Nickey: What's up you bitches! :D lol I apologize. I haven't been on FFN in weeks, except to check out the reviews for Kindred, of course... My own stories have come to a halt because I just can't make up my mind which fic I'm working on XD aside from the ones on FFN, I also have about 20 others just chilling and coming along slowly... So anyway, Kindred is going again... Sort of... Don't worry, I'm going to be kicking Fallen's ass back into gear so we can get back on schedule... Maybe XD …. Well, enjoy the chapter, cuz I have nothing else to put up here... This is Fallen's chapter, so I hope you all enjoy it from Yuugi's POV...

Fallen: Hey, everybody! *ducks to dodge rotten tomatoes* I know, I know, this is hella late. I'm sorry, everyone. But life has been super busy the past couple months. I had to drive to Nevada/California for an aunt's wedding, I went on a trip to Mount St. Helens with my family, I've been doing a lot of shopping in preparation for school to start again... on Wednesday... *cries*

And hell, tomorrow some friends and I are headed to PAX Prime in Seattle! Those, amongst many other things I'll spare you from, have made me more than a little preoccupied. Thanks for your patience and support thus far, though! Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: Nickey and I do not own, nor are we affiliated with Yu-Gi-Oh! nor anything pretaining to Yu-Gi-Oh! This is a fan-made story made purely for entertainment purposes, and nothing more. Enjoy!

~ Chapter XIV ~

Solace

If somebody asked me to tell them how long I thought we were walking for, I'd probably sit there in a stupor while giggling uselessly in their face.

Because, let's face it, my head was still pretty fucked up. The fishbowl-effect was gone for the most part, but it was still pounding like a drum and my ability to control any higher motor functions had yet to return. And, if the short fits of giggles and lingering slurred speech were anything to go by, I'm pretty sure the others were convinced the same could have been said for my mental capabilities, as well. I still had to rely heavily on Yami for support as we walked, and I tripped up over my own feet often. Each time I'd stumble, he would pause for a moment to make sure I didn't fall, and when we started moving again, his grip over my waist would tighten ever-so-slightly to try and keep it from happening again.

In the end, it didn't do too much, but I appreciated the thought.

I found that my eyes seemed to take up the initiative to make my Kindred their only area of focus for quite a while. I'd glance down to his hand on my hip, up its connecting arm, to scan over his clothed torso, his serious face, his short hair, and maybe – if I was lucky – a glimpse of those stunning, garnet-colored eyes. His skin wasn't dark, but it wasn't pale, and I found the natural tan of it quite appealing, if I was being honest with myself. From what I could see under the rips that had been torn into his jumpsuit (probably from Merging with Oscuridad, now that I thought about it), he wasn't completely muscular, but he was toned enough that people would notice if he walked around shirtless (I couldn't keep back a small blush at the image of it in my head). I could feel the lean cords of muscle that ran along the length of his arm and shoulder, and there was something about the heat his skin gave off that made me feel sleepy and safe. His stride was confident, with a straight posture that some could have seen as intimidating.

His hair hung down towards his shoulders with only a few that stuck out here and there, but I had no doubt that, had it been longer, it would have poofed up into spikes like mine did. It was black for the most part, with reddish-maroon ends. His face was framed by golden bangs, and a couple of them ran back along the seam of his scalp and ears like they'd been professionally styled. The planes of his face were similar to my own, only his were sharper along the chin and cheekbones. His expression looked like it was stuck in a permanent frown, and had it not been so... stereotypically masculine, I might've just called him out for having the infamous 'resting bitch-face'. I had to fight the urge to reach up and brush my fingers over his jawline. I was curious – was his cheek as rough as his expression, or was the skin softer than that?

I quickly looked away before he could notice me staring – after all, with my current state of mind, who knew how long I'd just spaced out?

Or checked out, came the sly, teasing churl of Arceus' voice in my head. I pretended to be looking off at the ruined buildings and roadways around us to try and hide my growing blush. Oh, admit it, Little One, he continued, and I could feel the scaly bastard's mental grin, you're already head-over-tail for him! Not that I don't see why... I must admit, we are very fortunate to have such a... physically attractive Sheut.

First off, I mentally retorted, the correct term is 'head-over-heels', considering I don't have a tail. I could almost feel him shrugging. Second, don't you dare tease me when I know you'll be doing the same damn thing after you get to meet our Ib.

I paused in my thoughts a moment, before glaring crossly at the concrete.

Third, I'm still upset with you. So don't push your luck, or bother trying to butter me up by acting like nothing's changed.

I could sense his hurt at that; both it and our mental communication made my headache worsen, and I could feel a strange heat beginning to envelope my brain. It was unpleasant – I felt like I was in a sauna, and my head was too dazed and confused for me to do much more than breathe properly. I stumbled a bit more than I had been, but Yami took it in stride, and helped me without much else than firming his hold on my side.

What... What do you mean, Yuugi? He'd dropped the nickname, so at least he was taking me seriously.

You know exactly what I mean, Arceus. Just take a look around – everything we knew is different now.

But we are still the same... aren't we?

It was a little scary to hear just how hesitant and insecure Arceus sounded. He was always the strong one, my rock when I needed someone to help me come back down to earth and think with a level head. I had to bite back a sigh, forcing my expression to remain neutral, so I wouldn't worry anyone who might have been looking in my general direction. I... I-I don't know, Arce', I admitted to him silently, biting the inside of my cheek in anxious uncertainty. My eyes tracked down to what I could see of my body. I paused to stare at one of my hands – still darkly spotted with dried blood. I... don't... think so... Not after all of... all of this.

