[ Friend's Don't Forget ]
Story By Luthien

[ Chapter 1 ]

Author's notes: I know I should be working on one of my many unfinished fics but I had this great idea and I couldn't pass it up. Enjoy! Oh yea for those who are wondering why Yami can't use Yugi's body if he's passed out because he did in the Pegasus episodes it was Yugi's soul not his body that was hurt.

Disclaimer: As much as I wish I did I don't own Yugi or Kaiba or any other of the official characters.

Plonk.

Seto Kaiba looked back and sighed. It was the fifth time this morning Yugi Mohto had fallen into a snow bank. Why does he have to be so short? He asked himself. If those creeps hadn't taken Mokuba as well as Yugi's friends and dumped me out here in the middle of who knows where I wouldn't be stuck with this burden.

He walked back and grabbed Yugi's flailing arm, pulling him out of the snow he had sunken into.

'Thankyou Seto,' said the boy, dusting of his snow covered jacket.

'Don't call me Seto. To the likes of you I am Kaiba.'

'I'm sorry Kaiba.'

Why must he apologize all the time?

'Would you like a rest Yugi? Is this to hard for you? Your poor friends must be writhing in pain, and you're to weak to help them.' Kaiba didn't like to tease people, especially those younger than him, but Yugi was an exception. He must pay. He must pay for what he did to him and Mokuba.

Flashback

'Would you like to stop Yugi?' asked nine year old Seto Kaiba. They were walking Seto's dog around the neighborhood, and had been going for a long time.

'You're the best Seto,' said the spiky haired boy, gazing up at his older (and considerably taller) friend. He beamed. 'We'll be friends forever!'

Seto grinned at his pal. 'Promise you'll never forget me?'

'Promise!'

End of Flashback

Liar.

He looked back at the boy, who had hung his head in shame. 'Stupid kid. Get moving or we'll never find them.'

They walked on in silence for almost an hour. Then Seto heard a small voice behind him. 'Umm.Kaiba?'

'What?' he asked angrily, spinning around. The boy was swaying and shivering furiously. 'I - I don't feel so good.' He fell face forward in the snow.

Kaiba sighed, and made his way towards the fallen boy. He was almost there when he stopped. The puzzle around Yugi's neck began to glow. Suddenly, there was another Yugi kneeling right beside the fallen one! He began shaking him gently.

'Who the heck are you?' yelped Kaiba.

The other Yugi looked up, and Kaiba saw that he looked a bit different to little Yugi; he was taller, his hair was spikier and his eyes were a bit redder than Yugi's violet ones.

'My name is Yami. I suppose you could call me Yugi's darkness. Why didn't you stop? You knew he was having trouble,' said the stranger coldly.

'He never said he wanted to stop, and if we don't hurry and find the others then he'll have more than a cold to worry about,' retorted Kaiba angrily.

'Actually he has hypothermia, but that's beside the point. Pick him up and we'll find somewhere to spend the night.'

'Why don't you carry him? You're his darkness or whatever.'

'Incase you didn't notice I don't have a physical form. The only way that I can have one is if I use Yugi's body, which I can't do because it is exhausted. Come on, you have to make up for the wrong you have done him.'

Grumbling, Seto lifted the unconscious Yugi from his snowy bed. The kid was small and light, like he remembered.

Like he remembered.

Flashback

'Oww!'

Seto turned to see his best friend sitting on the ground, clutching his ankle.

'What happened Yugi?' asked Seto, concern written all over his face.

'I think I twisted my ankle!' He stood up, but when he put weight on his right ankle he yelped.

Seto ran towards him and bent down. 'Hop on my back, I'll carry you!'

'Are you sure?' he said carefully.

'Sure I'm sure! You're way too puny for me to notice the weight!'

Yugi smiled. Seto loved that smile, the way it lit up his face, and pretty soon he was grinning too.

'Thankyou. You're the best best friend anyone could ever want!'

End of flashback

So why do I hate you?

Kaiba shook himself, and followed the one who called himself Yugi's 'darkness.' Could such a little kid have a darkness?

Yes. That's what he did to me and Mokuba. Darkness.

