Disclaimer: I do not own any copyrights, trademarks or registry in Yu-Gi-Oh. Wish I did!

DISTORTED MEMORIES

1

"Where are we going?" Mokuba asked his brother as he shaded his eyes from the morning sun.

"To the library, like I told you - several times in fact."

"Okay, but why are we walking?"

"Are you trying to be more annoying that you usually are? You know Gozaburo refuses to have people drive us anywhere. Says we're not good enough to waste his people's time on." His brother's voice seemed distracted, and angry.

"Gozaburo? Gozaburo's dead." Mokuba laughed and looked up at Seto and was shaken down to his soul. Who was this person? Surely it could not be his brother. The tall boy walking next to him faintly looked like Seto, but there were major differences. This imposter's brown hair was chopped extremely short, his normally bright blue eyes were dull behind thick round glasses and his walk – well, it definitely was not the self-important, nobody-get-in-my-way strut Mokuba was used to. He was dressed in blue jeans and a white, button-down, pocketed shirt (complete with a pocket protector and pens). Instead of the bright silver case Seto always carried, a black nylon backpack was slung over his shoulder. The only word he could think of to describe this person was "geek".

Seto stopped and pushed Mokuba against the wall of a building. The anger (and fear?) he saw there was confusing and scary. "Don't ever say that out loud again. We may wish it, we may dream of it, but if he ever heard it from one of us …" Seto shuddered at the thought and looked around. "I don't know how much worse it can be, and I don't want to find out. So, keep - your - mouth - shut." He emphasized each word by poking his finger into Mokuba's sternum.

"Alright." Mokuba whispered as he gently rubbed his chest. Seto turned and started walking again. Mokuba fell into step with him and tried to sort out his thoughts.

The library was only one more block, so Mokuba was still just as confused when they arrived. Seto found a good sized table and put his backpack down, brought out his notes and laptop, plugged in and powered up. Mokuba went to sit across from him and got an angry look from Seto. With gritted teeth, Seto snarled at Mokuba, "Go away. Go to the kiddie section and get lost. I need this whole table for my project and NO distractions." As he waved him off, Seto was already reviewing his notes so did not see Mokuba's look of hurt. Even though Mokuba had questions he wanted to ask his brother, he wandered off to see what he could find to do.

--

Several hours of Mokuba just flipping pages and glancing at pictures had not alleviated any of his confusion. This can't be real he kept thinking to himself. He had kept an eye on his brother, as Seto wrote notes, paged through the books (about 20 of them), and looked additional information up on the internet. As Mokuba wasn't paying attention to anything other than his brother's activities, he jumped 6 inches when Yugi slumped into the chair next to him.

"What ya readin'?" Yugi asked obviously really not interested.

Mokuba looked over at him and was shaken for the second time in one day. Yugi was wearing an old ripped t-shirt and jeans, his hair was worn straight down and all one color, and he had an arrogant, sly look on his face. More importantly, Yugi was not wearing anything around his neck. Without thinking, Mokuba asked, "Where is your puzzle?" Yugi looked at him confused. "You know, that gold pyramid thingy that you always have around your neck." Mokuba explained.

"I have never worn a "gold pyramid thingy" around my neck. If you are talking about the puzzle my Grandpa gave me, I have never completed it and, actually, gave up on it years ago. It's unsolvable." Yugi was eyeing Mokuba with suspicion. "How did you know about the puzzle?"

The way Yugi was looking at him made him nervous, so he thought fast. "I guess you must have mentioned it to someone and I eventually heard about it." The explanation sounded awful even to his own ears. But Yugi had moved his attention to Seto, several tables away.

"So, what is he working on, his science project? What lame idea has he thought up this time?"

"My brother's ideas are NOT lame!" Mokuba hissed, "He's a genius!"

At this, Yugi started laughing so hard that people started shushing them. Seto looked around and saw them together. His eyes narrowed and Mokuba could feel the hate from across the room. Yugi saw him watching and, just loud enough for Seto to hear, said, "Thanks for the information, Mokuba." With a pat on Mokuba's shoulder, Yugi strode away snickering.

Although he hadn't done anything wrong, Mokuba felt like crawling under a rock. The look his brother had given him was full of distain and – again – fear. Mokuba focused on his brother again and found Seto beaconing him back to his table. "Sit. What did you tell him?"

Mokuba raised himself up proudly and said, "I told him, you were a genius. I said nothing about what you were working on. You can believe it or not. Right now, I don't care." He stood up and quietly muttered, "I'll see you at home."

Seto's expression softened at those words. "Wait. Just wait a minute. I've gotten everything I need here, let me collect my things and I'll walk with you." Seto stuffed all his research, diagrams and laptop back into his backpack.

Outside the library, Mokuba turned on Seto. "What is your problem today? You have never treated me the way you are and have never acted fearful in your life!"

Seto looked at Mokuba with concern, "Do you want to end back up in that mental hospital again? You will if you continuing talking nonsense. Gozaburo has scared me since he beat me at chess back at the orphanage. I never understood why he still adopted us."

Seto started walking down the street, thumbs hooked in his pockets and his eyes cast down at the sidewalk. "Moki, I don't know how much longer I can think up these projects for him. It took me more than a month just to think of an idea he would approve. He expects 3 workable, profitable projects from me a year and that is not including the annual science fair project that he insists I enter. Then he takes the idea and my work, patents it and gives it to his Research & Development department. He takes all the profits from my labors and gives me nothing in return - not even a 'good job'.

"I can barely think anymore – I'm empty. If I don't keep it up, he will kill me – of that I am sure." Seto took a deep breath. "As it is, he is going to be furious with me. I brought out an old idea to use in my latest project for him, but I still can't make it work." He looked up from the sidewalk and Mokuba saw tears in Seto's blue eyes, making them shine. "I don't want to die, Moki."

Who was this person? What happened to his genius brother, so fearless, arrogant and self-confident? The brother who loved him, and no one else more? No! This was not happening. /pull yourself together, Mokuba. your brother is falling apart, you can't let him/ he thought. Mokuba took his brother's hand and quietly said, "You're not going to die and you are not going to give up. I won't let you."