Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Christmas Spirit ❯ Chapter 1

"Stop here," Seto Kaiba growled to the driver of the black limousine they were seated in. Mokuba pressed his nose against the glass window, staring in delight at the window displays. The lights in the store were brightly lit as several people crowded the aisles, browsing for last-minute merchandise. Outside, the streets were covered in a thin blanket of white and powdery snow floated down from the overcast sky.

This is perfect! Mokuba thought to himself. He had been looking all over for a present for one of his school classmates but had found nothing. Finally, he had convinced his elder brother to go with him to this store, clear across town from their mansion to look. Kaiba had been displeased with the idea of coming along, but would not let his younger brother make the journey alone. Still, he hated shopping and he hated crowds. There was nothing worse than shopping at 7:30pm in a toy store on Christmas Eve.

"Let's get this over with," Kaiba said as the limousine came to a stop in front of the glass doors. "I don't want to be here all night. So hurry up and choose something and let's get out of here."

"Sure thing, Big Brother," Mokuba nodded as he opened the door and stepped out into the cold. The wind was sharp and he tucked his hands into his coat sleeves. He then trotted over to the doors and waited as one of the limo drivers opened it for him and Kaiba.

Inside, it was warm and incredibly crowded. There were people everywhere, mostly adults, scurrying about and grabbing the merchandise off the shelves. It was a chaotic scene, as people ran around, bumped into each other, dropped things, and shouted all at once. Mokuba heard his older brother growl in annoyance.

"Why did you have to wait till the very last minute?" Kaiba groaned. "We're never going to get out of here."

Mokuba hardly heard his brother. He was too busy looking at all the different selections all throughout the store. It was the biggest toy store he had ever been in. He dashed over to the first aisle and began browsing. Everything looked so appealing, he could barely remember what exactly he was looking for. Mokuba went up and down aisle after aisle, looking at everything and anything with Kaiba following behind him at a much slower and less enthused pace. Suddenly, he spotted something.

"Seto! Over here, Seto!" he called, pointing at something in a box on a display case. Kaiba walked over and took a look.

"What is it?" he inquired, looking at what his brother was so excited about.

"It's the new Robbott Giant Robot Super Charger!" Mokuba replied with excitement. "Josh'll love this!"

Kaiba picked up the gigantic box and looked it over. The box was almost as big as Mokuba was. "$84.99?" Kaiba read. "For this? Mokuba…"

"It's worth it!" Mokuba argued. "Seto, that's cheap compared to most places!"

Kaiba frowned. "Is it? Are you sure?"

"Positive," Mokuba nodded. "We're not gonna find this anywhere else."

Kaiba sighed heavily. He did not think the toy was worth nearly that much but if he refused, Mokuba would argue and they would have to spend even longer in that blasted store than necessary. "All right, fine. Let's hurry up and get out of here."

Mokuba's eyes lit up. "Really? Thanks, Seto! He's gonna love this!"

"Whatever," Kaiba growled. He handed the box to his brother and began walking toward the front of the store. The lines were incredibly long and Kaiba let out an irritated groan. Mokuba scampered along behind him happily, clutching the box with everything he was worth. Not only was it almost as big as him but it weighed a similar amount as well. He and his older brother stood in the shortest available line and began their wait. Mokuba looked around at all the hurried people, each one of them looking flustered, tired, and aggravated. Christmas always had a way of bringing out the worst in people.

"Watch it!" Kaiba growled at some man who had pushed his way in front of him to get through.

"Fuck off!" the man replied, turning to flip him off. But the man froze as he looked at Kaiba's face. "Shit… You're… You're…"

"Seto Kaiba," Mokuba spoke up. "And you'd better show some more respect to my big brother or you'll regret it!"

The man said nothing and turned and headed down one of the crowded aisles. Kaiba turned his attention back to the task at hand: Waiting. And waiting. The cashier at the front looked exhausted and her hands moved slowly, scanning each item and placing it in a bag at the end of the counter. Kaiba sighed heavily and dug his hands into his pockets. This was not his normal style, waiting in line to pay like this. He usually had one of the servants run down to the store for him. But Mokuba had insisted on coming here.

