Please Read and Review: I really love hearing from people reading the story, and I'd like to know what you think, and where you think it's going.

NOTE ON NAMES: In the manga and the subtitled anime, Mokuba invariably refers to Kaiba as Nisama. However, that could get confusing, with two of them. So although, when speaking to them, he continues to call them both Nisama, in his thoughts he uses the following names:

Nisama: refers to the 18 year-old Seto Kaiba

Oniichan: refers to the 13 year old Seto Kaiba. Oniichan is a more affectionate, less formal way of saying Big Brother. I thought it was more in character than having him use Seto, even in his thoughts.

MANGA NOTE: Although I haven't followed the Ancient Egypt arc, I have 'borrowed' several elements from it: chiefly that Akunadin is Priest Seto's father, and that he sold his soul to Zork Necropolis, who's this sort of uber-evil guy, for the power to make a wish on the Sennen Eye. He wished for his son to become pharaoh. Priest Seto, however, ultimately proves loyal to everyone's favorite pharaoh.

CHAPTER 6: THE BROTHERS KAIBAMAZOV

(With apologies to Fyodor Dostoevsky)

SETO'S POV

If he thought I was going to sit quietly at home, Lightning Guy had the wrong Seto Kaiba.

Getting away was easier than I thought – and that bothered me. But the guys were taking Kouma to the zoo with… well, with Mokuba. They wanted to show my Pony all the kid places he had never gotten to see. Mokuba had made a list. I felt guilty. I'd snuck him out as much as I dared, but there were so many things he'd never done. Mokuba must have realized how I felt, because he put his arm around me and said, "Nothing was as much fun as being with you." It was what I'd always wanted to hear, but it was weird having him comfort me; having him know that I wanted to be comforted. It felt wrong.

And it was hard letting him go off with others. We had never really been apart. Kaiba had understood. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at that, but it was hard to tell what he was thinking.

But as I had stood there, trying to decide whether to let them go, Kaiba had pulled me aside, saying with his slight smirk: "You've judged that these people are a group of fools. You're right. But there's one thing you should know – they have risked their lives in the past to protect him, and will do so again, if necessary. He's as safe with them, as with you," he said, before murmuring "…safer" under his breath.

I didn't like Kaiba, but I had a certain wary respect for him. And there was one thing that I was sure of – he cared as much about Mokuba as I. Maybe in spite of the ruin of my original plan, I had managed to keep my promises. But I found that hard to believe when I looked into his eyes, or though about the possible meaning behind his whispered 'safer'.

I could ask him. He would tell me. He would stand straight up, and spit the answer right between my eyes… letting me know exactly how vile we were; daring me to hate him – to hate myself – even more than I already did.

But… Mokuba seemed happy. Whatever I had done seemed to have hurt me more than him. I shrugged. That meant the answer could wait; it wasn't important. I could live with whatever I had done; it was one more thing I could brush aside.

I figured it wouldn't be hard to find Akunadin, and it wasn't. After all, he was the one looking for me. I simply went back to the alley where I had run into Shadi – and there he was.

Another jerk in a robe. I smiled. After Gozaburo, this was going to be a piece of cake.

"Seto."

"Old man."

"Why are you here?" he asked. So the pleasantries were over. Just as well, I was never much for small talk anyway.

"I've heard enough about you to be curious what you have to offer."

"Haven't you been told that I sold my soul to the embodiment of evil? That I will deliver the world into darkness?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah, well, where I'm from, that wouldn't be anything new. So it doesn't mean we can't deal."

"Why should I trust you?"

I smiled. "You probably shouldn't. No one ever does."

He smiled in return. I wondered if they played chess in ancient Egypt. Maybe if I'd ever learned something besides engineering and business, I'd know the answer.

"Shadi wants to return you to the Hell you just left. You won't even remember any of this. You've made an escape. I can help you make it permanent. That's my end of the bargain. I'm sure Shadi told you – there's two items I want. That's yours."

"There's one thing I'm curious about. Why go to all the trouble of tracking me down? Why not just deal with the Seto Kaiba that's already here?"

"Why on Earth should that matter to you?"

"Because it obviously matters to you. So answer up, old man, if you want me to be your little aibou in this business venture."

"I have no objection to answering. It's quite simple."

I filed that away as his first lie. Nothing is ever simple.

"The Seto inhabiting this age has power, money, and control of Kaiba Corporation. He thinks he is in charge of his own destiny," Akunadin continued. "I have nothing he values. But I have something to offer you – the chance to step into his life."

"I'll have his life in five years, anyway. With or without your help."

"Do you really want to wait? This way, you could have his life without spending those five years paying for it."

Not bad. We were already up to Lie #2. Nothing in life comes without cost. And it's always better to know the price in advance, and arrange the method of payment yourself. But all I said was, "I'll think about your offer. But, there seem to be some holes in your theory. Do you expect him to just step aside, and leave the field to me?"

He smiled as he said, "Let's just say that I don't think the world is ready for more than one Seto Kaiba, at a time."

