Dragon Queen16: Hi! As the summary says, this is a one-shot angst fic. No chapters after this one, okay? ThereÕs some Seto/Serenity, but SerenityÕs dead, so, yeah. Enough of my rambling, read on!
~*~
He stared out into the darkness of his cell, the only light in the small stone cage a sliver of moonlight. But not even that could penetrate his dark, angry, tortured heart. A heart that should have by all means given up by now. Maybe it was because the darkness had frozen it.....or maybe there was another reason?
Seto Kaiba stared at his scarred, bleeding hand. In the palm of his hand he could see a tiny glint of gold. The last thing he had to remember. Remember her. Her laugh, her smile, the joy radiating out of her. All of it had surrounded her like an aura. Now the aura had faded to black in death, a death that was unjust. He squeezed his hand into a fist at this thought. Tears mightÕve flowed down his face if he had any left. But he didnÕt. He had cried too much already. Cried in pain. Cried for the loss of her. He lay here, tortured in body and mind, not able to fight, not able to win if he could. He was too weak, his spirit dead.
He remembered that day, all too well. The day heÕd lost her forever. ~*~ {Flashback}
Serenity walked through the woods gleefully. No animal or plant escaped her attention. She was entranced by the beauty of it all, beauty in the simplicity of nature. She had asked Seto to take her here, it was said to be so beautiful. Now she could see that they were right. She called back to Seto, ÒHurry up! I wonÕt wait for you, you know!Ó
Seto smiled. God, he loved her. He had been overjoyed when she agreed to marry him. In two months they were to be wed. ÒYou wonÕt leave me behind. I know you too well.Ó
She cocked up an eyebrow and grinned, ÒWatch me!Ó She ran ahead playfully, just getting out of his sight. He grinned as well and laughed, following her. He had almost caught up now.
He heard a gun shot and a cry of pain. His heart stopped. He ran forward, fearing the worst.
He saw Serenity, lying on the forest floor, her heart bleeding. He ran forward with a strangled cry. He picked her up and cradled her in his arms, sobbing. She was gone, dead.
He heard a deep, raspy voice behind him, ÒWell, well. The ÔgreatÕ Seto Kaiba cries. Tie him up.Ó Seto layed her on the floor and whirled around. Just who heÕd thought.Gozorbo Kaiba. Two men tried to tie him up, he kicked one to the ground, forcefully hitting his heel on the manÕs skull. He threw the other one against a rock, hard. Both died. Seto turned to Gozorbo, his eyes filled with hate. Then something hit him from behind. The next thing he knew was darkness, an endless pool of darkness...
{End Flashback} ~*~
He later learned that that shot was meant for Serenity, which made him sick. She had done nothing to them and they murdered her. She hadnÕt even been able to be married, have children, have a full life. She had been engaged, to him, but it wasnÕt the same. He blamed himself. Every day. Blamed himself for putting her in danger by becoming close to her. Blamed himself for running ahead. Blamed himself for not protecting her better.
He shifted his position, wincing at the pain it caused. His whole body was torn and bleeding, ridden with scars and bruises. Gozorbo had tortured him every day since he was captured. Not only with physical pain; he tortured him with emotional pain, too. Reminding him of her. Of what had happened to her, and why. Every time he was reminded of her, he felt the pain that bullet must have caused her. Pain caused by him. He was fed very little, only enough to keep him alive. A stale, moldy piece of bread and murky, god-knows-whatÕs-in-it water. Food he barely choked down. He could refuse the bread, starve himself to death. End his pain.
But he wouldnÕt die, not yet.
If he gave up now, he would be surrendering to Gozorbo, bowing to his will. No, he would not surrender. And the pain? He deserved it. For all the people heÕd hurt and stepped on in his life. For killing those two men. For not keeping her safe. Every time he was reminded of her, he felt the pain that bullet must have caused her. Pain caused by him. Pain he couldÕve stopped. No, he wouldnÕt give up. He would live this life of pain for all the pain heÕd caused others. Maybe this would end someday, maybe someday he would be free. It would never be the same, not without her. But..wouldnÕt she want him to live his life again? To live, for her?
He looked up at the sliver of moonlight, coming from a moon now slowly sinking into the west. It filled him slightly with hope. A very faint candle began to burn in his heart, melting the ice. And as he looked up into the moonlight, he could swear that he saw her, Serenity, in the moonlight, watching him. A new thought came to him, a thought that gave him determination for life:
My death is my white flag. My life is my sword.
