Yu-Gi-Oh! Love Selflessly – Chapter 26
Emiko was resting her head gently on Mokuba's, just listening to the soft breaths of her little brother, just hoping that her friends would find Pegasus soon and that it wasn't too late to rescue her brothers and Yugi's grandpa. She closed her eyes and hummed a soft lullaby absentmindedly. Her mind flashed back to their childhood when she would sing him to sleep with the same song. A song with a gentle tune and a varied range. A song with comforting and gentle lyrics. She smiled at the thought of staying up many nights writing the song and perfecting its tune.
Yugi, Téa, Joey, and Tristan ran through the stone-walled courtyard. They searched pathway after pathway looking for a clue as to wherever Pegasus went. Joey said, "Don't worry, Yuge! We'll find him!" Yugi said, panting between words, "I hope so! We need him to free Grandpa and the others!" Téa stopped and said, "Wait a second!" She looked to her right and pointed. She said, "That tower looks kinda familiar. I think I've been there with Tristan, Emiko, and Bakura." Tristan said, "Yeah. I remember, too." Téa continued, "I vaguely remember a secret room. Pegasus' sanctuary!" She sighed and Tristan said, "Yeah, that's right. Pegasus and Bakura's evil spirit fought, but why did we forget about it?" Téa shrugged, but Joey said, "He must've cast a spell on the three of you! Let's go there and see what we can find!" Yugi said, "Yeah, sounds like a good start to me!"
Emiko sighed, but Mokuba shifted a little in her arms. Her eyes shot open and she said anxiously, "Mokuba? Mokuba!?" Mokuba's dark blue-grey eyes slowly opened and he muttered, "What is...? Emiko...? Emiko!" Emiko smiled, tears freely flowing from her eyes as she squeezed Mokuba tightly. She shrieked, "Mokuba! You're okay!" Mokuba cried, wrapping his arms around Emiko's neck and burying his face into her shoulder, "Emiko! I was so scared!" Emiko held onto him as though her life depended on it. She sobbed loudly, "Mokie, I promise I'll never leave you alone again!" Mokuba asked, his voice shaking, "Where's Seto?! We have to find Seto!" Emiko just held him tightly and said, "I know. I know. We'll find him soon. Just...just..." She trailed off, her tears cutting her off as she continued to cry, holding Mokuba tightly.
Yugi and the others stopped, hearing a loud scream from the top of the very tower they had just reached. Téa asked, "Did you hear that?" Joey said, "Yeah. It sounded like Pegasus!" They turned around a nearby corner, seeing a staircase to the top of the tower. At the top of the stairs, Croquet and one other man were carrying Pegasus, who had fallen unconscious, away. As the other man carried Pegasus past them, Yugi thought he could see blood on Pegasus' face, mostly hidden by his long, silver hair, but he couldn't be sure. He asked, "Croquet, what happened to him!?" Croquet said sharply, "It's none of your concern. He's suddenly taken ill." Yugi begged, "But what about Grandpa and the Kaiba brothers? He promised he'd free their souls!" Walking past him, Croquet growled evasively, "Not my department." Yugi sighed, watching as Pegasus was carried away and around the corner.
"Guys," Joey said in a low voice, "Did you get a good look at Pegasus?" Tristan nodded and asked, "Who or what could have done that to him?" Téa said, "I don't know. He looked awful, though. Maybe there's some kind of clue in the tower."
Emiko dried her eyes, finally letting Mokuba pull away. Mokuba looked up at her and said, "I'm so happy you came for me, Em." Emiko said, smiling, "I told you. We're a family. We have to look out for each other." Mokuba said, grinning, "But...how? How did you save me?" Emiko shook her head and said, "It wasn't me. Yugi saved you. It's...it's a long story." Mokuba said, "You'll tell us on the way home, right?" She nodded. From the other side of the hallway, Bakura said, "Emiko, there- Mokuba!" He smiled and ran to kneel next to the two of them. Emiko asked, "Bakura? I thought you went after the others!" He said, "I got turned around. I couldn't find them, so I came back here." He said, smiling and turning to Mokuba, "Mokuba, I'm so glad you're alright!" Mokuba nodded politely. Bakura said, "I don't believe we've officially met. My name is Ryou Bakura. I'm a friend of your sister's." Mokuba said, "Yeah, I've heard of you. Nice to meet you, Bakura." Bakura said, smiling, "A pleasure to meet you, too." Emiko just smiled.
