Ahh, you know, it feels so good to be FORCED to post a new chapter so soon! Besides, I've had some spare time on my hands and decided to reward! Thank you all! But this also means it ain't that much longer than the last chapter, but it seems this length (5 pagers) are doing dandy for me.

Gah, sorry for the formality. I've been writing the next chapter(s) in this where there are a LOT of formal sentences and I AIN'T enjoying those at all. -- Grrrr.

Well, in truth, you might wanna kill me after this chapter too, but it's part of the plot and --- and that's all I'm going to say! tapes mouth shut

Neeecht Chaptar!

In the Company of Wealth

Chapter 5 --- Fallen Angel

The doorbell rang to the Kaiba Mansion and Kaiba sat up straight, startled, his cunning blue eyes narrowed to the old oak door. Then he found his brother stir and stiffened. Noah suddenly appeared beside Seto, eyes downcast. The elder was about to ask the problem when Noah shook his head.

Mokuba yawned and rubbed his eyes, sitting up and looking around sleepily, expectedly. "Big brother?" His voice was hoarse and dry. Looking around, he rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Guess it was just a dream, my brother isn't coming back." He sniffed slightly as the doorbell rang again and he hurried to the door, opening it to find Joey smiling down on him. "Oh, hey Joey."

Joey's smile instantly dropped, "What's wrong?" He stepped in and took off his blue school coat, hanging it where Seto always hung his when he came home.

Seto's eyebrow twitched.

Mokuba shook his head. "Nothing Joey, thanks for coming."

"No prob!" He smiled again and followed Mokuba into the living room. "So, how's you?"

"As always," Mokuba's voice sounded like Seto's, Joey related; it seemed laden, burdened. He could just guess by what. "I had a dream that Noah told me my brother was coming back."

Both Seto and Joey's eyes widened. "What?"

Mokuba nodded, "Yeah."

Noah cast his head away, stiffening. "I am so sorry Seto . . . I had to tell him something!"

"But why that? You know that is . . . impossible."

The boy gazed back to the elder, hesitant words forming at his lips, "Is it? Is it so impossible that you give up hope before you even try?"

Seto stood infuriated, fists clenched. It was amazing how fast his mood turned sour. "Are you implying that I am giving up on my own brother Noah? I do not see how you can talk with such a filthy mouth on your shoulders! You are no more than Gosaburo's spawn! I was surprised you even made it to Heaven, much less came back with me. You know nothing of giving up! You know nothing of brotherhood and of what we feel --- you know nothing of leaving things how they are! You are just like him, you are just like that man who took my own humanity from me, and I will not allow the spawn of such a disgusting ingrate to tell me that I am giving up on my own brother! You don't even know what love is!"

Noah's eyes widened, and then began to swell with tears.

Seto did not notice in his outrage, he did not even notice what he was even saying. "Get away you filthy mongrel! Get away from my brother and me! I don't want your father's filthy past staining my pure brother's future!" His fists clutched quickly as his enraged words flowed before he could acknowledge them. "You are your father Noah, nothing more and nothing less! You wouldn't know if something was impossible, because you would destroy the dream before it even began! GET OUT!"

The boy stepped back unconsciously, eyebrows quivering at the words. Was he so like his father? Was he like that man? . . . Was this the way Seto thought of him?

"Yes, Seto."

Seto watched the small tears that shone at the edge of the young Kaiba's eyes in mute shock, a horror filling his mind and stinging his throat. What did he say? What did he just say?!

There was a small flicker in the boy's essence before he flew up through the ceiling and disappeared, the lasting pained expression in Noah's eyes were burned into Seto's very soul.

What did he just do? The brunet lowered his gaze. Why did he say those things? Did he think that of Noah? Did he?

. . . At one point, he did. But, was that his same opinion, that same wretched hatred towards the boy? He could still remember the fulfilling feeling of Noah gripping onto Seto's coat in fright, just as Mokuba had done. It seemed to fit in the puzzle, that empty slot in the picture beside Mokuba.

No . . . he didn't feel the same way towards Noah, he in fact found no hatred towards him, no sorrow or even fear. He found something in which even startled himself, something which was only designated for his family --- his true family. Love.

Banging his fist against the wall, his closed his eyes tightly to ward off oncoming tears and ground his teeth. "Damn it . . . DAMN IT!"

Noah sat down on the soft bed and cleared the tears from his eyes. Why was Seto acting like this? He didn't understand . . . and he began to regret ever coming back. This . . . this was worse than his life itself. That one moment, the hate in those words. Seto was just putting up a front . . . he was just letting Noah come because Seto's mother said to. That was the only reason Noah concluded mutely, that was the only reason.

