop him then, too, hadn't he? And Yami had teased him relentlessly for jumping when he stepped on that bone in the dark. He turned his head to peer at the red-eyed wolf. Yami had gotten to his feet rather slowly. His head was tipped slightly towards the ground and he looked confused as he shook himself out seconds later. Sorry, aibou. I guess I wasn't really thinking when I stopped walking like that.

Yami looked at him with considerate eyes. It's all right, he said quietly. But he sounded troubled. Yugi could not read his expression in the dark, however. The shadows were too thick and his pupils too dilated. Yugi wondered if he was afraid of whatever awaited them further inside the cavern or if something else entirely had set him off. He didn't know and he supposed it didn't matter, in truth. Yami was fearful in some capacity, uncomfortable and unsure.

I'd say I was sorry to interrupt whatever little moment you two might be having, Hati growled ahead of them, but I'm not. So if we could keep moving that would be good.

Yami flicked his ears. Yugi huffed, moving closer to press his nose to his ear for a second. Then he hurried to follow the hellhound, leading Yami along. The walls of the cavern were eerily smooth and he could see nothing but the most terrifying glow of deep red like drying blood ahead of him, with the darkest looming shadow which cut through it. The walls seemed to shimmer beneath the light and the way the shadow bounced about the stone made Yugi's skin crawl for a brief moment.

It was almost like a dimly lit room with only fire to illuminate it, a shape blocking it away from his direct view. Yugi shook the thought off and continued forward. Hati did not slow nor did he pick up pace. His stride was lazy and calm, steady as if he had no doubt they would follow him. It almost seemed as if he thought his mere presence was enough to invoke compliance. The bad part about it was that Yugi was relatively sure he was right. But a small part of him also argued that if he were not Atem or stuck in this situation, he wouldn't have cared. He would have turned and run for it if he'd had the chance in any other situation.

The cavern soon grew wide and open, almost immense enough to hold a wolf the size of a mountain within it. Some part of him almost laughed, but another swelled with panic for a brief second. Fenrir in Norse mythology was meant to swallow the earth when he brought about Ragnarok. He was supposed to devour anything and everything. Hati was to swallow the moon and Skoll the sun. And Fenrir would eat Odin and the world soon after. He knew these wolves were nothing akin the monsters mythology had made them, however. The werewolves themselves as a whole species had not been created as mankind had said in mythology. They were not made of evil magic and pacts with the devil.

And Lupa in mythology was known only as the she-wolf to suckle Romulus and Remus when they were found adrift in their basket in the river. If that were the truth of it, then he didn't know what to make of what she might look like. In the statues and drawings she was often nothing more than a female wolf with swollen nipples from her litter of pups, though usually only the twins remained with her. One statue he'd seen was one of the brothers reaching for her muzzle, her fur bristling and her mouth drawn back into a furious snarl.

That was likely for the sake of her species as a wolf, to make it more apparent. But according to the legends, from what he knew of them, she'd loved them for the time they'd been with her. If that were the case, her snarling face had to be only because she was a wolf. It was superstition and the nature of the wolf's existence that made them create her statue like that.

Hati burst forth towards the center of the immense chasm. He stood there a moment longer, then turned to them. His eyes were cold and sharp, voice a low rumble as he growled, I'm almost upset no one told me I would have a brother that looks almost exactly like me. He could be my twin, if he were not a lycanthrope.

Yugi strained his eyes for a moment. The glow Hati's eyes managed to cast was enough to make every fur on his body stand on end. Yami had crept to his side, standing almost at his shoulder with his eyes sharp and glittering in the darkness. Yugi ignored him for a brief moment, pricking his ears forward pointedly, and the shadows darting across the walls seemed to shift and pulse with ripples, dancing and then collapsing in on themselves before molding into new shapes.

To his amazement it seemed as if a separate light altogether began to form in the dark, bright silver and glowing for a single second. The smell of moonlight and fresh pine needles swirled about the earthen tunnel, pressing into his senses and making his entire body shake. For a moment the light seemed almost blinding and then it became frosted as if behind a pane of glass. It slowly took on a new definition, at first large enough that it seemed to swallow the area entirely before then. But it spread, touching everything around it, a gentle mist that seemed to be testing them before it withdrew slowly back to its core. And then, before his eyes, the shape shrunk back and took on the definitive shape of a lean she-wolf.

Her fur glimmered as if laced with stars. Her pelt was a pale shade of silver along much of her body. Her ears were a slight bronze color, gold and silver blended almost perfectly together. Her muzzle was white for about three inches past her nose. Then came the lightest touch of silver, trailing upward and to the center of her face. There it became tawny beneath her eyes, reddening into a soft cinnamon-like shade there. Her brows were a gorgeous blend between the red and tawny, fading into silver along the rest of her face. Gray traced its way from both ears to the tops of her brows. When she came forward, stepping off one of the ledges to meet them, her dorsal cape was a shimmering gray that looked almost bluish with long black strands scattered within her long fur.

The white along her chest was spiraled against soft silver, blue-gray, and streaks of creamy red and gold. She seemed to shimmer with each step, her fur glowing. Her eyes were a pale color, almost blue, but there was something within them that was eternal and ethereal, shearing away the idea of mortality entirely. Chocolate brown dusted her flanks, pale and glittering, and seemed to dissipate within the tawny and silver and small touches of black.

She stopped in front of them. And Yugi could just barely see the colors in her eyes now. They were mixed, a gorgeous and brilliant fleck to resemble each color her wolves had—purple, deep blue, gray, silver, green, teal, brown, red, gold, orange. Where each color merged, a new shade was designed. Red-orange, red-violet, blue-violet, aquamarine, all becoming a beautiful blend of a color wheel that reminded him of something almost akin an inverted sunset. He felt as if he were staring into the core of an abyss of some kind, as if he were looking into the center of the universe.

Yet they were still pale somehow, as if washed of color, and somehow brilliant and glowing all the same. He shivered. She stared at him as if looking through him. The she-wolf stood before him, her pelt shimmering like snowflakes beneath the sun, and then looked slowly to Yami. Yugi could not tear his eyes away from her entirely. But he could see Yami was statuesque beside him. He had stiffened to the point it seemed he was hardly even breathing any longer.

Atem, she greeted quietly, turning to Yugi once more. Her ears flicked back and forth once. Her eyes glimmered and danced. And, for a moment, she seemed as if she might speak once more. But it passed a second later. The air had grown heavier, colder, so frigid he thought of water inside of the tank he'd so often been dumped.

