It took her longer to find the right room this time, but it was easier to get in because she came as a spirit. She hadn't been sure if she'd wanted to risk this, or come in her body...but in the end, she'd convinced herself it'd be easier this way.
Amane floated through yet another empty VIP room, frowning to herself, and then finally came through and found Seto fast asleep, hooked up to numerous tubes and machines. This looked much worse than the last time she'd come by, and Amane paused for a moment to check the meaningless beeps and murmurs of the machines.

Well, one thing was sure, he wasn't waking up any time soon...which was good for his recovery, but she was also bored and Seto probably wasn't much better off. She moved closer to the bed and 'sat' next to him; after a moment, she laid her hand on his cheek and slowly allowed her fingers to go through him, focusing on whatever he was dreaming.

He visually twitched at the contact but was still otherwise. While on the outside he was quite calm--obviously, after having just come out of the OR to take the bullet out of his arm--inside his mind, it was all a jumble. Noises and sounds, flashes of various images here and there. A gunshot. A laugh. A knife. Blood splatters. The only constant was the vague sound of music, some song, or perhaps a couple of them, off in the distance, it seemed.

Amane didn't often wander into others' minds--she'd only done it a few times, most of it with Ryou when he was comatose--she knew to gradually introduce herself into the surroundings.

She closed her eyes and first allowed everything to just happen; then she began picking out certain sounds, and when those were as organized as she could make them be in her own mind, she opened her eyes.
...Yup, still jumbled, but it was less overwhelming than when she'd first entered. She moved forward, hoping that would force things to take on a more concrete pattern, and began looking for Seto's subconscious self.

'I'll take my time to slowly plot your end, but now I will speak bullets with my pen'
The song, or one of them, anyway, grew a bit louder so that one could pick out lyrics. The seemingly random sounds and images faded away and became something more connected.
'And all I know is you're cute when you scream'
Seto was bound hand and foot by chains, whimpering as a dark figure idly drew patterns into his skin with a knife. "Happy early birthday," snickered the voice in a sing-song way.
"No...stop..."
"But I'm having so much fun now!" A gun was heard clicking off from safety. "Go ahead and scream. No, really, I insist; I enjoy it when my victims yell for help that will not come."

Amane made herself appear there, watching carefully; she didn't want to get herself shot because, truthfully, she wasn't sure what would happen if she was. "Seto?"

Neither seemed to hear her. "...Why? Just...let me go, please..." pleaded Seto, squirming in his bindings.
"Because I like this, and so do you."
"Bastard, I'm not a masochi--" A hole was drilled through his shoulder, a loud yelp following it.
"The way you're talking to me, one would think you are."
There was a scratching sound, like someone taking the needle off of a record, and the image faded away. A new beat started.
'When all your worst fears materialize, will it be worth it'
In the dark, what appeared to be a dungeon materialized, blood staining the walls.
'There's nobody left who cares you're alive, was it worth it'
A bloody knife laid on the floor. Seto, a distant, empty look in his eyes, strolled up to it and gazed down at the knife. "Not again," he murmured to himself. "Not again, you're not going to do this to me again..."

Amane blinked, looking from the knife to Seto. She walked around so that she was facing him--this way, if he could see her she would know it was him and not a projection of himself; and if it wasn't him, she would hopefully be able to understand what was going on a bit better. She touched the knife with the toe of her shoe, spinning it like a weather vane.

His head tilted slightly, watching the gleaming metal spin around. It slowed until it stopped entirely, tip pointing toward the stained wall. He turned to gaze in this direction and visibly jumped, emotion swiftly returning to his eyes as he backed away. He turned to run but met only metal bars. Others walked by, stopping and watching expressionlessly. There was Siegfried, Yami, Seth, others lining up.

"No...you don't understand, you can't understand!" he yelled at them, beating at the bars.

"They're on the outside looking in," murmured the voice of Pegasus, standing beside him. "They can never understand us."

"But...no, not even you...none of you understand! And none of you will! You can't! Stop trying! Stop..."

The music scratched off again but was not replaced. The people turned monochrome and all seemed still except for Seto, who stood there and began to scream, clutching his head tightly and sinking to his knees.

This, too, finally faded away into nothingness, the only thing remaining being horrified screams, soft in the background, dim, like the music had been before.

Amane's frown deepened as she debated following the screams. It was possible they would only lead her into another dream, and further from the 'real' Seto; but at the same time, perhaps he was watching all of this and....

Wasn't there a doctor who said everyone had multiple dreams going on at once, and you only remembered the most striking when you woke? ...Well great, if that was true, how was she supposed to find it? So Amane chose a direction and began walking, searching for tracks or signs or anything in particular that might take her to where she wanted to be.

It sounded weak at first. More like a dog than a person. There was whimpering, sniffling, like a kid, coming from up ahead. Someone--was that Seto?--was curled into a small ball, shuddering with every breath.

Amane broke into a run, tried to fade into the ghostlight and remembered too late that she couldn't. "Seto?"

A child that bore resemblance to the one she was looking for stared up at her, wiping at his face with a damp sleeve. He looked only around ten and frightened out of his wits. "W-what do you want...?"

She was surprised that he could see her; was this him, then? If not, it at least meant she was close. She crouched down in front of him. "I want..." well, now it was time to sound like a firefighter or something, "...to help. Do you...recognize me?"

He blinked a few times and shook his head, sitting up. "No...but you sound really nice. D'you really wanna help me...?"

She smiled softly. "Of course I do, Chi--kiddo. My name's Amane." She looked around pensively. "So, what're you doing here on the ground?"

"I'm..." He leaned in closer and whispered. "...hiding. He probably knows you're here now. He's probably coming. I like to hide from him when I can. He's...really scary... I don't like him! He doesn't hurt me, really, but he's just scary..."

She lowered her voice to help him feel safer. "Who are we hiding from? What does he look like?" She held out a hand to help him up. "And if we're hiding, we should get out of the open, don't you think?"

"There's nowhere to go. Except back home, but he doesn't let me go there very often. He doesn't like it, so I stay away." He grabbed her hand. "Are you here to get rid of him?"

She hoisted him up the way she had done with Ryou when he was very young. "I'll see what I can do...yeah." She nodded. "We can find a tree to hide in, how's that?" Amane looked around once more, becoming more nervous as the seconds ticked by. Who was she supposed to be watching for?

"...He's here!" The youngster's grip tightened on her as someone else appeared behind him from the dark. It looked like present-day Seto, but it was clear they were not the same. There was a maniacal, insane glint in this one's eyes, a twisted grin on his face. Opaque red liquid covered him from head to toe, constantly replenished by innumerable bleeding cuts and wounds on his body.

"Ah...Amane..." He chuckled as he stopped right behind the boy, dripping blood onto his formerly clean outfit. "This is a surprise. I'd ask you how you got here, but I think I can figure it out."

She pushed the child behind her and smiled slightly at the older Seto. "Yeah, you left the door open...you've gotta stop doing that, Chief." She tried to keep her face nonchalant, but figured she was failing. "Are you okay?"

"Better than ever," he replied with a sneer. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave. Now."
"But...!" The younger one protested. "But she just got here! She's cool. Can't she stay a li--"
"No, now shut up, you insolent little brat."

"Leave him alone," Amane said, her tone much stronger than it usually was. "I'm not going anywhere." She squeezed the younger Seto's hand.

"Feh. I don't see why you care about the boy. Take him, for all I care. He's more of an annoyance than anything else." His expression grew darker. "And why, exactly, aren't you going? You have no right to come waltzing in here uninvited, then order me around."

She shifted her posture and tried to smile. "I figure you'd want some company...? And you didn't exactly put up a fight when I came in. And I'm not ordering you around, I'm...ok, it sounded like an order, but you don't have any reason to be upset with him."

"I have every right to," he scoffed. "This is my mind. My body. I do what I want here. He," he pointed to the kid, "should no longer exist, yet he continues to do just that. As long as he doesn't interfere, I've no qualms."

The younger shifted around, suddenly finding the floor very interesting with the way he was staring at it.

"I don't want company. I don't want you wandering around my head like it's some city park." He contemplated what to do, all the while bringing a bloody finger to his mouth and cleaning it off. "Hm..." His hand fell back to his side, the finger dripping blood off its tip once more. "So you won't leave willingly, will you?"

"You know I'm not here out of disrespect, or to...waltz around like I'm on holiday." She watched him lick his finger, her expression neutral and unreadable. "No. I'm not going." She clasped young Seto's hand tighter once more before letting it go. "You'll have to convince me to."

"I'll do you one better," replied the elder, smirk on his face. "I'll force you to."

"But she hasn't done anything wrong," squeaked the other.

"She hasn't? Did she not decide to--while completely unaware of anything going on in the outside world, mind you--stick her nose in my business? Deciding to hop inside my head for a little stroll before getting bored and getting into her own body again? Seeing what she shouldn't?"

"Yeah, but she's not gonna do anything bad..."

"And I'll make sure of it."

She clamped her jaw shut while they spoke, glaring. "I'm not here to amuse myself. And I wouldn't have come if I hadn't figured things on the outside world weren't as safe as they could be, as long as there's not some freak earthquake. And I'm not going, and if you think you can force me out, just try it, Seto. I'm here to help you--to help him," she gestured at the child "and I'm not leaving until I do."

"And how exactly do you plan on doing that, hm?" The elder chuckled. "In fact, why would you even want to in the first place? I knew you were a strange one, but honestly..."

She looked down at Seto--a first, she'd have mused if she weren't so uneasy with the other Seto there--and wondered how honest she ought to be in front of him. ...Eh, as a kid, she'd always wanted people to be honest. "I don't know how I'm going to." She looked back, up this time. "But I guess that's where it comes in handy that I've got a few centuries to figure it out, huh?"

She started to shiver and forced her nervousness into a shrug. "Didn't you get the memo? You're my friend. Even little you is my friend. I want to help because I like you."

"Hn. He does happen to like you. Me? I don't give a damn. You'd best leave, and quickly, I'd suggest." He turned and started strolling back into the shadows from whence he came. "And I don't want to see you in here again."

"Why do you always gotta be that way?"

"Because, little one, everyone is inferior. You should have learned that lesson by now."

"So are you inferior, too? You don't even like yourself..."

Amane watched the taller Seto go and, letting out a shaky breath, said just loudly enough that he could hear, "Don't worry, I also like the asshole part of you."

"Oh ho, trying to be funny and failing, I see. Stick to being random, it works far better." He turned his head enough to glare at her. "You should do as you're told. While this is my mind, I, currently, do not control what goes on within it. Watch your back, or something else might do so for you." And with that, he melted away into the darkness.

The younger one left shuddered. "See, that's why I don't like him very much..."

Amane shrugged. "He's not without his charm...an icy, prickly, trapped-in-hell sort of charm but it's there." But that was also good news, she hoped--if that Seto wasn't controlling the dreams, and neither was the child, then the real subconscious guy was still out there. "So where do you live, kiddo?"

"C'mon, I'll show you!" he said excitedly, face lighting up. "It's this way!" He tugged on her head and lead her to another part of his mind. "I really like it there. Sometimes I get to stay there for a while. Maybe I'll be able to this time. It's just...well, you know, he doesn't like that... I don't know why, though. He doesn't like much of anything. You know all those cuts and stuff? He can't like himself very much if he did all of that, right? He says this is all his place, but..."

"How does he get you to leave?" She asked, looking around their new surroundings. "You know what I think? I think he just needs to remember how to like stuff." It made sense in her mind, though when she tried to reason it out, she couldn't imagine how someone could 'forget' how to like things.

"He orders me around. A few threats. I listen, because I don't want anything bad to happen. Besides, he scares me too much. Sometimes I don't listen, though. He gets mad, but I don't think he'd actually do anything. Still, better to be safe, right?" Their surroundings grew brighter, and they soon found themselves in what looked to be a town. "He didn't used to be here. He came a few years ago. I don't think he ever liked anything..."

Amane frowned slightly. She wished that she'd lived long enough to go to an actual psychology class, instead of having to listen to dead philosophers outside the gates of hell. She didn't think most of them knew what they were talking about when it came to dreams, and they'd been too stubborn to really talk to. "What happened a few years ago?" she wondered aloud, studying the town. "...Hey, this is a nice change of scenery. Where are we?"

Seto didn't answer the first question, but he was glad to answer the second. "I used to live here. A long time ago." He looked around nervously for a moment before speeding down the sidewalk with a smile. "I don't think he's coming. Maybe I can stay here, then, wheee! Lookie, my house is the one down there. The one with the white picket fence, see?"

