To Oo: Ikr! XD

To Hailol: Yes, more is coming don't ya worry. ;) It is one of the brothers but I ain't gonna tell ya which lol. You'll have to read to find out~

To Guest: Yep and that fire is hot lemme tell ya! I didn't really want to make Yami and Atemu brothers but I needed a king who had an important relationship to Yami. He was the only one who would fit that wouldn't be idk weird? Besides, he's not all that important to the storyline save for these chapters in the dungeon. So… Meh. -shrugs- Thanks for the review~ :)

To KaguyaAmaterasu: Yes! I was excited to update too! -dances happily- Did Atemu come out as an ass? I wanted to make him really blunt and seemingly rude but I might have failed… oh well lol. Yeah, I'm working on Yuugi's own defenses with this current dungeon plot, and Atemu will definitely keep him safe but for a different reason than what you're prolly thinking. ;) Pray keep enjoying this fic!

Thanks for all the reviews/follows/favorites~! :)

Chapter 20: Family Reunion (3,367 Words)

Yuugi awoke to the smooth gait only a vampire was capable of and snuggled closer to the cold form that held him lightly in a bridal carry. The oddness of Yami having such a different body temperature than what he was used to was pushed into the back of his mind. A familiar yet unfamiliar deep voice chuckled with hidden humor. "Think I'm Yami do you?" A pair of reddish-violet eyes stared down at him with a smooth eyebrow raised.

Yuugi bolted to full awareness immediately upon hearing Atemu's voice. It took his brain a couple seconds to get caught up with the situation but when it did, he violently pushed himself out of Atemu's arms. The only difference was that when he had done that to Yami on the first night they met, Yami had actually let him go. Atemu managed to maintain his grip on Yuugi's small frame throughout Yuugi's struggle.

"Calm down will you?" Atemu said in exasperation as if he had expected such a thing to happen yet didn't quite feel like dealing with it. "We move faster this way anyway. I can't stand being a prisoner in my own castle much less my own realm any longer than necessary."

Yuugi suddenly stopped his attempted struggle and laid limp in Atemu's arms much to the king's amusement. "Wait, so we're in the Shadow Realm then?" He didn't exactly know how he knew that but he figured that no place on Earth, or rather the Living World, would have shadows that danced despite the lack of light. That, and he could've sworn Atemu said he was king of the Shadow Realm.

"You catch on quicker than most mortals," Atemu complemented, or at least Yuugi took it as a compliment. "We've been beneath my palace for quite some time but what those damned demons forgot was that I built this very place. No matter how many twists and turns or guards they throw my way, I can never become lost in my own home."

"That's smart of you, but you'd think they'd know that," Yuugi mumbled but Atemu obviously heard it if his growing smirk was anything to go by.

"Aye, and they would've placed magical barriers over the dungeons but I had already planned ahead and made them magic-proof. That; however, means that I can't just transport us out of here via shadow transfer." Atemu kept moving at the swift walking speed as he talked. Not once did he loose his breath and Yuugi was glad that he didn't have to walk. He wouldn't have been able to keep up with the long strides. Something told him that he wouldn't have been as thoughtful as Yami if he should walk beside him.

"Shadow transfer?" Yuugi asked curiously. Atemu stopped briefly to peek around a corner before continuing forward. "I don't think Yami's ever used it around me."

"It can't be easily used in your Light World because the shadows aren't dark enough. I believe that's why you mortals think vampires are creatures of the night when in reality sunlight only hurts newborn vampires." Atemu kept striding down the long dungeon corridors but nothing seemed to be any different from before, save for the fact that there hadn't been any guards. At least, he hadn't seen any since he'd been awake.

Yuugi allowed the information to be absorbed into his mind before another thought occurred to him. "If this is your castle and realm, then how did the Council get away with keeping you down here? Surely someone would've noticed. It looks like you've been down here for a while."

