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Chapter Three: Forever one

One year ago

"Seto is it true, you found Serenity. You found my sister?!" Joey was jumping up and down in class he had just received a phone call from Seto. Mokuba was waiting outside the school gates with a limo to drive Joey to the airport. Seto was waiting at the airport for his private jet to touchdown. There were many details he failed to mention, like the fact Serenity was sick and a transport was also waiting at the terminal.

"Joey, what's wrong?" Spoke Mokuba. He noticed the blond had gotten very quite the closer they got to the airport. "One minute ago you wouldn't be still, now I can't get a smile or word out of your mouth."

Eyes filled with excitement closed to narrow slits. A frown crossed his brow and Joey slipped into self-doubt. "Mokuba what if she doesn't want to see me? After mom died I lost contact with my sister. Damn. . . Mokuba I left her all alone. What if she hates me?"

"Joey you are her big brother, it wouldn't matter what Seto did, I'll always love him. I can't imagine my life without him. I know she feels the same way too."

"I hope you're right. . ."

The limo pulled directly out on to the air-strip along with a medical transport. "Mokuba what's going on?" Seto's greeting of the pair was cold and impersonal. The only reason he initiated the search for Serenity was at the insistent hounding from Mokuba. 'Mokuba what new project will you pick up after this is over? My good brother always wants to help strays. 'Seto smiled at the thought, but this was a bit more than he had bargained.

The three boys waited patiently and eventually Serenity was lowered down from the plane and a medical team rushed to her side. Joey followed at a safe distance and watched as the medical team applied a breathing mask over her face. It appeared she had fainted on the flight and Seto did not want to take any chances.

"Serenity . . ."Joey whispered. It has been almost two years since their mom had taken Serenity away in the middle of the night. He still did not understand why. "Mokuba, she's so pale and thin," Joey spoke. Mokuba took his hand and guided the blond to the medical transport and Joey climbed in.

"We'll meet you at the hospital Joey." Mokuba didn't have a fear. All the feelings he felt for his best friend Serenity can flooding back to him at the sight of her lovely face. The two had been friends for almost one year. "Joey Serenity is very strong, don't worry."



Joey rode in the transport and held Serenity's hand all the way. After a few hours the test showed she was just exhausted and paranoid. In less than a week Serenity was released in the care of Seto who already had custody of a minor his brother, besides, Seto paid all the officials to make it happen. Joey would have custody of his sister as long as he graduated this year and got a job.

Serenity was out of the hospital, living in a two bedroom apartment with her brother, and attending school. She managed to make a few friends and even had a sleepover last week. Mokuba was her best friend and she would often be found sitting alone or waiting for him outside the school grounds by an old willow tree. Mokuba touched her heart, he never asked questions but he always had answers.

So why was the girl, with overwhelming sadness in her eyes so depressed? Didn't anyone notice she would wear the same dress every day? She never combed her hair; it was always a tangled mass. Serenity never smiled, accept in the presence of Mokuba and she continued to lose weight.

Now a week later, Serenity and Joey were sitting by the pool at Kaiba's mansion, enjoying a quiet afternoon alone. It would be their last time together for a long time. She had been very quiet and Joey asks Mokuba if they could spend a little time together by the pool at his mansion and talk. Sometimes she would disappear from the apartment and it worried him.

"Joey, really I'm okay, it's just I haven't been with mom for so long, I have forgotten what it means to have friends. Now I have you and Mokuba. That's enough." She smiled but the lines were forced.

"Serenity, I'm sorry I wasn't there when Mom died and I'm sorry it took so long to find ya. What kind of brother am I?!" Tears formed in his eyes and continued down his cheeks. Serenity pulled a little bottle out of her pocket and caught his tears in a glass tube.

"Joey, tears are from God. Did you know when a good person dies the entire heavens shed their tears of joy and welcome them to heaven? So tears are very precious. Who are these tears for, Joey?" she was so serious it scared Joey. The sadness in her voice sent chills up his spine.

"They are for you," Joey whispered. Serenity flinched at his words and covered up her thoughts with a weak smile. She took the tube and walked away. "Thanks big brother, because I will need a lot of tears if I am ever going to see mom again."

"What do you mean, see Mom, she's dead Serenity and we have a long life ahead of us." His voice quivered. He pulled her back gently and turned the girl around to face him. "I love you, sis. Talk to me, please. Make me understand."

"Joey, when Daddy died the storm at the funeral was so heavy and I remember the flashes of lightening across my face. For days afterward I couldn't get the images out of my mind. Mom said God cried when good people died. The sun shone brightly on the day Mommy was buried. I tried to cry, but my soul was dry. For three days I tried to cry, but the sun only burned my face each day with its passing. No one cried for mommy. Is she a bad person? Am I a bad daughter, because I'm happy I don't have to live my life with her anymore?"



