Guest: My holiday was great. Hopefully yours was as well.

Chapter XXII: Flying

Atem grunted when something slammed into his side. He snorted and turned his head away, tucking it under his wing once more. It hit him again, this time much harder. Laughter echoed through the den. Atem yawned and ignored the third impact.

"Atem," Yugi chastised, though he was laughing, "you promised."

Atem smirked. "I did no such thing," he chortled as the impact came again. "I said I would do it. I did not promise anything."

Yugi snorted. "That's so mean."

"I never said I was a nice God Dragon."

And then he yelped as something chomped onto his tail. He sat up, whipping around, and Yami glared up at him. His teeth were still firmly wrapped around his tail, pressing further down as the seconds passed. "Okay, okay," he huffed. "I get it. We'll go in a moment. Now, release."

Yami huffed and let go, glaring. "I practiced all day!" he chirped, stomping a paw. "I spent all day outside with Timaeus and Yugi while you were hunting. You said before we went to sleep!"

Atem snorted and sat up, stretching leisurely before plopping down. "I changed my mind."

Yugi burst out laughing and Timaeus snickered. Yami sprang at him and huffed when Atem knocked him backwards with a jerk of his muzzle. "Daddy!" he whined, stomping his paws again and spinning in a circle. "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!"

Atem snickered. "I don't know if I should respond. You call Yugi that, too."

"Father!" he all but screamed, glaring again. "You said if I listened to Yugi and Timaeus all day I could go flying!"

Atem laughed aloud, feeling mildly guilty but mostly warm with affection. "Okay, okay," he snorted. He grinned as he got up, stretching again, and Yami scowled and circled his legs, as if it might prevent him laying down again. Atem chuckled and pounced for the ledge, glancing back as Yami scrambled to follow. He missed twice, and Atem caught him by the tail on the third, pulling him up in the most undignified manner. He immediately felt bad, mortified on his son's behalf, but Yami merely sprang away, purring and chirping with excitement.

"Hurry, Dad!" he yelled when Atem took a moment to watch. Atem looked over his shoulder at Yugi.

"This behavior is your fault."

Yugi burst out laughing. "You love it!"

Atem grunted and hurried after Yami as he called again. He was halfway out the tunnel when Yami huffed, "You better not be laying down again."

"Keep pestering and I might just do that."

"Daddy, no."

Atem snorted and jumped out the entrance, watching as Yami trembled with excitement before brushing against him and overtaking him immediately. He was several feet ahead as Atem followed, the God Dragon admiring the way he bounced about so happily. Atem was struck once more by how similar he was to Yugi. They both trotted about so happily, as if nothing in the world mattered but for his attention. He still remembered Yugi panicking when they'd initially met, when Atem had trailed back and Yugi had realized he'd lost sight of him. He'd stopped and looked around, panicked but relieved when he saw Atem behind him. He remembered him jumping about in order to make him laugh, more than once mistaking his silence and withdrawal for frustration with him.

Atem stopped a couple of inches behind Yami. The hatchling immediately spun around to face him. The God Dragon marveled at just how alike he seemed to Yugi in that moment. If it were not for his features, Atem truly would have laughed and called him such. It was amazing to him. They looked the absolute contrast of each other, yet they acted so similarly where it mattered.

He smiled and shook his head slightly. "Okay, little flame, you're going to have to show me your best fire breath before we do this. I can't risk you falling. Yugi would mutilate me."

Yami shook his head immediately. "No, he'd be sad and angry, but he wouldn't take it out on you." He grinned. "He loves you too much."

Atem snorted. "I think you're much too optimistic on that front," he teased. He watched Yami huff as if he'd offended him, then the hatchling shifted a paw forward, crouched, and blew a bright flame of gold and white and black. Atem watched the element, fascinated for a moment by the multiple hues laced through it.

And then he froze.

It was bigger.

