Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Apocalypse ❯ Bury the Past ( Chapter 44 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

WARNING: MENTION OF NCS!

Bury the Past

Aria struggled against invisible bonds that held her against the wall. Her eyes widened as

Yami approached her. Her eyes focused on the knife in his hand, glimmering in the light.

She swallowed hard as Yami pointed the knife to her belly.

“Shall I cut that child out of you?”

Aria gave a little whimper. `I can't risk doing Shadow Magic. The last time I tried it, it hurt…..I

don't want to hurt the baby.'

“You will be out of my hair once and for all, Aria.”

Aria struggled. “You won't get away with this! My brother will avenge me and my child's death!”

Yami chuckled. “Your brother is weak. I bet you he doesn't have a year of life left in him. He

struggles to breathe….his body is wearing thinner and thinner….his chest pains him like a

thousand hot daggers. Do you really think your brother has long to live? When he's gone,

nothing will stop me from getting your Millennium Trident and his Scepter of Ra. I will have

all of the Millennium Items and will be the most powerful being on Earth!”

Yami pressed the knife against Aria's chest. A tiny trail of blood slipped down her

chest. “Look at this, Aria, you're already bleeding for me.” The pharaoh cupped her face in

his hand. “Are you ready to enter the Land of the Dead?”

`I can't do Shadow Magic…..what if it hurts the baby?' Aria's eyes focused on the blade that

Yami held in his hands.

“Don't you dare hurt my brother!”

Yami laughed. “You won't be around to worry about him, Aria. You two will not be parted for

long!” The pharaoh raised the dagger above his head, ready to drive the blade into Aria's

stomach when the door was kicked open.

The pharaoh turned and Aria lifted her head to see who had burst into the home.

The lightening crashed and a pair of two glowing eyes glittered in the door.

“Pharaoh.”

Yami narrowed his eyes as the lightening illuminated Yami Aten's thin body. “Aten Ishtar. So

glad to see you could join us! Here to witness your sister's bloody demise?”

“I don't think so!” Yami Aten raised the Scepter of Ra high above his head. Its red jewel illuminating. “You will not slaughter my sister without a fight!”

The pharaoh backhanded Aria and threw her to the floor. A cry came from Kai's room as Aria

landed on the floor unconscious.

Yami gripped the knife tightly. “What are you going to do, Aten?”

Yami Aten crossed his arms as a purple mist surrounded them. “Send you to hell.”

Yami raised his hand and emitted a ball of dark energy. Yami Aten raised the Scepter of Ra,

blocking the attack.

“Your attacks do not scare me!”

Yami grinned. “I'll teach you to meddle, you bastard!”

Yami charged towards Aten. Yami grabbed Aten around the throat and shoved him into the

wall. The teen growled and slammed his knee against Yami's hip and gripped the pharaoh

with the free arm.

Yami Aten snarled and clawed his assailant's face. The pharaoh released him and stumbled

back.

“I'll get you for that!” the older man threatened.

The teen yami narrowed his eyes. “I'm going to finish you!”

The pharaoh saw Aten's monsters appear before him. Yami looked behind and did not see

any of his monsters backing him up.

“You haven't won, Aten!”

Yami disappeared in a glimmer of light.

Yami Aten turned and dismissed his monsters. Only The Helpless Child remained.

“You are my hikari's monster,” Yami Aten said to the child.

The child stood up and spoke with his head lowered. “I serve my master. I serve you, too.

You are a part of him.”

Aria moaned on the floor and Yami Aten gripped his chest.

“Can't….keep…in…control.”

Aten fell to his knees and his hair fell. The lightening had stopped outside.

Aten raised his head, left with only the sharp pain in his chest. “Aria?!”

Aten crawled over to his sister and held her in his arms. “Aria, speak to me!”

“Uncle Aten?” a tiny voice said from the doorway.

“Kai, everything's okay, son, go back to bed.”

Kai's eyes filled with tears. “Is my mommy dead?”

“No, Kai, she's okay. See? Aria, sister, open your eyes.”

Aria opened her eyes slowly and she gasped. “Umi!!! Where's Umi?!”

Aten looked around. “Umi?!”

Aria gasped. “That pharaoh sent him to the Shadow Realm!”

Kai sniffled. “Where is my daddy?”

Aten hugged Kai. “Don't worry. Your daddy will be okay.”

Aria stood up. “I'll get him. Aten, stay here with my son.”

Aria's chant opened the portal and she stepped inside. The Nightmare Dragon landed in front

of her.

“My mistress….”

“I have to find Umi! The pharaoh sent him here!”

The Nightmare Dragon nodded. “I know. I have seen him.”

“Take me to him!”

