Did you hearties notice the new thumbnail?

DID YOU DID YOU DID YOU?

I'm absolutely gaga over it! And I'd like to give a big shoutout to Sklear for making this super-duper-awesome poster for WTTT. If you want to check it out in full grandeur, you can go to Deviantart and just type in "When the tides turn fanart poster" and you'll find it, no problem. Give Sklear some love because you can tell just how much work went into it!

THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH SKLEAR! YOU ROCK!

Now on to the story : Enjoy!

Seto's POV

"Ironically, people often keep what's precious to them close to their heart," preaches the thief dangling the bracelet at the tip of his fingers. "I happen to know what this particular metal is. How in the world does one such as you finds himself with orichalcum in his pocket?"

The Tzigane's snake eyes don't even blink as they try to see into Seto's soul. Curse this bastard and his prying. But the baron has to say something. This charlatan is still his only chance to find out where the Millennium is headed. And information is the price to pay. Kisara observes them with an incredulous look in her eyes.

"Orichalcum?" she asks.

"The very sam from Atlantean legends. Also the very real substance that Shayee made most of their tools, clothes and jewelry with," replies Devlin, never taking his eyes off Seto. "And the reason why they died twelve years ago. Someone of your status would never have acquired this from the black market now, would you?"

The provocation in his voice is palpable and the tingles in Seto's hands are beginning to sting with pure irritation, promptly urging him to unsheathe his blade and wipe that unnerving smirk off the Tzigane's face.

One deep breath and a refill of self-control later, he closes the distance between them and snatches the bracelet out of the navigator's hand.

"It's not mine," he states, staring back into the prying green irises. "It's something I need to return. That's all the information you're going to get."

Devlin eyes him for a moment longer —during which the baron fears his unwavering authority might fail him—before the Tzigane finally blinks.

"Thank you," he says tipping an invisible hat off. "I'll take a hundred doubloons with that and you have yourself a deal."

Now that, the baron saw coming before the rascal even opened his mouth. "Tch. Cheap in coin, my foot."

Devlin shrugs. "Please, dear baron. We both know this sum is but a pebble on the road to you. Information is worth a lot but a man has to eat."

Annoyance makes Seto roll his eyes. Do all scoundrels always assume the wealthy don't keep count of their riches? The daft morons who don't are the first to lose everything. Meticulousness and care is what keeps you on top. One never knows when a crisis might occur. An epidemic, a war, a natural disaster… The key is to always be ready as his moto states. Reluctantly, he takes the leather pouch from his pocket and tossed it at the navigator.

"You'll get the other half once you find that ship."

"As you wish, my Lord," replies the Tzigane bowing and his parrot, imitating the gesture from atop his shoulder. "I'll know where to find you."

"I have one more question before you go. Why do you know about this metal?"

The smug look on the Tzigane's face doesn't fade one bit and he shrugs again. "I'm a traveler my Lord. Travelers hear things, see things and sometimes, get closer than anyone else to legends."

With those wise and pointless words, the cocky fool turns heel and begins making his way to the far end of the docks.

"How in the world do you trust that?" Seto asks, watching the scoundrel walking away.

"His love for coin and snooping is what I trust," replies the commodore. "No man is more trustworthy than when you offer him what he wants."

"Tch. I'll give you that. The ass goes where the carrot leads."

A snort of amusement escapess the young woman. "Less refined but equivalent. Say, would you mind if I have a look at it?"

His fist flinches and tightens around the bracelet. His natural instinct want him to hide it but logic dictates it'd be childish and even more suspicious to hide it when she has already seen it. So he hands it to her without a word. She sets it in the open palm of her hand and observes it for a couple of timeless seconds.

"It's very nicely crafted," she says. "But it looks quite ordinary. I think I've seen this glimmer before. Ever since his wife died, my uncle has been collecting jewelry to decorate her grave. Silver especially. I figured it was because my aunt fancied it over gold."

Now that she mentions it, the nosy admiral seems to know a lot about atlantean legends as well. And the man likes his jewelry almost as much as he likes putting his nose in other people's businesses. He's like a magpie collecting shiny things. Of course orichalcum would interest him. No wonder Gozaburo's shady affairs picked his interest.

"I take it this belong to your ward," Kisara finally states, returning Yugi's bracelet.

"Didn't you know I love walking around with women's jewelry in my pockets?" he replies his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have time to waste before nightfall."

