Sorry, guys. Life got hectic.

Guest: Glad you're still enjoying it! Yeah, so Yami has a human form as all dragons do, but his Origin and Battle Form are one in the same. He can't change from one or the other like Atem and Yugi can. It'll come up later why, but it's not a big part of the story.

Chapter XCI: Contact

Mist curled through the air. The trees shivered, shedding layers of dense snow as if to swallow the ground beneath. A wolf bayed somewhere off to the west and another answered from the east. The forest was thick and crowded, perspiring as if the branches were melting beneath the limited sun. The world beneath them was blanketed in white, blinding at first glance, and overhead the sky seemed an endless void of ice with the most brilliant burst of light somewhere hidden toward the center.

The cavern was well-hidden, with an immense shattered tree fallen before its only entrance. The bark was stripped to almost nothing, having popped and shattered beneath the weight of the cold air. The pine needles were frozen and still brilliant green despite the amount of time it had been fallen. Snow was clumped upon its surface in a thick layer, as if it were a sheet of ice frozen atop a body of water.

The quiet rasping coming from within was oddly deafening.

The dragon paused at the entrance and listened. It was steady and soft, almost as if the source were asleep rather than laying there in agony. They must have been unconscious.

He slipped past the lowest branch where it blocked the full body of the gaping mouth of the entrance and padded inside. The pale blue and white male did not lift his head from the floor. He paused to look them over, smirking at the scars lining their body and the gaping wounds across both wings. The gems that lined the insides were broken and black from blood pooled beneath, the joints broken multiple times to keep the other male landlocked. He'd torn the claws from his paws to keep him from being able to lash out when they'd sharpened, and he'd kept him alive with a fish diet that seemed to sustain him just enough. Of course, the beaten hatchling had not shown any aggression prior, too shocked to do anything but scream in pain, but he wouldn't take any chances.

He was too smart for that.

But he'd thank Bakura one day when he died. The Hunter had managed to rip Atem's claws off so often he'd made it an easy task. How Seto had failed to notice he was digging through his thoughts so often was beyond him, but he supposed it just went so far as to show how pathetic his father truly was.

Clearly Atem held the power in their relationship now, to the point even his eyes narrowing struck fear into Seto. He wondered if Yami had taken after Atem in that regard. He'd been small and weak when they'd first met, but he'd also hidden away for two years and survived on his own for however long.

Jonouchi had not known where he was for a while. It had been several moons, at least, and the Red-Eyes had never bothered to look. He wondered how bad Yami felt to have his own father's best friend care so little for him. All the time he'd been with the Fire Dragon, Jonouchi had thought to kill him and run for it. He'd never lifted a paw, but the thought had been present the entire time they'd been around each other.

The fact Atem just accepted he was alive was something else entirely.

Yami had lied and hidden away from him, and yet he couldn't sense a single ounce of resentment geared toward the hatchling. Interestingly, he'd been far more bitter and angry toward Yugi, which he wasn't quite sure he understood.

But he'd use it to corner them both and separate them as much as he needed. He could break them. He just needed the time and the proper plan. And then he'd rip them to pieces and leave their bones for Yami before he sunk his claws into him as well.

He couldn't imagine what power he'd have when he ate Yami's hearts.

Atem would be a snack before the meal.

He lashed his tail and stepped forward, snarling softly. "Noah. Wake up." He smirked when his brother didn't respond, nudging him with his paw. "I've got wonderful news for you."

He flexed his claws when Noah didn't move still.

"Your existence just became unnecessary."

Timaeus tilted his head, eyeing the Red-Eyes as he swallowed the deer haunch almost whole. It was almost disgusting, but he remembered Atem being so desperate for food he'd eaten until he couldn't move and then groaned and whined of a bellyache after. He'd gorged himself, though he'd been careful of bones and conscious of Timaeus watching him with such an amused but horrified expression as well. Jonouchi ate without any worry of bones or fur. He swallowed it whole and Timaeus was sure he'd digest it easily enough. Fire Dragons were known for stomachs that never ached no matter what they ate.

