Wow, another bucket-load of reviews! You lot make me so happy! Thanks!
In this chapter, we get to see a little more out of character/in character (I hope!) goodness. What am I talking about? You'll see. . . . Anyway, I'm hoping to post the last chapter really quickly after this one, so sadly, this fic is drawing to a close (as I've said about three hundred times now!).
The reviewers. . .
celes: Why doesn't ff.net just fix the darn site? Honestly. You loved Seto? Ishizu will kill you! (Kidding)
Midnight Raven*Soaring Angel: Congratulations! Those are really, ~really~ impressive marks! I'm glad I made your day, but you seem to be laughing at the places that are meant to be serious. . . . Oh well.
Ieyre: You'll just find out, huh? "A question for the ages." Sounds impressive!
lil angel/devil: Really? Wow! That's so nice of you to say!
angelkohaku: Aaaa! The dreaded puppy dog eyes strike again! Must. . .resist. . . ^_^ My story almost made you cry? Never thought it was ~that~ good! Er, sorry. I'm happy you think I'm talented! Wow, you people are great! I've got that much attention, though? Heh heh heh. . .
Tk Macintosh: Actually, everything's written. I just have to post it at my leisure. Glad you love the fic!
Osiris: I'll be sure to catch your tale. The title sounds interesting. I'm amazed at the amount of reviews I got (on my first story, too!), as well! I've seen some stories with more reviews, but not many. And as for my writing style. . .what you see here is the product of two years of constant labour to improve how I write. *sweatdrop*
Sekhmet: Oh good! I love regular reviewers. And of course you may have a plushie! *hands over plushie of your choice* I'm more fond of Ishizu than of Seto, but they both are great characters in their own way. Glad you don't mind the evil cliffies--it's healthier for me, since I don't have as many people trying to kill me!
Gorou Fujita: What, it wasn't good before? Just a joke. Please is the magic word, so here's one update!
Ishizu:: Phoenix Goddess: Love the name! It's so creative (and it's related to one of my main characters!). I don't know about snappy, but I've updated, so there you go!
Aya Mikage: I take it you're as patient as our brown-haired genius in the fic. . .hee hee. A lot of people have been commenting Kaiba didn't seem one for chatting, but it ~works~! ^_^
jakki: Well, that's the first time I've seen Kaiba described as sweet, but hey! I'm pleased you love this! *smiles happily*
angel666: No more wait! Here's the next chapter!
Kurai chan: Really? I never knew about that letter thing. What if your screen name is something like "Vyctoriii" and you write it in your review? Hmm, more fluff. . .well, I'm not really good at it, I'm afraid. This fic isn't very fluffy. *shrugs* Sorry.
NanTran12: Wow, thanks! I wasn't so sure how well I was writing. . .I'm not that great at romantic mush like that.
Setine: I'm sorry to hear you were grounded. Hope it wasn't too annoying/boring. And if I just wrote the characters the way they were in the anime, they might end up a little. . .flat. It's better to explore every dimension of a person--it makes them seem more human and lifelike.
ChildofMidnight: Same ol', same ol', huh? Oh, and I REVIEWEDREVIEWEDREVIEWED, so go check your Yu-Gi-Oh fic, okay?
Nayru: Hey, a Zelda fan! Way to go! If you liked the first chapter, you should read the next eight (or nine, now). And Kaiba/Ishizu fans, unite!
Luna: *cringes* Sorry for no updates! Great skit, once again! Wow, I'm making my readers all teary-eyed. This is kind of exciting for me. I have the power over your emotions. . .MWAHAHA!
Black Mistress: Yeah, Ishizu ought to take the initiative. And Kaiba is the sort to keep everything to himself, so he might need a little. . .push. What do I mean? You'll see. *cackles*
setobsessed: Thanks! Welcome back to ff.net!
Yggdrasil's 3rd Root: . . .And you were saying ~I~ left a long review? You just broke my record for most verbal critique ever! Here, have a Pegasus plushie, since this seems to be my day for plushies.
Well, nobody calls Ishizu "Isis" in the dubbed anime, so I suppose he might be excused for his stupidity. You know, I never thought about Kaiba having Marik for a brother-in-law. *laughs* Family reunions would be. . .interesting. . .to say the least!
I inspired you? Awww. . .you're making me melt with your praise! It's so kind! Thank you!
