Chapter LXXIX: Death

She was right. Yami didn't have to inform anyone she'd passed. A boy with pale white hair came forward to retrieve her. Yami had thought they would share words of mourning, but instead she'd been wrapped in a deer skin layered with a bear pelt and burned almost immediately. Yami hadn't even had the chance to truly look her over before her body was on fire. He wasn't sure why he would have wanted to, just that she was the first human he'd ever approached. The rest of them smiled, greeting him with bewilderment or laughter.

No one touched him, thankfully, or else he thought he might have snapped.

It was odd, having so many humans running around him. The fire became a celebration in which they invoked Atem's name to Bless the boy by the pyre. He didn't know that Atem would have cared one way or another for it all, but the idea they asked Atem so freely for a Blessing made him feel oddly warm. It was comforting in a strange way.

The village almost seemed to believe Atem was among them constantly, even though they had no such proof he was omnipotent like their behavior suggested.

But Yami wished for a moment that he was. He wished Atem knew he was there, that he wanted to come and see him and they'd—

He cut the thought off and watched as her body slowly became ashes. He would have asked how they obtained such a strong fire—bodies took much longer to burn than this one had—but he'd seen the Tyrant Dragon among them. The Fire Dragon kept eyeing him, curious but not so willing to approach him for conversation or interrogation. Yami offered him an awkward smile and failed to go any further with it.

He could remain curious.

He didn't have time for fantasies as he'd tried to indulge in before. It wouldn't help anything. Imagining Yugi or Atem just made everything worse.

Yami leaned back as the pyre finally became mostly a pile of ashes. The white-haired boy had wandered closer at some point. Yami had sensed him, but he hadn't cared enough to look before. Now he turned his head and eyed him, curious and bewildered.

"She said you would visit when she was set to die."

Yami blinked. "Did she now?" he asked quietly, staring into bright brown eyes not unlike the shade of dappled leaves. "I wasn't aware I was foretold in so many ways."

"She said your name was Yugi."

He almost laughed. It was a shocking statement, but everything just felt raw and sad inside so he looked away. "No, Yugi is my father." He blinked, then smirked slightly. "He and Atem."

Atem's name made the boy stiffen for a split second before smirking in turn. "She must have told you not to speak his name. You're doing it to make fun of me now, huh?"

Yami looked away. "Not quite make fun of. I'm poking fun, but it's not to mock you. I'm not even mocking her." He shook his head. "But I disagree. He's my father and I'll use his name as I see fit. How else am I to describe him? By his title? The one he hates?"

The boy tilted his head, then snickered. "I guess that's almost just as disrespectful."

Yami nodded slightly and glanced around before turning back. No one was paying them any attention, not even the Tyrant Dragon that had not looked away but once since he'd spotted him. He shifted his weight and eyed the other boy. He looked about the same age as the body he had shaped with his magic. What little he'd seen of Yugi's memories had helped him to pick the height and skin tone, but the rest seemed almost…genetic.

He certainly hadn't planned for wild hair or larger eyes or longer lashes. All he'd planned on was a human shape.

"I'm Ryou."

He blinked once, then frowned. "I'm Yami."

Ryou raised a brow and looked at him quizzically. "You have the form for a human, but your ability to blend in is so limited." He shook his head with a small grin. "I should teach you."

Yami snorted. "I don't think I'll need it."

Ryou smirked. "You will." His eyes glittered. "I'm stronger than Isis was in ability. I see ghosts mostly, but some of the time they like to tell me the future. One of them in particular is super interested in you."

Yami blinked. "What's a ghost?"

The other boy lost his grin. "Huh? You don't know what a ghost is?"

Yami tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. The images in Ryou's head were interesting, but there was no voice he heard even as he probed at each of his senses. He smirked and shook his head, looking away again. "I'm not so gullible, Ryou. I don't believe in specters and phantoms. My father told me never to fear what I don't understand. Ghosts are figments of imagination and I don't need more fantasies playing in my mind than they already do."

Ryou snorted. "Well, there goes that fun." He sighed and then sat down beside him on the ground, looking over again. "I do know that something is going to happen with you soon, though. And if I remember right, you're going to be human when it happens. So maybe you'd do better if you knew how to act as a human."

