Chapter 8

Mokuba

Kura helped Mokuba out of the car and to the Kaiba Mansion. They had just got home from their ride in silence, and Kura was beginning to worry. "Mokuba… can you tell me what happened?" Kura asked as he sat down on the couch with a loud sigh. Kura sat next to him and put her arm around Mokuba's shoulder. Mokuba didn't look up from his depressing look at the ground. His gaze so dull.

He sighed again, "I was talking with Niomi during recess." Kura turned to him, "About what? Suzuki and Carlo?" Mokuba shook his head. "Seto…"

"Oh…" Kura said, feeling bad because she was JUST remembering Seto was out in war. She had so much to do, it was almost like he had just gone on an average business trip again. "So then what happened?" Kura asked, trying to get off subject. "Harou came over to me. Said he was going to beat me up. I asked him why, he told me because Carlo and Suzuki wanted them personally to beat me up for them."

Kura crossed her arms. "Well, we're not going to stand for that, now are we?" Kura got up and went to the kitchen counter. She took out the directory and began flipping through the pages. She began to dial the phone. Mokuba looked up. "What are you doing?"

"Calling this boy's parents."

"No, Kura." Kura turned to him. "Wait, you'll just make it worse."

"Mokuba, you shouldn't suffer like this and not get pay back. Hello, yes, this is Mokuba's current guardian. I here to talk about your son…" Mokuba got up and ran up the stairs. He slammed his door. Kura looked up. "You know what, I think I need to call you back." Kura hung up the phone and stared up the stairs.

The door opened. Kura turned and saw Kari. "Home Kura."

"Where have you been??"

"Getting a ride home."

"You are suppose to be in the hospital" Kura said, with a irritable tone. Kari gave her this strange look, "Yeah… I was released."

"Who the hell gave you a ride anyway?"

"A friend… what's wrong with you?"

"Look HiKari, you don't just ride home with some guy without telling me. I thought I had one less thing to worry about because you were safe there!" Kura yelled. "I just wanted to surprise you."

"Well this is no surprise, next time you tell me."

"Oh, like I'm going to tell you to back off." Kari began walking up the stairs. "HiKari Joan Bruder! Don't you walk away from me!" Kura heard her slam the door. "That's it! You are grounded!"

"What? And you gonna kill me too!" Kari yelled down from her room. Kura stomped back over to the couch and plunged herself onto the couch, angry at… She stopped her angry thoughts. She just… grounded her sister. HER sister was grounded. At first, she had feeling of satisfaction of getting her sister grounded. Then of total sadness for ever doing it.

Seto had been gone, for what now? 5 days? The act that Seto wasn't around to be mean and unsensitive made it her now. Kura sighed, now feeling sorry for Mokuba and Kari. Kari had just got out of the hospital, and all Kura could do was ground her. No, this wasn't what she deserved. She decided that she would wait for another time to talk to her.

Seto

Well, all Seto could say to himself was dashavou. He was back in the battle field, again, this time without Josh. It felt different not having him there, and Seto hated the fact that he did. Seto rolled behind a rock, taking a breather from all the intense battling. "HURRY! OVER HERE!" Seto turned to the side. It was Nick and his 2 friends.

They jumped behind the same rock as Seto and didn't even notice him. "Ok, let's take a breath here before we go back in."

"Why? Is it too much for you?" Seto asked, smirking. Nick glared. "You listen here Kaiba, we're here to fight for YOUR country. The least you can do is back us up."

"Only if you say please." Nick glared. "We never needed you help anyway" Nick said, turning around and began shooting again. "Alright, Bob you shoot the left side and…" Nick turned and noticed both his friends were gone. "Huh? Where di those idiots go?" Nick asked. He shrugged. "Aw, who needs them." Suddenly Nick feel backwards. He yelled in pain.

Seto quickly ran over to Nick. "What happened?" Seto said, placing his hand on his arm. Nick sat up and hit Seto across the face. "I don't need help from the likes of you."

"Nick, your shot. Let me help you." He was surprising himself even more. Usually if someone had said that, he would've been gone already, not caring what happened to him. Was he becoming a team with even the people he hated? "No! I don't need your help!" Seto looked up. He grabbed Nick and began dragging him backwards, still looking up. "Hey! I said I didn't need your help!" Nick hit off Seto once again.

"Nick, look! That's why your friends left!" Nick looked up. It was a bomb. It was going to hit them. Seto grabbed Nick again, and again Nick hit him off. "GET OFF!"

"Nick, if you don't let me help you, you'll die!" Nick pushed Seto with all his might behind a rock. "I don't care!" Seto quickly got up and looked back at Nick. The bomb hit Nick, his head exploding off his body. Seto was in completely shock, getting hit back by the explosion. Seto breathed heavily as men came around him and Nick.

He couldn't believe it. One second Nick was alive. The next… he was dead. He wanted to help. He really did. Nick didn't want too. He could've saved him. He could've but he didn't. Something told him Nick knew that bomb was coming. Something told him. Wait, was that the reason why he insisted on not having help? Was that it? He was trying to get Seto to run to save himself. He knew he couldn't, but he didn't wanna be saved by Seto. And instead of loosing both lives. He saved Seto without even trying to show it. And Seto was the only one who knew.

He couldn't believe it. Nick was gone.

