Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!
Alright, here it is! The dreaded finale of this SetoxYami fic of mine! I hope it satisfies your cravings. So, prepare for a little fluff and stuff. Sorry, I just had to end it on a somewhat happy note. So for all you angst-hounds, please don't hate and flame me for it! Even if it's terribly sappy and fluffy!
(Note: I have noticed that this should be considered a "chapter" instead of an epilogue, seeing as how I've written it, so sorry if I pimped it as a "epilogue" Just cuz that name sounds cooler. LOL. But I dunno. I'm just gonna go with "Chapter Thirteen" for this last installment. Pointless, I know, but oh well.)
In this part, also, I would like to thank all of my faithful fans and reviewers for sticking with me throughout the course of this fic! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Enjoy!
Fragile
Chapter Thirteen: Eternity's Sunrise
A single white lily was laid on the tombstone of the great Yami Mutou by a pair of elderly, wrinkled hands.
It had been seventy five years since that day.
It was the exact anniversary of the former dueling king's death, and the now gray haired haired Seto just stood at the maroon haired man's grave, as he did every year around the date of Yami's death. He always brought a white lily, always placed it in the same spot on the grave. Always had that same look on his face, although his features had changed in the course of his lifetime. The usual sharpness of his eyes was softened by wrinkles and crow's feet around his eyes. He was wrinkled with age on his face, hands, feet...just like a man of his age should look. His hair was now a shade of white, mixed with gray, instead of the gorgeous chestnut brown it had been before. He wore a simple black coat, with baggy black pants, and a pair of sneakers. A cane was rested in his hand as he stood, just staring at the grave for a few minutes before turning to his escort and saying, "Let's go, Haji..."
The man, in his late thirties, turned to Seto and smiled bitterly, "Do you need help, Mr. Kaiba?"
"No, I'll be fine."
Seto walked to the car, being followed closely by his escort, limping slightly. He stumbled back wards, but righted himself as Haji helped him. The former CEO of KaibaCorp pushed the wiry frames of his glasses back onto his nose.
"Are you sure you don't need help?" Haji asked, running a hand through his blonde locks, "You look pained."
Seto nodded his head in reassurance, despite the throbbing pain in his hip that aroused itself due to his old age.
His footsteps crunched into the snow, along with the slender mahogany cane he used to get around.
"I'll be fine."
In the back of his head, the elderly man thought that nothing could be as painful as having lost the one he loved.
"Welcome back, Seto."
He ducked into the mansion he still lived in after all these years, brushing the snow off his shoulders and hair. He was met with the still bright, honey colored eyes of Shizuka Jounouchi.
"Thanks." Seto said shortly, looking at her with a small warmth that he had come to feel for her.
She had aged over the years. Her auburn hair dulling into a gray color, but it still held some of the red she was known for. She now wore it pulled back into a loose bun atop her head, stray strands falling around her face. "Did you visit Anzu's?"
"Yes," Seto said as a pang hit him like a ton of bricks. "I put a lily on hers as well."
"He's still broken up about it..." Shizuka said, referring to her brother about Anzu's death.
"Why shouldn't he be?" The Kaiba said, giving a slight cough, "He loved her."
"Yes..." The elderly woman agreed with the most uncharacteristic statement by her companion.
Not husband, although that was what she was wishing for all this time.
Not after forty years together had he proposed.
Never gave her a ring.
Nothing.
At first, Shizuka had wondered why, but the answer she searched for so hard as to why he wouldn't say "I love you" or propose to her, was so painfully clear.
He didn't say he loved her, because he didn't.
She had accepted it. She had loved him with all her heart for forty years, as if somehow she could help heal him, which she had a great deal, but...but...
She wasn't Yami.
The gray haired woman knew deep in her being that he would never love her back.
But she stayed with him, because he didn't seem to mind her company. He actually showed her affection when they were younger, and he was quite kind to her often. They'd kissed, been with each other, but...
But...
Seto walked briskly to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. With a swift, caring motion, he kissed her temple with the utmost care. "I'm going to go take a shower. Then I'm off to bed."
He then walked past her and up the stairs to their bedroom.
It was then that Shizuka quietly began to sob.
His wiry frame almost stumbled out of the bathroom, clad in pajamas, his hair soaked. Seto threw his dirty clothes in the hamper and walked to bed, to find Shizuka laying there on her side, facing away from him.