"But I'm not human."

Ryou rolled his eyes, and Yami found himself leaning forward, blinking and wondering if he could do that, too. Most things humans could do, he'd been able to mimic after a couple of tries. He wanted to do that, too.

"You'll see."

Yami forced the memory ahead. Atem probably didn't care to see the various jokes and pranks they'd pulled on some of the other humans. And it wasn't as if any of it held any relevance. Yugi would have been more interested in the childish nature of those things, but not Atem.

He slowed his thoughts after a long moment, struggling to pick through some of it as he cycled apart images and wondered at some of it. It seemed so oddly detached from him now, as if he were witnessing them in someone else's head. It was strange, sharing space with Atem, forcing the images into his head. It was tiresome. It had never felt that way before when he was alone, seeking through thoughts and instinct who was an ally or foe. Now it was…

He almost laughed softly. Of course; that made sense. He was straining his mental abilities in sharing like this. He'd let Atem feel every emotion and thought, sense everything around him as he had before. Atem had not seemed inclined to take in surroundings or things of that nature but for when Yami did, but he was curious all the same.

Yami felt his emotions, tempered but still present and lingering.

He picked until his mind felt as if it might be crushed beneath the pressure of each memory. And then he shook himself out. Yugi had his eyes locked on Atem as if he expected him to flee if things got too intense. Yami snorted and turned back, locking eyes with Atem once more.

"Give me a moment," he mumbled, exhaustion tugging more fitfully at his senses. "I need to…"

He didn't know if it was catching his breath or just…relaxing and focusing on what he wanted to show him next. Atem didn't respond but for a nod, glancing away and turning to Yugi. The stare he gave him in turn was cold and despondent, as if daring Yugi to speak. The Gandora hesitated, shifting his weight, and awkwardly turned away with a grimace.

Yami wondered if he'd pressed too hard when he saw the tired expression on Atem's face. He'd overlooked it before, too excited to truly consider it, but Atem seemed almost as if he were seconds from collapsing. Yami was sure the influx of his emotions into Atem's head was not a happy sensation, either, and that had to be even worse. He probably felt tenfold what he'd already suffered through beneath the onslaught and—

"Do you want me to stop?" he blurted, horrified to have potentially made the situation worse. He hadn't stopped and considered before, but when he looked at Atem, the Sky Dragon stared back quizzically. "I…I know you have to be tired. It's not easy being hit with someone else's memories like this and I know you're already… I'm sorry. I just… I got excited and…"

Atem shook his head slightly. "I'm not upset."

Yami grimaced. "I know, but—"

"No, you wanted to show me more. I'll see it. I'm tired, yes, but I'm not so exhausted yet." Yami had the sudden thought Atem was willing to use this just to avoid speaking to Yugi again. He was probably tired and scared and he didn't want to take it out on Yugi, but he also didn't know who else to blame for everything. And Yugi was a good portion of it, especially when he'd remained there with him to keep him from ever questioning Yami's "death". "If you'd rather wait, we can, but I'm still…willing to see more."

Yami opened and closed his mouth, then tilted his head and offered a small smile. "Father."

Atem immediately huffed as if he'd been scolded and cast him an annoyed look. "Don't."

Yugi looked between them curiously, then with the smallest hint of realization. He grimaced and shifted his weight, shuffling his paws. "If it would make you feel better, Atem, I could spend the night at the Wind Clan camp with Timaeus."

The declaration made Atem's head snap around. He looked both disgusted and frustrated, but somehow relieved as well. Yami knew Atem wasn't considering sending Yugi away, but he was comforted by the fact the Gandora understood he wasn't okay. He didn't want him so close and he needed space to think, but he wasn't willing to let him leave so completely as Yugi was suggesting.

"No, you'll return to the den with me," the Sky Dragon mumbled. He sighed softly and looked at Yami, narrowing his eyes. "But I want to see one more thing before we leave. I'd like to think otherwise, but your presence here with us is short-lived, isn't it? When we leave today, you'll be gone tomorrow."

