A/N: Hot damn, I'm still alive. Sorry for the slump, please review, this
is the last chapter unless I decide to add something. Thank you to all
reviewers!
Dog Tags
Suddenly Seto dove back into the tent and landed with a thud on the dirt floor. He had the wind knocked out of him and temporarily unable to breathe, he gestured toward the tent flap.
Ryou almost jumped out side, eager to see what had shocked Seto so much when suddenly they heard a muffled scream. Oh yes, the war WAS indeed officially over, but not everyone knew yet. Enemy troops had entered the area. Seto had gone by unnoticed but Ryou was not so lucky.
No they did not kill him, they did worse. They took him with them as a prisoner. Seto and Jou poked the barrels of their guns out of the tent and fired but they knew the assailants were long gone. Marik however went running hysterically out of then tent trying to chase after them, though it would be impossible to find them again.
Jounouchi dove after Marik and pulled him down by the legs. Marik immediately began struggling and flailing about. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! Let go of me, we've got to save him!!!" Seto flipped Marik over and, with Jou's help, pinned him to the ground.
"Marik, listen ta me, we can't get 'em back, he's GONE!" Jou tried to explain calmly. However it was difficult to explain to someone that one your friends had just walked out of your life forever. It hurt Jou to say such a thing but he knew the truth could not be denied any longer. Honda, Yugi, and Ryou were gone. Forever.
"Look, Marik, you have to calm down. He's gone and you fighting us is NOT going to help bring him back!" Seto said more firmly then Jou had. Marik stopped fighting. Seto and Jou let go of him as he stood up and dusted himself off. Sighing sadly, he looked up at both of them.
"I had hoped that Yugi and Honda would be the end of the suffering. But no, I guess it didn't work out that way, did it? I just don't understand why so much needs to be taken for this stupid war...I don't even care about it, Ra damnit!" he yelled towards the sky. As Marik made his dramatic speech, Seto had seen something glisten on the floor. He picked it up and realized it was Ryou's tag. 'The enemy soldiers must've grabbed hold of the chain and it broke off.' Seto analyzed as he stared at the cold sheet of metal in his hands. He touched Marik's shoulder. "Here." He said.
Marik looked at Seto giving him a blank stare unknowing of how to react. He simply put it in his pocket and nodded numbly. "There will be a few helicopters arriving to take us home in about an hour. I'll have to tell whoever is in-charge about the last P.O.W. of this war.." he said in reference to Ryou.
*about two months later - Location: Seto's home in Manhattan*
The flag pole in the courtyard outside Seto Kaiba's house held two flags that day. The first was, of course, the American - one that once flown over the Capital. But below that was the reason why Katsuya Jounouchi and Marik Ishtar had joined him that day. It was a black and white flag. The image of a man with his head bowed, being lead by a chain around his neck with a tower in the background. Above this image was:
P.O.W.*M.I.A
And below:
You Are Not Forgotten
Within the house, a conversation of past events unfolds. "Can you believe it's only been two since months since they've been..gone?" Jou asked aloud to no one in particular. Seto ignored the question, and Marik just made a sort of "Mmmm." sound.
"Are all of you ready?" Seto asked noticing that the awkward silence was beginning to become less then tolerable. The other two men nodded their heads and soon the three of them were on their way to the Brooklyn Bridge.
Marik walked up to the edge first. He had been waiting to let go of those horrible memories for the two months they had been home. Other then the losses of Yugi, Honda, and Ryou he had seen more blood then anyone should have too. Carefully, he pulled his and Ryou's dog tags out of his pocket and ceremoniously dropped them into the river below. He stepped back and Jounouchi took his place.
Jounouchi held four tags - his own, his father's, Honda's, and Yugi's. He knew he had to let them go. It would be hard for him to part with the only memory of his friends and his father. However it had to be done, letting go was the only way for him to live on after this. Besides, Yugi would rather have Jou be happy without him then living miserably clinging onto his faded memory, right? Katsuya Jounouchi released the memories of his jaded past ready to move on. The past had taught him all it could and into the future he would take with him the lessons learned, not the black memories. For sheets of metal slowly floated to the bottom of the river. Katsuya stepped away from the edge.
It was Seto's turn, but something momentarily held him back. "Marik, Katsuya..." ever since that one day, Seto had begun calling Jounouchi by his first name. Seto tilted his head toward the black limo behind them. "Tell the driver to take you back to my house, I'll be there soon." He said. The two of them nodded, understanding that he needed to be alone, and stepped into the limo. Seto observed as it sped away back in the direction of Manhattan. He stepped up the edge of the bridge.
