Prince of Egypt, a YuGiOh! fanfic by Tsunami Storm

Chapter 2: Haunted

Just then, a crash of thunder boomed outside, causing all five of the guests to jump and Kisara and Mokuba to squeak in fright. Seto and Seth froze like statues, anticipating an invisible attack any moment now. Akefia- who had some experience with lingering spirits- was able to sense the faint outline of something standing ten feet away from them, in the middle of the crimson carpet.

"Who disturbs my domain?" An eerie, echoing voice sounded and reverberated through the room, causing everyone to shiver again and tense up. Seto was the first to find his voice.

"We're just guests." He answered bravely, not a trace of shaking in his voice. "We didn't mean to wake you."

The mysterious voice seemed amused. "You do know the phrase 'Curiosity killed the cat', right?" It asked- losing most of its eerie quality- and Seto smirked. "No, stupidity killed the cat. Curiosity was framed." He replied, and the ghostly voice laughed. "Good one. I enjoy having guests with a sense of humor." Now the voice sounded almost friendly.

The spectral outline that Akefia had seen slowly grew more visible, manifesting before all five of the living souls in the room. Kisara gasped softly in surprise. The spirit took the form of a boy not too much older than Mokuba. He looked like he had bronze spiky hair, cerulean blue eyes, and a thin, kind face. His smile was gentle and just a little shy as he greeted them. "Welcome to my haunt." He bowed low and the guests nodded back, still a little suspicious. "My name's Bret. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Seto answered. Then he gestured to the group. "This is my family. My brothers, Seth and Mokuba; Seth's wife, Kisara; and her brother, Akefia. My name's Seto. Seto Kaiba." Each nodded as they were introduced, and Bret bowed again. "I'd shake your hand in a proper greeting, but that's not really possible. I can't touch anything on the physical plane. Let me tell you, it's beyond annoying." He made a face and laughed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Suddenly he recognized the name of one of the guests. "Wait. Seto Kaiba? As in the President of Kaibacorp.?" He asked, surprised.

Seto nodded, surprised that the ghost had heard of him. "The same."

"Huh." The spirit answered. "It's not every day I get celebrity visitors. I'll have to think of something special." He grinned, looking excited.

Seto smiled and shook his head. "Nah. You don't have to. It's actually kinda refreshing to be treated just like everybody else." At the boy's slightly crestfallen look, he shrugged. "But if you really want to, that's fine too."

Bret smiled, then turned around and floated through the doors at the end of the hall, waving at the group to follow him. The family eventually followed- though still a bit wary- opening the doors to the next room.

"Wow." Seto and Mokuba gasped at the same time. They had lived in a mansion of their own for ten years*, and even they were impressed at the sight of the front room. Two curved staircases of rich mahogany led up to the second level, and a plethora of priceless antique paintings hung on the walls. The lone crystal chandelier in the room was enormous, its countless prisms twinkling innocently in the shafts of moonlight that were streaming in through the door-sized window at the top of the staircase. [*This is assuming that Seto was about nine when Gozaburo adopted him and Mokie from the orphanage.]

"Yeah, I guess it's pretty impressive when you see it for the first time." Bret shrugged nonchalantly, sounding bored. "You get sick of it after a while. Especially after you've heard all of the bloody history of this house."

"Bloody history?" Akefia asked, looking intrigued. This was getting interesting.

Bret grimaced. "Yeah. You've probably heard the rumors that this mansion's haunted. Well, those rumors are all too true. If I'm any indication." He glared at nothing in particular as he spoke. "Supposedly, this mansion was built by an immensely wealthy lord. I don't know exactly what time period, but it was at least a hundred years ago. He was entranced with the architecture of English nobles, and so built his house to model their designs. Hence all the suits of clearly European armor in the Entrance hall." He paused, looking down at his feet, and somehow all of his guests got the feeling they wouldn't like the next part of the boy's story.

"This lord was infamous for his greed and jealousy." Bret continued. "He was obsessed with protecting this house and his possessions from any and all who would dare try to take it from him. His paranoia got so bad that he would slaughter even visitors who approached his house, so consumed was he by greed. And that greed and paranoia didn't disappear with his death. His dark spirit still haunts this house, killing any innocent foolish enough to wander in here uninvited. And so too do the dark spirits of his many victims over the years, including those killed when he was alive. They're all murderous. Save one."

Kisara gasped. "Is that why you are here? Were you one of-" She began, but then broke off when she realized her question was very insensitive.

Bret smiled at her, looking torn between sadness and amusement. "You don't have to worry about hurting my feelings, ma'am. I'm already dead, and I've accepted that. It doesn't hurt anymore to talk about it." Despite his calm words, he looked down at the floor again with a sorrowful expression as he resumed his tale.

