Authors' Note: sorry for the ong wait. Here's the second installment in our tale.
Chapter Two: Jacob Yami and The Ghost of Christmas Past
"No, it can't be!" Kaiba exclaimed and hid his face then he was aware that the apparition was gone. He looked around and saw that no one was there. He sighed with relief and recomposed himself. Then as if nothing at all had happened he climbed back down off the carriage and walked up to the door. "Humbug." He said then inserted his key.
Transition
"To say that Kaiba was not fazed by the appearance of his dead partner would be untrue, yet, the moment had passed. The world was once again at peace and Kaiba went inside to prepare for a long lonely night." Charles said. "Uh, you guys okay?' he asked turning to Shippo and Myoga,
"Perfect." They both replied, white as sheets, and hair standing on end.
"Meanwhile, Kaiba was dressing himself in his bed clothes and shivering at the thought of the apparition's appearance. Just this once he would break down and light a fire to warm himself." Charles continued.
"Okay, that's it, how do you know what's going on in their, since we're out here?" Shippo asked.
"Just look through the window." Charles said and they hurried to climb a nearby tree so as to peer into Kaiba's bedchambers. "Now as I was saying Kaiba knelt down to light the kindling with a match and he blew on the embers to make them glow. Soon he had a roaring fire going and his usual supper of gruel was heating."
"Is that all he has for dinner every night?" Shippo asked. "Speaking of which I'm hungry."
"Sure is," Charles said as he reached into his pocket for a lollypop for his friend to munch on. "Kaiba sat silently watching the flames dance their terrible destructive dance as they ate away at the wooden logs. Soon he would retire to bed and let the flames die as inattentive as he was. This was indicative of his nature for he was not a man who cared much for any living thing besides himself."
"You just make him sound worse and worse every time." Shippo said. "Surely there's something good to be said of Kaiba."
"There is later on in the story but for right now he's a tight fisted hand to the grind stone and not a very pleasant fellow." Charles stated. "Now back to the story. Kaiba sat in his chair eating at watching the fire when all of a sudden the flames took on a strange white glow. Once again the face of his former partner appeared to him and then as if called upon to do so, the ghost stepped out of the flames and stood upright in the room as if it were animated by life again. Kaiba dropped his spoon and bowl, and gasped."
Transiton
"Who… who are you…what do you want of me?" He trembled to say.
"Ask my who I was." replied the ghost.
"Who were you then?" Kaiba asked.
"In life I was your partner, Jacob Yami." The spiky haired apparition stated.
"It looks like you, it even sounds like you, but it can't be you." Kaiba said as he reached down to clean up his mess.
"Why do you doubt your senses?" The ghost asked.
"Because, they're not reliable." Kaiba told him. "One slight disorder of the stomach or the mind can make them cheat. You could be a bad dream, or a bad dinner, oh yes. There's more of gravy than of grave about you sir." Kaiba stated.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The ghost moaned in response to Kaiba's disbelief.
"What brings you to me this night?" Kaiba demanded to know once his ears had stopped ringing.
"Much." The ghost replied. "We have much unfinished business between you and I, Ebenezer. For many a year I have sat beside you in our offices and in this room waiting for you to notice me but you never have. Until tonight that is. What has transpired to make me visible to you for this one night I do not know, but I feel I must take this opportunity to do what I can to help you."
"Help me?" Kaiba asked. "Help me with what?"
The Ghost raised his hands and showed the shackles and chains which bound him to the earth and to his great earthly treasures, and to his own personal hell.
"You're fettered." Kaiba observed. "Why?"
"I wear the chains I forged in life." The Ghost said. "I labored on it bit by bit, year by year, yard by yard, for a lifetime. You wear such a chain yourself. It was this long and this heavy seven Christmas eves ago when I passed from this world." Kaiba looked about himself and about the room and wondered at what the ghost was telling him.
"Humbug, speak comfort to me, Yami." He said.
"I have none to give you outside of this. For the past seven years I have sat by your side trying to reach you. Now I have, and I can give you a chance to escape my fate, a chance I got for you."
"You were always a good friend, Yami." Kaiba said.
"You shall be haunted by three spirits this Christmas."
"Is this the chance you spoke of?" Kaiba asked.