Joey was not prepared for the words his sister spoke; he could only stare at the reflection of pain he could see in her eyes. Eyes so like his own unable to hide true feelings.

"Serenity you are my baby sister, I think you are my little angle," he touched her face and pulled the girl closer kissing the top of her head.

"I don't deserve you big brother, but I am so glad you love me so much." Later that evening she would see Mokuba and tell him everything that was in her heart.

Almost a week passed and Serenity appeared to come out of her depression. The late nights sneaking out stopped and Mokuba always had a silly look on his face when ever Serenity was in the restaurant.

Joey with the help of Mokuba was hired at a local restaurant as a waiter. Sometimes he worked late hours but he supported is sister and that was all that mattered. Mokuba ate out quite a bit, enjoying the company of his friend. Sometimes they texted each other all night, falling asleep with their cell phones next to them on the floor, they needed each other.

Seto was not having a good day; aside from investors trying to steal his fortune Mokuba's grades were not perfect. Seto headed to the source of his problems, Joey. He cornered the blond in the back of the diner and they were almost coming to blows when Serenity and Mokuba walked in. Serenity screamed and fell back in Mokuba's arms. She had trouble breathing and started to grab at Mokuba's shirt speaking strange words and crying.

Joey and Seto stopped at the sound of her voice and ran to her side, but Mokuba would not let her go and she held fast to his shirt. Almost in pain she curled up into a small ball and buried her face under the small boy's arm.

"Mokuba please, don't let him hurt me, please no more, I can't." Mokuba pulled the frightened girl against his chest and with his eyes dared them to come closer. Seto flinched at the incoherent babbling, but left his brother alone. It would not do anyone any good to try and take the girl from him. Mokuba eyes were cold black and the emotion of hate crossed his brow.

Joey's arm reached out, but his body froze at the sight of his sister's moans. Mokuba was here source of comfort and it hurt.

"Don't come any closer," hissed the boy. Mokuba brushed the hair from her forehead and realized she was slightly flushed and still shaking. "Stop it, both of you. All you do is fight. Can't you see it is killing her?"

Mokuba was a cobra ready to strike. "Why don't you grow up, leave us alone and mind your own business. Serenity and I are best friends and we will always belong to each other, so don't try to understand it or control us!"

"Mokuba, I won't let your brother talk to me that way," Joey felt fear pull at his heart. Serenity wouldn't stop shaking and he wanted to know why.



"Stay out of this Joey; this is between Mokuba and me."

"Like hell!" Joey yelled. 'Why did that Kaiba mess with my mind?! For a moment when Seto offered to search for her, I softened up and entertained the idea that we could be friends. That lasted about two weeks . . . It was a fact we hate each other. But was this bond between the younger siblings, what was their relationship? Maybe that is what's bothering Kaiba the most, not knowing.'

"No you are so wrong, Nii-sama. You have to much hate in your heart." Mokuba motioned for Joey to help him lift Serenity up, she was quiet. "Everything is going to be ok, Serenity."

Seto was pissed, "Mokuba I will not have your grades suffer, nor have you disrespect me. Starting next week you will be in another school."Seto turned and walked out of the restaurant. "This isn't over Mokuba; I'll see you at home."

"It's over Seto, its past over." Mokuba lay Serenity down on a bed Joey used for overnights when he worked a graveyard shift.

"Mokuba I don't understand, what she is taking about." Joey glanced at his sister. She appeared to calm down when Mokuba was close.

"So are you going to send her away too?" Mokuba pulled a chair next to the bed and held his friends hand while she rested.

"Mokuba, I just got my sister back, she's all I have." Joey pleaded with his eyes to be let in. "Just help me to understand."

This was the last time the two families would fight over the relationship between the teens.

Seto cut off all Mokuba's credit cards, and took away his cell phone. Roland took the boy to his new school and picked him up at the end of the day. Ryou found out where the school was and had a friend deliver a message from Serenity to the boy. Seto's guard intercepted the letter, but Roland gave it to Mokuba instead of Seto. This was wrong the attitude Seto had taken with the kids.

Serenity stopped talking and started to lose weight again. Joey caved and went to see Seto at his office.

"Man, why can't Mokuba visit my sis?" Joey was losing his temper.

"Until his grades improve and he understands his place, I will decide who my brother's associates are," Seto was pissed. 'Damn mutt, I will not have my brother hanging out with him and his sick sister, It will only damage his image,' thought Seto.

'Jerk-face, he thinks I'm a fool, thinks his brother is to good for my sis,' thought Joey. I'm doing this for you Serenity.'



