Chapter Nine
Kaiba took a vacation from work. It was something he'd never done before and I could tell from other people's reactions, it wasn't normal. Since he'd never done it before and because he was the head of the company, he had an endless amount of time and he seemed completely out of it. Almost every day after school, I caught a ride home with Mokuba. It was partially to make sure he got home safely and partially so that I could see Kaiba. Most people take vacations to clear their heads and go to some beautiful exotic place. But not Kaiba. He was always sitting in his room, usually lying in bed, looking through his cards or looking up strategies online. I always brought him food and made him go take a shower. He didn't eat or shower otherwise. His mind was just somewhere else. Something in the duel against Yugi had changed him. It was exhausting and sad to see him like this, although it was nice that he'd lost his mean edge.
When he got out of the shower, he would usually lie down on the bed with a towel wrapped around his waist and I would lie in his arms and tell him about my day, ask him for help with my homework, or simply fall asleep. My mom understood. She said as long as I didn't come home knocked up, I could spend as much time at Kaiba's house as I wanted to.
One day after school, I showed up at Kaiba's to find him dressed and in clean clothes, showered, and getting ready to leave.
"Olive," he said, standing when I walked into the room. "I've been waiting for you."
"Oh," I said, startled. "Oh, Seto." I stepped forward and hugged him. "You look great! You look like you're feeling better."
He nodded. "I am, but there's something I need to talk to you about," he said.
"What's that?" I asked.
He leaned down and kissed me.
"I think we need to break up," he said, quietly.
I was shocked for a second.
"Are you kidding me?" I demanded. Anger was rising in my chest. "You can't kiss me and then tell me we need to break up! Who does that?"
"Look, Olive," he said. "I really, really care for you. I like you a lot more than originally intended."
"Oh, well thanks," I said, sarcastically. "That's flattering." Looking around, I could see that almost everything was cleared out of his room. He only had a briefcase with him.
"Olive!" he said, frustrated. "I'm sorry. I can't explain right now because I have to leave, but I don't want you to be held back or tied down while I'm not around, okay? There are some…things I have to take care of."
"Things to take care of. Kind of how I've been taking care of you for the past two weeks?" I snapped. "What things do you have to take care of?" I demanded.
"I can't discuss them with you," he said. He got his briefcase and said, "I really don't want to hurt you, but I do have to leave. And I'm sorry, but I think it would be best if we weren't together. I don't want anything to happen to you. I don't want anyone coming after you."
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Don't question me," he said. "I hope I'll see you again one day." He tried to kiss my cheek, but I jerked out of the way.
He sighed and walked past me.
I turned and watched him go.
After standing by myself in Kaiba's empty bedroom for about an hour, wanting to cry but not being able to, I went to the gaming building where Joey, Yugi, Tristan, Tea, and Bakura were all playing cards. I sat down, hard, looking pissed. Everyone looked up at me.
"How's your boyfriend?" Joey sneered.
"What boyfriend?" I snapped. "Haven't you heard? I got dumped."
"What?" Yugi asked. "What happened?"
I shrugged. "No idea," I said. "Whatever." I ran my fingers through my hair, unable to hide how upset I was. "It shouldn't be a big deal, right? I'm only sixteen."
"That's a good way to look at it," said Bakura.
I looked up at him and he was smiling at me, something dark behind his eyes.
I ignored it. "So anyway, what's up?" I asked.
"Tea and Joey are dueling," said Yugi.
Tea paired a monster card with a magic card and beat Joey once again.
"You stink at this game," Tristan teased.
The next day after school, I was sitting against the wall, talking to Yugi and Joey while I sipped a smoothie.
"Tristan's right. I do stink at that game," Joey said. "Why can't I ever win? Yugi, teach me what I'm doing wrong."
"Well, let me see your deck, Joey," Yugi said. Yugi looked through it and then said, "No one could win with these. Joey, your deck's filled with nothing but monster cards."
"You got it. I packed it with every butt kicking monster I could find," said Joey.
"But that's not how the game works," said Yugi.
"Huh?" Joey asked.
I laughed. "Come on, Joey. Even I know you need magic cards to use with your monsters to win that game," I said.
Joey rolled his eyes.
"She's right, Joey," said Yugi. "You have to have magic cards and monster cards. They work together."
"See, this is the sort of stuff I need to know," said Joey. "You've gotta help me learn more."
When the bell rang, the three of us walked to The Game Shop together.
"My grandpa is the real expert," said Yugi. "Maybe he can help you." We walked in the door. "Hey, Grandpa! I brought you a new student," said Yugi.
"A very beautiful new student," he said, waving to me. "Hello, Olive."
I laughed. "Hi, Gramps," I said. "It's not me who need to learn though. It's Joey. I understand the game, I just don't care too much for it."