Author's note: Sorry to stop but like I said; I have other fics to attend to. Please review, I need your opinions. Did it suck? Is it cool? What should I improve? ^_^ ^_^

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

[ Chapter 2 ]

Author's Note: Hey! I never thought I would get so many reviews! I know I have been ages and I am sorry. Well here it is! Disclaimer: I wish I owned Yugi. Well not owned but you know what I mean. He is a KAWAII BISHIE!

Aibou Yugi all the Way!

'There. Just ahead.'

Seto looked up and saw a cluster of rocks. There was a gap between two of the large ones. He grabbed Yugi, who was slipping from his grip. Stupid kid. He followed Yami through the hole. The spirit seemed to glow in the dark. Weird.but then again he did come from a necklace. He looked around the cave. It was fairly low, and didn't go back very far. Seto cursed being tall.

'What are you waiting for baka? Put him down!'

Seto placed his burden on the ground.

'Go and look for some wood, and we can start a fire. I'll wait here and make sure nothing happens.'

Grumbling, Seto went outside. It didn't take that long to find some wood. Even though the alpine wilderness was almost deserted of trees, there was a convenient wood pile a few feet from their cave. Almost as though it was left for us. He went back to the cave. Yami took the wood and put his hand over it. It caught fire, making Seto jump.

'Well, this fire isn't going to do Yugi any good unless you put him near it.'

Seto pulled the shivering form of Yugi to the fire, getting a yell from Yami, who told him to be more polite to someone who couldn't defend himself.

'Whatever,' was all the reply he got.

The place was quiet. Seto sat staring into the flames. He could see Yami in the corner of his eye, placing his hand on Yugi's forehead. He didn't know whether Yami could feel anything if he didn't have a physical form, but he pushed this from his mind. Who cares.

Flashback

Yugi quietly entered the room. All the shutters were drawn and the room was dank and silent. Seto looked up.

'Yugi. he breathed.

'Is he any better, nii-san?' he asked.

Seto would of smiled if he wasn't so worried. Yugi always called him his big brother. Instead I looked at the limp form of three year old Mokuba lying in bed.

'The doctor says that he has the measles. He says he will probably get better.

'That's great!' the six year old smiled.

'But what if he doesn't? I can't loose him. he's my brother. I love him!' Seto couldn't stop the tears.

Yugi looked at him. 'Don't cry nii-san, he will get better!'

'How can you know that?!' Seto snapped angrily. He didn't care if Yugi got offended.

Yugi was silent for a while. Then he looked Seto straight in the eye. 'Do you love him?'

'Of course!'

'Then he will get better!'

Seto looked at his friend. 'W-what?'

'When my Papa was really sick, Mama said that if I loved him, he would get better. So I loved him, and he did!'

Seto turned again to his brother. He gripped the little boy's hand and closed his eyes. 'I love you,' he said softly. He hugged the little boy close, and he seemed to drift outside of space and time. He didn't know how long he sat there, but when he opened his eyes, Yugi was sleeping, his head resting on the desk. Then he realised what had woken him. Mokuba was stirring. The kid opened his navy blue eyes. 'Seto?' he said.

'Mokuba! You're awake!'

'Of course, nii-san, you are very heavy and you are sitting on me,' he said tiredly.

Seto jumped up. 'Sorry toutou!' He put his hand on Mokuba's forehead. 'Your fever has gone down! How do you feel?'

'Better. Why is Yugi sleeping on that desk? He looks funny!'

Seto looked at his friend. 'Thankyou,' he said quietly. 'Toutou.'

End of Flashback

Seto looked up, and saw Yami staring at him. 'What are you looking at?' he said grumpily. Yami's crimson stare was unnerving. And that memory always made him feel guilty. He usually shook it off though, telling himself that if Yugi was still his nii-san, then he wouldn't have done what he did.

'You were muttering about Yugi and Mokuba. I thought you were talking in your sleep.'

'So what? I was probably thinking how much I hate the twerp.' He shifted on the rocky ground.

'You called him your toutou.'

Seto was silent.

'You were once his friend, weren't you?'

Seto glared at the spirit. 'So what if I was? Anything between us is over now! So butt out!'