The Nightmare dragon reached behind his neck and placed a shaking Umi on the ground.

“UMI!” Aria hugged Umi tightly. “I was so worried!”

Umi trembled as he looked around. “This place is….creepy.”

“I found him in the Badlands.”

“Aria…I….want to go home…”

Aria nodded. “Thank you, Nightmare Dragon.”

The dragon bowed its head and flew away.

Umi hugged Aria tightly. “Aria, are you okay?”

Aria nodded. “I'm okay….Aten's with Kai now.”

“I was so worried,” Umi said, holding his wife close.

“I won't let Yami hurt me, Umi…And I won't let him hurt you either.”

Umi hugged Aria tightly, shivering. “I think we better go home and comfort Kai.”

Aria nodded and turned her head to the Shadow Realm Badlands. “Yami will pay for this.”

***************************

The CEO kneeled in front of the coffin solemnly. His hand reached up and touched the lid of

the closed casket.

“Alex…..I'm sorry,” the CEO whispered. “You gave your life to protect me….I'll never forget

you. You've always risked yourself for my protection. When my stepfather beat me, you were

there to protect me. After he raped me, and you would find me, you would give me a bath

and hold me. Alex…….you were like a father to me. Always there. I…..I love you, Alex.”

The CEO leaned over and kissed the lid of the coffin.

Ryou approached Seto quietly and put a hand on his shoulder. “Seto, they're ready to start

the service.”

Seto sighed and ran his hand over the lid of the coffin. “Okay, Ryou.”

Seto sat in the back row of the church during the service for Alex. The CEO clenched his fists

tightly, fighting the urge to show a tear.

'Alex died the way he wanted to.....protecting me. I shouldn't cry. I should be happy for him.'

The pastor stood in front of the congregation, giving a comforting sermon on Alex's life and

its meaning.

Only the CEO found no solace in the pastor's message.

His blue eyes remained fixed on the white coffin decorated in Baby's Breath and red roses. The gold handles shimmered in the light of the white candles placed beside the coffin.

Seto looked over at Jay and Karl. Jay had his arm around his partner. Karl was hunched over

in his chair, his face buried in his hands. He couldn't hear no crying, but knew behind those

fingers, tears were flooding down the man's face.

Asher sat in the front row, mezmerized by the flickering of the candles.

Kendall and Donny sat with their families in the second row. Alex's daughter and his sons sat in the first rows.

Mokuba sat with his wife. The younger Kaiba wiped away tears intermittently. Jeanie held his

hand supportively.

Feeling a sudden touch on his knee, the CEO turned his head and saw Ryou's hand on thigh.

Ryou gave him a little smile. “It's going to be okay, Seto.”

Seto slowly reached for Ryou's hand and squeezed it. “Alex….saved me more times and in

more ways than anyone could ever know, Ryou,” he whispered. “I can't believe he's gone.”

Ryou nodded. “Alex was a good man.”

“He was one of a kind, Ryou. I never felt this upset at my stepfather's funeral. I appeared

upset just to keep the media thinking he was the dutiful stepfather. I vowed to find my

stepfather's killers with determination. Little did the media know the truth. But now……I'm

trying not to give in to my emotions.”

Ryou shifted closer to Seto. “It's okay. You know that I'm here for you, Seto.”

Seto nodded. “Thank you, Ryou.”

Ryou took the CEO's hand and rubbed it gently.

Marik and Bakura sat cross-legged, whispering chants from the Book of the Dead to help Alex

find his way through the underworld. Malik watched Aten and Robbie. The two teens were

sitting close to one another, Robbie's face looking sad and contemplative. He held Aten's

hand tightly.

Donny, Kendall, Jay, Asher, Karl, and Maxine carried the casket down the aisle. Mokuba and

Seto watched the casket being carried. Mokuba buried his face in his hands when the casket

passed. Seto watched it, whispering `Goodbye, old friend. I'll never forget you.'

Outside after the service, Seto approached Alex's family. “Chrisy, Adam, Julian, I'm very

sorry.”

“You should be, Seto Kaiba. Our father is dead because of you!” Adam barked.

Chrisy put her hand on her brother's shoulder. “Dad liked Seto, Adam. Dad protected him.”

“Dad shouldn't have died.”

“Mr. Kaiba's been very generous to dad, Adam,” Julian said, calmly.

Adam sneered and walked away.

Donny narrowed his eyes at Adam and clenched his teeth. Seto turned his head to

Donny. “Let him go. He's understandably upset. Chrisy, your father was a very important person in my life, and he will be missed.”

“Thank you, Mr. Kaiba. You have always been a good man to us. I'm sorry about my

brother. His death was quite a shock to him.”

