Hey guys. So this is a pretty serious, tragic story. I just needed to get some negative emotions out.

This will probably be a one-shot but I might start a second, longer story later that would build off of this one. We'll see.

Please review, I love feedback, whether negative or positive. Both are appreciated

Hope you enjoy as much as one can enjoy a depressing story haha

Ps. Kaiba is 20 in this.

And italics are thoughts (still written in the third person though)

The wind blew the leaves through the misty air softly. The lightest of breezes that didn't blow the grass but made it lightly shift in its roots and made locks of hair tickle against skin rather than being whipped across it.

Even the mist, which would usually feel oppressive and sticky, held a light crispness to it. Rather than being heavy and humid, the mist was refreshing. It awakened the senses.

And so Seto Kaiba stood, with the light breeze gently blowing his perfectly cut hair against his neck and face and scalp. And so his eyes matched the chill of the early morning, and so the mist scattered the light of the recently risen sun. And so the cool, crisp, misty air sharpened his senses. So he stood, as distant as ever, with his hands in his pockets and the usual serious look on his face. And so he stood, at his brother's grave.

'Mokuba Kaiba'

Kaiba stared at the tombstone. His crystal blue eyes held the same severity as ever. And his face was as harsh and as stern, no tears welled or swelled or streamed down his face. He stood there, the same dry, stoic, emotionless Seto Kaiba that he always had been.

And as always, Kaiba was still thinking. And he thought back to that day, only three earlier.

He had been in his office at the Kaiba Corp Headquarters, just a normal day for the young CEO. Everything had gone normal. He had left early for work, Mokuba had left later on for school. Kaiba had gone to meetings, made calls, tinkered with new technology and done the numbers; all as usual. But that changed later on.

The young CEO had been working late again. And it was just past midnight when he finally started packing to leave his office to go home to the mansion. But as he was walking towards the door the phone rang. Being Seto Kaiba, of course he answered the phone. But he hadn't expected to answer and hear the details of his little brother's sudden death.

After hearing the news and hanging up, he immediately went to the bathroom and proceeded to throw up. He started panting, and shaking, he felt the color drain from his skin and he felt sweat beading on his forehead. He felt his hands, usually strong, shaking and weak.

He walked to the sink and splashed his face with water with shaky breaths and looked up at his reflection in the mirror.

"What is wrong with you? You sick freak!" Kaiba shouted at his own reflection. He pulled his hair and closed his eyes, hating himself more than he ever had before.

See, Kaiba wasn't throwing up and shaking because of his brother's death…

He was throwing up and shaking because he was repulsed by himself because he DIDN'T care that Mokuba was dead.

And so Kaiba stood at Mokuba's grave, trying to find a bit of remorse or sadness, or sympathy for his departed brother. But all he found was more self-hatred, and the realization that he truly didn't care.

So he stood, stoic and void of emotion, with his regular rigidness and severity. The same eyes that hadn't felt tears in over 15 years. So he stood.

And as always, he was still thinking.

Why didn't he care that Mokuba was gone? Perhaps he hadn't actually seen him as a younger brother. Had he ever loved him? But of course he had. He had risked his own life to save Mokuba countless times. But did that mean that he loved him? Simply risking one's life didn't equate to love. He had risked his life for his company too, after all. And he had risked his life for a duel monsters title as well. Hadn't he always risked his life to prove he was the best? Hadn't he always risked his life to avoid failure? Perhaps… Perhaps he didn't view Mokuba as a brother or family at all, but as a challenge.

At Mokuba's birth and his mother's death, Kaiba had promised his mother to always protect Mokuba, to never let anything happen to him.

Now he had failed.

He was a failure.

But battles with Yugi and losses to the Pharaoh had taught him to be able to accept failure in life. That one couldn't win, and be entirely successful in everything one attempted.

And so, Kaiba figured out why he didn't care that Mokuba was gone.

He was just another tournament

A challenge

A game

A game

It was all just a game.

And so Kaiba stood, more disgusted than ever, having lost a game, played with a human life: his brother's life.

"I'm sorry, Mokuba. I'm sorry that I viewed your life as a challenge for me to complete. I'm sorry that I lost. I'm sorry that I'm a failure, and that a failure of mine cost you your life."

The breeze blew slightly more, pressing more cool air against Kaiba's cheek as he looked down at the grave. He tried to feel something for his little brother, the one he had spent so many years with, the one that he had invested so much time in, and gone through so much pain for. He had risked his life, taken abuse at the hand of Gozaburo, and given everything for this child, this dead child. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't feel anything but disgust and hatred towards himself. But as he stood there, he slowly began feeling less of that too.

He heard footsteps behind him but didn't turn. He felt a hand on his shoulder but didn't acknowledge it.

How could someone think to comfort him? He didn't even care. How stupid was the world?

Joey looked down at the grave with teary eyes. "He was a good kid." He gave Kaiba's shoulder a small squeeze. "I'm sorry." Joey stood for a moment then walked away wiping his eyes. Yugi still stood by Kaiba's side.

"He knows you loved him. I know this is tough, losing someone you love more than anything, but stay strong. It won't hurt this much forever." On those choky, tear-filled words Yugi walked away, again leaving Kaiba alone with the grave.

Kaiba scowled. Stupid people offering him their condolences. They didn't even know. It was sickening. He hated his entire self for his lack of sadness. He had always been strong. He had always been able to combat emotion. But at what cost? His own brother, his only family, was gone, and he had lost the ability to feel. He clenched his fists and turned his head away from the grave and away from the breeze. He looked off into the distance and closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry that I don't care, Mokuba. And I'm sorry that not caring about you death, is starting not to bother me." With those words he walked away from the grave, without looking back. His hair blew lightly in the mist, and his eyes were still stoic and emotionless, stern and determined as always.

And so he walked away.

Hey guys thanks for reading! Remember to review!