Ahoy hearties! Again, a thousand apologies for the tardiness but again, this was another chapter reeeeeeeeeally difficult for me to put on paper and I truly hope the results are worth it.

FAIR WARNING : I started my full time job last Monday which is good for me and not so much for you (I know, being a grown up sucks).But I swear with all my heart, I will try HARD AS HELL to find the time to write and keep my current posting schedule, but I can't make any promises. Until then, I thank you for your patience. Y'all are the best and your support gives me life!

Enjoy!

The tension brought on by the dark clouds, and the bloodlust infesting the air, has finally shattered, leaving place to rain and heaviness. I feel my clothes slowly drenching and sticking to my skin, just as the tears that escaped my eyes are washed away. A new electrifying presence in the wind, fueled by the anger and hate going around, puts me on higher alert than ever.

Strangely, the sixth sense of the Shayee has also awakened. Though not as clearly as in the water, I can somehow keep a general eye on the whole crew through the heavy rain falling on us. Carrot-top, Tristan, Xao, Reed… They're still angry. They're still hateful, I can feel it all through the Stream. And yet, they can't hide the confusion and apprehension from showing on their faces. After all, the few times they did see my blue eyes, I nearly impaled Bakura and Atem. The only one who shows no confusion, is the latter.

For the second time today, my heart seems to fall to pieces. I see it in his tearless eyes. Never have I witnessed such an open display of emotions in a single look. Betrayal, hurt, wrath, judgement… all dangerously close to despair and insanity. So close to losing it all.

"Atem, please," I plead one more time. "Just think for a moment…"

"Think?" he repeats, pushing himself back up to his feet, a hand lingering on his stomach where I hit him. "I've had twelve years to think. And my patience is running thin."

He can't make it clearer that he's in no way willing to hear me out. I once again realize how right he was. How can I expect to take on half a life time of grudge? The one thing he's been chasing all this time is right in front of him. Even I, his sole remaining kin, can't seem to do anything to stop the wrath from all these years to spike up again. But I can't falter. I won't. I'll lose everything if I do.

"I don't want to fight you. Any of you," I say, clenching the orichalcum blade harder.

"Then step aside," he states, monotonously.

A sudden tension in my jaw makes me bite my lip. I can't reach him. He's so far away, lost in that burning black sea. He won't listen… but I will not let him sink.

"I refuse."

He once more clenches his teeth at me before snapping. "Why? You know what his family and their company have done! Why do you defend him?!"

"Do you think Gozaburo wouldn't have come after the Shayee if Seto wasn't there? He'd have found a way. He'd have sent another spy, he'd have come up with another plan. And if it weren't for Seto, neither of us would be here."

"And wouldn't that have been better for the both of us," he replies without an ounce of sarcasm.

My words get stuck in my throat at the eerie declaration. Again, the result of his twelve years of loneliness shows plainly. I thought the same thing on the island when I realized they were all gone. If I had died with them, I would never have felt that cursed void. I can almost see the black flames dancing around him, slowly consuming what is left. And it terrifies me.

"Don't say that," I reply, sinking the nails of my free hand into my palm. "Don't ever say it was a mistake that we found each other!"

The sudden panic rising in me and heating up my face surprises even me. The words flow almost on their own, following the course of the speeding Stream in me.

"You wanted me to awaken, to recover my Shayee-self. Thanks to you, I have. More than that, you freed me from the very flames that are eating at you right this moment. And for that reason alone, I can't let you do this."

My insides twist and shift again at the sight of the ever growing resentment. So present around him that I can almost taste it and it makes me nauseous. Even the crew who share his sentiment, seem slightly uncomfortable.

A mocking "tch" escapes Atem. "So the proof of his sins in your flesh is worth less than the lies he's told you? You think the Shayee were the first or the last of his victims? Open your eyes, Yugi. No one here has more blood on their hands than the devil you're defending."

You're right. There's so much I don't know. I still have so many questions. But…

"All I need to know is that he has that regret in his heart."

An eye-roll makes his annoyance that much more obvious. "You're a fool. How long do you think you can stand your ground?"

"As long as I must until you listen," I retort, taking a step forward.

"I have a far better idea," responds the ominous voice of the quartermaster, whom I only now realize was a mistake to ignore.

I turn my head to where Hunter was a moment ago. In his stead, is Bakura, one arm wrapped around Mokuba's neck and his trustee cutlass pressed against his neck. Of course, with his hands tied behind his back, my brother is completely defenseless, struggling to even keep his feet in contact with the floor.

"Moki!" I exclaim in panic, turning towards them.

"Don't move," orders the albino.

