Part II: The Future

Chapter XXV: Reconnaissance

"Yusei," he mumbled, surprised when the Ice Dragon immediately turned to him and raised his head, blue eyes wide with curiosity, "when did it happen? Do you know?"

"It happened overnight," he admitted. He blinked and shook his head. "I don't know how or why. But I think it's likely one of them led the other out to play and then during the game the other fell off the ledge. I don't believe it was malicious in any manner, Atem. But it makes more sense to investigate before we do anything else or rule it an accident. If it was malicious, we need to be ahead of it, don't you think?"

Atem nodded slightly and turned away. "Did you not see anything because it was dark or did they truly become a blind spot to you?"

"They're a blind spot, Atem. I searched for so long I made myself sick. I watched and strained and tried a thousand times more and I still found no answers. All I did was hurt my head and my eyes and leave my gut churning from overuse of my power." He shook his head again. "One of Seto's dragonets is the only likely suspect, largely due to that fact. You…understand why we're saying this, right?"

Atem nodded shortly. "Yes, I understand."

"Please, don't feel we're trying to corner you into this. It's not like that."

He blinked and looked over. "I understand, Yusei. Stop groveling."

The Stardust Dragon frowned. "I'm… It's just poor timing. Jaden is so paranoid about you and then this happens. And we're all pointing a paw at your family over everyone else. I know you must feel as if we're attempting to turn on you in some manner. And I'm sorry that it must seem that way. It's not…how it is."

"I don't feel that way at all," he lied smoothly. "It would be stupid not to look into the potential family lineage."

"You're not stupid, either, Atem," Yusei said more sharply, baring his teeth. "And I know for a fact you understand the implications of this reconnaissance. Jaden has lacked tact throughout the entire ordeal of your recognition as a God Dragon. You're not dumb enough to fail to understand. I know that. You know that. Jaden knows that. Do not think I'm stupid enough to believe you when you lie through your teeth to me about such an important matter."

Atem smirked, voice dropping. "I don't believe you stupid, Yusei. You're likely the wisest of the three of you." He growled softly. "But I do not wish to be reminded of the arguments we've all waged against one another, no matter whose side we took or why. I want to do this and leave. If Seto had a paw in this, I want it resolved quickly. And if one of my siblings did this, I'd rather it not escalate to fuel Jaden's bloodlust. If I seem complacent and quiet and mind my own business, that is why. It has nothing to do with being ignorant or stupid."

Yusei nodded after a moment. "That sounds more akin the God Dragon of the East." Then he turned away again, flexing his claws and narrowing his eyes. Atem froze, studying him intently. "I've never assumed the God Dragon of the East to be foolish, no matter the rumors to accompany your title. A mindless beast doesn't survive for long. Killing without reason and preying on anything that moves would have gotten you killed long before. A Sky Dragon surviving an endless barrage of suitors is a clever creature, not a compulsive one. I've never underestimated you. I don't plan to now."

He watched him uneasily, then turned away with a curt nod. "That's a lot wiser than I've seen Jaden or the Leviathan act."

"Jaden is of the impression your rumors are nothing but, although after that display at the gathering he's much more open to the idea you're as dangerous as they say." Yusei gave him a critical look. "The Leviathan finds you interesting for the fact that you're so encompassed by rumors. I've never been so oblivious. Sky Dragons aren't surrounded by such nasty rumors by nature, Slifer or not. You're much stronger than any of us originally considered. And I make it a point not to underestimate those around me. Overestimating and then finding them incapable has saved my life on numerous occasions."

Atem nodded. "Yes. It makes survival easier." He turned and raised his head when he heard Jaden approaching again. They'd split up to look for whatever limited clues they could find. Yusei had taken Atem with him to the ledges where they'd sniffed and studied every inch of the sheer stone in an effort to find a clue.

