DECLARAION- This story has been written and produced by Cathrath (FanFiction. net ID: 609465). Distribution of any kind is prohibited without the written consent of Cathrath. If you should see this story posted anywhere other than FanFiction .net or under any other name it has been stolen so please notify the author. I do not own Yu-gi-oh.

-...- Other Mysterious voices
Chapter 3 – Dreams

They returned to the palace with their two new members in tow. Yami constantly questioned Yugi about his decision but Yugi wouldn't respond vocally or by mind link, except to say that he would talk about it later. Yami shrugged and decided to wait.

The journey back to the palace didn't take long. Danota shared a horse with one of the guards and Tea sat behind Honda. He had insisted that she ride with him and once back at the palace he gently helped her down from the horse. Jou nudged Yugi as they watched Honda and they both smiled. Honda had a tough exterior but he seemed to have developed a liking for Tea and his gentler side was showing through. Danota was introduced to the stable master and he set about work immediately rubbing the horses down with straw before returning them to the stable. Danota, it seemed, knew a lot about horses.

'This is a different man, I was right to forgive him,' Yugi thought.

"It would seem Danota has hidden talents," Jou said as he stood beside him interrupting Yugi's thoughts.

"It would seem so," Yugi responded.

"I'm sorry for my behaviour Yug. I'm ashamed of what I nearly did. I'm learning to fight to protect you should I need to, not to kill unarmed men because of a grudge."

"It's alright Jou. I'm not entirely sure how I managed to control myself at first. But I think I made a good decision."

"I agree."

Jou tuned and smiled at his friend as they moved towards Tea and Honda.

"Shall we introduce Tea to Mai? She could do with some new clothes and some food?" Yugi said as they approached the pair.

Jou's eyes lit up at the mention of food.

"Why not, I could do with swinging by the kitchens. All this fresh air is making me hungry."

Yugi smiled, one thing about Jou would never change and that was his appetite. It was the main reason he had become close friends with Mai the head cook. Yugi suspected that their feelings went a little further than 'just friends' but they were too stubborn to notice it or admit to each other that they had deeper feelings. Honda stood with a protective arm around Tea's shoulders.

"Would you like a bath and some clean clothes Tea?" Yugi asked as they approached.

Tea curtsied and nodded shyly. Yugi smiled.

"Jou, would you and Honda take Tea to Mai for me. Tell Mai to bring her up to me when she's ready."

"Sure Yug. No problem."

Jou and Honda left in the direction of the servant's quarters and Yugi turned to enter the palace. He was aware that Yami was following him but he carried on through the palace until he entered the west garden. He sat down on a stone bench and waited for Yami to sit down beside him. Yami didn't say anything to him as he sat down, just looked over with concern. Yugi gave him a reassuring smile.

"I'm Ok Yami, really."

Yami didn't seem to believe him.

"I know you better than that Yugi," he said seriously.

"I just need a little bit of time to get over what's happened today," Yugi responded but Yami noticed the slight shake to Yugi's voice.

Away from everyone Yugi's shield was beginning to crumble and he was trembling a little now. He blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. Yami leaned a little closer as he watched Yugi.

.+.+ Its not Tea or Danota that's the problem is it. It's your grandfather. +.+

.+ I... +

Yugi couldn't finish his response to Yami's question as he struggled with the internal battle he was fighting. The news of his grandfather's death hadn't hit him particularly hard but he felt guilty at his feeling of relief now that he was gone. As well as this the feeling of release and the lifting of the weight that had settled in his heart over the years was overwhelming. Yami could feel the turmoil of feelings from Yugi tumbling through their link.

Yami wrapped an arm around Yugi's shoulders and pulled him close. Yugi finally crumbled under the strain of his emotions and broke down in Yami's arms. All Yami could hear through their link were the words 'I'm free'.

Several hours passed and although Yugi wouldn't admit it, the events of the day had exhausted him. He had cried for a long time in Yami's arms. The feeling that he was finally free from his grandfather's reach had been overwhelming but aside from feeling a little bit light headed from his crying he was in good spirits. Once he had regained his composure Yugi had wanted to make sure Tea was Ok but Yami assured him Honda would look after her and had insisted that they go back to his chambers. They now sat in Yami's room waiting. There was a gentle knock on the door and Yugi looked towards the door in anticipation.

"Enter," commanded Yami.

The door was opened and Mai walked in closely followed by Tea who seemed to be trying to hide behind her. Mai gave a respectful nod and steered Tea to the front of the room. She was no longer wearing the rags from the slave yard but now wore a simple beige, knee high tunic, belted at the middle with a yellow sash. Her hair had been brushed back away from her face. Now she was clean Yugi could recognise the girl he had once known. She still had her eyes fixed on the floor and her arms clasped behind her back.