"I never had someone who cared for me," he said to himself, voice void of everything living, "someone who could truly show me love and family." His azure eyes narrowed as he clutched the blankets below him to try to suppress his bubbling emotions, "And I never will. I was a fool to think I could have those things. A fool."

Anger and rage swelled within him. He began to hate Seto; he began to hate that boy Mokuba. Hatred seemed to give him more strength than he had had ever thought possible. Anger seemed to fuel him more than love ever could. It enwrapped him in their embrace, to never let go --- tainting his white soul black and whispering the most terrible things into his ear. Secrets, so many secrets. He felt comforted by this, and as he began to hate, his anger began to boil and plans of vengeance began to form in his mind. He would make Seto pay for what he had done --- he was nothing like Gosaburo, no. He was not that filthy, crumby snob which seemed a demon. No, he would show Seto Kaiba that he was worse. He would prove to Seto that he was not some figure he could scream at and get away with it.

. . . In addition, with the red anger came the wings from his back with lust and shining beauty. This was the last they would ever be this beautiful, for as his hatred grew, his wings grew black and became midnight itself.

His eyes grew stern and dark and the light aurora which surrounded him became tainted with darkness . . . it became the shadows in the corners and the darkness at night.

Noah heard neither the shout of Kaiba from below nor the doorbell right again. He only caught a glimpse of a shadow in the corner, and red eyes peering to him with vengeful content.

"What do you want?" Noah asked coldly; his voice held no emotion . . . it held no life. "What business do you have demon?"

The demon stepped from the shadows and bowed, grinning. "My master wants to ask of you a proposition. You see, he saw the little argument below with that . . . Ghost, and he wants you to know that everything will be fine. You need not worry again, if you abide by one simple contract. You will have all the power you desire, everything you ever wanted --- a power greater than love, greater than God itself."

Noah's eyebrow quirked, "A power greater than . . . God?"

"Yes, it is the power of my Master. It is lust, greed. It is hatred and anger, vengeance and malice. The darkness drives the light my dear little boy, and he darkness can consume it. You will be granted the powers to rid yourself of that troublesome teen and adopt your own body again!"

"But . . . how?"

"My Master's powers are vast and fulfilling. Don't you want Seto to feel the same pain, the same hurt you had to endure for all your life?" The demon cackled, "He would be a fool to mess with you! You can take vengeance on everything and everyone who ever got in your way without regret. My Master only asks for one thing."

There was a small silence and a debate. It seemed perfect. He had been to the light and had seen no comfort . . . he had seen no great joy in it, only hurt and pain. Never, he never wanted that again. "What does your Master want?"

The demon grinned; drumming his fingers together, "Just a simple small thing." He reached a hand forth, as if to reach to the boy's heart, and brought forth a glowing orb. His dark eyes met Noah's. "He wants your soul."

The boy's eyes widened in shock, "My . . . soul?"

"It is of no great importance, nothing you cannot depose of. A soul makes a being weak, and without it, you will have no regret, no sadness. You will feel nothing of light, but darkness. Don't you want that? You don't want Seto to hurt you again, do you?"

" . . . No."

"Then join us, and you will never have to be hurt again, you will never have to feel pain . . . you will never have to feel loss and want love. You will be satisfied with everything you need, and I can promise, you will love it." The demon caressed the orb gently. There was a silence in which was debatable. The demon did not think the boy was taking the bait. "What powers does God have, that my Master does not? None. This God has done nothing but cause you misery, pain, sorrow. He gave you this soul of yours, this weakness. Join my Master, and you will feel nothing of the afore."

Noah felt his chest. There was a hollow feeling deep inside where that orb rested, a twinge of pain passed every heartbeat without it . . . and yet what did the soul of his afford him? Nothing, nothing that he wanted. Without that troublesome thing, he could do what he pleased when he pleased. He could be greater than his father, greater than Kaiba. He would be greater than they all would. What did he really have to loose that he wanted anyway? Nothing.

The boy took his hand from his chest, and hesitated for a moment before gathering himself and proclaiming with certainty, "I agree . . . to this contract."

The demon grinned again as the soul sizzled away in his grip, traveling to the void beyond this where everlasting doomed souls are bound to wander all their days.

"Welcome to our clan, my young Fallen Angel."

Well, sigh I have to admit, I've done myself in this time. So, you thought it was just a 'whala!' sort of treatment and it would be over in a few chapters, right? Now now, as if I would be that nice! I was going to name this whole story "Fallen Angel" but I thought it was rather misleading.

Anyway, I hate to enforce . . .

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