The Last Farewell

Chapter 1

It wasn't really hard, accepting that I'm dead. It simply feels strange, to exist and yet not. One needs to be there to feel it. I can't describe it in words.

Seto looked around the room. Everything seemed ten times more real then before. Colors, no matter how dull, were more vivid.

It was quite early in the morning- six seventeen, the thirtieth of April on a calm and sunny day blessed with winds and merciful clouds. The young teenager turned around and went through the door out into the hallway. No servants were out yet. Normally, he would be the first to wake up at this hour, and begin to pack his things, preparing for the day.

But today it was different. Seto was already prepared. There was much he needed to do. Before he would have panicked, but today he was calm and relaxed. There was no need to rush. He had time. And a lot of it. Why leave earlier than you need to?

It's hard, life. Especially when you don't have anyone to depend on. No one cares about you. You're just another mouth to feed. That was how I was. So was it any wonder that I turned out the way I did?

People don't just wish they were evil and become evil. No one wants to become evil, or cold, or heartless. It's a slow process, turning a kind heart into a worn shabby one, finally wearing it into the core so that there was no love left. I still had love though.

I wanted to become a doctor. Strange, eh? A doctor, so I could help so many needy people. Maybe a brain surgeon. Maybe a dermatologist. Maybe a neurologist, but that's not a doctor. But I wanted to help people. Then my parents died.

Become a doctor, without any support. Baloney!

So I took Kaiba Corps into my hands. If I can't become something I wanted, let Mokuba. I can't ruin Mokuba for my own sake.

So I became a CEO.

So I became Seto Kaiba.



" Say, how come we never saw Kaiba these days?" Jou asked Mokuba. Mokuba hesitated.
" He just doesn't want to show himself, I guess." Mokuba said uncomfortably. " He's busy."
" Ah, whatever. I was jus' curious, after all." Jou shrugged. " He's always with you, really."
" Do you think he's hiding from you?" Anzu asked Yugi. Yugi shrugged.
" Why would he?"
" After that tournament?"
" Oni-chan wouldn't be afraid of Yugi." Mokuba answered. " He was never afraid of him. He's only afraid of getting beaten, but these days that changed."

The others all looked at Mokuba.

" So why is he hiding then?" Yugi asked.
" Un, it's obvious he's hiding." Honda agreed.

Mokuba thought for a while. " Something happened to him. Don't worry. He'll tell you, he promised."

" Huh?" Everyone blinked. Mokuba only chuckled, but refused to answer any more questions.



Yugi? Yugi is a weakling, sad but true. Iie, that's not right. He was not a weakling. He can be strong if he wants to, but it's just that he doesn't know when to submit and when to fight. Sometimes he fights for the wrong things. Other times he doesn't fight when it's time to fight.

I've known this even when I was alive. That was one reason why I never respected Yugi as much as I probably ought. He was so inexperienced. Innocence is one thing, inexperience is another. Yugi may be innocent, but innocence doesn't kill you. Inexperience does.

Yugi might get killed. Someone else will first, though, before he does. Someone who supported him throughout his childhood. Someone who he depended on. And it wasn't Yami. Iie, Yami only appeared recently. Yugi had a stronger bond with someone.

I can't rescue Sugoruku. I can help Yugi though. Yugi, and Yami, perhaps. Which is why I'm at the company now.

Seto sold a fourth of his stock and smiled. He shut off the computer and closed his eyes. He's going to have to put it in Sugoruku's bank account. He'll have to do it slowly now, that way...

That way it will seem natural.

Hahaha! That is so ironic! Natural! A ghost, natural!

" The mansion? That mansion will be the last thing. Have to remember to." Seto looked at the window. " Can't leave it there if no one's going to live in it, eh? What's today's date? The second of May. Well! We still have a lot of days left. Mokuba will have plenty of time, and so will I."

Dow Jones is doing very bad.

" Well?" Seto paused. " I guess I have to get going now."



Jou was right there. He's smarter then I thought. Perhaps it's because of his accent that he sounded so crude. He just saw me, and blinked, wondering what I was doing here. Or maybe more, why I was wearing pale blue gray robes.

I'm a ghost, Jou. Hahaha.

" Katsuya." I said.
" Kaiba?" Jou blinked. " What are you doin here?"
" There are things that I have to take care of."
" Yeah, sure. There's always something you have to take care of." He sniffed.
" Sit down." I said.

Jou looked surprised. Then a look of comprehension crossed his face. " I'm not a dog."
" I did not think that you are." I answered. " Come. Sit next to me."

Jou looked even more surprised, and nervously sat by my side. The sun was beginning to set. The winds were beginning to get chilly.

" Tell me Jou. How long do you plan to play Duel Monsters?"
" For as long as it's popular."
" Oh, that will go one for plenty of centuries, believe me." I laughed, amused. " It's like how Nintendo lasted for over twenty years. And those kinds of games will last far longer."
" Yeah? Well, what about it?"
" Do you intend to play Duel Monsters for the rest of your life?" I asked.
" I guess. Why?"
" You'll never be successful with that deck of yours."

