Chapter XXXVIII: Echo

"Did you find anything?"

Yami looked up at the question, blinking, and turned to find his father standing feet away. He felt a small surge of relief in his gut as he faced him. It was as if someone had just told him the day would surely end even though it felt impossibly long. He loosened the tension in his limbs and smiled faintly even as he shook his head slowly. "No, I haven't actually…seen anything," he answered. He looked away. "I can't find anything."

Atem nodded. "I didn't when I was here last to see what could be found of Patty's death. There was fresh blood, and I still don't know that there were any clues to find here." He looked past Yami and to Yugi. "Seto and Timaeus are still arguing. It's nice having someone else to argue for us."

Yugi laughed, rubbing beaks with Atem. "You're ridiculous," he teased. He licked his cheek and smiled warmly. "But we didn't find anything. Yami can't sense anything, I guess."

Yami frowned and turned to Atem. He expected his father to look over, to say something to him. He almost expected him to ask if he wanted to try again. He almost even expected him to lick his forehead and tell him it was okay. But Atem wasn't facing him. He wasn't paying him any mind, actually. He was staring at the ledges with a curious expression, considering the camp walls as if he might see something he hadn't before.

Yugi looked up and considered as well, though after a moment he simply lay his chin on Atem's shoulders and mumbled, "Can we just kill your brother? Life would be a thousand times easier."

Yami watched Atem snicker and shake his head. "Maybe if he annoys me enough," he teased. "Then I'll let you box his brain from his ears. Deal?"

Yugi grinned. "Sounds amazing!"

Yami smiled and shook his head. At least they were both relaxed. Atem wasn't stressed out and Yugi was getting a moment to simply be with him, even if it didn't go past that. He turned away and paused, that hideous scratching in his head seeming to burst forth.

He blinked, almost swaying on his paws. His mouth was dried out as he tossed his head to scatter the feeling. But his legs felt weak, trembling, and his head began to throb. An image began to form there, eyes burning and tingling as he stepped forward and looked toward the other set of ledges. He flexed his claws and stood taller, muscles locking in place. His tail twitched, tip thumping against the ground several times.

Yami saw a streak of images there against the pale stone. Two hatchlings of pale scales and brilliant eyes darted across the ledge. The one in the lead was far larger and more graceful, as if they'd practiced a thousand times. Their follower was slower, stumbling, pausing frequently to check their paws. They protested, but Yami couldn't hear the words coming from their mouth. They bounded forward, opening their mouth again and pleading.

Yami peered at the cliff as the image began again. The hatchling in the lead spoke, bounding forward without a care, and the second scrambled after. As he focused more intently, their voices finally came, as if summoned to his mind.

"Patty, slow down! Please! Where are we going?"

"Come on, Echo! Just keep up!"

Yami blinked as the hatchling in front whipped around. She smiled, eyes wide and brilliant. They were pale, blue but rimmed with yellow around the wide pupils. She tilted her head, saying, "Echo, come on! Just a little further!" in a voice like pebbles dropping. Yami bristled faintly as the two siblings faced each other. Echo got within a foot of her and Patty darted away again. They moved a few more feet. And then Patty turned around.

"Are you ready?"

Echo panted, trembling and staring at her sister. "F-for what?"

"To come with me," Patty said with a much wider grin. "You'll come with me and we'll spend forever together. You're my sister. We should be together forever, no matter what."

Echo shivered. "You…you fell from the ledge—Mom said you died."

"I came back for you."

"What? What does that—?"

"You want to stay with me forever, right? You'll never be lonely again!"

"I—I…"

"Don't worry. It'll be okay. It'll be fun."

"I don't understand."

"Not yet." Patty smiled wider, stepped closer, and moved around her sister. She wove like a droplet of water, turning to watch her with glittering eyes. Echo turned around to face her, nearly tripping over her own paws. Patty stepped closer, smiled somehow wider, and then sprang.

