Guess who's back after only two weeks? See? Baby steps work! Also, I totally didn't plan for the chapter to be this long but I couldn't stop typing. Go figure. But you're not gonna complain about that, are ye?

Enough talk, lets get to beeswax!

Enjoy!

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

The sun slowly rises out of the sea and swarms the Millennium with brighter rays, making the water carrying us glisten. Harmoniously, the wind picks up, pushing the sails and playing with our hair. But none of that can break my concentration. Everyone has gone still again. Joey's still holding my arm but he doesn't move. Bakura stays silent, as if waiting for his captain's answer.

The latter is still unmoving, as the wind makes his tainted hair and red coat dance. I take a breath and refuse to take my eyes off of him, ready to wait an eternity if I must. For once, I'm so close to the truth, to piercing the true mystery behind this mask. Confusion doesn't hold my mind captive anymore now that I know where to look and what to ask. All I need is to make him talk, one way or another.

Finally, his hand unclenches the wooden ramp, and I see his shoulders rise and fall as I imagine a heavy sigh leaves him. But when he turns around to face me, the mask is still here. The version of it without the smile and silent anger burning in his ruby irises.

"Nothing more than what you already know."

"But there's more to your story, isn't there?" I reply, refusing to break eye contact. "Why weren't you on the island that night?"

His hand twitches and clenches again but he maintains his mask. Anguish and apprehension grip my insides, but it's not enough to scare me from the truth. I have a right to know. I must know.

"That's of no importance to you."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" I retort. "I'm one of the last survivors of the Shayee. You said you wanted me to remember them—"

"Them," he interrupts. "Not the details of their demise. Aside from plaguing your mind with more screams, it won't bring you anything more. To my knowledge, you were seeking the opposite effect."

Again, the blood in my vein boils and runs faster. Does he take me for a child that needs to be protected? I waited twelve years to learn the truth. The whole truth, not bits and pieces. I can't believe this is the same man who told me to walk through the fire. I need to insist further if I hope to get anything out of him.

"Don't you dare pretend this is for my sake," I say, ripping my arm from Joey's grip. "And you called me a coward? The only one you're protecting is yourself!"

The widening of his eyes proves my bluff has hit the bullseye. He's hiding something. The explanation behind Ishizu's vision might be much more unpleasant that I initially thought. Despite what his secret might be, I want to know. Not just remember, but know all there is to know about what happened to him and caused the demise of my kin.

Of our kin.

Atem goes silent once more for a couple of minutes but when he opens his mouth to speak, a squawking noise interrupts him, making all of us look up. Above the sails, a large colorful bird is circling the Millennium. I don't know much about birds, but I find it strange. Do parrots often fly this far away from land?

I get my answer when Atem whistles and the bird dives down to perch itself on the captain's extended forearm. Suddenly, Joey and Bakura seem to lose all interest in me and both quickly get closer to the stairs.

"Well, what color?" asks the quartermaster.

Instead of replying, Atem undoes a piece of paper attached to the bird's leg, and reveals two ribbons rolled up inside. One blue, and the other, green.

"So our info was on point." I can hear triumph in Joey's voice. "Good thing we had Duke on the look out. We can get to Old Beruga, no worries."

"Now's not the time to get reckless," replies the captain, stuffing the ribbons in his pocket. "We are still going to be hiding right under their noses. That means, we must be twice as vigilant."

With that, he takes a white ribbon out and wraps it around the parrot's leg. It squawks happily when it receives some food to go with it and quickly swallows it before taking off again and flying away in the same direction the ship is headed.

I listened to the strange conversation completely oblivious as to its meaning. All I know, is that its a continuation of their vengeful quest. At the moment, I'm not the slightest bit interested. Rather, I'm quite irritated to have been forgotten.

But before I can say anything, Atem's eyes meet mine again, binding me once more to my spot and paralyzing my very thoughts. To my surprise, he finally walks down to the main deck and comes to meet me. He stops a foot away, looking down on me in more ways than one. I gulp down my spit but stand my ground.