I know that yaoi fans don't necessarily oppose straight pairings. I don't hate yaoi, myself. . .let's just say I tolerate it. If it's well written, I can be persuaded to like the pairing, in that particular story. Like your fic, or your yami's.
I actually don't find Ishizu too difficult to write for. Normally, I have a little trouble keeping people in character, but this fic just seemed to flow. Lucky me!
"Victor E."? *groans* I had it coming. And I oughta drop another review of your fic. You're not the only one who hasn't been reviewing! *sweatdrop*
~*~*~* Well, that's everything! So many wonderful reviews. . .thank you, all! Now, here's my latest chapter. It's comparatively long, so enjoy! ^_^
~ * * * ~
When people rant on about how wonderful love is, it's obvious that they've never been cursed with the emotion. My employees cowered as I stormed about the KaibaCorp building. I was rude and sharp in all my dealings with everything from human beings to the stock exchange.
On my way to the coffee machine, I overheard several of those beneath me discussing something in hushed tones:
"Should we tell him?"
"*You* can. I sure don't want to. Kaiba skins those who cross him with his tongue and uses their hides for wallpaper. I'd like to keep myself intact, thank you all the same."
"But he'll be furious if we don't say anything!"
"He'll be furious if we do!"
I rounded the corner, startling the huddled group of three. "What are you three halfwits talking about?"
"Er. . ." a man began.
They whispered to each other frantically before the brown-haired woman in the gathering spoke up. "Um. . .one of your business colleagues requested you visit them at their residence."
"I can't very well do that if I don't know who they are. What am I supposed to do, visit every single house in Domino?" I came up against a barrier of silence. "Well, who is it?"
"Mr. . .Pegasus." The woman cringed.
"Pegasus!" I gave a bark of bitter laughter. "Of course! Could my day possibly get any worse? Get back to work, you lazy fools. You're supposed to be working for me, not guzzling my caffeine reserves all day!"
I spun on my heel and vacated the room, my coat swirling around my ankles. Great. . .just great, I thought. There's no sense in putting it off, though.
I ordered my limousine and gave the directions to Pegasus' mansion. I glowered the whole way there. When I arrived, a butler let me in and gave me directions to Pegasus' location.
At first, we went through the usual corporate dealings between KaibaCorp and Industrial Illusions. I managed to restrain myself from throttling him- though it was a near thing.
Finally, we finished up the necessary work. I rose to leave but Pegasus elegantly held up one manicured hand.
"Not so fast, Kaiba-boy. We need to talk."
"What do you mean?" I growled. "We finished up what we needed to do, so now I'm going home."
"Not yet. Sit down."
Reluctantly, I eased myself back into the velvety chair. "What is it? Make it fast; I have a company to run."
"So do I, Kaiba-boy, so do I." For a long moment, Pegasus simply gazed at me with his lone cinnabar eye. Then he quietly spoke words that I never would have expected to drop from his lips.
"You're in love with Ishizu." It was a statement, not a query.
"What?" I roughly leapt from the chair and leaned across the table. "You're mad!"
"Don't try to deny it. I know." He gave me a slight smile.
"Don't tell me it's more of that ancient Egyptian hocus pocus?" I snarled.
In response, Pegasus simply lifted the veil of hair away from his left eye. In place of the gold object that had ripped my life apart last summer, there was a silver eye patch, dyed the same colour as his hair so it would be unnoticeable to the average observer. The sight rather shocked me, but I didn't let it on.
"You and Ishizu share something truly special between the two of you. I know you understandably detest me, but please listen to my advice. Love is a very valuable thing, something that should be clung to at all costs. You need to open yourself up and show her that you care."
"Why should I? Every time I do so, someone always rips me apart. It's better not to let anyone affect me. I'm fine on my own." I glared at Pegasus.
"You may feel that way now, but later on, you'll realize you're wrong. And then it will be too late--you'll have pushed everyone away."
"I don't need anybody!" I snapped. "Now if you'll excuse me. . ." I rose and began to exit the room. Then a sigh and an amused chuckle reached my ears.
"Ah, to think that the great Seto Kaiba is afraid. I always knew you were a coward, Kaiba-boy, and this just proves it."
I slowly turned to face him. "Say that again."
Pegasus shrugged. "It's true. You're scared. You won't admit your feelings because you're frightened Ishizu will reject you. Well, go on, then. Live the rest of your life wondering what could have transpired between the two of you. It's not my life, so why should I care?"