Yami watched her make contact, claws somehow sharpening like an eagle's talons. Her teeth grew longer and sharper, her face larger. She was large, full grown, within seconds. Her mouth opened but did not make contact. Her claws ripped through Echo's sides and the hatchling tumbled with two gaping wounds covered in dirt and shards of stone. Her neck had snapped on the way down and she lay in a crumpled heap there before him. The memories were sharp and terrible and Yami felt as if his head were going to explode.

He was trembling when he took a step back. The Blue-Eyes perched on the ledge, looking down at the broken body, was Patty again. Her claws were shorter and softer, she was smaller and leaner, her eyes wide and locked on her. Yami felt his mind racing as the hatchling raised her head and turned to look at him, teeth bared into a hateful grin.

"Yami?"

He recoiled when someone nudged him. The yelp that left him startled him as well as his father. Atem stepped back, bristling, and stared at him in alarm. Yami blinked stupidly, staring at Atem even as Yugi sniffed his flanks and nuzzled him to see if he was in pain. Yami blinked again, faltering, and then rushed forward to hide behind Atem's back leg. He rubbed there a moment, then took a seat.

That wasn't…a memory. He wasn't seeing the past in its exact order. Someone had…shown him what they knew to be true. They hadn't hidden a detail from him, even challenging him when they'd locked eyes with him at the end. He blinked and stared, eyes widening further, and then pressed against Atem's leg more firmly.

"Yami?"

"What happened?" Timaeus asked sharply, moving just close enough to lay on his belly and see Yami past Atem's leg. Yami had the impulse to run over to him as well, but he was comfortable there. Atem was more than enough comfort and he'd protect him if something happened. "Are you all right?"

"Did you see something?" Seto demanded, jerking back when Timaeus spun on him with a snarl. The Felgrand huffed and paced a few steps away, turning to Atem. "Well?"

"I don't know," the God Dragon spat. "He was…"

Yugi got past Atem's front legs, stretched out to nudge Yami in the side. "Little flame?" he whispered, licking his cheek and searching his face. "Are you okay?"

Yami shifted his weight, at first away and then toward him. "I…I think so?" he finally managed. Yugi didn't bother asking again, instead licking his face and crawling closer. "I…"

"He was staring at the ledges where Echo fell," Kisara said quietly. "He was staring at them and he started shaking out of nowhere. He didn't respond to his name and when he did, it was because Atem tapped him when he said it. That's when he panicked."

"He saw something then!" Seto exclaimed, triumphant. "He saw something."

Atem snarled softly. "You'd be wise to step away before I take your head off."

"What? I'm already far from him. I haven't seen—"

"If you're the reason he's upset, I'll kill you. I don't care."

Yugi licked Yami's cheek again, then sighed softly. "Did you see something?" he asked gently, so low Yami was sure only the two of them could hear it. He nodded, relieved Yugi had such keen sight so he didn't have to speak so soon. "Okay."

He trembled and looked back toward Timaeus. The Knight Dragon wasn't crouched there any longer. He was still standing, likely staring at Seto once more. Yami drew a breath, wishing Timaeus was there so he could find some comfort in his presence as well. Then he turned back, hissing, "It was… It didn't make sense."

"What didn't make sense?"

"I don't understand."

"What don't you understand?"

Yami faltered a moment. "It was…Patty."

"Hmm?" Yugi coaxed. "What about Patty, little shadow?"

"That's… She… She killed Echo."

Yugi stared at him for a long time. Then he tilted his head. The puzzlement was clear and he could see the slight disbelief slowly fading to thoughtfulness. The Gandora tossed the idea about in his head a while, then slowly nodded. "Okay."

Yami blinked. "Okay?" he echoed, startled. He sounded crazy. How was that okay? "I…"

"You're okay." Yugi nodded again. "You're okay, and I don't know what you saw. If you say it was Patty, then it was. But we can discuss this further later. We don't need to do it now. And I'd rather you were safe and no longer shaking like a leaf when we did, Yami."

"But I… Yugi, it couldn't have been…"

"If you saw her, then you saw her. You've never once seen her before. You've never seen Echo, either. If you believe it was them, then I believe you." Yugi shifted his weight. "There's no reason for you to lie. And you're clearly still scared. I love you. You know that. So, if that's what you saw, then I believe it."