The darkness grew immense, so deep and black he felt he was unconscious. The air pressed upon him, weighted and terrible, and he blinked. Everything seemed colder than before, as if a blast of cold air had wreathed its way through the entrance to surround them. It crept through his fur and stroked upon his skin. His entire body was wracked with a hideous tremor. But it passed a moment later. The shadows stretched and morphed.

And, as she appeared, so did he. But rather than a shimmering ball of white and silver mist, he appeared in a glowing orb of red like the center of a flame. His magic spread about, stretching across the cavern as the air grew colder than ever. Yugi felt as if crystals were forming, his breath a burst of white air tinged red.

He was huge. His frame in its entirety swallowed the cavern whole. But he, like her, became smaller and leaner. But he was still immense. He stood taller than Yami at his side. His shoulders were broader. His back legs were lower to the ground. His tail was shorter, his ribcage barrel-shaped but still somehow narrow. His claws were like gleaming black daggers of keratin. His skull had a narrow slope, his muzzle wider and longer. Yugi could see the strength in his jaws, the capability to crush and maul so visible it nearly shook him. His cheeks were puffed out and his nose wrinkled back as he crept forward from the shadows. His teeth were larger than usual, his canines long and sharp like talons. His eyes had pupils the size of a pinhead, irises layered in a starburst effect of colors—red towards the pupils, golden towards the center and aquamarine at the edges.

Fenrir came forward slowly. His claws clicked loudly against the stone. His eyes glittered like lanterns. The ferocity in his stance was almost overwhelming as he moved. But he stopped next to the she-wolf, his fur as slick and dark as an oil stain. Lupa didn't turn her head to look towards him. She had locked eyes on Yugi again, studying him with apparent cunning in her brilliant gaze.

He does, doesn't he? Fenrir commented, voice like bones scraping against stone and teeth snapping in battle. He sounded all the eerie creature that haunted cemeteries and stole souls and held the world's fate within his paws. He's almost a spitting image.

Lupa ignored them both, focused entirely on Yugi still. Tell me, little one, she coaxed, what is it that you came here for?

Yugi blinked, startled. Bakura and… I thought you wanted to meet… It was hard to breathe. It felt as if the world had grown smaller, suffocating, claustrophobic, pressing down on him forcefully. He felt choked, his skin crawling beneath the force, and his legs almost threatened to collapse beneath him. A surge of pure adrenaline crashed through him immediately after, his bones almost breaking beneath its pull. He wanted to turn tail.

They were not only gods. He knew this. His mind might have tried to cycle back on that statement, to press back and refuse it, but it wasn't enough to smother instinct. He knew it all too well. Fear crept through him. Obelisk, Ra, Slifer, Morrigan, Hati and Skoll were just gods. These two were creatures beyond that title. They'd created an entire species of animals, altered time and space and existence to do so, and they'd slumbered until now when they seemed to sense their species needed them most. They were responsible for the weaving of existence for every werewolf, they overlooked the domains their children resided over, they possessed the insight to change and alter and rectify the many problems they all faced now. He knew it.

And he could not shake his terror.

What if they were not good enough? What if her judgment was to the contrary? What if she decided death suited them better and she chose to destroy them instead? Yugi almost sobbed, panic gripping his insides. Would she kill them then and there? But she'd been merciful in the stories, and… As Slifer had said before, they were anomalies where the gods were concerned. And as such, it made sense to try to kill the unknown factors within the equation.

Yes, yes, Lupa dismissed him. She snorted softly and her eyes seemed to glow a pale blue for a split second. Then she drew her lips back to show her teeth for a brief moment. Her tongue flicked over her nose. It was not aggressive by any means, Yugi recognized, but rather nervous in truth. He wondered what she knew that the others didn't, what power she possessed that they could not fathom. Yubel had been right, he realized shakily; the distance between first and second was so immense it was impossible to measure. But I meant what in your life spurred you to come forth like this.

Like…this…? he echoed. But a part of him knew and understood what she was saying to him. A part of him acknowledged it and almost fell away into nothingness. He shivered, considering her. What words were there to say? He didn't know how to answer her properly. She wanted to know what had pushed him so far along to claiming the pack and bringing himself to this point in time? What was he supposed to honestly say? Part of it had been circumstance, the other Yami. And, should she decide them worthless and kill them both, what then would saying this even prove to her? Would it solidify his weakness or would she find it a strength?

Yugi could hardly breathe for a long moment. Yami, on the other hand, had turned on Hati, snarling, I'm not a hellhound. And your eyes aren't even the same shade as mine! We don't look that much alike.

Lupa looked between them curiously for a moment. Then she snickered. Hati, leave him alone, she laughed. Her voice was lyrical like a babbling brook and her eyes were warm with affection. No doubt she was long since used to Hati egging other wolves on until they could barely stand it any longer. She turned to Fenrir after a moment and Yugi noted the large male was once more openly considering his son's words. And you don't need to tell him he's right.

What shall he do? Fenrir sniffed. His eyes were glittering with sarcastic warmth, his expression sly. Bristle and fluff up and growl at me? Watch me tremble.

Lupa laughed aloud, her tail wagging. But she shook her head and turned back to Yugi. You would think after a few million years of existence he would have become more serious, she snorted. Unfortunately what they say about males is more or less true; you never grow up.

Yugi shivered. Her fondness made him queasy. Was this what unconditional love was? Seeing mistakes and embracing them but offering support regardless? He didn't deserve it, especially not from a goddess whose entire being was his reason for existence. She'd basically birthed them all. She'd given him his first breath, constructed his very existence from some far away dream or concept. She'd given them both purpose before they were granted life, and somehow despite the various failures and all of the pain they had to have all caused at one point or another, she still somehow had room in her heart to love them.

His lack of response had not done away with her warm expression. But now he could see some kind of silent strength within her eyes, burning into his. Yugi nearly flinched, almost backing up a step. But Yami's presence beside him was comforting. It kept him from doing so entirely. Yugi basked in the reassurance he was still there beside him.

Lupa blinked. Ah, I see, she mumbled, almost as if she were talking to herself. You do this all for him then.

Yugi bristled faintly, unsure how to respond. Some part of him felt scornful, demanding to know why she hadn't realized this before. But the better part of him remembered himself, recalled his vulnerabilities before her, and shame crept into its place soon after. He did not even have the courage to say the words and he expected her to know? He almost hated himself for the thought.

