Major thanks to all of you! Glad to see that you're very interested, and I hope to see the continuous support until the end of this story, which will be coming up very soon. I'm also glad to see that Yami's past had the reaction that I wanted. xD There is more to his story, so please read and tell me what you think in the end.

Oh! And how is Kaiba's role in all of this? What do you all think? I know, he's very OOC…

Enjoy!

The Ghost of Yami Atem

Chapter 16

With arms wrapped around his legs loosely and his hands in fists, Yami continued make holes into the ground with his eyes as he sat on the wooden steps. Yugi and Grandpa remained where they were, both silent as they watched the spirit who had remained quiet himself for a short moment. Yugi gazed on worriedly, dried tears staining his cheeks. Eventually, after a while, Yami sighed and unclenched his hands. He continued with a slight shake of his head, the act seeming as if he was brushing off the thoughts that surfaced in his mind during his silence.

"With no money to feed Heba, I went out during the day and tried to search for a job, any job, where I would get paid enough to buy food. When I wasn't home, I left Heba at a daycare. More money was lost that way, so getting a job was the most important thing for me. Thankfully though, at fifteen, I was hired in a warehouse to unpack stuff from a truck and stack them away in a huge storeroom. I had no idea for who I was working for, or what I was unpacking. All that I was concerned about was the fact that I got paid by the end of the week. I worked there for six hours every day, and the money was just enough for me to get through our lives. Eventually, fall rolled around and Heba had to go to school. Kindergarten. I didn't want him to miss his education, so I enrolled him. When you're alone you eventually learn how to fake things to live."

Yami grinned, and licked his lips. "I've gone from good, mama's boy to law breaker in just a few months." He shook his head to himself once more. "That was the only way I got my job, but I should have realised and remembered that I wasn't cut out for it. Sure, I as a good employee and had a lot of support from the other workers, but I wasn't strong enough, or big enough for my job when necessary."

-Flashback-

"Hey, Yami! Watch out!"

Looking up, Yami dodged the wrench that had fallen from the toolbox that one worker had been carrying. With a slightly horrified but relieved expression, Yami looked up and scurried off, trying to be careful in the packed warehouse. He wasn't unloading anything today. In fact, he was on stacking duty. Crates filled with tools for the local hardware store in the mall had to be packed properly and in the right place. A mix up would only result in more work, something that no one wanted.

"Kuroh, the boss wants to have a word with you," Yami said as he walked by, and he watched as the long, black haired boy stood up from his crouched position to give him a nod.

"Okay, thanks," he said politely, and Yami grinned before looking ahead of him and making a beeline for the inner storage room where he was putting the crates in.

Stepping in, Yami looked at the half empty store room and walked out again before one by one picking up the heavy, packaged boxes and placing them on to the shelf. Dragging the bigger boxes in, he grabbed a ladder and began carrying the smaller ones to the top and leaving the big ones to sit at the bottom shelves. Weary, his arms hurting as he came down from the ladder, he looked up when the door creaked open.

"Hey, you already talked to the boss?" Yami asked Kuroh as he stepped in, and the guy nodded.

"Yeah, he wants me to help you out in here. Nao's sick, so you need all the help you can get."

"Oh, thank goodness. I was beginning to think this was all going to take forever."

"Well it is…" Kuroh drawled, and Yami chuckled. "C'mon, I'll take those other ones up. What are they again?"

"They're filled with oranges for the supermarket," Yami replied, taking one side of the crate while Kuroh to the other one.

Kuroh rolled his eyes. "From tools to fruits. Nice."

Together the two took the crate to the ladder, and with Kuroh in the lead they lifted it up to the top and slide it into place. They repeated it until one shelf was full, and began with the other. However by this point the ache in Yami's arm was getting worse, almost to the point where it pained to even move it. He pushed through though and bit the pain, forcing himself to continue with his arms feeling as if they were set ablaze.

"Yami, pay attention," Kuroh hissed, gripping the bigger crate tighter as he stopped halfway up the ladder. Pushing up so that the crate won't fall, Yami winced.

"Sorry…"

"Push. This one's heavy," Kuroh said, and Yami tried to keep it up. Finally it too was slid into place and he went to get another.

Absolutely weary, he decided that he'll ask for a break after another crate was taken up and pushed into place. He watched as Kuroh rolled another across the floor, and taking a swig of his water, Yami rushed to help him. As Kuroh took one end and he took the other, he struggled as Kuroh pulled one side and he pushed, but his arms were weak. As soon as the crate was over his head, him pushing it up, his arms loosened and the crate came down.

