Chapter One
Fifty years, fifty long years since the Memory Arc. Fifty years since the last time he ever saw the man's face. And yet here he is lying crippled, old, dying on his deathbed and he still has a fleeting thought of him every now and then. And then there are those days that the thoughts are not so fleeting.
Kiaba lay there wheezing as thoughts passed through his mind. He never understood why he even bothered about thinking of him. But deep down inside he new he felt guilty. Guilty that he never helped the man that had helped him so many times before. Guilty that he's still probably sitting there in the museum just waiting. For what? Kiaba gave a snort. He may be old but that cold-hearted attitude never wavered.
"Why should I care? I'm dying for crying out loud and the only thing I can think of is being guilty. It was his choice to stay. He doomed himself." He spoke quietly to himself.
/You know that's not true. He had no choice but to stay behind. And you keep thinking about him because you actually get to die…. unlike him. / His conscience told him.
"He sealed himself into the puzzle. Not my problem." Kiaba answered stubbornly. "Great now I'm talking to myself."
"Talking to your self about what?" Kiaba tenderly turned his head to see his little brother at the doorway holding a tray of his medicines.
"Shouldn't you be at home? I have maids you know." Kiaba answered pretending to be irritated.
"Aw, I just wanted to come see my big brother." Mokuba pouted and gave him his puppy dog look.
"Aren't you a bit old to be doing that?" Kiaba snorted looking away.
"Never, because I know it still works." Mokuba replied mischievously. He pulled up a chair and sat next to his bother's bed. Blue silk sheets covered the frail body. His hair had nearly gone completely silver and his face was touched with wrinkles. But even though old he was still hansom and his famous icy glare was still there. "Time for your medicine."
Kiaba groaned. "Why? I'm not going to be around much longer. Why prolong the inevitable?"
"Still stubborn as usual. And you should because I said so."
"Because you said so." Kiaba stated flatly. He turned and looked Mokuba in the eyes only to come face to face with the puppy dog look. Kiaba glared at him. Rolling his eyes he held out his hand.
"See told ya they still worked." His brother teased handing him the oversized pills. Kiaba just grunted.
Mokuba looked fondly at his brother. The pang in his heart was still there but he had accepted that his brother would eventually die. Though his older continuously reminded him: 'You are no longer alone you have a family now, a wife and two lovely children. I've fulfilled my duty as an older brother and now I finally can have some peace and quiet.' He paused ' And more importantly you have a company to look after and if you run it into the ground I swear I'm going to come back and haunt you.' Mokuba smiled at the memory.
"You all right?" Mokuba was shook out of his thoughts by a hand waving in front of his face.
"Just musing." he replied. The older Kiaba let a small smirk grace his wrinkled features. "You should get some rest, Seto."
"I should, but when have I ever done what I've been told?" Kiaba chuckled. He gently closed his eyes and let out a sigh. His brother watched as he slowly drifted to sleep.
Three days later Seto Kiaba died.
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Opening his eyes, or he thought he opened his eyes. All he could see was pure darkness. Turning in a circle (or he thinks he's turning in a circle.) He could see nothing. He could feel nothing. It was not cold nor was it warm it was just… nothing. Fear enveloped Kiaba as he wrapped his arms around his sides more so out of comfort than anything else.
"Where am I?" he whispered. The whisper echoed back at him as if he had yelled the words. It was so quiet. Standing there for what seemed like ages he tried to gather his wits. 'I remember being in bed being very tired and then falling asleep….' He thought. "Oh this is just down right ridiculous." He growled. The words sprang back at him making him jump. Suddenly a thought came to his head. "I'm dead."
"That you are." Came a voice. Kiaba whirled around searching for the source. A bright light shown at the end of the darkness as if he were standing in a tunnel.
"Who's there?" Kiaba growled.
"Why no one in particular. Just the angel that's supposed to take you out of here." Came the reply. The voice was smooth and melodic; it held a sort of playful tone to it.
"Angel?" Kiaba asked dumbly.
"Now what's this? The great Seto can't put two and two together? I am positively shocked."
"Show yourself." Kiaba growled out. This person was beginning to get on his nerves.