"I've told you all you need to know, love. The rest is a burden you do not need to concern yourself with. Now behave and I might be inclined to letting you out of your cell once we're on land."

The anguish eating at me from the inside accentuates so much that my clenched jaw begins shaking. He's stubborn as a dog jealously guarding a bone. Is this hopeless? How can I get through to him? I despise this game of secrets and confusing rules. It's as if I trust him despite myself while he keeps me at arms-length.

At this thought, an idea blossoms in my head. That's it! I have to play by his rules. The only way he'll accept defeat is if I play his game and win. It's no easy task, but I know how.

Having taken my silence for approbation, Atem turns back to his first mate. "Joey, take her ba—"

"Duel me!"

I didn't mean to shout but I think the whole deck heard me. Once again, I am the focus of many curious eyes, including the captain's and his right-hand men's. Atem stares at me with a mix of exasperation and confusion on his face. Perhaps he wasn't expecting me to be this stubborn about it either.

Stop pushing me away. I can see you already.

"I beg your pardon?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Let's duel again," I repeat, taking the last step separating us and plunging my eyes into the ruby irises so that he won't shirk away. "It's the only way I'll get anything from you, isn't it?"

The captain of the Millennium gives me his signature mocking smirk and crosses his arms on his chest. But I can still feel irritation emitting from him.

"It amazes me how easily you forget whose territory this is. Anything I say, goes," he states, condescendingly. "Why in the world would I agree to that?"

"Because if you win, I'll accept your offer."

The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. For the second time today, I'm graced with the sight of utter surprise on his face. Strangely, I don't regret my impulsiveness. I know my bet is risky, but I'm tired of lies and deception. And obtaining something from him implies playing the game he plays. This is likely the only card I have he'd be willing to accept.

"O-Only this time, you let me chose the rules," I specify, before he can answer. "In exchange, if you win, I'll accept not only your offer but any other one thing you ask of me."

Joey and Bakura exchange a confused glare, oblivious to what I'm talking about. I'm fairly certain Atem hasn't shared his expectations for me with his crew. Especially not the quartermaster. Recovered from the initial shock, the captain eyes me with an unreadable look on his face.

"And if you win?" he finally asks.

"You answer my questions," I declare. "No vague answers, no half-truths, no lies."

"You're willing to risk your freedom and God knows what else to know more about me?" he snorts half amused, half scornful. "I'm flattered, love, I really am."

I clench my fists. "Do not call me that."

His smile fades and we stare off for an eternity longer before he finally speaks again. "Very well, Yugi Muto. I accept your challenge and your conditions. Let us see just how far this streak of selfishness takes you."

The nerve!

"You are in no position to be lecturing me about selfishness," I respond, frowning.

The truth is, he's not completely wrong. I could've asked for our release or at least for Moki's. Instead, I decided to fight for my sake alone. Already, guilt is creeping up my skin, making me feel covered in mud. What would Seto say if he saw me?

But while I'm not certain Atem would have accepted a duel to free us, I'm sure of one thing; he wouldn't hurt Mokuba. No matter how much he tries to hide behind his mask, I believe he knows all too well what it is to be an innocent soul caught in the sick games of selfish men. He wouldn't hurt him. Not as long as he doesn't know of his Kaiba blood, at least.

"Since I'm leaving the rules up to you," continues Atem, "it's only fair that I choose the place and time. We'll meet at noon here on the outer decks. I'll let you pick the specific limitations as well. That should give you plenty of times to come up with your rules."

It no longer surprises me how he exudes this much confidence. And of course, it reaches his goal of making me uneasy. As if he's telling me no matter how much time I have or what rules I choose, he's not threatened by me one bit. But I have no intention of letting his self-appointed handicap go to waste. Using all of my advantages is the only way I'll have a chance against him.

"Deal," I reply.

