A/N: Wow, I'm surprised how many reviews I received last time, and we have a few newcomers as well. Welcome to the story, y'all. :D I got inspired about two hours after I posted the last chapter, and I couldn't help but begin another one. Ehehe?

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything but the plot, and even that's under debate. Aliens could have planted the idea into my head, after all. /sarcasm

"There is nothing worth than death, Dumbledore!" snarled Voldemort.

"You are quite wrong… Indeed, your failure to understand that there are things much worse than death has always been your greatest weakness."

-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (JK Rowling).

Life After Death
Chapter Five: To Touch, To Remember
-bohr-d

Mokuba wanted nothing more to dash into the small restaurant and approach the stranger he was convinced was his brother. Even though his rational mind told him that Seto was dead and had been for almost six months now, the hope in his heart that had overflowed upon seeing that familiar figure would not be crushed.

'I'll just go in there and see if it is… but, what if it's not… no, it's got to be!'

While the boy's mind debated against itself, inside the restaurant Watari's eyes had flickered to the window and saw Mokuba standing outside. The blond smiled at the boy, and across from him, Seto frowned in slight confusion and returned to ignoring his partner.

"Kyouji, glaring at your plate isn't going to help much." Watari chuckled, turning from the window. Seto, glaring at his partner now, returned to picking at his plate of pasta that Watari had ordered for him when Seto had picked the wrong time to use the restroom. Watari rolled his eyes at his partner's behavior and was about to also return to his dinner when the sound of a cell phone going off interrupted him.

"It's mine," Seto said gruffly, pulling out his phone, "Kyouji. …Yes, Konoe-kachou. …Watari-san is here with me as well. Alright."

And that was it for the conversation; Watari looked at Seto inquisitively from across the table, and the brunet waved the waiter over and asked for the bill. "Well… what did the chief want?" Watari asked.

"Apparently something urgent's come up. We need to head back as soon as possible."

Mokuba had been surprised when Watari smiled congenially at him, before returning to conversing with who he thought was his brother. The man hadn't been anyone he recognized, and at first glance Mokuba actually thought that the scientist was a girl for a moment. The boy thought the man seemed nice, though his hope of the figure seated across from Watari that was actually Seto had lessened. His rational mind had finally caught up with him, beating into him the fact that his brother was dead, and even if he wasn't, Seto wasn't the one to randomly skip off of work to have dinner in a restaurant without telling Mokuba of his plans.

Discouraged and brought back down to reality, the boy sighed heavily and turned to begin his trek back to the Kaiba Corp. building. Not paying attention to his surroundings, Mokuba was surprised to bump into someone a few steps later. Tripping over his feet as he hastily apologized, the raven-haired youth fell onto the ground.

"Whoa! Oh, I'm so sorry, Kid. Didn't see you there."

Mokuba looked up at the same smiling blond man that had been with the Seto-look alike. Warm golden eyes gave him an apologetic look, and Mokuba felt himself grinning sheepishly, "It's okay. I should be watching where I was going anyways."

"Watari-san, are you harassing the locals again?"

The blond, who Mokuba guessed was 'Watari-san', rolled his eyes, "Of course not."

Mokuba saw a hand being thrust into his vision, and the person who that arm belonged to spoke gruffly, "Here. Get up."

Mokuba took the offered hand, looking up and meeting the steely, ice-blue gaze of Seto's. Slightly in shock, the boy stood there, wanting nothing more than to ask the brunet who he was, why did he look so much like Seto? Was he Seto? It would be so much like his brother to fake his death to disappear for a while; he had done it before after all…(1)

But nothing would come out of his mouth. It was as if his vocal cords had decided then and there to quit on him. Seto relinquished the grip on Mokuba's hand as soon as the boy had gotten back on his feet. "Next time, watch out, Kid," Seto told him shortly, but with a small hint of something that had to be… teasing, sort of, because Watari's eyebrow raised slightly. The other joined it and eyes widened fractionally when the same hand that was offered to Mokuba moved to ruffle the boy's hair affectionately.

Just like how Mokuba remembered his brother doing it.

Blinking confusedly and glancing at his hand as if it had betrayed him, Seto turned around quickly and stalked off, passing Watari and muttering a "Let's go, everyone's waiting," as he passed. The two left behind stared after him, before Watari looked at Mokuba a bit oddly before following his younger partner.