It seemed like forever standing in that line and indeed it might have been almost half an hour, but finally there was just one more person in front of them. Mokuba found it a bit odd that the person was a small boy, possibly a bit younger than he was, and he seemed to be alone. Mokuba watched as the boy lifted a small stuffed teddy bear onto the counter.

"Aren't you a little young to be out by yourself?" the cashier inquired as she scanned the bear and placed it in a plastic bag.

"It's okay, I'm gonna go home after this," the young boy replied. "I just hadta get this for my mama."

"Your mama likes teddy bears?" the cashier asked. Mokuba could sense his brother growing more and more impatient.

The little boy shook his head. "No, she never had a teddy bear when she was little. So I'm getting her one now."

"Oh, that's so sweet," the cashier admired. "That'll be $16.47."

The little boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a plastic Ziploc bag filled with coins. It was then that Mokuba noticed the tears and dirt stains on the boy's clothes. They looked like they had not been washed in weeks. Mokuba watched as the cashier took the bag and opened it, spilling the contents on the counter. She began to count the cents as the boy waited, watching her intently.

"This is ridiculous," Kaiba sighed, shaking his head. "How much longer are they going to make us stand here?"

Mokuba said nothing. He continued watching the boy. His face was dirty and scratched but was filled with anticipation as he waited for the cashier to finish counting the change. After what seemed like forever, the cashier shook her head.

"I'm sorry honey, there's not enough here."

A look of panic struck the boy's face. "There's-- There's gotta be some more…" He began looking in each of his pockets for more change but came up with nothing. "But-- I gotta…"

"Seto…" Mokuba whispered. "Couldn't we… Help him out? I mean, it's not like we don't have the money…"

"It's not our problem," Kaiba replied sharply.

Mokuba looked back over at the boy who was now looking up at Kaiba with pleading eyes.

"Please sir… I have to buy this for my mama…"

"You don't have to buy anything," Kaiba responded, not looking at him. "Why don't you just get out of the way and let paying customers do business?"

Mokuba frowned. He could hardly believe how cruel his brother was being. "Seto…"

"But… Sir…" Tears welled up in the boy's eyes.

Even the cashier was looking at him now. But Kaiba would not be moved. "I have things to do. Now get out of the way so I can get back to work."

The boy looked up at him, tears now falling from his eyes down his cheeks. He turned back to the cashier and she bagged up the coins and returned them to him. He then ran out of the store. The cashier picked up the teddy bear and looked at it as Mokuba set the large box on the counter.

"It was only another four dollars…" she said as she set the bear on the ledge next to the register.

"I despise pushy salespeople," Kaiba responded. "If it bothered you so much, why didn't you pay for it?"

The cashier scanned the box and set it in a large plastic bag. "I don't have money with me right now. I spent it all this morning Christmas shopping," she replied softly.

Kaiba pulled out a credit card and paid for the giant robot. Then he motioned for Mokuba to grab the bag and the two of them went back outside to the limo waiting there. The limo driver opened the door for Kaiba and then Mokuba and soon they were on their way back to the mansion on the other side of town.

"Seto… Why didn't you help that boy?" Mokuba asked softly. "We could've given him some money. It's not like we didn't have it."

"It wasn't my problem," Kaiba responded much like before. "Now drop it."

Mokuba lowered his head. His brother had such a cruel nature sometimes. He was all business all the time and anyone who disagreed with his plans or ideas were always punished. Mokuba knew his brother was somewhat self-centered but he still loved him. After all, he was the only family he had left. And his older brother had always been there for him.

"What's going on?" Kaiba demanded, opening the window between himself and the driver. "Why're we stopped?"

Mokuba looked up and realized that they were indeed not moving. He pressed his face against the cold glass of the window to try and see what was causing the holdup, but all he found was a long line of cars backed up along the entire length of the street.

"I'm sorry sir," the limo driver replied. "Radio says there's been an accident up there."

"Go around," Kaiba instructed.

"Yes sir," the driver said. He turned the steering wheel sharply, causing the long limo to turn to the left. He backed up then went forward a bit more until he was facing the other direction. Kaiba closed the window and leaned back again, watching the ceiling. Mokuba also leaned back and looked at the seat in front of him, thinking about the little boy. All he wanted was a teddy bear for his mother. They could have helped… He shook his head, fighting back frustrated tears. He knew how he would have felt if he had been denied in that manner. He sighed and turned to look out the window.