He blinked and looked as Yami ceased blowing and straightened, turning to him with huge eyes. "Was that good?" he demanded, shifting his weight and watching anxiously.

Atem tilted his head. "When did it…change color?"

Yami blinked and frowned. "Oh, um…I think it was during my last hour of breathing fire? Timaeus commented on it. Yugi was just happy I was making progress and almost didn't notice. He was so proud I could even blow a flame. I… I-is there something wrong with it?"

Atem shook his head. "No, not at all." He blinked. "Flames of different color usually mean a variation in strength. Mine are standard, because I'm not as strong with a fire attack as I am with lightning or wind. Mine is just red, yellow and orange. Yours is…changing in strength. That means you're a lot stronger and fire-oriented than I'd thought."

Yami looked as if someone had stepped on his tail. His expression turned crestfallen. "Oh."

"There's nothing wrong with it," he said more firmly, though something in the back of his mind bristled with tension. "It's a good thing. You look like me, but you're stronger. It means you'll be able to surprise an opponent if it ever came to that. Don't look down on your gifts."

He frowned again. "But… I… I wanted to be more like you."

Atem tilted his head. There wasn't anything to celebrate in being like him. Even looking like he was dangerous. Someone could easily mistake the two of them and…

He wished with sudden clarity that he'd looked more like Yugi.

It might have been somewhat upsetting for the Gandora, since he'd so clearly wanted Sky Dragons running about when he was younger and he'd been so thrilled Yami looked like Atem, but it would have been safer. No one would look at him and mistake him for a Sky Dragon and no one would then further misidentify him as the God Dragon of the East.

Atem smiled tightly. "Genetics don't work like that," he said gently, wishing for a moment they did. If he could have chosen how Yami looked… He butted his shoulder. "And you're plenty like me, little flame."

Yami huffed. "I look like you, but I don't even have your powers. And I'm so small. You're taller than Yugi and you're almost taller than Timaeus, too."

He frowned. "Yami, I was small at your age. I was much smaller than you are. And I was smaller than Seto and Bakura and Malik. It made it much easier for them to pick on me. Being larger doesn't help me even now." Ha paused, tilting his head. "I'm still challenged. I'm still sought after. I'm still…looked at as a prize rather than another dragon. My size does nothing for me. Being smaller or larger means nothing in the grand scheme of things."

Yami's wings drooped. "I just wish I was a little bigger."

"You'll grow. Every dragonet does. Your paws will be too big for your legs and your wings will grow humongous. Your teeth will sharpen and your tail will lengthen." Atem smiled more comfortably. "I was all kinds of mismatched limbs and sharp teeth and claws. I still can't wait to see how your teeth are lost. If you're like me, they'll be lopsided. If you're like Yugi, they'll fall out all at the same time."

Yami blinked huge eyes. "Really?"

"The God Dragon of the East had lopsided mouths. And there was a toothless Gandora for a while," he teased, butting him again. Yami purred and rubbed against his leg, losing his unhappiness as he bumped beaks with him. "It'll be exciting to see who you take after there."

Yami trembled with exuberance. "I can't wait for my adult teeth to come in!" he chirped. He moved away after a moment and turned to him again. "I'm going to be the fiercest ever!"

Atem chuckled. "Oh, I don't know about that. I think you're much too adorable to be fierce."

Yami thumped his tail and raised his head. "I'm only going to be adorable for you and Yugi and Timaeus. Other than that, I'm going to be the fiercest dragon ever!"

"I see," he snickered. He shook his head and turned away. "So, follow my lead, Yami."

The hatchling immediately straightened and turned to him, still standing parallel. Atem braced his front paws against the lip of the cliff and crouched. He bunched his hindquarters, raising them slightly, shifting his tail so that it was mostly straight behind him, and arched his spine. Yami blinked and mimicked him, wiggling as he shifted his weight and tried again. When he was close enough, Atem snorted.