He whips around, heading back towards the Blue Eyes but stops after a few steps, courtesy of his damned conscience. After all if it weren't for her, he'd not only be under inspection along with his ship and crew, he'd have no idea where to go. But his pride at least allows him to keep his back turned to her.

"Thank you. I mean it."

He doesn't allow her to answer and resumes his footsteps. Still he knows she's smiling at him. Truly, what a strange and suspicious woman.

Yugi's POV

By the time the tears stop, daylight has all but vanished, leaving the jail cells to be lit solely by feeble moonlight, pouring in through small openings in the wall —far too small to be called windows. My body feels heavy and dried up, and moving from my spot on the floor feels like an impossible task.

Now that the violent tides of pure emotion whirling in my soul have somewhat settled, my mind is again swarmed by a new wave of questions. How I wish I could just drown in sleep. But the exhaustion of my mind and body is no match for the anguish still tormenting me.

What happened to him? What is going on in his head? Why does he think himself rotten?

Pride, vengeance, spite… Everything a Shayee is not. And yet he still felt compelled to save me, to show me our homeland and to console me. The middle of my forehead heats up at the thought and my cheeks quickly follow suit. Somehow that kiss had so much more depth and melancholy than the one he'd stolen from my lips. The feeling of wanting to trust him despite everything, the spellbinding need to shed tears for him and his offer to stay on the sea all make sense now.

It did hurt when he said he wasn't my kin, even more than having my arm butchered. But I feel our bond. I feel the Shayee blood in me pumping stronger at the mere thought of him at this very moment. How can it possibly snap? My heart swells painfully and my eyes water again.

"Unsalvageable…" I mutter, remembering his self-depiction.

Loneliness has always been a terrifying prospect for me. I can't picture something worse than that feeling. Being without Seto and Moki would've killed me long before the fire. Atem survived it… but at what cost?

"You have seen him, then?"

My heart nearly pops in my chest and I jump to my feet. Just as I discern a discreet figure partially hidden in the corner of the cell facing mine, I remember that I'm not the sole occupant of the prison.

I must've been here for hours and Ishizu hasn't made a noise this entire time. I can barely discern her face in the shadows of the moonlight but I still notice distinct dark circles around the eyes. She's seated on the floor, her back against the wall.

"Seen him?" I repeat, her words catching up to me. "You knew?"

She nods or at least I think she does. "I saw his eyes."

"What?" I ask, unsure of what I've heard.

"When he killed my brother. His eyes were blue."

She can only mean the Stream. I open my mouth to ask how she knew but change my mind once I remember that "Seeing" has an entirely different meaning to her. I let myself fall on the bench of my cell while digesting this news. So he did awaken the Stream. I sigh of relief leaves me. If there is no bond bond between us, how did he awaken it? Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself but the clear distance Atem puts between him and his crew doesn't let me believe that he's adopted them like family. They care and fight for each other but they carry they broken selves alone.

"Can you truly 'see' anything?" I ask the seer. "No matter how far in distance or time?"

She stares at me, her empty eyes glistening in the feint light before answering with the same monotonous voice —devoid of emotion. "My Sight has shown me past, present and future alike."

"How far back can you see?" I ask standing again and getting as close as the bars of my cell allow me.

If I can somehow learn what happened to him, maybe I'll know what to do. Maybe I'll be able to do something, anything for him. If not, perhaps at least understand…

Ishizu doesn't answer right away. She lifts up one of her bandaged arms and observes it in the moonlight.

"When I became capable of choosing what I wanted to See, my brother always wanted to know more. Every detail, every feature, every word uttered… One day, when I couldn't detail a vision that involved an importent deal with some merchants, he got upset with me. That was the first time he hit me. And the moment he did, I saw more."

I hold my breath as I anticipate the end of the morbid tale.

"Marik figured the more distressed I was, the more I could See," she continues with the same tone. "When my own pain wasn't enough anymore, he became creative. He'd lock me up for days until I'd nearly starve. Then he'd torture and threaten to kill my friends. Then he'd send men to visit my chamber in the middle of the night. Sometimes he'd come himself."

An urge to retch shakes me. How utterly disgusting! Those inhuman acts on their own are repulsive and show the worst of mankind. But for them to be dealt to you by your own flesh and blood? Imagining Yusei, Yuya or even Seto doing this to me… Never mind how scarred she must be under her long clothes and bandages, what of her soul?

How does one endure such betrayal?

No emotion shows on her face but she closes her eyes and leans back, inhaling deeply. For once she is resting —after being awakened from a long nightmare. She suddenly seems ten years older.