When the youth realized what was going on, he ran after the two as quick as he could, dashing around the corner that the pair had just turned. "Nii-sama! (2) Wait! Please, Seto, wait!" he yelled.

But they were nowhere in sight.

The two shinigami ended up teleporting right outside the Meifu's Ministry building from Domino. The younger of the two immediately stalked forward in his usual manner, but didn't get very far as Watari grabbed his shoulder.

"What." Seto said, eyeing Watari's grip on him. Like Hisoka, the teen had a dislike for physical contact. Which was what made it so odd that he would, in Watari's eyes, actually ruffle the hair of the young boy from the restaurant.

Watari met Seto's gaze head-on, trying to find a hint of something that could help him understand his partner's actions. He doubted that Seto had known the boy, or vice-versa, one of them would have at least reacted. But, as usual, the harsh blue gaze was guarded.

'He really is just like Tatsumi in some ways…' Watari thought. Out loud he said, "Never mind. It was nothing," before releasing his partner, "Come on, the others are probably waiting for us, ne?"

Watari and Seto had just set foot into the bullpen of the Shokan Division when Terazuma pushed past them and out the door, slamming said piece of wood as he exited. Seto raised an eyebrow before turning to Watari for answers. The blond shrugged in response. "Don't look at me. He's probably fuming over something Tsuzuki started… again."

Looking around the bullpen, Watari noticed that it was totally empty except for them. Odd, seeing as usually someone was working; if it wasn't Terazuma and Wakaba at their desks in the corner, then it was Tsuzuki and Hisoka on the other side of the room. Or even Saya and Yuma with their constant Pink House catalogue stacks as they giggled over what would look the best on their chosen 'victim' of the week, which varied between Hisoka and at times even Seto or Terazuma. (The latter being chosen at requests from Tsuzuki, whom they never could seem to let down. Too bad Terazuma would never consent to their attempted dressing up.)

"I wonder where everyone could be…" the scientist mused aloud as they made their way over to the briefing room. Seto, as per usual, didn't bother answering.

The mystery was solved once the pair entered the briefing room. Literally everyone but Terazuma had been gathered inside and was seated at the long table. Each of them took their seats at the end of the table, next to Hisoka and Tatsumi. Saya and Yuma waved at the two late arrivals from across the table, and Tsuzuki smiled at them. "What took you guys?" the violet-eyed shinigami asked Watari.

"Just got held back a bit, that's all," the amber-eyed man replied, though his whole demeanor seemed to say 'I'll tell you later'.

Konoe-kachou cleared his throat from the front of the room, "Okay, settle down everyone. Now that Watari and Kyouji have finally made their appearance… We're going to be receiving a few foreign visitors in the next few days," here the shinigamis' interest became peaked. Visitors from other Ministries were few and far between, "Apparently there's a big case that's moved from their section to ours, and we're working with them to close it. I don't have details at the moment, unfortunately, other than direct orders from Enma-sama to cooperate with these shinigami."

"Where are they from?" Tsuzuki asked, "And how many are coming?"

Tatsumi was the one to answer. Adjusting his glasses, he looked at the file in front of him, "These three are from the Egyptian Society of Osiris. The head of their Judgement and Retrieval Bureau as well as the two operatives working closest on this case are the ones scheduled to arrive within the next week or so."

Konoe nodded, "Which means I want you all on your best behavior. That means no fighting between you and Terazuma, Tsuzuki. Wakaba, will you please relay that to your partner as well?" The miko nodded, vaguely wondering where Terazuma had disappeared to. Konoe continued, "Hokkaido sisters, please don't hassle them with your… fashion."

The older man fixed his gaze on Watari next, "Watari, no explosions. I mean it. One 'boom' from that lab of yours and I will be the one overseeing your paycheck. Kyouji, you're in charge of keeping him in line. Kurosaki, that goes double for you and Tsuzuki."

The younger shinigami fixed their older partners with near identical stares seeming to threaten physical harm if Watari or Tsuzuki, respectively, caused their own paychecks to be cut. The Hokkaido sisters smiled at the looks, and Wakaba suppressed a giggle. Seto glanced over towards Konoe. "If we're finished here, may I be excused?"