Seto opened his eyes, sitting on the rather hard mattress inside his cell, his leg chained to the wall next to him. He muttered under his breath, "Mokuba...Emiko...I have to find...my brother and sister..." He reached into his pocket, searching for anything he could use to escape. He sighed with relief as he felt a paperclip. It was better than nothing. He knelt down and began fidgeting with the lock, the dim light making it difficult to tell if he was getting anywhere quickly.
"I'm coming, you two."
Joey and Tristan stared at the large painting of a beautiful blonde woman in the back of the room while Yugi and Téa searched around the room for a clue to the whereabouts of Yugi's grandfather, Emiko's brothers, or what could have happened to Pegasus. Yugi knelt down next to the painting. He noticed a few dark red spots on the floor. They looked almost like fresh blood. Joey said, "Man, whoever that woman is, she sure is pretty." Tristan said, "Yeah, and Pegasus seems totally obsessed with her." Téa said, picking up a small, leatherbound book and flipping through the pages, "Hey, guys, come here. Come check this out." Yugi stood up and the three boys gathered around as Téa started reading from the book.
"Darling Cecelia. Oh, my lovely, darling Cecelia. At long last, I've finally found a way to return you to this world. It's an elabourate plan, but not one beyond my genius. It's a plan that involves both the technology of Kaiba Corporation and the magic of the ancient Millennium Items."
"This is it," Téa exclaimed, "This could explain why Pegasus created the tournament and tried to take over Kaiba Corporation!" Téa flipped back through the pages, going back to the very beginning. Pegasus' handwriting was beautiful and he wrote fondly of his lost love, Cecelia.
"You know how I've loved you since the moment we met those many, many years ago. Though we were only children, I'll never forget that day at my father's gala, held at his country estate. There were celebrities and tycoons from all over the world. Anyone who was anyone was there, but by far, the most beautiful was you. I knew that I was in love."
Joey pulled up a chair and sat, resting his chin on the back of it. Tristan leaned on the desk nearby and everyone listened as Téa read Pegasus' writings. It was written like a fairytale.
"You inflamed my passions and inspired me to become a painter. Naturally, you were my favourite subject. Your beautiful, blue eyes like the deepest ocean. Your long, blonde hair, soft as the finest silk threads in all the world. Your lovely, ivory skin, fair and delicate as a china doll. I was so in love and just when I thought things couldn't get any better, you agreed once again to take my hand, only this time, in marriage. That was the happiest day of my entire life, but it was cut short, for it seemed just as we had said our vows, you were struck down by a devastating disease. Taken from me and from this world."
Téa sighed, noticing that the pages were lightly stained with a few dots that were, presumably, tears.
"I was filled with sorrow. From that moment onward, I could no longer paint. My heart grew bitter and cold. I was simply unable to accept that our life together was really over. After doing some research, I decided to scour the earth, searching for any way to reach you beyond this mortal veil. My journey eventually brought me to Egypt. The Egyptian people believed in a life beyond the here and now, which was a belief I so dearly wanted to embrace. I had only just begun to explore that mysterious land when fate intervened. I encountered a mysterious stranger. A man, dressed in loose robes, his head wrapped in a turban, and wearing an elabourate, golden item around his neck. He gave me a cryptic warning and said that he knew why I was there, but despite the stranger's urges to leave and return home, I couldn't. I thought that if he somehow knew of my pain, perhaps he could help me heal it, so I followed him against his wishes. Or, so I thought. The passage seemed to lead to the bowels of the earth, but still I followed. Eventually, my footsteps led me to an ancient crypt, apparently buried beneath centuries of civilization. The man had me taken against my will deeper into the room, telling me that the items were called the Millennium Items. There were seven items in total and each item couldn't simply be taken. The items had to choose their owners or be won in a duel of some sort. The pain I felt as that golden eye was shoved crudely into the socket of my own eye was immeasurable. I nearly passed out from the shooting pain that made me see stars out of my remaining eye. I finally regained my footing as I was writhing on the floor in pain, the smell of blood was strong as it flowed down my face and onto the ancient stone beneath me, staining the stone and my clothing, but what I saw as I sat up was exactly what I had hoped for. I saw your shining figure in front of me. As I reached out to you, I would once again have my heart engulfed by despair as you vanished as quickly as you had appeared, but seeing your face in that brief moment gave me more hope than you could ever know. Even though you are gone from my world, I know that there is still a way to reach your spirit and I won't stop until I've found a way to bring you back and once again touch the flower that is your face. I'll see you again soon, my love. Yours, Maximillian."
