TW: Mention of Atem's states of apathy and the possibility of him having suicidal thoughts

Yugi ran as fast as his legs would allow towards the school gates. He had precious few minutes to create as much distance between him and the alleyway where Imhotep would be returning with Marik. At this moment, he was more than grateful that Imhotep found transporting multiple people at one time somewhat exhausting, because he really needed the silence.

"Hey, Yug! What's da rush?" Joey shouted.

Yugi ignored him as he continued towards his destination. He didn't stop until he saw the desk that was empty again and collapsed into the nearest seat to catch his breath.

'That idiot better be here today! I could care less if he's one of Shae's lieutenants! I bet I can take him…then maybe I'll FINALLY get some answers!'

Yugi groaned loudly. Three days. That's how long Imhotep's irritable thoughts had been randomly invading his own mind. The past twenty-four hours it had been non-stop. Imhotep had spent the night tossing and turning, his thoughts screaming loudly into Yugi's head. And of course it wasn't just Imhotep's thoughts. It was the physical manifestations of his emotions as well. The increasing tension from Imhotep's anger spread through his vicariously aching chest and shoulders.

The voices of his friends coming down the hall prompted his head and shoulders to fall forward in defeat. It would only be a matter of moments before Imhotep discovered that Bakura had skipped school again, and he would be forced to deal with the bombardment of thoughts and emotions as a result.

The harsh steps that were approaching far too quickly, combined with the growing sensations in his chest, told Yugi that Imhotep had the same idea as him to rush up to the classroom to search for Bakura. The elemental had a habit of ditching everyone in the mornings, including Marik, in favor of being the first to his seat.

The footsteps came to a sharp stop, words in an unknown language rushing forth in a tone that bordered on rage searing their way into Yugi's mind. He couldn't take it anymore, not after a sleepless night filled with pretty much the same.

Yugi quickly rose, fury in his eyes as he turned to face his twin.

"Will. You. PLEASE. STOP! No more thinking! Just…STOP!"

The emotions that weren't his quickly transitioned from anger to guilt.

'Has our connection become that intense?'

"Yes!" Yugi said loudly as he grabbed at his head in frustration.

He wasn't certain if Imhotep had meant to ask the question mentally, or if it was just a thought that had unfortunately found itself broadcast into Yugi's mind. Based on the expression that formed across Imhotep's face when he verbally answered, he assumed the latter.

He attempted to calm himself, but having two separate sets of emotions churning inside wasn't doing him any favors. He was extremely glad this had never been an issue when he shared a body with Atem. That would have been maddening.

"Um, if I may?" Marik interjected as he stepped around Imhotep and into the classroom. "I know Set is a sensitive subject for Kat, but I think if your little mind connection has gotten to the point of being this disruptive, I think she might understand you bringing him up."

"Are you insane? Did you not see how she wanted to kill Kaiba the other day? Set isn't a 'sensitive subject'...he's something you just don't bring up at all," Imhotep stated sharply.

"She was already worked up the other day before the encounter, but you didn't see what I saw inside her mindscape. I think she'll be okay with talking about him now," Marik replied.

Yugi took a deep breath. "I think Marik's right. We need to talk to mom about this. The sooner, the better."

Marik nodded. "I agree. The two of you should go right now. You should be able to find her in Egypt."

"Egypt?" Yugi and Imhotep asked in unison.

"Yeah. She was really distracted when I arrived home yesterday. When I woke up this morning, she was already gone and I had a text from her that just said 'Egypt'. I'm guessing she's at the palace."

Imhotep stared off for a moment, and Yugi could sense that his twin was confirming their mother's whereabouts.

"She's in the archives…and she looks pretty agitated. I-...I don't really want to bother her with this right now…" Imhotep said uneasily.

"Wow," Marik said casually. "Afraid to face your own mother. Strange, considering just the other day it looked like you were about to get into a fist-fight with her over something she'd said to Yugi."

Yugi could feel his twin's temper flaring.