I stop moving completely, looking back and forth between Atem and him, cursing myself for neglecting the man's ruthlessness. I was so absorbed by Atem and Seto, that I've failed to notice Bakura's bloodlust, camouflaged in the midst of all the others. What an idiot!

"I'm going to make this very easy for you, devil girl," says Bakura, with a strange fake-calmness about him. "You can either move out of the way, and still keep one of them mostly in one piece, or you can lose both."

I feel my blood pump faster than ever in my body and my steady heartbeat pounds like cannon fire in my chest. The Stream is still present, reacting to the bloodlust and intent to kill from both sides, but for once it becomes agitated. How can it not? When was a Shayee last forced to choose between two members of their family? I would never put it passed Bakura to act on his words, but the impassiveness of the rest of the crew stuns me. Some look away and grimace, but none make a move to stop him.

My body freezes under the fear while my mind screams for me to do something. In a desperate reflex, I turn to my kin for help only to be met with an unchanged glare. It tells me that he has no help to offer me. I shiver in horror.

"Step aside," he says curtly, to my address.

Is that how far gone you all are? To the point of hurting a child?

"Yugi." I look back at Seto, whose eyes are more determined than ever. "Do what he says."

My head begins spinning faster. With the Stream, I'm the strongest creature on this ship so how come I'm still as powerless as before? Even with the speed given to me by my heritage, I won't make it in time if Bakura decides to go through with his threat.

Faced with my silence, the quartermaster kisses his teeth in annoyance. "Pick wisely and quickly, because I'm not waiting till sunse— AH!"

A cry of pain escapes him and he suddenly releases his hostage. Mokuba falls to the ground in a loud thud as Bakura tumbles back a few steps, a small and thick projectile imbedded in his left shoulder.

"Son of a bitch," he curses before looking up. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing, monkey?"

I look up, as does everyone around, and surprise strikes me. Jaden is standing on the lowest top of the mainmast, his handless arm extended. On it, is strapped the odd crossbow he told me about when I first saw the arsenal he keeps in the crow's nest.

The youngest sail-man wears a pale expression, a strange mix of regret and unease. Even through the rain, I can see him shaking from where I stand. After a few moments of struggling silence, he finally speaks.

"I'm sorry, Mr Bakura. I don't quite get everythin' that's happenin' now. But I know lil'Moki ain't done nothin' wrong."

From the moment we arrived on the Millennium, I knew Jaden was delighted to have someone close to his age around, after being the one child of the crew for so long. Having no target to go after, I thought he was blindly following Atem and the others into their quest for blood, but his actions now prove to me he's not nearly as oblivious as I thought he was. And that he's truly come to think of Mokuba as a friend.

Another grunt of pain escapes Bakura when he rips the small arrow from his flesh. His eyes are lit up with rage. "Have you lost your bloody mind?"

"I think the rest of ya are the one's who've lost yar heads."

Joey —who has stayed quiet and withdrawn until now— suddenly steps forward. The wolf-man grabs Mokuba's upper arm, then pulls him up to his feet and behind him, closer to the mainmast. He seems exhausted and has an air of disappointment and irritation about him as he eyes Bakura and the rest of his comrades one by one.

"The reason we agreed to be part of this hunt was to keep anyone else from sufferin' at the hands of the company. T'least, that's what we told ourselves. Truth is, we're here for blood and blood alone."

Again, the men of the Millennium reply nothing, guilt written all over their faces. They only glance at each other. None of them are surprised by that statement. It seems that once again, I was right. This blood hunt is their only reason to go on and the cause of their miserable existence. Joey turns his gaze to Atem, this time with a hint of apology.

"I ain't got any ground lecturin' ya'll, hearties," he finally says. "But I sure as hell ain't payin' for this revenge with innocent blood."

"You stupid mutt," growls out Bakura, unbridled fury reddening his pale face. "He's a Kaiba, an heir to the company!"

"Joey's right," says Reed, finally stepping forward. "He's just a lad, Bakura…"

"So what?" snaps back the infuriated albino. "Do you think the company spared anyone just because they were brats? They'd sacrifice them to Satan himself if it lands them more coin. It didn't stop them, and it shouldn't bloody stop us either!"

"What ya want is a tooth for a tooth," replies Joey. "Sorry to disappoint, mate, but I didn't agree to this hunt to become like them."

Unflinching, the first mate stands his ground and shoots a warning glare at those he calls friends and comrades. His eyes turn golden just as his face elongates, his teeth turn to fangs and his nails, to claws. From the corner of my eye, I see Seto's widen in shock.

"Do what you want with the baron," declares the half-transformed first mare. "But I'll bite yar head off if ya go for the lad."

