Attara: See? I told you I'd be back sooner than usual! Well, I have nothing to say except, ENJOY!

Five Years

The three of us had gotten along pretty well. It was five years of almost-happiness. Yes, there were times of merriment, but we weren't completely jovial. No, in order for us to have perfect bliss was for Mother to come home again. Even after all of that time of her absence, I would expect her to awake me in the morning, to smell her light perfume, or to have her gentle voice creep into the lonely house, but it would always be the cries of Mokuba or the gentle shaking of my father. It never was Mother and it never will be.

Mokuba had slowly gained the strength to sit, then crawl, and finally, to walk. Parents have always said that children grow up so fast, and I now realized that it was true. All too soon, Mokuba was five years old and speaking coherently. I was in fifth grade. We were just recovering from our loss. Losing someone as close as a mother and wife takes time to heal. Then, it happened.

The wounds from the previous damage had not fully healed. I remember that Father had to go somewhere when it happened... I should have gone with him, but no, I didn't want to leave Mokuba by himself that day. No, Father and I had a vow that must be kept. Mokuba was too young to know what was going on. Mokuba was protected from the problems of the outside world. We had accidentally forced him to develop a naïveté; we had forced him to live a sheltered life out of our want of his protection. That was a fatal mistake.

A man pounded at our door that day. I peered through the peephole and found him. I held my breath, hoping that he didn't hear me. He was extremely tall, and each knock felt like a strike of a sledgehammer. He seemed to be of authority, but I couldn't risk anything that could happen to our home. I knew something had happened, but I would not leave our home vulnerable to a stranger.

"I can hear your movements." The man's booming voice slipped through the cracks of the door. "I know that you do not know me, but I have some news...some news of your father."

He gave a short pause.

"But you need to open the door in order for me to tell you what has happened."

He waited for the click of the lock, but when he realized that I hadn't even moved, I could see a slight smile dawning on his face.

Then, he pulled out his wallet and flashed a police badge in front of the eyehole. I hesitated for a moment.

"You can come in." I unlatched the lock and opened the door. "What happened to Father?"

"Ah, straight to business. Well, I'm sorry to say, but there has been...an accident." He sat down in a chair and stared solemnly into my eyes.

"What kind of accident!" My eyes widened.

No, Father would never break the promise...would he?

"Your father..." He scratched his head nervously.

"Yes?"

"Your father has...passed on."

My eyes were brimming with tears, but I blinked them back. I would never show my weakness in front of a stranger. No, never.

"What happened?" My voice cracked.

"Well, there was a drunken driver that had sped through a red light. Unfortunately, he has not been identified..."

"And Father is dead?"

My voice was now composed in my questions. He closed his eyes and massaged his temple.

"It's Seto, isn't it?"--I managed to nod before he continued-- "Listen, Seto, I know this is going to be hard for you, but you, Mokuba, and your mother will get through this."

I gazed at the table.

"Mother had died five years ago."

The man's eyes suddenly showed sympathy and compassion.

"Oh-I'm so sorry..."

"No, it's fine...no, actually. Where are we supposed to go?"

"Your father has a will that ordered you to be sent to these relatives."

"What about Mokuba?"

"Of course he'll come with you."

"And when will this happen?"

"Tomorrow."

I thought about the situation. As long as I have Mokuba, it'll be okay.

"Very well, then. Now, if you don't mind, I need to start packing..."

"...and you want me to leave?"

He smiled sadly and exited the room.

"One of a kind..." I heard him say as I closed the door behind him.

Attara: How was that? I know that was short as well, but what do you expect from someone who watches the stupid dubbed versions? Also, I want to know everything about Noah Kaiba, since he was a minor part of Seto's life. By the way, didn't Seto Kaiba have to go to a couple of homes before going to an orphanage? Well, I need confirmation or something so I wouldn't publish the wrong thing, okay? Don't forget to give me some quotes, any quotes! Oh yeah, how long did Gozaburo Kaiba have to keep Mokuba and Seto before he died? Thanks!

Edited on April 21, 2003 at 8:05PM EST with help of Blue Eyes Demon. Thanks!