Thanks to everyone who's been following, but especially to Amber for her
kind encouragement! Yep, I'm a fast poster, and I freak out if I get behind
in any way. I've already go this story done, so posting is the easy part.
If I'm posting too fast for everyone, do let me know. I'm accustomed to a
message board format where I must post every day to hold the interest of my
readers. Again, if you respond I'll appreciate it. My muse is working
overtime lately, but she always appreciates kind words and/or advice. If
you love Pegasus, tell me! We should form a support group or something.
;-)
* * *
Part Five:
Pegasus sat very quietly at the head of the table opposite Grandpa and felt very, very stupid for ever thinking that visiting Yugi Moto was a good idea. The girl Tea and her shark-headed companion had both arrived and responded in the same general way as everyone else, practically throwing themselves in front of little Yugi with little or no regard for themselves. It was funny, actually. If they had any real clue just how powerful the Millennium Puzzle could be, they'd simply sit back and allow their shorter friend to make his own decisions. He studied them all carefully. Really, they reminded him more and more of his own board members, the way they sat on all sides of him and stared distrustfully. Not a word was spoken for a long time, everyone was staring, and Pegasus had a sneaky suspicion that someone had sneaked meat into his rice cakes. It just seemed like something that Grandfather would do.
No one had spoken the entire time, eating silently and exchanging curious glances. It was obvious no one knew what to say or were refraining from saying what they wanted to say. Conversation was pointless. No one felt comfortable talking freely.
All in all, the entire escapade could be chalked up as quite the faux pas. Not a pretty situation in which to find yourself, but it didn't worry Pegasus. Sure he was off his home turf, but really he felt that he was still capable of maintaining some control over the situation. There was no way he would abandon this particular party without a little fun. Hell, he'd already shot himself in the foot - why not saw off the leg while he was at it and be done with the whole ordeal?
He picked at his food, not really hungry despite the occasional appraising glares Yugi's Grandfather kept sending him from across the table. He hadn't been hungry for a long time. Even before the Eye had been stolen, his appetite had diminished to nearly nothing. When he sipped his water, he wished it was wine. He really did have a splitting headache. His empty eye socket was throbbing, pulsing so painfully that it seemed to be on fire.
"Oh," he said, reaching into his left inside pocket. "I almost forgot." It was there, hidden away because he really did want to forget about them. Nevertheless, if he returned to the island and Croquet discovered the unused medication . . . well, it just wouldn't be pretty. The packet was a small brown envelope, no larger than a business card and affixed with a small metal clasp which Pegasus deftly unfastened. He shook the contents of the packet onto the table beside his lunch, sighing as he saw Croquet had indeed remembered all the pills. He examined each pill closely. He knew from experience that the aspirin were definitely required, so he singled them out and put them to the side.
"What, you're a druggie now?"
Pegasus glanced up slowly, recognizing the voice as belonging to the girl Téa. Not that her voice was unremarkable, only that she was the only female in the room. He was not surprised to find everyone at the table staring at him, their eyes moving back and forth between his two pill piles, the packet, and his face. He rolled his eye dramatically. "You people really do need to get out more. Don't you know anyone else you can bother?"
But by now, everyone was interested. Joey and the shark-headed Tristan looked at each other before the blond asked, "What are all those?"
Pegasus grinned. "Heroin. In pill form. It's the latest rage in America." At the shocked look on their faces he threw back his head and laughed. "You really are naïve!" He shook his head, attempting to recover himself. "No, it's my medication. My *required* medication."
Tristan was the next to pose a question. "So, what are the two piles for?"
"Well, pile one will become my definitely going to take pile. Pile two is my maybe some other time pile." He sighed. "I suppose now I'll have to announce each pill?" Everyone nodded. In the extreme lack of conversation, it seemed that the kids had become voracious for anything to talk about. Pegasus was not at all comfortable being the subject of such desperate talk. He cleared his throat, slipping into his business persona. "Very well. These are aspirin. Very, very necessary around here, and the small orange capsules are pain killers." He stared at them. "Satisfied?"
Joey was not, of course. "But what're the big ones?"
"Oh . . . well . . ." Pegasus muttered something, cleared his throat, and averted his eyes. "Antidepressants. They are definitely going in the maybe later pile." With that he began to quickly organize, resulting in the aspirin alone being downed all at once with a swallow of water.
Téa grinned. "I never thought you'd be a hypochondriac."
"I'm not a hypochondriac."
Joey looked confused, and waved to get the girl's attention. "What's a hypochondri-whatever?"
The girl Téa rolled her eyes while the pointy-headed Tristan smacked him. "It means," said the girl, "You always think your sick but you aren't."
Yugi cocked his head. "Why didn't you take the pain killers?"
"They don't work."
Joey watched as Pegasus began gathering the extra pills and placed them back in the packet, rubbing the back of his head where his friend had slugged him. "And aspirin does?"
"No, that was the result of too many idiotic and prying questions."