"I haven't been able to see a thing since the Sight of my brother's demise. I suppose it's because I've overused it to know every detail."

Guilt twists my insides instantly and I mentally scold myself for my insensitivity. I feel my face heat up with shame and anger at myself. "I-I'm sorry. It was extremely rude of me to ask. I didn't mean to stir up bad memories. Please forgive me."

Her eyes open again and she stares out the little opening, where a bit of starry sky shows. "Forgive you? Who am I to grant or ask for forgiveness?"

"What do you mean? What your brother did to you was terrible! You had no choice but to do his bidding."

Her answer is not the one I expect. "Didn't I? I chose my own salvation over the lives of others because I didn't have the courage to take my own life. Do you still think me worthy of absolution?"

Her words completely paralyze the surge of anger and appalled frustration that was rising in me a moment ago. I think of Neal, Hans, the nine others and the tears shed for them. It goes without say that they knew the risks when following Atem in his quest. But did they deserve to die like this? Everything was taken from them and the only thing they had left —their revenge-driven lives— were stolen as well.

"The entreprises I helped my brother with costed the happiness and lives of many others. The men of the Millennium were not the first victims of my Sight."

No matter what she says, I can't find a right answer. They didn't deserve to perish like this, but how can anyone argue that she shouldn't have done this when her only other way out was to end her own life?

"I'm tired now," continues the seer. "I don't want to hurt again. Others or myself. I'm ready to be judged. Be it by men or God or both, it matters little."

She truly seems older in the moonlight. Or is it the shadows dancing on her face that give this impression? Her ominous words presage nothing good. It's as if she's done living altogether. I can't help seeing her as much of a victim as the others in the story. But would I be thinking the same if it was Mokuba who'd been killed during the battle? Surely not.

"I won't say what you did was right," I tell her. "But I won't say it was wrong either. If you are to be judged by God, He'll take into account everything. Your suffering as much as your wrongdoings and the intention in your heart. As well as everything you do from now on. I don't think mankind is fit to judge something like that. At least, I am not."

Though she eyes the sky, there is a sheen of surprise in her discolored irises for once.

"What an odd creature you are," she lets out.

Being referred to as a creature somehow does not offend me. Surely because I've began to adopt my inhuman status. I share emotions and feelings with humans but I also experience things exclusive to the Shayee. Such as my bond with Atem and my dependence on my loved ones.

"He is quite strange as well," goes on Ishizu, clearly meaning Atem. "I was expecting him to slit my throat on the spot. He doesn't seem like one who'd hesitate. Yet he spared me, fed me, let me sleep.… And he believed me when I said I couldn't See anymore. Is it because you are both Shayee?"

The question is rhetorical, I hear it in her tone. Even if it wasn't, I have no answer for her. Ishizu inhales deeply and sighs heavily. Yet again, she seems to age. Her exhaustion is more and more pronounced.

"Are you alright?" I ask worried.

"No power comes without cost for humans. The backlash of the Sight is finally catching up to me."

She doesn't sound the slightest bit worried. For a moment, I feel she might fall asleep then and there. But then her eyes turn to me. "What did you wish to know?"

Defeat looms over me and I look at the ground. "I wanted to know what happened to him after that night. What made him like this. Where did he go. I want to understand and—"

"You want to save him."

I stare in awe. It's not a question. I'm beginning to realize that Ishizu's perception isn't only due to her gift. She's quite sharp.

"From my previous visions, I only know about fire spreading and the Shayee's eyes turning blue. I saw no one in particular. Only mass destruction, death and screams of agonie."

That, I know of. My spark of hope shatters and the anguish in me begins twisting my insides again. Atem really is the only one with answers for me. It might be the shadows dancing on her face playing tricks on my eyes, but I see a hint of a smile pull on the corner of Ishizu's lips.

"No one has ever asked me to use my Sight for the sake of another before. It's refreshing. Perhaps if I had more time… But maybe just once… this one last time…if it's for someone like you… for a selfless wish…"

I tilt my head, confused. "I don't understand."

The seer doesn't reply and instead mutters to herself seemingly making complete abstraction of my presence. Then, she straightens up and begins to undo the bandages around her left arm until the hand and wrist are free. I watch incredulously.

My eyes widen in fright when she lifts it up to her face and open her mouth. I leap to my feet grabbing the metal bars of my cell and nearly smashing my face into them. "What are you doing?! Stop!"

Too late. The sound of teeth biting into a thick piece of raw flesh reverberates in the cells far too clearly and every strand of hair on the back of my neck stands. Ishizu doesn't make a sound. Her face doesn't even twist to show she feels any pain despite blood leaking down her arm. What on God's earth is she doing?