Yami leaned against the wall. 'Whatever you say. But since your awake, will you put that blanket on Yugi? He's shivering again.' The semi-transparent boy nodded to a thin quilt in the corner. (If you're wondering, it was already there when they found the cave, but they didn't see it)

Seto thought for a moment, then stood up. He grabbed the blanket and dropped it on the boy. 'There. Happy now?' He sat down once again. After a while he dropped off, and was immediately lost in a torrent of memories.

Author's note: Sorry to leave you hanging *~* but I must go. T_T I am not very good at cliffies, but one day I shall be the best *looks ridiculously valiant* I SHALL BE THE CLIFFIEST WRITER YOU KNOW!

LDD Rei: You can't even write an ending, let alone a cliffie!

Peek: She writes better than you do!

Gabumon: Rei hasn't written anything yet! Peek: *smug look* Exactly!

Gabumon: GRRRR!

Luthien_Defender: *shoves the others away from the computer* Well, I'll scratch you later!

[ Chapter 3 ]

Author's Note: It will be kinda weird starting off with a flash back but bear with me. ^_^' Sorry For taking so long to update u_u but bear with me again. This is slightly PG but only for a bit of Blood And Guts (BAG for future reference) at the start. If you notice that some of what I write conflicts slightly with what I wrote earlier it's because I was unable to re read the chapter cuz my disk stuffed and I couldn't get it off. I also made up names for Yugi and Seto's parents. I know they're not the right ones but I don't know the right names.

Yugi's dad: Jonathan

Yugi's Mother: Marilynn

Seto's Dad: Gary

Seto's mom: Alice

Ready? Here we go.

Flashback

Seto had never been in such a busy place before, not even his father's office. He looked around at loss. People rushed past him bedecked in spotless white coats. They pushed stretchers and carried supplies and sheets stained with a deep red liquid Seto felt wasn't paint. He saw a woman go buy screaming head off with only one arm. He saw a man with a blade impaled in his thigh, and a little girl covered in blood. Suddenly a familiar face zoomed by on a stretcher. He dashed after it. He stopped as the stretcher finally reached a room and turned to enter it. The accompanying doctors lifted the prone figure off the stretcher and lay him on a bed. Small gashes covered all of his skin that was visible. His head was wrapped in a bandage. Seto only recognized him as the boy he's seen carried away in an ambulance moments before he and his brother by the tufts of maroon hair poking from under the bloody bandages.

'YUGI!'

End of flashback

Seto sat bolt upright. He gazed around the cave, still lit by the coals of the dying fire. He saw a pair of crimson eyes staring at him from the shadows.

'You were yelling his name. Why don't you tell me what happened. If you wish it of me, I can keep it from Yugi's mind.'

Seto was about to protest, but something about this boy's eyes stopped him. He felt strangely light headed, and compelled to tell the youth his secret.

'We were going to the theme park. Yugi and his parents, and Mokuba, our parents and I.'

Flashback

'Yugi sit down please!' Yugi giggled and sat back on the seat of the mini van. He had been talking to Seto and Mokuba who were behind him. He looked up at his mother and smiled. The woman smiled that same warming grin full of sweet mirth that always lit up your heart. She was beautiful; her pale violet hair framed her heart-shaped face, and her eyes were a beautiful purple colour.

'Listen to your mother Yugi, if we had a crash you could really hurt yourself!' Seto looked at Yugi's father. Yugi hadn't inherited much in looks; his father had coal black eyes and raven hair. Perhaps the only resemblance was the unusual spiky shaped blonde hair that framed Yugi's face. Yugi's father's hair was of such a style, only it was black and covered his whole head.

'Yes Papa.' He turned to his father with a solemn look. Yugi's mother reached forward and tapped the shoulder of the woman in the passenger seat. 'Are you going to the pub opening tonight Alice?'

'We're thinking about it, but you know Gary - he hates socializing' she joked. 'How about you?'

'I'll do anything for a beer and Marilynn knows it!' cut in Yugi's dad with a grin.

Gary turned to look at his friend. 'She's not the only one with a clue: in college I saw you down a carton of three year old Egg Nog for a can!'