Atemu smirked. "Did you find out that it was the Council's doing by yourself or did Yami tell you?" he asked before speaking again. Yuugi realized it was supposed to be a rhetorical question so he didn't answer. "Not everyone on the Council is at fault, you understand. Only Zorc. He tricked Zigfried, the lord of the fairies, into siding with him under the deluded notion that he'd get his little brother back.

"Zigfried made me think that I had fallen ill a little while back and had taken some of my blood to check for any impurities. Vampires just don't fall ill," Atemu added with an annoyed huff when he saw Yuugi confused expression. "If I had contracted something that deadly, it could be disastrous for the entire Shadow Realm but moving on. I've had my doubts about Zorc for a couple decades now with him being a demon, so I had a few of my servants spy on him.

"He gave my blood to your friend after it was mixed with Zigried's to make it seem like the vampires were the ones wanting to start another war. Of course, I couldn't step in without arousing suspicion from the Council that I was in on it, so I had to allow Yami to handle it. You helped complete that task so I guess I ought to thank you for that. However, once the Council caught wind of the situation, they immediately turned to me for answers that I didn't have.

"By this time, the illusioned sickness was gone but Zorc had twisted the Council's minds against me. They threw me in jail down here for treason and are doing Ra knows what with the Shadow Realm. They've probably told the public that I'm still bedridden or something or that my recovery is slow. Zorc isn't foolish enough to proclaim that I'm dead. Chaos from the citizens isn't what he needs right now. They love me just as I care for them. Their loyalty to me transcends death."

Yuugi noticed that Atemu's tone got darker as he spoke and he realized that while Atemu could be obnoxiously blunt to the point of rudeness, he deeply cared for what was his. The anger that swirled unabashed in his now bloody red eyes at the mere thought of the betrayal only made Yuugi surer of it. He and Yami aren't as different as I thought, Yuugi mused. They both care for their possessions very much.

"I'm sure you'll be able to get your throne back, Atemu," Yuugi said upon feeling the need to offer his support. "This Zorc person can't be all powerful if he has to sneak around to get what he wants."

Atemu's harsh glare softened at Yuugi's attempt at comforting him but it soon turned to amusement as he continued talking. "Zorc is the Demon King. He doesn't need to sneak around to achieve his goals. The demon population is at least twice as large as the others and it would only take one word for them all to rally up and start a civil war. He sneaks around like the rat he is simply because it's easier."

"Why don't the-" Yuugi was cut off by Atemu.

"Yami will explain everything in due time, mortal," he interrupted with an annoyed huff and Yuugi fell silent almost in a brooding manner. Why did everyone never want to explain anything to him? He was about to ask about it when Atemu stopped in front of a heavy black iron door that was sealed shut with an intricate looking lock that spanned the entire height of the door. "Ready to see the Shadow World?" he asked ominously before black tendrils of shadow crept from his feet and soaked into the door.

The locks snapped back as the gears turned with a rusty creak. To say Yuugi was prepared for what was on the other side would be the biggest understatement of his life. He didn't know that the dungeon door led out into the castle's currently occupied courtyard, so when an accented voice drifted through the cracked open door, Yuugi was startled.

"Vell now, lookie vhat ve have here, boys. It seems I've not only trapped the king but his kin as vell. This vill be a great night indeed."

Atemu looked startled as well but the look was quickly replaced by anger. "Zigfried," he growled beneath his breath before kicking open the door and rushing into the courtyard with Yuugi still secured in his arms. The sun would have blinded him save for the fact that there wasn't one so Yuugi saw everything clearly as soon as they stepped from the confines of the dungeon hallway.

The courtyard was a heap of deceased and decaying plants. Armored guards that looked like the demon he confronted in the dungeon were circled around the upper level of the courtyard walkway with a well-dressed, pink-haired man standing among them. The crossbows in their hands were black like ebony with intimidating arrows locked into place. They were all pointed at the duo who were standing defiantly in the center of the courtyard.

"Yami!" Yuugi instantly shouted, effectively drawing the prince's burning gaze to him.