But there were no scents. Even when Atem flicked his top tongue and held his breath and waited for some hint, he had found nothing. It was…disturbing, really. The only scent he could catch was that of the dead dragonet. And in one spot…it had seemed stronger than another, but he didn't know why. Had they tripped and their cheek smashed against the stone? It would have accounted for the sudden strength if they'd hit the ground with their scent gland exposed.

It had to have been their face or their paws. But it was more likely their face. From what he'd seen of the death blow, their face had hit the stone and bled as it fell down the cliff and its various ledges. They'd looked over the blood trail from where it had hit the stone and rolled down and continued toward the center of the clearing. But there had not been much more to investigate.

Jaden stopped a few inches from them. "Akunadin doesn't know what happened. No one has any input. Even the mothers are confused as to what happened." He hesitated, eyes shooting to Atem's. "Kisara said no one was awake last night when it happened. She'd laid with all five of them and she has no idea how anything could have happened. Her sister is the mother of the dead hatchling. She claims her hatchling was with her when she went to sleep and she has no idea what could have happened to make her get up and leave."

Atem blinked and wondered for a split second. Was one of Kisara's hatchlings gifted? He remembered Yami blinding him. He remembered him doing so to get to Timaeus. He remembered Yugi demanding to know if he'd done the same to him…

He glanced at Yusei sideways. The Stardust Dragon was staring at him with an expression he could not read.

Atem turned away again. His eyes shot past Jaden toward the Leviathan. The Water Dragon tipped his head up in a lazy fashion, expression almost bored. Atem wondered if he'd known ahead of time they'd find nothing and was now waiting for Jaden to finally come to this conclusion.

"So, what are you thinking?"

Jaden shook his head. "I don't know what to think," he finally admitted. His eyes were on Yusei now, expression almost pleading. "We have no idea what happened. We have no idea what could have happened. No one can provide us with information about the incident."

"No one witnessed it," Yusei said quietly, "so there's no information to provide."

"And you were unable to see anything that might help us."

"Yes." Yusei turned to Atem. "Perhaps you should speak to Seto and Kisara yourself, if only to reassure them."

"Reassure them of what?" he scoffed. He narrowed his eyes. "There are no grounds to accuse them of anything and I have no reason to offer reassurance but to say we don't believe it was them to cause the incident. What then is there to reassure them of?"

All Atem could think of at that moment was Yugi's voice as he demanded to know if Yami had "done it to him too". All he could think of was that moment in which he'd lost sight and hearing entirely for a split second.

If one of Seto's clutch had an ability similar to Yami, what was he to do?

He couldn't protect himself against Yami when he had done it. He didn't know if he could now, either. And if Seto's hatchlings had a similar ability, who was to say it was not stronger?

Atem didn't want to think it was one of his own siblings, but it made the most sense. If there were no tracks to follow and no trail to trace, and they were invisible to all three of their gifts, then it had to be that they were related to him. And if it was one of his siblings, Atem was the reason they were still alive. He'd denied it when Jaden had asked if they'd been born during the eclipse.

He risked a glance at Yusei. He'd followed through with denying it, with pretending that he didn't know the clutch had been born that same day. But Atem hardly found fault in him. If he'd simply said they were born that day, Yusei would not have had to lie and…

Atem turned his attention toward the nursery. Kisara was sitting at the entrance, watching them closely. Atem wondered how afraid she was at that moment.

She met his eye and immediately turned and wandered away as if he might lash out at her. He saw Jaden and Yusei both peering at him with identical expressions that indicated he should go speak to her. Atem felt mildly guilty and the smallest hint flustered as he huffed and moved past Jaden to make his way to the nursery.

He refused to look back despite their stares burning into his back. He leaped atop the ledge leading to the nursery tunnel, ignored the glare he was sent by Rafael as the hybrid looked over, and stepped inside. The rotting smell had lessened somewhat, though far from nonexistent. Atem didn't know what to think of the fact but for perhaps somehow he'd misinterpreted where the stench had come from. Perhaps he'd smelled the dragonet who had died rather than the nest.

The lie was almost comforting.