"Ishizu, stop!" I plead. "Your wounds will get infected if—"

I'm instantly silenced when she opens her eyes and my words get stuck in my throat. Her irises have disappeared and the white of her eyes is emitting a bright light. Cloud-like shapes are moving in them and she releases her arm. I hold my breath both mesmerized and terrified by the strange phenomenon happening before me.

"There's a boy," she says with a profound yet clear voice, blood still dripping from her lips. "A young boy near the sea. He stares at a smoking island in the distance. His red eyes are filled with pain and horror. He's crying. 'What have I done? Why did I leave? Why did this happen?' Now he runs to the sea and towards loss."

She blinks. The clouds vanish and her irises return. She wipes her mouth and that's when I see them glistening in the moonlight. Tears in her eyes and a sad smile I'm all too familiar with. The shadows on her face now highlight deeper bags under her eyes and… wrinkles?

"I'm sorry that was all. I hope it will help you somehow. Take this vision as my gratitude for your kind words. Your kin's eyes are like mine, but he's not yet lost beyond recall."

"What's happening to you?" I ask not any less confused.

"I told you; power has a price for humans. This is the cost of abusing my Sight for so many years. Looking into time is expensive."

Realization hits me like a lightening bolt. "You don't mean… You're not…

"I wish we could've met sooner, descendant of the Shayee. Perhaps then I could've been saved as well."

She leans back against the wall and looks up at the bit of sky again. The tears glimmer as they finally escape her eyes. I hear a long breath leave her. And then she's still, an air of worry and infinite sadness on her usually expressionless face.

"Ishizu?" I call out. "Ishizu!"

No answer. A jolt of panic shakes me.

"Help! Someone help!" I shout towards the door. "Joey! Reed! Tristan! Anyone!"

Despite knowing deep down how utterly futile it is, I keep calling until heavy running footsteps resonate on the other side. The first mate bursts in through the door first, quickly followed by Carrot-Top.

"What's wrong?" asks the red-head but the wolf-man goes straight for the second cell before I can even reply as if he can sense the eerie atmosphere.

"It's Ishizu," I explain to the sail-man somehow out of breath. "She stopped moving all of a sudden."

"Carrot! Keys!" Orders Joey.

The red-head grabs the keyring dangling from a hook on the wall and tosses it at him. Joey then hurries to the still woman's side. I see him put a hand at her neck and sniff the air above her. I hold my breath waiting for the verdict when the door is suddenly kicked open again, making me jump.

"What the bloody hell is this ruckus?" growls the quartermaster holding a lantern.

"She's dead," declares Joey.

My insides freeze over in mere moments, halting any and every movement. I let my arms fall to my side.

"Ah shit!" curses Bakura. "Hey, half-pint! What happened?"

"I-I don't know," I let out. "She just… stopped moving."

He eyes me suspiciously before Carrot intervenes. "What happened to her face?"

"Law of Limitation," states Joey. "When a human is gifted, they gotta respect the given limits. If not, there's backlash. Foresight's a pretty strong gift, and I'm sure that cunt Marik made her use it far beyond her limits. The price was her lifespan. See? She's already cold."

The wolf-man sighs before picking up the now forever-still Ishizu and taking her out of the cell. As he does, I see that my eyes didn't deceive me. She really looks like an old woman with strands of white hair and aged skin. Even her arm has already stopped bleeding. As if she's been like this for hours already.

"Humans aren't meant to wield that kind of power," adds Joey an irritated air about him. "Sorry ya had to see that, Yug."

With a scowl on his face, the first mate swiftly exists the prison. To throw Ishizu's body into the sea before it can decay anymore than that, I presume. Even once out of sight, my slow heartbeat pounds in my ears like distant canon fire. It feels so surreal. To have someone die so… swiftly right under my eyes.

"Hey, anybody feed ye?" asks Carrot-Top, pulling me out of my daze.

Food is the last thing on my mind at the moment but I don't feel like arguing. I shake my head and he leaves saying he'll bring me some dinner and a cover for the night. To my surprise, Bakura stays there, staring at me with his usual suspicious frown. But I sense no murderous intent. Still his staring makes me rather uncomfortable.

"W-What?" I ask, uneasy. "Are you debating on wether or not to snap my neck right here and now?"