Knowing how he had felt the first time he had been brought to Yami's chambers as his servant Yugi felt sympathetic to how she was feeling. He stood up and walked over to her. As Yami enjoyed frequently pointing out, Yugi was small for his age. Tea had grown since he had last seen her and although he knew that they were of a similar age she towered over him.

"Tea, how are you feeling? Better I hope?" he said as he approached her.

Surprised at the friendly way he spoke to her Tea lifted her head and looked at Yugi with big blue eyes. He smiled at her and she responded with a timid smile of her own and nodded.

"Have you had something to eat?" Yugi asked.

"Y...yes. Mai cooked for me," she said finally.

"Good, well we have a lot of catching up to do and I'm sure Jou would love to find out what's been happening since he left."

A slightly confused expression crossed Tea's face. Why was she being treated so kindly? Wasn't she meant to be a slave? She looked across at Mai with uncertainty. Seeing the unasked question on Tea's face Mai smiled and nodded.

"Go on ask," she whispered in Tea's ear.

Tea, a little more boldly spoke.

"Excuse me Your Highness but may I ask a question?" Yugi sighed at the method of address, yet another person to break out of the habit.

"Sure, ask."

"Aren't I meant to be a slave? Your servant?"

"Yes."

Tea started to look a little awkward and found the floor very interesting all of a sudden.

"Well, then why are you treating me so nicely, like a friend?" Yugi sighed again.

"Because you are my friend Tea. Just because I have a title and position now doesn't mean I've changed, and neither has Jou. In fact to be honest I still can't get used to having a title and despite my appearances I would much rather not have a servant at all."

Tea's eyes saddened a little and her shoulders slumped. Then it was true. She was just a slave to him for a brief moment she had thought he really wanted her as a friend. Yugi was still talking.

"In fact if it wasn't for my loving cousin here I wouldn't have even gone to the slave market today. He insists that I have a servant so in preference to spending a night in the dungeons I chose you. And I would much rather have a servant that I can call a friend than any other."

He turned to Tea giving her a knowing look. He himself had been in the same position two years previous and he knew what she was thinking. He turned to look at Yami.

.+ I have you to thank for that insight Yami. +

Knowing that Yugi was referring to how Yami had treated him as a friend when he was just his servant, Yami smiled.

.+.+ You're welcome Yugi. +.+

Yugi turned back to Tea who was now looking up with a wide smile. It was the first genuine smile of happiness he had seen from her since they had left the slave market. He turned back to Yami and gave him an impish smile. Yami seeing that he was never going to get Yugi to pick a proper servant buried his head in his hands and groaned.

"I give up. You win."

Yugi gave a broad smile of triumph but refrained from leaping in the air to celebrate his victory.

The following days were hectic. Getan trained Tea in her duties and in any free time she had Yugi would talk to her about the events of the last two years. Tea's story really only started when Yugi's grandfather had died. All the servants had been sent to the slave market to be sold and nearly all of them had been bought. All except Danota and herself. Tea was fitting in well at the palace and had become close friends with Mai. Mai was a few years older than Tea but unlike Tea she had lived in the palace since she was a young child being brought up by the head of the kitchens, an older servant called Sarah.

However, aside from telling each other stories there were more serious matters to attend to. In a few days there was to be a gathering of the millennium guardians. It was to be the first time since the events of two years ago that all seven guardians would be together again. Once presented with their items, each of the guardians had retained the item for safekeeping and Yami had sent them out across Egypt to ensure that peace was maintained. This was to be a gathering to ensure that there were no causes for concern and the items themselves were safe. Although Yami had been assured by Ishizu that should any ill befall the items or their guardians he would know about it through the puzzle.

Yugi wasn't sure why Yami had insisted that he be a part of the gathering. Despite being the chosen one Yugi really had no further part to play, his task had been fulfilled. He had sacrificed his life in order to save Yami's and in doing so had given Yami control of the shadow realm. Therefore, fulfilled his role in the prophecy. Yami had been able to bring him back to life using the power of the millennium puzzle but according to the prophecy there was no further role for him. However, Yami was still concerned that Yugi could be used again, as Seto had tried, to transfer the powers of the shadow realm away from him but Yugi wasn't sure that was possible. He was just an ordinary boy now. He had no powers to command unlike the other guardians. Even Jou had more use than him, as he was guardian of the millennium scales.

