A/N: I. Am. DONE! We did it guys! I want to thank everyone who has supported me, helped me, given advice and stayed with me throughout this story. I have relied on your support so heavily with this one and without you guys I would not have finished it. This story grew in ways I didn't expect and we went on such a wild ride. I hope you've enjoyed it. Honestly this fic was supposed to be so many different things along it's journey but I am so happy with where it went and where it has ended. Thank you again, honestly, from the bottom of my heart - without you ... just thank you. Thank you and I hope you enjoy.

PS. I haven't proofed this. Those of you that follow me know I normally don't proof my fics, but I just finished this right now and I do not want to sleep on it to make sure there's not more I want to add. I just want to share it with you right now XD My brain is a buzz of thoughts and feelings, so as always, I look forward to any reviews/comments you might want to leave. I know I'd feel so terrific to hear them.

PPS. FEELINGS WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER. There is GOING TO BE STRONG FEELINGS OF SADNESS, but spoiler warning, it ends on a very sweet and happy note. HAPPY ENDING! This warning is for all, but especially for Bastet. Please arm yourself with tissues and your nearest cuddle companion.

Yugi

What am I?

Who am I?

Am I even real?

All I know is pain…

And one name…

…

Atem…

I don't know who you are… but please…. I need you.

Atem

As soon as I enter Hells' territory I drop my physical visage and fly freely. I am faster as a shadow and infinitely more nimble. The other plus is that I'm less recognisable like this. I'm a faceless demon to most, your average incubus to others. Any who get close will recognise me, but I don't intend to get close to anyone.

Hell is as I remember. All vast red skies as far as the eye can see that stretches into oblivion. Demons of various breeds fly either their shadowy forms or their more monstrous visages.

Rivers of dark red blood and wine stream down banks of flesh and hair into lakes and pools of lava. Many of those lakes are heating large iron pots where Demons are brewing horrid meals of the damned as punishment for their earthly crimes.

Forests of fire burn brightly, their bright colours of yellow and green flickering and dancing at the air. They never go out for Hellbark never extinguishes.

Towers of bones and flesh extend from the ground and high into the abyss where they are lost beyond sight. Above roosts hellish creatures akin to bats and large lizards, sometimes both, that are hostile even to demons.

All around me the souls of the discarded sin of humans scream. They scream of their torture but really they are being molded and shaped and fused with others to create one. It will take centuries, millennia even, and when they are complete they will no longer remember what they were.

It is a horrid thing to witness, but a sad one as well. For the reason we do this is because the souls sent here are partial and lacking what made them whole. Fusing them together like this… it is the only way we can make them whole again, and there is an abundance of souls from countless ages that are without their lighter halves.

My lighter half is here. In Amar's 'care'. I will find him…

In Hell there is a strict order. It doesn't affect most however it does make it simple to navigate. The upper levels of Hell are hotter, more gruesome and what most humans depict Hell to be. If any spiritual humans ever catch a glimpse of Hell and are able to represent it in their art or their stories, it is these levels they see. All heat and blood and screaming.

But the lower levels are more akin to vast voids of nothingness and pockets of inhumane monstrosities. There is a society of demonic beings who reside there.

'Society' may be a strong term though. We are all rather reclusive beings who prefer to brood on our own. Some don't. Imps for example and tricksters are rather social beings. Succubi and Incubi are too but we are also very territorial and choose to mingle outside our nests. But for what's it's worth, the buildings made of bone, magic and orichalcum and the distinct lack of burning trees and fleshy terrain makes for a semi decent sign of some semblance of civilisation.

Further beyond, further down, is where I am headed.

The court of the Daeva is a level of hell specifically for torture. Daeva's are unreasonably relentless creatures, restless and unruly. They don't fear the consequences of their actions and infact welcome the chance to challenge. It is one of the reasons their court is so far down; to keep them from the bulk of our kind, and also to keep them preoccupied. Without something to keep them busy there would be chaos wrought upon Earth, that is certain.

The kinds of beings that attract a Daeva are normally angelic. We have learned much of their kind through Daeva hands. I never took an interest but I suppose I should now. But most knowledge we have gained is how much they can take under pressure… anyway, others are notable humans or anything that stands out.