"Now, balance your weight as much as you can on your front limbs. You'll be using your back to push off the ground." He demonstrated, stretching his limbs until he could no longer. He kept his claws braced carefully into the stone to keep from tipping over. "Keep your tail straight. Keep your wings braced toward the ground for right now. Only tip forward. I'll show you how to open your wings and leap after this."

Yami hesitated, then did so with a small flinch. He looked mortified when he realized Atem was still watching, but his eyes stayed mostly focused on the forests stretched before them. "I didn't realize it was so high up," he whispered.

Atem looked him over. "We can move further down if you'll be more comfortable. I forget sometimes that Fire and Wind Dragons are not comfortable with height."

Yami blinked and looked over. "But I'm Sky Dragon, too," he argued. He looked almost offended Atem might only mention the other two species. His head turned immediately away again, however, as if he expected to fall at any moment. He flexed his claws and dug them further into the rock. And then he began to shift his weight and bunch his muscles as if to jump.

Atem watched him, judging his physique and adjusting his position by way of tapping with his beak or toes. When Yami finally seemed to have the posture down, Atem shifted his weight.

"Your wings remain firmly at your side until you leap. You can also use the bottoms to push further off the ground in times of crisis, such as if your back legs are wounded." Atem hoped Yami never had any reason to use his wings like that. He hoped he didn't have to worry about being hurt so badly he had to use them to propel himself off the ground. It had only happened once, but Atem still remembered how acutely painful it had been. "When you feel your body begin to fall, that's when you open your wings. It ensures you'll catch a current from your body's direction. If you don't mean to fly, all you need to do is keep your wings out and aim for the ground. To fly, you flap and fold your paws toward your belly and then move forward."

Yami nodded vigorously, listening intently. "Okay!"

Atem watched him a moment. "Are you ready to put it all into practice?"

He nodded again, wiggling. "Yeah!"

"Okay." He shifted his weight and prepared to spring. "Go for it."

Yami wiggled, took position, wiggled again and shifted his weight, and then sprang. He waited a moment longer than necessary to open his wings, but he caught himself before Atem would have had to leap to catch him. Relieved, the God Dragon shoved off the cliff to join him in the air.

"And you're flying."

Yami glanced at him, wobbled in midair, yelped, and flexed his claws. Atem snickered and flapped his wings, then dove toward the nearest clearing among the trees. Yami took a moment or two to emulate him, but soon he was right next to Atem. He hovered rather than landed, looking confused as to how.

"Spread your toes and flap, tip your weight toward your paws, and stretch all four legs straighter." Yami looked at him with a flustered expression but followed his instructions, landing with a thump when his legs were too stiff. Atem laughed as he collapsed and then sprang to his paws with a mortified look. "It's okay. I'm sure Yugi struggled with landing a few times, too."

Yami shook himself out. "You didn't?"

"I'm a God Dragon. I'm too perfect for that."

His son snorted and then ducked his head, eyes huge with shock at his own response. Atem laughed and butted him as he whispered, "Sorry."

"For what? I was only teasing." Atem padded forward a few steps and glanced around, craning his head back to examine the sky. He'd need to summon rain again soon. Spring called for short showers and summer meant longer, more drawn out bursts and thunder claps. It called for strong streaks of lightning without rain, the energy sharp and flashing. The clouds would look like streaks of shadows against the gloss of water. He turned back as Yami sprang at a beetle and caught it between his paws, grinning. "From a standing point, until you're used to flight, you should sit up taller and bunch your muscles. Aim for a branch or a cloud or even the sun. As long as you pick a point to focus on, it makes leaping high enough to gain momentum easier."

Yami looked at him curiously, then craned his head to look around. Atem couldn't tell if he was looking for a focal point or if he was mimicking him and trying to figure out what Atem had been searching for. Eventually he looked away again, eyes glinting and sparkling.

"Are we going anywhere else?"

Atem snorted. "We're not going to venture too far from the den."

Yami frowned. "But I can keep up!"