He was once again struck by the idea of Yami's powers and the thought that perhaps this hatchling possessed something similar. But how was he meant to find out? How was he meant to find the dragonet responsible—should it be a dragonet?

He ignored the pressure on his lungs and how his mouths tasted of ash. He flicked his tail as he went through the tunnel toward the nursery. He looked at the branching tunnels and wondered where Kisara's sister might lay with her own remaining hatchling. Then he turned away immediately from the thought of looking, if only for the fact he did not wish to upset or scare anyone. His presence wasn't meant to be thrown around on the others. He knew that. It would have been stupid of him to take for granted his status as a God Dragon. Their arrival had been nothing short of devastating for the many of them, if only because it more pointedly brought to light the fact someone so innocent had died.

He stopped in the entrance of the nursery den Kisara and Seto had chosen. They looked up collectively, as if they were all talking and discussing something he was not privy to. Kisara offered him a strained smile in the gloomy shadows, and Seto narrowed his eyes as he stared fiercely at his brother. Atem ignored his glare and looked at the hatchlings. All five of them were sheltering at their parents' sides, unusually still and quiet as if in mourning.

Atem came forward so that his voice would not travel further down the length of the tunnels and took a seat. Seto was tensed, bristling as if he might spring forward and launch himself at him. The God Dragon ignored it and wrapped his tail around his paws several times.

"Jaden believes it has to have been another hatchling to lure them out. As to who or why, we do not know. But no one is blamed for it." He glanced at Kisara and sighed softly. "I was told it was your sister's hatchling?"

She grimaced. "Yes."

"And no one has any idea as to why?" he asked a few moments later. Seto bristled but Atem refused to give him his attention. He kept his eyes solely on Kisara. "I'd like to pretend this doesn't stink of foul play, but the likelihood of a genuine accident seems humorous."

"There's nothing humorous about any of it," Seto snapped, getting up and moving forward. "They're all looking at us as if we somehow caused this."

No, it was likely me, Atem wanted to say, but instead he turned away. "It doesn't matter if they're looking at you. It wasn't your fault. There's no one who can say otherwise definitively and that's all that matters at the end of it."

The words weren't inspiring. He knew that. Even as Seto scowled and Kisara shivered, he felt the burden of his statement. But what else was there to say?

Atem raised his eyes again. "Proof is necessary to declare someone a problem. As far as it goes, there is none. The entirety of the reconnaissance we're doing is to make sure nothing is overlooked." He paused. "If there were a dragonet killer, they would be dealt with. I'm of the mind there is no punishment to deal as blame cannot be laid. At the end of it, it comes down to whether it was malicious or not. We can't find any clues as to who might have done it, so we might as well sum it up to be nothing more than a dragonet that slipped and tumbled in the dark."

There was a long moment of silence.

"That's…" Seto seemed to struggle for words. "How could that have been the case?"

"It likely wasn't. But we cannot say otherwise." Atem paused for a moment, then closed his eyes and shook his head sharply. "Jaden has no one to punish for it. And we have no gathering to hold their fate. The problem becomes nothing more than speculation. I am sorry for the fact we cannot offer any closure. All we can say definitively is that we have no truth to expand upon or words to offer."

Kisara shook her head when Atem opened his eyes again. "So what should we do in the meantime?"

"I'd suggest you keep your eyes on your clutch at all times and make sure they do not leave the den at any point."

"What of their abilities to see things?" Seto snapped. "I know Jaden, Yusei and the Leviathan can. You're useless on that front, as per usual, but what about them?"

Atem smirked and looked away, baring his teeth in a sneering snarl. "Oh, don't ask questions you don't want the answer to, Seto."

"I never have. Answer me."

"I promise you won't like my answer."

"I don't even care for your voice."

"Seto, enough," Kisara spat. Then she turned to Atem. "Please, Atem. Anything you could tell us could help."

The Sky Dragon flicked his tail and turned to her, snarling softly. "I am a blind spot to them," he said as way of answer. He bristled faintly and stood, shaking himself out.