The day of the gathering arrived and Yugi, Yami, Jou and Ishizu sat in the throne room awaiting the arrival of their friends. Honda and Tea hovered in the background in case their master needed anything. Despite Yami's attempts to involve Yugi in their discussion Yugi was bored and his attention started to wander. It was one of the hottest days of the month and he really wanted to be sitting in one of the gardens under the shade of a tree asleep rather than sitting in a hot and stuffy throne room. He had asked Yami if he could miss the greeting of the guardians but Yami had insisted. He looked over at the others who were talking intensely around the table. Seeing he had been forgotten, he moved his chair a little way towards the wall behind them. The others were deep in conversation and although he tried to pay attention he was beginning to feel drowsy and very soon he was asleep. As he slept Yugi began to dream.

Yugi opened his eyes to find himself standing in the middle of the desert.

'Where am I?' he thought.

He looked around squinting against the glare of the sun and raised his arms to protect his face and eyes from the flying sand being whipped up by the wind.

'What's going on? One minute I'm in the throne room the next I'm up to my neck in sand standing in the middle of the desert,' he thought.

He looked around at his surroundings and through the whirlwinds of sand he saw the outline of some distant ruins. Still confused at how he had come to be there but knowing it was his best bet for shelter, he set off in the direction of the ruins.

Although the ruins had seemed a long way away he reached them in a matter of minutes.

'That's strange,' he thought.

He was still pondering how he had reached his destination so quickly when he started to look more closely at his surroundings. He stopped and spun round quickly on the spot with a slight feeling of panic in the pit of his stomach. His mind raced back to two years ago. He knew this place. It was Hamet.

'Maybe it just looked like Hamet?' he thought desperately.

He wandered through the fallen buildings and walls looking for shelter and saw an open doorway. He ran in and sank to the floor.

'Well at least it's shelter,' he thought.

His mind started to whirl.

'How could I be back at Hamet? How did I get here?'

He found no answers to his questions and sat quietly in the doorway waiting for the sandstorm to die down. It was while he was waiting that he thought he heard a faint whisper calling his name. He turned his head to look down into the tunnel that the doorway opened onto. He shook his head. Sure that he had imagined it.

'This place has got me spooked. It's just the storm,' he thought.

Then the whisper came again, but louder this time.

- Yugi -

He definitely heard it this time and he jumped to his feet.

"Who's there?" he called out. Silence greeted him.

"Who's there?" he called out again with mounting fear. Still no answer came.

Against his better judgement he took a fearful step forwards into the dark. He walked cautiously down the tunnel but at seeing nothing in front of him Yugi turned to return to the doorway and the daylight. He cried out in alarm as the light behind him vanished and he was plunged into darkness. His panic rose. He had always been afraid of the dark and now he was trapped in it. He reached out, trying to feel for a wall, something of reality in the terrible black. Despair was rising within him as he groped his way forwards until he saw a glimmer of hope in front of him, a light, although faint was reaching out to him. He hurried quickly towards it desperate to get out of the crushing darkness. His pace quickened as the light came closer and brighter until finally he stumbled out of the tunnel and into a vast chamber. The chamber walls glinted white with marble and in the centre stood a raised platform bearing a white marble plinth at its top. Yugi started to back away toward the tunnel entrance. He knew this place all too well. He jumped as he felt solid stone behind him and spun round to face a blank wall of marble. The entrance to the tunnel was gone, sealed off. Yugi's breathing quickened with a growing sense of fear. What was going on? If this was a dream he really needed to wake up. Suddenly the light faded and again he was left in the dark. He cried out. The light returned as quickly as it had gone but Yugi found himself no longer standing by the sealed entrance to the tunnel but on top of the platform beside the marble plinth. He started to tremble.

'What is going on? Yami please help me,' he cried in his mind.

- Yami can't help you -

"What? Who said that?" Yugi cried out backing up against the plinth in fear his eyes sweeping the chamber before him for the source of the voice.

- The time has come -

Yugi spun around. The voice had come from behind him this time. He leaned on the marble plinth for support.

"What time? Who are you?" he shouted out desperately.

- Do you not remember? -

Yugi's eyes widened in horror as red streaks of blood started to stain the white marble before him and fresh blood began to run down its sides. Yugi backed away from the horrific sight before him. He remembered. He remembered being tied to the altar. Remembered being nearly sacrificed and he remembered who had tried to kill him. He jumped, as a shadow suddenly loomed over him and he spun round. Before he could react a ghostly white hand had clasped itself tightly around his throat and pushed him back across the altar.

- I'm glad you have not forgotten me Little Yugi -

Yugi struggled against the grip and screamed.