Yami blinked and shivered. He remembered Atem saying there was an overwhelming stench of rot in the nest, and Yugi telling him he didn't smell it. Atem had gone so far as to open his mouth and nearly eat the eggs, and Yugi had never wavered from his side even when he'd watched his jaws part and lower toward them. He'd said he wasn't a God Dragon, so he didn't sense what Atem did, and if that was what he thought he smelled then it was there even without his agreement.

Yami felt as if his heart might burst. Yugi was so sweet—beyond what any dragon should have been—and faithful. He had such a pure heart and soul, and his faith was so unwavering. Yami couldn't imagine the strength one had to have for such kindness. It almost made him sad at the same time as it warmed him.

"Thank you."

Yugi looked at him for a moment, startled, and then smiled and leaned forward. He licked his face again, nuzzled his cheek, and then pulled away. "Do you want to go home, little flame?"

Yami hesitated a few seconds, then looked away. He tipped his head up, studying the white bands of Atem's underbelly, then the sharp jutting formation of his chest plates further ahead. Atem wouldn't run from it. He'd stood his ground and forced himself through that Blessing. Yami didn't want to be a coward. He didn't want Atem or Yugi or Timaeus disappointed in him. And he had come there to help—to see if he could find something that had been overlooked formerly.

"You don't owe Seto or Kisara anything, Yami. You did this out of kindness, just as Atem did when he Blessed the nest. He didn't want to even before we came, and he still did. He had no obligation then, and you have none now," Yugi said more firmly, voice still soft and gentle. "It doesn't matter if you decide to step back now. He has no right to try to force you to stay here. And Atem would never allow him. You understand that, right? Atem won't let anything happen to you. He won't let anything happen, ever."

Yami nodded. He knew that. He always had. Atem would have slaughtered a thousand if it meant he or Yugi were safe. He nodded again and studied where Atem's scythes were visible beyond the chest plates.

"I'll stay," he said finally. He nodded to Yugi then, forcing himself to stand again. "I'll…I'll stay. I…I don't know how that could have been what happened. I… It doesn't make sense."

Yugi studied his face for a moment. "Okay. But we'll leave soon. I'm tired of being here," he stated, and moved away to straighten beside Atem. "We'll be leaving soon enough, yes?"

Yami heard Atem move rather than saw it. "Yes. We'll leave soon."

"Good."

Yami moved past Atem's leg and out from beneath his shadow, relaxing slightly. Yugi didn't look at him when he came out, seemingly to avoid drawing attention to his previous scare. Yami rubbed against Atem's front leg and looked up at his father, determined at least to try to make up for his former fear. Atem always faced his fear. He could do that, too. He could find out what had happened and who had truly done it. No dragonet could accelerate their growth and then change back like that. It didn't make sense. He didn't know what was going on, but that alone changed everything in how utterly wrong it all was.

He could have believed it was a hallucination if Patty hadn't touched Echo even before she'd seemed to somehow age and change back. He could have believed it was possibly what Kisara pictured of it, though the words Patty had said were far from what they should have been.

"What did you see?" Seto demanded, coming around Atem's side. He was within a foot of him when the God Dragon struck him in the head. He hit the ground with a thud, snarled, and obediently moved a few feet away. He glared at his brother even as Atem merely watched, and then looked to Yami with his peripheral trained on the deity. "What did you see, Yami?"

He hesitated for a long moment, risking a glance at Yugi and Atem. Then he shifted his weight and narrowed his eyes. "I don't know…exactly. It was…weird." He paused, then looked at Atem again. The God Dragon turned to him, tilting his head. Embarrassed but comforted all the same, Yami mumbled, "It didn't make sense."

"What?" Seto snapped. "What didn't make sense?"

"Any of it. None of it made sense," Yami said, turning to him. "None of what I saw made any sense. I don't… I don't think it was accurate. But I can try again."

Atem was quiet for a moment. "If you desire."

