Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh. *bitter stare*



Chapter 16 - Saying Goodbye



Vari sat in her bedroom, watching the sun go down as the day ended and night began to crossed over. She touched the window with her finger tips, feeling the smooth hard glass. A tear rolled down her cheek with sorrow.


********


"Can you tell me what exactly happen Miss. Mayoto?" the officer asked.

Vari said nothing. She stood petrified.

"Do you know what the attacker looked like? Could you describe him for me, if you can?"

Still, Vari said nothing. She just watched as they lifted the stretcher into the ambulance.

"Come on. Leave the poor girl alone. She just lost her father." said another, dragging the officer away.

Vari barely heard the officer's interrogations or when the other dragged him away from her. She watched the ambulance drive off and stared at the people from the streets trying to get a closer look on what was happening as police officers said to move along. It felt like the world was revolving faster and faster around her and she couldn't stop it. She looked down at her hands. They were red. Stained with blood.

Before she knew it, she screamed.


********


Her mother came and brought her home. She cried all the way, sniffing and wiping her tears with one tissue after another, while Vari said nothing. She became mute and ran into her bedroom, locking herself in.

She had been in there for a while. From time to time her mother would knock on her door and asked if she was "Okay" or "If she would come out from her bedroom." After a while her mother gave up.

Thoughts flashed across her mind. She saw images of her father dying as she watched helplessly, crying with tears in her eyes. It played back over and over like a broken tape recorder. She buried her face into her arms, rocking back and forth, wishing it would go away. It wasn't a reality that she wanted to face. She denied it, as if miraculously her father would barge into her bedroom any second and say that it had been a cruel joke. But her door didn't open and no one came in. She touched the glass window again and tilted her head slowly.

It was then that she felt utterly alone.


********


Mokuba sat down on the couch, flipping channels with the remote and feeling completely bored out of his mind. Seto was across from him working with his laptop as usual.

"News today as renown archeologist Shiro Mayoto was found murderer near Downtown Domino..."

Mokuba's eyes widen as he stopped pressing the channel button. He turned the volume up louder.

"Head archeologist Shiro Mayoto was at the Domino Museum, recently working on the new Egypt exhibit, reported fellow co-worker Hajime Yamada."

"That's Vari's dad Seto!" Mokuba exclaimed.

"Police have reported that he was shot twice in the chest in a nearby alleyway from the Domino Museum where his daughter found him lying on the ground. He died instantly. Whether or not it was a mugger or an actual intended murder is hard to say..."

Mokuba looked sadly towards his brother. "Poor Vari..."

Seto, who had been watching intently did not say anything for a long moment. Then he got up and head towards the door.

"Seto? Where are you going?" Mokuba called out to him. But his brother left without a word.


********


At the same moment Yugi and Grandpa where watching the same news.

"Police are still investigating, no prime suspect has been found as of this moment. There have been no comments from the family. In other news..."

Yugi felt a shock run through his system. "I can't believe it grandpa." he said with disbelief.

"I know Yugi. This has been a horrible tragedy." he felt weak in the knees. "He was a great friend, that man." Grandpa sighed, a tear rolled down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away. "I must go call Maaya." he went inside while Yugi stood alone in the room. His millennium puzzle started to glow. He decided he needed to talk to Yami.

"It's happening." said Yugi. "It's just what I feared before. I don't think Mr. Mayoto was murder by just anyone."

"I don't think so either. Whoever did this crime was looking for something that he had. The news had said he was working on the Egypt exhibit. Perhaps it's a connection." Yami suggested.

Yugi look at Yami with puzzelment. "But who and what?"


********


The clouds looked gray as everyone gathered together to say goodbye. Even Grandpa, Yugi, Joey, Tristen, and Tea were present, walking along the rows of tombstones until they reached a brown casket sitting in the middle of the grassy cemetery. Everyone stood quietly in mourning.

"These places give me the creeps." Joey whispered looking around. "Look! That guy there. I heard he died while doing it with his girlfriend."

"Shut up Joey." Tea whispered back in a stern voice. "You're being rude."

