I LOVE ALL OF YOU~!!!! *huggles all reviewers at once*

Difinity: ^^;; Wow, lots of ppl were yellin' about the cliffy, ne?

Yami: o_o I'll say

Yugi: *clinging to Yami* Yup

Difinity: Now Yugi, don't do that. You know what's coming.

Yugi: Yeah…I know…

Sarah: Cheer up Yugi! I'm sure whatever Dif has got in store for this chappy will go along fine.

Yugi: But

Sarah: ^_^ Don't worry Yugi! *huggles Yugi*

Yugi: ^^

Yami: o_o

Difinity: Heeheehee

Digimagic: What's so funny?

Difinity: Nothin'

Digimagic: Okay

Sarah: *keeps huggling Yugi*

Yugi: ^^

Yami: *eye twitching*

Difinity: O_O Uh, Digimagic, care to help me drag away Yami before he hurts someone?

Digimagic: Gladly

*Dif and Digimagic drag Yami away*

Yugi: Where did Yami go?

Sarah: *shrugs* I dunno

Difinity: Well he's taken care of

Digimagic: Yup. Will he be able to get out?

Difinity: o_o Let's hope not.

Disclaimer: I wish I did, but I don't. *sigh*

Note: This story contains Yaoi, shounen-ai, Anzu bashing, and all that good stuff. If you don't like it, then why are you here? No offence to all the Anzu fans out there! ^O^

'…' is thinking "…" is speaking

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Land of Forever

By: Difinity

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Yami angrily pounded his fist against the bark of a tree. Anger and frustration bubbled inside of him, his arms trembling furiously. The night was silent, causing the angry punches against the tree to echo vibrantly throughout the secluded area. Yami looked around, hoping that his parents didn't follow him. He hadn't gone far though; just to the outskirts of his home, where many trees grew thick enough to hide him for hours. Yami breathed in deeply, trying to calm his jittering nerves.

"They…They can't do this! Why? Why now!?" Yami yelled angrily. His heart pounded hard against his chest. "Yugi…" Yami breathed. "I won't lose you! I won't!" The night stayed silent as Yami bit back the tears that were stinging in his eyes. Everything…he was going to lose everything. It was all going to be left behind. Why? Why did these things happen to him? Especially now! Why? Yami let out a shuddered breath, shutting his eyes momentarily. He opened them only to find his vision blurred by his unshed tears. Yami bit his bottom lip, blinking away the moisture in his ruby eyes. The glowed from unseen anger and frustration, silently building up inside.

He heard a rustle in the bushes and was surprised to see a pair of sad eyes staring up at him. His sister stood there silently, her hands by her sides, looking sad and tired. The two stood in the clearing, staring deeply into each other's eyes.

"…Do you want to go…?" Melanie asked softly, her gaze intense. Yami's eyes widened slightly as an immediate answer came into his mind.

"No," he replied, as if stating the obvious. "Do you?" Melanie looked up at the dark sky.

"You can't see stars here," she said. "There's going to be a full moon tomorrow." She looked back at Yami, honey eyes glimmering with moisture. "I want to see the stars." She stepped forward and took her brother's hand. "Onii-chan…sometimes, we have to do things we don't want to do. If I could change things for you, I swear, I would. But you know we can't stop this. Mom and Dad will say it's best for the family. Best for you…" Melanie stepped forward and leaned her head against her brother's abdomen.

"But I-"

"I know how you feel," Melanie whispered, her voice breaking. "Demo…we all have to say goodbye to the ones we love…whether or not we want to…"

The small girl wrapped her small arms around her brother, wishing she could take away all the hurt Yami was feeling. She could feel Yami holding back his emotions, hiding away the stinging pain that was eating away at his mind. Yami held his sister close to him, longing to believe this was all a bad dream. The opportunities his family had been given that night…Yami could see how happy his parents were for him. He could see how excited his mother was for his father. Both were chances that came once in a life-time. Yami didn't want to disappoint his family, but he didn't want to lose Yugi as well. In both paths, someone was left to be unhappy. That was the last thing Yami wanted for his family, but what about himself?

He looked down at his young sister, her eyes sad and lonely. Guilt stabbed at his heart as he glanced over at his home. The thoughts were swirling in his mind as he was battling to decide which path to follow. He was running out of time.

'Tomorrow night…' Yami realized. 'We leave tomorrow night…'

~*~

"What's wrong with Yami?" Yugi whispered over to Jou. The blonde glanced over to his friend, who was reading a book. Though it didn't look as if he were really paying attention to what he was reading. His once vibrant ruby eyes were now dull and despondent. Yami looked weary and it seemed as if he didn't get any sleep the previous night. The short, amethyst-eyed boy watched him intently, worried. Jou glanced back over at Yugi and leaned to the side.

