Two hearts, one soul...

There must still be the soul that you have left behind, hidden somewhere

In the deep deep of the forest lying among the trees

People who are too tired they just don't look around, any farther

They disappear into the eternal darkness of a foreign place

-Do As Infinity. "Deep forest"

Exile

The long flight was over and Yugi Moto was finally home. They were home. Smiling at this, Yugi sent a small wave of peace to his other half as he made his way upstairs to get ready for bed. The jet lag from being in America finally catching up. The bed was soft as he lay down in its soft confines, his body molding to where the springs had dipped after many years of use. Yugi's eyes closing lazily as he felt a wave of tiredness mixed with reassurance flow through him. Distantly, Yugi knew his other half had sent it to him.

His dreams were lulling at first, filled with nothing but colors and blurring images until he found himself waking from the dreams. Only Yugi was vaguely aware that he no longer felt the soft mattress underneath him but stone. Groggily, he opened his eyes, sleep passing as he realized the maze of his others heart.

"Moi hitori no boku?" Yugi called, standing silently, rubbing a hand over his eye to try and get rid of the double vision. Only when he looked around, Yugi realized no one was in sight. Quietly, he padded down one of the many hallways, feeling the slight pull in his chest. The maze dark and cold, twisting and turning. Yugi began to grow worried, for he could feel his other half all around him but he could not find him. A cry erupted, breaking through the silence. Pain searing through Yugi as he fell to his knees, wishing to scream out as well from the agony now ripping through his body.

"Aibou!" Yugi gasped as he shot forward through the darkness. He needed to get to his heart! Coming to a rusted iron door, Yugi desperately struggled to open it as the hinges gave their roaring protests.

"Let me in!" He cried out, the door giving one last scream before it opened and Yugi ran through, not bothering to check for traps. What he saw stole his breath away. For there, sitting on the stone floor was his other heart. Only he wasn't. For he was dressed in deep blue pants that gathered at his ankles, two golden vambraces wrapped his arms from wrist to elbow, stained with blood and a deep blue robe wrapped around one shoulder held together with a gold coil concealing his chest. Yugi stood their breathless. Why was his other self dressed as an Egyptian? Yugi knew he was a Pharaoh but why? His mind jolted into action when tear stained crimson eyes gazed up into his amethyst ones.

'Please help me.'

Yugi didn't know what to do. For his other half's plea ached in him. Yet why couldn't he understand him? Ancient Egyptian, he's speaking his native language. Yugi thought in a spark of realization. It still didn't change the fact that he didn't know how to speak the language. But all thoughts vanished when those crimson eyes looked away, hiding behind the sweep of golden bangs, the clinking of metal alerting Yugi to the others still bleeding arms. Fear swept through the teen as he approached his other heart. Being careful not to startle him as he bent down, Yugi gently took one injured arm in his hand. Those shocked crimson eyes met his and for a second, Yugi feared Yami was going to rip his arm out of his grasp.

"Moi hitori no boku, please let me help you." Yugi pleadingly asked, waiting for the other to relax. For a time, both teens sat there on the floor in darkness. Stone coldly seeping into Yugi's clothes, causing him to shiver. He wondered why his other self wasn't shaking as well, but holding the injured palm in hand, Yugi realized why. Yami had gone cold already, to the point he could no longer shiver. How long has he been sitting here? Yugi wondered, watching those crimson eyes gaze downwards and with this, Yugi looked down at the free flowing blood running over his pale white palm. The tan hand never quivering in pain as blood continued to flow.

Yugi couldn't believe what he was seeing. Gingerly, he turned the palm over. For his other half's arms were covered in large gashes from his hand all the way down his forearm, the ceremonial vambraces had shattered and splintered from continuous abuse, digging into vulnerable flesh. Poisoning the blood below, the skin nothing more than one pulpy purple-black bruise. The wounds appeared self-inflicted. And when Yugi looked up, realization in his eyes as well as confusion, his other heart seemed to sense Yugi's question and attempted to answer.

'I could not get out.'

Yugi continued to stare in confusion until he followed Yami's gaze around the room and to the iron door, blood smeared across it and along the walls. He couldn't get out. That's what he had said. These wounds were caused from continuous pounding on the walls. Dread and fear filled Yugi's heart as he realized the failed attempts at freedom, his hand unintentionally digging into the soft flesh of his other's heart who gave a soft yelp of pain. Yugi relaxed his grip. As he met the crimson stare once more, his mind swimming in a thousand different possibilities, Yugi began the painstaking business of pulling off the golden metal.