Yami blinked and looked over, startled. Atem peered back at him steadily, and he realized Atem was giving him the same assurance Yugi had. If he chose not to try again, he was free to leave as he wanted. If he decided he was done, they'd leave right then. They were going by what Yami said he wanted. They would do as he wanted.

He had the final word on everything.

"I do," he finally mumbled, turning to Seto. "I just…don't know how useful this will be. If what I already saw doesn't make sense, then how am I supposed to find who did it?"

Seto stared at him, for a moment as if he wanted to swat him across the face. But it passed immediately after. He sighed and looked at Kisara. "Well, if this doesn't work, then it doesn't work." He hissed when he exhaled. "I suppose trying should count for something."

"Considering he's doing it out of kindness, trying counts for everything," Yugi snarled. Yami saw he was standing closer, bristling, teeth bared and eyes glowing with anger. "The fact he wants to do this again is amazing considering I would have left the moment you called Atem worthless."

Seto turned to him, snarling. "Keep your beak out of my business."

"The moment it includes Atem, it becomes my business."

"You're unnecessary here. Why did you come?"

"You asked for Yami," Yugi snarled, eyeing him, "and if you are ever to see him, it'll be with both Atem and me present. I'll kill you before I ever allow you to step close to him on your own. And I think I can say that goes for Atem even more."

Yami looked at Seto as the Felgrand visibly measured his chances of fighting Yugi. It only took one glance toward Atem to smother the impulse, however, and he stepped back immediately again. Yami looked to Atem and Yugi, and wondered for a moment whether he was foolish for wanting to stay and try again. Was it stupid of him? He felt it had to have been.

What else was there to see?

He'd seen what happened. He'd seen it replayed before him, and he still didn't quite…understand what he'd seen. If it was real, then something was going on that Yami didn't know how to explain…

Was there anything else worth looking for?

Yami considered his parents, Seto and Kisara, and then turned around to see Timaeus. The Wind Dragon was watching them all with a curious expression, listening rather than adding any input. Yami turned away again. It was odd. No one else had come to see about the commotion. No one else had even seemed bothered enough to notice.

He wondered then if anyone else had heard Echo and Patty talking. Had they and assumed it a dream? Or had someone heard it but considered it Echo dealing with her grief in pretending her sister was still there?

Yami looked to Atem. What if Jaden was right? What if it was because of Atem that it had happened? What if he'd been the reason one of Seto's hatchlings was considered a threat? What if he was the reason they were blind to their query and that was why they had gotten away with it? But what else were they capable of? Could they have deafened the noise somehow? Had they projected that sequence of events to him? Was that why Patty had turned and sneered at him at the end before fading?

It had to have been…

No one else had seen any of what had happened that night but for the killer.

Yami glanced at the walls and away again. He didn't want to risk seeing it again, nor hearing Patty tell Echo to be with her forever. He looked away and glanced over his shoulder to see where the other hatchlings were. If it was one of them, then it would be easy to tell if he spent more time with them, right? He should have been able to sense them, if he was half as powerful as everyone else seemed to think.

He looked at Atem, focusing and finding it far easier now. Atem wasn't blocking him as usual. The brambles and mist were still there, but the gap was present as well, more prominent than before. Yami wondered if it was because he'd traversed there before or if it was because Atem had spoken to him like that earlier. Or had Atem done so on purpose, so that Yami had the chance to speak to him if he needed?

Atem.

His father tilted his head slightly toward him. Yes?

I want to speak to the others. Maybe it'll help somehow. He felt stupid, but Atem didn't object. Yami searched his face but Atem still did not say anything to argue. Can you keep Yugi and Seto distracted? I think I'll take Timaeus with me for this instead, okay?

Atem studied him a moment. Don't show off. And make sure you're diligent not to be caught. We don't need anyone suspecting anything but what we told them earlier. He turned away again. "Yugi, stop bristling. It's okay. Seto isn't worth the breath it takes to argue. You know that."

"He's still a spiteful piece of dung."