"Yuugi?" Yami asked incredulously. His bloody red eyes quickly lost their burning hatred and an unknown emotion settled in them. It was something between affection, jealousy, and confusion. His eyes drifted from Yuugi to the one holding him. "Atemu?"

Before Yuugi knew it, he had pushed himself from Atemu's arms and had sprinted into Yami's awaiting warm embrace with a small thump when he collided with Yami's form. He instantly felt Yami's dark light wrap around him just as his now swordless hands kept him close. "What are you doing here?" Yami asked through Yuugi's thick strands of hair. He had buried his nose into the lightly-scented strands upon capturing him into his arms. Yuugi could feel the dark light check him over for injuries and smiled at the familiar warming yet chilling feeling. He dared to say he was even comforted by it.

"Some guy caught me at home and knocked me unconscious. I woke up in a cell with Atemu and we escaped." He decided to leave out the most troublesome detail of Atemu almost getting him killed. Yami wouldn't have appreciated it and the way Yami's bloody red eyes darkened meant that he wasn't happy with Yuugi's situation. Or his own for that matter considering he was about to go on the offensive against the guards.

"It's all true, brother," Atemu said as he walked up to the trio slowly. "I'm guessing you're here not for Yuugi but for some other reason if you didn't even know he was missing." The tone he used was tight and almost scolding. It was as if he were angry that Yami had let Yuugi out of his sight. Yami was about to snap back at him when Seth butted in.

"We've got bigger issues," he said with gritted teeth in a very Kaiba-like scowl. The laughter from above only clarified that statement.

"Yes, you do!" the pink haired man spoke from above, he figured it was Zigfried since the voice matched the one they heard earlier. "Fire!" At the command, another volley of arrows was fired at them.

Yami pulled Yuugi tightly against him and with an angry growl, summoned a sword in his free hand. Seth's staff and Yami's sword deflected the majority of the arrows but it was Atemu's shadow magic that disintegrated the rest to dust.

"Don't leave my side, Yuugi!" Yami demanded as he held his sword in a defiant defensive stance. Yuugi merely nodded, not quite sure why Yami and Seth were being targeted. Shouldn't Atemu be the one who they wanted to kill? Shouldn't Zigfried be trying to at least wound him instead of this obviously stupid volley technique?

Wait, Yuugi thought suddenly as another volley was blocked. If they wanted to kill Yami and Seth, surely doing it in the Living World would be easier since shadow creatures are stronger here in the Shadow Realm. They could've also have thrown me into a different cell other than Atemu's. His thoughts swirled as everything came around full circle. Did they want me to free Atemu? He realized suddenly with wide eyes. But, why? It doesn't make any sense!

Yami's grip was possessively tight upon a fourth volley. "We need to get out of here," Seth said roughly. Yuugi heard Yami tsk and Atemu huff in annoyance.

"We need to fight back!" Atemu replied just as gruffly. Yami stayed quiet and didn't voice his opinion. Yuugi figured it was along the lines of getting them, or more importantly Yuugi, out of there safely.

An idea suddenly came to Yuugi. He remembered Atemu mentioning something about transportation when they were back down in the dungeon:

"Aye, and they would've placed magical barriers over the dungeons but I had already planned ahead and made them magic-proof. That; however, means that I can't just transport us out of here via shadow transfer."

He got on his tiptoes and whispered to Yami, "What about shadow transfer?" When the gleam of hope sparked through Yami's eyes, Yuugi knew that his idea would work. Yami turned his head towards Seth and appeared to have some kind of conversation. He did the same with Atemu a moment later. When everyone appeared to be on the same page, Yami stared up at Zigfried and the aiming guards with a smirk.

"And vhat is that expression for, hmm?" Zigfried asked. "Did your little vhore give you an idea?"

Yami's triumphant look faltered a bit with the whore comment, but he brushed his discomfort and sudden urge to wring the guy's neck aside. "In fact, my Hikari did give me an idea, Lord Zigfried," he replied easily. He knew he probably shouldn't be giving such priceless information away like that but he wanted to give Yuugi a higher title than a common hooker. "We'll be seeing you later."

