Hey guys! After a temporary delay, we have the next chapter! With this update, the fic has just broken the 200K word count.

A huge thank you to everyone still following this story and who are leaving feedback, including all you anonymous reviewers! Your reviews make me smile when I get them, so I thank you for the continued support!

Content warning: graphic injury description, and someone does die.

The summer storm may have swept through the valley and hit the castle first, but its intensity had hardly diminished. As it traveled into the forest and the dark rain clouds reached the trees, the wind swept against the tall pine and oak. Older ones were felled, and younger ones swayed and bowed beneath the wind.

The river that ran through the valley was swollen by rain, and while it thankfully had not flooded the city it was no less dangerous. As it joined up with its sister branch in the forest, the river grew even larger; felled trees, mud, and debris filled the water as the waters surged onward. In some places, the river even had started to leave the banks; those who lived in these areas were forced to find higher ground.

By morning, the rain had eased into a drizzle and the storm had eased. It was humid and yet chilly, the skies above gray and overcast; fog blanketed the forest and the surrounding area. Barely anything moved in the woods, the sound of the flooded river was almost too loud in the silent forest.

It was this kind of weather Marik despised the most.

He readjusted his grip on the driftwood, shivering in the cold morning air. The waist-baring, sleeveless top he was wearing did little to warm him. It was times like this that he wished he still had his cloak, but it had been lost when Kaiba's dragons had attacked them at one point.

The colder morning had warranted a fire, and they were low on firewood. Bakura did not prefer doing "menial labor", and Yami was sleeping for a change; the spirit did not necessarily need the rest, but Yugi's body did. With Ryou gone, Jou and Marik were the only ones who could assist Téa in keeping a fire going. Valon had long since left the camp, refusing to stay in Jou's company.

He sighed aloud. Ever since the attack on Mai in the clearing, Valon had quicker to anger and to lash out at everyone. He'd stayed away from them for the most part—the first time they'd even seen him was yesterday. Even then he had been distant and sullen, his normally cheerful eyes dark and stormy. While it was an unspoken consensus amongst them all that his mood was due to his crush on Mai and that he'd been upset due to her being hurt, Marik also felt that there was something else that had happened that night. The trouble was trying to determine what it was.

He returned to the lair with the firewood. Téa was stoking a steadily growing fire, the warmth felt from where he stood; sitting on the ground beside her was a bundle of what Marik assumed was food. The young woman was visibly uncomfortable, however, her eyes going to the base of a nearby tree.

Marik followed Téa's gaze. He raised an eyebrow when he caught sight of the creature sitting at the base of the tree. It looked like a woman, though it had blue skin and its eyes were entirely black with only the barest hint of light in the empty gaze. She was holding an old and broken doll in her arms. Her own gaze was pointedly fixed on Téa, never blinking. The Millennium Ring was around her neck.

He knew what the appearance of the creature meant. "I take it Bakura's actually resting for a change?"

"He is," came Téa's reply. "I really wish he wouldn't use Necrofear to guard the Ring. It's not like anyone's going to steal it from him while he sleeps."

Marik smiled but did not reply; his initial reaction to seeing the creature years before mirrored Téa's. He dipped his head at Necrofear before crossing the clearing and stopping near the fire. "It's hard to find anything dry, Téa," he told her, dropping the wood in a pile a few feet from the woman. "The storm soaked everything."

"I thought it would," she replied, returning her attention to the fire. "Good thing I thought to store the firewood out of the rain. Give me a bit, and I'll have something for breakfast for you."

"Thanks, Téa," said Marik gratefully, sitting himself in front of the fire. He leaned in as close as he could, trying to warm his chilled hands.

Téa spotted the Enterran's suppressed shivers and reached for a blanket, draping it around Marik's shoulders. "It won't do us any good if you get sick. I wish you'd wear another shirt—one that has sleeves," she chided, plucking at Marik's shirt. "Colds are hard to get rid of, you know."

Marik heard a low rumble from behind him and he turned, his eyes going to where the dragon was now watching the two humans in the clearing. The dragon had just woken up. "Hey Jou," he greeted. "Sleep well?"

The dragon did not reply, instead lowering his head and allowing his breath to escape in a small, miserable huff. He readjusted his position, curling into a ball once again before the ruby eyes closed once more.

Téa and Marik exchanged worried glances. Lately, Jou had become more and more lethargic and seemed more out of it than he had before. It was not simply because Mai had sharply rebuffed him at the castle, either. Something had shifted over the past couple of days; Marik felt that somehow, Jou was losing himself. A part of him worried that Jou's curse was finally beginning to overwhelm him. Yami seemed to believe it, anyways—he was often found near the dragon, offering what comfort he could.

Though Jou could not talk, it was obvious that he was horrified and guilty over what had happened to Mai. He'd desperately insisted he had not attacked Mai deliberately, and that someone had been controlling his actions. There had been no mistaking the tears that had threatened to fall after he'd recovered his senses, and Jou had been so earnest it was hard to doubt his words.

Yami and Téa both believed Jou without question, while Valon clearly did not. Bakura did not care either way, and Marik had no idea what Ryou thought of the matter. He himself had kept himself neutral. He would have been with Valon and would not have believed Jou at all, except…

"I'll see about finding some more dry firewood," he announced, getting to his feet. He slipped the blanket off his shoulders and folded it neatly, handing it to Téa. He hesitated, and then added gruffly, "Give Jou a portion of whatever you're making. Try to get him to eat if you can—it's not much, admittedly, but it's better than nothing."

Téa nodded, her expression shifting into a concerned one. "Be careful, Marik, especially if you're going to the river," she said, peering into the forest. "I can hear it from here."

Marik nodded and started into the forest, disappearing within moments. Téa watched him leave uneasily, reaching for another log to add to the growing fire. In a few minutes, the fire would be hot enough to start cooking with.

Téa's gaze shifted past Necrofear to where she could see a pile of blankets, a familiar head of tri-colored hair visible beneath them. Yami had been doing what he could to try and bring Yugi back, but there had been little success. According to Yami, he had been unable to reach Yugi fully. He could feel the magic caster's presence stirring more often at the back of his mind, but otherwise Yugi's presence was weak and silent.

