Okay, a bit of an author's note. Thank you so much for all your kind reviews, and I will be answering them this weekend, if I can. Thank you so much for your patience. I have made it through the holidays without too much of an issue, God graciously provided enough funds for me to buy presents for my family, and I am very glad that the headache is over with. Now, I am in the process of churning out chapters for Crown at a faster rate, but they tend to be a bit shorter. I have a few more chapters written for ATEOATs, with plenty of Yami and Seto conversationally related angst coming up that I will post in the coming weeks.

Forgive me if things seem to be a bit incoherent. I recently started a new job that doesn't really pay the bills, and I am now in the mad dash to find something that pays the rent and the Internet bill. Gotta love poverty!
Anyway, on with the newest chapter...

Yugi stared out the darkened window, his fingers drumming aimlessly at the desk, his anxious thoughts melting to fear, as he waited with fading hope for Yami's return.
How could he have been foolish as to let him wonder around Domino when he didn't understand any of the customs, or have any way of contacting Yugi if something had happened. His thoughts grew even darker when he remembered the bright red of Kaiba's cheek, and that monsterous rage that had filled Yami's eyes in those horrible moments before he regained his awareness of who he was. To actually have the nerve to even touch Seto Kaiba was extremely brave, in a perverse way.
Yugi was suprised that Kaiba had restrained himself, but wryly smiled at the thought that maybe Kaiba considered it to be beneith him, somehow. And Yami had done what he did because of some horrible memory, to protect Yugi,..

To see the heart-breaking remorse as Yami stared at his bloodied fist, as if not understanding what he had just done, the breakdown in the living room where he and his grandfather had managed to piece the suffering Pharoah together enough to not completely collapse...

Yugi grew more and more worried as time slowly crawled by, and Yami did not appear. With a resolute sigh, Yugi rose, wrote out a hasty note to his grandfather, explaining his abscense, snatched up his blue jacket, zipped it up, and walked out into the darkness.

Yami stared up in astonishment to see the brilliant sunset, and the rapid onset of night. He had no idea that the idle hours he had spent collecting his thoughts had disappeared so quickly, and now that the darkness was falling around him, he realized with a gulp that he had succeeded in strolling away from the relative safety to the gameshop with no means of defending himself should he have the need. The trees were obviously not his enemy, and he felt that there was little threat in this small patch of woods, but outside of its borders, he was no longer sure. He was fairly certain that he would be able to find his way home easily, and even if not, it was not as if he could be slain in this world. Indeed, there was hardly anything that he feared, besides the Puzzle, and that was losing its control over him, anyway.

Yami flinched when he sensed the frantic thoughts thundering their way down the mindlink, and recoiled for a brief moment from the emotion that reverberated from it. It took him a few moments to realize that it was Yugi's concern that he felt like an echo through his core, and not an invasion.

Yami?! Where the heck are you? Are you hurt? Please, please, answer me!

Yami's answer was both apologetic, and hesitant, as he tensed, instinctively. It was amazing to be able to read Yugi's mind, but it was unnerving to have his own thoughts exposed in such a vulnerable way. Yugi, I apologize for worrying you, and I sincerely hope that I didn't cause any undue inconvience.

Yami. Yugi entoned with quiet resignation and patience I thought we had this resolved. You are not an inconvience, and you are not a burden. But it does really make me angry when you just suddenly decide to disappear, especially after punching somebody in the face. And Kaiba, no less!

Yami raised an eyebrow at the awe that was clearly leaking out of Yugi's voice, but said nothing of it. It was wrong of me to react in such a way, Yugi. And I will attempt to make it right.

Uh, Yami? You might want to wait on that. You are really lucky that Kaiba only punched you. I can't believe he just walked away like that! I mean, he's so...cold most of the time, and sarcastic...it makes no sense at all that he helped me, and spared you. Besides, I don't think Kaiba is going to do anything to you. I think he considered even when he hit you back.But exactly why did you hit him, Yami?

Yugi winced when he felt the despair bleeding through the link, and whimpered as his mind was filled with the helpless, aching loss of a severed existance, and the bewildered anguish that Yami was still scarred with from the brutal murder.