"It is." The Ghost replied.
"In that case I'd rather not." Kaiba told him.
"Without their visits you cannot hope to avoid my fate." The Ghost said. "Expect the first ghost when the bell tolls one, the second on the stroke of two, and third on the following night at the stroke of midnight."
"Isn't there a way I could have them all at once and get this stupid nightmare over with?" Kaiba asked.
"No." Yami's ghost replied then he went to the window and opened it. A terribly cold wind came into the room and through the open shutters, Kaiba could see out into the streets of London town. His eyes beheld a sea of ghastly images of men and women wondering the streets in chains. It was hell on earth and he was seeing it for the first time. "This is what awaits those of us who do not go forth in life." The ghost explained. "We are doomed to wonder the earth, unable to effect change in other people's lives, much less our own. All I had to do was say a kind word of hope to someone, spend a little time, a little money, and save a life to save my own soul. Now, I have no one to blame but myself."
"But Yami, you were a good man of business." Kaiba said looking to his friend. It was here that Yami turned to him and looked on him with such vehemence that Kiaba's tongue turned to led and his heart went colder than usual.
"Business, mankind was my business, the common good was my business, and I ignored my starving brothers in the streets. I gave no thought to freezing children with no homes, no fathers, no mothers, and no hope of living to see adult hood. I sat in my offices with you and you alone as my only companion. You have a companion now yourself?"
"Cratchet? Yes, I suppose he is the only companion I have now, though he makes poor company."
"Remember what has passed between us." The ghost of Jacob Yami said then he floated outside to join his fellow apparitions. Kaiba ran to the window and called out to his partner. "Yami where are you going?"
"Expect the first ghost when the bell tolls one!" Yami cried out as he and his ghastly brethren faded into the mist.
Transition
"Now that Kaiba had seen and heard all there was to observe, he… Shippo, it's okay, the ghost are all gone now." Charles said. "Uh, Shippo?" He pushed his friend and he fell over, scared stiff by the ghastly apparitions which had moments before filled the streets. "Oh man, Shippo, speak to me!" Charles smacked the kitsune's face a little then shook him. "Wake up!" He screamed. Suddenly Shippo let out a horrible scream then he looked at Charles.
"Souta, are they gone?" He asked.
"Yeah, they're gone." Charles replied. "And don't call me Souta.
"Sorry Mr. Dickens." Shippo said getting to his feet and dusting the snow off of his pants. "Please worn me before you do something like that again."
"Uh, okay, say, where's Myoga?" Charles asked.
"He took off when Yami's ghost showed up." Shippo said. "I would have been right behind him but I couldn't move my legs."
"Well, like I said it's over now, and it's certainly a good time to warn you that there will be three more ghosts showing up soon." Charles informed his diminutive fox friend.
"Not more spooks!" Shippo exclaimed.
"What's the problem, you're a demon for God's sake, why should you even be afraid of a ghost?"
"Cause I'm just a kid, and ghosts are scary." Shippo chattered away.
"Now I as I was saying before." Charles said. "Now that Kaiba had seen and heard all there was to observe, he pretty much blew the whole thing off and went to bed. He wasn't really that concerned with his own salvation, and he couldn't care less about ghosts, or their warnings of doom and gloom. What he was interested in now was getting a good night's sleep. He'd worry about haunting tomorrow."
"Say, what time is it?" Shippo asked, as they sat up in the tree observing Kaiba as he slept. Charles pulled out his pocket watch and looked up the time.
"It's One in the morning." He said. "Time for the first ghost to appear."
"Hold me!" Shippo cried and threw his arms out. Nothing happened though. The bells tolled on Big Ben not too far away and Kaiba awoke as the chiming ended.
Transition
"Humbug." He stated then it happened. A burst a bright light flickered from the candle at his bedside and then there appeared in the midst of the room, a beautiful girl with long black hair.
"What the #&" Kaiba jumped up in his bed as the apparition giggled. "Who are you and what do you think you're doing here?" he demanded.
"Hello, I am Kagome, the ghost of Christmas past." Said the spirit.
"Long past?" Kaiba asked.
"Your past." She said. "Now we have a long trip ahead of us, so dress warmly, and let's go."
"Go where?" Kaiba asked as he wrapped his robes around himself.
