-EGYPT-

The room erupted in a chorus of applause. It always did when he performed and Seto couldn't help but add to it. The little palace dancer was incredible. When he danced, the whole room went silent. He told stories with the way he moved, and everyone wanted to see the end.
The rest of the room filtered out, and Seto was one of the last to leave. As he did, he felt a tug at his wrist. Big, violet eyes stared up at him.
"Heba." Seto sighed. "Don't you have someone else to be pestering?"
Heba shook his head and smiled.
"I was thinking that maybe we could spend some time together? Like we did the other day?"
They had sat on the balcony a few days before, talking till sun down. They didn't claim to understand each other's lives, but it was comforting just to have someone listen.
Seto leant against the balcony pillars whilst Heba straddled them; his legs slid in-between pillars dangling from above. It was a good thing he wore his sandals so tight.
"How were the Priestly duties today?" Heba asked, genuinely interested. Seto shrugged.
"Same as usual. Pharaoh isn't a bad person, but he works us hard."
"I'll say." Heba smiled, eyes lit up by the sunset, tanned skin set ablaze by the dim light. Seto looked at his own hands. Did he shine like that? No, the boy had an aura to him; an innocence and naivety that made him stand out.
"What was the story of the dance today? I sensed a change in character." Seto asked. Heba was an amazing storyteller, so getting him to explain his stories was fascinating.
"A lonely man, powered only by greed is on the edge of despair, only to be saved by a childlike spirit. He learns what it is to care for someone else, but more importantly, to be cared for, and realizes that material wealth means nothing if you do not carry happiness with you."
It made sense when he said it. Seto could remember each section of the dance, and match the narrative. Heba was very good at what he did.
"What inspired this one?"
"I feel like it is something I will see with my own eyes, but I do not know when." Heba sighed. He often had insight to the future, although they couldn't call them visions. His insight was too blurred. There was no detail to them other than stories.
"I can relate to the man." Seto nodded. "I think I'm finally learning what friendship is." He looked over the sands to the sun. He honestly meant it; Heba listened when no one else did. Heba grabbed his hands, and Seto stared into deep purple eyes. He knew Heba was having another insight, but was terrified at the words that followed.
"You're going to forget everything. Everything but my eyes."
That was the most direct Heba had ever been, and despair befell the Priest. He did not want to suffer this loss.
He never wanted to be alone again.

…

JAPAN

Seto woke with a start. He shook his head and sat up, brushing a hand through his hair. Why was he seeing Yugi's eyes in his dreams? That brat had been nothing but trouble, showing up with the ghost of the Pharaoh to show him up time and time again. He couldn't stand having to share a class with him, all of his friends were losers, and even his little brother wouldn't shut up about friendship.
Why then, did he feel so lonely after those dreams?
Seto Kaiba, CEO of KaibaCorp, was a man who worked alone. The amount of staff and fans he had was immense, but other than trusting Mokuba with the occasional task, he worked alone. He was used to it, and that was how he liked it.
He did not, however, like being lonely.
Mokuba helped. Having a loyal little brother who liked you even when you were being a jerk was definitely something to value, but the whole 'no friends' thing had been getting him down as of late. He looked at his shelf and the blue eyes plushy on it.
"We don't need friends." He sighed. "We do things alone."
He decided to get up and get some work done. A few more tweaks and his duel disk would be ready with his Duel with the Virtual Pharaoh. At least he wasn't slaving over strands of hair again. It had taken a lot of research, most staring at Yugi's hair in the odd class he actually attended. He hadn't realized how soft it actually looked until he studied it in detail.
Yugi was actually kind of fascinating to watch. The two were nothing alike, and seeing Yugi's never ending optimism and reliance on the people around him almost confused Kaiba. He knew Yugi was strong, even stronger now he had surpassed the Pharaoh, but didn't understand how that was possible when he was dependent on others. Surely, always having to ask for help would get you nowhere?

Kaiba threw on his coat. He had to get to the lab and defeat the Pharaoh. He would. He had programmed the AI himself, he knew all its tricks and strategies. The limo drove past Domino City High School, and Kaiba couldn't help but look for the small boy.
He couldn't help wonder how his day was going.

…

Hi! So, first fic I've written in ten months. I watched DSOD for the second time today, and I was wondering what would happen if Kaiba had stayed rather than pursuing the Pharaoh. The next chapter will take place after DSOD. This is but an epilogue.
For those of you who don't know, my whole gig is taking a point in canon and making it change direction. Any requests for other fandoms, let me know and I'll have a think.
I hope you enjoy where this will go!
-Alistair