For Amar I stood out to her because of our past, and it is that that introduced her to Yugi. I should have known her target would have changed. I was her servant back on Earth and am now a mere Incubus because of her wretched family. But Yugi… Yugi is something else.

Yugi is a young Cupid orphaned on Earth and still essentially an infant trapped behind a magical barrier.

Or was…

What secrets she could learn from him, well now, how could anyone pass that up? He stole my attention before I even knew what he was, of course he'd steal hers too.

I'm so sorry Yugi… I will take you away from here. I swear it!

I can sense his heart getting closer and closer. Thank whatever it is that has given me this ability to feel his presence. I've heard a mated pair are more attuned to one anothers presence but I never imagined it was quite so literal until I realised Yugi was my mate. Right now it is serving as a sort of beacon. Of all the wings, of all the corridors, of all the cells, I know where he is.

I just don't know how he is.

There are many other demons here. Some Daeva, some guards, some curious younglings that should know better. There's also many other souls here. Souls that have captured some other Daeva's attention no doubt. But one angel. That is my angel.

He's very distinct now. No longer does he feel partially human. In fact it almost hurts that's the case. He feels almost … unsettling now but it is a feeling I will get used to. All my life I've avoided angels. That is what is unsettling at the moment. That I am ignoring those instincts and flying directly towards the stinging sensations that comes with their light.

I slow down as I approach what must be his cell. It is a large rounded room, as large as a small arena perhaps. It is made of a faded blue stone, ancient but powerful and coursing with magic strong enough to keep any angel within its walls. I sense other demons nearby, some powerful and others mere fodder. But one angel in this room is mine.

I skulk around in the shadows, making my presence as near undetectable as I can, until I find a small window. These windows are here for trespassers like myself to steal glances or for the Daeva to spy on their treasure when they think they're not being watched. For me, it is my only way to secretly map out the area and assess my dear angel for myself.

My figurative heart is hammering in my non existent chest upon seeing him chained in the center of the arena.

He is both marvelous to behold and infuriating for how he has been treated.

Yugi's wings are larger than him, white and fluffy and powerfully beating in an attempt to break free. The chains that bound his wrists, ankles and neck are black and made of pure obsidian and fused with magic that makes it impervious to force. He doesn't appear that injured from here but I cannot see much. He is struggling though and hard. He is alone in the room and battling his chains desperately. He's going to tire himself out or hurt himself if he keeps fighting like this.

I don't like that he's alone. I doubt Amar would think I would be here already. I'm sure she thinks I'll try but I doubt she could know yet. I've made it here in record time and she left me quite injured. She could sense my presence if she tried hard enough but like this I could be any curious demon not worth her attention.

So where is she?

I wait a few more moments, watching for any signs that someone will appear to check on him. In the meantime … look at him.

He's still fighting hard. I've never seen him so ferocious before. I know humans fight differently. They don't fight like we do. They don't have the strength, the primal urge to rip and maime. As poised and regal and angels typically are, they are still very much like us… just another beast. And Yugi right now is akin to a terrified animal caged and cornered.

It breaks my heart to see…

I wonder…

Yugi …

I try to reach for him. To let him hear my voice and know that I'm here but it doesn't seem to reach him. He's still fighting and it doesn't appear that he even flinched.

Again I try to reach out to him, and again until I feel like I'm practically screaming at him with my mind but it's not reaching him. I wonder… if it's because his seal has broken. His mental defenses are much too high for me to break them.

No one is coming. He's starting to slow down now. His attacks are slow and clumsier. If I don't get his attention now or take this opportunity I might miss it. I won't watch him be tortured for my chance to free him.

Carefully I hide inside the minuscule cracks of the bricks and slither my way along the walls. Each of his chains are connected to a solid metal plate that he's been loosening. It takes a nominal amount of effort but I manage to free one of his arm's chains and catch it before it can fall to the floor.

Something about how much they're not being tugged makes me focus on him and I freeze.

He's stopped moving. Stopped fighting. He's still standing, poised and ready for anything, wings flared out defensively. He's not seen me and I have no idea if he's stopped because he senses me or he senses someone else. I hold the chain high and hide…

But no one comes and he doesn't relax. Slowly I bring the chain down with me to rest upon the ground before I swiftly glide over to the chains attached to his ankles. These are even easier to release but with every chain freed I feel that much more in danger.