Amane grinned and nodded. "I see it. Show me around, k?" This was the sort of town she'd always imagined she and her family would have lived in, if her parents hadn't had to move around so much. There was an odd familiarity to it, though that was probably just the result of being in someone's dream, where things were familiar to them.

"Yeah, see, I used to be friends with some of the kids when I was really little. Then after my brother was born, I stayed inside more, but it was still fun! I miss this place. I don't remember where exactly this is...but that doesn't bother me much." He shrugged and trotted through the gate. "C'mon, around back!"

Amane grinned and followed him, surprised at the amount of detail here. It couldn't be a dream, then--this had to be Seto's actual memory of his home. "Hey, I'm sure you could find it again on the outside world."

"Yeah, I guess... I've thought about it. I don't even know where to start looking, though!" He giggled and went around back. "I thought so! Moooooom, hi! Lookie, I brought along a friend!"
A woman--she seemed to resemble Mokuba more than Seto--turned from her activity of putting up blankets to air dry. "Why, how sweet, Seto... I'm glad you're back. You worry me when you run off like that, you know. Oh, your father will be pleased."

Seto turned to Amane. "That's my mom. Dad's probably inside."

"Oh, you know what? I ought to check on that bread I had baking in the oven while I'm inside...will you two be all right?"

"Yeah, mom, we'll be fine!" The mother disappeared inside the house, and Seto spun around without a care in the world. "Whee, this is great! Maybe you did come to scare him off!"

Amane chuckled. "I wish my mom had known how to cook! I mean, besides toast and store-bought pizza and stuff." She watched Seto play, grinning, though the question still burned at her...just why was this Seto so different from the other they'd met? People changed a lot as they grew older, but...that was just drastic. "Hey, what do you want for your birthday?"

"Hm?" He stopped spinning around for a moment and gave this serious thought. "Well, I've got a lot of Duel Monsters cards...not here in this place, but out there, so I guess not that... Maybe something with race cars! Or electronics! Yeah, but...well, I know what I'D want if I were here...but I've got lots of stuff out there. I dunno what I want if I've got all of that..."

Amane nodded, running through the list of things she knew Seto already had. ...Nope, best to stick with what she'd already found for him. "Anything I--er, uhm, anything you definitely wouldn't want in a million years for your birthday?"

He stuck out his tongue. "Anything girly. No offense."

She grinned and stuck her tongue out right back at him. "Well good! I don't do girly."

"Really? Cool."

"Hey, Seto!" A tall man--this one looked more like what one would imgine Seto to be when he grew older--snatched up the boy and swung him around. "Good to see you!"

"Hey daaaad! Eh, put me down, I was talkin' to Amane!"

"Oh, sorry there, kid. Nice to meet you. I don't know we've ever seen you around before."

"Dad, she's not from here." He rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I think the reason why he doesn't like me here is because he doesn't like to remember. Or maybe he just doesn't like this place, but I don't get how anyone couldn't like this place."

She waved uncertainly at Seto's dad. Parents had never seemed to like her much, and in turn they'd always made her intensely shy and awkward. She focused on Seto and said, "Wel...er, maybe he doesn't like this place because he...doesn't like leaving it." She cast another glance and wavering smile at the elder Kaiba.

"Huh? But that doesn't make sense. He doesn't even come here, so how can he not want to leave it?" The young Seto looked puzzled. "And if you didn't wanna leave a place, how can you not like it?"

Amane shook her head. "Maybe it's just...hard for him. Maybe he doesn't want to be reminded that he can't...be here anymore. If I had a place that was safe, and happy, and the whole time I actually lived in a place that wasn't, I'd probably start to hate the safe place for not being there on the outside with me."

"Oh..." He blinked. "I never thought of it that way... Maybe that's why he doesn't like me...?"

She gave him a sad smile. "Probably. It's probably got nothing to do with you, it's just he...yeah. ...Do you know why he's--like that?"

"He's always been that way. Bad stuff's happened. He came after that stuff happened, I think." He looked away. "We don't like to talk about it. But he went quiet for a while, y'know. Bad stuff didn't happen for a bit, a couple months or something, but...well...bad stuff always happens."

She sat down in the grass close to him. "What kinds of things?"

He shrugged in a noncommital way. "Lots of stuff. People dying. Pain here and there. I've hurt a lot, but I'm used to it...well, I try to be, anyway...cuz I have to be strong, you know!"

Amane nodded and smiled. "Yeah. But, being strong...I mean, that's not the same as pretending nothing happened. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, but...it always seems to work out that way, anyway..." He shuffled his feet. "I try to remember things. He doesn't like that. We fight about what I--I mean, this body, y'know, since it doesn't really 'belong' to anyone, really--should do. I don't like remembering much... Well, I like this." He smiled at his parents. "Other stuff I don't like. Sometimes I'd rather forget."

"What do you think you should do that he fights with you about?" She sat back, allowing this place to relax her. No wonder Seto liked it so much. She stared out to the horizon, trying to see where this memory darkened into the dreamland. "And I get what you mean, about forgetting...maybe it's better to forget some things...but I don't know if anyone actually does, you know? It's like trying to bury it at the beach. Eventually it's going to wash up again."

"It happens. It always does. And it hurts a lot, too, when that happens." He sat beside her and stared up at the sky. "I dunno what to do about it. How come you know so much, anyway? You're pretty smart."

Amane shook her head slightly. "Nah, I just listen to other dead people. Really, I think I'm thinking clearer, being in here, than I do when I'm on the outside world...weird, huh?" She looked down at him, a concerned curiosity darkening her eyes further. "What always happens, Seto?"

"Things get brought up again. I don't get why sometimes. If it's in the past, shouldn't it stay there? There's never anything new, just brought up for some reason. Then there's usually arguing and being mad and stuff..."

"When you die, you'll learn that...time's kind of confusing. Some people, a lot stronger and older and smarter than me, are able to go to the 'future' or the 'past', because they say those things don't really exist. Some guy told me that the past and the present and the future are all happening at the same time, somehow, in different dimensions." She poked Seto lightly. "So it's important to deal with things, because otherwise you'll never get to the future dimension."

"...That really doesn't make any sense at all." He sweatdropped, but chuckled anyway. "I'm sure I can figure it out with all those books that I read, quantum physics or whatever. Heh." He leaned against her and sighed. "So...did you really come here to help? I didn't know we needed help. Well, I mean, with that Shadow person, sure, but there's nothing you can do about that..."

She grinned. "Hell, I'm sure you can make more sense of it than me!" She wrapped an arm over his shoulders. "...Yeah." She sighed. "Like I told the bigger you, I don't know what I'm going to do yet...but if there's anything I can do I want to. Even if it's just convincing him to let you stay here. Or...I don't know, finding him a nice first aid kit."

"That's nice to know." He giggled a little. "If the other kids saw us, they'd probably joke about liking each other. Say, is there anywhere else you wanna go, anyway?"

"Oh, yeah!" She breathed in the early summer air and grinned. "Everywhere. Show me everything, Chief. ...Er, kiddo."

"'Kay! Well, besides this place, there's not much to see... There are some other places I don't like to go. But I could show you around here. I just dunno if you'd like my friends, and it's a small place, anyway..." He seemed bored with the prospect of showing her anywhere but home and scared of going anywhere else.

She shrugged. "I'd like to see your house, then. And when you have dinner with your parents, I could go explore a bit on my own. Is Mokuba here?"

"No, not here." He frowned. "This is before that. He's probably in other places, but some of those I don't like going to, so..."

"Oh..." she looked back through the kitchen window, where Seto's mom was. "I guess I should've known that." She turned her attention back to Seto. "So, tell me about your friends and stuff. Did you get into a lot of fights at school, or anything?"

"Huh-uh." He shook his head. "Not at school. I had a couple cool friends. We used to play games together. I wasn't always a genius, ya know; I used to get normal grades and all, but it was fun. Some of them started treating me a little differently after...mom died...not anything bad, except for the school bullies, more like they were careful what they said about me. I kinda miss them from time to time. Wish I had had a way to stay in contact with 'em."

"What, you're telling me with all those skills and all that money you can't track down a few people?" She looked at him teasingly. "Looks like I'll have to start pulling a few ghosty strings." She laughed faintly. "See, I didn't have any friends in school, except Ryou. They always said I was bossy or pushy or 'mean' after I got to know them."

"I don't think you're either. You're really cool! You're not mean at all. Maybe they just didn't get to know you as well as they should have." He shrugged.

"See, that's what I was saying in my head the first time we met in the hospital. And you were all, 'no people hate me after they talk to me' and I was like, 'no way man'." She studied her shoes, her expression a little distant. "You know, you're the first friend I've ever had. So maybe that's why I'm...here. You know?"

"Really? That's cool. I'm glad I could be the first." He grinned and stood. "We can be really good friends for a long time! That'd be sweet!"

Amane brightened and stood with him. "Definitely!" She brushed grass off and straightened. "So where to?"

"I dunno...I guess you could go around wherever you wanted. You're not scared of him, so I guess I shouldn't worry, really."

She nodded. "Yeah, don't worry about me. I'm not!" The wind blew a few strands of hair in her face and she pushed them away. "After I explore a bit do you want me to come back here? Before I go back outside, if I do?"

"That'd be great!" he exclaimed, giving her a hug. "I'd like that lots. I'm gonna miss you when you go..well, in reality, no, I won't, but I mean right here." He chuckled. "It gets confusing talking to someone from the outside about it..."

She hugged him back, tight. It had been more than a decade, literally, since she'd been hugged like that. "I'll miss you too...but I can come back sometimes, if you want? I mean, if you get put back in the hospital--god forbid!--then I could come and keep you company like this."

He nodded. "Yeah, that's a good idea! He won't like that--he doesn't like people knowing things, you know--but I won't mind at all."

She grinned. "Well, we just won't tell him." Reluctantly, she pulled away. "I'll see you later then. Wish me luck."

"Good luuuuuck!" he giggled, waving to her.
"Seto, come on in now, hun, it's time to eat!"
"Coooming mooom! Well, see ya later, then!" With that, he trotted inside, leaving Amane alone in this world of memories.

Amane watched him go safely inside, and then turned and headed down the way Seto had taken her, watching everything go darker. She resisted the urge to look over her shoulder, and almost unconsciously began humming to herself--'Passage', she realized, when she finally realized what she was doing.
She shook her head and stopped, stopped humming, stopped walking, and looked around. Where was she supposed to start looking now? If she was Seto....

Well, if she was Seto, there'd probably be double the angst there is now. But that's beside the point. Another song started up.
'And I don't want the world to see me, cause I don't think that they'd understand'
She wandered onto what looked to be the grounds of the Kaiba mansion. It appeared to be another dream.
'When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am'

At least the mansion she knew, somewhat. Enough that she knew what rooms she had yet to explore, and which ones she was likely to find Seto in. She ran up the long drive, and then easily pushed open the door (few doors in dreams were locked, she'd learned...and if they were, it wasn't hard to bypass it) and took the stairs two at a time. Once at the top, she headed down the hall to Seto's bedroom.

The song seemed to be coming from the room--perhaps he had a stereo on playing it.
'And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming, or the moment of truth in your lies'

Seto was inside writing something down, back turned to the door. His movements seemed to take careful thought and consideration before the words were written.

'When everything seems like the movies, yeah, you bleed just to know you're alive'

Amane moved silently across the room to stand behind him, the way she did when she was incorporeal. She peered over his shoulder, pleased to find that she didn't seem to have a shadow here--or if she did, it wasn't being cast on the desk.

Seto quickly signed his name on the bottom of what looked to be a letter, then sealed it in an envelope he addressed to Mokuba. He nervously ran a hand through his hair and glanced at the stereo, then back down at the desk. From inside one of the drawers, he pulled out a gun.
Within one of his pockets, he pulled out a single bullet and loaded it in, then setting the barrel against his head and firing, falling dead to the ground.
The scratching sound of the music ending happened again, the scene fading from view.

Amane stiffened. That was...not the Seto she was looking for. She didn't have a problem with death, however it came about--suicide was no different to her than an accidental death. But this was a self-projection, and it had nothing to do with actual death, and...damn it all, she hadn't really thought that Seto was this...upset. She bit her lip, closed her eyes, and refocused. Ok, she'd try one of the rooms that Seto had blocked off in the outside world.