Jou looked offended. " Hey, if you're making fun of my-"
" No one's making fun of your deck. I'm just pointing out the facts. Sit down."

Jou sat.

" Jou, the reason I'm telling you this is because I am quitting."
" You're-you're quitting?"
" A logical conclusion to my situation."
" What? Why? Because Yami defeated you?"
" Iie. Yami and I are close. I can always defeat him back. He trusts in the heart of the cards too much. One day it will fail him. But I am quitting. I will no longer play Duel Monsters. Do you know what that means?"
" You're a coward."
" Perhaps." I chuckled, even more amused. " But I am in a situation you can never imagine. Come, feel my hand."

Jou gingerly poked at my hand, as if I were an iron. " Gah! You're as cold as ice!"
" Now answer my question. I am quitting Duel Monsters, so what does that mean?"

Jou blinked. " You don't need your deck."
" Naturally. So I am giving it to you. Including the Blue Eyes. I won't need it anymore."
" But..." Jou paused for a long time. " Don't you need it?"
" Why should I need it?" I asked.
" Wouldn't...you want to keep it...for memory?"

I laughed. " You don't know my situation Jou." I knew he was more surprised at my laughter than at what I was saying to him. " Time will come. Take my hand. Feel it, good and well, and you'll get a nick of what's happened to me."

Jou obeyed, taking my hand. His face paled.
" No living thing can be this cold..." He whispered.
" Make your conclusion Jou." I answered, standing up. " I don't think your ancestors play Duel Monsters these days."



" When you put it that way," Yugi sniffed. " Fine. I'll enter the tournament. I was hoping to get some rest these days."

Ryou smiled. " Well, I guess you can't, then. Trust me, it'll be fun! No wackos trying to get your puzzle. Just clean, honest games."
" Fine."

Jou entered the shop and came towards them.
" Hey Jou. Daijoubu?" Anzu asked. " You look like you've seen a ghost."
I did see a ghost. Jou thought. " Why? What makes you say that?"
" You're so pale." Honda agreed. " Did something happen?"
" Nah, nothing happened. I guess it's just the light." Jou shrugged. " Although..." He thought for a moment. Maybe they should know some of it... " Kaiba. I saw Kaiba today."
" Really?" Ryou blinked. " Did he insult you badly or something?"
" Iie." Jou was surprised. " Actually, he was very...nice to me. There was something off though. He seemed so sad."

There was a brief pause.

" Well?" Honda began. " Care to tell us what happened?"
" Hai, don't keep us in suspense!" Ryou laughed.

Jou shifted a little. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. " He said he's quitting."
" Quitting...Duel Monsters?"
" Hai, you baka. What else?" Jou snapped at Anzu. " He said he was quitting."
" Nani? Why? Was it because of Yugi and Yami?" Honda asked. Yami looked troubled.
" Actually, iie. He said it was totally not because of that. More of because..." Jou shrugged. " I don't know. He kept on saying something about his situation."
" What situation?" Yami asked.
" Dunno." Jou thought it best to keep that part secret, for Seto's sake. " Never mentioned."
" Why would he tell you that though?" Yugi asked. " I mean, you, out of all people."
" He gave me his deck."
" NANI?!!"

Jou winced. " Hai, he gave me his deck. What about it?"
" Including the Blue Eyes White Dragon?" Yugi cried.
" Hai."
" All three of them?" Anzu asked.
" Hai. Here, I'll show you." Jou took the deck out. He searched. Sure enough, there were three Blue Eyes White Dragons.
" Sure you didn't steal it?"
" Hey!" Jou wacked Honda on the head. " I wouldn't do that!"
" So he really is quitting." Yugi looked at Yami. " He really is quitting. Do you think it's my fault, and he wouldn't admit it?"
" Iie. It wasn't your fault. He was quite honest." Jou answered. " He said you and he were the same, and he could always beat you back again. The situation he's talking about was another totally unrelated thing." I hope.
" Did he tell you the situation?"
" Iie." Jou answered.



I was never weak. Weakness has many definitions, and none of them define me. Strong? Was I strong? Strength has many definitions as well. I do not know. I know it takes a lot of strength to be who I was, a guardian and yet a child. Did I succeed? It depends. I do not call Kaiba Corps a success. I call that an obstacle. An obstacle I'll never fight past. I will never become the doctor that I dreamed to be. Neither will Mokuba.

Was I coldhearted? It depends. Most people say that I am. Incapable of compassion. Yet I am capable of compassion. Mokuba was my life. My flesh and blood. We shared the same parents, the same mind. And yet people point to Yugi and the others.

I never cared about Yugi. Should everyone care for strangers? When you see a boy with friends, walking down the street, do you care about him? Iie, you only care about people you know. You do not care about that newcomer in the park, that strange face in school, that cashier in the market. You care about your classmates, your siblings, your parents and grandparents. You do not care about those you barely see. That was how Yugi was. A passerby. Someone who just picked some dust out of my life and will soon walk away again, without changing anything.

