In my haste to upload this chapter at long last, I forgot to mention that I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Solomon had been out for nearly five hours in search of his only grandson, Yugi. The castle's location was a mystery to him, since he had only gotten there by chance the last time. His hopes of seeing the only family member he had left were very bleak, so he decided to return back to his home empty handed and broken hearted.

"I'm so sorry, Yugi," he whispered, hoping that his grandson would somehow hear him. "I failed you."

A harsh cough came out of the elder's mouth soon after, followed by a rough chill. He journeyed as fast as he could back home, before collapsing on the floor as soon as he entered the house.

With another shaky, harsh cough, he whispered, "Yugi...," right before his eyes shut from exhaustion.

---

Yami watched with interest as his prisoner-turned-companion was drawing something in a notebook, which he had gotten him. The young teen had complained of boredom on numerous occasions, so Yami would constantly try to get things for him to keep him occupied.

"Geez Yami," the younger would scold, "you really need to catch up with the world."

One day Yugi had asked for him to get a notebook for him, and Yami was quick to question why.

"Because there are countless things you can do you with a blank piece of paper," he explained.

"But it's so... bland and boring," Yami countered. "When I was human, only the most extravagant things would please me!"

Yugi simply shrugged and replied, "Sometimes the simplest things we take for granted can be the most fulfilling."

Yami didn't have any argument for that.

Now, he watched as the amethyst eyed boy was scribbling away on the notebook, occasionally glancing at Yami. His tongue was hanging on the side of his mouth in concentration, and his eyes were slightly narrowed. To Yami, it was cutest thing in the world to see him so concentrated.

Finally, he cleared his throat and asked, "So what are you doing now?"

"You'll see," came the quick response.

Out of habit, Yami let out a grunt of annoyance. "I hate waiting," he grumbled.

He was met with silence. Which only made him more annoyed. "Can I see what you're doing?"

"No, not yet," came another short answer.

Yami growled at not getting his way and crossed his arms over his chest, slumping in his seat. It was still hard for him to change his entire attitude, and Yugi understood. He had made a great leap forward from the first time they met, but there were still a few little trinkets that his friend still didn't remove from his personality.

"Don't worry, I just need to make a few final touches, and then you can see," he assured the grumpy king.

With a few more scribbles, erasing, and more scribbling afterword, Yugi placed down his pencil and smiled at the king.

"Alright, I'm done now!" he announced with a big smile.

Immediately, Yami sat up straight and leaned forward eagerly like a dog about to get a treat from the table.

"Ta da!" Yugi beamed as he showed off his latest creation.

It was a picture of Yami at his rose garden, holding up a red one in particular, seeming to examine it. He was dressed as a prince, however, instead of his regular cloak. He didn't look ferocious in the least bit, but tame... human like.

"It's..."

Yami was at a loss for words.

"I know that I suck at drawing and it's pretty amateur and I rushed with the outfit-"

"No," Yami interrupted without taking his eyes off the picture, "It's amazing. You're amazing."

Yugi blushed at the comment. "Thank you."

Honda, Jou, and Anzu watched the scene from behind a nearby couch, bubbling with excitement.

"This is goin' awesome!" Jou exclaimed to the others. "I can just picture us being back to normal by lunchtime tomorrow!"

"For once I agree with tick for brains," Honda said. "We might actually get a shot at being human again."

Anzu simply smiled to herself, hoping her companions were right. 'I hope you're going to finally be able to experience love, master Yami. We all know you need it.'

Later that night, Yugi and Yami were sitting outside by the rose garden on a bench, enjoying each other's company. Honda was playing relaxing music again that drifted to them, creating a peaceful mood.

Yugi noticed that Yami was a bit fidgety about something. He didn't look at Yugi once, and he would shift nervous in his seat. His bushy, black tail would swoosh back and forth, too. Yugi slowly moved his hand over to Yami's paw and placed it down upon his.

Yami quickly looked down, and let himself smile for the first that night.

"Yugi," he said not looking up, "are you happy here... with me?"

Now the young teen looked into hopeful crimson eyes, which seemed to have a strange glimmer in them of else.

He offered the master of the castle a smile, before saying, "I wasn't in the beginning, but now I'm the happiest I've ever been in a long time. Everyone is so nice here, and you..."

Yami grinned, his tail picking up it's pace going back and forth. "Yes?"

"You're one the best things that's happened to me," Yugi finished, before looking down sadly at their entwined hands. "But...I still miss my grandpa back home."

His tail and ears drooped. Yami looked away at the flowers and stayed silent. Yugi glanced up at him, tears forming in his eyes at the thought of his only relative.

