Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any affiliated materials.

Chapter III

An Old Friend

The entire drive home Seto sat in the back of the limo, unable to take his eyes off the card. He kept reliving the events of the morning over and over in his head and yet he still couldn't quite grasp the reality of it all. This all seemed like one of those crazy cartoon shows Mokuba watched on Saturday morning. The boundaries between reality and impossible fantasy had been blurred, and Seto wasn't sure of anything anymore. This was no longer his world and he had no idea how to play this new game.

He sighed. Well now what? I've got all four cards…does that mean the nightmares will just stop? Seto doubted that it would be that simple. In fact, he doubted that any of this crazy stuff would do anything to help. But I've tried everything else including a variety of sleeping pills—none of which have done anything about the nightmare. It's the only thing I haven't tried. So it's either this or become an insomniac—which Mokuba already thinks I am. I guess I should probably put all the cards together as they were shown in the dream.

When Seto arrived home he bypassed the excited Mokuba by saying he was too busy right now and quickly ascended the stairs that led to his room.

"But Seto," Mokuba called after his brother, "I thought you said we could—"

"Maybe later," Seto answered with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Mokuba lowered his head sadly as he walked away. "You never have time for me anymore," he muttered quietly.

Seto continued on to his room, completely oblivious to the way his brother was feeling. Seto loved his brother; he would give up everything for him and Mokuba knew it. But for Seto Kaiba, expressing emotions like love or caring never came easily, especially when he was sleep deprived and desperate enough to turn to Yugi Moto for help.

Seto flipped on the light switch, revealing a meticulously clean room. He had no time for messes and was at a loss for how his brother could live in his room which could have easily passed as a toy store after a tornado had hit it. He crossed the floor, stepping lightly over the crisp carpet to his dresser and opened the box that held his dueling deck. After removing all the cards—except for his three Blue Eyes White Dragons—he hesitantly placed the fourth inside, wincing as he waited for another bright flash, or something equally as strange. As the fourth card settled into place, the air around the box seemed to become electrically charged, but besides some hairs on the back of his neck standing on end, nothing happened.

I guess that's it, problem solved. Seto was too tired to let himself believe anything else. Collapsing on his bed, he fell immediately asleep.

sssSsss

Again he was holding the dying Kisara in his arms…NO! No! Not again! I got all the cards why won't it stop? Please make it stop… Now there was an incessant ringing in his ears, it grew louder and louder until he thought his head would explode…

sssSsss

Seto awoke in a cold sweat, his bed sheets tangled uncomfortably around him. Though the dream was gone the ringing was still pounding in his ears. It took him a second to realize that it was the sound of the ringing phone which had pulled him from his nightmare. He reached over with a shaking hand and picked it up. "Hello," he said trying to make his voice sound as steady as possible.

"Aww, Kaiba-Boy!" greeted the musical voice of Maximillion Pegasus. "It's been too long since we've last spoken."

"Not long enough if you ask me." Despite his harsh words he'd never been so glad to hear Pegasus's voice. He'd choose talking to this nutcase over his recurring nightmare any day.

"Oh you and your smart comebacks. I do enjoy chatting with you, but alas, my purpose for calling is not to exchange the latest gossip with you," he sighed. "But it entails a rather important business offer."

"Pegasus, unless it's a machine that makes dreaming impossible I'm really not interested."

Pegasus's high laugh sounded over the speaker. "Oh, Kaiba-Boy, you say the darnedest things. Anyway, about my offer—"

"Didn't you hear me, or are you growing deaf in your old age as well as senile? I'm not interested."

Pegasus ignored his words and proceeded to talk, a sound that in itself gave Seto a headache. "As you know," he drawled, "my associates and I have recently been on another archaeological expedition to Egypt—"

"If you like it there so much, why don't you do us both a favor and move."

Again Pegasus acted as though Seto hadn't spoken. "—where we made an astounding discovery. A new temple! Isn't that exciting Kaiba?"

"Not really."