It could be that he's fully awoken and I'm not entirely accustomed to being so close to another angel, but I feel it's more. I feel that I need to be careful here.

I race up to the chain connecting to his neck and with some effort break it. His wings flinch and I hold my metaphorical breath. He knows I'm here surely. He knows he's being released. He has to. He might not understand why but he's letting me. He understands that he can't break it on his own. I just hope when he's released he knows not to attack me.

I climb the walls over to the last chain and see its been somewhat pulled out of the wall. Not completely but enough to make it reasonably easy. As soon as it's free though I am dragged along with it as he yanks his chain across the room.

If I were in my physical form I'd have rolled along the floor before him, but as a shadow it is easy to bounce, slither and glide to safety.

He sees me though and through his icy stare I am frozen. He's free, pissed and afraid, and he likely has no idea who I am. I cannot talk to him telepathically and if I adopt a form… they will sense me.

But what choice do I have? He sees me as nothing more than a demon and demons have been doing nothing more than unspeakable things to him.

And he's ready to fight me the moment I move.

I brace to slip into the form he knows but I am stopped when I sense the growing presence of such dark, strong energy. He senses it too. In fact he's cowering from it. His wings are twitching, he's actively looking for a way out but for us the only way out is through the same door that Amar is stalking through with an entourage.

"I wondered how long I would need to wait. Frankly I hoped I would have longer to play with your pet." She taunts and brags as she walks seductively into the room. Hips swaying and her wings gracefully flowing behind her. Her voice is so smooth and airy and would be as gorgeous as a choir of angels; had it not belonged to that.

I am not leaving without him. I tell her fiercely.

I make a point of standing between her and Yugi, expanding myself large to be as threatening as possible. Exposing myself to Yugi like this isn't entirely smart but hopefully this helps him realise who I am.

"Come now, Atem. Do you really think you have a choice?" She asks me, smirking smugly.

"Atem…?" Yugi's voice is small and confused but at least he recognises me.

I'd adopt a form but I am much stronger like this.

"That's right, little Cupid. You know Atem, don't you?" She says, peaking around me to glance at him. I block her view but it does little. "It is all he seems to say after all."

… it is?

I turn my vision to him and I see his visible confusion. His fear. I shouldn't be surprised he doesn't recognise me like this but surely he can feel me as I feel him? Surely he knows…

I cannot speak to him like this. I doubt he will trust me until he sees me as well.

This is a dangerous situation but everything is right now.

Begrudgingly I let myself condense and form into the body he knows. My wings spread wide, my horns tall… everything I am I am before him now.

I shake my muscles free and breathe the horrid iron strench of the area. I hate how stuffy and oppressing it is here.

But it matters not. What does is that… he is even more confused. He looks afraid even.

"Yugi." I carefully reach out my hand to him but he steps further away from me, frowning. His wings tense and I stop completely. Why doesn't he recognise me?

He… can't have forgotten…?

"It seems that you've lost him, my dear." Amar mocks me and it infuriates me to no end. I turn on her, wings spread wide and claws stretching.

"I am taking him and you will NOT stop me!" I shout at her.

She shrugs and rolls her wings. "If you think you can take him, then be my guest."

Her confidence irks me and I'm well aware I am very underpowered here. She wants us to flee. She's bored and we're her sport. But what is my alternative? Stand down?

Not happening.

"Come Yugi." I turn to him quickly and hold out my hand for him to take. "We're getting out of here."

He steps away from me and hastily looks around for an escape. I don't understand why he's not banding with me.

"Yugi."

"Why do you call me that?" He asks me, his voice unsure and hesitant.

But it chills me more that he asked that. Does he not even know who he is?

"Yugi…" I say quietly and I step away from Amar who has slowly come to stand near me.

"It seems I broke him. He doesn't appear to know anything more than your name. And it seems, he doesn't even realise you belong to it."

She slowly walks towards him and his wings fan wide, his walks backwards, hissing and trying to make himself more threatening than he is. But she doesn't even hesitate. She barely notices.

"Pity too. Because he showed such promise. The way he held onto hope that you would come. But now… when I hurt you, he won't even care. Will he?"

Her words cut deep but I refuse to believe her. I refuse to lose hope that he is lost to me forever. He knows my name, that is all I need to hold onto.