He grimaced when Jonouchi grabbed at the deer's head with his mouth, crunching the bone gracelessly. He shifted away and bore his teeth for a split second, disgusted, as Jonouchi severed the neck and swallowed its head whole.

He should have gone with Yugi.

He should have just fled when Jonouchi first started eating.

He shivered and smothered a snarl when the Red-Eyes worked his way to the ribs.

No wonder Yugi had warned him it wasn't pretty.

That was an understatement by far.

But Yugi was Atem's mate, not him, and he was sure Atem would have wanted Yugi at his side before he'd want Timaeus there—especially when he'd gotten attacked by Dimitri before. He just wished there'd been a way to alleviate some of the stress for Jonouchi when he'd woken and found an unfamiliar face and Atem when he'd likely crossed paths with his sibling.

It probably wouldn't have been wise for him, however. Why tip Dimitri off to the fact that someone had shared their heart with him? Why let him know when he'd so clearly wanted to sink his teeth into Atem, Yugi, and Yami?

Timaeus shifted his weight as Jonouchi let out a loud belch and gobbled down the other leg nearest him. He was thankful then that the worst to happen with his meals with Atem had been Atem's inability to digest red meat properly. He'd thrown up numerous times before they'd realized he couldn't eat it for long periods of time. But Timaeus hadn't been able to swim properly and fishing was hardly a talent of his, so they'd had to figure something out. Regurgitation had become a necessity to help him maintain his weight and keep food down.

Timaeus had struggled for a while to find a way to make it happen regularly, before he'd finally figured it out. Atem had been reluctant at first, flustered and annoyed he was in such a state of need, but hunger had eventually driven him to eat it. He still remembered Atem being indignant and huffing about being a God Dragon even as he'd sniffed and salivated and his belly growled with hunger pains.

He'd had to remind Atem he was a Sky Dragon, and that Sky Dragons ate mostly fish. Atem had seemed offended at first, though it had quickly faded and he'd settled grumpily for eating it. Timaeus still remembered him pouting for a little while after, hissing that he wasn't a newborn even as the Knight Dragon snickered but tried to reassure him he didn't think any less of him.

He winced as Jonouchi swallowed another leg whole and shifted his weight again. The Red-Eyes blinked and glanced over, studying him. He belched again, then tilted his head.

"Aren't you that Wind Dragon Atem attended the gathering with?" he asked abruptly, then stopped short and looked around. "Where's Yugi? And Atem? Isn't this their territory?"

Timaeus grunted. "Atem and Yugi went to…deal with Dimitri."

"Who?" Jonouchi muttered. He hissed and shifted his weight, then stood awkwardly on shaky limbs. He took a seat after a moment and Timaeus flinched at the loud pop that resounded through the stale air. Jonouchi watched him intently for a long moment, then barked a laugh. "Oh, you mean the dragon that looked exactly like you? I mean, obviously it wasn't you if you're sitting here watching me."

"Right," he snorted. "It wasn't me, or I wouldn't be here checking on you and keeping you company while you recover."

"So, who's Dimitri then?"

Timaeus sighed softly. "Atem's sibling."

Jonouchi groaned. "So, he's got powers, too, then?"

"Yep."

"And he makes you see what you want like Yami?"

"Yami influenced your thoughts and sometimes your senses. Dimitri changes shapes."

Jonouchi barked a laugh. "No one can change shapes."

"Dimitri can. He changed from Seto to me when he began attacking everyone else. You really think—" He blinked, head whipping around as he reconsidered Jonouchi's words. "Wait, how did you know about Yami?"

The Red-Eyes blinked, eyes stretching wide before he grimaced and shuffled his paws. "Uh, I don't… I don't know who that is. Who's Yami? I…"

Timaeus bore his teeth. "You said his name. Why do you know his name?"

"I don't know what you're—"

"If you don't tell me, I'm going to make the beating Dimitri gave you feel like a love bite," he snapped. "Now explain."

Jonouchi was quiet for a long handful of minutes, then exhaled slowly and looked away. He glanced at Timaeus from the corner of his eye, visibly unsure of himself, and then sighed. "And now I've messed up."

