Notes: The Neo-Orichalcos events talked about happened in my story Dragons at Dawn.

Chapter Three

Mokuba perked up at the sound of a motorcycle in the front yard. He ran out the door, wildly waving to greet Marik as he arrived. "Hi, Marik!" he called.

"Hello, my friend," Marik smiled. "Is your brother still working?"

"Yeah," Mokuba sighed. "And I know he's been feeling just awful."

"Well, I'll see if I can do anything about that." Marik came onto the porch and followed Mokuba into the house.

As Mokuba pushed open the door to Seto's home office, he rocked back in surprise. "Marik . . . I think Seto's asleep. . . ."

Raising an eyebrow, Marik walked in and over to where Seto had slumped forward over the laptop keyboard. He could see Seto was breathing, but he wasn't at all sure that Seto was merely asleep after what Mokuba had described about Seto overworking himself and feeling so miserable. Taking hold of Seto's shoulders with both hands, Marik pushed him back into the chair. Seto grunted, but didn't wake up.

Mokuba frowned. "Seto's a light sleeper. That should have woke him up. . . ."

"Well, maybe he just badly needed the rest," Marik said.

Mokuba bit his lip. "Or maybe he's really sick. . . ."

Marik felt Seto's forehead. "There's no fever. . . . Do you have any idea how bad his headaches have been, Mokuba?"

"Bad enough that he couldn't really hide them, like he usually tries to," Mokuba said softly.

Seto's eyes suddenly snapped open. For a moment he stared at both Mokuba and Marik like they were strangers. Then he held a hand to his head and grimaced, looking away.

Mokuba came closer. "Seto?"

"What." Seto sounded very flat and matter-of-fact, even cold.

A chill ran down Mokuba's spine. "Seto . . . we're worried about you," he pleaded.

Seto's eyes flickered, and a look of utter horror passed across his face. "Mokuba . . . I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"You should go to bed," Marik frowned. "Maybe even send for your doctor."

Seto stumbled out of the chair, still clutching a hand to his head. "That didn't help," he grunted.

Mokuba stared in shock. "You mean you actually went to the doctor?!"

Seto froze, realizing that information would only scare Mokuba worse. But it was too late to take it back now. ". . . Yes, I did," he admitted. "He couldn't find anything physically wrong with me."

Marik frowned more. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know what to do," Seto retorted.

"Well . . ." Mokuba bit his lip. "You've been under so much stress lately, Seto. . . . If you could just relax, maybe you'd feel better all over. . . ."

"I don't know how to relax," Seto pointed out.

Sadness filled Mokuba's eyes. "You used to," he said. "Before Gozaburo. . . . Even at the orphanage, you could just relax and enjoy life sometimes. . . ."

Seto paused at the doorway. "That was a lifetime ago." He walked out into the hall. "I'm going to see if Anna's made dinner yet."

"She has, Seto!" Mokuba called after him. "She's been keeping it warm for you. . . ."

Marik came up next to Mokuba and laid a hand on his shoulder. "I understand how your brother feels," he said quietly. "I couldn't relax either, after my innocence was gone."

"Yeah, but you figured out how to relax again," Mokuba said. "Seto still can't. And . . . I'm worried he never will. . . ."

Marik honestly couldn't offer comfort that someday Seto surely would. Marik had got past his demons, but it seemed that no matter what Seto did or what challenges he conquered, some of his demons always shadowed him.

"I wished so much that Lector had adopted us instead of Gozaburo," Mokuba spoke again. "I still do. But I know it's all pointless to think about it. . . ."

"It's hard not to think about pointless things sometimes," Marik said. "I often wonder what would have happened had I not been forced to get the Tombkeepers' Initiation . . . or if it hadn't driven me so mad that I created that demon. . . ." He sighed.

"Well . . ." Mokuba gave a weak smile. "You wanna stay for dinner?"

Marik smiled too. "Thank you, Mokuba. I will."

xxxx

Duke sighed as he pushed new Dungeon Dice Monsters starter packs farther back on the shelf. It had been a long day filled with customers, for which he was glad. But picking up after some of the rowdy customers was often an experience.

"You're worn-out too, huh?" came David's voice from behind him.

Duke nodded, seeing no real point in denying it. "I wonder how everyone else is doing."

"Well, they've been trying to include you more, so they probably haven't been doing anything too fun without you," David replied.

"Ha ha," Duke grunted. He turned, leaning against the shelf with an elbow. ". . . It's crazy to think it's been almost a year since that trouble with the Neo-Orichalcos. . . . So much has happened since then. . . ."

"No kidding," David said. "And you want to know something even crazier?"

"I'm not sure," Duke said, quirking an eyebrow.

