Catharsis...

It was only after telling the horrible story, and weeping so long and so much that his throat was left raw and burning that he was left trembling from the exhaustion, but not so much fear. He flinched again, at the steadying hand at his back, but because it felt cold and strange, not unwelcome and torturing. Neither Moto had said anything to him through the entire ordeal, preferring instead to engulf him in protective arms when he was too overcome to speak.

Yami had not been held during his tears since Isis, and after so long, it felt so welcome to know that he was no longer alone in facing so much of his fragmented past, and dismantled present. He felt the steadying comfort, unwavering, with no judgement as Yugi only smiled at him, and Solomon kept muttering soothing words, and maintained his steady, gently thumping against his spine.

"Yami, my boy, you did a very brave thing today. Now do you believe me when I tell you that you are no longer alone?"

Yami nodded, unable to speak from the sobs of relief that threatened to break forth again. He only answered by clasping Solomon's hand in his own, and peering into his eyes. Yugi only stared at him, wide-eyed, carefully gaging the Pharoah's reaction as he shifted to relinguish the grip on his arm. Yami craned his neck, and gave Yugi a reassuring smile that he was free to let him go.

"Yami? How are you feeling?" Yami flinched at Yugi's voice reverberating through his head, and cocked an eyebrow at him, curiously.

"Yugi? Why are you using the mindlink to speak to me?"

"I don't know. I just think it's neat, and I'm really worried about you. Are you alright?"

Yami nodded. "I feel as if a great burden has been removed from my shoulders, and that for the first time, I have hope that mayhaps my life is more than just hopeless wonderings, and solitude. I don't know how I can thank you or your grandfather for this, Yugi. It means more than I can tell, and I hope that one day, I may repay you for your kindness."

Yugi frowned at him, shaking his head, slightly.

" Yami, consider it payback. I remember what you did for me...you kept me from being sliced to ribbons when that Puzzle, or nightmare tried to kill me! I would hardly consider treating you with a bit of decency a debt that anybody should owe, anyway. Yami...can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, you may, Yugi. What is it?"

Yugi hesitated, then the wary question floated through Yami's mind.

"If the Puzzle had actually killed me in that dream...does that mean that I would have been dead in this world, too?"

Yami shuddered, and Yugi hastily apologized, when he heard the vehemant hiss of rage thundering down the mindlink.

"If that bedamned piece of gold even considers touching you with any intent to harm you, I would break it into pieces myself."

Yugi cringed at the sheer heat of the fury that poured forth from Yami, as the Pharoah turned to glare at the Puzzle, his eyes dripping venom, and promise.

"Yami, I'm sorry for bringing that up. I know how hard this is for you..."

Yami glared at Yugi, and stiffened, in retort, "I dare say you do not, Yugi. Forgive my blunt answer, but you truly have no idea what it is like in there, nor would I ever wish you to know. "

"So, why can't you be free of all that, then? Why don't you just stay out of the Puzzle? "

Yami actually choked in shock, as he gaped openly at Yugi. "It is not that simple, Yugi. Remember, I was sealed away to keep the shadows in their place. If I leave the Puzzle permanently, then they would be free to destroy your world as they almost did mine. The Puzzle is also my tether to this existance...the substance that keeps me 'alive' if you would call this state living."

Yugi looked horrified, and Yami grunted in annoyance at both the high pitched panic, and the torrent of new questions that flooded his mind, "So what the heck does that mean?That you are doomed to be a slave to that Puzzle for eternity, and you live in a nightmare forever? What would happen if I smashed the Puzzle right now? Would you be free, then?"

"I...don't know. Isis never told me what would happen if the Puzzle was actually destroyed, but you saw what happened to me when just one piece was removed. I was injured along with the Puzzle. That is no solution, anyway. What if breaking the Puzzle also breaks the barriers between this world and the shadows, Yugi? Would you risk that much suffering to so many just to liberate me? It...would not be right."

"No," came back the relunctant answer from Yugi." But it's not fair that you have to suffer so much with no hope of being free, Yami."

"There is always hope, Yugi. Maybe it is a false hope, or a foolish one. But I would take that small chance of believing, rather than dwelling in despair and futility. That is truly what breaks the haunted, Yugi."

Yugi couldn't help but shiver at Yami's last words. Yami saw his fear, and shook his head in a desperate attempt to spare Yugi from any more trauma.

"It must have been horrible for you to be trapped in that thing, Yami. I...have no idea how you manage to keep it together so well."

Yami looked at him sadly.

"If I had it "together" as you put it, I would not have been hysterical over spilt tea, or panic when somebody attempts a comforting embrace."

