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Christmas of Memories, a short YuGiOh! story by Tsunami Storm
Chapter 2: Catastrophe
-Domino High, backstage-
"Boy, I sure hope that Seto and the others can get here safely in this weather-" A worried Mokuba whispered as he looked out the window at the white winter storm. He was so worried that he wasn't even excited about how much snow there would be tomorrow. "Man. The last time we had this much snow was when- Dad-" He broke off, wiping a few budding tears from his eyes. He didn't really remember the event*- as he was very small when it happened- but Seto had told him when he was a few years older. Okay, get a grip, Mokuba. The young boy chided himself. This is a Christmas concert. At least act happy- even if you feel miserable.
*[See 'Tragedy of the Past']
"What's the matter, Mokuba? You got stage fright?" A teenaged girl asked out of nowhere. Startled, Mokuba jumped a little, but then relaxed when he saw Roland's niece. "Oh, hi. I didn't see you there, Yukina. Yeah, I'm a little nervous. Who isn't?" That wasn't a complete lie. I am a little nervous.
"I'm not!" Yukina answered, beaming. The young woman had long golden hair and green eyes like emeralds. She was wearing a beautiful white dress tonight, and Mokuba knew that when she would stand in the spotlight for her solo, she would look just like an angel. Her hair was tied back with a bright red ribbon, and tiny white flowers were artfully woven into her blonde tresses.
"Hey, you wanna take a peek through the curtain and see if your family's here yet? I know Uncle Isono won't be here. He always feels ill on the holidays. But we can still look for your brothers and sister." Yukina suggested out of the blue, and Mokuba nodded once in agreement. Carefully so as not to be seen, the two teens peeked out the curtain and scanned the audience. Finally Mokuba spotted them. His family was just walking through the doors, and Seto was brushing snow out of his hair with an annoyed expression on his face.
"Did you have to throw a snowball at me, Noah? Especially when my back was turned?" Seto glared at his stepbrother. Noah just grinned evilly and chose a seat between the middle and front of the auditorium. Still grumbling to himself, the CEO sat next to him, followed by Seth and Kisara. Once everyone had settled comfortably in their seats, Seto crossed his legs and folded his hands on his left knee.
"Heh. Seto's sitting just like Dad used to." Mokuba whispered to himself, then he and Yukina withdrew from their position and took their places on the stage. Soon after, the principal walked onto the stage and addressed the crowd of parents, guardians and siblings.
"Welcome to you all, and Merry Christmas! Tonight we will be performing our annual Christmas concert, but this year will be slightly different than in the past. We've decided to combine our band and choir performances in order to cut down on time. That aside, let our performance begin, with 'Joy to the World'!"
As the principal walked off the stage, the curtain rolled back and the band members prepared to start the first song. As the inspiring music filled the air, Mokuba saw his family of four smiling up at him, and suddenly all his worry and sadness vanished. Nothing mattered anymore but the song they were about to sing.
As the first selection filled the room, Seto felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him. He remembered singing this same arrangement when he was eight, eleven years ago now. He remembered his father and little Mokuba sitting in the pews of a local church building for his Christmas concert in third grade. He remembered being so proud and happy that his father and brother had come to hear him sing. As the song morphed seamlessly into the next selection, 'Good King Wenceslas', Seto couldn't help but feel as if he'd traveled back in time somehow. This was exactly like his concert eleven years ago.
When the final song started to play, Seto felt his heart rise a few centimeters in his chest. 'Adeste Fideles' had been and still remained his favorite Christmas hymn, and- eleven years ago- he'd been the one selected to sing the final verse solo in the original Latin. He'd had a very good voice as a child before his voice had changed, and he'd been the only one who knew the words to 'Adeste Fideles', or 'Oh Come, All Ye Faithful'. He doubted that any of the boys in this choir could sing it, so he expected one of the girls to. Sure enough- as the second verse drew near its end- Roland's niece stepped off the risers and to the center stage, and a single spotlight shone on the fifteen-year-old soprano.
"Adeste Fideles, Laeti triumphantes,
Venite, Venite, in Bethlehem.
Natum videte, Regem Angelorum.
Venite adoremus, venite adoremus,
Venite adoremus, Dominus!"
"She looks and sings like an angel. I've never heard anything so beautiful in my life!" Kisara whispered, and Seth and Seto just nodded, their mouths open in stunned wonder. As the band played the postlude- an arrangement of 'Away in a Manger'- Yukina melted fluidly back into the large choir of students, resuming her position on the middle riser. When the amateur orchestra ended on its final strong note, the crowd burst into applause and soon the entire audience was on their feet and clapping so hard their hands were turning red.
