Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Path to Insanity ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

"Pain and emotion are weaknesses. Weaknesses must be done away with. The strong have no weaknesses." The words were a mantra, a repeated phrase uttered by his father as he made Noa strong. Icy blue eyes stared at the mirror and brushed a few strands of hair away to the side of his perfect face.

Cold, inside he was so cold it hurt, the death of emotions and hopes, dreams and fantasies. He held no such thing in his hollow frame, for his father would not allow one to plant and grow. Any emotion he had possessed as a child was frozen over into arrogance and indifference; these were things that were safe.

Deep inside, however, he wanted to cry. He wanted to weep for the childhood he had never had, the innocence that was plucked too soon, the grief he held silently so his father would not be disappointed in him, and the man he no longer mentally called daddy. This man was someone who wanted a puppet, even less, a possession. Puppets may have their own feelings and emotions while possessions had neither.

Shaking his head, he sighed. Today was his birthday, and at least it consisted with the school's day off. Now he wouldn't have to put up with his classmates glaze of hardened hatred, although he had done nothing to deserve such a treatment.

If anyone had dared ask him what he really wanted, he would have to ask for the sweet release of death. He refused to committee suicide unless it was to keep some honor, and so far he had no honor to speak of. Had his classmates asked why he didn't partake in the celebrations of life, he would reply that this date was also the day his mummy died. She died to give birth to him. Would she be happy with how he turned up?

Or would she be horrified to know her son was already going insane. The faint flickering borderline of reality and darkness was beginning to blur in his mind. Overworked, underfed, and not enough sleep for a normal human, much less a child, was already beginning to take their toll on him, and Noa understood why his father wanted him to take over KaibaCorps when he was out of high school. Kaiba's died young, and not from disease, either.

Deciding he spent enough time preening over the mirror, Noa turned around and opened the door, then felt his foot kick something. Down on the ground was a box with a ribbon, which made Noa pick it up and snort at it.

Pegasus, couldn't that man understand that his father had no interest in a child's plaything. Magic and Wizards, the real world was much harsher than that! Still, he was curious on what Pegasus had put in the box; he shut his door with the box in his hands and opened it.

Laying on velvet was the God of Neptune, a shimmering blue which parrarled Noa in its looks. Disgusted, Noa shut the box and went downstairs to get a bagel. If Pegasus really wanted his father's attention, he'd have to go through the Big 5. Not even he had a second say where they were concerned.

Why? Why did he have to do this to Noa? Every time he accepted his fate, Pegasus had to bring up the fact he could change KaibaCorps. Unlikely if the Big 5 had anything to say about it, but they could always be fired. It wasn't fair, to give him a glimmer of hope that could never be achieved because every time he tried, he was hurt because of it.

The child mentally screamed at his mental barriers before punching the mirror in misplaced anger. No one cared or even wanted to care about him, even if he did have a good idea. Staring at the blood that flowed sluggishly onto the carpet, Noa felt disgusted at himself. His father would never have swooped so low as to hurt himself to relieve mental pain.

Going to the private bathroom, Noa washed out the wound and noticed all the tiny pieces of glass that fell out. If he wasn't careful, that wound would kill him.

Bleeding from the inside out. How long would it take for him to be reduced to the state his father was at, running a company that killed people for profits? What a despicable idea! Maybe Pegasus was right. Children were the future, and if the future could be won by card games, not blood and death, wouldn't it be a better future?

Shutting off the water, he wrapped a bandage around the raw wound and gave it a harsh, bitter smile. It was the closest to a real emotion he had for years.

Going down to finally get his bagel, Noa felt the servants staring at him, noticing the blood wounds, but he ignored them. There was nothing they could do, and they wouldn't because they treasured their jobs too much. They would rather be paid than help out a brat who would most likely cause problems for their simple life.

Turning to the dinning room, he noticed a second too late that his father was there, a spider waiting for a fly. Not showing his fear, Noa began eating his bagel.

"Hello son," Gosaburo said as soon as the bagel was gone. Picking at the bandage, Noa hoped he noticed how Gosaburo was the one getting ignored now, not him. However, when he felt iron hands clasp onto his shoulders, he knew he was in for a 'talk'. Tossing him up on his shoulders, Noa was carried to his father's room and thrown on the bed. The door locked with a light click, and the key was put around Gosaburo's neck.

"I'm proud of you son," he said and pulled out a box from his desk, "Happy twelfth birthday."

Cautiously, Noa opened it and pulled out a card, ~Woof~

Arching an eyebrow, he removed it and gasped at the outfit within it. A pure white outfit with black knee socks rolling out, and the outfit revealed to be a long sleeved shirt with purple embroidery and shorts. He could only stare at his father in disbelief.

Nodding, Gosaburo watched his son with lust in his eyes as Noa removed his shirt. All those years at working on Noa, not scaring his body, making sure he didn't mar the skin, was really paying off now. Still a child, the hinting of muscles was really coming along, and he couldn't hide his shudder of pleasure.

Four more years, four more years of waiting, of training and conditioning, and the boy would be ready to run Kaiba Corps. When he would be a teenager, all the girls would be fighting over him, but Noa was his! He owned that child's body, mind, and soul!

"Mine," he hissed and ran a finger down the child's cheek.

Noa didn't even flinch, although willingly, he would have shoved his body away from his father. However, if he did that, then his father would go back to ignoring him, and Noa didn't want that. Rather to be treated as a possession, a beast to claim his own, then to be ignored. What did a possession have? Feelings? Surely not.

The mask did not drop as Gosaburo buttoned up his shirt, running a cool finger down his body as he examined his child.

"I like this. You are sure to make an impression on the Big 5. In four years, I am sure they will allow you the right to rule after me," he purred at his child who put on the shorts. Choking, Noa's gaze was transfixed on his hands, trying not to betray his inner feelings. He did not want to own the business; killing people was not his desire.

"Go outside Noa. I have work to do," his father snapped before Noa could lose his cool.

Going outside, Noa put his hand up, shielding his eyes from the light. From the corner of his eye, he noticed something was hanging off the tree. The branch swung lightly as a yellow puppy fell from the branches onto the ground.

"Puppy!" Noa shouted and ran over to it, putting a hand on the bloody back. Knowing who did this, Noa pulled the body to his and sobbed. Tears softly pattered the fur, making it look more miserable.

~All gifts come with a price~ was spelled out in blood on the ground in front of him.

Turning his head upwards, he screamed at the heavens and ran out to the streets with the intention of taking his own life. Childish, groundless wish, not yet knowing the consequence of his actions, the heavens heard his prayer and allowed it to be granted.

Maybe, just maybe, the parents were in a hurry to see their children, or was it the fact that Noa was already a walking corpse? Whatever it was, the car struck Noa with such a force that he was flung skyward, feeling his bones and body break beneath him.

Pain, pain coursed through him, yet he still held onto the puppy, and asked it lightly, "Do you think?" he began, "Do you think daddy will forgive me for being weak?"

Shutting his eyes, Noa felt the ground meet his with a solid crack, and then nothingness took over.