Grandpa stood and collected his plate. "I'll be at the register if anyone needs me." He ruffled Yugi's spiky hair affectionately. "If he gives you any trouble, let me know and I'll have him arrested." He leveled a long stare at Pegasus who by this time was accustomed to that same look everywhere. "I don't trust anyone who won't even eat my cooking."
"But there's meat in it! I'm a vegetarian!"
"Excuses come quite easily to you, I've noticed. Very well, Pegasus, I'll leave it at that; but I will not tolerate your presence any longer. I'll be at the register." And with that, Grandpa vanished through the doorway to the main part of the store.
Pegasus smiled slyly. "Well at least I know where you'll be when I need to check out. I saw quite a few things I might be interested in. That is unless you're still in the habit of insulting paying customers."
Téa frowned at the unwelcome guest, always eager to protect whoever received the brunt of an attack. "Hey, that was just mean!"
The teens all glared at their guest silently as the uncomfortable angry silence of before resurrected itself. Pegasus rubbed his temples furiously. Stay calm, he thought. I can leave in just a little while. It was taking every bit of self-control he could muster to refrain from retaliating to the barrage of rudeness. Couldn't they just forget about a little soul- stealing here and there? It really seemed ridiculous to carry such a long- lasting grudge. His eye was really painful, searing in a worse way than normal. He considered the pain killers for a moment, but decided against them. The pain he felt was magical. No scientific means would make it stop.
It was little Yugi's voice that broke the silence. "I'm sorry about that, Pegasus. My Grandpa is very protective of me. I'm sure he didn't mean to be so mean to you." Joey, Tea, and Tristan stared at their friend as though he'd grown a second limb. Each one looked about to protest, so Yugi decided to continue. "Guys c'mon, he really is trying to be nice. Why else would he come all the way here and put up with this? He can't hurt us anymore. I don't trust him anymore than you do, but it seems wrong to snap at him like that."
Pegasus regarded Yugi coolly. "I don't need your sympathy, Yugi-boy. Just because you hold a Millennium Item and I do not does not render me incapable of doing harm." Then he stiffened, sucking in a breath. Someone was coming. The vision of earlier returned, someone trying to use the Eye but failing. Somehow it was significant.
At the exact moment that Pegasus turned his gaze upon the door, everyone heard the comic shop's door chimes ring and the pleasant greeting offered by Grandpa. A moment later, Bakura stepped into the room, his eyes innocently happy to see his friends. Tea greeted him happily, already explaining the situation while Joey and Tristan waved and smiled. Had he thought to notice, Bakura might have noticed that Yugi paid him little mind, watching Pegasus the entire time as something like understanding spread across his young features.
Pegasus was very pale. One slender hand had crawled up his face, instinctively covering the place where the Millennium Eye had once been.
* * *
Part Five:
Pegasus sat very quietly at the head of the table opposite Grandpa and felt very, very stupid for ever thinking that visiting Yugi Moto was a good idea. The girl Tea and her shark-headed companion had both arrived and responded in the same general way as everyone else, practically throwing themselves in front of little Yugi with little or no regard for themselves. It was funny, actually. If they had any real clue just how powerful the Millennium Puzzle could be, they'd simply sit back and allow their shorter friend to make his own decisions. He studied them all carefully. Really, they reminded him more and more of his own board members, the way they sat on all sides of him and stared distrustfully. Not a word was spoken for a long time, everyone was staring, and Pegasus had a sneaky suspicion that someone had sneaked meat into his rice cakes. It just seemed like something that Grandfather would do.
No one had spoken the entire time, eating silently and exchanging curious glances. It was obvious no one knew what to say or were refraining from saying what they wanted to say. Conversation was pointless. No one felt comfortable talking freely.
All in all, the entire escapade could be chalked up as quite the faux pas. Not a pretty situation in which to find yourself, but it didn't worry Pegasus. Sure he was off his home turf, but really he felt that he was still capable of maintaining some control over the situation. There was no way he would abandon this particular party without a little fun. Hell, he'd already shot himself in the foot - why not saw off the leg while he was at it and be done with the whole ordeal?
He picked at his food, not really hungry despite the occasional appraising glares Yugi's Grandfather kept sending him from across the table. He hadn't been hungry for a long time. Even before the Eye had been stolen, his appetite had diminished to nearly nothing. When he sipped his water, he wished it was wine. He really did have a splitting headache. His empty eye socket was throbbing, pulsing so painfully that it seemed to be on fire.
"Oh," he said, reaching into his left inside pocket. "I almost forgot." It was there, hidden away because he really did want to forget about them. Nevertheless, if he returned to the island and Croquet discovered the unused medication . . . well, it just wouldn't be pretty. The packet was a small brown envelope, no larger than a business card and affixed with a small metal clasp which Pegasus deftly unfastened. He shook the contents of the packet onto the table beside his lunch, sighing as he saw Croquet had indeed remembered all the pills. He examined each pill closely. He knew from experience that the aspirin were definitely required, so he singled them out and put them to the side.
