Voids Space Time and Who Knows What Else

Seto sat in his desk in the C.P.O. office of Kaiba corp. He pushed back his chair and sighed. Only two days ago had his younger brother forced him to make a truce with his worst enemy, Yugi Mutou.

They had been enemies since school, not to mention the fact that Yugi had been the first person to beat him at anything let alone Duel Monsters. Seto had been locked up in his office since then agitated at the fact that Yugi had agreed so readily. He wasn't used to stuff like that being so casual.

"Seto you've been at your computer all day, let's go out to eat already." Mokuba, Seto's little brother, whined.

"I really don't have the time right now Mokuba, there's a lot of work I have yet to finish." He glanced to his sibling and rubbed his eyes. Seto's vision was twisted from staring at the computer screen too long.

"Your always busy Seto! When are you going to have some fun? Lighten up a bit maybe."

"I get the point already, let's go get some diner." Seto stood and put on his navy trench coat. Mokuba smiled running out to hold an elevator for them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Yugi! Joey and Tristan are here, are you almost ready?" Grandpa yelled from the register. "Yugi, what are you doing up there?"

"I'll be right down Grandpa, I have to find my jacket." Yugi called back. Grandpa chuckled and shook his head.

Once Yugi finally descended the staircase he gave his Grandpa a quick hug and was out the door. The guys walked down the street in an uneasy mediocre silence. Turning into the local dinner they spotted a small boy franticly waving them over.

"Hey there Mokuba, what have you been up to lately?" Tristan asked in a friendly tone.

"The usual, why don't you guys sit with us? There's plenty of room."

"Sure, it sounds great." Yugi responded with a smile. "Hi Seto how have are you doing?"

"I'm swamped with work and being pulled from my job to go have diner with my brother." Seto huffed aggravated by the sudden appearance of Yugi.

"Seto, you promised!" Mokuba muttered angrily at his brother's hostility. The older boy glanced down to the small one quickly and tried to lighten the mood.

"Right, I promised. So what are the rest of you doing tomorrow night?"

"Joey and I were planning to take a trip in town and visit Mika and Serenity." Tristan spat out before he realized what he had said; no one else had seemed to mind.

"Then perhaps after your trip you might want to come up to my home for some drinks?" Seto made sure the invitation sounded friendly enough when he spoke.

"That's why you're sending me to a friends house!" Mokuba realized that he was being deprived of the activity.

"You're still too young to be drinking." Yugi agreed. "I'll be glad to accept your invite Kaiba."

"Good, what about the rest of you now?"

"Hey free drinks good food, count me in." Tristan joked.

"Food, I'll be there. What time exactly?" Joey dazed in and out of the conversation trying to patiently wait for their server. The rest of the group laughed at his futile hopes.

The waitress finally made it to the booth the gang sat at and jotted down quick notes of the orders. Shortly returning with the food and then again a short, very short in Joey's case, time with the bill.

Conversations raged on from everything to how lame their teachers were to the next day's plans. The entire group was amazed at how well Seto warmed up as Mokuba sat next to him beaming with pride. The sun was long gone and it was near time to head home slipping back into their jackets they started for the door. While halfway out the door a muffled sound could be heard from inside somebody's pocket.

Tristan expertly pulled out a silver cell phone and flipped it open, "hello?"

Muffled speech could be heard on the other line, "Tristan, where are you?"

"I'm at the dinner."

"You were suppose to be home straight after school today, or don't you remember?"

"Remember what?"

"Today was her sugary!"

"Shit, Emira is she ok? The doctors, what did they say? Is it all gone?"

"Yes, it's gone." The strange girl spat on the line, "along with half her right lung it's gone!"

"They said they wouldn't have to remove the organ?"

"Well they were wrong. Apparently there was more cancer in her lungs than they thought. Mom's still in the hospital and her condition has stabilized."

"That's good at least."

"If you say so," came a harsh laugh, "maybe she'll be better in time to see your face one more time. If you can make it before her life support is cut!"

"You mean she's going to die!"

"Yeah, our mother is going to die and all I'll be able to do is tell them when to cut her life support so she can rest in piece."

"Emira, I'm on my way right now."

