Sorry for the late update, but here it is: The conclusion. I hope you enjoy it, and that's all I'm going to say today.

-0-0-0-

The atmosphere of the puzzle changed drastically the days following everything that had occurred. No longer was a dark presence felt, but now, it was more empty and desolate. Yami had shut himself inside even more so than prior, and it worried Yugi when Yami wouldn't answer his calls.

Still, Yugi tried his best to be understanding of it all. They both had a bit of a shock in meeting Atem, Yami's past self, (who still vehemently insisted in being called Yami), and Yugi was sure seeing him only brought more questions to Yami's mind. Yami was a private person; Yugi knew and accepted that. He had come to expect that if anything was bothering Yami, rarely would he tell anyone. The only exception usually was if Yami felt that the feelings he retained had to do with a new evil that was around, threatening the safety of the Universe and its inhabitants. But otherwise, if Yami was ever upset, or distressed, he kept it hidden.

It bothered Yugi to some degree, but he accepted Yami the way he was, just as Yami accepted him the way he was. Besides, Yugi wouldn't ask Yami to change. Yami was his best friend, and Yugi both respected and admired him for everything he was. So what if he wasn't open with his feelings? He had been a Pharaoh; Pharaoh's were supposed to be calm and collected. Atem had even said that.

But as the days progressed and Yugi still barely heard anything from his soul partner, Yugi grew worried. He wanted to help Yami, just as the latter had always helped him. How could he help Yami if he refused any?

Yugi's mind was spilt between his long neglected studies (Algebra just didn't seem as important as saving mankind from a megalomaniac on a regular basis) and his concern for Yami. He still decided that it was still best to wait and allow Yami to process his own feelings on his own time. Yami always gave Yugi his space when he asked for it; he could do the same for Yami.

"Hey, dude," Joey, who sat behind Yugi, whispered as he leaned in. "You alright? You seem kind of distracted."

"Hm? Yeah. I'm fine. Just have a lot on my mind." Yugi scribbled out the problem he had been working on when he realized the dire error he had made.

"You sure? You seem kind of out of it."

"Really? How so?"

"Well, you've been working on that same problem for the last ten minutes. I thought you were decent in math."

"I get confused sometimes too, Joey."

"Mister Wheeler, Mister Motou." The teacher snapped. "Would you both like to continue your conversation in detention?"

"No ma'am." The two responded in unison.

"Then I suggest the both of you be quiet."

Yugi craned his neck around to Joey. "I'm fine. I promise." He gave his friend a smile to reassure him. Joey nodded, not saying anything else, but returning the smile.

Yugi went back to his work. He hadn't told his friends about the past incident. He was waiting for Yami to no longer be out of sorts before he opened that can of worms with his friends. They would become worried and anxious and ask questions that he could not answer whilst they coddled him with their own form of overprotectiveness that could rival Yami's.

Considering the circumstances, both present and past, Yugi was considering not telling them at all the more he thought about it. What they didn't know couldn't hurt him, and it would at the very least leave Yugi with his sense of mind. He loved his friends dearly, but sometimes they could become incredibly overbearing, especially Anzu.

Sighing, Yugi tried to re-work his math problem for the third time. Ra he really hated math.

-0-0-0-

Yugi liked to think that he was a patient person. He could wait out the school year until summer vacation came along, with only a little bit of complaints. He could wait for his friends to tell a story when they kept stumbling over their words. And when his friends asked to be left alone, he left them alone.

But eventually there came a point when things got a bit ridiculous. Yugi tried to speak with Yami again, and once more the former pharaoh blocked Yugi out. Yugi wasn't even trying to discuss what had happened within the Atem situation. He just wanted to speak with Yami about something. Even the most mundane topic would be better than nothing. Yugi did not want to push Yami into talking about something he wasn't comfortable with. But that didn't mean that that Yami could get away with not talking about anything. Yugi couldn't help but feel ignored.

After he had come home for school and finished his homework, he tried once more to initiate a conversation with Yami, and once again he found himself being blocked. Frustrated to no ends, Yugi decided that enough was enough. He was alone in his room now, and was ready to go to bed, but he decided that he would speak to Yami first. He willed himself into the puzzle, and found himself inside his own soul room.

It looked the same as always, so Yugi paid it no attention and instead went outside and to the door that was located just a few steps away, across the hallway. He hesitated for a moment outside Yami's door, his hand raised, ready to knock. It seemed darker, gloomier. Yugi swallowed a lump in his throat. What had happened? He was almost afraid of seeing Yami. He had been afraid of Yami near the beginning when they had become aware of each other's existence, after he had nearly killed Kaiba. But since then, Yugi had come to trust Yugi with all of his heart. He shouldn't be afraid of Yami. He knew Yami wouldn't hurt him.

Yet he still hesitated. He had seen Yami angry enough times to know that he would never want that anger directed at him. And though he doubted Yami would yell at him, he could never be sure. Memories of the duel with Raphael assaulted Yugi in an instant. He remembered Yami being angry then, being angry at him, Yami giving into his anger and frustration, and pushing him away, when all Yugi did was try to help and reason with him.

Yugi chewed on his lip. He was being ridiculous. He had forgiven Yami for that. He had seen what that had done to Yami. Yami had promised he would never never ever betray Yugi's trust again, never go against his wishes ever again. Logically, Yugi had no reason to be afraid.

