Chapter LXXII: Return

"You knew."

The words were whispered.

Atem did not look away from the mess of burned flesh and broken bodies that Seto had come to stand by. The scorched patterns on the ground made his skin crawl. Noah was missing. Mokuba was a grotesque mess of burned flesh and bones, wings stripped entirely. Zigfried's neck had been broken and his head lay limp and twisted backwards. Leon had been killed the simplest, thrown from the same height as Echo or Patty, hitting every stone offered by the sheer cliffs.

Dimitri had gotten progressively more violent as he went. Leon had been the first, Zigfried second, and Mokuba last.

"You knew."

This time it was louder. It sounded as if Seto were in agony. His voice was quiet and shattered, as if he were in a daze. Atem did not believe his shock would last much longer. Seto had always recovered quickly when they were younger. He may have been upset now, but that didn't mean much.

He counted a breath.

Seto snarled, lunging at him. Atem didn't look. He didn't care enough to. Yugi would get between them as he always had. He did not even have to think about it. The Gandora was so faithful he'd probably already prepared himself to intercept. Atem didn't have to react more than to wait until Yugi let go and then stop the further bloodshed.

They were still in the camp. They needed to make sure it didn't seem as if they were going to kill needlessly to mimic Dimitri.

They'd seen enough death for one day.

But they never collided.

Atem heard only the smallest, lightest touch of paws to pronounce the disruption. The unexpected appearance made everyone halt. The tension spiked, crackling like electricity.

"You're…?" The amazement in Seto's tone made Atem stiffen. He did not turn his head. He didn't want to face any of them any longer. The Clan had settled into eating where they could stomach it, or whispering blessings for the nest they'd lost, or watching him as if they expected him to turn on them at any moment.

They all knew now. They all knew about Yami. They all knew why he hated to visit the camp. They all knew why he refused to spend the time necessary to get to know his siblings.

They all knew Atem's genetics had led to a monster, even if Atem himself had not been the one to fertilize the eggs.

"But you're…"

There was a long minute of silence.

"I didn't think you would return so soon."

The words were simple, but strained and somehow cold as well. They circled about in Atem's skull for a long moment, not because of the sound of them or the message they conveyed, but because of the speaker.

He blinked and turned his head, eyeing Yugi in his peripheral. The Gandora looked exhausted and stiff, muscles hardened and statuesque the longer Atem studied him. And then he slowly turned his head to face the newcomer.

He stared, unmoving.

The silence became suffocating.

He narrowed his eyes. His teeth ground together, both jaws aching. Ferocity coursed through him. Impulse said to lunge and strike out. Then he blinked slowly, studying.

The other male was unmoving but for watching him.

"How…?"

Atem bristled. "Yes," he agreed slowly, salivating with anger. I didn't think you would return so soon. The words echoed about his head again. He turned slowly to face Yugi, voice dripping with venom. "How?"

The Gandora refused to face him, watching the newcomer intently.

"Why did you return so soon?"

"Dimitri has retreated for the moment. Jaden is in his den with Jesse. Yusei is watching for Dimitri. Leviathan is with the Clan explaining what happened. I have no reason to fear their arrival," he answered softly. He had the audacity to smile at them, eyes warm and sparkling. "And I do not know what would have happened had I left Father to deal with Seto's temper."

The silence threatened to suffocate him.

"How?" Akunadin snapped, breathless and anxious.

The newcomer didn't turn away from Atem. His elegant red wings were folded into his sides. He stood taller than ever, on lanky legs. His paws were almost the proper size for his longer, slim but heavier set body, and his slender tail was coiled loosely behind him. It was the length of his body should it have been doubled and the golden eyes bore into his intently.

"Hello."

Atem stared blankly, unable to keep from snarling. But he did not bother to lash out. So the seconds passed. Silence remained keen in the camp. And then the God Dragon slowly flicked his top tongue.

The dragon before him smelled of nothing but mud and berry juice.

And he would have assumed it a hallucination had it not been for the fact the others had so clearly acknowledged the phantom before him.

Atem didn't answer. His eyes flickered with disbelief towards Yugi once more, settling and burning intently into his skin. The Gandora still refused to glance in his direction. The Sky Dragon narrowed his eyes faintly, studying him and bristling.

The newcomer chuckled softly and Atem turned to him finally when he came closer. The other dragon rubbed against him, all but purring, and laid his head against his chest for a moment. Atem would have thought him preparing to sink his teeth into his plates had it not been for the relaxed stance he'd taken and the way he settled so comfortably against him. When he exhaled, the breath was warm and soft and gentle and his weight was easier rather than imposing against him.

Finally, the other dragon moved away to face Seto. He raised his head, eyes sharp like glittering golden gems, and murmured, "It would be suicide should you fight him. I know you have not simply forgotten such in your grief."

Atem blinked, but his eyes refused to lift from the male in front of him. The juvenile shook himself out, the mud paste flaking off slowly with each movement. It fell like snowflakes of pale brown-gray and gave way to a sheen of brilliant red the shade of live flames, jaws and eyes lined with black like the kohl the humans wore in the southern region.