"Are you implying that I'm a coward?" Imhotep asked bitterly.

"Nope. Just stating something that I've observed about you," Marik stated while leaning against a nearby desk.

Imhotep got up in Marik's face. "No…I'm pretty sure you're calling me a coward. You think I can't face her. You have no idea what she's capable of. I do. And I know when to not test her patience."

"Really? Is that what you call the other day? Because she was obviously agitated then as well and it didn't stop you."

Yugi tried to hide the smirk that had begun to form. As much as he hated to admit it, one thing Marik was good at was picking up on people's weak points. He knew how to use those weaknesses to get people to do exactly what he wanted them to do. If it hadn't been for Kaiba's interference, Atem would have lost his duel against the puppet that controlled Slifer, as Marik had him convinced that it was impossible to defeat the God Monster. Yugi had been grateful for that interference too. He was also grateful that Marik had resigned using his mental manipulation tactics when he came back to Domino.

Right now, however, he was thrilled that Marik had decided to use those same tactics to help him. He and Imhotep needed to find a way to have control over the link between them. If not, he might find himself begging for Imhotep to stay away…indefinitely. That wasn't something he really wanted to do. The brother he never knew he had was finally a part of his life, and he liked it…he just didn't like this out of control connection between them.

Imhotep's thoughts once again began their assault into Yugi's mind. His twin had several choice words that he wanted to say, but there was one word that stood out and caught his attention.

"Apep? Where have I heard that word mentioned before?"

The thoughts that were invading his mind came to an abrupt halt. Only a single word crossed that barrier afterwards as Imhotep and Marik stared wide-eyed at one another.

'Fuck.'

"Alright, you win. We're leaving to go see Shae right now…but you're coming with us. She appears less likely to be hostile in your presence," Imhotep quickly stated towards Marik.

Marik's shoulders appeared to relax from their stiffened state. "Right. Let's not waste any time then."

As soon as the three arrived in the palace gardens, Imhotep leaned against a nearby tree.

"Are you going to be okay?" Yugi asked in concern. He could feel his twin's exhaustion.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm used to just traversing the Shadows alone, not acting as a taxi cab and bringing others along. Thankfully it's still night here so I'll recoup quickly. The gathering took a bit out of me too, but not like this. I think it's because I'm doing it too often. I might need a bit of downtime after today," Imhotep replied.

"Right," Yugi agreed. "Just let us know when you're ready."

Imhotep pushed off the tree. "About as ready as I'll ever be," he said while leading the way towards the library wing.

"This room looks familiar," Marik said as they entered a room lined with books and scrolls.

"It should. It was part of the little 'flashback' you saw," Imhotep began. "This is the room Shae and Bakura were standing in when your old man fucked shit up."

Marik scowled. "How do you know what she showed me?"

"I was hiding in Yugi's shadow when you mentioned it to Bakura."

"Of course you were," Marik scoffed.

Yugi heard Imhotep's reply forming, and decided to put a stop to it before it came out.

"Let's not forget why we're here."

Between the way Imhotep and Marik were glaring at one another, and the tension that Yugi could feel building in his chest, he suspected that their get-along period might be coming to a quick end.

Imhotep was the first to break from the staring contest. "Right. I saw Shae somewhere in this room. She couldn't have gone far."

They spread out, searching through the rows of literature. Yugi had just come across an area with books and scrolls sprawled across the floor when he heard Marik shouting in panicked Arabic, prompting him to abandon his search to seek out the Tomb Keeper instead.

Imhotep had beaten him to a section where a very terrified Marik was perched atop a low bookshelf.

"What happened?"

"He says he saw a snake, but that doesn't make sense since there aren't any on the palace grounds," Imhotep replied.

A small, golden cobra peeked its head out from between some books that had been knocked down during Marik's frantic climb, ivory markings trailing down the back of its hood.

"Oh! It's just Aunt Kebbie!" Imhotep said excitedly while crouching down to pet the serpent.

"Aunt?!" Yugi and Marik shouted simultaneously.