Yami felt Yugi's instinctive revulsion to the pain, and gasped to sense the tears that were now rolling down Yugi's cheeks, and he bit his lip as he reabsorbed the pain of those memories instinctively. He felt the astonishment, heard the mental gasp of shock as Yugi sent a questioning thank you over the mindlink.

Yami? What exactly did you do? Do you have the ability to absorb pain?!

Apparently, I do, Yugi. I apologize...you do not deserve to be subject to the horrors of the past, and I will do all that is necessary to ensure that you are never troubled by them again.

Umm...alright..but, Yami...where does that pain go when you "absorb" it? Does that mean that you take it on yourself, or what? I don't want you hurting over me!

Yami smiled at the unselfish thought. I most certainly am not hurting over you, Yugi. As to where it goes...I will explain that, some day. But rest asured you needn't fear causing me pain.

Yugi smiled at that. Are you on your way back, then? Will you be able to find me?

Yes, of course. Yami's confident reply came back with a grin. Fine then, Yami. I'll wait here for you.

Thus reassured, Yami strode forth, back to the world of concrete and indifference. The night melody of crickets chirping and the water's flowing gave way to the cold, mundane cars that kept their dizzying pace on the highway, the glitter of stars replaced by the gleam of glass and concrete.

It was Yugi's shrill cry of mind-breaking horror that flooded through Yami's soul like a vicious river that almost brought him to his knees, as Yami reeled from the shock.

Yugi?! What happened? Are you alright?! Answer me, please!! Yami's desperate plea shot back through the mindlink as soon as he could recover enough to send it.

His heart clenched when he heard the gasping, bleeding, dying breath, so fragile, so sickeningly close, as Yugi's words were heaved forth with far too much effort for such a simple answer.

Yami?! It hurts! I don't know where I am, it's so dark, and I am in so much pain...

Yami shivered in both anguished confusion and rising, helpless anger. Yugi?! What hurts? What happened?!

I don't know what happened, Yami. One moment I was talking to you, and looking at the Puzzle, the next moment, everything went black, and I found myself in this dark, cold place! Yami, please, please help me!

The anguish evaporated at the mention of the Puzzle, as the realization swept over Yami, washing away any fear, any mercy, or broken futility as Yami felt the familiar strength borne of fury flooding over every uncertain question, or doubt. Brutal, certain intention, deadly focus forged from the injustice of the Puzzle daring to harm an inocent person. It lent him the much needed determination to control the vicious surge of fire that was already glowing at his fingertips. Sheer, undiluted flame, so vengeful and consuming, and right, laced through his veins as he trembled and snarled with sheer rage.

Yugi. I am coming for you.

Yami's promise reverberated through the Puzzle's depths, and it shivered in revulsion when it felt Yugi's tears trickling onto its golden bricks, cold and foreign, and invading in their purity. It was nothing like the welcome warmth of Seth's blood the night that Yami had taken his revenge against the priest. It had drank Yami's tears over the slow crawl of time, built crystaline promises and shattered them with the ease of indifference, and long practice. It had felt the Pharoah's tormented rage rising in intensity, the heat scraping dangerously off the golden bricks, the spirit's presence beckoning like a beacon as Yami drew closer. Yugi was strangely silent, but Yami was becoming more and more incensed at the sensation of hesitant warning that radiated through the mindlink. Yugi felt Yami's approach, from the protective feeling that now cacooned him in warmth for a brief moment.

Yugi? Are you alright? Why are you so silent?

Even the thought that Yugi sent back was so laced with fear that Yami ground his teeth together in vicious, helpless fury.

It's...the Puzzle, Yami! It's listening to us...Yami, don't come after me, please! It will hurt you! Yami, please, please, stay away!

The words were abruptly choked off with a sudden squeal, and then, overwhelming, empty silence. Yami sensed nothing of Yugi, only the echo and the aftermath of refracting pain, and the Puzzle's perverse cheer and triumph.

Yugi's fist had beaten a frail, dying song against the golden bricks, as he scratched at them in the dark, pounding and screaming Yami's name, before he was abruptly engulfed in sheer agony. He felt the Puzzle moving over his limp muscles, hunger appraising his vulnerable thoughts, considering fangs bared in the anticipation of the feast that he would provide them. He screamed, and screamed, the tears streaming down his cheeks, as he prayed that this was a nightmare that he would soon awaken from.
Yugi did not know that the Puzzle had temporarily blocked the link, only that Yami had grown completely silent, and there was no more answers.

