Me: another monarchshipping fic! I really like this pair and I'm sad that there aren't a lot of these but I love those who write stories about them.

Yami: we shall move to the fic now!

Atemu: YuYa-chan doesn't own yugioh.

Me: enjoy!

Secrets of the Puzzle

Yami walked through the endless hallways of the millennium puzzle. He was doing what he usually does while Yugi is somewhere else. He just takes a walk through the interior of his mind and waits for a random door to beckon for him to open it.

Usually the doors would either have a trap, a room or another set of doors behind it. Yami wasn't sure what to expect when he opened one, he just let his curiosity lead him.

But tonight was different. As he walked through the puzzle he kept feeling this almost familiar sense in his mind and he wanted to find out what it was.

He walked through his mind, watching each door as he passed, waiting for that familiar feeling to come to him again. And when it did, he would immediately follow it. He would chase it up and down, through long corridors and through many rooms but just when he thought that he would find it, he would always find himself back in front of his own door. And the feeling would be gone. Yami would then feel an almost complete sense of lonliness inside of him. He wanted to find that source, that being that was drawing him with its presence but no matter how hard he tried, the task seemed impossible.

Yami would sometimes dream of a shadow figure standing in his room. That same familiar feeling radiating off the figure and it would speak to him in a soothing voice. The voice was a deep and baritone sound. Again Yami would feel the presence as something familiar.

Sometimes the voice would speak to him when he dueled. It cheered him on and helped him out in tough situations. He felt happy to know the voice was there but something kept bugging him about it. His mind told him that he already knew who was speaking to him but no matter how hard he tried to figure it out, he would only come up with a blank. To him, it seemed, a part of his memory was trying to reach out to him but it couldn't get out. He would become frustrated at times when the only thing he thought about was that strange figure with the deep baritone voice. So as he walked through the endless corridors of the puzzle he would always wait and listen. Always wanting to hear that voice again and trying to follow it towards the figure of his dreams.

It was on this night specifically that Yami had found himself once again exploring the halls of the puzzle but this night would be different. As he walked through another set of doors he felt a warm feeling overcome his mind and that phantom like voice whispered in his ears.

"Yami" it said.

Yami looked around for the source of the voice but instead the voice whispered again.

"Yami…come to me"

Yami, without hesitation, followed the voice. It led him through hallway after hallway, through doors and down winding staircases, into empty rooms and complete darkness. Suddenly the voice stopped. Yami stopped as well and was shocked to see where the voice had taken him.

It was his room.

Yami let out a frustrated yell. It was just like all those other times, the voice would always end right back to where Yami's room lied. Yami sighed before suddenly coming up with a thought.

'What if the person who is talking to me, is in my room somewhere?' Yami beamed at his idea. He quickly opened his door and stepped inside. There wasn't much inside just a bed, a nightstand, a small table and a bookshelf. He looked around his room, trying to find something that would lead him to the voice. But as he searched, he didn't come up with anything and had begun to lose hope when another idea came to him. He walked back further into his room and came upon three separate doors, two on opposite walls and the third at the end wall. He knew that the two doors opposite of each other led to. The one on the right allowed him access to his own pure "soulroom", the room like his hikari's that wasn't tainted by any darkness. The door on the left led him to the hallway with Yugi's soulroom right across from his. But the third door, he wasn't sure what was behind that. He had noticed its presence at the same time that he did the other two doors but he was never able to access it from his side so he gave up on it. But this door seemed to be calling out to him now and he was determined to find out what was hidden behind it. Maybe it was some of his distant memories, or maybe it was the source of that deep voice that haunted his dreams. He stood there for a minute more before he reached out and grabbed the door's handle, feeling the cold metal touch his hand as he gripped it, but he didn't try to turn it.

Yami held onto the handle, and while his mind told him to open it, his body didn't seem to respond. He willed his body to move, but it wouldn't, it seemed frozen in place as if it was contemplating whether it should listen to his mind and turn the handle on the door. He wanted to open the door so badly now, but he was afraid, he realized that now. He feared that if he opened the door it would be the like all the others he had opened.

A barren room.

No memories for him to find.

Just another hoax.

Yami's hand slowly let go of the door, his fears clouding his mind, but before he had completely let go he heard a voice echo in his ears.

"Don't let go." It said. Yami recognized the same voice that led him here.

"I don't want to." He told the voice.

"Then open the door." it replied. Yami shook its head.

"But…what if it's just like the others. I can't stand being alone again." tears started to form in his eyes. The thought of being left alone scared him.

"If you open the door, you'll never be alone again." the voice reassured him. Yami found himself gripping the handle again. He let out a breath and slowly turned the knob. The door opened slightly, but before Yami could pull it open more a huge gush of wind blew the door wide open and Yami was thrown backwards and landed on the floor with a 'thump.' He sat there for a moment rubbing his now sore back but froze when he heard a voice come from above him.

"Are you alright?" it asked. Yami slowly looked up and almost jumped out of his skin when he saw another teen standing before him. The other looked just like him but his skin was a caramel colored tan, his golden locks were darker too, and his eyes were a deep maroon. Yami stared up at the stranger before he saw the male kneel down in front of him. He tensed when the teen touched his shoulder.

"Hey, are you okay?" the teen asked again. Yami just sat there, unable to move. After a few seconds he was able to speak.

"W-who are y-you?" he shakily spoke, his whole body seemed to shake.

"My name is Atemu, I am the voice that's been speaking to you." the teen said. Yami looked up at him in shock. Atemu smiled down at him.

