Stalker

"Did I hear right from Mokuba? That you gave away Winged Kuriboh?"

Seto, who had spoken, had not bothered to look up from his computer screen after the seven knocks and his open door before speaking. There was only one person who would knock seven times, only one person who would come inside without waiting for him to give consent, only one person who was able to ease the tension of business that seeped from his laptop inside his private office through sheer presence.

"Mokuba told you? I only told him minutes ago." The other did not sound at all disgruntled nor disappointed. Then again, Seto reflected for the moment, Yuugi would not be Yuugi if he had been otherwise. "Yes, I did."

"Dare I ask to whom?"

"Judai. Yuki Judai."

The familiar name jerked Seto out of his work. He raised his head, focusing on the man before him. Ten years had done little for Mutou Yuugi in terms of growing up, but the small persona that was supposed to be a adult looked nothing more than a few years older than a teenager. "Yuki Judai," he repeated.

Of course he would know the name, even if he had never met the child before. The winner of the competition that Pegasus had asked him to host as a favour...

Dryly, he added, "This is not a coincidence, is it, Yuugi?"

The other shrugged, smiling. "I met him half an hour ago. Winged Kuriboh wanted to go with him." Following those words, his smile faded slightly. "For what is coming up, he needs as much help as he can possibly get, as much as I can possibly give without... After all, he is going to Duel Academy."

"You do realise, Yuugi, that the Duel Academy entrance exams started an hour ago? If you met him half an hour ago-"

"That's why I'm here," Yuugi replied cheerfully. "Please help me contact Samejima-san, Seto!"

Seto studied Yuugi for a moment. Then, he said, "Noa."

The laptop that was sitting on the other side of his office switched on and the green-haired boy peered through the screen. Besides the change of clothes he had given himself, nothing had changed of his appearance since he had made his existence known years ago. "I heard all of that, I'm getting through to him now." He sat back on a chair that had appeared behind him. "But you gave away Winged Kuriboh, huh? Not that he's going to be of much use to that duelist without the other cards."

The question had made itself known to Seto, but he did not think his rival - past or not - would have forgotten that. And, as much as he deterred thinking of it, Kuriboh had been... essential in most of Yuugi's duels.

Yet, Yuugi was still smiling strangely, a smile that unsettled the deepest of Seto's mind. There was both triumph and sadness in it... One he did not share.

"The old man's on the line," Noa said suddenly, looking bored. "Seems like there's a latecomer to the exams."

Yuugi nodded.

"Your pieces have fallen into place, haven't they?" Seto asked softly as he shut his laptop. "I can stop it all before it happens, shutting down what is to come."

"Seto," the King of Games said once, his amethyst eyes unwavering. "There is no other way than this."

A second passed between them. "Put Samejima through, Noa," Seto said, leaning back on his chair and waiting for the start of everything that was to come.

This was written really long ago - I found it moments ago. I remember going on a GX binge and missing Yuugi, resulting in this. Because Yuugi is definitely a chessmaster for doing nothing in GX. Then again, I don't blame the makers of the anime: do anything wrong and die at the hands of rabid fans. Can you imagine Seto with a beard? I'd laugh until I die and in a good way.