"I am not a coward," I gritted.
Pegasus smirked infuriatingly. "Of course you're not, Kaiba-boy."
"That does it!" I strode over to where Pegasus was lounging and grabbed him by the collar of that ridiculous frilly shirt. Right in his face, I bellowed, "I'm going over to talk to Ishizu and tell her exactly how I feel! I'll show you that Seto Kaiba fears nothing and nobody!"
"Suit yourself." Pegasus didn't seem intimidated in the slightest. "Now, if you don't mind, kindly release me so I may go about my business and you can attend to yours."
Disgusted, I let him drop and marched out the door without another word. I'd show that primping fool, I thought. Just you wait, Pegasus.
* * *
The telephone shrilled loudly. I looked up gratefully from a pile of museum papers. Dropping my pencil with a relieved sigh, I picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Hello, Miss Ishtar? This is Maximillion Pegasus."
"Pegasus?" I queried in surprise. "Well. . .hi."
I could almost hear him smiling on the other end of the line. "I suppose you're wondering why I'm calling. Could you come to my place, soon?"
"Sure, I suppose. No offence, but why are you asking me?"
"You'll see soon enough," he answered mysteriously. "Goodbye, Miss Ishtar."
"Um, goodbye, Mr Pegasus." I hung up the phone, completely bewildered. What in the name of Isis did he want? Well, there's only one way to find out, I decided.
After a short drive, I arrived at Pegasus' mansion. The butler took me into a lovely blue-themed sitting room, where my host awaited.
"Richardson, please bring us a bottle of something from my cellar," he requested. "I'll leave it up to your discretion."
"Certainly, Master Pegasus." The man bowed and withdrew.
As we waited the servant to return with the wine, Pegasus made idle chat about this and that. I nearly went mad with curiosity at the wait. Finally, Richardson returned and poured some fine Beaujolais into two crystal wine glasses. He handed one glass apiece to us and left discreetly.
Pegasus took his time enjoying the bouquet of the wine, swirling it about to get the full benefit. I, on the other hand, barely glanced at the drink.
Finally, unable to bear the wait any longer, I blurted, "Why did you ask me here?"
Pegasus looked up at me with an amused smile. "Why, that's simple, Miss Ishtar. I'm here to tell you that Kaiba loves you and no doubt will be paying you a visit to tell you so sometime in the near future."
"What!" My hand jerked and the Beaujolais slopped onto my dress. "Oh, darn it!" Annoyed, I used a dab of power from the Millennium Necklace to remove the stain. Perhaps the Pharaoh would shudder to see a Millennium Item being used for such a mundane task, but I was more practical than that.
Pegasus watched me with a sparkle in his one remaining eye. "You seemed rather surprised, to say the least."
"Understatement," I informed him wryly. "But how. . .and why. . .?"
Pegasus grinned. "I simply called him here on a matter of business between our two companies. Then, at the end, I casually remarked that I had noticed you two were in love and suggested he mention something to you. Then, when he stubbornly refused, I played on his overwhelming sense of pride. He should be popping around to your place sometime soon. I wanted to warn you, though, just in case you thought he had gone completely insane."
"Or was after that stupid God Card again," I muttered.
"What was that?" he questioned.
Briefly, I outlined Kaiba's attempt to thieve Obelisk the Tormentor. When I finished, Pegasus shook his head.
"I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. Disappointed, as well. And you still love him?"
I flushed. "Yes, I'm afraid I do."
Pegasus smiled. "Well, that's good, then. You know his faults but still have feelings for him anyway. It's a sign of a more tolerant, lasting relationship. So. . ." Pegasus took a sip of his wine. "When Kaiba does eventually get around to visiting you, act startled, since I don't want him knowing I gave you the alert. I think it would infuriate him even more to think I had spoiled his surprise." His face softened. "Best of luck, Miss Ishtar. You deserve to be happy. Although with Kaiba-boy, it's going to be difficult, to say the least."
I gave him an amused look. "It won't be just me who's going to suffer, I can assure you."
"Good for you." Pegasus chuckled and raised his wineglass. "And now, a toast: to the lovely Miss Ishtar and the indescribable Seto Kaiba--may you eternally argue and always happily make up. Here's to an interesting relationship!"