Téa closed the book and smiled. She let out a soft sigh and Joey said, "Who knew Pegasus had such a soft side, huh?" Yugi said, "Just as we were fighting for our loved ones, Pegasus was also fighting for his wife." Tristan said, "Man, that was something." Yugi glanced at the ground for a moment, then saw, strewn about as if they were thrown to the ground, three empty soul cards. He said, "Hey, wait! Look at this!" He knelt down and picked them up, smiling. Téa set the book gently on the table and said, "Three soul cards!" Yugi said, "Yeah, and they're all blank!" Joey said, "That must mean that he freed them!" Tristan said, taking the lead down the stairs, "Yeah! Let's go find out!" Yugi put the cards on the table next to the journal and called, "Hey, wait up!" As soon as Yugi had turned to run down the staircase, he was confronted by a mysterious man in loose-fitting robes and a turban. Yugi thought he could match the description of the stranger in Pegasus' diary, but before he could ask, the stranger held up his necklace, approaching Yugi silently. Yugi backed away nervously, but the man put his item to his forehead. Moments later, he reeled. He said in a strange accent, "Forgive me. I apologise for my rude intrusion into your mind. I had no idea that you were the chosen one and that the ancient predictions have finally come to pass. In my search for a thief, I instead found the one who is most worthy." He turned to walk down the stairs.
"The theft of Pegasus' Millennium Eye is but the first sign that evil once again walks the earth," the stranger said, "Once more, chaos threatens to envelop an unsuspecting world and only the one who solved the Millennium Puzzle can save it." Yugi asked, "Wait, what do you mean? Is there anything else you can tell me?" The stranger started down the stairs and said, "Take great care. Be on your guard, for the thief who stole Pegasus' Millennium Item will also come seeking yours." The stranger walked down the stairs, but Yugi said, "Wait, don't go! I still have a lot of questions! Who are you?" As the stranger seemed to fade into the darkness of the staircase, he said, "My name is Shadi and I am certain that we will meet again another day. Until then, remember this: the fate of the world rests on your shoulders." Yugi sighed. The stranger vanished. Yugi looked down at his Puzzle, confused.
"The fate of the world," Yugi thought, "That's kinda scary to think about."
Téa, Joey, Tristan, and Yugi returned to the viewing balcony where Emiko, Bakura, and Mokuba were gathered, glad to see that Mokuba had been restored as Pegasus had promised. Emiko was still holding Mokuba protectively. Yugi asked, "Now, what do you say we all get off this island." Emiko and Mokuba simultaneously said, "Not yet." Mokuba said, "Not without Seto. Where is he?" Téa said, "He's got to be somewhere in this castle." Yugi said, "Yeah. We'll find him. I'll bet he already knows you're safe." Croquet cleared his throat and said, "Yugi Muto." Yugi looked up and said skeptically, "Croquet?" Croquet said, "Due to his sudden illness, Mr. Pegasus will be unable to attend, but all prizes are still to be awarded. Yugi Muto has already received his agreed-upon reward of three freed souls, but there's still the three-million-dollar prize and this." He held up a small, golden box with a Duel Monsters card inside. He explained, "This card is called The Ties of Friendship. It's the only one of its kind, hand-painted by Pegasus himself. I was instructed to personally deliver this card to Yugi Muto. You are now officially the King of Games." He reached into his coat's breast pocket as Yugi looked down at the unique card in his hand. Handing Yugi an envelope.