He scoffs. "If I did that, I'd be signing my own death warrant. And I thought I made it clear; I don't plan to kick it unless it's with my cutlass in a Kaiba's throat. It just amazes me that the two of you are the same species. Then again, he did say himself that that part of him was dead."

It's not. I refuse to believe that.

With that, he turns around and begins walking away before stoping. "By the way, the brat has his hands full with the wounded. Best you don't expect to have him back until late."

With that, he leaves slamming the door behind him and leaving in the dark once again. But this time, I have something to reflect on.

Ishizu's last vision.

A boy with red eyes, watching a smoking island, speaking words of regret.

From afar.

The first lights of day are erasing stars from the night sky now. I haven't slept at all. As Bakura said, Moki only joined me late in the night and is still sleeping, rolled up in a thick cover by my side. He was so exhausted that we barely exchanged any words before he fell asleep.

I half heartedly ate the food Carrot brought us last night, nearly wanting to return it at every bite. I'm glad I did though. It gave me enough strength to think throughout the night and organize the chaos in my head created by Ishizu's words.

Now I'm staring at the door, waiting. The sadness, the anger, the confusion… they're all still here but buried deep within. Even I am surprised at how calm I feel. But I'm very aware that it's an illusion. Like the calm before the storm. Or milk slowly warming up on the stove. Given the right opportunity, they'll rise again.

What I've pieced together during my reflexion —using Ishizu's vision and my own memories—demand answers more than ever.

I'm pulled out of my daze when I hear careful footsteps approach and the door creaks open. Joey's head peeks into the room and when when our eyes meet, he steps inside completely and grabs the keys with his free hands. He's carrying a tray with food and water with the other.

"Still awake, huh?" he says quietly to avoid waking Mokuba. "Thought so."

He unlocks the cell and puts the tray down on the bench besides me. To my surprise, before I say anything, he shuts the door of metal bars behind him and crouches down to glance at Moki.

"He's a brave little fella," says the wolf-man, ruffling his thick black hair. "It's no wonder ya care so much about him."

I say nothing and wait for first mate to get on with his business. I doubt he came in here just to have a casual conversation with me. Of course the instinctual monster that he is catches on quickly and immediately gets on with it.

"Ya know Yug?" he says, still patting Mokuba's head. "Humans are weak. They're afraid of their weaknesses. Sometimes they can't accept that and they go to extreme lengths to increase their power. It's rare but some of them manage to obtain supernatural gifts by making deals with spirits or demons. Then they reach their limits and pay the price of their unnatural gifts."

"Do you mean the Law of Limitation you mentioned yesterday?" I ask.

He nods. "I already noticed that Ishizu was fading when we captured her. But I thought she'd have a few more days left. Somehow, her decay accelerated."

He turns back to me, an air of seriousness about him. I flinch suddenly feeling like a prey and I understand instantly the reason for his presence.

"Atem sent you to find out if Ishizu had another vision before she died," I state.

A half-smile creeps up his cheek. "Sharp as ever. Did she tell you anything?"

Irritation contracts all of my muscles at once and I bite the inside of my cheek while my heart drops heavily in my chest. And he dared call me a coward? He can't even bare to look me in the eye to ask me this question. But this can work to my advantage somehow. I breathe to relax. I need to play this carefully.

"She did." I answer.

Hope lights up in the wolf-man's golden brown irises. "What did she say?"

"Take me to Atem. I'll tell him directly."

"Ya know I can't do that," replies the wolf-man, sighing.

"Then I'm not talking," I declare, looking away. "I won't tell anyone but him."

I'm boiling, I can feel it. It can practically sense the blood in my veins bubbling with heat and yet my skin is covered in goosebumps and cold sweat makes my dress stick uncomfortably to my back. My scars ache too, like it does every time my memories haunt me. I can see the unease on Joey's face.

"Are you going to hurt me if I don't talk?" I ask.

"Course not."

There's no hesitation in his voice. Joey truly is a good soul. In fact, I believe all of them might be just as good. Good but misguided. With the exception of Bakura perhaps. I don't think he'd have hesitated. Is that why Atem sent Joey instead? The wolf-man rubs the back of his head and growls awkwardly.

"Ya ain't makin' this easy for me…"

"What if it was you, Joey?" I interrupt. "What if someone from your pack suddenly reappeared before your eyes and pushed you and everything you are away? How would you feel? What would you do?"

To my frustration, my eyes water again. I instantly regret unloading this on him. His face is blank but I see the hurt in his eyes —as well as the revival of the most painful memories of his life. Good Lord, do I hate myself for it. I want to apologize, I truly do but I bite my tongue. To get what I want, this one time, I need to be selfish.

