11 - the hazardous path to the truth

After Yugi's wounds and wings were completely healed, Merik told them about a path that lead up the mountain.

"But this path is very hazardous. There is no telling what creatures exist deep inside of this cave and if they will attack you or not. You two will have to rely solely on each other to make it up the path. Along the way you may also discover the truth. Only by knowing the truth will Dartz agree to train you both. Use the clues that you were given to figure out the truth about your lineage and the powers that you are capable of. I wish you both the best of luck and I hope that you both succeed where me and my sister failed." Merik stated.

"Thank you Merik for everything. Come on Yugi, we have a long journey ahead of us." Atem replied as both teens walked off heading up the path.

Once both of the teens were out of Merik's sight, he turned to his sister.

"Do you think that they will actually pass the trial that lies ahead of them?" Merik asked. Ishizu turned to her brother slowly nodding her head yes.

"They have definitely come a long way and have all ready passed some of the tests that laid ahead of them. Now comes the hardest part. I just hope that I am right about what I am placing those two through. Unlike us they don't know that their father's had a hand in magic. The twins, one of darkness and the other of light, their children are destined to flow down their path. I hope and pray that they manage to pass the hardest test that lays ahead of them." replied Ishizu.

"I hope that you are right sister. I could definitely sense the demon within Yugi growing stronger. Even though they don't know about their heritage, they definitely are more powerful in their magic then we were even with the little bit of training that Atem had been through." Merik stated.

Atem and Yugi walked along the path slowly as Yugi used his magic to create a floating fire ball to follow them. There were a few thin patches that had to have Yugi walk up right using either the wall or Atem's shoulder for support. Going up the path was very slow going because the path was very slick or crumbling beneath their feet. Suddenly without warning part of the path crumbled beneath Atem's feet as he began to fall. Yugi reacted quickly as his scythed tail snaked out grabbing Atem coiling around his body. Yugi's hands and feet dug into the rock wall.

*Hang on Atem!* Yugi hissed mentally as he had to be careful about the scythed end of his tail.

*Just drop him human, he is not worth it. He wouldn't save you if something happened.* hissed the demon mentally.

*Shows you what you know. My brother Atem has always been there for me. He even got me out of trouble a few times. I will never betray my brother, he is the only family that I have. All we have is each other on this trip.* Yugi snapped back mentally as he carefully lifted Atem up to a stable part of the path. Yugi breathed a sigh of relief that he was able to push the demon down and save Atem's life. But how much longer can he keep the demon at bay? Yugi carefully climbed over to where his brother was troubled over the demon inside of him, getting Zorc's book, and what Merik had said about having their special powers. Yugi never met his father and he could spending countless times with his mom and their grandpa. He has never seen them exhibited any usual powers even after Yugi became curse and his mother had died of natural causes.

"Thank Yugi that was definitely a close one." replied Atem as Yugi sat down on his back legs looking at his brother. It struck him odd how they used to look so much alike as they bared a few similarities to their mother. Kids will often look like both of their parents. But Yugi and Atem looked like not only their mother but also each other.

*Atem I have a question and I want you to truthfully answer me. Did you ever meet my father?* he asked mentally. Atem looked at Yugi who seemed troubled by his thoughts.

"Honestly no Yugi, all I know was what mom told me. But I can distinctly remember one time when dad seemed different. It was around the time when mom got pregnant with you. It was if my father wasn't whom he appeared to be but someone else. What are you thinking?" Atem asked as he sat down on the path.

*Just something seems wrong like how come we look so much like each other and a little like mom. I can't remember a single time when we weren't with mom and/or grandpa. I don't ever recall them having any unique powers.* Yugi stated.

"I see your point Yugi. The only thing points to our father's. I was given my father's last name even though he and mom never truly married as something there was it possible that maybe our father's had this power. I can remember dad leaving for great lengths of time with no explanation why. And what was the real reason why mom told me to look after you and keep you out of trouble. Was it possible that she knew something and kept it from us?" Atem asked as he got back up to his feet and began walking being followed by Yugi.