"It's nothing to do with that. We won't be moving far because I do not want to risk being spotted by any predators." He paused and glanced up again. The moon overhead was waning and the sky was still torn between sunset and the full blanket of nighttime. "I cannot see well enough in the dark to go much further, either. The four days surrounding the full moon are the only time I'm comfortable to wander and hunt during nighttime."

Yami shifted his weight and padded forward. "Okay," he said after a moment, his disappointment tempered. He smiled over at him and Atem shook himself out. "We can go back then."

The God Dragon opened his mouth to agree, then stopped. He turned his head, looking Yami over more. And then he tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.

"Father?" the hatchling mumbled, blinking.

"You can see perfectly in such limited light?"

"Yes."

Atem considered a moment longer. Then he looked over his shoulder and back. "So, say I had you return to the den and went for a detour. Would you be able to track my whereabouts without being present?"

Yami looked puzzled. "Well…yes. I do that already."

"I'm not usually out at night."

The statement made Yami pause. "Oh. I see! Let's try it!"

"Here. Let's get to the den first."

Yami nodded but frowned. "Won't Yugi and Timaeus wonder why we weren't gone longer?"

"They both know my eyes aren't made for nocturnal activities." Atem shook his head. "They won't be surprised to find me flying. But teaching you with the potential of predators or the off chance another dragon comes by would be too much. They know that. Yugi is going to be more disappointed when you explain you only flew maybe ten yards."

Yami laughed and stretched himself out, then looked up and fixated on something Atem wasn't privy to. In a moment he took a seat, sat up as tall as he could, and then leaped. He flapped immediately, however, and hit the ground in a heap. Atem chuckled as he sprang to his paws with an embarrassed glance.

"You flap when you're at the highest point of the jump. I should have told you so earlier. I'm sorry." Atem paused. "And, at that point, you're going to keep your paws straight and your wings flapping. After, you'll tuck your paws and angle your wings to move forward."

Yami frowned but nodded again. He backed up a few steps, wiggled his rump, fixated on the same spot, and then sprang. He flapped his wings and hovered, flustered, then remembered himself and hurried forward and up. Atem watched him, both impressed and amused. He was definitely part Sky Dragon, and especially related to him. He'd mimicked him almost exactly his first few flight attempts.

Of course, Yami was not being relentlessly bullied by his siblings for an inability to properly catch air or hold his stance. He wasn't practicing late at night and risking getting eaten as his parents and siblings slept.

Atem smiled when Yami landed and turned around. "Go to the den. I'll be back soon enough."

Yami nodded and took off running without a second glance. Atem lost sight of him soon after, when he passed under the shadow of one of the cliffs. His stomach lurched as he debated following, but it occurred to him Yami wasn't incapable. He could always call for one of them to help. Even if it was a moment before they got to him, Atem was certain he'd make it. He wasn't stupid. And if necessary, his fire breath was likely lethal.

Atem turned away, wandering off toward the river.

"I came to ask how the flying went."

Atem glanced over. "He's a natural."

"Considering his father, that shouldn't be surprising."

"He takes more after you sometimes."

"That's because he knows I'm the best parent ever."

Atem snorted. "Is that so?" he chuckled. He moved closer to him, tilting his head. "Did you get worried when he went back alone?"

"He said you'd gone away to see if he could track your movements when you were in the dark and far from the den." Yugi smiled. "I got lonely and bored with the two of them. I almost feel like I'm encroaching on them."

Atem smirked. "Oh, so you noticed it, too?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I…don't know whether to be happy with it or frustrated."

"Frustrated?"

"He could easily get hurt. Timaeus isn't made to mate for life."

Atem tilted his head. "We don't know Yami is, either." He paused. "But neither are you. You chose to mate for life. Timaeus could easily make that choice as well."

Yugi huffed. "He's six moons old."

Atem burst out laughing. "I seem to recall a Gandora who told me he fell in love at six moons."

