Chapter CX: Allegiance

"A deity?" Yugi repeated slowly, cautiously, and then tilted his head toward Atem. The God Dragon stared at their son as if he had three heads, then glanced at him in turn. They locked eyes and for a moment Yugi couldn't process the look on his face. And then they both burst into laughter and he shook his head, turning away with a huge grin. "Sartorius had terrible visions then."

Yami smiled tightly. "I don't know the full extent of his visions. He only showed Yubel a limited amount and with what memories he altered and changed when Jaden healed her, it's not hard to believe he was so afraid he made it seem as if things would come to an end if he allowed you or Atem to be born."

The Gandora opened his mouth to answer, then faltered. He bristled, eyes shooting to Atem. The Slifer looked as if he were still processing the words, but it became abruptly clear he understood as well. The moment their eyes locked, Yugi realized he knew just as he did.

Jaden was terrified of Atem.

He always had been. He'd made things more difficult for him by drawing them to the Badlands for the gathering, fearful he'd overlooked the Slifer his son must have shown him in Yubel's memories. He'd constantly pressed to see the limits of Atem's temper for the sake of knowing when he might have to strike him down. He'd wanted to test his physical limits by forcing him to patrol with himself and Yusei or the three of them when they'd gone to investigate the nests after the eclipse. He'd sought to tally his weaknesses and understand what he could to dispose of him when the time came he had to.

Because, as far as he knew, he would have to.

Atem was the creature of nightmares for Jaden. And when he'd seen Yugi there as well, he'd become even more confused and irritated. It was why his name being mentioned seemed to stroke his ire. It was why just the mention of the two of them set him so far on edge. And Jaden was too afraid to tell Yusei or Leviathan why he was so unnerved by Atem or Yugi, so he'd merely poked and bristled and waited for a reason for him to lash out.

He'd tolerated Yugi's outbursts and threats because he knew he wasn't a deity. He knew he was nothing more than a standard Gandora. So he'd thought perhaps Sartorius had been wrong in that aspect, but his fear of Atem had only steadily grown.

With Ironheart's request to see him that day, it had grown tenfold. He'd become convinced of disaster. And he'd become more suspicious and angry, closing himself off because he was too afraid to explain himself to the one dragon who might have actually understood his fears.

Yugi shook his head slowly, turning back. "But he didn't know Atem's name."

Yami blinked. "What?"

"When they met—at the gathering. Jaden didn't know his name. None of them did." Yugi narrowed his eyes, flustered and annoyed. "Jaden had no idea what his name was and he referred to him by his species numerous times. When Atem introduced himself, I remember Jaden took note but seemed confused and maybe a little frustrated. It was like he didn't…understand something."

Yami nodded after a moment, then turned to Atem. "He called the three of us by what abilities he thought we had. You were called Instinct, Yugi was called Determination and he…called me Death."

Atem glanced at Yugi sideways, golden eyes glittering as they searched his. He considered him just as intently, wondering at the oddness of the choice of names. After a moment he turned back to their son.

"Instinct is the only one he got right." He flicked his tail and Yugi noticed Yami flex his claws again. "Yugi isn't a deity. And you… You couldn't even kill when you were younger unless it was fish. Unless you've dug your claws into someone else besides Bakura, I don't see how that name applies."

Yugi snorted and shook his head, though after a moment he froze. "Bakura," he whispered, eyes widening. Atem and Yami both looked over as he bristled and flexed his claws with a snarl. He turned to Atem. "We overlooked it. Oh, Atem, we overlooked it."

Atem bristled uncertainly. "Little one?"

Yugi spun on Yami. "You killed Bakura."

"Yes?" the Uria inquired, tilting his head. He looked so bewildered and anxious that Yugi almost hated himself for setting him so far on edge. "But I don't understand what you're getting at."

"You killed him. With a single attack." Yugi looked to Atem and the God Dragon blinked, at first in confusion and then growing understanding. His head snapped around, eyes widening as they bore into Yami's. Yugi turned back to their son as Yami looked between them with a confused, almost fearful expression. "He had six hearts. And from what I know, he lost only two before you tore his throat open."

Yami blinked, then growled softly. "No. He couldn't have. He must have lost some when he was in the desert."

Yugi shook his head. "The heat is scathing and it might have slowed him down, but it wouldn't have killed him unless he'd neglected himself while he was there. And he wouldn't have. Because he wanted to kill you in front of Atem, and then slaughter him after. Isn't that what he promised?"

Atem was silent for a moment, then looked over. "So perhaps he got that right. But what about you?"

