Title: Alone

Author: GoddessHope

Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh! or any of its characters; however, I do claim the plot and any/all original characters/settings.

Prologue:

I am alone. I can't love anyone and they can't love me. Why? Beacause, I'm afraid. Yes. I'm afraid. I fear that I'll hurt them . That they'll hurt me. I need to hide. In the everlasting shadow. I need to dwell in the dark. Tell me. Do you know why? Why I hide? No, you'd never understand. I am marked. Forever more. Lost to immortality of pain. I am damned. Is it true? Yes. It can't be. Just when I try to live as normal as possible, It all falls apart. Why? Why me? Listen. Can't I live in peace? Can't I forget these horrid times? No. It haunts me. It taunts me. It is me. Piece by piece I am breaking. Tearing apart. My cold interior should be enough. But, no. I have to fall, to fall and never rise. But can I? Can I actually go through with it? Do I have the strength? Do defy my darkest soul? Yes.

I must.

But then, who'll help me?

Who'll save me from the night?

From myself?

Who?

With settling dusk of midnight blue, silence dominated the landscape of a country. And every day, a man watched the event of the sun disappearing from the perimeters of his country's lands. Always, always standing alone in the balcony of the castle, his eyes peered into the night of power as he bitterly questioned his faith. He was in a war; a war between light and darkness, a war between himself and an arch-nemisis. His side of the battle was conquering, but so many lives paid dearly for it to happen. Did he regret that his own corruption had also been commisioned for this batle? He honestly did not know. The world was turning upside down with despair and angst as the grasp of evil began to flood the oceans and lands of people; his part-taking in such a campaign was sinful, to the say the least, but necessary. Since before his birth had this war began, with demons and humans blaming one another for the state of destruction that Gaia was currently in possession of. The years had dwindled on and were forgotten as the elements of darkness and light had clashed. Centuries ago, however, the Light had won with the hopeful humans of the world. Peace and prosperity had ruptured, gaining the presence of love and harmony. It seemed quite content until he was born, though. The battle had only been deluded, revealing the Dark's newest and most powerful weapon since the creation of hate:

Kaiba Seto.

The rogue half-man, half-vampire with striking looks of dark seduction. With fortunes and riches in his holdings, cities and a kingdom underneath his belt of control, Kaiba was the number one creature for Darkness. He was intelligent, deviosuly cunning and could care less about poverty or peace. His own family shied from his doings and even feared him a little; what could possibly be the downfall to this elusive demon? The sister of his enemy, the innocent girl of his childhood; proud, strong, and innocent- he had corrupted such a young woman of lovely virtues, eventually falling in love with her. Oh, these feelings tormented him so as he tore himself from the inside out, clawing at his soul to release her and simply return to his normal stance. His wish was granted when she denied him, betraying his love as she hurt him like no other had done. Lord Kaiba grew distant from all females, and as such, marked himself with a pain indescribable and intolerable. He had shut himself away, for good.

---

" Kaiba-dono, the Black Dragons have captured the girl," a man saluted, his arms straight and movements precise. Sweat gathered above his brow as he swallowed back his fear and insecurity before Lord Kaiba. Cobalt eyes of a blue hue narrowed at the mentioning of a girl, of his girl. The man nearly fainted as he noticed the alarming amount of parchment sitting atop the intricately carved desk of mahogany, his Lord's figure settled behind its frame.

" Bring her in, " he snapped, moving away from his desk.

" Yes sir!" The soldier scurried away, shouting orders to less inferior men.

The hatred glistening in his dark eyes, shadowing feelings of contempt and bitterness became evident as Seto folded his arms and leaned back in his throne-like chair. With dark tresses of bistre brown slightly covering his face, he hid himself and released another personality of his character into his presence. The one that could resist her. At that moment, two guards appeared before him with a struggling young woman, their grips presently tight on the girl as she screamed and growled, hollering to and fro as she possibly could muster.

" Let go of me! Let go, ne!?"

Her deep eyes of amber reflected a fiery passion, her hatred for him brightly shining from her perspective. She breathed rasply, her heart beating one thousand times faster as she tried so hard not to look him in the eye. She knew she had hurt him and she knew the consequences for what she had done, but his life and his motives weren't justifiable. Tugging on her arms, she snarled as she flet the pressure of her captors' force.

" Quite the rebel, aren't we?" he teased, taking in her appearance.

She had grown, hadn't she? Auburn tresses with hints of copper matted her porcelain face, smudges of dirt blushing her cheeks as she tossed her head and refused to acknowledge him. Seto's will had surrendered, his reasoning lost as he moved from his position and put himself closer to her figure. He hadn't remembered those wild curls to be so long, so soft-looking. Her beauty was astounding, assuredly, but it was also partnered with the undeniable resemblence to her brother's facial expressions.

" Go to hell, Kaiba!" she spat. Her face was pink with anger and rage. Emotions surged through her as she remembered he was responsible for her brother's death.

" I'm already here," he replied dryly.

" Lady Shizuka, how utterly catching for a vengeful warrior. "

Her silence pressed him, urging him on in his game of tact and wit, displaying as much indifference through his words.

" Still mad at me because of your bastard brother? "

" Jounichi was not a bastard; he's more of a king and a man than you would ever be! "

The odd echo of ringing filtered her ears as she gasped quietly, her face burning with pain as she felt the hard hit of his hand. So he had actually slapped her, raised his hand to her and hit her; this was not the Seto she had known.

" Don't you dare."

" Oh, struck a cord have we? Never knew that Lord Kaiba could actually feel. "

Her mocking tone had earned her another slap, the blow sending her reeling to flooring. The cold, harsh welcome to reality had surprised her, but Shizuka knew better than to provoke her ex-lover into a fight. She chuckled slightly, breathing hoarsely as the guards pulled her up to her feet. He dismissed her, with a wave of his hand, and she felt like she had won something out of the desolate encounter.

" I do. But what for, you'll possibly never know."

" You'll pay for what you did to onii-chan! You will!" she shrieked. Biting her lip, Shizuka quickly delivered swift, but deadly, hits to her guards. She had aimed to run for it, but he had caught her arm.

' Move and I will break it. "

" You're not the same Seto, you're not the man I once loved. "

He sneered, gripping her arm tightly and pulling her closer to him. Her eyes of rebellion and his eyes of malice met until he had struck another blow to her face, lowering his lips to her ear. She heard his quiet tone before she slipped into unconciousness, her thread to staying awake faltering.

" I never was. "

(A/N: I am going back and editing parts of this fic to make it better for future chapters and because I felt like I needed it xD The entire fic is original, and I will be keeping most of it to its true state; however, I will be adding onto the fic, etc. Please check back for updates