"That's too bad, Olive," said Yugi's grandpa. "I have a feeling you'd be quite the opponent. I've been putting together a deck for you."
"Aww," I said. "That is so sweet! Thank you."
Joey and Yugi began discussing cards with Yugi's grandpa. I hung out with them until my shift at Reynolds with Tea. Joey began training and learning with Yugi's grandpa every day after school. He worked and practiced really hard. All his free time was filled with practice.
It was a few weeks later, working with Tea again, that we caught a cab after work together. We went to Yugi's house to watch a Duel Monsters tournament. Tea was dressed in a denim mini skirt and a pink turtle neck sweater. I was wearing my mom's green shorts that she's worn to the airport and a large 'Job for a Cowboy' t-shirt that I'd taken from an ex-boyfriend a few years ago. We all collapsed on the couch and at snacks, watching the TV. I wasn't too excited, but everyone else seemed enthralled and Bakura was working that night so I had no one else to hang out with.
Joey began to brag loudly about how he should be a finalist in the duel championship.
"I know you've been training for weeks, but those guys are in a whole different league. You're just not ready yet," said tea.
"Yea, Joey," I added. "You'll get there."
"On top of that, you're so tired you can barely keep your eyes open," said Yugi.
Joey was dozing off as we spoke.
"I think Grandpa's lessons have been a bit tough on him," said Yugi.
Joey snored and we all laughed.
"You see, it's true what they say," said Tristan. "YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE."
Tea laughed and Joey jumped out of sleep.
"I must have been nuts to think I could ever learn this crazy game," Joey muttered. "Olive's got the right idea – no dueling, just dating."
"I'm not dating anyone," I mumbled.
"Time for your lesson," came Grandpa's voice from behind us. He was holding a package.
Joey jumped around. "Huh? We're not done?" he asked.
"Not by a long shot, you slacker," said Grandpa.
Joey moaned.
"Now, quit your whining, Joseph," said Grandpa. "I know you've been working really hard, but you are really coming along as a duelist! I'm quite proud of you."
"Aww, Gramps," said Joey, looking touched. He went to hug Yugi's grandpa, but he moved out of the way.
"Oh, by the way, Yugi," he said, as Joey fell to the floor. "This package came for you."
"What is it?" asked Yugi.
"I don't know," said Grandpa. "It just came in the mail."
"Huh," said Yugi, taking the package. "It's from Industrial Illusions."
"Those are the guys who make the Duel Monsters game," said Joey. "What could they be sending you?"
"No idea," said Yugi. "Is it possible they heard that I beat Kaiba?"
Tea glanced at me apologetically. I hadn't heard from Kaiba since our break up and everyone knew I was still very upset about it.
"It wasn't an official match or anything, but Kaiba did drop out of the tournament because of me," said Yugi.
"He dropped out?" I asked, quietly.
Yugi nodded. "It was all over the news," he said. "I'm kind of surprised you didn't know."
I pursed my lips, trying not to look hurt. "We don't talk anymore," I said.
"Whoa!" Tristan suddenly said, turning back to the TV. "Guys, Raptor just stopped Weevil!"
"Yugi, are these guys any good?" asked Joey.
"Oh yea, these guys are both really good," said Yugi. "Weevil specializes in bug cards and Raptor focuses on dinosaur cards."
"Itsy bitsy bugs compared to giant dinosaurs?" I asked, skeptically.
"Yea, sounds like Raptor has this one in the bad," said Joey.
"I wouldn't count on it," said Yugi.
Rex Raptor played a card called The Two Headed King Rex. Weevil Underwood laughed and played a Basic Insect card.
"He plays a wimpy bug against a giant dinosaur?" Joey scoffed. "That place is about to be covered in bug guts."
"Maybe," said Yugi. "But I wouldn't underestimate Weevil."
Rex Raptor attacked and Weevil revealed a trap card. Raptor's King Rex was trapped. Weevil used another card to give his bug armor and destroyed the King Rex card. Raptor's points went down to zero and he looked pissed.
"And now," said the announcer. "A special honor. Here to present the championship trophy, the creator of Duel Monsters and the president of Industrial Illusions. Ladies, gentlemen, and fellow duelists, I give you, Maximillion Pegasus!"
Pegasus was raised out of the floor on a platform. He was tall with white hair that covered one eye and a small smile. A smirk, really. He was wearing a red suit and holding the trophy. He walked over to Weevil and said, "Congratulations."
"Thank you," said Weevil, taking the trophy.
"And," Pegasus added, "as regional champion, I am personally inviting you to participate in a whole new tournament I'll be hosting at Duelist Kingdom."
"Hey, what do you think of Pegasus?" asked Tristan, nudging me. "We all know how you like rich men."
"Shut up," I said, standing up. "I'm gonna go pee."
