Elements of Honorable Heroes
The next morning, after cleaning the guest rooms, the heroes joined Basil for breakfast. The table was filled with cups of tea and plates of crepes. Emily was even nice enough to help the housekeeper, Mrs. Judson, bake blueberry bread. It was of no surprise to the detective that Emily had a talent for baking sweets. When he first met her, he could detect the sweet scent of sugar along with the tart scent of various fruits. He could also detect the scents of flour, vanilla, and eggs.
Basil dismissed Mrs. Judson, saying he wanted to discuss something privately with his guests. The housekeeper obeyed and decided to attend to the laundry in the washroom. "I've thought it over," the detective was saying. "I'm still unsure about all of you going to the festival for when you return to Paris."
Joey picked at the food on his plate. "I've been feeling the same way, actually. I don't really like the idea of seeing Frollo again after what happened."
Basil raised his hand to silence him. "However, I don't think I could change any of your minds even if I wanted to."
Kaiba lifted his cup to sip his tea. "What are you saying, Basil?"
The detective lowered his cup and explained himself. "I've thought over what we discussed yesterday. You were brought to these worlds for a reason and that reason was to help stop the Dark Masters. Forgive me if I sound as though I'm putting so much faith in all of you, but I do think you may be our only hope against those villains."
The brunette looked at him. "You don't have to put your faith in us just because of all the stories you've heard about us and our ancestors."
"We can actually understand why you would feel the way you do, though," said Yugi. "We wouldn't want to be too overconfident with ourselves either, knowing who the Dark Masters are and what they're capable of."
"Even so, I'm willing to give all of you a chance," Basil said, taking a bite of his breakfast and chewing it. He swallowed and reminded them, "You did say you wanted to help anyway."
"Yes, we did," said Kaiba. "It's not really a fight we can back out of anyway now that we're involved. And like we discussed, we wouldn't be here if these worlds weren't in danger."
Yugi swallowed a bite of his crepes. "I don't normally like to fight, but when so much is at stake and so many lives are on the line, I can't be selfish and only think about myself. When someone I know needs my help, all the risks are worth it. And it wouldn't be right or fair to turn away from someone in need. I knew what I would be getting myself into for when I would accept the task of stopping the Dark Masters, but even so, I wanted to help my friends stop them."
Basil smiled at Yugi. "Yugi, my boy, you have a strong sense of justice. I like that about you. I also like that you're a true leader to your team." He looked to the others. "In fact, all of you live up to your elements. Your commitment to protecting mankind and your loyalties to those you care about prove that you are deserving of being warriors of Millennia." To explain what he means, he tells them, "As you said, you know the risks and the dangers, but you know you can't only think about yourselves because it's not just about you. You put yourselves out for your friends and loved ones in the face of danger. And you push on until the fight is won."
Joey smiled proudly. "We sure do. That's why we want to help stop the Dark Masters."
Basil agreed. "As do I. I'm hoping that one day, they will be brought to justice. And I'm sure my superiors would be just as honored to have you as allies to help us."
"Who are your superiors?" Emily asked.
The detective gave a small smile. "I'm afraid I'm not allowed to disclose that information. It's not that I don't trust you-,"
"Don't worry, we get it," Kaiba said. "That's to be expected from a private consultant such as yourself. And it would be the same with us if we were in a similar situation."
"But we don't have any secrets that we have to keep from Basil," said Yugi. At that moment, the thought occurred to him. "Speaking of secrets, Basil, how would you like to come with us and see the Secret Garden?"
The detective sputtered his tea and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "The Secret Garden? Would you really? I mean, am I really allowed?"
"Why wouldn't you be allowed?" Joey asked. "Anyone who's friends with us is welcome in the Secret Garden."
Yugi smiled. "Besides, I would think a daring detective like you would leap at the chance for adventure."
"Well, you're certainly right about that." This sounded like a golden opportunity for Basil. It also sounded like it would be the honor of a lifetime. He was actually being invited to see the most beautiful place created by the Great Goddess herself. "Very well," he replied. "We'll go straight away." He finished his breakfast and hurried to his room to change clothes.
Yugi chuckled. "That Basil sure is an eccentric fellow."
Emily giggled. "That's what makes him funny and likable."
Kaiba smiled. "You know something? I like that about him."
"Yeah, he's pretty cool," Joey commented.
