I had heard of Soul Theory in passing, but to be honest, I never really paid much attention to it as I always had something 'more important' to do. Now though... Now I wish I had actually paid attention because those lessons I had so casually deemed 'unimportant' affected me more than I would have ever suspected.

"And there lies the problem. Neither of you was meant to meet your ends like this but something has influenced your Worlds and now I find myself with two Key Pieces for the Future of Your Words trapped within my Domain." -Death

'All in favor of getting off this looney train...Jump now.' - SI! Jaeger with a twist.

Prolonged

The only certainty in Life is Death.

No matter how hard you tried there was no escape from the End. You couldn't outrun it, you couldn't fight it nor was it something which you could out wait for Death is patient. Wither it was today, tomorrow, next week, next year or even a thousand years; Death would wait and when you least expected it; Death would claim the lost soul wondering around Life's Playground.

This was a fact everyone knew yet subconsciously tended not to think about it. Not that she blamed them, Death was everything Humanity as a whole feared:

The End- Judgement Day, itself- where you lost everything you worked for in your life only to be thrown headfirst into the uncertainty of what lay beyond the Reaper.

Would Heaven be real? Hell? Would your Gods be waiting for you?

Where any of those Theories the Pastors, Priests, books, and Television spoke of real or was everything a lie? Was there anything beyond The Reaper's embrace or would you just cease to exist?

Honestly, They very well might but I couldn't say.

If I thought about it, I could recall walking alongside a road on my way home as the sky darkened. I could remember hearing the screeching metal and the smell of burning rubber against the asphalt. I could remember turning slightly only to find myself blinded by bright yellow lights only moments before waking on the cold ground with a brunette hovering in my line of sight.

She had to be a teenager, no mater then eighteen at the most, with a pixie cut and terrified hazel eyes. She was screaming something at her friends, but I couldn't quite make it out over the ringing in my ears. Though it soon became clear as I managed to catch a glimpse of a silver truck with a crimson stain upon its hood rushing past where we were...

Ah, a Hit and Run. How had they known that was Just what I wanted? I mean it's not like I had anything planned for tonight- It wasn't my Little Sisters Birthday tonight and that defiantly wasn't her present being run over in my bag, Honest!- or the rest of my life.

The Brunette screamed something else after the vehicle before those terrified eyes looked down once more; for a brief moment surprise and shock flickered across the hazel orbs before she forced a smile.

"-be okay."

She was a horrible liar, but if nothing else I had to give her point for staying instead of fleeing like her 'friends' so I did my best to ignore the pain aside and forced a smile onto my lips- It wasn't easy seeing as how just breathing felt like I was being tortured but I somehow managed it- before the darkness swept in once more.

Only this time with the darkness came Death.

There you have it. My Death wasn't anything Brave or Heroic. It wasn't the sort of Death history would be written about- instead, I would most likely be forgotten over time by all besides my Family and the Brunette- though it's not my Death that mattered.

Rather it's what came after My Death.

I had heard of Soul Theory in passing, but to be honest, I never really paid much attention to it as I always had something 'more important' to do.

Now though...

Now I wish I had actually paid attention because those lessons I had so casually deemed 'unimportant' affected me more than I would have ever suspected.

There was a reason I couldn't tell you what lied beyond Death's embrace despite having a first-hand experience at it that reason was this:

I never made it pass Death and the Endless Void he called home-

"What do you mean I can't move on?!/ What do you mean I can't go back?!"

-though I was thankful I wasn't the only person having such an issue.

I won't lie and say I completely understood what the Deity was talking about as he tried to explain exactly neither I nor the cosplayer- Honestly, I was rather impressed. I hadn't seen such a convincing Vindice Coplay in all my years and was tempted to question on how he managed it- next to me could move on but I would like to think I understood enough.

We were 'Fractured Souls'.

Honestly, I don't know how that happened. Sure, I would acknowledge my life wasn't perfect- full of complication, challenges and those just waiting to shove me off the edge of a steep cliff the moment I lowered my guard- but what type of life wasn't? Surely there were other's out there with lives worse than mine so how had my Soul fractured?

"So you're saying we're too broken to move onwards and there's not enough of us to go backward."

