A/N: Oh boy, here it is…the last chapter! Thanks again to all my followers, favers, and reviewers. Your support is so very much appreciated! With that, I hope you enjoy the last chapter…
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
~Winston Churchill
Destiny found herself strung between lingering shock and amounting fear, unsure of which to feel more of.
Where was Pegasus? Where was her brother?
What had happened to him when she could not see him, when the Shadows dispersed?
"Pegasus," Destiny whimpered; her hands curling into fists as she watched Joey, Tristan, and Teá all rush to Yugi. Joey and Tristan tackling their friend in a bone-crushing bear hug; Teá was crying again.
"Pharaoh!" Destiny screamed so loud it made everyone around her jump and flash her way in surprise. "Pharaoh, where is my brother?" she practically dove over the balcony ledge; Ryou grabbed her shoulders to hold her back. "Where is he? What has he done to him?"
Yugi blinked in alarm, all eyes went to the other side of the Arena to see that it was empty.
"Where the frigging hell is my brother?" Destiny screeched as, in one fluid motion, she leapt over the edge of the balcony again and slammed her booted feet hard into the tiled floor below.
In a burst of golden light, the Pharaoh momentarily reassumed control.
"Destiny, I have done nothing to him" he stated calmly. "Your brother escaped the Shadows, as I did. However, I do not know where he has gone."
Destiny stiffened, snarling through clenched teeth.
"Destiny, calm down," Tristan reassured her. "I'm sure your brother is fine."
"Fine!" Destiny snapped. "How can he be fine? How can anything be fine? Do you-do any of you-have any idea what my brother has lost today?"
Everything pitched and rolled before him like an uneven rollercoaster ride. Pegasus staggered and tripped his way up the tower steps.
The door to his private study banged open; he fell over the threshold, hands slamming hard into the ground to break his fall.
He felt as though his head had been split open; his soul hung loose from his body as though it threatened to tear free and collapse into the Shadows at any moment.
Pitifully, Pegasus crawled across the floor; attempting to regain his footing by grabbing on to the corner of his desk.
But his arms trembled, numb and useless. With a gasp of pain, Pegasus's hand slipped from the edge and he slumped to the ground, leaning against the wall.
The coolness of the smooth stone provided no comfort. Then the tears came, flowing with a burning ferocity down his face that already hung with sweat.
"Cecelia," Pegasus twisted the ring on his finger. "I'm sorry; I'm so sorry. This, all of this was for you, everything I've struggled to obtain. But it's gone, all of its gone. This was my only chance. Damn it!" Pegasus slammed his hand into the side of the desk.
It trembled slightly. "Well, a promise is a promise," Pegasus wiped his eyes, leaving them red and raw as he reached into his pocket and pulled out three Cards.
"I have no use for these any longer," he choked as he set the three soul Cards onto the floor before his feet. "I release you now," Pegasus whispered, placing his hand above the Cards. Each one glowed a faint gold, as did his Eye, and then they all went blank.
"There, that's done," Pegasus panted. He felt dead all over, in both mind and body. He was surprised he'd been able to hold on this long without passing out like Kaiba and Destiny had.
Pegasus rested his throbbing head against his knees, nausea building in his stomach. He gasped and choked and cried bitterly.
"Over," he whispered. "It's all over. My poor Cecelia, it isn't fair!" Pegasus cried.
"How pitiful," a voice called from the shadows.
Pegasus's head snapped up. "Who's there?" he demanded.
"You know me quite well," the voice replied, stepping into the half-light.
Pegasus's eyes widened. "You," he breathed, throwing his weight against his desk. He attempted to get to his feet again. "What do you want?"
Thin lips curled into a devilish smirk. "I think you know what I want."
Pegasus's hand went to his Millennium Eye. "You know of the rules?" he whispered, "You can only take this if I give it to you willingly or if you beat me in a Shadow Game."
Laughter, "I trust it shall be the latter? Very well, I excel at Games of Darkness anyways."
Pegasus's legs buckled under him; he leaned against his desk for support.
"You are weak, Maximilian Pegasus, you ought to surrender and save yourself a terrible fate."
"I will never surrender to the likes of you, Hell spawn!" Pegasus spat.
"As you wish, let us test the stamina of your soul."