"I have no clue," he whispered back. "He's been like that all day. Something's wrong with him, Yugi. Something really serious." Yugi's eyes took on a look of small horror. If something was wrong, Yami would tell him about it, right? Yugi gasped inwardly; he could've sworn he saw Yami wipe stray tears from his eyes. Yet the ruby eyed boy continued with his reading. Yami glanced over at the clock, eyes taking a deep, depressing look. The tired boy shut his eyes deeply, knowing each second was ticking by, each minute melting into an hour as his departure was growing closer.

With a start, Yugi realized that the bell had rung and that class was over. He gathered his book bag and waited for Yami. He saw his friend take out a card and walk over to the teacher's desk. Not wanting to attract any attention, Yugi scampered out into the hall, staying close enough to the door to hear the teacher's voice from inside the classroom. Deciding to wait for Yami down the hall, Yugi ran towards the end, going over the words he hear from inside the room.

'Leaving…so far away…good-luck…hope you will visit…' Yugi mused. Was there something that Yami wasn't telling him? Fear began to build up in Yugi's mind, his imagination running away with him. Yugi's footsteps echoed throughout the nearly empty halls, each sound pounding hard against his head. He whipped around as he heard a door shut, only to see Yami walk out of the classroom, eyes dark and depressed. Yugi waited patiently. Yami looked at Yugi, eyes with surprise in them as he gazed deep into the pools of amethyst that he loved so much.

"Yami," Yugi started. "Are you okay?" The taller boy stood still, his eyes carrying an overbearing sadness in them. "You seem so…tired and sad today. Something on your mind?" Yami looked away, not being able to handle the choice he made last night while in his room.

"Yugi," Yami said. "I…I need to tell you something important."

"What is it?" Yugi asked curiously. Yami turned to face him.

"Not here. Not now," he said. "Tonight. Meet me in your special spot at 9 tonight. Can you do that?" Yugi was dumbfounded and confused, but nodded anyway. Yami explained that he needed to go and left the small boy alone in the hallway. Curiosity bubbled inside of Yugi, hardly wanting to wait until 9 that night. Could Yami possible want to tell something to Yugi, something that the small boy longed to hear? Hope flashed in Yugi's amethyst eyes as he stepped out into the daylight. His eyes shone bright and happy, all his uncertainties and fears banished from his heart. Yugi could feel his excitement flowing throughout his small body.

Tonight. At 9. Yugi hoped it would be all right.

~*~

Yami stood nervously in the lovely clearing. The full moon shone bright, just as Melanie said it would the previous night. There was a small amount of snow covering the ground, the chilly wind breezing by softly. Yami's heart pounded wildly in his chest, waiting patiently for Yugi's arrival. Had he done the right thing? Did he choose the right path? It didn't seem as if he had a choice anyway. It was going to be done, whether or not he wanted to go. It wasn't just about him now, it was about his whole family. How could he deny them happiness?

A rustle in the bushes startled Yami, making him whip around to face the small area. Yugi peeked through the bundle of leaves, a lopsided smile on his lips. He stepped forward, sighing contentedly, eyes bright. Yami walked towards him, taking Yugi's small hands in his own. Yugi bit back a giggle, wanting to wrap his arms around Yami and hold him close. The night was silent as Yami stared deep into Yugi's eyes, seeing nothing but eagerness and hope.

"Yugi…I want to tell you something…," Yami spoke softly. Yugi smiled tenderly at his friend.

"What is it?" he asked softly. Yami let go of Yugi's hands, a cold feeling creeping up his spine.

"My dad got a new job," Yami said, forcing out false cheerfulness. "And…I got accepted into one of those private, fundamental schools."

Yugi's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful!" he chirped. "That's what your family wanted, right? To have you get accepted into one of those schools! That's great!" Yami shook his head solemnly, the truth playing on his lips. Yugi's expression turned to one of confusion. "It isn't? Yami," Yugi felt his voice growing with panic. "Wh-What's wrong?"

Yami stepped back, eyes reaching their peak of depression. Yugi could hear the blood rushing to his head, heard pounding unbearably hard against his small chest. The shadows cast an eerie look on Yami. His ruby eyes glowed with sadness, his face cloaked in mystery. He looked like a ghost, a spirit that didn't fit in with the lovely surroundings. Snow slowly started to fall, the small snowflakes hanging on Yugi's eyelashes. Yami shook his head again.

