A/N This was the hardest one to write, mostly because it made me depressed while writng it. i hope the end to Duelist Kingdom will be better.

thanks to EB for listoning to my wories about writers block and bouncing ideas back and forth with me. I'm so glad she is my friend on here. :)

ok. hope you like it. tell me how i did.

Chapter 7

Saturday was one of the loneliest days in Airi's life. She sat alone in the shop doing homework at the counter unless a customer happened to wander in. Without the distractions of Yugi and his friends she was able to get all her assignments done, but then she no longer had that to keep her mind of the silence. After she shop was closed, Airi went through the house, doing the chores. But even though she turned the radio on high and vacuumed every room she couldn't make the gloom go away. Her mind kept thinking of Yugi. She knew Joey wouldn't let anyone mess with him but, still she knew duelists, especially professional ones, were ruthless.

After she was finished with chores, Airi went to the hospital. She spent the night sitting in a chair next to grandpa's bed either. For the first house she spent looking blankly through one of the magazines from the waiting room, or stared into space listening to the beeping of the hospital monitors. She still didn't like hospitals, but being with grandpa, soulless or not, beat being home, where she was completely alone.

It was getting late. Airi was board.

"Yugi should have finished his first duels by now." Airi said, talking to the motionless form of grandpa. She knew he couldn't hear her but talking made some noise other then the constant beep of the monitors. "No news is good news, so he should still be in the tournament. Though I don't know how they would tell us if he was eliminated. I sort of envy you. Your closer to where Yugi is. I'm not saying I like you like this." she blinked rapidly. "I should be there. I know what your going to say 'Yugi has the heart of the cards with him'. I know that. But I'm his sister, I should be there with you two. Besides you, he's all I have left."

Airi got up and walked over to the window. She stared unseeing down onto the dark street. Maybe it was just her mood but she felt herself feeling sick. She had almost forgotten how much she hated hospitals. They were so clean and neat that it felt like they were hiding something. The knew hospitals did help people, but she also knew they sometimes didn't help at all. Even this room was almost exactly like the one her mom had been in for the year she had suffered from heart disease. Airi wiped her eyes with her sleeve, remembering that last night. Last chance to fix mom's heart, but no one had told the kids that it had more likely to be fatal then helpful. Grandpa had the kids go into the his daughter-in-laws room an hour before the surgery to wish her luck, or to say good bye. They had stayed there, not wanting to waist there possible last moments. Even though she had been only 7 at the time Airi remembered like it was yesterday.

Yugi was curled up on one side of the bed, little head resting on mom's chest, smiling contentedly as he slept. He was just happy to be with mommy again. Her constantly being in tests had meant he wasn't allowed to be near her as much as he wanted. Mom was stroking his head with one hand, her other arm was around Airi. The little girl lay next to her on the other side, head resting in on her mother's shoulder. She could tell something was wrong. The doctors were talking about doing something. Dad had died two months ago. Airi figured that the hospital had done something to her daddy. Were they going to take mommy away too?

"Airi, it's going to be alright." mom said, feeling her tenseness."it will be ok."

Airi clenched onto her mothers hospital gown even tighter.

"It's almost time Mrs. Muto." the doctor came in, Grandpa and a nurse behind him. Grandpa has stepped out a few minuets earlier to give the small family some last moments together. The nurse came over and gently picked the sleeping Yugi up.

"Just a moment." Izumi Muto forced herself, with some help from the doctor, to sit up. The nurse leaned in closer and Izumi kissed the top of Yugi's head. Yugi's hand reached up and touched the spot lazily as he dreamed. Mom smiled sadly. "I love you." she told him, brushing his already floppy gold bangs out of his eyes.

"Ok Airi," the doctor said, turning to the little girl. "It's time for your mommy to go and get better.

"No." Airi said. They had said that about Daddy and he had never come back. Airi gripped her mom tightly in a hug. "Don't leave mommy." she sobbed into her shoulder.

