Chap. 9: Moments in Time
Disclaimer: I do not nor have I ever owned Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters. I do own the plot of his story and Sakura and Selene Kaiba who are the children of my own imagination.
Pairings: Seto & Anzu; Mokuba & Selene; ?? & Sakura (later on)
Main POV: Sakura Kaiba, Anzu Kaiba (diary entries)
This chapter's POV: Selene
It's so hard to be strong in moments like this, when your happiness could be big and complete, if it weren't for that one missing factor. My missing factor is you, my beloved cousin. I wouldn't be who I am today without you and your care. I've never known a mother in my life, but if I would have had to choose between you and a mother I would have chosen you, because you were everything to me, mother, sister and best friend. Now I finally have what I've always wanted, a family of my own. Ever since I married Mokuba, I've been on the brink of fulfilling my happiness and now we're about to have a baby. A child of our own, a family...
I need your smile now, Anzu, I need your comforting words, your gentle embrace, and I need your strength. I barely pulled myself together to tell Saki of my baby, without breaking down, when a smile blossomed on her face. She looks so much like you, she acts like you, and she truly is your daughter, even if we have spoiled her rotten.
She comes to me, like I have come to you, for everything. We have a great relationship, like two sisters.
Anzu, I'm an adult now. I'm not the ten year old girl who came to live with you and Seto, all those years ago, and I'm not the sixteen year old teenager you left behind, all alone in the world. I love you so much, Anzu, and I miss you. I don't know if I can do this alone. You were such a great mother to Saki and to me too, I'm not sure if I'll manage without you here. Even though I desperately wanted a child, I'm not sure if I'm ready to be a mother.
I remember the days when Sakura was no more then a toddler, you were smiling upon us and Seto smirking from a corner. Days when you forced me to dress like a female and took me out, when you always found a way to put Mokuba and me in the same room, because you knew that we liked each other. I think you knew even before we did.
It's sad that I have more memories of you then your own daughter. Why did you leave her here alone, when all you wanted is to see her grow up?
I'll never forget the day you told us that you wouldn't live to see Saki become a woman...
Flashback, August 18;
Seto opened the door of the mansion, letting his wife in a closing it behind him. His head was down, eyes drawn to the floor, he looked far away. Anzu didn't look much better. She was pale, he eyes were dull and her head hung low.
Little Sakura run down the stars as fast as her chubby little legs would carry her and threw herself around Anzu's waist.
"Mommy! Mommy, wheve you be?"
Anzu smiled and scooped her little bundle of joy in her arms, hugging the little girl lovingly. Seto came over and took Sakura in his arms, whispering in her ear and carried her to the sitting room. He sat down on one of the sofas with Sakura perched happily on his lap. She laughed and smiled as he bounced her a little, brown pigtails jumping up and down.
Anzu came in after them and sat down after ordering tea and asking one of the maids to call for the other two children, Mokuba and Selene.
Moments they both run in and sat down on either side of Anzu. They looked curiously at her. Anzu smiled sadly and laid a hand on each of their heads.
"Listen children, we have something important to tell you. Please listen carefully."
She took a deep breath and looked at Seto. Their eyes met and she seemed to draw strength from his gaze. Looking back down at the two fourteen year old she begun.
"We went to see a doctor today, because the headaches didn't stop. It doesn't look good. I won't lie to you. I have spine cancer, it's affecting my brain."
Selene and Mokuba paled, despair etched on their faces as they looked at her. Selene was the first one capable to say anything.
"What does that mean, Anzu?"
Anzu smiled bitterly at her and caressed her red locks., "It means that I'm going to die, my little one."
The room fell silent. Not even Sakura, who didn't understand what was going on, made a sound. The grave expression on her mother's face was scaring her. She decided to investigate, and she wanted to know what 'die' means.
"Mommy, wha 'die' mean?"
Tears slipped down Anzu's cheeks as she knelt down before her daughter and took her little face between her hands.
"It means that Mommy is going to go away, baby."
Sakura cocked her little head, much in the same fashion as her mother and asked innocently, "When you be back, Mommy? You be back soon, 'cause Saki gonna miss you."
Anzu choked back a sob and took her little girl in her arms, hugging her tightly.
"Mommy's never coming back, baby."
Sakura lifted her head from Anzu's shoulder and asked saddened, "But why? Don't Mommy love Saki and Daddy anymove?"
Anzu clutched her daughter tightly to her chest and whispered brokenly, "Of course I love you, baby, both you and your Daddy, I love you more then life. Never forget that. But Mommy's going to heaven and you can't come back from there."
Sakura seemed to be thinking for a moment before she looked back at the beautiful woman that was her mother and smiled a sad little smile, as if understanding that she'll lose the most precious person in her life.
"Saki love Mommy, too, and Daddy! Mommy, is heaven wheve Gvandma is? Why do Mommy have to go to heaven? Mommy is not old, Gvandma was old when she go to heaven."
Anzu just cried harder.
Selene scooted over to Mokuba and clutched his shirt, crying in his chest. Mokuba wrapped his arms around the red-head and buried his face into her hair, to try and hide his tears, but he couldn't hide the sobs that wracked his body.
Seto's tall form doubled over in his seat, he buried his head in his hand and let the tears fall.
Sakura looked around, not understanding why everyone was crying, but as she saw her Daddy cry, she couldn't hold back anymore and cried. Cried because she felt, even if she didn't understand, that this day would change her life forever and her Daddy will lose his smile, that her Mommy won't come to kiss her goodnight and sing her a lullaby when she was scared.
End Flashback
That was the worst day of my life. My whole world broke down when you told us you'd die. I didn't want you to leave, I didn't want you to die, I wanted you to stay forever with us and smile. Your smile seemed to have died that day, you smiled only for Saki afterwards. Seto went in his own world, desperation and loneliness clearly visible on his face.
Days went by, the weeks, months. A year passed. You became weaker and weaker till you couldn't move anymore. With not even twenty seven years you looked like eighty. You spoke barely, and you refused to let Saki in your room. You wanted her to remember you as strong and confident, as smiling and beautiful, not a sick, broken woman, with one foot in her grave.
Seto never left your side. He sat there, clutching your hand and crying. He didn't speak, he didn't sleep, and he didn't eat. It was as if he was dead inside.
Sakura seemed to have understood what it means to die. She wanted to be with you; as if feeling you would slip away one moment and she won't be able to see you before you left us.
Then the day came. Just two days after Sakura's fourth birthday.
I had been by you, trying to get Seto to eat something, but he refused. I went down to the kitchen and had to keep Sakura out of your room, she wanted to you.
I was downstairs, making a tea for Seto when I heard a thump over my head. I rushed to your room and threw open the door.
In front of your bed stood Sakura, tears washed down her face, her eyes empty. Seto was on his knees beside your bed, still clinging to your hand, his head on the bad, his sobs shaking his body. Your eyes were closed; a small smile was on your face.
Tears gathered in my eyes, I knew you wouldn't wake up anymore. After almost two years fighting that gruesome disease, you left us.
I was a broken doll after that. The following year was a blur to me, I don't remember much of it I just know that I missed and still miss you terribly.
AN: Well, here's chapter nine. Hope you like it,
Jas