"That is correct," Kat said as she approached from behind. "That is my half-sister, the Goddess Kebechet."

"I thought you said there weren't any snakes in your household!?" Marik shouted accusingly.

"Keb doesn't reside here," Kat stated in annoyance. "She came to lend me a hand."

The body of the snake quickly shifted into that of a young woman. Yugi could easily spot the family resemblance. Golden skin, bright blue eyes, and fairly short in stature. Her straight, waist-length hair that was whiter than Yugi thought white could possibly get, was the one feature that set her apart.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know that someone with ophidiophobia would be here!" Kebechet said in deep apology towards Marik.

"There wasn't supposed to be," Kat stated while glaring at the three that should have been in school.

"Oh…" Kebechet said, suddenly looking uncomfortable. "I think…I'll go pay Nephthys a visit. I'm sure our grandmother will have something to say in regards to your concerns."

Before Kat could say anything, Kebechet vanished in a spark of pale-blue light.

Yugi was grateful that for a change, his and Imhotep's current emotion aligned…both suddenly wishing they were anywhere else.

"Well…?" Kat questioned, looking expectantly between them while waiting for an answer.

Marik slowly lowered himself down from the bookshelf. "These two have a problem that we were hoping maybe you could help with."

Kat gestured in annoyance that conveyed 'get on with it'.

Yugi could tell Imhotep didn't want to be the one to say anything, so he took a deep breath and prayed for the best. "When Imhotep and I are near, I can hear his more intense thoughts and emotions. We need to know how to make it stop."

He didn't like the exasperated 'for real' look he received.

"The same way you did with Atem. Just close the door."

Yugi looked towards Imhotep, who shrugged and appeared just as confused.

Kat momentarily covered her face before dragging her hands down to show her annoyance of the situation.

"It's the same as with the Puzzle, just without the anchor point. Just step inside your soul room and close the door. Not that hard. Set pretty much locked that door between us after our Ama-shae died. I don't blame him either. Especially since-..." Kat paused. "Don't worry about that part, it's irrelevant. Just focus on your soul room, find the door, and close it."

"I don't know how to access mine anymore," Yugi admitted.

Kat appeared to take a calming breath as she placed her hands on his shoulders, keeping him at arm's length. "Close your eyes, and envision your soul room."

Yugi did as instructed, only to open his eyes seconds later. "I can't. It's like I forgot what it looks like."

Kat lifted her hands, placing the middle and ring finger of one hand on his temple, repeating the action with Imhotep and her other hand. "Try again."

Yugi made another attempt, and this time he found himself standing in an unfamiliar area.

"Where am I?" he asked, startling at the echo that permeated throughout the dark void he'd found himself in.

"I was wondering the same thing," Imhotep said beside him, looking around as if in awe of his surroundings.

"I'm using my own mind as a bridge between the two of you," Kat's voice echoed around them. "I can't keep this up for long, so hurry up and find the door."

"Uh, Shae…it's just an endless realm of darkness," Imhotep pointed out.

"What have I taught you about 'seeing the unseen'?"

Yugi heard the internal grumblings of his twin…in both his head and from not that far away.

"Hey, I think it might be this way," he said while taking off in the direction he'd heard the sounds.

Imhotep followed closely, intentionally projecting his thoughts at this point to help guide them until they came across a solitary door standing out in the open.

They both carefully peaked their heads inside the strange door, only to discover a hallway that came to an abrupt halt. On either side stood two other doors. Both teens cautiously approached, taking note of the positions the doors were currently in.

"Why is my door wide-open like that?" Yugi questioned.

"Not sure. Maybe you got used to leaving it open so our old man could come and go as he pleased?" Imhotep said with a shrug.

"I guess that makes sense." He looked over at the other door. "Yours isn't nearly as open. That must be why it only works one way."

"Not entirely," Imhotep admitted. "When my own emotions aren't getting in the way, I can kinda sense yours. My door has to stay like that though...for reasons. Though, I suppose I could shut it a little further."