"Shh." mom said rubbing her daughters back. "Airi, I need you be strong for me. Can you do that?"

"No I can't." Airi said. "I'm not strong. We need you, I need you, Yugi needs you."

"That's why I need you to be strong." mom said firmly. "I need you to be there for your brother. I need you to be the older sister and take care of him and grandpa." mom put her hands on her daughters shoulders, forcing both of them to look directly into each others eyes. " I love you so much. Don't ever forget that. I know you can do this sweetheart, will you do this for me?"

Airi couldn't say anything. She only nodded. Izumi unclasped the necklace from around her neck. It had been a engagement present from her husband. It was a green jade lotus flower pendant no bigger then a American quarter on a thin silver chain. She fastened it around Airi's neck."Keep this safe for me?"

Airi put her had protectively around the flower, and nodded seriously.

"Come along, Airi" Grandpa said gently. Airi slid off the bed. She turned one last time to her mother and smiled.

"I'll be the big sister for you." she hope she at least looked brave, even if she felt nothing like it.

"That's my girl." seeing her mothers proud smile made Airi feel better. She walked out of the room in front of the nurse holding Yugi, head held high, showing the world she was going to be brave.

Grandpa took his daughter-in-laws hand. "You'll be ok." seeing the look in her eyes made him grip her hand tighter. "If it doesn't, I promise I'll take good care of them." he said, voice a little choked up.

"I know you will, dad." she said squeezing his hand. She knew she may not live through this. Her only comfort was that her children had him, and each other.

With out really noticing, Airi reached up and closed her fingers around the small jade pendant around her neck. She recalled how she had held the millennium puzzle piece like that only a year earlier. Even though what ever that power was couldn't possibly hear her, she quietly prayed that the puzzle would still help her brother. It had done it once before.


Airi fell asleep in the hospital chair, not waking until one of the nurses came in the next morning. She was lucky the shop opened later on Sundays or she would have been behind schedule.

Sundays were the slowest days at the shop. Airi wandered why they even bothered opening, if kids were going to show up it would be on Saturday and no adult seemed intent enough on cards to even look at the shop as they past.

Airi was forcing herself to to the accounts. Having done all her homework there wasn't really anything else to do. It was midday. In a few hours she could justify closing the shop and going back to the hospital.

The door opened and shut quickly. Airi looked up, almost dropping the pencil in shock.

"Seto!"

Kaiba stood there. Even though he had been running, he still managed to look as composed and as arrogant as ever.

Both were motionless, staring at each other.

"I need someplace to hide for a minuet." he walked towards the back of the shop, sitting down behind one of the display cases. He placed his silver briefcase on his lap. His position was a great hiding place in relation to the door. The only disadvantage was it was close to the counter.

"Make yourself at home why don't you." Airi muttered, pretending indifference.

They said nothing for what seemed like hours. Unable to stand it, Airi finally broke the silence.

"Did your company finally get sick of you, or something?"

"What gave you that idea?" Seto scoffed. "The fact that I had to result to this place for safety."

"No one forced you to come here." Airi reminded.

Seto said nothing, determined not to look at her, he was glaring at the opposite wall, which had a poster of Winged Kuriboh. It looked like they were having a no blinking contest.

"So your being chased by your fed up company. Can't say I'm surprised. Why didn't you bring Mokuba with you?"

"It's rather hard, since he's kidnapped."

That go Airi's attention. "What!"

"Pegasus has him so he can take over KaibaCorp, not that you'd care."

"Not Pegasus." Airi breathed. "Please tell me your joking." She cared about Mokuba. He was a good kid and the thought of Pegasus having him made her blood run cold.

"You of all people know I don't joke. And I'd appreciate it if you worried about your own brother."

"What do you mean?" Airi stood up. "If you know something about Yugi then spit it out."

"Temper." Seto chided. "I had to hack into Pegasus's system. Your brother was having quiet a time. I'm surprised Pegasus let the runt into the tournament." Kaiba didn't mention that Yugi had been dueling his own deck and some imposter with his name or that he had helped Yugi out by poisoning one of his blue-eye's with a virus. Last thing he wanted was her to feel indebted to him.

