I do not own the song “Ticket to Heaven” by 3 Doors Down.

WARNINGS: Mentions of Gozuboro x Seto. Character death.

 

Ticket to Heaven

 

Seto’s POV

 

I’m walking a wire, it feel likes a thousand ways I could fall
To want is to buy, but to live is to die and you can’t take it all

I laid in my bed, curled up in my sheets.  I could feel every breath becoming harder as I laid on my sheets.  Who would know that Seto Kaiba, the most powerful man in Japan…no, the world….could be destroyed by a virus no bigger than the sharp end of a pin! 

 

And everything is said and done I won’t have one thing left
What happened to everything that I ever known

In my room alone, I can see how my life is going to end.

I’m alone.

No one to stand with me.

No one to watch over me.

No one to give a shit about me.

I can hear the priest now…’He died as he lived his life….alone.’

No one to mourn me.

I guess it won’t be that bad. I don’t need Yugi or his cheerleaders behind me. Who needs them?


All he gave me was this ticket to heaven,

that ticket to heaven, said to lie in the bed that you make

 

Damn Gozuboro!  I bet you he was the one who gave me this! It wasn’t enough that Gozuboro touched Mokuba.  He had to put his slimy hands on me!  He had to sleep with me. Use me like his own personal pleasure toy! 


Now I’m restless and I’m running from everything,

 

I can’t sleep. I haven’t slept for days.  Why sleep now?  It won’t be long before I’ll be sleeping for eternity.  I’ve locked myself away. Isolated myself from everyone and everything.

 

I’m running from everything,

 

It will be easier on Mokuba if he doesn’t see how bad this virus has made me. How thin and pale I am! How hot the fire burns in the pit of my stomach!

 

I’m afraid it’s a little too late

A hacking cough shook my thin frame.  I’ve come to the realization that I’m going to die.

Fine.

It’s not like anyone will mourn me.   

 

The phone beside the bed rings and it is the guard at my door.  Someone is here to see me. 

Who could be here to see me? Who cares about me? After the way I treated the people I’ve encountered, who would care enough to come see me in my final hour of life?

“What’s his name?”

“Ryou Bakura, Mr. Kaiba.”

What the hell does he want?  I told the guard to send him up.

 

It’s a voices lie, innocents die

 

The people in my life has always lied to me. My step-father told me that he would never hurt me. He lied. 

People die all the time. 

And all your dreams, and all your money they don’t mean a thing

 

Ryou Bakura walked in. His hair falling over his shoulders.  He walked in timidly. 

“Hello, Seto.  How are you feeling?”

I tried to lift my head, but I couldn’t. I could hardly breathe let alone lift my head. 

I’m so sore.

“What are you doing here, Ryou?”

Ryou sat on the bed beside me.  “I’m here to be with you. I heard you were sick.”


When everything is said and done, you won’t have one thing left

“Nobody gives a shit about me, Ryou!  Why do you care?”

Ryou leaned over to the pitcher of water on the table by my bed.  He poured me a glass of ice water. “Are you thirsty?”

“I don’t want you to do this! Go away!”

I curled up into a tighter ball.  When is the end going to come already?  I just want this burning in my veins to stop. It’s been going on far too long.

Ryou sat down on the bed again. “Is that what you really want, Seto?”

 

What happened to everything that I ever known

I used to do everything for myself! I never have had to depend on anyone for what I wanted! Now here comes this nanny! If he thinks he’s going to burp me and sing me a lullabye, he better keep dreaming!


All he gave me was this ticket to heaven,

 

Gozuboro deserved more than what I gave him! He should have been pushed out of a building much higher than KaibaCorp.  I should have given that bastard a taste of his own medicine.  I should have.

But, I didn’t.

 

That ticket to heaven said to lie in the bed that you make

“Yes, Ryou! Now go away!”

Ryou put a soft hand on my arm. “But, you’ll be alone.  Do you really want to die alone, Kaiba?”

I coughed hard.  It’s getting harder to breathe.

Something inside me….was afraid of dying. I’m Seto Kaiba! I shouldn’t be afraid of anything!

Maybe it was the pain of breathing that made me tell Ryou what I did. I don’t know.

“No, Ryou. I don’t want to be alone.”

 

Now I’m restless and I’m running from everything,

 

“I know you haven’t been in school for a while. I was worried about you, so I decided to come see if you needed anything.”

My body began to shake uncontrollably.  “Pain….”

I heard Ryou grabbing my pain medication off of the table beside the bed. He opened the bottle.

“Seto, you have to sit up to take your medication.”

I wanted to turn my head, but I couldn’t.  “I’m going to die anyway, Ryou!  Why should I care if I choke?”

Ryou gripped my arm lightly, but it hurt. I know he didn’t mean it.

“I only want to help you, Seto.”

“I DON’T NEED HELP!” 

 

I’m running from everything,

 

I heard Ryou sniffle behind me.  What is it this time?

“What now?”