I add nothing and turn heel, heading back to the cells of my own accord with Joey quickly catching up. I have much thinking to do.

Seto's POV

Finally having run out of excuses to push resting away, the baron has returned to his quarters and lied down in the hopes of finding sleep while waiting for Devlin to report to him. Unfortunately, the dozing state he's managed to reach is anything but comfortable or energizing. It makes him revisit an old memory that he oh-so wished he could vanquish from his mind forever.

He sees the island again, burning as he imagines the screams of the people being scorched alive even long after they'd stopped. And no matter how he tries to scream, not sound comes out of his mouth. That's the moment he understands his sin and that his hands are covered in blood.

How naive he was then, trusting the word of that bastard. His hands sting in his gloves again and he clenches them. A tear of exhaustion leaks on his temple and ear. If only he'd burned with everything else back then…

A loud knock on his door pulled him out of his lucid nightmare and he let out a heavy sigh before sitting up. It's not over yet. He still has things to do.

"Who is it?" He says, rubbing his face.

"Leichter, my lord," replied the voice of the Blue Eyes's captain on the other side of the door. "There's a man on the docks asking to see you. He claims to be a sort of navigator and refers to himself as your last resort?"

"Does he have a bird with him?"

"A parrot, yes."

What do you know? Looks like the Tzigane didn't just run off with his coin after all. The irritation rising from the pit of his stomach quickly gets choked by the exhaustion and the fear of wasting more time.

"Let him onboard," orders Seto, getting up. "I'll be right there."

Leichter takes his leave and the baron throws on a clean shirt and a waistcoat, not bothering to put on his cravat or coat. After buckling his belt and sheath around his waist, he makes his way out. The skies are clear and the winds, strong outside. Devlin is near the mainmast speaking to Leichter, that same insufferable smirk on his face. The mere sight of him makes Seto's irritation spike and he picks up the pace.

"Top of the morning to you, my lord," cheerfully greets the Tzigane. "My, you look awful. Having trouble sleeping? It's understandable, given your predicament."

Lord, was everything coming out of the navigator's mouth meant to irk him?

"Spare me the false courtesy," snaps back the baron. "You were supposed to report to me yesterday evening, Devlin."

Cheeky as ever, the Tzigane shrugs. "Actually, what I said was that it would take me until last evening, at least, to read the winds. As it happens, it took longer. The winds and the tides have capricious and unpredictable tempers. I can't control their movements, only try to read them. Even Becca had a hard time."

Seto brought his hand to his face to pinch the bridge of his nose, hoping to control the quickly rising irascibility within. Letting Devlin get under his skin would lead him nowhere.

"Do you have nothing else for me, or do you just love the sound of your own voice? I don't take kindly to anyone wasting my time or playing me for a fool, Tzigane."

"I was merely trying to lighten up the atmosphere but so be it," he taunts once more. "I believe I know where your rogue ship is headed. Without a doubt, they've made a detour somewhere on the way here but logically, I can estimate—"

"Out with it!"

"They're headed to Beruga."

Everything goes still and Seto suddenly finds himself in a timeless moment of utter confusion. Then, the spiking anger spreading in his veins snaps him out of it and in a split-second of pure compulsion, he grabs the navigator by the collar, so roughly that the parrot flies off to avoid falling.

"Do you think this is a joke, Tzigane? Don't you dare screw with me. I have all the resources necessary to make sure you never set foot anywhere in the Caribbean again…"

"Woah, easy there, my Lord," says Devlin, raising his hands defensively, and somehow preserving that provoking smile. "Let me explain. Few people outside the locals know this, but the island's main port town used to be further up north of the island. It was hard to access for… visitors."

By that, he is of course referring to the scum who spend their stolen coin on whores and booze after a hunt.

"It was hard for ships to make it around all the reefs up north and get to destination," continues the navigator. "It wasted both time and money to reach. You're a businessman, you understand."

"Get to the point, already!"