Both extreme relief and gratitude fill my chest, as I see Reed and a couple more join Joey's side to make a wall between Mokuba and the rest of the crew. But faced with an incomplete transformation, the others seem paralyzed. Even Bakura who is still fuming, and throwing daggers at the wolf-man with his eyes, is standing still. If Joey's words haven't had any effect on them, at the very least they aren't taking his threat lightly.

The force of nature that he is is enough to frighten anyone. A stray thought makes me wonder if the strength of the Stream could equal that of a wolf-man. Yet another thing I didn't think through. Once certain that his words has been heard, Joey turns to look at his captain, who has yet to change his expression.

"Sorry cap'n," he apologizes with undeniable sincerity. "But that's a line I ain't crossin'."

Atem replies nothing, only glares back at his most trusted ally, the betrayal in his eyes, unchanged. Joey then turns his attention to me. I can tell he takes no joy in "betraying" his comrades but I also believe he's the only one who understands what the end of their hunt entails. My heart aches for the wolf-man and his kindness.

"Thank you," is all I can tell him.

"Ya're on yar own for the rest Yug," is his serious reply.

Atem eyes him a couple seconds longer before turning back to me as if what has just transpired was only a minor inconvenience. As if it didn't matter wether Mokuba got hurt or not. As if all trace of the gentleness I saw in him vanished into thin air the moment I chose to defend Seto.

Fright sets in again when I think maybe Ishizu was wrong. His eyes are beginning to look more and more like hers, lost beyond redemption. I can't feel the ache of my body thanks to the Stream, but every one of my heartbeats is painful now.

One last time, I try to reason with him, praying that he hears me.

"Let me ask all of you this," I say, carefully addressing all. "How many of your stories are less than five years old?"

I get no answer —neither from the captain nor the crew —but I need only see the looks on their faces to obtain my answer. None. Or at least, not many. So I continue, loud and clear so they can all hear me.

Now is the time to make all those years of snooping in Seto's office with Mokuba worth it.

"Ever since Seto became the head of the company, everything has been changing." I look at Bakura. "The Black Dogs of Liverand were replaced by the militia." I eye Tristan and Xao. "There's no more weapon or salt trading." Finally, I turn back to my kin. "There has been no diamond or rare metal business either. So many changes in such a short time could've ruined the company, and yet he still went through with them. Does that sound like greed to you? Is that the company you know? All you've been chasing is the shadow of a monster that's already dead."

Though faintly, the bloodlust in the air begins declining. However, I can almost see my words bouncing off Atem's shell of hate, not so much as making a dent in it. Is this it? Do I have no other choice but to fight? The looming regret makes me wonder if I should've let him know from the start who we were.

What should I have done?

"You claim he didn't do this of his own will," finally replies the captain. "But you have no way of knowing that, do you? You've been fed lies your entire life while your mind was still missing its memories. Do you think you'd be able to discern lie from truth when it comes to him? Don't fool yourself."

His tone adding to my internal pressure irks me. "What I do know, is that the boy you claim maliciously did the bidding of his father, scorched his hands all the way up to his elbows to pull me from my burning house. I also know he left everything behind to come after us. And I know there's more we both don't know."

"Mother…"

Perhaps the Stream has awakened my senses, but Mokuba's whisper easily reaches my ears and I turn to glance at him. His eyes, wide with realization, are staring into nothingness before he looks up at his brother and then I.

"It was because of mother and I, wasn't it?"

Seto replies nothing, still unwilling to say anything in his defense but I believe it. Of course, that made it all so clear. How could I ignore this? The late baroness, Diana, was a sickly woman who died very soon after I was taken in and Mokuba was only a newborn then… I turn back to Atem, a spark of hope lighting up in me.

"He was protecting his family."

Any Shayee can understand that sort of motive. Even more so than humans, as I've recently discovered, we're vitally dependent of our kin. If Gozaburo threatened to harm them or worse, even the absolute genius that was a nine-year old Seto —who had no one else in the world— would've had no choice but to comply.

But to my horror, once again, the discovery doesn't phase my kinsman one bit. And the spark of hope in my chest dies instantly.

"You seem to misunderstand something," he finally says. "I couldn't care less if he has a guilty conscience or not. He's the one who opened the path for that wretched company to get to the island and slaughter the Shayee. Child or not, he is not innocent. He's unsalvageable and he must pay, just like the rest of those monsters!"

Lightening strikes again as a realization does me. He used that word again : unsalvageable. As if speaking a damaged object. The words leave me before I can stop them.

"Are we… still talking about Seto?"

His eyes widen a bit at my declaration, finally showing a semblance of reaction, but they quickly return to their glaring state. Instead of an answer, I receive a cold rhetorical statement.

