Star: HI! I hope everyone had a good time waiting for my update! :glomps Ryuichi plushie:

Yami: It's about time! What happens to Yugi?!?!?!?!?!

Star: I'm not telling!

Yami: :glare: Why?

Star: It's a secret! Right, Ryu-chan?

Ryuichi plushie: :nods:

Yami: I'll kill you!

Yugi: It's so touching how he cares so much for me.

disclaimer: (can't think of any song) I don't own Yugioh.

"speech"

(Yugi's thoughts)

((Yami's thoughts))

/mind link/

----------------major scene change---------------------

(0o0o0o0) - beginning and end of dream

----scene change in dream----

---------Deceptive Smiles, Broken Tears-----------

"Yugi."

A voice…so soft…

"Yugi…"

A groan…from himself.

A giggle.

"Silly Yugi, wake up."

Yugi opened his amethyst eyes slowly, wincing as a bright light shone into his sensitive eyes. Once he had gotten used to the light, he searched his surroundings. He was surprised to find himself lying on a frozen lake in the middle of a forest. Even more surprising was that a little girl, probably about nine or ten, was standing over him, an innocent smile on her face.

"It's about time. Don't you know you shouldn't sleep on ice? You really are silly, Yugi."

The boy sat up in pain, wincing as tense muscles were stretched. He looked up at the girl, confusion written all over his face. How had he gotten there? Why couldn't he remember anything?

"Who are you?" he asked quietly, noting his voice sounded strained, as if he had been yelling loudly.

"My name is Dot," the little girl answered politely, bowing slightly to Yugi, who smiled back at her. The girl was cute, with her strawberry blonde hair in pigtails that bounced every time she moved. Her light brown eyes held a sparkle of innocence and laughter in them. And she never stopped smiling.

"It's nice to meet you, Dot. But…how do you know who I am?"

The girl giggled lightly before answering, "Everyone knows who you are. You are famous. I have been waiting a long time to meet you."

Yugi blinked, thinking he had heard the innocence in her voice disappear, being replaced with a tone that sent shivers down Yugi's spine. Especially when she said she had been waiting for a long time. But that thought was pushed aside when the girl smiled at him again.

"Do you know where we are?" he asked as he stood up, stretching his arms, looking around at the trees that surrounded them, creating a dark barrier that meant to keep them in.

"We are at a lake silly. I come here sometimes to just play on the ice," Dot said as she spun in a circle.

"Isn't it dangerous out here? All by yourself? Where are your parents?"

"Actually, it's perfectly safe. There are no bad animals in the woods so I don't have to worry about that."

"And your parents?"

"They know where I am, so everything is fine. Now come play with me!" she said laughingly as she grabbed Yugi's hand.

Yugi felt for a second something leave him. For some reason, when the little girl grabbed his hand he felt colder, as if his warmth was being drawn out of him. He didn't have time to dwell on these thoughts as he was pulled into a dance by the little girl, spinning around and around in a circle till he felt so dizzy, he almost collapsed.

They both giggled as they spun around on the cold ice, forgetting their troubles for the brief moments when the world became a blur. Yugi felt so at peace here that he had thoughts of staying here with the girl and never being bothered by worldly matters ever again.

Then it hit him. What was bothering him? Why couldn't he remember? He didn't even know where he was. He stopped spinning, causing Dot to look at him in worry. He looked at his surroundings again, trying desperately to figure out where he was. Nothing about this place looked familiar, yet he still felt like he knew the place. It felt like he had been there before, but when? The answers were locked away in his head and didn't seem to want to come out. Yugi groaned in frustration and grabbed his head, trying to force the memories to come to the surface, but no matter how hard he tried, he still ended up with nothing.

"Yugi are you ok?" came the worried voice of Dot, penetrating through the boy's clouded mind. She looked worriedly at her new friend, and when he didn't answer she tugged on his jacket, catching his attention.

"I'm fine, really. I'm just trying to figure out how I got here. I can't remember a thing."

"Nothing?"

"Well…I can remember a building, and a room. There was a person there, but…I can't remember who he is. I can't remember."

"Well, you know what they say, if you stop thinking of something, it will come back to you," said Dot as she touched Yugi's arm. "So for now, forget about it. Just come play with me."

Yugi silently agreed, and with a smile rejoined the girl in her dance across the waters, whatever memories he had disappearing.

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Yami sat by a window in a dark room, just staring out at the dark sky, wondering why his life was so hard. With a sad, heart-wrenching sigh, he turned his gaze to a bed in the corner of the room. Weary crimson eyes scanned the person lying on the bed, hoping to catch even the tiniest movement.

When he saw that nothing had changed, he turned back to looking outside. He closed his eyes, and silently prayed to Ra that his aibou would wake up. He looked at his watch, sadly realizing that it had been two and a half hours since he had found Yugi lying in the middle of the lake. The ice had broken from under him and he had fallen in. His lower body from his waist down had been submerged under the water, and his skin was pale and blue. The boy had been shivering, though he was unconscious.