"I don't know what's happening. But other me, why are you dressed like this? Why are you bleeding and speaking in your native tongue? Oh, god, why are you in so much pain?" Yugi stuttered, unable to hold back the gathering of tears in his eyes as he felt the pull in his heart that felt like razors digging into his skin. The Pharaoh only continued to stare at the strange teen who was dressed so differently, but looked so much like him as he spoke in a strangely smooth language. Yet when the tears began to gather in those amethyst eyes, he couldn't help but feel the pull to stop there decent down pale skin. Yugi jumped when he felt a cold hand wiping away his tears and looking back into those crimson eyes, he almost believed he was seeing the same person who had sent him the wave of comforting reassurance before drifting off to sleep.

'Do not cry, Little One.'

The words moved like air over leaves, surrounding Yugi in that ancient tone he knew so well; his other heart was trying to comfort him. Yugi smiled sadly, here was his other self, drowning in fear and pain, yet nonetheless trying to stop Yugi from suffering. The last of the metal was gone, disregarded on the floor as Yugi began to work on the wounds, tearing cloth from his pajamas to bandage them. The crimson eyes never once leaving his face as he tried in vain to speak to Yugi.

'Why am I here?'

He knew it was a question, one that Yugi's heart longed to answer. For he could tell it was eating his other heart up in fear. Finished with the wounds, he met those pleading crimson eyes that he'd only seen one other time in his life. Right before Yugi had scarified himself to save Yami.

"I-I'm sorry, Moi hitori no boku. I don't know what you're saying." He couldn't look at those crimson eyes.

"Why is this happening? Why are you hurt, where are we? Please tell me you know why?" Yugi asked but he was only met with the same hopeless stare. Yugi killed the desire to scream as the lean Pharaoh stood and helped him up, a blank expression on his face that hurt Yugi more than anything else in the world.

'We need to go.'

And with the reply in that strange language, his partner began to head to the door as its rusty hinges creaked and opened.

"Wait! Moi hitori no boku! Where are you going? Wait!" Yugi called desperately as he ran for the door but when he emerged into the hallway Yugi was only met with emptiness. Fear clawed at his throat, Yugi ran down the long corridors, he could still feel his other heart but no matter how he tried, Yugi could never reach him.

"Aibou!" Yugi called, his voice raspy and broken. Stumbling into the main room, the staircases and doors all looking ominous and dark. Hardly any light shinned down as Yugi sought his own soul room door. Maybe his friend was in his room, that was why he could feel him…the door wasn't there, he was trapped. Yugi's breaths came in gasps as the knowledge sank in. Vaguely, he felt his back hit solid wall. And sinking onto the floor, Yugi couldn't stop the tears that streaked down his face while he gazed into the endless maze of eternity.

Time seemed to have no meaning. Nothing changed as Yugi sat on the stone, his back pressed up against a door. And looking up, he had just about give up hope when there stood his other half gazing at where Yugi's soul door should have been. Yugi almost jumped up and ran to him right away, but something stopped him. For his other heart was different. He was now dressed in beautiful white clothes, a blue robe running down his middle, gold wrapped around his waist, ankles and arms. His shoes were pale white and his blue robe seemed to move against an unknown air as it gathered about his shoulders. A crown made out of pure gold carved into the millennium eye made him appear like a true Pharaoh. But what was most striking was the iridescence of light swirling around him as he gazed off into the distance. Crimson eyes filling with pain and sadness that cut Yugi's heart. Getting up, Yugi made his way over to his other heart, when the Pharaoh spoke. Never seeing Yugi.

'Please, why have you condemned me?'

Yugi stopped in his tracks, the warmth of his others heart surrounding him like the west wind.

'A person who cannot recall his own name?'

The plea of unknown words echoed all around the indifferent puzzle, the shadows began to lick at the light which was beginning to fade, drawing back into the unmoving king.

'Why have you taken it from me?'

The light was only a shade of a ray of sunlight surrounding Yugi's other heart whose eyes closed in defeat, tremors running through his body as he clenched and unclenched his fists. Yugi could feel every emotion rampantly through his other heart until in pure agony he cried out one last time amongst the never ending shadows.