The two teens continued quietly up the path helping one another out in tight spots. Both of them never said a word as they thought over what they have been told and what they could remember. Something in Atem's mind clicked when he remembered what Merik had told them about the prophecy. Light, that was his father's first name he could remember when his father told him that he had a younger brother.

*What on Earth was his name?* Atem thought to himself as he looked at Yugi for answers. Even though Yugi was a demon he could still seem the same similarities in their appearance. The answer then struck him as he wasn't watching were he was going as he slipped off of the path.

"Atem!" Yugi shouted diving after his brother grabbing a firm hold of Atem's shoulders with his clawed feet as Atem screamed in pain. Yugi flew him and Atem up the path looking for a smooth surface. The smell of blood was overpowering him as the demon twitched his fangs.

*Kill him, feed me!* it roared as Yugi desperately fought against it.

*No I won't. He is my brother!*

*He is nothing but food. Kill him, free me, feed our hunger.*

"Yugi watch out!" Atem screamed as something shot out of the darkness bolting straight for them. The creature swiped Atem from out of Yugi's claws as he flew right into a huge spider web. The demon hissed as he tried to free himself from the web. Atem was tossed hard into a hanging stalagmite. As he got a better look at the creatures that had him. The wereraven (a human-like raven monster featured in the dungeons and dragons role-playing game) pecked at Atem's wounds slashing at Atem's skin with it's claws. Atem screamed in pain as it saw a huge giant spider (a monster featured in the dungeouns and dragons role-playing game) heading down for Yugi who laid tangled in its web.

"Hurry up and kill the human Raven so that Zorc can have his prize. The demon is about to break the human half of him." the spider hissed in a feminine voice. Atem's powers surged forth from deep inside of his body. He could feel a strong bright warm light radiating from inside of his body.

"NO! Not when I had just finally figured it out. Not when I recall who I really am!" Atem shouted out as both the power and light released from his body sending the wereraven flying away. Atem who was radiating light looked at the spider as wings of light seemed to emerge from his back. "You will release my brother at once creature if you value your life!" Atem stated as Atem's voice sounded different more angelic. The spider hissed at Atem as the wereraven moved to attack Atem.

"Not when we are so close. You can't have him, he is ours!" the spider hissed.

"He was never yours. Nobody can control him. Only I have been able to since because we are brother's bound by blood. One of light and the other of darkness, we are our father's sons. Destined to stop evil and bring about the age of magic." Atem replied as he summoned to his hand a sword of lgith flying at the two attacking creatures. His sword cut the wereraven in half destroying it instantly as he flew towards the spiders web. The spider hissed as it summoned up other demons to keep Atem away from her web.

Yugi watched as his brother was engulfed by light as he heard what Atem had said. Atem had figured it out as it unleashed a power that Yugi hadn't seem before but he seemed to recognize it.

*You must remember who you are my brother, we are two sides of the same coin. Remember the prophecy. My father's name was Light Yami and he had a brother, a twin brother named Dark Yami. We are their sons we are destined to follow down their path. Expel the demon within you and remember who you truly are deep inside!* stated an angelic voice mentally within his mind. He could feel the light penetrating deep into him. A familiar feeling washed over him as he remembered.

*Yes I remember. I am the son of Dark Yami the keeper of the dark magics, twin brother to the son of Light Yami the keeper of the light magic. We two have been chosen to complete our father's work in preventing evil from it's goals.* Yugi hissed mentally as dark energy engulfed him. *This is why Zorc sent me the book he wants to control the darkness that is with inside of me. This is why our mother sought to protect us. She knew about them and their powers. She knew that something would happen to us but she never pictured this. I will not allow my brother to fight alone.* Yugi roared mentally as the dark energy engulfed his body. The creatures hissed and screamed in pain as they were vaporized when the light and dark power collided. Energy shot out of the mountain freeing Yugi of the web and destroying the spider. Both Yugi and Atem flew to the top of the mountain. When they landed they collapsed from pure exhaustion not realizing that they had passed all of the trials that were in front of them as they knew now who and what they are. Both collapsed falling unconscious as a strange man approached them both.