Don't be so upset, she teased gently. I ask to give you the chance to voice it. I do not ask because I do not know. Being as eternal as I am, I've learned the various tricks necessary to understand the feelings of my subjects and know what their hearts desire. I made it my business from the moment I first gave birth to the wolves. And it was so simple back then. Instinct guided them more than anything, unity and family and love and territory. But when I blessed them and allowed them to become humans and wolves, things became far more complex. Humans are such fickle creatures. They take what they want but find themselves miserable when they obtain these things. Wolves thankfully are not like this.

He nearly flinched.

I also asked to know if your heart is pure enough to obtain those things you so desire, Yugi Motou, she continued softly. She tilted her head, studying him, and turned slowly to look at Yami. You have caused quite the stir as of late.

Yami turned to her, ears pricked forward. His red eyes were expressionless as he regarded her. It took him a moment to speak, but he found his voice long before Yugi ever could have hoped to. So I've been told, he mumbled. He was quiet for another second or two. Then he hesitantly flattened his ears and tipped his head to the side as if to present his neck. But Yugi could see his nose working rapidly. And he straightened again a moment later, studying her. My apologies.

Lupa watched him for a moment. Then she smiled and wagged her tail slowly. No, don't apologize, she corrected him softly. It was something that was always bound to happen. Even if Slifer had gone through with her plan to kill you both and prevent your birth later on, it would not have diverted this possibility. In fact, in those three times she considered, it would have likely strengthened you both further when you came together in the next timeline.

Was Skoll being honest when he said that Yami was never supposed to even cross paths with me?

Lupa blinked once, long and slow, and turned to look at him with a tilted head. For the most part, yes. There was always a chance that you would, from the moment you both were born. In truth, I'd been waiting for it to happen for a while. But if you had continued on the path you were meant to, as originally ordained, you would have only crossed paths in dreams and eventually upon death. Her eyes flashed, dark and glittering for a moment. Although, so much has changed that I cannot even justify death at this point.

Yami flicked an ear. His eyes were on Yugi now. But he was still speaking to her. So then Slifer was telling the truth. He is not immortalized then. He won't come back if he dies.

Lupa shook her head. No, he won't. She turned to Yugi now as well. The white wolf blinked and glanced at Yami now in his peripheral. He sounded so defeated when he said that, but hadn't they always known and suspected that? He will not come back if he is struck down.

Your cruelty astounds me, Yami snarled softly. He turned on her, bristling. You create two Atem's and only one is given full immortality. You withhold your blessing for the other. What is the point of that? Pray tell, I'm so curious.

Fenrir blinked and turned to look at him in surprise at the bold words. Yugi flicked his ears back and forth. Hati chuckled and took a seat, smirking so widely his face became ghastly. Lupa locked eyes with Yami, studying him for a long moment, and then smiled.

Because, in truth, there was never meant to be more than three Pure-Bloods or Harbingers at any given time. One of you was stunted from birth so as to prevent five in existence. She tilted her head. But then, Morrigan defied me in ensuring that your two children were given the three strengths of the Harbinger. Kris was the one meant to be able to harness all three abilities. And yet she ensured Valon was able to as well.

Yami blinked. Kris was the one who was meant to…

That explained why Obelisk had chosen to bring her to the camp then. It had not only been to draw Valon out. He'd done it to see if Kris was capable of anything as of that moment. No doubt they'd all had their eyes on her for a while now. Yugi almost snorted. What a fat lot of good that did them now. He scoffed quietly; being watched by the gods did nothing for anyone. They weren't helping him in the slightest.

Lupa turned her head to peer at him. And he expected her to argue, but the she-wolf simply studied him a moment longer. Then she turned to Yami once more. Yes, Kris was meant to be the one with the powers. Valon was meant to be stunted. He was only supposed to be able to change shape and gain energy from bloodshed. But he was given the ability to poison when Morrigan chose to mate with Hati instead of a human as I'd told her when she was younger.

If it helps, Hati snickered, we were human when we did it.

Lupa gave a long suffering sigh. Fenrir chuckled and shot his son a look of pure laughter. The she-wolf shook her head and turned to Yugi. I've been wishing to speak to you alone for quite a while now, she said quietly. I wanted to see what you wish for.

Yugi blinked. There were a million and one different things he wished for at the moment. But none of them were anything he'd tell her. He tilted his head, bristling faintly. I have nothing better to do, he grumbled. Yami was stiff beside him, staring at the she-wolf blankly. Lupa studied him again, her eyes darker but not with anger of any kind. He wondered if it was sorrow in her gaze at the moment. Let's go then.

How about you don't and say you did? Yami interjected. He was snarling now, huffing out a breath that was heavy enough to wrack his frame with a shudder. You don't need to go anywhere. She can talk to you in front of me.

Lupa turned her head to study him now. Then she wagged her tail slightly. No, Yami, I cannot. It is a matter that does not concern you.

Fuck you, Yami snapped. You tell us that he cannot come back from death and now you claim that you need to speak to him alone without anyone else to hear? And then what? You think it's okay to just take him off somewhere?

Hati cackled. Oh shit, this one has a pair of balls on him!

Fenrir blinked once, long and slow, and chuckled dryly. Brave words, pup, he growled. But I don't think you truly have a choice in the matter.

I don't fear the gods, Yami sneered in turn. He had not removed his eyes from hers, wagging his raised tail furiously. And I don't care whether I have her blessing or not after this is over. I'll rip your fucking throats out if he gets hurt. Do you understand me, Luperca? I'll rip you apart and chew on your spine if you so much as upset him.

Yugi blinked, almost stunned by the declaration. He blinked again, flattened his ears against his head, and looked at Yami for a long moment. Aibou, stop for a second. Relax. It's okay. She's not going to hurt me. He hesitated a second or two, then shook himself out, almost shuddering with disbelief. Yami was willing to try to fight them? Over him? He nearly burst out laughing at the thought. He'd get himself killed and see it as justified? Let me talk to her, okay?

Yami shot him an infuriated look. And if I don't? he spat. What then?

Yugi blinked and snorted. Then I guess we wasted an entire trip here and we'll need to go back so I can get some beauty sleep. This is exhausting and I'm not in the mood to just die of sleep deprivation, he teased. Yami blinked at him, startled, and Yugi licked his nose before trotting past Lupa and further into the den. He could barely hear her moving to follow him, but it was audible when Yami snarled and launched himself after them.

He turned around. The black wolf was barely a foot behind them. Yugi almost laughed. Lupa, however, turned her head and spoke quietly, murmuring, You can't come with him. I must speak to him alone, Yami. Stay here with Fenrir and Hati. Speak to them. I will return him safe and sound in a few minutes' time.