Yami smiled faintly as Seto whipped around to scowl at Yugi once more. Kisara was watching him, but she smiled and turned away when Yami moved toward Timaeus. The Knight Dragon was barely paying attention, but he snapped to when he realized Yami was coming closer. His head turned and his eye caught on him immediately, a small smile stretching across his face.

"Hello."

Yami smiled in turn, reaching up to rub beaks with him. "Can you come with me?" he whispered, searching his face. "Can you follow me? I wanted to speak to my siblings again. I think it'll…help, maybe? I…I just want to give it another shot."

Timaeus blinked and nodded. "Sure."

He could have melted he was so happy. He grinned and trotted past him, leading the way back toward the center of the camp. Zigfried was seated next to Noah, and both of them were whispering as if conspiring together. Mokuba had fallen asleep with Dimitri, and Leon was chasing a bug nearby.

"Are you sure you're not related to Atem?" Noah asked abruptly, turning to him without quite finishing his conversation with Zigfried. His sibling scowled but tilted his head and studied Yami in turn. "You look a lot like him."

"Atem probably kept him because he looks like him," Zigfried scoffed. "Why would you want to adopt a hatchling that doesn't even look like you? I know I wouldn't."

Yami blinked. "They took in my egg. They didn't know what I'd look like."

"But when you hatched, they didn't kick you out. That's probably because you look so much like Atem," Zigfried sneered, turning away as if he no longer wanted anything to do with him. "If you'd come out gray or silver or blue, they'd probably have exiled you soon after you hatched."

Yami faltered and then shook his head. "Neither of them would have done that," he protested. "They're too kind for that."

Noah snorted. His eyes glinted and the slivers were oddly luminescent in the moonlight. "No dragon is too kind for that—especially not a God or a Gandora. Gandora Dragons are mean."

"If they're so mean, Yugi should have knocked you around and gobbled one of you up," Yami snapped, bristling with outrage. He glared when both of them turned to him with huge eyes. Leon burst into snickers. Yami lashed his tail and scowled at Zigfried. "And, just so you know, not every dragon is a pile of dung like your dad!"

Noah laughed and ducked his head, smirking. "I'm going to tell him you said that."

"I'm not scared of Seto," he spat. "Atem and Yugi would maim him before he could lay a claw on me."

Zigfried looked over suddenly. "Who are you? Aren't you a Wind Dragon? Why are you here?"

Yami glanced over his shoulder. Timaeus had taken a spot nearby but not so close as to intimidate. He had lowered his head to his paws, pretending to rest, but snorted, "Wow. I'm glad you know your species. It's impressive. I thought your father was useless at everything but apparently he taught you disrespect well enough."

Noah burst out laughing again. Zigfried snorted. Yami looked over, mortified. He would have been indignant and furious if anyone had said such things about Atem or Yugi. But they seemed so calm about it.

They seemed completely untroubled.

"You're almost as nasty about him as Rafael," Noah snickered. "Rafael says a lot worse, though."

"I'd put my teeth to his sorry hide before I'd ever listen to him speak," Timaeus snarled. "He's not worth my time."

Yami looked towards Dimitri and Mokuba. They were snuggled together, tightly curled around one another, with Mokuba's head on Dimitri's shoulders and Dimitri's wings draped across Mokuba's side. He wished for a split second he had another hatchling to cuddle with, but he liked burrowing into Yugi's side or curling up between Atem's legs far more. When he snuggled with Timaeus, the Wind Dragon even let him lay on his forelimb while Timaeus placed his chin atop his paw and made sure to cocoon Yami there.

"I don't like Rafael," Noah said, "but he's fun to listen to sometimes."

"He tells stories sometimes when we bug him enough."

Yami blinked. "You have to bug him to get him to tell stories?"

"Sometimes." Zigfried snorted. "I'm guessing you don't."

"No… Everyone tells me stories if I ask. I don't have to bug anyone."

"You're not in a Clan. Your parents and…Wind Dragon aren't as busy."

"Atem is a God Dragon," Yami objected. "He's way busier than anyone in your Clan could ever dream of being."

