Dripping Wings

Yuugi only woke up when he heard Helios growl lowly in his throat. The golden Sun dragon had shrunken down into a size that was currently smaller than his natural one, which made it far easier for him to rest on the bench that had been placed at the foot of Yuugi's bed. Helios had taken his post up in the bedroom once again, and left Yuugi's side only sparingly. It was one of the talents that both Astarte and Velinah were very jealous of. The two had only seen Yuugi a few times in the past few months.

It was the sound of the door handle moving that had caused the dragon to growl. He lifted his head up and swiveled it towards the door. Yuugi felt no tension, especially as it was somewhere around noon. Indeed, it was only Ryou that walked through the door with a smile on his face. His healer friend looked at him with alert brown eyes. "Hey, Yuugi. How are you feeling today?"

Yuugi grinned as he sat up in the bed and pushed himself against the headrest. "Better than I've been in a while." Ryou walked up to the side of the bed. He had a set of clothes in his arms. Yuugi recognized the loose material. "More therapy today?"

Ryou's smile widened. "Yeah. You know the drill."

Yuugi sighed. Indeed, he knew. With a grunt, he pushed himself to an upright position. He wore only boxers at the moment- an article he'd insisted be made for himself. Boxers weren't a normal find in Sekesha, so all of his needed to be specially made. Yuugi just couldn't abide by the normal trend of wearing pants without some form of underwear on. Atemu had laughed at him all those years ago when he'd insisted on the article of clothing be made as soon as possible, but even now Yuugi had the King silently wearing a pair.

His brain was getting off on a tangent again. It was doing that a lot lately, since he'd had so much time to just his thoughts. He shook his head to try and order his thoughts again, and grabbed at the articles of clothing. It was only a simple button down shirt and slip on pants, and luckily they were cotton, which was far softer than the favored linen.

The pants were harder to get on, considering Yuugi did not have the ability to fully lever his weight properly. He went as far as he could without pain, and Ryou helped with the rest. As he was buttoning up his shirt, Ryou walked back over with a wheel chair. He placed it next to the bed and helped Yuugi into it.

Yuugi did not complain about using it anymore, but he still frowned whenever he looked at it. He was getting stronger, and could walk a few feet on his own, but the fact that he still needed to get across a simple room made him angry at himself. He saved the world. He was King, and people had been depending on him for a so long, and now... he was so useless. He did not want to be a burden any longer.

Ryou wheeled him into the adjoining room. It was a very large room that held a private bath chamber, and multiple devices to help him with his physical therapy. There was a padded table that had been set up so he could receive deep tissue massage, a few small weights, crystals and keystones to help infuse more energy into his body, and a set of parallel bars set at the height of Yuugi's hips. That was where Ryou brought him to, as Yuugi was working on his ability to walk again.

Yuugi grunted as he pushed himself out of the chair. It was still painful at times using his muscles so much. Ryou had told him that he'd lost nearly all of his muscle mass in the first two months he'd been bedridden. There was very little left that could actually control his body.

Ryou was right behind him as Yuugi held onto the bars tightly and used the leverage to hobble his way onward. "Easy, Yuugi. One step at a time."

Yuugi chuckled. "I know, Ryou. I intend to make it to the other side and back today."

Ryou shook his head, but continued to follow Yuugi diligently, just in case he fell. His friend and King always pushed himself too hard. As Yuugi continued to go, one little inch at a time, Ryou found himself wanting conversation. He already knew what sort of answers Yuugi would give if he inquired as to the King's current mental or physical state, but he wondered what else his friend had been thinking about all that time he'd been in bed.

"You know, Ryou," Yuugi started on his own. The bridge of his nose scrunched as he struggled with another step. "I think I know what I need to do, as soon as I am strong enough."

Ryou's ears perked up. "Oh? What's that?" He hadn't expected Yuugi to state anything without prompting.

"There's one more person that needs my help."

Yuugi faltered and his knees began to buckle again. Ryou slipped his arms underneath Yuugi's armpits and held him firm. "Yuugi, as much as I admire what you can do and what you've done, you're not in shape to help anyone right now."

Yuugi chuckled bitterly. He straightened up again and started once more. "I know that, Ryou. I didn't mean now. As soon as I'm strong enough, though. When I can walk out of here on my own."

"Who is it?"