And he swore Yami's entire face split with panic. Then it hardened again. He snarled, but didn't come forward. When she turned and began to lead him, Yugi kept his eyes on Yami instead. The black wolf lowered his head the further away they got. His red eyes were furious, though they became fearful a second later. And then he whipped around and began pacing rapidly back and forth. Fenrir took a seat, watching him, and Hati chuckled again as he threw himself onto his back and rolled around lazily.

Yugi waited until he could no longer see him. Then he turned back to find Lupa had led them into the stone cavern so far that the walls seemed slick stone and the air bathed in the smell of ice and earth and maybe running water. He shivered, looking around, and was oddly reminded of the little stream that had cut through Slifer's cavern in the tunnels. The formation was extremely similar, but rather than a stream, the water was still and shallow in a singular pool. The walls seemed to shimmer, as if the light in her fur truly was from the stars as it cast a faint glow about the area around them.

Now, Yugi Motou, the she-wolf said softly. She came forward a step more, then stopped and turned to look at him. Yugi watched her, unsure how to address her or whether he should at all. Your heart's desire…what is it?

He blinked. His heart's desire? He felt like he had a lot of them, in truth. He wanted to see his friends and family again. He wanted to go back to before he knew about any of this. He wanted to be a small kid again, where the blankets could hide him comfortably and he'd never had to worry. He wanted to ignore this entire war and pretend he didn't know anything about it any longer. He wanted to go back to before he was infected.

But then, he would have missed out on meeting Yami. The thought stopped him entirely. He narrowed his eyes. What would he have done if he had never met him? Would he and Anzu have even lasted? Would they have had the future he'd always wondered about? Or would they have broken up before school even let out? He wondered for a split second. And then he tilted his head and studied Lupa.

Why are you asking me this? he finally mumbled. His heart hurt as he tried to reign his thoughts back in. Everything was raw and painful now. Are you going to tell me you can grant it somehow?

No, she answered calmly, I'm not. But a friend told me that I should see beyond the surface when I spoke to the both of you. I am merely making an effort to do so now.

Yugi stared at her for a moment. He flicked his ears. He wished Yami were there. The burden of her weighted stare made his skin crawl. He barely suppressed a shudder. What I want more than anything, he murmured a minute later, is for Yami to be safe and happy.

Now her eyes lit up. Her expression warmed from where it had seemed distant for a few moments. She smiled at him. Is that so? she asked. Her voice was delighted. Yugi felt pain crash through him; he'd likely die and Yami would be left alone and yet he was telling her this and she was…happy with him? And how much are you willing to give to ensure that possibility?

Yugi blinked. What? he breathed out. He drew his lips back to show his teeth. What are you talking about?

If I gave you a price for his happiness, would you pay it?

In a heartbeat, he blurted out. He wanted for a moment to swallow the words. But they were already spoken. And some part of him knew despite his hesitation now, if someone had asked him this only an hour ago he would have said the same thing just as quickly. He flicked an ear and studied her again. I'd do anything to ensure it. But I don't know why you're asking me this. You said you can see into our hearts. So why even bother?

Lupa smiled at him again. Her eyes had grown lighter than ever. I must make sure your desires are as you claim them to be. Many wolves are selfless until the moment they are asked whether they could give something for another. A wolf once prayed to me to heal his human friend's mortal wound and said he would offer anything. I prompted him to name his price and he would not even give up his blessing of being able to change. If something so small a price cannot be given, what does that say for such a selfless wish? she answered. But your heart is riddled with so much pain and desperation that I almost could not detect your bond with him. He's an extraordinary little creature, don't you think? He's evaded Paradise by his own will, he's fought Obelisk and won, he's carved his way from one path to another untouched by our predictions. And now he has you beside him.

Yugi blinked. I don't see why that's important. I'm not all that amazing.

And yet you have potential and strength in bounds, she answered. She took a seat. Her eyes had sharpened, narrowing and glowing. You simply have not tapped into it. That is your problem, but you've got inner strength beyond your doubt. If you were to swallow your doubt, you'd be amazing beyond even him.

He tilted his head, for a moment seeking to argue with her. And then he shrugged it aside. It didn't matter what he said. She was the goddess; if she claimed he had these things, who was he to argue? He glanced over his shoulder. But he could not see Yami at all and so he turned back. She had not moved from her place in front of him.

You act as if you are a lamb before a lion. The words made little sense to him for a split second. Then he stiffened and looked at her in surprise. The she-wolf had narrowed her eyes now. There is so much potential in you and yet you have held it back for so long. I do not understand why you play the part of the sheep rather than embrace yourself as a wolf. It is foolish to me. I find it childish, truthfully. Why suffer a hindrance when you have no need to?

Yugi pricked his ears forward. I don't…

You do know what I speak of. You are not stupid. You embraced your human half over your wolf in order to remain in that half-dream you've lived your life so far. And then you go about keeping yourself behind a bubble because you've seen the destruction existence itself brings and now you are devastated and tired. She was speaking quietly now, voice scornful. Yugi blinked in surprise at the change of tone. But it didn't show on her face. She had not a single bit of anger in her eyes. Her lips were not peeled back. Her ears were not pricked forward aggressively. She was not bristling. She did not even appear stiff in stance. For all the time you spend pretending otherwise, you are a wolf before you are human. Every wolf learns that lesson at one point or another. And yet, somehow you've learned it multiple times and still hide away from it.

Yugi almost cringed at the note of frustration in her tone. But then she tilted her head and sighed softly. He watched her face, anxious with the sudden thought that perhaps Yami was right to be fearful a few moments ago when he'd tried to stop him meeting with her.

No, it's nothing like that. I am simply speaking to you now so I can see who you are as a wolf. I must say, I'm rather surprised by how easygoing you are. It seems odd to consider that someone with such a dark and tumultuous path has such ease and comfort in his life, don't you think? But then, wolves adapt as they are meant to. You are no exception. Yami is no exception. She fell quiet for a moment. You wish more for Yami's safety and happiness than anything else in this world, yes?

He blinked and nodded. Yes.

You felt that way even before the bond fully formed. She studied him for a moment. And, yet, if you had tried hard enough, I have a feeling you would have been able to do the impossible and ignore it altogether. The wolves that associate themselves with Yami seem to have a knack for the ability to change and prosper where they should not. His cage mate broke his own soul to save him. And you could have stopped the mating bond forming if you'd so tried. But somehow you fell in love with him… Why?

