So a neat thing happened to this chapter, and that thing is that Moonluster beta-read it for me :) She's writing a fantastic Blueshipping story of her own called The Blue String of Fate and a companion piece called Mokuba's Thought Journal (literally who can get enough of Blueshipping? Or Mokuba?) that I highly recommend :)

Nightmares

In his dreams, sometimes, he was still here. He recognized him by his distinctive silhouette: the slim shoulders, the proud, upright posture, the spiked violet, black, and blond locks. Sometimes he knew he was there, and sometimes he didn't. This time, Seto was almost certain. He was standing on a bridge, with his back turned to Seto, silent, motionless, and expectant.

Seto's heart pounded, blood roaring in his ears. His breathing quickened until his lungs ached. He became aware that his skin felt clammy and ice cold; the world felt like it was moving in slow motion. Even through all of these years he had spent thinking about Atem, he never really knew what he would say to him. He stood motionless, exhilarated, feeling something dangerously close to rage. His rival, his tormentor, the one person who had tried to save him, and then abandoned him...there he was. He was back. Specifically, to see him.

Try as he might to suppress his emotions, when he saw Atem, every urge and reaction came flooding back to him at once—terror, pain, rage, exhilaration, exultation, mania and desire, and he was powerless to stop them. So he stood, frozen, staring at Atem's back, drowning in the emotions he tried so hard to hold back.

Atem started walking, with the brisk, confident stride of someone with places to be. Seto followed him—this had happened before, he had always followed him—desperate not to let the man out of his sight. The walking gave him a purpose, and the emotions started to dissipate—Atem was taking him somewhere. All he had to do was follow. So follow he did, and the torrent of angst was quelled, temporarily, to a determined, desperate attempt that disallowed Atem to get away from him again without giving him answers...or closure.

They crossed the bridge into the industrial part of town, snaking their way through darkened alleyways hemmed in by buildings so tall that they blocked out the sky. Was it him, or were the buildings getting closer and closer together? Was Atem getting farther and farther away? Why were there so many branching paths through the alleys—why was it so dark, why couldn't he see, and why couldn't he go any faster...the walls were closing in, and the darkness was palpable, it was thick, hot, and suffocating.

Even through all of this struggle, Atem was getting farther and farther away. ...He was never going to reach him...he couldn't see his rival through the thickening darkness anymore, and he was alone, and the darkness was pressing in on him, and he was alone.

Again, he was alone.

He had followed Atem only to be abandoned in the darkness. Terror coursed through his veins as he realized, numbly, that this was his punishment for everything he had done, that the painful, terrifying isolation was a fitting fate for him. How appropriate for him to repent for his sins by following the only man he had ever grown to trust straight into the immutable darkness of his own heart. He was frozen, trapped in place, with the metallic taste of fear creeping up his throat. What a fitting destiny, for him to be trapped for all eternity in the dark, because all of his victories, all of the good he has done in the world, is blotted out by the evil, the misery, and the shadows...of his own heart.

Flash. A blinding white light illuminates the unknown, shattering into a bouquet of silver sparks that drift gently towards the ground. Seto watches in awe as the silver specks of light flicker, pushing away the darkness, and the bitter taste of fear on his tongue starts to ebb. As the flecks of light rain down, they illuminate an unmistakable form on the ground—Kisara.

Kisara stares at him, with wide, gentle, soft eyes. She radiates a soft light that bounces off of her cheeks and shines in the silver of her hair. Her eyes are bright in a way that consumes the darkness in the room, and Seto staggers forwards to hold her, whimpering softly with relief.

A laugh, an unmistakably sinister laugh, echoes through the undefined dreamland space, and Seto recognizes that laugh—it's Atem's laugh, and he is punishing him—in this space. In all spaces, he reigns supreme, and he knows the darkness inside of Seto, and he knows that Seto does not deserve light, warmth, and love.

Kisara rises to her feet and closes her eyes, extending her arms and tilting her head backward. Somehow, Seto knows what will happen, moments before it does. He sprints forwards, desperately reaching towards Kisara. His arms are almost around her—he's so close—he makes a last, desperate attempt to grab her shoulder to pull her towards him, but it's too late. Kisara is disintegrating, decomposing into particles of light that scatter and disappear, and the light is fading—and he's too late…

"Help! Please, don't...please..."