"Yes," Deaths voice was soft like a winter breeze yet somehow I just knew I would be capable of hearing it over the loudest of sounds should the Deity wish it so, "Alone neither of you are capable of going forward or backward."

I latched onto the Deity's words, carefully pondering them over in my head- after all, anyone who read the Legends knew to be careful when dealing with Deity's least one wanted to be screwed over- while wondering if the Cosplayer had noticed the same thing I did.

Alone we were trapped in this hollow void but what if we weren't alone? Sure I may not know the guy beneath the Vindice Cosplay but I was already dead so what did I have to lose if we could come to a comprise that would get us both out of here?

"But there is a way out."

"Yes. If you two were to form a pact it very well may allow you to decide wither to move forward or back."

In a way, it sounded nice- perfect even- as all I would need to do was become friends with Mr. Cosplayer, play games, possibly have matching friendship bracelets then make a promise that would send us both on our separate ways-

"What's the catch?"

- but If there was anything I had learned in my life it was that nothing was that simple, let alone granted without some sort of price attached to it.

"Only one being can leave."

Of course. I could feel a frown twisting onto my face as the soft rattle of what I believed to be chains- I defiantly wanted to compare notes with the Cosplayer now. Such dedication was rare these days- reached my ears.

"Explain."

Without hesitation, I kicked Mr. Cosplayer- mentally cursing the other as an idiot. After all, only fools made demands of a Deity and I was in no rush to discover wither or not Death could actually devour souls-while offering the Deity my best 'Charming yet innocent' smile, "What my Companion means is Would you kindly take a moment of your time to explain the situation to us?"

"You two truly have not noticed who you stand next to, have you?" Though I wasn't quite sure how I just knew he was amused by the two of us but for what reason I could not place.

"A cosplayer?/ An Actor?"

A dry throaty noise left the Deity and it took me a moment longer than I would like to admit to realize he was laughing at us.

"No. Your two worlds mirror each other; leaving traces of one another in forms of legends and Stories alongside you persists neither Actor nor Cosplayer but the Original themselves. "

Wait... What?! My head twisted to the side so fast I could hear the bones pop as I stared in disbelief at Mr. Cosplayer- who wasn't actually a Cosplayer but the real deal.. .How the hell did that work and why the Hell was Jaeger dead when in both the comics and the anime he was at the Arcobaleno Trials?!- who was granting myself a near identical look.

"You mean to tell me she's-"

"Yes."

"How? I read the Stories, she was there at the end."

"I could say the same for you," I mumbled softly while feeling left out- Exactly what 'stories' was he talking about?- causing golden eyes to glance my way once more though this time they held a gleam I was certain was reflected in my own. Great, we can both start a 'Complete Strangers know more about my life than me' Club together.

"And there lies the problem. Neither of you was meant to meet your ends like this but something has influenced your Worlds and now I find myself with two Key Pieces for the Future of Your Words trapped within my Domain."

"And you plan to fix this.. How?"

"Simple," There was something about Death's smile- maybe it was the gleam of the Deity's teeth or the sense in which it reminded me of a sharp smelling blood out in open waters- which caused me to slowly back away, "You two have fracted Souls but more than that; You have compatible Souls since the two of you are one another's Counterparts within your worlds."

I wasn't the only one backing away now as the darkness seemed to close in- as though attempting to block a non-existent escape route- with every word that left Death's lips sending an icy chill down my spine, "I said one being can leave but that Being must have a Whole Soul to do so and wouldn't you know it?"

The Deity's Slasher Smile seemed to split his face into two.

"Two Halves make a Whole."

Chapter 1

No matter how hard you tried there was no escape from the End.

You couldn't outrun it, you couldn't fight it nor was it something which you could out wait for Death is patient

Wither it was today, tomorrow, next week, next year or even a thousand years; Death would wait and when you least expected it; Death would claim the lost soul wondering around Life's Playground.

But that didn't mean it you couldn't try.

Nor that when Death finally did catch you, it would keep you.

They wake in the darkness to an icy chill that has set across the stone surrounding them. For a moment, all they do is stare out into the darkness as they attempted to sort out what had happened.