Yuugi would have responded, but the door creaked open as someone else entered. Yuugi paused in his progress to see who it was. "Atemu!" He smiled.

The King smiled back warmly. "Hello, sweetheart," He walked up and pressed his lips to Yuugi's temple. "How are you today?"

"He's doing well," Ryou grinned.

Yuugi pushed his legs to start walking again. "Are you on lunch break, Atemu?"

"Yes, dear. I wanted to see you." He stood by the bars just ahead of Yuugi and watched as he neared the end of the bars.

"Atemu, I have some news for you." Yuugi stopped at the end of bars and sighed. Already he was so tired. His bonded wrapped his arms around him and held him close.

"What's that, Yuugi?"

"I'm going back to my old world, as soon as I'm strong enough."

Atemu's eyes went a little wide as he looked into Yuugi's nearly endless lavender orbs. "What do you mean?"

Yuugi sighed as he stepped closer to the open window. Atemu walked with him and held him upright as they went closer. "Atemu, I just have this horrible, horrible feeling that I need to go back. I need to find Jou."

Atemu tensed a little, but forced his muscles to relax. "Your old roommate. The one you said looked like Jono."

Yuugi put a hand on the window sill and leaned against it. He looked out at the snow covered city below. "Yes. He...wasn't a bad person. He saved my life more than once. I need to go back, Atemu. I need to save him."

Atemu frowned. "I don't like the idea, Yuugi. Traveling through dimensions is so rare. Leaving this one is almost unheard of. Not to mention, with all of the stories I've been told of your old world... I don't want you going back there again."

Yuugi laughed. "Oh, Atemu, it won't be dangerous for me anymore. Magick doesn't exist there. Even in my weakened state, I could hold my own there just fine." He buried his face in Atemu's shoulder. Being able to hug his bonded had become such a novelty. "I wouldn't be going alone, though. I want you to come with me."

"Me?" Atemu asked. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Yuugi's right," Ryou interjected. "That world isn't all that dangerous. With the right clothes and enough money, you can do anything there."

Atemu sighed as he too looked out the window. The Winter Solstice was only a month and a half away. He had a lot of work to do in order to prepare the city for the event. "When you're well enough, Yuugi, I will go with you to your old world. We'll save Jou."

Yuugi smiled. "I know you think I'm crazy. It's just...a feeling. It's like when the birds know winter is coming, and they start to migrate. I just know this is one of the reasons I'm still living; to go back there and set something right."

Atemu smiled back. "You're my Bonded, and my partner, Yuugi. Whatever task you need to accomplish, I will be right next to you, fighting with you all the way."

xxx

It had been seven months since Yuugi had been brought back from the dead. The Winter Solstice was three weeks away, and the city was a frenzy of activity.

The first note of joy was not only was Yuugi walking on his own, he was fully healed.

Well, as fully healed as he was going to be. He was sitting side by side with Atemu on his own throne during court sessions, council meetings, and performing his own royal duties. The upcoming celebrations were highly anticipated, for everyone was planning on using the excuse the celebrate Yuugi's recovery.

After all, if the Entities were to be believed, Sekesha had a divine being once again occupying its throne.

Currently, Atemu was waiting in his bed chambers. Yuugi had sent Mahaado to get him, only saying that he had something important to show him. Atemu could only guess what Yuugi was up to, but was waiting patiently anyway as he sat on the edge of his bed.

After what seemed like an hour, Yuugi stepped through the door that led to their private bath chambers. Atemu's jaw nearly hit the floor.

He'd never seen someone wear so much leather in his life. Yuugi wore black leather pants that looked so tight, they could have been painted on. Three studded belts draped over his thin hips. His shirt was short sleeved and also leather, with a ridiculous amount of buckles strapped across the front. His boots were black leather and also studded. He wore a black choker, wrist cuffs, and gold arm bands. Pointed earrings dangled from his earlobes.

Yuugi grinned and put a fist on one of his hips. "Well, what do you think?"

It was a full ten seconds before Atemu answered. "What on earth is that?"

Yuugi's grin widened. "It's what we're going to wear in Domino."

The King crossed his arms and set his jaw. "Absolutely not. You won't get me into that ensemble even if my life depended on it."

Yuugi's eyes sparkled with mirth. "Oh yes I will." As he walked closer to his bonded, his belts clanked and jingled softly. "Come, now, dear, you have to admit I look pretty darn hot."