"Who knows? Maybe he thought he saw three deities and didn't realize there were only two." Yugi snorted. "I mean, I'm amazing enough to pass for one."

Atem smirked. "You're ridiculous." He turned back to Yami and Yugi looked over to find the Uria staring at them both with glazed eyes. "Yami?"

"It's nothing," he muttered, shaking his head. "I just… I still sometimes can't believe I did that. Sometimes it seems like some kind of nightmare that I ever had to kill someone."

Yugi blinked and risked a glance toward Atem. The same suspicion he felt burned in his mate's eyes. Yami was lying. Yugi didn't understand why or what about, but he was lying all the same.

But what did he expect them to do if they had no understanding of why he was so upset? How did he expect them to help if he wouldn't explain himself?

Yami looked away, glancing in the direction they'd come from. When he turned back he looked exhausted and the glazed glint in his eyes was long gone. He looked to Atem solely for a long moment. "It doesn't matter," he declared, flicking his tail and standing. "What's done is done, is it not? Isn't that what you always told me? You can change the future but never the past?"

Atem narrowed his eyes. "As far I'm aware," he scoffed, and Yugi smiled despite himself. Of course he was so skeptical and dismissive. "If returning to the past was an option, it was never presented me."

His eyes flickered toward Yugi for a brief second, as if he were studying and taking note of something. Yugi considered him, bewildered, but the God Dragon turned away again. Atem flicked his tail and watched their son for a long time, then got to his paws to mimic him. Yugi was startled by how much alike and yet totally different they looked standing across from each other like this.

Yami was still smaller, the size of a large wolf, with long limbs and flatter paws. His scales were like dried blood and his wings immense, with three spears of keratin and the ends curled inward sharply like Yugi's own. His claws were long and sharp, jagged and likely hollow as Atem's were. His scales came in two rows down his back, the back of his neck curled downward and back, and the rest upward and forward. Scythes glittered on his primary chest plate, longer and sharper than Atem's, and his chest had gotten more a barrel shape despite his lean frame. His long tail was lined with sharp scales at the end, four of them outward shaping and his tip the same spade-like formation of Atem's.

Atem was right. Yami was so much larger than he should have been, the Gandora genes having kicked in despite his young age. He would have still been tiny were he solely Sky Dragon, though Slifers often hit a quick growth spurt that reached half their natural size and stunted until full maturity.

Atem wasn't even at his full size yet. Yugi knew he was smaller than he should have been, stunted likely from the length of his immense lifespan. With his ability to ensure it, Yugi wondered if he'd ever grow much larger, if he'd always be this size because of the implications of his gift…

"Likely the latter," Yami laughed, and Yugi blinked before huffing and smiling despite himself. Atem glanced between them but didn't speak, looking away after a moment and past Yami's shoulder. Yugi followed his line of sight and spotted Timaeus approaching. Aki seemed to have left while they'd been talking. Yami paused and looked over his shoulder. "Hello."

Timaeus dipped his head in greeting and turned to Atem. "Aki wished to speak to you before she left." He tilted his head. "Although, I'm sure whatever she has to say can be in front of everyone."

Yami blinked and nodded slightly. "She just wants to say farewell."

Yugi considered Atem's surprised expression for a moment, wondering not for the first time why he always seemed shocked when someone thought he was worth saying goodbye to. He wondered despite himself if he was just expecting everyone to disappear after what had happened with Yami, especially upon finding out he'd aided him in his departure…

"At least it's something so easy," Atem muttered, dismissive and distracted. "I'd hate to have yet another problem for no other reason than my streak of bad luck."

Yami laughed and looked over. "Streak of bad luck? Oh, please. Others would kill to have your bad luck."

"I seem to have a different idea of what's worth killing and dying for than others," Atem scoffed, then moved past them to start leading the way. He didn't hesitate but for when they got to the edge of the trees where Aki was still seated. She had turned around to groom her tail, but immediately stopped when she realized they were close again.

Yugi thought she looked somewhat stressed and tired, but somehow invigorated as well. It was strange. It was as if she were older yet younger somehow all at once. He wondered at the expression she wore, but pushed his curiosity aside as he turned to Atem once more. He seemed just as puzzled, but he didn't look as if he would ask. Yugi supposed Atem was reluctant to even consider the possibility, because he likely didn't believe it was any of his business…

Aki looked abruptly toward Timaeus. "I would have assumed you would have wanted a moment alone with Yami rather than come back here to listen to me speak to Atem."

