Shatterpoint

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! and all the characters herein belong to whomever and I am making no monies whatsoever. The plotline belongs to me and me alone, and all the original characters (meaning those you have never seen before) belong to me.

Author’s Note: This is purely fiction. I hated the way they ended the series and if the series had been mine it would have been chocked full of slashy goodness. But alas, it is not. Anyway, this takes place after Atemu has traveled to the Afterlife. I have also used the Yin-Yang symbol and its meanings for the sake of story with some tweaks. Oh, the other thing, the Egyptian Gods and Goddesses make cameo appearances.

Beta’d by the most wonderful friend I have ever had in my life. God knows where I would be without her input, late night giggle sessions, and vanilla coffee! Thank you, my Darkwatch.

Many many thanks to the ones who take the time to leave me reviews. Whether I’m doing alright or my writing is downright awful, thank you for telling me how you feel. I appreciate it and I love the feedback. For those of you wondering, Atemu is BACK! But Yuugi is not a happy camper . . .

Normally the Yin is the light side and the Yang the dark; I have switched them for sake of the story. The different meanings of the Yin and Yang apply to each of the characters, but I had to switch them.

Yin- (the Dark Side of the symbol) Yami
Yang- (the Light Side of the symbol) Yugi

Italics – thoughts.
. . . italics – flashback
Speech – bold italic speech is the speech in a flashback.
Speech – bold speech is the speech of a spirit.

Summary – The Nameless Pharaoh, Atemu has passed into the Afterlife where he belongs, but what he has left behind is something no one could have seen coming. Yugi, alone and missing a piece of himself has returned to Domino City a mere shell of who he was...will his friends be able to pull him out or will he reach the shatterpoint?


Shatterpoint
by TheDarkSynfulLegend

Chapter Five – Final Ritual of the Ancients


“Well? Where is he?” Seto taunted the petite duelist, his eyes narrowing. Yuugi didn’t respond and Seto pressed harder, “why did I even bother, you just want to wallow in this dump and throw a pity party for yourself. Truly, pathetic, you call yourself the King of Games, when you’re more like the King of Shame.” Yuugi’s head came up a bit at that and his mouth twitched, “what’s the matter? Did I strike a nerve?”

The diminutive duelist tossed the puzzle aside onto his bed, advancing on the taller teen. “I helped him fulfill his destiny, Kaiba! I loved him and he was ripped from me, and I didn’t want him to go, but knew in my heart that he had to! And I’m never alone, as long as I hold the memories in my heart, Atemu and I will always be together and nothing you can say will ever change that! GET OUT!” Yuugi snarled in a voice that would make the king of thieves proud.

Seto Kaiba sneered, “Memories for an imaginary friend . . . I’m touched.”

“GET OUT!” Yuugi shouted, pushing past Kaiba and wrenching the door open, never seeing the figure that was at the top of the stairs. “You’ve worn out your welcome!” his gaze was that of a hunter fixated on prey. When Seto refused to move, in a manner that defied his small frame, Yuugi grasped Seto’s arm and shoved him through the door, slamming it so hard, the frame shook.

Turning, with his long white coat billowing behind him, Seto’s sapphire eyes collided with crimson. “Next time, I won’t be so kind.” He said, not knowing how much he had overheard.

Those eyes narrowed slightly as Seto began to maneuver around Atemu. “Seto, for what it is worth, thank you.”

Seto shrugged, “don’t mention it.” He said as he started on his way down the stairs pausing for a moment, “cousin.” He finished leaving a stunned Atemu in his wake. When Seto exited the game shop via the side door, he was confronted with Anzu, Jounouchi and Mr. Mutou and they all had hopeful looks on their faces. Great, the cheering section of the geek squad.

“What did you do, Kaiba? We could hear you two down here clear as morning!”

“Your little geek squad is back together, if you’ll excuse me…” his voice was colder than the artic tundra, “I have a company to run and you are in my way.” He finished, climbing into the waiting limo.

Jounouchi watched as the limo vanished around a corner, thank you, for whatever it was you did, Seto. He thought as he glanced to the others, “Hey, let’s go for a walk.” He commented, as he gazed up at the small apartment over the shop. “They need to heal, c’mon.” Jounouchi said, shoving his hands into his pockets and the trio left the two doppelgangers alone.

~*~*~*~

Atemu walked down the small hallway and knocked on Yuugi’s closed door. “Leave me alone!” came Yuugi’s voice from within.

“Yuugi, I know you’re in there.”

“NO!” the young duelist sniffled, “you’re not really here! You can’t be here!” he fell to the carpeted floor clutching his head, as he looked around frantically for the only piece of Atemu he had left. His eyes fell on the puzzle, and Yuugi crawled over to pick it up, cradling it close to his heart, “please, just make it stop…” he begged the wooden object, “I am hearing him again and I can’t . . . I just can’t.” he stammered.

Taking a deep breath that seemed to calm himself, Atemu slowly opened the door, “Yuugi, you’re not dreaming, I really am here.”

Yuugi glanced towards the doorway, his amethyst eyes widening and filling with more tears that he refused to shed. He’s an apparition, he’s not here, and he went to the afterlife where he belonged. Yuugi thought as he managed to whisper, “is that really you? You came back just to see me?”