Yami had been transparent about Yugi's status, but otherwise he had been his normal cryptic self—more so than usual. First had been that business with sending Ryou off on his mystery errand. Then, last night at dinner, the Millennium Puzzle had flashed bright enough to illuminate the clearing entirely. It had been a flare of light that had lasted only for a couple of seconds at most, but Yami had not told them why it had happened. He'd looked happy at the sight, almost triumphant even. She had no idea what was going on, and it would remain that way until Yami chose to tell them.

Her eyes went back to Necrofear and she grimaced. She never knew what to do when it came to Bakura's summons. "Do you…er…do you need to eat?" she asked uncertainly. Probably not, she added silently.

Necrofear did not move. She held an unnatural stillness, black eyes unblinking. The doll's blank eyes rattled in their sockets before locking onto Téa. Its jaw dropped open, and its wooden limbs briefly clattered. Beyond that, there was no other movement.

Téa flinched and went back to tending the fire. Hopefully Bakura or Yami would wake soon—she was getting sick of being stared at with two pairs of unflinching eyes. She didn't like it, and she was viscerally uncomfortable with the being's presence.

Jou's head lifted, eyes landing on Téa. He rose stiffly to his feet, taking two massive strides to place between Téa and Necrofear. There was no mistaking his own unease being so close to the silent guardian of the Ring, but it was clear he'd noticed Téa's discomfort. He settled down once again, taking a position behind Téa's back. His eyes closed once again as he let out a tired huff.

Téa turned her head towards him, a grateful smile lighting her features. "Thank you, Jou."

One of Jou's red eyes slid open as he gave a low rumble. The dragon's lips only lifted a little, a pitiful attempt to return her smile.

Téa hesitated before rising to her feet. She stepped closer to him, repositioning herself so that she was kneeling beside his head. She carefully placed a hand on the top of his head, placing a comforting pressure behind her hand. Even in the cold morning, heat radiated through the scales and warmed her palm.

Her eyes softened. "Jou? Are you okay?"

The dragon stared back at her silently, his expression speaking for him.

"Your curse…it's worsening, isn't it?"

Jou's head did not move, and he remained still. However, Téa could read his body language—she did not fail to notice how his body had slumped with resignation.

"Is that why you're so tired?"

Jou's shoulders lifted briefly in an all too familiar gesture, one that spoke for him: probably.

"It's not just that, though, is it? A part of this has to do with Mai."

Jou stiffened.

"You're no monster, Jou," she began gently. "You're still you, beneath the curse. She's scared, but she also strikes me as a sensible woman. Just give her some time. She'll come around—I know she will."

Jou huffed, looking away again. It was evident he did not believe her.

"Well then, why don't you go get her? You kidnapped Mai before, why not do it again?" she asked. "You could talk it out with her!"

Jou shook his head, his countenance dejected and defeated.

"She won't know if you don't tell her," Téa insisted. "You can't just give up!"

Jou actually rolled his eyes at that before looking away with a huff.

Téa felt a spike of irritation at the response. She turned her attention back to the fire and jabbed a stick viciously in the embers. The flames rose and flared to life as Téa added more wood to them.

"And they think women are the complicated ones?" she muttered.

Marik frowned at the sight of the river. He had gone downstream, past the area where Jou had fought the White Dragon weeks before; that part of the river had been flooded, and Marik had thought that was bad until he had come to this part of the river.

The river had risen over its banks in this part of the forest. He could see trees, wagons, and parts of houses in the deeper part of the rapidly rushing river. No doubt that most of the debris had come from the area around Hermos—this part of the river was a junction, where the river running from Hermos joined with the one that cut through the forest.

"So much for a warmer fire," he muttered. He'd planned on crossing river to find more kindling, but he wasn't about to die for a bunch of sticks.

"Doesn' tha' just beat all?"

Marik jumped at the familiar voice and turned around. Behind him, the bushes parted and Valon pushed his way into view. He was running a hand through his hair, which was somehow still defying gravity despite being soaked. The Aurosian's eyes shifted from the river to Marik, offering him a tired grin.

"I was goin' to try and get to the other side to get outta this weather. I've got a spot on the other side of the river that I've been staying at. I would go to Raph or Alister's homes, but…"

Valon's voice had caught at the mention of his friends names. Marik did not fail to notice. "Why don't you go, then?" he asked. "I don't think either of them will entirely care."

He saw it then. Valon's expression immediately darkened, his smile vanishing startlingly fast. His fists clenched at his sides. "You're right—they don't. Not at all," he said, his voice tight with anger.

Marik raised his eyebrow at the change in behavior. Just from his words alone, he knew that Valon was not talking about whether his friends would be upset about him being in their homes. "No, sorry," he said shortly. "I'm not going to deal with the latest bout of your 'I'm angry at the world' routine."

"Oh, like you have room to talk?"

Marik's face darkened and his eyes narrowed, but he did not say anything. He knew better—Valon was the type of person who needed little provocation to start a fight. Saying anything would only result in a pointless fight that would likely hurt his still-healing ribs. Instead, he gave a short wave to the Aurosian, turned on his heel, and started back the way he had come.

From behind him, Valon laughed. It was a bitter and sharp sound in the silence of the forest around them. "You're leavin', too? Great. Go ahead. I don' need you, or the fellas, or anyone else! I lived alone b'fore, I can do it again!"

Marik stopped. Even without turning around, the amount of anger and pain in Valon's voice was palpable. He looked over his shoulder at the other young man. "What are you talking about?"

Valon shook his head, looking away. "You wouldn't get it," he spat, his eyes going to the river.

"Does it have to do with Jou?"

Valon snorted. "I don' give a crap about tha' overgrown handbag anymore. He's just a jerk."

Despite his own misgivings about Jou, Marik felt himself frown. "He's already beating himself up about what happened to Mai, and he's dealing with a curse that's dangerous. You can't just make him your scapegoat because you happen to have a crush on Mai."

Valon whirled around, his eyes flashing with anger. "Oh, so you're on his side?"

"You were there that night!" Marik snapped, his voice defensive. "You saw what happened! Jou's too much of an honest person to pretend he was being controlled! I can't just ignore what I saw!"

