Ma-Chi: -giggles- I really enjoyed doing this chappie. And I'm sure all you puzzleshippers will enjoy reading it! It's really just a filler chapter, to move things along, but hey... hope it's a fun one!
Yay for dark, angsty secrets! You know you love the angst fluff. ;D
Shoutouts!
Bfly-Ronaldita: Thank you so much! That comment made me smile. -grins- Yeah, twas "English" enough! XD
SilverDragon-Purity: I couldn't think of how to use the other riddles you gave me, but the candle one worked! (I hope) I must thank you again for it. -smiles and hugs-
Yesh, more has been explained about Yuugi and Atemu! I've wanted to for ages... but still, more to come! -grins- I had Atemu already battle Pegasus before completing the puzzle, because... well, it wouldn't have worked, otherwise! Haha. And yep, Eye and Scale received! The others to come now! I wanted what abilities they'll give to Yuugi? (hahaha.) Hm... will they tell the others indeed? Guess we'll have to wait and see!
Jisa; Glad you liked the chapter! Please enjoy this one!
Alice456: I hope this chapter is cool for you, too!
Umbrae Calamitas: Eh heh... I dunno either, really. I just... pick it all up off the internet and few books I have. But, if there isn't a word I can find, I just put letters together from the alphabet to make them. So, I'm not always right.
-looks over last chapter- Hmm... yeah, your right – I could have done that with Shadi. Well, when I go back and tidy the last chapters up, I'll do that. And again, with the spellings and mis-judged words. I'll try my best to get it right from now on! But I'm glad you found it adorable. -smiles-
YamiYugi4ever: And there is still more to be explained about things! -le gasp! :O- But hey, it keeps it fun and exciting. -giggles- Well, we all know Atemu loves Yuugi, but does Yuugi like Atemu back? ...Duh, of cause he does, what am I saying? XD
Dragonlady222: Well, glad it seemed okay! I was worried with it for a bit...
Nyago: Yay! Nyago! -glomps- I don't think I saw you last review! :O Glad you found it okay, and that they didn't seem too out of character. Sure, Atemu will take care of Yuugi (I should of made a cute scene of that... maybe later? -giggles-)
Surfergirl19: New reader, right? Hello! Um... yes, power of a Goddess doesn't seem right, but Horakhty, the monster Yuugi used before and all, is the Goddess of light from the end of the anime/manga. It wouldn't make sense if I called her a God, when she's female. XD; But, I did see ta point. -nodnod- please enjoy!
yugixyamiyaoilover: I'm glad! Please enjoy this chapter.
ONIX-21: Well, I updated with your much awaited chapter! So please, enjoy!
lady Alexas: I'm glad! -smiles-
Atemu Yugi Lover34: Bitter-sweet is good, ne?
thebuzzingbee: Well, I wasn't too long! Hee hee.
yamiyugifangirl: We all know Atemu's in love with him. ;D
Kytrin: Hello! Glad you find this story interesting to read. It's more of a twist with both the anime AND manga. Like I said further up, Duelist Kingdom needed to be already done to make some of this work.
Don't worry, I take on your critiques fully! I had re-read my chapter, and saw all the many horrible mistakes. I have a problem with it, ya see – I failed English a school, so I suck at spellings on my own. My old word program didn't seem to pick it up either, so it couldn't correct it. I also don't have internet at home, so I can't google since it uses up lots of my internet time. But! I have a new program, and it's picking up my mistakes as I am writing this (XD) so hopefully, it should be fine (or almost) from now on. I know it can get annoying to read, so sorry about that!
I hope you enjoy this chapter also.
Dark Reborn: Not the whole truth, though! -giggles- Still more to come!
Disclaimer: I tried to get the rights from Takahashi-San by cosplaying as Yuugi... didn't work, though. -sweatdrops-
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Puzzle Piece 12
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One week since Shadi's Shadow Game...
"Hey guys!" Jounouchi cried, jumping into the Homeroom and dashing over to where the group were sitting. "Did ya know, that Kaiba is gonna start a Duel Monster tournament, right here, in Domino city?!"
Otogi, who was sitting on a chair, head resting against his hand, blinked up at him. "If we didn't know before, we do now."
"You and your cards..." Honda muttered, facepalming.
Jounouchi grinned and made a peace sign at his muttering friend, before turning back to everyone. "Anyway, it was only announced this morning. The tournament date isn't for sure yet."
"You're entering, then?" Otogi asked, letting his arm fall onto the desk.
This question made the blonde slump. "Nah... the tournament will be invites only. And since it's Kaiba who's hosting it..."
"He wouldn't even think of inviting you." Honda finished, smirking as Jounouchi fumed at him.
"Wipe off that smile of yours!" He yelled. "I'll get in, one way or another!"