The first one she found, she did have to unlock. It was a large bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows on one end and mirrors on the other. Blood was splattered all along the lower half of the mirrors, shackles tied to every piece of furniture-which were in turn bolted into the floor. Amane froze, deciding she really, really didn't like the looks of this.

It didn't appear that Seto was even in this room--at first. But there were long moans and the clattering of chains, and Seto appeared, ankles in the rusty shackles, turning them raw and red. He was shirtless, pants barely on as they were ripped and torn all over the place. He seemed to be reaching for the mirrors, his fingertips bleeding profusely. Blood smeared on one of them, as if using all of his energy just to claw toward the reflective surfaces but tainting it in the process. So very close, and yet so far, it seemed...

She doubted that this was Seto...she almost turned away. But she knew that if this was the one she was looking for, she would never get over the fact that she'd left him. She made her way through the room, trying to ignore the way the carpet 'crunched dryly under her feet, except for random pools of blood here and there which were still wet.
She knelt by him, wondering where her ability to turn off sensitivity to things like this had gone--she'd lived in hell, she knew how to ignore terrible things. "Seto?"

This obviously wasn't the one she was looking for. He moaned again, trying to pull himself closer but unable to, as the bed was nailed to the floor and looking as if it wouldn't budge even if five people pulled on it. It wasn't going to work, yet he seemed obsessed, bound and determined to reach his prize, whatever that may have been.

She sat back on her heels and sighed, half in relief. "Can't I just get you guys to line up? Whoever sees me, please step forward..." She rubbed her eyes and shook her head. "...Ok. Back to work." And with that she stood again and went back out into the hall. She started to unlock another door, but the one at the end of the hall caught her eye. Probably because it was leaking pale green light.

Amane edged forward, stopped, and then made herself move forward again. Glowing green lights, generally not a good thing, she reminded herself, even as she opened the door and stepped into a nursery. There were four cribs; each of them seemed to be made of iron, if the barbed spikes at the top were anything to go by. ...Ooh, fun. There were several more doors here...Seto hadn't been kidding when he said the house was huge.

Well, this was certainly a...different room. Certainly not something that was in the actual mansion, not even close. There seemed to be a dark aura spilling into the room from behind, then it was gone a second later, the bloody version of Seto from before standing there. "I told you to leave, little girl," he hissed in her ear.

Amane jerked and, in classic Bakura fashion, nearly tripped. "I--y-ou're not...him, are you." She stared at him. "And, besides, who're you calling little?"

"'Him', hm, I don't know, could I be him? I think I am him, unless you're talking of another..." He circled around her in a predatory way. "And I'm calling you little because you are, obviously."

"Wrong. On both counts." She watched him circle, straightening and trying to appear tough, like a child. "You don't control this place, you said it yourself--so you can't be the Seto I'm looking for. And two, I'm older than you, southpaw."

"You're still shorter, anyway," he said with a roll of his eyes. "I don't control the dreams. Not while unconscious, especially. That doesn't mean I don't rule around here. Now, are you going to leave yet? I have no idea who you're looking for, but you're not going to find him..."

"Of course I'm not going. I told you that." She looked up at him steadily. "And if you are the one I'm looking for, then I'm definitely not going." She looked at the cribs. "How did you find me here, anyway?"

"I was looking for you, idiot," he scoffed. "Heard you hadn't left yet. Wanted to rectify that little situation."

She tilted her head. "How're you going to do that? It's too late to push me out the way I came--and I'm the only one who can find a new way out, unless you get someone on the outside to exorcise me."

"I don't know what it is, exactly, you're looking for, or why you're even looking here." He snorted. "You're not going to find anything. Oooo, maybe I'll just keep you here instead, wouldn't that be lovely. Maybe keep you in one of these blasted rooms where you'll see suffering and pain for aaaaall of eternity. Oh, how lovely..."

"I'm looking for you. And I think I've found a lot here...and you'll have a hard time thinking up anything I haven't seen already." She held out her hands, wrists together. "So go on. Find me a place here."

"Maybe I'll take you to one of his memories instead," he hissed lowly. "I'm sure that'd be worse than whatever you've seen here, oh yes." He wandered over to the cribs and peered inside. "Or right here. Or in the room with that sap, writing his little suicide note to Mokuba. What a painless way to go," he added with a hint of contempt.

She followed him, keeping only a half-arm's distance and trying hard to not look into the crib where the small creatures warned them away with keening, gurgling snarls. "You'd rather go painfully?"

"Of course, m'dear." He then laughed and turned to her. "You're rather dense, aren't you? Did you think these cuts were for nothing? Mmm, I quite enjoy the pain. It's...delicious, heh... But what with all this vying for power and control...he doesn't seem to get it. He wants pain; he needs it. He loves it and desires it. Or I do, anyway, and since I do, nobody else's opinions really matter."

"Take me to him." That was bossy. "...If I hurt you?" That wasn't very confident. "I can hurt you in ways you've never even dreamed...I can make you beg me to keep going, and you'll choke on your own screams...."

"Oh, that sounds absolutely delightful! ...But no dice, as I don't believe a word of it anyway. And...I still see no reason why I should take you to him. If he wants to be found, then he will be, but I can't see him wanting to..."

"I wouldn't be here if he wanted to be found." She looked uneasily down at the crib, where a small white dragon peered up at her, smoky-sapphire eyes waiting for her to stick a hand in. Suddenly she looked back up at Seto. "What do you mean you don't believe me?"

"I don't believe you," he repeated with a shrug. "Is it really that hard to believe? Heh, especially with that problem of confidence that you have. What, do I make you nervous? Me, or...Seto himself, perhaps? You don't sound so certain of yourself."

"Yes, it's that hard to believe...I've learned a lot about torture and sadism and all that, I just never had anyone want me to put it to use." She narrowed her eyes slightly. "If I prove you wrong, will you take me to him? And if not...then what do I have to do to get you to take me? Or can you?"

"If you're so determined," he said nonchalantly, "then continue on your way to find him. Perhaps you'll be successful...and perhaps you won't." He began making his way out of the room. "Then I suppose I'll see about what to do with you." The shadows appeared again for a moment as he walked into them, disappearing along with them the next.

Amane was halfway on a trail of thought about shadows, and shadows in the subconscious, and using those shadows, when a sharp white clawed foot lashed out and tore open her arm. She yelped and jerked away, and after throwing a quick glance around the room to determine Seto wasn't in there, she darted back out.

"Seto...Seto...if I was a Seto, I would..." she broke off with a groan. "...I'd come out and tell me where I was hiding." But that wasn't likely. What she needed was a spirit guide...which she knew how to find, but only if she had the subconscious mind with her. Amane slid down the banister to the main floor and headed into the dining room, for no particular reason except that it had a chandalier.

This was, in fact, the most normal looking room so far. Which was...almost disappointing. The expensive and massive crystal chandalier swung slowly back and forth, hanging by a fraying rope. It was amazing that the thing was still hanging. The long table was barren of any food and any people. The walls were free of blood, the room free of any sign of a Seto.

Amane frowned at this last point and stood almost under the chandalier, daring it in her mind to fall and do something. When it didn't, except to cast rainbow-colored shadows on the walls, she continued on to the kitchen. There was something eery about a normal room...it made her feel as if she were being watched. She figured it was just that she was now drawn to creepy, dusty homes and tried to tell herself that was all.

The kitchen was also disturbingly normal, except for the knives stuck into the carving board...but that wasn't really weird. "Hello? Anyone in here? Or over there?"

"I died in a car crash two days ago," came the singing of another Seto, sitting atop a counter and looking rather...unnervingly calm. "Was unrecognizable when they pulled me from the gears..." He gave a giggle here that was rather disconcerting. To his side was an open but as of yet untouched bottle of vodka. He looked from that to the opposite wall and back again, as if trying to decide if he should down it or not. "No one's fault," he continued, "no one's bottle...heh..."

"No one's teenage pride or throttle..." Amane finished, moving slowly closer to him. She was relieved to see it wasn't the other Seto, but at the same time she didn't know what to expect from this one.

He picked up the bottle and turned it around a few times in his hand before taking a large gulp of it, coughing afterwards. "Yeah, nice job, dumping me like that..." And again he drank. "Fuck it, you're going to make me a killer, too, heh...oh, what if I kill some innocent father who left his boys... I died in a car crash three months ago...they burned me 'til I glowed..." He took a smaller sip and rested his head against the fridge next to him, a few tears rolling down his face. "Bastard..."
Well, this wasn't her Seto, certainly.

Amane was actually glad for an excuse to get out of the kitchen. She trotted out through the swinging doors and into--a very dark room. A parlor maybe? Amane fumbled on the wall for the lights, but they only lit dimly. A small teaset was displayed on a short white table in the center of the room--most of the cups were broken and stained, tea spilled over the linen tablecloth and onto the floor. It looked like it had been that way for some time.

Amane was about to scoff at the idea of Seto being found in a teatime parlor, but something about it unsettled her. Deeply.

Moments later, the lights went out again. "Do not come here," came the voice of Seto, yet whether this was a dream one or a subconscious version was unknowable in the dark. "Leave this room. Now."

Amane heard, but didn't register what he had said. She was staring, transfixed, at the teaset which was pale enough that it stood out in the darkness. She moved closer to it, staring into one of the broken cups which had somehow retained some of its tea.

The dark liquid swirled, what little light it caught making small shapes and faces, almost like photographs or slideshows...no, as she stared, it became more clear than that--they were faces....

One of the mother, one of the father, one of the brother. It went on. One of Noa, one of Atemu, one of Pegasus, one of Seth.
A plethora of faces went by, some recognized, others not. It was intriguing, luring, even.
"I said leave this place, whoever you are, intruder," the voice ordered, not sounding at all amused.

Amane leaned still closer, trying to discern the tiny figures as the moved. Could she...were those voices? Could tea speak? That was just weird. With a start, she realized that Seto was there. Maybe it was the one? "You can see me?"

"I can see that I have a trespasser in my midst," he replied coldly. "This is my domain. Nobody is allowed in here." He stepped in front of the table, blocking any few she had of the tea.

"What's your name?" She asked, figuring if he couldn't recognize her, she'd pretend she didn't know him. All the while she tried to catch a glimpse of any gaping wounds or telltale signs she could use to tell this Seto from the others.

"My name is not of importance, or it would not be if I had one." He crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at her. "What is your reason for coming here?"

She looked up at him and sighed. "I'm looking for my friend...he's about yea high, blue eyes, brown hair...goes by Seto Kaiba. I really need to find him. I mean, I'll even leave this room and never come back if you can just point me in the right direction."

"...I would not know of whom you speak." He turned his back and stared gloomily into the cup. "All I know are these people. I neve leave my sanctuary. I apologize that I cannot help you in your quest, but I must insist that you exit."

Amane nodded, and made her way clumsily across the room to the other door she'd found. ...She was starting to wonder if she'd ever find her way back out again--she couldn't seem to go through walls here, and that was starting to be a real concern. But, good soldiers trudged onward...supposedly.

She kept a hand on the wall and moved down through the hallway, eyes closed mostly. "I just...need...a door," she repeated to herself. "..A door to Seto," she amended after a second. Why not? It worked in the movies...

Her hand landed on a doorknob, freezing cold to the touch, but it was at least something, if not suspiciously coincidental. Figuring she had no reason not to try it, she turned the knob slowly and opened the door.
This lead outside--which, albeit, didn't make much sense if it was actually facing the interrior of the house, but this was Seto's mind; since when did things make sense here?--to a lone hill, a moderately tall tree at the top. A figure sat beneath it, staring out into the horizon while a crisp wind blew. He was muttering something to himself, bringing his knees up to his chest, but he didn't seem to notice Amane at first.

"Chief?" she asked softly, watching him. Then she approached him, slowly as she had with all the others though now it was more out of despairing apprehension than because she didn't want to startle him. "Seto? Is that you?"

The mantra grew louder as she approached. "--a stone. Please, god, make me a stone. Please, god, make me a stone. Please, god, make me a stone."
He blinked once, tearing his eyes from the sunset before them. "...Amane?"

Amane dropped to her knees beside him. "Yeah," she said, nodding and almost smiling. "Yeah, it's me. ...God, I was looking all over for you..."

"Oh...really?" He seemed so surprised to hear this. "I didn't know you were even here. ...And...y'know, the whole 'holy fuck, you're in my MIND' bit throws me." He turned his eyes toward the setting sun again. "So...d'you know about Shadow and all of that stuff that landed me in whatever condition I happen to be in?"