Anger forces me to leap at her. I know how much she can hurt me but I do not care. I am not holding anything back this time.

She is ready for me this time and swings her wing back to buffet me away, but I drop my form and wisp around her to strike at her jaw. I'm aware of Yugi pushing off the ground to get away from us but I lose track of him from there. My smokey arm solidifies into a sharp black claw which digs into her neck. Her black blood oozes and she hisses angrily at me, swatting me away with her own talons.

I'm fast this time and easily slip out of her reach. I take this moment to search for Yugi and I see him thrashing at the other demons Amar brought with her. One of them is tugging on the chain connected to his neck while the others are trying to grab the other chains without getting too close to him. Even if they weren't trying to recapture him those chains will make it near impossible for him to fly properly.

I sense danger and quickly fly away in time for Amar to miss me. I kite her around the room, trying to buy myself as much time as I can to think of a plan. If I can free Yugi and guide him to Earth then that is a start.

I quickly turn and lead Amar to fly directly into a wall but I do not stop to look back. My focus is the demon with the chain. I quickly take out his legs and double around to rip off his arm. He screams loudly and writhes, holding what is left. Yugi is freed and begins his chase of the other demons.

I barely have time to take this in as Amar is behind me in seconds. I narrowly dodge her attacks and struggle to get any kind of distance. She's fast, pissed off and done with playing at the moment. I've struck her, humiliated her and made her look slow and weak compared to me.

She chases me around and around, narrowly missing me with each strike and I clumsily collide with Yugi, at the same time solidifying as I do.
Unfortunately we are both forced to the ground and tangled among one another and he doesn't quite realise who I am.

We tumble and roll as we try to get free of one another but that soon turns into a battle for dominance. He pins me down, straddling my waist and tries to claw at my face, but I hold his arms and use the strength in my wings to push him onto his back.

My wings spread wide over us to make me look larger and he noticeably hesitates which gives me the chance to pin his arms against the ground. He lifts his hips in an attempt to push me off but he is inexperienced and I am stronger like this.

"Yugi, it's me! I'm trying to help you!" I shout at him but he hisses at me instead. I feel his energy surging and it's enough to frighten me off him. He pounces onto me then, grappling me back and holding me against the ground viciously. His hand wraps around my throat tightly and I try to pry him off but his nails digs in and I can feel him pushing on my wind pipe.

"Yu-gi!" I try to reach him but he's so strong that all I can do is weakly grab at his arm.

"That's right…" I hear Amar sing happily nearby. "Kill him, Yugi. We demons have done nothing but hurt you. Don't you think he deserves it?"

His grip tightens and his wings spread over us threateningly.

I don't want to die here. I don't want to die to him… I don't want to see the regret in his eyes if he eventually realises who I am… I don't want the last thing I see to be his anger.

You and I will fly together one day in harmony, and we will spend every day of forever by one anothers side.

His voice rings clearly in my mind, echoing off the halls of my memory. His smile that day was so beautiful it rivaled the sun. He held me, comforted me and promised me we would fly together.

I want my wings, I want to fly above the earth and into the endless sky with you by my side. I want to feel every ounce of love I've helped to spread, I want to touch every corner of the earth and defend the people I care about from anything that dares threaten it. I want to embrace everything I can possibly do so that in any event, I am prepared. If anything came for the people I've touched, for the people I love, for you… I want to be there to stop it and ensure your safety for all of eternity. I want this so much. I just… I want to fly with you, Tem. Forever.

I want that too.

I don't want to die here. I want to live. For the first time in my entire existence - I want to embrace tomorrow with him by my side.

I am your light and you are my love, and we will never forget that.

"My light…" I reach for him with gentle, shaking fingers. Not to stop him but to touch his cheek. My words made him pause long enough for me to do so and his grip has loosened, his eyes widen. "Let us fly together."

A tiny gasp leaves his lips and he's looking at me. Actually looking at me this time, as if the smoke is clearing and he can see me and know me. He's seeing me.

"Yugi, my light. You told me never to forget. Who am I to you?"

He whispers but it is soft. I barely heard the words "Atem, my love."