The Kaiba man just walked to his side of the bed and laid down, almost painfully, as if it hurt him to do so.
It was silent for a while, until he spoke, knowing that Shizuka wasn't asleep.
"Shizuka..."
Silence.
The honey eyed girl wouldn't talk, for she was afraid her voice would crack if she did so, and she didn't want to show weakness in front of him.
"...despite everything, I just..."
A lump formed in her throat, breath catching in her chest, as if she was scared to take in any air around him.
Seto stared up at the ceiling, his now dimmed cobalt orbs studying the fan above him as if it were the most intricate thing he had ever seen, "...I want you to know, that...you have made these years...after his death...very easy."
In the back of her mind, Shizuka wondered if that was the only thing Seto had wanted her for. To ease his pain.
"But..."
She closed her eyes.
"...even though I haven't shown it..."
Shizuka felt as if she couldn't move. As if her body was being confined to that one position by hundreds of thick, metal chains. One of which nestled itself over her heart, squeezing the organ in a vice.
"...I really do care for you, Shizuka."
Her eyes snapped open in shock.
It was quiet for a bit before she replied with what she had been telling him for years and years, "I love you, Seto Kaiba. But sometimes I think it's futile. Because I know that you are still hung up on him...after all this time. And...well...I just want you to know that, that I really do love you."
Seto closed his eyes, and a graceful, knowing smile formed on his lips.
"Thank you. For everything."
Those were the last words he said before he was claimed by sleep.
The Jounouchi woman woke early that morning, at around seven forty five. She noticed Seto hadn't yet gotten up, so she busied herself with getting a shower and changing clothes before making her way over to him in slow, short strides.
What he said that night did make her feel a lot better. And she was glad he said it.
But why?
Why would he say something like that now? For the first time in their relationship?
Why?
Shizuka looked down at Seto, who looked to not have moved since she rose from bed that morning.
He lay there, his hand resting on his chest lightly. The other arm lay by his side. The bedspread was bunched around his waist, but the sheet was still up to his chest. The pillow lay under his head. Shizuka dipped her head and kissed his cheek. The woman tensed, pulling back sharply, abruptly, looking at him in a worried manner. She took her hand and brushed the skin of Seto's face.
He was cold.
Gulping, Shizuka's heart began beating at a rapid pace inside her chest, fluttering about like thousands of bees.
She nudged his shoulder, "Seto..."
She began to take in sharp, hurried breaths.
Shizuka lowered her head to his chest. Please...please, no...no...
It was still.
There was nothing. No heartbeat. No breathing. No twitch of the eyebrow.
Nothing.
It was then that an anguished scream tore from Shizuka's dainty throat as she collapsed to her knees beside the bed, her arms splayed across his chest in a haphazard manner.
"Se...to..." She sobbed in a painfully pitiful way.
About ten or so servants raced into the bedroom, having heard the gray haired woman's shout.
"Miss Shizuka! Miss Shizuka, what's wrong!"
She lifted her head slowly, as if it were a lead weight attached to her neck. Eyes streaked with red, hair flying about the place, lips trembling, liquid tears flowing down her face...
It only took one look at the hurt expression on Shizuka's face and they knew.
Seto Kaiba, tamer of the Blue Eyes, was dead.
The funeral was somber, quiet, and black.
There was no celebrations about the passing of the former CEO. Not even from the old, gray, but still very spirited Katsuya Jounouchi. He was just as quiet as the rest of the mourners.
They passed by Shizuka, and her two sons. One who looked exactly like his father with his cold cobalt orbs and dark russet locks was named Soichiro Kaiba; the other resembled his mother with his tawny, short, auburn locks and honey hazel orbs was named Yukiru Kaiba. Both were at least in their late thirties, early forties. Soichiro, the normally stoic one of the two, taking after his father, had his eyes narrow and tears rimmed the bottom of them despite his will to not let them come. He wasn't experienced as his father was with hiding his emotions. Yukiru, however, was freely sobbing, having to stand by the open casket of his father. Yukiru shared Shizuka's ability to openly express her feelings around others, while Soichiro was more bottled up inside himself.
The elderly woman put a hand on each of her beloved sons' shoulders, "It'll be alright, now..."
Yukiru whimpered, while Soichiro just put his hand on his mother's and squeezed, as if looking for some kind of comfort.