"And to Mr Maximillion Pegasus, matchmaker extraordinaire," I added and clinked my glass against his.
We sipped our drinks quietly for a few moments before I spoke up. "Mr Pegasus. . ."
"Please, call me Maximillion," he interrupted.
"Only if you'll agree to calling me Ishizu."
"Deal."
"Anyway, Mr--Maximillion." I gazed at him, right in the eye. "Why are you doing this for us? You and Kaiba never have gotten on very well, and we're just acquaintances. I mean, I'm very thankful, but. . .why?"
"Two reasons. You never met her, but I was married once, to the most wonderful woman in the world. Her name was Cecelia, and we loved each other with a fierce passion. Every day until she died was utopia, pure heaven." For a while, his face was distant, as if he was caught in a web of memories. Then he returned to the present. "When I saw the two of you at my party, you were sniping at each other constantly. However, though your words said you detested one another, your eyes and every particle of your physical being declared the opposite. I didn't want you to lose the precious gift of love, so I thought I'd give you two a little push. Although, in Kaiba-boy's case, a big push. He doesn't do subtlety very well."
"I noticed," I remarked ironically. "But you said two reasons. What was the other?"
"Oh, that." Pegasus wore what could only be described as an evil grin. "The other reason was because I knew my matchmaking activities would drive Kaiba- boy up the wall!"
"Maximillion!" I laughed. "You're impossible!"
He rose and bowed. "Thank you kindly."
After finishing up the remainder of my wine and speaking a little longer with Pegasus, I departed for home in the hopes that Kaiba would be there. And hoping that his sole motivation for proclaiming his affection wasn't to prove Pegasus wrong about his bravery. . .
~ * * * ~
One more chapter and then this is done! Hopefully, I'll update quickly, since I'm going on vacation, and I'm not sure I'll have access to a computer with high enough internet capabilities to support ff.net. I suppose I ~could~ be cruel and leave you hanging with one chapter to go, but I might be hunted down and shot. Yikes. Anyway, make me a happy author and leave a nice review, okay?
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. . .I'm a teetotaller, so I don't know much about wine. If I made a mistake and dropped in the name of some cheap drink for Pegasus, my apologies. The mistake is my own, and it isn't a lapse in judgement on Pegasus' behalf.
In this chapter, we get to see a little more out of character/in character (I hope!) goodness. What am I talking about? You'll see. . . . Anyway, I'm hoping to post the last chapter really quickly after this one, so sadly, this fic is drawing to a close (as I've said about three hundred times now!).
The reviewers. . .
celes: Why doesn't ff.net just fix the darn site? Honestly. You loved Seto? Ishizu will kill you! (Kidding)
Midnight Raven*Soaring Angel: Congratulations! Those are really, ~really~ impressive marks! I'm glad I made your day, but you seem to be laughing at the places that are meant to be serious. . . . Oh well.
Ieyre: You'll just find out, huh? "A question for the ages." Sounds impressive!
lil angel/devil: Really? Wow! That's so nice of you to say!
angelkohaku: Aaaa! The dreaded puppy dog eyes strike again! Must. . .resist. . . ^_^ My story almost made you cry? Never thought it was ~that~ good! Er, sorry. I'm happy you think I'm talented! Wow, you people are great! I've got that much attention, though? Heh heh heh. . .
Tk Macintosh: Actually, everything's written. I just have to post it at my leisure. Glad you love the fic!
Osiris: I'll be sure to catch your tale. The title sounds interesting. I'm amazed at the amount of reviews I got (on my first story, too!), as well! I've seen some stories with more reviews, but not many. And as for my writing style. . .what you see here is the product of two years of constant labour to improve how I write. *sweatdrop*
Sekhmet: Oh good! I love regular reviewers. And of course you may have a plushie! *hands over plushie of your choice* I'm more fond of Ishizu than of Seto, but they both are great characters in their own way. Glad you don't mind the evil cliffies--it's healthier for me, since I don't have as many people trying to kill me!
Gorou Fujita: What, it wasn't good before? Just a joke. Please is the magic word, so here's one update!
Ishizu:: Phoenix Goddess: Love the name! It's so creative (and it's related to one of my main characters!). I don't know about snappy, but I've updated, so there you go!