"Yami!"

Desperately Kuroh tried to hold on, but the weight of the crate was too much and he fell, the crate dropping on Yami. It hit his head, breaking open on the ground, and immediately feeling blood and intense pain, he blacked out only to awaken in a white room hours later.

With a dull throb in his head, he looked up to see Kuroh with a broken arm, and another one of the guys from work with him. Alongside that guy was his boss, and he didn't look too happy. The doctor looked over Yami and seeing that he was awake he smile reassuringly seeing Yami's worried expression.

"You had quite an injury there…" the doctor said, and Yami remained quiet, his heart pounding. "You should be careful. Another injury to your head would prove to be fatal if this wound isn't healed properly. Understand?" the doctor warned, and Yami nodded.

-Flashback End-

"It was all their fault. I would never forgive them. I would never forgive Seto, the one person I had thought would at least call or even write to see if we were still alive or dead. He did nothing. I hate them. Especially Gozoburo. My mom died waiting for him, and he left two children alone without anyone. Granted, he didn't know mom died, but when he did he didn't care." Yami wiped away more tears, and Yugi flinched when he heard a sniffle.

"I thought they would never come back, but one day, they did. And the day they did, was my last."

- Flashback -

"Ugh! Yami..." five year old Heba whined as he fumbled with his shirt, trying to put it on. "Help me!" he demanded with a pout on his lips.

Yami sighed and shook his head with a small smile on his face as he looked at Heba who had somehow gotten his head stuck in sleeves of his shirt.

"Silly," sixteen year old Yami mumbled as he slipped on the sleeveless black top Heba wanted to wear. It was his day off, so Heba had asked to go to the park. Obviously Yami agreed. For the occasion he decided to dress up a bit and wore black jeans, sneakers, and a few chains with an armband on his arm with another on his wrist.

"The shirt hates me," Heba said, glaring cutely, and Yami just chuckled to see that the glare turned out to look more cute than threatening.

Since they were done getting dressed, Yami lifted Heba off of the bed and was just about to leave when a bang was heard. Immediately the sound was recognized as the front doors slamming open, and as Yami thought about what had happened, a loud voice boomed throughout the house.

"Aria! Yami!"

As soon as Yami heard it, his body went pale. The voice sounded very familiar...

"Daddy!" Heba squealed. He grabbed Yami's shoulders as he was lifted up, and Yami had to look and stare at him in wonder, unsure of how the little boy remembered the man's voice even though he barely knew him. "Daddy's here!" he continued to squeal, and he giggled.

Yami said nothing though. He just walked slowly out the door, his feet moving on their own as the voice continued to call for him, and someone who hadn't been with them for a long time. As he got to the banister which overlooked the entire living room, Yami gulped as he walked towards the top of the stairs, watching the man who paced across the floor.

"There you are," Seto breathed, and Yami's eyes snapped towards him. The blue eyed boy was looking up at them with a tiny smile, but Yami just continued to stare, shocked. Seto had definitely grown. He was much taller, looked wiser, but his sharp blue eyes still held the same intensity. Even his brown, chestnut hair was the same, but were now brushing over his eyebrows.

Yami didn't have much time to examine Seto because he was startled when Gozoburo began shouting at him.

"Where's your mother?!" the man yelled impatiently, and Yami's heart turned cold and his body went stiff, eyes filling with rage.

"Hi, daddy!" Heba exclaimed, waving, and Yami took one glance at Heba's innocence and shot Gozoburo a glare while he answered the man's question.

"In heaven," he said loud enough for Gozoburo to hear, and the man gave him a confused look.

"What?!" he exclaimed, and Yami rolled his eyes.

"She's dead. She died waiting for YOU," Yami shot, and Gozoburo stood there silently. Seto too stood there, surprised, and he looked between his father and Yami. At the sudden silence and tension, even Heba remained quiet.

"How long?" Gozoburo finally asked, no emotion in his voice, and holding Heba tightly Yami responded in the same tone.

"For almost seven months now.

Gozoburo thought for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh well. I came to take you guys with me, but since she's gone, there won't be any problems this time," and Yami stared at him, shocked, surprised, and disgusted by what he said. Yami's mother and Gozoburo's wife died, and he shrugged it off!? In disbelief, Yami looked away and gazed at Heba who was leaning on his shoulder, close to tears now.