Hands unfurled, black fire burning within their palms, illuminating the fear in Pegasus's single amber eye; he raised his hands in physical protection. A second barrier went up in his mind, but it was feeble; thin and fragile as a wet tissue. Pegasus's mind lay crumbled to pieces around him.
A deep, cold laugh and the Darkness exploded in his eyes as the Shadows pounced upon the broken Eye Wielder. Pegasus screamed as they assaulted his body, biting and tearing through to the very depths of what remained of his soul.
He was flung violently off his feet and smacked into the wall behind him so hard he saw spots.
"Pathetic," sneering, stalking closer.
"Please," Pegasus raised a trembling hand. "No, I beg of you…please."
"No amount of pleading shall save you."
"You coward," Pegasus snarled, "waiting in the Shadows until I am weak and helpless, only then do you make your attack."
Another laugh,
"you know what they say: get what you want while the getting is good."
A white hand reached closer.
Pegasus's eyes grew wide.
He screamed.
Destiny heard it first: a bloodcurdling scream that echoed throughout the large Castle.
She whipped around; her eyes wide with fright.
"What the hell was that?" Joey demanded.
"Pegasus!" Destiny screeched, breaking into a sprint back up the stairs.
"Destiny, where are you going?" Ryou cried from the doorway leading to the hallway as she zipped past him.
"It came from my brother's study!" Destiny called over her shoulder as she pounded up the stairs with the Pharaoh and his entourage in tow.
Destiny didn't even remember the run up to the Castle's farthest tower; everything just seemed to zip past her, nothing mattering.
She skidded to a halt at the base of the stairs that snaked up to the tower room. A swarm of Suits clogged the stair entrance.
Destiny paused to catch her breath; her chest tight, her eyes wild.
"Let me through!" she bolted towards the steps and attempted to squeeze through the Suits.
A pair of arms snaked around her waist and tugged her off the ground like she was the weight of a china doll.
"Put me down!" Destiny flailed about wildly, kicking her legs like a toddler having a temper tantrum. "Let me go, Clint! What the hell's going on? What happened to my brother!"
"Stand aside," Croquet parted the full steps so as to allow two suits carrying a large stretcher to come down the steps.
All color drained from Destiny's face as the stretcher sped past.
"Pegasus," she whispered. Her brother was splayed loosely atop the stretcher, his long legs dangling over the side, one hand draped against his face to conceal a giant gaping hole where an eye or an 'Eye' should have been, but all that remained was a waterfall of crimson blood that traced a horrific path down his face and along the front of his wine-colored suit.
"Pegasus!" Destiny wriggled in her body guard's vice-like grip "Pegasus! Put me down! I have to see him!"
Clint only obliged once her brother had been carried out of sight.
"Pegasus!" Destiny bolted after them, but Croquet grabbed her arm, stopping her dead in her tracks.
"Let go of me! I have to see my brother!" Destiny was frantic.
"In due time, Ms. Pegasus," Croquet calmly asserted, "Your brother is gravely injured and must be tended to immediately. Once his injuries have been dealt with, you can go see him."
"What on Earth happened to him?" Teá whispered, pressing a hand to her chest.
"His Millennium Eye has been stolen," Croquet explained. "Taken right out of his head," he stopped when he saw the look on Destiny's face. "Now, if you'll excuse me," the serving man quickly left.
Destiny's eyes narrowed. She spun on her heel and sprinted up the steps; her feet felt numb from all the running, but she didn't care.
Destiny barely slackened her pace as she crossed the threshold into the study; she staggered to a halt in the center of the room. She whirled around, eyes scanning every inch of the room.
Who was it? Who had taken her brother's Millennium Eye?
"This doesn't make any sense," Destiny cried, slamming her fist into the desk. "Where could the thief have gone? There's only one way in or out of this tower!"
"Why would anyone want to take your brother's Millennium Eye, Destiny?" Yugi asked her.
Destiny sighed; her hand slipping off the desk.
"Whoever it was is probably after the same thing Pegasus and I were," she replied.
"And what is that?"
"When the Millennium Items are all gathered together and you manage to open up their power at its fullest, it unlocks something called One True Power. This is a force of the Millennium Items that can….that can do anything."
Everyone behind her gasped. "Anything?" Teá breathed.
"That's incredible" Joey marveled.