-------------flashback---------------

Yami almost died of fright when he ran up to Yugi. He thought for sure that he had lost his hikari forever. He was so scared that he had failed to protect the one he cared for most. The spirit didn't know how long he had been lying in the ice, but by the looks of it, it had been too long. When he had gotten to him, he carefully lifted the boy from the icy prison. Even though he was getting wet, Yami wasn't thinking of that at that time. All he was thinking was of getting his aibou safe.

"Yugi! Yugi wake up! Yugi please!"

Yugi didn't move a muscle, he didn't even bat an eyelash when the Pharaoh called him. Yami even tried to call him through their mind link, but Yugi was still unresponsive. If it wasn't for Yugi's shivering, it would have seemed like the boy had died. But that was NOT going to happen. Yami would not let his aibou leave him, never.

"Yugi, please don't do this to me. I'm so sorry. If it wasn't for me this wouldn't have happened. It's all my fault. Please just wake up, please," Yami begged to the small hikari. But Yugi never responded. Yami's cheeks were wet with tears by now, not bothering to stem the flow. It was all his fault, so why did Yugi have to pay the price?

Yami lifted Yugi into his arms, and stood up, running back to the hotel, trying to get him help as fast as he could. With every step he took he was reminded of everything that he had done to his aibou. With each breath, he was reminded of how he betrayed his aibou. Each time Yugi shivered in his arms, he was reminded of how he failed his aibou.

Suddenly he heard a loud noise coming up from his left. He turned and saw Kyoji speeding in his direction. He was never happier to see the other boy. Without a word, he got on the snowmobile and held onto both Kyoji and Yugi, as the brunette headed off towards the hotel.

When they finally reached the hotel, Yugi was immediately taken into an ambulance and rushed off to the hospital, with Yami by his side all the way. He would never leave his Yugi. They would never be able to separate him again.

Yugi was taken into the E.R., and Yami paced frantically in the waiting room. Finally after forty excruciating minutes, the doctor came out. Yami and Kyoji, who had come a few minutes before, ambushed the doctor with questions.

The doctor told them that Yugi was very lucky to have been found when he was, or else he wouldn't have survived. At those words, the knot in Yami's stomach tightened. He was expecting the worst, though he didn't want to hear it. He wanted to hear that Yugi was perfectly fine and that he was just sleeping peacefully. But that's not what he was told. He was told that Yugi was unconscious, and his heart beat was unstable. The doctors feared that Yugi might slip into a coma that he wouldn't be able to wake up from, or worse, that his heart beat would slow down till it stopped for good.

Yami practically collapsed on the spot. Yugi might die? His precious hikari, the one he loved more than anything in the world, might leave him forever? No, it just wasn't possible. It wasn't possible! But more importantly, it wasn't FAIR! Why did he have to go through all this pain? Why were fate and the gods against him? What had he done to them to make them be so cruel to him? He was abandoned, and he didn't know what to do.

It took all of his strength to ask the doctor if he could stay with Yugi, and when he agreed, the spirit raced down to Yugi's room. When he entered the dark room, his breath caught in his throat and refused to come out.

Lying on a large bed, wrapped in a white sheet was his Yugi. The boy's pale skin blending in with his sheets. Yugi was surrounded by wires, and tubes, and machines, all trying to keep the boy alive. He even had a breathing mask on his face, trying to stabilize his shallow breathing. Yami heard the sound of the heart monitor, and looked over, viewing his hikari's heart beat. It was slow, dangerously slow, and could stop completely at any moment.

Yami stumbled over to Yugi's bed and collapsed on the side. He took Yugi's hand in his and felt the cold radiating from the body. He rubbed the hand, trying to get it back to the soft, warm way it always was. His eyes stared at the IV tube going into the hand, and felt even worse for putting Yugi in that position. The crimson eyes traveled up to the smaller boy's face, and was shocked at how white it looked. His lips were a light blue, the only color on his innocent face. His eyes didn't even flutter as he lay there, and Yami noted that he looked so peaceful, like the angel he was. But it was a dying angel that lay before him, one who had been lost because of the stupidity of his so called 'protector'.

The said protector squeezed the hand he was still holding, hoping that he would get a squeeze back, but when none came, he realized that Yugi wasn't going to wake up anytime soon. It was impossible. He had been in that water for too long and it had taken it's toll on his small body.

"Yugi, remember when you once promised that you wouldn't leave me?" Yami whispered to the unconscious body. "Remember how you said that no matter what happened, you would always stay by my side? You told me that…even if the world was destroyed by Marik or Dartz or whoever, that you would be there with me. Because of you, I was able to defeat them. You gave me the strength I needed to save the world. Please don't break your promise. Not now when I need you the most. I would gladly give up the world to keep you safe. Please Yugi, I need you."

But Yugi never responded. He just lay there in the cold hospital room, trapped within his mind, leaving the one who loved him to grieve over his loss alone.