"To answer your question, I was one of the victims. The last, to be precise. But that's not the main reason that I'm here. None of the souls in this mansion are allowed to leave- or 'pass on' if you will- but I would've stayed even if that weren't the case. I have to protect my little sister. That's what big brothers are for."

At these words, Seto felt his respect for the young ghost rising. That was indeed what older brothers are supposed to do: Protect their younger siblings that were born later. [Bleach reference! W00t!]

"Exactly how many spirits are stuck in this house?" Akefia asked, eyes darting around as if expecting a spirit to pop out of a wall at any moment. This place was worse than his 'Dark Sanctuary' field spell card.

"Including me, there's nine hundred ninety-nine." Bret answered with another grimace. Akefia's jaw dropped. "And- out of all of us- I'm the only one who's a 'Casper'- if you know what I mean. The others-" He shuddered suddenly. "You don't wanna know. Trust me."

Seth, Kisara and Akefia all looked confused at the name 'Casper', and Mokuba explained. "It's the name of a friendly ghost from a movie of the same name. One of the few supernatural movies around with a 'good' ghost." Then he looked back at Bret. "You said you were the only 'friendly' ghost here? Then all the others are like his three uncles?" [If any of you lovely readers know of any other supernatural movies with a 'friendly' ghost, do tell! I love those kinds of movies! Also movies with angels, but that's off-topic.]

Bret tilted his head from side to side. "Close. Picture the 'Ghostly Trio' at their absolute worst, then multiply that by a hundred. That's what you'd get from the tamest of the others here." He explained, and Mokuba gulped nervously.

Bret smiled at him. "My thoughts exactly. But you don't have to worry. I'll protect you from them. With my afterlife, if need be." He vowed resolutely, turning around and glaring at the door behind him as if expecting it to burst open. "I already protect my sister every night, so six more living souls for a few hours shouldn't be a problem." [Six because he can sense the baby.] He smiled confidently, then turned around abruptly with a completely different expression on his face. Now he was just looking innocently curious. "Speaking of my sister, where is she?" He asked, but no one had an answer for him.

"And your sister is who, exactly?" Seto asked, and Bret smiled. "Her name's Hanna Sierra, but you'd probably know her better by her 'nom de voyage': Itonami Hana."

Everyone gasped at this shocking revelation, as they'd had no idea that Hana ever had a different name or that she'd had an older brother once.

Eventually it was Seto that recovered first and broke the silence. "She's at the museum. She told me she had to work late tonight." He explained, and Bret visibly relaxed. "Oh, good. I was afraid something had happened to her. You can never be too careful."

Seto nodded, knowing just how he felt. He felt exactly the same about his own younger sibling.

Sensing the questions in everyone's eyes, Bret sighed and explained. "My story is a long one, and it doesn't have a happy ending. Then again, I suppose most people's stories don't have happy endings. The best they can be is bittersweet. Everyone has to die eventually." He realized with a dejected scowl. Then he continued.

"I had a fairly standard childhood. Born and raised in America with two great parents and a lovable little sister who you could never stay mad at for long. I've been Hanna's 'guardian' for as long as I can remember- in that I always looked out for her and protected her. When I was seventeen and Hanna fifteen, our family decided to vacation in Japan- as it was one of the places Mom had always wanted to visit. We'd be there for a week to take in the sights and the fascinating culture and history." Bret smiled wryly at this, lost in the memory. "It was supposed to be a fun time for all of us. Little did we know that one of us wouldn't be going home." He looked down, and the guests could tell they were coming to the tragic part.

"Hanna and I were both a bit reckless, and we decided to explore a cool-looking mansion just outside of the city we were staying in. Aka this city. Domino." He winked, and the family smiled. "Mom and Dad were going to be looking in the museum, but Hanna wasn't interested in that at all at the time- so I decided to go with her to check out the 'haunted' mansion on the hill. Mom and Dad decided I was old enough and responsible enough to go off on my own, so they let us do what we wanted.

"I immediately felt uneasy when we stepped over the threshold of the front door. Something didn't seem right about this house. I guess Hanna didn't feel anything, 'cause she just kept walking forward between the suits of armor. Still on edge, I followed her.

"That's when it happened." Bret frowned, and the family braced themselves in unison. "Hanna passed in front of a suit of armor with a giant halberd and studied it, admiring the gleaming silver armor as it caught the light from the windows. I heard an almost soundless squeak, and the halberd started to fall. Hanna was paralyzed with shock and couldn't move. I only had one chance. I didn't want to lose my little sister. She had so much left to live for! So I dove in front of her and tackled her out of the way."