"He didn't give him much of a choice. "Airi said. "Taking Grandpa isn't what I call a proper invitation."

Seto was silent for a moment after hearing Grandpa was also in Pegasus's grasp. That explained why the old man wasn't around making things difficult.

"It looks like we both have a grudge against Pegasus." Kaiba observed, still not looking at her. "So Yugi has to duel for his family again. Doubt he'll beat Pegasus."

"Yugi will make it, he trusts his cards."

"Please, don't kid yourself. Pegasus is the one who created the game. What chance does that shrimp have against the creator of duel monsters?"

"You were supposed to be unbeatable." Airi snapped. "and Yugi beat you."

"He had Exodea back then."

"What?"

"According to the computer, he lost the cards on the boat ride over."

Airi stared. 'Gramps is going to freak when he finds out.' was her first thought.

"Every card has a weakness." she said out loud, not losing faith in her brothers abilities. "Yugi will be able to beat that creep, Even without Exodea."

"Circumstance can make some cards unbeatable. I taught you that."

"Actually, I taught you that." Airi said coldly.

Kaiba's eyes flashed. He hated being corrected.

"Just face it. Your brother has no chance in getting your grandfather back."

Airi had heard enough.

"If all your going to do is slander my family, then you can do it someplace else." she growled. "I don't have the luxury like you of having power hungry creeps run things while I'm gone, so I suggest you leave so I can get back to work."

Kaiba stood up. He was planning on leaving anyway. Airi turned her back as he started up the isle to the door.

"None of my business." she said, making him stop before he got to the door. "But I do hope Mokuba is alright. I wish you best of luck getting him back."

She heard the footsteps coming back towards her. Then the sound of something being placed on the counter.

"Found this in the lab." she heard him say. "Told you the chain was no good. Don't brake it again."

With that he was gone. Airi waited until she was sure he was gone before she allowed herself to turn around. The thing that Kaiba had put on the counter was a locket. It was in the shape of a duel monsters cards. It was similar to the matching set Kaiba and Mokuba had. The only difference was that hers was was slightly smaller and was silver while theirs were gold. Kaiba had given it to her for her birthday when they were still together. He had told her it was for what ever was most important to her. He has shown her how his held a picture of Mokuba. The chain on her locket hadn't been the strongest however and had snapped a few months after. Seto had promised her he would have it fixed. But then he had become occupied with running the company and becoming the best at duel monsters. He probably only gave it back so that he wouldn't feel like he owed her something. Though he had replaced the chain, that was something.

She ran her finger around the edge until she found the latch. Perching herself on the counter top, she opened it.

Inside was a groups picture; her family. Grandpa was standing behind the seated couple, his hand on his son's shoulder. Jiro Muto, black hair slightly less crazy as Yugi's, held 6 year old Airi on his lap. Airi's younger self was giving the camera a double thumbs up. Izumi Muto, red and gold hair shining in the light, was holding 4 year old Yugi, who's violet eyes were staring widely in wonder at the camera. This was taken days before they had gotten the test results back, saying that mom had a heart decease. A year later dad died in a car accident on the way home from work. A two months after that mom died on the operating table.

Because of the tragic circumstances of both deaths, grandpa didn't keep that many photos in the house, it being to painful to him. The majority were in frames on the mantel in the living room. This photo had been the only one Airi called hers. By the time she and Seto had broken up, she couldn't remembered where it was and had figured it would be lost forever.

She closed the locket. She held it close to her heart, eyes closed, thankful to have it back.

'Thank you, Seto.' she thought. No way would she say it to his face

A/N wow, that was depressing. anyway hope you liked it. I don't know what Airi will be doing for the other two days of Duelist kingdom besides waiting for Yugi to come back. if anyone has a request for what will happen next, please tell me. i will take your sugestions into consideration. i love hearing from you guys.

anyway. please review. they make me happy. :)