The sun shone brightly on that day, however Serenity could not see its brightness through her veil. The preacher went on and on about his good points, but he would never know him like Serenity did. The organ played a slow mournful tune as one by one, friends and associates passed by the casket to pay their last respects. Even Joey was tearful and the 6-month-old triplets were silent.
"At least he lived his life to the fullest in the end," Tea whispered, and Serenity could see her tears fall from her own azure eyes. Yugi held her tightly by the waist, offering what comfort he could, crimson orbs red from crying.
Serenity was the last to leave the church while everyone else filed out to the grave site. She stood there alone, staring into the casket. His eyes were closed in peaceful bliss of death, his lips partially open, brown hair neatly combed. It looked as though he were sleeping, not gone forever. That soon he would wake as from a dream, and smile at her once more.
Even now, there was a slight smile on his face, the truest of smiles he had ever given. As she stared at him, Serenity remembered a few days ago when she went into the Kaiba Mansion to consult Mokuba soon after his brother's death.
"Come here, there's something I have to show you," Mokuba whispered to her.
He led her up to the fourth floor, one of which Kaiba never allowed anyone to go. It was old, crumbling, broken, having never been tended to in years. Mokuba opened a door, and Serenity had to choke back her scream of horror.
Huge brown marks stained the walls, spots flecking the peeling paper as if a blood-bath party had occurred within this room. "This was where Seto received those scars from Gozaburo," Mokuba explained softly. "The very scars that had killed him. It was in here that Gozaburo sealed Seto's fate. Seto retaliated by killing our stepfather. True, he had pushed the bastard out the window, but he had taken that life with his own hands just the same. Do not cry, Serenity. This was the fate Seto wanted. Though I, too, shed tears for him, I do so while knowing that unlike our stepfather, Seto is in a better world now. You had given him a second chance of redemption, and now he is finally at peace."
At peace.
She continued to stare at his face. Yes, he seemed the happiest that he had ever been in. He was now in a world without pain, without hate, without regret. Somewhere in some divine realm where the souls of the dead go, he was with his mother, his father, Noa...and it is there he was waiting for her.
She took a bracelet off her wrist, one she had received from Joey and cherished deeply, and slipped it around his wrist, so that even in death, she and Seto were together.
Six years later...
"DADDY!!!!!!!!!"
24-year-old Mokuba shot up in his bed when he heard the terrified scream that ripped through the dark mansion. Rebecca blinked and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Another one?" she whispered, fear etched in her voice.
"Afraid so," Mokuba confirmed with a nod. He jumped up and ran down the hall, Rebecca at his heels.
As they passed a few bedrooms, the agonizing screams of a petrified child echoed. "MOMMY! DADDY!!" Followed by frightened sobbing.
Mokuba was in the room first, flicking on the light and sat down on his son's bed. Rebecca pulled the four-year-old into her arms. "Shh, quiet my love, quiet," she whispered as she stroked his hair. "It's okay. Mommy and Daddy are here now."
Mokuba placed his hand on the child's back as he continued to cry softly, the terror slowly fading away. "What is it, son?" he asked. "What did you dream?"
The child sniffled. "There was this man," he whimpered as he looked at his father. "He had long silver hair and one golden eye. He told me that he was going to take my soul away forever. Then there was this light and I ripped from my body. It hurt." He buried his face in Rebecca's shoulder. "I wanna sleep with you tonight, Mommy."
As the couple carried the child back to their room, he whispered quietly, "That man was really mean. He stole my dragon."
To be continued...