"Yami, do you know who I am?" Atemu asked. Yami thought for a moment but shook his head no. Atemu sighed.

"I knew that you wouldn't, the puzzle erased most of your memories when you were trapped here, but I was also trapped so you wouldn't be alone." Atemu cupped Yami's face with his hands and leaned toward him, placing his head on Yami's he closed his eyes. He felt Yami start to shake under him.

"Yami, it's alright, this won't hurt a bit, I'm just reawakening a memory." He told Yami, who relaxed and closed his eyes as well. Atemu concentrated hard and Yami could feel a warm, electric-like shock run through his mind. He jumped slightly at the feeling but Atemu held him firmly in place and continued to concentrate. Yami relaxed again, at first he didn't see or feel anything but suddenly his mind was filled with a warm sensation and all these pictures started filling his mind. But these weren't pictures of his family or his life in Egypt, they were all memories of Atemu.

He saw and felt everything, the day they met, their first kiss, their walks along the nile, swimming together, in bed together, Atemu proposing to him, Yami being sealed away within the puzzle, and with each memory Yami began to recognize just who was standing in front of him.

Atemu Sennen, his, thought he was lost, love.

Atemu let go of Yami and sat back, waiting for the memories to kick in so that Yami would recognize him. But the reaction he got wasn't one he expected. Yami looked up at him, but his eyes didn't show happiness, they reflected anger and without warning Yami suddenly pushed Atemu backwards. He landed flat on his back while staring at Yami in complete shock.

"Yami, what…" Yami interrupted him.

"HOW COULD YOU! How could you lock me away like that! I thought you loved me, and yet you lock me away in some ra damned puzzle for 5000 years!" tears were streaming down Yami's face as he screamed at Atemu. He glared down at him.

5000 years I was trapped in this darkness! I was finally let free when Yugi solved the millennium puzzle but by then I was nothing more than a shadow of him. I was…nothing! Even when I met Yugi I was never satisfied. Because I knew that I would always be alone! How could you lock me away to suffer! I was never happy because…I was…always…alone." Yami looked at Atemu and his knees finally gave out. He fell to the floor and cried. He had never felt so alone. As he was crying, Atemu had picked himself up and made his way over to Yami. He knelt down in front of him and pulled him into a hug. Yami was surprised at first but then he started pounding his fist against Atemu's chest.

"How could you Atemu? Answer me that? Why?" Yami's fists slowed their movement before clinging onto Atemu's shirt. Yami completely broke down in Atemu's hold. He wanted to hate Atemu for hurting him, but he knew that deep down, he wasn't mad at him at all. He cried into Atemu's chest. Atemu continued to hold him. He looked down at Yami and used one of hands to lift Yami's chin up. When he did his heart seemed to break in his chest. Yami's eyes reflected, not anger Atemu noticed, but hurt and betrayal, even complete loneliness. Atemu had to fight back tears as he looked into the face of his lover. He wrapped his arms back around Yami and pulled him closer, rocking their bodies as he spoke to him.

"Yami, I'm so sorry. I have no idea how hurt you must be but believe me when I say that was not my intention. I wanted to protect you, but I realized quickly that no matter how much I tried, I couldn't protect you from being torn away from everything and I am so sorry for all of that. I never wanted to see you suffer Yami, and it pains me to see you crying. I would understand completely if you hated me for what I did, but you should never think that you're alone, no matter what, I'll always be here with you." Yami listened to Atemu's words and he stopped crying. He sniffed a few times before he felt wet droplets hit his arm. He looked up and was shocked to see tears falling from Atemu's eyes. Yami smiled up at Atemu then leaned up and kissed Atemu on the cheek. Atemu's eyes widened and he looked down at Yami, seeing the love radiating from his eyes Atemu smiled at him.

"I forgive you." was all Yami said as he laid back up against Atemu's chest. "but how do I know that you're real? I mean, what if this is all a dream and I wake up and you're gone again? I couldn't stand it if you left Atemu." new tears started forming in Yami's eyes. Atemu lifted his chin up so Yami was looking at him, then used his thumbs to wipe away his tears.

"Yami, this is no dream. I will always be here." Atemu said and he placed a kiss on Yami's lips, telling him that he was real. Yami immediately kissed him back and they just sat there enjoying each others presence, that is until the need for air became an issue.

They broke away from each other and panted for air. Yami laid back against Atemu and sighed. Atemu chuckled when he heard Yami trying to cover up a yawn.

"Yami, we should get some rest." Atemu said. Yami nodded and closed his eyes. Atemu gently got up from the floor picking Yami up as well and headed over to Yami's bed. Placing an almost asleep Yami onto the mattress he laid down next to him and covered both of their bodies with blankets. He then wrapped his arms back around Yami and pulled him close. Yami snuggled closer to Atemu's chest and whispered,

"I love you Atemu" his light breathing told Atemu that he had fallen asleep.

"I love you too, my beloved desert rose" Atemu placed a kiss on Yami's forehead and laid back. Closing his eyes, he soon followed Yami into a peaceful sleep.

Me: this was so freaking FLUFFY! I love it!

Yami: I liked it as well.

Atemu: why do you put me as the bad guy in these things?

Me: hey, he forgave you didn't he?

Yami: what did you expect me to say after you locked me away for 5000 years? Oh, hi Atemu, I'm so glad you're here! Would you like a gift basket?

Atemu: no.

Yami: exactly.

Me: R&R please! Tell me what you think!

Yami and Atemu: bye!