Yuugi watched Jounouchi get into a semi fight with Honda, Otogi sweatdropping. His eyesight then moved and landed on Atemu starring out the window, who seemed to have lost interest the moment Jounouchi entered the room, a bored look on his face. This made the small teen frown. I know he has a bad past with duel monsters, but...
He got up, walked over to Atemu, and sat down on the chair next to him. "Not interested?"
"Not interested." Atemu grunted back, not moving.
Yuugi frowned again, before he too, joined in looking out the window. "Not joining then, I take it?"
"Kaiba has already tried to convince me into joining his stupid tournament twice this morning." The other muttered with a sigh. "But I doubt he'll take "no" for an answer."
And Atemu was right. Throughout the morning, in lessons and in-between them, Kaiba had cornered him to ask the same thing. Having reached lunch, and pretty much fed up from the same old question from the young billionaire, Atemu had gone into hiding up the Sakura tree in the courtyard.
"This is stupid." He muttered, taking a riceball piece from his bento. He threw it into his open mouth and gave a few chews, before swallowing. "I don't want to enter. I'm not going to enter. So why must he keep asking?"
"Mind if I join you, oh lonely one?"
Atemu blinked, and looked down from the branch he was currently sitting on. Yuugi was standing there, his own bento box in his hands as he gazed up with a smile. He smiled back. "I'd love it if you would."
The teen held down a hand for Yuugi to grab hold of, being helped up. The smaller sat on the branch in front of the other, as Atemu rested his back back against the tree trunk. Yuugi opened his box and sat it on his knees. "I was told you retreated up here to get away from Kaiba-San."
Atemu glared as his ancient double plopped a shrimp into his mouth. "He's no "san"."
Yuugi giggled. "Of cause." Suddenly, his smile dropped. "Um... Até?"
"Yes?"
"About... about what Shadi told us..."
Ah, Atemu was waiting for this. It was something Yuugi, and him slightly, had been avoiding to talk about. It was a funny time to talk about though, but still. "Is something upsetting you?"
"No... not really." He told him. "It's just... well, I can't remember anything of my past. I just have knowledge of how to do things. I have small glimpses of my memories sometimes, only to lose them again, like the Puzzle is teasing me about it." He shook his head. "Anyway, Shadi told us that I'm the "Millennium Child", a creature born from the light half of the Pharaoh's son's, your past self's, soul. I have the power of a Goddess within me, bestowed upon me by the God's themselves due to the ritual. I get all that now. I'm still a Human. But powerful... but..." Yuugi stared at Atemu in confusion. "...What does that make me to you? Your other half? Your Soulmate? Your partner? I don't know what I am to you... what I was to the Pharaoh..." He lowered his head. "What I'm supposed to do..."
Atemu blinked. His little one wasn't confused on what he was, he understands that now, but he didn't know what his role is? What he has to do now?
"I think..." He began, gaining Yuugi's attention. "Is that, like Shadi said, yes, you are part of the Forgotten Pharaoh's soul, but... to that Pharaoh, you were more than a mere weapon, a simple piece to a split soul." He smiled. "You were his love, his partner, his friend, his everything."
And you still are.
"You have a job to do; whatever that is, we don't know right now. But... whatever it is, I'll be right there, helping you along the way."
"...Really?" Yuugi asked, seeming fragile, something he rarely was. He needed to know he wasn't alone, that someone would help in on this confusing journey of his. He needed his small fear of being nothing but a thing to his Pharaoh set straight. He needed to hear that he wasn't just an object, used for war.
Because that was how his life started as.
"Yes, Yuugi... I swear it."
Atemu decided to talk about good things now, as Yuugi gave him a heat melting smile. He wanted it to stay there.
Not too far away, Anzu was watching the two from the table she and the others were eating at. She blinked, and blinked again. Yep, she saw it. The way the two kept smiling at each other as they talked... well, they weren't a moment ago, but now they were. Wait, now Yuugi laughed at something Atemu said, which in turn made Atemu's smile widen. "Hey guys..." The brunette started, catching the attention of the others around her. If it was starting to get more open like that, then maybe the others have noticed? "Have you noticed something... different, about Yami?"
"What, that he's happy more now?" Jounouchi asked, shoving his mouth with his lunch.
She nodded. "Yeah, he's more happy... but can you see why?"
"He likes Yuugi." Otogi stated, not looking up from the dice he was playing with. "Well, to some extent at least. I can't quite tell."
"Right." Anzu said, pointing at the raven haired one, who shrugged. "I figured out a few weeks ago that he likes Yuugi, but it wasn't as noticeable." She grinned. "Yami could be experiencing his first love at last."
"By the way you're sounding Anzu, you make it seem like a boy romance is gonna happen." Honda told her, chucking some rubbish behind him and having it land in a bin somewhere behind him (What the hell?). "You sure it's not just your Yaoi dream taking over?"