MOKUBA'S POV

He might have fooled all the others, but from the moment Oniichan let us go off with the others, I knew… he had an agenda of his own. My brother was never one to sit quietly at home and wait for trouble to find him. He was probably out searching for Akunadin right now. And my job, although he hadn't said anything to me, was to keep everyone out long enough so that no one noticed his absence.

I was surprised Nisama wasn't out wandering the streets too. But he had probably decided that it was more efficient to do his searching by computer. And he'd want to learn more about Akunadin before confronting him. Though no one but me knew it, Nisama could read those ancient hieroglyphs. And although it was still hard for him, over the years he had learned some patience.

I could see that everyone thought Oniichan was a perfect copy of Nisama. As if five years had brought no changes. I guess I was the only one who saw a difference besides height.

Except maybe for Yami. He kept looking from one to the other, as if he wasn't about to be fooled by their obvious similarities.

And Nisama had changed. Whether it was building Kaiba Land, or playing chess, or simply taking more time off, I could see him, in his usual, intense, self-determinately wrongheaded way, trying to reclaim himself. Just like he promised at Alcatraz, he was trying to rid his heart of the anger and hatred that had almost destroyed it. As though he could will himself into that true future he was always seeking. And maybe he could. It never paid to underestimate Nisama.

But it looked like before we got to the future, we had some past to get through first. I could almost believe in those Ancient Egyptian Gods that Nisama hated hearing about, if only to wonder which one liked playing with my brother's head so much. He had been searching for the 10-year old Seto that he had left behind at the orphanage, as if he was just so much excess baggage… trying to give me the Nisama, I kept saying I wanted, back. Now, he had ended up with the 13 year old he had gone on to destroy, instead. The Seto he regarded which such mixed feelings. The Nisama I regarded with pity as well as love. The Nisama who had kept his thoughts hidden from me. The one who's secrets I had learned, anyway – only to hide that knowledge in return.

That's how I knew that Oniichan was out looking for Akunadin. The others would be angry if they found out. But unlike them, I trusted Oniichan. I wondered if Nisama did. Trust him, I mean. I doubted it. Death-T was never far from his mind. And I didn't have to ask myself if Nisama liked Oniichan. I knew he didn't. He was convinced that he couldn't afford to care about himself – not if he was going to care for me. Do you think anyone who actually liked himself, would have signed his life over to Gozaburo?

Meeting Oniichan had brought me face to face with just how much Nisama had given up for me – and how young he had been when he did it. We were the same age now. I was probably at least an inch taller, but he held himself far more erectly. I didn't slouch – but I would never face the world with his defiant posture. Just as Yugi was allowed to stand casually, but Yami made the most of his meager inches. We were the same age, but Oniichan had never been a child; he would never be a teenager.

At times I wondered why he did it – why he had decided from the moment I was born that he loved me beyond his own life; beyond his own soul. But I couldn't help but see myself through his eyes. More than the house, the money, or the toys my friends envied – it was his greatest gift to me.

It was only now that I could love him for the person he was – for his flaws, for the damage he took for my sake. At eight, I had been only capable of a child's adoration and blind trust – which must have been as much of a burden as a pleasure.

Did I say that he was impatient? Well, he was… but he accepted everything – how he was, what he had become, what he had given up… with a patience that was as terrifying as it was awesome.

And I knew, then or now, I couldn't deflect either of them from whatever headlong, destructive course they were running. All I could do was love him, and try to protect whatever I could of his heart. All I could do was to be there to help pick up the pieces.

It was a beautiful day. I was surrounded by friends. But I suddenly felt empty inside. If our past was going to revisit us – not that it had ever left – I wanted my Nisama by my side. I wanted to enjoy the day with him.

As if I was a duelist, and had called him from my deck, the first thing I saw when we reached the zoo was his tall form waiting for us at the entrance.

KAIBA'S POV

I had gone to the office intending to work – if you counted looking for information on an ancient Egyptian priest named Akunadin as work. I had left before Yugi and company arrived; had stayed long enough only to reassure Seto of Mokuba's safety. I wasn't surprised Seto wasn't joining the gang. He didn't have my tolerance for group outings – and I was sure he'd jump at the chance to sneak off on his own and look for Akunadin. Taking care of business, he'd call it – not realizing how irreplaceable a trip with Mokuba could be, or how much fun. Suddenly, I stood up. Akunadin could wait. I had business of my own to see to.

At the appointed time, I found myself at the zoo entrance. I had missed taking Mokuba the first time around. God knows where I'd been – designing missiles… planning Death-T… or in a coma, perhaps. Well, I wasn't going to miss this.

I had snuck Mokuba out as often as I dared, when he had been Kouma's age. But, of necessity, they had been hurried, furtive outings, the odor of time stolen permeating each one. I would spend the whole day worrying about whether we would get caught, whether anyone would see us, whether we would get back in time. I would try to unobtrusively move Mokuba along; conscious of each passing second; conscious of the need to hide my growing tension behind a smile.