The heroes finished eating their breakfast and joined Basil in the parlor. They could see that the detective was anxious – in an excited way. He donned his Inverness coat, but left his deerstalker cap on the rack, thinking he wouldn't need it. They left the residence and walked down Baker Street until they came to an alley. Basil followed his new friends through the darkness and as they walked on, it was like they were coming out of a tunnel. Basil looked down and saw blades of grass at his feet instead of the cobblestone paths of the sides of the streets. He also looked ahead and saw lots of greenery. There were so many trees bearing many different kinds of fruits, fields of all kinds of flowers, and gardens of vegetables. His ears perked up as he detected the sound of running water coming from the waterfalls and streams and ponds.
"Welcome, Basil, to Pure Valley," Yugi announced. The detective looked at his friends and was shocked to see them in their true forms. He was so awestruck at the beauty and wonder surrounding him that he didn't realize that they had turned back into humans. Yugi knelt down and lowered his hand. "Come on, we'll give you a tour."
Basil climbed onto Yugi's hand. Yugi then carefully lifted him and placed him on his shoulders. "Now hold on tight," said Yugi. Basil kept a firm grip on the neckpiece of Yugi's coat. He was amazed to see eagle wings behind the boy. The detective thought that the wings of an eagle were very fitting for Yugi since the bird symbolized justice and much like himself, Yugi did represent justice.
Yugi flapped his wings and lifted himself from the ground and began flying with his friends flying beside him. "The thrill of the ride, eh, Basil?" Yugi asked.
"Indeed," the detective replied. This was more exhilarating than riding on Toby. For one, Basil had never ridden on the shoulder of a human before, let alone a human who could fly. He wondered if this was what it felt like for people and mice who dreamed of flying.
The heroes showed Basil every part of the Valley that they knew. There was Celestic Falls, Rainbow Canyon, Half Moon Pass, the meadow where the Bone Eater's Well stood, all of the different waterfalls and hot springs, and the doors to the other worlds. They even passed by some of their friends from the other worlds.
After giving Basil a tour of the whole Valley, the heroes brought the detective to the thicket that hid the door to Victorian London. They sat down under the canopy to rest and relax. "So what do you think?" Yugi asked Basil.
"Well, I must admit, this place is beyond anything I imagined," he admitted. "It's everything I was told of and more. You see, Yugi, when I first heard about this place, I was told that it was a sanctuary that the Great Goddess had built for her children for when they would need a place to get away to for safety and comfort. Now it's a gateway to different worlds."
"Mm-hmm," said Emily. "And all of our friends from the other worlds can come here whenever they want to just as we can. Not just to get away from all the stress and strife or seek safety from any evil, but to spend time with friends, see new places, and relax."
"It's called a secret place because it's inaccessible to all evil creatures and villains," said Kaiba. "That's why it's a safe place to anyone who comes here."
"So if you ever need a safe place to come to for any reason of if anything gets to be too much for you, you can always come here," Joey promised Basil.
The detective was honored to be welcome to the Pure Valley and that he could come here whenever he wanted. He was also just as honored to have the trust of the Heroes of Millennia. It seemed that they really could be friends and allies. "Thank you all for bringing me here," he said sincerely. "I can't even begin to tell you how honored I am to have met you and to be invited to such a special place."
"Hey, you're one of us now, Basil," Joey told him. "A fellow hero and a fellow friend."
"We certainly did make a good team back in the pet shop," Kaiba admitted.
"Actually, we did," Basil said in agreement.
Yugi smiled at him. "Are you sure you're not a warrior of Millennia? You could be."
The detective snickered. "What would I be the warrior of?"
Yugi continued smiling. "Justice," he replied.
Emily agreed. "It is one of your many personal qualities. You do have a reputation for bringing criminals to justice and bringing your clients peace of mind."
Basil smiled, appreciating their kind words and wisdom. He agreed that if he were to represent an element just like these heroes, no doubt his element would be justice.
"Basil," Yugi said. He reached back and plucked a feather from his wing and handed it to the detective. "Here, from one warrior of justice to another."
He kindly accepted the feather from Yugi. "Thank you, Yugi. I will treasure this."
"And I sincerely hope you'll be able to bring Ratigan to justice someday."
The detective nodded. "Someday, I will," he promised. "And I believe with your help, the Dark Masters will one day be brought to justice too."
The heroes nodded in agreement. The opened the door for Basil, promising him that they would one day meet again. Basil agreed, saying he would look forward to it. He also wished them the best for when they would return to Paris and he begged them to be careful. After saying goodbye, the detective passed through the door and wound up back on Baker Street. He entered his residence and took out a notebook and began writing about his case with the Heroes of Millennia. Once he would finish, he would present his report to his superiors. Basil also looked at the feather Yugi gave him, reminding himself to store it someplace safe once he was finished.