Before the dragon could reply, I heard Yami call up to Kaiba, who had taken it upon himself to lead the way. "Seto, we can't keep walking!" he yelled, and it was then that my ears finally registered the growing wail of police sirens. Shit – were they getting closer?!

Seto's response did enough to piss me off some, though. "We have a disoriented moron with us-"

"Hey!" I yelped in protest, my head throbbing some more at the sudden outcry. It wasn't as bad... maybe I was starting to get better? I certainly didn't seem to be tripping over myself quite as much.

"Don't worry about Yuugi, I'll handle him," I heard my Kindred reply. My lip jut out slightly in an unwilling pout as I looked at him.

"Really?" I sulked, "No disagreements with his statement?" Well, if anything, I could actually start speaking some coherent words now.

"I'll correct him later. We need to get moving."

Well, it was better than nothing.

His arm was still around my waist as we ran, and his other hand came to hover in front of my chest. It was there to catch and steady me whenever I stumbled – which, thankfully, was becoming less frequent – but it didn't look comfortable, and it certainly didn't look very easy. Still, we moved on, and all of my senses seemed to become hyper-aware to the screeching behind us that would only bring flashing red-and-blue lights and future imprisonment. I refused to go back to that place – and I would not allow them to lock up my Kindred again. Ten years was more than enough.

Run, run, run! my head screamed at me, willing my legs to keep moving, Don't stop – just keep running! I was well-aware of my surroundings at this point. The tall office buildings and skyscrapers of Domino City had faded, giving way to the cracked, ramshackle hovels and abandoned alleyways. The air smelled of dust and ruin, and I could hear many other sets of feet pounding against the concrete around me. But mostly, I kept myself fixated on those sirens, and the brief, faint glimpses of flashing light that caught against downtrodden walls and roadways in the dimming light. The sun seemed to be getting ready to set as the group made their escape into the ruins of Old Domino. Seto, still leading, seemed to be sticking to the back-roads. A wise idea, in hindsight, considering the lot of us were probably considered wanted fugitives from the law. They were cracked and uneven with mosses and molds and small, leafy stalks of plant-life growing through; all-in-all, this place was obviously long overdue for some maintenance and TLC. I could feel Yami's chest starting to heave with exertion as we ran – I could feel his pace letting up some, and that filled me with both worry and guilt, since he was supporting me as much as he was himself.

I silently cursed my clumsy legs, and the fact that I couldn't call on Arceus to help me. Lest I wanted to just hurt us more than we (I) already had.

We could have been going for a few minutes, or a few hours – that's how foggy my thoughts were right now – but after several city blocks of nonstop running, Yami's determination to keep going seemed to give. He stopped mid-stride to keel over, hands planting to his knees for support as he gasped for air. I, unable to stop myself in time, could only give a surprised yelp of his name, before bundling straight into him. We tripped, and the ground proved to be a cruel mistress as we met it. Hard.

I felt Arceus' concern at the pain that rippled through my burns and scratches at the impact, but I only had worry for Yami. Both fortunately and unfortunately, I'd landed on top of him as we fell. I could feel his sides heaving for air tiredly, and the both of us were sweating with exertion. After all – spending ten years locked up probably didn't do much to help with one's endurance or stamina. I, myself, knew I was about as strong as a noodle without Arceus' power.

"Ugh..." I heard my Sheut groan, "Yuugi... It's too hot..."

Guilt filled me. "Sorry," I informed unnecessarily, "I fell."

He glanced up at me, and I tried to scoot off of him some. "How are you feeling?"

I paused a moment to ask myself the same question. Well, more than a little tired and warmed up from the running, but I was... okay-ish? "Besides feeling too hot, I'm okay. I feel a lot better."

"Well, do you think you'll be able to walk on your own?"

"Y-Yeah. I should be okay."

The others seemed to have paused, because Kaiba was approaching us now. "You two alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," Yami answered, "just tripped into each other."

We continued running after that. I could tell it wasn't just Yami and I relying on our adrenaline to just stand upright at the moment. Looking at all their faces, the others were also fatigued. My brothers seemed to be struggling to keep stride with their darker halves, and Seto's face – already paled with magical and physical exertion – seemed to have gone even more pallid. Anzu didn't look much better off. I just tried to keep up with Yami the whole time, trusting him and the others to lead us all to some kind of safety. The microbe collars around the necks of us six might be inoperative (and I prayed that it would stay that way), they still held a heavy weight over our heads. A not-too-nice reminder of what would be in store, should we be recaptured. Only, it'd probably end up worse, a second time around. Seeing as we'd killed dozens of Pegasus' employees, hijacked a van, basically kidnapped and brought two of his people over to the dark (and/or light) side, and, worst of all, we proved to Pegasus that he had underestimated us.

And Hell hath no fury like a psychopath proven wrong.

I had no doubt that the news had spread throughout Domino City, and probably several other nearby towns. There would be roadside and neighborhood watches, canine and Ka units, media broadcasts, the news, the radio, wanted ads and posters. By foot, by vehicle, by air; we all knew that Pegasus would spare no expense in trying to find us again.

Man, machine, animal, Ka...

We would never be safe.

My newly re-established bond with my own Ka-Monster tingled with this alertness, this slowly mounting panic. I heard, and somehow felt, the soothing rumble of Arceus' growl within my mind. I gave a tiny sigh between my gasps for air. Gods, how I had missed my soul-partner. I was still mad at him, sure, but that didn't change how much I'd missed him when we were locked up. I never wanted something like that to happen to me – or anyone, for that matter – ever again.

I felt like my chest was about to collapse, and my lungs and throat were on fire, when Seto finally faltered.