"We're going to visit your past and find out what makes you such an angry and unpleasant grump." The spirit said as she threw open the window and hovered out into the air. At that moment, Shippo and Charles saw their opportunity and threw a line about the Spirit's foot.
"You must think I'm crazy, I'll fall!" Kiaba exclaimed when he looked down.
"A touch of my hand and you shall fly."
"No way." Kaiba said and turned to go back to bed, but before he could take a step, the Spirit grabbed him by the robes and dragged him out the window. They rose high into the cold, frosty, air. Kaiba screamed in fear and held on tightly to the spirit's arm.
"Hey, I need that arm." She cried, feeling the grip.
"Spirit, what's that light ahead?" Kaiba asked looking on. "Is it…?"
"It is, it's your past Kaiba, and we're about hit it hard."
"I can't watch!" Shippo cried.
"It's so beautiful Shippo, look up." Charles said awestruck by the brilliance of the light ahead of them. Over the rooftops they soared until the light engulfed them and London town vanished. "Suddenly Kaiba was aware of himself. He was standing on a quaint country road amidst the snow covered trees and every feeling he had told him that it was Christmas Eve long ago."
"Do you remember this place?" Kagome asked.
"Remember it, I could walk it blindfolded." Kaiba replied as he recalled the way towards his old school where the children were just now being let out of class. The sleds were full, the carriages were full, and the classrooms were empty as they walked up to the front gates of the old withering brick building. Peering into one of the windows Kaiba took sight of only one solitary young boy sitting in the classroom. His hair was combed neatly and his large blue scanned over the pages of his lesson book while one hand scribbled furiously over paper. After watching him for only a moment Kaiba felt that he was no longer simply watching the young boy, but was actually experiencing this feeling of lonelyness himself. For indeed it was himself who sat there in that classroom and he knew it. " I remember it so well spirit. The smell of the chalk, the roughness of the wooden floors, and the chill in the air."
"Were you often alone?" Kagome asked.
"Most of the time." Kaiba replied. "Father sent me away after my mother died and my brother was just a baby. I never went home on Christmas, nor did I want to really." He lied.
"How sad." Kagome commented.
"Not really, it made me the man I am today." Kaiba replied. Kagome just shrugged her shoulders and led him around the room. Kaiba watched as slowly things began to change. The old schoolroom aged and decayed, the young boy grew up before his eyes, and before long, he was a young man.
"Ah, Mr. Kaiba." Came a voice. Kaiba immediately stood up straight and looked ahead as into the room came the Headmaster of the school himself. "I see you're burning the whick at both ends again this Christmas."
"Yes Headmaster." Young Kaiba said.
"Who's this guy?" Shippo asked, and as if he'd heard him, Kaiba answered.
"This was my old Headmaster, Mr. Odion." He said looking at Kagome. "He taught me my greatest lesson."
"Work hard young Mr. Kaiba, work hard at everything you do. Be relentless in you duties and one day your life will be as sturdy as this very building." The Headmaster said. Just then some dust fell from the ceiling and a shelf collapsed on the other side of the room which startled Charles and Shippo who ran to hide from sight. "I've been meaning to fix that."
"Yes Headmaster." Young Kaiba said, puzzled.
"In any case lad, I have a present for you this Christmas Eve." Said Odion. "You will not be staying here at the school for the remainder of the season. I have instead obtained for you an apprenticeship in a fine company in London. Remember your final grades will be determined by how you fair in this endeavor."
"Yes Headmaster." Young Kaiba said excitedly. "When I do I leave sir?"
"As soon as you can pack your bags." Odion said. Young Kaiba smiled and waited to be dismissed before rushing off to his dorm to prepare for his first trip to London town where he would spend the rest of his adult life.
"You seemed awfully happy to get out of here." Kagome observed.
"I was in fact." Kaiba admitted.
"Let's see why." Kagome said and took Kaiba by the hand. They walked through the walls into the snowy outdoors and were once again engulfed by light. Soon though the darkness of night eclipsed them and the only lights were those of the store houses and the stars above. "Do you remember this place?" Kagome asked.
"I do in fact." Kaiba replied happily as he stood outside offices of his first employer. He'd been there for three years now past his graduation from university and was a well respected member of the staff.