Shizuka sighed, stifling a sob.
The friends she had left had all came. All looking old and at the end of their rope.
Her brother, whose hair and eyes have dulled throughout the years, specifically after the loss of his wife, Anzu, had walked by and gave her and her sons comfort, before his daughter went over to Soichiro and took his hand in hers, hugging his neck. Jounouchi had even made a feisty comment, "Looks like even the Ice Prince himself couldn't escape old age..."
Honda, who looked even more out of shape than his best friend, had walked by holding a still rather short and wide eyed Yugi by his hand. He had hugged the woman he used to be "in love" with and smiled bitterly, "I'm so sorry, Shiz."
She had only nodded before lightly kissing his cheek, as she had done all her close friends at this event.
Ryou Bakura, Malik Ishtar, and Isis Ishtar had all passed by, although they barely knew Seto. Shizuka assumed they must've still been in town after Anzu's funeral.
Mokuba stood still, clenching hist fists as if mad with the world, "B-Brother..." He muttered in a heart-broken manner. Yukiru walked over to him and embraced his tense form. He was, by far, the most effected of the people who knew the Kaiba man.
The funeral director came into the chapel area where the opening service was held, "Alright, now if we can move everyone to the burial site, please..."
Before they could close the casket, Shizuka went over to his still form. She kissed his forehead and began to cry, wet tears dampening his suit and hair. "Please...be happy now..."
"Miss, we have to close the casket now."
Shizuka looked up at the man, tears streaming down her pretty features, "Yes..." She lifted herself from the body and began to move out of the door to get to the car, where she would ride to the grave site to put Seto's body at rest.
Yukiru looked at his mother in a questioning manner, "Be happy?" He muttered, tears falling freely from his eyes, "Why say that...?"
Shizuka just closed her eyes and smiled at her son.
"He can now be with the person he's been longing after this whole time."
Yukiru's orbs took on a questioning look, "Mother, what?"
"I'm happy for him..."
She opened her eyes, filled with a bitter sweetness.
"...because now he can be with the one he lost...the one he loved...so long ago..."
This time, when she closed her eyes, no tears fell from their depths.
White.
Everything was white.
A blinding kind of white that seemed to brighten anything that was near it.
White.
Seto Kaiba wondered what had happened to him. He felt as if he had no body, as if he were lighter than air, but he could see his hands. He looked down at them, expecting to find them wrinkled...but he saw taught, youthful skin in place of what he had thought he would see.
"What...?"
Even his voice seemed airy, calming. Not the cold, callous tone he had used throughout his life.
Seto looked around. Despite the bright white sky, everything else resembled a park. Or a place outside. There was tall, vibrant green grass swaying in a nonexistent breeze around him. There were trees. There were birds, flowers...everything ringing of peace.
Is this...Heaven?
So...I'm dead?
He looked ahead of him a while, and saw a large oak tree beside a crystal clear pond that shone with the beaming white light that seeped from every crevasse of this place. He picked up his pace, walking over to the pond to see what exactly he looked like.
His reflection was a teenager, from seventy five years ago. His hair was that dark, rich brown color. His eyes were intense, cobalt blue, but they had a soft aspect to them now, that Seto didn't seem to want to will away. He was dressed in a pure white robe and sandals.
He was young again.
"I-Impossible..." He muttered in shock.
He was in even more in shock when a voice replied back to him, "No, it isn't, Seto."
He knew that voice.
It was still as fresh in his memory as it was the day they last spoke.
A figure was leaning against the trunk of the oak tree, his hair was spread out behind him, clinging almost to the bark of the tree. His eyes were closed in a calm manner.
He opened them, crimson met cobalt for the first time after years apart, "Welcome home, Seto. What took you so long?"
I'm in Heaven... Seto thought, not in a figure of speech related to pure glee, which was what he was feeling anyway.
But that thought was a fleeting one, as his heart began panging hard in his chest. He felt as if he couldn't breathe, as if his heart didn't want him to. All those familiar emotions he loathed came flooding back to him in droves, washing over his very being with a sense of utter excitement and somewhat dread.
He spoke, his voice almost trembling in its tone, "Yami..."
As if on cue, the remaining shadows cast from the tree moved, revealing the man to indeed be Yami, although Seto had no doubt as to who it was.