Why? Yugi blinked in surprise at the question. Why had he fallen in love with him? How was he supposed to explain that to someone else, let alone a goddess who had omnipotence? He shivered and peered at her. She knew how and why and all those things. But she wanted to hear it from him. And he didn't have the words.

Ah, yes, I was told by Yami's cage mate that love is almost impossible to describe and why it occurs is impossible to pinpoint. I simply assumed maybe somehow someone else might have the answers he did not. She tilted her head, studying him for a long while. It does not matter, in truth. It is mere curiosity for me.

You and Fenrir… You're mates, right? You love him?

She eyed him critically. Not at first, I did not. In fact, at first we were the only two in existence and we fought just as the elements did. We tried more than once to kill each other. He was from the fire, I came from the ice. We learned to love each other only when the loneliness became too much to bear. She fell quiet, then smiled. I will tell you both of that story when we return to Yami. But, before that, you said you would give anything for Yami's happiness. Does that still stand?

He blinked. Nothing has changed since you first asked.

She laughed softly. By now someone else might have cowered and tried to back out of that promise. She tilted her head. But your heart is rather pure despite all of those scars. It's amazing to me.

Yugi bristled slightly. Maybe, he mumbled, flustered and surprised by how hard his voice came out. He felt numb, cold. His heart hurt and his stomach lolled. What was he meant to say to her? He could not fathom arguing as Yami had done. And he didn't know what he would even argue about should he try. He cut off a sigh, exhaling roughly and watching her more pointedly. But what are we doing here right now? Is there a reason we're here right now?

I told you I wished to speak to you.

But we've already done that.

Lupa snickered softly and tilted her head. You're very impatient to get back to him. I find it adorable. But I must keep you here a moment or so longer, if you will allow me.

Yugi flicked an ear. Okay…

My question stems from something his cage mate was so kind as to mention to me before. Now that he has spoken the words, I am very curious to see if he is right.

Yugi blinked in confusion but didn't argue as she approached him. The she-wolf stood an inch or two away from him, lowering her nose towards his. When their eyes locked, hers seemed to glow as if lit with fire. He bristled faintly but didn't budge. And then he swore he saw something reflected in them that he could not recognize—

But first, he said that you do not remember. And if you want to survive, why don't I give you back those memories you're missing?

Yugi blinked. Then he backed up a step. Her pupils had grown pale, swirling like balls of mist. He bristled further, backed up another step, and then found himself unable to move any further. Her eyes were pure white now, glowing brilliantly. He flinched as she came closer. And then his head seemed to explode, a dam bursting forth like he remembered from his first Change.

Yami had not stopped his pacing in front of the crevice Yugi and Lupa had disappeared inside of. He was still anxiously darting back and forth, ignoring Hati as he tried to banter with him, refusing to acknowledge Fenrir as he murmured reassurances. There was a loud snarling from the crevice, then a guttural noise almost like a scream. But it faded again almost instantly. Yami's head snapped around immediately, ears pricked and teeth bared. That had been Yugi. He knew his voice anywhere. He knew his cries of pain.

He turned his head to glance at the other two wolves. Fenrir was watching the crevice now as well. But Hati had taken a seat and was not paying them any mind. He had his ears pricked and he'd shifted his weight ever so slightly, batting childishly at a pebble. Yami bristled and turned away, pacing again. He wasn't stupid enough to run in there. Whatever it was that Lupa wished to speak to Yugi about was private. Every instinct he had said to heed to that warning. But frustration made him want to rush in to help Yugi.

He didn't honestly think he could lay a paw on her. But he could threaten her all the same.

He felt stupid to do so but he didn't know what else to do either.

His nails clicking against the stone made his ears ring. He nearly snarled. Then he spun around to pace in his spot once more. Hati groaned, snapping that he was making his paws ache, and Fenrir sighed loudly. Yami ignored them both pointedly and kept going. When he turned around again, they were both sitting up straighter and looking into the cavern once more. Yami stopped short and turned his head.

Yugi didn't look any worse for wear. He seemed shaky, exhausted, and there was something haunted in his eyes. But he did not appear physically harmed. He didn't look as if he might collapse. He simply appeared as if he had seen a ghost of some kind and didn't know how to process it. Lupa came a few steps behind him, eyes half-closed and expression thoughtful. She came to the side to Fenrir and they seemed to talk for a split second. Then she turned around to face them.

Yami didn't take his eyes off Yugi, however, sniffing at his skin. He seemed as if he were burning with heat, but his nose was cold to the touch as well. The black Pure-Blood narrowed his gaze and tilted his head. He couldn't truly tell what had rattled him. He didn't know in the slightest what might have caused the reaction. But Yugi also refused to make eye contact with him. And he swore he smelled something like shame coming off him in waves.

Yami flicked an ear. He didn't know where that emotion might have come from. But he also did not truly think he cared to find out. There were more important things to figure out. He needed to put his focus on something else entirely.

I've desired to meet you both since the moment you were born, Lupa said quietly, looking to Yami with something glowing in her eyes. He narrowed his gaze, almost snarling, but there was no anger left. He didn't know how to react to any of the frustration he felt at the moment. He came forward a step and Yugi did similar, though the white wolf simply took a seat afterwards. Yami hesitated, but followed suit. But he did not want too close to him. Something about the shame in his stance made it hard for Yami to want to come closer. Both of you deserved our attention the moment you were born. But it did not happen like that. We were in our state of rest so deeply that it was impossible to draw out of without much more terrible consequences than you both have seen so far caused by your own existence. It did not help, either, that the wolves were so unstable. It is still hard to remain awake like this as we are, if only for that reason. The problem is that we rely on the wolves and their worship and belief in us. At the time you were born, the amount of prayers and curses spat our way were overwhelming. We could not afford to awaken before now due to it.

Something hard and spiteful crawled its way through Yami's chest and up the back of his neck. For a split second he almost turned on her with a snarl. Instead he swallowed it down and narrowed his gaze into slits. He glanced at Yugi sideways, blinking at the other wolf. But Yugi was not paying him any attention whatsoever. Whatever Lupa had said to him still had its claws sunk into his brain.

But even without divine intervention on our behalf you both have made it this far. One with my blessing and the other without. She was studying Yami now, as if the words were meant to be a revelation to him. But Yami had suspected it for so long already that a true confirmation merely made his skin crawl with frustration. She'd given the blessing to the wrong wolf. Yugi was braver than him; he stuck to his morals for the better part, even if sometimes he conceded to Yami's. And he knew he might not come back if he died and yet he was still there. He was still there with Yami, trying his hardest to get something or other done in order to help them both. And Yami wondered bitterly if Yugi even knew how much he appreciated his efforts. Now, I have a story I wish to tell you both.