His eyes were like glowing gems and his jaw was wider, framed with two scale-covered tusks that his teeth were able to sharpen against. The two mouths were far more apparent now with age; the first set of teeth lined his beak and his bottom front canines were akin tusks. The second set were immediately behind them, smaller but just as sharp and jagged, nestled in gums of dark gray-blue, and he was sure they could easily crush someone's trachea.

The helm of his skull was marked with black streaks and the scales along his neck and back rose in an inverted, upwards bristle rather than backwards like Atem's own. His paws were thin and delicate, but flatter as well, though only the center of each touched the ground, the claws twice the height of each toe to prevent contact with the ground. Each scale was sharp and jagged along the underside of their neck, only smoothing out behind the protective chest plates framed in black and glittering like lava stones. A pair of brilliant sharp white scythes came from the center of their chest before the protective plates, jutted and angular to mirror their hollow claws.

The Felgrand looked chastised as he considered the words. But then his eyes shot quickly to Atem and back, as if he were too afraid to remove his gaze from him as well.

"How are you…?"

The red male shook himself out again, flicking his wings and twitching his long tail. The end was opened as it always had been, the scales spread and lined with the palest slivers of silver. His head turned and his eyes focused on Yugi as Atem studied him intently. "I wouldn't have come back if I hadn't known it was necessary. Seto's death would have been an unwanted problem atop the mountain of others." He chuckled, then turned to Atem and smiled with the brightest golden eyes he'd ever seen. "I thought it might be a good idea to come check on you as well. You're still the blind spot for the other dragons, but thankfully I know where you are."

Atem blinked. "Oh?"

"Of course! You're my father. Why wouldn't I know where you were?" he teased, snickering. He smiled warmly. Then he butted him gently in the shoulder. "Regardless, I came more to see the destruction Dimitri brought in his wake."

Yugi was studying him, blue-violet eyes narrowed and head tilted slightly to the side. His expression was one of something almost akin suspicion but Atem came to recognize it soon after as nothing more than attentiveness. But his stance was still somewhat tense and he almost looked as if he might flick his tongue spitefully at any moment.

"You knew?" Seto snarled. "You knew as well?"

Yami turned his head, raising it as he studied Seto. "No. It wasn't so much that I knew. I sensed it, yes, but I couldn't tell who had been doing it. It wasn't until he attacked Timaeus that I understood the level of havoc he could cause. I assumed it was a natural fear state and the pressure I was under when I first came to the camp that made me so wary," he said quietly. He shook his head. "Atem sensed it when he came near the nest so long ago. But it was not out of malice that he did not tell you. It was because he was unsure and he thought he was overreacting due to his wet paws when he Blessed the nest."

Seto spun on him. "You worthless bastard. Why wouldn't you explain—?"

"Explain?" Yami echoed softly, stepping more firmly between them and making Seto turn to him once more. "How should he have? You have such little faith in him no matter what he says. You do not care for anything he tells you. You care only for what you wish to hear. That is where the majority of the abuse stemmed when you were hatchlings as well. Do not think me stupid, Seto. My father is the strongest God Dragon in existence and I am no fool. I've seen his memories. I've sampled his thoughts. You thought you had power over him, but you've only managed to manipulate yourself to believe such a bold lie."

Yugi glanced over slowly, but Atem did not take his eyes off the younger red male. A moment or two passed. And then, abruptly, the Sky Dragon shot forward, claws braced, and slammed into him. Yugi snarled, spinning on him, but froze as he considered his possible combatant; Yami, however, simply looked to him with a smile and jumped to his paws. Atem snarled, bristling, but did not lash out again. He stared, eyes cold and the gem on his forehead glittering dangerously, but never made another move to strike at him.

"Are you happier now that you've decided I'm not a phantom?" Yami teased, smiling and shaking his head. He twitched his wings, tucking them into his sides, and flexed his paws. And for a moment Yugi swore he was no older than he was upon his departure with Jonouchi that night seemingly so long ago.

Atem stared a moment longer. And then he looked slowly to Yugi. And he could feel the distance swelling between them. Atem's eyes had hardened drastically and his stance was a furious, tense one. But he didn't pay him any further attention. There was no snarl, nor words spoken. Instead he turned and looked to Yami again.

The Uria smiled at him wider, a face full of teeth. Atem stared blankly a moment longer, then mumbled, "I'm glad you're still alive."

Yugi didn't think there was a single thing he could have said otherwise that might have held as much adoration and disbelief. Even if he'd expressed further doubt, he was sure Atem could never have made his voice sound that way again.

"It was for the best," Yami said softly, nodding slightly. The smile fell from his face after a moment. "I'm sure it doesn't alleviate the heartache, but it truly was for the best."

Atem grunted but didn't comment. Instead he turned just enough to eye Yugi from his peripheral. The gleam in his golden gaze was not a happy one, but Yugi wasn't sure he saw malice in them either. Abruptly the Sky Dragon turned away again, speaking louder.

"You came to save Seto."