Tsuzuki took the chance to look at the clock, and with an inner jump for joy, he noticed that it was four o'clock. "All right! Time to go home everyone!" the violet-eyed shinigami said, grinning at the prospect of going home and getting away from the pile of paperwork still sitting on his desk. Both he and Seto got up from their seats, only to be ordered to sit back down by Konoe. Grudgingly, they did so- Seto with a barely repressed glare and Tsuzuki with a groan.

"Now, these people are professionals. The best of their country's department. You guys are gonna have to toe the line as long as they're here, and act like the professionals you're supposed to be instead of a group of children."

'You've got that right…' Seto thought, not taking in the fact that Konoe was also addressing him as well.

"Please, you guys. I'm begging you- don't screw this up. This is a big case, and I won't tolerate any slacking."

Konoe dismissed the shinigami, and after a few good-byes, they all headed off their separate ways.

Taking out his keys from his pocket, Seto unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped inside, kicking his shoes off and hanging his duster in the closet next to the door as he did so. Right away he headed for the kitchen, throwing his briefcase filled with paperwork he had to fill out from his and Watari's sector sweep earlier that day on the table as he passed it. The brunet had a pounding headache; one that seemed to stem from somewhere in the middle of his brain and was pulsing violently.

Rummaging through one of the cupboards, the blue-eyed teen growled underneath his breath as he realized he had no aspirin. The nearest store was four or five blocks away, and even though Seto could have teleported there, it was a waste of energy. Plus there was the fact that he couldn't keep his mind focused too well at the moment.

'…Wait. Tsuzuki-san lives in this complex as well, if I remember right.'

Oh yes, Seto was desperate. Even going as far as to asking one of his coworkers, one of the most nosy and hovering ones to boot, for a few doses of aspirin. Grumbling at his horrid luck, the brunet sighed and headed for the door once more, slamming it shut behind him in frustration.

Maybe not the best action, however. The loud noise grated against his already hypersensitive nerves and made him wince. Tsuzuki better have aspirin, or there'd be hell to pay.

A sharp rap on the door distracted Tsuzuki. Frowning and wondering whom it could be, the shinigami went to answer it. "Coming!" he yelled. The dark-haired man opened it, and smiled upon seeing Seto standing there, albeit looking more grumpy than usual. "Oh! Kyouji! What brings you here, hmm?"

"Tsuzuki-san." The brunet greeted with a clipped incline of his head, "I was wondering if you had any aspirin that I could borrow."

Tsuzuki blinked, "Uhh… sure, yeah I think I have some. Come on in and I'll get you some."

Nodding stiffly, the younger shinigami followed Tsuzuki into the apartment and into the kitchen. Seto was highly surprised to see how well kept the place was, seeing as Tsuzuki had the demeanor of a slob. Seto stood off to the side while Tsuzuki looked in a cabinet, before pulling out a white bottle and tossing it to Seto, who caught it easily- though he twitched slightly at the noise of the pills inside hitting against one another.

Tsuzuki noticed the twitch. "Bad headache?" Seto grunted in affirmation as he swallowed two of the aspirin dry, "You want some water for… or not."

Placing the bottle back on the counter, the brunet nodded a thank you to Tsuzuki, "I must be going. Paperwork to do and such, after all," Seto said, before adding, "It's not like Watari-san does any of it anyways."

Tsuzuki grinned and shook his head, "You're going to work yourself to a second death- it's after hours, and I doubt you really want to work on that stuff."

"Someone has to do it. I appreciate the help, now I really must go."

Sighing, Tsuzuki led him to the door and once Seto had left, made his way back to the living room with two cups of sake from the kitchen.

"That kid…" he muttered.

An annoyed voice voiced his agreement, "You're telling me. And I do too do my paperwork…"

The violet-eyed man chuckled, "Of course you do, Watari, now you were saying something about a kid?"

Leaning forward in the chair that he was currently sitting in, the blond frowned. "Yeah. There was this kid, maybe thirteen… possibly even fourteen years old outside the restaurant. He bumped into me and I knocked him to the ground."

Tsuzuki handed one of the cups to Watari, who accepted it with a murmur of thanks. "Nice, Watari. Harass the locals, why don't you." Tsuzuki grinned, making Watari frown.

"That's exactly what Kyouji said… anyways, before I could help the kid up, out of nowhere Kyouji comes and he helps him up."