"What, you're a druggie now?"
Pegasus glanced up slowly, recognizing the voice as belonging to the girl Téa. Not that her voice was unremarkable, only that she was the only female in the room. He was not surprised to find everyone at the table staring at him, their eyes moving back and forth between his two pill piles, the packet, and his face. He rolled his eye dramatically. "You people really do need to get out more. Don't you know anyone else you can bother?"
But by now, everyone was interested. Joey and the shark-headed Tristan looked at each other before the blond asked, "What are all those?"
Pegasus grinned. "Heroin. In pill form. It's the latest rage in America." At the shocked look on their faces he threw back his head and laughed. "You really are naïve!" He shook his head, attempting to recover himself. "No, it's my medication. My *required* medication."
Tristan was the next to pose a question. "So, what are the two piles for?"
"Well, pile one will become my definitely going to take pile. Pile two is my maybe some other time pile." He sighed. "I suppose now I'll have to announce each pill?" Everyone nodded. In the extreme lack of conversation, it seemed that the kids had become voracious for anything to talk about. Pegasus was not at all comfortable being the subject of such desperate talk. He cleared his throat, slipping into his business persona. "Very well. These are aspirin. Very, very necessary around here, and the small orange capsules are pain killers." He stared at them. "Satisfied?"
Joey was not, of course. "But what're the big ones?"
"Oh . . . well . . ." Pegasus muttered something, cleared his throat, and averted his eyes. "Antidepressants. They are definitely going in the maybe later pile." With that he began to quickly organize, resulting in the aspirin alone being downed all at once with a swallow of water.
Téa grinned. "I never thought you'd be a hypochondriac."
"I'm not a hypochondriac."
Joey looked confused, and waved to get the girl's attention. "What's a hypochondri-whatever?"
The girl Téa rolled her eyes while the pointy-headed Tristan smacked him. "It means," said the girl, "You always think your sick but you aren't."
Yugi cocked his head. "Why didn't you take the pain killers?"
"They don't work."
Joey watched as Pegasus began gathering the extra pills and placed them back in the packet, rubbing the back of his head where his friend had slugged him. "And aspirin does?"
"No, that was the result of too many idiotic and prying questions."
Grandpa stood and collected his plate. "I'll be at the register if anyone needs me." He ruffled Yugi's spiky hair affectionately. "If he gives you any trouble, let me know and I'll have him arrested." He leveled a long stare at Pegasus who by this time was accustomed to that same look everywhere. "I don't trust anyone who won't even eat my cooking."
"But there's meat in it! I'm a vegetarian!"
"Excuses come quite easily to you, I've noticed. Very well, Pegasus, I'll leave it at that; but I will not tolerate your presence any longer. I'll be at the register." And with that, Grandpa vanished through the doorway to the main part of the store.
Pegasus smiled slyly. "Well at least I know where you'll be when I need to check out. I saw quite a few things I might be interested in. That is unless you're still in the habit of insulting paying customers."
Téa frowned at the unwelcome guest, always eager to protect whoever received the brunt of an attack. "Hey, that was just mean!"
The teens all glared at their guest silently as the uncomfortable angry silence of before resurrected itself. Pegasus rubbed his temples furiously. Stay calm, he thought. I can leave in just a little while. It was taking every bit of self-control he could muster to refrain from retaliating to the barrage of rudeness. Couldn't they just forget about a little soul- stealing here and there? It really seemed ridiculous to carry such a long- lasting grudge. His eye was really painful, searing in a worse way than normal. He considered the pain killers for a moment, but decided against them. The pain he felt was magical. No scientific means would make it stop.
It was little Yugi's voice that broke the silence. "I'm sorry about that, Pegasus. My Grandpa is very protective of me. I'm sure he didn't mean to be so mean to you." Joey, Tea, and Tristan stared at their friend as though he'd grown a second limb. Each one looked about to protest, so Yugi decided to continue. "Guys c'mon, he really is trying to be nice. Why else would he come all the way here and put up with this? He can't hurt us anymore. I don't trust him anymore than you do, but it seems wrong to snap at him like that."
Pegasus regarded Yugi coolly. "I don't need your sympathy, Yugi-boy. Just because you hold a Millennium Item and I do not does not render me incapable of doing harm." Then he stiffened, sucking in a breath. Someone was coming. The vision of earlier returned, someone trying to use the Eye but failing. Somehow it was significant.
At the exact moment that Pegasus turned his gaze upon the door, everyone heard the comic shop's door chimes ring and the pleasant greeting offered by Grandpa. A moment later, Bakura stepped into the room, his eyes innocently happy to see his friends. Tea greeted him happily, already explaining the situation while Joey and Tristan waved and smiled. Had he thought to notice, Bakura might have noticed that Yugi paid him little mind, watching Pegasus the entire time as something like understanding spread across his young features.
Pegasus was very pale. One slender hand had crawled up his face, instinctively covering the place where the Millennium Eye had once been.