Losing You

"I… I… won?" Yugi whispered, his eyes wide with shock. He fell to the floor and stared blankly ahead, whimpering slightly as he realized what had happened, what he'd done.

"Yugi," Yami's voice broke through his daze and he glanced at the ex-pharaoh. Yami reached out a hand and gently touched his face, wiping away the tears cascading down his face. He stared into Yami's ruby gaze, falling into their crimson depths. Suddenly, Yugi couldn't take it anymore. He fell forward into the pharaoh's arms and cried.

"I don't want you to go!" he whimpered, burying his face in his yami's shirt. "I don't want this! I want to be with you…" his voice fell to a whisper.

"I have to go, aibou." Yami said, wrapping his arms around his look-alike. "I don't belong in this world. I have the chance to go where I do belong, and I have to take it. I will miss everyone I've met in the modern world, you most of all." He slowly let go of Yugi and gently freed himself from his hikari's grasp. Gripping his alter-ego's shoulders at arm's length, Yami lovingly kissed Yugi's forehead. Yami stood, pulling Yugi to his feet.

The former pharaoh turned and walked towards the Eye of Horus, gleaming gold on the back wall, surrounded by hieroglyphics. As he approached, the doorway to the Spirit world opened, cutting the eye in half. White light shone through the opening, casting shadows across the floor. Yami stopped, doubt flooding through him.

Yami glanced behind him, at all the people who had helped him so much. Yugi was standing just where he had left him, tears flooding down his face. The former pharaoh felt his heart ache, feeling guilty for leaving Yugi. He glanced at the floor, still looking over his shoulder.

"You won't be loosing anything, Aibou." he murmured sadly, not looking up. "Just forget about me."

He turned around again and was just about to step into the doorway, when a warm body pressed against his back, arms wrapping against his waist.

"Of course I'll be losing something." Yugi murmured in his friend's ear. "I'll be losing you… one of my closest friends, my aibou…" Yugi broke off in a sob, burying his face in Yami's neck.

Yami sighed and turned around in Yugi's grip, wrapping his own arms around his aibou's back. "I don't know what to do, Aibou…" Yami murmured. "I feel I should go back, but I… I don't want to…"

Yugi pulled back, staring at the crimson eyed teen. Then he smiled. "Do what you feel is right. I shouldn't have been pressuring you to stay, it was wrong of me." Yugi stepped away from the pharaoh, backing away a few steps. Yami glanced behind him, then back at Yugi. His gaze continuing to travel between the doorway leading to his deceased friends and family; and the one who had helped him with so much, the one who he cared for more than anyone and anything.

"No…" Yami murmured. "No…no, no, NO!!!" his voice rose to a scream, his hands flying to his face and he fell to his knees. Yugi gasped in fright and rushed to his friend, embracing him again.

"Shh…" Yugi tried to sooth the distraught teen, rubbing his back comfortingly. "What's wrong, Yami?"

"I don't want to go…" Yami sobbed. "I… I want to see my parents… I don't want to have to choose between you and my family…" the former pharaoh broke down in sobs, crying into Yugi's shirt.

"Cease your crying, my son." a voice resonated around the room, making everyone there glance up and look around. A shadow wafted through the still open doorway, taking the form of Aknankanon, Yami's father. "You have been denied the chance to live a full life, and this greatly saddens me. Keep living your life here, live until it is your true time to come to us."

"But… but Father!" Yami tried to continue, but Aknankanon stopped him.

"No, my son. Live your life to the full. Your mother and I can wait. We have done so for 3000 years. It won't hurt us to wait a little longer. Now go!" With that, Aknankanon's body returned to being the shadow it was, and floated back through the doorway, which slowly closed shut. The whole room started to tremble, rocks falling and smashing to pieces on the ground.

"We have to get out of here!" Tea cried, grabbing Tristan and Joey's arms and towing them out of the collapsing shrine. Seto, Mokuba, Ishizu, Marik, Odion Grandpa, Bakura, Duke, Yami and Yugi following behind.

Once they were all outside, the entrance to the shrine collapsed. Everyone stared at the rocks now covering the entrance to the shrine.

"So, you decided to stay" Seto says in his usual, unemotional way. Yami nods. "And now we know who the true King of Games is… Yugi."

"Thanks… I think…" Yugi said, smiling. "But I think we should go now."

"Yeah, you're right, Aibou." Yami said, ruffling Yugi's spiky hair. "Let's go home."