Timaeus bore his teeth and tilted his head. "Yes. I would say you have."

Yami felt it suddenly. There was a strange and uncertain spark that seemed to shoot through him, lighting his limbs as if with fire. He stiffened, wings tucked into his sides, and shivered as he looked over his shoulder toward his parents. Atem had wandered off to gather food and Yugi stood speaking to Honda a few yards away. The two of them were catching up in low, soft tones, as if they were truly the best of friends rather than he and Jonouchi. When Atem returned, Yugi dropped the conversation momentarily to check on him, but the God Dragon merely nodded and continued further into the clearing.

Yami made eye contact with him for a single second and Atem tilted his head as he came forward. He hesitated, then smiled tightly, and muttered, "Jonouchi just told Timaeus."

"Told Timaeus what?" Yugi asked, bewildered, and then blinked and stiffened. "Oh."

"And that changes what?" Atem dismissed, taking a seat to pick at the large wildebeest he'd sunk his claws into. He shook himself out after a moment and considered Yami with a skeptical expression. "You can't tell me you aren't relieved to have this lie lifted."

He faltered. "Well, no, but I…" He tilted his head. "I did it to protect him. If Timaeus knows I shared my heart with him—"

"Who's to say he does?"

Yugi looked at Atem dubiously. "Timaeus may be many things, but stupid isn't one of them."

"I agree. He helped to raise me." Atem lashed his tail, and Yami could see now that he was scared. "And Yami is alive because he helped to hide him. I'd say that takes some kind of wits to manage."

"I'm not sure how many considering the mess you've made," Honda scoffed. Yugi shot him a dirty look and Yami smiled slightly but his eyes remained locked on his father. Atem looked agitated.

"You're right. He's not stupid. He never was. I had just hoped…" He paused. It was almost stupid, but he'd hoped he'd be the one to tell him and it wouldn't be by circumstance that Timaeus found out. "If Dimitri realizes he's alive before I'm ready, I don't know he won't try to kill him again."

Atem snarled softly. "If he strikes Timaeus down, he'll incapacitate you as well."

Yami nodded slowly. "I know," he said quietly, suppressing a shiver, "but it was worth it."

Yugi was quiet for a long time, sighing, "I would have shared it with Atem if we were compatible, so I can't say anything, but… Yami, perhaps you should have considered the more…far-reaching consequences."

Yami looked at Atem. "You would have shared your heart with him. It was better me, though, right? Because I was the one who could find him in time, and I knew it would happen. I didn't want him to hurt you when he could get to me instead."

His father lashed his tail again, considering him for a long time. Yugi looked as if he would be sick as they faced each other. Then he glanced sideways toward Honda and back, eyes flickering between Atem and Yami. Yugi lashed his tail after a moment, then looked down and exhaled slowly.

"Yami, that's a lot of responsibility to take on." Yugi sighed and looked at Atem abruptly, blue-violet eyes glittering as the God Dragon slowly turned to him. "But, as far as I'm concerned, Dimitri won't be touching either of you."

"That's not something you can guarantee," Atem hissed, moving to sit up and leaving the wildebeest mostly untouched. Yami could see where he'd clawed and bitten, breaking its neck and puncturing the jugular. "But Timaeus was lucky Yami saw what was happening. I suppose we have the human boy, Ryou, to thank for that."

"Human?" Honda sneered, turning to Yami. "You were with humans?"

"The village under the mountains worships dragons of all kinds and see Atem as the absolute deity. They see him as the highest of all God Dragons and accept him as their protector." He shook his head. "I lived among them for a while and befriended the newest shaman, Ryou."

Honda stared at him as if he couldn't understand why Yami would even consider going to the humans, but he did not speak against it. Instead he looked at Atem and tilted his head. "Yugi's influence."

Atem laughed softly. "Yes." He looked at Yugi fondly for a moment before turning back to Yami. "Well, regardless of mingling among humans, the matter of Dimitri becomes a lot more complicated when he finds out about Timaeus. What happens then?"