He had died attempting to protect Bermuda from the Abomination Checkerface only to have his own Flames stolen instead. She had died in a Hit and Run performed by Drunken Teenagers. He had ended up with a young woman, most likely an Actor, of barely twenty summers. She had ended up with a rather talented Cosplayer who appeared to be only slightly older than herself. He could not go back. She could not move forward.

Death.

He/She was not a Cosplayer/Actor.

Fractured Souls.

A shark-like smile.

A need to escape but nowhere to run.

Pain.

Agonizing, unrelenting pain as two Fractured Souls become One stable enough to leave despite the cracks still within them. Confusion consumed them as a headache from Hell itself drums within their mind.

He does not know where he ends. She does not know where she begins. They are not ready to leave. Death does not grant them a choice.

Slowly, they take a breath- almost choking on the stale air surrounding them- the slight movement of which causes their parched lips to crack before attempting to sit up-

Clank!

Only to find themselves slowly blinking into the darkness as their head collides with a stone lid. It takes a bit more effort than either of them cared to admit for them to shove the lid aside- their arms feel like jelly by time they're done- but they're finally able to sit up once more.

Within the dim moonlight, He instantly recognizes where they are:

The Veckenschtein Family Crypt.

Neither knows why they are here but He is filled with relief knowing they are in His World and likely in His Body as well. She is not as relieved and for that, a part of Him cannot help but feel both a sense of guilt and grief- especially when the mental image of a small, dark haired child of barely six summers appears in their mind- but They swiftly brush the stray feelings aside.

They can try sorting themselves out later. For now, Both wanted out of this tomb.

So they stand...

Or rather they try to.

Their legs are too weak to support themselves and they soon find themselves face down on the harsh Earth below their stone coffin. Neither feels the pain they know they should, but it's another thing they brush aside for later.

They want out of this Crypt and They want out of it now.

She is the first to act; reaching forward and digging bronzed fingers- ones that where the opposite shade of what her pale ones had once been- into the Earth below and forcibly dragging Their shared body forward. He does not hesitate to follow her lead and in no time they have dragged their aching body into the cool night air outside the Veckenschtein Family Tomb before pushing it onto its back.

Above their head, the distant stars shined brightly within the Night Sky.

Well, they were out but now what? They could not stay here- who knew how people would react if they saw a supposedly dead man outside his tomb especially considering this day and age- but She does not know this world and He is unsure.

For one reason or another, both their homes are lost to them, but they cannot stay here so...

What do they do now?

The Stars are beautiful but they do not hold the answers either of them seeks, so they force their golden eyes to look away.

It doesn't take them long to figure out they don't need food, they don't need water. Hell, they don't even need to breathe though they did so mostly out of habit- there was something rather unnerving about the stillness of their chest, the lack of a steady heartbeat.

Though neither of them wished to admit it, it probably for the best- least they once more found themselves confined within another stone coffin- as they spend the next two weeks crawling on their hands and knees slowly edging deeper and deeper into the forest surrounding Veckenschtein Manor with nothing but their own stubborn natures edging them forward.

Honestly, it's both painful and humiliating to have their most basic of necessaries- Walking...Running...Even just standing under their own strength and power. Things they had never even thought about and taken for granted- stolen away without so much as a 'by your leave'.

Then there was the state of their mind...

It was a mess; He cannot find where He ends and She begins because he does not end nor does She begin instead they overlapped- their minds shoved together like the pieces of a jagged puzzle- until could hardly tell who was who; let alone who owned what memory.

Its something both agreed would need to be dealt with- They couldn't afford the constant onslaught of memories bashing into their skulls at every other trigger- so they crawl inside the hollow of a Great Oak to rest as they focus their attention inward.

Two years.

It had been two years since the End of the Former Arcobaleno, Two years since the betrayal of Checkerface lead to the Death of Six of the World's Strongest, three of which had been HIS.

Alejandro, who was the Rain his SoulFire sought. The blue-haired wasn't a fighter, instead, he always sent those handcrafted Dolls the man called 'His Children' out in his stead. It was probably why the Rain was the first to shatter against the Earth's surface.

Jack, who the Storm in every sense possible. A fiery redhead who couldn't stay out of trouble to save his life and wouldn't know the meaning of 'Impossible' if it walked up and slapped him in the face. Unfortunately, not even the Storm's unbending fury could prevent the Redhead's end though he lasted longer than others.