"Ten years ago, the new port town was built here to where we are now. It became the official Beruga but the locals actually refer to it as New Beruga. Your rogue ship is most likely on its way to Old Beruga."

Instantly, Seto releases him and turns to the captain of his battleship.

"Leichter, prepare the Blue Eyes for immediate departure—"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," interrupted Devlin, for once wearing a serious expression. "The reefs are treacherous up north, you'd waste valuable time just avoiding the rocks and the changing currents. It's unwise to take this journey without someone who knows the place and the tides in and out. Unless you have a death wish for yourself and your entire crew."

If he says it like that, then it means he's not qualified either. Damn it all! The moment a new lead showed, obstacles just sprang up along the way. Seto brings his hand to his face again when vertigo attacks him. Why now? He's finally closer to finding them…

"How long would a detour take?" asks Leichter this time.

"At least two days," replies Devlin, still serious. "And if my calculations are correct, your rogue ship could very well be arriving today or tomorrow. Pirates never stay too long in one place. Not to mention they might just be stopping for supplies before heading anywhere else. Even I wouldn't be able to track them after that."

"What about on land?" asked Seto. "If it's the same island, it should be accessible on horseback."

"It is the quickest way," replies Devlin, just as Becca lands back on his shoulder. "It should take you about eight hours riding. But the roads are rocky and tricky, especially once it gets dark. You'll need a guide."

"Can you do it?"

The cheeky smile instantly returns. "For the right price."

"Done."

There's no more point to hesitating. He's finally getting close. They're finally within his reach.

With that, Devlin takes his leave, saying he'll warn the, quote unquote "lovely commodore" and find them horses. They agree to meet up at the Red Rackham in an hour.

Mokuba, Yugi. Hang in there a bit longer.

Yugi's POV

My plan is risky, foolish, and very likely to back fire. Yet, my options are limited. I'll have to be more vigilante and awake than ever. It has to work. I must make it work. No matter how much it'll cost me.

A sleepy groan and the shifting of covers pulls me out of my thoughts, and I open my eyes. Mokuba sits up and stretches, yawning loudly in the process. Judging from his eyes and the paleness of his face, I can tell his sleep hasn't been as restful as it should've. I jump down from the bench and sit on the floor beside him, bringing the tray with me.

"Good morning," I say, smiling. "Joey brought us some food. How did you sleep?"

"Not so good," replies the twelve year-old, yawning once more before grabbing a piece of bread and some cheese. "How about you?"

"I didn't."

Neither of us adds anything. Even our small talks have gotten awkward since the battle with Marik. Mokuba uses that moment to bite into his food and chews quietly. I debate wether or not I should tell him about the duel. Logically speaking, everything about my challenging our captor is ridiculous and foolish. And even if I do win, my prize will be the answers to my questions, not our freedom.

The guilt from earlier returns a thousand times stronger, twisting my insides and making me want uncomfortable. My heritage and my memories have always been important… but never as important as Seto and Moki.

"Do you want to stay with him?"

The wrestling of my through abruptly stops at the sudden question. Mokuba stares at me, his big black irises displaying apprehension and sadness. I open my mouth to answer but nothing comes out.

"I can see it on your face," continues my brother, the sharpness in his eyes accentuating.

"Moki, what are you talking ab—"

"You care about him," he interrupts. "Yugi, you called him… a part of your soul. It's because he's a Shayee, isn't it?"

His hands clench over the cover on his lap and I can tell his teeth are as well. I suddenly take notice of every scar our unfortunate adventure has given him. All those awful memories of greed, threats, blood and death. He's so afraid. Afraid to be alone. I know this fear better than anyone.

Though not quite like Seto, he's always been clever and sharp. His fear is born of logic and things he's witnessed. This entire time, he's been the witness to my struggle while facing Atem. He's seen the bond that binds us together, the very one Atem himself tries to sever. And that fear can be summarized as such : will I choose Atem over them?