She laughed slightly. "Yeah, didn't I tell you I can go into comatose minds? It's a pain...and the host has to be...uhm, willing. So the good news is you didn't not want me here." She moved so that she was sitting next to him, leaning slightly against his shoulder. "And I heard about Shadow, too. Are you going to be okay?"

"It depends," he said with a sigh. Seto looked down at Amane and tilted his head. "What'd I look like when you came in?"

"Depends?" That didn't sound good. "Depends on what?" She tilted her face up to look at him. "And, in? In here, or in the hospital room?"

"What'd I look like in the hospital?" He contemplated something for a moment. "I know I can't be dead...besides, the wounds weren't that bad, I think, and I at least made it to the hospital again..."

"No, no...you're not dead. You're just out like a light. Drugs I think. You looked...not so good." She gave him a small laugh. "You looked like someone who'd been shot and was pissed as hell about it. But even if I didn't know you'd be ok if you died, I wouldn't have worried."

"...I see." He cringed slightly. "That doesn't sound so good for me...but the docs are good, so... Hm. Why wouldn't you have worried?"

She gave him a serious, friendly look. "Because I know death. I've seen my brother look worse and he's pulled through. You'll pull through...take a few months not using your arm, and then you'll kick ass."

"What, so I pretty much have no use of one side of my body? What the fuck is up with that?" He leaned back against the tree. "The universe must hate me or something. Say, how'd you find me, anyway?"

She snickered. "They're just trying to make you lopsided. ...And finding you was...an adventure. And when I say adventure, I mean way more adventure than I'm used to. First I found your inner child and he likes me, and he's really cute. And then I walked through your house and did you know you've got baby dragons guarding the cribs from the crypt of doom? Because that...that's just not safe."
She ticked off the rooms, counting them on her fingers. "And then I went to your dining room, which is the only sane room in your house. And then I walked through this parlor, which had a weird talking...tea party set. And a part of you told me to get out, so I did because I wanted to find you, and...then I did."

"...Well, that's weird. So I take it you've seen some...strange things..." Putting it mildly, apparently. "I don't like coming out of here much because of all that, but I do anyway."

"Strange? That's just another word for...well, for weird, really. But, but it's not bad." She looked out at the sunset, glad for the rest. "So what is this place? It's kind of a random spot, after everything that's out there."

He scratched his head. "Honestly? I dunno. Maybe I remember this place from somewhere? Maybe I made it up. I don't remember anymore. But I like it here. It's calm, it's quiet...it's not out there. So it's nice."

"It is," she agreed, and then sat up suddenly. "You don't...uhm. Hate me for coming in here, right?"

"Here as in..." He gestured around. "Here? Or here as in my head?"

"Either. Both. All of the above."

"Hm...I'll go with in my head. I don't really hate you for coming in here with me. But hate you for this? Well..." He blinked. "I mean, it's not like you ever told me you could do that, and it's not like I ever gave you consent. Not that I could, obviously, but still...why did you come here?"

She swallowed and looked down--not quite away, just enough that she didn't have to meet his gaze. "I was worried. And...I...hope you know I wouldn't have done it if you'd told me not to, or if I'd thought...." She shrugged a shoulder. "I'm sorry. I don't have any grand excuse, and I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Really. I mean, as long as you're not out causing sever psychological damage, I guess it's all right. No harm done, anyway."

She tentatively took her spot back next to him. "I wouldn't do that! Unless befriending your inner child is damaging, which I don't think it is. You were a really cute kid, by the way."

"Aw, thanks. ...Um, I guess." A nervous chuckle escaped him.

"What's your favorite food?" She asked, when a few seconds had gone by in sun-touched silence.

"Even in my head, you're completely random. I rather missed that."

She smiled to herself. "Me, too. ...I missed you, too, I mean. Which is weird because I only saw you like two days ago. You don't think I'm weird, do you?"

"Of course you are," he answered with a smirk. "And that's a reason why I like you. And I think it was more like one day ago, but whatever."

"Ok, but it felt a lot longer out there." She laid her head on his shoulder. "Can we stay here for a while?"

"Sure, of course we can." He put an arm around her shoulders much like the way she had done for his younger self. "We can stay as long as you'd like. I'd much rather stay here, anyway."

Amane shifted so that she could lean against him without making his shoulder press against the tree and wrapped an arm around him in turn. "That's just cool." She closed her eyes to feel the sunlight better. "You never did say what your favorite food is."

He chuckled. "Beef fillet," was the reply. "Ooo, especially with foie gras sauce. Sounds complicated and fancy. It's not; not really, anyway."

"That's the best reason for having a favorite food I've ever heard," she laughed. "What is a foie gras sauce?"

"It's like this French thing, like a fat duck's liver or something like that. I dunno, I don't know much French, but whatever, it's good." He closed his eyes. "So, have any ideas what you're doing for my birthday?"

"Tons. But they'll be smaller plans, since...you know. Your arm probably doesn't want a party." She tried to look up at him but that would have meant moving again, so she didn't. "Do you really not want a party, or presents?"

"Ah, I dunno," he admitted. "I say that, but having a party's not really that bad. It's just I don't want all the extra attention and all, you know? If you want to throw a party, go ahead and do so, I guess."

"Aha, I thought so," she said, teasingly smug. "If you'd said you really didn't want to, I'd still have made your brothers and Seth wear hats or decorate. But I think it could be fun to have other people there, too. ...Is there anything you want? That you don't already have, or that you never got to have?"

"I honestly can't think of much of anything at all. Normally if I want something, I buy it, and I'm certainly not short on cash." He would've shrugged if that wouldn't have nudged Amane at the same time. "I dunno. Surprise me."

She nodded against him. "I think you'll be surprised. I'd just about stake my...I guess my favorite pair of shoes on you never having seen one of these before. Definitely never having owned one. But, in case you don't like it, I was wanting a back up plan."

"I'm certainly intrigued, now that you've said that." He grew silent for a while. "...So, um, was there anywhere in-particular you wanted to go? Wait, nevermind, that's probably a stupid question...you're probably sick and tired of my head about now."

"What? Sick of it? Heck no! I'd still be out there exploring if I hadn't been so anxious to find the real you. I've been in a lot of places, but I've never seen some of the stuff I saw here." Her voice grew more excited when she asked, "Show me something?"

This caught him off-guard. "Uh, show you something? Like...what, exactly?"

She turned so she was facing him, though without shrugging off his arm. "Like...your first visit to the circus. Or what you're most proud of. Stuff like that."

"Hm...maybe I could--"
"Amaaaaaneeeeee!" cried the younger Seto. He stumbled through the door and paused. "...Oh, you found him!"
"Hey. I don't get to see you often."
"Yeah, well maybe if you came out of here...and stop changing where it is all the time; it's hard to find you like that!"
"...Um, duh?"
"...Oh. Anyway, Amane, he kicked me ooouuuut, and then I got lonely and was wondering where you were and didn't know if you forgot about me or not..."

She grinned. "Nah, I didn't forget about you. I just found our guy." She shook her head. "He kicked you out? Why? What'd he say?" Amane looked at the older Seto. "You've really gotta talk to him about that."

"What, the creepy as fuck one that says I'm a masochist and don't know it? Pass."

"He said he didn't like me in there for so long. I got to stay there a while, though, longer than nomral! So it was okay."

"Yeah, that one." She grimaced. "...Does that mean I get to talk to him? Cause I don't think he'll listen...unless, you know, I come with a rope and some knives." She beamed at the younger Seto. "See? There's hope still. Maybe he'll listen to reason? Or, maybe he'll just...get distracted with things."

"Maybe..." He eyed the two. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No, and you're too young to be having any of those kinds of thoughts," berated the normal Seto. "Eh, c'mon, I guess we're going," he said to Amane, standing and taking her up with him.

Amane stood with him, wondering how exactly she was supposed to speak rationally with the masochistic Seto. She looked back at the sunset again, a bit forlornly, and then nodded at the other two. "Ok, lead the way." She looked up at 'her' Seto. "I figure I'm less likely to get lost that way."

"Where're we going?" asked the smaller one. "Is Amane leaving yet?"
"No, not yet. She still wants to see things around here, and who am I to deny her a bit of a tour?"
"Yaaay!" He skipped along out the door. "But what if we run into him?"
The other shrugged. "We'll just have to deal with him, as always." He gestured out the doorway. "After you, Amane." Who said he couldn't act like a gentleman sometimes?

She smiled at him as she stepped through and did a quick version of a curtsy. "Say, what are you showing me first?"

"Ooo, what about the company?" suggested the child.
"No, no, something else."
"Maybe something with Mokuba?"
"Aw, hell, I dunno." He shrugged. "Maybe we'll just wander around until we find something good enough? C'mon, the exit's this way." He showed them the front doors where Amane had first entered, then off of the grounds entirely and back into the black.

The mansion had, in all honesty, made her more nervous than the darkness; Amane had to force herself to not look back at it. "Show me something fun!" she said, grinning.

"Fun, hm..."
"Back home?"
"Nah, she's been there."
The trio continued walking for a while, the youngster getting quickly bored. "What about dueling? You know, before Yuugi."
"Well, I dunno..."
"What about when dad took me out for the whooole day?"
"The one with the ice cream and the go-karts?"
"Yeah, yeah! C'mon, I know where it is!" He ran off, the other two following.
"Heh," chuckled Seto nervously. "Like I said, I don't like leaving that room of mine much, so I don't think I know my way around here as much as I ought to...kinda sad, really."

"Hey, I'm up for an adventure anyway." She grinned at him. "Besides, I've never even seen a go-kart."

"Really? Man, you've missed out. Fun to ride and race in. Fun to watch, too."
"Thiiiis waaaay, a little more this waaaay..."
As they went further to...wherever they were going, other objects and scenes passed them by. A few seconds of a dream here, the entrance to a memory there... The younger one skipped by what looked to be a set of old, stony stairs leading down. The normal one froze for a moment, then proceeded to give the stairs plenty of room as he moved father away from it until he went by, keeping in a shudder. "How much farther?"
"Nooot faaar," came the sing-song voice of the younger.

Amane looked back at the stones and then at Seto. She lowered her voice a bit, so the younger one couldn't hear--not for any real reason, she realized later, but simply because that's what she'd have done if they hadn't both been Seto. "What is that place?"

"It's best not to ask," he replied quickly.

"...But I just did," she protested softly.

"Why do you want to know?"

Saying something like, Because it made you uncomfortable just didn't sound like a good thing to her mind, so she took a moment to think of how to phrase it. "So I'll know why to avoid it?"

"I'd much rather nobody see what's down there, period." He was quiet for a few moments before adding, "I've...been down there once or twice lately after this Shadow incident. I ought to see if there's a way to close that off."

She frowned and looked back at it again. "Do you mean, something comes up out of there? Because...if you don't go down there, and the other yous don't go down there, why close it up?"

"No, no, nothing like that. I want to close it up so that I can't go back down there. Maybe forget it even exists, you know." He shrugged his shoulders.

"But that doesn't...just because it's buried doesn't mean it's gone." She swallowed. "Wouldn't you rather face it and be done with it?"

"I've already done so more times than I care to remember, and I don't see how it helps," he muttered darkly. "It won't go away, and even when it seems like it's gone, someone goes and brings it up for some stupid reason again."

"Well, you know...if something won't go away, just beat the hell out of it!" She answered, smiling and trying to lighten his mood.

"...Um, okay, whatever..." Well, that didn't seem to work. "You don't really seem to get it. But that's okay, since it's not your fault anyway."

"No, I do," Amane said, touching his elbow lightly. "...I mean, I get why you'd want to bury things, and never look at them again. I just don't want those things to bury the better things."

"I think that burying them will only uncover the better things," he protested. "How can I even begin to think about whatever good has happened in my life if it's all clouded by...by..." He made a vague motion behind them at the stairway. "...Things like that."

She found herself looking back again, staring longer this time. "...I guess...by creating new good things."

"And it doesn't look like that's happening anytime soon, now, does it?" Seto snapped. "Look at this. Every time something even remotely decent happens, something else has to happen to fuck it all up again. It's like I'm a walking Murphy's Law or something."

She looked sharply back at him. He did have a point, even in her most optimistic mood she couldn't dispute that. "...We're in the same boat there, Chief." She tilted her head. "So at least you're not alone now...right?"

"For the moment." He paused and took a deep breath. "Three...two...one--" A muffled scream came from the stony hole in the ground. Seto winced and kept on walking, muttering to himself. "Hate that part...could've dealt with it..." His eyes went to Amane for a moment before going back in front of them. "My mind's a rather scary place to be, I suppose."