"Seeing how you were suppose to be here hours ago I suggest you hurry." There was a click on the other line followed by Tristan refolding his phone and placing it back into his coat pocket.

"I have to go." He whispered softly.

"We'll give you a ride." Mokuba piped up, "Right Seto?"

"Right, let's go."

The five guys climbed into the limo and buckled into their seats nervously. Yugi kept stealing glances at Tristan, who was in turn staring out the window at the fast passing landscape. Joey, completely lost as usual, was owing and awing about being able to ride in a limo.

"Tristan, I didn't think you had a sister." Yugi finally broke the silence.

"She lives-lived with my mom in the city. I would guess she will come to live with dad and I now that mother is gone." He explained nonchalantly. "My parent's split up when we were very little so we don't know how to live together. Mom was an archeologist so when she went off on a dig she would dump Emira at my house for the time and pick her up when she came home. Of all the dates to forget why did I forget today?"

The rest of the venture was carried out in silence. No one really knew what to say or when to say it. Domino Hospital, despite the name, was in the nest town over, Chess. Chess was a bigger city than Domino and a lot more dangerous. The hospital was on the edge of the border, which explained the name a bit, so the group got there in no time.

Before the car even stopped all, excluding Mokuba who was being forced to wait in the car, was running through the entire place before getting to their destination the Intense Care Unit. Not many people were in the waiting room only a small family on one end and a teenage girl at the farther end filling out paperwork.

"Emira!" Tristan called softly, the adolescent glanced toward the voice. She sat back in her chair and rested her head on the wall behind it. As the group neared she set the forms on a nearby table and stood, expertly anticipating their stop time. "What happened, am I too late?"

"You barely made it, at least someone in this family has some luck." The young girl, who's identity was apparently Emira, walked through a doorway across the hall from her seat. "Mother, Tristan is here. Would you like to see him?"

"Yes Emira, please let him in." "Of course mother, he has brought friends. What shall I do with them?"

"They may enter as well Love."

"Yes mother." Quickly stepping back into the hallway she motioned with her hand for the young men before her to enter.

"Dear Tristan." His mother picked him out perceptively from the group that had formed. Emira's mother looked extremely young despite her age and children's ages. Her hair still retained its color, a deep black that matched her daughter's perfectly. Not a wrinkle was upon her delicate face as she smiled and gasped as the pain from that small action was forced upon her.

"Mother, I'm sorry I was late."

"You didn't miss anything much. Just sit here watching me die, I told your sister to leave but you know how stubborn she is. She gets something in her mind and there's no end to it. Soon my life support will be cut and I'll be gone."

"Mom, if you keep talking like that it'll be sooner and you know it." Emira hissed.

"I'll be gone either way, the sooner the less pain I feel." Tristan watched the two women exchanging lines like it was casual conversation for them, something he had never suspected. He thought his mother would be scared, his sister crying, although nothing was what it seemed.

Sometime during the night Emira and Tristan's mother passed away in her hospital bed, unaware of the pain. Everyone, seeing how it was very late and everyone was tired, spent the night in the city. They slept at Emira's "home" in various rooms. Boxes were stacked to the ceiling and hardly anything was left in the house besides the shelves. It looked as if the teen had been waiting to leave it for a long time now.

The next morning was Saturday so everyone took showers and was supposed to go back to Domino then. No one did, they first hung out at what was left of Emira's and then went to visit Joey's sister's Serenity and Mika, Seto wasn't up to the hang out with Joey, Tristan, and Yugi for the entire day thing so he stayed to assist Emira and sent Mokuba with the others.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I can't believe Seto ditched us!" Mokuba started, again upset with his brother's actions.

"Give him a break, he's trying to get along with all of us, that's progress at least." Yugi told him cheerfully. "Not to mention he hasn't said a thing about work since last night."

"That is an amazing feet!" Joey exclaimed, "especially for Kaiba."

"I don't know about you guys but I don't feel too safe leaving Emira with Kaiba." Tristan told the group. "They are too much alike already and if I'm not careful she's going to get herself in trouble."

"That is a bit uncomfortable, but I'm sure everything will be fine." Yugi spoke up cheerfully.

"At least Seto isn't complaining about work.. ("I can't believe they just dragged me away from my company like that, who knows what could happen!").. for once." Mokuba stated.