Funeral of Nicholas Narwin

Seto stood there, still in shock. There who attended were Josh, Nick's 2 friends, and his father, Commander J. Narwin. He held his hat to his chest in respect. Everyone could tell he wanted to cry so bad, but as a Commander, it would only show weakness. "And now we lay our dear Nicholas Narwin to rest, with a few words from his peers." The priest announced.

To surprised everyone, Nick's worst enemy stepped up first, Josh. "Nick Narwin wasn't a very nice guy." Everyone gasped and stared at him. "Yes, it is true. Behind the charm, he thought he was the best, the cream of the crop, the top of the top. He would bully everyone around because he thought he was powerful. But he was not only a jerk… he used to be my best friend."

Seto looked up. What?! Josh and Nick were friends?! When was that?! "It may be shocking to some, but I knew the time would come when you all would know. Nick would deny it every time till he was hit with a bomb, but indeed, we were freidns. We go all the way back to kindergarden. Our fathers were friends, causing us to become friends as well. We went to all the same schools together all our lives. Even milatary school. But right when we graduated, it seemed life had taking it's full U turn. And that's when he became powerful, and refused to agree that we had even known each other. But deep inside, I think Nick would die all over again… for Japan."

Josh bowed and placed some sand in the grave. He turned and slowly walked away. "Who would like to pay our respects to Nicholas as well?" the priest asked. Seto stood in front of everyone. He heard everyone whisper and wonder as Seto stepped foreward to Nick's grave.

"Nick, was everything he ever wanted to be. But he is also something more to him. Something he might never admit. When I was in that battle field, Nick was shot, right in the chest. I had asked to help, but he would push me away and say now. I had really tried to reason with him, and tried to save him. He pushed me away from the bomb, and got hit himself. And I believe that Nick, even though he strongly disliked me. Saved me. That was why he never accepted my help. He knew the bomb was coming, and he wanted only him to die from it."

Everyone gasped. Commander Narwin ran up to Seto and slapped hism across the face, "You mean to tell me, my son died because of you!?" He held Seto by the collar, his eyes blazing with anger. Seto understood the anger, for that was how he looked at the man who had ever tried to harm his little brother in anyway.

"Your son would've been saved if he wasn't a hot head and didn't want me to save him!" Seto yelled back. Commander Narwin punched Seto in the face and threw him to the ground. People ran to hold back Commander Narwin from doing anything more. "Please, we are here to pay our respects!" the priests shouted. "That man killled my son!" He said, pointing to Seto.

"I didn't, I really tried to save him!" Seto yelled. "HE'S A MURDERER AND A LIER!" He yelled, everyone began to talk, and yell, and Seto began to loose himself. So many angry faces. So manhy sad faces. All pointing t him because of it. The blame was being pushed down hard on him. He began to loose himself in his own mind, where he knew it was safe.

He found his mind, dark, and empty. Where was he now? He began to walk endlessly, in no direction at all. "Hey big brother" Seto turned around. Mokuba? Was it really him? Or just another thought in his feeble head. "Mokuba… I've failed you."

"No you haven't, your alive aren't you?"

"It's all my fault! I don't deserve any of this! I don't even deserve you!" Mokuba frowned. "Seto, don't say things like that."

"But it's true. Everything's my fault! If only I wasn't alive I…"

"Seto, don't think so badly of yourself. It hurts the people who truly believe hyour great. Stand up for yourself, and don't sell yourself short. Because you…" Mokuba ran up and hugged Seto, "Will always be my hero."

Seto looked down, surprised at Mokuba's words. Piece by piece Mokuba began to break away. Seto reached out his hand as he fell backwards. "No…"

Seto sat straight up. He panted, where was he now?! There was no more angry people, no more sad. He was alone in an hospital bed in the infiormary. What had happened? Did Commander Narwin beat the shit out of him?"

"Oh good, your up." Josh said, walking in. Seto turned to Josh. "What happened? Where am I?"

"Your in the infirmary. And your passed out. We took you here, and the funeral finished hours ago." Seto felt his head. "Oh… I guess that's good. What of Commander Narwin?"

"He stormed off. He was really pissed off, but I think he's cooled off by now." Seto looked down. "Could you tell him I'm sorry?"

"It wasn't your fault."

"YES IT WAS!" Josh felt a little drawn back by Seto's sudden anger. He placed his hand on Seto's shoulder, "Don't take it that way, it was Nick's choice to save you."

"Well his choice was bad. I should've died."

"And leave your brother alone?" Seto fell silent. "Look Kaiba, I know it was a bit rude of everyone pouncing on you about Nick, but buddy, your being a little selfish. Making yourself suffer and saying you should die is hurting Mokuba more than it could ever hurt you." Seto gasped. No… he never wanted his brother in pain.

It was just too much, he couldn't take it when he was in pain. "Alright… I'll stop." Josh took his hand back. "Alright buddy, get some rest. We'll be going back into combat soon. You'll need all the rest you can get." Seto simply nodded and leaned back in his bed. He could hear Josh leave the room and close the door. Now he was alone. Well, not nessicarily, he had his thoughts to deal with.

He slowly fell asleep. Knowing death could come at any moment. But preventing himself from anything with high hopes of seeing his brother once more.

Kura, this chapter is dedicated to you. Don't sell yourself short, your better than you really think you are. I know, I have the best big sister in the world. I hope this will help you. And thank you all for reviwing. You guys ARE the best.