"A yell of thirst,
As if piecing the depression-filled heart
I want to invite you to see this world with me.
Inside dreams are answers which no one else have.
You can trust me
JUST TAKE MY HEART
This journey continues..."
- "Kawaita Sakebi" translated by Jessica Randall

Yu-Gi-Oh!, and all situations and characters thereof, belong strictly and solely to Takahashi Kazuki. This is a fan-work, meant for enjoyment only, and not for any material profit.

It is a little-known fact that the Afterlife can get boring. The spirit Shaadi did his duty. He guarded the Sennen Items, then, when his job was done, he departed for his Eternal Reward. And then, he quickly became fed up with the quiet and the monotony of it all. And then he went looking. And he soon found two others who were also bored out of their skulls.

"Skulls," you understand, is being used metaphorically here. Separated now from their onetime Vessels, neither Atem nor the Thief King has a skull any longer. They're bored out of…

Well, you could say they're bored out of their ever-loving minds, but they probably wouldn't say it like that. Let's just say both of them could do with some amusement. And they're both profoundly glad when Shaadi shows up.

He's brought nectar and ambrosia, everything you need for an Afterlife-Party.

Best-case scenario, these wouldn't be necessary. A Pharaoh's tomb is supposed to be well supplied. Food, wine, chariots, plenty of Sacred Cats: There's supposed to be everything in there that the well-equipped Young Spirit of Fashion might need for his eternal stay. But other thieves besides Bakura have worked the Egyptian circuit over the years, and Atem now finds himself with precious little besides the tunic he stands up in.

Bakura, who was buried any which way, when the cave he was investigating fell in on him, has his cloak, his sandals, and the same profound hunger he had when he died. That ambrosia Shaadi's got looks good. And as for the nectar? Well everyone knows the Thief King has always had a taste for strong drink.

"My friends," says Shaadi.

Cue the inevitable demurs: "I was never your friend." (This from Atem.) "Friend? Ha! Bakura calls no man 'friend'." (From you-know-who.)

Never mind, the smell of fresh-baked ambrosia (not to mention the tinkle of ice cubes in the pitcher of nectar) soon brings them around.

After a while they're sitting cross-legged under a tree, by the side of a river which is just enough not like the Nile to be perennially unsatisfying.

"I could have beaten you," Bakura says. This, after five or six glasses of nectar. "You had luck." He pours a seventh. "I had skill. I should have won."

The Pharaoh, made expansive by his own consumption of nectar, laughs. "I was favored by the Gods."

Bakura, with a snort: "Exactly. And you had your Vessel. That so-convenient Vessel, who always stepped in when you couldn't handle something on your own."

Ironic smirk on the boy-King's face. "Let's face it Bakura, you lost, and you will always lose. You are the lesser of the two of us."

The Pharaoh is probably right. He can get on his high horse though, and when he does, he's pretty irritating. Shaadi intervenes. "You cannot duel here," he says.

"Of course we can't." Irritable Bakura. "Our decks are with our Vessels, and Ryou's so stupid he probably destroyed mine."

Atem (scheming light in those violet eyes): "Perhaps the real Monsters…"

Best shut that one down right now. "Perhaps not," says the Guardian.

Says the Thief King, "If we cannot duel with Monsters, perhaps mortals…"

"Mortals," says Atem, "and we will match them against each other. But how?"

How indeed? The agreement is set at last, that they will take two of the small, pitiable fishes still swimming in the River of Time. They will erase their memories.

"Not all their memories," says the boy-King. "Only the parts where they have met each other."

"Only enough so they have to start afresh," says Bakura. "We will put them where you were…" Ironic twist of his mouth. "Your Highness, when your Puzzle was reassembled."

"Too blank," Atem says. "I knew nothing when I was restored. Yuugi had to teach me all."

It is decided at last, that these mortals will be allowed to know who they are, and where they are, and how to do what they are doing there. It is decided further, that for the purpose of experimentation will be selected two with whom both Bakura and the Pharaoh have had dealings.

"It was Set's choice to turn his back on his past." The Pharaoh's condemnatory voice.

And Bakura, being huffy: "You do realize he is not your priest, don't you? They are of one destiny, but their souls are not the same."

"A petty distinction." Atem waves it away. "Yuugi and I were as one, but Kaiba resisted. He deserves to have a lesson taught him."

"And the American," says Bakura. "The presumptuous one, who claimed an Item that was not his."

Shaadi smiles. The deception of Pegasus, so skillfully managed, was one of his finer moments.

A nod from the Pharaoh. It is done.

"They were attracted to one other," Bakura says.

"She who was soul mate to Set…" Atem's eyes grow dreamy. "I always thought it was her soul in the American's body, as Set's is, in the body of the boy Kaiba."

Thoughtful nod from the Guardian. "Truly you speak well, Pharaoh."

The resemblance is actually a coincidence. Kisara and Pegasus are not one, not even aligned, as were Set and Seto. The Pharaoh, Shaadi thinks, is trying to ease guilt that it was his victory that set the stage for Bakura's taking of the Eye. One should never be so rude as to contradict a King however.

And Shaadi lifts his hand. And in the Realm of Time, events are set in motion. One man, slumbering in bed, at his home on the western coast of the United States, stirs, then sleeps again. The other, but newly asleep, after hours at his desk, starts once, knocking over the paper cup by his head. Then all is quiet, and in both places.

"It is done."

Pleased smile from Atem. "Shorn of their past history, they will find love together."

And a more cynical one from the Thief King. "They won't."

One who is too wise to lay wagers on mortals and their exploits, merely nods, and asks, "What stakes?"