Seto Kaiba sat at his computer, typing something quickly and with precision. Mokuba could hear his brother's fingers hitting the keys and turned up the volume on the television he was watching. He was waiting to see if the newscaster would report anything about the accident they had avoided earlier. Mokuba was sitting comfortably on his brother's couch facing the TV screen, a can of soda in one hand. He could hear his brother mumbling angrily about something to himself but that was nothing new. Mokuba had learned to block his brother's mutterings out for the most part. He turned his full attention to the television before him.

"Earlier this evening a tragic car accident ended the life of a young boy," a female news anchor reported. Mokuba sat up, leaning forward to hear better. "On the corner of Pine and Chase Avenue near the Bennigan's Toy Shop, a black SUV lost control on the slick, snow-covered road and drove into a young boy who was crossing the street, killing him instantly. The boy has been identified as Brian Crow, a third-grader at Domino Elementary."

A picture of the young boy appeared in the corner of the screen and Mokuba gave a small gasp of astonishment. "Seto! Seto, come quick!" he shouted.

"I'm busy, Mokuba," Kaiba replied, not looking up.

"Seto, look!" Mokuba insisted. "Hurry!"

Kaiba's eyes left the computer screen as he glanced up at the television and back again. But he quickly looked up again as he recognized the boy on the screen. "That's--"

"The boy from the toy store," Mokuba finished for him. "The one we didn't give the money to."

Kaiba walked over from his desk and listened to the news report. Mokuba looked up at his brother. This was the boy that he had refused to help and now he was dead. Such a horrible twist of fate…

Kaiba leaned over and shut the television off. He walked back over to his desk and sat down as Mokuba stood up and looked after him.

"What'd you do that for?" Mokuba demanded.

"Enough, Mokuba," Kaiba replied, returning to his typing. Mokuba simply stared in disbelief at his brother.

"How could you do that? We could've at least left it on outta respect!"

"Enough, Mokuba!" Kaiba snapped. "You can leave my room now."

Mokuba frowned, frustrated. His brother was so cold sometimes. But instead of arguing more, Mokuba left the room, closing the door behind him a bit harder than he normally did. Then he walked across the hall to his own room and turned the television on there. But the news reporters had gone on to talk about something else involving politics and budget cuts. Mokuba sighed and laid down on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

Seto Kaiba was still awake when the clock struck two in the morning. He was still on the computer, typing away as he had been for the past several hours. He was hardly aware of how late it was. All he really was concerned about was finishing this report for his class in the morning. With how much work he had to do for his corporation during the day, he barely ever had time for schoolwork anymore. He was just about finished with the first paragraph of the conclusion when he thought he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," he muttered, not looking up from the screen. It was several more moments before he realized that no one had entered the room. He looked up just long enough to glance at the door and then returned to his work. If someone needed him that badly, they would knock again. But he looked up again as he had gotten a view of the clock on the mantel. 2:07am. He gave a frustrated growl and went back to his typing, determined to finish the report before he went to bed. It would hardly be the first time he had stayed up nearly all night for something. But then he heard another knock at the door.

"I said 'come in'!" he called, still not looking up from the screen. Who would be knocking at his door at two in the morning anyway? He decided it must be Mokuba, come to lecture him about how he needed to get more sleep again. He was the only one who dared disturb him at such a late hour. But still, no one entered. Kaiba was beginning to get annoyed and so he got up from his desk and made his way over to the door. He opened it, but no one was there.

"What…?" Kaiba muttered, looking down both directions of the hallway. It was dark and totally silent. He gave a frustrated huff and closed the door again. He had no time to waste like this. He walked back over to his desk to continue his typing, but he found the monitor blank. He heart skipped a beat as he bent down to see that the computer itself had completely shut off.

"Damn it!" he cursed. He had saved only part of the report and would have to do the entire second half again. It had taken him nearly two hours to make that up. He punched the nearest wall in frustration. Why did this have to happen now? He pushed the power button on the bottom of the hard drive, but nothing happened. He pushed it again, still nothing. He found the big black cord that connected it to the wall and followed it to the surge protector nearby. Every single plug had been taken out of it and in fact, the surge protector itself was also unplugged from the wall. Kaiba stood up, looking around his room.