"Maybe." Came Yugi's soft, considering reply. "But you're not broken, Yami. You're hurt, but not shattered, not completely. You know that, right?"

Yami looked down, at his hands still knotted into fists, the scars at his neck itching as if in memory, the instinctive clench of his body, even though his mind was beginning to finally understand that it was safe.

"I am beginning to understand that, Yugi. It will...take time."

"Yeah..."Yugi's sad, relunctant acknowledgement was delivered with a weary, accepting smile. "
But, you took a big step tonight, Yami. You're going to be alright."

And, now, for the Kaiba lovers...

Seto Kaiba bolted awake, the shiver of fear threading its way like ice down his quaking back, his hands fisted in rebelling grip against the silk sheets, as he bleerily attempted to clear the aftermath of the horrible nightmare from his head. For tortured moments, he lingered between the waking and the sleeping, before he grunted and heaved himself to his feet. He dropped his unsteady feet uncerimoniously to the floor, flung the covers away in disgust, as he pulled a robe around his slender frame, noting with a grimace that he was still shaking. What the hell was going on? He remembered only frustrated fragments of the nightmare...

There was blood on his hands, testimony to the brutal aftermath of the blade he was dumbly staring at, as it hovered above the slashed throat of the body beneith him. From the crumpled, violet eyes, to the ruby-tinted hair, it resembled Yugi, except that Yugi was alive, and this had to be some horrible dream.
It was sickening to see so much scarlet flooding from the gaping wound, and he could not understand why the hell he would have done this...if he had done this.
There was no indication of where he was, but the glint of flickering torches in their sconzes, and the dark bricks around them. He felt as if he were already entombed in this underground chamber. There was the waiting hush, as he heard the horrified gasp of the woman who was bowed with grief over the body of the young man, as she rose, and rounded on him like an incensed cat. She hissed out something in a language he did not understand, her eyes narrowed and growing ebony with the bizarre rising of the dark shadows that seemed to radiate from her very core. He could feel the darkness, hungry and waiting impatiently glide up his limbs, his torpid resistance melting into complete paralysis, as he was swallowed in agony. The last sight he saw before the closing of the light was the satisfied smirk that grace the woman's lips as she nodded in dismissal, as if he were deserving of this suffering.

Seto hauled his exhausted body to the bathroom,scowled at the reflection in the mirror, glanced at the late hour of the clock, and with an exhausted sigh. Insomnia was certainly the last thing he needed, he groused, as he opened the medicine cabinet, ruffling through the assorted bottles to see what sort of pill he could find to remedy it.
Normally, he despised taking sleeping pills, considered it an admission of weakness. But, staring at the flamed veins in his bleery eyes, and the weariness, he allowed himself this one time excuse. He tilted the bottle to his lips, shook two pills out, swallowed them raw, and stumbled back to bed, pulling the covers over his shoulder, and waiting for the pills to work. His last thought was of the strange resemblance the corpse had to Yugi. He rolled over with a grunt of dismissal, and went to sleep.

It was a serene day at the game shop. There were a few customers puttering about, mostly mothers with their young children, and a few teenagers. Yami was perched beside Yugi at the counter, curiously watching the various people as they wondered around, eyes widening to see a teenager with a green-mohawk and a lip piercing look up to see him staring at him. Yami tensed, but relaxed when the teenager only gave him a polite smile and resumed his browsing. Yugi chuckled in amusement.It was a relief to see Yami actually enjoying himself, as he sat in silent observation. Yami had disgarded his flowing tunics in favor of a pair of dark denim jeans, and a long-sleeved, dark shirt. His sandals were exchanged for a pair of pointed boots that he kept gawking at, uncertainly. They fit comfortably, but he was not used to socks, or even having a shoe of any sort covering his toes. The jeans were suitable, and he enjoyed having pockets to place things in, or a safe place to hide his figiting hands. The long sleeves of the shirt felt strange, as he was used to having his arms bare, but the material was soft, and comfortable. Perhaps the strangest thing he was wearing was the black leather collar that sported a silver buckle that was encircling his neck. This had been a gift from Yugi, when he saw Yami staring at his scars, and running fingers over the ugly ridges against his flesh. He knew that Yugi didn't care one way or the other that he had them, but Yami had insisted on concealing them, even to the point of attempting to arrive at the game shop with a scarf wrapped around his neck. Rather than arguing, Yugi simply presented the Pharoah with the collar. Yami, deeply touched,put it on imediately, and was satisfied that it hid the marks of his demise. It was certainly more comfortable than having several feet of material draping about his neck.