Yami glanced sideways at the Knight Dragon. "Another time, but not currently," he said, turning back to her.

"What an odd little dragon you raised, Atem," she commented, smirking faintly before turning to him and rising to a stand. "I only wished to tell you goodbye and to pledge allegiance."

Yugi bristled, startled and alarmed. He blinked and his head snapped toward Atem as the God Dragon stiffened beside him, wings tucking more firmly into his sides. He looked as stunned as Yugi felt, as if someone had doused them in river water on the verge of icing over..

"Allegiance?"

Aki flicked her tail. "As far as I'm concerned, should war break out, you are the only God Dragon worth a scale on his hide. Jaden is a forceful manipulator, Yusei works a barbed tongue, and the Leviathan is battle hungry with his boredom."

Atem blinked and raised his head slightly. "You wish to stand against Yusei?" he said slowly, narrowing his eyes. "I would have thought the opposite."

"Would you rather the Wind Clan be your enemy?"

He snorted. "No, but you have a history with Yusei. I thought it would have swayed your loyalty in his favor." He paused. "I don't know why I'm questioning you. It doesn't matter. You wish to declare fealty to me, then very well."

She chuckled. "Oh, Atem, your youth is showing," she snorted, shaking her head slightly. Yami cast him a small grin and Yugi bristled, about to step forward, but stopped when Atem shot him a warning look. Aki glanced at Yugi and huffed. "Put your claws away before I rip them off your paws."

He snarled softly. "Try it," he snapped.

Aki laughed and turned to Atem. "He's spunky."

Atem snorted. "Is that what it's called?" he commented, glancing at Yugi and smirking. Yugi watched him in his peripheral and barely suppressed a tremor of pleasure upon seeing the amusement and affection on his face.

"I would watch his willingness to launch into a fight like that, Atem," she said after a moment. Yugi bristled and snarled louder, but Atem merely looked over. He stood statuesque, as if expecting her to threaten him, but the words never came. "That's how you wind up with enemies and casualties you don't want."

"That sounds almost like you're threatening him," Atem said wryly, though his voice remained somewhat amicable. "I'll keep that in mind."

Aki snorted. "I'm sure," she scoffed, though she shook herself out and turned to Yami. "Thank you. Let me know if you ever should need something."

Yugi blinked and looked between them. His son stared at her for a long moment, silent as the grave, and then chuckled, "I come upon my needs by my own means, as my fathers taught me. But thank you. I'll remember that should I require something of the Wind Clan as a whole."

Aki dipped her head to him, snorted at Yugi and then nodded at Timaeus before she was gone. Yugi turned to Atem, wondering for a moment if he would take her warning seriously. Surely he didn't think he would just run around looking for the next fight?

"She sought you out for something to do with Yusei."

"Yes."

"Then why pledge fealty to me?"

"She doesn't plan to tell Yusei what she requested of me unless this war is over. She's not foolish enough to think that just because she's aligned her Clan with the best of the oppositions that she'll get out unscathed. She's aligning with you because you've never given her reason not to trust you, whereas the other three have blood on their paws from years of abuse of their powers." Yami fell silent, then continued in a quieter tone. "When this war fades, she'll approach him, but until then she's refusing even entertaining conversation with him more than necessity."

Yugi shifted his weight and looked between the three of them curiously. Timaeus stood staring at Atem, as if he expected him to say something else, but only Yami spoke after a long silence. He turned to them with a tired expression, voice low and soft.

"I…planned to stay in the village for the night." At Atem's sharpened glance, he smiled faintly. "I wanted to see about something."

"Stay cautious," Atem said brusquely, turning away and trotting toward the river. Yugi glanced at him for a moment but turned back to Yami. He was watching Atem with a tired and somewhat sad expression, but he blinked it away quickly when he turned to him.

"What's in the village you're so curious about?"

Yami was silent for a moment. "Their magic. I want… I'm going to ask Ryou to put me in a trance. They always seem able to find the things they're looking for when they do that. I thought maybe it would be a good idea to see if it might similarly work for me."

"What are you searching for?"

His son's eyes bore into his. Then they flickered toward Atem and slowly back. He smiled tightly. "It's something I need to do by myself. I can't ask for help with it."

Yugi blinked, tilting his head. "Is it? Or are you afraid to ask for help?"

"No," he said gently, "it's something only I can deal with."

Jaden stood rigid, eyes wide and scales lifted along his spine in a hideous bristle. Jesse lay a few feet away, fast asleep from the way his flank rose and fell so evenly, but the clearing was covered in blood. The smell was rotten from the direct sun and the heat made the stench almost suffocating. Jaden's head hurt as he wandered forward uncertainly. There was no question as to whose blood it was; he would have known the scent anywhere. He looked around uncertainly, considering, and studied the area slowly.

