LW: Well, it's after Christmas, but I'm not stopping now! No way! Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year! I should be finishing this up soon, so stay tuned.

Kaiba: Halleluiah!

LW: Oh yeah, and part of this chapter revolves around the card-game BS aka Cheat aka I Doubt It. If you're un-familiar with the game you can check out the rules here:

Format: FF.NET's FORMATTING IS BUGGING ME! There a bunch of things that should be in italics! However, I don't think that this will affect comprehension of the chapter.

Rating: The rating for this chapter is PG-13.

Chapter name: Nightmare

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Start Chapter*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

'It's so dark...Why is it so dark? Mokuba, you can't be gone, you just can't be...I can't...see anything. Where am I?'

Seto Kaiba eyes adjusted to the endless darkness.

"Poinsettia! Where have you taken me? Come out and tell me you can fix this! Poinsettia!"

"Seto..."

A quivering weak voice echoed in the darkness. Kaiba sood up and searched for the source of the voice. He knew he had heard it before.

"Seto...help..."

At last he recognized it as his brother's. He panicked, knowing that from the sound of his voice, Mokuba was in trouble.

"Mokuba, where are you? It's too dark, I can't see you at all!"

"Down here! Hurry!"

Looking down at his feet, Kaiba saw that he was standing on a clear sheet of thick ice. His little brother's panic stricken face came into view almost directly beneath him. He was trapped under the ice, painfully treading rising water. Kaiba dropped to his knees and pounded on the thick ice, urgently trying to reach his weakening brother.

"Don't worry little brother, I'll get you out of there...I promise."

Nearby, Poinsettia watched him, confused at what had happened.

'This isn't real, but I'm not controlling this illusion! Is the book on Kaiba's life doing this by itself?'

She checked the sash of her robe. To her surprise, she found nothing.

'The book, where is it? It was right here in my sash-'

"My dear, are you looking for this?"

Poinsettia whirled around to face a spirit resembling the grim reaper. It's face was cloaked by a dark hood, and it carried both scythe and the missing book.

"Who are you?"

"He he. Haven't you heard of me? I am the original ghost of Christmas Yet To Be. I am the one controlling this illusion."

Poinsettia glanced back over to where Kaiba had nearly split his knuckles trying to reach his brother. He had been driven into a frenzy by fear of losing his only loved one. It was not a pretty sight.

"Hee, hee, don't worry my dear, he can't hear us right now. He's lost in his own little nightmare. Isn't it wonderful? This is the perfect revenge for your death, is it not?"

"No, no it's not! It's terrible! Make it stop! Why are you doing this?"

Poinsettia stared in horror as Mokuba's strength started to run out and he began to sink into the murky depths. Water flooded into his mouth, causing him to cough as he pleaded for help.

"Seto...please...you said that you cared..."

"I do care Mokuba, I'm trying!"

"Help! Seto!"

The ghost of Christmas yet to be chuckled in that sur-real, echoing voice of his.

"What's wrong little doe? Don't you want to make him pay for what he's done to you? Remember how he struck you down, then sneered as you lay dying in the snow?"

Poinsettia paused as the memory of her death seeped back into her mind.

"But, it was an accident..."

"He spared you no pity."

"But I can't just leave him..."

"There's nothing you can do. The hearts of some humans are as black as the darkest coals. There's nothing you could do to help him."

Poinsettia turned her attention back to her battered assignment. Kaiba had not given up on trying to break through the ice, but it was already too late. Mokuba's weary legs stopped kicking, and his head slipped beneath the surface of the water. As his gentle eyes closed, he whispered a soft goodbye and sank out of sight. Kaiba collapsed from exhaustion and sorrow, his head resting on one of his arms and his eyes wide. He felt as though his chest would split from heartache.

To Poinsettia's bewilderment, the ghosts that had assisted her back in Kaiba corp. appeared and gathered around him, further torturing his tumultuous soul.

"What are you so upset about? It's your fault that the brat's dead!"

"He's gone, and nothing you do will ever bring him back!"

Frightened and angry, Poinsettia pleaded with Kaiba's tormenter.

