Inside the mind, that was the scariest place in the world.

That was the place where things became real, where you can dream and yet wake up feeling as if you were really there, because, perhaps you really where there. That state of mind can exhaust you drive you up to the wall mad with insanity. You have no grip on reality and just about anything can become real…so real that perhaps it can even kill you. Behind closed eyes, an invisible force, and an unconscious life.

The scariest place you will ever know.

It can take you just about anywhere…

It is a terrifying mental game, one so real it can kill you…we as Uchiha those are the games we play…

19

When Bad Meets Evil

Foolish

Physical distress, this is how she was going to start out her game.

She wanted to see what they were capable of doing when they were alone and had no one to lean on. What it was to be alone and lost inside a maze.

Unknown to them, Sasuke, Itachi, and Annabel had been placed in three different corners, of the same maze and they were to find one another. To Sasuke it looked as if he was in a place with surrounding walls and only one way leading to somewhere. The same was for Itachi, but he was wondering what kind of game his great grandmother was playing at, and most of all he was wondering where Sasuke was. Annabel on the other hand huffed and got angrier by the second, she had two places to decide, but she did not know what way to go through.

With Sasuke well, he was wondering. "What is going on here?" he looked around and started to walk forward. He sighed and walked around, just taking turn after turn until he felt like he was going around in circles.

With Itachi, he decided to stay where he was, even though he was thinking about climbing the walls to see what was on the other side. He needed to think like his great grandmother, what was she up to this time? What kind of game was this?

Annabel, well she started to panic and run around.

'One, two, I wonder what I should do when I see that lame old grandma again; I've been thinking to just cut her throat!' Sasuke was musing to himself as he walked around, not heading in any direction in particular 'dead end' he thought as he looked into a corner before going in and kept walking forward looking for another opening. He kept up a steady pace, a calm one at that and Grandma Saki just stared at him with amazement.

Sasuke was the only one of the three who really was not looking for a way out. The boy looked at ease, unbothered by the circumstances of being trapped in a maze. It was almost as if he knew, or more, he was calculating where he was going.

'Every wall seems to be made to look the same, but there is a difference, nothing is ever completely alike' Sasuke thought to himself. In the same single area, no matter how many miles, or feet Itachi was away from him, Sasuke could feel him. He already had, Itachi had given him what he longed for, and his body searched for it no matter where he was, even if he did not know. He could feel himself getting closer to Itachi. Maybe it was what he wished that he was reaching, but he was not about to start doubting.

Great grandma Saki's eyes widen when she saw that Sasuke was just a few feet away from Itachi, he had found his brother without a problem, and it amazed her. "The boy is intriguing, but let's see what happens when I change the game." She snapped her fingers, the floor around Sasuke's legs disappearing into a hole and he fell through. "Itachi!" He had yelled and she cursed. Itachi had heard Sasuke calling to him, he had great hearing after all and he ran towards the sound. Just as he was about to turn the corner, the floor disappeared on him as well and he was sucked in. Great grandmother Saki huffed. These two boys were so much trouble.

Even lost in a maze, Sasuke could find his way back to Itachi.

She needed to complicate things.

This was not going the way she had planned. The only one going insane seemed to be her own daughter, Annabel. She sighed and shook her head. "Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke" Great grandmother whispered over and over again, "I want to learn more about you my dear great grandson, are you worthy of Itachi? We'll just have to see how much you are willing to suffer for him" She sighed once again, a decision that was hard for her to make "And as for you as well, Itachi, what does Sasuke mean to you?"

Uchiha Madara is a man of business, and great power, and little patience so he went straight for what he wanted to know. Fugaku and Mikoto, now presentable, sat before him in the living room, he on the other side. "Tell me, what is this of Itachi having a twin brother, last I remember, Itachi was an only child" He said, his voice firm and deep. Mikoto shrugged and turned to Fugaku who sighed and bowed his head. How was he going to say this to his dear uncle, who adored Itachi and would do anything to protect him? Clearing his throat, he decided to start at the beginning of where this whole mess begun.

"You see, Mother was there when Mikoto was giving birth. She had looked so happy when Itachi had been borne" Fugaku clasped his hands together "and then Mikoto went on a second labor, the medic Tsunade had to work hard just to keep her awake for the second delivery." Madara's eyes were now wide. He had a second nephew and had never known it. It pissed him off, but it was real "Now you can guess this is the part where mother became displeased."

"Sorry Uncle Madara" Mikoto said as she bowed her head down "I blame myself for not remembering, I should have known, after all, I carried him in my body for so long. Even if we weren't aware that twins would be born, I should have known" Madara nodded his head and then looked back at Fugaku.

