The Diamond Star
Chapter 17: Dreams and Miracles
Disclaimer: the stuff that isn't mine...ISN'T MINE. DUH.
The day flew past, Seto was oblivious to the passing of time. He was caught in the past. Memories whisked past him, some his own, others seemed to be from spirits long gone. All the same, he felt as though they were his. He saw burning deserts, lush green forests, sweeping oceans, and snow- capped mountains. They were all so familiar, but they all looked so ancient. As if he were seeing them through someone else's eyes.
"Seto."
Seto turned around. He was now floating in an endless void. No color, no light, just the fierce blackness threatening to swallow him whole.
"Who's there?"
The empty space seemed to suck the words from his mouth. There was no answer. He was alone.
"Show yourself!"
Again, no answer. Seto contemplated the voice he had heard. It was so strangely familiar. Male, deep and powerful. Ancient-sounding. But who was it? Who did he know that had a voice like that? Yuugi's darker counterpart perhaps, but this sounded different. It sounded more familiar, and colder than the ancient pharaoh.
"Seto..."
Another voice this time. Still strangely familiar, yet...different. This one sounded younger, as if the first voice had been pulled back in time to a point where it was just a young child.
"Who are you?!" Seto shouted.
The void shimmered slightly. The darkness faded. Then, the emerald leaf began to glow with a fain light. The void swallowed the light, sucking greedily. But the light never failed, soon, Seto's surroundings began to brighten.
Seto looked around. He was standing in a garden. There were fragrant flowers all around him, yet he recognized none of them. Looking to his feet, he noticed a winding cobblestone path. It was twilight and the stars were just twinkling out. Or maybe it was sunrise and the glory of the new day was replacing the vast night.
Seto didn't know and, for once in his life, he didn't care. He contented himself to walking along the path in the dim half-night. He wondered at the simple beauty of his surroundings. Then, Seto came to a small structure. It looked like some sort of gazebo, but the architecture reminded him immensely of the ancient Egyptian temples.
The pale white limestone shone in the light of the full moon and the half-risen sun. Statues of Isis (not the millennium item bearer Isis, the goddess Isis.) and Osiris graced the entrance.
Inside, sat two figures conversing quietly. One was a fully grown man, dressed in Egyptian garb. The other was a young boy of sixteen, he looked as if he could have been the first man's son if not for the pointed ears and pale wings that decorated his anatomy.
"So, you have come at last," the older one greeted Seto.
Seto realized that these must have been the beings that had called him. They looked so much like...himself. the young boy, and the Egyptian. The three were so much the same.
"Who are you?" Seto asked, sitting down in a chair that was provided.
"We are you, or more correctly, we were you," the younger half-angel replied.
"What?" Seto was puzzled, not surprised, by this response. It was as if he had been expecting it.
"We are you," the boy repeated.
The time flew by as the two explained that they were Seto's reverse reincarnations. They had come to tell him about himself. His destiny. They talked for hours, but the twilight remained steady.
Suddenly, the Egyptian rose. "We have wasted much time here, she needs you. But don't worry, your love can save her."
Without a word, Seto was back in the void. A shaft of sunlight pierced the darkness. Seto slowly, wearily, opened his eyes. He had been dreaming. Lying on the flat of his back, he took a deep breath. It was, ironically, twilight. Then Seto sat up straight, one word was embedded in his mind, Seraphim. What had the Egyptian said? "She needs you"? Did that mean Seraphim?
Seto clambered to his feet. He had to find her. He needed to find out what was going on here. He began to walk, slowly at first, then he broke into a run. The emerald leaf guided him, his path was clear. He did not know how he knew, but he wasn't complaining. The gem drew him closer to where Seraphim was.
Seto looked around, the forest had been demolished in some places, the line of trees cut back. Piles of rubble littered the ground. Broken tree branches, piles of ancient ruins, Seto kept coughing from the dust clouds his feet stirred up.
Then, he saw it. He was sure that was it. Seraphim was trapped underneath THAT pile of junk. He did the only thing he could think of, he ran. Upon reaching the rubble, he began to dig frantically. He could feel Seraphim, she was so weak.