Amane stared at the dark hole, a slightly frightened, sickened expression flitting over her features. She had composed herself before she turned and followed Seto again, though. "'For the moment', tch. I'm not going anywhere, and if you try to run away...well then I'm like a leopard. You just...shouldn't run from me."

"I never planned on doing so. So it's a fair bet that I won't, anyway. I don't see why I would in the first place."

"Well, good," Amane said brightly. "Then you can take back the 'for the moment' statement, which implies that at some point soon you will be alone, and hello, I think me being here in your mind is proof that you won't be."

"Except when you leave," he pointed out. "Then it's just me, myself, and I. Quite literally."
"Hey, c'moooon, it's over here!"
"All right, all right, sheesh."
The scenery finally changed to some brighter memory. "Lookie, over there!" Sure enough, a toddler Mokuba, an eight-year-old Seto, and the father had stopped to order some ice cream at a stand.
"Oh, hey, I remember this place now; it's Fumma's ice cream parlor...used to hang out here all the time."
"Yeah. Dad wanted to do something special for us, and he had some extra cash," the young guide explained. "And then we went go-karting! 'S fun to go really fast! Fun to watch, too. Over this way." He lead the two farther down memory lane.
"Daaaad, pleeeaaase?"
"Sure, go right ahead."
"Yay! Thanks, dad, you're the best!"
The ten-year-old smiled. "I haven't done that in a while. Or ever before then, I think. I think I spent a while here. There was an arcade, too, which was a reason why I stayed." He was silent for a while before turning around and beaming up at them. "What else, what else?"

"I've never been to a place like this!" Amane said, looking around. "I think we should find a go-kart."

"Say wha?"
"I think there are some open ones over there..."
"I'll just watch, thanks."
"Aw, c'mon, all you ever do is sit on your little hill."
"I don't really want to right now. 'Sides, I can always find this place later..."

Amane looked pleadingly at him. "Oh, come on, Seto...you have to try it at least once. When else am I going to get to do this with you?"

"Fiiiine, fine, just don't give me that look."
"That puppydog look?"
"That nobody can resist." Both Setoes and Amane hopped into karts. "I'm more used to flying a jet or an actual car, heh."

Amane grinned triumphantly. "You have a jet?" she asked, incredulous. "Ok, we are so doing that when you wake up. Ok, what do I do?"

"But I don't like giving people rides in my--" the elder began to whine before the younger cut in.
"Gas, brake, steer. That's basically it. And crash. Even though it says you shouldn't bump into people, nobody listens to that anyway."

Amane's smile became mischievous. "Right." She winked at both Setos. "You guys go first...."

"...So you can go crash us into the wall?"
"Pretty much, yeah."
"Meh...okay, whoever wins gets to choose the next place to go."
"Yay!" The younger sped off, the elder chasing after him.

Amane gleefully took off after them, though it took her a while to get used to the controls; there wasn't much chance that she'd be able to catch them this round, but the faster she got going the less she cared about that and the more she just enjoyed the sound of the wind in her ears.

By the end, absolutely everyone was having a good time, even the moody elder. Who eventually won. Must be all of that practice in real cars. He hopped out, followed by his younger self, followed by Amane, almost dizzy from it. "Wow. Forgot what that was like."
"Heee, fuuun! Where to next, anyway?"
"Oh...damn, um, I dunno, give me a sec to think once my brain stops bopping around my skull."

"Cotton candy!" Amane announced. "I swear I smell some."

"...Didn't you say you thought death smelled like cotton candy?" said Seto with a quirked eyebrow.
"I don't smell anything..."
"Must be your imagination."

Amane's grin froze and, uneasily, she laughed. "You're joking, right?" She looked from one to the other. "There is a cotton candy stand here, right?"

"I dunno." The younger one shrugged. "We didn't get any cotton candy, so..."

She waited for one of them to laugh. And then waited. And then turned and half-ran in the direction she thought she smelled cotton candy from.

"Wait, Amane--" Seto sighed and ran off after her. The young one, worried look on his face, was right behind. "Amane, wait up, I don't understand, stop being so panic-stricken."

The worst part about trying to find things by smell was that humans just weren't that good at it. Amane had run to the outer edge of the park, and still not found what she was looking for--in fact she couldn't tell if she was closer to or further from it. She motioned out past the chainlink fence and asked, "What's out there?" when Seto had caught up.

"I assume more memories, then more dreams."
"I dunno, I don't bother to look. It's got nothing to do with this." The smaller Seto motioned back to the rest of the memory. "I agree with him."

She swallowed and nodded. "Yeah. I mean, if it is out there, it's out there for a reason, and I don't want to go see what that reason is. But if it's in here...then...."

Both Setoes blinked, looking at each other worriedly. "Um...Amane, what are you talking about...?" The elder placed a hand on her shoulder.

Amane stared out at the distant memories and then looked helplessly at Seto. "Where is it coming from?"

"Where is what coming from? I have no idea what you mean." This was concerning. He looked back out at what was beyond. "Are you sure it's not just your imagination?"

"The...that smell." She raked a hand through her hair. "I shouldn't be able to smell anything you're not...this is your mind."

"Maybe you've spent a little too much time here." He shrugged. "Getting you disoriented, perhaps?"
Koshari Chef: "No!" She shuddered. "It...I smelled that...it's death. Something's here."

Koshari Chef: [[*g* Ok. She's currently in Seto's mind, but she's also in the hospital laying next to him. So she'd smell Death in the hospital as he goes about his rounds XD]]
BEWD CEO: (Aaaah...)
BEWD CEO: (Seto: ...WTF IS HE COMING HERE TO GET ME? O.o;;;; )
Koshari Chef: [[Death: ...Is there a...Keto Saiba here?]]
BEWD CEO: (*DIES*
Seto: ...No, next room. >>; )
Koshari Chef: [[Death: *signs roster* Thanks.
Next Room Guy: AAAAH!]]

"I have no idea what it could be..." Well, that was a lie. There were many things it could be. There was always some kind of death going on somewhere in his head, his memeories, his dreams.
"If it's death, then I don't wanna go..." The younger one tugged on Amane's clothes. "Can't we just go somewhere else...?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, we should get somewhere safe." That sounded stupid when she said it...safe from death? She looked at Seto, fear still bright in her eyes. "Where to?"

"Hm...probably to some other memory? Sorry if I seem so unhelpful. It's rather hard to think up many good times that weren't completely ruined by something, you see." He, followed by his other self, started away from the fence.

As she followed, the smell distracted her again. "Seto...maybe if I can smell it, it's here for me. Or because of me, I mean. ...Maybe I should go and try the diplomacy thing with it...."

"Look, I'm telling you, there's nothing there, whatever it is."
"'S just cotton candy, anyway."
"Or death."
"I'll stick with the sugar, thanks."
"Well, if you want to, Amane, you can go and see...I just don't know what you're going to find."

She waited to see if the smell would dissipate; it didn't. "I'll meet you two back here. I just...really don't like the idea of some thing wandering around in here because of me."

"All right..." he sighed. "I just don't want anything happening to you, you know."
"Aw...make sure to hurry baaack!" The young one waved her off gloomily.

She made herself look confident. "I'll be ok, don't worry about me, Chief." She waved to both of them, and wandered back off alone. The scent still didn't grow any stronger or weaker, even when there were other things to smell--hotdogs, popcorn, soft drinks. Amane gradually made her way back to the go-kart stadium, and then a little further, to where they had first entered this particular memory.

Things didn't look much different from when they had entered, the inky dark and other random figures going around, random sounds here and there. When she stepped out into it, there was a certain cold that grew about her. It wrapped around like a blanket, squeezing tight before receeding. The bloody figure appeared once more. "Hn. Found him, I see," was all that he said.

Amane, who was grave-cold all the time anyway, couldn't suppress a shudder at the added intensity to the chill. "Did you doubt me?"

"Yes, actually. Ah, but why do you look so frightened? Where are your buddies?" He sneered at her. "Oh, my, you didn't run away, did you, to leave them all alone?"

In a flash, she had closed the distance between them and grabbed Seto's ragged shirt tight in her fists. She shook him, hard, ignoring the nearly two feet of difference in their heighths. "You brought it here! Where is it?"

He narrowed his eyes but was unintimidated, nay, amused at this. "Brought what here, little girl? I'm afraid I'm just as lost as everyone else around here..."

Amane let go of his shirt and shoved him--it didn't do a lot, but it tore a few of the gashes further. "That...that smell! What is it? Where is it?"

"Smell, what smell?" He tilted his head, eyeing her carefully. "Oooooh, someone's going insaaaane from romping in someone's mind too muuuuch..."

"Y-You...can't smell it either?" She backed down, nervously, smearing Seto's blood on her shirt without realizing. She looked back over her shoulder as if it were there, the whole time--but there was nothing. "I'm not imagining it...I can't be."

"Poor Amane, going insane inside the mind of one already insane. How amusingly ironic. How delightfully so." He cackled for a moment and leered. "Get out while you still can. I told you this wasn't the place for you. You don't believe me yet?"

She pushed her hair back, again--a nervous gesture, but one that smeared blood on her face now. "I'm not crazy! It's just...just not close enough to be seen yet."

The far more disturbed Seto stared for a moment before leaning down and licking the blood off of her face. "You had a bit of a spot there," he explained with a smirk.

Amane's eyes widened and, for a moment, her mind went blank enough that she forgot she was being followed by the smell of death. "...I..."

Koshari Chef: [[...So does lustiness make it Bondshipping?]]
BEWD CEO: (BONDAGESHIPPING--*SHOT*)
Koshari Chef: [[LMAO! XD]]

An eyebrow rose delicately. Oh, now there was an interesting reaction. A bit different from the ones his other similar self had. "Hm...? What was that...? I'm afraid I couldn't quite hear you..."

"...I was..." She motioned behind her, still watching him warily. "Checking for death."

"Sure you were, little one." He leaned in closer. "All you need do is look around. A little part of him dies every day. Such is this life. So...perhaps you ought to give up this silly quest?"

She flinched at his words, but then frowned at him stubbornly. "...Death is just a change. It's not bad. It's just a change."

"It's a rather drastic and sudden change, don't you think? Living--or dying, whichever the case--from day to day until one is thrust into...your world." He shook his head and spoke to her in a patronizing way. "Why do you persist in staying in this world? It's not for you. You had your turn. Why burden others who are still alive, like, say, your brother?"

Amane stared at him, or past him. "...They need me." Even she didn't believe that. "And I...I didn't choose to die." She stared at the bleeding marks up and down his body. "So why do you...do that? Why do you stay?"

At this he looked mildly surprised and paused, considering this. "Well…I'm here because this is my home. This is where I belong. As for my...appearance...it's for pleasure and for punishment." While he kept a creepy yet jovial tone, there was a serious undertone to it. "I say this because I do so enjoy the pain in a very sadomasochistic way. Pour salt on my wounds, and I am only all the more aroused. This...Shadow business...I only regret that the pain and damage weren't worse. But I'm not the one craving death," he explained further. "That would only be an end to the pain, and I can't exactly have that, now, can I? That would be the one that you spent so much time trying to find. I'm afraid he doesn't like me very much, but I always win out in the end. I wasn't always here, I admit. It was that boy, then me, then the one who claims that I have no right to this body. How wrong he is. Ah, but I neglected to explain the negative reasons for my constant mutilation, didn't I? I did say punishment, and I meant it." A twisted, contorted smirk grew across his face. "You cannot know the things I've seen, the things I've done, the things I've suffered through; you just can't, try as you might. Mere words cannot describe. It's the feeling, the thoughts, even, that count, that matter, that make the events what they are. And ooooh, the things I've done...I may not be religious, but call it a kind of repentance. Now," he concluded, "I think I've explained myself enough for one day. Go run off, little one. You ought not to meddle in what's already been meddled with."

Amane blinked, wordless. This Seto had been there before hers? That...couldn't be right...could it? That would mean that.... No. It didn't matter who had been there first. Either they all made up the same person, and that was all that mattered because she did like all of Seto, or the most recent personification was the 'real' Seto. She licked her lips, found that her mouth had gone quite dry, and said, "I'm not meddling. I'm here for what you, and the other Seto, and the other Seto, want. And...maybe I can't imagine. I've got a pretty good imagination, but maybe you're right..." She tilted her head. "But what would you have to repent for?"

"That," he replied sharply, "is none of your concern, so you shouldn't bother asking."

Amane glared at him, but knew that pressing the issue would get her nowhere. "...What do you do around here, now that there's another you who controls things?"