Valon stalked forward, and Marik held his ground even as the Aurosian got in his face. "Even if you wanna believe tha' stupid story of his, I still think he's a jerk! 'e's got those heightened senses, he probably 'eard them tha' night and attacked Mai so she'd run to them! He knew they were there—he 'ad to have!"

Marik looked at Valon, no longer trying to mask his confusion or his disbelief. What on earth was Valon talking about? Make Mai run to who? There was no reason that Valon should be so angry about Mai's escape, especially if it meant that she was safe from further injury from Jou. Valon had an obvious crush on the woman, so why—

In a painful flash of understanding, Marik realized what Valon was truly angry about.

"It isn't just the fact that Mai got hurt. That night…your friends were in the forest with the castle guards, weren't they?" he guessed quietly.

Valon's head snapped back up to him, his expression full of raw and unreadable emotion. "Yeah. Yeah, they were there," he said in a subdued and shaking voice. He cleared his throat, scowling once again. "But I don' care. They've bloody ignored me ever since they left. No letters, no word, not even a damned smoke signal. Three months of silence, even after the other forest folk came back. Then they got Yugi and Adias to lie to me! If they don' want anythin' t' do with me, then fine! I don' want anythin' t' do with them!"

The Enterran sighed. Now that he had more information behind Valon's unpredictable mood and his anger, he was drawing an uncomfortable and familiar parallel. "You don't mean that," he said.

Valon snorted. "Yeah? What make you say that?"

"Because you're not really mad at them. The one you're angry at is you."

The Aurosian paled, the anger immediately vanishing. Marik felt his heart clench at the fragile, wounded, and vulnerable expression on Valon's face—as a child, Marik had worn the exact same expression the day he had lost his family.

"When you chased after Mai, they were with the guards," Marik continued, keeping his voice neutral and gentle. "You told us Mai had met up with the prince. I'm willing to bet that man thought you were trying to recapture Mai, and your friends interfered to keep you safe."

Valon did not say anything, but the way he ducked his head and the way his fists clenched spoke for him.

"I understand what they did, and how you feel," Marik continued, a bitter smile creeping onto his features. His gaze wandered to the forest around them, feeling an all too familiar ache in his chest. "It's what my siblings did for me, years ago."

There was a long, uncomfortable silence.

"…I was mad at them, at first." Valon's accent had thickened, his words thick with barely suppressed emotion. "The other forest folk came back months ago, but Raph and Alister weren' with 'em. There was no explanation, no reason—they were just up there, and that was that. I tried askin', I tried sendin' letters. Nothin' made it to them. It took me tellin' them tha' I was coming to them.

"Raph finally sent something back then: 'stay where you are.' Tha's all that letter said. Again, no explanation as to what was happening. We 'eard the rumors about tha' stupid rebellion, but I still got nothin'. When I came across those other guards, when Adias was takin' me to the Turtle Shop, I finally thought I was gonna get an answer. Nope—just got a lie instead tha' Raph 'n' Alister were at the castle. So it was a right kick in the teeth to run into them tha' night, and even worse to realize tha' they had to protect me from the prince. I may not live in a castle, but I know what tha' means—they got in major trouble, and all because of me!"

"Valon…"

"I didn' ask for them to protect me!" he burst out, eyes too bright now. There was a plea in his voice. "I didn't want them to get hurt or to die because of me! If I'd known—if I had known, I woulda stayed out of the way! If they're dead, it's 'cause of me!"

"You couldn't have known," Marik responded quietly. "You can't hold yourself responsible for something you couldn't have prevented. Neither of your friends would blame you for what happened. I don't think Jou planned on those guards being there, and I don't think he attacked Mai on purpose. What happened that night wasn't your fault, and it wasn't his."

Valon leaned against a tree, ignoring the soaked bark. He looked up at the sky, his expression unreadable. "You take up mind readin' recently, fella?" he asked, his voice unusually soft.

"No—I've been where you are before." Marik's own eyes went to the sky above, his eyes only partially focusing on the clouds. "I didn't want my brother and sister to give themselves up for me. I never wanted them hurt. But their loss…the pain from losing them, the knowledge that it was my fault…I took it out on Yugi. Ask him sometime about how that first meeting went—because of what I did then, Yami still doesn't like me. He only tolerates me because Yugi won't let him retaliate."

Another spell of silence fell, though this one was not as full of tension as it had been earlier. Neither of them looked away from the sky, lost in their own thoughts.

"I've been an ass, haven' I?"

Valon's voice was tired but rueful, and Marik gave a soft laugh. "Like I said, I get where you're coming from."

"You're dodging the question, fella."

Another laugh, this one louder. "Maybe."

"…You think the fellas and Mai are okay?"

Marik shrugged, knowing Valon didn't need to look to see the gesture. "I feel that we would have heard something if they'd been executed, or if Mai had died. I don't doubt your friends were punished, but I don't think any of the three dead—and I don't think that Raphael and Alister blame you for what happened, not for one second."

From the corner of his eyes, Marik saw that Valon had finally stopped looking up. He met Valon's gaze, noticing that the Aurosian's eyes weren't as full of turmoil as they'd been before. "Marik…thanks."

The Enterran shrugged. "Come on, you soggy brat. You're making me cold looking at you," he said, turning away once again. "We've got a warm fire and hot food waiting."

"Do you reckon Jou's on the up and up? You don' think he's lyin' about not bein' in control when he attacked Mai?"

Marik's eyebrows arched as he faced Valon again. "You know my history. What do you think?"

The other young man winced. "Sorry."

"Neither of us had memory of our actions, and we had no control over what we were doing. People ended up hurt because of our actions, and we don't even have a trace of a memory behind what we did. Our circumstances are too similar for me to simply ignore."

Valon frowned. "You think that maybe whoever made you off your old man forced Jou to attack Mai?"

"…The thought did occur to me, yes."

Valon seemed like he was ready to continue the conversation when a loud crash in the forest around them cut over him. Marik whirled to face the forest, moving in front of Valon and his hand going to his dagger. There was something large and heavy crashing through the underbrush towards them. This part of the forest had more bushes and lower hanging tree branches, so he couldn't see what was coming towards them.

