About 2/3 of the way done, now. I think I'll end up with about 14 chapters,
and an epilogue. I hope you keep reviewing, because your opinion means a
lot to me. All of you that have reviewed so far, I can't thank you enough.
When I first started writing this, I never thought I'd get such a response.
Thank you all.
***
He came home that day, threw his coat onto the couch, and walked to his study. Tossing his briefcase onto his desk, he sat down in front of his computer and began to work. The damned project was behind schedule, and he had to finish it in four days! How did those idiot directors expect him to finish an entirely new operating system in four days!
At about two, the door opened, and a small head poked in. "Seto?"
Kaiba groaned. "What is it, Mokuba?"
"Working again?" the boy asked, crestfallen.
"Yes," he snapped. "Now leave me be."
"Seto, all this work isn't good for you. You need to take a break."
"I'm fine, Mokuba. Now leave me alone."
"Please, Seto? C'mon, we can play a game or something together. Just like old times. Huh? Whaddaya say? Please?"
"Don't you have anything to do besides annoy me!" he snarled. "Go! Leave me alone!"
Mokuba flinched, closed the door.
It had been that same routine for a week.
And today would be no different.
At least, that was what he'd thought.
Today, however, Mokuba was waiting for him when he walked through the door. The boy looked up at him with an emotion he'd never seen before: anger. He frowned. "What is it, Mokuba? Hurry it up, I have work to do."
"I'll take however long I want, and you're gonna listen to me."
"Oh, I am...Well, what?"
"I'm sick of this. You never pay any attention to me anymore. You just hole yourself up in your stupid office and don't say anything to anyone. You ignore me. You don't care about me anymore.
"I'm just like those stupid cards of yours. A possession. A trophy. Something to show off. Oh, look at Mr. Kaiba's brother! He's so cute! Well, I've had enough. I'm not gonna be a possession anymore. If this is how life's gonna be, I don't want it anymore."
He raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Mokuba?"
The boy took a kitchen knife from behind his back and looked him square in the eye. "I hate you, Seto Kaiba. I hate you, and I hope you drop dead. This is it. It's over."
He watched in shock as the boy slid the cold steel blade up his wrist. As the blood fell from the open wound, he switched hands and slit the other wrist. Crimson fell onto the ivory carpet, staining it.
The boy soon fell, dead, in a pool of his own blood.
He stared at the body for a moment, before stepping over it and walking to his study. "So be it," he muttered. "One less nuisance."
He sat down at his computer and began to work.
***
Kaiba's eyes snapped open, and he leapt to his feet. "What in the hell?!" he shouted, his breathing coming in rapid pulls. He ran a hand through his hair, his mind whirling around in circles as he tried to make sense of it.
One less nuisance?! he demanded of himself. What in the hell was that?!
Even though it was nearly eighty degrees inside – warm for the time of year – he was shivering. He pulled his shirt close around himself as he shook. It didn't help. This chill came from within.
He hurried out of the room, then out of the mansion, and into his personal car, a sleek blue Corvette he'd bought after getting his driver's license. He sped toward the Turtle Game Shop. Though he was normally a recluse, he found he couldn't be alone right now.
***
It was close to six in the evening by the time he got there. He got out of the car and walked into the shop. Joey and Serenity were dueling. Joey laughed and shook his head, telling Serenity that she couldn't make the move she was trying to make. Serenity frowned, took the card back, and her brow furrowed in concentration. She glanced up, saw Kaiba, and gasped.
"What's wrong?" she asked nervously. "Kaiba, what is it? Why are you crying?"
Kaiba frowned, reached up and felt his face. He realized that he had, indeed, been crying.
He collapsed against the counter, holding himself up with his hands. "I...I had another one..." he said shakily, glancing back at Serenity.
"Another what? Nightmare?"
Kaiba nodded. "Yes..."
"Was it...bad?"
He shuddered. "In the...in the dream...Mokuba...he...c-committed suicide..."
"Oh, dear..." Serenity gasped, covering her mouth in horror.
"Whoa..." Joey murmured, setting down his cards.
"He...he said...that it was my...my fault...He said I'd been...said I'd been ignoring him...that he was...just a trophy to me...something to s-show off...and that he...that he couldn't take it anymore...So...so he...killed himself..."