Ryou sniffled.  “Seto, I don’t want you to die.”

“Why do you care if I do?”

Ryou wiped his eyes free of tears. “I care because you are a person like the rest of us, Seto.  You always talked down to Joey. You have a rivalry with Yugi. You separated yourself from everyone.  I don’t know what you feel about me, Seto.  You don’t have to feel anything about me if you don’t want to.  You don’t even have to tell me. But, I heard that you were sick. Very sick. Nobody knows why.”

I sighed. 

“Ryou, nobody knows why for a reason.  I didn’t want to bring shame and disgrace on Mokuba.  I didn’t want to disgrace the Kaiba name.”

HA! The Kaiba name….

The Kaiba name gave me this disease….

Why should I protect it?

Mokuba still has the name.  

Nobody can know.

 

I’m afraid it’s a little too late

Ryou helped me sit up.  A Blue Eyes White Dragon attack would be less painful on me than this.  My muscles are sore. The room is starting to spin as I sit up.

My bathrobe slides up as I’m trying to sit up when Ryou gasped.

He saw my arm covered in lesions. 

When I sat up, I pulled down my sleeve.

Ryou bit his lip and it trembled. “Seto, you have…….AIDS?”

 
It’s a little too late

With a great deal of pain, I took my pain pill.  Within minutes, the fire running through my body quelled a little.


All he gave me was this ticket to heaven,

 

I leaned back on the pillows that propped me up on the bed.  I let out a sigh.

Ryou took my hand. “How? How did you get this?”

It hurt to clench my hand into a fist, but I did it anyway.  “My step-father Gozuboro used to sexually abuse me, Ryou.  I let him use me so he would keep his hands off of Mokuba!  And now…now…I’m better off paying the price rather than my brother.  I’d rather be sick than lose my little brother.”

Ryou’s face flooded with pity. Nobody ever pitied me before!

“Seto, it’s not your fault.”

 

that ticket to heaven said to lie in the bed that you make

“It IS my fault, Ryou!  It’s my fault I’m sick!”

“But, you sacrificed yourself for your little brother.”

I sighed. “I would do it again if I could, Ryou.  If it meant that I would keep Mokuba safe, I would do this for him again.”

Ryou looked over at my table full of medicine.  “You’re very brave, Kaiba. You’re more brave than I had ever thought.”

 

 

Now I’m restless and I’m running from everything,

 

I shrugged. I may be brave, but, look at this room.

Empty.

No one to miss me.

No one.

I can’t have Mokuba see me like this.

Mokuba shouldn’t see me like this.

 

I’m running from everything,

 

“Ryou, I don’t need to hear lies!”

Ryou shook his head. “I would never lie to you, Kaiba. When I came in, you told me you didn’t need anyone.  You do, Kaiba. You need someone.”

 

I’m afraid it’s a little too late

 

It’s too late for me already.  It’s too late for me to play brave, fearless Kaiba.  Ryou sees right through me.

“All right, Ryou. You see past my bag of tricks.  You’re right. I do need someone. I didn’t want to be alone. There. Does that make you happy?”


All he gave me was this ticket to heaven,

 

Nobody ever cared enough about me to visit me when I was sick or care about my needs.   

 

that ticket to heaven, said to lie in the bed that you make

“Seto, I want to be here for you. I cared enough about you to come check on you.  I was really worried about you. The others told me to reconsider coming to visit you.”

“What made you come to me?”

Ryou looked at me with teary eyes. “Because I know that nobody else would.”

 

Now I’m restless and I’m running from everything,

 

I laid my head back on the pillows, struggling to take a breath.  It hurt, but I had a feeling the pain wouldn’t last much longer.

 

I’m running from everything,

 

I’m sorry I have to leave you, Mokuba. I love you. Never doubt that for a second. I’ve prepared for your financial future. I have secured your place in my company. Nobody will be able to take control over KaibaCorp because of my Will.  You’re safe.

You’re alive. Keep living, Mokuba. Do it for me.

 

I’m afraid it’s a little too late

 

Ryou’s POV

“It’s too late for me, Ryou.  I have little time left. I need you to promise me something, Ryou.”

Seto’s eyes closed. His breathing became quiet. I could hardly hear him as he spoke. His body started to twitch as his body started to die.

“Make sure…..no one knows about my illness, Ryou.  Never tell….anyone.”

I shook my head. Poor Seto. “My lips are sealed, Seto.  No one will know.”

Seto started to gag a little, his voice becoming quiet and unclear.

“And…tell Mokuba….I love him.”

Seto’s eye struggled to open. “Thank you…for staying with me.”

I nodded. “Go to sleep, Seto.”

Kaiba’s eye closed and his body went limp against the pillows. Kaiba breathed out his last breath.


It’s a little too late

 

Tears pooled in my eyes. At least Kaiba wasn’t alone in his last moments.  I brushed Seto’s brown hair back. I stroked Seto’s cooling cheek delicately. “Goodbye, Seto.  Goodbye.”