"As you wish." Kiaba watched as a shadow appeared in the white light. A small figure emerged. Standing before him was a small young boy, only about twelve years in appearance. White feathered wings adorned it's back while white robes covered his body and short blonde hair crowned the top of his head. "Jacob's the name." The boy said presenting his hand to shake.
"I guess you already know mine." Kiaba replied shaking the boys hand awkwardly. It was smooth to the touch.
"So what's your choice?" Jacob replied releasing his hand from Kiaba's grasp.
"What do you mean 'what's my choice?'"
"I mean what's your choice? What do you choose?" Jacob asked.
"What are my choices?" Kiaba questioned. If it was heaven or hell then he might just choose hell. The angel sighed and shook his head.
"Do I really have to explain everything?" Kiaba just glared at him. Jacob put his hands up in defense. "All right, calm down, no need to be cranky." The boy took in a large breath and began to explain. "You have lived a fair life, it may not have been the greatest but it had its perks."
"…"
"You've done many good things…. and a few bad…but that's not what's keeping you here."
"Then what is?" Kiaba questioned curiously.
"You feel guilty." Jacob stated. Kiaba lowered his gaze to what he thought was the floor. Yes it was true he felt a small tinge of guilt for not helping the pharaoh, but there must be something else the angel was not telling him.
"What else?" Kiaba said repeating his thoughts.
"You've also never fallen in love. Love is the purest of all things but you never had the courage. You avoided it with all cost."
"Never loved?! I loved my brother!" Kiaba shot back defensively.
"That's not what I meant." Jacob said shaking his head. "I mean that you've never took the step to find that one person you've always wanted to be with. You haven't fulfilled your life to the fullest so to speak."
"So then what are my choices?" Kiaba spoke repeating his original question.
"You can either walk through those gates at the end of the tunnel but you will never feel complete with this guilt you carry around and the love that you've never experienced. Or you can return and resolve what you are missing."
"So I could just walk to the light and be done with life and have a peaceful whatever." Kiaba motioned to the white light.
"If they let you in." The angel muttered.
"Or," Kiaba went on as if he wasn't interrupted. "I could go back and just fix my guilt and my deficiency of love?"
"If that's the way you want to put it, yes." The angle acted a bit fidgety. He new the man could just leave but that would mean that a certain soul would never be at rest. This was Kiaba's mission he could say 'no' with a flick of his hand and go on living (Or dying, whoever you want to put it) a peaceful life (death, you get the idea).
Kiaba stood there a moment thinking. He could just walk away. Be done with all the crap that went on in the world. One part of him says go, but another little part in the back of his head said 'you owe him.' And a Kiaba always repays what he owes. This love thing he was skeptical about maybe he could get by without it.
"Fine I guess I'll go back." Kiaba slightly growled. The angel looked shocked.
"You will? That's great! What made you choose that?" he asked curiously.
"I don't think I'm quite tired of living. Besides I've missed giving the pharaoh hell." Kiaba smirked.
"Great! Then I'll send you back right…" He was cut off when Kiaba held up a hand.
"Hold on! How am I supposed to return from the dead? People will obviously recognize me."
"Well I don't believe you'll have to worry about that." Jacob replied giving Kiaba a grin that said ' I know something you don't.' Kiaba had learned always get the facts. He didn't care if he was back on Earth or in between dimensions. Never do something that you don't know the whole truth about.
"Why wont I have to worry?"
"Heh, well you see time moves differently up here and a…." Kiaba's jaw clenched. "Timehasalreadygonepastquiteafewyearsandsonoonewillrecognizeyou!" He jumbled together quickly.
"How many years?"
"Well you've made up your mind have a fun trip." The angel smiled and waved his hand. The darkness began to swirl around Kiaba's body.
"Now hold on!" Kiaba yelled reaching for the angel's arm.
"Tootles!" The angel disappeared.
The darkness began to envelope Kiaba. It rushed around him in dizzying swirls. Suddenly he could feel the cold, he could feel the blood pound in his ears, and now he could see the darkness, not like the one swirling around him but the kind that comes when you fall asleep, and then there was nothing.