"Take back control. Influence him. It is, afterall, my body, so I should be allowed to do as I please." He spoke as if this were all to be quite obvious.

"Did you 'influence' him into that car crash?"

"That was all his fault, dear. I had nothing to do with his sudden urge to kill himself." It looked, for a moment, like he was going to touch her and dab her cheeks red again, but he refrained. "Though perhaps I ought to claim partial responsibility... Perhaps not. Oh, Seth just got the poor lad all worked up. You know, he's rather too weak to try it agai, because he had before, right before the crash. He can get almost perfectly close to those he loves, and yet..." A small chuckle. "Hm...and then the screaming, the pleading starts. It's aaaaall in his head, but it becomes more than that. The hot sweat created by passion turnes cold like his blood. He tries to block it out, but slice, slice, slice... At least he doesn't hate people touching him anymore; that got quite annoying after a while." He continued his rant after a short pause, smirking at the thought. "Oooo, couldn't even look in the mirror for fear of what he'd find. Himself? Just who was he, anyway? A whore, used once and thrown away? A pathetic China doll, perfect and white skin broken and cracked, far too easily shattered? A monster, just like his adoptive father? Perhaps nothing at all, bland, dead eyes staring back, empty shell lacking a soul? But then," he said, derailing that train of thought, "that's all beside the point, I suppose. The point is, it was his own love of someone--along with quite a lot else that had been building up, mind you--that cause him to decide to die."

Amane's gaze flicked to Seto's fingers, dripping blood like water after the rain has stopped, and then back up. She had never so much as kissed someone--she had died far too young for that, and needless to say, her social skills were somewhat lacking so even as an adult now she had never had opportunity. So the reality of 'passion' was as strange and foreign to her as the reality of actually growing old. An unknowing, somewhat bewildered expression drew taut over her features. "Why would love hurt him so much? He loves Seth, why would...how could Seth make him want to die?"

"All that knowledge from being dead so long, and yet you don't get it." He shook his head. "How sad. Have you ever been violated?" It seemed like a rather random question at the time. "I mean, nobody's ever touched you, died a complete virgin and stayed that way?"

A shadow flickered behind her eyes. "What does that have to do with Seth?"

"I'm talking sex, of course." He rolled his eyes. "Oh, but it wasn't exactly Seth's fault, honestly. It was more...hm, how shall I put it...it was a nasty reminder of something else. Oh, but it felt like such the right time, and Seth had just found a way to get him out of his apathetic mood, and everything seemed so peachy when they began to strip each other without a care in the world...except, of course, for one thing." He threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, please tell me it's starting to sink in now? Shall I make it blunt for you? They wanted sex, he freaked out, and that was pretty much the straw that broke the camel's back, so they say. But...if you really want to understand why the guy just couldn't let himself go through with it...then I suggest taking a stroll downstairs. Yes, you saw them, didn't you? All musty and dark, mysterious...curious, yes, quite curious, isn't it..."

"I caught that part," Amane snapped. "But Seth wouldn't...hurt him. Would he?" As Seto spoke then of the stairway, she found herself looking off in its direction, again. "...He doesn't want me to go down there," she said idly, as if it should be reason to not go even if she didn't quite believe it.

"Seth? No. Never. Not on purpose, at least. No, the trouble begins farther back." His eyes flickered toward that direction before focusing on her again. "Don't you want to know? Don't you want to know what's been hurting him oh so much? It haunts his nightmares. It replaced what they used to be about, a nice change of pace."

"Yes, but..." She turned her attention back to him. "...wouldn't that be...wrong?"

"It depends on one's definition," he said with a shrug. "Do you think it'd be wrong?"

"Only if he'd be mad at me over it," she answered. "It's not like I'd go down there just to have a look-see."

"Then do you think he'd get mad at you?"

She quirked a brow. "You tell me. You're...him. Closer than I am anyway."

"I wouldn't mind at all in the slightest. I mean, hell, I'll even join you." He shrugged. "Him? Hm..." Yeah. Because 'hm' is definitely an answer.

"Lead the way, then." It couldn't be so bad on her conscience if she had Seto when she went down there. And she was going so that she'd be able to help him, anyway. Before she could change her mind, she managed to turn off any nagging doubts or suspicions about why Seto was taking her down there.

"Very well, then...right this way." He seemed almost giddy--if one could describe someone like him giddy, but all the blood kind of doesn't let that descriptor work--as he had her follow, stopping at the top of the stairs and staring down inside for a moment. "You first? Or me? It doesn't matter; I've watched this memory many, many times before..."

She paused at the top and looked uneasily at him. "Why are you taking me here?"

"You wanted to see, didn't you? This," he motioned down it, "is what happened all those months ago. Why? Frightened already? So unlike you, Amane."

"There's nothing that can frighten me," she insisted. "But..." She looked back down into the gloom. "...you wouldn't take me anywhere unless it would hurt you."

There was an exasperated sigh. "Will you make up your mind? You told me to lead the way, so I did. Of course it hurt. You don't think fluffy bunnies made him freak out on Seth, do you?"

She stared, drawing the moment out in uncertainty. Finally she nodded. "If I see this...I can help him bury it."

"Well then, follow me. No changing your mind this time, right?" He was at least acting decently and not batshit insane for the moment. The stairway went down quite a way, the sides lit with torches so they were not immersed in complete darkness. There were various muffled sounds coming from down below. "Yes, he'd quite like to forget this. But you see, he'll always have reminders, so I'm not sure if there's a real point to even trying..."

She grit her teeth and followed him down, keeping a hand lightly on him despite the blood--stairs were not her most favorite invention, given how often she stumbled on them. Falling down into someone's most haunting memory was not her idea of a stable approach. "Reminders? What reminders?"

"Well, besides the fact that some people keep bringing it up? Oh, just a few things that might be fixed by a little--or a lot--of plastic surgery and somethings that can't ever be changed no matter what." It was said in such an airy way that it was like he was hardly paying any attention to her.
The voices steadily became clearer until the two of them reached flat floor. "You want to at least begin to understand? Don't look away."
And guess what they had landed in the middle of. Three guesses, and the first two don't count.
"Aw, looks like we missed the beginning...no matter, nothing much happens then, anyway."
Well, something was definitely going on now, that being Pegasus sucking up the last of expulsed bodily fluids from Seto's physically pleased yet mentally anguished self looking quite content--not to mention drunk--with himself and Seto looking quite spent.
"Oh, but here comes one of my favorite parts." The Seto who had lead her down was bored at first, but his eyes lit up at the glinting of the knife that was about to be taken to flesh.

Amane had spent time with Pegasus--she had enjoyed chatting with him, planning with him. She was not the most descriminating judge of character, but she had liked Pegasus. ...and she had seen terrible things before, things that, had she control of her mind, she would have suppressed. But this...this was torture of one of the only two people in the world she loved, and it staggered her, made her ache and choke just to watch. She was grasping the stone bricks of the wall, shivering as the knife slit its way through Seto--but she did not look away.

It continued without end much like a movie yet far more real. The masochist licked his lips. Pegasus contined to enjoy himself. Seto continued being unable to do anything to help himself.
"Here comes the fun part," came his voice, glancing down at Amane for a moment, an oddly grave tone in his voice, perhaps serving as more of a warning. "It should explain the rest."
And indeed it would as Pegasus stripped himself and spun the Seto in chains around to face the wall. It had been like when Seto had counted down until the muffled scream had sounded except ten times louder, echoing down the dank hallways as he was violated quite painfully.
And when it was all over--which seemed like an eternity and a half--he was merely dropped to the ground, Pegasus leaving, Seto taking the time to collect himself--and his clothing.

Amane watched the memory end, her eyes oddly blank. "...How...did they...how did Pegasus get him into those chains?"

"I--he, whichever you want to say--was ticking Pegasus off. Got drunk. Said more shit. Ticked him off even more. Let's just say...the guy's a lot stronger than you'd think. A few threats to do just what you saw that in front of everyone. Of course escape was attempted. Didn't exactly work out, obviously. Also threatened hitting and more pain if it was attempted again. So...figured it was better to just submit, as much as I hate and despise the word so, and let whatever was going to happen happen until another escape plan was thought up."

She straightened, an odd coldness seeming to drift from her like night-chill. Amane kept her gaze focused on the wall Seto had been chained to, althought the scene had faded to nothingness now. "When did you escape?"

"Escape? No. That didn't happen." He shook his head. "Pegasus just let me go. Said there was a limo waiting out front to take me back home. So...after feeling able to actually get up and walk, getting my clothes back on--rather silly, now that I think about it...--I walked out without running into him again. There was a limo. Took me straight home. And that was it."

"What did you do back to him?"

"...Besides decide to hate him even more than I already did for the rest of my life?" Here came a small shrug. "...Nothing. I did nothing."

"...Besides decide to hate him even more than I already did for the rest of my life?" Here came a small shrug. "...Nothing. I did nothing."

She turned and looked at him, eyes as cold as the rest of her now. "Why not?"

"...I have no idea why. I think, perhaps, I was just content with being as far away from him as possible and having as little contact as possible was more realistic at the time than going to his door and shooting him in the head."

She folded her arms, tilted slightly, watching him--his blood was again smeared on her, where the hand she had used to allow him to guide her down touched the white fabric of her shirt and her arm. "And if you could do anything to him now...would it still be nothing?"

"...Perhaps. But then, I don't think I'm the one you should be asking," he pointed out. "Me, I loved feeling like a whore. Actually, I think this brought me out of my sleep... See, after a while, nothing interesting was happening, so I just rather faded away to somewhere else for a while until this happened."

Amane's lips curved into a strange, small smile. The air around her seemed to grow slightly colder as the room darkened. "Tell me something, honestly, Seto Kaiba."

For the first time since they had met, this Seto looked uneasy. "...What?"

She stepped forward; in the darkness she seemed to glide, the way she did in the outside world. His lack of confidence only seemed to make her more sure of herself, and that slightly twisted smirk deepened into something much...more ethereal. "What can I do to help?" She had asked this before; but now, the bright, slightly desperate edge was gone, frosted over.

"Absolutely nothing," he answered, scoffing at such a ridiculous question. "Well, maybe he has an answer for you, but certainly not I."

"No?" She smirked. "Should I just surprise you, then, and see if you like it?"

His eyes narrowed. "What are you up to, little girl?"

She was now close enough that he could feel the cold--it began to make the blood dripping off him and onto the floor sparkle with frost. "If you won't give me any ideas...then it's a surprise, isn't it?" She tilted her chin in a defiant, mocking gesture. "Take a guess. Or three."

"Oh, let me see here..." He shivered a little, not understanding what was going on but determined not to lose his cool. So to speak. "Anything to do with pain and/or torment?"

She laughed softly, almost a giggle. "That's a little vague of you...can't you be specific? I know you've got a mind for such things."

"Oooo, I heard of this delightful way Saddam tortured some victims. Something about slowly dripping acid on them. I think I prefer the knife to anything else. A little self-injury isn't all bad. Hm...Chinese water torture...nah, not painful. Decisions, decisions..."

She folded her hands behind her demurely. "Now that is an interesting thought...acid..." she blinked at him, and it would have been an owlish, innocent expression. "...anything better?"

"Oh, I don't know, I've never had anyone willingly want to hurt me, not often, anyway..." He began to make his way out of the dungeons, acting as if they were old friends having a casual chat. "Perhaps I could go ask my other self what he thinks. I'm sure he could think of something I might consider. Cutting with something like an IV needle was fun, sometimes he does have fun ideas. Oh, whipping...I didn't think of that until now..."

Amane giggled again, following easily just behind him. "Does that mean you'll choose, or am I still going to surprise you...?"

"Oh, I like surprises, though... Go ahead. Pick something."

She smiled. "Are you sure?"

"Weeeellllll..." He had to admit, this was damned creepy, and in a way he wasn't liking. "Tell me, what's your motivation behind this?"

She moved close enough that she could almost murmur into his ear, "I want to make you laugh." and then she backed away again a foot or so, taking the graveyard chill with her.

"Forgive me if my inherant suspicious nature warns me about trusting someone whose personality has just taken a complete turnaround," he didn't neglect to add. "I thought the laughing thing was for my other self, not for me. Aw, did watching a little BDSM make you go completely insane? Poor little virgin Amane, can't stand a little rape? Oh well, I guess that's what happened to me, or him, going slowly nuts and losing all logic..."

