I know, I killed Mokuba. I'm very naughty. Usually, I'm against needless murder for plot advancement, but he just had to go. Not for any particular reason, but... well, anyway...
Credit to Hikari Ryu for the name of the band. I know I said I'd send you early cookies, but, well, I forgot. --SORRY!!-- um, yeah...
Disclaimer: Mine, it is not. Yoda, i is talking like. Retard, me is.
Chapter 2: Falling
Jumping won't bring him back...
Kaiba hesitated, the little voice in his head seeming to have a point. But...
He wouldn't want you to.
He looked skywards again. That was true, too. Mokuba wouldn't want him to die, just because... just for him. He sighed. What was he doing? He wouldn't give up. He would live. For Mokuba. It would be what he'd want. Kaiba cautiously began lowering himself from the railing.
Thank Ra for that, Master Yami will be pleased...
Kaiba jolted, tripping as he descended. His balance thrown, he hovered dangerously three stories above the ground. There was a squeal behind him, which startled him more, and he fell...
A metre from the ground, he stopped, dangling in mid air as though held there by invisible string. Feeling rather relieved, and rather stupid, he awkwardly put a foot on the ground, and stood up. There was another squeal of amusement from his right. Turning, he found himself face-to-face with...
"KURIBOH!"
It squealed at him, bouncing slightly, apparently in delight. Kaiba looked at it warily. "You! You were talking in my head!"
It's called telepathy.
"Well thankyou, Captain Obvious."
The Kuriboh scowled. This is the 'thankyou' I get for talking you off that balcony? And then stopping your fall?
Kaiba glowered. The absurdity of the situation had finally sunk in. He was standing in his front garden, talking to a 2ft, magical piece of Egyptian lint, who had just saved him from commiting suicide. "Thankyou, Kuriboh," he sighed.
Are you okay?
"No, not really, no," Kaiba scowled, before he could stop himself. "My brother has just died, in case you hadn't noticed." He fought back tears again.
Kaiba, I know it hurts. But the pain will go away. Trust me. Mokuba wouldn't want you to be unhappy.
"Kuriboh?"
Yes, Priest?
Kaiba started at the name. Shaking his head, he murmered, "Did... did you say 'Master Yami?' So he's... still in Egypt?"
You've given up on him, haven't you? Kaiba didn't say anything. What could he say? He hated himself for even asking, at a time like this, when all he should be thinking about was Mokuba. But Yami... he was still in love with the Pharaoh, even after all this time. The Kuriboh gave a downheartened squeal. Don't lose hope.
Kaiba looked up. There was a squeal; then the little monster was gone. "Wait! What do you mean, don't..." Mokuba... Yami... he needed them both. And they were both gone. His eyes leaked once more. "Don't lose hope," he muttered. "Yeah, right..."
"You mean I haven't seen him in five years, and you won't even tell me a single thing about how he is?"
The Kuriboh grinned. Obviously, it wasn't saying anything. But the Pharaoh wasn't giving up that easily.
"So why did he need help? He did need help, didn't he...?" He trailed off, frowning. "I was dreaming... and suddenly..." He shook his head. "Seto is okay?"
The Kuriboh nodded his head, which was effectively his whole body. Yami sighed, relieved. "Ra, how I've missed him..."
The monster sent him a pitying glance. The Pharaoh had looked so lost without his priest, these past five years. He was thinner than ever, and his eyes had held a tortured misery Kuriboh only once saw before in their crimson depths. Yami noticed the monster's staring.
"What? Why are you staring at me? There's something you're not telling me, I can tell." Yami's face suddenly brightened. "Well I don't care! I'll find out for myself in a few days!"
But Master...
"What is it?"
Are you sure you should go back?
"Kuriboh, I have to! I can't stand being away from him any longer. Besides, I have to give him my present!" Yami sounded like a child, begging to be allowed out to play. "Don't you understand?"
Yes, master. But... don't get your hopes too high.
"Me? Get my hopes up? Yeah, right..." Yami was practically giggling. Somehow, Kuriboh didn't quite believe him.
Ryou was suddenly woken by a wet lick to the ear. Wondering vaguely when he had bought the dog, he opened his eyes, blinking in the rare English sunlight. Bakura was, apparently, nibbling his ear.
"Bloody hell, Bakura, what do you think you're doing?"
The Egyptian man smiled. "It's shopping day."
Ryou cursed. He had actually enjoyed shopping, once upon a time. That was until Bakura had discovered the delights of Marks and Spencer, of course. "Do we have to?"
"Yes, I work hard for that money! Which means I get to choose how and when we spend it. And we don't have any milk."
"If you call selling leaves of that marijuana plant to those poor sods 'working', you have a lot to learn about modern society."
"Are you kidding? Without my supremely genius business enterprise, you'd be bankrupt. Besides, it takes a special kind of man to be able to grow a pot plant under a floorboard." This, Ryou had to admit, was true. They were living in a very small uni dorm, and would be in rather a lot of shite if their pot was found. Which meant the poor plant was sustained with Shadow Magick.
They got on the tube, another of Bakura's favourites. He said the darkness reminded him of Egyptian tombs, and could never quite figure out why Ryou found this un-nerving. Sitting down, Bakura pointed out a poster.
"Look, it's Malik's band! Playing at the Millenium Stadium."
This was hardly a surprise. Malik's band - 'Psychiatryst' - were insanely popular. They also had a reputation for being constantly high and very promiscuous. Malik himself was now treated in much the same way Seto Kaiba had been in Japan. Malik, though, enjoyed it.
"We should go," Bakura insisted.
"Why are we spending our money at Marx n Sparx, then?"
"Are you kidding? We don't have to pay. Please, can we go?"
Ryou rolled his eyes. He had a sinking feeling getting in would involve something illegal. It nearly always did with Bakura. He made a resolution to get very, very stoned before they went to the concert.
That said, the shopping trip wasn't too bad. Bakura was walking around in the pinkest, biggest bra he could find, and stocked the trolley with mounds of strawberries and cream, but it really wasn't too bad. He even stole a lollipop for the little girl at the register next to theirs.
"See, Bakura, you can be sweet when you try..."
That was............ weird. Sorry if England didn't sound proper, but I haven't been there in eight years, and i can remember very little. I was, uh, a teensy bit tipsy when I wrote that... maybe you can tell?? But i'm no alchie, i know when to stop...
Review me, pwease??