She is awake in a half-second flat, eyes wide-open as she scans her surroundings for danger. Moonlight streams through an open window and the gossamer curtains flutter delicately. The room is pleasantly cool and just light enough to make out the rough outlines of objects. She turns to Seto, her heart screaming in her chest. Did she imagine his cry for help?

"Don't...don't go..." Seto cries out, and instinctively, Kisara shakes his shoulder, leaning down to examine him. Adrenaline courses through her system, and she feels almost superhuman, ready to defend her love...

Seto Kaiba's eyes are open; she can see the subtle glint of moonlight reflected in them. His pupils are dilated, he's trembling, and his entire body is rigid. She isn't sure if he knows she is there. Tenderly, she drapes her arm across him, weaving underneath his tensed arm and resting her hand on his chest. He is still shaking, unresponsive. Kisara presses herself closer to him, pressing her lips to the nape of his neck, willing herself to be calm as every synapse in her brain is firing at once, clamoring to understand exactly what is happening. His skin is white with chilled, damp sweat. Even in the dim, cold light, she can tell that all of the color has drained from his cheeks.

The door swings open with a sudden flurry of commotion, and Kisara raises her head, alarmed. Mokuba dashes into the room, holding a glass of water and something in his closed palm and swings himself onto the bed next to Seto. She tries to gauge the expression on the younger boy's face as he firmly shakes his brother's shoulder, apparently oblivious to Kisara's presence. His face is taut and his expression is unreadable.

Mokuba pulls his brother into an upright position, pulling the blankets from under Kisara's arm and draping it around Seto's shoulder. Kisara pulls herself into an upright position, craning her head to watch as Mokuba coaxes something into Seto's mouth, tipping water from the glass into his mouth.

"It's just a dream, Seto," the boy murmured, nudging his brother back into a sleeping position.

"It's a dream. It doesn't mean anything." Kisara can feel Seto's shaking start to abate slightly, although he still won't acknowledge anything that is happening around him. "We're right here, Bro. It's all right." A lump rises in Kisara's throat as she watches Mokuba lean back against the headboard of the bed, drawing his knees up to his chest and sitting watch over Seto, stroking his shoulder comfortingly with one hand.

She feels frozen, unsure of her place in this situation. Mokuba's voice is unwavering, and he radiates a sort of resigned confidence. Horrified, Kisara realizes that this must have happened in the past, probably more than she could imagine. Seto is lying on his back, with his arms limp at his sides; she holds his hand in both of hers, resting her head against his shoulder. She chances a glance at Mokuba, who bites his lip and looks away. Kisara isn't quite sure of the emotion in Mokuba's eyes—fear? Embarrassment? Whatever it is, the boy redirects his focus to Seto, rhythmically massaging his shoulder, and Kisara stares at the cotton pinstripes on Seto's pajamas.

The moment feels like an eternity, wandering aimlessly towards infinity. She can feel Seto's body slowly start to relax, and she props herself up on an elbow to get a closer look at his face. His eyes are closed again, his expression is more relaxed, and his sweaty bangs are beginning to dry. She brushes them off of his forehead, planting a kiss on his temple. He rolls over, grasping clumsily at her waist, and pulls her body close to his. She feels the dull pressure of his chin on her skull, and he wraps his body around her, with his arms holding her tight.

She feels a shifting of pressure on the mattress, and Mokuba makes his way around to her side of the bed, with a troubled expression on his face. He looks forlorn, staring but not at anything. His shoulders are tense and uncomfortable. She can't find the words to comfort him—how can she assure him that Seto is safe with her if this is clearly such a practiced routine that she has no part in? She stares up at him, steadily gazing into his violet eyes.

"I promise I'll stay," she whispers finally. Her voice cracks slightly, and she isn't sure if Mokuba can hear her. At least, she can promise him that—that she will stay and protect his brother as best she can.

Mokuba looks up, nodding quickly. He stands motionless for a moment as if he is weighing his options. Then he nods again, and she isn't sure if she just imagined the tiny, comforting smile that flashes across his face. He disappears down the hallway with quick, hurried steps.

Left alone again with Seto, she puts her hand on the arms that surround her so tightly and closes her eyes. I promise I'll stay.

OK SO CONFESSION TIME-I'm also a Prideshipper. Not in the sense that I think it would be a particularly fulfilling or healthy relationship, but that Seto had some feelings for Atem (and a lot of lingering feelings left). Which is something I wanted to explore a little deeper as we sort of flesh out a picture of Seto and Kisara...thoughts? If you have them, feel free to review or PM me :)

Thanks for reading!