The dark-haired shinigami put on a false shocked look, "You mean he actually attempted physical contact with someone… voluntarily? Wow Watari, I think you're starting to rub off on him."

"Oh shut up. But the really odd thing was, he didn't just help the kid up… he seemed fond of the boy, I guess you could say. Ruffled his hair and I could have sworn I saw him smile. Next thing you know, though, he's backing off as if the kid burned him or something. It was really weird."

"…Maybe he knew the kid or something. I mean, Kyouji's not one to smile without good reason, kind of like Hisoka. Come to think of it, has the guy ever smiled once since he's been here?"

"Other than a smirk, I doubt it. And I don't think he knew the boy." Watari steepled his fingers, laying his chin on them, thinking, "If he did, there would have been some kind of reaction from the kid. Anything at all. But he looked just as confused as I was…"

"Possible reminder of someone he knew."

Here the blond had to nod, "Yeah, probably." Watari sighed, "Y'know, even though I can't remember much of anything either when it comes to before I died… I can't help but feel sorry for the poor kid. I, at the very least, worked with the Science Department for a decade or two, but Seto… he still looks the same as when he died, and to be stationed in the sector you lived in so short after that…"

Watari looked up at Tsuzuki, "To look at all those faces and not recognize a single one… to think that maybe that one man sitting at the bus stop might be a friend or relative, that woman in the park a sister or old girlfriend… I know how it feels personally, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I at least remember something. He doesn't remember a thing."

Tsuzuki nodded, somber. Watari, for all his cheer and seemingly carefree personality, almost never spoke up about himself, preferring rather to help out his friends with their problems rather than his own. It was a rare thing to hear his friend so serious and morose. "I'm sorry, Watari."

The scientist downed whatever was left of his sake in one long gulp, "Me too, Tsuzuki… me too."

Stumbling into his apartment once more, the vague thought that Tsuzuki had given him poisoned aspirin crossed Seto's mind.

'I swear… it can't get any worse than right now…'

But as karma likes to be a right pain when you least expect it, the incessant pain pounding through his skull grew in intensity, making the teen hiss as he clutched his head and flopped in an undignified manner onto the small couch in the living room.

"What the fuck is with this?" Seto growled to himself.

He tried to remember when the pain began, trying to figure out what or who could have had some part in agitating him to the point of having such a horrible migraine.

'I was fine during that damn sweep of the city… and dinner… I think it started after I left Watari-san and that kid…'

The blue-eyed teen yelled in surprise, clutching his head as if that sudden thought triggered something inside of his mind. Flashes of images and voices echoed inside his mind and played in front of his clenched-shut eyes.

Two children playing in a sandbox.

Laughter, and smiles, turned quickly to tears and screams.

A gravestone, then another, and another.

A tall skyscraper and a man in a red suit, but the face was totally blurred…

A dragon standing in front of him.

That same dragon being blown to pieces, and a bright, golden light…

Gasping in large amounts of air, Seto dry retched as he found himself kneeling on the ground next to his couch.

What the hell was that? What did it mean? The brunet found himself with a thousand questions running through his mind, none of which he had the answers to. What he did know, however, was that he needed something to drink, his throat seemed raw for some reason.

Spotting a half-full bottle of water sitting on a coaster on the coffee table, Seto reached out a shaking hand towards it, inwardly frowning at how weak he seemed at that moment. The water was cold and soothed his throat; he gulped it down readily before something clicked in his mind.

The water bottle had been sitting there since possibly the night before, in no way should the water be ice cold. Pulling the water away from his lips and holding up the bottle in the fading rays of the sun coming through his window, Seto's eyes widened fractionally as he looked at it.

It was covered in a thin sheet of what was unmistakably ice.

1. Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist Kingdom spoiler! When Kaiba leaves Mokuba to his own devices after losing to Yuugi/Yami no Yuugi in the first few episodes, Pegasus's goons come after him with guns, say some shit to him, and Kaiba jumps out a two-story window that is right over an ocean cliff. Said goons think he's dead, report so to Pegasus, while in reality sneaky sneaky Kaiba's actually alive and plotting.

2. "Nii-sama") This is Mokuba's name for Seto. It's "big brother" with the utmost respect. The kid really idolizes his brother, you know. And it's just so damn cute. :D