Kisara gasped- knowing what was coming- and Bret smiled at her sadly. "I wasn't fast enough. Hanna came away from the event unscathed- well, almost. I think she had a few bruises after I tackled her- but I wasn't so lucky. The halberd caught me right in the chest." He thumped his fist into his chest- thumb facing outward- to show them where the weapon had hit him. "Right over my heart. I never had a chance." He looked away for a moment, then smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about the gory details." He apologized, but everyone was too stunned to notice. In any case, they'd heard and seen worse before. "Anyway, I heard Hanna scream my name, and I remember looking up at her face as I lay on the then-gray rug, my head on her lap. She was crying, and her tears were mixing with all the blood on the floor. My last words to her were 'I'll always be with you'. Then everything went black."

Everyone gasped in horror. "Th- that rug was gray before?" Mokuba asked, horrified at the young spirit's tale.

"Yeah. It was stained red with my blood. The whole thing." Bret grimaced, walking a few paces over to the door from which they had come. "If you go back in there in the daytime and look at the middle suit of armor on the right side, you can still see some dried blood on its halberd and a slightly darker circle of red in the rug. That's where I died." He sighed. "Hanna was never the same after that day, and neither were our parents. Grief is a powerful thing. It can even drive a person mad sometimes. I guess that's why- even after all these years- Hanna still can't see me. She doesn't know I stayed." He looked down, his expression full of sorrow again. "I promised I would never leave her. That I'd always protect her. And I intend to keep that promise. Even if it means sticking around until Judgment Day." He stated resolutely, determination burning in his eyes like real flames.

"What happened to your family?" Akefia asked, stricken by the tragic story- but also curious as to how it ended. Bret smiled slightly and answered after a minute. "Mom and Dad cut the vacation short- of course- and returned home to America. Hanna went back to school after about a week, Dad went back to work, and Mom went back to being a housewife and mother- now to only one child. When Hanna was eighteen, she started college. I can't remember the university or what she was studying, but that was when she met- Hana." He recounted, faltering a bit when he mentioned his sister's yami. "This may sound strange, but I haven't seen my sister since then. Hana's always the one who's in control. I don't know what happened to my little sister." A transparent tear ran down his face and dropped to the marble floor. "As far as I know, Mom and Dad are still living in America. I don't know what's become of them either. I hope they're all right." He finished, looking worried as he stared at his feet.

Everyone was speechless as the teenage spirit finished his tragic story, looking at each other with devastated expressions. That was almost as bad as when they had seen the Holocaust museum and the horrors it depicted in artifacts and black-and-white photos.

Bret was the one who broke the silence. "So, technically, I'm supposed to be twenty-two at this point- since my little sister's twenty and I'm exactly two years older than her. And I do mean exactly. We have the same birthday. Same hour, same minute, just two years apart. The only difference is that I was born on a Friday and Hanna was born on a Monday." He chuckled, and the visitors cracked small smiles.

"That's rare." Mokuba commented after a minute. "I've never met anyone with the same birthday as their sibling who wasn't a twin."

"Yeah, it is rare." Bret agreed. "I've never met anyone else like us either."

"You said something before about protecting your sister every night." Akefia began, and Bret turned to him. "Does that mean that Hana lives here? In this run-down old dump?" He didn't mean to sound so blunt, but that's how it came out.

Bret chuckled. "Yeah. She modified a couple rooms to suit her." He pointed to the door behind him. "That's the kitchen in that room- fully functional and suitable for use- then it has a fully-equipped bathroom through one door and a moderately comfortable bedroom through the other door. Those are the only three rooms in this mansion that get used. Don't even ask about the state of the others." He warned them with a laugh and a mock grimace, and- just like that- the mood in the room brightened considerably.

"Why does Hana live here? When she knows it's haunted?" Seto asked himself, but Bret heard it anyway and answered. "I've been asking myself that question too. Maybe Hanna still has some influence on a subconscious level and strongly suggested that they live here. I don't know why she'd choose this place, though. I've tried to get her to move out- to choose another home that's a billion times better than this one- but she can't see or hear me. Well, I think Hana can sometimes, but Hanna's being really stubborn about the matter and refuses to move." He amended, looking thoughtful.

"Maybe she's punishing herself." Seto suggested quietly, though everyone heard it due to the echoes in the room. "She feels guilty for your death and thinks it was her fault, so she's living in the place where you died as a constant reminder."