Seto now knew the truth, Mokuba had been murdered. He still felt guilty for it, if only he had bee not home instead of working overtime at his idiotic company! Silently he cursed himself. 'I am sorry I failed you little brother.' he thought with tears in his eyes. 'You know I would've protected you if I had only been there. But I wasn't there, I was too concerned with work to worry about the only thing that really ment anything to me anymore. I'm sorry for being such a blind and selfish fool little brother.' Tears were now flowing freely down his face.
'Dad, I hope that I have done something in this lifetime to make you proud though I honestly can't think of anything. I'm sorry to you too, but I know now that I'm ready to let go of your part in the wars of this world.' He dropped his father's tag into the river, adding it the pile of broken memories engraved on small sheets of metal on the bottom of the body of water. Seto stood on the very top of the rail gazing into the water of the huge river below him. He was confident he would not fall, his balance had always been perfect.
'However, I think I'll hold onto this.' he thought referring to his own dog tag which still rested around his neck. 'I don't think I'm ready to let go of it all just yet, I need more time.' He spread his arms wide, closed his eyes and relaxed as a light breeze hit his still form. This little "ceremony" had been a helpful way of letting go of some painful memories. Seto was ready climb down and take a cab home when suddenly a bicyclist came whizzing by.
The handlebar knocked his ankle throwing him forward. It was a long fall into that deep and dark water. However for some reason, Seto had no problem with himself falling into oblivion. Maybe he wasn't able to let go and move on because there was no reason for too. The cyclist did not notice him fall, no one did. Seto Kaiba died upon impact with the water. His cold, still form floated down slowly and reached the bottom of the dark, cold, interminable water. He landed amongst the pile of dog tags, he landed in the freed memories and now he too was free. His soul left his now useless body, the body, which remained surrounded by the cold metal that represented all the blood, pain, broken and shattered memories created by the war.
But to Seto Kaiba, the temporary suffering was a cheap price for the happiness he now had. Now he resided in a place of peace with Yugi, Honda, Ryou (who had joined all of them soon after being taken prisoner), his father, and his little brother Mokuba. Marik and Jou never knew what happened to Seto, no one did. They assumed he had run away from the world and had gone into hiding. Every so often the two of them visited the spot where they had set free their memories. Little did they know that a part of Seto was there too, because now, he too, was free.
END CHAPTER ELEVEN
A/N: I hope You have enjoyed this, thank you to anyone who read this. Good- bye, friends.
Dog Tags
Suddenly Seto dove back into the tent and landed with a thud on the dirt floor. He had the wind knocked out of him and temporarily unable to breathe, he gestured toward the tent flap.
Ryou almost jumped out side, eager to see what had shocked Seto so much when suddenly they heard a muffled scream. Oh yes, the war WAS indeed officially over, but not everyone knew yet. Enemy troops had entered the area. Seto had gone by unnoticed but Ryou was not so lucky.
No they did not kill him, they did worse. They took him with them as a prisoner. Seto and Jou poked the barrels of their guns out of the tent and fired but they knew the assailants were long gone. Marik however went running hysterically out of then tent trying to chase after them, though it would be impossible to find them again.
Jounouchi dove after Marik and pulled him down by the legs. Marik immediately began struggling and flailing about. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! Let go of me, we've got to save him!!!" Seto flipped Marik over and, with Jou's help, pinned him to the ground.
"Marik, listen ta me, we can't get 'em back, he's GONE!" Jou tried to explain calmly. However it was difficult to explain to someone that one your friends had just walked out of your life forever. It hurt Jou to say such a thing but he knew the truth could not be denied any longer. Honda, Yugi, and Ryou were gone. Forever.
"Look, Marik, you have to calm down. He's gone and you fighting us is NOT going to help bring him back!" Seto said more firmly then Jou had. Marik stopped fighting. Seto and Jou let go of him as he stood up and dusted himself off. Sighing sadly, he looked up at both of them.
"I had hoped that Yugi and Honda would be the end of the suffering. But no, I guess it didn't work out that way, did it? I just don't understand why so much needs to be taken for this stupid war...I don't even care about it, Ra damnit!" he yelled towards the sky. As Marik made his dramatic speech, Seto had seen something glisten on the floor. He picked it up and realized it was Ryou's tag. 'The enemy soldiers must've grabbed hold of the chain and it broke off.' Seto analyzed as he stared at the cold sheet of metal in his hands. He touched Marik's shoulder. "Here." He said.
Marik looked at Seto giving him a blank stare unknowing of how to react. He simply put it in his pocket and nodded numbly. "There will be a few helicopters arriving to take us home in about an hour. I'll have to tell whoever is in-charge about the last P.O.W. of this war.." he said in reference to Ryou.