"I know that he's done some bad things, but many humans do, and that doesn't make them all unforgivable. He's not a bad person...I should know, I've seen his past. Please stop this illusion!"

The cloaked spirit did nothing as the malicious horde of ghosts closed in on the comatose Kaiba. Poinsettia decided that she had seen enough and rushed to his side. She tried her best to look formidable to the approaching ghosts, which proved to be a challenge to the skinny semi- transparent girl with a furryy ears and a tail...

The ghost of Christmas Yet to Be glided to her and asked,

"You know that there is nothing you can do to help this boy. We spirits can't prevent murders from occurring, only natural deaths. Had Marley known that the child's cause of death would be homicide, he would have never given you or anyone the case. Even if you return him to the time when you first appeared to him, you will never find his brother in time. You don't have the power to stay in the mortal realm for much longer."

"I can still try...can't I? This is the season of giving for mortals, isn't it? You know what the humans say. When in Rome do as the Romans do. That's why I have to at least try to give him a second chance. It's a gift of my own."

Almost as soon as she finished her sentence, the nightmare melted away returning herself and Kaiba to the office at Kaiba corp. where it had all began. From his position on the floor, Kaiba began to stir.

Elsewhere, precisely on the same cloud that served as headquarters for Anti- Scrooge Inc, Marley lounged at his desk flipping through his favorite magazine. He didn't notice when the spirit of Christmas Yet to Be appeared before his desk and addressed him.

"Marley!"

"YAH! I ONLY READ THIS FOR THE ARTICLES, I SWEAR!" Marley hastily hid the magazine under his desk. The cloaked spirit continued,

"Marley, I have good news to report on the new girl's case. It appears as though there's hope for Seto Kaiba after all. It took some 'prodding', but I pulled it off. Our new girl Poinsettia has actually started to care about the welfare of her client. That should be enough to tip the scales in their favor."

"Well I hope you're right this time. They have a lot of factors working against them, time being the greatest. If they can't find Mr. Kaiba's little brother in time, then all is lost...But the fact that Poinsettia is thinking about more than herself right now is good news. I just hope they find the boy in time."

Back on Earth, Mokuba Kaiba sneezed. 'I guess the cold weather's getting to me.' He thought. He had wandered many blocks away from the game shop to a hill overlooking a city courtyard near Domino Park. His toes had gone numb, and his cap and jacket were covered in new-fallen snow. He decided to rest on a bench on which he could see the scenery below.

'I think I remember this place.' Thought Mokuba, 'Seto took me here once when we had just been adopted by Gozaburo. He was really busy, but somehow he found time for me.'

Caught in a happy daydream, Mokuba watched the people sledding and shopping below. He remembered how he and Seto didn't have any actual toys, so Seto found a garbage can lid and used it as a sled. 'What ever happened to days like those?'

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a little girl crying.

"Mommy, I put it right here but now it's gone!" Cried the girl.

"What's gone dear?"

"The bag with the present I got you! It's gone!"

"Don't worry, it must be around here somewhere, wait, where's my purse?"

While mother and daughter looked for the lost possessions, Mokuba could see the source of the trouble from his solitary spot on the hill. There were gangsters and pickpockets everywhere disguised as shoddy Santa Clauses and Elves.

'Those punks are from Seto's high school, I've seen them before.'

Slowly, he became angrier and angrier as he watched the gang members desecrate a spot precious to him from his memories. Kneeling down and scooping up a pile of cold snow, he thought to himself, 'I know this is probably a bad idea, but I can't just let those punks ruin the holidays for those people. I have to do something.'

In the courtyard, one of the thugs crouched a few inches behind a lady with a shopping bag near her foot. He chuckled inwardly, knowing that his prey couldn't hear his approach. "That's right," he purred softly to the bag "come to papa." Then, without warning, a cold snowball hit him square in the back of the head. His yelp of surprise alerted is target to his presence. He growled as she picked up her bag and walked off, unaware of her narrow escape. When he looked up to find the source of his humiliation, he saw that his associates were having the same problem.

