((Author's Note)) Hello again everyone! and welcome to the first chapter of this story written in 2017! I remember starting this story almost two years ago and I'm amazed at how far it's gotten. I know for certain that a big part of it is because of you guys and for that I want to thank you.

So now I'll give you the next chapter because I know that's the reason you came here, so here it is...

Chapter 28

((Trigger Warning: mentions of serious disorders in a sarcastic matter, please know I don't mean to offend anyone who has, or knows someone who has the mentioned health problems.))

I woke up again, this time in a large cell similar to the one I had been in for several months. The only difference was that it was bigger and had a more comfortable bed, a dresser, a bathroom, and a large mirror, which I was sure was actually one-way glass.

I was wearing a white, sleeveless nightgown, I had noticed as I stood from the bed and approached the mirror and looked at my reflection. The girl that stared back was different than I remember.

She wore the same nightgown I did, had the same colored hair too, albeit longer and a tinge lighter from stress. I turned abit and lifted the back of the gown until I saw the tail that was all but forgotten. I wagged mine and she wagged hers. Allowing the gown to fall once more, I studied her face more closely. The right side of her face was heavily bandaged, covering her eye and part of her ear. I reached up to my own face and felt the rough texture of the bandage, she did the same.

I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to feel. Nishiko was dead. I watched her as she stabbed herself with that scalpel. I remember her crying for the pain in her chest to stop, that she wasn't ready to die. Yet she did, by killing herself. However I was certain she was dead before the blade pierced her temple. I was certain she died from a heart attack.

I was certain she was killed by Kira.

I returned to sitting at the side of my bed and thought about my sudden assumption. Nishiko was killed by Kira because he somehow got ahold of her name, but why would he kill her? She didn't hold any criminal records. No felonies, no suspicion, nothing. She was a model Japanese citizen to the public eye. Just your average working-class woman.

That was, unless Kira found out about her kidnapping me and torturing me. She told me I was a test to see if L would throw out the Kira case to come after me. I didn't know why he would bother. L was a selfish child who only worked on cases that interested him or had a good sum of money offered to him. Just like the criminals he hunted.

Just like BB.

I put my hands on my head and keeled over for a moment as a sudden headache washed over me. The thought of my only friend made me want to curl up into a ball and cry. He didn't deserve dying the way he did. He was suppose to be alive and happy with me. If he hadn't died, he would have eventually got approved for parol or even get released early on good behavior. Then we would have lived the rest of our lives together in LA just like before.

But of course L had him imprisoned, giving him a criminal record, drawing Kira to find out his name and face with a simple google search and kill him without a second thought. I grit my teeth in anger. L may not have been the one to do it, but he was the one who led Kira straight to him. For that, I hold him at least partially responsible for his death.

~*TimeSkip*~

It had been several days since Nishiko's death. Near, Mello and Matt had come to say their goodbyes since they were leaving to go back to England along with my brother and new sisters. After they left I refused to talk to anyone other than Watari; and that was only because he fed me.

There was a knock on the door before it opened, revealing the old man...with a tray of food. "Hello, Yugi. Are you feeling any better?"

I didn't speak for fear of sounding rude. Watari had been nothing but good to me, but he was working under L. I just gave a small nod, not making eye contact.

Watari set the tray onto the table next to the bed. "I made you a couple of sandwiches to help get your strength back up." I perked up slightly, smelling the lucious scent of peanut butter that I didn't even know I missed until that moment. I took one of the sandwiches and nearly devoured it whole. Watari chuckled.

"I'm glad to actually notice the improvement," he told me. "I'll be back in a couple of minutes so you can enjoy your food in peace." He went to leave as I swallowed the last bite of the sandwich, now a bit more confident to speak.

"Watari, I've been thinking about what Maki said the other day...about that drug she was making."

Watari turned to listen to what I had to say. "Have you made a decision on her offer?"

I nodded. "I have," I told him, as I thought of when Maki came knocking on the door the other day...

~*Flashback*~

Maki held up a vial with a pale yellow liquid so that I could see it. "I've been working on this for the past year. It's a drug designed to treat people with Post-Traumatic Stress...It has a genetically engineered bacteria that attacks braincells regarding to Long Term memory. It hasn't been tested on humans yet, so I'm unsure of how much memory will be affected, or how long it will take for it to go into effect, but if you're willing to try, maybe it will help you forget what Nishiko has done to you."

I huffed. "What's the point in that?! Just because something is forgotten, it doesn't mean it never happened. I might forget the torture of that woman ripping my eye out and stuffing cocroaches in my ear, but that won't change the fact that when I wake up in the morning, half of my world will be shrouded in darkness and silence for the rest of my life!"

Maki sighed. Just like everyone else, she was annoyed at my stubborness. "At least take the time to think about it, okay? We want you back, Yugi. We need your help on this case, and the only thing holding you back is your resentment toward Nishiko and your anger at L. I don't know what caused you to think that L was the reason BB was killed by Kira. Whether Nisiko brainwashed you, or you came to that conclusion yourself doesn't matter. What does is that it's holding you back from avenging his death."

