Chapter 37

'Why him?' His eyes turned questioningly towards the white haired stranger.

'Why not?' The stranger smiled. 'He's alone and weak minded, perfect for what you need.'

'For what I need...'

'Don't tell me you want to leave the party already; you haven't even made your appearance yet.'

'Can't we just let them figure this out on their own now?' He turned his gaze away.

'If that's how you feel I can always get...'

'No.' He cut the stranger off. 'No, I don't trust anyone else with this. If someone has to do it, it has to be me.'

'If someone has to do it?' The stranger laughed. 'Don't you want your name back?'

'I do.'

'So what's all this if talk about? We both know this is the only way.'

'Fine, but I need to know, what's in this for you?'

A dark smile appeared on the stranger's face and a cold shiver swept down his spine to see it.

'I'm sure you must have worked out by now that I am not as you are. There are only a few ways I can cross over into their world and the vessel I was using has become... misplaced. The magic to restore it has been locked away and I need it to be released again in order to get back everything I've lost. My plans might have changed, but my motives haven't. There are still a great many things I need, but I have the patience predator and I know in the end I will get the power I desire.'

'But this won't... I mean, you're not...' he stared at the stranger for a few moments. 'This isn't your power.'

'I wouldn't be so sure about that.' The stranger's eyes turned back towards the one they were watching. 'Now, it's time for you to join the party; you know what you have to do.'

Serenity felt as though she was being torn in two. On the one hand she was really worried about her older brother; after all if Simüte was using his body what had happened to his mind. On the other hand she found herself warming to Simüte. There was a lot about him which reminded her of Joey and yet at the same time the two were nothing alike. Simüte was slow to temper and had a generally calm demeanour. His humour, though at times immature, reflected a different way of thinking. Simüte was also responsible by nature and had an almost regal air about him. Still if she had to pick between them Serenity knew she would chose Joey every single time.

Lillyannu and Simüte had a lot of questions about the world Serenity and the others were living in. It was weird having to explain things to them, but it was also fun at the same time. Still as their questions started to dry up, Serenity found herself having a few of her own.

'What's your home town like?' Serenity half smiled at him.

'An appropriate city for a wolf,' Simüte-Joey grinned, 'well almost. I'd have rather we'd lived in Silkoniousmacarmakay, but the more dangerous that game made it to be there the more of my kind started living on Earth. Still, my father couldn't have chosen a better city than Lun.'

'How do you mean?'

'Well it's just the perfect city if you're a wolf. I mean you have the Temple of Sta right on your doorstep.'

'Sta?'

'God of the Moon,' Simüte-Joey leant his head back and howled.

The howl he made didn't sound like a human imitating an animal, it sounded exactly like a wolf's. For a second Serenity found herself taken aback, then she remembered what she'd learnt earlier about Sintoys and figured the howl must have come from the wolf spirit inside of him.

'You wolves and your eternal patronage to Sta,' Lillyannu-Catilin shook her head.

'Who else would us veronie patron?' An almost Joey-like grin pulled across his face.

'I don't know,' Lillyannu-Catilin folded her arms, 'but I do know one particular veronie who also patrons Mov.'

'Lutonis might be wolves but we're also gardeners.' Simüte-Joey pulled himself up with pride. 'Mov is the goddess of the earth. My dual patronage reflects my heritage perfectly.'

'Aye mai catana, no one can deny that. Nor can they deny your pride at being a Lutoni.'

'Being a Lutoni is a thing of pride, full stop. Anyone who thinks differently should not be allowed to bear the name.'

Kaiba once again found himself studying the plans for his Blue Eyes Jet. He had hoped to have a working version of it ready in time for the Battle City finals. Unfortunately his technical team hadn't been able to iron out the flaws in the design in time. The craft wasn't aerodynamically sound and until he could figure out a way of making it work his dream would be just that, a dream.

The finals might not have gone the way he'd hoped, but at least he'd been able to blow up the monument he'd built at the site of his step-father's company as he'd planned. Now he was going to take a few months off duelling in order to concentrate on other projects he'd left on the backburner. Projects like his Blue Eyes Jet. Just as he was about to pencil in some alterations to the blue print in front of him, his cabin door opened.

For a moment he glanced up to see Mokuba stood in the doorway. His eyes then glanced behind his brother to make sure none of Yugi's friends were following him this time.

'Don't tell me another engine has stopped working.' Kaiba focused his gaze on his brother for a moment.

'This isn't about engines Seto.' There was something odd about the way Mokuba spoke, but Kaiba couldn't put his finger onto what.

'Then why are you here?'

'There's been an intruder onboard for the better part of the day, I thought you should know.'

'An intruder? How? Where'd they come from?' Kaiba frowned. 'And why are you only telling me about it now?'

'Because I'm only interested in it now.'

'Mokuba...!'

'She's currently in the medical bay with the others. We should go check it out right?'

'Oh I get it,' Kaiba felt a sudden surge of anger, 'Yugi and his fan club want to rub his victory in my face whilst prattling on about friendship and they've somehow convinced you to help them out, right? Well it's not happening, not now not ever. I don't want or need their company and the less time you spend with them the better. Clearly they're a bad influence on you.'

'But there really is an intruder onboard.'

'Then deal with it yourself Mokuba, I'm busy right now.'

'That was not the response I was looking for.' A familiar voice sounded out of nowhere. 'Oh well.'

'Who said that?' Kaiba's eyes moved passed his brother to the hallway beyond. 'Show yourself.'

'He can't right now,' Mokuba lifted a hand towards him, 'believe me when I say I didn't want things to go this way, but trust me this is for the best.'

'What are you talking about? Mokuba what's gotten into you?'

'It's not like you to ask so many questions Kaiba.' The bodiless voice sounded again. 'Especially when you know as well as I do you won't believe the answers.'

'Who are you?'

'Can't you guess?'

'Bakura,' Kaiba gritted his teeth. 'If you're about to prattle on at me with more of your fairytale nonsense then...'

'Fairytale?' Mokuba laughed with surprise. 'It's no fairytale. Right now it's more like a bad dream.'

'Your cold feet are no longer amusing,' Bakura's voice sounded again, 'you know as well as I do you have to push ahead with this plan now.'

'I know.' Mokuba gritted his teeth. 'But that doesn't mean I'm not allowed regrets.'

'Stop regretting and start following the plan already.'

'Mokuba...' Was all Kaiba managed to say before his words were cut off by Bakura's arrogant laughter.

'You still think that's your brother you're talking to?'

'I told you, I don't buy into that fairytale nonsense.'

'It's not nonsense,' Mokuba shook his head, but I guess I'm going to have to prove that to you. 'Ven tyeloh,' he whipped his outstretched hand back towards himself and pulled it into a fist, 'zes parhr zayto.'