Chapter 1
Byakuya
The Collector sat on his favorite throne of his collection, a chair of carved ivory bone, all of a piece, from a rare species found only in one small area on one planet in the whole galaxy. The gems that encrusted its surface, crafted so as not to interfere with its comfort, were the most perfect specimens of each of their kind, and they sparkled in the golden light. His treasure room glowed with the light, refracted off of gold and gems, silver and satins, all part of his favorite pieces.
He was the Collector. His joy in life came from his collection, a new joy coming with each priceless piece he added. Complete sets of sought-after items were displayed in rooms of their own, rare but unclassifiable items in others. But unique items were his true pleasure, those that could never be replaced or copied.
"I secured the darkest creature in existence, his evil stifled forever while he rests for all time in my halls," the Collector spoke to himself and his treasures, ringed fingers waving toward the trophy, a black, demonic-looking skull mounted on the glittering gold wall, leathery skin stretched taut against the bone, curved horns in a malicious spiral pointing toward cruelly sharp fangs. "Unique in its right, yet it calls for its obvious pair. And now, a mere week later, I have found what I seek," his greedy eyes gazed at the information displayed on the screen before him, "I have found the purest light."
Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Téa sat on the school roof, watching the sun stain the sky red, yellow, and orange. The golden highlights on the edges of the clouds gave way beneath their gaze to the brighter colors that reflected off of them, casting an odd pallor of fiery intensity across the quartet.
"Ahhh, dis is life: a Friday afternoon, good friends, a cold soda, and no spiky-haired weirdoes tryin' to take over the world. Yup, life is good," came Joey's voice languorously from against the wall.
"Yeah, Joey, just spoil the nice moment with a stupid comment like that!" Téa said, getting up and stretching. "Well, guys it's getting late, we should probably be heading home now. I've got a shift earl tomorrow at Burger World." The vibrant hues died into deepening blues as the three boys joined her, raising arms above their heads and shaking legs to work out kinks. Laughing, joking, and trading insults, Yugi's friends followed Téa down the stairs off the roof.
Yugi, wait.
"What's wrong, Pharaoh?" The ethereal form of his ancient friend floated by his side. His expression was tense and worried, his deeply violet eyes looking out at the growing gloom off the roof. "Everything all right?"
I sense a presence.
"A presence? You mean, like another evil spirit?"
I can't tell. Benevolent, malevolent, or perhaps something different, it's unclear.
An unfamiliar voice came from behind them, at the shoulder of the pharaoh. "As I am not a thief, we shall have a trade." His friends continued on down the stairs, caught up in their laughter, assuming his customary presence behind them. None noticed his absence.
"Who said that?" Yugi said, startled by the voice. He peered into the gloom behind him, the spirit spinning around to face the newcomer. Darkness greeted them, with no sign of another presence. "Is someone there?" A quick burst of light came from the puzzle around Yugi's neck, he and Yami switching places as always in troubled times.
Perhaps we just imagined it, suggested Yugi, unconvinced.
"Maybe, but mostly likely not. We both heard the voice, so it's doubtful that we both imagined the same strange event." Yami glanced around, trying to find the origin of the voice.
It is a fair trade, my desire for yours. The voice emanated once again from behind them from a dark form vaguely visible in the night. Looks of surprise crossed both of the two's faces as the form lurched forward and enveloped the ethereal Yugi. It constricted in an instant, before either had a chance to react. His outline began to waver, and Yugi cried out in pain and shock. His counterpart shouted as well, his soul echoing the ravaging of the one it was bound to, the puzzle flaring in a flash of light that lit the entire roof. An eternal second later, the pain became too intense, and welcome unconsciousness engulfed them.
"Hey! 'Ello in there! You all right, pal? Hey, Yuge, wake up!" The voice pierced the darkness of comfortable sleep, stirring Yami's consciousness.
"Something must have happened, or the pharaoh wouldn't be out of his puzzle."
"We weren't gone that long. What could've happened to make him yell like that?" The words penetrated the wool surrounding his mind, and his eyes fluttered open.