"It isn't wonderful, Yugi," he said. "…We…We're moving to America…"

Yugi's heart nearly stopped as his whole body froze. The term floated around his mind endlessly, echoing, each time, growing louder and louder. America. The United States of America. That was on the other side of the world! How could Yami have to go to such a far off place. Each hint that was given to Yugi clicked into place. The unbearable sadness in Yami's eyes, the card, the words that were shared with the teacher at school. Yami was transferring out of Domino High School, leaving Japan, and moving to America. Tears began to form in Yugi's eyes as the shocked boy stepped forward and grabbed Yami's hand, desperate.

"You joking right?" Yugi asked frantically. "Right? Please…oh…please Yami! You-You can't!" Yami was taken back by Yugi's reaction. "No…no no no!" Yugi choked back a sob, his tears on the brink of slipping down his cheeks. Yami wrapped his arms around Yugi and pulled the boy into an embrace, holding him as close as he could. Yugi buried his face into the taller boy's chest, his tears now pouring freely down his cheeks. His sobs were heartrending as he clung onto Yami, as if he was his only life line. Yami cradled Yugi, scolding himself for his blunt confession. Yugi cried openly, feeling as if his heart was breaking. The moon continued to shine down brightly, the snow covering the boys in it's mystifying white blanket. Yugi pulled away, his eyes glimmering with tears.

"Why?" he asked Yami, desperate for an answer. "Why do you have to go?"

"I don't have a choice," Yami said bitterly. "If I could stay I would…but I can't." Yugi let out a sob, looking down at the ground, his tears flowing down endlessly. Yami reached out to wipe them away, but Yugi brushed Yami's hand off. The two stood there, Yami watching silently as the love of his life cried his heart away, each sob tearing a piece of Yami's heart cruelly. Finally, Yugi was able to speak through his sobs, wiping his eyes as the tears continued to roll down his cheeks.

"Wh-When are you leaving…?" Yugi whispered, his voice breaking.

"Tonight," Yami replied. Yugi's eyes widened as he felt as if someone had slapped him hard across his tear-stained face.

"Tonight?" he asked, bewildered. "Why tonight?" Yami sighed, glancing up at the sky, watching the stars try to peak out through the thick clouds. No prayer or wish would prevent his unfulfilled desire. No angel could come and take him away from the pain he was feeling. It was all real. The choice, the situation, the pain. All of it was reality. With all his heart, Yami wished he could stop time, never to go back, never to go on forward. Without Yugi, how could he survive? How could he go on each day, knowing he left the one he loved behind? It would break him.

Yami pulled Yugi into another embrace, stroking the boy's hair lovingly, pressing his lips against Yugi's forehead. The shorter of the two shut his eyes, tears escaping from the corners and trailing softly down his cheeks. Yugi pressed his lips together, clinging to Yami desperately, never wanting to let him go. He felt Yami murmur something against his forehead, not truly caring what he said. Every moment now, counted so much to Yugi. The last, precious minutes he had with the one he loved, only to have him torn away, never to see him again. Yugi's heart felt bruised, hurt and betrayed. How much pain could he take? First his parents, now Yami? It didn't seem fair to burden the small boy with so much hurt.

"My Dad has finished his work here, and everything is all set for us in America," Yami explained, his voice slightly muffled. "My parents and my sister are waiting for me in the car. They gave me enough time…to say goodbye." The word hit Yugi hard and deep, the finality of it all taking it's toll on the small boy. Goodbye meant forever, goodbye meant never to see someone again. The word was opening a gap between the two, blocking their relationship, hurting their very souls.

"…Will I ever see you again…?" Yugi whispered sadly, his golden bang hanging limply over his face.

"…Maybe," Yami replied. "I hope so…." Yami stopped for a moment. "I'll never meet someone like you." Yugi's face crumbled with grief as he felt the reality of everything sink in. It was really happening. Yami was leaving Japan, quite possibly forever. Yugi would never see him smile, never hear him laugh or feel him warm his strong, protective arms around Yugi's small frame.

Yugi sniffed as a request popped into his mind. "Yami…" Yugi whispered. "Please remember me." Yami's eyes grew wide as he heard Yugi's request. 'Please remember me'

"Of course I'll remember you," Yami whispered back. With a start, Yami glanced at his watch and realized he needed to go. "Yugi…I've got to go now…" Yugi pulled away, wiping his eyes. He looked up at Yami and nodded slightly. The taller of the two nodded at him, and slowly began to walk away. Yugi stood there, tears glimmering in his sad amethyst eyes. Yami stopped and turned around to gaze longingly at the small boy. Yugi blinked back his tears as his gaze captured Yami's.

