The news drew the wind out of everyone's sales. Pegasus brooded over past sins in his room, painting horrors. Seto slept like the dead. Croquet and Isono got fat on cheesecake and watched and lost at Jeopardy. Isono didn't want to think about death, so he didn't. He thought,' what is? 'instead. Since Seto hadn't eaten, Isono gave him an IV an hour before bed. He carried him to and from the bathroom and thought about suits and matching ties. But that night, Seto didn't just nuzzle in close, he clung. His hands were fisted in Isono's shirt so hard, Isono was convinced it would tear.

What is premonition?

What is running out of time?

What is loss?

Eventually the whole house slept but too early they were all awake. Isono found Seto a black suit and tie. They had argued a bit about the tie. Seto wanted a white one. Isono pressed that it would make him look like a forties gangster or a waiter. They were both just avoiding this incoming shit storm of emotions. Pegasus wore grey and purple. It was essentially what everyone had expected.

Carrying him down the stairs, Isono was struck so hard by a flaw in their plan that he nearly stumbled. Seto whacked him on the back of the head, lightly.

" Don't drop me!"

" What are we going to do? The press knows Yugi's last name. As private as it is someone will take a picture and there you'll be in a wheelchair, at a funeral looking-."

"Like death?"

"Well, yes."

Seto thought for a moment. Isono didn't set him down, the wheelchair was in the trunk and they were at an impasse at the bottom of the stairs.

" We risk it then." Seto shrugged. " let's go."

Isono was floored.

" What do you mean, risk it? Risk it?! No plan, nothing, just 'oh well'."

"Yes" snapped Seto, craning his head to look at him, something he hadn't had to do in years.

" It's not my day yet. It's not about me."

Isono grit his teeth but didn't fight him. This was a lesson he'd wanted Seto to learn for years but not in regards to his own death. They got in the car together. Croquet drove and Isono took the passenger seat. Pegasus fussed with everyone's hair until they got there. They all looked wind tossed from the experience.

Solomon Mouto had been a man of the world. No one religion comprised him and therefore it was right that the ceremony was not in a church, not under the hand of a holy man of the west. Marik was wearing white robes and speaking Egyptian to the frozen field of the shrine. To the people gathered there. Isono's hand twitched for his gun. He didn't trust these villians turned friends, these monsters turned youngsters. He pushed the wheelchair too hard over a rock and nearly knocked Seto out. Seto, behind Isono's sunglasses was still squinting in pain.

Isono hoped that Yugi understood what this meant.

So many people were here. The typical group was crowded around Yugi. A Buddhist priest was saying something now. Mai Valentine was there, holding Joey's hand. Isis and Odion. Rebecca Hawkings and her grandfather, looking drawn and so old. The wheelchair was shockingly loud. Everyone turned to look at them, the priest faltered. Seto sat straight and still until they all looked away. Joey held Seto's eyes and nodded. Isono didn't know what that meant. It wasn't like a typical Japanese ceremony but maybe they had done that last night.

They instead lowered a small box into the earth. In the theology of ancient Egypt, Solomon had had his organs preserved, for Japanese culture, the rest was cremated. Seto started to shake. He was seizing. Isono put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. Marik spoke again. It seemed like the ceremony was over, people were shifting about, speaking. Mai came over to Seto, eyes narrowed. Isono didn't like the look of her. Thankfully the shudders tapered off before she reached them.

" What'd you do to yourself, sweet pea?"

"Hard living" he said in the clipped tight voice he had after seizures.

She smiled at him. She really was a stunning woman. She was even prettier here, dressed down and in a black dress which touched her knees. Grey leggings against the cold. She looked like an adult, not a sordid teenager. She looked over Isono's head but not without winking at him.

" Pegasus, you missed the wake."

" I know, darling, I was at Kaiba's trapped in the snow."

" He's rich, you could've rent a plow on his dime. Or yours."

" I cracked my tailbone, my dear, on this black ice."

"Then you should've thrown salt."

"Salt reaction doesn't occur in this low a temperature." Seto chimed in, tiredly.

Isono wanted Seto to stop talking. He sounded so faint.

" Well, well, well. Someone's not too sick for chemistry."

She leaned down. Isono didn't know how she kept her balance, lowering those enormous breasts.