"So, it that the reason you guys wanted Yugi's Millennium Puzzle, for the One True Power?" Ryou inquired.
Destiny nodded. "Yes."
She glanced around the room again with a look of dismay.
"What is this place, anyways?" Teá asked.
"It's my brother's private study," Destiny explained "I'm not even allowed up here."
"Wow, who's this hottie?" Joey whistled as he strode across the room to gawk at a painting of Cecelia.
"You didn't tell us you had a sister too, Destiny," Tristan exclaimed.
Destiny rolled her eyes.
"Don't be stupid; that's Cecelia, she was my brother's fiancée" she explained.
Teá raised an eyebrow. "Was?" she asked.
"Yeah, Cecelia died of cancer when I was four," Destiny stated. "I don't remember much of her but my brother loved her so much, they were inseparable." She glanced up at the painting; her expression serene. "I often wonder though, what it would have been like to have her in my life, like a mother of sorts."
Ryou stared at her. "That's what you were going to use the Items' One True Power for," he deduced.
Destiny nodded mutely. "Oh, Destiny," Teá moved over to her, arms partially outstretched. "We're so sorry; we had no idea."
Destiny squirmed; their kindness felt wrong in her mind.
"It's fine, I get it," she muttered, stepping around Teá and heading towards the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me," she added, exiting the room and leaving the others bewildered in her wake.
Destiny moved down the steps at a much slower pace then she'd gone up them.
Her body seemed frozen and empty inside.
The aftermath left her feeling nothing. She was merely going through the motions.
Destiny paused to lean against the wall.
She ran her fingers across the Shen Amulet her brother had given her, the Egyptian circle of eternity.
But that was all she felt, there was something that should be beside it that wasn't there.
Destiny started and felt around.
The Shen Amulet, the KC charm, the Eye of Wdjat choker, but that was it.
Where was….
"The Millennium Ring," Destiny stared down; it was gone. "What the happened to it? I was wearing it around my neck when I passed out. Where could it…"
She stopped, a cold feeling washing over her like she'd been doused in ice water.
Destiny raised her eyes, the air around her was laden with frost; her breath came in wisps of white smoke; it was raw, cold, and dead.
Destiny's hands coiled around her shoulders to shield from the chill.
"What the hell? It's so…so cold."
A loud bang, short like the crack of the whip, went off behind her.
Destiny spun around to see the door leading to the study had slammed shut of its own accord, trapping Yugi and the others inside.
"Hey, what the hell, Destiny? Why'd ya lock us in?" Joey's muffled voice could be heard behind the thick wood, along with a series of banging and yelling.
Destiny rushed to the door; she rattled the handle but it wouldn't budge.
"I didn't do anything," Destiny called back, jiggling the handle still harder in frustration, "It's locked on this end too."
"Do you have the key?" Tristan called to her.
"Let us out!" Teá pleaded from behind him.
"I'm trying," Destiny hissed through clenched teeth, kicking the door in frustration.
The hair on the back of Destiny's neck stood on end. She glanced over her shoulder and gasped as the floor behind her began to swim, rippling like a desert mirage.
But it was no mirage. The image rose and fell steadily like crashing waves and a person slowly came up out of the coursing center in a shower of white light.
Destiny staggered backward, tripping over the step behind her and sitting down hard upon it.
Breathing heavily, Destiny raised her eyes to meet with the eyes of the figure that had rose out of the ground. They were ice blue and housed no pupils. A shiver went down Destiny's spine at the sight of them; she knew who they belonged to. The robes of white, the gold hooped earrings, the absurdly large turban, the Key on a rope that dangled against his chest.
"Shadi," Destiny whispered.
Shadi's expression was unreadable as usual.
"So the tables have turned, Destiny Pegasus," he stated in his usual tone, as cold as his eyes.
Destiny gulped as he strode steadily closer to her.
"What do you want? Why have you come to our Castle?" Destiny sounded much braver than she felt.
Shadi scared her, he always had; she wouldn't deny that.
"The Millennium Eye has changed hands," Shadi continued, ignoring Destiny's question. He leaned in close to her so that their eyes were on level with each other. "It was not meant to happen. Who has stolen the Eye?"
"H-How should I know?" Destiny stammered.
"Was it you, Destiny Pegasus?" Shadi asked thoughtfully, "Did you steal your brother's Millennium Item?"