Yami looked away with a small nod. "Yes. I don't want to give Dimitri time to realize I'm alive and well. For the time being, I need him to assume I'm still dead and should he cross paths with Timaeus, I want him to think you shared your heart with him." He hesitated. "Don't tell Timaeus yet. I…I need him to think I'm still dead. Tell him you shared your heart if you must, but I have to make Dimitri think you're the only one who could or would have done it. He can't know I'm alive yet."

Atem studied him for a long minute, then nodded slightly. His eyes flickered briefly to Yugi. "I can't lie to Timaeus about this. He'd know. He's not so gullible he'd believe me just because I claimed I shared my heart." He paused. "But I'm sure you could lie to him and paint the seasons winter for all the silver lacing your tongue."

Yami flinched just as Yugi did. "Father—"

"His request aside, how long would you have kept this charade up? How long was I meant to be in the dark?"

"However long as was necessary," Yugi snapped defiantly. He glared back after a moment. "My tongue may be silver laced to make you believe me, but you never once made a move to wonder how or why."

Atem glanced at Yami sideways. "You knew I wouldn't."

Yami nodded. "Yes. I knew you wouldn't. You may be sharp-witted and capable of anything, but I knew you wouldn't ask why or how. All you needed was proof I was dead. As long as there was evidence, you'd allow yourself to believe whatever it was you needed to." He hesitated. "But I didn't do this to hurt you…either of you. You have to know that."

The God Dragon didn't answer for a long minute. "You've said that multiple times." He turned back to Yugi. "You, on the other hand, seem to think it's all okay now because Yami is back and he can defend your actions."

Yugi barked a laugh. "Defend my actions?" he spat. "I don't need anyone to defend my actions. I chose to do this, because it meant saving you. Be as upset as you'd like, but my decision was just."

Atem looked as if he wanted to further the argument. But the words died. He closed his mouth again, peering at Yugi as if he didn't quite understand why he'd even entertained the argument for so long. Yami wasn't entirely sure, either, to a small degree. Atem had always turned away from fights with Yugi, whether verbal or physical. When they'd fought over his egg, Atem had promptly removed himself more than once in an effort to let Yugi rethink and reclaim his temper. He'd done it to avoid further anger, but also because he'd needed to think for himself how to proceed with various problems.

He still remembered the night Atem had left to find a den closer to the river in the valley to ensure Yugi would make it out of winter alive. He'd returned the next day and Yugi had angrily tackled and groomed him in reprimand, horrified Atem hadn't thought Yugi would be upset he'd failed to return for the night. The fight later when Yugi had insisted on trying to stay despite the snowfall had been much worse, and the only time Yami knew of in which Atem had physically struck Yugi with intent. He'd smacked him so hard he'd sent Yugi to the ground, threatening to break his wings and legs and drag him down the mountainside if Yugi did not do so on his own.

Those were the only times Yami truly knew of that they'd argued so drastically. Even Timaeus coming to their territory and sharing their den or Atem's fear when he'd realized what Yami resembled had not held a flame.

Yami wondered if this fight would escalate or if Atem would leave it as it was.

The God Dragon seemed to consider for a long minute again, then huffed and turned away. "It shouldn't have cost as much as it did," he hissed instead. "It shouldn't have cost a nest, Kisara's confidence, or Timaeus. None of that should have been the price."

"If you survive, I don't care."

Yami looked between them and suppressed a sigh. Atem looked distraught again, thinking no doubt of his best friend being slaughtered so horrifically by Dimitri, and Yugi seemed petulant. Yami didn't know then who he sided with more, but he had done what he could to save Atem and Yugi. He supposed that meant he sided with Yugi over everything, although he wished it hadn't cost as much as it had.

But a life was owed a life.

He'd cheated death of two.

He'd never even considered the payment for doing so.

And, despite everything, he'd never considered Timaeus would be caught in the crossfire.

He blinked and studied Atem. He'd told him before death could only have him when it earned him. If that stance held and Atem truly planned to protect him from anything and everything as he once had, Yami was almost certain he could weather the worst of it from this point.

After all, he was the one who had changed everything that night. He'd had the chance and he'd taken it, correcting a path he likely didn't have the right to. But Timaeus was alive, Atem was alive, and Yugi was. Even Jaden, Yusei, and Leviathan were.

Death would have to wait.

It could stalk his paws and color his shadow, but as long as Yugi and Atem were okay…

"Are you ready?"