"I am guessing she told you to kill the child…how did you manage to keep him a secret from everyone for…what is it, eighteen years?" Fugaku made a face.

"Well, I raised him, kept him hidden out in the outskirts and even got him a baby sitter for the times I was not there," Fugaku shrugged. "The damned child ended up killing his baby sitter, then I would just take him on business trips, home schooled him, and now he left for college, I told him about everything before he left. For some reason he wanted to delay ever meeting his mother and brother" Madara quirked an eyebrow.

"Wait, back up, you have to tell me more about him. He sounds to be funnier than Itachi himself" Fugaku glared at his uncle.

"What do you mean funnier?" Fugaku growled.

"You raised him on your own that is what is so funny about it" Madara ground up and then he got serious; this was not the time to be learning about his second nephew, he'll save that for when he meets them. "But, there is something going on here, and I am afraid that they are in danger" He slowly said, "I am not sure if we are to do something or let them face it on their own" Mikoto looked startled and panicked, as for Fugaku, he looked cool headed with an indifferent look on his face.

"Are you not worried?" Mikoto growled, hitting him over the head with her fist. He winced and then scoffed.

"I raised Sasuke, there is nothing that the boy can't handle," He proclaimed.

"Liar, Itachi will be the one winning and saving him," Madara sighed; he could see these fools had been betting their sons life away. He just hope they were alright, Itachi might have both his parents and him while growing up, he knows his grandmothers, every single one of them, so it shouldn't be a problem…right? What about Sasuke though? Madara shook his head and closed his eyes, trying to relax and ignore Fugaku and Mikoto's arguments.

"How far is this going to play out?" He whispered to himself.

Back to the Grandmothers….

"So, what exactly is this game about?" Annabel snapped as she sat tied to a chair.

"Well, as for your part in it, I still have not figure it out, but if Itachi and his younger twin can overcome this, then their last challenge will be you" She smirked "I wonder if they can though, I have placed them in the worst situation I could have ever thought of." She closed her eyes and let herself be consumed in her mind. She knew this is what was going to make them lose the game.

'I want to see them try to find each other now'

It was numb.

No, it was cold, and his fingers were numb and his body was trembling in uncomfortable rate, how had he gotten here? Sasuke crawl to his knees slowly, his body heavy and he looked around himself. The skies were dark, a gray color that accumulated clouds made when it snowed, and yes there was snow. A lot of it, his body was shaking and his insides seemed to want to curl into him, and it hurt. As if, his body was craving warmth strongly. Every part of his body was so numb that it hurt, it was a strange feeling to describe and he could tell he had been here for a while. "Itachi!" He called out, but his voice just got lost in the whistling wind that sent shivers down his spine.

It was funny huh, this morning he woke up warm in a bed next to Itachi and now he was here, suffering in the blistering cold. It took some time, but he managed to get himself to his feet, it was a struggle do to how heavy he felt. All he had with him was his shirt and pants for comfort and warmth. As he took his first step, he heard a wicked laugh and he looked all around him, his head felt as if it was swimming and he was felt disoriented.

There was no one.

"Sasuke, what would you give, to get saved. I can offer you warmth, all the food that you need to sate your cramping body, and all it will cost you is Itachi" Sasuke looked around, he didn't care about the offer, he wanted to kill the bitch that had placed him in this state. He wanted to lash out more than anything, his heartbeat slowing in his chest as it became harder to breathe, his nose frozen, his lips chapped, and air puffing through his lips.

"Where are you?" He yelled.

"So, that means you'll come with me?" she asked.

"Take your warmth and food and shove it up your ass," Sasuke snapped "Where's Itachi?" the voice gasped and then the woman's voice was giggling again.

"You'd rather die?" Sasuke felt cold air come his way and he hugged himself, he was so cold. He could feel the strain in his lungs and the dry lump in his throat.

"Where's Itachi!" He demanded this time, that was all he wanted.

"Is Itachi worth your life?" Sasuke could not answer anymore, he did not want to. He was so cold, he could barely get his mouth to move anymore, but he knew if he just lay down and fell asleep, he was going to die. He could not die, all he could think about was getting back to Itachi and hoping that he was all right. Every thought went back to Itachi. Sasuke started to cry, hoping that his tears would warm him up, but they just froze. "Child is Itachi's life worth your life!" The voice repeated.

Sasuke closed his eyes, and from within his heart he called out to his brother 'Itachi'

Great Grandmother Saki clutched her head when she felt a wave being transmitted through her and across, it made her feel dizzy and disrupted her vision. What had Sasuke just done? She regained her bearings but she was still shaking from the intensity of the wave. She composed herself and then focused on the small raven. Sasuke had fallen to his knees and was struggling to stand up once more. "Fine" She hissed to herself "Let this be your frozen coffin of ice"

She turned to Itachi this time.