Then there was Jaeger...A Cloudy Sun- such a rarity. Besides himself, Bermuda had never met another with Dual SoulFire until he crossed paths with the Golden-eyed man- who had been born a Gypsy's Son.

The slightly elder man had been a paradox to the Veckenschtein Heir. After all, everyone knew those with Dual SoulFire where favored by the Gods but he was Gypsy's son- an Outcast to the point even the Gods had forsaken the man's people and demanded their Deaths so to cleanse the world of their presence- yet the man was obviously blessed by the Gods.

Then, as if that wasn't enough, his own SoulFire sought after the man's own. It was the first time Bermuda experience rejection though it was also the first time someone ever spoke their mind in his presence and pointed out what a glided cage he truly lived it.

It was... Strangely refreshing to have someone who didn't instantly like him- someone who didn't care about his Family Name or Titles; Someone he actually had to work to win over- and offered a new perspective to the world. Honestly, those had been the most challenging years of his life- Jaeger had no patients for pretenders something Bermuda learned quickly- but they were worth it.

Jaeger didn't see Heir Veckenschtein, Lord Veckenschtein or an opportunity. All the golden-eyed man saw was Bermuda, himself. It was something Bermuda didn't know he needed until that moment.

In the end, though, knowing Bermuda for himself didn't save Jaeger. If anything it was what condemned the other. He had been too weak to save himself and the Sun- His Sun- too willing to place the value of another's life above his own. Once upon a time, Bermuda might have wished for such loyalty but during those moments- watching helplessly from his place on the ground as that creature tore out that brilliant golden SoulFire causing the other's body to decay before his very eyes- all Bermuda wished was that the Cloudy Sun had been anything but Loyal.

Out of the World's Seven Strongest only he survived- Checkerface, the bastard, had assumed him dead and didn't wish to dirty his hand by moving the golden-eyed man's body from where it had fallen on top of him to check- though he was never the same.

The Cloud aspect of his SoulFire was gone leaving only the black fire he would dub 'Night'- fueled by his rage, grief, and utter hatred for the creature- in its place. As time passed, he begins to learn better control over this New SoulFire- a single goal radiating throughout his mind- and all it entitled.

That had been two years ago. Two long torturous years, but now...

Now he was ready.

Now it was time for his Guardians to stand tall once more, now was the time for ghosts from Checkerface's past to resurface fueled with an unholy vengeance- and a single focus, not even Death would be capable of stopping- unlike any this world had seen before.

Standing as tall as his toddler-sized body would allow, Bermuda entered his family crypt. A moment later an inferno of Night Flames and a furious cry of unholy rage saturated the late night's air.

It had been three weeks- three long, sleepless weeks- since they crawled out from the hollowed oak- their mind a bit more organized then what it had originally been yet still rather chaotic- in favor of relearning the most basic of necessities and what did they have to show for it?

Nothing, absolutely nothing.

If they were honest, they felt useless. They could not walk, they could not stand. Most days they found it difficult to even move their stiff, heavy body- some days they just wanted to crawl back inside the stone prison they had woken in and just be left alone- but their own stubbornness prevented that.

Sure; they did not need to eat, to sleep, the breathing.

Sure; they lacked the steady rhythm of a heartbeat, the rush of blood coursing through their bodies.

Sure, They never hungered or thirst; but They were fully capable of independent thought and speech- through their words were slow and sluggish. Their voice was hoarse and cracked whenever they attempted to speak louder than a whisper or more than just a small handful of words. And though it took a bit more effort than it should of; they could feel.

Their bones constantly ached, silently pleading with them to stop- to rest- but they couldn't- they wouldn't- for no matter how useless they felt- humiliated and hurt with a body that constantly worked against them and a mind they still needed to settle- to stop was to die and They weren't dead.

Not yet, at least; so they continued to force their aching body forward. They were almost there. Just a little bit more and they would be safe. Just a little more and they would be Home.

Home, it turned out, was located within the ruins of a long forgotten caravan that appeared to have been burned to the ground only for nature to overrun what was once left.