--------------end flashback---------------

Yami sighed again as he looked over to his hikari, hoping to see if something had changed, but much to the disappointment of the spirit, nothing had changed in the boy. He was still lying on the hospital bed, unresponsive to the world around him. The tired teen walked slowly over to the edge of the bed and sat down next to the boy. He gently caressed Yugi's pale cheek, brushing strands of hair out of his eyes. Yami thought he saw some color in Yugi's cheeks, but he refused to get his hopes up. The last thing he wanted was for him to think Yugi was going to wake up, and then……

"Yugi, wake up. I'm not giving up on you, so please wake up. You have to wake up. Please don't leave me."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Yugi was having the time of his life. As he played with Dot on the ice, he forgot his troubles and his missing memory. As the minutes flew past, he forgot where he came from, how he got there, and why he was there. All his memories were disappearing, and Yugi didn't care. He didn't mind that he couldn't remember anything of his past. All he could remember were details about himself, but nothing of his friends, his family, or his life in general. And he didn't care.

"Ok, I'm am way past tired," Yugi said with a laugh as he sat down on the ice. Dot laughed and plopped down next to the boy, and launched herself into his arms, surprising him greatly.

"Yugi, you're a great friend!" she said as she hugged him tighter. Yugi smiled down at the little blonde girl as he hugged her back. The girl was really growing on him. She was like his little sister…if he even had a sister. Did he even have a brother? What about his parents? Were they together? Were they nice? Were they even still alive?! So many questions buzzed through his head, causing the boy to groan in frustration. Why couldn't he remember? Was he not supposed to?

"Yugi-chan? Are you ok?" asked Dot as she tugged gently at his hand.

"Yea, but I'm just so mad that I can't figure out my past. I don't know why! Nothing happened to me, I'm sure, so there is no reason for me not to remember who I was."

"You poor thing," said Dot comfortingly. "It must be so hard for you. Don't think about it too much or you'll make yourself sick," she advised as she placed her hand on Yugi's forehead, as if checking his temperature. But instead of feeling better, the amethyst eyed boy felt strangely weaker, almost like he was being drained of his life source. But taking the blonde girl's advice he forced himself to forget about his past for now.

Dot smiled at him as she stood up. She turned around and looked up at the sky, the stars twinkling above her. A sly smile crept up her face, as if she knew something. But when she turned around and faced Yugi again, her innocent, happy smile was back, with all traces of the previous suspicious smile on her face. "This night is really fun, don't you think so?"

"Yea it is. It's really beautiful out tonight too," Yugi said as he took in his surroundings. The night seemed to have gotten darker and lighter at the same time, the lack of light from the sun replaced by the pale brilliancy of the stars and moon that now floated across the velvety blue sky. The tree tops were covered in blankets of snow, with a glimpse of their green leaves peaking out every now and then. They lake they were on was a dark sapphire, sparkling like diamonds every time the moon shone onto its surface. There was no sound except for the wind blowing through the trees, making it seem as if the forest was singing to them. It was a magical, amazing time that was so perfect, Yugi didn't want to disturb it.

"It really is. I don't think I want to leave," said Dot, looking at Yugi from the corner of her brown eyes.

"Yea, it would be great to stay out here forever and not have to deal with all this crap," Yugi replied as he closed his eyes and let the wind caress his cheeks.

"Maybe we should."

"Should what?"

"Stay here forever."

"…you're joking……right?"

"Why not? You said so yourself, it would be great to stay out here. It's perfect here. Why would you want to go back to a confusing, scary world when you could always be at peace here?" said Dot as she looked Yugi in the eyes, a serious and…mysterious look in her bright chocolate eyes.

"I…I don't know, Dot. Wouldn't your parents worry?"

"Would you rather go out into the world not knowing who you are or where you came from? Would you want to go through life knowing that you once had friends, but now you lost them forever cause you can't remember who they were? Do you want to go through that?"

"No…no I don't, but I have no choice. I need to find out who I am. I have to find out what happened to me, and everything of my past. If I don't then…then I won't exist," Yugi answered her quietly, lowering his head to the ground to avoid looking at anything. If only he could remember, but he was starting to doubt he'd ever regain his lost memories.

"Oh Yugi, it hurts me to see you in so much pain," Dot said sincerely, but if Yugi had listened closely, he would have detected a trace of something else in her words.

"What…what did you say?" he asked, thoroughly stunned. He had heard those words before…but where? And who said them? He lifted his gaze to find her looking at him with the most worry and concern he had ever seen in his life.

"I said I don't like it when you are sad. You're my friend and I want you to be happy."

"Happy…happy…I want to be happy. But every time I think of my missing past I become unhappy."

"Then don't think about it. Just forget all of it and stay here with me forever," Dot said as she held out her hand, and lifted Yugi off of the ground.

"Stay here forever? ………maybe I will."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Yami kept staring at the heart monitor, willing the beeps to speed up. If they got faster, that meant that Yugi was getting better, and if he got better he would wake up. But no matter how hard he willed it, the beeping never got any faster. In fact, Yami thought that the beeping got slower, if only a little bit. That thought scared him and he quickly forced it out of his head.

Yami sighed quietly and closed his eyes for a few seconds, trying to get rid of the weariness that surrounded him. He had been watching over Yugi now for three and a half hours and still Yugi didn't wake up. The spirit didn't want to believe the doctors when they said that Yugi might not wake up for a while, maybe never. He refused to believe it, but with each passing second, that 'might' was quickly becoming more and more possible. Yami kept telling himself that Yugi was just unconscious or just so drained that he was sleeping deeply, but in the back of his mind there lurked the thought that he would never open his eyes to the light again.