A sudden rush of relief and happiness floods my entire system but before I can even really feel it I am brutally pulled into a tight vortex before being spat out in some large, spacious void. I can move freely here and I'm in no pain at all, but I am alone. There's no arena, no other demons, Amar isn't here. Where am I?

"This is your mind."

I spin on my heel to his voice and laugh with relief. Yugi stands not too far, smiling at and waiting for me to rush over to him.

I am at his side in less than a second, swooping him up into my arms and holding him close, enjoying how amazing it feels to have his arms wrap around me and to be held by him. "Yugi, I was so scared I'd lost you. I -"

"Atem. Please listen to me."

He pushes me off him just enough to get in my sight and it's now I hear the seriousness in his voice and see the sadness in his eyes, and I realise what he's said. We're in my mind… so this meeting is fleeting.

"We need to get out of here. Back to Earth at least. Tea -"

"It won't help." He says and I … don't understand. "My love, we are in the depths of Hell. It won't matter if we make it to Earth, it won't matter how many angels Tea manages to bring with her. I've seen all possibilities, there's only one that will ensure your safety."

"Fuck my safety Yugi, I didn't come all the way here to leave without you."

"You don't have a choice." He touches my cheek softly and I can feel my heart breaking. Literally breaking. Something has happened… outside my mind something horrible has happened. I feel … loss…

"Yugi…" I gasp and he smiles sweetly. His fingers touch my lips but they're trembling. A tear falls from his eyes and I can feel my own falling too - but I don't understand. What is happening? What is he keeping me from stopping?

"Thank you for freeing me." He says, his voice thick now with sorrow. "Thank you for saving me. Thank you for loving me. The short time I've had with you has been the best of my life and I wouldn't have traded a single second of it for anything else in the world."

I shake my head and try to speak but he lifts to stop my lips with his own. The kiss is brief and I am in so much heartache I can barely feel it before he pulls away to speak against them. "I have no regrets. I love you so much. All I want is for you to live. Please, do this for me."

I try to hold him but in the same second I am thrown forcefully against the ground.

I shake myself free of the daze and slowly I feel the weight in my chest. I'm not how I was before he dragged us into my mind, nor is he holding me anymore. Where -

How… do I begin to comprehend what I am seeing before me?

My blood is cold and frozen, my heart quietly falls to pieces, and my mind is as empty and abandoned as the void I was just in.

For before me lies my beloved angel, limp and breathless and unmoving and I cannot see the glow of his soul nor feel the warmth of his presence. He is as lifeless to me as any object and I feel the scream tearing at my throat before I realise it's mine.

I don't know what happened. He was strangling me one moment and now he's… what happened?!

"YUGI!" I scream and push off the ground to reach him but I am stopped by a bright white and feathered wing. I follow it to its owner to see a man I don't recognise. He's dressed in white and gold armour and a stern scowl upon his face warns me not to move.

"Atem."

I am drawn to Tea's voice who is hovering not that far. She has a white, near transparent bow drawn and it is glowing and steaming and radiating light. The arrow that is notched is bright white, glowing as bright as the sun or hot iron.

And it is pointed at Yugi.

I don't understand what is happening but, dead or not I won't let her hurt him.

"Please! Don't hurt him! Tea, please!" I fight to get to him but the angel near me easily grabs my wing and keeps me back. Keeps me from him.

"I won't hurt him." Tea says softly and warmly. I'm so fucking confused. What is happening?! "It will be alright, Cb." She says, offering me a sweet smile before she focuses on Yugi.

She pulls her arrow back and releases it. Quicker than I can blink, the arrow buries straight into the middle of Yugi's back. I scream and flinch and try to get there but I am also frozen solid in place.

I hold my breath as I watch some kind impossibly, miraculous and utterly confusing thing happen to him. White light radiates from the arrow and as it burns brighter and brighter, it also seeps into him and his body begins to glow. The arrow is slowly absorbed and his entire body is engulfed in this light.

Soon it fades and I feel so unsure of what to expect. The tension around us is high and each of us are watching in anxious anticipation.

Then…

Impossibly…

He breathes!

I laugh weakly as tears freely fall from my eyes and I don't know if I'm heartbroken or happy beyond measure but I can't operate properly like this. I don't know what is happening!

Tea glides over to him, crouching over and checking him and while I can't see his face, I watch his ribs rise and fall slowly. His wing twitches, tensing and relaxing.