Mokuba grinned as he watched another of his snowballs curve in a graceful arc then come rocketing down like a missile, striking bewildered target in the forehead. "Stupid, clueless punks." He said aloud laughing.

"Hey kid, who're you calling clueless?"

Mokuba dropped his snowball and whirled around to face one grinning costumed bandit. He mentally kicked himself for not checking to see if there were any gangsters on the hill.

"Congratulations brat, you've managed to seriously tick off some of the most dangerous guys in Domino city." He cupped his hands to his face and called, "Hey guys! I caught the little runt who's been screwin' up our plans." He made a sudden grab for Mokuba, who ducked and took off running down the street.

Mokuba could hear the voices of the gang coming from close behind. His cap fell off but he made no effort to recover it, knowing that he would be caught if he dared to stop. 'I can't depend on Seto this time.' He told himself. 'I just hope I can stay one step ahead of these guys, or I'm in trouble.'

Though completely out of breath, Mokuba quickened his pace and came to a gloomy alley. Seeing his chance, he turned a corner ran into the alley and hid behind a garbage can while out of sight of his pursuers. He could hear the voices of the passing gang as they searched for him outside the alley. Huffing and puffing with exhaustion, he curled up tight trying to make himself as small as possible. 'If they find me, I'll be trapped in here with them. Seto can't help me now, he's too busy working...oh please don't let them find me...'

*~*

"Hey, wake up already? Pretty please? With a cherry on top?"

Seto Kaiba groaned and shifting painfully on the office floor. Someone was shaking his shoulder, and not being very gentle about it. Slowly he opened his blue eyes opened and Poinsettia's face formed before him. Her auburn hair spilled at her sides, and her eyes were filled with worry.

"Hey." she said gently, "Are you okay?"

"Hm, what?" Kaiba said dreamily, his eyes unfocused. Suddenly the memory of what had happened struck him, and he bolted up in a sitting position.

"Mokuba..." he whispered, "...he's gone."

"No, he isn't."

"He's not? Then I can still save him? But you told me..."

"What I told you is not completely wrong. Your brother isn't dead yet, but for all we know he could be hours, minutes, even seconds from death. Spirits interfering in the mortal realm have no power to stop murders from occurring. I was probably given this assignment by mistake..."

"So there really is no hope for Mokuba..." Kaiba's tragic blue eyes strayed to his briefcase lying about a foot from where he was kneeling. "...There's no hope for me either..." He reached for the case, focused on the weapon he kept inside for emergencies. To his surprise, Poinsettia grabbed his wrist, preventing his hand from reaching any further.

"Wha- What are you doing?"

"If there's really no hope for him, just let me end it here." The memory of Mokuba's lifeless body flashed through his mind. He closed his eyes. "...I...I don't want to...see him like that again...just let me end it here...I just...can't take it...I can't..."

"Aren't you giving up a little too easily?"

Kaiba's eyes shot open. Poinsettia continued,

"That kid, he must mean an awful lot to you for you to carry on like this. I'm getting the vibe that he feels the same way about you. From what I've seen, he'd never give up on you, no matter what..."

Kaiba felt his mouth open in astonishment as Poinsettia's own eyes filled with tears. Though those tears began to spill down her face like two rivers, she still said,

"...So that's why...why you can't give up on him, no matter how much it hurts...and even if you're not sure that you'll succeed."

With one violent swipe of her other hand; Poinsettia wiped the remaining tears on her face away.

"So let's go find that brother of yours already! Where's that stubborn will of yours, we're going to need it!"

Poinsettia let Kaiba slip his wrist out of her hand and place it over his face. He stayed like that for a few moments. Then he quickly took his hand away, revealing that his shimmering blue eyes had regained their determined sharpness.

"What are you waiting for? We have an entire city to search!" he growled in his usual commanding voice. "My little brother needs me, so let's go!"

*~*

Joey's eyes scanned his full hand of playing cards meticulously. Then, being sure to shield the identity of the cards from the other participants of the card game being played in Yugi's living room; he double-checked and made sure that he had a three in his hand, then stared at the two cards Yugi had just placed on the card table before them. If he stared any harder, the cards would have exploded.