Faintly he heard the sound of someone knocking on the door, but he didn't acknowledge their presence. He heard someone calling him, but never once did he turn his attention away from the angel lying on the bed. Yami heard someone enter the room, but even then he never removed his eyes from the boy lying before him. It wasn't until he heard the person speak again did he realize who had entered.

"How's he doing?"

"Not so good. He won't wake up, and…and I think he's getting weaker," Yami replied, noting from the corner of his eye a flash of brown hair as the new member of the room sat in a chair next to the bed. The spirit shifted from his position on the bed so that the other could get a better look at Yugi. But still he never let his gaze wander from the hikari that was next to him.

"Don't say that. Before you know it he'll be back to normal."

"How do you know? What if he really is getting weaker? What if he really does…leave forever. I can't handle that again. I promised him I would protect him forever, and then I am stupid enough to let this happen," Yami said, gripping the sheets tightly.

"Don't blame yourself. It was an accident," Kyoji said as he placed a hand on Yami's shoulder.

"No, I did this. I pushed him away, I hurt him again, and this is my punishment. But…why…why him. It should have been me! ::Star: sound familiar anyone?:: Yugi should never have gotten hurt because of my stupidity."

"Yami, it was an accident. You can't blame yourself for that."

"No. The gods have punished me by taking away the most important thing in the world to me."

"Yami, is it true what you said before? Do you love him?" Kyoji asked quietly.

"……Yea. I do. I guess I always have, just I never realized it till recently."

Kyoji said nothing, but watched as Yami took Yugi's lifeless hand in his own and hold it tightly.

"Everything I've gone through with Yugi, all the good times and the bad, it was great. No matter what happened, I could always get through it because I had Yugi with me. The times…the times that I lost him, it felt like the world had ended. I can't go on without him, it's impossible for me to live without him by my side."

"Yami, how did the two of you meet? You aren't brothers, yet the two of you look so alike."

"You'd never believe me even if I spent hours telling you."

"Try me."

"……Yugi…he saved me. He saved me from an eternity of pain and suffering. He showed me the light for the first time in forever. He gave me a new life, one where I didn't have to worry about anything happening to me, because I knew he wouldn't let it. He protected me as much as I protected him."

"How did he save you?"

"He…freed me from the darkness. He saved me from the evil shadows that threatened to keep me locked away forever. And since that day he's never let them get me."

"How long have you known each other?"

"He started saving me eight years ago and didn't know it. It wasn't until last year that he found me. It was then that he banished the shadows. I didn't know anything about myself, all my years trapped had removed everything of who I once was, but it didn't matter. I was free. I had a new beginning, and it was all thanks to Yugi. From that moment on, I vowed to never let harm reach him. But look at how well I've kept my promise. I've betrayed him so many times before, I hurt him and drove him away. I just don't know why he hasn't sent me back to the shadows yet."

"He wouldn't do that. Yugi told me how much he cares about you. The way he talked about you, it sounds like he holds you as a very close friend. I don't think Yugi is the type to send someone into harms way just because of something like that."

"No he wouldn't. He is too kind, the exact opposite of me. He would rather put himself in danger than see his friends get hurt. And he's done it before too. He's sacrificed himself to save me many times before, and he would still continue to do it, even after everything that's happened," Yami replied with a grim smile.

The two boys sat in silence for a few minutes, just listening to the unsteady beeps of the heart monitor, each lost in their own thoughts about the smaller boy on the bed in front of them. Each cared for Yugi greatly, and each feared to loose him.

Yami was plagued with guilt. After everything that had happened, you'd think that he'd take better care of his precious aibou, but no, he was the biggest idiot in the world. He didn't deserve to be called Pharaoh, he didn't deserve to be the boy's yami, he didn't deserve to have ever met Yugi. So many times, Yugi had given up his soul to keep Yami safe and still Yami kept screwing up. Yet Yugi never cared. He would sacrifice himself over and over again, each time reassuring Yami that everything would be ok, each time leaving Yami with a smile. How could he do that? How could Yugi still care for him, still welcome him with open arms, when others would have abandoned him long ago.

Kyoji just watched the younger boy, and noted each emotion that crossed his face. He couldn't imagine the pain that the boy must have been going through, having lost the one person in the world that meant everything to him. He turned his silver eyes to Yugi, his frown getting deeper when he took in his complexion. Kyoji sighed sadly and stood up. He just couldn't bare to see Yugi like this. But more, he felt that Yami should be with Yugi now. With a small goodbye, he left the spirit alone with Yugi once again.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"Yugi?"

"Yea?"

"Would you really do it? Would you really stay here with me?"

"Here? Forever?"

"Yes."

"I…don't know. I want to know who I am. I want to go out and find my past, but I'm afraid. What if I don't like who I was?"

"Then don't go out. Stay here. I don't care who you were, you are my friend and a great person. Please stay with me."

Yugi sighed and gazed up at the sky. He lay on the lake, his arms resting behind his head as he thought about the offer the younger girl was giving him. He could stay there and forget everything of his past. He could start a new life, and not worry about anything. Did he really need to know his past to go on to the future? If Yami could do it, why couldn't he?