Atem blinked and raised his head, studying him. "Yes."

"Yugi?"

The Gandora looked up. "What?" he asked immediately, blinking.

Yami hesitated, shifting his weight. "I'm going to try to show you both." Atem glanced at Yugi and back, bristling faintly. Yugi shifted his weight and narrowed his eyes, puzzled, but didn't question it. "So, are you ready, too?"

Yugi glanced at Atem sideways, then turned back. "Yes."

Yami nodded slightly and locked eyes with Atem gain. The God Dragon was filled with curiosity now, rather than the trepidation he'd felt before. Yami wondered if he was looking for something in particular, or if he knew what he might show him.

The den surrounding them morphed slowly to a human structure with animal skins lining the floor and walls. They were mostly pale, though some of the pelts along the ground were dark brown and black. A few small items were scattered about, though they looked mostly to be herbs. A small bowl rested in the center, carved into a shed dragon scale as obsidian as smoke.

"You came faster than I thought," Ryou said without lifting his eyes.

Yami tilted his head. "You called. I answered." He blinked slowly. He'd felt it, like an insistent buzzing beneath his skin, as if he had a bug beneath his scales. It had been so consistent he'd almost thought he was going crazy. And then he'd remembered telling Timaeus he felt it sometimes when others spoke of him. His name had gotten his attention, but this time he'd felt it and thought he heard whispering in his ears to come. That had all there had been. Yami, come. Come, Yami.

It didn't matter the iteration. It had summoned him all the same.

He'd woken and felt it again for several minutes, far too constant to ignore. And then he'd wondered if Atem felt that way when his name was uttered. Did he feel as if his skin were on fire? Or did it only happen when one meant to summon? Had he felt it when they'd asked him to banish the boars?

He didn't know how sensitive Atem was to that type of thing. He'd never mentioned it and Yami had never asked. He almost wished now that he had. If he was more sensitive to his name being invoked he wanted to know…

"Where did you go when you left?"

Yami went quiet for a moment, then looked away. "Toward the northern region," he all but whispered. "It's closer to the Wind Clan territory and far enough from my fathers that they wouldn't be able to sense me. But I also wanted to see the penguins I was told about when I was younger, but they weren't present and I didn't want to move too close to the northern God Dragon."

Ryou hummed. "Well…I have something for you."

Yami turned back and recoiled as a burst of smoke choked his senses. He scrambled back, spitting, but the scent he expected to find was absent. Instead it cloyed in his nose and made his lungs feel tight, a sharp and hideous metallic stench. His head felt light for a split second and then he saw a burst of color in his eyes, like forks of lightning that blasted through his senses. His head throbbed a single moment, and then an image began to appear.

He saw blood first, thick and splattered across the ground in puddles. Dislodged scales were scattered about the dust and torn grass. Tangled in his own limbs, bleeding profusely and jaw dislocated, lay a bright teal dragon. His breathing was ragged and Yami saw a bubble of blood appear before his teeth with each exhale. A shudder ran through him and then his legs shifted. His paws pressed flat to the ground and the male stumbled to a stand, head down and breathing tight and rasping. His eye opened and focused on something in front of him, even as a broken snarl left him.

His attacker stood a few feet away, panting and bleeding from various gaping wounds. His jaw was just as Timaeus's looked, dislocated and bleeding. They stared at each other and Yami shivered.

The body was Seto.

But the malice coming from him in waves even through this vision was not.

Yami remembered the feeling of claws picking at his thoughts and trying to dig through his memories, the sensation of ideas planted in his head that shouldn't have been there. This was him then. This was the other Divine…

The one with Atem's Blessing…

"How?" Seto's voice spat. "How are you standing?"

Timaeus stared for a moment, then drew a breath, and spat, "Drop dead."

The Felgrand snarled and shook himself out, then stumbled and bore his teeth. Yami could see where his teeth grated against each other and refused to sit in their proper place. Even when he sprang forward, changing for a split second to a Blue-Eyes before he made contact, his jaw was crooked.

Yami was fascinated to see the majority of the wounds heal in that split second. Somehow his jaw remained lopsided, as if it had been shattered. Timaeus watched him a moment, then lunged just as the other male would have hit him. The momentum sent the Felgrand backwards and to the ground, rolling a few inches. He got immediately to his paws again, snarling, and his blue eyes glowed like the moon overhead.