Seto had never heard such a beautiful concert before- especially from an amateur high school choir and orchestra group- and he found himself on his feet and applauding harder and louder than anyone else in the audience. The choir bowed at the standing ovation and in an orderly manner exited the stage to return to their respective family members. Mokuba and Yukina walked over to where his brothers and sister were waiting and stopped just in front of the four. Yukina curtsied respectfully when she saw her uncle's employer, but Mokuba ran right up to him and tackled him in an enthusiastic bear-hug.
"Seto! You made it!" came the excited cry of joy from the raven-haired teen. Seto merely chuckled and ruffled his brother's hair again, answering, "Of course I came, Mokie. I wouldn't miss this for the world."
Yukina stood by shyly while this exchange took place, staring at her shoes and wringing her hands nervously behind her back. When Seto turned his attention to her, she jumped slightly and blushed. Was Mr. Kaiba always this tall? she thought uneasily, slightly intimidated by the 6'1'' young man.
"It's really too bad that your uncle wasn't able to come. You sang like an angel. A-according to Kisara, anyway." Seto praised, smiling slightly at the teenage girl. Yukina went even redder and mumbled very quickly, "Thank you, Mr. Kaiba," before falling silent and thoroughly studying her shoes again.
"There's no need to be embarrassed, Yukina!" Mokuba laughed. "You did great! Seto rarely gives anyone a compliment like that, so this is a special day indeed!" The boy added with a mischievous grin for his brother.
"I-I'm not embarrassed, Mokuba. It's just that your brother is really intimidating. Both of them." Yukina stammered, briefly glancing at Seth, who was also smiling in a friendly way.
"Aw, they just look intimidating 'cuz they're so tall. Seto's not mean, and neither is Seth. Just give it some time. You get used to it eventually." Mokuba assured. Yukina smiled slightly at that, then curtsied politely and left to find her parents.
"Well Mokuba, I think it's time we headed home also, don't you?" Seto asked gently after a minute, catching the attention of Seth, Noah, and Kisara, who were still nearby. "Yeah. We'd better go. It looks like that storm is gonna get worse pretty soon."
Seto nodded, then the group of five ventured outside into the snow and piled into Seto's father's old Corvette Stingray. Mokuba, Kisara and Noah sat in the back, and Seto and Seth sat in front. Wordlessly Seto started the car, and the family drove off to the Kaiba mansion- to home.
-After about ten minutes-
Seto glanced in his rearview mirror back at his raven-haired brother. "You did a great job tonight, Mokuba. I was impressed. I liked the song arrangements too." He said with a smile.
"Really?" Mokuba queried, then beamed with pride. "The first time we sang all those songs in choir, it sounded vaguely familiar, like I'd heard it a long time ago." Seto smirked at that, remembering the event as well. Then he turned his thoughts back to the road. By now the storm was a whiteout, and Seto could barely see the red taillights of the car in front of him. Suddenly the red lights started to swerve from side to side as the car drove over a patch of black ice. Seto carefully slowed down in response, but his tires locked as they approached the icy portion of the road. Seto grit his teeth and his mouth formed a hard line as he tried to maneuver through the treacherous terrain.
However, Mother Nature wasn't going to let him off that easily. The pickup behind them smashed into the back corner of their car, and the Corvette went spinning out of control. Suddenly both of the tires on the left side of the car hit bumps, and the car flipped over and rolled to the ditch between the two highways. Kisara, Noah and Mokuba cried out in either fear or pain- Seto couldn't tell- and Seth had hit his head hard on the door and was now unconscious. A trickle of blood ran down from his temple and dripped onto the sill of the window.
As the vehicle continued to roll, the front end of the car smashed into the guardrail and caved inward from the pressure. Seto felt a searing pain in his leg and found it hard to breathe. Unconsciousness slowly taking him, he guessed that a few of his ribs were broken, as well as at least one- if not both- of his legs. As he finally lost consciousness, the airbag inflated- slamming his already injured head against the chair's headrest. Barely conscious, Seto thought irritably at the safety device: Oh, now you decide to inflate. Add insult to injury- Then darkness claimed him.
End of chapter 2
Next chapter teaser: Recuperation
I know. I know. Never drive in a whiteout. I had to make it interesting, though!
The song selections were from an old CD of the Vienna Boys Choir. They're really good! I highly recommend them!
Will the Kaiba family be okay? I hope so! Find out next chapter!
God Bless!
Tsunami Storm