Yugi flicked an ear. Yami was almost hopeful it meant he would speak. Instead Yugi simply fidgeted, shifting his weight awkwardly. Yami sighed softly and looked at where Fenrir had taken to lying down; Hati was nowhere in sight when he glanced around. Yami turned back reluctantly. Lupa considered him with a tilted head.

He didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad one.

Abruptly she got up, coming towards him. The stride was purposeful and quick, as if she were trying to corner him in order to keep him from lashing out. He bristled, backpedaling a step or two. But she was already on top of him. He grunted when she pressed a paw into his shoulders, trying to force him to lie down. Yami went to snap at her, but laughter made him falter. He glanced over. Yugi was laughing, eyes bright, and his tail wagging as he noticed Yami looking at him. Yami nearly screamed in surprise when her tongue ran over his face. He scrambled to get away, trying perhaps to put Yugi between them, but the pressure on his shoulders intensified and he collapsed. He landed sprawled out, eyes wide and confused and locked on Yugi with a horrified expression. The white wolf smiled at him, wagging his tail faster.

You dirty boy, he teased with a grin. Yami huffed as she licked his face. He grunted again, frustrated but unable to find the words to tell her to leave him alone. Besides, who was he to argue with a goddess at this rate? Threatening just seemed oddly different enough to not toe that line. He almost burst out laughing at his own stupidity. The only difference was the consequences. She could kill him for threatening her but telling her to leave him alone would most likely only cause her to lick his face more rigorously.

That's very true, she murmured in his ear. Her tongue went over his eye. He nearly snarled. I could kill you for a threat but I wouldn't harm you for telling me to leave you alone. Is that what you want, Yami?

He blinked and looked at her sideways. Which one?

Either. She was staring at him pointedly now. Which would you rather?

Yami eyed her for a long second. Then he curled his lip back to bare his teeth. She studied him a moment, then went back to licking his face as if he needed more attention than what she'd already given him. He bristled faintly but didn't bother to object. She seemed dead set on doing this and who was he to argue? As much as he disliked the attention it did not mean much else. She would do as she wished and he could handle being groomed despite his displeasure.

Come closer, Yugi.

The white wolf stopped laughing, pricking his ears forward. He hesitated a few moments, glanced at Fenrir as if he expected the massive wolf to go for his throat, and slowly made his way towards her. He took a seat a foot away, wagging his tail at Yami again as she began to groom his shoulder. Had it been his right one, he might have lunged at her. It did not bring him pain for the moment, but he did not like anyone so close to it.

Let me tell you a story. She licked rigorously at a knot of fur on his shoulder. He flicked an ear, huffing, and Yugi grinned at him once more. The white wolf crept forward another step. And for a second Yami thought he would stop there. But then Yugi sprang at him, put his nose in his face, and began licking him happily. Yami sighed heavily, flattening his ears, and Fenrir snickered. He bore his teeth at him but it did nothing more than make him chuckle louder. In the beginning there was a void, Chaos or Ginnungagap, as the humans came to call it later. On one side was ice and the other fire, or light and darkness. The two elements fought and formed creatures where they met. And every animal came in pairs, first a spirit of white and black which formed the balance between one species. And then the brother species. There was the mammoth and sabertooth, the dodo and Tasmanian tiger, the human and wolf, the hawk and spider, and a million others.

Yami flicked an ear. She did not sound too inclined to keep her voice light. It sounded mild with contempt, as if the memories of this time in her life were not as forgiving as the rest. She trailed off for a long minute. And then she turned to Yugi with a stare that Yami could not decipher.

Usually the pairs came with a predator and prey, such as the sabertooth and the mammoth. But we came with the humans, who in their own right are as much a predator as us. Perhaps that is why our relationship is so incredibly strained at any point in history. We are seen as too cunning and terrible and powerful beyond our physical bodies. She blinked. Regardless. We came forth with the humans. And at first the world was nothing more than Paradise here, which came from me and Fenrir when we joined as mates. Wolves did not directly come into existence on the physical plane until the times began to change. Some of the elder creatures began to fade and from there came the space for the wolves to survive. The world changed and the earth became suitable for animals with warm blood rather than cold. Fenrir and I created the first wolf from a creature that would have otherwise lost its existence in time. We chose to change a part of it, just as the bears did. That is why so many animals are said to have stemmed from the same source in evolution.

Yami watched Yugi flick an ear, studying her with his head tilted. He didn't seem upset by the way she stared back at him, but the black wolf again wondered what it was that had been said before. Yugi had been shaken by whatever it was. It had since faded, but what had set him off? Had it been about death? Had it been about himself? Had it been about Yugi? Or was it simply something she had said that had triggered his response? He supposed the topic did not matter as much as what was actually spoken.

For a while many of the humans chose to hunt alongside the wolves. They would follow our kills and eat our scraps. They learned to hunt for themselves through us. And for a while we were okay. But then the climates changed. The earth grew too cold for the humans to survive on their own. They didn't have the speed or the coats that we did. They didn't know the best of ways to weather the storm. Lupa fell quiet for what felt a lifetime. She had ceased cleaning him in any manner. Now she lay unnaturally still; even when Yami turned his head to stare at her, she did not seem to notice. She looked like a pale statue, a shape of which Yami felt far too defined and fragile to be merely marble or granite. Then she blinked and her eyes fell slowly on Yugi again, as if his thoughts had summoned her attention. Eventually prey became too scarce. The humans turned on the wolves. The wolves were forced back, entire litters stolen and trained as common dogs for them. Soon enough the wolves became the primary food source for the humans and their slave companions. The feedings were done in mass, taking out whole packs.

Yami glanced at Yugi awkwardly now. The blue-violet eyes flickered immediately to his. The white wolf wagged his tail hesitantly for a moment, puzzled by his expression. Yami wanted to ask him if he was okay, but interrupting seemed almost counterproductive for a split second. So he simply looked away and nipped at his paw as if it might offer some kind of comfort.