Something huge tore through the bushes in front of them, rearing up on its hind legs at the sight of the two humans in its path. Marik's first impression was that this animal was a bear and he backed away, startled. On the other hand, Valon pushed past him and leapt, catching the flying leather reins flying in the air.

"Oi, fella! Whoa!"

Valon grunted, pulling down hard to force the animal back to all fours. Though the animal still danced in place nervously, it noticeably calmed at the sound of Valon's voice. "Grarl, take it easy! It's me!"

"Grarl?" Marik edged forward cautiously, recognizing the name. The dark brown horse was visibly exhausted, its sides slicked with sweat, mud, and rain. The horse's brown eyes were wide with panic, and it kept trying to pull away from Valon. He took a step closer, taking in the empty saddle, the leaves and sticks caught in the tail and mane, and the horse's skittish behavior.

"Yeah," Valon replied, pulling sharply on the horse's reins again when it tried to start forward. "'Raph's horse. 've never seen 'im so spooked b'fore, though…Grarl, mate, you're not goin' anywhere so stop already!"

Marik felt uneasy. His eyes started scanning the forest around them. "Valon?"

"What?"

"If this is Raphael's horse, where's his rider?"

Valon froze, his eyes widening in alarm. He swore, maintaining his grip on Grarl's reins as he started searching the forest around them. "Raph? Oi, Raph!" he called, his voice echoing around them. "Where are you? We've got Grarl 'ere!"

"Maybe Grarl threw him off?" Marik suggested tensely.

The Aurosian immediately shook his head, struggling to keep a grip on the still-fighting horse. "Not a chance. Grarl rarely bucks a rider, and never if it's Raph," he replied.

Grarl neighed, trying to get away from Valon and towards the river. Marik frowned. "Something's got him scared."

"I know it," Valon grunted, trying to keep the horse from dragging him. "But I don't think something's chasin' him—I think he's chasin' somethin', though I don' know what it could be. He keeps tryin' to go to the river."

"If he wants to swim, it's the wrong time to try," Marik said flatly, glancing at the raging waters. "Even such a strong horse would get swept away in that current."

There.

Marik turned his full attention on the river, eyes narrowing. Even with the mist that still hung around them, he couldn't miss the dark red splash of color in the water that stood starkly against the grays of the sky and the muddy brown waters. He took a step forward, trying to determine what it was he was looking at.

He had his answer in seconds.

"Valon."

The Aurosian frowned, looking over at him. "Wha's with that voice?" he asked.

But before Marik could reply, Valon's eyes traveled past the Enterran and to the river. The Aurosian's face paled, eyes rounding to an impossible size. Grarl's reins fell from suddenly slack fingers as Valon sucked in a sharp breath.

Valon and Grarl both started towards the river at the same time. Marik realized what his friend was about to do and seized his arm, yanking the Aurosian back before he could dive into the river. "Valon, don't! You'll drown if you try that—!"

But Valon was not listening, fighting against Marik. "Let go of me!" he roared, struggling in Marik's grip.

"Valon—!"

Valon shoved Marik hard, breaking away from the Enterran. He was running for the water's edge before Marik could stop him. Just before Valon leapt into the storm-tossed water, his voice broke the silence of the morning with a horrified, anguished yell.

"ALISTER!"

Jou's head snapped up so suddenly that Téa jumped, a startled yelp rising out of her. The dragon had been lethargic and had hardly moved all morning—the sharp movement was more than enough to draw attention to him.

"Jou, you scared me!" she said, her voice breathless. She caught sight of the alarm in the dragon's eyes, frowning. "What's wrong?"

Jou ignored her. His head was swiveling in the direction Marik had gone earlier that morning. A low whine rose out of him as he half rose from his spot in the clearing. Yami, who had just woken up and was coming to join them at the fireside, paused. His eyes went the dragon.

"I do not believe that cry should go unanswered," Yami said, his voice firm. "Go."

Jou needed no second telling. The dragon lurched to his feet, launching into the air. Téa scrambled out of the way of the falling tree branches from Jou's body colliding with them. She looked upwards in time to watch Jou disappear over the treetops.

Téa then looked to Yami. "What's going on? Did something happen to Marik?" she asked, remembering the direction the dragon had been looking.

"I do not believe so, but I trust that Jou will take care of himself and those he's going to aid." The spirit's hand was on the Puzzle, and Téa thought she saw a glowing symbol on his forehead—it had vanished even as she registered it.

Téa knew what it meant. Yami was using Shadow magic to guard the area; after the attack on Jou and on Yugi, Yami had determined it was the best course of action. Something had tripped his defenses, and though Téa did not think it was a threat she knew the situation was serious enough to let Jou out from the protection of the clearing.

"Does Jou need help?"

"No, I do not think he does. Besides, we have our own task to complete."

The spirit's gaze shifted from Téa to where Necrofear was still sitting. Even with all the commotion, she had remained perfectly still. "Bakura, I know you're listening," he said. "I created a Shadow path for Ryou to use when he completed his task. Just now, the door to that path opened—he is close by."

Necrofear vanished in a small explosion of shadows, the only thing remaining behind being the Millennium Ring. The shadows rallied around the Millennium Ring, reforming into another human shape.

Bakura came into view seconds later, already glowering at Yami. "King or not, Yami, if Ryou has been harmed I will exact punishment."

Yami did not look worried. "Out of all of us in this place, you would know best if he was injured."

"And you seem to know more about his location than I do. Where is he?"

Yami gestured towards the left part of the clearing. "Ryou is somewhere in that direction. You had best hurry, before our enemy discovers us."

"Your enemy, not mine. He didn't attack me that night," retorted Bakura, scowling at Yami. Even as he spoke, he was already moving in the direction Yami had indicated. In seconds, he was gone.

Yami did not watch Bakura leave, turning away and starting towards the other side of the clearing. "Téa, come with me. As I said earlier, we have an errand we need to run—you are best suited to help me.

Téa followed the magic caster, feeling both worried and curious. "Where are we going?"

Yami looked over his shoulder at her. "The Turtle Shop. There is something inside we need, and for you to help me you need a Shadow caster to get you inside."