Yami shook his head. "As far as I can see, he has no battle wounds but for that gash on his side," he answered quietly. He never looked away from Atem, flicking his tail back and forth as he studied him. "I came here more so for you than anyone else."

There was a long moment of silence and Yugi's hearts ached as he looked between them. Atem seemed more dazed than anything, but he did appear to understand what was happening around him.

"I missed you."

The words were said in almost a whisper.

Yugi nearly flinched. Atem sounded so tired and the look Yami gave him was one of pure sorrow. But it passed a second later. The Uria smiled at him again, then turned away to address Seto.

"Dimitri won't be gone for too long, but for the moment he's fled. He's not used to Atem. Once he becomes used to him, you're going to have a much harder time holding him off." He fell quiet for a moment, glancing at Atem once more. "For the moment he's still afraid of him due to Atem snapping at him when he was younger. Once he outgrows that, he's going to come after Atem as well."

Seto blinked and glanced at Atem scathingly. "How nice that you nearly attacking him as a hatchling has helped you now."

Yami bristled, peeling his lips back to show his teeth more pointedly. "He is the only one that has a chance of saving you from him right now. I would try not to upset him more than you already have."

The laugh that left Atem was hollow and furious. "Upset me? Seto?" he sneered. His eyes shot to Yugi, blazing now. "No, he doesn't have that power anymore."

The Gandora flinched and turned his head away, shame crashing through him. In his peripheral he saw Yami look at Atem with a knowing expression, tinged with sadness, but he never spoke. The Uria simply watched his father for a long handful of seconds, then exhaled slowly and looked away to Akunadin. But his eyes did not linger for more than a heartbeat. Then he shook himself out, straightened, and turned back to Seto.

"Watch your words," he advised in a clipped tone, "or I might be the one to strike you for them."

The threat was startling to say the least. Atem even stopped short, head snapping around and eyes widening in surprise. Yugi blinked and raised his head. Yami was staring at Seto with a look that granted no argument, eyes cold and sharp like his claws. His stance was relaxed and easy, but the threat in his voice was clear.

Abruptly he whipped around to face Atem. "I owe you answers."

Atem stared at him for a long moment, then shook his head. "You're alive. That's all I care about."

Yami smiled, insides warm. Atem looked so tired and overwhelmed, but he still had his head up and he hadn't withdrawn completely again. Just the fact he faced him with such clarity and warmth in his eyes despite his exhausted tone made his entire body light with affection. He tucked his wings further into his sides to keep from pouncing forward and licking his face, barely suppressing the tremors that threatened to overwhelm him.

"I do. I owe you answers." He drew a deep breath. "I want to explain myself, because it's…not okay what this has done to you."

Atem narrowed his eyes slightly but didn't speak.

Yami turned to glance around after a moment, considering the onlookers. All of them seemed rattled, as if they'd seen a specter of some kind, and he almost laughed. They all had thought he was dead as well, he assumed. The damage was minimal to them, but likely the worst Atem had ever suffered. The only thing that could have crippled him further was Yugi's death.

"Actually, let me see to their wounds first." He shook himself out, facing Atem again and feeling small for a split second. His chest felt tight as he searched his father's countenance. "Is Timaeus all right? I know he's with Aki and the Wind Clan, but he's okay?"

Yugi opened his mouth to answer, then faltered. Atem laughed softly, a noise of pure disbelief. "You sent me that dream."

Yami smiled. "Guilty."

Atem nodded slowly, watching him as if he expected him to disappear if he didn't stare so hard. "He's okay. He…was super dazed when he woke. He didn't tell me much about it. He just said someone shared their heart with him." He snarled softly then. "I thought it may have been Dimitri, because it would have been so easy then to use Timaeus against me."

He shook his head. "Timaeus winded him and hurt him badly enough. Even changing shape didn't heal the wound fast enough. His jaw was crushed for a while. He fled and returned home. I was there immediately after." He sighed softly. "I wished I'd been there to stop him, but I suppose foresight is only useful when you spend your days staring into the future."

Atem curled his lips, showing the ridges of his teeth. "The future is not etched in stone. It changes. Jaden, Yusei and Leviathan are stuck in the past, watching for the worst to come. And yet they cannot prevent it."

Yami smiled again. "The future comes as it may. Things are done of necessity, not because it is foretold."

Atem nodded slightly. Yami could see the faint smirk on his face. "Did you know sharing your heart with him would do that?"

Yami blinked, smile falling in confusion. He tilted his head and studied him. Had something gone wrong? No; Atem would not have been so calm and levelheaded had something adverse happened. "Do what?"

"Restore his eye."

He blinked once, long and slow, and processed the words a few heartbeats longer. He looked at Yugi, stomach flipping both with joy and dread, and wondered if he appeared as amazed and scared as he felt. Yugi smiled faintly, but he kept glancing at Atem with a crestfallen glint in his eye. Yami turned back to his father, bristling faintly, and murmured, "I didn't. But I…I'm glad it did."

"Tend to them. I'll still be here when you finish."

Yami nodded slightly and leaned forward to lick his forehead. Atem stared back, unwavering, until he turned to find the worst wounded nearest him.