"You're awake! Dude, what happened?" asked Tristan while Joey helped him up against the wall. Téa moved the beam of a flashlight from her backpack away from his blinking eyes.
"I…I don't know. There was a voice. We both heard it, but no one was there when we searched for whom it belonged to." He ran a hand over his spiky hair, the blonde bangs sweeping back into place.
"Man, you jinxed 'em. You made that stupid comment and now there's another wacko loose." Tristan whacked Joey on the back of the head, Joey turning to retaliate, the familiar light of battle in his eyes. "Watch it, wiseass! I aughta-"
"Stop. This isn't the time for fighting. There's a greater problem now than simply a wounded pride." Téa looked at him quizzically, Tristan and Joey froze, Tristan's hand gripping Joey's hair, and Joey holding Tristan's collar.
"What do you mean? What's wrong, Pharaoh?"
"Yugi…he's not answering my calls. I don't know if he's merely unable to answer or no longer with us at all." He stuck his hands in his pockets to warm them up on the cold night as the three's faces echoed the horror he felt inside. As he did, his fingers brushed against something concealed in its folds. Pulling it out, Yami saw a piece of paper, if it could be called that, for it was something different, yet at the same time close. The strange material had some kind of writing upon it.
"'S'it say?" Joey crowded around his arms, looking at the missive. The glyphs were of an unfamiliar script, but Yami could read it somehow. It read
A fair trade has been enacted. This is a receipt of the transaction, taken place between I, called the Collector, and the spirit known as Pharaoh Yami. A trade was proposed, and no objection given. I, the Collector, hold this as a verbally binding contract for the trade of one human boy in exchange for one mortal, corporeal body.
The Collector
"What does that mean? Does that mean he took Yugi?" Téa asked worriedly.
"Yeah, and what does he mean 'a trade was proposed, no objection was given'?" Joey demanded, his tone high and mocking as he repeated the lines. "Did you sell out my best bud?"
"Of course not, Joey, don't be stupid! The pharaoh would never do something like that. Right?" Téa looked at him imploringly, an edge of panic in her voice.
"Yes. Whoever this 'Collector' is, it's clear he's good at twisting words. The voice Yugi and I heard mentioned a "fair trade", though it never revealed itself. When I demanded that it make itself known, we received only another vague statement about a trade, then were attacked. Hardly fair, as we were powerless to stop it." Yami watched as Joey turned the paper over, examining the backside.
"But why would whoever he is take Yugi? What would he want with him?" Téa asked.
"Maybe he's trying to get the Pharaoh to do something. I mean, it's happened before," replied Tristan.
"I don't think so. If that were what he wanted, I would have been left with something more than a written voucher. As I seem to have been given no demands or instructions, there is most likely a different motive driving this."
"Maybe this'll help," said Joey, his nose buried in the note. "He left like a business card on the back. Get this: If your transaction was satisfactory, I can be contacted for future business. And there's a phone number. Our 'transaction' was unsatisfactory, but I think it'll work. What a whack job, kidnappin' Yuge then leaving us a way to contact him!"
They found a public phone booth, Téa digging out a coin from her pink handbag for the machine. Yami dialed the number on the back. Ringing filled his ears as it connected, the combined clouds of breath from the four of the clouding the booth's streaked panes. A machine picked up. If you'd like to make an appointment to see the galaxy-wide famous collection of the Collector, please make a reservation at least 1 year in advance. For business, please call back in the morning. The office hours in which you may contact us are 9 A.M… Yami hung up disgustedly.
"I don't know what to do. Our only lead to where he is is this number, but I can't reach anyone until the morning."
"C'mon, you've done your best. There's nothing more you can do 'til then, man. Let's get some rest so we can kick some butt in the morning. Okay?" Tristan bent down to peer into the pharaoh's disgruntled face. No response came. "Great. I'll call Gramps and tell him Yugi's going to spend the night at my house. That way, he won't freak, and my parents'll never notice something's not right. Let's go!"