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 21 – A new day

The warm bed Yami woke up in was not what he was expecting. He opened his eyes groggily and sat up extremely surprised to recognise his own bed. The drapes around the bed were pulled closed but he could hear movement on the other side. Just as he reached for the drapes they gave a twitch and were pulled back. Ishizu stood on the other side. A look of relief crossed her face at seeing Yami awake.

"Thank Ra your finally awake," she said happily.

Yami still wasn't sure how he had come to be in his own bed but events were slowly coming back to him.

"How long have I been I asleep?" he asked.

The last thing he remembered was smashing the puzzle.

"Five days. I was beginning to worry that neither of you would wake up again."

"Neither of us?...Yugi," Yami exclaimed and made a move to get out of bed.

"Oh no you don't," Ishizu said as she firmly grabbing hold of Yami's arm to stop him leaving the bed.

"He's fine. He woke up two days a go. You took a little longer."

Yami settled reluctantly back into bed.

"Two days...is he ok...where is he...what happened?" Yami asked firing the questions at Ishizu in rapid succession.

"One question at time Your Highness," Ishizu chided.

"You've been unconscious since we brought you back from the desert. Yugi woke up two days ago. He was shaken after his experiences but none the worse for wear. That was quick thinking, breaking the control by shattering the puzzle. How did you know it would work?"

Yami shrugged.

"I didn't. I just had nothing left to lose. I recalled our conversation about how the consciousness within the puzzle was brought about by the combining of the items, like the pieces of a puzzle. Well it suddenly came to me, the reason why the millennium puzzle is called a puzzle. I figured that if I could break it into pieces then I could break the consciousness possessing Yugi into pieces as well".

"It was good guess because it worked," Ishizu said as she sat down beside Yami.

He looked over at Ishizu.

"I suppose that was the puzzles second power."

She nodded.

"I think you might be right. It makes sense. Being the most powerful of the items I suppose there had to have been some way to disable it should it fall into the wrong hands or be misused."

Yami nodded his agreement.

"Where is it now?"

She pointed to a golden box on the table across the room.

"The pieces are in there."

"And the other items?"

"Locked away in a vault under the palace, it seemed best after what happened. At first we were going to destroy them but we may need them again some day. Even though combined they became a force of evil the individual items themselves are still a force for good. I suspect the creators knew that this might happen and that's why they built in the secondary powers as a failsafe. Personally I'm extremely glad they did."

Yami nodded his agreement.

"I think you may be right. What happened to Mokuba, Seto, Marik and Bakura?"

Ishizu eyes dimmed a little at the mention of her brother but continued to smile.

"Yugi discovered the secondary power of the millennium rod, an ability to be converted into a powerful dagger through which the items power could be administered directly rather than be summoned by the user. He used it to destroy Seto. Marik ran and Bakura is missing. According to Jou he fell off the edge of the outcrop but we couldn't find a body. Mokuba, well we brought him back with us. He was pretty shaken up by his treatment at Seto's hand. I don't think he ever really realised that his brother was evil."

"Where is he now?" Yami asked.

"Now don't be angry Yami. Yugi freed him. Jou was all set to have the boy publicly executed but in your absence Yugi pardoned him. It wasn't really his fault that Seto used him the way he did. He tried to help his brother out of love and Yugi decided that being betrayed by his brother was punishment enough."

Yami smiled. Yugi had done exactly what he would have. It hadn't been Mokuba's fault.

"Where's Yugi now?" Yami asked realising his third question had not yet been answered.

Ishizu smiled again.

"He's alright Yami really. He's where he always is at this time of the morning."

It was then that Yami noticed the sun streaming through the window. It was early in the morning and the sun was just beginning to rise. Without hesitation or listening to the protests from Ishizu Yami slipped out of bed and made his way over to Yugi's adjoining room.

Yugi stood looking out at the rising sun and sighed. After everything that had happened to him in the last few weeks he had feared that he would never see his favourite scene again. The sight before him calmed his soul even though he was worried about Yami. Yugi had visited him that morning, hoping for some change, some sign that he was finally waking up but there had been none. He leaned forward onto the balcony, listening to the birds singing. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the door open behind him.

Yami quietly slipped into the room and looked around expectantly for Yugi. At first he couldn't see him but his heart leapt with joy when he noticed him leaning contentedly on the balcony listening to the birds singing. Yami slowly moved across the room until he was standing behind him.

"I don't know how anyone can sleep through that racket," he said calmly.

"How can you say that Yami, their beautiful," Yugi replied automatically.

He stopped.

"Yami...?"

Yami was knocked off his feet as Yugi spun round and threw himself at him.

"Yami...I can't believe it, you're awake...when? ....How are you feeling?" Yugi babbled in joy at the sight of his cousin alive, awake and well before him.

"Now, now Yugi one question at a time," Yami laughed mimicking Ishizu's earlier tone with himself.