"O-Ok...ay..." he huffed, sweat creating a sheen across his forehead, "We... We gotta stop."

I could have cried with relief at that point.

Ryou and Malik collapsed into a pile on top of one another, the latter giving a breathless groan of "agreed" before he went down. Seto went to seat himself on a pile of fallen brick as Yami's brothers followed their Kindred's lead, dropping lifelessly to the ground. Anzu seated herself somewhat-hesitantly on a piece of the heap Kaiba had gone to. Honestly, she looked too tired to give any fucks about what the prickly brunette thought of her closeness.

I breathed in deeply, wiping my damp head with a hand. A grimace came across my face as the moisture mixed with the leftover, dried blood on it and made it undoubtedly smear across my forehead. I paused a moment in my disgust, before peeking down one of the turns on these confusing back-roads. It looked pretty wide-open, considering, with less rubble than the place we were in now. Glancing to the exhausted group, I sneaked away with the intent of finding a puddle to clean myself off with. Even a little bit would be fine. Besides, they were all so tired, I'd probably be back before they even noticed I was gone!

Though it was some improvement, like all the others, these streets were in shambles – cracked, faded, worn by the elements. The buildings were in no better shape. Everything seemed to sag on its foundation, with deep cracks in the surfaces. Windows, patches of brickwork, even entire walls had gone missing here and there. Sheets upon sheets of ivy, moss, and lichen had taken root over them, crawling up the frames towards what little sunlight could penetrate a smog-covered sky. I noticed that there were large, dark gray clouds, rolling in every direction to block out the setting sun. Shadows were thick and darker than what seemed physically possible. Somewhere in the distance, I could hear the scuttling of animals. With Arceus' senses, still naturally in-tune with my own, the scents and sounds from every which way around me were disorienting, my body throwing away all reason spread by my mind as it tried to absorb every little detail of these new surroundings. I struggled to try and shut off this little connection, knowing it'd probably only worsen my already-shaky condition.

I found what I was looking for in a more open space between the decrepit buildings. The water was a little bit grayed from the gravel and stone it pooled upon, but it would do the trick. Cupping a hand beneath the surface, I splashed it onto the red of my arms, and rubbed the dried stuff until it mixed with the water. After that, I splashed myself a couple more times, and squeegeed the remaining moisture off with my index finger and thumb. The water began to take on more of a gray-brown tone, and I tried to swallow the bile that rose in my throat when I wet my hands again, and started to rub the stuff off of my face.

Lashing out at Kemo back at the laboratories had been on pure instinct – a Kindred fighting for their mate. Anyone else would have done the same – hell, by the look in both Malik and Ryou's eyes, I could tell that if it weren't for the collars, had Kemo gone even a step closer to Marik or Bakura, and they would have done the same thing! And after what Pegasus had done to Yami...

I shuddered at the pure, unadulterated wrath I had felt, that Arceus had felt. The feeling, a carnal, instinctive need to protect what was mine and mine alone surging through me... It was something I had never felt before. At least, not with that kind of intensity.

I had never once thought I could have been capable of such violence. And yet, I had torn into that man's flesh like a starving predator taking down its prey.

The only difference is that my urge to kill wasn't from hunger.

That, and the man was still alive when the six of us had fled... barely.

But still, alive...

If it lasted, anyways.

Little One...? I heard my Ka murmur to me. I sighed, using another handful of water to keep rinsing the residue down from my face and neck. Yuugi... I... I am so, so sorry for abandoning you like I did. I... I was so angry, thinking about what they'd done to you, to Amane and Ra, and to their Kindred. To our Kindred. I closed my eyes tightly, and did my best to focus on the task at-hand. I could feel Arceus' regret for leaving me helpless, but not for what he did to the guards. I doubted he would ever see fault in what we had done that day. I wanted to kill that man. All of them. I think I still do. They deserve to pay for the pain that they caused-

"Two wrongs don't make a right," I found myself snapping aloud, shoulders tensing. "Revenge is never an excuse to condone murder."

They murdered our grandfather! the Lightsworn snapped back defensively, They locked up Yami and the others, they locked us up with them, they tortured our bodies and sealed me away with those damn collars so they wouldn't have to put up with the consequences of their actions!

I growled again. "We don't know if Jii-chan is dead or alive yet, Arceus. And unlike you, I'm going to stick with the hope that he's still living. He had to have noticed our disappearances when we snuck off to the Matching Center. He knew why we had to stay locked up, even if we didn't. So he would have known that he needed to leave before Pegasus and his people could catch up."

Well, what about the other things they've done? I've seen what he did to Yami that day! He had more blood outside of him than he did in his veins! He needed help with the most basic of tasks – who's to say they haven't done that to him, or Marik, or Bakura before? For all we know, they could have been planning the same for you and I, or for our kin! Who's to say how many others have suffered beneath them, and may still be suffering at this very moment? His anger was beginning to effect me as I cleaned the last of the blood from my bare skin. I grit my teeth in attempts to keep them from growing, stopping my subconscious from tapping into my magic, and hurting our Akh more than it was already. They're all rabid animals and they deserve to be put down!

"Shut up, Arceus!" I yelled, bringing down a fist in anger and frustration. It splashed into the reddened water, soaking the skin of my one bare arm. "I know what they've done – hell, I've already lived through enough by the hands of that fucker to give me nightmares for the rest of my life!" An image of a beaten, bloody, unconscious Yami flashed to mind at that, and I shook my head to send it away. "I know that people have suffered, and I know we're all in pain, and that we won't probably have any chance of having a normal life, even after we take care of Pegasus – if we can even manage that, in the first place. But how will killing those people make us any better than they are? They have families, too, Arceus! Husbands and wives and children and parents and siblings and so much more. They have their own loved ones to protect and provide for. What will happen to them, once they're gone? To the friends and family of all the people we ended up killing today during our escape?"