Yami could sense the growing malice that lay festering in the unnaturally dark shadows that now clung to the Moto residence, as he bit his lip, and tilted his head in consideration for a brief moment. Mr. Moto was still at the Game Shop and would not be home for a few hours, so he was not likely to be in any danger at the moment.
Yami felt as if he were entering the gates of hell itself as he crossed over the slab of concrete that made the front porch. Eyes narrowed against the dark, and glittering with contemplation, he resembled a panther readying a strike as he moved forward, turning to the coiled banister where his instincts suddenly flared in warning.

Yami did not waste time catering to the fear that was brewing, or the horrific visions of what the Puzzle was attempting to flood his mind with. Yugi being mutilated, his eyes staring vainly into oblivion, the velvet thoughts of the Puzzle promising to keep Yugi imprisoned for an eternity...

The Puzzle abruptly ceased its goading taunts when Yami only curled into himself against the onslaught, his flesh melding to stone, his shields crystalizing to diamond hard defenses, as his signiture flame arced high against the ceiling and roared back in answer. He was not sure what was causing this sudden surge in his ability, and watched in dismay as the strange halo of light that resembled a spell from Isis suddenly rise over his wondering eyes, and then dance across his scars. Yami almost winced, but instead of actually suffering pain, he felt the strange light gently, almost merrily caressing each of his old wounds, and felt the grinding ache as each of his wounds were reopened for a brief moment, and the anguish they caused absorbed into the glowing orb.
Yami stared in wonderment as the ball of light rose like a star, then suddenly burst into a shower of sparks. He was haloed in the radience for a brief moment as it showered down on his raised arms. For one bittersweet moment, he felt Isis's steadying hand over his shoulder, the whispering echo of her voice.

Fear not, Yami. Remember your deliverance.

It was in Yugi's room where the two combatants finally met. The door was almost shattered from the sheer power that radiated from the Pharoah, and the Puzzle recoiled inspite of itself. It had egotistically believed that dear Yami would be harmless, if amusing. It had no idea that it would be encountering this trembling embodiment of rage and remorseless brutality as Yami glided forth, serpentine and eerily patient.

The darkness retreated from the dancing flames, as Yami casually extended an arm, and allowed the fire to heat his blood to the boiling point, the rage and the long years, and the thought of Yugi being subjected to the same unrelenting torture as he only spurring him on.

He strode to the center of the room to see the Puzzle glittering in answer, its mutilated, dead gold contrasting sickeningly with the living flames coming from Yami.

"You did a very foolish thing, Pharoah, in attempting to rescue the boy." The Puzzle's silken words were purred out in satisfaction, as Yami narrowed his eyes and shook his head in disgust.

"And you do a very foolish thing now in provoking me. Release him at once!" The hissing chuckle that filled the room made Yami's blood run cold, despite the heat from the flames.

"And why should you care, my dear king, what fate the boy suffers? Were you not the one who attempted to roast him alive? Imagine my delight upon discovering that your pretty little fireworks were nothing more than an illusion. Can you imagine how offensive it was to me?"

Yami flinched as he bit out the retort, each word piercing in its raw veracity, " You dare torment me about subjecting you to an illusion? After all that I have endured from you, any revenge on my part would be merciful compared to what you have done to me."

"Oh?" Came the scathing reply. "It is obvious, my king, that despite your clever attempts to adapt to this world, you will remain caged as long as I wish.You know this, Pharoah."

Yami's broken smirk was almost heart-breaking in its serene, hopeless surrender, as he shrugged, indifferently. "And you shall remain contained by me for as long as I exist. Have not our most joyous years together taught you that?"

And with Yami seeing no further reason to exchange snipes with his prison, he raised both hands, summoning his power from every void of anguish he suffered. Bright flames danced between the splayed fingers as he spread his arms wide in a fiery arc, and then with a hissed whispered, engulfed the Puzzle in flames.

It was Yugi's piercing shriek of pain that answered.