Jesse snored softly, and Jaden wondered for a moment if perhaps he was somehow mistaken. Maybe Jesse had a sibling or someone had come to visit and—was that his scent there as well? The smell of his own blood made his stomach lurch and churn. He bristled more furiously, snarling low in his throat, and looked around again.

He didn't want to consider it, but there was no other explanation.

There was no other reason he would have smelled his own blood littered about the sand amongst his mate's if not for the attacker wearing his flesh.

He rushed over to Jesse's side, relieved when he realized he wasn't simply conjuring up some kind of vague semblance of familiarity to deal with the situation. Jesse truly was breathing, snoring quietly, though his eyes snapped open and he raised his head immediately upon Jaden getting within a foot of him. He blinked, yawned, stretched his limbs, and then hurried to roll to his paws.

"Jesse…" He lashed his tail, unsure what to say, and exhaled slowly as he struggled to think of something else to put in the air between them. But there wasn't much more he could pull to mind and his lungs seemed too weak to carry anything. He shivered, considering him intently, and ducked his head as they looked at each other.

The Ice Dragon cast a small, uncertain glance around. He paused, taking in the carnage scattered about, and then turned back with an awkward smile. "I wasn't paying enough attention," he said quietly, as if confessing, "and I thought he was you."

Jaden opened and closed his mouth, then shook his head mutely. What was there to say? Dimitri had looked exactly like Timaeus before, even with the disfigurement of his missing eye. He'd looked like a replica of Seto, with the same small series of scars along the left side of his face. There was no fault to be cast or blame thrown but for toward Dimitri himself.

But who cared about that?

"You're okay," he managed to breathe, trying to quell the tremors that raced up his limbs.

"Yeah, I…" Jesse went quiet for a moment. "I think I was dead for a moment. And then I wasn't…"

Jaden blinked, unsure. He must have meant his hearts dying. He would have been dead otherwise. There was no other explanation but for his hearts failing—

"Yami came to heal me almost immediately after the attack—I think," Jesse continued. He sounded puzzled as he tilted his head and picked his words slowly. His golden eyes narrowed briefly as he considered. Jaden bristled, standing stiffly as they peered at each other. "I don't know how long it was between Dimitri leaving me to die and Yami's arrival."

Jaden lashed his tail. He'd gone to speak to Yubel and undone the years of neglect she'd inflicted upon herself and then he'd saved Jesse? It seemed false. He couldn't understand why Yami would have risked his life to hide beneath his beak to see to the fact that his mate survived. But he had…for some reason…

"And you don't think there's a chance of any kind that perhaps Yami and Dimitri are together for whatever reason?" he said slowly, tilting his head. "You don't suspect that they're working together for the moment? It's not suspicious to you that he arrived so soon when you needed him?"

Jesse blinked, then snorted loudly, gaping at him as if he were insane. He shook his head slowly, eyes narrowing, as he blurted, "Are you serious right now, Jaden? Don't tell me you're this paranoid. He's a sweet hatchling and his only crime is that he exists."

The Prime Material Dragon went to answer, then faltered. Jesse looked…completely unharmed. He looked as if he had shed whatever wounds he'd once possessed, spotless and healed to perfection. The lack of scratches or cuts along his flesh made Jaden almost shake again, though the amazement was tempered with fear.

Was Yami so strong?

He remembered when he'd gone after Atem and Yugi in the woods. Yami had rushed up and bumped beaks with them. And they'd seemed unharmed and perfectly healed. It had never quite been the subject of his scrutiny before, because of how quickly the fight had happened and how swiftly they'd all broken apart. Somehow the implication of Yami's healing ability then had not been quite so apparent to him.

But he realized he was foolish not to have recognized it.

It had been impossibly strong back then—Yami had seemed barely winded but certainly unharmed—but now it seemed, if Jesse's recollection were to be trusted, that it had somehow grown to be almost unstoppable. Jesse was speaking of the ability as if he'd reversed his death.

He opened his mouth, then shut it again. After a moment he wandered forward, refusing to think more on the matter, and coaxed him to lay down so that he could rest beside him. He'd deal with Yami when the time came, but hunting him down now wasn't worth it. He needed to make sure Jesse was okay before he did anything else. He needed to make sure he was truly unharmed, that the blood on the ground was old and stale and baked beneath the sun…