Show Me How It Ends

-Stage Twenty-Three: Rectification-

No one made a sound as the crowd parted fluidly, letting the strangers pass through their ranks with ease. Yugi Mouto walked beside Ryou Bakura, Anzu Mazaki, Mai Kujaku, Marik Ishtar, Ishizu Ishtar, and even Maxamillion Pegasus. Each of who was there to offer their support to Shizuka and her father. Mokuba was next to the grieving girl, holding her hand comfortingly. While Mr. Jounnouchi gazed at the rapidly filling grave before him, the look in his eyes revealing that his pain was beyond the point of tears.

It had been three days since the death of Jounnouchi Katsuya. Seto had disappeared, and the police investigation had revealed nothing. But that didn't mean anything to Shizuka. The minute her father rushed home from his firm, only to be met with the sight of a CSI team going through his son's bedroom, she spilled her guts. She told the elder Jounnouchi everything she knew about Seto and Matthew, how her brother had been telling the truth all along. Mokuba had joined her shortly and backed up her confession with his own. The night was spent shedding tears. Mr. Jounnouchi had asked Mokuba to try and get a hold of his brother, but to no avail. Seto was gone.

It was a beautiful ceremony, not even the rain gently descending on them could take away that comfort. The sermon made Shizuka want to smile instead of cry, but she could not bring herself to forget what had happened. Yugi and the others came and paid their respects to their fallen friend. It was obvious that loosing both Seto and Katsuya in the same month was weighing heavily on their hearts. Mokuba made a silent agreement with the young Jounnouchi, they would not tell the others what had transpired. They did not need to know the circumstances in which Jou died, nor did they need to know that Seto was still in this world. Somewhere…

A light hand came to rest on Shizuka's shoulder, causing the girl to jump slightly. She turned around only to meet a pair of icy-blue eyes tinged with crimson. Seto Kaiba stood before her, his face gaunt and hollow. Making him look infinitely older that his now eternal seventeen. She scowled inwardly. Now he actually looked as if he was one of the living dead.

"Shizuka…" He whispered softly, voice heavy with guilt, shame darkening his eyes.

Mokuba came from behind the girl, and was taken aback by the sight that met his gaze. Never before had he seen his brother look so defeated…so lifeless…so dead…

"I promised you…" he said brokenly. "I promised you and I failed…"

The pre-teen forced her gaze the ground beneath her feet. She couldn't stand those eyes. At first she had hated the vampire for letting anything happen to her older brother. But…this was like some kind of twisted love story. Each had lost the other in a matter of moments. Neither one knowing of the others true feelings. But Seto came back, selling his soul to be with Katsuya. And her brother still loved him, even with what he had become. But this story wouldn't have a happy ending. Matthew came and tore the two apart once more. They could not be together in life…and they would never be together in death. Shizuka choked back sob and thrust herself into the vampire's arms.

Seto tensed noticeably, then relaxed slightly and hesitantly brought his arms up to hold her gently. Mokuba walked up next to his brother and managed to slip his arms around the brunet's thin waist. Seto moved so both his brother and Shizuka were in his grasp. Mokuba shivered slightly. His brother was cold as ice. The elder Kaiba unfurled his wings and wrapped them around the two, shielding them from the rain he thought was the reason for their discomfort.

"Seto Kaiba?"

The vampire released the children and turned swiftly to meet Shizuka's father.

"Mr. Jounnouchi." He said quietly. Tentatively meeting the man's amber eyes. Something inside of him broke. His eyes were the same as Katsuya's…

What he found in the elder's tawny deeps could not have been less expected. There was sadness…pain and…what looked like gratitude? Why…?

"Mr. Kaiba, I have heard a lot about your current state from Mokuba and Shizuka. I know you cared for my son very much, as he did you."

"Sir, I failed your son. I was unable to protect him-"

The man held up a steady hand, silencing the teen abruptly.

"I do not blame you for what has happened, I actually wanted…to give you my thanks."

Seto was speechless.

"For saving my son back in Domino." He paused before continuing, as if trying to find the right words. "I don't and may never know why Hiroto did what he did. I can only imagine that you might know-" the brunet shook his head silently "-but, as I suspected, you were just an unfortunate casualty."

Seto tried to open his mouth to speak, but was once again silenced.