Yami searched his face. "I don't know. Dimitri and I will have to face each other at some point, though I'd desire more time to learn and…train and change what I can before that happens."

"You make it sound so final."

He laughed softly. "I don't know it won't be."

Yugi tilted his head and then scoffed, "Oh, foresight is so stupid. You can't even see if Dimitri is going to come for you sooner or later? Or the outcome of it?"

"All I see is he'll eventually come for Atem." He considered his father but Atem seemed undaunted by the words. If anything he seemed unimpressed altogether, perhaps more amused even. "And from what I can see, the future changes too rapidly where Atem is involved to truly track it. All I can say is that perhaps it'll end in our favor or maybe it won't. It depends on Atem, and the future molds around him. His decisions constantly change, so the future remains unknown."

Atem nodded slowly but didn't seem interested in the idea of foresight anymore now than he had when Yami was younger. He did not seem to care in the slightest as to what the future might hold. Yami admired him more than ever now to see that clear disinterest. He'd almost forgotten how much he adored it.

"Our dear sibling is still alive."

Noah blinked up at him from where he'd been laying for the majority of the conversation. Dimitri had dug him out of his unconsciousness by force, clawing and ripping and dragging him out. Since waking Noah had sat there, unblinking and staring, as Dimitri relayed the information of crossing paths with Atem a second time so soon.

"Yami seems to think he needs to save me for some reason. He's sent his father to stop the other three God Dragons twice now." Dimitri looked at his brother where he lay all but motionless but for his breathing and snarled softly. "I think for a little while that maybe Atem thought he was going to be able to help you."

Noah stared back, eyes glittering where the slivers of blue and green seemed almost to shiver in the low light.

"Maybe Yami put it in his head." Dimitri paced a few steps, then turned back. "It doesn't matter. Honestly, I'm just telling you all this so you understand why I'm going to kill you."

He watched him blankly, and Dimitri both reveled and loathed the defiance Noah showed. He hadn't said a word since Dimitri had stolen him from the nest, even when he'd beaten him so much he'd thought he'd killed him at first. He hadn't even buckled when Dimitri had shown him killing their siblings so many times that first couple of days. He hadn't uttered a word when Dimitri had thrown him around so violently, or began mimicking their parents for fun. Even when he'd taken on their shapes, Noah had borne his teeth and glared at him instead.

"I no longer need you." Dimitri lashed his tail and studied him. Noah narrowed his eyes and stared, uncaring and listless, and he huffed. "Your abilities were always far too weak. I tried to train them, but you're useless in that regard. I think, though, after sampling them so many times, I might be able to use them myself once I dispose of you."

Noah snorted, the first sound he'd uttered aside from grunts when he was struck hard enough. It was amazing to Dimitri just how stubborn the other male was. It made sense. He had instantly hated him from the moment they'd both hatched. Dimitri had often wondered if he'd sensed it, if he'd known he would be the one to kill him. Noah's sense of foresight had been a thousand times stronger than Dimitri's own, and with it, Dimitri had been able to see so much more from past to future.

Atem had never shown, however, but his proximity had not tampered so much in spying on Yugi. He'd deduced more than once where the two had to be because of Yugi. He'd found them, though he'd never quite followed the trail to see them up close. It would have been suicide, he knew. Atem wouldn't have held back if he thought Yugi was in danger.

He wondered if he knew what Dimitri planned to do to his precious little son…

Dimitri looked at Noah for a moment. "Before I kill you, I want to find Yami. Your ability is stronger for the moment, but I'm going to change that after I kill you." He smirked, baring his teeth cruelly. "Let's see. If I were the son of the God Dragon of the East, where would I hide?"

Yami blinked and bristled. It felt as if something were trying to claw its way through his scales. He straightened from where he'd laid down beside Yugi. Atem had wandered off for a few minutes to speak to Honda in private, but now both his parents looked over. Yami blinked again, scales jerking and itching along his spine, and shivered as he tried to force the sensation away.

It came tenfold then, forceful and painful. It was like claws against his skin, cutting and shredding.