He laughed, huffing again, and ducked his head as he looked at him with a wide grin. "Okay, fine. You're right. I have no grounds to be upset. I'm just… If Timaeus hurts him…"

"He'll pick himself back up and continue on with life. That's what we do." Atem tilted his head. "Heartache is part of life. He has to be sad to know what happiness is. Maybe it wouldn't be too terrible if they did become mates for a while before separating. You never know. The amount of things Timaeus could teach him that you and I can't…"

Yugi bristled faintly, then sighed. "I know, I know. I just…" He huffed. "I just don't want him to have to suffer any kind of pain. I…I don't want you to, either. But I don't have to protect you. You're… Well, you're you. You're resilient. You grew up adapting to pain and utilizing it later as a weapon. I can't expect the same from Yami. And I don't…I don't want the opportunity to come that he has to."

Atem shook his head. "I love him, too, Yugi, but that doesn't change the fact that he has to experience life without us hovering over his every decision." He tilted his head at Yugi's widened eyes and the way his mouth opened slightly before clicking shut. "Yugi?"

The Gandora opened and closed his mouth once more, then smiled and shook his head. There was something in his eyes that Atem couldn't quite read, though he was unsure whether it was because of the low light or if Yugi's expression had truly changed too much. But the Gandora was smiling and Atem didn't think him false. He'd seen him force a smile when he was super upset but…

Surely he wouldn't be upset now?

Why should he?

"I think I ruined your exercise for Yami," Yugi said quietly, stepping closer and licking his forehead. "He said he's good at focusing on us and finding the area through the link with us. So with the two of us, it'd likely be much easier, you know?"

Atem blinked. "Oh, you're right." He blinked, then smiled and bumped beaks with him. "I'd forgotten he said that. I should ask him to give me a map of the territory at some point without us in it. Perhaps when we've just woken."

"That could be interesting—especially if he's been wandering through dreams again." Yugi smiled a little wider. "And imagine, I get two God Dragons after only working for one."

Atem laughed and shook his head. "You're adorable."

The Gandora nudged his beak and turned away. He raised his head and looked around curiously. "Thank you. I try." Then he turned back, smiling again. "I feel like I haven't been able to have you to myself for a while now."

Atem tilted his head. "You must be so neglected not being able to bother me every five seconds," he teased, grunting when Yugi swatted him gently in the shoulder. The Gandora was frozen for a second in front of him.

"Did you even see that coming?"

"I'm not that blind at night. I saw it. But I sensed it more than that. I could hear it when you moved your paw." He blinked. "Why are you suddenly so concerned about my night vision?"

"It just…never occurred to me how much you rely on lightning flashes or moon and starlight. When Yami said you relied on moonlight, it made me realize how grateful I am no one came to challenge you at night."

Atem frowned. "Plenty of dragons thought to challenge me at night, Yugi. They just could never find me. I never allowed it to be an option."

Yugi nodded slightly. "Well then… Good."

Atem snorted and butted his shoulder before taking a seat. "Do you wonder if Yami is listening to us right now?"

"I'm sure he is, considering that was the task," he laughed. "But I'm sure if he's not, it's because Timaeus is providing ample distraction."

"He was always good at that. I'd be upset and he'd distract me for hours."

Yugi fell silent for a long moment and Atem tilted his head. "Yugi?"

The Gandora blinked, raising his head. "What?"

"I… Are you all right?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

He sounded forced and maybe tired. Atem thought he heard the smallest inkling of hurt in his tone as well. He'd been hurt enough times to recognize the sound. But he didn't understand why Yugi might feel that way. It didn't make sense.

What had he said or done to provoke that feeling?

He opened his mouth, then faltered. He didn't want Yugi to feel he was put on the spot like that. And if he refused to admit to feeling that way, then Atem would be forcing his insecurities down his throat for no other reason than he didn't know how to prevent it.

He lowered his eyes, closing his mouth again. I'm sorry.