"You know those businessmen we met at that dinner when the Neo-Orichalcos mess started?" David continued. "The ones from Jenova Corp?"

"I think so," Duke said.

"Well . . ." David suddenly whipped out a back issue of a gaming magazine. "Notice anything familiar?"

Duke leaned forward. ". . . Oh, come on," he objected. "That's getting too out there!"

"You see it too. I thought so." David stared at the cover picture. "The people from Jenova Corp look eerily like characters from the Final Fantasy VII games and movie. Not to mention, their names and the name of the company are also familiar to fans of the franchise."

Duke snorted. "Sephiroth, Cloud, and Zack are real and are working at a company they own in town. Sure. That's completely logical."

"Is it really any stranger than some of the stuff we've come through lately?" David countered. "Especially the knowledge that there are alternate dimensions with other versions of us in them?"

Duke sighed and shook his head. "It's hard to argue with that. Yeah, I guess nothing can top that weirdness. I can't believe I didn't make the connection with those businessmen before."

"Well, they do tend to keep to themselves, plus, there's been so much going on that needed your attention more than this," David said. "I only thought about it when I ran across this magazine today."

"Yeah. Maybe I'll look into it sometime, or bring it up to Yugi, but I guess as long as they're just minding their own business, I don't really care that much or feel any special need to violate it." Duke paused. "That Sephiroth . . . did seem sane, right?"

"As far as I remember," David said.

"Then we're probably fine." Duke walked back towards the main counter.

The doors slid open at that moment, revealing a frantic Yugi and company. "Duke!" They stopped short, looking around the store.

"I'm sorry, were you expecting something else?" David cracked.

"Well . . ." Yugi looked embarrassed.

"We wondered if the Dark Magician Girl had dropped by here yet," Joey blurted.

Duke stared at him. "I think we would have noticed."

"Let's start over," Atem said. "The Dark Magician Girl who rules the Duel Monsters' dimension has been dropping in on people today to warn them of a magical disaster about to happen."

"I'm sick of magical disasters!" Joey moaned

"I'm sure we all are," Yugi sighed.

"Who all has she appeared to?" David asked.

"So far, Gansley and me, Atem, and Lector," Yugi said. "We've been telling everyone else."

"We still need to tell Mai and the Bakuras and the Kaiba brothers and the Ishtars," Téa said.

"Does Serenity know yet?" Duke frowned.

Joey messed up his hair. "I can't find where she and Mom are shopping!" he fretted. "I didn't like to call on the phone because Mom doesn't know about most of the weird stuff we deal with."

"She knew about the city being trapped in an augmented reality game last year," Duke pointed out, twirling a piece of hair around his finger.

"Yeah, and she sure wasn't happy," Joey retorted.

"Maybe they're through shopping and they're coming home now," Tristan said.

"I just hope that whatever this weirdness is, it doesn't start until I can talk to Serenity," Joey said.

"You know, your mom kind of deserves to know too," Tristan said.

Joey scowled. "I know. I just wish I could find a different way to break it to her."

"Is there really any gentle way to say 'Magic is going to cause everything to go wrong again'?" Duke rolled his eyes. "Just tell her."

"And then I'll have to say a fictional character told us!" Joey exclaimed. "Ugh! She'll think I've finally cracked!"

"Don't worry, Joey. I'm sure she knows you cracked years ago," Tristan smirked.

Joey fumed. "What?! You punk!"

Téa facepalmed. "I need some female friends."

"Do I qualify?"

Everyone looked up with a start. Mai was coming through the doorway, looking both amused and annoyed at the nonsense.

"Mai," Téa said in surprise. "We were just going to talk to you!"

"About the Dark Magician Girl? Trust me, hon, I already know." Mai folded her arms and leaned against the storefront window.

"So she went to you?" Duke blinked.

"Mmhmm. She said she wanted to be sure I was involved," Mai said.

"What?! So she didn't trust us to tell you?!" Joey cried.

"Maybe she was worried you'd want to protect me and keep me out of it," Mai replied, brushing her hair over her shoulder.

"Well . . ." Joey flushed. He couldn't deny he had felt that way many times and hadn't involved Mai in some of the chaos because of it.

"She also said she'd been sure to tell members of the Big Five," Mai said. "Funny how they've become so closely entwined with all of our adventures these days."

"Yeah, I guess," Tristan said. "I sure didn't know what to think of it at first, but it really seems like they're trustworthy. Even Nesbitt."

"It's funny," Mai mused. "I used to think I could never understand or forgive them after our first misadventure in virtual reality, or after that mess with Kaiba's augmented reality game. But the more I think about it, the more I do understand them and feel able to forgive them." She turned away. "After all, if anyone knows what it is to fight with their inner darkness, I do. More power to them for being able to overcome it."