“To all of us, Chrisy……to all of us.”

The CEO sat in the limousine as Donny sat in the driver's seat. Seto crossed his arms. “Don,

tell me when we get to the cemetery.”

“Yes, Mr. Kaiba.”

Seto touched a button and the window dividing him from Donny rose. Seto crossed his arms

and legs as Mokuba and Jeanie entered the limousine.

The CEO took a deep breath. This was not the time to shed any tears….not in front of his

brother.

***********************

Katie entered Joey's room and smiled. “Good morning, Joey. I came to change your bags and

check up on you.”

Joey laid in the bed without reacting.

Katie sighed. “Well, you're looking well today, Joey. Do you think you're going to wake up for

us today? Seto really misses you.”

Joey's finger twitched out of her sight.

The nurse changed his medicine and fluid bags. She removed Joey's old bandages and

administered new IV's.

“Seto said he'd be back later to see you, Joey. Wouldn't that be good?”

Joey's opposite finger twitched.

“I know you can fight this, Joey.”

Joey's eyelids moved slightly.

Katie ran her fingers through Joey's hair. “Looks like I'll have to give you a sponge bath

today, Joey.”

Katie went to leave and heard a moan come from the bed. She turned and saw Joey's hand

twitching.

“Joey?” The nurse ran back to Joey's bedside. “Joey?”

Joey slowly opened his eyes. His tongue moved around his lips and he took a deep

breath. “Seto……….”

Katie gasped. “Joey! You're awake!”

“Seto,” the blond moaned.

“Hold on, Joey. I'll see if I can get in touch with him.”

Katie ran out of the door and ran down the hall. “Dr. Zira! Joey is awake!”

*****************************

Seto held Ryou's hand as the casket descended into the ground. The CEO was determined to

hold his emotions until he could get back to KaibaCorp with Ryou.

He knew Ryou would be able to withstand the torrent of emotion coming from him…..he always

had.

“Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust,” the pastor said, dropping some dirt onto the coffin below.

Aten held Robbie's hand as he felt the familiar pain in his chest. `Only a matter of time,'

Aten thought solemnly as he looked at the casket in the ground.'

Aria held Kai in her arms as she watched the coffin below. She looked at her brother through

the corner of her eye.

`Yami was right….my brother looks weak.' Aria looked at the coffin. `How long does Aten have left?'

When the coffin was finally lowered, Seto turned to Marik. “Marik, could you drive Mokuba and

Jeanie back to KaibaCorp?”

Marik nodded. “I can do that, no problem.”

“Ryou, could you come with me back to KaibaCorp?”

Ryou nodded. “Sure I can.”

“Good. Let's go.”

Ryou followed the CEO into the limousine and slid next to him. Seto buried his face in his

hands. “Ryou…..he's gone.”

The hikari rubbed Seto's back lightly. “As long as you remember him, Seto….he's never truly

gone.”

Ryou brought Seto into his arms.

Seto's head swirled as he gripped onto Ryou. He could have swore he felt a woman holding

him…..but it was a phantom touch. It felt like a touch he experienced during his flashbacks to

Ancient Egypt.

He heard himself whisper `Rayna.'

“Rayna? Seto, are you okay?”

Seto opened his eyes and saw Ryou's chocolate brown eyes looking at him with concern.

Ryou stroked Seto's cheek and kissed him gently on the lips.

The familiar sensation from the flashbacks filled his mind. His hands traveled up Ryou's side

and to his chest. When Seto opened his eyes, it was Ryou sitting beside him, kissing him.

`Rayna,' he heard himself whisper again.

“What the hell is wrong with me?” Seto groaned as he broke the kiss suddenly.

“What? What's wrong, Seto?”

“I keep having these flashbacks! I'm kissing you, but I feel like…you're somebody else.”

Ryou shrugged. “It's only me. How can I be someone else?”

“Everytime I see you, I always hear a voice calling `Rayna' in my head.”

Ryou's eyes widened. “Bakura told me that his old lover in Egypt was called Rayna.”

Seto gripped his hair. “I've been seeing visions of the past….hearing voices call out to me…I

better not be losing my mind.”

The hikari held Seto close and pet his hair. “You've been under so much stress lately, Seto.

You need to take some time for yourself today.”

Seto shook his head. ”I can't! I have a business to run, people to hire, people to pay off….I

have too much going on today to stop.”

Ryou held Seto. “You need time to grieve.”

Seto shook his head. “I don't cry. I'm a Kaiba.”

Seto's cell phone rang. “Seto Kaiba here…….”

[This is Dr. Zira.]

“Oh….hello.”

[I think you should come over to the hospital.]

“Why's that?

[Your husband is awake.]

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