"He's after Seto," he continues his hands shaking. "If or when that time comes, then—"

I scoot closer and wrap my arms around him before he can finish, bringing his face into my chest. I hold him as close as I can all the while realizing that I can't treat him like a child. He's too smart and has seen too much. Having him lose faith or worse, trust in me, is something I can't bear.

"I don't know what to think Moki," I begin, desperately trying to steady my voice. "I do feel… connected to him. I want to know him, to know his story and how he got there. What drove him to reject our kin and I… I don't know what will happen if Seto finds us first."

In truth, I pray we find our way back to him first. I feel Moki's arms wrap around my waist and his trembling hands clutching the back of my dress as if he feared I might fly away if he didn't hold me down. A wave of emotions rises to my throat and makes my eyes water but I swallow back the tears.

I beg you, don't doubt me. I'll never leave you behind.

"But I already promised, didn't I? I'll never betray the two of you. I will be on your side, forever and always. He may be my kin but you're my family. And a Shayee always protects their family. I won't let anyone break us. I promise on my life."

Diving back into my memories, I try to convey all the comfort Seto gave me the night he found me. Don't be afraid, I'm here. I'll keep you safe no matter what. And I now have more reason than ever not to lose that duel.

We stay like this as the tension-ridden body of the youngest Kaiba gradually relaxes and he slowly releases me. He wipes his red eyes. He's still pale and the bags under his eyes age him but he smiles at me. I've reassured him. For now at least.

I smile back but just as he opens his mouth to speak, the door opens and the first mate walks in, and grabs the keys on the wall.

"It's time, Yug," he says, opening the cell door.

So it's noon already. I take a breath to relax the rising tension and awaken my awareness. There's no more time to hesitate. I stand up and step out. Mokuba imitates the movement to follow, but Joey closes the door on him.

"Not you short-stack. You're staying here."

"But why? There's still a lot of wounded to take care of…"

"Ya worked 'til real late, last night," says the wolf-man. "The cap'n says you ought to rest a while more. I'll let ya out in an hour or so."

It's more likely Atem doesn't want him around during the duel. I can't say I'm not grateful. I'd rather not worry him about my potentially being hurt again. As expected, Mokuba frowns, suspicious of Joey's words and looks at me.

"Don't worry. I'll be back soon," I tell him.

Before he can question us any further, I turn away and head out. When we get to the main deck again, there are a lot more sailors working. I see Jaden in the sails despite his injuries. Reed is talking to a group of men, showing them a map. Tristan and Bakura are discussing something at the foot of the mainmast.

Once they notice my presence, their eyes turn on us and an imposing silence fills the deck. I search for Atem, distracted by all the staring. I find him when he deigns walk down from the quarterdeck. He's taken off his red coat, leaving him in a loose wrinkled shirt. Of course, he's wearing his mask. When he reaches me, a cocky half-smile pulls on the corner of his lips.

"No regrets, love?"

I take a breath, letting the irritation come and go. I can't let myself get distracted.

"None."

The smile vanishes and he sighs briefly, before crossing his arms on his chest. "What are your rules then?"

Instead of replying, I undo the bandage around my arm under the curious gaze of my captor. My wound is far from completely healed and still hurts when I move too brusquely. Good. I need him to see it. Once off, I bring the middle part to my mouth, not minding the blood stains and bite it to shred it in two.

"Give me your left arm."

A second of hesitation later, he complies and I wrap the bandage around his arm, tying it tightly but with a knot easily undone. I hand him the other one and offer up my left arm as well. Still frowning in confusion, he proceeds to do the same to me.

"Firstly, whoever steals the bandage from the other first is the winner," I state.

He snorts at my first rule. "I can't tell if your mocking me or being daft, love."

By the force of my entire will, I forbid myself to get flustered at this comment. I know full well I chose a simplistic task. "I choose the rules, that was our deal. My apologies if they aren't bloody enough for your taste, captain."

The emphasis I put on his title wipes the smile off his face. I don't wait for him to retort.