Kaiba's eyes were wide, haunted, his lips barely moving as he spoke. Looking up, he glanced at each of the three friends in turn. "And...and do you know what the worst part of it was...?"
"Ya mean that wasn't it?" Joey asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Joey!" Serenity said in a harsh whisper. "Don't be mean!"
"I wasn't!" Joey protested.
"I...I didn't care..." Kaiba whispered, as if they'd said nothing. It seemed as though he was talking to himself. "I just...left him...on the floor...and went to work...to work! I...I don't...I wouldn't...I love Mokuba, I...I wouldn't...I couldn't..."
"We know," Serenity said soothingly, standing up and putting an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a gentle hug. "It's okay, Kaiba...we know you wouldn't do that to Mokuba...it's alright..."
"I can't...I can't go on like this..." Kaiba whispered.
"Kaiba, don't say that," Serenity said. "Of course you can..."
"No...I can't...I...I need him...I need to make it up to him...I need to...to tell him...But...I can't. I can't! But...I just wish...I wish I could...I wish he...I wish he'd come home..."
"Perhaps it's not as farfetched as you believe..." said a deep voice he didn't recognize.
Kaiba looked up from the floor, his sorrow replaced by confusion. "What...? Who...?"
"Me," said the voice again, and it was Yugi's lips that moved. But it wasn't Yugi's voice! It was someone else! His eyes had changed as well; they were narrower, and crimson instead of violet.
Kaiba looked first to Serenity, then to Joey. "What..? What in the...?"
"Joey explained to me," Serenity said. "That's not Yugi..."
"Huh?" Kaiba asked, all the more confused by Serenity's attempt to explain. He looked to Joey for an explanation. "What is she...? Not Yugi...what?"
"That gold pyramid thing around his neck," Joey said, gesturing to Yugi. Kaiba saw it. A golden pyramid, hanging by a chain around Yugi's neck, looked to be fashioned from hundreds of tiny pieces.
"Yes..."
"It's called the Millennium Puzzle, and it's got this spirit inside of it. See, it's from ancient Egypt, and it's got some sort of magic in it. That's the spirit talkin' right now."
Kaiba stared at him as if he'd just said the ocean was made of gelatin. "You're joking, right?"
"No, Kaiba," Yugi said, again in that deep, powerful voice that didn't fit him. "Joey is right. My name – or, at least, the name I go by – is Yami. And this puzzle is indeed from ancient Egypt...circa 3000 BC, give or take a century or two. The puzzle is one of the seven Millennium Items.
"Each of these items has a certain power. The puzzle, for example harnessed my spirit, and now that Yugi has solved it, we share this body. Each of the items have different abilities, and it could be that one of them has the power to do just as you've wished."
"You mean, bring someone back to life?"
"Yes. While I do not know which of them may have this power – I am not certain of what the other items can do – it is possible."
"So what do you propose I do...Yami?" Kaiba asked, crossing his arms.
"Well, there are any number of people you could ask, say...Maximilian Pegasus?"
Kaiba's eyes went wide. "Pegasus? Where did that come from? You expect me to go to him!? That man abducted Mokuba two months ago in an attempt to take over my company! What makes you think he would help me!?"
"That, I do not know. But I do know that Pegasus is the holder of the Millennium Eye. And from what Yugi knows of him, he is a historian. It would stand to reason that Pegasus would know much about the Millennium Items, since he has one. You should at least try. You have nothing to lose and quite a lot to gain from speaking to him. The odds are in your favor, Kaiba. Take a chance."
He couldn't believe he was actually considering this. After he'd retrieved Mokuba from Pegasus' dungeon (Pegasus was an eccentric billionaire who lived in a castle), he'd vowed never to have anything to do with the man as long as he lived.
But he's right, Kaiba thought. I have nothing to lose. And if I don't do anything, I'll go insane! I...I have to. I have to go to Pegasus...
"I...I suppose you have a point..."
Yugi/Yami chuckled. "There you have it."
He closed his eyes, and when they opened again, they were violet, and confused. "What just happened?" Yugi asked, in his own voice again.
"Yami," Joey said.
"Oh..." Yugi looked at Kaiba. "Did he help you?"
Kaiba shrugged. "Perhaps..."
"Hope Pegasus can help ya, man," Joey said.