"Ah, and how are my best two clerks doing this fine Christmas Eve?" Kaiba heard coming from the other side of the window.
"It can't be!" He exclaimed and ran through the door to the inside of the offices where he was surprised to see… "It is, good old Solomon Mouto-Fezziwig, alive again." In the small office, an older gentlemen came into the room, his bearded face smiling, his gray spiky hair sticking up as always. The two the man was addressing were Kaiba, of course, and Jacob Yami, when he was younger and livelier.
"Boys, away with these dusty books," Solomon said to them, taking the record books they were writing in and putting them on the shelf. "Put the ink and pens away- it's Christmas!" he cheered as he laughed merrily. "The party's already started, and there's plenty of food- as well as young ladies, my good Jacob," he said, nudging Yami- who was known make the ladies swoon.
"But sir, there's still so much work to be done," the younger Kaiba objected.
"Ebenezer, Christmas is a time for good cheer and generosity," Solomon said. "Not keeping company with coins and books. Now go out to the party, enjoy yourself! In fact, there's someone I'd like you to meet," he said, patting Kaiba's back and leading into the main hall where the party was in full swing.
As the people mingled around them, Shippo and Charles stood at the food table, enjoying themselves, while Charles caught his breath from narrating. All the time, Kagome and the Kaiba of the present were watching as familiar faces laughed and toasted to the Christmas. Then, looking to his left, Kaiba saw a face he'd never forgotten.
"And who is that?" Kagome asked, teasingly. She referred to Solomon introducing young Kaiba to a lovely young lady with reddish brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a holly green dress, her haired ornamented with a single poinsettia flower. "Do you remember this meeting?"
"How could I ever forget…" Kaiba half whispered.
"Ebenezer Kaiba," Solomon said, "This is my granddaughter Serenity. This is her first time in London, and I've been looking for a fine young gentlemen to escort her while she's here."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kaiba" Serenity said.
"There was another Christmas with this girl, wasn't there?" Kagome asked.
"No," Kaiba said, suddenly panic struck, "Please! Any Christmas but that one! I don't think my heart could take it…" but even as he said these things, the party and office building were gone. Only two figures from the previous scene remained, but much changed. Serenity was now dressed in red, with a bonnet. She was just as beautiful as the previous night, but her eyes were so much sadder… and her smile was gone.
"Ebenezer, it's been another year. Why do you still hesitate?" she asked.
"You know my future is uncertain," Kaiba said, removing the top hat from his head. "Jacob and I are just barely making it. A wedding would be out of the question right now, let alone starting a family so soon afterwards, as you've made quite clear." He walked over to his young sweetheart, and took her shoulders in his hands as he said "I'm only doing this for you. Don't you want a husband who's successful? Who can give any and everything you want?"
"I want a husband who loves me!" she cried, pulling away from him. "You love something else, Ebenezer… something I cannot compare to."
"What on earth could compare to your beauty?" Kaiba demanded.
Serenity did not answer. She did however remove the gold engagement ring from her finger, took his hand, and laid it in his palm.
"I…" Kaiba stammered, looking at the ring. "I don't understand…"
"Goodbye," Serenity said. She turned and left just as her tears started flowing. And Kaiba… just sat there, on the bench, staring at the ring in his hand.
"I should have gone after her," the present Kaiba said. He walked up to his younger counterpart and yelled, "Why didn't you stop here? You idiot! You fool!" he went to strike his younger self , but his hand went right through him.
"These are just shadows of things that have been," Kagome said somberly. "You can't change them. And you can't take your anger out on them."
"Then what's the point of showing me these things?" Kaiba yelled at her. "Why do you delight in torturing me?"
"Hey don't take it out on me either!" she said. "All these things you did at your own volition! You chose money over love, and now you have another choice," Kagome said. At that, her whole body was engulfed in light. Kaiba raised his hand to shield his eyes. When the intense vision had subsided…
"Kaiba was again alone in his room," Charles said as he and Shippo sat on the three branch outside Kaiba's window.
"It's so sad!" Shippo whimpered, drying his tears with his tail. "No wonder he's so miserable!"
"Well, that's all in the past," Charles said. "And there are still two more ghosts to go before this is over, for us and for Kaiba."