"Secondly, the duel is limited to the outside of the ship. And thirdly…"

I pause and glance at Carrot who is standing besides Jack at the helm. He's holding a couple of practice swords in his hands. My intuition was on point it seems; Atem's not planing to give it his all.

"… you can only use one steel blade," I finish.

He raises an eyebrow. "A steel blade?"

"Is something the matter?"

"Do you not recall how our first duel went?"

"You had no trouble butchering my arm then, so you shouldn't have any issues hurting me now," I reply, curtly. "I'm not your kin, after all."

The words poured out before I could stop them. Seems I'm more bitter than I thought about everything he told me yesterday. My answer is met with a blank stare and narrowing eyes. Perhaps it's because he's had to wear that mask for years that I see no clear reaction. But I feel it in my bones. I've hit a nerve. It might serve me but might also cause my doom.

I take a step back and turn towards Bakura. "May I?"

He rolls his eyes in annoyance at me. "Tch. Whatever gets this charade of you devils over faster."

The quartermaster comes up to me, unsheathes his cutlass and hands it over to me. The same sensation of disgust from the first time I held it comes over me, making me nauseous but I shake it off. Now's certainly not the time to think about how much blood it has spilled.

The men around distance themselves from us, but stay around to observe. Almost instantly, Atem and I step back and begin circling around the center of the main deck, slowly, staring into each other's eyes. I adjust the cutlass in my right hand and once more, he frowns.

"I'm beginning to wonder if you have any plans on winning this duel," he says.

"What makes you say that?"

"This childish game as a challenge, none of your rules protecting you despite clearly being at a disadvantage," he enumerates, "and finally, discarding death once again. I fail to see the logic in your thoughts."

"You've yet to beat me at this childish game, captain," I reply, saluting as I've been taught and for the first time, no one mocks me.

My arm aches already. It's the first time I'll be using it since getting injured. Atem's eyes are narrowed on me like a falcon on its prey, for once full of suspicion and mistrust. The ruby irises fully betray the questioning within : why use my wounded arm to fight? Why choose to duel with real blades when I know I'm not as good a he is? Why put myself in a situation where my wounds will worsen and I could get seriously hurt again?

Good.

Bakura pulls out a pistol and points it at the sky. I take one last deep breath and get into a stance.

Now's the time to use all Seto has taught me.

POW!

In perfect synchronization, we both abandon our circular route and come at each other at full speed. A furious dance of metal clashing against metal ensues. Immediately, the wound in my arm aches in pain at the sudden strain. Nonetheless, I shun it as best I can, striking back at my opponent with as much precision as I can. I quickly realize how Atem was right about my awakening. All of my movements react to all of his a lot more fluidly than before.

By no means does it give me the opportunity to relax. I barely have time to blink between the strikes at my side, shoulder and legs, and having to keep my bandage out of his reach. And yet… I don't feel overwhelmed like the last time.

It takes a few moments before I realize that it's not because of my newly found nimbleness. He's holding back. His monstrous strength demands all of my effort to keep my blade in my hands, but I can read his movements a lot more than during our previous confrontations. Then it hits me ; he's not making use of his devilish speed. Is he toying with me? No, his eyes are angry and abnormally focused.

Which means my foolish plan seems to be working.

My slight moment of realization nearly costs me everything, when he hooks the hilt of his cutlass on mine, and pulls me towards him, while extending a his free hand to grab my bandage.

"No, you don't!"

A pure defensive reflex moves my leg, and I send my knee into his stomach. A hint of a grunt escapes him and I free my sword and jump back. That was too close for comfort! I swing my sword so he would dodge and back away, but instead, he blocks it.

This time, the shock is too much for my arm and I let out a cry of pain as blood spurts out. I'd anticipated this moment and summon every bit of strength in me to not curl up in pain, back away and refocus.

Moment of truth.