"I'm going to enjoy seeing Atem's face when he finds your broken body," the Felgrand snarled, panting for a single second. Yami took note but it was only a split second thought, there a moment and gone the next. Instead he saw Timaeus pant and glare, snarling softly even as blood dripped from his jaws. He stood there, shaking but refusing to cower before him.

"I suggest you try harder then," he spat, watching him defiantly.

The Felgrand snarled and sprang again, and Timaeus narrowed his eye. When he got close enough, he struck so hard and fast that the Sky Dragon hit the ground with a snapping noise. Blood sprayed the air and Yami could see where Timaeus had struck his shoulder so hard it had shattered, the bone jutting from beneath his skin. Timaeus swayed on his paws, struggling for breath, and his eye rolled up in the back of his head as Seto's son climbed onto shaky paws.

Yami watched the Felgrand stumble forward, panting and bleeding, and then snarl with outrage.

"Is this the present?" he asked softly, and found himself inexplicably reaching forward. The image dissolved, though Yami still heard the Divine scream, "You worthless corpse! Get up!" as if Timaeus might somehow rise. Yami turned to Ryou, and found him grimacing.

"It's a mix," he mumbled. "Part of it has already happened. The rest remains to."

Yami nodded slightly. He had the smallest bit of time. "Thanks."

Ryou opened his mouth but Yami had already left the shaman's house and was airborne. He prayed to the gods Atem and Yugi were not awake and watching the sky for any reason, nor that they might be near the village. He didn't risk a glance toward where their den would be and kept his eyes on the ground below as the trees turned rapidly to long, dried grass glittering silver in the dark. He slowed when he knew he was near Timaeus's territory.

An enraged scream echoed through the air, making it almost collapse upon itself. Yami slowed his flight and looked for an area to land before the Felgrand might notice. He chose a spot further toward where the trees would offer the smallest bit of camouflage and pressed himself to the ground. Seto stood far enough away Yami could not make out the damage Timaeus had done to him even with his keen sight. He blinked once, long and slow, and narrowed his gaze.

Timaeus lay prone, just as he had when Yami had reached out so impulsively and ruined the magic Ryou had cast for him. He could tell even from the distance Timaeus was no longer breathing, even without Seto's furious cries of "I wasn't done with you!" as if it might somehow raise him from the dead.

Yami watched the Felgrand roar with anger, until finally his voice seemed to die. He stood there, panting so hard he shook, and then glared at Timaeus as if the Knight Dragon's death might have somehow wounded him. Was the kill blow so important to him? Yami remembered his anger when Echo's neck had broken on impact with the ground.

Timaeus's death didn't count, either, then, Yami realized with a twisted gut. The other Divine didn't see it as a victory as he should have. He radiated outrage, thoughts tossing and turning, vibrant with raw frustration. He'd wanted to savor the kill, to beat Timaeus even worse than he was, to cripple him and make him beg.

Yami almost barked a laugh. Timaeus would never have begged. He'd stood there defiantly in his last breath, just hoping to slow him down from getting to Atem. He'd spat at him and waited for him to get close enough to deliver what would have been a kill blow had the other dragon been in his true form. Had he been a hatchling as Yami himself was, the blow would have snapped his neck instantly. Seto was much older and the force of the blow could have killed him had Timaeus been able to move faster. Had he not been struggling to breathe and clinging to life in that moment, the blow would have killed the Felgrand.

Yami slunk forward only when the Felgrand lost his anger and turned away again. He seemed to debate whether Seto and Kisara would be awake, whether his pull over their rest had held. And then he glanced at Timaeus, sneering without sound, and looked in the direction of the highest mountain peak in the territory.

Atem will have to wait, he decided abruptly, shaking himself and turning to launch himself in the air.

Yami waited until he could no longer see him, then rushed forward to Timaeus's side. He had likely a few more heartbeats before it would be too late to restore him and share his heart. He hurried to his side and looked him over for a moment, stomach coiling with distress.

Timaeus was so still, covered in blood and small.