Atemu stood in the doorway, “Yuugi, I came back to you.” He said softly, “I wanted to tell you how sorry I was, I know how much you’ve been hurting….” His voice trailed off.

“I don’t need your pity, Atemu.” Yuugi said, watching as the ex-Pharaoh flinched. “You left me, when I needed you the most.”

“Never pity, Yuugi, I have never pitied you.” He stated, as he continued slowly, “when I left, I realized that your light, which kept me balanced was gone. I could feel your pain in the afterlife.”

“You left me!” Yuugi said as he walked over to Atemu and raised his hand, slapping the taller teen right across his face, “when I needed you most, you abandoned me!”

Atemu’s head snapped to the side with the blow as he reached up and touched his stinging cheek with his fingers, “I’m sorry, aibou… forgive me…”

Yuugi advanced on him and pounded with his fists against the chest that he truly wanted to bury his face into, “Why?! Why did you leave?! When all I wanted was for you to stay! You walked into the bright light and didn’t once turn around to look at me. Not ONCE!”

“Aibou, to have turned and gazed at you once more, would have been my undoing. I had to go, but now, I have returned to you.” He whispered, trying valiantly not to wrap his arms around the smaller teenager and hold him close. “it was you that brought me back, Yuugi.”

Yuugi backed up a few paces and wrapped his arms around himself, his expressive eyes widening. “how, how did I do that?”

“When I first arrived in the afterlife, I was content, happy . . . but there was something missing. I was feeling things that I should not have been.” When the smaller duelist finally truly looked into his own crimson orbs, he continued, “I was feeling your pain and how you truly did not wish to let me go.”

“So…what you’re saying is its my fault you had to came back?” Yuugi inquired, as he chewed on his lower lip nervously.

“By Ra, no!” Atemu replied as he slowly approached Yuugi, “I came back because I wanted to return to you. I need you Yuugi; the purity of your soul balances me.” He swallowed, “I didn’t understand, aibou, that when you felt I abandoned you….I didn’t understand.”

“Understand what?” he queried, his lips twisting into a slight pout.

“That you loved me. I didn’t realize it until it was too late.” Atemu finished, “but since you wish me to leave, I shall do so.”

Yuugi stood there for a few moments, and time seemed to slow down but as Atemu turned and started to leave, something inside Yuugi broke and he threw himself at the ex-Pharaoh’s back, clinging to him, “Please…please don’t leave me again!” he whispered, as he started to sink towards the floor.

Atemu turned, wrapping his arms around the one whose body he had shared for so long and held him close as a thought ran through his head, by the Egyptian Gods, I have wanted to hold you for so long, my aibou. And now that I have you, I refuse to let you go. A soft smile graced his features as he leaned down and kissed the top of Yuugi’s head, “I am yours for as long as you want me, Yuugi.”

“Forever?”

“Well that can be arranged…if you ask me nicely.”

~*~*~*~

Tilting his head slightly, Mokuba pushed a lock of his dark hair from his eyes as he rushed through the offices of Kaiba Corp. He had overheard Seto talking to Jounouchi, and there was something in his tone that made him wonder what the hell was going on. They never get along, means something is wrong but what could it be? He thought, as he took a breath and ran out of the offices and took one of the limousines to the Game Shop, but made the driver park a block away. Climbing out, Mokuba approached the shop with some trepidation.

As Mokuba turned the corner, he gasped and pulled back as he heard voices, “Your little geek squad is back together, if you’ll excuse me…” Seto’s voice was colder than the artic tundra, “I have a company to run and you are in my way.” He finished, climbing into the waiting limo.

Jounouchi watched as the limo vanished around a corner, thank you, for whatever it was you did, Seto. He thought as he glanced to the others, “Hey, let’s go for a walk.” He commented, as he gazed up at the small apartment over the shop. “They need to heal, c’mon.” Jounouchi said, shoving his hands into his pockets and the trio left the two doppelgangers alone.

They? Mokuba wondered as he watched the trio leave and glanced upwards at the apartment over the Game Shop, making his way stealthily over to the side door.

~*~*~*~

The figure shimmered into the room with a soft smile on her face, “well, I trust you two have finally come to your senses.” She inquired gazing at the duo.

“Yes.” Atemu said as Yuugi blushed and buried his face in the side of Atemu’s throat.

“Atemu, who is she?” Yuugi quietly inquired.

“I am Ba-pef, the Goddess of Souls, young one.” She replied walking over to the wooden puzzle and picking it up.

“That’s mine…” said Yuugi as he padded towards her and away from Atemu, approaching her cautiously, “Please, don’t take it from me.”

“Why would I take it from you, when I am the one who sent it to you in the first place.” She whispered, stroking the puzzle with her fingertips, “but, I am sorry that you had to go through so much, little one. I am glad to have returned your soul-mate to you.”

“You . . . you sent me the puzzle?” Yuugi stammered as he took a step backwards. “I don’t understand.”

Ba-pef’s smile faded a bit, “I sent it to bring you peace.”