"Who's in here?" he demanded. The room was completely silent in response. Kaiba growled to himself and walked across the floor, looking around for anything else suspicious. He noticed that the television had also been unplugged, along with DVD player. He went over to the outlet, then looked around the room again. Somehow someone had snuck into his room while the door was open. But who would have the audacity…?

The dial tone from the phone made him jump, startled. He walked over and placed the receiver back to its rightful place. He then went back to looking around his room, watching for the slightest movement. He looked down and discovered that the phone had also come unplugged. But how? Wasn't the dial tone just…? Kaiba lowered himself to one knee and peered under the bed but found nothing.

"Who's in here? Answer me!" Kaiba commanded, standing again. This was ridiculous. He had things to do and refused to waste his time chasing after some prankster in his own room. He began to walk back over to his desk when he all but tripped over something on the floor. He turned to investigate what it was and was shocked to discover that it was a small, stuffed teddy bear. He looked at it for a moment, confused beyond any measure. How the hell did that get there? He had never seen it before and yet, it seemed somewhat familiar…

Kaiba felt a cold wind pass by him and he turned around. The window was shut and the curtains remained motionless. An empty feeling began to nestle itself in the pit of Kaiba's stomach. What the hell was going on?

"You can stop with the jokes now," he declared. His voice sounded deafly loud in the stillness of the room. "I don't have time for this. And you'll find that you're wasting your time as well. When I find you, you'll regret ever coming in here."

A cold chill filled the room and Kaiba turned as he thought he had seen a light in the corner by the door. It suddenly felt very damp and small in the room and Kaiba looked around nervously. Suddenly, he was aware of some presence behind him. He turned sharply, coming face to face with a small boy standing next to his bed.

"Who the hell are you?" Kaiba demanded. "How'd you get in here?"

The boy said nothing. He simply looked up at Kaiba with two empty brown eyes. Kaiba turned away from the accusing brown holes, trying to find the right words to express his displeasure. However, no words came to him as he stood still, parallel to the young boy. The boy continued to stare at him for a moment longer, then reached down and picked up the small teddy bear from the floor. Kaiba watched his graceful movements curiously. The boy looked down at the bear's face for what seemed like hours but then he threw the bear to the floor and stared back up at Kaiba.

"What do you want?" Kaiba inquired in a softer voice than normal. The boy still said nothing, but began walking toward Kaiba with a graceful pace that made him appear as if he was floating above the floor. Kaiba took a step back but then stopped. He could not let the boy think he had intimidated him. The boy continued toward Kaiba until he was barely centimeters from him. The cold brown eyes never left Kaiba's face and the elder boy was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable.

"If-- If you don't leave now, I'm going to call security," Kaiba said. His usually superior voice had shrank to a frightened whisper. The boy seemed unaffected by his threat and continued staring up at Kaiba. Suddenly, Kaiba felt a sharp pain in his abdomen and bent over, wrapping his arms around his stomach. He was forced onto his knees, wincing in pain. What--What's happening to me…? He shut his eyes and lowered his head to the floor, tightening all the muscles in his body. Then he felt something cold on his chin. He opened his eyes to find the young boy had taken Kaiba's face into his small hand and was lifting his chin up so that their eyes met. And in that moment, Kaiba realized who the boy was.

"There's-- There's no way… It's impossible!" he stammered through clenched teeth, fighting against the pain that engulfed his body. "You're-- You're that boy… from the store…"

The boy said nothing. Kaiba suddenly felt his entire body lift off the ground. He threw out his arms in a panic, trying to find something solid to grab onto. But his hands passed through the image of the boy before him and while he stared in disbelief at him, Kaiba felt himself being thrown backwards at a high speed. He cried out as his back hit the solid wall behind him. He dropped to the floor onto his hands and knees, still bearing the pain in his abdomen from before. What the hell…? How did he…? Thoughts raced through Kaiba's mind as he remained where he was, trying to catch his breath after the wind was knocked out of him from the impact. Suddenly, he was aware of the young boy in front of him again.

