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.

Chapter 14 – Echoes

Yami paced his room. It was the middle of the night and he knew he should be resting but he couldn't sleep. So much had happened in the last few days, sleep was a luxury he could ill afford. They had to stay one step ahead of Seto. Try to guess his next move. However, despite Yami's determination he was at a loss as to what to do. His strength was returning slowly but without the millennium puzzle he was as good as powerless. He stopped his pacing at the sound of a faint knock on his door. Yugi pushed the door open and peered in.

"I thought you might still be up. Can I come in?" he asked.

Despite everything Yami smiled at his cousin.

"Of course, you know you never have to ask."

He beckoned for Yugi to enter. Yugi returned the smile as he slipped through the door and pushed it shut behind him.

"You should be resting," Yugi scolded as he approached.

"Ishizu will have your hide if she knows your still up."

"Then we had better not tell her," Yami said as he sat down wearily on the bed.

Yugi sat down beside him and looked awkwardly at the floor.

"Is something wrong Yugi?" Yami asked concerned.

Yugi continued to look at the floor as he answered.

"No. Well maybe. I'm not sure," came Yugi's confusing reply.

"I'll take that as a yes," Yami said as he moved further onto the bed so he could lean against the pillows.

He indicated for Yugi too join him.

"Want to talk about it?"

Yugi nodded and settled on the bed beside Yami.

"Yami do you remember how I used the millennium puzzle to save you after you were poisoned?"

Yami nodded.

"Do you remember I told you the puzzle was curious about me?"

Yami nodded again.

"Yes, you said it was nothing to worry about."

Yugi glanced to the side and absently wrung his hands together.

"I lied," he said quietly.

Yami sat a little straighter on the bed and half turned towards Yugi.

"I see. What really happened?"

Yugi took a deep breath before answering. He'd wanted to tell Yami this for a while.

"After I used the puzzle to heal you I tried to put it down but it wouldn't let me. I couldn't break the connection I had made with it. It felt like it was trying to absorb me into itself and I think it would have succeeded if Ishizu hadn't taken the puzzle away and broken the connection. I asked Ishizu about it. She said it was just because the puzzle was curious about me but I knew at the time it was something more than that."

"And now?" Yami asked a slight edge of worry to his voice.

Yugi took another deep breath to calm his rising nerves as he recalled the next event.

"After our encounter with Seto I think I might have been right. Even though Marik was controlling me I could still hear and understand everything that was going on around me. I heard Seto tell you that I was the only one, apart from yourself, who could control the puzzle and the other millennium items. That was the reason I used the millennium rod to free Jou and Honda from Marik's control. I somehow knew I could do it."

Yami leaned a little further forward and laid his hand over Yugi's.

"So what's bothering you?"

Yugi looked up into Yami's eyes and Yami was startled at the slight flicker behind Yugi's eyes and the familiar feeling of the millennium items power.

"Yami, I can still feel the millennium rod's power in me, and the puzzles. It's like they both left part of themselves behind when I used them."

Again there was a slight flicker in Yugi's eyes, this time one of fear.

"Yami they're calling out to me. I can hear the rod calling out to me right now."

Yami knew Yugi could not possibly know where the millennium rod was hidden. He had hidden it himself for safe keeping on their return to the palace and no one had been around at the time. Curious, Yami decided to test Yugi.

"Do you know where it is now?" he asked.

Yugi nodded.

"Yes, I can feel its power, its close."

"Show me," Yami asked simply.

Without a word Yugi slipped off the bed and walked with confidence towards the far wall of the chamber. Without hesitation he reached up towards a carving of a bird on the wall, one of many, and pulled its wing down. As the wing was pulled down there was a faint click and a stone panel slid open in the wall. Lying on a silk cushion in the centre of a hidden alcove behind the panel was the millennium rod. Yugi reached to take hold of the rod but was stopped by Yami grabbing hold of his wrist.

"Don't touch it Yugi."

Yugi looked at the rod.

"It won't hurt me."

Yami look was grave as he spoke.

"Maybe, but I'm not going to take that risk."

He pulled the bird's wing again and the panel slid closed. Yami knelt down in front of Yugi and laid both hands on his shoulders as he looked into Yugi's eyes once more. There was no way Yugi could have known where the rod was hidden. What he said had to be true. Yugi had developed a link with the millennium items he had touched.

"Can you feel the millennium puzzle?" Yami asked.

Yugi answered with a nod.

"Where is it Yugi?"

Yugi took hold of Yami's hand and pulled him toward the balcony. Once there he pointed out across the desert towards a small rocky outcrop in the distance, just visible against the horizon. They stood there for a little while looking out into the desert. On hearing a small sniff Yami turned towards Yugi.

"Yugi?"

Yugi didn't answer. He had turned away from Yami and his blonde bangs had slid forward to hide his face. Yami gently turned Yugi round to face him. He was not surprised to see tears pouring down Yugi's face. Yugi snatched his face away again.

"Yugi...what's the matter?" Yami asked gently.

Yugi didn't answer.

"Yugi..," Yami started to say again when he was interrupted by Yugi's quiet voice.