Yugi suddenly sat up in shock. Yami? Who was he? Why did that name come to him? How did he know that name? Was he someone close to him? Yugi tried to remember more about this Yami person, but came up with nothing. But it was a start. He had remembered something, and that gave him hope that his missing memories were returning.

"Yugi? What happened?"

"I remembered something," Yugi said happily.

"You did?" Dot asked, her eyes widening. Was he going to remember everything?

"Yea! I remembered the name of someone. I don't know who they are yet, but it's a start!"

"I'm glad, Yugi," the blonde girl said with a smile. "Can you remember anything else?"

"No," Yugi said, his happy demeanor slightly faltering. "But I'm sure it'll come to me soon," he said, growing happy again.

"I hope so too," Dot said.

Yugi lay back on the ice, and tried to think back to anything that had to do with Yami. Was he Yugi's brother? A friend? How did they meet? What did he look like? So many new questions, but he was not giving up. He was going to find all the answers no matter what.

The boy closed his eyes and let his mind wander. Maybe if he did that, something would come to him. He thought about everything that had happened to him since he woke up. He remembered waking up on this lake, and finding Dot. He remembered……running…through a forest. He remembered a boy…not much older than him, holding his hand. He remembered…crimson eyes…a group of people…a boy with blonde hair…a card…with a black dragon on it. He could remember…a large stone tablet…a maze…a gold pendant…and…and…

Yugi saw these small flashes in his mind. Nothing was clear. The faces were fuzzy and he couldn't recognize anyone. These small bits and pieces came and went in a flash, providing Yugi with very little information about his past. What he could remember left him confused. He guessed that those people he saw were his friends, but he wasn't sure. The boy that was holding his hand appeared in each vision, so Yugi assumed that he was someone important. Could he be the one called Yami?

What confused him the most was the last vision. He felt drawn to the image of the golden pendant. It felt important. Instinctively, Yugi touched his chest, as if expecting the pendant to be hanging there. Was he supposed to wear it? Was it his? For some reason, thinking of the pendant made Yugi feel safe and lonely at the same time. The boy suddenly longed for the pendant, but…why? What was so important about it?

Yugi opened his eyes and looked around, half expecting to see the people from his memories standing there. All he saw was Dot, looking up at the sky. He followed her gaze, and stared at the sky for a few minutes, before letting out a sigh and sitting up. "It's so confusing."

"What is?"

"My memories. I have flashes of memories, but I can't figure out who the people are, or where I was, or anything."

"Don't strain yourself. It will come to you in time, but for now, you should stop," Dot said, placing her hand on Yugi's shoulder.

Yugi sighed, but the realized with a start he had forgotten something. A part of his memory, one of the visions had disappeared. He tried to remember what it was, but it wouldn't come to him. What happened? Why had he suddenly forgotten?

Yugi jumped up and desperately tried to retrieve the memory that was lost, but it wouldn't come back. (Ok, calm down. Just think this through. I was thinking of the memories, then I talked to Dot, then it disappeared. What happened between that time? I sat up, I talked to her, she put her hand on my shoulder…wait a sec…that was when I forgot. When she touched my shoulder I forgot the vision.)

The boy looked at the young girl sitting on the ground. She looked like a normal ten year old girl. There was nothing strange about her. He looked into her eyes and saw the worry and compassion in her light brown orbs. But…was that a trace of victory he saw? There was something odd about the way she looked at him.

In fact, he realized, when he said he remembered the name, she looked at him oddly. Also, every time she touched him in a way, he forgot more. Could she be doing something? He took a step back from the girl, causing her to look at him with confusion.

"Yugi is there something wrong? Why do you look at me like that?"

"Dot, where did you come from?"

"What do you mean?"

"How did you find me? It couldn't have been a coincidence that you were here when I woke up. How did you know I'd be here?"

Dot smiled at him innocently and stood up. "I don't know what you mean. I always come here."

"Why did you say you had been waiting for me for a long time? Did you know I'd be here?"

"Yugi, you're just tired. Come with me, and you can rest," the girl said as she reached a hand out towards Yugi. But Yugi stepped away from her, suddenly fearing her touch. Each time she had touched him before, he felt something leave him. He felt weaker, like he was being drained of energy or his life. This was definitely not a normal girl. "Who are you, really?"

"I'm Dot," the girl said with another smile, but something in her smile creeped Yugi out. Something was wrong here, and it had to do with her.

"Who are you!"

Dot laughed suddenly, as if something was funny. "You are a smart one Yugi. I thought I had you fooled, but you caught me. I should have expected that of you."

"You're not a girl are you?" Yugi asked in a whisper, not really wanting to know the answer.

"No. My name should have given me away, but it seems you don't know your German very well. My name backwards it Tod. Tod is German for death. You see Yugi, that is what I am. I am death, and I've come for you."

Yugi was frozen in place. Death?! What did she mean? She couldn't be serious! He couldn't…..he couldn't be dieing! Could he? Was that why he couldn't remember anything? Was that why he was out here, in this cold, empty forest? Was he about to die?

"Don't be afraid Yugi. Death is not scary. In fact, it's a relief from all the pain and suffering of living."

"But…why? Why are you here? What happened to me?!" Yugi asked frantically.