Aya Mikage: I take it you're as patient as our brown-haired genius in the fic. . .hee hee. A lot of people have been commenting Kaiba didn't seem one for chatting, but it ~works~! ^_^
jakki: Well, that's the first time I've seen Kaiba described as sweet, but hey! I'm pleased you love this! *smiles happily*
angel666: No more wait! Here's the next chapter!
Kurai chan: Really? I never knew about that letter thing. What if your screen name is something like "Vyctoriii" and you write it in your review? Hmm, more fluff. . .well, I'm not really good at it, I'm afraid. This fic isn't very fluffy. *shrugs* Sorry.
NanTran12: Wow, thanks! I wasn't so sure how well I was writing. . .I'm not that great at romantic mush like that.
Setine: I'm sorry to hear you were grounded. Hope it wasn't too annoying/boring. And if I just wrote the characters the way they were in the anime, they might end up a little. . .flat. It's better to explore every dimension of a person--it makes them seem more human and lifelike.
ChildofMidnight: Same ol', same ol', huh? Oh, and I REVIEWEDREVIEWEDREVIEWED, so go check your Yu-Gi-Oh fic, okay?
Nayru: Hey, a Zelda fan! Way to go! If you liked the first chapter, you should read the next eight (or nine, now). And Kaiba/Ishizu fans, unite!
Luna: *cringes* Sorry for no updates! Great skit, once again! Wow, I'm making my readers all teary-eyed. This is kind of exciting for me. I have the power over your emotions. . .MWAHAHA!
Black Mistress: Yeah, Ishizu ought to take the initiative. And Kaiba is the sort to keep everything to himself, so he might need a little. . .push. What do I mean? You'll see. *cackles*
setobsessed: Thanks! Welcome back to ff.net!
Yggdrasil's 3rd Root: . . .And you were saying ~I~ left a long review? You just broke my record for most verbal critique ever! Here, have a Pegasus plushie, since this seems to be my day for plushies.
Well, nobody calls Ishizu "Isis" in the dubbed anime, so I suppose he might be excused for his stupidity. You know, I never thought about Kaiba having Marik for a brother-in-law. *laughs* Family reunions would be. . .interesting. . .to say the least!
I inspired you? Awww. . .you're making me melt with your praise! It's so kind! Thank you!
I know that yaoi fans don't necessarily oppose straight pairings. I don't hate yaoi, myself. . .let's just say I tolerate it. If it's well written, I can be persuaded to like the pairing, in that particular story. Like your fic, or your yami's.
I actually don't find Ishizu too difficult to write for. Normally, I have a little trouble keeping people in character, but this fic just seemed to flow. Lucky me!
"Victor E."? *groans* I had it coming. And I oughta drop another review of your fic. You're not the only one who hasn't been reviewing! *sweatdrop*
~*~*~* Well, that's everything! So many wonderful reviews. . .thank you, all! Now, here's my latest chapter. It's comparatively long, so enjoy! ^_^
~ * * * ~
When people rant on about how wonderful love is, it's obvious that they've never been cursed with the emotion. My employees cowered as I stormed about the KaibaCorp building. I was rude and sharp in all my dealings with everything from human beings to the stock exchange.
On my way to the coffee machine, I overheard several of those beneath me discussing something in hushed tones:
"Should we tell him?"
"*You* can. I sure don't want to. Kaiba skins those who cross him with his tongue and uses their hides for wallpaper. I'd like to keep myself intact, thank you all the same."
"But he'll be furious if we don't say anything!"
"He'll be furious if we do!"
I rounded the corner, startling the huddled group of three. "What are you three halfwits talking about?"
"Er. . ." a man began.
They whispered to each other frantically before the brown-haired woman in the gathering spoke up. "Um. . .one of your business colleagues requested you visit them at their residence."
"I can't very well do that if I don't know who they are. What am I supposed to do, visit every single house in Domino?" I came up against a barrier of silence. "Well, who is it?"
"Mr. . .Pegasus." The woman cringed.
"Pegasus!" I gave a bark of bitter laughter. "Of course! Could my day possibly get any worse? Get back to work, you lazy fools. You're supposed to be working for me, not guzzling my caffeine reserves all day!"
I spun on my heel and vacated the room, my coat swirling around my ankles. Great. . .just great, I thought. There's no sense in putting it off, though.
I ordered my limousine and gave the directions to Pegasus' mansion. I glowered the whole way there. When I arrived, a butler let me in and gave me directions to Pegasus' location.