"Why do you think we'll come with you?" Yami turned back and asked him, and at the question Gozoburo shook his head and laughed.

"There's no way I'm having this argument with you about this now. So start packing. We're leaving."

"No. I'm not going anywhere," Yami said, and he turned to Seto who sighed.

"C'mon, Yami! You can't live here forever?" he said.

"I've lived here alone for the past seven months. I'm sure I can handle it," Yami shot back, and Seto glared.

"Suit yourself," he said, and he crossed his arms.

"Yami! Listen to what I said and start packing!" Gozoburo yelled. Yami stood firmly to the ground and didn't move an inch from his position at the top of the stairs. Seeing this, Gozoburo's eyes twitched.

"Then FINE! Stay here! Die here as well for all I care! But, I'm taking my son with me," he said, and he started to make his way up the stairs.

Yami's mind raced. "His son? Seto? Wait, no... No! Not Heba!"

Yami held on to Heba tightly, refusing to let him go. Gozoburo had gotten to the top and reached out to snatch Heba away. Heba screamed.

"Yami!" he yelled, crying as the man tried to pull him out of Yami's grasp. Yami though was shaking, trying his best to hold on to Heba with all the strength he had left.

"Yami! You can make this easier on yourself. Just come with us," Seto tried to explain.

"No!" Yami cried, and as he looked at Seto, Gozoburo pushed him to the floor, causing him to let go of Heba and hit his head on the wall. Immediately the ache began, and the dizziness started. It had only been a few days since his accident at work. This wasn't good, but he shrugged the pain off and replaced it with panic as he heard Heba call out for him.

"Yami!" Heba was crying loudly now. Yami's head spun as he sat up, then slowly stood up.

"Heba..." he said weakly, and he heard the front door open, then close.

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the dizziness before he rushed down the stairs. Bright lights began to clog up his mind, and he felt liquid sputtering out of his mouth. Unable to focus and only panicking more when he heard the sound of an engine outside, he didn't pay attention to where he was stepping. He stumbled after just a few steps down, and went headfirst on to the stairs. His head hit the edge of the wooden step, and he tumbled the rest of the way down to land at the base on his stomach.

The world went black for a split second, and opening his eyes he groaned and got up, running towards the door. He flung the door open and rushed outside to see Seto getting into the car, and hearing Heba's cries.

"Please! Stop! Don't do this! Bring him back!" Yami screamed, rushing up to their car. Seto looked back, and in that split second before the car rolled away, he saw the old Seto. Seto shot the house a sad look, and was gone. Yami tried running behind it, but it was too fast. As it turned a corner, it didn't take long for it to disappear out of sight.

- Flashback End -

"I lost Heba that day. But, I also lost something else. My life..."

- Flashback -

With tears running down his face, Yami walked back into the house, shoulders slumped and shaking. Stepping through the door that still stood wide open, he sobbed as he looked, shutting the doors behind him. Now, he was truly alone. But then his eyes fell across the floor to see a figure laying at the base of the staircase, blood pooling around their head. Yami paled, and went cold.

He would recognize that body anywhere. It was his.

Shaking, he stepped forward, walking around the form to see the figure on the floor's face. His face. He was laying on the floor on his stomach, eyes still open and lifeless, head turned to the right, the hair sticking to the ground and face. Blood poured out from his mouth, and the gaping wound on his forehead, arms at his side.

"If my body is there, then, what am I...?" He looked at his hand shakily, and gasped. He saw it, but also saw the floor through it. Without hesitating he ran to a mirror, and saw nothing. Gasping, head turning to look at his body at the floor, he dropped to his knees, hyperventilating and crying fretfully, realising that he was now gone.

He was dead.

- Flashback End -

"Three months. It had been three months after they left. And you know, no one knew I was still in that house. No one knew that a person's body was left on the ground, rotting."

"People, the world outside, thought that I had left with the rich and famous Gozoburo Kaiba, so no one bothered to check the house. They just locked it. A heavy padlock on the door and gate. No one knew what laid inside."

Yami chuckled, and leaned back on the stairs, only to fall grim and fearfully, staring at the spot where his body once laid.