" Listen, Yugi's place is too small for a reception. Could we come back with you? Joey didn't want me to ask. I didn't think you'd mind with that much space."

Seto didn't hesitate.

" Of course."

Isono gaped down at the top of his head. He was already tired. Maybe he planned on just letting them run amok while he hid upstairs. They headed back to the car. Yugi had never approached them, nor vice versa. Once inside, Seto slumped against Pegasus, breathing hard.

" Jesus Christ," Pegasus said and wrapped his coat around them both. " Deep breaths, just try to catch your breath." He rubbed Seto's shoulders like he thought they might ignite.

Seto had managed to settle the cold out of his lungs by the time they got back to the mansion. Isono swept him up and into the house, fast to make sure no one saw. Poor Seto gripped his head, dizzy.

"Do you want to go upstairs?"

" Just for a few minutes." Seto breathed and Isono took him there. He had no intention at all of bringing him back down again.

Isono had gotten a Nebulizer at their last appointment. He bundled Seto into the bed and fastened it to his face. Seto wrinkled his nose behind the mask. The mist didn't smell or taste fantastic. He knew he had to get the kitchen at least somewhat ready for attack. But he didn't want to go. Seto was so sick. Isono was even afraid to push a hand into his hair in case it decided to fall out. Instead he smoothed a hand over his clammy forehead and left, closing the door behind him. People were already milling about downstairs. Pegasus was leading people around; Croquet was making little snacks in the kitchen while Duke and Joey watched with the single minded interest of canines.

Joey looked up when he came in at least.

" He ok?"

" He's a bit tuckered out. He just needs a moment."

Joey leaned in, seriously. " He was not this sick a few weeks ago. Are we sure this is cancer, it's moving really fast."

" Sometimes it does that" Tristan said, Isono looked up at him.

" My uncle, essentially the guy who raised me, got pancreatic cancer when I was a kid. Took him in two months."

" I'm very sorry" Isono said softly and Tristan shrugged.

"Hopefully, he and Gramps are playing cards. Dave wasn't any good but…you know."

Isono tried a smile. It seemed to work, Tristan went back to cramming appetizers. Tea came up from behind Isono so fast, he nearly drew the gun he no longer carried.

" Have you guys seen Yugi? I feel like he's holed up in a bathroom somewhere." The gang hurried off and Bakura came up to snag a snack. He looked better than he had before. He'd filled out and had smile lines. He shook Isono's hand and didn't seem to remember their combined history.

Isono was not about the remind him.

After a few minutes, bumping into Marik and getting a jubilant smack on the back and seeing Mai again ( who grabbed his ass), Isono was getting worried again. For one, the gang of kids had gone…somewhere. And another, for a funeral, these people were loud. Isono enjoyed happy people but Seto was upstairs, sick. Trying to sleep. Eventually he tore himself away and tripped over himself to get up the stairs. The door was cracked open. Isono stilted his breathing and peeked through.

Seto was propped up against the headboard. The nebulizer was still on is face, giving his profile a Hannibal Lector profile in the dark. He was holding someone in his arms. Yellow red and black hair was jutting up against Seto's chin. Someone was crying roughly. Seto looked over at him. Isono backed away and gently shut the door. He found Joey downstairs ( in the laundry room…again) and told him where Yugi was and to give him space. Evenutally the young man came down himself. His face was blotchy from crying but he was sporting a tentative smile. He immediately started apologizing to his friends, hugging them, holding their hands. People were thawing in the middle of winter.

Marik offered Yugi a stay in Egypt. Pegasus, having to out do him, shook Yugi's hand and told him soberly that if he needed a break, he could always rediscover Duelist Kingdom. This prompted an enormous explosion of stories from the insular gang while the rest of them laughed and enjoyed the wines Pegasus had dragged out of the cellar.

"So I was cooking the candy bars-"

"-they were good!"

"Yug, they were better than good. They were cooked candybars, so ooey gooey-"

Suddenly Joey stopped. They all stopped. The room was silent as the front door slid shut.

Isono turned on his heel, his heart in his throat.

Mokuba Kaiba stood in the foyer of his old home, Serenity behind him, kicking off her shoes. She was smiling to see everyone.

Mokuba looked livid.