"I beg you," I say instead, fighting to keep the tears in. "Let me talk to him. Please."

He silently stares at me, contemplating the pain we reflect off each other. I stare back without blinking, showing him all of my aching soul. If anyone on this ship can understand this heart-wrenching feeling, it's Joey. After a hundred eternal seconds, he straightens up and pulls the door open again. With a sign of the head, he tells me to get out.

Triumph lightens the burden of my heart and I quickly execute the order. "Thank you, Joey. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

"Yeah well, ya better be convincin', half-bite. Otherwise, I might get the fangs kicked out o' me."

I follow him out of the prison and up the stairs to the upper decks. Luckily, we don't come across many sailors, and though those we see stare curiously none of them question Joey. For all they know, Atem asked to see me himself.

Once on the main deck, a gush of fresh morning wind welcomes us and I take a deep breath. The few pirates that are here to move the ship are quiet, probably dozing from having worked all night. Dawn is just about to break and the orange light of the horizon makes the waves and clouds seem purple. The currents have picked up, harmonizing with the wind to push the Millennium in its desired direction.

"What the fuck, Wheeler?"

The familiar growling voice of the quartermaster makes both of us whip around in a perfectly synchronized movement. Bakura is making his way to us from the foremast, trampling the ground like an angry bull with steam practically coming out of his ears. He looks like he hasn't slept a wink either.

"You better have a good excuse, mutt brain," snaps the albino. "Why is she here?"

"Turns out the witch did have some last words," explains the first mate, as casual as ever. "And she ain't talkin' unless its to the cap'n directly."

The strangest mix of anger and utter confusion twists Bakura's face in all directions. "Are you bloody serious? All you had to do was threaten her or the brat! You call yourself a pirate?"

"Yeah, that worked out great for ya last time, hearty. Whats the harm?"

"Reporting to me was beneath you, Joey?" answers an all too familiar voice behind us.

Atem is looking down at us from the banister of the quarterdeck with silent irritation in his eyes. I can feel it from here and shivers travel up my spine. Yet, the same irritation tickles at me.

"Sorry cap'n," replies Joey. "Thought it was pretty urgent."

The captain's frown accentuates, showing off the mistrust towards his right hand man. Our eyes meet and he sighs before rubbing the corner of his own. My presence is a bother to him and he doesn't hide it. He then pulls away from the banister and makes his way down the stairs but stops halfway down.

"You really pride yourself on being stubborn, don't you love?" He said that without smiling for once and crosses his arms on his chest. "Say what you have to say."

So that's how close he's willing to be near me? Twenty feet away, cold and wearing that God-forsaken mask? How I want to rip it off his face and toss it to the bottom of the sea. And finally see the truth.

"A boy with red eyes near the sea," I repeat slowly, again finding my tone surprisingly calm. "He is watching an island burning in the distance. And speaking words of horror and regret."

There's no subtlety this time, no discretion. I can see it clear as the rising sun. The pure shock and fright in the widening ruby eyes. The suddenly stiff posture of the usually nimble body. The slight discoloring of the sun-kissed face. The slightly opened mouth from which no words escape.

"Well, that was as valuable as seagull shit," mutters Bakura behind us. "Thanks for that waste of our time, Wheeler."

"Piss off, snowflake."

The idle exchange seems to snap the captain out of his frozen state. He finally blinks, detaching his eyes from mine and turns away to make his way back up the stairs.

"We're done here," he states. "Joey, take her back."

Imminent fright sets in me, its spikes of ice growing in my insides and chest. If I let him go now, I won't ever have another chance. I throw myself forward only to be held back by Joey catching my arm.

"Hey, easy Yug—"

"I've seen your scars, Atem!" I shout at the top of my lungs. "Cuts, bruises, gunshot wounds… but not a single burn mark!"

The captain of the Millennium stops in his movement, his back still turned to us. My intuition was right; this is so much more than survivor's guilt. This has to do with what happened twelve years ago, on Shayee island. On our homeland. And I can't stop speaking.

"If there's one thing I never forgot, it's that everything was burning that night. When you told me about the ravash sap, you said 'it must've burned hours on end'. As if… As if you weren't there to see it."

The sun finally peeks out of the horizon, lighting the ship in a gentle light. He still doesn't turn around but I see his hand clutching the ramp tighter and his back arching slightly.

"What happened Atem? What happened on the night of July 7th 1739?"

0.0 *GASP* (Seriously, go check out the thumbnail!)

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