Noah snorted. "I doubt it. Akunadin is pretty sure if Jaden comes back to the camp, it'll lead to war. So he's preparing for that. Rafael is one of the strongest, even if he doesn't always like to follow the rules. So, he's busy with training everyone right now. Akunadin is setting up patrols more frequently and everyone is kind of just really tired right now." He paused. "Atem doesn't do border patrols or training. He couldn't be half as tired as everyone around here."

"Atem is pursued by dragons who won't leave him alone even though he's mated. He fights constantly, and hunts and plays with me," Yami huffed. "And so does Yugi—barring the suitors. He hunts and plays and sometimes wanders the territory. Neither of them are lazy. Timaeus usually goes with one of them or…sits me."

Zigfried looked amazed. "He…watches you? I thought you were nine moons old!"

"I'm small. It worries Atem sometimes." It wasn't a complete lie. The distinguishing line between an outright lie and a small fib made Yami feel much better to repeat this information.

"So…why is a Wind Dragon living with you? Because you're smaller?"

Yami nodded. "Yeah. It worries them, so Atem decided to ask Timaeus to live with us and watch me when they aren't around."

"But Yugi is there, too."

"I know, but Yugi likes to leave the den sometimes. And it's just…easier. It just ensures I'm never alone." Yami was overwhelmed with gratitude at the realization. He wasn't ever actually alone. Atem was there, or Yugi, or Timaeus. If he didn't get to join them in their ventures around the territory, someone was always there to watch him. They didn't let him do stupid things. They didn't let him get hurt by his own curiosity. They didn't let him grow destructive from boredom. They gave him devotion and affection, and they told him stories or showed him things when he was too restless to sleep. He didn't have to worry about loneliness. None of them had even allowed him to experience it.

"Weird." Noah looked envious even as he grumbled the word. He turned away with a huff. "I guess it doesn't matter, though. What are they all arguing about now? Did you hurt yourself or something? We heard you yelp but everyone seemed really annoyed after."

"I'm fine. I just…got startled."

"So, if I say 'boo' will you pee yourself and run?" Zigfried scoffed.

Yami huffed. "If that was accurate, your face would have scared the pee out of me instead," he grumbled. Noah burst out laughing again and Zigfried gawked for a moment before springing at him. Yami waited for a few seconds, then rushed forward and beneath him, dodging away. He grinned as he turned around. Zigfried stared and then huffed and took a seat.

"I'm not wasting my energy chasing you," he growled. "You're too fast, and I'm not going to chase someone I can't catch."

Yami frowned and tilted his head. Was that a Lightning Dragon trait? Did they just not waste energy in play or something? He'd never considered another species of dragon might be so…withdrawn or dissuaded from play like that. Echo had seemed exhausted just running across the ledges. Zigfried outright refused to try to play with him any further…

"So? What were they arguing about?"

Yami blinked. "Oh, Seto got upset. I wasn't paying attention."

"He asked if you saw something," Noah said, cutting through his excuse in a cold tone. "What were you supposed to see?"

"I don't—"

"Does he think you're a God Dragon, too?" Noah continued, voice growing spiteful. "Does he think you're a God Dragon somehow? Are you supposed to see something we don't? I heard they can do that."

Yami shook his head. "I don't know why he asked me that. He just did. I—"

"Bull dung," Zigfried scoffed. "I remember Dad telling Mom he thought you could help him find out what happened to Patty and Echo. I don't know why. You don't seem all that special."

Yami smiled awkwardly. "That's because I'm not."

"If you say so," Noah snorted. "But I've never heard our dad get that enthusiastic about something before. He's never sounded so sure of himself before."

Yami looked away. "Well, sorry to disappoint. But I don't know why he wants me to try to see something. I know I won't find anything they can't."

Noah eyed him, voice cold. "Guess you're not really a God Dragon like my mom thought then, huh?"

Yami's stomach coiled painfully. "Why would she think I was?"

Zigfried's smile was venomous. "Because, you're Atem's son, right?"