I wait for him to come after me. He doesn't. Instead, he looks at my arm and straightens up, a frown on his face that nervousness and apprehension are twisting. Never have I seen such a display so clear of agitation on him.

"Allow me to reiterate," he says, "are you planning on bleeding yourself out?"

My heart drops heavily in my chest at his question. But if I give in, I'll not only lose this duel, I'll lose any chance I have of piercing through this God-forsaken mask.

Stop hiding already. I can see you. You hate watching me bleed.

"I plan to win," I reply, readjusting my stance. "This doesn't matter."

Doesn't matter, my foot. It takes everything I have to keep myself from trembling while my arm is gushing out red like a geyser. The look in his eyes accentuates again. They call me a fool and he clenches his teeth.

I close the distance between us, striking first. I send a series of quick thrust to his stomach, torso and shoulder, all of which he dodges or blocks agilely, still using a minimum of his speed. It both irritates and saddens me. I then drop to the floor, slicing my blade above it. He jumps back with fragile balance.

I reach for his bandage, but with a quick step to the side, he's out of my reach again. Breathing becomes heavy and the throbbing pain in my arm is beginning to be hard to ignore. Pearls of sweat are slowly forming on my forehead.

But it's all nothing. Nothing compared to the pain from yesterday. A cheap price to pay for my victory and a mere inconvenience for my prize. Atem shakes his head at me, his eyes more expressive somehow. I find comfort in my plan slowly coming together.

"What is the point of doing this to yourself?"

"If you want to end this duel quickly," I tell him, "I suggest you stop holding back, captain. Why should it matter to you if I'm hurt because of my own choices?"

The ruby irises instantly light up with anger. Seto was right; pride is an easy target of men. I clench my free hand to sink my nail into my skin and even out the pain. Every part of me is on high alert and every hair on my nape stands, waiting for the hurricane about to hit me.

"So its a lesson you wish for, girl," he says, his voice dripping with raw irritation. "I will oblige. And when you lose this fight, you will accept that there is not a shred of Shayee left within me."

A sixth —or should I say seventh— sense in me lets me feel the rising energy within him and I'm struck with fright. But I stand my ground. He comes at me at full speed and this time, my entire body feels the reverberation of his strikes. One strike grazes my cheek, another shreds my already bleeding arm and at some point, I receive his elbow on my cheek.

Dodging and blocking quickly become my only concern. I don't have to pretend to be pushed back, it's all I can do to keep myself from having my bandage stolen. Still, it seems like an eternity goes by before a kick in the stomach sends my back to hit the edge of the Millennium.

Atem swings his blade at me again, I throw myself past him, rolling on the floor and getting back up, panting and dripping with blood and sweat…. but with him finally near the edge.

As if the same force compelled us, we both stop and stare. He's breathing heavily too that same anger and apprehension burning so evidently in his eyes. Not a soul can miss it.

"You're a fool!" he shouts. "What good does it do to bleed all over the floor? Give up already! You're never going to win like this."

How can you say we're not connected…when you can't stand seeing me like this?

Finally, I let it out. All of the ache of my soul, all the anger, all the sadness, all the loneliness… I release all of them at once. The pain of my body pales in comparison to this mix of feeling tearing me from the inside out. I clench my teeth and the river of tears —my own tears this time— I've been holding in, stream out of my eyes, flooding my face.

In response, all anger and distress vanishes from his face and his eyes widen more than ever. I sense nothing but utter shock from him anymore. He's finally listening to me.

"You're a hypocrite," I tell him, fighting to steady my voice. "Telling me to carry all of it by myself when you know better than anyone what loneliness does to our kind… How can you be this cruel?"

Only the wind answers me but not one person around makes a noise.

"Yes, it does hurt," I admit, panting. "It's excruciating! But next to what you told me yesterday, it's nothing. Not even the flames that scorched my back twelve years ago hurt as much."

I close my eyes and let myself sob for a few moments. I let my mind travel to those memories I hate of fire, death and screams. My back begins aching as it had that day, adding to the sharp spikes of ice growing in my insides.