'Gary! Keep your eyes on the road!' screamed Alice. Gary turned and swerved as he nearly collided into a semi trailer. The swerve pulled him off the road and down a bank. Seto remembered the screams as the car somersaulted down the bank. It finally came to a sudden halt and he saw his best friend crash through the windscreen. Seto grabbed his little brother, who was screaming from the pain of a large gash in his left arm, and pulled him out of the smashed car. He dragged the howling three year old away from the wreck, and could only watch as it burst into flames. 'MOM, DAD!' He screamed and yelled, but it didn't change anything. His parents were gone. His mother's smiling face came to his mind, and his father's laugh boomed in his ears. He collapsed to the ground beside his frantic brother. He would never see that face, or hear that laugh again.

'NOOOOOOO!!!!!'

End of flashback

'The ambulance came and got Yugi. Another got me and Mokuba. I was fine besides a few scratches, but Mokuba's cut was deep. There wasn't enough left of our's or Yugi's parents to take.' His voice broke off, but those crimson orbs kept him taking.

'I followed Yugi's stretcher to a room. I sat by the door and waited. And waited. I don't know how long it was, but it was more than a day because I remember when it was dark. A kind nurse brought me a stretcher to sleep on, but all I could think of was my best friend.' Seto's voice turned bitter with abhorrence. 'Finally he woke up. I ran over to him, crying out with pure joy. I needed his comforting smile to lift my troubles away. But instead of smiling, he looked confused.'

Flashback

'Who are you?' asked the boy in bed. He looked at Seto with perturbation.

'W - what do you mean Yugi? It's me, Seto!'

'Who is Seto?'

The beige-haired youth stepped back in horror from the bewildered six year old. 'No - Yugi don't you remember? I'm your best friend! Me and Mokuba!'

'I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have a best friend. I don't remember ever having one.'

Seto stood gaping at the boy. Then he turned, and dashed from the room.

End of flashback

'I don't know how long I ran. I was so upset, I even left Mokuba behind. The social workers found me a few days later in the park. They took me away and put me in an orphanage with Mokuba. All I could think was that the one person I trusted had betrayed me.' Seto finished but the blood red eyes held his gaze.

'You know in your heart that it wasn't his fault don't you?' said Yugi's doppelganger.

'It was his fault! How could he forget me? Friends don't forget! He promised he'd always be there for me!'

'Did you make the same promise to him?' the teen questioned further.

'Of course! I was always by his side to help him!'

'It didn't seem that way to me. He was lost and afraid and you ran away. He needed someone to help him understand and you ignored him. Don't you think he was just as devastated to wake up in the middle of a strange place and have someone babble and then dash from the room? Then he had to find out that his parents were dead, parents he now has no memory over. At least you can remember how much they loved you, but he won't ever know. You could have brought back his memory, Seto Kaiba, you could have told him everything to fill those empty spaces, empty spaces that still haunt his thoughts and dreams. If you ask me, you're the one who betrayed him.'

Author's Note: I know that finished crappy but this is the only chance I have to post for a while. Enjoy! R&R!

[ Chapter 4 ]

IMPORTANT! As I said before, this is not a yaoi or Shonen Ai story. The relationship between Seto and Yugi is completely friendship only!

Author's note: For once, I'll cut to the chase.

LDD Rei: o_o;

Luthien Defender: WHAT???

LDD Rei: Who says 'cut to the chase'? What are you, forty?

Luthien_Defender: Shut up!

Kaiba made an odd strangling noise. 'I - I never thought.' He looked at the floor.

'That is quite obvious. So tell me Kaiba, do you still hate him?'

Kaiba kept his head down, afraid of the intense stare of this odd teenager. But the crimson lamps drew his gaze upward, and forced him to remember when he had been best friends with this boy's small form. (A picture appears of six year old Yugi smiling as pictures do appear in the sky in anime and Kaiba hears 'You're the best Seto!')

'Yugi.'

'Well? Do you hate him?'

'No. I don't. Now I think, I never really did. I was so selfish. At the time all I could think about was myself. Yugi had to be there for me, to tell me it was okay and make me feel better. But this time it was my turn to be the savior. And I ran away.' Tears filled the adolescent's eyes. 'I lost the best friend I ever had.'