Dimitri, he realized, startled. That was what Dimitri had felt like when he was younger. When they'd crossed paths the first time at the camp, the sensation had been horrifyingly similar. It was a wonder he wasn't strong enough for subtlety. Or perhaps, more likely, he didn't care enough to use it. Force was plenty enough to make someone buckle.

He blinked and turned to Atem. "He found me."

"What?" the God Dragon spat, bristling. "How?"

"I don't… I can feel him. He's trying to…" Yami blinked and shoved the sensation away again, but it just came back worse than before. He braced his claws and looked down, snarling softly. Dimitri.

You are alive. How wonderful. Dimitri laughed softly, voice like ice. I'd thought it a rumor for a moment there.

Yami ignored the concerned glances from his parents, lashing his tail. How? You were never this strong before.

Why don't you lift your head instead? I'd like to see more than the ground.

Make me, Yami spat, flexing his claws. You're not strong enough for that. I let you in.

There was a petulant, enraged, shove at the forefront of his thoughts. He had the impulse to lift his head, but it was quickly smothered. Yami kept his eyes on the ground and snickered.

Want to try again?

Between you and Noah, I don't know who's more irritating.

Is that it? Noah has a stronger mental ability than you? Is that what I sensed at the camp?

Depends on how much you actually managed to sense.

Yami bore his teeth and snarled softly when Yugi stepped too close. Why don't you tell me what you think I sensed and I'll verify? he sneered. He shook his head when Atem called his name. His father fell quiet as he watched, and Yami felt his stare burning into his flesh.

It doesn't matter. Noah has served his purpose. I see you now.

For the moment. It won't stay this way if I don't let it.

Then why don't you force me out?

Yami ignored the urge to do so. It was hard to want to keep sharing space with his sibling. It felt as if his head might explode from sheer irritation. He knew he could force Dimitri out; he'd let him in, after all. Even Noah's stronger abilities wouldn't allow Dimitri to swallow his will entirely. He was Atem and Yugi's son. They were two of the most powerful dragons when they were determined. Dimitri couldn't touch that.

Hmm… Where are you hiding?

Yami felt him scrabbling, clawing and struggling for more information. When he found nothing, Dimitri snarled and roared with frustration. The link between them wavered so suddenly Yami almost thought he was gone. And then it solidified again as Dimitri spat, Do you fear me so much, Yami? Did you see what's in the water?

Yami snarled softly and shoved him away, unable to quell the shaking that began in his limbs. He bore his teeth as the link severed forcefully, turning to Atem and breathing harder than he meant to. His father looked confused and hesitant as he stepped forward, eyes narrowed with confusion.

"What happened?" Yugi demanded.

Yami blinked and shook himself out, trying to distract them from his shaken state. He huffed and looked away, pressing his wings into his sides. It felt like being in his egg again, warm and safe, though he'd wanted to hatch from the moment Atem had laid it. But he almost wished he hadn't. He missed the feeling of his parents so close so constantly, warm and soft, voices quiet and sometimes wistful as they spoke to him…

"Dimitri wanted to talk," he said finally. "He wanted to ask me where I was and what I knew. When he couldn't find anything, he got angry."

Atem snorted. "Sounds like Seto."

Yugi laughed and Yami snickered, but his heart felt heavy and his stomach churned painfully as he looked away from him. "He's going to kill Noah," he muttered. "I think he figured out how to…use what little abilities he has on his own."

Atem fell quiet and Yugi looked at Yami with huge eyes.

"He seems thrilled now to have made contact with me. But I don't think he realized I'm stronger than him and Noah put together in that aspect." His eyes flickered briefly to Yugi and back as Atem tilted his head. "But it doesn't matter. He wanted contact to find out where I'm hiding."

Atem snorted. "I don't see that you're hiding, considering you're in plain sight and you let him do that."

Yami shook his head. "Hiding just prolonged the inevitable. I don't think running will help, but I do have to…learn more before I can face him. There are a few things that I suspect but need confirmation of before we fight."

Yugi shivered and tilted his head. "You said Atem would be the one to kill him."

"He will. It's just things I need to know before that time comes."

The lie was sour on his tongue but Yami wasn't about to go back on it.