Disclaimer - All things Yu-Gi-Oh! belong to Mr. Takahashi. As usual, aspects of his characters and worlds have fascinated my imagination, and this story is a result.

Search for Seto

Onset

Where do I begin? I don't know what to do. I'm just a kid, but I'm all - all that Big Brother has. Roland knew better than to keep me in the dark about Seto. I could tell the doctor disapproved of the way Roland told me precisely what was going on without trying to 'protect' me. Seto has taught me many things, but one of the most important is to face a problem honestly, with full knowledge, even if it makes you uncomfortable, in order to find a way to solve it. The only situation where my brother doesn't follow his own sound advice is with Yugi and Yami - but for whatever reason, they are his blind-spot. Maybe when I'm older, if Seto is still behaving oddly about them, I'll point it out to him, but for now, I know he won't listen to me. That is, if he could listen to me.

Another lesson we learned hard and young is that tears don't solve anything - but that doesn't mean I don't... Sometimes, when I'm alone, and things are very hard... That is...

I'm certain that Seto never cries. Not ever. For his sake, I won't either - at least until I have him back and don't have to make all the decisions for both of us any more. Once everything goes back to the way it should be, and big brother is taking care of me again, maybe then I'll let myself weaken enough to...

It's been so hard! The doctors, the very top ones in each of their fields, have no answers. I can't get the image out of my mind - that morning when I went into Seto's room - and found him.

He wasn't downstairs for breakfast before I was. That was weird enough. But, as the minutes ticked by, and he didn't come down, and didn't come down, and didn't come down I knew - something horrible had happened. If it were anyone else aside from my brother, it wouldn't have looked so - so wrong. He was in bed. Sleeping. But, Seto never sleeps that late. Even when he's sick, which is not often, he still gets up, still gets dressed, and still functions. Most of the time he even still goes to work.

He didn't wake when I called his name. He didn't wake when I tentatively touched his shoulder. He didn't wake when I shook his shoulder, rocking him back and forth on his bed. He didn't wake when Roland came into the room, alerted by how my voice got louder and louder. He didn't wake when Roland grabbed me and pulled me away - uselessly screaming Big Brother's name.

He hasn't wakened since that day. The doctors have no idea what is wrong with him. He didn't suffer any sort of an injury. There's no bacteria, virus, parasite, infection, allergy, or any other biological reason for him to be the way he is. I've had all the tests done - the best money can buy. I've had them redone, and the results double-checked, triple-checked even, by other specialists. There is absolutely no reason for Seto to be in the 'profound' coma he's in. There is absolutely no reason why his brain activity should be slowing down, either. His 'higher order' brain functions are 'depressed'. Roland didn't sugar-coat it when he explained what that meant. Seto's brain is shutting down, and the doctors don't know why. In another day, maybe two, he won't be able to breathe on his own. I can tell the doctors are already thinking it would be best if we don't put him on a ventilator - which would mean that once his body stops breathing on its own, he'd just - die.

I'm only thirteen. I shouldn't have to make decisions like this - but I won't let anyone else make this decision, either. I'd rather not make the decision at all. I'd rather that Seto wake up, open his eyes, and glare at me, wondering why I let him sleep so late. He would, you know. Because, he never cries. He gets - cranky - instead.

I didn't know where else to turn. I know it annoys Seto when I go to Yugi, but, whenever Seto's not there - or he's the one in trouble, Yugi has always helped. Always. It might make Seto very cranky that I involved 'Motou' again, but I'll be glad to have him back and in charge, even if he's permanently cranky because of it. I knocked four times on the door before my nerve failed. What am I going to do if Grandpa answered? Stupid! Just ask to see Yugi. Why am I so...

Yugi answered, took one look at my face, and dragged me through the door. He puttered around the kitchen making tea and something for me to eat. I guess I looked as awful as I felt. No, there's no way I did. There's no way I could. Still, it gave me a chance to tell everything to Yugi since he wasn't staring at me with some frightfully keen sympathy while I talked. When I was finished he sat down at the table, and shoved a steaming cup of tea, and a sandwich at me.

"Isn't this where you are going to tell me 'it will be okay'?" I asked.

"I could, if you think it would help make you feel better, but you know that they would just be words. To make you feel better," Yugi said. That's one of the things I liked so much about him. Yes, he's cheerful where Seto is dour, but under it all, they have more things like each other than not. Cheerful optimism isn't going to help my brother. If anything can, if it's not already too late, it's the open-eyed clear thinking that Yugi seemed to specialize in. He's saved the world a few times. I think that saving my brother, if Seto can still be saved, isn't beyond his abilities. "That's not to say I can't do something, other than tell you useless words, to help. If there's nothing medically wrong with Seto, than is might be something magical."

I didn't scoff. Seto might be uncomfortable admitting magic exists, but I am not. I've seen way too many things to not believe, anymore. Like this.

Yugi had stopped being so kindly. Rather, he was still kindly, but it's wrapped in an armor of fierceness. I've seen this before. When Yugi behaves like this, we've taken to calling him 'Yami'. Yami is less considerate than Yugi is. Seto told me once that he thought Yami was slightly easier to duel against than Yugi, simply because it was much easier to get him to react - pulling him off-balance. But, that instinctive reactiveness is what I so desperately need right now. I think Yugi realized that, and that's why Yami faced me now.

"Our problem is simple - Kaiba needs to stop worrying you needlessly and wake up. I think Yugi is right and that magic must somehow be involved. Since Yugi and I are the resident experts on all things strange and magical, it falls to us to determine what happened to your big brother, figure out how to undo it, determine who did this to him in the first place, and make that person pay. Right?"

"What can I do to help?"

The hard expression in Yami's eyes softened, making him look - just a little - like Yugi. His words belied the gentle expression. "You know that Kaiba is my bitter rival?" I nodded. "No one has the right to take that away from me. A trespass against my rival is a trespass against me!"

Maybe I'm asking for too much this time. It didn't sound as if Yami, and by extension, Yugi, were willing to help after all. I have no where else to turn if they...

"Mokuba." My name was a command, for me to pay attention. "I want Kaiba - Seto - back, and awake, and bitching about things in his usual way," Yami winked at me. "nearly as much as you do. If magic is involved, we will get to the bottom of it and - help Kaiba - somehow."

I nodded. It was all I could do. I didn't want to trust my voice at that moment. Yugi's a friend. Yami's a friend. Both of me, and even though Big Brother will never admit it - out loud - of Seto, too. If anyone could figure out what happened, if it is something to do with magic, or ancient destinies, or whatever other mystic weirdness it could be, it will be these two.

"For now, go nap on the couch. Even if you don't sleep." He forestalled my protest by talking over me. "A least rest and close your eyes. You haven't slept, and it shows. It will take Yugi and me some time, and we're just going to be staring at the Puzzle as far as you will be able to tell, so take the chance to catch up on your sleep. Perhaps Kaiba will need your help, and if you are too tired, what sort of help can you be?"

I stretched out, well for me it was a stretch, on the couch, fell asleep, and dreamed. I don't know exactly what my dreams were of, except that I was sad and near-panic when I woke up.

Author's note -

The beginning of this story has been languishing on my hard drive for years. Trying to kick-start Seto's co-operation in Plushi-oh! made me take a recent look at it, and got the plot rolling again.