Yami seemed to be adjusting to the strange, new world he was now residing in. He no longer panicked when something triggered a flashback, he no longer lay around the house looking like a gutted animal, and the depression and the fear that once threatened his sanity seemed to be losing their grip over him with each day's passing. Yugi was certainly impressed with Yami's social graces in interactions with the modern world, as well. He was unfailingly polite to any woman who entered the shop, opening the door with a bow, smiling kindly at small children, and even greeting people on his own inititive. Solomon was most pleased to hear the compliments of Yami's good manners, and it was good to see him gradually opening up. No longer was he so broken and lost.

The sound of the chimes above the door rang out merrily, announcing the entrance of another customer. Seto Kaiba's eyes twitched upward in annoyance at the silverchimes dangling downward and nearly whacking him in the head. He enjoyed his height most of the time, but he hated chimes, bells, and anything else that made such a damn racket needlessly. It wasn't as if the Motos were blind and needed the sound to announce his arrival. His eyes swept over the humble shop, his lip curling in discomfort. He sincerely didn't want to be here, but his brother's insatiable desire for a rare card that he could not find on his own had forced him to take drastic measures..like entering the Game Shop. He saw the elderly Moto hunched over the glass counter, carefully polishing the display case and arranging the cards in neat little lines for easier viewing. Yugi was wearing his usual smile, which deepened Kaiba's scowl. It was unnatural for anybody to be that happy all the time unless they were on severe medication. And Seto knew that Yugi was completely ignorant of what modern day marvels a bit of chemical enhancement could do.

"Oh, I didn't see you there. Hi, Seto!" Seto rolled his eyes to hear the cheery, and completely unwanted greeting ringing out from Yugi, complete with a happy wave.Turning back, Seto forced a polite nod, hoping the runt would just leave him be. Seto's eyes narrowed as he saw the young man that was slumbering on the Moto's couch when he had the misfortune of having to drop off Yugi's cards. It was eerie, to see the same glistening spikes, the flaming gold and red crowning his bowed head, and the violet eyes roving aimlessly through a magazine, as he flipped a page. Seto studied him for a moment, and saw that despite the fact the two were certainly related via their strange hair and eye color, the young man was definitely different from Yugi. Yugi had that open inocence about him, those wide eyes and gently rounded cheeks with the smiling mouth. This stranger had an angular face, with sharp cheek bones and narrowed chin and eyes. This stranger seemed to be older, and Seto recognized the weary lines of care that seemed to permiate him. He had a hardened look about him.

"Seto? Would you like me to introduce you to my cousin, Yami?"

Yugi was already heading his way, as Seto lurched back to reality. Seto grimaced, and shook his head.

"I'm here to get my card and leave, Yugi, not meet and greet your entire family." Seto muttered, irritated by the unnecessary delay, and certainly not in the mood to endure forced social pleasantries. "Now, will you leave me alone so I can get my damn card?" Yugi looked wounded, and Seto might have apologized if he could summon any sort of regret beyond his annoyance. "Of course, Seto. I'm sorry."

Yugi's soft voice drifted away as he slank off, hurt and embarrassed, to look for the card in the back room.

Yugi was in the storage area for no longer than a few minutes when he heard Seto's shout of dismay, the sound of something colliding with the floor, an ugly snarl, and the reverberation of a fist cracking against somebody's flesh, with somebody else grunting and gasping in pain. Yugi flew out into the room, and gawked in shock at the scene unfolding.

Seto was sprawled out on the floor, his long coat tangled with his splayed limbs, as he struggled to rise. A thin trickle of blood was dribbling down his chin from his nose,and he had one hand cradling the wounded bone in protection as he glared daggers at his attacker, the promise of retribution very clear as he sneered and stood, not allowing even a wince at the pain that now radiated from his broken nose.

Yugi stared in disbelief when he saw who had inflicted so much damage to Kaiba. Yami stood rigidly, one fist raised, the knuckles bloody, his teeth bared like an animal, the rage clouding his eyes, and his whole frame trembling, as he gazed intently at Kaiba, crouching like a panther ready to spring again.

Kaiba, by then, had picked himself up off the floor, and was quite ready to retaliate against the bastard who had simply walked over and slugged him. The unprovoked attack had completely blindsided him,and pissed him off mightily.

"Yami?! What the heck has gotten into you? Did you just punch Kaiba?!" Yugi's high-pitched question was squealed out.

Yami tood staring at Kaiba, but Kaiba eagerly confirmed Yugi's fears with the sarcastic observation of "No, Yugi, he was trying to teach me how to dance. Yes, he just punched me, you little runt! Why else would I be sprawled on the floor and bleeding?!"

Yugi only stared up at Kaiba in disbelief. "But why did you hit him, Yami?!"

Author's note:

This will be continued as soon as possible. But it is now 1:00 am in the morning, and I need to sleep.