"What? Where did you get that idea?" Destiny exclaimed, staggering to her feet, "On what grounds do you make this accusation? What would I have to gain from stealing my brother's Millennium Eye?"
"What indeed?" Shadi looked thoughtful, his hand absentmindedly stroking the Millennium Key around his neck.
Destiny watched his movements. "Let us see, shall we?" he suddenly asked, lifting the Key up and moving closer to Destiny. "Let us see if you hold any information to the whereabouts of the eye."
Destiny's eyes grew wide. "W-What are you doing?" she cried, stumbling backward, "Get that thing away from me."
"Be still," Shadi whispered; he pressed the Key to her forehead.
In a flash, everything went white. The light was blinding, Destiny could barely crack an eyelid without getting smothered by it.
She had no sense of anything around her; she couldn't feel anything, like she was weightless. "Where…" she squinted through the glare as the light began to slowly subside, "Where am I?"
"Behold, Destiny Pegasus," she heard Shadi beside her.
Destiny glanced towards him; he was pointing straight ahead of them.
She followed his finger and the room spread out before her in a burst of clarity.
It was the most amazing place Destiny had ever seen.
It was a long room with a high ceiling that was made of a kind of glass prism, so that it allowed flashes of colored light to dance along the elaborate mosaic in the center of the room. The entire hall was made of a kind of gold marble, columns lined up on either side of the floor mosaic. Scattered everywhere were small tables, covered in purple table cloths, purple roses twisted around the columns in bushels of leaves and thorns. Upon the small tables were bowls of chocolate covered strawberries, platters of cinnamon buns, goblets of diet coke and iced tea. The air held with the scents of lavender and mint. Snow lightly fell from the ceiling, Evanescence and Breaking Benjamin blared on a distant radio.
Destiny gawked as she whirled around once where she stood.
"Where am I?" she repeated as she slowly made her way down the long room.
In the back of the room there was a kind of altar with a large, ornately carved throne sitting upon it before a gigantic deep purple curtain that shielded the back wall from view.
Littered along the altar steps were dozens upon dozens of books, all stacked together in half-hazard and uneven piles.
Destiny walked towards the altar and picked one up.
It was Jekyll and Hyde.
"Jekyll and Hyde?" Destiny breathed, she glanced down at the other piles.
"War of the Worlds, Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, The Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Harry Potter, The Divine Comedy?" Destiny exclaimed as she staggered amongst the plethora of books. "These are all my favorite books," Destiny paused when a familiar 'hiss' reached her ears.
"Kenneth!" Destiny spun around; the jewel-eyed cobra was curled up like a cat on a small plush cushion beside the throne.
"Hey, buddy," Destiny reached forward and gently stroked his head; this time the snake leaned into her touch. "What are you doing here? What-?" she turned back towards Shadi. "What is this place?" she asked.
"A place that is greatly familiar to you," Shadi stated, "and full of your favorite things," he gestured around.
Destiny picked up a Coraline doll. "I have most of these things," she whispered.
"Of course you do, this is your soul Destiny Pegasus."
Destiny gaped; the rag doll sliding from her fingers.
"What? My…My soul?" her voice trailed off as she gazed around the room again, "Is it-is it really?"
"You believe it to be so; you feel comfortable here, do you not?" Shadi replied simply.
"Yes," Destiny nodded.
"This room is indeed your soul, Destiny Pegasus," Shadi confirmed, "It is your Soul Room; you know of Soul Rooms, for you have entered the Pharaoh's and his Host, Yugi Muto's."
Destiny blinked. "How do you know that?" she asked.
"I have my ways," the ghost of a smile appeared on Shadi's face.
Destiny glanced towards either side of her, between the pillars there was a series of mirrors lined along the walls.
Each mirror was framed in gold and studded with tiny pink roses, in each one there was a different image; a moving picture, like watching a home movie.
The images flashed and danced, a dozen memories at once all bleeding in and out of each other, coming in and out of the frames and hanging in the air like 3D images; Destiny and Pegasus on their travels, Destiny Dueling, her lessons with Arthur Pinns, her and Seto Kaiba, her grandparents and Jasper Moore, the Visions of Marik and his siblings and Ryou Bakura, the fleeting days with Cecelia. Destiny choked at the sight of the images streaking across the room.