"What do you have to do with…?" And then Kisara froze. "Oh, no… No, no, no…"

Atem huffed. "That's not to say it has to do with your clutch," he said more urgently. "The biggest problem is that the dragon in question is blind to them. We don't know Seto isn't a blind spot, nor Malik or Bakura."

"Malik or Bakura?" Kisara hissed. And then she sat up, bristling and baring her teeth. "I forgot they'd visited recently. I… C-could either of them have—?"

"No," Seto snapped. "They wouldn't have any reason."

"Bakura hates hatchlings," she snarled. "He hates them and he tortured Atem. I knew I should have said otherwise when you said you wanted to let them meet the clutch."

"He didn't act out when he met them," Seto defended sharply, "and he was fine with them. You're just irrational because you're afraid. It has nothing to do with them."

Atem narrowed his eyes. He would never have put it past Bakura to attempt to kill Yami if he found out. He was every bit the menace now as he'd been when they were younger. Now his skills were honed, however. He was twice as deadly, and with much more efficiency to ensure he inflicted the pain he so desired.

"Regardless, it would be a lot of work for Bakura to choose a hatchling to dispose of amidst a camp of Lightning Dragons who would likely happily wish him dead instead." Atem didn't think his frosty reception was dismissed toward his brothers. In fact, if nothing, he expected it amplified due to Seto's constant presence. "Your sister has a Lightning Dragon mate, yes?"

"Well…yes—but no? Rafael is a Lightning and Water hybrid," she answered uneasily. "He's Leviathan's half-brother from another mother. But he was all but born and raised here so he's considered as pure and as loyal as they come."

Atem blinked and raised his head slightly. It was no wonder he was so angry at Atem's presence there. It made sense then that Rafael despised Seto as well. If he was Ironheart's and related to the Leviathan, it was no wonder he had such little faith in the God Dragons as a whole. He was likely envious and felt discarded for the fact he was there and not considered more than a random but powerful and extremely dangerous hybrid.

He likely thought their presence now was more a mockery than anything. Atem imagined his siblings still felt that sour jealousy and cold anger whenever they saw each other. He imagined his name still brought a rancid taste to their mouths, especially now that he was truly recognized as a deity by the other three.

"I don't know any of my siblings are blind spots as well. But if I am, there is a small chance." He tilted his head. "The question becomes as well, whether or not Rafael's other offspring are blind to them."

Kisara was quiet for a long time. "I don't know that he has other offspring." She hesitated, then sighed softly and shook her head. "He and my sister mated all of twice. She…pushed herself on him and he said he had nothing better to do. But he usually…mounts males. It's a…power play for him. He enjoys mounting them because he can do so for longer periods of time than females. But I think it has a lot to do with dominance as well."

Atem nodded. "He's told me." He still remembered him suggesting he might mount Yugi in front of him. The Gandora had been infuriated, but Rafael had found it all the more amusing. Atem wondered if he'd expected him to merely roll over and take to his display for fun. He'd clearly expected less loyalty from him due to his species. Atem knew that much. Gandora Dragons were hardly known for loyalty. He knew they drifted and males especially impregnated as many females as possible in the span of the mating cycles. "Kisara, don't be upset with me for asking, but does he even care that he lost a hatchling?"

She grimaced and looked away. "I don't know. I'm not close to Rafael and my sister seems too distraught to care about any reaction he might have." She fell quiet. "Rafael is withdrawn from all of us as it is. We don't know that he does or doesn't grieve the loss."

He nodded again and looked away. "It's possible I'm not the only blind spot. I don't believe Rafael's species was ever watched so intently as mine or Yugi's. It's entirely possible they've never tried to see him before, because he lives here." He glanced at the dragonets behind her back and considered the sparkling eyes peering back at him in the dark. "His tie to Leviathan could very well make him immune to their powers as well. And if he is…then it's also possible his second hatchling could have caused her death."