Amane smiled at him again. "I've seen plenty of rape, dearest. I may have been protected from it myself, but that doesn't mean I don't know what it is or how...painful...it is."

"I'm sure," he scoffed. "The point is, I'm afraid you've turned into a nutter." He tilted his head and gave her a bit of a smile--a cruel one, anyway. "Oh my, whatever shall we do with you, anyway?"

She matched the harsh cruelty in his expression. "Do with me? Oh, I don't know.... Surprise me, love."

"Hm..." He drew closer, but he would not come within a few feet of her lest she let him freeze. For the moment, at least. "You know, I think I'm in the mood for something a little different... You're new flesh. And you taste...so unique." His eyes ran over her body, up and down, once.

Her expression darkened. "Do I now? It was your blood."

"Mm, think of it as a spice to add a little flavor. I wonder what yours tastes like..." He took a few steps closer, turning the tables.

Amane smirked. "I don't have anything for you to taste." She leaned forward and murmured, "I am dead."

"On the outside, my dear, the outside," he said with a shake of his head. "If you were still a ghost in here, then you would be floating and wouldn't be able to touch anything. And a zombie you are not. Just because your flesh here has turned to near ice doesn't mean there isn't anything on the insie."

"And what makes you think you will find anything but ice?" Though come to think of it, even she didn't know what made her up in this place. She felt as cold as she always did.

"Well, it couldn't hurt to try, could it? Oh, wait, it would, but then, I suppose that's the--" He looked up, turning slightly. "...We have company." The smile reappeared again as the other two Setoes approached.
"...Amane?" questioned the elder, the youngster keeping behind him, half-hiding. "...Might I ask what's going on here?"

She looked over her shoulder, her expression softening just the slightest bit. "I found him."

"I found you, actually. You were flailing around like an idiot talking about the smell of death or something..."
Seto looked warily between the two. "We got worried," he explained to Amane slowly. "So we thought we'd go find you, make sure you were okay. ...Are you?"

Her lips curved into a pretty, slightly disturbed smile. "Of course...there's nothing that can hurt me."

"...All...right, then..." This was worrying.
"Oh, hush up, already. Can't you see we're in the middle of something?"
"What, a staring contest? Go the fuck away."
"Tsk tsk, such language from you, and while two children are about."
"Amane, let's go. We don't need to hang around him."

Amane glanced back at him. "I told you...I'm older than you are." She tilted her head at the other two. "I should be fine, guys. Find me something fun...?"

"I'd rather find a way to get you out of here."
"Oh, what, frightened of what little old me might do? Hn. I'm not sure you properly understand the meaning of the word."
"And what, might I ask, is THAT supposed to mean?"
"Ooooh, nothiiing... Perhaps you should ask Amane."
"What?"
"About fear, about pain, about death, about...ah...certain subjects, perhaps...?"
"Leave. Now."
"Don't think so."
"I think so."
"And I care what you think since...when, exactly?"

"Seto," she broke in, not directing it to any of the three in particular. "I will leave. I don't plan on staying with him long." She looked now at the one she had come here to find in the first place. "He can't hurt me."

"Oh, you think that, do you?" he sneered. "What makes you think you can hurt me, anyway? Hm, but you know who I can hurt?"
"Get out."
"That's exactly right, you, thanks for speaking up. Buuut," he added with a shrug, "if you want me to leave so badly, then I will. For a bit. But of course, I'll be back."
"You do that, then."

The ghost toyed with her hair thoughtfully, watching the bleeding Seto. "I'll be waiting, then."

"If one of you would just tell me what the fuck is--"
"Explainations would only get you nowhere," said the masochist airily, fading back into the darkness.

She didn't move for long moments after he'd faded away, but simply stood, head tilted. "He's an interesting side of you, you know that, right?"

"...Interesting my ASS, maybe..."
The younger one glanced at Amane from behind the legs of the elder. "...Amane? Did you ever find what you were looking for?"

She lowered her face in a rather innocent gesture--like a child might make when saddened, or ashamed. "...No...I didn't." She stared at a darkening drop of the other Seto's blood, clinging to a fallen leaf. "...Not yet."

"...So...should we go somewhere else, or...?"
"I think the best thing," interjected the other Seto, "would be for her to leave, and soon, before something else happens."

She shook her head. "Nothing happened."

"It didn't LOOK like nothing."

She stared levelly at him. "What did it look like?"

"Like either you were going to snog each other or kill each other. Er, so to speak, anyway."

Koshari Chef: [[Or both! >.> Psychos...]]

Another odd blink and then a giggle. "That must have been quite odd to see."

He blinked. "...Quite."
The younger tugged on the other's sleeve and whispered something.
"Hm. Well, anyway...you're not hurt, are you? We were quite worried that something might have happened. You're sure you're fine? Completely and totally?"

She smiled brightly. "Yes. ...And I don't smell death anymore."

"Good, that's good...so, um, what happened, anyway?"

She sauntered back over to them, frowning as if she couldn't quite remember, or couldn't decide how to say it. "...He found me in the woods, and showed me around. We talked, and I guess he didn't like some of our little chat." She shrugged. "But that's all, really."

"I never like any of our chats," scoffed Seto, "so you're not alone."
"I wouldn't go anywhere with him." The smaller one stuck out his tongue. "I wouldn't believe anything he said."

Amane smiled at the younger Seto, and the chill seemed to shrink away. "No kidding! I wonder if even he knows what part of what he says is real. But...he wasn't so bad. Not really."

"Then you must have a high tolerance for creepy assholes." Seto crossed his arms and glared out into nothing. "Bastard."

"It's one of many talents," she murmured, trying to bring back the sense of peace she had found in Seto's own room, watching the sunset. She just couldn't figure out how, not out here...probably another reason Seto had said he didn't like leaving that room.

"Maybe that death thing was just all in your head, anyway." Seto shrugged. "Um...what now, then?"

"But..." she wanted to point out that the smell had to have been in Seto's head, because look where they were, but she felt that would get them nowhere. She didn't understand it enough to argue for it, for one thing. "...show me what it was that made you like dragons so much. I mean, what's the big dragon memory for you?"

"Well...I suppose it could be categorized in two ways," he explained. "You see, there was Seth, and some story with him that had to do with the Blue-Eyes. Which somehow deals with me, being his reincarnation and all. Well, I was into powerful cards, dragons particularly--I dunno, they always interested me--and then I heard of the rarest of them all. So...yeah. The Blue-Eyes. I mean, it's really nothing special at all."

"Show me a memory with Seth, then," Amane said. Come to think of it, she'd never seen the guy...or spoken to him...or heard him speak. Hell, for all she knew, he could have passed for The Invisible Man.

"...Well...hm..." Something without all of the love and pseudo-smut. Something before the confession, perhaps? "I guess I'll show you when we first met. Decided to meet up at this coffee joint place after this mix-up between him and me dealing with Pegasus." He started walking in another direction. "I do believe it's this way."

Amane followed, feeling the air shift around her with different emotions--she wondered if maybe they were also thoughts, which only Seto could hear. "What happened with you and him and Pegasus?"

"He found Seth and thought it was me. Would've been amusing...y'know, had it not had anything to do with me."

Amane snickered. "Once, there were these thirteen year olds playing with a Ouija board, and I started moving the pointer. They started calling me Amy. Somehow they ended up thinking I was one girl's dead mother. ...Hey, if you got stuck on a Ouija board, what would you make it say? Would you try to freak the kids out?"

"Oh, hell yeah. That'd be great." He snickered. "That or make it be crude, rude, and be like erotica."

"I'll have to teach you, then!" It was good to have projects, she thought.

"But I'm not a ghost, so I don't see how that'd work."

"Eh, there's time enough for that someday," she answered.

"...I guess, but a long time from now, I do hope."

She smiled. "I'm kind of glad to hear it."

"Really now?" He turned his head to gaze at her. "I would've thought you liked a ghost buddy."

"I would," she nodded. "Totally excited for you to be a ghost. But I figure you wanting to live is good because it means you're happy...or at least you have something to work towards. Both good things."

"You've been talking too much with that other one, haven't you?" he asked with a roll of his eyes, not taking the topic quite so seriously.

"Yeah--well, no...I mean, I would've thought that even if I hadn't met him." She coughed. "I read the papers, and you were in them for a long time after your car accident."

"For a while after? Really? I figured a few days, sure, and then anything else would've been farther back or not even in there."

"Well...KaibaCorp's the life blood of Domino. I guess it takes something like Shadow to take you off the main page--and, uhm, I guess even that doesn't work. Plus, the newspaper might've been a little old."

"Did they ever figure out it was me who caused it anyway?" he innocently inquired. "I always wondered if they were smart or brave enough to say so."

"Uhm...this one did. In a subtle, we-don't-want-to-get-sued under the table kind of way. But, they were a really small tabloid, barely credible at all." A pause. "But I kinda figured after I met you, anyway."

"...Oh. Did you, now... How?"

"Maybe 'cause there were some suicides I met before coming back." She licked her lips. "Or because of what you said about 'Passage', the way you connected to it without being dead. ...I don't know really."

"Oh, yeah, I remember that now... Well, obviously, I mean, she's singing about dying in a car crash, I mean, c'mon. But damn, it's an awesome song." He shrugged. "I dunno, it's been this way a while."

She grinned. "Betcha you're regretting talking about it now, though. I wouldn't have snuck into your hospital room if you hadn't."

"So the only reason we met was because you wanted to see me because I was being suicidal again?" He blinked a few times.

She thought about that, opened her mouth to respond, and shut it to think again. "...No, but now that you mention it, the reason we met was because I was hoping you would want to die. Which sounds a lot worse than it actually is in my own head."

"...Alright, then..." He didn't seem bothered by this at all, a little detatched, even. "Well, you almost got your wish. Ah well. Sorry to disappoint."

"Didn't say I was disappointed, Chief." She looked at him uneasily. "What's wrong?"

"Wrong? No, no, nothing's wrong; why do you ask?"

"You just...seem kind of zoned out. Or spacey. Is 'zoney' a word?"

"Heh, if not, it should be." He shrugged it off. "Nah, it's nothing..."

"Yeah?" she moved so she could walk alongside him. "Then what're you thinking about?"

"Really, nothing; I don't know why you're so concerned."

"I don't know if 'concerned' is the right word, so much as evilly, horribly curious."

"You do seem overly curious at times." He glanced at her again. "Is that a reason why you're so intrigued with that abomination?"

"Heh, probably?" She couldn't say why she was...she wasn't even sure she wanted to think about it. "Uhm, so what's Seth like anyway? How's he different from you, what do you have in common...?"

"Seth? Well, he's a really great guy, y'know; just fiercely loyal, gentle, kind..." He went further. "I mean, we do have a few things in common besides that he looks like me with a tan. But there're also differences. I mean, he's rather stoic at times and thinks things through. Me, I'm emotional and almost impulsive. He's a mother hen, heh, which is probably why we got to know each other so well. He was so worried about me that he lived with me."

"Does it ever weird you out? That he looks like you, and that you're his reincarnation?"

"Oh, sure, it was really creepy, especially when we first met. Like looking in a mirror." He smirked. "He gave me a nickname. Keeps calling me his 'Carnation. Cute, huh?"

Amane grinned. "...People really don't call you by your real name, huh?"

He facepalmed at the thought. "Y'know, people honestly used to, but now it seems that everwhere I look I've been given some new pet name."

She made a face. "When'd they stop? Just out of the blue, you weren't Kaiba anymore?"

"I guess they stopped that when I actually started communicating with them and DOING things with them. Yet another reason why I should never leave the house."

She nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, yeah, I'm totally with you there. You're too hard to find if you're not at home."

"...And now there's a reason to leave home. Heh. Fun."

"Hey..." she snickered and thwapped his arm. "If you make it a challenge, that's just...not a good idea."

"Why nooot?" he chided. "Don't want to play a little game of hide and seek?"

"Depends. When I find you, what do I get?"

"...To see me?"

"Tch! I'm not a stalker, I need better payment than that."

"Oh, so you want payment now?"

She nodded decisively. "Damn straight!"

"Damn wrong, more like."

"Ohh, so now I have to steal what I earn?" She smirked up at him. "You sure that's a good challenge?"

"You do, and I'm going to start calling you Shadow," he added with a roll of his eyes.

"Ok, but it has to be in that affectionate puppy way...you know, 'aww she's following me like a shadow'?"

"No, more of the 'ohmigawd, she's a stalker and she's come to rob me' kind of way."

"This is news to you?"

"Well, not the stalker part, anyway."