"Bragging rights," says Bakura, and the Pharaoh agrees. Considering both their enjoyment of bragging, either of them should be quite happy, should he chance to win.

Pegasus J. Crawford walks into his office, and there is a strange man there.

A very attractive man, with impressive coattails that seem to flare even while he's sitting down. "Who are you?" he says.

It's one of those arrogant voices, the kind as you use with headwaiters.

"You're in my office." Has he met this man before? This so-attractive man, with the amazing coattails and the obnoxious voice? Can you forget meeting someone like this? Pegasus leans on the desk. He tents his hands. "You tell me who you are."

"I'm Kaiba Seto."

Oh yes, his eleven o'clock. Crocketts seemed surprised this morning, when Pegasus wasn't familiar with the name. He said something about the attack on Duelist Kingdom, and some doctors, who talked then about lasting effects. There were never effects before. Why would they be happening now?"

Pretty-boy (with the coattails)'s voice grates: "Don't toy with me, Pegasus. Mokuba says…" A pause, a falter. Is that a flicker of something in those (deep, deep, deep) blue eyes? "…He says you have a habit of that."

Mokuba. What faint echo is it, that goes through his head when he hears the name? "I don't know 'Mokuba'." Ironic voice (and a teasing tilt to the head that comes out of nowhere somehow). "Should I?"

"Dammit, Pegasus."

These are definitely after-effects (or something), and they're bad ones. Because if anyone's ever met someone like this, someone pretty like this, and so insufferably annoying as well, and they don't remember it, they need to have their head examined.

Very lightly: "Did you say why you were here?"

"The contract …Pegasus."

Oh, this is starting to be fun (but why?). "Contract?"

"For Duel Monsters."

Pretty Kaiba Seto, with the grumpy voice, and the blue-blue eyes, is all business, and he should be all fun, and they should be on Pegasus' island (with the silk sheets, and the iced Chateau Pegasus '98), they should stay there for a long weekend, and not get out of bed at all.

…Where did that thought come from?

"Oh yes, that contract." And fumble-fumble. It's there, right? Mrs. Grundy is infallible… Oh yes, here it …Here they are, the one made out in terms favorable to him, the other in terms very favorable. "And now the negotiation, yes? Over lunch perhaps? My secretary got us reservations at The French Laundry."

That faint gritting sound? Kaiba Seto's teeth. He's fun, this one, more fun than the Creator of Duel Monsters has had in a long, long time.

"Mokuba said…" Again the flicker. He hides it well, but it's there. Something is bothering him. Why don't we discuss it, pretty Kaiba Seto? Over dinner, perhaps, served in bed, and we don't have to go as far as Duelist Kingdom, my house in Napa will do just fine. "…He said you'd try that. No negotiations, Pegasus. I want the same terms as before, or I walk. And you know your game is nothing without Solid Vision."

Solid Vision: Proprietary name for a line of consoles that let players view their Duel Monsters cards holographically. A very good line of consoles. So this is the man behind the company that makes them?

"Please. You talk like no one else in the world makes gaming consoles. I2's got its own line." Not a very good line. "We've received offers from Sony and Nintendo." Lousy offers. That he turned down as soon as he got them.

"Cut the crap, Pegasus. You know you want my machines."

"And you want my…" What was it? It trembles, just out of reach, there was a Monster this one liked… Or someone at KaibaCorp liked it… But who was it? Which Monster was it they liked?"

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

Oh yes, that was it. KaibaCorp has that amusement park. And they have a statue… But it seems like there was something else too…

"If you think I won't walk, Pegasus. There are other games out there, and they have Monsters too. Pokemon… It wouldn't take much work to change the statue at KaibaLand into a Salamence."

A Salamence? Please, there's no comparison. And intuition tells him this Kaiba Seto knows it.

Sft voice, murmur the words: "Oh yes, I can see you doing that." And a flirty look, from behind silver hair that falls forward a little. "Because after all, one dragon is just like another, isn't it?" Oh, Kaiba Seto is fun. "I have a good idea, why don't you contact the Tolkein estate..." And he falters, his clever, Smaug-related comment dying on his lips. What is it about this man? He knows him, but how? From where? And why would it all be a blank to him?

"I'll make a deal." When he speaks again, the Lord of Duelist Kingdom is subdued. "You get your contract, terms as specified. After that… We have to talk, Kaiba."

Kaiba Seto opens his mouth. He's going to say, I have no need to talk to you… "I have no need…"

Shutting him down, "Of course you do. I know you feel it too. There's something between us. We have history, but for some reason neither of us can remember it."

"Mokuba will tell me."

This 'Mokuba': A manservant? A personal assistant, perhaps?

"Your 'Mokuba' can tell you your history, as my Crocketts can tell me mine. Can he tell you what's happened to your memory? Or why the same thing's happening to me, at the same time?"

Keep talking quickly, Pegasus. Forestall him, before he can say something about, Oh, your drinking, and go away and neither of them find out anything: "Here." He puts the contract (the less-favorable one) in front of Kaiba. "Sign."

Kaiba skims it. He signs. Then, grudgingly, "I suppose it wouldn't do any harm just to talk for a little while." A doubtful look from those blue eyes of his. "You say you've forgotten me? And it just recently happened, right? Like today?"

"I suppose so."

"Lunch, someplace fast."

Move him toward the elevator. God, those shoulders (in that ridiculous, coattail-flaring coat). "There's a sandwich place on the corner."

"That'll do." Elevator doors ping open. Kaiba steps inside (his hair flares too, whenever he turns). "And none of your games, Pegasus."

Whatever role they played against each other before, Kaiba Seto is picking it up fast.