For Yugi, well, for Yugi that's different. He cared about everyone. That is sometimes good. It's usually bad though. Yugi is invulnerable. The people he cared about aren't. And when your enemies cannot attack you, they attack those you care about. Sometimes that doesn't work. Your friends stay alive and well. But almost always they acheive part if not all of what they wanted. Blackmail, tricks, so you obey them. You must submit to their power.

Everyone knows I'm not the type to submit so easily. That ordeal with Pegasus was an exception. Which was more important, my pride or Mokuba's? So I thought about how Mokuba would feel if I abandoned him for the sake of myself. Mokuba would think his big brother was a coward. He was proud of me, as I was proud of him. Abandoning him would change that.

Was I coldhearted? It depends. Should I care about Katsuya, who I barely knew? Do people care about those who are annoying, those who pester you with insults, challenge you relentlessly and show nothing good about themselves? Do people care about those who hate you? Should I hurt myself by caring about someone who thinks nothing of me?

They say I am coldhearted. It's easy to be coldhearted. Coldhearted people were always weak and frail. Ryou's yami was a perfect example. That spirit was even more ' coldhearted' than I am. Yet he's a coward, a coward, weak at heart and mind. A little torture will break him to pieces.

And we all know I'm not that kind. I am not weak. I was never weak.

Was I coldhearted, then?



" I want to see Seto Kaiba."
" Gomen, kids. He can't see anyone today."
" Why not?" Yugi asked.
" Too busy. Knew you guys would come. Says he's really sorry."
" How did he know we were coming?" Honda asked.
" Dunno. How should I? It's not like Kaiba tells me anything." The man answered.
" But this is really important. Can I go at least? That way there's only one person." Yugi blinked.
" Iie, gomen. He can't see anyone."

The group looked at each other and retreated out of the building.
" That's odd. Why won't he see us?" Yugi asked.
" Why would he?" Honda pointed out. " It's not like we're best friends or anything."
" The guy seemed very polite today." Anzu observed.

There was a silence.



Seto looked up at the phone when it began ringing. Should he answer? He knew who it was. It was Yugi. Yugi, who was always afraid of offending people or ruining their lives. Lives. How ironic!

He should be more worried about his own life right now. Seto ignored the phone. He sold off an eighth of his remaining stock. Not enough to show that he was abandoning the company, but enough to make it lose some of its worth. That way people would think about buying Kaiba Corps.

Not really. He still needs to sell more.

The phone rang again. Seto paused. Yugi was getting worried. Perhaps he should answer to comfort the boy.

" Hi Yugi." He said when he picked up the phone.
" Kaiba? How did you know it was me?" Yugi's voice sounded confused.

Seto thought quickly. " The guy downstairs told me you wanted to see me today. I figured it couldn't be Jou or the others. Is anything wrong?"
" Kaiba, I heard that you were quitting."
" Oh." Seto clicked the mouse and leaned back.
" Is that true?"
" Hai."
" Why?"
" I thought Jou told you."
" He said you are in some kind of situation."
" So Mokuba didn't tell you."
" You mean Mokuba knows?"
" Not really."
" Kaiba...you're not making sense."
" Let's just say that it's going to stay that way until I finish what I am-whoa, I still have a lot." Seto looked at the monitor. " How am I supposed to get rid of that in several weeks?"
" Nani?"
" Nothing Yugi. Just the company." Which was true.
" Something wrong?"
" Iie. It's okay. Were you calling because you think I gave up because of you?"
" ..."

Seto laughed. It was a lighthearted laugh, a kind Yugi never heard from him before. It was an amused yet kind laugh, one that made Yugi surprised and yet warm inside.
" One reason I kept you away is because Yami would see me." Seto finished. " When he sees me, the secret would be out. And some secrets must be let out at the right time.



I understood Yami even more than he understood himself. Yami had many weaknesses. He was weaker than Yugi. His pride was his weakness. It is so easily broken. It's easy to become the best. It's not easy to remain one. And that was Yami's position-he was already the best. But others are catching on.

Do I hate Yami? Many think I do. Others think I love him, but just kept on denying it. I do not hate Yami. I do not love him either. He is a spirit doomed to live like a ghost inside an item with no key. He will never be able to go where I will go. Home, home where all spirits will dwell once their life passes away. He will never join his friends when they die. He will always feel the pain as everyone he loves departs from this world and he'll know that he will never see them again.

Do I hate Yami? Iie, I pity him. A morbid soul doomed to despair. He was cursed. Not like me. I am blessed. And I look upon that sorry spirit, shrouded in darkness.

Should I hate a sorry figure? Should I hate someone less lucky than I?

Was I coldhearted?

Towards Yami? Perhaps. I was indifferent to him at first. Yami had too much pride, and people like me despise that kind. Gradually I pitied him.

I have done something for Jou. I am doing something for Yugi. Perhaps I should do something for Yami, in addtion to...

Would a coldhearted person do all this when he was supposed to be resting?