"This is my Soul Room," she whispered. She glanced back down at Shadi, who seemed as transfixed on the memory mirrors as she was, "but why have you brought me here?"
"Confirmation," Shadi replied, strolling up to the altar and streaking past her. Behind the throne there was a low stone table draped in more purple cloth.
On the table, laid out in a straight line, there were all nine of the Millennium Items. They weren't the real things of course, just representations of them generated by Destiny's soul.
As Destiny moved to stand beside Shadi, she saw that the Millennium Eye was in the center and was elevated slightly on a little stone pedestal. As she and Shadi watched, the pedestal slowly lowered and the Eye dropped to the same level as its sibling Items, between the Puzzle and the Ring.
"What does that mean?" Destiny asked.
"It means you are not the Eye's thief and you have knowledge of who it is," Shadi replied simply, "If you did, the Eye would not have shifted in its significance to you."
"You knew I wasn't the thief," Destiny stated as Shadi turned and headed back down the altar steps, "Then why did you bring me here?"
"I needed to be absolutely certain," Shadi replied without turning around, "Your place in things is a delicate one; if you had been in allegiance with the Shadows and Darkness, it would have been disastrous."
Destiny's eyes shifted in confusion, wavering momentarily to a small black door in the corner of the room.
"What do you mean by that?" she asked quietly.
This time Shadi turned to face her; his pupil-less eyes even more serious than usual.
"Destiny Pegasus, you have already chosen to play a part in this war," he stated, "Now all you must decide is which side you shall be fighting for."
And, with that, he turned on his heel and walked briskly towards the door.
Destiny's mouth parted slightly. "Hey, wait!" she sprinted to catch up to Shadi, "What are you talking about? What war?"
But Shadi did not respond; he simply turned the handle to the door.
"Now I leave, Destiny Pegasus, but I have unlocked your Soul Room to you with my Key. You are free to enter it whenever you wish."
"I-" Destiny started to reply, but then the room fell away around her and she fell with it.
Destiny was used to headaches by now but good Lord was this was bad one.
It was the brain freeze of the century.
Groaning in pain, Destiny staggered around on the step, gripping her pulsing forehead.
Once the pain subsided, Destiny saw her breath still lingered in the air.
She looked over her shoulder; just as Shadi pulled his Millennium Key away from a frozen Yugi's forehead. He cast a glance her way; his expression hard.
Destiny opened her mouth to say something, but Shadi swiftly moved towards the wall beside them and passed clean through as easily as sliding a knife through butter.
Destiny sucked in a sharp breath; her mouth a perfect 'O' of delayed shock.
"That was weird" was about the only thing she could think to say about what had just happened.
As soon as Shadi slipped through the wall and vanished, Yugi snapped back. He stared around; his big, purple eyes blinking in confusion.
They faltered when they fell on Destiny. "Destiny, what happened? The door slammed shut on its own and locked us in and then this guy in white came in and pulled me outta the room and took a weird key and pressed it to my forehead. What's going on?"
Destiny knew it was kind of rude to leave him hanging, but she didn't really feel like explaining. Yugi's attention immediately wavered, anyways, when he heard the lock click behind him and his friends burst out of the room.
Destiny took his distraction as ample opportunity to sprint down the steps and head down the hall towards the medical wing.
Destiny crossed the Castle in record time.
The door was locked and several Suits were milling about lazily in the hall, checking their watches and jabbering away on their cell phones.
Croquet was among them. He looked distraught.
"Croquet!" Destiny rushed up to him.
"Ms. Pegasus," Croquet paused to dab sweat from his brow with a handkerchief.
"How's my brother?" Destiny demanded.
"The nurses are doing everything they can, but he is critical condition," he replied.
Destiny's heart dropped in her stomach. "But, he'll be okay though, right?" she whispered.
Croquet hesitated. "I believe he shall," he stated quietly.
"I'm not asking for your opinion," Destiny replied, slamming into him and attempting to remove him from his position of blocking the door. "Now, let me through!"
"Ms. Pegasus," the firmness in Croquet's voice caught Destiny off guard and she paused to look at him. "As your brother is currently indisposed; it would seem fit that you would present Duelist Kingdom Tournament victor with the prize money."
Destiny's eyes narrowed. "What if I don't want to give Yugi his lousy three million dollars?" she whined. "You do it, Croquet," she added.
