I will update a story each week. So I did Anaconda on Friday and I have decided to update this story and Werewolves today. I'm posting a new story on Friday then Anaconda will be updated on the 2nd of May, The Snake King's Temple on 9th, Werewolves on 16th May and the new story on the 23rd. This will be the order of the posts. Dates given are when I'll post and they will be Australia's dates I'll be posting on as that is where I'm situated.

Here's the next chapter.

Enjoy.

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Chapter 53

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Yami carefully deposited the sleeping Yugi onto the bed in their chamber seeing as he had fallen asleep on the journey back like Ryou and Malik had done. Yami turned to Atemu and moved over to him. He knew how difficult it was to remove those memories and make Solomon overcome his grief or at least most of it to call off the search parties. He watched as Atemu moved away and sat beside the fire to rest for a little bit. Yami moved over and sat beside him and looked at him. He looked tired, Atemu had been using a lot of magic lately and it was taking its toll.

"Atemu are you alright?"

"I'll be alright Yami. Don't worry."

"You've been using a lot of your magic lately. It's been so long since you or all of us have needed too."

"I'm alright."

"You sure?"

"Yeah I'm sure."

"Why don't we go to sleep? You'll feel better after."

Atemu nodded and allowed Yami to haul him up and lead him over to the bed. Yami climbed into the middle and let Atemu slid in after him and Yami curled into Atemu's side letting his arms wrap around him. Atemu sighed and held Yami close as he started to drift and heard a soft whimper coming from the other side of the bed. Atemu sat up slightly as Yami turned his head to look as well. Yugi was whimpering softly and looked like he was starting to cry. Yami turned over and rubbed Yugi's arm before looking to Atemu.

Atemu let Yami go and patted the spot between them. Yami carefully climbed over Yugi and with Atemu's help they moved him into the middle of the bed and Yami slid back in with Yugi between them. Yugi was still whimpering but soon calmed down.

"You think it's because of what happened earlier? Losing his grandfather?" Yami asked.

"Most likely is the reason for it. I think it will take a little while for him to get used to the change. This will disrupt his sleep though."

"Atemu we caused this. You cannot blame him for it."

"I'm not blaming him for it. Besides I was able to do something for his grandfather. In his dreams he will remember Yugi's, Ryou's and Malik's goodbye and he won't be saddened by it. He will only dream it if he unconsciously wants it."

Yami smiled and leaned over Yugi and kissed him. Atemu was unsure why he suddenly did so but he kissed back.

"You are really a softy." Yami said with a smile. "Thank you, I'm sure that will help Yugi. His grandfather will most likely believe in his mind that they are dead but his heart will know they are alive and safe, and that will be enough for him to be able to return home."

"I hope so, because if I didn't he would have lost the will to live but would be alive but no life in him. That's what I saw when I was in his mind."

"Well if that's what helps him live the rest of his life and as normal as possible it's the right choice."

"Let's hope so. Get some sleep Yami."

Yami smiled and relaxed on the bed.

"Night Atemu."

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Yugi opened his eye after a while when he was sure they were asleep after they stilled. He heard their conversation and was going to open his eyes after they moved him but when they started talking about him he waited. By the time they had he didn't know what to do so he kept his eye closed.

He knew how Atemu was before what Malik did in trying to get them out. He was just unsure of how to react around him since and that held him back but hearing what he just heard he was glad with what Atemu did. He didn't want his grandfather to hurt that much. He wondered if he could trust Atemu again. He had before and then when Malik tried to get them out, Atemu's trust in him was gone and some of his in Atemu was gone. He couldn't blame Malik, he was just trying to save them.

Suddenly not feeling tired Yugi sat up slowly and carefully so he didn't wake Atemu and Yami. He slowly crawled down the end of the bed watching to see if they would wake. They didn't so Yugi went over and sat by the glowing coals. Since he wasn't tired he decided he was going to watch something and hopefully he would get sleepy. Since he also wasn't concentrating he didn't feel the eyes watching him since he turned away from the bed.

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Atemu felt movement which woke him up. He knew who it was and he decided to see what he would do. Feeling Yugi had turned away Atemu watched him move over to the fire and sit there watching the flames. He didn't know if Yugi had been awake before when Yami and he were talking or if he just woke up.

Watching him for a few minutes as Yugi just stared at the flames, Atemu silently climbed out of bed and moved behind Yugi before sliding down to sit next to him. Yugi looked over when he sat down and jumped having thought it might be Yami not Atemu since he didn't seem to care too much at the moment. Yugi looked back at the fire once he got over the shock.

"What are you doing up Yugi?"

"I couldn't sleep." Yugi said as he shivered slightly from the brisk air.

"And you sacrifice the warmth of the bed to sit by the fire."

"Yeah it's something interesting to look at, otherwise I was just going to be staring at a wall. Kind of boring, it would drive me crazy. The fire is always changing, never the same."

"While that's all true, you are still sick and the cool air won't help."

"I figured I wouldn't be here long since this would probably make me tired, well I hope."