"So Yug, you're saying that you placed two threes on that pile?"

"Yup."

"Even though I might have a three in my hand?"

"Yup."

"And even though Mai, Tea, Tristan, Bakura and Serenity are also playin' this game?"

"Yup."

"And even though dere's a really good chance that at least one of them has another three or two?"

"Yup."

Joey furrowed his brow and glared at Yugi, who simply smiled serenely. For a second, Joey was almost sure that he saw a shining halo floating over his head...

"Oh come on Joey," complained Mai, "either BS him or don't and let me put down my fours."

"Calm down Mai, you can't rush these things. If I BS him and I'm wrong, I have to take entire pile...and my hand is already kinda full..."

"That's because you're bad at this game. You actually BSed yourself one turn. Honestly, who does that?"

"BS him Joey, he's lying." said Tristan.

"Huh? How can you be sure of that?"

"Just look at him, with those enormous violet eyes and that seemingly innocent smile. He's obviously a born liar."

Yugi continued to smile innocently, as if completely oblivious to the electric tension crackling. Tea glared at Tristan.

"You actually expect Joey to believe you Tristan? Come on, who can we possibly trust more than Yugi?" asked Tea.

"Tea, this is a game about lying, and Yugi's the GAME KING. Joey don't listen to her, she's on Yugi's side, they're trying to trick you."

"Oh, but there are no teams in the game of BS." Tea said "I'm just appalled that Joey would doubt one of his closest friends whom he's trusted for so long..."

"Don't listen Joey, she's trying to use the old friendship speech on you, just accuse Yugi already!"

"Friendship, Joey!"

"BS him!"

"FRIENDSHIP!"

"BS HIM!"

"Tristan, if you're so sure that Yugi's lying, then why haven't you BSed Yugi?"

"Um, well you see, I, um, uh..."

Joey swiftly sprang to his feet, pointed at Yugi and declared,

"FOR THIS TURN I WILL...not BS Yug. Go ahead Mai, you can put down your cards now."

"Okay, one four."

"Hey Joey," said Yugi, "Guess what?"

"What?"

"I lied. I put down a king and a jack."

"WHAT?!?!?!"

"I told you to BS him Joey!!!" screamed Tristan, "Tea was lying! She was in cahoots with Yugi the whole time!"

"Tea lied?" asked Joey in astonishment.

Yugi grinned and high-fived Tea, who had burst into a fit of uncharacteristic demonic giggles...

"But Tea," whimpered Joey, "Whateva happened to trusting in your friend, and all dat stuff..."

"Sorry Joey," laughed Tea, "but in the game of BS, all that friendship crud goes out the window...What? Why are all of you looking at me like that? I drank the virgin eggnog, I swear!"

"Hey Joey?" asked Serenity sweetly.

"Yeah sis?"

"What exactly does BS stand for? Nobody's ever told me before."

"Er..."

The doorbell rang, saving Joey from further embarrassment. Yugi happily ran to the door and opened it. Two tall figures, each masked by a long off- white cloak adorned with gold hieroglyphics stood on the doorstep.

"GHOSTS!" screamed Joey and Tristan.

The "ghosts" calmly removed their cloaks revealing,

"Ishizu, Odion," Yugi said warmly, glad you two could make it. I guess Marik didn't want to come, right?"

"No, he didn't," answered Ishizu, "but I made him come anyway, I needed someone to carry the gifts."

She stepped aside revealing Malik crankily struggling up the steps with a very large sack on his back. Ryou Bakura, who had been spacing out on the couch, noticed his millennium ring glow and his Yami drop into Marik's mind for a quick visit.

'Marik, you resemble that fat, jolly man popular with modern-day children.'

'Shut up tomb robber, I'm not in the mood.'

'Better keep off the milk and cookies. I'd hate for you to lose your pretty girlish figure.'

Malik glared daggers at Ryou who shrugged apologetically.