His heart hurt as he peered down at him. Then he took a seat and exhaled, sitting straight and reaching for his chest plate. He'd only heard of sharing hearts through legends, though he'd seen in one of the village's dragon's minds when they'd shared with a human. He'd been told genetics ruled the hearts of dragons when they shared, but humans were equally capable of accepting a dragon's heart no matter what species.

Yami hoped to gods deceased and current that he wasn't incompatible.

"Half of my heart to make you whole," he said quietly, recalling the words from the village dragon's memories as he reached a paw up for his chest plate, "its strength to purify your dying weakness."

His chest plate peeled upward beneath his claws and his heart began racing. He could hear it as if it were a thunder clap, and his chest felt oddly as if it were burning and freezing all at once. He bristled faintly, stunned by the sheer power that seemed to ripple through the air at his bidding. The pounding became that much louder, until it drowned his voice and thoughts entirely.

"I offer this heart to bring him back to flesh and blood. I call upon it to offer energy for this vessel in need. I shall house his soul and bear his pain until my death."

The pain he expected was nothing but heat when he split the flesh beneath his chest plate with his claws. He felt the skin peel away as he reached inward and the power which spread through him was like fire lapping at his flesh. It was a strange, glowing formation in his paw when he pulled it away, not unlike that which the memories had shown him formerly. But it was brighter, as if it were a star burning in his paw. He cradled it a moment, then looked toward Timaeus and back.

He wondered if he should have flipped Timaeus over—at least enough to have access to his chest—but the thought died. He reached the paw forward, amazed to find his heart had melted into his scales, his entire forepaw brilliant and glowing, and touched the prone Knight Dragon.

For a moment nothing seemed to happen and Yami swore his heart would stop. Everything seemed to go still, until his lungs ached from the lack of air. He struggled to think straight, frantic as he wondered if he'd messed up. But he couldn't have split his heart if he had and—

Timaeus didn't outwardly change for a long moment, but Yami felt it.

His paw stopped glowing and it felt as if he'd gotten buried alive in sand. His throat closed for a split second, and his mouth dried out, then began to taste of fresh blood. His body felt alight with fire, even as his bones threatened to turn to ice. His wings drooped as if they'd been cut off and dropped beside him. Every sense he possessed stopped for a moment. Taste faded, vision blackened, touch became nonexistent, his heartbeat failed in his ears, and everything ceased.

He swayed and almost collapsed.

And then it all returned. His heartbeat was so erratic he thought it might burst. His lungs scrambled for air. His mouth tasted of blood and bile. His vision returned, keen as ever. He felt the air on his scales.

And when he looked down, Timaeus shuddered and gasped for air.

Yami stared, mind reeling. Timaeus sputtered again, quaking, and Yami's mouth dropped for a split second before he focused on the wounds marring his body. He leaned forward, pushing as much of his own energy as he could manage around his lightheadedness, and touched his beak to Timaeus's forehead.

The wounds sealed slowly but surely, deeper than he'd initially thought but working to sew themselves shut. It took him a moment to notice Timaeus was still bleeding along the stomach, though he realized why almost immediately. He'd been almost gutted; his entrails should have been spilled, but somehow the skin had held just enough to prevent it.

Yami shivered and shook himself as he pulled away. Timaeus breathed, sputtering again, and he heard the whistle of his breath as it trailed through his windpipe. Yami looked him over a moment, studying, and then slowly took a seat in front of him. Timaeus was wracked with another tremor, though it slowly trailed to nothingness.

He didn't seem to be dying any longer, but he wasn't…healing any further, either.

Yami tilted his head and realized then something he hadn't noticed before. Timaeus's mind was preoccupied and distant somehow, as if it were racing with thoughts Yami was not privy to. He narrowed his eyes and studied him, focusing enough to gain access to his mind.

Timaeus had never barred him before, but now it felt like digging through thorns and brambles. Every breath was agony, and every moment that passed seemed to threaten to swallow him whole. When he tried to step forward, his paws seemed to sink beneath him.

What…was this place?

"Half of my heart to make you whole, its strength to purify your dying weakness" is a quote from the Dragonheart series. The rest I added to clarify what happens between those who share hearts because humans don't know the extent of the magic between them from then on. The Blessing is unnecessary between dragons, but Yami didn't know that.