I'm doing another series of snippets set in the Of Land and Sky universe to work out the slight block I had for the last two parts of the story. Some of the prompts were perfect to post outtakes of the story as well, so some of them are set in the same story but will be spoiler free for further plot points.

Prompt I: Creation

Yami poked his head up from where he'd laid it on Atem's paw. The God Dragon blinked and looked over at him but didn't speak, closing his eyes again after a moment. He shifted his weight and snuggled a little more firmly against his father's paw, hopeful he'd get his attention even as he wished he'd ignore it. Atem was quiet for a long moment, then hummed and raised his head to look over at him pointedly.

Yami gave him a sheepish smile.

Atem snorted and lowered his head to his other paw. "What is it?" he finally muttered, yawning and flicking his sky blue tongue in exhaustion. Yami hesitated, watching and wondering if he should pretend he was just trying to get comfortable again.

His father wouldn't fall for that. He knew that much. Sighing, he mumbled, "I can't sleep."

Atem didn't answer immediately. For a moment it seemed almost as if he would ignore him entirely. But he looked over after a moment, flicking his tongue out again. He hit Yami hard enough to budge him and send him to the ground. The hatchling sprang to his paws as Atem snickered and the Sky Dragon got up to stretch himself out.

"What's on your mind?"

Yami shook his head slightly. "Nothing. I just… I'm not tired."

Atem snorted and nodded, studying him with his head tilted. "Okay," he answered mildly, taking a seat. "Did you want to hear a story?"

Yami considered for a moment, then nodded and got to his paws. "Okay!"

His father smirked and glanced toward the entrance, no doubt searching for Yugi. He'd gone hunting earlier and had not come back yet. Yami wondered if Atem was worried he'd gotten hurt or just curious as to where he'd gone. Ever since Atem had begun blocking him, it had become a thousand times harder to read even his emotions. The God Dragon was more closed off at the moment, likely lost in his own thoughts even if he wasn't willing to admit he wasn't tired yet either.

"What kind of story did you want to hear?"

Yami blinked and bristled slightly with excitement. What stories did Atem know? Yugi had told him a couple human and dragon ones. But Atem rarely told stories. He had told them about his ventures to the northern territory with Jaden, Yusei, and Leviathan, where Yusei had taken him along the ice to see the penguins and told him about the killer whales that burst from the water. He'd added a little clarity to a story Yugi was telling about a dragonet discovering his fire breath, but that hadn't been nearly as exciting or spectacular as the usual tales Yugi wove.

He was pretty sure Yugi had been tired, and that was why Atem had stepped in and started adding or changing details to better entertain him…

"It's not so hard a question," Atem said gently. "I do know stories, even if I don't tell them often."

Yami considered a moment longer, then paused and reconsidered. After a moment he came closer and took a seat, wrapping his tail around his paws. "Yugi told me the creation myth for the humans," he announced, and Atem blinked slowly, eyes narrowing briefly, "and how they were born from the first dragon's shed. But…what about us? How were we created?"

Atem was silent for a long moment, considering him. "From the first dragon's shed, huh?" he muttered, almost dazed before he shook his head. "That's what you want to hear? The story how dragons came to be?"

Yami nodded eagerly.

Atem nodded slightly and glanced toward the entrance again. "In the beginning, there was only darkness and a small perfectly golden egg. It lay in the dark for years and years, until finally one day it split in two. From the egg came a brilliant light that threatened to kill the dark. The two elements fought bitterly to save themselves, and from their war came ice and fire. The sudden emergence caused the light and dark to divide so that there was an immense chasm where they waged their own war."

Yami tilted his head, studying him as he paused. Atem had glanced at the entrance again, but Yami didn't hear Yugi returning. He didn't even sense him nearby, actually. He wondered where he would have gone…

"The war waged caused the emergence of the land and streams, and eventually the oceans. The sun emerged, and slowly the animals came. Pairs of each were born, with one's existence ruling the other's, until eventually the world was full of animals and creatures, plants and bugs." Atem looked at him after a moment. "As the world began to change and mold, the gap began to close again, and the elements forgot their battles for compromise. That's why there are stars at night, and the moon is softer but still brilliant in the dark, and why the sun sets and clouds are allowed to block its rays."

"What about the egg?"

Atem hummed softly. "The egg…" He went quiet for a moment, then smirked. "Well, the egg became whole again and began to form life, which one day become the most impossible, annoying, ridiculous, frustrating dragonet ever to exist."

Yami blinked, then jumped to his paws and growled. "I am not!" he blurted, though he laughed when Atem snorted.

"Who said anything about you?" he scoffed. "I was talking about Yugi."

The Gandora paused in the entrance, lifting his head in bewilderment, and asked, "What? What did I do?" around a mouthful of deer meat. He blinked when Yami burst out laughing and turned to him. Atem smirked and looked away, shaking his head.

"Nothing, little gem."

"Daddy says you're annoying!"

"He's just a grump," Yugi answered, huffing and dragging their meal into the den. He swatted Atem's side with his tail as he passed and Atem snickered. "And he's probably not even hungry because he's a jerk."

Yami smirked and paused, mouth opened, as Atem's thoughts surged forth for a split second.

"Every dragon has a mate made specifically for them," a golden female was cooing, eyes like gems as she looked down at her clutch. Atem wiggled beside Seto who tilted his head. Malik and Bakura growled at each other, then launched into a play battle even as she continued. "They'll find you when you most need them, and they'll be everything you ever wished for."

Yami blinked and looked between his parents for a moment. Atem was watching Yugi as the Gandora began complaining about how far into the valley the deer had gone. He was shaking his head and muttering about the proximity to the human village, about how he was glad he had gone instead of Atem. The Sky Dragon hummed and nodded, flicking his tail slightly, and Yami looked at the deer slowly.

He had only met Seto prior, but the memories in Atem's head had been impossible to miss. He recognized his siblings, so Yami had as well, and even the female had been identified for that brief moment. He'd never met the three of them before, but it was impossible to overlook their identities.

Yami looked at Atem, blinking, and noticed the God Dragon tilt his head briefly toward him. He knew he'd forgotten to block him in that moment. The hatchling considered him a heartbeat longer, then glanced at Yugi and back before digging into the deer flesh.