~*~
Dragon Queen16: Well, how was it? I know it was short. Sorry, but it is only a one-shot. I think I spelled Gozorbo wrong. Oh well. R&R if you feel like it. You donÕt have to.
~*~
He stared out into the darkness of his cell, the only light in the small stone cage a sliver of moonlight. But not even that could penetrate his dark, angry, tortured heart. A heart that should have by all means given up by now. Maybe it was because the darkness had frozen it.....or maybe there was another reason?
Seto Kaiba stared at his scarred, bleeding hand. In the palm of his hand he could see a tiny glint of gold. The last thing he had to remember. Remember her. Her laugh, her smile, the joy radiating out of her. All of it had surrounded her like an aura. Now the aura had faded to black in death, a death that was unjust. He squeezed his hand into a fist at this thought. Tears mightÕve flowed down his face if he had any left. But he didnÕt. He had cried too much already. Cried in pain. Cried for the loss of her. He lay here, tortured in body and mind, not able to fight, not able to win if he could. He was too weak, his spirit dead.
He remembered that day, all too well. The day heÕd lost her forever. ~*~ {Flashback}
Serenity walked through the woods gleefully. No animal or plant escaped her attention. She was entranced by the beauty of it all, beauty in the simplicity of nature. She had asked Seto to take her here, it was said to be so beautiful. Now she could see that they were right. She called back to Seto, ÒHurry up! I wonÕt wait for you, you know!Ó
Seto smiled. God, he loved her. He had been overjoyed when she agreed to marry him. In two months they were to be wed. ÒYou wonÕt leave me behind. I know you too well.Ó
She cocked up an eyebrow and grinned, ÒWatch me!Ó She ran ahead playfully, just getting out of his sight. He grinned as well and laughed, following her. He had almost caught up now.
He heard a gun shot and a cry of pain. His heart stopped. He ran forward, fearing the worst.
He saw Serenity, lying on the forest floor, her heart bleeding. He ran forward with a strangled cry. He picked her up and cradled her in his arms, sobbing. She was gone, dead.
He heard a deep, raspy voice behind him, ÒWell, well. The ÔgreatÕ Seto Kaiba cries. Tie him up.Ó Seto layed her on the floor and whirled around. Just who heÕd thought.Gozorbo Kaiba. Two men tried to tie him up, he kicked one to the ground, forcefully hitting his heel on the manÕs skull. He threw the other one against a rock, hard. Both died. Seto turned to Gozorbo, his eyes filled with hate. Then something hit him from behind. The next thing he knew was darkness, an endless pool of darkness...
{End Flashback} ~*~
He later learned that that shot was meant for Serenity, which made him sick. She had done nothing to them and they murdered her. She hadnÕt even been able to be married, have children, have a full life. She had been engaged, to him, but it wasnÕt the same. He blamed himself. Every day. Blamed himself for putting her in danger by becoming close to her. Blamed himself for running ahead. Blamed himself for not protecting her better.
He shifted his position, wincing at the pain it caused. His whole body was torn and bleeding, ridden with scars and bruises. Gozorbo had tortured him every day since he was captured. Not only with physical pain; he tortured him with emotional pain, too. Reminding him of her. Of what had happened to her, and why. Every time he was reminded of her, he felt the pain that bullet must have caused her. Pain caused by him. He was fed very little, only enough to keep him alive. A stale, moldy piece of bread and murky, god-knows-whatÕs-in-it water. Food he barely choked down. He could refuse the bread, starve himself to death. End his pain.
But he wouldnÕt die, not yet.
If he gave up now, he would be surrendering to Gozorbo, bowing to his will. No, he would not surrender. And the pain? He deserved it. For all the people heÕd hurt and stepped on in his life. For killing those two men. For not keeping her safe. Every time he was reminded of her, he felt the pain that bullet must have caused her. Pain caused by him. Pain he couldÕve stopped. No, he wouldnÕt give up. He would live this life of pain for all the pain heÕd caused others. Maybe this would end someday, maybe someday he would be free. It would never be the same, not without her. But..wouldnÕt she want him to live his life again? To live, for her?
He looked up at the sliver of moonlight, coming from a moon now slowly sinking into the west. It filled him slightly with hope. A very faint candle began to burn in his heart, melting the ice. And as he looked up into the moonlight, he could swear that he saw her, Serenity, in the moonlight, watching him. A new thought came to him, a thought that gave him determination for life:
My death is my white flag. My life is my sword.
~*~
Dragon Queen16: Well, how was it? I know it was short. Sorry, but it is only a one-shot. I think I spelled Gozorbo wrong. Oh well. R&R if you feel like it. You donÕt have to.