"But what do we need from the shop?" she asked, quickening her pace to catch up with Yami. "I thought you took everything you would need from it when those guards came."

"So had I. However, I've come to realize that we had forgotten crucial items—that, and there is something I truly need from the shop that will help Jou. I cannot access Yugi's memories, and his grandfather is no longer here. I am counting on you to help me."

"Okay…but what is it we're looking for?"

The Puzzle began to glow. Téa watched as every shadow in the clearing began pooling around Yami before stretching outward and rising into the air. He waved his hand sharply, and the shadows came together to form what looked suspiciously close to a door. Téa could not see through the doorway in the clearing, but she realized what she was looking at—Yami had created another Shadow path.

Once he was finished, Yami turned to face her. "As strange as it will sound, I need to find a children's story book."

Marik urged Grarl into a gallop, his eyes never the bobbing head of the Aurosian in the river. He'd been lucky that he'd had just enough time to climb onto the horse after Valon had dove into the water—it was the only way he was able to keep up with the river. He only wished that he had a rope to pull Valon and Alister out of the water.

Valon, meanwhile, was focused only on getting to where he could see Alister. He only had basic skill when it came to swimming, and more than once he was forced underwater. His perilous journey was not helped by the debris in the river that smacked into him and threatened to pull him under. He knew Marik was keeping up with him on the riverbank, but he did not care about that. His attention was focused solely on the limp figure draped over a log.

He finally reached Alister, panting harshly. He lunged across it just as the other man started to slip off the log and into the water, his arm wrapping around Alister's chest as he hauled him back over the log.

"I gotcha, mate!" he panted, still trying to catch his breath. "Just 'old on, Alister!"

Alister did not reply, slumping against Valon as if he were nothing but a doll. The man's eyes were closed, and Valon could not even tell if he was breathing. A chill settled over him, one that had nothing to do with the cold water.

"Alister?" he asked, his voice shaking. Was he…was Alister…?

No, Valon thought with a vicious shake of the head. He would not believe it! Alister was not dead! They just had to get out of this damn river, and then Alister would be all right—he had to be!

Valon looked up to try and find a way back to shore—

There was an unpleasant crunch as the log slammed into a rock, splitting almost cleanly in half. Both of them were thrown from the log, and Valon immediately dove underwater as Alister disappeared beneath the waves. He managed to catch hold of Alister, refusing to let go even as the water pulled them both under and the hidden debris pummeled him.

Marik cursed when he saw the other two men vanish, pulling back on Grarl's reins and quickly backtracking. His eyes scanned the water desperately, trying to find either of them, but he had little luck—the water was too muddy and moving too quickly, and he couldn't see them.

His gaze landed on where the river narrowed. Debris was gathering in that spot, slowing the river current around it as a partial dam started to form. He couldn't tell how deep the water was, but it seemed to be the safest place to enter the water. Maybe he could even intercept Valon and Alister at that point—by the time he got over there, they would be above water.

He hoped.

"All right, Grarl, let's go for a swim," he muttered. He kicked the horse into a canter, guiding the animal to the river and urging the horse into the river when he reached calmer water.

At first, Grarl was able to cut through the river with relative ease; the horse's hooves could still touch the bottom of the river, and he was a strong horse. Even though the river was not as fast paced and turbulent as the rest of the river, however, it was still a strong current. As they got deeper, the river seemed intent on dragging Marik from Grarl. The horse began to struggle in the deeper water.

A shadow passed over Marik. As he looked up, he caught sight of black scales dropping into the river. He realized he was looking at talons, ones that gently but firmly wrapped around him and Grarl. Seconds later, he was pulled from the river and Marik was forced to cling to Grarl. The horse struggled, a high-pitched whinny of fear rising from the animal.

Marik, however, felt nothing but relief. "Jou!"

The dragon deposited Marik and Grarl on the shore beside him, a low rumble rising in response. The Enterran slid from the saddle and onto his feet; Grarl's legs were shaking, but the animal started for the trees to get away from the dragon.

Marik did not pursue the horse. There was no time for that. "Jou, Valon and Alister—they're in the river, we've got to help them—!"

But Jou was already moving. The dragon waded into the river, the water only rising to just barely brush against his stomach. He took a deep breath, and Marik saw the muscles of the dragon's arms tighten to plant himself in the river before his head disappeared beneath the water.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Marik's ears were ringing, the sound loud enough to drown out the flood waters. His eyes never left Jou, whose head was slowly moving back and forth beneath the water. Debris smacked into Jou's body, but nothing could stop the dragon from his task. He knew that only seconds had passed, but it felt like years were passing by as he waited.

Marik was just about ready to dive into the river himself when Jou's head abruptly resurfaced. Alister was draped limply in Jou's jaws, the dragon taking great care not to bite down any harder than necessary. Valon had managed to get a grip on Jou's neck and was holding on as best as he could manage, coughing and gasping.

Jou waded back to the shoreline, carefully climbing out. Trees were knocked over as Jou settled beside the treeline, slowly lowering his head to deposit Alister's unmoving body onto the grass. The dragon stared down at the other man, gently nudging him with a worried whine.

He knows Alister, Marik realized with a start. How?

Valon slid from Jou's neck, and as his feet hit the bank he staggered. Marik hurried to the Aurosian's side, steadying him. "Valon, are you—?"

"Forget me, all I did was swallow the damn river," Valon managed. His eyes were on where Alister lay and he started to stumble towards the other man. Marik helped him, easing Valon down to the grass beside Alister.

Valon's hand rested on Alister's shoulder. He was visibly frightened as he shook it. "Alister? Alister, c'mon, wake up! Please!"

Marik knelt beside them, gently pushing past Valon. "Let me help," he told Valon. He pressed two fingers at Alister's neck, where his neck met his shoulder. He grimaced at the heat that rose from Alister's skin despite the cold water drenching him—it was a sure sign of a high fever. But it gave him some hope that Alister was alive; dead men did not have fevers. There was no telling how long Alister had been in the water, for all they knew he'd drowned long before—

There it is. Marik relaxed as he felt a thready pulse beneath his fingertips. "He's alive," he told them, only a small amount of relief in his voice. His voice took on a grim edge. "But I'd say he's not doing all that well."