And the fear. The atrocious fear of being alone. Of being left behind by the only one of my kind left. Of letting my sole kinsman kill himself and everything that binds us like this. I can't let it be. I cannot lose another one.

Suddenly, my heart becomes lighter as if floating. Like a drop of water falling in an agitated pond and instantly calming it, the familiar fresh sensation spreads to my entire body, silencing pain and shivers all at once, immersing me.

I did it.

My tears are still falling. My wounds are still bleeding. My emotions are still raging. But I have full control of myself. I know what I must do.

"I won't let you, or any part of you die," I tell him, opening my crystal blue eyes. "Because then, I'd truly betray the Shayee I am."

Everyone around backs off as frightened and aghast whispers go around the main deck. But they're far away. I didn't think it was possible for Atem's eyes to widen anymore. Carried by the Stream flowing through me, I toss aside Bakura's cutlass and dash forward. In moments, I'm on him, pushing on his torso with all my inhuman strength.

We both fall.

My hand closes on the tip of his bandage and pull it free, just before we hit the water.

Strangely, neither of us moves. We let ourselves sink deeper, my hands still clutching his shirt and my victory with an iron grip.

His face seems confused at first. He stares into the distance unmoving and unbothered by the lack of air. The Stream has calmed the hurricane of raw emotions in me, and I just contemplate this face I barely know. As I thought, the water suits him so well.

Finally, about twenty feet deeper, his eyes find mine. And he smiles. A smile of defeat.

At that very moment, the Stream leaves me and the sting of the salt in my wounds snaps me out of my contemplation. Unable to bare it, I let go off him and swim back up. When I break the surface, I see everyone that was watching the duel leaned over the edge.

I raise the bandage I've taken from their captain with my left arm to show I also still had my own. I'm met with silence and stunned gazes. Then out of nowhere, I hear a cry of triumph. Jaden, perched on a rope ladder, is jumping up and down like a happy monkey. I can't hear what he's saying but he seems overjoyed at my victory, waving his handless arm.

The surface by my side breaks and I nearly jump out of my skin. Atem shakes his head get the water out of his hair before turning to me, mask-less and strangely… calm.

"It seems I underestimated you," he says. "You're madder than I am, love. No. Yugi."

I blink, incredulously. It's as if there's a stranger in front of me. How odd to see him without a trace of deception on him. I can't find anything to add but his finally calling my name lightens my heart.

He turns away and swims toward the still advancing Millennium, and I follow suit.

A rope ladder is sent to us and we climb back up. Of course the climb makes my wounds sting even more and I take into account all the new scars and bruises I've collected. I tire quickly but once he reaches the top, Atem offers me a hand which I gratefully take. But even once back on the ship, he keeps my hand in his a while longer.

"I suppose the biggest fool of all was I," he mutters, letting go. "For thinking I could ever hide from you."

His face is once again unreadable but I sense deep melancholy and defeat in his tone. I don't know what to think of it. In fact, I'm still having trouble believing this is real.

"This victory is yours," he finally declares, loud and clear so that everyone around can hear. "I'll keep my word and answer your questions."

I open my mouth to speak but find my mind blank of clear thoughts. What do I ask first? Where do I even begin? I need time to organize my thoughts. I need to catch my breath first…

"I…I…" is all I'm capable of saying.

Atem interrupts my attempts at speaking by raising a hand. "I still have many things to take care of and I'm sure your mind could use some sorting out as well. Take the rest of the day to heal and rest. When we reach Beruga tonight, you and I will have a long conversation."

Perhaps because of past experience, I have trouble believing him. "Do you promise?"

He doesn't avoid my gaze. Instead of replying, he simply brings his hand to his face and presses his baby finger to his lips. At the gesture, an old memory awakens from the depths of my mind. I know what it is :

A sign of promise between Shayee.

We've finally pierced through the mask! But will she like what she finds behind it? *cue ominous music*

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