My throat closed up and I tried not to shake.

"What... will happen to their Kindred?"

I felt Arceus recoil, stunned into silence. I continued, sitting on my knees as I stared into the red-gray pool in front of me. "...Even if we haven't been with them long, I know... I know that if anything were to happen to Yami and Oscuridad..." I almost wanted to cry at the very thought of it. "If they were killed, by themselves, another person, in an accident, or otherwise – I wouldn't be able to bear it. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself, with all of the what-ifs and what-could-have-beens. And I know that you wouldn't be able to, either." Arceus' unresponsiveness was proof enough. I tried to keep the guilt and regret from filling me to the brim. No easy task.

I exhaled shakily, and stood up just as such. "I know that we have to do it..." I accepted, "We could be killed ourselves, otherwise, or locked up and tortured the rest of our lives. But... to think that when we end someone's life, we're literally tearing away a half of someone's soul in the process..." I just shook my head. "I'm trying not to think about it too much, but it's hard. Up until a few months ago, we were just three naïve kids, hidden away in a house, without a lick of sense about how cruel this world can be. Even now, we're definitely not experts. But I don't think any of us are quite as innocent as before."

There was a pause, filled with hesitation, before Arceus' sigh filled my head. I... I know, Little One, the dragon murmured, and I apologize, for saying what I did. Both then and now. I was speaking out of anger and fear.

I know you were, I mentally whispered back, hugging myself a little as I felt a chill seep into my dampened, ripped-up jumpsuit, I was, too. And I get that you were upset and wanted to be left alone, but... it really, really hurt me, Arceus. We'd just reconnected, and then you shut yourself away from me without any kind of warning like that? It fucking hurt.

I'm sorry, Yuugi...

I smiled at the sincerity in his tone, and I wished I could have just reached out and hugged him around his scaly neck. I know you are. I'm sorry, too. It's been scary, and stressful... and I'm sure you've noticed, but I've had some difficulty dealing with that stress. I kept snapping and lashing out at the others. Guilt and embarrassment swelled in my chest like a balloon. I should probably apologize to them, too. Seto especially. He had a valid point, and I just tossed him and Yami right back into the fray after they'd already done so much. He even went through an overload because of my directions...

Arceus sent me the mental image of him curling around me, paw clasping at my hip, a wing folding around to hug me, since he could not do it outside of our mind without hurting our Akh further. We were all in danger, Little One, and no-one else was able to come up with a way to escape without hurting innocent people. I'm sure he understands.

I shrugged to myself, but did not reply as something stirred in my peripheral vision. I turned, and saw something dark shift amongst the rubble of this empty place. It ducked swiftly behind a half-collapsed wall of one of the fallen buildings. My curiosity peaked, and I paused, gaze never leaving that peculiar spot as I pondered on what it might have been... an animal, perhaps? Maybe it'd made a nest of sorts out of it?

I wanted to go check it out.

What do you think, Arceus? I asked my Ka, wanting a second opinion on the matter. Should we?

I heard him give a small hum in reply, his voice rumbling throughout my head. I could picture him, as if he were standing next to me, tilting his head and snorting softly. What is it? he questioned silently back, echoing my own musings. My curiosity was bad enough, but combine it with that of a dragon's? There was absolutely no way I wasn't going to inspect this unknown object in the shadows! Of course, I understood the dangers – I had no idea who or what this thing was. I would have to be cautious.

I glanced over my shoulder, back the way I had come. Maybe the others hadn't noticed my absence yet? It'd only take a few minutes to take a peek, right? I'd be back before they had time to worry! I looked back to where the figure had slunk to, nodding silently to myself. Just a quick look, and then we'll go catch up with them! No harm done, right?

Be careful, was the only response I received.

I will.

With a final glance over my shoulder, I quickly approached the darkened building debris, littered with grime and fallen structural parts – the perfect spot for something to hide. I craned my head, peeking around the slab of free-standing wall, into the remnants of what was – mostly likely – once a store, of some kind. I moved towards a large crack in the half-gone wall with intent to slip through it and go inside. "H... H-Hello?" I murmured quietly, "Is anyone in here?"

There was silence, and I could feel the tension mounting in the air...

It was then broken with a battle cry.

Something – or someone, I wasn't sure – vaulted itself up and over the remainder of the wall, and I cried out in shock as the sight of dark claws met me. I felt this thing tackle me to the ground, a hand going to my throat. I gave an instinctive snarl, a deep growl rolling fluidly from my throat as Arceus mentally yelled danger! I fought back the will to summon up his claws, keeping in-mind what Anzu had told us earlier. I would only make things worse for myself if I went about using magic right now. Instead, I gathered what little strength I had, planted my feet into the creature's stomach, and kicked the figure back, scrambling away from any potential structures for it to pin me against.

Before I could even look up, I felt what could have only been a tail sweep up and catch me behind the knees. Still discomposed from my earlier strain, I couldn't find my equilibrium in time. My legs buckled, and I landed hard on a pile of debris, made up of stone and metal and glass.

Something entered the flesh of my left leg, right in the back of my mid-thigh. An unwilling scream of pain ripped my lungs. A roughly-textured hand clasped over my mouth, muffling the sound. I could feel claws biting into the skin around my mouth as this person – definitely one who had fused with his or her Ka – tried to keep me silent while I flailed, attempting to shove them off of me.