She looked at him wryly. "Bah, you needed a stalker who wasn't after your money."

"I already HAVE stalkers, and they're called fans," he shuddered.

"Exactly! But I'm not a fan. So what does that make me?"

"...Just a regular, ghostly stalker, I guess."

"Yeah...just wait until some more of your 'fans' die. You'll be glad I'm around to beat them off with the poltergeist stick."

Another roll of the eyes. "I'm so sure."
The younger grumbled something. "Should I just leave you two lovebirds alone?"
"Oh, shut up."

Amane chuckled and nudged the younger Seto's shoulder. "So what do you think of having fans?"

"It's not me having fans anyway," he said with a shrug. "But it's cool being that popular!"
"Until you've got throngs of people wanting nothing more than to grope you."
"Well, there's that..."

"I'm a fan of yours," Amane protested, and looked back up at the older Seto. "And hey, some people do that for a living--let throngs of people grope them."

"Yes, but they're called hookers, whores, and prostitues, which I am not."

She shook her head. "And rock stars, dancers, and ice cream truck drivers."

"...Wait, what?" he chuckled.

She suddenly looked sheepish. "...You never chased down an ice cream truck?"

"Um...er...probably not..." He glanced at the little one for help.
And he shook his head. "We didn't have ice cream trucks in our town."

"That's terrible," Amane said, her tone a little horrified. "...You're almost off of your cane, right?"

He blinked, taking a moment to wrap his head around the sudden change of subject. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Spiffy! I'm gonna find you an ice cream truck, then."

"Oh, is that why you asked?"

"Well, I was also going to ask you what your favorite color of fall leaf is, but I thought the cane issue was more important. So, what's your favorite fall color?"

"What the hell, I don't know...I don't think of that kind of stuff. It's just yellows and reds and oranges. Nothing special."

"Nothing special?" She looked at the smaller Seto as if asking if he was hearing the same thing. "What kind of talk is that? Have you ever gone up into the darkest part of a forest around this time of year?"

"Um, no? I'm not exactly and outdoorsman."

"Wow...there is so much I'm going to have to make you do. If I'd known, I'd have brought a pen and paper or something."

"But I think the point of me not having done some things," he pointed out to her, "is that I don't WANT to do them."

"That's only because you haven't done them," she retorted.

"...If something doesn't sound fun, I'm not going to do it."

"Ever heard of books? And how it's so not a good idea to judge them by their covers, and how fun they sound?"

"Yeah, well, I've never been a believer in that phrase."

"And you're missing out."

"I'm quite certain I'm not."

She smirked. "Oh hush, it's not like I'm giving you that much of a choice."

"...Wow." The sarcasm in his voice wasn't hard to miss. "Trees. Plants. Various animals. Cold fall wind. Getting lost in the middle of some forest. Yes, I'm sure that's a great way to spend my day. Look, the most outside I like to get is my little hideaway I hang out in, and that's only in my own head, so figure that out."

"Yeah? Don't you think the fact that your hideout is in the outdoors says something? And there's...just some things, out there, that you can't feel anymore after you've died. And if you miss that, I will hurt you, because...some things are worth it, even if they're cold and you think you've seen enough of them through a twelve-inch television screen."

"All right, all right," he said, throwing up his arms in surrender. "Fine. Go take me on a hike, then, geez."

She nodded, satisfied. "So have you ever been to France?"

"Yep," he said with a slight nod.

"Do they really have a lot of cheese?"

"I dunno."

Another chill breeze drifted around them as they walked, and Amane frowned. "First word in your head is what, right...now?"

"Draft?" He shivered a little.

"...Where is it coming from?" They were in Seto's mind. She'd never felt anything like this in anyone else's minds....

"I dunno. Guess we'll keep moving, then?" Curious...very curious...

She paused. "Do you just ignore every unusual, maybe harmful warning sign in your own mind?"

He stopped and turned to her. "It's a bit unusual, sure, but I don't find it so strange that I'm going to go freaking out about it."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, it's good your not going to panic, Mr. Stoic, but maybe you oughta check it out sometime anyway."

"Perhaps."

She looked out into the darkness, but the wind had died down by then--so she shook her head once and caught back up to her companions.

"If it's really bothering you, we can go look..."

"It's gone now..." She seemed to wait for it to start back up, but it didn't. "So I guess maybe it's not that important. It's just, I've been in a couple of heads, and one of them was even a...what's the word, meteoroligist?...whatever, a weather man, and he didn't have his own weather."

"Hm. Well, maybe I'll look into it later. Ah, by the way, there was a little something I wanted to talk about..."

She forced herself to shrug off the apprehension. "Yeah?"

He didn't say anything at first, staring off for a while before looking down at his younger self. "You go on ahead, we'll catch up."
"Okay..." He didn't seem all that comfortable with everything, either, but went off anyway.
Another bout of silence passed eerily.

"...Can we call this a comfortable silence?" She asked nervously, almost laughing. "Uhm, will he be okay by himself up there?"

"He'll be fine; he's done a comendable job by himself for a while, even with that other one of me running around." He eyed her carefully. "I don't like being lied to, Amane. I think you ought to know that."

She met his gaze, brow creased uneasily. "I...heh, my brother's the only person who seems to like being lied to..." she fidgeted. "What are you saying? You think I've lied to you?"

"Yes, I think you have, and it makes me quite nervous." He certainly didn't look it. "Tell me again what happened when you ran off to find the source of that smell."

"Seto, why would I lie to you?" She stopped walking. "I told you, I didn't find it...and the other you found me, and we talked, and...then he showed me a few things."

"Talked about what? Showed you what?" he demanded.

She stared at him, and he could tell she was weighing a few things out before answering. "We just...talked. About...you, and life, and pain, and I think maybe oranges or I might've just been thinking about those." She swallowed carefully. "And then he told me about Pegasus."

"...Ah." He was quiet, looking back off into the distance, infuriated tone of voice suddenly gone without a trace. "...I suppose I should've known he would let that one slip, on purpose or no."

"It's..." she moved closer to him, albeit a little cautiously. "...it's not like it suddenly changes how I see you."

"Hm. Doubtful." He tensed slightly at her advancement but otherwise did or said nothing more.

"What the hell do you mean, 'doubtful'?" she asked, her tone strong but not offended or particularly aggressive.

"It means what it means."

"...Ok. And what it means to me is that you don't trust me to think of you exactly the same as I did before. Does it change how I see Pegasus? yes. But you? Gods no."

"So I guess he...showed you, hm?" He gave a little shrug. "Opinions and outlooks vary. Everything will, eventually, change, whether forced to or not."

She blinked. He did have a point. "Fine, but don't go thinking that my opinions are going to change for the worse."

"Hm. So, DID your opinion change?"

Amane shook her head. "No. Unless you mean, did my opinion on doing terrible things to Pegasus's house change. Because that's a little bit different than it was last night."

"Hm," he said again in a detatched way. "...Why did you go down there?"

"I guess because..." she nodded in the direction of the younger Seto, "I told him I'd help him--you. And I can't really do that without knowing why there's a version of you running around dripping blood all over the place."

He scoffed. "And you think that's the reason why he exists?"

She took a deep breath and let it out harshly. "Honestly? No. I mean, for one thing.... Well. Anyway. He told me he came back after that happened, so obviously he had to be here before that."

"I see."

"Where...did he come from?"

"Ah, not where," he corrected, holding up a finger like a teacher to a student. "Why is the question you should be asking. But, another question, didn't you know I didn't want you down there?"

Her expression softened, guiltily. "I didn't do it to...it was...he wanted me to go with him."

"Why does that not surprise me..." he muttered to himself. "But even though you didn't want to, you listened to a psychopath and went anyway?"

"Psychopaths aren't exactly the scariest things I've come across...and sometimes they have good ideas." She looked distinctly uneasy. "Do you forgive me?"

"...That one never has good ideas." Yay for blatantly avoiding answering the question.

Amane flinched and looked away. After a moment she started walking back down the only path in sight. "We probably shouldn't let him get too far ahead."

"I said he'll be fine. I know the way, anyway."

"Yeah, but if he doesn't, he'll probably just walk right on by and we'll never see him again."

He sighed, and then seemed to be listening to or for something for a moment, face going unreadable. After a moment of this, he slowly went after her.

When things were silent between them for a while--maybe a few yards, if you could measure distance in someone's subconscious--she murmured, "Seto, I really didn't mean to hurt you. I'd never...try to hurt you."

"I suppose I should be glad you didn't suddenly start asking questions or say how much you wanted to 'help' or say how you'd 'be there' for me like most of the others did," he stated briskly, picking up the pace and going by her.

He was ahead of her, so he didn't see the pained, startled expression, like a cat who's been slapped. "Wh...No, I didn't, and you know why? Because maybe I can't help! Because...fuck, do you think you're the only person I've known, or cared about, who's gone through hell like that? And maybe I can't understand it! Maybe I never will--how can I? But do you think I'm just tossing words out there because I'm supposed to? You think I'm here for myself? You think because Ryou protected me from being raped myself, that I don't still hurt for people who weren't as lucky as me?"

His steps slowed until he finally stopped altogether. "I think," he said slowly, "that maybe you shouldn't have even come in the first place."

Amane was shivering. She told herself it was the cold. "Do you want me to leave?"

"...If you don't want to, then don't, as long as you don't screw around with things." He whirrled around, but his expression was still unreadable. "I have dealt with so much over the past almost seventeen years of my life, and I think I've turned out just fine. I like to keep things to myself. I think there are things that should be kept to oneself. I never liked people getting close, and here you are, getting front row seats to my most private of memories, good or bad. This is my space, a place for me, so I'm sure you can understand that having someone here in the first place is just unsettling, and having all of this happen only adds to that. I think I've been more than generous to you, showing you around and telling you all of this, don't you think?"

"...I...I'm sorry. I should---there are things, that I should...do." She started to apologize again, but didn't; instead she focused on the door out and turned back to find it.

"Amane..." He sighed in frustration. Neither had meant to harm the feelings of the other, yet it had happened anyway. "Amane, wait, I didn't really mean it like that..." Well, he had, but that was beside the point. "I just...I just would rather keep things to myself. I'm not used to sharing these kinds of...painful...things, especially in such a..." He tried to find the word. "...In such an intimate manner. Don't get upset."

She paused, not turning back; she tried, as discreetly as possible, to brush a hand under her eyes but it was hard to hide a gesture like that. "No, I shouldn't have come," she said, her voice a little thick but steady. "...I wasn't really thinking, I guess."

There was a pounding of feet and a bit of wind past Seto. The youngest one had found his way back and just about tackled Amane, tripping her around the middle and digging his face into her back. "Amane, I'm really sorry..."

Amane gave a muffled yelp as she was tackled to her knees; but then she was hugging Seto, tight, and shaking her head.

"I'm sorry for what he says," he said in a quiet voice just to her. "He doesn't wanna hurt you, either. We just don't like certain things we remember, ya know? I didn't mean for him to scare you off."

She nodded numbly, her eyes still a little too bright with tears. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"So...so are you really gonna go this time? We can still be best friends, right?"

"I don't think he wants me here," she said, voice even quieter. "But we're still best friends." She buried her face against him briefly. "We'll always be."

"Oh...okay..." He sniffled a little. "No, neither of them like you here. I mean, he likes YOU, just not..." He shrugged. "But I liked you here, anyway..."

"I'll come see you, ok?" She swallowed and smiled. "And I have a present for you, on the outside world."

"Okay," he replied with a nod and a small smile. "I can't wait!"

She grinned at him and pushed herself back up onto her feet. "I hope you'll like it."

He kept on the ground looking up at her. "So I guess I'll see ya later as long as I don't die, huh! So it's not so bad afterall!"

"Hey, even if you do die, it's not like that'll keep you safe from me," she pointed out with a wink.

"Oh, right!" He giggled. "Well...okay, bye for now, then!"
The other Seto glanced away for a brief moment before looking back with a smile of his own, no matter the sad undertones that laced it. It wasn't, afterall, really goodbye.

Her eyes were still uncomfortable as she looked at the older Seto; but her smile was sincerely affectionate. She turned and quietly went back through the woods.

"...You didn't have to be like that," the youngster added to the elder when she had finally faded from view.
"We don't like her in places like that." A sigh. "I'll show her happy-go-lucky stuff, I'll show her what I'm comfortable with, but..."
"I guess you're right..."
"Hm...well, come on, let's get you back home, and I'll make sure he's not around to kick you out, then I'll go back to my place, okay?"
"Okay."