"Yeah...me too," Kaiba murmured, and left the shop.
As he walked back to the car, he heard Yugi say "Pegasus?"
***
He came home that day, threw his coat onto the couch, and walked to his study. Tossing his briefcase onto his desk, he sat down in front of his computer and began to work. The damned project was behind schedule, and he had to finish it in four days! How did those idiot directors expect him to finish an entirely new operating system in four days!
At about two, the door opened, and a small head poked in. "Seto?"
Kaiba groaned. "What is it, Mokuba?"
"Working again?" the boy asked, crestfallen.
"Yes," he snapped. "Now leave me be."
"Seto, all this work isn't good for you. You need to take a break."
"I'm fine, Mokuba. Now leave me alone."
"Please, Seto? C'mon, we can play a game or something together. Just like old times. Huh? Whaddaya say? Please?"
"Don't you have anything to do besides annoy me!" he snarled. "Go! Leave me alone!"
Mokuba flinched, closed the door.
It had been that same routine for a week.
And today would be no different.
At least, that was what he'd thought.
Today, however, Mokuba was waiting for him when he walked through the door. The boy looked up at him with an emotion he'd never seen before: anger. He frowned. "What is it, Mokuba? Hurry it up, I have work to do."
"I'll take however long I want, and you're gonna listen to me."
"Oh, I am...Well, what?"
"I'm sick of this. You never pay any attention to me anymore. You just hole yourself up in your stupid office and don't say anything to anyone. You ignore me. You don't care about me anymore.
"I'm just like those stupid cards of yours. A possession. A trophy. Something to show off. Oh, look at Mr. Kaiba's brother! He's so cute! Well, I've had enough. I'm not gonna be a possession anymore. If this is how life's gonna be, I don't want it anymore."
He raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Mokuba?"
The boy took a kitchen knife from behind his back and looked him square in the eye. "I hate you, Seto Kaiba. I hate you, and I hope you drop dead. This is it. It's over."
He watched in shock as the boy slid the cold steel blade up his wrist. As the blood fell from the open wound, he switched hands and slit the other wrist. Crimson fell onto the ivory carpet, staining it.
The boy soon fell, dead, in a pool of his own blood.
He stared at the body for a moment, before stepping over it and walking to his study. "So be it," he muttered. "One less nuisance."
He sat down at his computer and began to work.
***
Kaiba's eyes snapped open, and he leapt to his feet. "What in the hell?!" he shouted, his breathing coming in rapid pulls. He ran a hand through his hair, his mind whirling around in circles as he tried to make sense of it.
One less nuisance?! he demanded of himself. What in the hell was that?!
Even though it was nearly eighty degrees inside – warm for the time of year – he was shivering. He pulled his shirt close around himself as he shook. It didn't help. This chill came from within.
He hurried out of the room, then out of the mansion, and into his personal car, a sleek blue Corvette he'd bought after getting his driver's license. He sped toward the Turtle Game Shop. Though he was normally a recluse, he found he couldn't be alone right now.
***
It was close to six in the evening by the time he got there. He got out of the car and walked into the shop. Joey and Serenity were dueling. Joey laughed and shook his head, telling Serenity that she couldn't make the move she was trying to make. Serenity frowned, took the card back, and her brow furrowed in concentration. She glanced up, saw Kaiba, and gasped.
"What's wrong?" she asked nervously. "Kaiba, what is it? Why are you crying?"
Kaiba frowned, reached up and felt his face. He realized that he had, indeed, been crying.
He collapsed against the counter, holding himself up with his hands. "I...I had another one..." he said shakily, glancing back at Serenity.
"Another what? Nightmare?"
Kaiba nodded. "Yes..."
"Was it...bad?"
He shuddered. "In the...in the dream...Mokuba...he...c-committed suicide..."
"Oh, dear..." Serenity gasped, covering her mouth in horror.
"Whoa..." Joey murmured, setting down his cards.
"He...he said...that it was my...my fault...He said I'd been...said I'd been ignoring him...that he was...just a trophy to me...something to s-show off...and that he...that he couldn't take it anymore...So...so he...killed himself..."
Kaiba's eyes were wide, haunted, his lips barely moving as he spoke. Looking up, he glanced at each of the three friends in turn. "And...and do you know what the worst part of it was...?"