"Ms. Pegasus, this is your island and your Tournament," Croquet stated calmly. "It is only polite."
As he spoke, he reached into his pocket and took out a heavy, cream-colored envelope and a small wooden box that looked as though it would usually house jewelry.
Destiny blinked. Croquet held it out to her.
"Your brother would wish for you to do it," he whispered. "The envelope contains the check for three million and the box contains a special extra prize."
"What is it?"
"It is for Yugi's eyes only," Croquet replied.
Destiny dropped her gaze. "Fine," she murmured, snatching the envelope and the box, spinning on her heel, and stalking down the hall, "but you better let me in when I come back!" she added over her shoulder.
Reluctantly, Destiny reentered the throne room; its magnificence now shrouded in the heavy black cloud of defeat and worry.
Yugi and company had returned there as well and were all gathered around Mokuba Kaiba with looks of bewilderment.
Destiny quickened her pace and came up beside Tristan. She glanced down at the soul-less boy, who merely dropped and lightly danced like laundry blowing in the wind while Ryou gently shook him in hopes of reviving him.
"What's going on?" Destiny asked Tristan.
"We don't know," Tristan replied. "We saw the three blank soul Cards in Pegasus's study. We thought they meant he'd released the souls of Yugi's grandpa, Kaiba, and Mokuba, but Mokuba's not waking up."
"What!" Destiny gasped, and dropped to one knee, beside Ryou.
"Mokuba!" she whispered, nudging him lightly. "Mokuba!" she repeated, shaking him a little harder. "Mokuba, c'mon buddy. Wake up!" Destiny almost screamed.
But no response, Mokuba was as empty and lifeless as ever.
"Shit!" Destiny slammed her hand into the balcony ledge above his head. "This was supposed to work. Why didn't it work?"
"W-What's going on? What was that noise?" A feeble voice reached Destiny's ears.
Destiny's head snapped down to see Mokuba gently open his deep, brown eyes that were thankfully ablaze with life.
Destiny gawked; joy swelling in her stomach, diminishing the once steadily building despair.
"Mokuba!" she exclaimed, flinging her arms around the small boy's neck.
"D-Destiny?" Mokuba stammered, realization dawned on him and he gripped Destiny tightly, sobs were heard as he buried his face in Destiny's chest.
"Mokuba," Destiny whispered as she leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to the top of his head. "It's okay, baby. It's going to be okay."
"S-So d-dark, s-so c-cold," Mokuba stammered. "I-I couldn't e-escape it."
"I now, but it's over now," Destiny reassured. "You're safe now; you're free."
Mokuba's small hands tightened their hold on her shoulders.
"I'm sorry I failed to save you," Destiny whispered.
Mokuba glanced up at her, wet eyes shining. "It's okay," he replied.
"His soul has returned to his body," Teá breathed. "That's a relief."
"It means that my grandpa's soul should have returned as well," Yugi added. "Although, we won't know for sure until we get back to Boston."
Suddenly, Mokuba's expression constricted into remembered horror.
"B-But where's Seto?" he cried. "W-Where's my brother?"
In one fluid motion, he'd shoved himself from Destiny and leapt to his feet.
"Calm down, kid," Ryou exclaimed as Mokuba frantically glanced about him.
"We'll find your brother, Mokuba," Yugi reassured him, he glanced towards Destiny. "Do you know where he is?" he asked.
Destiny shook her head.
"Then, let's go look for him. C'mon!" Tristan beckoned to the others and everyone took off running back to the Castle entrance.
The doors burst open and golden sunlight ran down Destiny's face like warm shower water after a long, cold day.
She paused to throw her head back and embrace it. It was evening by now; orange and pale pink beginning to leak through the usual blue and a gentle purple beginning to bubble up out of the now deep, blue ocean.
Destiny stared around the island; her island, trying to shroud that still horrible feeling in her stomach. Her musings broke when Mokuba suddenly shouted:
"Seto!"
Destiny's head snapped up and her eyes grew wide. Seto Kaiba was slowly striding across the court yard towards them; his long, deep-blue trench coat licking at his heels like ocean waves.
His hair was disheveled, black grime clung to his face, and he limped slightly when he walked. But he was smiling; it was a small, tired smile, but a smile all the same.