Atemu smirked and grabbed the animal skin blanket that was nearby and wrapped it around his own shoulders before seizing Yugi and dragging him into his lap. He could tell Yugi had been shocked and probably scared at the movement but he grabbed the ends of the animal skin and he loosely wrapped his arm around Yugi with the blanket in his hands. After a few minutes Yugi relaxed, the warmth from the fire, blanket and Atemu started to make him sleepy and he relax into him.

"Thank you for what you did for my grandfather." Yugi said sleepily.

"What?"

"I know what you did, thank you."

"You were awake when we were talking?"

"Didn't mean to overhear." Yugi said before drifting off to sleep.

Atemu looked at Yugi and smiled slightly seeing as Yugi had curled into him slightly. Slowly and carefully Atemu stood up and walked back over to the bed where he placed Yugi back down in the middle before sliding back in. As he laid down he felt eyes on him and found Yami awake and watching with a smile on his face. Atemu huffed and closed his eyes as Yami laughed slightly before going back to sleep himself.

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Ryou sighed as he walked back into the chamber he shared with Bakura and Akefia. He was so tired and he didn't want either to carry him because he wanted to be awake when they got back. When they were talking with Yugi's grandfather he felt how tense they were, especially when he walked away. Ryou shed the animal skin that was around his shoulders and slid under the covers on the bed.

Bakura slid in beside Ryou and pulled him in close seeing him shiver even as he was under the covers. Bakura laid a hand on Ryou's arm, getting his attention before wrapping his arms around him as he shuffled in closer. Ryou noticed Akefia hadn't joined them and looked around for him and saw him curled up as a snake by the fire.

"Akefia?" Ryou asked confused.

"Yes."

"Why are you not joining us?"

"I will later."

"He needs to regain his energy Ryou and it's easier to do so in that form. The fire will help as well." Bakura said.

Ryou tapped his arm and shuffled out when he loosened his grip and climbed out of the bed. Bakura sat up and watched as Ryou walked over and sat down beside Akefia. He was about 25meters long with his body curled around him. Ryou had to climb over part of him to get around before sitting beside him. Ryou saw his eyes flicker to him in confusion before Ryou curled up on his side beside him.

Bakura smiled and climbed out of bed and grabbed the animal skin and draped it over his body. Ryou smiled in thanks as Bakura changed to a snake slightly smaller than Akefia. Seeing Ryou was still shaking Akefia started moving around making Ryou sit up and wrap the animal skin around him more. Bakura and Akefia moved around each other and Ryou twisting together till they had Ryou comfortably wrapped between their coils where he would be warm. He didn't have a lot of room to move but not too lose that he would get cold. Ryou's body was laid out on his back on their bodies and the only part that was not covered was his head.

"You ok like this?"

"Yeah it's comfortable. Do you two curl up together often?"

Bakura and Akefia's eyes slid to each other's before looking back at Ryou. Both their eyes were slightly wider making Ryou a little confused as to why.

"Um Ryou you do know how snakes mate correct?" Bakura asked and Ryou's eyes widened quite a lot making them think his eyes were going to pop out because of it.

"Yes."

"We are part snake and we do sometimes do it this way so yes we do curl up together often but do understand I thought this would be more comfortable for you. We aren't trying anything." Akefia said.

Ryou nodded blushing darkly still shocked at what they told them. He didn't know what to say or do, he just really hoped they wouldn't try anything. He was sure they wouldn't but he this was all still very new to him.

"We can let go if you would like?" Bakura asked after Ryou said nothing.

"No it's alright." Ryou said quickly.

"You are no longer comfortable like this Ryou." Akefia started.

"I'm fine. I just…"

"What is it?" Bakura asked.

"It's just its all still new and I'm just…"

"Unsure on what you should do around us." Akefia finished and Ryou nodded.

"Ryou you just have to be yourself. You don't have to pretend around us. If we do something you don't like tell us to stop and we will. The same if you want us to do something." Bakura said.

"I'll try."

Bakura smiled as well as he could being a snake and flicked his tongue out to Ryou's cheek. Ryou blushed and squirmed as Akefia started to do the same as well, making them both chuckle. They finally stopped when Ryou needed to breathe.

"So why do you need to be like this Akefia?"

"Because I was helping Atemu when he was erasing Yugi's grandfather's memories. When he finished had I not transferred energy to Atemu he would have collapsed. Mariku, Atemu and I have been using so much of our powers lately that we haven't been able to recharge completely. So being like this will help us to recharge."

"So you were actually helping Atemu by transferring power. How? We didn't see anything."

"You wouldn't have. We only needed to do lend him a little as Mariku did the same so we didn't need to give him a lot. If it needed to be a large amount you will have seen it. But since we only needed to give him enough so he didn't collapse on us."

"Ok." Ryou suddenly yawned, making them both stop licking Ryou's cheeks.

"Go to sleep Ryou."

Ryou smiled and felt them move slightly so he was laying more flat and only tightened slightly around him making it a little warmer. Ryou nodded and he felt his eyes closing. He was tired already so it was easy for him to fall asleep.

~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~ End of Chapter 53 ~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~

Hope you liked it. Please review.