I felt Arceus force control over my arms, despite the mental protests, and the next thing I knew, he'd sent the edges of his claws scoring into the person's bicep. I couldn't hold back the few tears that managed to escape as my headache from earlier came back, slamming into me full-force with a hit strong enough that made me go limp. My vision swirled with black as I tried to remain conscious through the sudden pain. I was scared my nose was going to start bleeding again.

The person retaliated right away, a scaled hand wrapping around my throat and dysfunctional collar as they slammed me back onto the pile of building. I felt the thing in my leg twist and sink more deeply into the skin. It was going to be a deep wound, once it was pulled out. "Who the heck 're you?! Wha're you doin' here? Did that creep send you?!" a male voice snarled, and blonde hair was one of the only things I could register. I needed to breathe. I couldn't focus. All I could feel was pain, from both me and Arceus. Right now, I could only look down, and study the source of my physical agony: a twisted, rusting piece of jagged metal, sunk into the flesh of my leg. I could already see crimson blood seeping out onto the concrete.

There was a roar.

"Get your fucking hands off of him!" I heard the gravelly timbre of Oscuridad bellow. The pressure at my throat vanished, and I gasped loudly for air, rolling over and away from the dangerous scraps I had been tackled into. The metal stuck, unfortunately, and I jostled my wounds enough to bring only more agony. I breathed heavily, trying to stay conscious, my exhales consisting of coughs, small, quiet moans and gasps of pain. I registered the sound of a struggle, and there were several voices, before... an argument?

I thought I could hear others getting close, and against my better judgment, I felt my control sink beneath the protective instincts of a dragon. I didn't let him take hold over our shared body, but I did let him influence what it did, what its reactions to certain stimuli or situations would be. And right now, the only reaction was defend.

I felt someone approach me, and hands firmly grasped me by the shoulders, rolling me from my stomach onto my back. Following Arceus' instincts, I gripped at the figure's arms, feeling my sharpened claws dig into soft flesh, warm blood trickling slowly from the scratches left in their wake. There was a moment before I realized the eyes staring down at me were an unmistakable shade of ruby. It calmed me some, to know that Yami was there, but I couldn't force myself to let go. The pain was getting worse, and I felt tears gather in my eyes. I felt like I was about to throw up, it hurt so bad. Not just my leg – my everything. My head, my heart, my skin, my magic. It felt like my very existence had been set on fire.

"It hurts," I moaned tensely to my Kindred, silently begging that he'd make whatever caused the pain go away, "It hurts! Yami, it hurts!"

He shushed me, and I felt a sudden wave of serenity and feel-good things fill my head from a passageway that I hadn't even known existed. For a split-second, I found the capability to wonder is this Yami's mind? before letting my grip on his arms relax. I felt Arceus release his hold on me, the magic cutting out as quickly as it'd come, and the pressure on my brain lessened immensely. Yami drew me closer to him, and my cheek pressed against his warm chest. I allowed myself a moment of relaxation as his arms held me close.

"Sorry," came his soft whisper, before the metal in my leg was grabbed and ripped free in one fluid motion. My spine went rigid, and I just barely bit back a scream, releasing a harsh whimper instead as I fisted the tight clothing that covered his torso, clenching my teeth. All I could focus on was trying to make as little sound as possible – honestly, how many times today had I put myself at risk like this? First I was practically electrocuted, and mauled Kemo, then dodging bullets and magic and madmen in a high-speed chase down Domino City streets, almost being burnt to a crisp, then the van flipped, pretty much breaking my brain to keep everyone else from getting hurt, and now this? Seemed to be a lot more times in one day than what was necessary. I didn't know if it was because of the whole overprotective-dragon-instincts thing from Arceus, or if I was just being reckless.

Gods, above, Kaiba was right. I really am an idiot.

I heard ripping fabric as Yami's arms began to move, and something was tied around the wound in my thigh. I shivered, both from pain, and from the cold that clung to my skin from my blood-covered clothing. There was an arm, one looping beneath the back of my knees, another supporting my back and shoulders. I felt the ground disappear beneath me, and let my head rest against Yami's chest while he lifted me up.

After all the running we'd done – literally and figuratively – and the stress put on us, the fear and anxiety and pain, and just generally... pushing my limits so much farther than I had ever had the opportunity to before, I think my body was finally starting to give out on me. Not as in the whole "last moments on this earth" thing, but the "why the hell did you push yourself so damn hard you should have known better, good luck moving tomorrow" kind of way. I just contented myself with leaning into my Kindred's warmth, feeling this new connection of his (ours?) I'd never noticed before, sensing the emotions of Yami and Oscuridad, their mental presences floating between mine and Arceus' own like mist.

Arceus' mental aura (at least, how I pictured it) was the same, silver-lavender color of his eyes, with maybe a few hints of light blue if you looked hard enough. I was the more saturated indigo-amethyst shade. Two in the same, really. Colors that blended together well and with ease when at peace, but easily separated when one or the other was out of balance. That wasn't to say they were perfect, though – there was this... this compressed feeling behind the both of them, my own included. Like too much water caught behind a leaky dam; one crack, and all of that repressed-ness would come tumbling out at a velocity that I don't think even we could control. Then there was our Kindred...

In my mind, Oscuridad's presence was thick and almost overpowering, radiating with heavy, authoritative black energy that gave me the impression of the bulb in a black-light. It was dark, and even a bit overbearing, almost overcome by repressed power and emotions over many years that was dying to be let out and to protect but to also cause harm, all at the same time. It was almost enough to smother a person, like smoke, and it held the tension of a dark storm cloud inside of it. But there was that gentle, much more vibrant hue to it that you could only see when he wanted you to see it. Like turning on the switch for an internal black-light, and it lit up and softened and exposed so much more beneath the surface of his spirit than one would even imagine being there.