Anzu whacked him for that. "No it's not! I know what I see! And I'm telling you, Yami is falling in love with Yuugi!" She pointed a finger behind her at the two up in the tree, where they all saw that at some point, Yuugi had gone to sit in Atemu's lap, still giggling at something. "See?!" She accused. "Something lovey is happening between them!"
"Okay, okay." Honda sighed, hands up in defence. "I'm not going to disagree with a Yaoi fangirl."
"Good." She huffed, glaring.
"Well," Jounouchi started, looking up from his food. "Why not try somethin' and see what happens. Like, locking them in a closet, or going on a double date and leavin' 'em to it."
Anzu's eyes started to shimmer at the suggestion. "Jou, you're a genius!"
"God help us all..." Otogi moaned, head landing on the table. Dice laying forgotten.
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Atemu wasn't sure what he had done wrong that afternoon. It seemed, that after lunch, the teen was in the same, somewhat consent bind with another certain someone.
Let's recap on some of them, shall we?
Bind Number One:
Atemu had only moments ago finished lunch, and had landed back down on the ground. He stood there, wanting for Yuugi to finish clearing up his lunch pack, and get down himself. Although, moments before he was to start climbing down, a large, screwed up ball of paper had come flying from out of nowhere, hitting Yuugi lightly at the back of the head. It didn't hurt, but it was enough to startle the small teen. He yelped in surprise, and lost his balance, causing him to slip off the branch and start to fall. And what do you think happened?
Number one: Yuugi fell.
Number two: Atemu saw, got worried, was standing right under him, and moved so that he could catch Yuugi before he hit the ground.
It all seemed well and good in Atemu's head when he planned that out, but when he did catch Yuugi... the smaller had landed on Atemu hard, and was now laying on top of the taller, face awfully close to his. Atemu had frozen, unsure of how to handle the new situation, Yuugi not helping by moving closer in concern at what happened, asking why his face was so red.
Atemu had never blushed so much before in his life.
Bind Number Two:
Not long after the falling off the tree bind, the two entered back into he school. He had noticed that his friends were not about. He frowned. He was hoping to ask if they saw who threw that paper ball at Yuugi... he could have hurt himself!
Anyway, a foot came from nowhere around a corner, and tripped Atemu up. Yuugi was right next to him, or more like, just a little in front of him, so he bumped right into him, causing them move to hit the floor, Atemu half laying on Yuugi's back.
He groaned, and lifted his head slightly to ask if Yuugi was okay, only to bump noses together with the smaller, who had no trouble to asked if he himself was okay.
Atemu had trouble stammering out a reply.
Bind Number Three:
At some point, it got really crowded, this being normal after lunch, causing the two to grab hands and try to get through. As they went, someone grabbed Yuugi's hand, pulling him back, making Atemu go backwards. They somehow ended up alone in an unused classroom, Atemu landing backwards on top of Yuugi, who had landed on his back with a groan at the impact.
"Someone's out to get me..." Atemu muttered, fully knowing where this was starting to lead to.
Bind Number Four:
Someone locked them up in a broom closet. Enough said.
Bind Number Five:
...And that, was currently where the two were. It was the end of the school day, waiting on the steps behind the school, Atemu now having a mega headache due to the many "binds" with Yuugi throughout the morning, knowing full well that someone was trying to get the two alone together. Anyway, at the beginning of their second to last class, where the whole gang was together for the lesson, Anzu had decided that they were all going to go out to the Theme park, as it had no re-opened again. It was summertime, and they had been waiting for the swimming pool to be usable had convinced Atemu to go too, to show Yuugi what it was like...
I had promised him that I would take him when it opened... Atemu thought, frowning. But I haven't gone myself, since...
"Anyway..." Anzu began, rubbing her head sheepishly. "Like Jou, Honda and Otogi, I can't make it now, either."
Atemu frowned more at her. "But you guys just planned it all this afternoon!"
"I know. But... we all forgot. But, it doesn't stop you guys, right? I'm sure Yuugi would love to go!" She winked, making Atemu groaned.
I knew it... she planned this whole thing!
"Até?"
"Hmm?"
Yuugi watched Anzu wave goodbye and walk away, a smile still on her face. "Are we not going tomorrow, now?"
The taller teen sighed. "Yes... I guess we could. It's just..." He sighed again, sitting on the steps, chin resting on his hands. Should he tell him? Well... Yuugi was giving him a "I know something's up" look. "...I haven't gone since my parents were alive."
"Your parents?"