I didn't look at her in the eye for fear of crumbling into tears.

"Yugi, if you really loved him..."

"That's the thing!" I exclaimed. Maki flinched at my sudden outburst. "I did love him. He was my best friend. He was my brother. He was my lover. He was my MATE! I don't want to forget about him. I don't want to lose my only reason for staying here; my only reason for staying alive! I loved him. I love remembering him, even if it hurts. I can't risk losing him again! I can't, you hear me?! I CAN'T!"

I couldn't hold the tears back anymore and I covered my face with my hands to protect what little dignity I had. Maki reached out hesitantly and put her hand on my shoulder, forcing me to look at her.

"Yugi, I'm not making you take the drug. No one is. But I still want you to think about it. This could be a risk you have to take."

~*EndFlashback*~

L's Pov (3rd Person)

Watari returned to the hotel after delivering Yugi's food. L watched her through the camera's that had been set up to watch over her.

"What did she have to say?" he asked Watari as he approached.

"She has informed me about her decision on Maki's offer," He explained. Equal looked up from the paperwork she was reading. "She has agreed to go through with the procedure."

Equal sighed and stepped forward to face L. "In that case," she said, "I want to take her somewhere beforehand. If that's alright with you, Ryuzaki."

L merely nodded, placing a thumb to his lips. "Very well. Watari will take you wherever you wish." His voice was dull and heavy, due to the weight of his chest. He still didn't quite understand the new emotions that he had been feeling since Yugi was captured; but he knew the weight had something to do with the fact that after she was injected with the drug, there would be a 70% possibility that she'll forget everything before her kidnapping as well as the incident itself.

In a way...L didn't want her to forget everything. He didn't want her to forget her contributions to the Kira Case. He didn't want her to forget finding her mother. He didn't want her to forget following him to Japan to find out about her origins. He didn't want her to forget Wammy's house, Matt, Mello, or Near. And just like her, he didn't want her to forget BB.

But most of all...L didn't want her to forget about him.

He may not love her like some might have come to believe, but ever since she returned to LA after Beyond Birthday's death...ever since he mated with her...there has been an emotional connection between them. L had come to care for Yugi as if she were a part of his family. In a way, he did love her. Not as a girlfriend or lover, but as a sister...or a friend.

As L disappeared into his thoughts, Equal had left with Watari to go get Yugi. L bit into his thumb hard as he was left all alone.

"Don't forget about me, Yugi."

Yugi's Pov (1st Person)

I scratched at my new eyepatch as Watari drove my mother and me somewhere. She had explained to me that she wanted me to see something. I crossed my arms and looked out the window at the trees, which had begun to sprout new leaves, signifying the start of spring.

"It's not like this is the last time I'll see spring again, what's the point of taking me on a tour of the countryside now and not later when I'd be more amazed at the sight?" I asked.

"It's not the countryside I'm taking you to see," Equal stated.

"Then where are we going?" I asked.

Equal sighed. "To visit your father."

I noticed her voice was soft and full of sadness, but I didn't question it. Nishiko told me how my father went mad after I ran away, and that he disappeared soon after the lab burnt down.

After a while, Watari stopped the car. "We've arrived at our destination."

Equal got out of the car and opened the door for me. I stepped out and looked around. I grew slightly confused. "A cemetary?"

Equal placed a hand on my shoulder and guided me down through the various headstones until she stopped at one and kneeled down to it and brushed off the dirt that had accumulated over top of the name. I read it without expression.

Ukyo Akiteru
Born: November 17th, 1960
Died: August 10th, 2005

"So, he's dead, then," I stated. "I guess my search was a waste after all."

"That's not true, Yugi," Equal scolded. "You told L that you followed him to Japan in order to find out how you became what you are."

"In order to do that I needed to find Dad; but he's dead."

"That doesn't mean he was the only one who knew." Equal rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I thought you being raised at the orphanage would give you more logical sense."

I was confused. "What are you talking about?"

Equal huffed. "I don't suppose your mother would know, would she?"

"But..." Then it hit me. The woman in front of me was my mother. I felt so stupid not realizing that she held the answers all along. I could have saved a load of pain just asking her. I sighed. "I guess she would."

Equal patted the spot of ground next to her and I sat down. She put her arm around me and began to tell me her story. I hung onto every word.

"Before you, I was pregnant with another child. As a first-time mother, I was very excited, and so was Ukyo. Like any other expecting parents, we were prepared for everything...except for what happened. He was born too early, and the doctors couldn't do anything to save him. He died at three months.

"When I found out I was pregnant with you, I was scared. I didn't want you to die as well, and neither did Ukyo. He talked me into transferring you to an artificial womb where you would be supplied nutrients without the risk of a miscarriage. While you grew, he would stay up weeks at a time, making sure you'd survive to term. I would supply everything you needed through transfusions and stem-cell surgeries.