The dire wolves fell to a mere third of their original numbers. The gray wolves dwindled by half. The continuous prayers woke Fenrir from his slumber. I did not answer to the dire wolves as they stemmed from him mostly. But I was not too far behind when the gray wolves began to suffer more than ever. She considered them both with icy eyes. Something contemptuous entered them for a split second. Then it faded away just as quickly. She turned away and shifted her weight to lay down more comfortably. Yami tried to ignore how close her paws were to his. Fenrir woke entirely, leaving me here in Paradise in order to help the wolves. He chose to create the first hellhounds, some of which could turn into phantoms and others which could project their voices in human tones in order to mimic their prey. The darker wolves could change forms, the gray could drink blood to heal themselves, the white wolves turned into phantoms, and the dire could bite and infect the humans as needed. Things began to balance out again the more his wolves began to breed with the humans' dogs in order to create a more complex hybrid. The powers were passed along with each generation born. And the hellhounds then bred amongst themselves to purify the bloodline further.

Yami flicked an ear. And the instability? he asked hesitantly, cautious. He ignored it when Lupa turned to stare at him. Fenrir raised his head from where he'd been curled up and ignoring them. Now his eyes glittered like sparks and his lips twitched with a smirk.

It came from the dogs. They ate their brothers' remains. And it caused them to lose their minds slowly but surely. The illness spread to the offspring. It was a matter of time before it began to alter the wolves as well. The hellhounds still suffer it, though now it is more from the complexity of their abilities than anything. Becoming a phantom is taxing for the mental and physical body. And changing shapes makes the mind deteriorate even further should the hellhound be able to. It was one of the reasons it became watered down to the point of only a few select wolves in the world capable of it. He tilted his head. Valon and Kris and Yubel might be the last of the remaining wolves to be able to do so. And should either of them breed, I am sure their offspring will have the ability as well.

Yami curled his lip back slightly. Valon and Kris and even Yubel still had the ability to breed. And yet he himself was rendered sterile from all of the experiments. Did that mean he had an expiration date where they didn't? Fenrir spoke as if they had a future far beyond the war that was brewing. If that were the truth of it—

Yugi can still have children, Fenrir growled. He curled back up, putting his muzzle under his tail. If he should so choose, he could still have children were he to try. You, however, are another story entirely. Children for you would end everything of balance and equality among the wolves and humans. If you do not understand this, then I am sorry.

Yami snorted. Yugi glanced at him in bewilderment.

I didn't think you'd want kids…?

I don't. Yami bore his teeth. I just can't believe a demon like Yubel has the capability whereas I do not. Can you imagine if she were to reproduce? She is a monster in and of herself and to be able to breed would be devastating.

Yugi tilted his head slightly. Then he glanced at Lupa. But I could have kids? he finally said quietly. You'd let Atem have kids but not the backup? What kind of sense does that make?

The she-wolf was quiet for all of a moment. Then she laughed softly and turned away. She wagged her tail, her lips drawn back to show off her brilliant white teeth. The sneer on her face was ugly and seemed out of place, yet oddly right as well.

Even if you had ignored your bond to Yami, do you honestly believe that you would have bedded someone, Yugi Motou? Please think your words through. If I believed there was even the smallest sliver of a chance that you might have reproduced, I would have stopped it before it began. She looked at Yami for a moment, cruel and cold but somehow warm and affectionate as well. It was almost as if her eyes were as divided in emotion as they were in color. She peered at him, then chuckled and looked away again. No, I would not allow Atem to produce—the original or the backup. Your lifespan upon reaching this point would have prevented it regardless. But you could never have bred with a human, even if you were to have bedded your friend. Anzu would have died soon after, if nothing else.

Yugi flinched visibly. Yami studied her. She looked as if she were in pain. But another part of her looked spiteful and vicious, as if their questions burned her inside. If Yami could destroy the balance by reproducing, what makes you think that you would not do the same? The power you both possess, even when your paths were not meant to cross, is far beyond that of what we could allow the survival of.

So you plan to kill us both then, when this is over, yes? Yami asked. He considered Fenrir now, and the large black wolf raised and turned his head. He looked as if he did not believe the words he had spoken, but there was something solemn there as well. They'd considered it. They were still considering it. But they were leaning towards it; they both were more inclined to kill them than allow them to live after it was all over.

Lupa was quiet for a moment. Then her voice came out soft and tired. It has been proposed to us. When this is over, why might we allow two more Pure-Bloods to exist in the world? Harbingers are another story. They serve a purpose in the world. But what would two immortal wolves do to keep the balance? Once Yubel is out of the picture and the world is stripped of the possibility of the Pure-Blood being revived, what meaning would your lives still carry?

Yugi was quiet. Then he tilted his head slowly, studying her coldly. Why did you even allow us to be born to begin with? I feel like I've asked that question a million times and yet it never gets anywhere. No one has an answer that matters. No one has the ability to tell me what I need to know. And then I'm led in circles as if none of it matters. But if it didn't matter, we wouldn't be here, right? So what's the reasoning?

Humankind is too close to us once more, Fenrir answered. His voice seemed to echo dully in Yami's skull, making his ears ring as he looked over at him again. Yami had the abrupt thought that he could see Hati in him, the way his ears pricked forward and his eyes darkened visibly. Something about his stance as he lay there reminded him of the lesser god and somehow that made him think of himself. In becoming aware of werewolves as they have, without the mass hysteria and the constant panic, the executions and the scientific explanations, they have triggered a chain reaction. It cannot be allowed. Mass extinction would come soon after, but the most problematic result is the quest for immortality—true immortality—amongst the humans would lead them to chaos. What little would remain of the human race after the initial outbreak of greed would be wiped out soon due to our nonexistence. It is inevitable that both species would rot from the inside out and slowly perish.

Yugi abruptly turned to the black wolf, ears pricked and lips drawn back. Tell me something, Fenrir, he growled softly, as you seem to be the only honest one of the gods. Tell me what would have happened if Yami and I had not crossed paths until the final fight? You've all mentioned that I would have died.

The god yawned and got to his feet, stretching lazily. He plopped down into a seated position immediately after and shook himself out with little care. His eyes flickered, glowing like the core of a flame. What would have happened? he repeated softly. Well, first, the timeline became screwed up far before in the way things were meant to take place. This entire war was meant to stretch for a year. Yubel was meant to be nine before your encounter. But her own desire to survive and face you forced events to skip ahead and the balance to slowly but steadily fray and alter. You were meant to survive the attack by Ushio on your own, with Tomoya as your partner for the majority of the fight. And then he was meant to die at her hands. You were meant to spend the rest of the war trying to unsuccessfully find Yami until you were eventually forced to simply attack in hopes of having the advantage. Yami would have already been there in order to stop the war before it started, you would meet then and there. He would lose his mind when he got struck down. And then the threat would more or less be eliminated when he became feral.

Yami pricked his ears forward and looked cautiously towards Lupa. A year was all they would have survived? Yugi would have been given nothing but a year? That was the end of it? He would have had the war on his heels for a year before he suffered his death? And what of—?