"Seto!" Mokuba leapt down the steps and sprinted towards his brother, shrieking sobs and tears of boundless relief; he buried his face in his brother's waist and continued to cry.
"Mokuba," Kaiba bent down slightly so as to curl his hands around his brother's torso. "It's alright. I'm here; you're safe."
"Kaiba!" Destiny exclaimed, rushing down the steps and bolting towards him.
Destiny leapt into his arms and coiled her hands around his neck, sandwiching Mokuba between them.
"Destiny," Kaiba's smile widened slightly. "You're alright," he exclaimed as he picked her up by the waist and spun her around.
"What do you mean 'I'm alright'?" Destiny asked, "What about you?"
"Well, of course I'm alight," Kaiba replied, "Why wouldn't I be?" he added, confused.
Destiny sighed, but it was with a smile. "Oh, never mind," she scoffed as she hugged Kaiba again.
"Hey, let's remember, Destiny, that it was Yugi who got your friends outta the Shadow Realm," Joey called to her, "don't you think you ought to thank him?"
"Let her have her moment, Joey," Teá whispered.
However, Kaiba obliged to this.
"Yugi," he glanced to the small boy, "Thank you for getting my family back to me" he placed a hand on Mokuba's shoulder "they…they mean everything to me."
Yugi grinned. "You're welcome."
"Oh, Yugi, I almost forgot," Destiny exclaimed, breaking away from Kaiba and hurrying back over to him. "Here, this is for you," she reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled out the envelope Croquet had given her.
Yugi gawked slightly as she passed it to him. "What is it?" he asked.
"Duh, the prize for winning the tournament," Destiny exclaimed, "Three million dollars as promised," she added as Yugi opened the envelope; his eyes growing wide as he beheld the check.
"Wow, that's a lot of money," Tristan whispered.
"Yugi earned it," Teá beamed.
"I didn't think you'd give this to me," Yugi said to Destiny, "After what happened."
Destiny shrugged. "My brother and I may not fight 'honorably,' as you say; but that doesn't mean we're sore losers. You earned that prize money, so it's yours, King of Games."
Yugi grinned. "Here you are, Joey," he then added, passing the envelope to his friend.
Joey gawked. "Yug, I…" his voice trailed off.
"Go ahead, you need it for your sister's operation," Yugi exclaimed, waving his hand dismissively.
Joey's eyes misted. "Yugi, I don't know what to say," he whispered, "Thank you so much; this means the world to me."
Yugi laughed warmly. "Yeah, I know," he clapped his friend on the back.
"You're an interesting kid, Yugi," Destiny casually observed, "Not many people would just hand three million dollars to the person standing next to them."
"I told you Yugi's heart was pure," Teá exclaimed.
"We were talking about the Pharaoh there," Destiny snapped back.
Speaking of which, the Pharaoh took sudden command as Destiny spoke.
"Destiny," their eyes met, "I would like to give you something as well." He pulled out his Deck and began riffling through it.
Destiny tried to say something, but the Pharaoh didn't let her.
"Here," he handed her a Card. Destiny glanced down at a Monster Card housing a small, brown fuzz-ball with giant eyes and stubby legs.
"Kuriboh?" Destiny asked, "If this is some kind of joke, I don't get it."
"It is not a joke," the Pharaoh replied with a glance at Kaiba, "This Monster may seem helpless, but you can still use it to assume control of a situation; you do not need to be helpless."
Destiny stared down at the Card. She knew what he was getting at. She had thought her telepathy was only a small trick she pulled every once and a while, but her Duel against the Pharaoh had proved she relied too heavily upon it and when she was backed into a corner, without it, she panicked.
She still had much to learn.
"Thanks, I guess," Destiny stubbornly grumbled as she slipped the Card into the holster that housed the rest of her Deck. But her eyes told the Pharaoh what she was really thinking and he smiled.
She really was so much like her brother: brooding and manipulative yet still polite and charming when need be.
"Oh, there's this to," Destiny jumped back and pulled out the tiny wooden box.
The Pharaoh arched an eyebrow. "What is this?" he asked as he accepted it.
Destiny shrugged. "Dunno."
"Go on then, Pharaoh, open it," Joey urged as he and the other three all leaned in so as to peer over the Pharaoh's shoulder.
The Pharaoh obliged. His eyes widened when they fell on whatever was inside.