"You fell into a lake. You almost froze and are now very sick."

A lake! So that was why he woke up here. It was the place where he had his accident. It was the reason he was going to die.

"I don't want to! I don't want to die! Don't take me!"

"Yugi, you can't live on. You are too sick. It is your time. You can stay with me here. I promise, you'll be happy."

"No! I don't want to stay here! I want to be with my friends and my family! I can't die!" Yugi pleaded, the tears welling up in his eyes.

"Yugi, I'm sorry," the girl said, true sadness in her words. "You are very sick. If I didn't take you, you might never recover. You could spend the rest of your life in a coma."

"I don't care! I…I just want to be with them…with the others."

"Yugi, you can't. I'm sorry. Stay here with me. We can be friends forever. You have nothing else to live for."

"That's not true. That can't be true," Yugi whispered, as he collapsed on the ground.

"It is. Stay here with me. You'll always be happy, I promise. You'll never be alone. You will stay, right?" Death asked as she held a hand out to the now crying boy.

Yugi said nothing, but let the tears flow as he reached out his own hand to grasp hers. Reaching out for his end.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Yami frantically paced the hallway outside Yugi's room, glancing every now and then at the white door. A couple of minutes ago, some doctors and nurses had come in to check up on Yugi, and Yami had had to leave. The spirit didn't want to leave his hikari's side, but knew it was for the best.

Yami checked his watch for the tenth time in three minutes, watching the seconds pass by excruciatingly slow. Why were they taking so long? They should have come out by now. What were they dong?!

Yami turned when he heard the door being opened, and rushed up to the doctor that had come out. Yami grew apprehensive when he noticed the look on the man's face. "Is there something wrong?"

"His condition is…not improving."

Yami felt like he had just gotten punched. His aibou wasn't healing?

"W-why?" Yami choked out.

"We don't know. In a case like his, it depends on the amount of time he was lying in the water."

"Will he get better?"

The doctor didn't answer. He just looked at Yami with sad eyes, causing the spirit more worry.

"Well?!"

"His heart rate has dropped. Chances are…he won't survive the night."

Yami had to lean against the wall for support, but he was so taken back by the news that he collapsed on the ground. He hadn't just heard that. No, he must have imagined it! That must have been it. He was so worried he had just imagined the doctor saying those words. But when the Pharaoh looked up at the doctor, he knew the truth. Yugi was really dieing.

"Are…are you sure?" the crimson eyed boy said in a shaky voice.

"Yes. I'm sorry, but there is nothing more we can do for him. The best is to let his last hours be peaceful. Do you want us to remove the life support system?"

Yami barely heard what the man asked, but looked up at him in confusion. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"The tubes, and the respirator. We have already removed the breathing mask. We can remove the rest if you'd like."

"N…no. Please don't."

The man just nodded. "Would you like to contact the rest of his family, or should I?"

"No. Don't tell them. I will tell them…after. Can I go in?" Yami asked in a broken voice. What reason was there for him to have any emotion? His aibou was going to die. He was going to die and it was all Yami's fault.

"Yes. We will be back shortly to check on him. Please call if anything happens."

Yami just nodded and got off the floor. He started for the door when he was stopped by the doctor.

"I'm very sorry for this. I wish there was something we could do."

Yami shook his head. "Thank you for everything you have done."

The doctor nodded his head and walked off. Yami then walked in, closed the door, and slowly walked towards the bed. He stood at the bedside for a few minutes, just looking at his aibou. He gently caressed Yugi's cheek, and suddenly collapsed on the bed.

"Why!? Yugi, please don't do this to me! Don't leave me! Why did this have to happen!? Please Yugi! It's not fair! IT'S NOT FAIR! Yugi!"

The broken spirit cried over his hikari for a long time, till he was reduced to a trembling mass. He held him tightly, not wanting to ever let him go. He wouldn't ever give him up. He wouldn't let death get him. He wouldn't, because he couldn't survive without his light.

"Yugi please. Wake up. Just wake up, and call me a fool for worrying over you. Open your eyes and tell me that everything will be ok. Please don't leave me. I have nothing to live for if you leave. Yugi, I love you too much to let you go."

Yami lay there, holding onto his love as the tears continued to fall. He knew it was pointless. Yugi was going to die, and no amount of begging and pleading, no amount of praying or shadow magic would bring him back. The sorrowful Pharaoh placed a gentle kiss on the pale lips of his aibou. "I love you Yugi, and no matter what, I will be with you." Then Yami closed his eyes, planning to spend Yugi's last moments, their last moments, in peace.

(0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o)

Yami continued to walk across the frozen lake, ignoring everything around him, focusing only on the voice that was calling him. With each step the crimson eyed spirit took, the urge to reach the voice got stronger. So he kept following it, knowing it could be a trap, knowing it could lead to his doom, but he didn't care.

The spirit stopped in his tracks and looked around. He had walked so far that he could barely see the edge of the lake anymore, and it still continued to go on. It seemed as if he could walk forever and still never reach the end. But it wasn't as if he had anything else to do in his life. Yami held the puzzle in his hands as he sat down on the ice.