"Fine I'll zip my lips." he mimicked locking his lips and throwing away the key.

"You're such an idiot." Tea rolled her eyes at him.

Joey pretended he couldn't open his mouth, but he gave an obvious glare at Tea.

"How's Vari doing?" Tristen asked. "I didn't really want to say anything to her. I was afraid I would upset her or something."

"She's been very quiet." Yugi answered. "Or at least that's what her mom said to my Grandpa."

"Man it must be tough" said Tristen. "To lose someone."

Yugi spotted Vari walking towards them."Here she comes you guys. Don't say anything stupid." They all looked at Joey.

"What?" Joey asked. "I ain't going to say anything!"

Vari walked up to them. An unusual set of anguish was crafted on her face. She wasn't the smiling Vari they knew before.

Tea gave her a comforting hug. "Are you alright?"

Vari nodded slowly and the burial began.

"Family and Friends. We are all gathered here today to say goodbye..."

Vari was only half listening. She was silently grateful that her friends were all there, but it didn't feel as complete as she had hoped. She didn't say much to anyone, except listen to meaningless dribble from distant people her father knew."I'm sorry for your lost." they would say. Vari heard it a thousand times over. It was rather sickening, each time a person said that to her. At times she wanted to scream. "How about you revive my dead father? That would be a big help."

They lowered the coffin into the earth. She heard her mother's weeping. It was so bad that Grandpa had to try and calm her down. They began to shovel the dirt onto the hole, closing the gap. It was the last time her father's spirit would wonder the earth before he passed onto the next life.

Everyone walked up and drop bouquets of flowers. It piled up as more people placed it next to the grave.

It was Vari's turn. She slowly walked up and drop a red rose, but she didn't move away.

Nyri walked over to Vari. His cheerful expression was gone, just like Vari. "Your dad was the greatest friend I ever had. If I could change what happen I would."

Vari nodded. "Thanks" was all she could muster out.

Everyone started to leave.

"Come on, we should go. It's going to rain soon."

"I think I'm going to stay here a little while longer." she said. "Can you tell my mom that I'll go home later?"

Nyri didn't argue with her. "Sure kiddo."

After everyone was gone the cemetery became quiet. She stared at the tombstone for a long time as if studying the words engraved. It read:

Shiro Mayoto

1960 - 2003

Beloved Husband, Father, and Friend

The wind blew her hair back. Suddenly she heard the screeching tires of a car stop. She turned around, seeing a black limo across from her on the road from the grass grounds. To Vari's surprise Seto Kaiba stepped out of the car wearing a black trench coat with a bouquet of flowers in his hands.


********


Seto didn't know why he was here. A little voice inside his head told him to come. He saw her alone, standing next to a freshly buried grave with her strands of hair floating against the gentle breeze. He walked up to her, with no expression on his face. They stood silent for a moment.

"I really don't feel like arguing with you right now Seto." Vari said, almost half jokingly.

"I didn't come here to argue." Seto replied. He stepped up to the grave and placed the flowers next to the other pile.

Vari was taken by surprised. "Thank You." she said quietly. "And I'm sorry for what I said to you before. I didn't mean it."

"I think I should be the one saying that." said Seto "I know that Mokuba went to you because of me." he added.

She looked up at him. "Oh..." she murmured. "Well I couldn't really say no to him." she answered.

"I know."

They both looked at the tombstone, side by side. Then without warning tears flowed down her cheeks. She unconsciously leaned her head and cried on Seto's shoulder. All the pain that she had been holding back, just began to pour out.

"I couldn't save him." she cried. "I didn't know what to do. I was so useless!" her eyes hurt. "It's my fault he died!"

Seto felt surprised by her sudden outburst. He patted her on the back, unsure of what to do.

"He's gone Seto... He's gone and he's never coming back..."


********


(*Flashback*)


A boy with dark brown hair looked at the two graves next to each other. Next to him, his little brother cried silently, clutching his arm.

The boy was young, no more then 10 years old, watching others pass, shaking his hand and telling him how sorry they were for such a lost. It didn't really matter how they would put it, his mother and father were dead, and that was final.