Imhotep pulled his so that there was only a small gap the width of two fingers. "That should work."

Yugi looked back at his own door, then did the same. "I'm not going to shut it all the way. The connection that's there doesn't bother me, I just need to be able to shut you out when it becomes too much."

"Right," Imhotep said with a smile and a nod. "Now that this is out of the way, let's get out of here."

Yugi looked around. "How do we do that, exactly?"

This time Imhotep took the lead, taking them back into the dark void.

"Alright, it's done! Can we leave?" he shouted.

Yugi blinked and found himself back in the library with Kat lowering her hands.

"You may want to work some more on soul room visualization," Kat suggested. "It's essential for working magic."

"I'll keep that in mind," Yugi said with a smile.

"You said Aunt Kebbie was helping you, and she mentioned talking to Nephthys about something you were concerned about," Imhotep stated in a worried tone, quickly shifting the focus of things. "Is something going on with my old man? Is that why you've been so secretive about where he's at?"

Kat's eyes shifted away. "I'm…not sure. I think not being properly prepared might have messed something up."

Imhotep's gaze and shoulders fell. "Oh."

"I don't blame you," Kat said in reassurance. "There was always the possibility of having to perform the ritual at a moment's notice…and I chose to ignore it. I should have kept myself at the ready just-in-case."

"Bakura's with him, isn't he?" Yugi asked. He didn't need to hear Imhotep's thoughts to know he was wondering the same thing.

Kat nodded. "Kura has centuries of medical knowledge so he knows what to watch for on a physical level…and while his methods are a bit on the unethical side of things, he knows how to help people work past traumatic experiences."

"You're trusting a lunatic to take care of my father?!" Imhotep asked loudly in disbelief.

"When said 'lunatic' is the one keeping your father from drowning in apathy and possible suicidal thoughts: Yes," Kat replied bluntly.

Yugi felt all the color drain from his face and his heart came to a temporary halt. Based on the expression Imhotep wore, he was certain his twin was experiencing the same. Even Marik looked a shade paler than usual.

"He wants to die?" Yugi choked out.

Kat's expression changed to a sad one. "Let's just say that he's…been expressing a lack of self-preservation. It's like he doesn't care. And then there was his black-out episode yesterday. Mkhai thinks he's having a hard time adjusting to being alive again."

Imhotep appeared to think about the information before speaking again. "Is that why he left when he did?"

"Kinda. He doesn't handle seeing my 'death' too well," Kat replied.

"But…you didn't die?" Imhotep stated in confusion.

"No, but apparently my expression was close enough to trigger a dissociative reaction," Kat explained.

Imhotep's head lowered. "Oh. And here I thought he was just being an ass."

"Honestly, Kura thought the same. That's how he found out about Atem's current outlook…or rather lack of…on life. We've been trying to change that."

"I see," Imhotep said despondently.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Kat spoke again.

"How about the two of you pay him a visit this weekend? I'm sure he'll like that."

Yugi and Imhotep looked at one another, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, sounds good," Yugi replied with a small smile.

"Will you be there too?" Imhotep asked, failing to mask the hope in his voice.

Kat averted her gaze for only a moment. "It's…best if I stay away for a bit."

Imhotep's eyes and shoulders subtly fell. "Oh. That's okay. You probably have other plans anyway," he said while glancing towards Marik.

An awkward silence followed. Yugi was more than aware that regardless of Imhotep's shattered feelings about Atem leaving, a small part of him still held onto the illusion of their family being whole…if even for a day.

Yugi was just about to open his mouth to suggest that maybe they could plan something with just the four of them, when Kat broke the silence.

"You should hurry up and get back to school."

Imhotep fidgeted sheepishly. "Can you help with that? I'm a bit tired. I can probably do one, but two would be pushing it."

Kat nodded. "I'll take Marik."

"Thanks Shae."

ophidiophobia-fear of snakes

Kebechet- Daughter of Anubis and Anput. Kebechet was thought to give water to the spirits of the dead while they waited for the mummification process to be complete.