"What am I doing? Why am I bothering to go after this voice?" he asked himself quietly. He looked down at the puzzle, half hoping it would give him an answer. When all he got was silence, he looked back up at the sky. Maybe he would receive a sign from above. Maybe he would be shown that he wasn't alone. He highly doubted it, but he had nothing left to loose.

All of a sudden, he felt a harsh tug, as if someone was yanking him forwards. The pull was so strong, he actually fell forwards. He jumped up and looked around. What was that?! How the hell did that happen? The voice came back stronger this time, telling him to keep walking. Yami was confused, and decided maybe he should go back. But when he took a step backwards, the voice practically screamed at him.

"What is the reason that I should be here? Why must I be here?" Yami asked, hoping that someone would answer him, but when he didn't get one, he decided to just go on. Why was he questioning this…voice? It was just a bodiless entity, there was nothing to question.

So Yami walked on, and soon he started to get a familiar feeling. It was one that he had when he was near his aibou. But how? Was his aibou really near by? Or was the voice playing tricks on him? It better not have been, cause if he ever found who was behind it, they wouldn't survive their meeting.

Gradually, as he was walking he saw something ahead of him. He didn't know what it was, from his distance it was too hard to make out, but the voice seemed to want him to go there. So he went. As he got closer, the feeling got stronger, and in effect, Yami got more confused. Why was he feeling like that? Was it really his aibou ahead of him? Yami's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't speed up, incase it was just a mirage.

----------------

The tears were rolling down Yugi's face as he reached out his hand to grasp the girl's. He didn't want to, but it seemed as if he had no choice. As much as he hated it, it was his time to go. Nothing could change that. But that fact couldn't take away his fear. He had never felt this afraid before. Even with his memories gone, he still knew that he had never felt that way.

His hand faltered just before he grabbed her hand. Was he ready to do this? No, but…did he really want to stay in a world where he would suffer? Did he want to go through with that every day of his life? No. But he didn't want to die. He was afraid. He didn't want to be alone.

"Yugi? What's wrong? You can't be having second thoughts, are you?" Death asked as she stepped closer to him.

"I'm afraid," Yugi replied quietly.

"Don't be afraid. I will be here with you," she answered.

"I…I don't want to. Why can't I go back to my life?" he asked, the tears continuing to roll down his cheeks.

Death sighed sadly before answering, "It's not possible. It would be too hard. There is nothing for you in the world."

"I…I just…" was all Yugi could get out, as the tears increased.

"Yugi, I promise I will be with you. I will stay and play with you forever. You won't ever be alone."

"It's not the same," the amethyst eyed teen answered.

Death sighed again as she looked at the boy. She didn't think that this would be so hard or so heartbreaking. She had been around since the beginning of time, but never did she have a job like this. She herself was beginning to have second thoughts on taking this young boy's life. But she knew she couldn't. It wasn't her place to change his fate.

"Come on Yugi," she said soothingly. "You'll be in a better place soon." Again she reached out her hand to him.

Yugi didn't say anything, but stared at the hand. He knew it was pointless to fight. He didn't want to be sad anymore. He made a small wish that all his loved ones would be ok when he was gone, and reached again for her hand.

------------------

Yami stopped in his tracks and stared ahead. It couldn't be possible, but there it was in front of him. There was his aibou…and some strange girl, but that didn't matter. It was his aibou! Yugi was right there…and Yami was too shocked to move. He didn't think it was possible. He thought he'd never see Yugi again, but there he was.

Yami slowly walked up to the two in front of him, wondering what was going on. When he noticed the tears upon Yugi's face, and the sad look the girl was giving him, the spirit became confused. Why was Yugi crying? Who was the girl? And where was the mysterious man from before?

He saw the two talk to each other, but couldn't catch their words, as he was still too far away. But from the looks of it, it wasn't a happy conversation. Yami wanted to get to the bottom of it, so he kept walking.

-----------------

Yugi got a strange feeling, and just before he grabbed Death's hand, he turned and looked to his side. His violet eyes widened as he saw a boy who looked just like him approaching them. Where had he come from?!

Death had also noticed Yami's appearance, and was confused. How had he come here? Others were not allowed in the area. How had this soul entered? She knew who he was, having taken his soul five thousand years ago, and she knew his connection to Yugi. But what she didn't know was his reason for entering.

Yugi watched as the look-a-like walked towards them slowly. Who was this new person? Was he a part of Death? Was this another form of hers? No…he felt too familiar to be death. Yugi knew he knew him, but he couldn't remember anything about the boy.

"Yugi?" the boy whispered.

Yugi's eyes widened more. The boy knew his name, which meant that he knew who he was.

"Who…who are you?" Yugi whispered back.

--------------

Yami was taken aback. Had Yugi actually said that? Didn't he know who he was?

"You don't remember me?"

"I…can't remember anything," his aibou replied.

Yami was even more surprised, but didn't let it show as he walked up to Yugi. He knelt down in front of the boy, but still far enough away.

"Why?"

"I don't know. What is your name?"

"My name is Yami."

--------------

Yugi's mind raced. This was Yami? This was the boy who was in each of his memory flashes?

"Y…Yami?"

The other boy nodded his head. So this was the boy he had been trying to remember. He felt so relieved. But why was he here? Had he come because he was going to die?