Tea is smiling, tears are falling freely but she looks so happy. She looks up at us, smiling so brightly I can't help but feel so lifted.

I can sense him again, I can feel my heart filling with relief and love once more. It's beat is hard and it hurts but I never want to feel it stop again.

"Mahad, you may let him come closer."

The angel beside me hesitates but he steps aside and gives me a large birth. I watch him carefully as I slide away from him and once safe to do so I race to Yugi's side.

I hide somewhat behind Tea, just in case Yugi doesn't recognise me again. He looks exhausted and I see a deep, horrid scar over his chest which is glowing brightly as it heals. Tiredly he smiles at me and slowly reaches for me. I am only too eager to take his hand in my own and cradle it close. His skin is cold and his strength is weak, but I am just so happy he is alive and he knows me.

"Tem…" I whispers weakly and both Tea and I hush him.

"Don't speak, my light. You are safe now." I say softly and he nods slowly.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. Don't be." I am crying now and there is no stopping it. I have no idea what is happening, I don't even care. I'm just so happy he's okay.

But it does occur to me I should take note of where we are and what is happening. Yugi is alive… but what of Amar, the other demons, are more coming?

I look around wildly and I see we're still in the arena, still in the depths of hell. Tea and her entourage have flown all the way here, it will take seconds for them to be detected by demons much more powerful than Amar if they haven't already.

Then I notice her.

Amar… lifeless and tossed aside behind us. Her hearts been ripped out, her throat torn - and her eyes are burned out of their sockets. She appears to be have been smote down. Any angel could do this… if Yugi was dead then… Tea?

"What happened?" I ask her and Tea shakes her head slowly, following my gaze to Amar's lifeless body.

"Yugi killed her, but not before she reached into his chest to tear out his heart. We are lucky she didn't… if she did I would not have been able to heal it and feed him some of my energy."

I look at her in confusion because honestly I still don't understand what she did exactly. "What did you do? With the arrow?"

"Perhaps we should discuss this elsewhere?" Mahad… the angel who stopped me before, suggests wisely. He is tall, tanned and very serious, but he doesn't look hostile. At least… not terribly. Not compared to other angels I imagine. Others I don't think would have let me live.
"You are right. It will not long for others to detect us and sense the loss of one of their Daeva. A lot of commotion was made here." Tea agrees.

"We will take Yugi with us. He needs to heal and the energy of heaven will be good for him."

"He'll be safe there…?" I ask and she smiles sweetly.

"Yes. I swear it. Remain safe, we will find you when he is ready."

"How long?" I ask. I really don't want to let him go. I just lost him, regained him, lost him again and got him back… I don't know how many more times I can do this.

"It may take some time. A few weeks maybe, it will depend on him."

I don't like it. I hold his hand tightly and lean down to lay my head upon his. He is barely awake, but he is alive. My little angel… I don't want to leave him.

"Cb." Tea touches my wing gently… and somewhere I know she's right.

He just became an angel, he's been tortured, he was killed and brought back - he needs to recover. I'm sure he'd make a recovery on earth but what do I know about angel physiology? Tea returns regularly enough - maybe there's something there he needs.

I lift myself up again and sigh. "He will be safe? No angels are going to kill him like they killed his parents?"

"The execution of his parents were unfortunate." Mahad says strongly, but then his features soften as his eyes land upon Yugi. He sighs and it seems regretful. "Yugi is not being hunted. As far as we are concerned, he is a harmless incident. We have watched him grow his whole life with keen interest. The love he has brought with him - how can we punish him for simply living?"

I admit… I am beyond relieved to hear that. It seems he has the support of heaven… maybe he will be okay.

"I don't like this… but if you think he needs it." I turn to Tea and she nods firmly.

"I do. I can explain fully later but for now, we should leave."

I nod and Mahad comes over to us. He slides his hands underneath Yugi's wings and under him to carry him. I help him and while Mahad shoots me a warning look, one of my own silences him.

He is strong. I've no doubt. Perhaps stronger than Tea and I have no clue what kind of angel he is; but he recognises this is my mate and thankfully he respects that.

"Cb." I turn to Tea but look back when Mahad disappears with Yugi before I can do anything about it. I gasp but her hand on my arm calms me. "He will be okay. He is in excellent hands and I will be letting you know how he is doing daily. But before I return to heaven I need you to do something for me."

