To Everyone's Anti-Valentine: I've very glad you enjoy this story. I tried to take my writing a step further, and I think that it really shows.
"What?" Seto asked.
"I need to show you something else." He walked out of the room. Seto followed. Mokuba walked to his own room and slowly opened the door. All the lights were still on. Mokuba nodded. Seto watched, as he saw his stepfather's figure moved across the room.
"Where are you going?" He asked Sonia. She ignored him, throwing clothing in her suitcase. "You cannot leave."
"Why cant I?"
"I own you." She laughed slightly.
"Oh, you do?"
"Yes. And I forbid you to leave." He walked over and closed her suitcase. He was younger, he has only about 28 years old, his brown hair was free of grey, but he still had the commanding respect that he did. She looked into his eyes. This surprised Seto. He knew his stepfather; he was surprised that the man didn't smack the girl right across the face.
"I'm leaving. Gozaburo. I'm going home, to Russia." He looked at her with those angry eyes.
"How dare you! I have given you everything that you could possible want! What right do you have to leave me?"
"I hate you." He looked at her. "You tore me from my home and expect me to love you." She looked into his eyes.
"Did you ever?" Seto was surprised at the man's emotion. He had never seen the man like this, like sad. He loved Sonia, he could tell. Love was something that his stepfather never showed, to anyone, but this girl.
"Love you?"
"Yes." She thought for a moment.
"Yes. I did." She said, not looking at him. "I loved you once upon a time. I actually did." She was crying. He put his hand on her shoulder.
"Things can be better again. You'll see." She shook her head.
"Things will never be the same Gozaburo." She gently kissed him on the lips. "I will always think of you." She walked out the door, she passed through Seto and Mokuba, like they were the ghosts. He clenched his fists in anger. He had lost her. Seto know, that he hated to loose. He let out a scream from inside his soul. He ran through the two boys and grabbed Sonia. "What?" She cried helplessly. He ignored her cries and dragged her back into the room. "Gozaburo, what are you doing!" He threw her down on the large bed. He looked down on her.
"If I cant have you." She looked into his yellow eyes, they had always frightened her, but now, she was scared out of her mind. "No one will." She didn't miss an instant, she tried to leap up and get away from him. He slapped her, sending her toppling to the bed. She let out a cry as she realized that she was bleeding from her nose.
"What are you going to do?" She asked him, but he didn't hear. He walked over to the window that was next to the bed. He clenched his fists and broke the window. "Gozaburo?" He plucked a long piece form the window frame. "No, please. Don't." He walked to her, the glass in his hand. "I have something I have to tell you." He grabbed the base of her neck and held her up. He hands went to his, she clawed at him, trying to get him off of her. She was gasping for air, she was gasping for life. Seto looked into her eyes, her green eyes. She wasn't fighting for her life alone, she was fighting for something else. He wasn't sure what though. "I'm-" He tightened his grim, she winced. Her face began to go a slightly blue color. "Baby." She managed to finally say. He gasped and dropped her, her hands went to her thought and she coughed a little. She was crying large tears, never taking her eyes off of him. He dropped the glass, it feel to the floor.
"What?"
"Baby." She said, still gasping.
"What? Baby?"
"I'm going to have a baby, your baby, our baby." He looked at her, with a slight smile on his face. Seto had never seen him smile, ever.
"Baby." He thought, shaking his head. "How long?" She had this hopeful look in her eyes. Like things were now different. Seto was happy… he wasn't going to kill her. She had done for her what he had asked… and it was all right now, it was going to be ok.
"I'm due in January." She said to him, she propped herself up on the bed, moving towards him.
"Why did you want to leave then?" He asked her. Seto didn't understand why she wanted to leave, her job was done, she had produced an heir, she would never have to do anything for the rest of her life, she would never have to work ever again. This child, would be loved, like Noah was, it would have a good life. So why did she want to leave?
"Its not so simple. I'm having a girl." The smile left his face.
"A girl? A woman?"
"Yes."
"No, women are weak. I will NOT HAVE IT!" He picked up the glass he had dropped and trusted it towards her. She cried out and tried to get away. He held her down and looked into her green eyes. He placed the glass to her thought and she cried out. She tried so hard to push him off her, but in her weakened state, she was unable to. He sunk the tip of the glass into her neck a small amount of blood dripped out. She cried out in pain. As the glass went deeper, she cried more, more blood spilled out. The blood, all coming from her thought, went every ware, it coved every inch of the bed, of the floor, the walls, the room… everything had a thick layer of blood on it. Only Seto, Mokuba, Gozaburo and Sonia were left, uncovered.
Seto looked at the thick blood, it made him shiver, it made him want to cry. He knew it was blood, but it was different. It was pure emotion. Blood is just a liquid, he knew that. But blood was more than that. So much more. It was pure, blood is a pure life force, it was presence. It was all over this room, Sonia's room, Mokuba's room.
The blood disappeared, as did the figures on the bed.
"He barred her in the back yard, under the apple tree." Mokuba said.