The ruby eyed boy stepped forward towards him, opening his mouth to speak, but no words coming out.

"Yugi…Would you mind terribly if I…kissed you goodbye?" Yami requested. Yugi was shocked, frozen in his place.

He shook his head as Yami approached him. The small boy looked up into Yami's loving gaze, his cheeks glowing red, his tears vanishing. Yami tilted the shorter boy's chin upwards, wrapping his arm around the small boy's waist, pulling him close. Yugi felt his face burn, seeing Yami's eyes glimmer with something he couldn't quite decipher at the moment. Acting upon what his heart wanted for a very long time, quite possibly since the first moment he saw Yugi, Yami leaned in close, feeling Yugi's soft breath against his lips. Yugi shut his eyes as he felt Yami press his lips against his own, firmly but gently. At once, Yugi felt his whole body catch on fire, a thousand feelings spreading across his body at once. Yami's lips were surprisingly soft, but firm and achingly tender. He felt his lips tingle at the spicy taste that was pouring from Yami's mouth. It caused Yugi to shudder slightly, his mind to overwhelmed by his new emotions to contain the new feeling.

Yami couldn't help notice that Yugi's lips were just like he imagined: Soft, warm, smooth and sweet. He savored every sweet flavor that was emitted from Yugi's syrupy mouth, making Yami's mind explode with pleasure. Yami felt as if a thousand fireworks had exploded in his mind, the experience unique and breathtaking. He could see pinpricks of color flash in front of his closed eyelids. He held Yugi tighter, never wanting to let the sweet angel go. He felt Yugi press his lips even further against Yami's, causing their mouths to open sufficiently, deepening the kiss to Yami's surprise. Yami felt Yugi cling tighter to him.

Yugi hoped that in the kiss, he could pour his heart and soul into it, as if he was telling Yami how much he loved him; how much he meant to him.

Both boys pulled away, panting for breath, their faces bright red. Yugi pressed his kiss-bruised lips together, not daring to believe that Yami had given him his very first kiss. Tears welled in Yugi's eyes, not wanting to accept the fact that they would no longer be able to share such a wonderful feeling again. Yami gently leaned in and brushed his lips against Yugi's, yet again. Yugi shut his eyes softly, feeling the love and gentleness from the gesture. Finally, Yami pulled away as he stepped backwards, gazing at Yugi one last time.

"I'll never forget you," Yami whispered.

"I won't ever forget you either," Yugi said, tears glimmering in his eyes, heart breaking. "You'll always be in my heart."

"You'll always be in mine Yugi," Yami said, his voice catching. "Just like you've always been."

Yugi nodded.

"…Sayonara…" Yami whispered.

"…Sayonara…" Yugi whispered back.

Yami turned around and walked off into the distance, his heart shattered into a million pieces that were impossible to repair. He walked out of the park, running towards the car, angry tears pooling in his eyes. Yami reached the vehicle, and stepped inside, avoiding the worried glances his parents and sister were giving him.

Mrs. Mutou's expression was one of deep sympathy. "Yami-" she started, but stopped when she felt her husband place his hand on her shoulder. She looked at her husband, who then glanced over at his son. She caught the hint and looked over at Yami; her breath caught in her throat.

Yami sat by the window, head leaning against the window of the car, tears making their way softly down his cheeks.

~*~

Yugi stood alone in his secret place, tears slipping down in long trails. Now, Yugi regretted not being bold enough to tell Yami how he felt. Regret and guilt filled him, feeling like a burden too heavy for him to carry. The night was silent as snowflakes covered the ground. Each flake seemed like a tear that trailed down Yugi's cheeks, leaving a lasting impression. With all his heart, Yugi wished things could've gone differently. Was this for the best? Was he destined to be alone for the rest of his life.

He shut his eyes, more tears making their way down his flushed face.

"Aishiteru…Yami…," Yugi whispered. He stood alone, in the cold, lonely, moonlit winter night.

~*~

Difinity: *crying*

Sarah: *crying*

Digimagic: *crying*

Yugi: *crying*

Yami: o_o

Seto: Need any help?

Yami: Ya think!?

Seto: Ehehe ^^()

Jou: Poor Yugi

Ryou: I agree

Difinity, Sarah, Digimagic, and Yugi: *sniff*

PLEASE don't kill me. Hope you, uh, well, enjoyed. Please r/r!

P.S. The fic is NOT over! The story WILL go on, so this isn't the end! :P