"This contains a check for the prize money," he said, "won by Yugi Muto in his duel against Joey Wheeler." Yugi looked up at Joey and said, "I'd like Joey to take it." Croquet nodded and handed the check to Joey, who excitedly grabbed it and said, "Thank you, Yugi. You're the best friend a guy could ever ask for." Emiko stood up as Croquet walked away. She said, "Now, let's go. We have to find Seto." Mokuba said, grabbing her hand, "Yeah!" She looked down and smiled. Joey said, taking off, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Tristan said, "Where do we start?" Téa said, "I don't know. Maybe we should search the castle again?" Yugi said, "No, he wasn't anywhere inside when we were looking for Pegasus." Emiko said, "Then, let's head outside and start there." Mokuba didn't hesitate to let go of her hand and run straight for the courtyard. She gasped and called, running after him, "Mokuba! Wait!" He shouted, "Come on!"
As they all walked outside, the sky was already turning shades of pink and orange, painted with beautiful, purple clouds. Mokuba walked ahead of the others, calling out loudly for Seto. Emiko looked around, also calling out to him. She sighed. Mokuba shouted, "Seto! Where are you?! Big brother!" Yugi said, "This castle is huge. Kaiba could be anywhere. How are we going to find him without splitting-" In front of them, a large gate was pushed open. As the doors slowly swung open, Mokuba and Emiko both gasped. Seto was standing in the doorway, the wind sweeping up his coat behind him, a smile plastered onto his face. Mokuba cried out, running to him, followed closely by Emiko. Tears fell from the two younger Kaiba siblings' eyes as they practically leaped on Seto, embracing him tighter than they ever had before. Mokuba and Emiko cried and Seto set down his briefcase, gently holding onto them, his smile soft and genuine. Mokuba sobbed, "You're here! You're here!" Seto said gently, "It's alright." Mokuba pulled away and pulled out his Duel Monsters card-shaped locket.
"Seto," he shakily said, "I didn't know what happened to you, but I never stopped believing in you and Emiko." Emiko nodded and held her locket next to Mokuba's, saying, "Yeah. I was scared. I-I didn't know if I'd find you two, but...I held on and conquered my fear." Seto said, pulling his own matching locket out and holding it next to the other two, "I know. I would have risked anything to save you two." Mokuba said, "Yugi told me that you risked your life!" Emiko said, "Yeah, and now, we're all together again." The three exchanged a smile and Seto said, "So, what do you two say we get home?" Emiko said, "That sounds like a great idea." Mokuba cheered, wiping the last of his tears from his eyes, "Yeah!" Joey sniffled a little.
"Come on, guys," he said, "Let's not get all mushy, now." Seto, ignoring Joey's comment, stood up and said, "Thank you, Yugi. Thank you for keeping my family safe. My brother and sister mean everything to me." Yugi said kindly, "How could I do anything less?" Seto said, "I am grateful, but because of the circumstances, our last duel wasn't really conclusive." Yugi nodded and said, "Yes, you're right." Seto said, "One day, we'll meet in the arena again to find out who the better duelist really is and when we do, one of us will walk away with the pride of having beaten the other." He turned and said, "Come on, Mokuba. Emiko. Let's go home. My helicopter's waiting." Mokuba followed happily. Emiko said, smiling, "Seto, can Yugi and the others tag along, too?" He said bluntly, "Fine." She turned and called, "Come on, guys!"
The helicopter ride home was a little bit cramped, but it was peaceful. Emiko held Mokuba in her lap up in the co-pilot's seat. Yugi, Téa, Tristan, Joey, and Bakura sat in the back of the helicopter, a little squished together, but fairly comfortable. As they flew smoothly through the sky, Emiko sang Mokuba's lullaby, the peaceful tune and comforting notes, bringing an air of calm to the group. Seto was even smiling as he listened to her soft, breathy vocals, which made her happier than she had been in a long time. Mokuba closed his eyes and began to drift off to sleep. The sun fell beneath the horizon as Domino City finally came into view, the lights of the Kaiba Corporation building being the brightest in the city.