"The one that you used to play under?" Mokuba nodded. "Why did she show her self to you, and not me?"
"She had been afraid when she came here, she had been lonely, she had been like I had when I came here. She knew that you were strong and didn't need her. Plus, she thought that I was cuter than you." Seto looked crossways at his brother.
"Why did he kill her, she had given him an heir."
"You didn't know this about Gozaburo, but he really hated women. He thought that they were weak, and were fit for nothing but giving birth and pleasing men. He didn't want a daughter, he wanted a son."
"So he killed her, and got away with it."
"No one knew that she existed, not even some of the staff knew about her. She was his dirty little secret. And then he killed her, and never thought about it again." Seto looked at his brother, he had a solemn, sad look in his eyes. Seto had seen that look before, far to often. Mokuba held back his emotions, and true feelings from his brother. Something that Seto didn't like, but something that he could not change. He was cold, and pushed everyone away, including Mokuba. So Mokuba just pushed back. They loved each other, but they really had a hollow relationship. Seto yearned to comfort his brother, he wished that he knew how to act now, what to say, but he was clueless. So he just let it go, he talked from his heart.
"Mokuba, Our step father was a horrible person. You and I both know that."
"But she was innocent."
"Mokuba, we were innocent. He had no respect for innocence, no matter if it was hers or ours."
"You were 10 when you came here, what would have happened if we were girls. What he have done that to you? Would he have done that to me?"
"I don't want to think about that." Seto said shaking his head. He had thought about it. He had worried about it in his later years. He was so worried that there stepfather had done something like that to the young boy. Seto threat over it. He didn't see Mokuba for a while there for a year or so. He would sit in his room and hope that that man would not touch his brother.
"But I do. What would have happened? He could have done that to us. And we would be powerless to stop it."
"Mokuba Stop!" Seto said. "It didn't happen. That's all that matters." Seto was surprised at him amount of emotion. He tried to remain level headed at all times, but he flew off the handle. He was passionate about this, about this fear that he had, that his brother had been… hurt.
"He was a horrible person, and I hate him. This only makes me hate him more. Knowing what he did to her."
"Its alright. Mokuba." Mokuba looked at his brother, tears in his eyes.
"I'm glad you think it's alright, because I sure as hell don't." Seto was surprised at this, he rarely cursed and never at him. "He was a horrible person, and I wish that we never would have been adopted by his evil ass."
"Mokuba, we've been over this, what I did, I did for us."
"We would have been fine, with out all of this, we would have been ok, as long as we were together."
"But we weren't going to be together, we surely would have been separated."
"NO WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN! We didn't need any of this, you didn't need any of this." Mokuba turned from his brother to walk out of the room. " We were happy! And then you had to go and make everything complicated, you had to turn into a complete-"
"Mokuba stop." Mokuba looked back at his brother, he had not said anything. A girl's voice had spoken. He looked, next to his brother, stood Sonia. Seto was a full head taller than she was, she was larger than he was, but they kind of looked alike. It was very weird to look at the two of them together. "He's your brother, what he did was for the best, for you and him." Mokuba looked at his brother, he missed the Seto he knew, the happy one, the one who would laugh, he didn't like this Seto, but it was his brother, his only family, and he would not want it another way.
"A complete what?" Seto asked, but he already knew what Mokuba was going to say, the same thing that everyone else called him. The title people had given him, with out even really getting to know him. People didn't understand him, he thought that Mokuba did, but he didn't. He was just like every one else. He hated him. Mokuba just looked into Sonia's pretty green eyes. He started to cry again. He ran to Seto, wrapping his arms around his brother's waist.
"A completely wonderful person." Seto was confused. He was about to call him an ass hole, and then he changed like that. Seto suddenly realized that he was very cold, he could see his breath dance out in front of him. He looked to his left, into a pair of green eyes. She looked different now, she looked like she had in the bedroom, not scary like she had in the hall. She was very wholesome, she was very motherly, lovely. He just looked at her, almost wanting to cry. She was lovely, more so than anyone he had ever seen. "I'm sorry Seto. I love you so much." Seto could not say anything, he could only look into the eyes of the girl. Mokuba stepped back and looked at Sonia. "Seto, this is Sonia." She smiled at him.
"Hello." She said in her sweet voice. He was speechless, all he could do was look at her, mouth slightly agape. "Certainly one for words isn't he?" Sonia joked. Mokuba laughed. Seto just looked at the girl, he didn't know what to think. "And handsome too." Seto just looked at the girl, she just looked and felt like a normal person. Like a normal person, like a girl that he was talking to. There was noting spectacular about her appearance, except for the fact that she had Mokuba by the hand. Seto saw in her what Mokuba saw, he knew. There was an energy coming form her and Mokuba, from there togetherness. "I have to go now Mokuba." She said to him.
"Will you always be here?"