"On the news…" Kaiba panted. "They said… they said you were dead…" He looked up at the boy standing over him and the boy looked back, still staring with those cold, empty eyes. Kaiba felt another wave of coldness wash over him as he gazed into the lifeless eyes of the boy before him. Then he felt his entire body being lifted from the ground again and was pressed up against the wall behind him. He could not move at all, and the boy lifted himself from the ground until he was eye level with him. Kaiba struggled against whatever forces were pinning him back but to no avail.

"How are you doing this?" he demanded of the boy. He still received no answer. Instead the boy put one hand on each of Kaiba's arms and looked directly into his eyes. Their noses were almost touching and Kaiba attempted to turn away but found that he could no longer move his neck. He was forced to stare into those black pits that faced him now. Suddenly he felt burning sensations in his arms where the boy touched him. He cried out in pain as the sensation grew stronger and stronger until he could no longer bear it without pleading for it to stop. Once he did, the burning ceased and he could move again. He slumped down onto the floor, inspecting his damaged arms. The fabric of his black sleeves had completely burned away and his raw flesh would have been exposed if it had not been for the flow of blood pouring from each of his wounds. Immediately his hands went to his wounds, trying to cease the bleeding. However, his hands were pried from his shoulders and the boy put a hand around the CEO's neck. Kaiba gasped at the cold embrace as the fingers began closing on his throat. As he struggled for a breath, he felt another small hand on his left arm, moving up and down the length of his limb. The frail-looking fingers wrapped around his elbow and viciously twisted, practically popping the arm out of its socket. Kaiba would have screamed in pain if it were not for the hand around his throat still squeezing the life out of him. As the boy released his arm, it flopped lifelessly to the floor. Suddenly, the hand on his throat relaxed and retreated and Kaiba was able to suck in a full breath of air, choking and sputtering. After he had regained his senses for the most part, he looked up at the boy who was floating above him.

"Why…?" was all the brunette had time to mutter before the boy sent him flying to the other side of the room, his back cracking on the hard wood. Kaiba slumped on the floor, his back spasming in pain. He had no time to recover before he felt himself lifted up again and flung into his large wooden desk, his ribs snapping on contact. He was thrown onto the floor before sent flying into the far wall again. He laid, unmoving, blood trickling from his mouth. Why…?

Mokuba jumped slightly in his bed. Opening his eyes, he looked around the dark room. What had woken him up? He lifted his head and rubbed his eyes sleepily. Was it a sound? He did not remember any dreams… It was probably nothing, but Mokuba's cautious nature told him to get up and investigate, just in case. He slipped silently out of bed and shuffled sleepily over to the door. He opened it slowly, letting his eyes adjust to the dimly-lit hallway before venturing out onto the velvety carpet. His bare feet sank into the soft carpet with every step as he headed toward his brother's room nearby. If there was anything wrong, he knew his brother would be able to fix it. He reached his brother's door and slowly pushed it open.

"Seto?" he whispered into the dark room. The light from the hallway pierced through the darkness, illuminating the room a bit, but not enough to see very well. He walked over to the edge of his brother's bed and, upon discovering that he was not in it, switched on the lamp on the bedside table. He blinked several times, trying to adjust his eyes to the brighter light. He rubbed his eyes again, trying to wake himself up a bit more. He looked around the room, now illuminated with an eerie yellow light, trying to catch a glimpse of his brother.

He saw him, his head propped up against the wall while the rest of his body lay sprawled on the floor. His eyes were shut tight as a steady line of blood trickled from his mouth. Mokuba's breath quickened as he froze, staring at his brother's motionless body in shock. His own body began to tremble and slowly, he came to realize that he was needed and once he had gained himself, he ran to his brother's side.

"Seto!" he called, dropping down to his knees. He looked over his brother, wanting to shake him awake, but also not wanting to touch him in case he was injured. "Big Brother, can you hear me?" He placed a hand on one of Kaiba's, feeling the coldness of his brother's skin. Mokuba gasped and tears began to form in his eyes. "No… Seto…" He leaned closer to Kaiba's chest and listened, finding a very feint heart beat. Mokuba almost cried out in relief. "Big Brother, don't worry! I'll help you!"

