A/N: Wow, here we go again. No, the story is not over (Is that good or bad? I'm not sure), though I could have allowed it to end with the last chapter. But then, I might have gotten some pointy projectiles for that. But that would be nothing compared to what I'm going to get for this chapter. Oh, and thank you, thank you, thank you to the people who have reviewed. I love you and you all get virtual hugs from me. Despite the fact that my story has three thousand and something-or-other hits, only a select few of them have chosen to review. Thank you very much for taking the time to do so.

In Memories Forgotten

Chapter 14

Mai peeked out from her hiding place in the alleyway at the chaos in the town square. She was hiding because she knew that, eventually, someone would realize that she had been trying to stop the execution and somehow the whole incident would be pinned on her. Mai was brave, but she wasn't stupid, so she watched the wild square in safety.

The chief representative was still standing on the platform, shouting himself hoarse, but no one seemed to hear him. The town physician was helplessly trying to figure out what was wrong with the children that had suddenly started hallucinating and were screaming that monsters or rats or whatever they happened to fear were all around them. Yugi's father had disappeared, but why or to where Mai neither knew nor cared about.

She noticed that there were a few men in the corner of the square that were trying to organize a hunting party to find the witch again. Mai wasn't sure how successful they would be with the powers that the monster had demonstrated just minutes ago.

That brought Mai to another worry; why had the monster come for Yugi? Mai didn't believe the nonsense that had been circulated about the mystical pact between Yugi and the monster, but they did seem to have a connection. Was Yugi the monster's prisoner? Mai had thought that nothing could have been worse than being trapped under the abusive hand of Yugi's father, but what if Yugi was a slave to the powerful being that dwelled in the forest? Mai feared that Yugi was being dragged away to a fate worse than being burned to death.

As Mai saw it, there were two things that could happen. Either Yugi would be kept under the power of a potentially dangerous monster, or he would be captured again by the townspeople and meet a painful, fiery demise. Mai turned away from the square; she had promised his mother that she would take care of Yugi, and as long as Yugi was alive she was bound by that promise.

A few moments later, the alleyway was empty.

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Atemu moved as fast as he could, gliding over the ground as if he were simply a shadow, as he tried to put as much distance between them and the town as possible. Undoubtedly the townspeople would reorganize and come after them. However, the terrible pain burning at every nerve in his body forced him to slow and eventually stop. He knelt amongst a thick tangle of undergrowth, hoping that they would be hidden, and cradled Yugi's limp body against his chest as he listened intently for any pursuit. He sighed, detecting none, and laid Yugi on the ground.

"Yugi?" he said softly, touching the young human's cheek gingerly. Fear knotted itself in his throat; Yugi didn't seem to be breathing. Had he come too late? His thoughts, however, were banished as white hot pain lanced through his body, forcing him to the ground.

Then, Atemu heard a soft moan beside him and he lifted his head. Yugi brought a hand to his forehead, letting out another moan, and suddenly his body was wracked with a coughing fit. Atemu pulled himself close to the human, gently embracing his slender form. The coughing subsided, and Yugi looked up into the nightwalker's face.

"Atemu…" he said softly. Atemu smiled down at him, then inhaled sharply as another spasm of pain shot through his body.

"Atemu?" Yugi, alarmed, sat up and pulled Atemu close to him. The dark creature curled up into a ball, eyes shut tightly as he waited for the spasm to subside. Finally he relaxed, panting in exhaustion.

"Atemu, what's wrong?" Yugi asked in concern. Atemu managed to pull himself into a sitting position with Yugi's help, wincing as he did so.

"I left to find you before the sun set completely. I tried to keep to the shadows, but…" Atemu had to stop as another spasm crippled him momentarily.

"I couldn't let you die…" Atemu said softly as soon as he could speak again. "But… I think that it might be too late for me now…"

Yugi stared at Atemu in horror, then began to shake his head slowly.

"No…" he whispered. "No, Atemu, you can't leave!" Yugi threw his arms around Atemu, sobs escaping his lips. "You can't leave…" he hiccupped. "I love you…" He felt Atemu's embrace tighten.

"I'm sorry, Yugi…" Atemu's voice was becoming faint and he had to lean on Yugi to remain sitting up. Yugi slowly laid him down, tears falling from his amethyst eyes. Atemu reached up to brush some of the droplets away.

"Shh… Please don't cry for me, Yugi."

Yugi automatically took one of Atemu's hands, rubbing warmth into the cold skin. "Please don't leave me…" he said, hiccupping. "Don't leave me alone…" Atemu's squeezed Yugi's hand weakly.

"I wish I had a choice," he whispered. Yugi laid a gentle kiss on Atemu's lips, his face now streaked with tears. Atemu smiled at the contact, but then his face contorted in pain as another spasm struck.

Yugi felt more tears sting in his eyes. Atemu didn't deserve to die this way.

"Yugi," Atemu said, his voice barely audible, yet Yugi was still able to detect a hint of alarm. "Don't leave me," he whispered.

"I'm not going to leave," Yugi said, nearly choking on the lump in his throat. He took Atemu's hands into his own and the nightwalker squeezed them as tightly as he could.

"I love you, Yugi."

Yugi sobbed. "I love you, too."

Atemu smiled faintly, then his eyes went out of focus and his breathing began to slow. His grip on Yugi's hands tightened suddenly as he inhaled sharply, and then the breath was let out in a deep sigh. The grip relaxed and went limp, and the nightwalker was still. Far away in the forest, the sad forms of the kegawa faded away. The house, its support beam of dark magic suddenly gone, collapsed in on itself. Its windows and balconies spilled out over the new spring flowers and the walls and floors and gargoyle faces scattered into dust.

Yugi felt a sob well up in his throat. He gently closed Atemu's empty eyes, then collapsed on his lover's chest and cried.

A/N: Atemu has moved on, but will he find peace? Please review.