"Seto my sister needs to see Mokuba," Joey walked up and stood in Seto's space, inches from his chest. 'Why was he so damn large,' "It's me you hate, so just get over it man." Joey poked Seto's chest and for whatever reason, lack of coffee, stock market: Seto blew it.

"Don't touch me, slime ball." Seto pushed the boy down and he landed on his ass.

Joey pissed jumped up only swing at his nemeses and landed with his hand wrapped around Seto's arm in a bone crunching lock.

Mokuba on his way to his brother's office to confront Seto about the letters the guards were hiding from him, walked into the office and the fight.

"Nii-sama, Nii-sama let him go, you're going to break his arm," Mokuba pleaded with his madden brother.

"You're sick Seto," Joey rubbed his arm and backed away for Kaiba. "Mokuba I'm so sorry, Serenity won't talk to me anymore. I can't live like this. I found this letter in the trash, it was address to you."

"Get out, get out before I have the guards send you to jail," howled Seto.

Joey backed out of the office and building. He had a light of hope in his eyes. 'Serenity I gave Mokuba the letter, please I hope it is not too late.' Joey sent a silent prayer to God.

"Why do you have so much hate for them?" Mokuba unfolded the letter and read it.

'Mokuba I feel like the air has been taken from my lungs. I can't breathe. I miss you so much. You remember those birthday balloons people get and the air slowly leaves the balloon. That's how I feel, Mokuba. Soon the air will completely go. What will I do without you? Maybe it is true and we shouldn't be together, because I think if you wanted to see me you would. No, I didn't mean to say that, I'm sorry. Mokuba when I die do you think I will go to heaven? '

Mokuba cried and crumbled the paper in a ball. He felt the same way.

"Your tutor is waiting in the conference room. I believe you have a test to retake tomorrow and that should straighten out the last of your grades." Seto walked over to a private walk in closet and changed his shirt. He left Mokuba crying in his office. "I will see you tonight at home." This was the last conversation Seto would have with his brother for a long time.

One week later Mokuba and Serenity didn't come home.

"Joey where is he?" Seto stormed into the restaurant pissed again, "Mokuba wasn't at school all day. He tricked the guards and I can't find him."

"Good for him, so he finally got away from the chain around his neck." Joey smirked. The blond continued to dry the dishes he'd just washed and waited for his sister to give him a call. 'Serenity where are you? All I ask is that you call me daily when you get home. The call was two hours late. I'll be damned if I tell that jerk anything.'



"Joey," Ryou was out of breath as he ran into the diner. "I didn't want to mess with you, but I can't find Serenity. We were supposed to meet after school, but she never came and nobody has seen her all day. Joey I know she was planning something, but she wasn't talking anymore."

"Damn," Seto flipped his cell phone, "Hello, have you found him?"

"No Kaiba-sama, he was last seen with Serenity at the pool. I'm checking the estate." The phone line was to quiet. "Seto someone broke into your private collection of samurai blades!"

Seto glanced over at Joey and felt his stomach turn.

"Seto I think you need to get home right away," his voiced whispered the last words.

Joey ran out of the dinner and started to sprint down the street. 'Serenity what have you done,' he prayed the kids were just sneaking around.' Serenity where are you?'

"Get in, we will find them together," Seto's voice was calm, it was clear Joey was not playing games with him. The possibility they had run away together was clear.

They were found on the Kaiba estate in a guest house at the south end of the property about a mile away from the pool house. Serenity lay in Mokuba's arms clutching a small piece of paper. The letter was addressed to big brother. The two appeared to be resting peaceful ly as if they had fallen asleep together after watching a good movie or playing endless games of duel monsters. On a closer inspection you could see the blood which has dried around the slender wrist of the tiny teenage girl. The boy held her hands in his own and managed to arrange them over his heart. Mokuba hair was tied back in a pony-tail and twisted into a high knot above his head, held in place with a white leather sash. He was dressed in a white kimono and the girl wore red kimono as well. The boy's kimono fell open and you could see the bindings around his waist stained with blood. A small knife or sword, used in ancient times for this act was found at his feet.

To the right of the couple a traditional tea setting cast a ghostly picture on the scene. Two tea bowls side by side were placed on a small mat in the center of the room. A small container complete with tea leaves completed the sad picture. Another set of kimonos one smaller than the other was placed neatly by the tea setting. A small flower arrangement, jasmine and cherry blooms compliments the kimonos and scented the room. It was the custom to redress the couple for the afterlife and offer them tea to calm their spirits. Incense burned in the arms of a little Buddha; it was his job to watch over the young couple.

Ooooooo

All reference to this death ceremony is fictional. It is true lovers will commit suicide, but the ceremony is very beautiful and very sad. There are no words for the emotions, suicide or the attempt of taking one's life brings to the party left or the persons involved.

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