"Its happening again isn't?" He said in a heart wrenching voice.

Yami didn't know what to say but he knew what Yugi was referring to.

"It's not going to be like last time Yugi," he said confidently.

"How can you say that?" Yugi half shouted letting the fear he was feeling come through as anger.

"Seto's back. He's after the power of the millennium items again. He kidnapped me again. How can you say it's not the same as last time?" Yugi was almost hysterical now.

"He's going to break free from the shadow realm. He's going to try and finish what he started last time. He...he's going to come after me again and...and," He stopped, unable to finish the sentence.

"It would...It would have been better if you had left me dead," he sobbed.

At this Yami grabbed hold of Yugi's shoulders and shook him hard.

"YUGI, look at me."

Yugi quietened but refused to look at him

"Look at me," Yami, said again more firmly.

Yugi turned and the look of hopelessness in his face nearly broke Yami's heart.

"Don't ever say that Yugi. You deserve to live, just like the rest of us. Listen, I know things seem hopeless. I know things look the same as before and I'm going to hate myself for saying this. There may be some truth in what Seto said back in the cave but Yugi there are differences. If indeed the prophecy is still working but has been altered in someway then we will find a way to either fulfil or alter it again. It won't be the same as before."

Yami lifted Yugi's chin with his finger and looked at him with serious eyes.

"You're not going to die again."

Yugi continued to look at Yami then raised his own hand to touch the now healing but still visible cut on Yami's neck.

"But you might," he said in a quiet voice.

Yami smiled and shook his head.

"I don't think so Yugi. It will take a lot to get rid of me and Seto knows it. That's why he's been using others to get to me. He can't confront me directly and Yugi..."

Yami wiped away Yugi's tears with his thumb.

"...when he does come, I, will be the one who comes away the winner."

Yugi sniffed again and wiped his face with the sleeve of his tunic.

"Promise."

Yami drew Yugi into a tight hug.

"I promise."

They stayed on the balcony for a while before Yami lifted a half sleeping Yugi into his arms and carried him back into the room. Yami laid Yugi gently on the bed and smiled as he snuggled contentedly into the soft covers and fell into a deep sleep. Yami stepped back and drew the curtains around the bed. He then moved back to the balcony. A cool wind ruffling his hair and robes as he looked out across the quiet city and desert. He leaned heavily on the balcony deep in thought.

'So much has happened in the last few days but it seems like its finally coming to a head. I know where the millennium puzzle and Seto are now. It's just a matter of time,' he thought. He sighed. Time was something that weighed heavily on his mind. He hadn't lied to Yugi. He would make sure that things didn't happen the way they had two years ago. He would not let Yugi die and if it came to it he would sacrifice his own life in exchange. He had made that decision a long time ago. However, the feeling that they were going around in circles concerned him. He hadn't lied to Yugi about that either. There were differences this time. Yami began to tick the events off in his mind. It had all started with the purchase of a slave except this time it had been two slaves, Tea and Danota and Yugi had been the one doing the purchasing not Yami. The next event had been the poison except two years ago it had been a snake biting Yugi and this time an arrow striking Yami. The similarities continued. There had been a kidnapping and on both occasions it had been Yugi but the difference this time being that Seto had kidnapped Yugi in order to kill Yami not the other way around as it had been two years ago. He carried the scars of the next, his near execution. Two years ago he had mistakenly ordered Yugi's execution by beheading, thinking he had attempted to assassinate him. Recent events had seen him nearly suffer a similar fate except this time at the hands of the mind controlled Yugi. Yami shook his head. These similarities were not a coincidence and the thought of what might happen next filled him with dread. Two years ago Yugi had died and Yami had sealed Seto in the shadow realm. If his theory were correct the same would happen again.

Yami clenched his fists. He would not allow Yugi to die again. He had suffered enough and if Yami had his way the person to be sealed in the shadow realm would once again be Seto, except this time for good.

Yami moved back into the room, his mood grim. Yes, he knew what he had to do and he had to act fast. He moved back to Yugi's now peacefully sleeping form. He loved his cousin more than anything else in the world. Yugi had changed his life. Yami had never really had friends or a family before Yugi had arrived. He had given him so much. He smiled down at the almost child like form in front of him. Yugi still didn't look his age of seventeen. He thought of his cousin's selfless nature. Yugi only cared for others, never worrying about his own needs. He would willingly give his life if he thought it would save someone. Yami recalled the time when Yugi had kept his whereabouts a secret in favour or giving up a fugitive Jou, even at the cost of being arrested and facing the death penalty for his alleged crime. Yami knew what he had to do. His mind was made up Yugi would not be the sacrifice this time.

'I know something is different this time. The way the millennium items behave towards Yugi concerns me. If what Seto said is true, that they could destroy Yugi, then I must either retrieve the items or destroy them,' Yami thought as he turned away from the bed and moved towards the door.

'Nothing will ever hurt you again Yugi. I promised you that, two years ago. I broke that promise once I won't break it again,' Yami thought as he silently slipped out of the room so as not to disturb Yugi and closed the door quietly behind him.