That was an understatement. The red-haired man looked terrible.

His skin was a pale shade of gray, save for the patches of dark red in his cheeks; the skin under his eyes was bruised from lack of sleep. His soaked hair clung to his cheeks, as vibrant a color as blood; Marik knew he would have to check for any wounds under the man's hair. The tan oversized shirt he was wearing clung to his skin; the collar had slipped down Alister's shoulder, baring the skin to the open air. Marik's eyes narrowed when he caught sight of the dark red lines and streaks traveling up his shoulder and across his collarbones.

Valon was openly scared, hardly any color in his own face. "Marik, what happened to him?" he whispered. "He's a tough bloke, but this…he's nearly dead."

"I don't know." Marik reached for Alister's wounded arm. "I think he's injured his right arm badly enough to give himself—gods!"

Alister had violently spasmed the moment Marik's hand had gripped his forearm. Marik accidentally dropped his arm, and as it hit the ground Alister's whole body jerked. His mouth opened, a strangled moan bubbling out of him. The sound had held a sob of pain, and Valon started in alarm. But Alister's eyes did not open, and the man slumped once again. His ragged breathing now carried a whine of pain in it.

A worried rumble rose from Jou, ruby eyes filled with fear. Valon rounded on Marik, eyes flashing. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," Marik replied shakily. "I didn't even grab his arm that hard."

He eyed Alister cautiously, studying the still-unconscious man with a worried frown. His frown deepened when he saw the rope looped through a hole in the cuff of one of the sleeves, and he cautiously lifted it; he did not want to hurt Alister any further by jostling whatever injury he had. The movement adjusted the cuff's position, however, and Marik's eyes were drawn to Alister's now exposed hand.

The hairs on the back of Marik's neck began to prickle, and he shivered. A wave of nausea rose as he stared.

His hands...

Alister's fingers were all bent at almost impossible angles, shattered white bone visible in terrible looking and infected wounds. Underneath the skin on top of Alister's hand were more bumps and more areas where sharp, jagged bone ends had come out. His hand was swollen to an impossible size and was an angry shade of red.

Marik immediately recognized what he was looking at. He'd never physically seen such wounds on someone in person before, but Bakura had described these types of injuries in terrible detail—he always made sure that his band knew the consequences of being captured by the kingdoms they raided.

Valon had not missed the look on Marik's face. He leaned over the Enterran's shoulder to try seeing what was going on. Marik blocked his view before looking over his shoulder. "Valon, do you have your knife?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

Valon fumbled at his side, pulling out a knife and handing it to him. "Marik, what is it? Wha's happened to Alister?"

Marik slipped the blade of the weapon in the opening of the sleeve; he pinned down the loose material before he brought the knife through the cloth, ripping it all the way up to bare Alister's entire arm to the open air.

The garish wounds were far worse than Marik had initially thought. Alister's arm below the elbow was practically rippling—there couldn't be a bone left in there, Marik thought with a wave of nausea. His arm was just as swollen as his hand, bruises and blood darkening the skin. Bone shards poked out in countless wounds; each wound circled by dark rings of infection. From above his elbow were the same red lines Marik had seen earlier, the infection clearly traveling.

Valon looked as if he was ready to be sick. His face was a mix of ashen gray and tinted green. His voice held tears, only able to manage a single word that was spoken in a horrified whisper. "Alister…"

Marik leaned back, closing his eyes. When he spoke, his tone was dull and mechanical. "All the bones below his elbow were broken multiple times, practically pulverized. It's done to both arms to ensure they can never set and heal properly. If the infection or the pain from the injuries doesn't kill him, he gets the joy of living with his permanently useless arms."

"…It's a punishment, isn' it?"

Marik nodded, his throat tight—he didn't trust himself to speak any further, feeling nauseous.

"This was done because of me," Valon murmured, his voice haunted and small. "If Alister looks like this, then wha' about Raph?"

Marik's eyes opened, his gaze going to Valon. "I don't know about Raphael," he said quietly. "We'll have to ask Alister if he wakes up."

Valon straightened in place at Marik's words, and Jou gave an alarmed rumble. "If he wakes up?" he repeated, looking physically ill. He swallowed thickly. "What do you mean 'if'? We just gotta give 'im one of Ryou's potions 'n' he'll be right as rain!"

Marik shook his head. "Valon…"

The Aurosian seemed intent on ignoring him, a plea entering his voice. "Yeah, the potion won' fix his arms, I don' think, but it'll fix everythin' else goin' on—"

"Valon." Marik's voice was firm, cutting over the other man. He met Valon's eyes, feeling heavy. "The infection is in his blood."

"So?"

Marik looked back to Alister's body. "It's an advanced infection. He'd need a blood-cleansing draught to even have just the smallest of chances," he told him, his voice filling with sorrow. "Ryou may be proficient with potions, but even he doesn't know how to make the draught. We can always try to get to a town to find one, but I don't think he's going to make it that long."

What little color that remained in Valon's face left. His blue eyes were burning in his ashen features. "No…no!" he burst out, shooting to his feet. "Marik, 'e can't die! He can't! I won' let him! There's gotta be somethin' we can do!"

A medley of growls, snarls, and whines cut over Marik's reply, and both men started at the sound. Their eyes immediately darted onto Jou, who had risen onto all fours and was staring down at them. There was an urgency to the noise he was making. He's trying to tell us something.

Jou let out a frustrated whine, claws digging into the earth. It was clear his thoughts were racing as he struggled to relay what he was thinking. His eyes searched the area around them before landing on where his claws were digging into the mud.

His head snapped up to them again, using his head to indicate that they should watch him. He dug his talons deep into the mud of the riverbank, then used his hand to scoop water into his palm. He poured it over the gashes in the earth, and the water practically erased the gouges he had made. He met their gazes pointedly.

It was Valon who realized what Jou was trying to tell them. "Healin' water…Marik, Yugi said it himself!" he said urgently. His hand shot out to grab Marik's forearm, grip hard enough to bruise. "If it can heal Kaiba's baby dragon, it can fix Alister up with no problem! It's gotta!"

Determination replaced the numbness and grief that had been starting. Marik nodded, swiftly rising to his feet. His gaze went to the dragon.