"What is it?" I ask cautiously.

The weeks that pass have been the hardest weeks of my life.

Every day I spent in Yugi's apartment, waiting for the day that Tea will bring him back to me. The only thing keeping me sane is the feeling of his heart still beating. I feel him almost watching over me like a spirit and it is both agonizing and relieving at the same time. It is so frustrating not being able to see him and the loneliness that couples with that is almost unbearable.

I don't even have the energy to go into work or to socialise with anyone short of anyone coming to Yugi's apartment.

I did as Tea asked me too as soon as I returned to Earth. She asked me to see Yugi's friends and his parents and assure him that Yugi is safe, for the loss of his life would have been felt by all he has touched.

And they were. His parents were in so much distress that I needed to soothe them with magicks I've never used before. Not for that purpose. They still do not know the nature of their adopted son, but after a great deal of convincing, smooth talking and some magic, they understand he is safe and will see them soon.

Ryou and Marik were much easier to reassure. Given that they know of his nature, they too felt his loss and were livid when they saw me. But I told him he was safe, that his seal broke and Amar is no longer a threat, and they calmed.

I left talking to his other friends to them and saw to Shadi myself.

When I saw him… I didn't need to tell him what happened. When I saw him - I broke down completely and let him see a side of me I rarely let him see. He said nothing; he simply held me and waited and thanked the Gods that I returned to him.

Since then I have stood my vigil within Yugi's apartment and waited.

Tea explained to me what she knew too. After helping Yugi get settled in upstairs she came to me.
She, Mahad and the two other angels that accompanied her arrived in time to watch Yugi kill Amar. I was already unconscious on the floor and the other demons that had been there were smote down too. Yugi struck a decisive blow on Amar just as she landed a lethal hit to him; and with the last of his strength he burned her from the inside out, destroying her completely. He collapsed and passed and shortly after I awoke.

She told me that a faith had seen his future and told her that to save his life she should not wait for me but make the trip herself. That with an arrow infused with her own life energy and accumulated love that she has gathered, she could refill Yugi's broken heart enough for him to recover on his own. I somewhat understand what that means - I think it means she's given up a great deal of her own spirit in order to give him the fighting chance. And it's working. He is getting stronger every day so I am told.

She also assures me that while he could recover on Earth, there are much deeper wounds that need healing. Amar's torture of him have left their marks on his psyche and getting used to his own nature requires some tutoring. How to fly for example, how to be an angel.
She tells me he remembers me and that he is itching to return. That a number of times they have caught him testing his abilities so he can return as soon as he can. He is quite spirited and wily and is giving them quite the headache. I always enjoy hearing that. I wish I could see it.

I wish I could see him.

I look upon the clouds by day and the stars by night and I wish I could be up there to watch his recovery and support his growth.

I miss him so much. I miss his smile, the sound of his voice, the light in his eyes. I miss him more than I've ever missed anyone.

It is not fair that we are separated like this. I lost him so many times and now all I can do is wait. I almost don't want to even sleep because every day that passes is getting harder and harder. I haven't fed in so long, and waking one more morning without him is something I genuinely dread.

I sigh softly against the railings of Yugi's balcony and heavily drag myself inside. I am tired, but it is still so early. I just have nothing to look forward to and I am starving for his touch and his presence in my life.

Then… as if to answer my unsaid prayers, I feel the air around me shift. I feel the familiar energy of pure white light make itself known and I turn to see Tea standing happily in the middle of Yugi's living room…

With my beloved beside her.

I am so stunned to see him that I blink several times and rub my eyes, opening them once more but afraid in case it is wishful thinking. But he is really there, standing sheepishly beside her.

He looks… even more gorgeous than I remember. His large white wings drag on the ground behind him, his clothing is so white he could be dressed in clouds. He radiates light and he looks as fresh as I imagine any angel to be. Born again and bright and shimmering with beauty. He looks like a dream come true and his warmth is so… warm! I forgot how amazing it could feel to be so close to him.

He smiles at me and my knees become weak. I want to collapse and crawl over to him, to hold his legs so he never leaves me again. But if I touch him… will he disappear? Can he really be here?

