Part Four:
"OooOOhhh! Pokemon! D&D! Magic the Gathering - Yea!"
It was rather disconcerting for the two teens to watch their mutual enemy race for the gaming section with such glee. Yugi and Joey stood speechless in the door as Pegasus rummaged through the aisles. "I haven't been in a comic book store in so long! All my Funny Bunny comics are delivered factory direct." Pegasus sifted through the Magic cards, wrinkling his nose a little. "That's what Kaiba should learn: never change the rules too frequently. It alienates instead of rewards the older players. Wow, and a new set of cards. They should realize such a plan will force them to bar the use of original cards as well to promote sales." He brightened as he flipped through the plastic display pages. "But the artwork is remarkably good here and there. It won't save their game though!" He turned to Yugi and Joey with a mischievous grin that made both friends involuntarily go on the offensive. "Did you hear that silly Seto Kaiba has funded some new version of the game? Dice or something . . . quite an oddity." He paused, his eye narrowed. "May I ask what exactly you two are staring at?"
Joey threw one hand behind his head, grinning widely. "Ah, nothin'!"
Yugi sighed, stepping forward. "Actually, Pegasus, we were wondering . . ."
But then, a new figure appeared in the room. Yugi's eyes widened as Grandpa gasped. "What . . . Maximillion Pegasus? Where . . . what are you doing in my shop?" He looked to Yugi and Joey in the doorway and drew his own conclusions. "What are you doing to my Yugi! Haven't you done enough!"
Pegasus smirked and reached into his inside coat pocket. "Well, actually . . . " Then he grinned, holding out the rare card, "I came to give this to you!" He walked forward and placed the card upon the counter face up. "Here you are, Grandfather of Yugi Moto!"
Grandpa stared at the card, then glared at his so-called beneficiary. "You came to give me a card?"
"Mmhmm." Pegasus nodded enthusiastically.
"It looks like a fake."
"Fake?! What do you mean, fake?"
"It looks unplayed. No card this valuable could avoid looking worn."
"How dare you accuse me of such a thing! Well, fine then!" Pegasus snatched the card up and flipped it up his sleeve with the ease of an expert cheater. "Humph! Since I've arrived I've been mocked, ignored, and talked down to, but I will not tolerate being called a perpetuator of counterfeit cards of my own design!" He straightened his suit crisply. "You people are uncommonly rude, and your city is appalling. I was better off remaining at home."
At this point Joey lost his cool. He charged up, staring at his foe with a raised fist. "Yer the one that attacked us! What'd ya expect us ta do, just play nice and act cool about it? No way!"
Pegasus sneered, his distaste for the blond duelist made obvious. "I expected this sort of behavior from you, little Joey; however I can't simply . . ." Suddenly the world seemed to spin a little, and the place where the Millennium Eye had been for so many years began to throb. He swayed on his feet and put his hands to his face, breathing heavily. It happened sometimes. The Eye . . . if only he had the Eye. But, no . . . he didn't want it really. He had to fight the temptation now that he finally had a choice in the matter. Cecelia wouldn't approve . . .
He felt a hand on his arm and the world seemed to regain coherence. He didn't feel like he was caught in a whirlwind anymore and, exhausted, he leaned on the counter, his head down so they wouldn't see the strain which contorted his features. He clenched the counter top desperately, rooting himself in reality somewhat as the remainder of what had become commonplace ran its course. A moment of clarity occurred, as his mind reached out, uncontrolled now without the Eye, and located something of interest. He could feel the dark forces moving. Someone was trying to use the Millennium Eye. If he could only discover where and who . . .
"Pegasus?"
And just as quickly as it had begun, the moment ceased, the influence of the Shadow Realm faded, and Pegasus was once again rooted in reality. His breathing was still labored moments later when he finally answered. "It's . . . nothing . . ."
Yami, who had been silent all this time, whispered into Yugi's mind, ::Pegasus' power just surged for a moment, Yugi. He was uncontrolled and unfocused without the Millennium Eye but still amazingly powerful for someone without any item whatever. Not quite as strong as during the tournament when we fought, but still impressive.::
Yugi nodded, and touched Pegasus' shoulder in concern. "Does this happen often?"
Pegasus stood, and smoothed his hair over his left eye methodically. His left hand lingered there a moment, touching the patch before with a jerk the hand was pulled away, concealed in a pocket. "I assure you there is nothing to worry about. Hmm. now where were we? Ah yes. I was insulted and leaving."
But Grandpa cleared his throat, "I was expecting Yugi's friends and had prepared lunch. There's always more than enough so I suppose you're welcome to stay." Then he glared, his eyes hard as diamonds. "But if you hurt my grandchild I'll make you wish you were never born, do you hear?"
Pegasus stared wide-eyed, one delicately lifted eyebrow the only measure of his surprise. Even Joey had no reply for that.