Yuugi shook his head, “It brought me pain.”

Atemu walked over and wrapped his arm around Yuugi’s shoulders, pressing his chest to the smaller teen’s back. “She did not know, Yuugi. And as a Goddess, you have to show her respect.” Yuugi scowled and leaned against Atemu for support and comfort. “And I felt your pain, and it was one reason I chose to return.”

Ba-pef raised a delicate brow, “now, Atemu…tell Yuugi why you are truly here, and why you went through what you did to return to him.”

Yuugi turned his head to glance at Atemu, “why? Tell me why…”

“Because I love you, Aibou. I always have.” Atemu said, watching as Yuugi’s eyes went wider than ever and with a smile on his lips, Atemu leaned down and kissed Yuugi for the very first time. Yuugi whimpered softly in the onslaught of that devastatingly tender butterfly caress of his lips, his knees threatening to buckle, and all that held him up was Atemu.

Clearing her throat, Ba-pef smiled, “excuse me, just one moment.” She whispered as the two boys broke the kiss and turned to gaze at her. Yuugi’s amethyst eyes were glazed, and Atemu looked slightly annoyed that he had been interrupted. “I wish for you to consider this a gift.”

“Another?”

“You’ll like this one, I promise.” Ba-pef said as she made the replica of the puzzle glow brightly for a few moments. “Keep this safe, and you will always have a place to be together.”

~*~*~*~

Mokuba walked up the stairs, and could hear voices as he paused at the door and blinked large eyes before he pushed it open. Something shimmered out as he walked in but he ignored it, as he stared two different versions of Yuugi kissing again. One of them was slightly taller and olive toned, and he was holding the smaller duelist in his embrace. A gasp left Mokuba’s mouth and the two teens turned.

“Mokuba?” Yuugi asked as he smiled towards Seto Kaiba’s younger brother.

A huge smile broke over the smaller boy’s face as he bounced over and gathered them both into a hug. “You’re back! You’re back!” he said happily, as he clung to them both, then he sobered a bit, “Um, I wasn’t interrupting anything was I?”

Atemu laughed softly at the blush that crept over Yuugi’s cheeks, “no Mokuba, you were not, though oxygen is becoming an issue.” Mokuba blushed beet red and pulled back ducking his head, “what brings you by?”

“I heard Seto talking about coming over and wondered why, but then I heard you were back and wanted to come up and say hello…wait…how are you back?”

Atemu and Yuugi exchanged glances as Atemu began to speak, “when you last saw me, I had gone into the afterlife as was my destiny, but I was not happy there.” Crimson eyes glanced at Mokuba who was listening intently, “I was feeling my aibou’s pain in a place of happiness and I realized that my heart was here with him and needed to return.”

Mokuba sighed softly, “So you returned for love?”

“Yes, I crossed over for the love of my partner, if he will have me.” Atemu replied, as Yuugi giggled and mumbled something unintelligible.

“I’m so happy for you guys, it was so obvious that Yuugi didn’t want you to leave during the final duel and there was a part of me that wondered if you wanted to leave at all, Atemu.”

Yuugi spoke then, “I didn’t want him to leave, but having him here and locked in the puzzle would have been very selfish of me and I had to let him go.” He ran a shaky hand through his locks, sighing, “but it was after he left that I realized what I had lost and your brother helped me snap out of that and I’m grateful.” He finished.

The door downstairs opened and the trio walked upstairs, “Good to have you back, Pharaoh.”

“Its Atemu now, Jounouchi. Thank you, all of you for watching over my aibou.”

“He’s my best bud, least I could do.” Jounouchi said, as Yuugi walked over and gave him a hug.

“Thank you.”

“Everyone out, the boys and I need to set some ground rules.” Grandpa Mutou said, as the two teenage doppelgangers groaned. Anzu, Jounouchi and Mokuba left with huge grins on their faces, and when they reached the front of the shop, it was Mokuba who glanced upwards.

“Think they’ll ever get any privacy?”

“Probably not.” Anzu replied as Mokuba started to walk back to the limo. “Mokuba?”

“I gotta talk to Seto.” Mokuba replied as he climbed into the limo waving as he asked to return to Kaiba Corp.

~*~*~*~

Solomon Mutou shuffled over and sat down in the only chair as the boys sat on the bed but made space between them. “I wanted to talk to you both.”

“Sure, grandpa, about what?”

“Atemu, why did you return?”

“I know I startled you with my sudden appearance, but I returned for Yuugi. He is my soul-mate.”

Solomon nodded, “so you returned to my grandson for love?”

“Yes.” Atemu replied, Yuugi was again chewing on his lower lip with a blush on his cheeks. A trait that Atemu found absolutely endearing and he longed to nibble on that lower lip but not now.

“Then you both have my blessing, on whatever endeavors…but please, no sex in the house.”

“GRANDPA!” Yuugi said with a furious blush on his cheeks.

Solomon headed for the door laughing a bit, “I’m old not dead, Yuugi.” He said, closing the door behind him.

~*~*~*~

Author's Note: I will not be telling you what Yuugi was mumbling. So don't ask, but as always reviews feed the bunnies.