At first, we went through the usual corporate dealings between KaibaCorp and Industrial Illusions. I managed to restrain myself from throttling him- though it was a near thing.
Finally, we finished up the necessary work. I rose to leave but Pegasus elegantly held up one manicured hand.
"Not so fast, Kaiba-boy. We need to talk."
"What do you mean?" I growled. "We finished up what we needed to do, so now I'm going home."
"Not yet. Sit down."
Reluctantly, I eased myself back into the velvety chair. "What is it? Make it fast; I have a company to run."
"So do I, Kaiba-boy, so do I." For a long moment, Pegasus simply gazed at me with his lone cinnabar eye. Then he quietly spoke words that I never would have expected to drop from his lips.
"You're in love with Ishizu." It was a statement, not a query.
"What?" I roughly leapt from the chair and leaned across the table. "You're mad!"
"Don't try to deny it. I know." He gave me a slight smile.
"Don't tell me it's more of that ancient Egyptian hocus pocus?" I snarled.
In response, Pegasus simply lifted the veil of hair away from his left eye. In place of the gold object that had ripped my life apart last summer, there was a silver eye patch, dyed the same colour as his hair so it would be unnoticeable to the average observer. The sight rather shocked me, but I didn't let it on.
"You and Ishizu share something truly special between the two of you. I know you understandably detest me, but please listen to my advice. Love is a very valuable thing, something that should be clung to at all costs. You need to open yourself up and show her that you care."
"Why should I? Every time I do so, someone always rips me apart. It's better not to let anyone affect me. I'm fine on my own." I glared at Pegasus.
"You may feel that way now, but later on, you'll realize you're wrong. And then it will be too late--you'll have pushed everyone away."
"I don't need anybody!" I snapped. "Now if you'll excuse me. . ." I rose and began to exit the room. Then a sigh and an amused chuckle reached my ears.
"Ah, to think that the great Seto Kaiba is afraid. I always knew you were a coward, Kaiba-boy, and this just proves it."
I slowly turned to face him. "Say that again."
Pegasus shrugged. "It's true. You're scared. You won't admit your feelings because you're frightened Ishizu will reject you. Well, go on, then. Live the rest of your life wondering what could have transpired between the two of you. It's not my life, so why should I care?"
"I am not a coward," I gritted.
Pegasus smirked infuriatingly. "Of course you're not, Kaiba-boy."
"That does it!" I strode over to where Pegasus was lounging and grabbed him by the collar of that ridiculous frilly shirt. Right in his face, I bellowed, "I'm going over to talk to Ishizu and tell her exactly how I feel! I'll show you that Seto Kaiba fears nothing and nobody!"
"Suit yourself." Pegasus didn't seem intimidated in the slightest. "Now, if you don't mind, kindly release me so I may go about my business and you can attend to yours."
Disgusted, I let him drop and marched out the door without another word. I'd show that primping fool, I thought. Just you wait, Pegasus.
* * *
The telephone shrilled loudly. I looked up gratefully from a pile of museum papers. Dropping my pencil with a relieved sigh, I picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Hello, Miss Ishtar? This is Maximillion Pegasus."
"Pegasus?" I queried in surprise. "Well. . .hi."
I could almost hear him smiling on the other end of the line. "I suppose you're wondering why I'm calling. Could you come to my place, soon?"
"Sure, I suppose. No offence, but why are you asking me?"
"You'll see soon enough," he answered mysteriously. "Goodbye, Miss Ishtar."
"Um, goodbye, Mr Pegasus." I hung up the phone, completely bewildered. What in the name of Isis did he want? Well, there's only one way to find out, I decided.
After a short drive, I arrived at Pegasus' mansion. The butler took me into a lovely blue-themed sitting room, where my host awaited.
"Richardson, please bring us a bottle of something from my cellar," he requested. "I'll leave it up to your discretion."
"Certainly, Master Pegasus." The man bowed and withdrew.
As we waited the servant to return with the wine, Pegasus made idle chat about this and that. I nearly went mad with curiosity at the wait. Finally, Richardson returned and poured some fine Beaujolais into two crystal wine glasses. He handed one glass apiece to us and left discreetly.
Pegasus took his time enjoying the bouquet of the wine, swirling it about to get the full benefit. I, on the other hand, barely glanced at the drink.
Finally, unable to bear the wait any longer, I blurted, "Why did you ask me here?"