Atemu snorted. "Hot, indeed. You must be sweating in all of that leather."

Yuugi rolled his eyes. "I forgot about needing to teach you slang. You'll have to learn about words like 'home dog,' 'shindig,' 'mo-fo,' 'biznatch,' and-"

"Hold on a second," Atemu began. "I said I'd go. I never said I'd make myself look like an idiot whilst doing it."

Yuugi laughed. "This trip is going to be very entertaining."

Atemu shook his head. "Where did you even get all of that?"

Yuugi took a moment to admire his ensemble in the floor length mirror that was on the wall. "I had the palace leather-smith work on it for the past couple of weeks. He did a fantastic job. There's an outfit for you waiting in the bathroom."

Atemu sighed. He couldn't help but admire Yuugi's rear as his bonded modeled in the mirror. He did have to admit that Yuugi did look fantastic in that outfit. "Anyway, Yuugi, we need to talk about actually getting to your old world. Traveling alone is one thing, but traveling across dimensions with two people is tricky. We'll need something powerful to keep us together."

Yuugi turned around and looked at Atemu in contemplation. "I've been thinking about that." He sighed and fiddled with one of his wrist cuffs for a moment. "We'll have to redo the blood bond."

Atemu frowned, himself. "It would seem the most sound solution, but are you truly strong enough? You know the effects of the spell. It could be...detrimental for you."

Yuugi frowned as he looked at his wrist. "Atemu, I should show you this. Just...don't be frightened."

Atemu hated how easy it was for Yuugi to make him panic. He watched as his bonded removed a wrist cuff completely and exposed one of his pale wrists. He pulled a small knife from a holder on his hip and made a thin slice across his wrist. He barely winced as his blood began to flow.

Yuugi walked over and held his arm up for Atemu's inspection. What the King had not expected to see was a dark red, almost purple color ooze from the cut, a milky silver substance swirling in its depths. "What...what's wrong with it?"

Yuugi frowned as he fingered the blood. "There's nothing wrong, per-say. I noticed the difference when I had a nose bleed a few months back. I discussed it with Ayana and Ryou, and I think we've come to a conclusion about the difference. The female Entity said that my body had been scarred. I think this is one of the effects, right down to the color of my blood. It's like...a residual scar, almost like the blood was burned by all of the magick. The silvery stuff in there is the leftover magick the Entity used to resurrect me. It's always going to be there."

Atemu watched as Yuugi removed a finger and showed it. "I'm...shocked."

Yuugi shrugged. "It's still red when it's been diluted a bit. Even pink like normal blood when water mixes with it."

The King covered Yuugi's cut with his hand. The sight of Yuugi's blood still had him uneasy. He'd never be used to the sight. "How does this affect making a new blood bond?"

Yuugi sighed. "I..." He paused. "I think I will not experience any pain. And I think our bond will be even stronger this time around."

His bonded frowned. "Stronger how?"

He sighed as he held onto Atemu's hand. "It would be a guarantee that when one of us dies, the other does, too. Being in different cities would also be difficult. The long distance would probably have physical repercussions. Oddly enough, I believe that we'd also be able to use the bond to teleport to each other quickly and easily, no matter how far or close we are apart."

Atemu smiled thinly. "Those sound like repercussions I can deal with. The thought of you in another city without me is distasteful, and I know that we have long lives ahead of us. I don't want to spend moment in this world without you."

Yuugi tried very hard to hide his frown. He had been told what Atemu had almost done the day he'd been brought back. Yuugi had been shocked, then saddened, then unsure. How could he possibly broach such a subject to him? Yuugi wouldn't even know the first thing to say. Should he reprimand him? Console him? The situation confused him, so he said nothing at all. Atemu said nothing regarding it, even in passing, and Yuugi wasn't keen to start. "I suppose it's settled, then. Tonight, we'll seal the bond, then tomorrow, I'll portal us to Domino."

Atemu nodded. "How long do you suppose this should take? We have a lot to do in order to prepare for the Solstice."

Yuugi shrugged, then healed his cut. "I don't know for sure. No more than a day to find him, I think. I know all of Jou's hiding places. Maybe even a couple of days. We'll also have to see if time travels differently there."

Atemu stood up and pulled Yuugi into a hug. "This should be interesting."