Starless Night Chapter 2

Brought to you by: IET

Previously on Starless Night:

"Oh so that's how you see me? Then why bother talking to me in the first place!" Kaiba exclaimed. He was so incredibly angry, and furious. And deep down, he felt a knife stick into his heart. Maybe it was the alcohol doing most of the talking, but it was Joey's fault for bringing something as stupid as his past up at a time like this. "You of all people have NO idea what I've been through, so just...just stay out of MY life!" And with that, Kaiba reached over the bar and grabbed his coat where he knew it'd be and rushed out the door in a hurry to get away from Joe.

After a few seconds, the tension was broken with Mike stating, "You'll live to regret ever judging him before you got to see past his mask."

"What mask..."

Joey's question had to be put on hold as the squealing of hard, braking tires tried to stop on a dime. Joey had the forethought to look to Mike first, then to the doors of the club. "Kaiba." They both thought aloud as, not letting any more time pass, they both rushed out of the door. Not a block down the road and they could still see the body lying in the middle of the street and a car crashed into a telephone pole. They both took off at a dead sprint. After all, more than one life was one the line.

Currently:

Mokuba had been notified shortly after the accident. Everyone of his friends were there to offer than comfort, but none of them had felt as guilty as Joey did looking at the red, puffy eyes that had stopped crying an hour ago. So far, with no news of Kaiba from the nurses or doctors, everyone's apprehension grew. Some were drifting off into dreams of unease and anxiety, while the rest could only sit and twitch with worry.

As Joey looked around, he noticed how not one person was really there for Kaiba, except Mokuba and Mike. He, himself, wasn't sure for whom he was there for. Perhaps he just felt guilty for having driven Kaiba out of the club and onto the dark streets so late at night.

Finally, some fifteen minutes later, a doctor came to the waiting area with a tired look in his eyes. They whole area tensed for the worst.

"May I speak to the nearest family member?" The doctor asked politely. Mokuba stood up and approached fretfully, hands twisting in front of him nervously.

Everyone watched from afar as the doctor relayed the news. No one could tell what to expect. A good five to ten minutes later and Mokuba was walking back towards the group his expression withdrawn, his eyes seeming to sink into his head.

If it wasn't so quiet from the tension, they all would have missed the words he spoke as he collapsed into the nearest open chair. "He's gone…. They lost him… I've lost my only family that I had left…" Everyone was shell shocked. Okay, so none of them were incredibly found of the older Kaiba, but none of them actually hated him; okay, well, Tristan might hold a grudge against the guy but he definitely wouldn't wish him to be dead, and to leave Mokuba as an orphan.

The scene laid out before him was a tragedy from a bad drama movie. Joey couldn't believe his ears. Kaiba couldn't be dead. He hadn't gotten to tell him, well to tell him how he really felt. Now, there would never be another chance.

His senses seemed infrequent and unnecessary to sense what was around him. He couldn't hear, couldn't see…couldn't BREATHE, but it didn't feel necessary for him to. He didn't know where he was; it was bright, and yet not, dark with no shadows. And yet it was none of those things. It was all so confusing. The last thing he remembered was storming away from Mike's club in a hurry to get away from the one who'd struck him below the belt with his words. Those comments had hurt him deeply, in a way no one could possibly ever know unless they were in Kaiba's head.

Then, he remembered the headlights whipping around the corner and knocking the air from him. He remembered lying in the street, on his back staring blankly upwards. 'Am I dead then? I shouldn't be able to thin when I'm dead right?'

*Actually you're in a mind limbo. It's almost like death's coma. You're close, just not there yet.* A voice from all around him sounded.

"Who's there?" Seto exclaimed spinning around. No one was there.

*Up here, Seto,* at the voice, Seto looked up seeing his own reflection grinning at him. *Boo!* Seto came very close to jumping but resisted the reaction. Slowly, he realized what he was really staring at. It was who Atem was to Yugi, who Bakura was to Ryou, who Marik was to Malik. It was his Yami. This person was his opposite.

*You still trying to remember me?* Seth asked with a slight tilt of his head.

"No, Seth, I know who you are, whether I want to admit it or not. What are we doing here? What am I doing here?" Seto asked looking around the dull white space of eternity.

*Well, at least that saves some explanation. But that isn't why I've come to your half dead state of mind. I've come to convince you that, as hard as this is to believe, you have someone who understands what you went through in the past. Or, at least, part of it.* At the ludicrous insinuation, Seto bent in half, laughing.

"Bull shit." He retorted back hotly.

*Seto, this is not time for your pride to stand in your way of living. It's been doing so since Gozuboro died and it needs to stop. Look where it got you? Near death on a hospital cot, caught in a limbo of planes. You need to realize you have more to live for than just your brother. And for the love of all that's holy, will you just realize that this is all real?* The last bit of Set's rant was said at eye level with Seto.

"I …" Seto had to pause to swallow his pride for once and listen. "I'm listening."

*Good! At least I'm getting somewhere. Now, as I was saying, you need to straighten up your life with this second chance that The Lord-Almighty is giving you. Don't go back on your word or, next time, you won't get another chance.* The seriousness of Seth's statements made a profound impact on Seto. Though it didn't take him long to agree to the task. He'd give anything for this chance and he was getting it. He wouldn't screw it up; not this time.

*Great. We've reached the agreement just in time.* As he said this, the scenery changed drastically from plain white to a cliff's edge with an amazing view of a dark pit of the vast unknown. *Don't screw it up this time!* And with those final words of encouragement, Seth pushed Seto over the edge causing him to tumble down quickly, far too fast to even think about stopping.

The first breath he took was a sharp and deep gasp. This alerted the nurses who were packing away the tubes and life support they had drug out to what they thought was no avail. His breathing was sporadic and unlevel as his head twisted from side to side, slowly trying to get his bearings about him.

"Someone go get Dr Dillon. Alert him of Mr. Kaiba's drastic change in status. Two of the four nurses tore down the hall to the waiting room where the doctor had just broken the news.

"DR. DILLON! DR. DILLON! Come quickly! There's been a sudden change in Mr. Kaiba's condition. He's back to land of the living and he needs you, STAT!" The nurses said at seeing the doctor, and as quickly as the nurses came, they left with another hot on their heals.

The waiting room sat in awe as the doctor and two nurses dashed back to the room they kept a long since been rival, beloved brother, and not-so-close friend. There was only one thought passing through the minds of everyone in the room, as they looked at each other in shock.

~ "Kaiba/Seto/Nii-san is ALIVE?" ~