"Sasuke" Itachi whispered, he had heard his younger brother's cry, but it was too hot to move. His body was sleek with sweat, and his throat was parched. He could hardly breathe, he felt as though something was pressing hard into his chest and when he had heard Sasuke cry his name, it had worried him. His vision was swimming as he tried to look around; everything looked so blurry due to the heat evaporating from the dirt into the sky.

He swallowed thickly, and tried to stand.

He placed his hand down onto the boiling floor under him and hissed; he immediately took it off and tried to stand on his own. The floor was so hot that the heat still burned him through his clothes, but not as much as it had burned his bared hand. Do to his sweat soaked clothes, he knew he had been here for a while, "Itachi, what would you give, to come with me. I can offer you cool water, cool fruit, a cool shower, comfort, and all it will cost you is Sasuke"

Had someone just spoken? Itachi looked around, his head pounding and feeling too heavy. "Hello!" He called out.

"Itachi, all you have to do is let go of Sasuke and give him to me, that is all that will cost you to take you out of this misery" That he heard. He hissed as he managed to walk forward, his body was so dehydrated that he was heavy. He brought a hand to his flushed face and shook his head.

"Where's Sasuke, give him back to me!"

"Are you sure you don't want a tall cool glass of water?"

"Give Sasuke back to me!"

There was a sigh of frustration "Is this agony even worth Sasuke?" There was no hesitation.

"Yes, it is" Itachi closed his eyes and struggled to look around; he needed a cool shade, something to lower his temperature some water. He closed his eyes and called out 'Sasuke, where are you little brother' With all his heart he called out, he didn't care where he was, he was going to go to the ends of the world in search of his younger brother and hold him once more. He had said he wanted to be Sasuke's all, he was going to find him, what he was feeling, wherever he was he had to escape 'Sasuke, answer me!'

Somehow he did.

That was when he figured it out.

Great Grandmother Saki's shook with frustration, the feeling again, this time with burning passion that knocked her off her feet. She grinded her teeth and turned to her daughter who was tied up. "What is this? Why can I feel them calling out to each other…mentally or something?"

"Maybe if you had read my book!" Annabel snapped, "Its called twin telepathy, I just wouldn't think that their connection would be so strong." Annabel sighed and closed her eyes "They are way to close, Itachi is being controlled by Sasuke now"

"Twin telepathy, eh" Saki said ignoring the rest of Annabel's rant and closed her eyes once more. 'I wonder if there is hope for you both to find your way to each other.' A smirked spread her lips 'how far are your minds willing to go to break away from mine.' Behind her closed eyes, she began to search for Itachi once more. She frowned when she could not find him.

She growled in the back of her throat, how where they able to break from her hold? No, how had Itachi managed to change what was on her mind?

With Sasuke…

"Itachi" Sasuke whispered, looking around him as best his could. His entire body was shaking, ice growing around his eyelashes, his check white and drained of all color, and a tired look on his face. His stomach was cramped up and his body tight with hunger. He swore he could hear Itachi's voice echoing inside his head but he feared that he no longer had a grip of reality nor his own life. He was not sure, where he was, he was not sure what he was feeling, all he knew was that he was going to die and this really was going to become…his coffin of ice.

The wind seemed to pick up and his body was so numb, this time he really could no longer move "Itachi, I'm so-so-sorry…" Sasuke stuttered through his shattering teeth "I'm…I am….go-go-go-going, to-to-to di-die he-he-here" Sasuke wanted to sob. That was when a weight came to settle on his head and ruffled his hair and then a warm breath came to whisper into his ear.

"You-you can't" A warm familiar voice said "You can't leave me, you can't die…I won't let you"

'Itachi' Sasuke thought.

There was doubt in his mind, since Itachi could not be here, he was the one trapped somewhere and he was not going to make it. Still, he felt the need to respond to that voice, it did not seem to want him to give up. His blue lips moving slowly "Why-why can-ca-can't I, I-I-am so-so-so co-co-cold" He stuttered out once more time.

"Because I was not born alone, I was born with you and I shall die with you, but not now, and not today" a warmer body curled around his and Sasuke searched for a way to get his arms around it. He was so numb, he was not sure what was going on, but he was sure that he was going insane. "Sasuke, trust me"

It was not over yet, there was still one more challenge to face. They were ridding deep in their great grandmother's nerves by now.

Well, thank you to all who reviewed and are enjoying this story. I bet this chapter was not something you expected, I am not even sure of it myself. Finals are here and there's alot in my plate at the moment to focus on one thing, this is just for me to take a small break But -Sighs- Here's hoping that you liked it.

Please Review.