The minutes crept by like hours. Finally, Seto found her hand. Hesitating a bit, he reached out to touch it. It wasn't warm, but it wasn't cold either. He kept digging.
Soon, he had unearthed her head and torso, then her legs. She appeared to be in one piece. Many cuts and bruises were present on her body. Even injured, she was so beautiful. Seto thanked the gods she was breathing.
Carrying her with great care out of the heap, Seto took her to a place that was not covered in debris from the explosion. There, he cradled Seraphim in his arms, willing her to be okay. He closed his eyes, he could hardly bear to see her in such pain.
"Seto?" a faint whisper, hardly noticeable.
Seto opened his eyes. Seraphim was awake. She looked so wonderful, just there. Seto repressed the urge to capture her in a fierce hug, afraid he might injure her further.
"Seraphim, how do you feel?" Seto cooed softly.
She managed a small laugh, before it turned into a cough. "Apart from massive cuts and bruises, a concussion, and severe internal bleeding, I feel fine," Seraphim whispered hoarsely, looking at Seto sadly.
Seto started. She was that badly hurt? Was she going to...die?
"I love you Seraphim," Seto smiled half-heartedly, kissing her.
"I love you too Seto," Seraphim managed a tiny grin, then grimaced.
Seto could see a coldness creeping into the dark brown of her eyes. She was dying.
"Seraphim...?" Seto realized the cold truth, he was loosing her.
"Don't forget me, kay?" Seraphim sighed sadly. "I love you Seto Kaiba."
Then she was gone. GONE. The word pounded into Seto's brain. It took him a few moments to register the fact that Seraphim had died.
A tear plashed onto her cheek. Then another, and another. The silent plea for someone to come and tell him it was all a bad dream echoed in his mind. Why had this happened to her? She hadn't done anything wrong! It should have been him, heaven knows he'd done shitloads of rotten things in his life. She was purity and love and strength, she was perfect.
Seto damned Ksho to hell. This was all his fault. Ksho had killed her. She was dead.
Her last three words played over and over in his mind. "I love you Seto Kaiba." His tears rained down on her ashen face. "Don't forget me kay?"
"I love you..." Her voice was carried by the wind. Seto held her body tightly to his own. His tears coursed down her skin. Her pale face shone damply in the light of the stars just twinkling out.
Then, one tear fell on the Diamond Star. For a moment, everything fell silent. Just the soft splash of Seto's tears disturbed the scene. Next the star began to shine softly. The soft beam of light turned into a radiant glow. Seraphim's body was engulfed by the shining illumination of her gem.
Seto looked up. What was going on? Something whispered in his ear. "Your love can save her." What had that meant?
Just then, the light receded back into the diamond star. Seraphim's wounds had disappeared, no dark purple bruises marred her perfect skin. The tiny red cuts had all vanished. She would have appeared to be sleeping peacefully if not for the fact that she wasn't breathing.
Seto held his breath. Dared to dream, dared to hope. For what, he didn't know, but he did it anyway. Maybe a miracle would happen. Maybe he had saved her. Maybe she would be alright. Maybe...
Suddenly, Seraphim's chest began to rise and fall slowly. Seto could have jumped for joy.
"Seraphim!" he exclaimed softly, shaking her awake.
"Seto?" she was disoriented. "But...I...died..." Seraphim was very confused. "What happened?"
"I don't know!" Seto exclaimed. "But it was a miracle! You're back, you're back!" Seto hugged Seraphim tightly. "Don't scare me like that ever again!"
"A miracle," Seraphim whispered. "That's right." Smiling, she returned Seto's embrace as the two began the slow walk back to the house.
Ksho had finally been defeated, and now the greatest milestone in Seto and Seraphim's lives would be: how to introduce Seraphim to Seto's friends.
Argh...that was kinda crappy...sorry. This is technically the "end" of the story. but I got an inspiration for a kind-of sequel thing. But since I'm lazy I'm gonna just plop it on to this one instead of making a whole new story. ^-^
Chapter 17: Dreams and Miracles
Disclaimer: the stuff that isn't mine...ISN'T MINE. DUH.