"Always. Neither of you are getting rid of me, anytime soon." Seto just looked at that girl. He didn't even know what to say. She looked at him. "Seto, you've looked as if you've seen a ghost." She laughed. She leaned into him and kissed him on the cheek. She was amazed at how real it felt, like a kiss. She kissed Mokuba. "Be good Mokie." He nodded.
"I will." he looked very sad. "I love you Sonia." She nodded. She kissed him again and let go of his hand. She smiled and walked down the hall.
"Bye." Seto was finally able to blurt out. They could hear her laughter trail off as her figure slowly blended into the dark. "Wait a second." He said.
"What?" Mokuba asked.
"Why were you so afraid of her? When we first saw her?"
"There is a war Seto, the living and the dead. She was tried from all the fighting that she had done. Protecting you and I from evil." Seto didn't believe in any of that. Mokuba was still a boy, he believed stuff like that. But what Seto had seen tonight, was different, unlike anything else he had ever seen. So maybe Mokuba was right. "There are a lot of people on the other side, that would like to hurt you, for what ever reason. But you are strong, and they know that they can't get to you." Seto looked at his bother, the boy was not afraid, he was emotionless. "So they go after me. Because they know that I am your life force."
"Have they ever hurt you?"
"I don't want to talk about that."
"I do, have they ever hurt you?"
"She dose the best to protect me. But even she, cant always do it." Mokuba seamed to be shrinking, his appearance, everything about him, seamed to be getting smaller. More vulnerable it seamed to Seto. His brother was still a boy. But they together, had been through so much, Mokuba had had to grow up so much. Seto had done his best to shield his brother from the pressure and stress of it all. But he knew that it hadn't worked. Mokuba had seen more, in the past year, in the past six months, than most people see in their entire life's. Seto had never thought, about what kind of an impact all of this would have on his brother, until now. Until this moment.
"Mokuba. I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Everything. You have seen so much, because I've dragged you to it all." The boy was restored, his normal size now.
"I don't mind. It's a labor of love for me really. Plus I've seen some pretty cool stuff in my life."
"But do you think that you've seen, to much?" Mokuba looked at his brother.
"What doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger." Seto Nodded in agreement. "Besides, things could always be worse."
"I guess so."
"I'm gonna go to bed." Mokuba walked into his room.
"You still want to sleep in here?" Seto asked, following him in.
"Of cores. I love this room." Seto looked around. He would never look in this room again with out getting shivers down his spine. It creped him out. He didn't understand how Mokuba could stand to be in here. The boy climbed into bed.
"You sure?"
"Positive. You going to bed?" He thought. He wasn't going to be getting to sleep, not after all of this, he didn't understand how Mokuba was going to be able to either.
"Not sure yet. How can you sleep?" Seto said, he sat down on the bed, something he never did. But he just felt like it was the best thing he could do for the boy right now.
"How I do it, is close my eyes, and run equations through my head. Eventually I get so bored that I fall asleep." Seto rolled his eyes. His chin was in his hand, there was still so much he didn't understand about what had just happened.
"The song?"
"The what?"
"That song that you were playing when we first saw he tonight."
"Oh that. It was a lullaby that she sang to me."
"How did it go?" Mokuba looked at his brother.
"What?"
"Sing it to me." Mokuba looked at his brother with wide eyes.
"Are you feeling ok?"
"This has been a weird night. Humor me." Seto didn't know why he wanted his brother to sing to him, he just needed it, for some reason.
"Ok. Keep in mind, I can't sing."
"That doesn't matter."
"Alright."
"I need some sleep.
You can't go on like this.
I try counting sheep,
But there's one I always miss.
Everyone says, 'I'm getting down too lo'"
Everyone says, 'You just gotta let it go'
You just gotta let it go
I need some sleep
Time to put the old horse down
I'm in too deep
And the wheels keep spinning round
Everyone says, 'I'm getting down too low'
Everyone says, 'You just gotta let it go'
You just gotta let it go
You just gotta let it go"
Mokuba's head full of deep black hair feel against his pillow and he feel asleep. Mokuba had a very sweet little voice. Seto enjoyed hearing it. He liked it enough when he talked, and when he sang, it was even better than that. He leaned over the boy and kissed him on the forehead. He had no idea what had come over him, he wasn't sure if he liked it or not yet.
As he walked to his room he hummed the song that Mokuba had sung, it was very pretty. He walked into his room and sat on his bed. That song still lingering in the base of his thought. 'You just gotta let it go.' He had to let the boy go. Mokuba was 12 years old, he would be a teenager soon and would have to take care of him self. He would be able to. Seto laid down on his bed. Soon Mokuba would be leaving him, going off to collage or whatever. Soon, he would have no need for Seto at all. He rolled over on his side. He would be obsolete to his brother, soon. He still sung the song in the bottom of his mind. He thought of Sonia. She was a ghost. He had grown up a lot since he had first had him. And he still needed her. So he, Mokuba, would still need Seto. Always. Always and forever. Seto feel asleep, for the first time in a long time, he slept with out fear, with out stress. It was very refreshing to him.
The End