By Hikaru Hayashi

Yay! I got another review! Keep 'em commin' please.

A shout out to Shrilanka-san! Thanks for reviewing and saying I need more reviews. You made my day! Keep reading, please!

Another shout out to silver-dagger-113! You rock! Totally! Thanks a bunch! (And if you think it's scary so far…whoa-ho!)

With that, let's begin the chapter.

Disclaimer note: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, dang it.

Chapter 3: Seto Falls Into the Well

As the end of the festival drew near, the village children got to put on their traditional skit about what the festival means to them. The younger children like Yugi and Mokuba would never get big parts, but the parts they did get, they played with energy, and practically flawless.

Katsuya, being the village elder's grandson, would always get the biggest part, but, as usual, he screwed it up and Seto, being one of the best actors, had to bail him out.

After the skit, the children would go off and do their own thing while the grown-ups got ready for the food festival.

And, forgetting the events of a couple of weeks ago, Seto and Mokuba ran to the old well.

"It's almost depressing that the festival is almost over," Mokuba sighed as he sat down at the base of the well.

"Yeah, I know what you mean, Moki," Seto replied, sitting on the edge of the well.

Mokuba sighed again. "Just a few more days, and then back to reality. I wish these kinds of things would last longer."

"Me too," Seto replied, leaning back and forth, his feet dangling inches from the ground. "But, all good things must come to an end, right?"

"I suppose…" Mokuba said. "…You did really good in the skit, Nii-sama!"

"You think?" Seto said, rather nonchalantly.

"I'm serious!" Mokuba exclaimed. "You were awesome!"

"If you say so, Moki," Seto replied, still very nonchalant about the skit subject.

Their conversation went on like this for a good while, until Seto leaned back a little too far…falling backwards…and into the well!

"Oh..! Ahhhhhgggggh!"

"Oh no! Nii-sama!" Mokuba cried as he jumped up and looked into the well. "Oh no…this is just great…!" he said as he ran to get his mother.

Little Mokuba ran as fast as his little legs could carry him to his mother, who was outside by the brook watering her flowers.

"Mother!" he shouted. "Nii-sama's fallen into the well!"

"The water roars, Little One," the mother replied. "I cannot hear you."

"Mother!" he shouted loudly. "My brother Se-- I mean, Tikki…peri…ruchi…whatever his name is has fallen into the well!"

The mother looked at her son in shock. "What's come over you, boy?" she snapped. "Haven't I told you to speak more clearly when you address someone? What on earth are you trying to tell me?"

Poor Mokuba. He was so frustrated and frantic that he couldn't remember his brother's name. "But, Mother! It's Seto! He's…"

"Now haven't I told you to speak your brother's real name at home? You know better than that, Mokuba!"

Mokuba began to cry. He was becoming even more frustrated and this wasn't helping. He just could not remember that great big ridiculously long name! It was pure torture. "Dear honorable mother…" he panted. "Chari-bari-rembo…tikki-tikki…pip-pip has fallen into the well!"

The mother looked at her son in disgust. "Surely an evil spirit has bewitched your tounge." She sighed. "Now, speak your brother's name clearly and with reverence. And try to get it right, please!"

Mokuba moaned loudly. …not fair…! he thought as he thought of poor Seto at the bottom of the well. …it's not fair! It's just not fair! And it's all mother's fault! Katsuya was right! It's all because of my brother's stupid-long name that we're in this mess! Stupid mother must have thought she was so great giving Nii-sama a stupid-long name! And now…I might not be able to help him in time!

He remembered how much his brother hated his name. Nonetheless, in order so save him, he would have to get it right.

Upon finally being able to remember his brother's great big ridiculously long name, Mokuba took a deep breath, bowed his head clear to the ground, and spoke slowly…very…slowly: "Honorable Mother…Tikki-Tikki-…Tembo-…no-sa-…rembo-…chari-bari-…ruchi-…Pip-peri-…pembo is at the bottom of the well."

The mother dropped her watering can and gasped. "Oh no!" She cried. "Not my first and most honored son, heir of all I possess! Not my precious! Oh!…Quickly, my child! Run and fetch Old Man Mutoh to get him out! Hayaku!"

Now that his mother had finally gotten the picture, she was on her way to the well. Mokuba ran as fast as his little legs could carry him to the Mutoh family's place. Yugi was in the front yard playing hopscotch with 6-year old Shizuka, Katsuya's younger sister. His grandfather was asleep under a tree.

"Konnichi'wa, Mokuba!" Yugi greeted as he was hopping. "O-genki desu ka?"

"Yugi, I'd really love to stay and chat, but this is kind of urgent!" Mokuba said as he ran to the tree to wake up the old man.

"Um, Mokuba, I wouldn't…"

"Mr. Mutoh! Mr. Mutoh! Wake up! My brother Seto has fallen into the well!" Mokuba shouted as he shook the old man, trying to wake him.

"So, it's Seto's turn now, is it?" Yugi said as Shizuka took her turn. "Wow, you brothers sure get in a lot of trouble!" He sighed dreamily. "I wish I had a brother…"

Grandpa Mutoh snorted. "…Hm? Oh, look what you've gone and done…you awoke me from my nap! I dreamed I had found my youth again…and there were all of these beautiful women! Now, if I fall asleep again, perhaps I will return."

"Please, Mr. Mutoh! My brother Seto has fallen into the well!"