"We don't have time to waste. Jou, you're going to have to take us," he ordered. "Show us how fast you can fly."

The dragon shot them a disconcerting grin before turning his attention to Alister. Jou carefully scooped the unconscious man into his hand, fingers curling to cradle him as gently as possible. His next move was to lower his head, catching the backs of both Marik's and Valon's shirt with his teeth to lift them into the air. He hunkered down, muscles rippling and bunching as his wings flared outward.

A flare of alarm coursed through Marik as he realized too late what was going to happen. "Jou, hold on! You can't carry us in your jaws, we'll never—JOU!"

But the dragon had already sprung from the ground, shooting into the sky faster than any arrow could fly. Marik yelled in shock as he was nearly yanked from Jou's teeth by the immense amount of pressure that slammed into him. He could just barely hear Valon's frightened yelp over the rush of wind, but then he let out an actual scream as Jou opened his jaws and released them both.

The two humans did not fall far before Jou's other taloned hand caught them. His talons curled over them protectively before the dragon tucked his arms to his chest. His massive wings began to beat the air faster and faster, his body cutting through the air. Without any humans on his back, Jou was free to fly as fast as he liked.

Marik managed to grab onto one of Jou's fingers, looking to the Aurosian. "Valon, hold on!" he roared over the wind.

"Not a problem, mate!" came the yelled response as Valon gripped the edge of Jou's fist.

They were above the clouds and on their way within seconds.

She had thought that the Shadow path had been cold and forbidding, the darkness stifling and oppressive as she and Yami had walked through it. The journey had only lasted seconds, but it was enough that she knew she would not like to take such a path again.

But when Téa had come to the once familiar clearing where the Turtle Shop had been and found it empty, she felt infinitely worse.

Her gaze traveled through the clearing, her heart sinking. There were no signs of anyone ever living here. The gray skies overhead made the once bright and warm clearing seem even emptier. She was certain that there was not even one mouse here anymore. The clearing was unnaturally still and silent.

She turned to Yami, a question in her eyes. He offered her a reassuring smile as he came to her side. "I did not destroy the shop," he told her. "Yugi values this place too much, and it is his home. I will defend it as fiercely as he would, if he were able to at this time."

As he spoke, he stretched his hand forward. The Puzzle began to glow, and the air around his hand rippled as if he had stuck it into the water. "After the guards came, I realized I had no other alternative but to hide this place from unfriendly eyes."

He stepped forward, the air rippling around his body. Téa followed him after a moment of hesitation.

Cold pressure settled on her shoulders, and she flinched as the chilled air weighed on her body. It was the same feeling she had gotten in the Shadow path, only it seemed heavier. She stopped altogether, realizing that she was now completely unable to advance—the barrier was pushing her back. Not knowing what else to do, she planted her feet and held her ground.

A hand caught her wrist and gently tugged her forward, pulling her through the barrier. The pressure abruptly lifted, and she sank to her knees with a gasp once she was past.

"I apologize," Yami said. There was an undercurrent of exhaustion in his voice. "I had forgotten. Yugi normally is able to come through without struggle."

Téa offered him a reassuring smile, even as a pang cut through her chest—she was not the only one who missed Yugi. She rose to her feet slowly, relief replacing her sorrow as she looked beyond Yami and saw the Turtle Shop. The sight of the quant little in was enough to give her comfort.

"You said that we're here for a children's story book," she began. "Do you know which one?"

"No. I heard the story while I was within the Puzzle, but I never got the book's title. I do know that Yugi's grandfather read the book to both you and Yugi."

Téa couldn't help but smile at the memory. Yugi's health had been fragile as a child and he'd been confined to shop grounds. She'd made the trip from the nearby village and to the forest every day so she could keep Yugi company in the shop. His grandfather had often told them stories when the weather was bad or when Téa had to stay the night, using his own magic to bring the stories he told to life. Even now, she still remembered the sense of wonder and awe she'd felt.

The memory of a much younger Yugi's open and warm smile forced her to a stop.

"Yami?"

The spirit turned to look at her, and she knew that he understood the silent question she was asking. His eyes flickered. "His presence is getting stronger, Téa," he told her, "But I could not tell you when he will return. That battle is not one I can fight for him—it is entirely up to him."

Her gaze went to the empty, silent building that had once held so much magic and life in it. In the dim gray light, the building looked abandoned. She almost wished that Yugi's bright voice would call out a greeting to her, and a lump rose in her throat.

"I miss him," she admitted softly, her vision starting to blur. Yami did not reply as he entered the shop, but she noticed his jaw tighten and his hands clench at his side.

She knew he felt the same way.

Marik squinted against the wind. Jou was hurtling through the sky at a breakneck speed, cutting through clouds and rain alike. Despite the cold air that was whipping into his watering eyes, he could see the familiar volcanic mountain ahead.

"We're almost there!" he called, palpable relief in his voice.

Valon looked up and over at Jou's other curled hand. Though he could not see Alister from his new vantage point, he was no less worried. He used a closed fist to hit Jou's hand, trying to catch the dragon's attention. Jou spared them a glance, his pace slowing but not stopping. "Oi! How's Alister?" he shouted.

Jou did not seem to hear them at first, fully focused on the mountain in front of them. It was not until they were just above it, above a jagged opening in the mountainside, when he finally stopped. His wings beat the air around them as his head lowered, his attention going to where Alister lay. His fingers uncurled just enough to allow him to nudge Alister, a soft rumble rising out of him.

"Jou?" Marik asked slowly, uneasy at the alarmed light that was growing in the ruby eyes. "Jou, what—?"

Without any warning, Jou dropped and angled his body into a steep dive, wings tucking against his body. At the last second, the dragon brought his hands to his chest and tucked his body to shield them, their view completely obscured by obsidian scales. The impact of Jou's body against the mountain was clearly felt, a shudder that rocked all of them. They could hear multiple splashes as stalactites fell into the spring below, and then their world was surrounded by water.

There was a momentary bout of panic from the two humans as they realized they were trapped underwater, and they shoved against Jou's fingers to free themselves. There was a long and horrifying moment where they were certain Jou was not going to let them go, and then the talons uncurled. Both swam desperately to the surface, their heads breaking through the surface of the water.