"M-Mokuba…" Kaiba struggled to get out. Mokuba gasped and stared at his brother's face, etched in pain. "L-little Brother…"

"Seto, I'm here. It's okay," Mokuba assured him, placing a hand on Kaiba's forehead. "Don't try to talk. Save your strength." He examined his brother's face, his eyes still shut tight from pain and a stream of fresh blood falling down the side of his head. Mokuba had to take a sharp breath to keep himself from breaking down and crying on the spot. "Seto, what happened to you?" he whispered.

Kaiba coughed weakly, a spray of blood bursting into the air. Mokuba flinched at the sight of his brother's gore and moved to wipe the blood from Kaiba's chin as it came leaking from his mouth. Tears were now pouring from the younger boy's eyes, blurring his vision to the point that he could barely see his way to the phone on the desk nearby. His hands trembled as he picked up the receiver and dialed the correct extension and waited for an answer from the other line. It seemed like hours, him waiting on the phone, but finally he heard someone pick up and a bored voice said, "Kaiba Mansion 1."

"This is Mokuba…" the young boy sobbed into the phone. "Please… Seto is hurt… Really hurt… Call for an ambulance… He's bleeding real bad… Send up help quick… We're in his master bedroom…"

"Right away, Mr. Mokuba," the voice acknowledged. The young boy hung up the phone and returned to his brother's side.

"Mokuba…" Kaiba groaned. He had opened one eye and turned his head toward his younger brother. Mokuba studied his brother's face. His unopened eye was covered in a veil of dark blood as the liquid slid down his face and onto the floor.

"Don't talk, Seto!" Mokuba scolded. "Save your strength! Listen, an ambulance is on its way. Just hang on a little longer."

"Little Brother… Listen to me…" Kaiba grunted, looking up at Mokuba weakly. "I'm-- I'm sorry Mokuba… I… I just… wanted to… be there… for you…"

"Seto, stop! You're scaring me!" Mokuba protested. "You have been there for me! You always will be! Come on Seto, don't give up!" He sobbed heavily.

Kaiba closed his eye again and was silent for a moment. Mokuba watched him closely, counting the rises and falls of his chest. He could hear his brother wheezing, struggling to get oxygen into his lungs. The young boy looked over the rest of Kaiba's body, noticing for the first time his blood-drenched clothes, his mangled left arm. Utter terror settled into the boy as he returned his concentration to his brother's face, waiting for him to show some sign of consciousness. The raven-haired youth reached out with a shaking hand and touched his brother's face. The skin was cold and Mokuba's heart began racing faster. He had to get his brother help and quickly.

"The boy…" Kaiba whispered. "The boy… at the… the…"

"Seto!" Mokuba practically screamed, placing a hand over his brother's mouth. "No talking! Save your strength!"

Kaiba made a small noise and coughed again, blood leaking from his mouth onto the hardwood floor. And as Mokuba watched, the brunette's body suddenly went completely limp.

"Seto!" Now Mokuba was screaming, his hands on his brother's shoulders. "Seto, can you hear me?" He shook him lightly at first then more violently as he called his brother's name over and over again. There was no response and tears blinded the small boy completely. "You can't die, Seto! You can't!" he sobbed heavily. "No, no, no… Seto… Seto!" He dropped into his brother's lap, his entire body trembling with his sobs. It felt to Mokuba an eternity before there was a noise at the door and a team of paramedics burst in, prying the weeping boy from his brother and loading the brunette onto a stretcher. Mokuba was frozen in shock as they left the room.

Domino Gazette

BY OGATA SAKURA
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
--------------------------

Early this morning, an emergency call was made from Seto Kaiba's mansion regarding an assault and battery. The call was made by Kaiba's younger brother, Mokuba Kaiba who explained that he had come into his brother's room and found the eighteen-year-old president of Kaiba Corporation bloodied and beaten within an inch of his life. Paramedics rushed to the scene of the assault and took Kaiba to Domino Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Investigators are still at loss for an explanation of this assault. Mokuba Kaiba has not been able to give an answer of how his brother was killed. It is well-known that Seto Kaiba had many enemies…~~The End