Pegasus looked up at me with an amused smile. "Why, that's simple, Miss Ishtar. I'm here to tell you that Kaiba loves you and no doubt will be paying you a visit to tell you so sometime in the near future."
"What!" My hand jerked and the Beaujolais slopped onto my dress. "Oh, darn it!" Annoyed, I used a dab of power from the Millennium Necklace to remove the stain. Perhaps the Pharaoh would shudder to see a Millennium Item being used for such a mundane task, but I was more practical than that.
Pegasus watched me with a sparkle in his one remaining eye. "You seemed rather surprised, to say the least."
"Understatement," I informed him wryly. "But how. . .and why. . .?"
Pegasus grinned. "I simply called him here on a matter of business between our two companies. Then, at the end, I casually remarked that I had noticed you two were in love and suggested he mention something to you. Then, when he stubbornly refused, I played on his overwhelming sense of pride. He should be popping around to your place sometime soon. I wanted to warn you, though, just in case you thought he had gone completely insane."
"Or was after that stupid God Card again," I muttered.
"What was that?" he questioned.
Briefly, I outlined Kaiba's attempt to thieve Obelisk the Tormentor. When I finished, Pegasus shook his head.
"I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. Disappointed, as well. And you still love him?"
I flushed. "Yes, I'm afraid I do."
Pegasus smiled. "Well, that's good, then. You know his faults but still have feelings for him anyway. It's a sign of a more tolerant, lasting relationship. So. . ." Pegasus took a sip of his wine. "When Kaiba does eventually get around to visiting you, act startled, since I don't want him knowing I gave you the alert. I think it would infuriate him even more to think I had spoiled his surprise." His face softened. "Best of luck, Miss Ishtar. You deserve to be happy. Although with Kaiba-boy, it's going to be difficult, to say the least."
I gave him an amused look. "It won't be just me who's going to suffer, I can assure you."
"Good for you." Pegasus chuckled and raised his wineglass. "And now, a toast: to the lovely Miss Ishtar and the indescribable Seto Kaiba--may you eternally argue and always happily make up. Here's to an interesting relationship!"
"And to Mr Maximillion Pegasus, matchmaker extraordinaire," I added and clinked my glass against his.
We sipped our drinks quietly for a few moments before I spoke up. "Mr Pegasus. . ."
"Please, call me Maximillion," he interrupted.
"Only if you'll agree to calling me Ishizu."
"Deal."
"Anyway, Mr--Maximillion." I gazed at him, right in the eye. "Why are you doing this for us? You and Kaiba never have gotten on very well, and we're just acquaintances. I mean, I'm very thankful, but. . .why?"
"Two reasons. You never met her, but I was married once, to the most wonderful woman in the world. Her name was Cecelia, and we loved each other with a fierce passion. Every day until she died was utopia, pure heaven." For a while, his face was distant, as if he was caught in a web of memories. Then he returned to the present. "When I saw the two of you at my party, you were sniping at each other constantly. However, though your words said you detested one another, your eyes and every particle of your physical being declared the opposite. I didn't want you to lose the precious gift of love, so I thought I'd give you two a little push. Although, in Kaiba-boy's case, a big push. He doesn't do subtlety very well."
"I noticed," I remarked ironically. "But you said two reasons. What was the other?"
"Oh, that." Pegasus wore what could only be described as an evil grin. "The other reason was because I knew my matchmaking activities would drive Kaiba- boy up the wall!"
"Maximillion!" I laughed. "You're impossible!"
He rose and bowed. "Thank you kindly."
After finishing up the remainder of my wine and speaking a little longer with Pegasus, I departed for home in the hopes that Kaiba would be there. And hoping that his sole motivation for proclaiming his affection wasn't to prove Pegasus wrong about his bravery. . .
~ * * * ~
One more chapter and then this is done! Hopefully, I'll update quickly, since I'm going on vacation, and I'm not sure I'll have access to a computer with high enough internet capabilities to support ff.net. I suppose I ~could~ be cruel and leave you hanging with one chapter to go, but I might be hunted down and shot. Yikes. Anyway, make me a happy author and leave a nice review, okay?
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. . .I'm a teetotaller, so I don't know much about wine. If I made a mistake and dropped in the name of some cheap drink for Pegasus, my apologies. The mistake is my own, and it isn't a lapse in judgement on Pegasus' behalf.