"Why am I alone?!" The last light surrounding him was extinguished by the shadows that laid siege unto the precious soul in front of Yugi. In that moment he understood exactly where he was as the image vanished in black smoke. Yugi was in a dream, his other self was dreaming and he was in a nightmare.

"Other me!" Yugi screamed, using every ounce of strength he could muster to tear through the nightmare. Until in a flash of white light, Yugi landed on a hard stone floor. Where on a plain white bed with red covers, his sleeping heart tossed and turned, buried underneath. Yugi raced to his side, placing his hands on his other hearts shoulders, trying to wake Yumi's pain filled soul, whose eyes danced under the lids. Still trapped in that hellish place.

"Moi hirtori no boku, wake up…please wake up." Yugi begged. Nothing worked, his partner was still trapped, desperate, Yugi placed a hand on his friends' damp forehead, anguish sweeping through him.

"My Yami, please wake up." His other hearts eyes snapped open, jolting upright, taking gasping breaths as if he'd been submerged to long under water.

"Aibou!" Yami screamed, unaware of his surroundings. Those crimson eyes wide with fear, his body shaking uncontrollably. Yugi wasn't sure how long it took for him to calm Yami down enough before he even registered that Yugi was sitting next to him. But when he finally realized, Yugi was pulled into a crushing hug, Yugi returning it with an equal cry.

"I was alone again…you were gone. I couldn't find you. I couldn't even remember you." Yami sobbed, his voice breaking as Yugi felt those hot tears running down his neck. But for the life of him, he couldn't care. He just held onto his other heart tighter.

"I'm here, I will never leave." Yugi promised, his own voice horse, he felt Yami shift underneath him, pressing his face into the crook of Yugi's neck as he tried to control his breathing so he could speak.

"You don't understand. What you saw it was my…you were in my…" Yami's voice broke once more, no longer able to finish. But he didn't have to. Yugi understood exactly what he was trying to say. Those had been his memories from before Yugi had solved the puzzle. All of that pain, loneliness and anguish was what his partner had felt for three thousand years. While Yugi had only experienced moments of it. 'Oh God, how had he survived all of that pain for so long…' Yugi thought, his grip only tightening as the shock set in. Realization hit Yugi full force, for the last thing he had seen had been Yami giving in and allowing the shadows to become him. That was when he'd lost every ounce of light in his very soul, when he'd questioned…oh god.

"You're not alone. Not anymore." Yugi said, his hands rubbing small circles on Yami's back.

"But I was. I forced you away. I lost you. I let the shadows take you and I didn't know what to do. Aibou, I lost your light."

Tears spilled anew as Yugi held Yami in his arms. Yugi had never fooled himself, he knew he'd always been the strongest support in his other hearts life. But he had never truly understood why…until now. He was his light, his hope and the very other half of his soul. Tears fell down Yugi's face as he too buried his face in the back of his other hearts neck. He had always known this but now he truly understood.

"But you got me back. Moi hitori no boku, you fought the shadows and got me back. And I will never leave you, my brother."

Yugi felt his other self sigh, the tension draining out, until Yugi slowly lowered them back onto the soft bed that seemed identical to his own. Only he realized that for some reason it could hold them both. Silently, he wrapped the covers around them, one arm draped over Yami's chest as Yugi watched him drift off into sleep.

It happened as Yugi brushed away a stray golden piece of hair that had fallen in Yami's eyes that the truth hit him. For how many times had Yami been protecting him, offering his wisdom and strength that Yugi never once thought about what he gave his other heart in return. Yugi had always assumed he was a burden, never would he have thought that all this time he had truly been fighting. Fighting to keep the light in his Yami's heart, keeping the shadow's at bay. Protecting him from the loneliness that was still an open a bleeding wound. A wound that he was steadily going to heal, with the golden hair placed behind his ear, Yugi bent forward and held Yami close.

"I will protect you, my heart." Yugi swore, and with this, he fell asleep. A wave of reassurance flowing through him that he knew came from the one who now slumbered in his arms.

And with this, Yugi and Yami slept. Never wondering how their dreams had merged. No, the brothers of the same heart and soul only slept throughout the peaceful night.

AN: Read and Review

~Rin

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters only the idea in this fic.