"I was too scared to touch it. I just sat on the ground, staring at it, wondering why I hadn't gone to the afterlife. Wondering why I was being tortured like this. I had to watch my body as it slowly began to rot. A strong, horrible odor started to come from it, and poor me, I was unable to close my own eyes. They remained open for three months until people finally started to notice the awful smell. I would have done my own funeral too, if I knew I had powers back then, and if I knew how to control it. But sadly, I knew nothing. I had to wait until people came to investigate where the smell was coming from."

"When they opened the door and saw what it was, I would never forget the look on their faces. Pure horror. Some puked, screamed, ran away, or just passed out. Someone then eventually called the cops. Ambulances and other people came to investigate. It was then when people realised that it seemed one person never went with Gozoburo Kaiba. They tried to contact him, but to no avail. A few days later, my step-father seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth though. I could care less."

"I watched from my seated position in a corner as people in white suits carted my decaying body away. The blood was cleaned up and everything was brushed under the rug, called an accident. No lie in that. So once again, the door was locked and I remained."

"People heard about my story. It made headlines over the city, probably the country. Everyone was afraid of coming to the house as it was now being rented out. One person was brave enough though. Thirty minutes into the night, he was screaming as he ran out of the door. Screaming about the crimson eyed ghost. And that was how the haunted house story began. I mean, I had to find entertainment somehow. Someone had to pay for my suffering. So that went on for a year, until I received a visit from someone."

- Flashback -

Sitting on the stairs, right in front of the spot where his dead body laid a few months ago, Yami sat with thoughts running through his head at top speed which caused it to hurt. He closed his eyes and burrowed his head on knees only to open his eyes when a feeling coursed through him. Looking up, he saw a bright light above him. He stood and stared in awe, watching as a little glowing ball floated down to the ground and took the shape of a two foot tall person.

Yami recognized the person immediately.

"Heba...!" Yami exclaimed, still in shock.

"Yami! I missed you. Where did you go?" Heba asked softly, just as innocent the day he left.

"I- I missed you too..." Yami said.

"Aren't you coming with me?" he asked, and Yami blinked curiously.

"To where?"

"With mommy! She's waiting for you," he exclaimed, and Yami's eyes widened as reality clicked together in his mind. He fell to his knees and stared at his little brother.

"H-Heba... What- What happened, to you?" Yami asked, his voice quivering. Heba blinked at him, silent for a moment before he spoke, understanding what Yami wanted to know.

"I wanted to see you. Daddy won't let me though. He kept saying mean things about you, so I ran away. I missed you." His eyes brimmed with tears. "It was raining a lot. Everything was different. I got lost, I didn't know where I was and, then there was pain, and shouts, and I heard tires screech, and then, more pain then sudden nothing."

Tears fell down Yami's face as Heba finished. He tried to hug the boy, put pulled away when he was greatly shocked as soon as he touched him. Heba looked at him sadly.

"Sorry Yami... Mommy's calling me." Heba then waved as he soon disappeared, and the white light vanishing with him. Left alone once again with more pain, Yami cried alone.

- Flashback End -

"I don't know how long I sat on the ground crying my eyes out. I didn't know what to do, everything seemed hopeless. My little, baby brother was gone too. I wanted to so badly be with them, but I couldn't."

"I never saw them again. Heba never came back, Gozoburo was still missing, and I heard Seto took over the billion dollar company." Yami grinned and pinched the bridge of his nose, wiping his tears away in the process. "They took everything from me, so I refuse to forgive them for that."

Yami was breathing heavily as he finished. He was still trembling, eyes downcast as he golden bangs covered most of his face. Yugi and Grandpa stood in the same spot, looking at Yami as tears rolled down their faces.

"Yami..." Yugi called out gently, his voice quivering as he stepped forward, but Yami stood. He looked at Yugi for a short moment with more tears suddenly welling up in his eyes, and Yugi paused. Understanding the silent plea, Yugi stopped walking and sadly watched as Yami vanished. As soon as he was gone, Yugi ran up to his room in tears, his bedroom door slamming shut.

Grandpa wiped the tears from his face away and he sighed, looking around the house that seemed to mean so much more than he had thought it did. There was so much more about this place than he had though. Now, now what's he supposed to do? How was he supposed to make it alright again, for everyone?

Okay! That's the end of the super long chapter. Thank goodness I had split Yami's backstory into two chapters. I hope you all liked this. Review please! I have the next chapter ready to be posted, so review, review! xD But seriously, this is the most saddest chapter. The mystery has been revealed. What do you think?

Thanks for reading! :)