And Yami, he was vibrant and fiery and intense, with a strong temper and desire for revenge, but also to protect and keep safe. It burned with the red temperament of blood, the intensity of a red sheet over the eyes when angry or in a fight, a passion and care for those close to him that was hot as fire, and this... this something, that seemed so buried down beneath, but so close to the surface, at the same time. A special sort of softness, that gleamed like freshly-polished rubies and garnets – a hard exterior, with so much warmth and care to give hidden underneath it. Maybe even more than he had ever wanted, or could care to give throughout his lifetime.

I wonder if they see themselves the same way I do? I wondered to myself, the thoughts bouncing endlessly within my mind. Arceus wasn't responding again, but it wasn't in the same way as before. He was just... worn out. That mental image of his aura was calm and placid and feathery with dreamless sleep. I decided to follow suit, sighing quietly to myself and Yami started walking with me in his arms.

"It's okay," I heard him murmur, "we're gonna get you home."

Home, I repeated absently, Home sounds nice.

The sound of air moving in and out of his lungs lulled me to sleep as my eyes slipped closed. I only had a moment to feel disappointed at the fact that I couldn't make out his heartbeat above it, before blissful unconsciousness finally took over.

I don't know how long I was out for, but I did know that the entire time I was, I was dreaming.

Some of them were nice. In one, Ryou, Malik and I were in the kitchen with Jii-chan, back at the Game Shop. Making pancakes, because man, were we obsessed with those things as kids! We were standing around, setting the table, exchanging banter – the usual thing. Then right as everything got set up, Bakura, Marik and Yami waltzed through the door as if they'd done it a million times, and Grandpa greeted the three like family.

Others were... not as enjoyable. Flashes of blood and snippets of screams, with thousands of shattered images like blood-stained glass shards shot around me as I ran through an endless darkness. They were the screams of my loved ones, my friends and family. The shards had looked horrifyingly similar to Arceus' scales. And before I knew it, in the darkness, I saw Kemo throwing crimson-covered Yami to the ground, and leaving without a word. The moment he left my sight, I heard our brothers start to make bloodcurdling shrieks of agony, before they all cut out. Just like that. And all I could do after that was sit there and try to hold Yami close to me as the light left his eyes and his skin went cold.

Then I heard more voices – muted ones, but faintly familiar. And I heard Arceus whispering my name.

That's what woke me up.

My eyes snapped opened quickly and I took a frantic gasp for air, hands gripping the sheets below me like a lifeline. All I could see was the darkness and the blood and I could hear them all screaming and-

Wait... sheets?

I took a long, deep breath, and ran my hands over whatever it was I was laying on. Yeah, those were definitely sheets. They were spread over a mattress, and I felt a pillow underneath my head. Blinking slow, trying to get rid of the leftover sleep, I yawned, rubbing an eye with my fist, groggy, as I slowly sat myself up. For a second, I thought I heard that jovial, warm old voice that had been a constant in my life since the day I was born. I dared to think that I was home, and I'd just had a really bad dream. Jii... chan? I thought absently, giving my eyes a final rub, before glancing around.

First thing's first – this was not my room. I wasn't at the Shop. This wasn't just some crazy dream. A piece of me felt relieved at that – because that meant that Yami wasn't a dream, either. I went to stand.

Apparently, neither was the soreness and pain I felt all over my body. My leg gave an especially excruciating throb, and I grimaced, biting back a whimper as a hand instinctively moved to locate the source of pain. My fingers brushed over a bandage wrap. I blinked, and realized that not only had I been sleeping in a strange room – my clothes had been changed, too!

"Eh?"

Where the hell was I?

Or, better yet – where were my brothers? And Yami, and his brothers, for that matter? What about Anzu and Kaiba? I couldn't feel Arceus' presence, either... maybe he was still asleep?

Good morning, Little One, came said dragon's churl moments later. I found myself giving an absent smile.

Hey, Arce', I greeted back, pausing to massage a temple as my head gave a dull ache, How are you feeling? What happened? Where are we?

There was a pause, and I could feel him thinking. He was frustrated when he couldn't come up with an answer. Arceus was just as lost as I was. I tried to focus in on that little... connection, I'd felt, the last time I was conscious, when Yami was carrying me in his arms. My link into his own mind and emotions. I started to feel myself panic when I couldn't find it; just an odd, raw, empty feeling. It reminded me of having a dry or sore throat, only in my head. Speaking of, I was feeling a little bit... dizzy...

Maybe some kind of after-effect from the whole magic-overload episode?

Then I heard talking. "Something wrong, Jou?" Yami's voice. I sighed to myself in relief, smiling faintly. At least he was safe...

"U-Uh... Um... N-No.. N-Not at all..." I stopped dead in my mental tracks when a familiar voice replied to my Kindred's. "Um... You don't think he'll come after me again, right?"

Like Hell I won't! That's the fucker who tried to choke me out! And he was with my Kindred.

I swayed in place a little as Arceus' protective instincts mixed with my confusion and anger towards the one who had assaulted me, the intensity of our combined emotions taking me a bit by surprise. It took all I had in me to not tap into our magic for a little something extra when I went out there and clawed that prick's face. I stumbled towards the door at first, trying to stretch and shake the ache in my bones and the tensity of my muscles away as I moved. I heard feet approaching, my Kindred's voice having gone quiet, and without thinking, swung the door open. I was beyond ready to bring the threat to the ground and make him regret screwing with me and Arceus and anyone affiliated with us.