And yet…

Yugi shook his head. Yami was his best friend, without a doubt. If he were to become recluse, quiet, unsocial for suddenly and unexpectedly, he knew Yami would come and help him. Yugi would do the same. He would swallow his fear and help his friend, because even though he wouldn't admit, especially to Yugi of all people, Yugi knew that he was scared and upset.

Yugi knocked loudly and rapidly.

There was no answer, nor response, and Yugi was unable to hear if there was any movement at all.

Yugi knocked again. "Yami?" He called out. No answer. "Are you okay?" He knocked again.

There was no answer, but the door began to open slowly. Yugi took this as an invitation to come in. If the door opened, Yami wanted him in, at least on a subconscious level. He walked in, closing the door behind him. It echoed softly.

"Yami?" He took a few steps inwards, looking all around him for his friend. "I know you're upset. I want to talk to you. I think it'll be good for you. To talk." Yugi was quiet for a moment, hoping to get a response, but once more he was met only with silence.

Yugi walked around a bit more, searching for Yami, but he found himself alone. Yami's soul room felt cold and strangely desolate. Yugi sighed.

"I guess you don't want to talk…I'll leave you alone, if that's what you want." Yugi began the journey towards the door, his hands stuck inside the pockets of his jacket.

He was almost at the door when he heard a small shuffling behind him. "Yugi, wait."

Yugi turned around. He was surprised by how much Yami seemed to have changed within the last few days. He seemed tired, and strangely older. Sadder. Yugi hadn't imagined how bad a toll the incident with Atem had taken on Yami, but apparently, it was a large one.

"Hey." Things suddenly seemed a lot more awkward than Yugi had planned. "I've been worried."

"I know. I'm sorry. It was not my intention." Yami would not meet Yugi's eyes.

"What's wrong? Why are you upset?"

Yami was silent for a while. He sighed before he spoke. "We've been trying to find about my past for so long, partner. I also thought that when he discovered my memories, they would be just that. Memories. I never imagined I would encounter my own past self. And now that I have seen a glimpse of who I was, I don't think I want to know him any further."

Yugi blinked for a moment, trying to take it all in. "You-you don't want to regain your memories? But…how are you going to move on, then? Ishizu said that you couldn't move on until we found your memories. You can't want to stay inside the puzzle forever."

Yami paused for a moment. "That fate would be better than knowing who I was as Pharaoh."

Yugi shook his head. "You know it's not. What happened? Why don't you want to know?"

Yugi watched as Yami's fist clenched. "The kind of man who would hurt you is not one I want to know."

Yugi's breath got caught in his throat for a moment as he tried to choose his following words carefully. "Yami, he didn't hurt me." He took a step closer, taking Yami's hands in his own. "I'm fine, see? I'm okay. Atem, he was only trying to keep the promise he made. He was confused. But he never hurt me."

Yami made no response.

"Besides," Yugi continued, "you can't stay in here forever. I'm not going to live forever. What happens when I die? You'll be all alone again. I'm not going to let that happen. You have to find your memories. You had friends and family in Egypt, and I know that they must so desperately want to see you again."

Again, Yam's only reply was silence.

"Something else is bothering you. What?"

Yugi would wait as long as he needed to for Yami's answer. Whatever it was bothering the spirit needed to be said, needed to get off his chest. And while Yugi would wait as long as needed for Yami's answer, he was not leaving the puzzle until he got one. Yami knew when Yugi was upset that it was best to talk about it. Yugi saw it only fair that he used Yami's own philosophies against him, especially when his refusing to talk was becoming toxic. It was evident in the way his soul room seemed to hold itself. The shadows that always solicited themselves in the corners and crevices seemed to be slithering around at a faster rate than normal. They were darker, their hissing louder, yet subtle at the same time. If the puzzle projected an image of a person's soul, than Yami's had gotten more conflicted than ever before.

Yami blinked, seeming to finally realize that Yugi wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. He sighed, pulling his hand out from Yugi's grasp. "Somewhere in here," his eyes looked all around the room, at every door and staircase, "is the one door that will answer all my questions. Atem—he was a memory of the puzzle. An imprint. What if there are more like him? More people from my past, or even other versions of him. His presence seemed to only have brought more questions. I'm tired of the questions, Yugi. I want answers."

"We'll find them, Yami, we will. I promise."

Yugi didn't know when or how, but he knew he spoke the truth. He would find Yami's memories, and he would Yami off to whatever Afterlife the gods found him worthy of because Yami was his best friend. He would do anything for Yami, just as he knew Yami would do the same. Yugi made a promise, a vow; and just like Yami he always kept his promises, no matter how long it may took to fulfill.

He gave Yami a soft smile. Yami returned it gently.

The atmosphere began to lighten. Things would get better, Yugi knew it. Atem was just the catalyst. Things would progress further now, especially since they knew Yami's name. But, without Atem's memories, Yugi could understand how he still felt like Yami.

That was okay. The spirit of the puzzle was who he was, whether it was a young pharaoh, or a lonely ghost.

Yugi still couldn't get over the similarities though. Seeing Atem invoked the thought in Yugi that the spirit, in all his time locked inside the puzzle, hadn't changed a bit.

Yugi was glad for that. He was glad to know that Yami had always been a proud, analytical man, who would do whatever it took to make sure his friends and family were safe, and would do whatever it took to keep a promise, or right a wrong.

"Wanna get started?" Yugi offered, cocking his head in the direction of the many doors that encamped them.

Yami smiled. "Only if you stay by me this time. No more wandering off on your own."

And so the dominoes fell, and the search for Yami's memories began to take on a whole new meaning. But as long as they were together, they would find them, most definitely.

Fin.