"Is there any possible way of me being able to see him one last time?" Yugi whispered, not trusting his voice.

Yami didn't look at him when he replied after a long silence, "You must promise to return here seven days from now."

Yugi had to blink three times, before asking, "What?"

Finally, the wolfish man stared into watery amethyst eyes. "I'll let you see your grandfather, but only for seven days. You must come back here no later than then, understood?"

The tears that Yugi had been keeping in that moment flowed down his cheeks, and he embraced the one sitting next to him. "Thank you! Thank you so much! I promise I'll come back, I promise!"

Yami didn't say a thing and didn't move to embrace the boy back.

Quickly, the young teen sprung up from his seat next to his companion. "You don't know how much I appreciate this from you."

Sorrowful, crimson eyes watched as the boy went into the castle to gather his belongings. He never moved from his spot on the bench. Soon, his servants came up to him to congratulate him on his accomplishment of charming the boy.

"Master, I knew you had it in you," Ryou told him happily.

"Yea man, before ya know it we're all gonna be human again and put this mess behind us," Jou cheered.

"I let him go," Yami whispered looking at the roses.

"Nice man!" Jou laughed. "That's friggin... wait what?!"

"You did what?" Ryou asked with confusion.

"What on Earth would ya do that for?!" Jou exclaimed.

"That's what people do when they love someone... they let them go," he answered.

"Oh, master Yami," Anzu finally spoke up. "You've finally learned to love."

The wolf-like man finally got up and made his way back to the castle dejectedly. His made his way over to the west wing, and from there into his room. Not even looking at the deteriorating puzzle, Yami stopped by his favorite spot in the window and watched as the boy, who had been the only one able to show him love, walk away from his life.

"There's no point anymore," he mumbled to himself sitting down on the windowsill. "Let the world be done with me."

---

Yugi ran through the pathway, and was grateful that he didn't run into any trouble on the way home. 'This day just keep getting better and better,' he thought gleefully.

He was shocked, however, to see his house's front door wide open.

When he got closer and saw his grandpa on the floor, he dropped the notebooks in his hands, and quickly checked to see if the old man was still breathing.

"Oh no, no, no!" he cried, rushing over to a nearby phone.

Dialing 9-1-1 as quick as possible, Yugi's heart pounded in his ears throughout the whole ordeal. He was relieved when they had gotten to the hospital, and he was able to be in grandfather's room.

"He just needs rest right now," the doctor told him.

"Please be okay," Yugi whispered to his family member. "I love you too much to lose you."

The next day, Yugi felt something petting his hair and was ecstatic to see his grandfather wide awake and with a smile on his face.

"You're okay," the old man whispered. "That monster didn't hurt you."

"I'm hear grandpa," Yugi reassured, ignoring the other comment, "I'm here."

"I went out to rescue you from that dreadful beast, but I couldn't find that castle," he explained. "It got cold, and I got my spririts down. I'm so sorry, Yugi!"

"It's alright, grandpa," the teen said beding down to hug him. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you dearly too, my boy. How did you get away from that horrid brute?" he asked.

Yugi shook his head, smiling sadly. "He's not a monster or horrid or anything of that sort. He let me go, because I told him I missed you. Yami... he's really very kind and gentle. He's my friend."

"Didn't seem very friendly to me," Solomon grumbled before letting out a wheezy cough.

"Are you alright, grandpa?"

"I'll be fine," he assured the younger. "I'm so happy you're safe."

Yugi smiled at him before saying, "Get some more rest. You need it."

Solomon didn't have to be told twice.

Time passed by, and on the third day of Yugi's departure, Solomon grew sicker and weaker. Yugi feared that the old man was not as healthy as he had first been told. On the fourth day at nighttime, the elder Motou had died peacefully in his sleep.

For the next three days, Yugi mourned. He stayed up in his room and wept on his bed, thinking of all the good times he had with his grandfather. On the seventh day, late at night, he noticed a yellow notebook on his dresser.

Curiosity got the best of him, and after he wiped his red, puffy eyes, he looked through the notebook. Inside, numerous pictures of Yami were feasted on by his amethyst eyes.

"Yami," he spoke softy with smile.

His fingers touched his beloved companion's pictured face.

Suddenly, Yugi remembered the promise he made to his friend, right before he bolted out of the castle.

"Oh no, what's today?!" he cried running over to a nearby calender. "It's the seventh day, I have to go back!"

Grabbing the yellow notebook, he rushed out the door of his home.

'I hope I'm not too late.'