"What is it?" Destiny demanded, stepping beside the Pharaoh.
Inside the box, resting amongst the plush, purple velvet was a Duel Monsters Card.
The Card gleamed with the shine of newness; a shimmering gloss against the surface of the painting. It depicted a small angel, hands clasped, in a satin dress with majestic feathered wings and billowing blonde hair.
"What Card is that?" Tristan asked as they all gaped at it.
"It is called the Ties of Friendship," the Pharaoh read the title as he picked the Card up.
"I've never seen that Card before," Destiny stated, "I'm guessing it's brand new and the only one of its kind.
Everyone gaped at her. "Really?" Ryou asked her.
"Yeah, I guess Pegasus thought it would mean something to you," Destiny paused to survey the tight-knit group of friends standing before her, "and I can see why" she added.
The Pharaoh nodded. "Well, when you see your brother next, tell him that I am very much obliged."
Destiny nodded mutely. "Well, this has been fun and all," Destiny caught the underlying sarcasm in Kaiba's voice as she turned his way, "but I think we've all overstayed our welcome. My helicopter's parked on the beach a short ways from here and it's bound for Boston. If you want a ride you better hurry up," he added to the Pharaoh and his friends.
"I'd like that very much," Yugi replied as he reverted back to himself.
Kaiba's eyes narrowed as they fell on Yugi, all gratefulness draining away.
"Yugi, due to the circumstances revolving around our last Duel; it was inconclusive. Therefore, I believe that, sometime in the near future, a rematch shall be called for."
Yugi grinned. "I'm up for that."
Destiny rolled her eyes. "Have fun with that," she called to them, "but the Tournament's over, you better get off my Island before I have the Suits throw ya out," she added playfully.
"Yeah, let's get off this screwy island," Joey added, "No offense, Destiny."
"None taken," Destiny gave him a tired smile as she watched Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Teá, and Ryou all head down the steps to follow Kaiba and Mokuba.
As Ryou passed her by, Destiny caught him glance her way.
She winked.
He winked back.
"Hey, Kaiba," Destiny called to her friend, "I'll see ya when I get back to the main land, maybe we'll do lunch or something."
Kaiba smirked. "I'd like that," he called back.
"See ya later," Destiny added to Yugi and crew, "I have a feeling we'll meet again soon."
Yugi nodded. "I agree."
Destiny jumped slightly as the main doors to the Castle suddenly creaked open.
"Croquet!" Destiny exclaimed as she spun around to meet the serving man.
"Ms. Pegasus," Croquet replied.
"How's Pegasus? Is he going to be okay? Can I see him?" Destiny cried.
"His injuries were incredibly severe," Croquet halted her onslaught of questions.
"How severe?" Destiny demanded worriedly.
"The Millennium Eye was attached to your brother's optic nerve," Croquet explained, "The optic nerve is-"
"An extension of the brain that connects the eye to the brain and enables images to be transferred to the brain," Destiny interrupted, "I know. What about it?"
"Yes, well, when the eye was removed it tore the optic nerve in half," Croquet explained "and, as you said, it is a part of the brain, therefore there was a vast amount of bleeding as well as rather drastic burns that the doctors could not explain."
Destiny clapped a hand to her mouth. "My God," she whispered; her shock only peaking briefly before her adrenaline kicked in, "Then, we gotta get him off this island as soon as possible! We gotta get Pegasus to a hospital where they have better equipment!" As she spoke, Destiny bolted for the door.
"Ms. Pegasus," Croquet grabbed her elbow.
Destiny froze; there was something in Croquet's voice that made her heart plummet into her stomach.
"Croquet?" she asked warily.
"Ms. Pegasus, I am so sorry" Croquet whispered; he paused to draw breath, "But your brother is dead."
End Book One.
A/N: So, I…uh…went the manga route here. *laughs nervously* Anyway, I'm finally done with this! I hope you all enjoyed it and be sure to look for the sequel that will hopefully be up next week. With it, we'll have the return of Destiny, Kaiba, Ryou, Yugi, and the rest of the gang as well as the reintroduction of Marik, Ishizu, Odion, and my other OC Selket who's role will be considerably larger in the sequel, not to mention a bunch of new characters to be added to the mix. Stay tuned for 'The Fallen Angel'
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