Grandpa Mutoh looked at him in confusion. "Hm…? What?"

Oops. Mr. Mutoh, like many of the grown-ups in the village, did not know about Seto's nickname. That means he had to say that great big ridiculously long name all over again.

No! Mokuba thought as he moaned in agony. Not again! This just isn't fair! Blast it all! His thoughts returned to his visual of Seto at the bottom of the well. He was frightened. It might already be too late.

"Well…if it's nothing important…" Mr. Mutoh said as he got ready to fall asleep again. "I'd like to get back to all of those fine chicks, so if you don't mind…"

"No! Wait! Uh…" Mokuba shouted. "Tikki-tikki…no…chari…ruchi…pip has fallen into the well!"

Again, Mr. Mutoh looked at him in confusion. Yugi kind of chuckled. This was something he would tease Mokuba about for the rest of his life. If he doesn't know his own brother's name… Yugi thought, there sure as heck isn't hope for the rest of us!

"I don't…" Mr. Mutoh said as he watched Mokuba trying to carry his ladder all by himself. Yugi found this whole spectacle amusing. Shizuka tapped him, letting him know it was his turn.

"Please, Mr. Mutoh…!" Mokuba whined as he tried to carry the heavy ladder. "Please help my brother out of the cold well."

Finally understanding what Mokuba was saying, he replied. "Ho-ho! So…your mother's 'Precious Pearl' has fallen into the well!" He stood up and picked up the ladder (with Mokuba still hanging on to it). "I won't be gone long, Yugi. You and Shizuka try to stay out of trouble, okay?"

"Okay, Grandpa!" Yugi said as Mokuba dragged his grandfather away ("Hurry! Before it's too late!").

Mr. Mutoh went as fast as his old legs could carry him up the hill to the old well, where Mokuba's mother was already waiting. It looked as though she was trying to talk to Seto at the bottom of the well (though he probably couldn't hear her).

She looked up. "Well, it's about time you got here, Old Man!" she said as she pushed him towards the well. "Now get your tail down there and get my son, this instant!"

"Alright, alright, hold your horses…" Mr. Mutoh said as he placed the ladder into position. Then, step over step, step over step, he went into the well. He picked up the boy, then, step over step, step over step, he came out of the well.

The old man was startled when the mother grabbed her unconscious son from his arms. "Get out of here, Old Man!" she shouted.

Mr. Mutoh scoffed. "Oho…so that's how it is, eh?" he mumbled.

"Oh, my poor son! My precious!" The mother cried as she fell to her knees, holding her son.

Mokuba touched his brother's hand. It was pale and felt very cold. "…Nii-sama…?"

Mr. Mutoh stared with a paranoid look. He picked up his ladder and started to walk away.

The woman looked up. "Where do you think you're going, Old Man!" she snapped. "Get over here and revive my son!"

"Sheesh, make up your dang mind…!" Mr. Mutoh muttered as he turned back around. "Hmph. I'm getting too old for all of this…"

The Old man (unwillingly) walked back over to the family and knelt down beside the boy. Then he pumped the water out of him, and pushed the air into him.

Please…please wake up, Nii-sama!

The poor mother began to weep. "If he doesn't wake up, Old Man, I'm taking it out on you!" she cried.

"All right, dang it! Hold your horses!" he shouted. Poor Mr. Mutoh. He continued to pump the water out of the unconscious boy. "Ungrateful woman…" he muttered, "I ought ta just let the boy die…!"

Now it was Mokuba who was starting to cry. Don't die, Nii-sama…! Please…please don't die…

I…I was jealous of you, Seto! I was so jealous! I knew Mother liked you better because you're the oldest. Everything you did, she would praise you for, even when you admitted it wasn't your best work. What did I ever get? Nothing but "Do your best" or "That's not right, Little One" and even "No, that's not it. You could learn a lesson from your brother!" And I hated hearing it!

You were the only one who ever accepted me…you were the only one who ever acknowledged me…you cared for me when nobody else did. You are the only person who's ever understood me…if you leave me now…I…

Mokuba couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and walked over to them and knelt down next to his brother. He raised his fists into the air.

"Huh!" his mother sniffled. "Son, what're you…!"

"You can't die, Seto!" Mokuba shouted as he brought his fists down onto his brother's chest. The impact, which must have jump-started Seto's heart, caused him to cough and gasp for air.

"Now, wake up!" Mokuba said.

As if right on cue, Seto's eyes slowly opened. "…Oh…wha…?" he stammered.

Their mother cried with joy. "My son! My son! He's alive!" She cradled her son's head. "Oh, my Precious!"

"Hmph…" Mr. Mutoh mumbled as he stood up, picked up his ladder, and walked away. "I coulda done that…ungrateful impatient family…"

"…H-huh? Mother…" Seto stammered. "Wha happened…?"

"Oh, daijoubu, sweetie," his mother said, stroking her son's chestnut brown hair. "You're going to be all right now…and it's all thanks to your wonderful little brother! He was so brave!"

Mokuba jumped. His mother had never called him "wonderful" before. He had just received his first compliment from somebody other than Seto. He beamed and hugged his mother. "Aww…shucks, Mother!" he said, bashfully kicking the ground and blushing madly.

End Chapter Three

That took forever to finish, but here's chapter three. One more chapter to go! The next chapter is sort of like an Epilogue. So, wanna know what happens about Seto's stupid-long name? Read the next chappy! For now, review please. Ja ne!