The day flew past, Seto was oblivious to the passing of time. He was caught in the past. Memories whisked past him, some his own, others seemed to be from spirits long gone. All the same, he felt as though they were his. He saw burning deserts, lush green forests, sweeping oceans, and snow- capped mountains. They were all so familiar, but they all looked so ancient. As if he were seeing them through someone else's eyes.
"Seto."
Seto turned around. He was now floating in an endless void. No color, no light, just the fierce blackness threatening to swallow him whole.
"Who's there?"
The empty space seemed to suck the words from his mouth. There was no answer. He was alone.
"Show yourself!"
Again, no answer. Seto contemplated the voice he had heard. It was so strangely familiar. Male, deep and powerful. Ancient-sounding. But who was it? Who did he know that had a voice like that? Yuugi's darker counterpart perhaps, but this sounded different. It sounded more familiar, and colder than the ancient pharaoh.
"Seto..."
Another voice this time. Still strangely familiar, yet...different. This one sounded younger, as if the first voice had been pulled back in time to a point where it was just a young child.
"Who are you?!" Seto shouted.
The void shimmered slightly. The darkness faded. Then, the emerald leaf began to glow with a fain light. The void swallowed the light, sucking greedily. But the light never failed, soon, Seto's surroundings began to brighten.
Seto looked around. He was standing in a garden. There were fragrant flowers all around him, yet he recognized none of them. Looking to his feet, he noticed a winding cobblestone path. It was twilight and the stars were just twinkling out. Or maybe it was sunrise and the glory of the new day was replacing the vast night.
Seto didn't know and, for once in his life, he didn't care. He contented himself to walking along the path in the dim half-night. He wondered at the simple beauty of his surroundings. Then, Seto came to a small structure. It looked like some sort of gazebo, but the architecture reminded him immensely of the ancient Egyptian temples.
The pale white limestone shone in the light of the full moon and the half-risen sun. Statues of Isis (not the millennium item bearer Isis, the goddess Isis.) and Osiris graced the entrance.
Inside, sat two figures conversing quietly. One was a fully grown man, dressed in Egyptian garb. The other was a young boy of sixteen, he looked as if he could have been the first man's son if not for the pointed ears and pale wings that decorated his anatomy.
"So, you have come at last," the older one greeted Seto.
Seto realized that these must have been the beings that had called him. They looked so much like...himself. the young boy, and the Egyptian. The three were so much the same.
"Who are you?" Seto asked, sitting down in a chair that was provided.
"We are you, or more correctly, we were you," the younger half-angel replied.
"What?" Seto was puzzled, not surprised, by this response. It was as if he had been expecting it.
"We are you," the boy repeated.
The time flew by as the two explained that they were Seto's reverse reincarnations. They had come to tell him about himself. His destiny. They talked for hours, but the twilight remained steady.
Suddenly, the Egyptian rose. "We have wasted much time here, she needs you. But don't worry, your love can save her."
Without a word, Seto was back in the void. A shaft of sunlight pierced the darkness. Seto slowly, wearily, opened his eyes. He had been dreaming. Lying on the flat of his back, he took a deep breath. It was, ironically, twilight. Then Seto sat up straight, one word was embedded in his mind, Seraphim. What had the Egyptian said? "She needs you"? Did that mean Seraphim?
Seto clambered to his feet. He had to find her. He needed to find out what was going on here. He began to walk, slowly at first, then he broke into a run. The emerald leaf guided him, his path was clear. He did not know how he knew, but he wasn't complaining. The gem drew him closer to where Seraphim was.
Seto looked around, the forest had been demolished in some places, the line of trees cut back. Piles of rubble littered the ground. Broken tree branches, piles of ancient ruins, Seto kept coughing from the dust clouds his feet stirred up.
Then, he saw it. He was sure that was it. Seraphim was trapped underneath THAT pile of junk. He did the only thing he could think of, he ran. Upon reaching the rubble, he began to dig frantically. He could feel Seraphim, she was so weak.