Yugi sat down on the floor beside Yami, grinning broadly.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"Seriously though Yami how are you feeling?"

Yami smiled at him.

"I'm fine but what about you?"

"I'm not hearing voices anymore if that's what you mean," Yugi joked.

Yami lifted himself from his back and sat beside Yugi on the cool marble floor. It would have looked pretty funny to anyone passing to see a Pharaoh and a Prince rolling on the floor like common street kids but neither of them cared.

Yami took Yugi's hand in his own and although still smiling, his tone was one of seriousness.

"Ishizu tells me you let Mokuba go."

Yugi nodded.

"Yes. You're not angry with me are you?" Yugi asked slightly afraid.

"No Yugi, you made the right choice. I would have done the same. He's suffered enough and doesn't deserve to be punished."

"I'm glad," Yugi said relieved.

"You were very brave back there in the desert Yugi. I should be telling you off for following me but I understand why you did it. I want to thank you. You risked a lot to save my life."

Yugi smiled and reached into the top of his robes he pulled out Yami letter.

"You would have done the same for me and besides I had this to spur me on."

Yami looked slightly embarrassed as Yugi waved his letter in front of him. He had been extremely emotional at the time. He had truly believed that he wasn't coming back. Yami made a grab at the letter but Yugi moved it out of his reach and slipped it back into his robes, a gentle smile on his face. He knew the letter embarrassed Yami but Yugi cherished it. Without a word Yugi stood up, moving back to the balcony. Yami joined him.

"I really thought I wouldn't see this again," Yugi admitted as he indicated the golden scene before him.

"Neither did I," Yami agreed.

They stayed like that for a little while until the sun had finished its journey to the top of the sky and morning had truly arrived.

Yugi turned to Yami.

"I have something of yours to return," he said.

"Oh, what's that?" Yami said in interest.

Yugi turned back to the room and made his way over to small table beside his bed. On the table was the wooden box that had contained the replica puzzle. Yugi opened the box and drew out the ring he had found at the oasis. Yami gave a cry of delight when Yugi gave it to him.

"I thought I had lost this. Where did you find it?"

"I stopped for water at an oasis and I found it lying under a tree."

"I know the one. I'm glad you found it."

Yami slipped the ring back onto his finger and made to turn back to the balcony but stopped when he noticed that Yugi still had his hand on the box.

"Is there something else?" he asked.

Yugi flashed him an uncertain smile.

"Now I don't want you to worry about this Yami. I've checked with Ishizu and she is completely sure that now the puzzle has been broken and the control over me is gone the circle is broken, it can't happen again."

Yami's eyes narrowed. If he was to understand Yugi's meaning there was only one thing that could be in that box.

"Yugi...I'm not sure about this. What if she's wrong?"

Yugi shook his head.

"No it's Ok now. I've held it loads of times since I woke up and I'm fine."

With that Yugi held up the replica puzzle to Yami.

"I know it shouldn't work but I'm curious..," he said with a mischievous glint in his eye.

+ Yami. +

The look of shock on Yami's face at hearing Yugi's voice in his head was priceless and it confirmed to Yugi that the replica puzzle was still working.

"But...how? ...It's not possible...I don't have the puzzle...." Yami stammered in shock.

Yugi collapsed to the floor in fits of laughter at Yami's expression.

"Look Yugi...be serious.... What if...I mean we don't know?"

He started to laugh as well as he realised that Yugi had just got his revenge for his initial shock when Yami had first given him the puzzle.

+.+ I suppose I deserved that, +.+ Yami said with mirth responding with his own thoughts to Yugi.

+ Were even now. +

"Yes, I think we are," Yami said out loud as he wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes.

"I have to say that was a little unexpected", Yami continued as he sat up from the floor. Yugi did the same.

A mischievous look crossed Yugi's face.

"You know we never told anyone about the puzzles and their abilities. About how we were able to finish each other's sentences. Only Ishizu knew."

Yami looked at Yugi in understanding.

"I think you're right. Ishizu's is the only one who knows. We should really destroy the replica."

Yugi pouted at this. Seeing Yugi's expression Yami continued.

"However we don't necessarily need to do it anytime soon."

Yugi brightened up at this.

"Shall we go find Jou?" he asked eagerly.

Yami stood.

"Why not."

With that they both left the room to hunt out their friends. Yugi hid the replica puzzle behind his back and grinned. This was going to be fun.

Authors Note:

Well that's it, the end of 'Vicious Circle' and the second in the trilogy I've come to call 'Prophecy'. Let me know what you thought, loved it, hated it?

Needless to say if this is a trilogy there needs to be three stories. I have some loose ends to tie up, like what happened to Bakura and Marik and will they return? Plus I haven't covered all the main bits of the show yet, namely the Egyptian God cards.

Check out the third in series 'Pharaohs and Gods'.