"Thanks for sharing," said Joey.
"Anytime," I said.
When I was finishing up and washing my hands, my phone began to ring. I quickly dried my hands and checked it. It was Kaiba.
"Hello?" I answered, as quickly as I possibly could. "Kaiba?"
"Olive, I need you to do something for me," he said. He was talking fast and in a hushed voice. "I need your help."
"You have no right to ask me for help," I said.
"OLIVE!" he yelled, surprising me. He had never yelled at me. Kaiba was a person who always kept his cool. "Listen to me! This is serious! I need your help and there is no one else I can trust."
"Sorry," I said. "What's up?"
"I need you to go to my place, now, and get Mokuba," he said.
"What?" I asked. "What is going on, Kaiba?"
"Be quiet for a second," he said. "I don't have time to explain everything, but please. I need you to listen carefully, Olive. I can't tell you very much. But there are some bad people who are going to come for Mokuba and try to take him away. People are trying to take over my company and Mokuba is the heir. Don't listen to any rumors that anyone spreads about me or my brother. And don't trust Pegasus."
"Maximillion Pegasus?" I asked.
"The one and only," he said, quietly. "I can barely hear you, but I hope you can hear me. Don't trust him, whatever you do. If Mokuba is gone when you get there, then go to Duelist Kingdom and enter the tournament if you can. Pegasus will have him in Duelist Kingdom if you don't get to him first. I know he will."
I shivered. It was really cold. I'd been gone almost fifteen minutes.
"I'll try, Kaiba," I said. "I promise."
"Thank you, Olive," he said. "I owe you. I miss you."
I began to respond, but he'd already hung up.
I left the bathroom. The room was freezing and everything had gone dark. I couldn't hear anyone. Before going back into the living room, I peered around the corner of the kitchen wall. Tea, Tristan, Joey, Yugi's grandfather, and even Yugi had collapsed on the floor. But there was another Yugi, a bigger, taller, more confident one, like the one who had dueled Kaiba. He was sitting in front of where the TV had been and was dueling a man who looked just like the Maximillion Pegasus I'd seen on the TV right before I went to the bathroom.
"Well, Yugi," said the man. "Our time together is nearly up and since I have more life points than you, it appears I am the victor."
"Time's not up yet, Pegasus," said Yugi. "And you left your Faceless Mage vulnerable to a physical assault."
Pegasus grimaced in anger. I could see in his eyes that he was not the kind of person who was used to being stood up to or disrespected. He was used to getting his way.
Yugi laid down a card. "Summoned Skull, attack!" he declared.
The split second before the skull attacked, the timer got to zero and the monsters disappeared.
Pegasus smiled. "Hmm, well we've run out of time," he said. "But how close was that? If you'd been able to complete that attack, I would have lost. But I didn't, die I? I've taken the measure of your talents today, Yugi Muto, and the next time we duel, it will be for far higher stakes."
"I'm done with your games," Yugi declared, angry.
Pegasus shook his finger at him, as if he were scolding a small child. "You presume I'm giving you a choice in the matter. But," he said, pulling his hair aside to reveal his hidden eye, "I'm not."
From where I was hiding around the corner, I gasped. His left eye was made of gold.
"I too possess one of the seven millennium items," said Pegasus. "The all powerful millennium eye."
"A millennium eye?" Yugi gasped.
"That's right, Yugi boy. And now I'll show you the full extent of its magic," said Pegasus. "You see, I have found that, given the proper incentive, anyone can be made to play my games." A light shot out of the millennium eye and hit Yugi's grandfather. A see through spirit-like version of Yugi's grandfather seemed to rise up out of him and into the television.
Pegasus smiled and then looked straight at me. "Hello, Olive," he said. "Why are you hiding back there? Shouldn't you be off to fetch young Mokuba Kaiba?"
My eyes widened.
He threw his head back and laughed. "I've sent you an invitation to my island, Duelist Kingdom," he said. "I do hope to see you there, you beautiful girl. Now off to your task, before I send my men for you too."
He disappeared. The television screen turned to white noise. The image of Yugi's grandfather wavered on the screen.
"Yugi!" he called out, fearfully.
Suddenly Yugi looked like himself again. "Grandpa!" he cried.
The room faded back to color.
"Yes, we will meet again, Yugi," said Pegasus. "How else will you reclaim your grandfather's soul?"
Joey, Tea, and Tristan stared in shock as Yugi shook the TV, screaming for his grandfather.
"What happened?" asked Joey.
Tea turned to look at me.
I shook my head. "Can I borrow anyone's car?" I asked. "I have to go. Now. It's an emergency."
Joey tossed me his keys.
Yugi turned to me, pain and anger and confusion in his eyes. "How did he know your name?" Yugi demanded.
I shook my head. "I have no idea," I whispered.