"They've really done well," Téa agreed. "Even Crump. I never thought he could be a decent person."

"You're different when you're drowning in darkness," Mai said. "It doesn't bring out the true person.

"Well, enough of this, boys and girls. We need to be rounding up the rest of the gang, don't we?"

Yugi nodded. "Let's go check on the Bakuras and go from there!"

Tristan looked to Duke and David. "Are either of you guys coming?"

Duke glanced at the clock. "I guess we can break away." He walked around the shelves. "I can take some of you in my car."

Between Duke and Mai, there was room for everyone and they set out. They soon encountered the Bakuras coming the other direction in their van.

"Hello!" Bakura called, leaning on the window. "We just spoke with the Dark Magician Girl. I'm assuming some of you have too?"

"That's right," Atem said. "Do you know if the Ishtars and the Kaibas are aware of it yet?"

"I really couldn't say," Bakura said.

Yami Bakura stayed quiet. The visit had not put him in a good mood, to say the least. He barely had time to get used to one disaster and the peace following it before something else went wrong. At this rate, he would never have enough time to sit and think about his future the way he needed to.

Or thought he needed to. He leaned back against the driver's seat. All the calamities were giving him more hands-on experience, he supposed. But he also found more and more that he didn't think he was up to the apparent challenge of leading everyone. He couldn't really believe that book they had found, and yet . . . if it wasn't true, wouldn't Shadi have shown up to tell them?

Bah, who could say what Shadi might do. He might decide to just let Yami Bakura think it was true if he thought it might improve his character.

"Let's try the Ishtars next, then," Yugi said, cutting into his thoughts.

No one disagreed, so all the vehicles set out on their new course. Above them, the clouds started to gather thickly in the sky.

xxxx

Dinner at the Kaiba Manor was awkward and uneasy that evening. Seto continued to be in a bad mood and finally excused himself to go upstairs. Mokuba stared after him, then looked forlornly down at his plate. "I know something's really wrong. I just don't know what to do. . . ."

Marik sighed. "Maybe he just needs a good rest. Remember, the doctor couldn't find anything physically wrong."

Mokuba looked back up at him. "I want to believe that, but I keep feeling like there's something more to it. . . ."

Marik frowned. The Kaiba brothers were very close. If Mokuba felt there was more to it, then he was inclined to believe it. Rishid and Ishizu had always sensed when something was wrong with him. "I'll go talk to him," he determined.

Mokuba's eyes filled with gratitude. "Thanks, Marik."

Seto's bedroom door was closed when Marik got upstairs. He was about to knock when strange words reached his ears. It almost sounded like . . . chanting?

Definitely concerned now, he pushed open the door. Seto was standing at the window, his arms spread wide. He was definitely chanting, and in ancient Egyptian. As he spoke, the sky above cracked open and Duel Monsters started to emerge.

Horrified and in disbelief, Marik ran forward into the room. "Kaiba, wake up! You have to stop what you're doing now!"

Seto had already trailed off and was clutching at his forehead as he grit his teeth in pain. "I . . . won't use magic," he hissed. "Never!"

The sky closed up. Seto stumbled and fell backwards into Marik's arms.

"Kaiba, what happened?!" Marik cried. "Do you know what you just did?! Or said?!" He stared out the window in alarm. The Duel Monsters that had already entered this dimension hadn't returned before the hole closed. Now they were flying or floating through the sky, confused and bewildered by what had happened to them.

Seto looked up at Marik, his expression twisted in utter horror and repulsion. "Something was trying to take over my mind," he realized. "When I got up here, it seized control and made me start casting a spell to open the Duel Monsters' dimension!"

"That may be why you're having these headaches," Marik exclaimed. "This unknown force or person has been trying to take over your mind and you've been subconsciously resisting!"

Seto pushed himself upright, holding a hand to his head. "Well, what now?!" he burst out. "I'm not going to open the sky again, if I can help it! But those Duel Monsters didn't have enough brains to go back to their home!" He gaped as a Red Eyes Black Dragon soared past the window.

"We'll worry about that later," Marik said. "I'll call Ishizu and maybe she'll have some idea how to get them back without risking that person taking you over again." He frowned. "Do you have any idea who it was?"

"No, I don't," Seto scowled. "They didn't drop any clues to their identity."

"Seto!" Mokuba ran through the doorway into the room. "Are you okay?! I just saw a Thunder Kid looking in the kitchen window!"

Seto grimaced. "I don't know if I'm okay or not." He looked to Mokuba. "It's a long story."

Mokuba bit his lip. "It must be. . . ."