"I'm gonna kill 'im!" Valon choked between gasps, scrambling to find something to hold onto. "Bloody git coulda warned us 'e was gonna just death drop outta the sky—!"

Marik did not immediately reply. He'd been treading water and shoving his sodden hair out of his face when a surreal, gentle tugging at his ribs gave him pause. The night everything had gone to Hell, Jou had broken some of Marik's ribs and had severely bruised others. Even Ryou's potions had not been able to fully heal the ribs.

He'd never had an encounter with a healing spring before. As he physically felt one of his still injured ribs ease back into place, he realized just how potent the spring's power was. No wonder wars are fought for this water.

Valon shifted his gaze to Jou, who was almost sitting in the water. Jou's hands were open, fingers splayed wide, and he could see Alister's body floating in the water. He took no comfort in the worried noises rising from the dragon's throat, and he started to swim over to the dragon's hand. Marik saw him move and shortly followed his friend; when they both got to Jou, they clambered onto his outstretched palms. The dragon lifted his hands to accommodate them.

Valon's attention first went to Alister's exposed arm. He had expected to see the water at work as it healed the broken bones. A cold feeling settled in his stomach when he saw that Alister's right arm was not changing. "'ow fast is this water supposed to work?" he asked uneasily.

"Almost immediately," Marik replied, his voice tight with tension. He leaned over to check Alister's pulse. As he did, however, his lavender eyes locked onto Alister's chest and he stiffened. His face lost color as he stared at Alister.

"Marik, wha'—?"

"He's not breathing."

"…What?"

Marik did not fully hear Valon. He'd felt a pulse, he knew he had, but almost as soon as he registered that the man had stopped breathing it was gone.

Alister was dying.

Marik rose on to his knees, placed his hands on Alister's chest, and began quickly pushing down at a rapid pace to keep blood flowing to Alister's heart. There was a part of this process involving giving air as well, but he remembered that wasn't to come for some time yet.

When she'd been alive, Ryou's mother had developed a technique for just such an event; Ryou had shown him the technique before when they'd started traveling. It was going to save Alister's life. He did not want to think otherwise—he would not.

Valon did not know what he could do to help, and he dared not interfere with what Marik was doing. All he could do was watch with growing horror and panic as the Enterran fought to keep Alister's heart beating.

Marik stopped, physically exhausted from his efforts. He went to check for Alister's pulse once again, heart sinking when he couldn't find it. "Alister, damn you, breathe!" he said angrily, feeling frustrated and scared. "I don't know what else to do to help if you don't breathe!"

Valon straightened at that—in a sudden burst of insight, he knew how he could help. He pushed Marik aside, already beginning to draw his arm back and his hand forming into a fist.

"Sorry, Alister," he muttered. "You'll thank me later."

Before Marik could stop him the Aurosian punched Alister hard, aiming the strike directly over the man's diaphragm before letting his fist fly. Valon ignored the noise of protest from both Jou and from Marik, eyes never leaving Alister.

"Learned it when I was in the fightin' ring," he said brusquely. "A hard enough punch in the right place forces the air outta your lungs. It 'urts like nothin' else, but if a bloke isn' breathin' it 'elps 'cause it also forces you to—"

They both jumped as Alister suddenly rolled onto his side and started coughing and gasping for breath. Valon sagged with visible relief, shooting Marik a watery grin, and Jou let out a relieved sigh from above them—Alister was back.

When Alister had moved, his right arm had dropped into the spring. The moment his hand touched the water, they could see the skin shifting and moving as the bones retreated into their proper place, the flesh knitting back together almost seamlessly. The angry red streaks of infection, and the hot flush of fever, both left his face; color washed back into Alister's too pale features.

Valon's smile faded, and he reached out slowly. His hand took Alister's shoulder, and after hesitating he gave it a gentle shake. "Alister?"

An unintelligible noise was his answer.

"C'mon, fella, say somethin'!" Valon said, an edge to his voice. He shook Alister's shoulder again, slightly rougher.

A soft groan rose at the motion, but then Alister's eyes slid open. There were several slow blinks, the gray orbs clouded and dull; it was obvious he was disoriented and still struggling to wake up. Although his head did not move, his eyes slid over his shoulder to look up at Valon.

After several long moments of tense silence, he closed his eyes. "Somethin'," he mumbled at last.

Valon's breath came out in a shaky exhale, shoulders dropping and his eyes suddenly too bright. "Thank every deity listenin', you're okay. Y-You're really okay," he said, his voice shaking and fragile.

"…you punched me, didn't you?" Though Alister's voice was brimming with exhaustion, there was a sardonic edge to his words.

Valon forced a chuckle. "I might've. You were the one trying t' die on us, though."

Alister opened his eyes at that, one of his eyebrows rising. "We both know you've wanted to punch me for years. The only reason you haven't is because Raphael keeps running interference. Otherwise, you'd have punted me back to Viernet years ago," he said, his voice coming out much stronger than before.

Valon's laugh was much more genuine this time. Alister was clearly on the mend if he was already quipping. "Well, I can' lie, you've called me enough names in the past. Consider it payback."

"Fair enough." Alister's eyes closed again, and he looked almost as if he would doze off.

Valon sobered at the sight, his smile fading once again. He desperately wanted to ask Alister about what had happened to him, and how Raphael was faring; there were so many questions that needed answering, many of which involved the so-called revolt at the castle.

His eyes went back to Alister, who looked as if he was made from the most delicate glass, and he shook his head. Those questions would have to wait until Alister was feeling better—right not, he didn't seem to be in any shape for questions needing complicated answers.

"'ow're you feelin', mate?" he asked awkwardly at last.

His friend did not open his eyes, but when he replied his voice sounded oddly amused. "Hm. Let me count the ways: I got both of my arms gruesomely broken so I could never use them again, I fought off infection and illness, I was stabbed and then tossed into a river to drown, and I think I actually died and came back just now. Beyond that? Perfect."

Alister paused. "Oh. One more thing. If I'm not much mistaken, I'm currently lying in the hands of a dragon I tried to kill almost a month ago. I'm in need of an explanation."