*~*

As he shivered hiding in a snow bank, Mokuba could hear harsh voices and footsteps coming from outside of the alley. Realizing that he had held his breath, silence returned. He cautiously peeked from behind the trashcan, searching for any nearby gangsters. Finding none, Mokuba crept out of the alley, and ran through the snow back towards the park.

When he arrived, he noticed that people were heading home due to the worsening weather. As he watched families head off to welcoming homes, Mokuba had to fight to keep envious tears from forming in his sad eyes.

"Lucky them," he said softly. He approached the fountain, and gazed at his lonely reflection in the sparkling ice. The words of his older brother bombarded his mind.

"Find somebody else to play with!"

"I told you Mokuba, I don't have time for this!"

Does that mean that you don't have time for me Seto?

"It's just a big waste of time!"

Please, Seto...I don't want to be alone...

"Forget about Christmas!"

"Take back your stupid gift, I don't want it!"

Seto...

"I promise that as long as I live, you'll never feel lonely, because I'll never leave you all alone. Remember that."

"LIAR!"

Mokuba's voice echoed throughout the park. He didn't care if his brother couldn't hear him.

"I DON'T NEED YOU! I DON'T CARE IF I'M ALONE! AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT BIG BRO? I DON'T NEED ANYONE! I DON'T NEED CHRISTMAS, AND I DON'T NEED YOU! I HATE YOU!"

He grit his teeth, staring up into the sky after his voice. Freezing snow- laden wind pierced his jacket, but he still refused to resign himself to tears. "I...hate you..." he whispered, his voice cracking. He suddenly grew alarmed as he sensed that someone was sneaking up behind him.

Before Mokuba even had time to turn around, he felt a large gloved hand clamp over his mouth and constrict his neck with an arm, strangling him and muffling his frightened screams.

'I thought I lost these guys! I should never have come back here!'

He struggled wildly as he felt himself being dragged into the dense woods and away from any possibility of being rescued by a passerby. Mokuba's struggling grew even more frantic as he heard more gangsters running towards him. He managed to pull his head out of his captor's hand, and then sink his teeth into it.

The gangster pulled back his hand, screaming in pain. This gave Mokuba just enough time to wriggle out of his grip. He tried to flounder through the snow.

'That's it, almost there, just a few more steps...'

Mokuba was only a about a yard from the edge of the woods when he felt the cold links of a metal chain wrapping around his neck and tightening. He choked, coughing and gasping as he felt himself being yanked to the ground and dragged back by a sneering teen with the rest of the chains wrapped around his hand. He could hear people yelling things like, "Reel him in like a fish Linx, we'll teach him some manners."

When Mokuba had been yanked close enough the gang pounced on him. He struggled, but they were all just too strong, and he soon found himself with his arms and legs pinned to the ground. "Let me go, you freaks! Do you know have any idea who-" Mokuba's words were cut short as a heavy fist slammed into his gut, causing air to rush out of him as it would a balloon. He gagged and choked as one of his attackers wrapped his fingers around the child's neck and pulled his limp body completely off the ground.

"So, runt, you thought you'd play hero, didn't you? Thought you'd ruin our last chance to grab some holiday goodies, huh? Answer me!"

Mokuba's dug his fingernails into the attacker's thick arm, glaring defiantly and trying hard not to show fear. He managed to choke out, "Let me...go you...idiot...pickpocket..." The gangster's green eyes narrowed in ferocity.

"Kid, I think it's time me and the boys taught you some respect. What do you say to that." His grip tightened, and Mokuba could only choke, "...ah...ah, hurts..."

Mokuba had not time to prepare himself for the balled fist that connected with his right cheek and sent him flying back into the snow. The rest of the gang followed suit, eager for their chance to take out their frustrations on a helpless child.

As Mokuba's world became nothing but a tempest of cruel punches and kicks, he tried hard not shame himself by crying. He refused to let his mind admit it, but only the thought of one person gave him comfort as he coughed and writhed in agony.

"Se...to..."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

LW: Chapter done! By the way, I won't update this unless I get a few reviews. No point in updating if nobody's reading.

Yusuke: Which I'm sure they're not.

(Y)Bakura: Why are you people still here?