So he sat at his desk
Tired
Alone
And totally unprepared
For the sudden storm that split the sky
And the spike in magical energy that tried to split his skull
The magic wailed and pummeled his mental barriers
Barriers already weak from constant upkeep
Blocking out the anguish of his dragon for so long
And holding in his last shreds of sanity
The assault threatened to split them
Shatter them
Rip them apart
He threw his hands over his head
Curled tightly in the chair
As if attempting to physically hold his mind together
The magic crashed, whipped and whirled around him
Too much
He was going to break
Then it was gone
"What the FUCK!" Seto yelled into the empty room.
Just to make himself feel better.
"Yugi . . . Atemu . . . how?"
Seto began to laugh.
"Fucking little bastard. Where the hell did he get power like that?"
XxX
Mokuba paused outside his brother's room. The door was slightly open and the lights were still on. Again. He was seriously beginning to think Seto just didn't sleep anymore. Of course, he could have just been woken by the storm. Mokuba wouldn't be surprised if the whole city was awake right now with how loud that thunder had been. He poked his head in the door just in time to hear the laughter and string of curses.
"Nii-sama!" Mokuba shouted scolding. If he wasn't allowed to curse he certainly wasn't going to let Seto get away with it! Besides, his brother had been acting really weird lately. Well, weirder than normal anyways. Maybe it was time to insist that Seto tell him what was wrong. Because something definitely was wrong. Mokuba just hadn't been able to figure out what.
Seto paled slightly at his brother's sudden appearance.
"Sorry Mokuba." He apologized quickly, clearing his throat to hide slight embarrassment. "I'll go to bed soon, I promise."
Mokuba stepped fully into the room.
"What's wrong Seto? I want you to tell me what's been bothering you."
"Nothing really." Seto tried to sound convincing as his mind whirled for an excuse. "I just . . ."
"Stop it Seto! It's not nothing. You've been moping around for weeks, ever since we got back from Egypt. You don't sleep and you barely eat. Don't you tell me it's 'nothing.'"
Mokuba planted his feet and crossed his arms, giving his brother a severe glare. Or at least, it was supposed to look severe. He thought that it must not be working quite the way he wanted because his brother was grinning and shaking his head.
"Too perceptive and stubborn for your own damn good. I don't know where you get it from." Seto quipped before sighing resignedly. Mokuba thought he saw something akin to relief cross his brother's face. "Are you sure you want to hear the story? It's rather long and filled with all kinds of foolery and nonsense. It even includes your brother perpetrating acts of magic and sorcery!"
"Seto, you're the only one who didn't believe in magic! The rest of us weren't too stubborn to accept what was right in front of our eyes."
His brother coughed and looked away. "I guess it's past time I told you what happened in Egypt then."
"Way past." He chided lightly. "Don't worry Seto, I promise I won't think of you as any crazier than I already do!"
Seto grinned. "Gee thanks Mokie."
Mokuba made himself comfortable on Seto's bed and sat back to listen as his brother told him stories of Ancient Egypt and a certain blue eyed girl.
XxX
It was nearly dawn before Seto had related the entire tale. His mouth had gone dry and he had to stop to get some water. Mokuba followed him to the kitchens chatting excitedly. Seto knew the story was going to be long but hadn't realized just how much time the telling would take. Mainly because he hadn't expected to find himself telling Mokuba EVERYTHING. It had been such a relief to talk, especially after having kept it bottled up for so long. It felt good to have the reminder that he wasn't alone.
He looked at the clock to see just how late/early it was and yawned. He had related most of his past life as Seth, all the events of Memory World and afterwards, including how he could still hear Kisara and what had happened when he tried to find her.
He filled a water glass, wondered if he shouldn't just make coffee instead and count the night as lost, and compromised by splashing some of the cool liquid on his face, letting it bring him back to awareness. He also realized that Mokuba had asked him something that he hadn't caught.
"Sorry, what?"
"I just realized that you haven't told me what happened during the storm."
"Oh, well, I'm not entirely sure myself, but there was a large backlash of magic from a great amount of power being used. It reeked of Yugi's particular energy signature and . . . a little bit of Atemu's also."
"But I thought Atemu left for good! We were all there when he stepped through the door and went all Egyptian."
Seto snorted. "He always was so damn stubborn." A small smile played at the corners of his mouth and it took Mokuba a moment's confusion before he remembered that Seth and Atemu had been cousins and even friends in the past.
"So . . ." Mokuba though hard, his brow furrowed. "Do you think it's possible that Atemu stuck around like Kisara and Yugi found some way to bring him back?"
Seto nodded gravely, rather proud at how quickly Mokuba had come to the same conclusion he had.
"But how come he could reach Yami and you couldn't get to Kisara?"
"I suspect it's because Yugi's brand of magic is completely different than mine. I think his is the exact opposite of Atemu's, meaning that Yugi can manipulate light itself."
Mokuba let out a low whistle.
"So if Yugi can trump darkness like that, does that mean he's even more powerful than Atemu?"
Seto shrugged.
"What about your powers? Where do they come from? How do they work?"
"They seem to be elemental mostly. I can control things of an earthly nature but I can't touch anything related to light or dark."
Seto looked up to see Mokuba staring at him wide-eyed and gaping slightly.
"What?" He asked curiously. Mokuba was fidgeting oddly.
"Nothing, nothing Seto. It's just . . . it's just . . . IT'S JUST SO COOL!"
Mokuba couldn't hold back the childlike glee any longer. His brother . . . his badass big brother who had once let him pick a car from a dealership showroom, gotten in, cut a check to the stuttering sales man and had driven them off to find Yugi and his gang, HIS cool beyond anything brother had just admitted to having elemental powers. It was just too wicked awesome for words.
"Oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please Seto, you've just got to show me something! Please??"
Seto was slightly taken aback. "Um, I guess, though I haven't really tried anything yet so I'm not sure exactly what works . . ."
He was quiet for a moment, sorting through memories of magic lessons, trying to find something small he could do just for show. He straightened and smirked as he found just the thing to impress his slightly hyper younger brother. Seto reached out with his mind, tapping into a small line of power and snapped his fingers. A small flame danced just above them and Mokuba squealed with delight, exclaiming over how awesome his big brother was. Seto tuned him out slightly, staring into the flame. He had found something very interesting among his memories of the more advanced spells and though he hated to ask for help from anyone, he realized that he might have discovered the perfect bartering chip to use in exchange for Yugi's assistance.
He dismissed the flame. Sleep really would have to come first thought. He felt his eyelids drooping. Just that small trick had taken a good amount of energy and he was contemplating something much larger and more intricate than summoning a bit of fire.
"C'mon Mokuba, we should both get some sleep if we're going to visit Yugi later."
"Ok Seto!" He replied happily, glad that his brother was including him and he wouldn't have to resort to puppy dog eyes or blackmail to get in on the action.
They were headed back to their respective rooms when Seto realized that the his dragon had quieted. He could no longer feel the sorrow or despair that had flowed so continually from Kisara's side of the link. It had been replaced by something else. Hope. And he slept well for the first time in what seemed like ages.
XxX
A/N: Yay my chapters are getting longer! And finally we start getting to the action. Hold on to your hats, we're just barely getting started here! .
Sorry, I wanted to update yesterday but some fierce winds knocked down the wire that connects me to the internets. Heh, my phone and internet was down in the very literal sense of the word! Glad to have it back though, I was starting to go though withdrawals. So much fanfic to read still, so much fan art to print and hang on my walls! Anyway, hope you enjoy, please leave me a little note if you like it. I'ma go now and continue furiously writing the next part. :p