"Yugi…" I whimper quietly and his smile brightens. "C-can it…?"

He smiles at Tea and then slowly, carefully he comes over to me. Gingerly his delicate fingers touch my own and I'm so afraid to hold him in case he breaks, or in case he's stolen from me again.

He says nothing but he does guide me deeper into the room before he lets me go. Tea is standing off to the side and he's moving the coffee table out of the way.

I'm confused but as I regain enough sense to help him he's already done and standing before me. He gives me and Tea one more smile and then my heart melts for what he does next.

He bows his head to me, bending at his knees with his hands open at either side. His wings spread a little bit to lay softly on the floor and it makes me feel so overcome with emotions that I want to cry.

I recognise what he's doing… he's doing exactly what I did the first time I showed him what I was. He's reenacting it, to show me what he is now and that he means me no harm - just as I did for him.

This… this is so much more than I could have dreamed. Thanks to Tea's updates I knew he remembered me but to see him now, presenting himself like this - and after he tried to kill me too… I've never felt more in love in my life!

I want to take him in my arms and never let him go. I want to whisk him away into the bedroom and show him much I've missed and needed him. I want to shower him in love and affection and map out his new body and commit him to memory.

But it can wait. For right now, this second, what I do next will mean the world to him.

I slowly approach him and while holding in my excited anticipation I circle him, just as he did. I take in the splendor of his wings, admiring how white and glossy his feathers are and how strong his arms look. I feel how radiant he is and how intensely powerful his magic is underneath the surface. He is so strong, so much stronger than I imagined. For an angel much less than a century old, he has a lot of power.

I walk around him and as I come to stand before him I smile. Not once has he looked up at me and there is something humbling about having a being as powerful as he bowing to me. But I sense his happiness coming off him in waves and feel his barely contained excitement. It is contagious but I bury the feeling and sigh quietly.

"Look at me." I say. My voice isn't as strong as I'd like it to be but he does so, smiling and chewing his bottom lip. His bright lavender eyes are glowing and shimmering and they look like beautiful gems that I could just get lost in their sparkle for the rest of my life. I almost forget what I'm doing they're so beautiful. They were gorgeous before but now … "You look beautiful."

He laughs happily and we cannot keep this up much longer. He pounces on me and I eagerly accept him in my arms, holding him and breathing in his scent, feeling his heat, loving how perfectly he fits. I missed him so much and now he's here I feel complete.

I'm crying. I don't care. I'm laughing and I love how ridiculous this is. I cannot express how much I missed him and how elated I am right now, I feel I could burst.

"I missed you so much!" He and I both say at once.

We're laughing, we're crying, it's all happening right now. I can barely stand anymore so he eases us to the ground and I hold him tightly.

"Never leave me again. Never, ever leave me again." I command him through my tears and he laughs.

"I'm sorry, I never will. I promise, I promise."

I hold him for what feels like forever and I'm okay with this. I never want to let him ago - but we release one another and now I can gaze upon him freely, touching his arms, touching his cheeks, his heart, brushing his hair. I hesitate over his wings and he laughs lightly before bringing one closer.

"With the grain, not against." He laughs and I join him. Softly I touch them and stroke down a small way. They're as soft as they look and it's easy to lose my fingers in them. I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm touching an angel…no. I'm touching my angel. My Yugi… he's back!

"You don't have to go back up there, do you?" I ask him quickly and he shakes his head much to my relief.

"His rehabilitation is complete. There's much we need to tell you so you know what to expect about living with an angel, but that can come later. For now, he's all yours." Tea says happily behind us. I'd forgotten she was here but I'm glad she is. I'm glad for everything.

"I have so much to tell you." Yugi says excitedly, pulling my attention back to him. He touches my cheek and I lean into his tough, sighing happily. God I missed this. "But first." He whispers and leans in close.

My breath catches as I feel his own on my lips, and like that I feel this impossible desire racing to ruin this amazing moment. Because GODS have I missed him.

"I need to feed you." He whispers and I melt immediately.

"That's my que to leave." Tea says sharply and vaguely I feel her presence leave us but I am quickly overcome with a blurring and overwhelmingly hot sensation that explodes from my lips as he presses his against them. My body is awoken and he pushes against me, feeding moans into my mouth as our hands greedily explore one another.