Yami smiled. 'Now that you've admitted that you were wrong - ` Suddenly he was cut off by a violent cough from the other side of the cave. 'Yugi!' he cried, and jumped up. Kaiba followed numbly. What's wrong now?

Yugi's body was jerking wildly as he choked, gasping and inhaling as if there was no air to fill his lungs. He gave a particularly violent cough and blood dribbled down his chin.

'Aibou! No!' cried Yami. He tried to hold his younger form down, but his hands slipped straight through and Yugi kept on coughing. Just as Yami felt he was going to cry, the desperate choking subsided. Yami caught his breath, and checked Yugi's airways.

'Oh God! He's not breathing!'

'No!' cried Seto. He felt his heart stop. This was all his fault! He ran to Yugi's side. Without pausing he bent down and blew air into the child's lungs. Yugi's pulse was fine so he didn't stop for compressions. In, out, in, out he breathed for his young friend. Finally he stopped, and relaxed. Yugi was breathing on his own.

Yami was staring at him. Kaiba looked up defensively. 'What?'

'You saved him.'

Seto gave a half smile. 'That's what friends do.'

Silence.

'Yami?'

'Yes?'

'Does he. I mean.' Kaiba looked at the floor.

'Hate you?'

Seto nodded mutely.

'No.'

He looked up in surprise. 'Why not? After all I've done to him, he has to!'

Yami just smiled. 'I thought you were his friend. You know he's not like that.'

Kaiba looked back at the floor. 'I know. I'll always feel guilty. He didn't deserve that. I could never repay him.'

'Kaiba, you saved his life. And besides, he wouldn't want you to feel guilty. You wouldn't be a good friend if you were always wallowing in guilt.'

Seto was saved from answering by a soft sound beside him. Yugi was stirring. Seto was over him in a trice.

So dark.

Memories flashed through Yugi's mind. Same as his dreams. Screams. Flying through a shield of glass. A beautiful woman's face. and a raven haired man.

But suddenly the gaps were filled. He felt as though they were being breathed into him. His parents. they were hugging him, telling him they loved him. Seto and him talking and laughing. Playing with Mokuba. Sitting by a lake dipping their feet in the water. Telling Seto he was his best friend, his onii san. He remembered all of this in an instant, all of his memories recalled. His father showing him the stars, teaching him their names and telling him the stories of the constellations. His mother singing him to sleep as a young child. She had a beautiful voice. When Seto dared him to kiss the girl next door named Tea. They went camping, him and Seto, and Seto woke him up because he slept in. He could almost hear Seto's voice.

'Yugi!'

He opened his eyes and saw a familiar but rather blurry face before him.

'Onii san?' The face came into focus.

'Yes. I'm here Yugi. I'm so sorry for everything I've done. Please forgive me!' He lifted the boy from the ground and hugged him. 'I'm so sorry. After the crash I was so broken up. But that's no excuse. I should have been there for you. I promised!' Tears rolled down his cheeks.

Again, a heavy silence filled the cave, broken only by the soft splash of Seto's tears falling to the ground. Yugi was picking at a thread on his jeans. Suddenly he looked up.

'It's okay 'nii san. I forgive you.'

Seto sniffed. 'Y - you do?'

Yugi smiled. It had been so long since Seto had seen that smile. But it was still the same - it lifted him up and it felt impossible to cry or be sad.

'Of course I do. What are friends for?'

Seto grinned. 'Oh Yugi. I missed you so much.'

Yugi's smile grew brighter, if that was even possible, and Kaiba felt so happy he could have stood up and danced.

'I missed you too, Seto.'

Unnoticed by the reunited pair, a certain spirit slipped into the millenium puzzle with a soft smile on his usually stern face. I think I'm getting better at this.

Author's note: *sob* That ending was crap! Well that's the end *hides from flamers and Kaiba lovers* Don't hurt me! I'd love some feedback! Perhaps. if you liked it.. I'll write another Yugioh fan fic. This is the first fic I have ever finished! YAY! ^_^ ^o~ ^_^

.:Sennen Luthien, the Graceful Hikari:.

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