"Do you believe me now, when I say there's not a shred of Shayee left in me?"

The moment the words leave his mouth, the soul-splitting void expends, leaving me in a sea of dread and emptiness. As if my heart has stopped beating, I no longer feel it throb in my chest and my body cools until the Stream feels like ice in my veins. The sudden feeling of being the last living creature in this world grabs a hold of me. Just like on the island when I discovered the burial grounds. And a profound abyss of black flames separates me from the last of my kin and reflects in his empty eyes more than ever before.

I shut my eyes tightly, but cold tears still escape. Much colder than the rain hitting my face. A familiar sharp headache comes over me.

Just like that, I've returned to the island. In the same little hideout as last time. Little Atem —who's face I know see clearly— is there again, reading another book. He looks so entranced by his reading, he's even smiling at the written words. My heart aches knowing how this face will harden with pain and hardship.

Little me wastes no time making an appearance, and hurries to his side with as much enthusiasm as the first time. And to my surprise, when he looks up from his pages his face softens up even more.

"I told mama we were playing hide and seek," she swears, baby finger to her lips.

"You don't have to do that every time, you know" he replies as she takes place besides him on the ground. "You're a reliable oyster."

Overjoyed by the odd compliment, little me smiles, her cheeks taking a pinkish tint.

"I thought about what you said," continues the young Shayee prince. "I think you're right. Everyone should come and help us look for Atlantis. I've decided to speak with my father tonight. That way, we can speak to everyone during the Summer Moon celebration."

Little me's eyes instantly widen in absolute bliss. "Us? So I can go with you? Really?!"

"I can't very well leave behind a part of my soul." To this statement, little me tilts her head in confusion which makes the boy chuckle. "You'll understand someday. When you feel the sun in your heart."

I'm back in the rain, facing the eyes filled with resentment. I can feel no pain and yet, this sight alone is tearing me apart. Why does it have to be like this? Why did he end up so broken that he thought of murdering repenting souls as a trivial matter? He might not have been burned like I was. But the scars of his soul are far greater than I originally fathomed.

"The outcome you want is impossible," he says. "Step aside or I will make you."

I'm the one with the Stream is coursing through me, but everything tells me the threat is real. I don't even question what sort of trick he might have to counter the effects of my heritage. I know its no bluff. My entire focus is on the monstrous flames devouring him before my eyes.

I've tried tears. I've tried begging. I've tried words. But they weren't enough. Which only leaves me with one final option. The least reasonable of my entire arsenal and my last resort. Anger.

"Did I reach your expectations, captain?" I ask, just as my blood begins boiling again and heating up my body, melting the icy feeling. "Am I the Shayee you wanted me to become?"

My sudden change of tone and the frown on my face aren't enough of a threat to get a reaction out of him. I didn't expect to be graced with an answer but I surprisingly am.

"You are, and more."

His words only make my chest tighten again and I can't help the two new tears escaping my eyes. "And yet, you're expecting me to step aside and watch my own kin slaughter my family?"

This time, he responds nothing and remains stone-faced. This reaction —or lack there of— thwarts me even more. In seconds, the anger spikes and I move. My time is up and the inevitable is at hand. A moment later, there's but a mere foot between the two of us.

His eyes widen and he moves to step back, but it's too late. I grab a hold of his collar and force his face closer to mine. Again, he says nothing and only his dry miserable eyes. A couple of crewmen reach for their blades, but the captain raises a hand and they stop.

"Stay out of this, all of you," he orders them, never taking his eyes off me. "Unless you want to be torn apart."

"You need to make up your mind, Atem," I snap, ignoring them. "Do you want me to be a Shayee? Or do you want me to be like you? Hide my hair with coragro dye, force flesh down my throat, again and again, until it stays down, find a prey to chase like a bloodhound for the next decade… Is that what you want from me? Is it?!"

I didn't realize until now just how far at the end of my rope I am. My breathing is labored and my heart —though regular—pounding even harder than before. We stare off, both of us unblinking. But of course, I still can't make a crack in his shell.

Why can't you hear me?

But then, he sighs. A long, exhausted sigh reminding me of a final breath. Lowering his head, he closes his eyes for a bit. He almost look like he's fallen asleep, but…

"Right you are. I suppose it was my mistake to even consider purging your mind from years of lies."

He raises his head again, opens his eyes… and I find myself staring into crystal blue irises. Then, venomous words slither into my ears.

"I should've killed him the moment I had my hands on him."

Seems Yugi has run out of words, and Atem, of patience. *Cue ominous music* One Shayee with nothing to lose versus one with everything to lose... What will become of them? (heads up : I haven't run out of plot twists yet ;)

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