Wow. Not many people are reviewing my stuff. Although, semester exams are right around the corner. –sighs- 'Tis the season. Fa la la… I repeat that I don't require reviews but they are wonderful motivation.
While the last chapter seemed all cutesy-fluffy I warn you this one is not. Nope. I took a few liberties with Kaiba's past. I'm an authoress so I can do stuff like that. -displays Artistic License- This is what I imagine his past was like, anyway. All I have to go on is fan fiction and the dub.
Enjoy.
Chapter 3 – Christmas Past: It Was the Worst of Times…
"Do you know this place?"
Kaiba's eyes narrowed as he surveyed his new surroundings. "I wish I could forget it."
A spotless hallway stretched before him, the walls gleaming white and the carpet a rich maroon: the Kaiba Mansion, when it was owned by his stepfather. He hated this corridor – everything about it from the smell of the rooms to the people who worked in them.
"Why are we here?"
"To discover what became of your love for this holiday."
"I told you, I outgrew it."
"Listen."
A low thud came from behind one of the doors. The Ishizu-spirit stared at him expectantly. Kaiba rolled his eyes and opened the door.
The scene inside was not unfamiliar. Again a younger version of himself, this time perhaps ten or eleven years old, was lying facedown on a bed, muttering angrily into the pillow. The thud had come from a textbook that had apparently ended it flight across the room quite suddenly, courtesy of a wall. "I don't believe this, stupid son of a–"
"Seto?"
Younger Seto looked up. "Mokuba? What are you doing here?"
The little black-haired boy hopped up on the bed and giggled. "I came to give you your Christmas present. You haven't forgotten what day it is, have you?"
Seto blinked. "But I don't have anything for you."
"That's okay. I know Dad doesn't give you any time. He doesn't watch me, though, so I was able to get you these. Open it, open it." Mokuba held out a small package wrapped in brown paper. Seto tore it off to reveal a pack of playing cards.
"Wow, thanks! I just wish I had something to give you."
"All I want is a hug. Can I have one Seto, please?" The six-year-old put on his cutest face.
"Of course." Seto put his arms around his brother and pulled him into his lap while the littler one snuggled up against him. They stayed that way for a minute, then Seto sighed. "I love your present, Mokuba, I really do. But you can't give me any more of them."
"What? Why?"
"Because Gozaburo's a scrooge and he hates it. It's too dangerous to try and celebrate Christmas every year. He'll notice if I suddenly keep getting toys."
"But I like giving you presents."
"I know. And someday we'll get out of here and we'll have a huge Christmas party every year and we'll each give each other lots of presents. We just can't while we live under Gozaburo's roof."
"When we get out can we have a tree?"
"Sure. We can have two trees if you want. Now go on back to bed before you get caught here, and you can dream about a whole bunch of Christmas trees."
Mokuba hugged him again quickly. "'Kay. 'Night Seto."
After his brother was safely down the hall, Seto opened the deck of cards and began to shuffle them. "Maybe I can get a quick round of solitaire in before…"
The door to the room slammed open. Seto tried to shove the cards out of sight but it was too late. Within seconds they were in shreds. Gozaburo Kaiba loomed over him.
Seto glared up at him. "Give me a break, will you? It's Christmas."
"That holiday is a time to get more work done while the rest of the world is slacking off. I think it's time for your next lesson, Seto."
The older Seto Kaiba watched unflinchingly as his younger self had the daylights beat out of him.
"You outgrew this holiday, did you?" The voice came from behind him.
"I had to give it up for Mokuba," Kaiba murmured. "I had to protect him from Gozaburo any way I could. He thought he could beat all trace of amusement out of my life, even from Christmas." He snorted. "Apparently even to the looser go the spoils. By the time he killed himself I was already used to ignoring it."
"And has that changed at all due to what you've seen here?"
The CEO narrowed his eyes. "I'm not sure what I've seen here. If this is a hologram–"
"If it were a hologram, would it mean anything different to you? These are still your memories, no matter which way you perceive them."
He opened his mouth to respond to that but found that he didn't have anything to reply with.
"I will ask again: has your attitude toward this holiday changed tonight?"
"What does it matter to you?" Kaiba challenged; his automatic reaction for questions he didn't want to answer.
The Ishizu look-alike blinked slowly. "I see I can do no more for you tonight. I must depart from you now–"
"Well it's about time–"
"–and let another take up my work."
Kaiba started. "What?"
But her body had become transparent.
"Wait a second!" He made a grab for her arm, but his hand passed right through her. Then she was gone.
"Hey!" he bellowed into the sudden darkness, "Get back here and tell me where the hell I am!"
"You are about to be in the present." A pale blue glow faded into being in front of him. A moment later it had taken the shape of a human and solidified.
Kaiba stiffened. "Bakura?!"
The white-haired boy shook his head, a little smile on his face. "No," he replied with a familiar British accent, "I am not Bakura. I only look like him. I have something I want to show you."
