Disclaimer: o.o;;; yeah.. you know. :P

Author's Notes: Why do I never have anything to say? Maybe, one day, if I ever get any, I shall start, uh, answering reviews.. yeah. this chapter's a shorty, by the way. Real short.


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Seto and Mokuba made their way along the sidewalk, and up to their sister's house. Personally, Seto would have rather gone home, but, having just left the funeral, they had to show up for the reception at least for a while. Besides, Mokuba really wanted to go, and Seto just wasn't going to say no this time.

At last, Mokuba seemed to be showing at least some kind of emotion toward what had happened to Blade, and was clutching his brother's hand tightly as they made their way to the door. Seto saw it as a good sign, at least-- it was way too weird for Mokuba to not really care about much.

The two paused for a moment at the door, and Seto gave Mokuba a bit of a pat on the shoulder before the two went inside. Making their way quickly through a throng of people, the brothers made their way into the livingroom. Seto was surprised. He didn't even know half of these people.. He didn't stop to think about that for too long, because Mokuba soon let go of his hand and moved forward to where a table had been set up near the middle of the room. Seto didn't follow, and watched as Mokuba slowly approached the table and stared quietly at the picture of Blade that was set up there.

Biting down on his lip for a moment, Seto walked up behind his brother and took a good look at the picture of his nephew. Frowning a bit, and sighing. Giving Mokuba another pat on the head, and briefly messing his hair up a little bit, Seto turned away from him and made his way across the room to where his sister was standing off on her own. He glanced at a pair of people as he passed them, frowning at one of the comments he heard: 'Kids don't have strokes, unless their on drugs..' 'So, then, why the closed coffin?' trying to ignore it for the most part, Seto just frowned again, and quickened his pace.

"Victoria.. I'm so sorry." he put a hand on his sister's shoulder when he got there, and was slightly startled when she suddenly hugged him. Blinking a few times, he returned it. Victoria sniffled a few times, and Seto pulled out of the hug. He eyed his sister silently, and frowned when he followed Victoria's gaze to the nearby couch. "You all right, Malik?"

Seto's brother in-law turned to look back at him, "Yeah, I'm fine." he paused, "How are you?"

Closing his eyes for a moment, Seto just shook his head and didn't reply. Malik turned to face the coffee table again, and went back to staring wordlessly at his drink. Victoria seemed to be crying beside him.


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They stood together infront of the kitchen sink. Seto rinsing every dish that his sister would wash. He didn't know why he'd decided to stay and help, but he had.

"He sleeps all day. He doesn't move..," Victoria shook her head, frowning, "it's too much for him." she stopped washing dishes suddenly, and turned to look at her brother, "It doesn't make any sense, Seto. I spent four hours on the internet, and I couldn't fine one single case of a sixteen-year-old boy's heart just stopping." turning again when Seto backed away from the sink to lean quietly against the island, she kept speaking, "I spoke to three different doctors, and not one of them could tell me exactly what happened to my son." voice cracking slightly, Victoria reached behind herself and turned the water off. Frowning again, "He was.. close.. with you."

"And Mokuba."

"But.. he confided in you."

Seto hesitated, "Yeah.. but he never said anything...," he shook his head, "nothing that would explain what happened."

Victoria starting speaking even before Seto had finished his last word; her voice pressing, "But you could find out. It's what you do, isn't it-- ask questions?" He didn't reply. "Seto, please..," Victoria's voice started to crack again, and her eyes watered, "I saw him.. I saw his face."


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Victoria threw the closet door open, questioning quietly to see if her son was in there before breaking off and into a scream.

There, huddled in the corner in a fetal position was Blade. He was completely unrecognizable-- every bit of visible skin was brown.. red and burnt, it was scabby, but looked slimey at the same time. His face was twisted into the most horrible expression of horror, mouth wide and twisted, eyes completely blank and lifeless. There was a small trail of something oozing from what appeared to be the corner of his mouth. His head drooped forward suddenly; silently.


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Told you it was short! That's because I wrote this one before I thought of the whole, "Ooh! Short chapters should get put together.." thing. --; Review?