"Yeah." He nodded, taking note that Yuugi had sat down with him. "My parents took me to that part, many years ago. But, it's because they wanted to spend time with me, before they moved away for a while, due to work. I was going to stay with Grandpa while they were away. They told me it was only temporary, a few mouths or so, but no matter how much I begged, they wouldn't take me with them." He sniffed, not noticing the tears forming at his eyes. "I... I yelled at them, told them they were uncaring, selfish and... and..."
He hid his face in his hands, shacking with unushed tears. Yuugi wrapped his arms around him, hugging him, comforting him. Atemu had never told anyone about the death of his parents... not even his friends, not even Anzu, his best friend. "What happened, Até?"
"They..." He gulped. "I didn't speak to them that night, and didn't even say goodbye when they left me with grandpa. And that night... while I was in my room, looking up at the stars..." Another shaky sigh. "I was such a spoilt brat, getting and demanding what I wanted. And all because they knew it was best for me to stay behind... continue my school work... but I hated the idea of them leaving me behind... I had... wished them..." He now let the tears fall. "It's all my fault their dead now! I didn't even get to say goodbye, and it's all my fault! It's all my fault!"
Yuugi held him tightly as Atemu cried, tears he finally let out, after keeping silent about his pain for so long.
Atemu thinks it's his fault that his parents died? But... he was only a child... don't children want nothing but to stay with their parents? No matter how spoilt they are?
"Don't cry, Até... it's okay, it wasn't your fault. You didn't understand then..." He rocked him. "We don't have to go to the park, if it's too painful..."
Atemu just shook his head, not agreeing with Yuugi at all. No matter how much he talked about it, no matter who he told, no matter who told him it wasn't...
He would always believe the death of his parents was his fault.
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"Is Atemu alright, my boy? He looked rather distressed when you both came in..."
"He's taking a rest upstairs. He became emotionally drained, today." Yuugi closed the door leading to the back room, and went to stand beside the shop counter. He sighed. "Até told me about his parents today..."
Sugoroku knew what was up. "He told you it was his fault, right?" A nod. The old man sighed. "I thought so... and after all these years, you would think that he finally admits it isn't..."
"How did they die, if you mind me asking?" Yuugi asked, leaning on the glass counter case.
Atemu's grandfather scratched his chin. "Well, they died the day after they dropped Atemu over. They had died in a plan crash, the police finding their identity and calling us about the news. Atemu was so devastated... he said it was his fault that it happened."
"But why? He was here, they were there..."
Another sigh. "He told me because he was really upset about being left behind, he had wished they were dead that night, out of spoilt anger. And when they died the next day..."
"He thought it was his wish being granted." Yuugi looked back to the door he had come through. "Poor Até..."
"He'll understand, one day." Sugoroku reassured him, hand being placed on his shoulder. "That it wasn't his fault, and he'll finally be able to move on." He smiled a sad smile. "He's been through a lot in his life, and he will recover. All we can do is help him along the way."
Yuugi nodded. Atemu was helping him so much... and he vowed he would do the same, even though, unknowingly, Atemu vowed the same thing for him.
"Sugoroku, Até and I are going to go to the amusement park that's recently re-opened tomorrow, if he's feeling up to it."
"The one with the swimming pool?" Yuugi nodded. "Hm... that may do him so good, I think. But," the elder held up a finger. "I've been reading in the paper about a bomber called the "Gaming Bombman", who's be placing bombs in random places around domino lately. The police haven't been able to catch him yet. I'm not worried, but his bombs have been appearing close by that park." He looked stern. "Promise me you'll both be careful."
Yuugi nodded at him with a smile. "Don't worry, we'll be careful, promise."
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"I haven't been here in years..."
Yuugi grabbed Atemu's clammy hand, squeezing it reassuringly. Because it was a hot day, they were both wearing white, sleeveless tops and dark blue genes (thin, of cause) with matching belt collars, black bracelets and belts (Atemu had a few to spare). The taller had black trainers while Yuugi had white. Atemu was still, like always, wearing his puzzle. "It's okay, just think of the good times you had here with your parents, not what happened afterwards."
The other nodded, taking a deep, calming breath. He gazed at the now opened back up park, swimming gear and money in bag. Even though he didn't want to visit the place filled with bad memories, he did admit that this was the last place he and his parents had a good time. He wanted to relive that time... only this time, it was with someone he really loved.
Atemu smiled a little at that thought. Maybe... maybe, this could be the time to...
"Come on, Até!" Yuugi began, now getting excited to enter, since Atemu had started walking them over to it, without noticing. "You going to teach me to swim, right?"
A chuckle, a real chuckle left Atemu's throat. "Sure thing, Yuugi. Sure thing."
He'll make new memories... with his little love.
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Ma-Chi: Yay! Puzzle fluff... sort of. XD; Yesh, a filler chapter, but it got things going. for reasons only I know. Haha!
Sorry for any mistakes in the chapter.
Like always, please review! I love hearing your thoughts. -smiles-