"Yes, it's me..." Yami trailed off, getting up from his sitting position.
Seto didn't know what caused him to run, but he found his legs moving to race toward the man. He ran through the pond, along the side, the water seeming to go right through his figure. His heart was pounding the whole time...
It was Yami.
Yami.
It wasn't an illusion.
It wasn't like a wonderful dream.
It was reality.
Yami.
He got to him in a matter of seconds, although it seemed like forever.
Seto was face to face with the former dueling king, "Yami...Yami..." He struggled to find his words.
"Yes, Seto?"
He ignored the chill of excitement when he heard Yami say his name once more.
It was silent for a while as Seto struggled within himself to find the words to say.
What words could do justice to what he felt?
None, he decided.
Impulsively, he reached out his hands in an out of character gesture, and embraced Yami in a meaningful embrace, holding the Mutou boy to his form as if afraid to lose him again.
It was quiet for even longer after Yami slipped his hands around Seto's shoulders, hugging him back, causing the russet haired man's heart to skip.
"I do, too."
Seto's eyes widened. What was the pharaoh talking about?
He gave a chuckle, an all-knowing chuckle that Seto hated when he dueled against him when they were both of the living. "I heard you...that day in the cemetery. All those years ago...I heard you." He said, with a tone of sadness laced with compassion, "I heard, and saw, you. Pounding onto the ground. Shouting at nothing in particular. All in sorrow...it saddened me - "
Seto gulped.
" - but, in some sick way, it also made me feel wanted."
The brunette man watched in uncertainty as the pharaoh began inching closer to his form. He continued talking, "And all this time, I've wanted so badly to tell you my reply to your words."
It seemed as if a lead weight fell onto Seto's chest.
"I love you too, Seto."
Just when he thought his eyes couldn't widen even more, they did.
Shock.
Wonderment.
Happiness.
Those were all feelings that surged throughout his being as he heard it for the millionth time ringing in his head.
They separated from the embrace, but not for long.
Seto smirked as he lowered his head to meet Yami's, brushing his lips against the soft ones of his former rival. It was meant to be a short, soft, innocent thing, but Yami deepened it, putting all his longing for the last seventy five years into that one kiss. He ran his tongue over the cobalt eyed man's lips as he moved his hand to run through his soft, brown locks.
Seto kissed him back passionately, as if that could make up for all the time they had lost together. Clasping his hand around the base of his neck, bringing him closer to him he deepened it even further while also moving his other hand to rest at the small of his back. The mood softened, and then they just resorted to lightly nipping each other's lips, before they finally parted, taking in some air. For a while, the only sound in the air was the pants of the two reunited men. They didn't recede an inch from each other, however...they only enjoyed being this close to one another after so very long.
A light chuckle emitted from his throat as Yami took his hand and clasped it within Seto's large palm, motioning for him to sit down beside him under the shade of the tree.
The brunette smiled and complied, sitting down before Yami lowered himself onto the patch of glossy, fresh, green grass.
He noticed that there was no space between them. Not like the times when they were too scared to even touch one another. Not like the times when they had to give each other a very noticeable amount of separation between their two bodies. Not like when they were rivals.
It was different. A change.
But unlike so many others that occurred during his lifetime, Seto welcomed this change.
They were so close that Yami tilted his head and rested it on Seto's strong, sturdy shoulder, in the crook of his neck, and inhaled deeply, breathing in his scent.
"This is my favorite part of the day." Yami said, looking up at the horizon.
Seto wondered what he meant, but when he looked to were Yami's eyes were fixated, he knew.
The whiteness of the sky was littered with a splash of orange that came from where the sky met the ground, slowly making its way upward.
"Sunrise."
Yami nodded at Seto's answer. "That's right."
Feeling awkward for a second while having Yami's head on his shoulder, he reached his hand around Yami's slender form and pulled him closer.
This feeling...
...it was enough to make him want to live, want to die, want to be redeemed...it made him feel pain, sorrow, and even joy and enthusiasm.
It was an odd feeling.
This...love he had for the man beside him.
It was strange.
But, despite its unfamiliarity, it felt right.
So right, that, when Yami nuzzled into Seto's form, he knew that there was no other way he would rather spend eternity.
When he arrived here from the start, his first assumption as to where he was, was right.
This was Heaven.
End Chapter Thirteen.
End Fragile.