"Aibou?" he heard the other say.

"Aibou…I've been called that before."

"You are my aibou, and have always been."

"You are…Yami…my yami," Yugi said, half knowing the meaning behind the names aibou and yami.

"Little One, why are you crying?"

Yugi was suddenly reminded of what was about to happen. He lowered his head as the tears flowed more heavily. "I'm about to die."

----------------

Yami felt his heart stop in his chest. Had he heard correctly? There must have been a mistake. "W…what did you say?"

"I'm about to die."

"W…why?" the spirit asked.

"Because it is his time," he heard another voice say. He turned and looked at the young girl. He had forgotten she was there.

"Who are you?" Yami asked.

"I am Death. I have come to take Yugi to his final home."

"No! Why? He's too young!"

"It is his time to go. You know what happened. You saw him, and you have been told what will happen."

"No! I won't let you take him!" Yami said as he leaped forwards and grabbed Yugi, holding him close.

------------------

Yugi was extremely surprised when the other boy grabbed him and held him. Why had he done that? He didn't want to let him die? He felt the boy tighten his hold around him, trying to keep death from reaching him.

"Why do you fight this? You have heard what they said. You know this must happen," he heard Death say.

"No! I won't let Yugi die! I swore I'd keep him safe, and there is no way I'm going to let you take my hikari!"

"It is not your choice. This is his fate, and you, despite how powerful you are in the world, have no way to change it."

"I don't care! I'm not letting Yugi go!"

This boy, Yami, wanted to keep him. He didn't want him to die. He was fighting to keep him alive. Could it be that he really did have a reason to live?

--------------------

((I'm never giving him up! Nothing can separate him from me! I won't fail him this time. I'll protect my hikari with everything I have.))

/Yugi, you can't go with her!/

Yami felt shock radiating through their weak link. /You…you talked to me…in my head./

/Yes, because we have a special bond. A bond that I don't plan on letting anything, not even death, break./

/Why do you do this?/

/Because you are my aibou, my hikari, my precious light. You are the single most important person in the world to me, and I will not give you up without a fight./

/You…care for me this much?/

/Yes, more than you know./

----------------

Yugi felt tears well up in his eyes again, but these weren't tears of fear or sadness. These were tears of joy. He did have a reason to live.

/You want me with you?/

/Yes. I cannot go on without you, and if you die, I'll be right there with you./

Yugi hugged Yami as hard as he could. He didn't want to die. He wanted to go with Yami. He didn't care if he couldn't remember his past. He didn't care what would happen to him, as long as he was with Yami.

"I want to stay with you," he said as he held on to the boy.

"Yugi you can't," Death said.

"I don't care! I want to stay with Yami!"

"It's not possible," she said.

Yugi buried his head in Yami's chest, trying not to listen to Death. He couldn't leave Yami. He just had to stay with him.

/Yami/

/Yes, hikari?/

/Don't let her take me./

-----------------

/Never/

Yami meant it too. He would never let anyone take his aibou ever again. He would fight off Ra if he had to. He sat there, holding on to his hikari, trying to keep death from him. He refused to let Death take him. He didn't care if it was his fate or if it was destiny. If it meant giving up Yugi's life, he wouldn't do it.

"I'm not letting him go, so you can forget taking his life," he said harshly to the girl.

--------------------

Death just looked at the two boys in front of her. Neither would let go of the other, and each would follow the other no matter where they were taken. She looked down at Yugi who was holding on to the spirit tightly. "Do you really wish to stay with him?" she asked the smaller of the two.

"Yes."

"What if you never recover?"

"I don't care."

"You truly mean that?"

Yugi nodded his head.

Death just sighed and turned her back towards the two.

-----------------

Yami, cradling Yugi in his arms, stood up slowly. He watched the girl for any sudden movements she might make, and when she stayed still he turned and walked back the way he had come.

"Yugi, I will never let you go," he whispered down to the boy.

----------------

"I want to always be with you Yami," he whispered back. In reply, he got a hug from the other, the unspoken promise hanging in the air.

(0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0)

Yami slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times to let his eyes adjust to the light streaming into the room through the crack in the curtains. Wait, light? That must mean it's morning. Yami looked at his watch and sure enough it was 7 A.M. How he had slept for nine hours was a mystery.

Yami quickly looked at his aibou, holding his breath incase he saw that the worst happened while he was asleep. But instead of seeing that, what he saw was the happiest thing he'd ever seen in his life.

Yugi was slowly opening his eyes! He was awake! A quick look at the heart monitor showed Yami that Yugi was returning to normal. Yami couldn't tear his eyes away from the wonderful sight. He felt tears well up in his eyes when the beautiful amethyst eyes of his aibou met his. His heart skipped a beat as he saw his hikari give him a small, weak smile.

"Hi Yami. What's up?"

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Star: There you go! 24 pages! :glomps Ryuichi plushie: We worked hard, didn't we Ryu-chan?

Ryuichi plushie: :nods head:

Yami: O…k. At least Yugi is safe :glomps Yugi:

Star: And you people thought I'd kill him off! Shame on all of you! Anyway, review please!!!!!!!!!!!