"OooOOhhh! Pokemon! D&D! Magic the Gathering - Yea!"
It was rather disconcerting for the two teens to watch their mutual enemy race for the gaming section with such glee. Yugi and Joey stood speechless in the door as Pegasus rummaged through the aisles. "I haven't been in a comic book store in so long! All my Funny Bunny comics are delivered factory direct." Pegasus sifted through the Magic cards, wrinkling his nose a little. "That's what Kaiba should learn: never change the rules too frequently. It alienates instead of rewards the older players. Wow, and a new set of cards. They should realize such a plan will force them to bar the use of original cards as well to promote sales." He brightened as he flipped through the plastic display pages. "But the artwork is remarkably good here and there. It won't save their game though!" He turned to Yugi and Joey with a mischievous grin that made both friends involuntarily go on the offensive. "Did you hear that silly Seto Kaiba has funded some new version of the game? Dice or something . . . quite an oddity." He paused, his eye narrowed. "May I ask what exactly you two are staring at?"
Joey threw one hand behind his head, grinning widely. "Ah, nothin'!"
Yugi sighed, stepping forward. "Actually, Pegasus, we were wondering . . ."
But then, a new figure appeared in the room. Yugi's eyes widened as Grandpa gasped. "What . . . Maximillion Pegasus? Where . . . what are you doing in my shop?" He looked to Yugi and Joey in the doorway and drew his own conclusions. "What are you doing to my Yugi! Haven't you done enough!"
Pegasus smirked and reached into his inside coat pocket. "Well, actually . . . " Then he grinned, holding out the rare card, "I came to give this to you!" He walked forward and placed the card upon the counter face up. "Here you are, Grandfather of Yugi Moto!"
Grandpa stared at the card, then glared at his so-called beneficiary. "You came to give me a card?"
"Mmhmm." Pegasus nodded enthusiastically.
"It looks like a fake."
"Fake?! What do you mean, fake?"
"It looks unplayed. No card this valuable could avoid looking worn."
"How dare you accuse me of such a thing! Well, fine then!" Pegasus snatched the card up and flipped it up his sleeve with the ease of an expert cheater. "Humph! Since I've arrived I've been mocked, ignored, and talked down to, but I will not tolerate being called a perpetuator of counterfeit cards of my own design!" He straightened his suit crisply. "You people are uncommonly rude, and your city is appalling. I was better off remaining at home."
At this point Joey lost his cool. He charged up, staring at his foe with a raised fist. "Yer the one that attacked us! What'd ya expect us ta do, just play nice and act cool about it? No way!"
Pegasus sneered, his distaste for the blond duelist made obvious. "I expected this sort of behavior from you, little Joey; however I can't simply . . ." Suddenly the world seemed to spin a little, and the place where the Millennium Eye had been for so many years began to throb. He swayed on his feet and put his hands to his face, breathing heavily. It happened sometimes. The Eye . . . if only he had the Eye. But, no . . . he didn't want it really. He had to fight the temptation now that he finally had a choice in the matter. Cecelia wouldn't approve . . .
He felt a hand on his arm and the world seemed to regain coherence. He didn't feel like he was caught in a whirlwind anymore and, exhausted, he leaned on the counter, his head down so they wouldn't see the strain which contorted his features. He clenched the counter top desperately, rooting himself in reality somewhat as the remainder of what had become commonplace ran its course. A moment of clarity occurred, as his mind reached out, uncontrolled now without the Eye, and located something of interest. He could feel the dark forces moving. Someone was trying to use the Millennium Eye. If he could only discover where and who . . .
"Pegasus?"
And just as quickly as it had begun, the moment ceased, the influence of the Shadow Realm faded, and Pegasus was once again rooted in reality. His breathing was still labored moments later when he finally answered. "It's . . . nothing . . ."
Yami, who had been silent all this time, whispered into Yugi's mind, ::Pegasus' power just surged for a moment, Yugi. He was uncontrolled and unfocused without the Millennium Eye but still amazingly powerful for someone without any item whatever. Not quite as strong as during the tournament when we fought, but still impressive.::
Yugi nodded, and touched Pegasus' shoulder in concern. "Does this happen often?"
Pegasus stood, and smoothed his hair over his left eye methodically. His left hand lingered there a moment, touching the patch before with a jerk the hand was pulled away, concealed in a pocket. "I assure you there is nothing to worry about. Hmm. now where were we? Ah yes. I was insulted and leaving."
But Grandpa cleared his throat, "I was expecting Yugi's friends and had prepared lunch. There's always more than enough so I suppose you're welcome to stay." Then he glared, his eyes hard as diamonds. "But if you hurt my grandchild I'll make you wish you were never born, do you hear?"
Pegasus stared wide-eyed, one delicately lifted eyebrow the only measure of his surprise. Even Joey had no reply for that.