"Ya mean that wasn't it?" Joey asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Joey!" Serenity said in a harsh whisper. "Don't be mean!"
"I wasn't!" Joey protested.
"I...I didn't care..." Kaiba whispered, as if they'd said nothing. It seemed as though he was talking to himself. "I just...left him...on the floor...and went to work...to work! I...I don't...I wouldn't...I love Mokuba, I...I wouldn't...I couldn't..."
"We know," Serenity said soothingly, standing up and putting an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a gentle hug. "It's okay, Kaiba...we know you wouldn't do that to Mokuba...it's alright..."
"I can't...I can't go on like this..." Kaiba whispered.
"Kaiba, don't say that," Serenity said. "Of course you can..."
"No...I can't...I...I need him...I need to make it up to him...I need to...to tell him...But...I can't. I can't! But...I just wish...I wish I could...I wish he...I wish he'd come home..."
"Perhaps it's not as farfetched as you believe..." said a deep voice he didn't recognize.
Kaiba looked up from the floor, his sorrow replaced by confusion. "What...? Who...?"
"Me," said the voice again, and it was Yugi's lips that moved. But it wasn't Yugi's voice! It was someone else! His eyes had changed as well; they were narrower, and crimson instead of violet.
Kaiba looked first to Serenity, then to Joey. "What..? What in the...?"
"Joey explained to me," Serenity said. "That's not Yugi..."
"Huh?" Kaiba asked, all the more confused by Serenity's attempt to explain. He looked to Joey for an explanation. "What is she...? Not Yugi...what?"
"That gold pyramid thing around his neck," Joey said, gesturing to Yugi. Kaiba saw it. A golden pyramid, hanging by a chain around Yugi's neck, looked to be fashioned from hundreds of tiny pieces.
"Yes..."
"It's called the Millennium Puzzle, and it's got this spirit inside of it. See, it's from ancient Egypt, and it's got some sort of magic in it. That's the spirit talkin' right now."
Kaiba stared at him as if he'd just said the ocean was made of gelatin. "You're joking, right?"
"No, Kaiba," Yugi said, again in that deep, powerful voice that didn't fit him. "Joey is right. My name – or, at least, the name I go by – is Yami. And this puzzle is indeed from ancient Egypt...circa 3000 BC, give or take a century or two. The puzzle is one of the seven Millennium Items.
"Each of these items has a certain power. The puzzle, for example harnessed my spirit, and now that Yugi has solved it, we share this body. Each of the items have different abilities, and it could be that one of them has the power to do just as you've wished."
"You mean, bring someone back to life?"
"Yes. While I do not know which of them may have this power – I am not certain of what the other items can do – it is possible."
"So what do you propose I do...Yami?" Kaiba asked, crossing his arms.
"Well, there are any number of people you could ask, say...Maximilian Pegasus?"
Kaiba's eyes went wide. "Pegasus? Where did that come from? You expect me to go to him!? That man abducted Mokuba two months ago in an attempt to take over my company! What makes you think he would help me!?"
"That, I do not know. But I do know that Pegasus is the holder of the Millennium Eye. And from what Yugi knows of him, he is a historian. It would stand to reason that Pegasus would know much about the Millennium Items, since he has one. You should at least try. You have nothing to lose and quite a lot to gain from speaking to him. The odds are in your favor, Kaiba. Take a chance."
He couldn't believe he was actually considering this. After he'd retrieved Mokuba from Pegasus' dungeon (Pegasus was an eccentric billionaire who lived in a castle), he'd vowed never to have anything to do with the man as long as he lived.
But he's right, Kaiba thought. I have nothing to lose. And if I don't do anything, I'll go insane! I...I have to. I have to go to Pegasus...
"I...I suppose you have a point..."
Yugi/Yami chuckled. "There you have it."
He closed his eyes, and when they opened again, they were violet, and confused. "What just happened?" Yugi asked, in his own voice again.
"Yami," Joey said.
"Oh..." Yugi looked at Kaiba. "Did he help you?"
Kaiba shrugged. "Perhaps..."
"Hope Pegasus can help ya, man," Joey said.
"Yeah...me too," Kaiba murmured, and left the shop.
As he walked back to the car, he heard Yugi say "Pegasus?"