Marik left them to talk while he hurried into the hall to call Ishizu. He had better call the Pharaoh too, while he was at it, he decided. And probably Yami Bakura.

xxxx

The Big Five were still in the process of discussing Penguin World when the sky suddenly opened. They could only stare as several varieties of Duel Monsters emerged before the hole closed again. The Duel Monsters immediately started investigating their new home, flying into trees, climbing over cars, and greeting shocked people.

"What on Earth," Gansley said in disbelief. "I suppose this must be the magical calamity."

"Oh great!" Crump moaned. "Just when the timing couldn't be worse! We'll probably get blamed for this after what happened last time!"

"At least we know we're not responsible," Johnson said as a Toon Summoned Skull stuck out its tongue at him as it passed by the window. He frowned, adjusting his glasses. ". . . And I suppose we deserve any negative repercussions from this, considering what we did to Mr. Kaiba when he released Duel Monster Days."

Nesbitt folded his arms. "And we're expected to help stop it this time. Great."

Lector sighed. "If our rings work again, maybe it won't be too bad. . . ."

"Grandpa!" Amber yelled from upstairs. "There's monsters out the window!"

Gansley facepalmed. "Now how am I going to explain what happened to a four-year-old?!"

"None of us know what happened either," Nesbitt pointed out.

"No, but at least we know what they are and where they came from," Gansley said, "and to explain how we know . . . won't be pleasant."

". . . True," Nesbitt conceded.

"Grandpa!" Amber called again.

"Yes, I know, I know," Gansley sighed.

Peter appeared at the top of the stairs. "You don't sound surprised," he noted. "Has this happened before?"

"You could say that," Gansley said. "I'm afraid you may have picked a bad town to hide out in. Domino City is notorious for being a hot-bed of bizarre events."

"And here I hoped that was mostly rumor," Peter said with a weak smile.

"Are the monsters dangerous?!" Charlie demanded as he came up next to his father.

"That depends," Gansley said. "Some of them may be, but usually they seem to be fairly harmless."

Suddenly Nesbitt took a sharp intake of breath and turned away. Frowning in concern, Lector walked with him to the doorway of the kitchen. "What is it?"

"I don't know why I didn't think of this before," Nesbitt said. "Maybe because we were under so much stress at the time. But . . . the Five-Headed Dragon that we can summon from that dimension. . . . Do you think that's the same one we used when we took over the city? The one that I . . . ordered to torch the warehouse?"

". . . I suppose it is," Lector realized. "But it didn't seem to hold any animosity towards us when we summoned it to help us stop Dr. Raven and Evangeline."

"I guess I'll have to focus on that then," Nesbitt said. "But how could it not have animosity towards us, or me . . . unless it's a dangerous and sadistic creature and enjoyed inflicting damage?"

Lector shook his head. "I really don't know. Maybe it's just agreeable to doing whatever its masters want."

"Which is disturbing too, when you think about it," Nesbitt frowned.

"This whole situation is disturbing," Lector said. "And I wonder who in the world set those monsters free this time."

"And why the sky closed up so soon after it opened," Nesbitt added.

"I suppose we'll find out eventually," Lector said. But he couldn't say he was looking forward to it.

xxxx

Yugi's groups were still en route to the Ishtar home when the sky opened and briefly rained Duel Monsters. Everyone stared in shock. Mai and Duke had to quickly throw on their brakes.

"Oh no!" Téa cried. "This must be the magical calamity!"

"But who's causing it?!" Joey yelped, ducking as a Baby Dragon swooped past with a chirp.

"It could be any of the usual suspects," Tristan said, half-sarcastically. "Or maybe even someone new. The question is, what do we do now?"

"Stay on our present course," Yugi decided. "The Ishtars need to know what's happening now more than ever!"

"So do we," Yami Bakura growled.

"Oh dear," Bakura worried.

Oreo pawed at the window as Wall of Illusion flew past.

xxxx

Lumis and Umbra were still staking out the Ishtar home as the disaster struck. Lumis leaped back, stumbling into a tree and falling backwards to the ground to avoid the Herald of Creation swinging his staff. "Oh no! What's this?!"

"Bandit Keith didn't mention anything about summoning real monsters," Umbra exclaimed. He fumbled for his phone. "We need to call and alert him right away."

Lumis jumped back to his feet. "We need to get out of the line of fire right away!" A Hysteric Angel bounced off his back, knocking him into Umbra.

"Be more careful!" Umbra scolded. He fell backwards into a bush, taking Lumis with him. His legs flew up in the air.

"Why don't you be more careful?!" Lumis retorted.

While they were still in that awkward position, the sound of several cars turning onto the street gave them pause. The Ishtars were about to receive visitors.