"We were the first ones to set foot in that temple in over five thousand years, and the discoveries we made inside further prove my theory that Duel Monsters was, in fact, played in Ancient Egypt!"

Seto was really mad now, he was facing becoming delirious from loss of sleep, a serious headache from the annoying voice on the phone, and now Pegasus wanted to tell him about his latest little adventure!? "Look Pegasus, I'm not interested in hearing about your last expedition! I have more pressing matters at hand than what your most recent dig-in-the-sandbox turned up, so go tell it to someone who cares!" he yelled, slamming the phone back down in the receiver and held his head, which felt like it was about to split open. I got all four cards, put them together, what more can I do? All I want is to be able to sleep for a couple of hours. Is that so much to ask?

The phone rang again, causing a fresh jolt of pain to shoot through his head. He grabbed angrily for the offending device. "What!?" he yelled.

"Kaiba-Boy you really shouldn't hang up on people like that. Why, they might get the idea that you don't want talk to them."

"Pegasus! I don't want to talk to you!" he practically screamed into the phone. "I just want to be left alone!"

"Goodness gracious Kaiba-Boy, don't get so upset. It sounds as though you're having a nervous breakdown."

"So what if I am! You would be too if you hadn't slept in about a week!" Wonderful I just confided in Pegasus. What the hell is wrong with me?

"Haven't slept in a week? Well my dear boy, whatever is the matter? Tell me everything," he crooned in a concerned voice.

I may be desperate, but I'm not that desperate. "What are you? A psychotherapist? I'm not going to—"

Suddenly Pegasus let out a little squeal of delight, "Ohhh Kaiba-Boy, you wouldn't happen to be having 'girl-issues', would you? Well it's about time! I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever get a date!"

"Pegasus what the—No I'm—This has nothing to do with a girl!"

"You denied it! Then it is true! Come now Kaiba-Boy, details! Details! I want to know everything! Does Mokuba know? How does he feel about this? You know this kind of thing can be very traumatic for children his age."

"What! Pegasus you crazy-old-senile-nutcase-moron! THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH A GIRL!" he bellowed into the phone.

"Fine, fine. Don't tell me. I have other sources from which I can get my information. But enough small talk; if you do recall I have an offer for you."

"Will you leave me alone if I let you tell me?"

"Why of course Kaiba-Boy. After all, I really shouldn't keep you, for you have other, more important things on your mind don't you?" he said, and Seto seethed as pictured him winking on the other end. "So where was I…Oh yes! We had just set foot in a temple that hadn't been inhabited in over five thousand years."

"Just get to the point."

"Very well, very well. Basically, we found Ancient Egyptian dueling cards! And there was one little beauty that just had your name written all over it."

Ancient Egyptian dueling cards…my name? Could he mean?

"Do you want me to tell you what it was?"

"I'm not going to beg if that's what you—"

"Alright, alright I'll tell you. Goodness Kaiba-Boy, don't get so enthusiastic!"

Seto nearly began to pound his head against the wall.

"It was the Blue Eyes White Dragon, depicted on a stone tablet that the Ancient Egyptians must have used to play Duel Monsters! Imagine it Kaiba, the first Blue Eyes card in existence on display in your manor! And of course, serving as a constant reminder that I was in fact right about the origins of the game."

Put all the cards together… This could be it! The solution to my current predicament. For once Pegasus actually did something useful. "Send it over, immediately."

Pegasus scoffed, "Easier said than done Kaiba-Boy. It's over ten feet tall! Plus we haven't even begun to haggle over price."

"Oh, I'll just come over and pick it up myself then. And screw the price, I have money."

"...very well, Kaiba, I'll have it ready when you arrive, with a bill attached."

"Good day Pegasus."

"Always a pleasure."

sssSsss

AN: I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I think I really got Pegasus's character and his relationship with Kaiba down. Hope you laughed as much reading this chapter as I did while writing it (though me laughing that much wasn't really a good thing, since I was in my student aid class at the time).

As always, please R&R and ConCrit is never a bad thing.

-Asiera