She finds it beautiful while He finds it mortifying- especially when they stumble across the first of many skeletons all but fused into the Earth by thick twines of ivy with a rosebush growing out of its shattered skull- so They try not to think about it as they drag their heavy body into the ruins of a half-burned down house- if it could even be called that- which their mind labeled as Home.

The moment they enter She's tempted to drag their body back out. Half the roof is just gone- no doubt lost when the fire consumed the Caravan- only to be replaced by the finely weaved silk webs which could only come from one thing: Spiders or more specifically spiders the size of a Siberian Husky.

I want to go back outside, the part of them that is Her whimpers- of all the things in this world and the next that could have been waiting for them inside 'Home' it just had to be giant spiders, didn't it?- while the part that is Him ignores the unease filling their mind in favor of dragging them further inside-He refuses to permit a few spiders to drive them from His Childhood home- causing the fine silk to cling to their form like a cloak.

Its just a few spiders, the part of them that is Him whispers as he tries to ensure She cannot see the memories of the sparse times people had disappeared from the Caravan only to be located as dry husks deeper within the surrounding forest wrapped firmly within the same silk threads currently hugging them. Maybe it was wrong of Him to hide this from Her but he needs her to focus- their body felt as heavy as the stone carved dragons which guarded the First Class Nobles' homes making it near impossible to move on his own though he finds the burden lighter when shared- instead of panicking.

For a moment, he's worried he had not succeeded- that by trying to hide the memory she had gotten a glimpse into it- though he finds his worry soothed away as a caramelized hands -which had once been just his- reaches forward without his guidance. Satisfied, he focuses once more on the task before them.

The bedroom- their final goal- was thankfully in better condition than the living room had been- There was an actual roof over their head and no spiders in sight- though it still suffered over through the years. For one, there was dust and dirt everywhere, a good portion of the floorboards was rotted and the covers that once served as a bed had been eaten into by moths and only God knows what else.

Neither of them can bring themselves to care though as they collapse on top of the motheaten 'bed' finding comfort within the familiarity of their environment and the childish gesture. Now that they were home they were safe. Everything would be okay now. It had be as there was no other option left to them besides falling to pieces.

If Jaeger- as they had grown to call themselves during these last twelve months- was honest, walking wasn't all that complicated -now that they found themselves in a safe location to practice without the worry of anyone accidentally stumbling across them- Balance was the Key as all they had to do was place one foot in front of the over...

Though makeshift cane they crafted the remains of a collapsed tree helped.

Instead, they swiftly discovered their biggest challenge lay in bathing.

Bathing- despite what one may assume- was a rather difficult and time-consuming process.

Especially when one had a giant hole in their side- exposing the bones of their ribs and several God organs that really shouldn't be left exposed to the open air- where water could seep inside without them even noticing.

Apparently, Death- who could 'fix' their shattered souls- didn't have a clue how to heal a body that had been dead- slowly rotting away inside a crypt for all of two years- before shoving their 'newly repaired' soul back inside...

Figures.

A/N: In this story, both Jaeger and the SI both exist.
When I first started to write this story I found there were two ways I could go with it.
On one hand- Side A, Reflection of the Soul-The SI and Jaeger had both their Souls and Minds where forcibly melded into one- like the pieces of a rather messed up jigsaw puzzle- by Death. They end up in Jaeger's body years after Checkerface killed Jaeger's Generation of the Arcobaleno.
Despite the two being capable of shared control, The SI ends up with the Main Control of their body- since they have more of their soul than Jaeger. No thanks to Checkerface- though Jaeger is also capable of taking control should he desire or the need arise.
Think of it like fusion: One body, Two minds and eventually One personality that contains a bit of both.

Side B, on the other hand, has Jaeger and the SI being reincarnated after Death fuses their Souls. They have fewer issues then Side A SI! Jaeger, as Death took more time and effort into 'repairing' their Souls.
I originally planned for their SI! Jaeger- who was to be reborn around the same time as Hibari Kyoya and therefore a few years older than Tsunayoshi- to have their mind already sorted out and a whole childhood to repair the physical damage. The SI! would have main control over the body, both sets of memories for whatever good that would do them- while Jaeger would only be capable of taking control during dire- literal Life and Death- situations. Otherwise, he would act as the SI's conscious.
Honestly, I've yet to decide whether or not to write Side B as of yet.