"That's so stupid!" Bret shouted angrily, startling his guests. Up to this point he had been fairly mild-mannered. "It wasn't her fault at all! I was the one who jumped in front of her! It was all me! It's not like she pulled me into the path of that halberd!" He raged, but his ire was not directed at anyone present. "If it's anyone's fault, it's that stupid lord! Why doesn't he just go to Hell already?" He growled, then his eyes went wide and he clapped a hand over his mouth at what he'd said. "I'm sorry." He apologized quickly. "You weren't supposed to hear that. I don't know what came over me. I never used that kind of language when I was alive. Please forgive my thoughtlessness."

Seto shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I've heard much worse, believe me." Then he looked at the specter with a suspicious look. "You seem like a pretty nice kid, so what was with that whole mysterious 'Who disturbs my domain' act?"

Bret laughed again, glad for the change of topic. "Just as you said. It was an act. Adds a little suspense. And a little fear now and then is supposed to be good for you."

Kisara giggled as well. "I think you may have overdone it a bit." She told him, and the boy grinned somewhat sheepishly. "I'll try to remember that next time. I appreciate any feedback I can get. Most people just run away from me screaming."

"Then why do it?" Seth asked, confused.

"It's sort of a test. If they get scared of me, they don't stand a ghost of a chance against the others that haunt this mansion. It's for their own good." Bret explained, crossing his arms for emphasis, but then relaxed them after about a minute. He smiled again, the light of laughter returned to his eyes. "You guys are the first guests in quite a while that have passed my test. It's nice to have somebody new to talk to who won't scream in my face. I may be dead, but I can still be hurt emotionally. It's not very nice, to get screamed at and run away from."

Seto nodded, imagining what that must feel like. Usually people didn't run away from him, but toward him. If they were fans. But he could see where the boy was coming from.

From somewhere outside, the five humans and one ghost heard the howling of a wolf, and Bret offered to escort them out of the mansion to their own home as a safety precaution. Everyone was surprised by this, as they had thought that he was bound to the place in which he died.

"Normally, that is the case." He answered with a smile. "But I'm a little different. The other 'earthbound spirits' in this house can't leave, but I can. Dunno why."

"Maybe it's because you're not haunting the house, but a person. You stayed to protect your sister. She's become your 'obsession', as they say." Mokuba interjected thoughtfully, and Bret raised his eyebrows slightly, having never considered that possibility. "That could be." He answered in agreement. Then he floated through the double doors behind the group and everyone filed out behind him, glad to be leaving the unnerving abode- though none of them were willing to admit it.

Bret accompanied the young family through town, looking appreciatively at all the sights that Domino City had to offer. He spotted the Kaibacorp. building in the center of town and grinned at Seto and Mokuba, who smiled and nodded back. As they left downtown and made their way to the upper-class side of the city, Bret's eyes grew increasingly wider as the sizes of the dwellings grew. By the time the family reached their house, the young ghost's jaw had dropped open.

Seto couldn't resist showing off a little. He sighed and smiled, "Ah. Home sweet home." as they walked through the gate that led to the mansion. Bret's jaw dropped to the sidewalk at this (metaphorically), and it took him a solid minute to stop gaping. "Wow. You've done pretty well for yourself, Mr. Kaiba. I'm impressed."

"With hard work and determination, you can accomplish just about anything." Seto agreed, a bit of pride leaking into his voice. Why shouldn't he show off a bit? He'd started out at the very bottom of the social ladder- an orphan boy taking care of his baby brother- and now he was a corporate titan and one of the most important people in the whole city. He'd worked hard to get where he was now. He'd earned it. No handouts on a silver platter for him. This company was his now through blood, sweat and tears. Most of those his own.

"Can't argue with that." Bret smiled and nodded. Just after he said this, Mokuba's watch beeped, indicating that midnight had arrived.

Suddenly, Kisara gasped in pain and put a hand over her large abdomen. She looked at her husband and brothers with pain-filled, slightly apprehensive eyes. "Seth, it's time!"

End of chapter 2

Next chapter teaser: Arrival

Yep. Another cliffhanger. *ducks rotten tomatoes* Sorry!

Nice timing, baby. Right at the stroke of midnight.

Wow. Poor Bret! His story is so tragic! Now I wanna give him a big hug, but I can't. I'd just go right through him.

Bret: That's okay. It's the thought that counts.

Me: Aww. You're so sweet! It's a good thing he has a good-natured sense of humor, though. Otherwise he'd probably have gone insane by now.

Bret: Who says I haven't?*grins mischievously*

*I give him a look, then we both laugh* I take it back. He's always been crazy. XD

Bret: Hey!

If you ever visit the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C., all I can say is that you better have a pretty strong heart and stomach. It's not for the faint of heart like me. [Or like I was in 9th grade, anyway.]

Kind of a short chapter compared to my other ones, huh? Ah well. I'm pretty sure the next one's longer.

See you there!

God Bless!

Tsunami Storm