"You could not have done anything Seto. As much as you may blame yourself, there was no way you could have known about this, or protected Katsuya from it. I hold no ill will towards you, I would actually prefer it if you thought of us as family. But I do ask one thing of you Seto Kaiba."

The vampire waited, shocked to say the least, but still, he stood patiently.

"Hunt down the bastard who did this. That little stunt you pulled down in the alley next to our apartment turned a lot of heads. It was, in fact, the reason I had to leave last night. I want to see that same quality of manslaughter on Matthew Ravencroft. I'm sure you don't need any motivation to tear him limb from limb?"

Seto's eyes grew a dark crimson.

"I assure you, he will die for what he has done. I need no motivation to disembowel the murderer of my beloved."

The elder Jounnouchi held out his hand, which Seto took without hesitation.

"We are in agreement then."

"Yes…"

Shizuka and Mokuba listened to the conversation with bated breath. Shizuka had never heard her father sound so…disturbing. Mokuba looked at the girl questioningly.

"Did they just…?"

She looked back at the black haired boy, her eyes relaying a look of slight confusion.

"I think my dad just asked your brother to kill Matthew."

They both walked cautiously back over to Seto and Shizuka's father.

"Daddy?" she asked quietly.

"Seto?" Mokuba said just after her.

Questioning amber eyes turned to the young girl. "What is it Shizuka?"

She bit her lip gently. "What…what do we do now?"

The man turned his gaze onto the black granite headstone,

Jounnouchi Katsuya

1988-2005

Beloved Son, Brother, and Duelist

"May you now find the peace that you were denied in life."

"We say goodbye."

Seto walked to his brother and enveloped the boy in his arms.

"Mokie," he whispered softly "I'm going to leave again."

The pre-teen tried to protest, but a hardened glare from his brother silenced him.

"I have no idea when I will be coming back. Or even if I will be coming back. The point is, I don't want you to follow me, come looking for me, or anything else if I don't return. If that is the case, it will be best that you just forget me." Seto pulled back and stared hard into his brother's eyes. "I love you, and don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." Pausing a moment, he added, "That goes for you too Shizuka."

Seto rose to his feet and seemingly glided to the headstone. He traced his fingers gently over the Red-Eyes Black Dragon carved into the stone.

"God…Katsuya…I never meant for any of this…I am so sorry my love…"

He clenched his eyes shut, but not before a few ruby tears made their way down his cheeks.

"I promise you Matthew will pay…"

He turned and walked swiftly through the cemetery. There was an abrupt flash of lightning, and Seto was gone.

Mokuba watched as Yugi Mouto ran up to him, panting slightly.

"Mokuba, did you see…?"

The boy quickly feigned confusion.

"See what Yugi?"

The spiky haired duelist shook his head lightly. "I..I could have sworn that I saw Seto. I guess that with everything that's happened…just…never mind, I'm sorry Mokuba." He walked back to where Mai and Ryou were standing silently. Mokuba watched the group get into a black limo, which most likely belonged to Pegasus, and drive away.

"Mokuba?"

He heard his name and turned to Shizuka.

"Would you…maybe…like to stay with us tonight?"

The boy nodded mutely.

"If you want me to."

Mr. Jounnouchi came up to the two.

"We would love to have you stay with us Mokuba."

Shizuka gave a small smile and grabbed Mokuba's hand to pull him to their car.

The elder Jounnouchi followed a ways behind his daughter. He stopped once more and looked back at his only son's grave. And just for a moment, he got the feeling that something wasn't right. He resumed walking to his car, where Shizuka and Mokuba were already waiting. Then he heard something that made him freeze. But in a heartbeat, the sound was gone. Once again, he forced himself to move.

He gently pulled open the driver's side door, but paused as he heard the sound again. He quickly got in and started the car, driving out of the cemetery as fast as he could without breaking an laws.

"Daddy? What's wrong?"

Mr. Jounnouchi gazed into the rear view mirror and met the mage of his daughter.

"It's nothing, I was just thinking."

But it wasn't nothing. It would turn into something that would haunt the man for the rest of his days. No matter how much he wanted to forget it, the sound wouldn't leave his thoughts.

Because he could have sworn that he heard Katsuya screaming.

This is not the end.

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