"I want dad back Seto." his little brother cried.

"He's not coming back Mokuba." Seto said.

"Why not?" Mokuba asked.

Seto sigh. His little brother didn't have a firm understanding of the concept of life and death.

"Because he went away and he can't come back."

"Why can't he just come back?"

"Because he's dead." Seto said finally.

Mokuba began to cry again. Seto felt guilty that he made his brother cry.

It was a rainy night when his father got into a car crash. They didn't tell him any details, just that his father was dead and they were going to be put in an orphanage because there was no one to care for them. Seto felt like a charity case. The poor boy who lost his parents with no one else to turn to. Now his father was with his mother, who had died giving birth to Mokuba. He was too young to remember much of it.

"What do we do now Seto?" Mokuba asked.

"They're going to put us in an orphanage. We'll going to have to stay in a new place."

Mokuba kept on crying.

"Stop crying Mokuba." Seto said. The fact of the matter was, his crying was getting irritating. It was bad enough that he had to see other people cry.

"But I want dad back!" Mokuba wailed loudly.

"We can't get him back." Seto replied.

"I don't care!" Mokuba cried out stubbornly.

Seto suddenly hated his father for doing this to Mokuba. He left them alone with nothing. They were going to have to survive on their own. "Listen Mokuba, there's nothing that can bring dad back, no matter how hard you cry."

"Will...will...you leave me Seto? Because I cry too much?" Mokuba asked pleadingly.

"No, I'll never leave you alone." Seto said.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

********


Death never seemed to be so hard for Seto. He'd seen it many times to the point that it he felt nothing towards it. But now as he stood here with her it changed.

"It's not your fault." Seto said calmly to her.

"You can't possibly know that!" she said angrily.

"I do..." Seto said, who didn't seem to mind her anger towards him.

"No, you don't. How can you?" she said. No one understood her, not even him.

"My parents were buried in this very same cemetery." he said. He saw the surprised look on her face. "And I give the fact that I know more then you think." he didn't have an arrogant expression like he usually did when he proved that he was right.

Vari didn't know what to say. She had been so secluded, withdraw from the rest of the world that nothing mattered to her anymore. Was this how Seto felt all the time? If it was then how did he deal with it all his life?

"It isn't like you to be so angry." Seto said. "So don't be."

"I'm so sorry Seto." She felt a rain drop on her nose. The sky was growing darker.

"It's alright."

They were suddenly quiet, not knowing what else to say. Seto looked straight at her, deeply examining her features. She had the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen. They were green with a hint of turquoise. Her tears made them shimmer with brilliance. He'd seen those eyes before...

"I never notice how beautiful your eyes were." he said softly. He touched her cheek, feeling lost and sinking deeper and deeper into them. Then he did something that was unexpected. He slowly leaned over and kissed her. His lips brushing against hers.

Vari felt shocked for a second but soon melted against him. His lips were sweet. All of her sadness and despair she felt just floated away.

What seemed like an eternity was just a minute. She suddenly pulled away from him with a stunned expression, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The sky began to fall with raindrops.

Seto was silent. There was nothing that could explain what he just did. It was an impulsive move and he knew it.

"Seto..." Vari began, but he cut her off.

"We should go. It's going to pour." he said quickly and began walking towards the limo. "I can drive you home if you want."

Vari stood near her father's grave one last time then slowly she followed Seto into the car.




Author's Notes: This chapter was very angst. The kiss between Seto and Vari was very hard to incorporate into the story. I had a little trouble with the story line and people's personal reactions on tragic deaths. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. I mentioned way back, that I would do another Seto flashback scene and so I kept my promise with a scene of when Seto was young thinking back to when both his parents died.

Next chapter - - Chapter 17 - The Amulet

You can go ponder what's going to happen next...


Thanks to the people who reviewed. I hope you review again.

A note to MoonbeamMarik - Your ideas are not far from what I had planned. With changes here and there. But there's still yet to be things that will shock you later on in the story.

Read and Review! I want to know what you think.