He is simplifying it, Lupa said quietly, abruptly. Her eyes had grown cold and terrible, her teeth bared and face twisted with growing resentment. You would have been struck down by Yami, Yugi. He would have torn your throat out after you killed Yubel. And from there he would spiral further into madness. When he would finally die would be from his body too torn up to heal and I would retrieve his soul myself, ending his…curse—as he would soon come to call it.

Yugi blinked at her, staring with something of a horrified expression. When he turned to Yami, his eyes were wide and stunned. Yami refused to meet his eyes now, winded. He lowered his eyes to his paws, ignoring the way Yugi stared at him so pointedly.

Instead he almost killed you that day Marik tried to murder you. Everything has advanced to states we cannot counter, Fenrir continued, voice low and quiet. He was collecting his words and when Yami risked a glance at him, he almost looked distressed to have to admit such. He didn't speak further for a moment, then abruptly turned to Yugi. Your existence was meant to be snuffed on your seventeenth birthday, at the end of July. Now that date has moved so far back that I will be amazed should you survive another month at the most.

Yami stiffened. A month? Was that all they had left? What were they meant to do with nothing but a month? Could he even help him that long? Yugi sometimes seemed to teeter between depression and spiraling into mental decay. If he only had a month left—?

You are his anchor, Lupa said softly next to him. Yami's head snapped around and he nearly bore his teeth at her. He would have lunged had he not remembered himself at the last second. She was staring at him, expressionless but for a cunning he was not sure how to entirely read. As he is yours. Things have reworked themselves to this point in order to aid you both.

Yami flicked his ears and went to respond, but fell quiet. We only have so long before the war reaches its head and we are both killed for it? he said quietly, turning to Fenrir. And no one would have told us this but you?

They were not permitted to, he corrected him coolly. The closest they might have been able to speak of this would have been Valon but he is already changing things far too much on his own end of things. And Hati chose Kris to be the child he is most connected with rather than his son. Morrigan chose Valon. And Morrigan does not know that you both have such little time. Her constant interference was enough to urge us to choose Hati to bear the brunt of that knowledge.

Yami flicked an ear. Then he turned to Lupa. What made you decide to save the humans? Was it mercy or something else? he finally said quietly. The legends say that you chose to save them because you saw a female offering some wolf pups aid. Is that the truth of it?

The she-wolf remained quiet for a long time. I understand that you believe this to be a punishment of some measure. But that is not the truth of it. You think we are selfish and callous for doing this to you both. But it is not this which drives us, Yami. It is the future of the wolves and the humans as well. If not for that, these mistakes would not have been made and the weaving of consequences spurred by your birth would not be attempting to rectify itself. She tilted her head. It was the fact that this human woman was sheltering those pups that made me change my mind. But it was not only this which caused it. Fenrir was so far lost in his bloodlust that things had gotten to the point of near extermination of us both. I saved the pups and raised them as my own upon killing the woman.

You…killed her? Yugi blurted out.

It was not as if they would not have done the same to her the moment they found out. She snorted and turned away. I gave them the gift of life for the first few months it took them to somewhat mature. And then I spent my time looking to heal the damage caused by the wolves and humans against each other. Fenrir was all but lost to me due to his hatred and I knew that fighting between ourselves would only cause suffering. So I spoke to the dire wolves and the gray wolves that were not infected as hellhounds. I gave the pups over to one of the other wolves, and from there they raised them with my guidance. One was Slifer's mother, the other Obelisk and Ra's father. I put into motion their births before they even knew my name.

Yugi frowned and shook his head slowly. Yami watched him from the corner of his eye as he did so. But the white wolf never spoke.

They became my prime focus throughout the war. I gifted them my blessing before I did any others. And then I blessed a sibling for each of them, Obelisk's sister, Ra's brother, Slifer's sister. They became violent enough to take on both human and hellhound alike. I released them first on the humans to test their immortality before I did anything else. And then I remembered myself as killing the humans would destroy us all. And I sent them after the hellhounds immediately after. She fell quiet. They counteracted each other. The Pure-Bloods could not truly die. And they were stable despite being struck down. As it were, they were toxic to each other. They were violent and toxic and they ripped each other almost to shreds. Fenrir finally noticed the damage done. And then he created six hellhounds to match them. They were the Harbingers, with all three abilities and tempers a thousand times worse than the usual canine.

Yami and Yugi swapped brief looks. This story was not entirely different from what they had gotten from the pack or what Yami himself had told Yugi before then. But it did have its differences, which Yami could not entirely ignore. He wondered who had told the wolves the fable they'd passed down among generations, if it was Slifer or Ra. He wondered if the hellhounds even knew this story or if it was entirely different to them.

The war grew between the wolves themselves. It distracted them from the humans and that allowed them to escape. Lupa was quiet for a moment. And then, a month or so later, the Ice Age began to come to its end. Things warmed up. The sun got bright enough to melt the ice. Things were irreparably damaged, but the wolves and humans had survived. It was only the dire wolves who truly fell, and that was more starvation than anything else. But the gray wolves survived and prospered and moved about the world as if it were nothing more than a game.

And then we left only Ra, Obelisk and Slifer of the Pure-Bloods and Morrigan, Skoll and Hati of the Harbingers. They were the only of their species until now. Now there is Valon, Kris and Yubel to contend with. And only you and Yami to deal with them.

And why not allow Ra or Slifer or Obelisk to do it instead? Why are we even necessary?

Because, should you have to be killed, it will not cause imbalance amongst Paradise and the mortal realm, Fenrir said bluntly. It all comes back to balance. If it is not maintained the world rots for it. That is all the Lunar Ascension was ever about. Balance is what keeps things in motion.

Yami snorted and turned away. Balance was a pretty name of an excuse. He refused to look at Yugi though he knew the white wolf was staring at him blankly. He remained quiet for a long time. Then he turned to Lupa, voice quiet and just above a snarl when he asked, And what of Yugi, Lupa?

She blinked. Her eyes widened briefly, then her head tilted, and finally she turned away. He will not come back. I have confirmed that for you before now. Why do you question it again?

Because how balanced is it if one of the two wolves meant to play the role Atem cannot survive death? he snapped. Where is you balance then?

There was never truly a necessity for two of you, she answered quietly. She raised her eyes and peered at him coldly. It was a matter of seeing which of you would be strong enough to do as was needed.

And are we?

She looked past him to Yugi and pricked her ears forward. I do not know yet.