"Little did I know, however, that along with giving my DNA to you, Ukyo was running tests on your premature cells by mixing them with the DNA of different species of animals until he found a match with the DNA of a wolf pup he had found abandoned near the house.

"That's when he started mixing its DNA with yours, slowly causing a mutation that I didn't notice until it was too late. Not only did it alter your appearance and heighten your senses, but it also damaged your instincts. I didn't notice because whenever I saw you, you still looked like a normally developing baby. When you were strong enough to leave the womb, you wouldn't open your eyes or respond to any noise. When I fed you, you would whimper and try to push your hands against my chest like an animal. I asked Ukyo about it and he took that moment to fess up what he did.

"One day I couldn't get you to stop crying. I demanded Ukyo explain, since I was certain he knew what was going on. I let him take you to his lab so he could run tests on you...but I shouldn't have, because I never saw you again. When Ukyo came back without you, he told me you were dead. In truth, however, he had encased you in a giant glass tomb filled with liquid similar to the plasma you developed in as a fetus and hooked you up to various machinery to keep you alive. I didn't find this out until the lab burnt down.

"Since then, our marriage was slowly falling apart. We would fight constantly, and often times get visited by police responding to a disturbance call from neighbors. By the time Kani was born, I had given up on trying to fix our relationship and finally filed for divorce.

"Once Ukyo was out of the picture, I recieved the call from L, who stated that he found you in Los Angeles and was transfering you to Wammy's as we spoke. I was so happy that I had packed everything up and moved to England just to see you again. I even went to the orphanage in hopes of reuniting with you, but was stopped before I could enter the door.

"I was told that it would be best not to see you in case it triggered a bad memory. I thought that leaving you there was best and refused to fight. I still don't know if my decision was right...but for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Equal was in tears by the end of her story. I remained silent. A sudden relief left my shoulders now that I knew how I became what I was, but of course more questions arose. Questions I was certain I would get answered within time; but they would have to wait. I put my hand on my mother's shoulder in attempt to comfort her.

"Let's go home."

I held out my hand to her as I stood up. She took it gratefully and the two of us walked back to the car, a bit lighter than when we first entered the metal gates...no, lighter than when I first found out that this woman, who I had met on the plane that broght me here and sang her son a lullaby, was my mother. Maybe one day, I'll be proud enough to call her that.

When we returned to the hotel that afternoon, Maki prepped me for the procedure. The task force was already made aware of the circumstances and were prepared for any miscalculations.

"Shouldn't we ask her about any links between Nishiko's death and Kira?" Chief Yagami asked.

"She's right here," I stated bluntly As Maki tied a rubber band to my arm.

"Everything has already been documented," L stated. "We can easily confirm that Nishiko was killed by Kira using the autopsy report as well as what Yugi was willing to tell Watari as sufficient proof."

"You can lie down now, Yugi," Maki told me. I lied back on the cot I was sitting on and she began to strap me down.

"Is that really neccesary?" Matsuda asked.

Maki nodded. "As I've previously stated, this drug hasn't been tested, so we must be prepared for any backlashes."

"Right, of course."

"What about survival rate?" I asked.

"Um..." Maki was speechless. "At least a 20% chance, maybe less."

Yagami made a noise and began to object, "Wait a minute, I just can't stand by when your willing to risk a child's life for a drug that hasn't been tested yet."

"Oh for the love of fanfiction, this isn't your decision!" I yelled. "I appreciate your concerns, all of you, but this is my choice. If I'm going to continue helping with the case I need to get that woman out of my head."

"But isn't there another way?" Matsuda asked.

"Not unless you've suddenly come up with something."

Matsuda remained silent and it ended the conversation. Maki prepared a syringe with the pale yellow liquid. "This will take a series of several days for it to completely go through your system. I'll be giving you additional doses of certain medicines to cope with possible side effects; more specifically donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine."

"So basically you're giving me alzheimers as well as treating me for it," I summed up sarcastically. "Lovely."

"Yugi, that's not something to-"

"JUST SHOVE THAT DAMN NEEDLE IN MY ARM ALREADY BEFORE I CHANGE MY FUCKING MIND!"

I swear I saw a vein pop in Maki's forehead before she grabbed my forearm in search for my vein. "Just relax and this will be over before you know it."

I nodded. "Right, I'll just close my eyes and wait as I decend the nine levels of hell by means of a slow and painful death. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

"Is it just me or is Yugi going insane?" Aizawa asked.

"Nah, I just wanted to say that before I forgot," I stated. I'm pretty sure everyone got annoyed with me because after my comment, I felt a prick in my arm and my mind went black.

((Author's Note)) So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, but if you didn't I understand. Either way I'd still like to know, so why don't you tell me about it by writing a review? I love hearing from my readers, be it compliments, critisizm, trolling, flames, or event the occasional cursing for seven hundred years suffering in the neverending flames of hell. They not only make me feel noticed, but give me plenty of motivation to continue writing.

So, as of now I'm begging you to please tell me what you think! You don't have to, but it will be greatly appreciated.

Until next time,

-Garden