*about two months later - Location: Seto's home in Manhattan*
The flag pole in the courtyard outside Seto Kaiba's house held two flags that day. The first was, of course, the American - one that once flown over the Capital. But below that was the reason why Katsuya Jounouchi and Marik Ishtar had joined him that day. It was a black and white flag. The image of a man with his head bowed, being lead by a chain around his neck with a tower in the background. Above this image was:
P.O.W.*M.I.A
And below:
You Are Not Forgotten
Within the house, a conversation of past events unfolds. "Can you believe it's only been two since months since they've been..gone?" Jou asked aloud to no one in particular. Seto ignored the question, and Marik just made a sort of "Mmmm." sound.
"Are all of you ready?" Seto asked noticing that the awkward silence was beginning to become less then tolerable. The other two men nodded their heads and soon the three of them were on their way to the Brooklyn Bridge.
Marik walked up to the edge first. He had been waiting to let go of those horrible memories for the two months they had been home. Other then the losses of Yugi, Honda, and Ryou he had seen more blood then anyone should have too. Carefully, he pulled his and Ryou's dog tags out of his pocket and ceremoniously dropped them into the river below. He stepped back and Jounouchi took his place.
Jounouchi held four tags - his own, his father's, Honda's, and Yugi's. He knew he had to let them go. It would be hard for him to part with the only memory of his friends and his father. However it had to be done, letting go was the only way for him to live on after this. Besides, Yugi would rather have Jou be happy without him then living miserably clinging onto his faded memory, right? Katsuya Jounouchi released the memories of his jaded past ready to move on. The past had taught him all it could and into the future he would take with him the lessons learned, not the black memories. For sheets of metal slowly floated to the bottom of the river. Katsuya stepped away from the edge.
It was Seto's turn, but something momentarily held him back. "Marik, Katsuya..." ever since that one day, Seto had begun calling Jounouchi by his first name. Seto tilted his head toward the black limo behind them. "Tell the driver to take you back to my house, I'll be there soon." He said. The two of them nodded, understanding that he needed to be alone, and stepped into the limo. Seto observed as it sped away back in the direction of Manhattan. He stepped up the edge of the bridge.
Seto now knew the truth, Mokuba had been murdered. He still felt guilty for it, if only he had bee not home instead of working overtime at his idiotic company! Silently he cursed himself. 'I am sorry I failed you little brother.' he thought with tears in his eyes. 'You know I would've protected you if I had only been there. But I wasn't there, I was too concerned with work to worry about the only thing that really ment anything to me anymore. I'm sorry for being such a blind and selfish fool little brother.' Tears were now flowing freely down his face.
'Dad, I hope that I have done something in this lifetime to make you proud though I honestly can't think of anything. I'm sorry to you too, but I know now that I'm ready to let go of your part in the wars of this world.' He dropped his father's tag into the river, adding it the pile of broken memories engraved on small sheets of metal on the bottom of the body of water. Seto stood on the very top of the rail gazing into the water of the huge river below him. He was confident he would not fall, his balance had always been perfect.
'However, I think I'll hold onto this.' he thought referring to his own dog tag which still rested around his neck. 'I don't think I'm ready to let go of it all just yet, I need more time.' He spread his arms wide, closed his eyes and relaxed as a light breeze hit his still form. This little "ceremony" had been a helpful way of letting go of some painful memories. Seto was ready climb down and take a cab home when suddenly a bicyclist came whizzing by.
The handlebar knocked his ankle throwing him forward. It was a long fall into that deep and dark water. However for some reason, Seto had no problem with himself falling into oblivion. Maybe he wasn't able to let go and move on because there was no reason for too. The cyclist did not notice him fall, no one did. Seto Kaiba died upon impact with the water. His cold, still form floated down slowly and reached the bottom of the dark, cold, interminable water. He landed amongst the pile of dog tags, he landed in the freed memories and now he too was free. His soul left his now useless body, the body, which remained surrounded by the cold metal that represented all the blood, pain, broken and shattered memories created by the war.
But to Seto Kaiba, the temporary suffering was a cheap price for the happiness he now had. Now he resided in a place of peace with Yugi, Honda, Ryou (who had joined all of them soon after being taken prisoner), his father, and his little brother Mokuba. Marik and Jou never knew what happened to Seto, no one did. They assumed he had run away from the world and had gone into hiding. Every so often the two of them visited the spot where they had set free their memories. Little did they know that a part of Seto was there too, because now, he too, was free.
END CHAPTER ELEVEN
A/N: I hope You have enjoyed this, thank you to anyone who read this. Good- bye, friends.