With that, Yami's dark light wrapped around them suddenly. Yuugi clutched onto Yami's armor and he felt Yami place his head atop his as if to comfort him. Yuugi couldn't see what was going on and could feel even less. It was as if the shadows had engulfed him and Yami. In fact, Yami's body heat was the only thing he was aware of next to his own thoughts. The entire situation scared him, and he would give anything just to be rid of the feeling of being stretched and pulled this way and that. Thankfully, it wasn't painful and was over as quickly as it had come.

The trio found themselves standing in a dark forest that Yuugi assumed was still in the Shadow Realm if the rising black particles were anything to go by. His grip on Yami slackened slightly as he became aware of his surroundings yet again. The shadow transfer, or that's what Yuugi thought had happened, was weird and disoriented him. His hand flew to his mouth as he felt his stomach flip and flop violently.

"Are you alright, my little one?" Yami asked, noticing Yuugi's quick movement immediately. He was confused as to what could be wrong. He was even more surprised when Yuugi pushed away from him to go vomit by a nearby tree. Yami and Seth both winced at Yuugi's wet heaves, and Yami moved so he was crouched beside Yuugi with a gentle hand rubbing soothing circles on his back.

"Where's Atemu?" Seth asked suddenly as he looked around the vicinity for the king. Yami looked around from his position as well but found his older brother to be missing.

"Didn't he come with us?" Yuugi croaked as his stomach calmed down. He'd have to remind Yami to never shadow transfer with him again.

"He should have," Yami responded tightly.

Just as the three of them were becoming worried over Atemu, he appeared from the shadows and approached them with a wrapped bundle in his hands. His brows creased upon seeing Yuugi leaning over a pile of puke, and his attention was directed to Yami instantly. "Did you forget that human bodies aren't accustomed to our environment? You should've blocked out the shadows more when transferring," he scolded.

"I did what I could to get us out of there quickly," Yami growled. "Don't patronize me."

"Not the point," Seth butted in yet again, and Yuugi realized that Yami and Atemu didn't really get along all that great.

"Right," Atemu continued smoothly as if nothing had happened. "Care to open up the portal, Seth?" Seth nodded and proceeded to do so.

Yuugi wiped his mouth and slowly stood up. He had to pause briefly to calm his stomach but Yami's dark light helped with that. He found himself leaning against Yami as his head pounded from his sudden exertion. "I'm sorry," Yami whispered to him while Seth and Atemu were busy with the portal.

"It's fine," Yuugi assured him with a soft smile. "I'm not hurt and neither are you so it's fine." He rested his head against Yami's chest, and Yami didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around him. "Can we go back to the mansion now, though?" Yuugi asked sheepishly and a blush flushed across his cheeks. "I really want to brush my teeth."

Yami chuckled and pulled him towards the now open portal back to the Living World. "Of course, my little one."

Yami and Yuugi stepped through first with Seth close behind them. Atemu hesitated and turned to face the direction where his palace was. He could see the tips of the tall towers above the trees and anger raged within him as he thought about what had happened to the once beautiful building. He glanced around at his surrounding, sensing less powerful shadow creatures lurking around. He hated to leave not only them but the reigning species here under the corrupt control of the Council but he didn't have any choice. He gripped the bundle he had gone to retrieve from his chambers before joining the others tightly.

I'll come back for you all, he promised grimly from his thoughts. Determination gleamed in his dark crimson eyes. I'll come back. Just wait a little while longer, and trust me. He then turned towards the portal and walked through it. It snapped closed behind him quietly as if it were never even there.

Merry Christmas! This is my little gift to all of you, my beautiful and beloved readers~! :) Please enjoy and REVIEW~ I'll have chapter 21 out (hopefully) shortly after this one and before New Years! -cheers erupt- YAAAY~!