I tripped up some, however, as I collided with a body much sooner than I'd intended. The voice sounded farther off than, y'know, right outside my door. The person I'd crashed into stumbled along with me, and I'd barely been able to keep myself upright along with them. I heard a deep chuckle of amusement, and a shiver ran up my spine unintentionally. "Whoooaaa," Yami drawled calmly, his hands gently grabbing my forearms. I almost looked up at him, and I would have, had it not been for the fact that the blonde who'd assaulted me was now in plain sight, just down the hallway. I bit back a growl and threw him the meanest, most threatening glare I could manage, just barely resisting the urge to borrow some of Arceus' power to bare his fangs at the other male. "Jou is friend, not foe."

My eyes flickered momentarily to Yami's face, before fixating back onto the blonde – 'Jou', apparently. He looked lanky, and was reasonably tall. His face was softened with youth, but hardened by the toils and troubles of life. Sheets of longish golden-yellow hair swept just in front of light-brown eyes. He was dressed in dirty-looking jeans with holes in the knees, and a dark gray long-sleeve coupled with a lighter-gray, sleeveless vest. Oh, and he was using Kaiba as his personal shield, hiding behind him like a cowardly dog.

A snarl from Arceus escaped my throat before I could stifle the sound. "He has a funny way of showing it! He attacked me!" I reminded my Sheut, narrowing my eyes at the supposed friend-and-not-foe, who ducked behind Kaiba just a little more. The blue-eyed brunette was looking more than a little irritated at the behavior.

Yami gently pushed me away from him, far enough to get me to look into his eyes. Something in my chest melted at the intensity of that vibrant red gaze. "And he has paid dearly for that," he murmured to me, and I blinked in bewilderment. Looking back over his arm, I noticed a certain... discoloration the the skin around one of his eyes. There was dried blood on his lower lip and – I flinched inwardly at the marks I spotted on his cheek, my own scratches giving a reminiscent throb.

Unable to bite back a satisfied smirk, I mumbled back, "You didn't think the black eye and busted lip was enough?" If I was being honest with myself, I felt the smallest bit of pity for this... Jou-person. Dragon claws hurt like a bitch.

"Oscuridad didn't seem to think so," Yami answered, looking smugly amused, turning his head back towards me before adding, "How's your leg?"

I shifted on my feet, feeling that odd pull of skin beneath the bandages. It felt as if something was binding the wound together – stitches? "Better. What happened?"

His smile was surprisingly warm when he answered, gently motioning towards a corner of the room. Just off from a small dining table, I saw Malik. My youngest brother had changed into simple jeans and a lavender top that exposed some of his midriff, and even I had to admit that it looked pretty good on him. He was tightly hugging a taller woman, with dark black hair, and a similar skin tone. She wore a cream long-sleeve top and boot-cut jeans, locks of her long hair done up in what looked like golden beads. She had tears in her eyes, and for some reason, something seemed vaguely familiar about her. "Ishizu happened."

Ishizu? I wondered in shock, That's... Malik's sister? I blinked, rather at a loss at the moment. "Oh..." As much as it pained me to see Malik cry, I knew it was in a happy way. I gave an absent smile, and felt Yami shift beside me. He picked up something from the floor. "I brought these for you to try on," he said, "I figured that you'd want a little more to cover yourself with."

I studied him curiously for a moment, before my frazzled thoughts caught up with me. Glancing down at my sparse clothing – a kind-of-long shirt that hung just past my waistline, and a pair of boxers – I felt a good half of the blood in my body flood to my face. And that idiot just stood there and smirked at me! Giving an embarrassed squeak, I snatched the clothes from my Kindred, and quickly retreated to the room I'd come from, closing the door firmly behind me. I glanced myself over again, and good God I feel like I might as well be prancing around in a fucking speedo.

I heard Arceus laugh, and did my best to ignore him. Seriously – these stupid boxers hardly even covered half of my thighs, and the shirt seemed to be just fine with slipping down my shoulder. And whenever I'd adjust it, it'd just slip over the other one! My Ka just laughed some more, and I hissed a scathing shut up! at him through our Bond.

The bastard just laughed even harder.

I swear to the Gods, Arceus, I snorted at him, if you don't shut your scaly trap right now, I'm going to send every last embarrassing memory of you that I have and send it straight to Yami and Oscuridad's side of our new mind-link!

Needless to say, the threat worked pretty well.

I dropped the pile of clothing onto the bed unceremoniously, before taking a moment to examine it. Some run-of-the-mill bluejeans (seemed to be a common theme around here) with a hole in the left knee, a black tank-top, and a dark blue jacket to go over it. There was a studded belt to go with the pants, and after some minor struggling, I managed to get everything on without reopening or aggravating my wounds too much. The one at the back of my leg still gave a dull, rhythmic ache along with my heartbeat, and the burn on my arm was making movements more than a little stiff right now. Actually, now that I thought of it – there was an odd residue left behind on the burnt skin. Had someone applied some kind of ointment while I was unconscious?

I checked out my reflection in a tall mirror that had been placed beside a dresser on the wall, and couldn't help but to give a hum of satisfaction at the outcome. Not too shabby, I must admit. I guess Yami had a better eye for clothing than I'd thought. I stopped when I noticed the collar still clasped around my throat. I fiddled with it, trying to squirm a finger between the metal and my skin, to no avail. There was no kind of power source left in it, after my Ka and I shorted it out with our magic, so I knew I didn't have to worry about getting shocked if I messed with it. But I didn't know how to take it off without some kind of key, either. I considered asking Arceus for help, but Anzu's warning to us after my initial overload made me reconsider the wisdom in that choice. I'd used magic when Jou attacked me, and I was definitely still paying for it now. Everything felt sore and stiff and just tired in general. Whenever I reached out towards our Akh's magic, it felt like I was trying to grip the edges of frayed silk. It slipped away every time I thought I had a good hold on it. I didn't even want to attempt pulling it from the depths of our soul, out into the material world. Who knew what kind of drawbacks that would have? Besides, it's not like I haven't hurt myself enough, already...