The minutes crept by like hours. Finally, Seto found her hand. Hesitating a bit, he reached out to touch it. It wasn't warm, but it wasn't cold either. He kept digging.
Soon, he had unearthed her head and torso, then her legs. She appeared to be in one piece. Many cuts and bruises were present on her body. Even injured, she was so beautiful. Seto thanked the gods she was breathing.
Carrying her with great care out of the heap, Seto took her to a place that was not covered in debris from the explosion. There, he cradled Seraphim in his arms, willing her to be okay. He closed his eyes, he could hardly bear to see her in such pain.
"Seto?" a faint whisper, hardly noticeable.
Seto opened his eyes. Seraphim was awake. She looked so wonderful, just there. Seto repressed the urge to capture her in a fierce hug, afraid he might injure her further.
"Seraphim, how do you feel?" Seto cooed softly.
She managed a small laugh, before it turned into a cough. "Apart from massive cuts and bruises, a concussion, and severe internal bleeding, I feel fine," Seraphim whispered hoarsely, looking at Seto sadly.
Seto started. She was that badly hurt? Was she going to...die?
"I love you Seraphim," Seto smiled half-heartedly, kissing her.
"I love you too Seto," Seraphim managed a tiny grin, then grimaced.
Seto could see a coldness creeping into the dark brown of her eyes. She was dying.
"Seraphim...?" Seto realized the cold truth, he was loosing her.
"Don't forget me, kay?" Seraphim sighed sadly. "I love you Seto Kaiba."
Then she was gone. GONE. The word pounded into Seto's brain. It took him a few moments to register the fact that Seraphim had died.
A tear plashed onto her cheek. Then another, and another. The silent plea for someone to come and tell him it was all a bad dream echoed in his mind. Why had this happened to her? She hadn't done anything wrong! It should have been him, heaven knows he'd done shitloads of rotten things in his life. She was purity and love and strength, she was perfect.
Seto damned Ksho to hell. This was all his fault. Ksho had killed her. She was dead.
Her last three words played over and over in his mind. "I love you Seto Kaiba." His tears rained down on her ashen face. "Don't forget me kay?"
"I love you..." Her voice was carried by the wind. Seto held her body tightly to his own. His tears coursed down her skin. Her pale face shone damply in the light of the stars just twinkling out.
Then, one tear fell on the Diamond Star. For a moment, everything fell silent. Just the soft splash of Seto's tears disturbed the scene. Next the star began to shine softly. The soft beam of light turned into a radiant glow. Seraphim's body was engulfed by the shining illumination of her gem.
Seto looked up. What was going on? Something whispered in his ear. "Your love can save her." What had that meant?
Just then, the light receded back into the diamond star. Seraphim's wounds had disappeared, no dark purple bruises marred her perfect skin. The tiny red cuts had all vanished. She would have appeared to be sleeping peacefully if not for the fact that she wasn't breathing.
Seto held his breath. Dared to dream, dared to hope. For what, he didn't know, but he did it anyway. Maybe a miracle would happen. Maybe he had saved her. Maybe she would be alright. Maybe...
Suddenly, Seraphim's chest began to rise and fall slowly. Seto could have jumped for joy.
"Seraphim!" he exclaimed softly, shaking her awake.
"Seto?" she was disoriented. "But...I...died..." Seraphim was very confused. "What happened?"
"I don't know!" Seto exclaimed. "But it was a miracle! You're back, you're back!" Seto hugged Seraphim tightly. "Don't scare me like that ever again!"
"A miracle," Seraphim whispered. "That's right." Smiling, she returned Seto's embrace as the two began the slow walk back to the house.
Ksho had finally been defeated, and now the greatest milestone in Seto and Seraphim's lives would be: how to introduce Seraphim to Seto's friends.
Argh...that was kinda crappy...sorry. This is technically the "end" of the story. but I got an inspiration for a kind-of sequel thing. But since I'm lazy I'm gonna just plop it on to this one instead of making a whole new story. ^-^