In truth, the trips had never been a pleasure for me. It was only later, when we were safely back in Hell, that I would replay all the details I had stored in my mind – how Mokuba had looked; when he had laughed, what he had said – and then I would feel the happiness of the day in retrospect.

I shook my head, clearing it of my unprofitable thoughts, as I saw them arrive. I ignored the looks of surprise on almost everyone's face (It was Sunday -- did they think I lived at the office?) just as I ignored the knowing grin on Mokuba's. I swung Kouma up on my shoulders, surprised at how light he was. At 13, it had felt like my shoulders would sink beneath the load. Now, I could carry him forever.

He was laughing in my ear. Of course – he had never been up this high.

"You're so tall now, Nisama! Look! I can touch the sky!"

"You just keep reaching, Kouma. You'll get there yet," I said quietly.

Yami fell into step beside me. There was something… nice about walking along with Kouma on my shoulders; with Mokuba on one side and Yami on the other. It felt strange, but strangely natural. Both seemed pleased with my presence; neither expected me to respond. Although I don't think Yami and I had ever had a conversation that didn't relate to dueling, power, or the need to rescue a relative or friend, somehow we had come to understand each other. Possibly because the above topics pretty much covered all that had ever concerned us.

And he had been in Noa's world with me. So had the others, but I didn't care about them. He was the one that had truly seen Gozaburo. When he had told me after Battle City that I had to defeat my own demons – well, he had seen what had created them; knew why they were almost as powerful as my dragons. He understood the enormity of the task he had given me; understood I would give everything in me to fulfill it. And I took an odd, almost shameful comfort in the fact that there was someone out there who knew.

"I'm glad you came," he said simply, knowing me well enough not to expect an answer. "It's a beautiful day, and I remember how special my first trip to the zoo was." It was only then that I realized – although I wrote a generous check to the Domino Zoo each year – I had never visited it.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: One thing that's always struck me about Kaiba is how he's this combination of impatience and endurance. In the subtitled anime, it's clear that he checked out Gozaburo before challenging him, and knew, to a certain extent what he was letting himself in for. I've always had the sense that he picked Gozaburo as being the quickest way to keep his promise to Mokuba, and jumped on it – regardless of personal costs. And he didn't wait to see if other, better, options would appear. But once he made his decision, he followed through with it with a quiet fortitude that is truly impressive.

Another thing that struck me is that although Kaiba knows a lot about business, electronics, computers, languages, etc. his education was probably pretty spotty. I mean, I can't imagine that Gozaburo thought it was worthwhile to teach him arts, or literature, or ancient history, or anything that didn't have an immediate practical application, especially since he obviously wasn't trying to create a well rounded (or well balanced) person. Somehow I see Seto, more than Kaiba, as being aware of this.

RESPONSES

Fake Canon: (AnimeFan-Artemis, Moonlitspire) I'm a bit of a pack rat – picking up bits of manga and threading them through my story. Actually, I love it when I manage to confuse readers as to what is actually in the manga and what I've made up. I can't think of a better compliment. I have to admit though, I sometimes wonder if channeling Kaiba is a good thing…

Character/Story Development, Seto & Kaiba: (Desidera, Leland Lancaster, Lightning Sage, samurai-ashes) As is probably starting to become clear, this isn't so much one plot with a yaoi subplot – as I thought it would be when I started writing, but several story threads that I'm attempting to weave together. (I sometimes feel like I'm knitting a story, rather than writing one.) Anyway, in the beginning chapters (and, frightening as it sounds, this is still the beginning) the story will jump between the plot lines and the characters, until they all get established.

Chapter Titles: (little pink wolf) I'm not sure why I thought naming each chapter after a book or movie was a good idea, except that it made me laugh. But I'm pretty sure I'll be running through song titles, and even (if I get desperate enough) proverbs, before I'm through. And as you can see, if I really get desperate, a bad pun will always do.

Sweat pants: (Lightning Sage, samurai-ashes, Vx Tao Ren xV) It struck me that Kaiba at home might be slightly more relaxed than when Yugi and his friends see him. I mean, at home with Mokuba is probably the place he feels safest. And for some reason, although I can never picture him in jeans, I can picture him very easily (and very happily) in sweat pants.

Mokuba on Kaiba's reaction to him in danger: (Desidera, Jargonelle) Thanks – I thought it was an awww moment myself. How Mokuba feels about the sacrifices Kaiba has undergone on his behalf is one of the threads of this story.

Seto Kaiba as an Ice Prince: (Tokemi) I love that expression! One of the reasons that I like writing Kaiba in the first person (well, besides the fact it's fun) is that he thinks a lot more than he speaks. I love it in the manga or subtitled anime, where he'll have an internal monologue, and then when someone asks him a question, he'll either ignore them, or at most, grunt. So I'm trying to keep that sense of him.

Time Travel: (Unsolvable Riddle) I have to admit this was the part I was most nervous about – coming up with a believable explanation for how Seto and Kouma got to present day Domino. I'm glad the explanation stage is pretty much over with, and hope it's clear.