But I digress. Back to the collar.

Had Yami been wearing his? I couldn't remember. Maybe he knew how to take them off. Or Ishizu.

For the time-being, I flicked up the edge of my new jacket's collar, feeling oddly sheepish about wearing it. It was kind of... degrading, really. I felt like an animal that was meant to be watched and stuck in a cage. Something that belonged in that Hellish place I'd just escaped. Whatever... I guess I'll have to ask one of the others about it later.

After some wandering around the house (it was a pretty nice place, considering) for a little bit, I found that the front door led out to a small, somewhat-worn-down porch. Everyone seemed to have vanished for now – probably out exploring, or catching up, or something. Just enjoying the freedom.

Sitting on the front steps, I saw my Kindred. He was staring blankly at our surroundings, kinda like the way he, Marik, and Bakura had been looking around when we first entered the city ruins. I seated myself next to him, a little worried and wanting to break the silence. "You seem pretty distant," I pointed out, keeping my voice quiet, "What's on your mind?"

He glanced over at me, and we exchanged a mutual stare that, in any other situation, probably would have been a little bit awkward. But right now, I was just concerned for him. About what was going on in that head of his. He sighed after a while, before studying the cracked pavement at his feet.

His voice sounded heavy when he spoke, weighed down by some kind of invisible burden. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

"Huh?" I tilted my head to one side in confusion habitually, raising a brow at the unexpected statement. He didn't look back up. In fact, he stared at the ground as if it were something hypnotic, almost like he didn't dare to look away from it. Or at me. What was he so nervous about?

...He didn't think I was going to hurt him, or anything, did he? Well... looking back, I guess I haven't really given him much room to not consider the possibility that I would. Guilt filled me. I wanted to wrap him in a hug and ramble off some apologies, but my body remained still. If he ended up flinching away or something, I think a piece of me would just break off and die on the inside. I swear, it was just the stress! I was scared – terrified – and I've never had to deal with this kind of situation or constant fear or the threat of death to me or people I care about and you've been dealing with it for years and-!

Yuugi. Arceus' voice cut off my mental blathering. I tried to keep myself from tensing on instinct. I almost thought he was about to scold me. I'm sure it's fine, he soothed instead, a small degree of amusement in his tone, Why don't you let him explain before you start to feel bad, or jump to conclusions? I sent him a mental nod, managing to keep myself from blushing like a fool.

"I'm sorry..." he repeated in a miserable tone, "For everything..."

A memory flashed to the forefront of my head.

"What the hell are you sorry about?"

I gasped, despite myself, as the hoarse voice of my injured Kindred finally broke through my quiet sniffles and mumbled apologies and the hurricane of guilt and sorrow and worry and fear and – no, stop Yuugi. No more self-pity. Try to stay strong, to help Yami. I had to make sure he was alright, first and foremost.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I-I don't know... Everything?" I replied quietly, sounding more unsure of myself than I would have liked. I was sorry for that stupid argument when I first got here. For being such a stubborn fool and giving him the silent treatment over something so childish. For giving him a hard time when he and his brothers already had enough to go through without the three of us making things a hell of a lot more difficult for them. For being weak, and childish, and letting my pride take first priority over him.

He rolled his eyes (somehow), and I felt him shift in my lap, getting more comfortable as he mumbled something...

I laughed softly to myself, and put a hand on his arm to get Yami's attention. When he peeked up at me, I smiled at him. "Being sorry gets you nowhere in this world," I recited the words a certain, stubborn little crimson-eyed bird had told me who knew how long ago, now, "So stop being sorry."

He smiled, and I found myself echoing his chuckle. His next comment caught me a bit by surprise, though: "I'm gonna punch your smart ass in the mouth..."

He's gonna do what now?

"With my mouth..."

Wait – what?

"But softly... Because I like you..."

I blinked at him a few times, feeling my cheeks flush with warmth when I finally caught the gist of what he was saying. Wait just a second – oh my Gods, was Yami blushing? I felt my face grow hotter. Oh my Gods he looks so cute! some part of me decided to squeal, and I could feel Arceus silently agreeing from wherever he was resting within our soul. My eyes darted away from him against my will, as a wave of shyness crashed over me. I tried to save face with a roll of the eyes and a shove to the shoulder. "Idiot," I mumbled, unable to stifle my somewhat-pleased-but-also-embarrassed laughter as I let my sights slip back to my Kindred.

The moment ended when someone joined us outside. Not looking away from him, I heard Kaiba ask if we were ready to head out. I didn't even have to nod at Yami for him to understand.

"Yeah," he replied for the both of us, moving to stand up, and offering me a hand once he had, "let's go."

Nickey: And there's that! Nice work Fallen, I only had to fix a few typos, and I'm pretty sure you handled the rest ^w^ Sure hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did, make sure you drop us a review, we read every single one of them ^_^ So, until my chapter next time, take care ladies and gents! * waves * Goodbye!

Fallen: Hurray! I hope you guys enjoyed :) And, as Nickey said, please leave us a review and tell us what you think? We read every single one of them, and they do wonders for motivation! I don't have much else to say, other than stay safe, and keep being awesome, all of you!

Until next time~