Okay, I don't know if anyone really noticed last time, but there actually IS a Chapter Four now, and not just a note about my wrists. So for those of you who haven't read it yet, DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER (at least, not right now). Go back and read Chapter Four first. Kabuki and Yoshimi are exempt from this.

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Read it? Okay, good. Now I'll respond to the reviewers. . .all two of them.

Kabuki1: You reviewed my fic! ^_____^ *dances ecstatically* Even if I don't consider this my best work, I'm still very happy! Yami Bakura is someone to worry about, even in this fluff-tastic fic. And the reason Peg hasn't used his Eye is, really, there hasn't been any chances for him, as of yet. I mean, in the real Duellist Kingdom, mostly he just stole souls with it. I've actually got the fic completely written out, and while he does use it a bit more frequently later on, it's still kinda sporadic. Ah well.

Anyway, sorry I haven't been reviewing your fics lately. It's just that your fics are so chock-full of great things that it takes me between fifteen and twenty minutes per review to say anything! I tend to be pretty busy, so I leave time between reading and reviewing and sometimes I, er. . .forget. Yeah. Sorry! But I promise, I will go and review. . .sometime.

Yoshimi Takahashi: Surly. . .that's Kaiba to a "t" all right! Good description! Yeah, if I hadn't brought in Helena, this fic might actually have ended up somewhat SERIOUS! Ooh, scary thought! And I don't know if this constitutes as "soon," but here's the update!

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Well, I won't say anything else, save for two things. One, this chapter is slightly more serious than usual, and two: If anyone has been to Yu-Gi-Oh's Shadow Realm Message Board, watch carefully for a small, hidden joke. I hope you'll know it when you see it (small hint).

~ * * * ~

Helena and I watched the one of the last duels of the evening wrap itself up with a rather mediocre finish. Although some duellists preferred to battle each other beneath the starry sky, most were sensible and used the nocturnal hours for sleep. At least, I hoped they were sleeping. If they were doing other things, I just didn't want to know.

Helena skipped ahead of me, humming happily to herself. Even at ten o'clock at night, she was still as perky as ever.

"Wait up, Flower!" I called out.

"All right, Daddy. . .hey, look!" She pointed up ahead.

"What is it?" I squatted down to her level to take in what was in her line of vision.

"There's some pretty blue, purple, and black lights! I wanna go see!" Helena bounced on the spot.

"Blue, purple, and black. . .?" I squinted ahead. Then my eye widened. Someone was playing a Shadow Game.

I gripped Helena's shoulders firmly. "Helena, wait right here and don't move unless it's an absolute emergency. I've got to go look after something."

"But Daddy. . ." Helena began to complain.

I shook my head firmly. "No buts. I've got to use my magic now, and it might be dangerous."

Helena pouted, but sat down on the dirt path, resigned. "All right."

I ran to where the Shadow Game was taking up an entire clearing. Fools, I thought. Whoever's doing this is just asking to be caught. Like nobody's going to notice this giant ground-level thunderstorm.

I closed my cinnamon eye and focused. The Millennium Eye began to glow warmly with blond light. Then, surrounded by the power, I stepped forward into the Shadow Realm.

At first, I was disoriented. I hadn't entered near the Shadow Game and so had the unpleasant feeling that I was being washed in a sea of darkness and pressure. Then, my Millennium Eye discovered the presence of not one Millennium Item like I had expected, but two. Frowning, I walked steadily towards the source of the energy being put out in the duel, its influence growing ever stronger in my mind.

I arrived to discover the more mature version of Yugi and an odd boy with tumbled white hair. His eyes were hard brown, slanted, and glittering with a not-quite-sane light.

"And now, I play Change of Heart," he announced in a sand-scratched voice. "It will cause you to turn against all your friends. . .and I choose you, little Yugi, to do the job."

"No! I refuse!" the boy's voice cried out from the playing field.

From the playing field? I squinted. . .then gasped, shocked. Yugi and his friends had been turned into Duel Monsters by the Shadow Magic! But that made no sense, since Yugi was also playing the game. Unless. . . . I had heard about how some Millennium Items contained spirits within them. . .perhaps the Millennium Puzzle was one of them. And, from the look of things, the Millennium Ring was another, since a tiny, sweet-faced version of Yugi's malevolent opponent had just appeared on the field in lieu of Change of Heart.

The duel finished before I could intervene, with the Change of Heart boy being switched with the evil teen--who was referred to as "Bakura"--by the larger version of Yugi with the magic of the Millennium Puzzle. Bakura was then sent to the card Graveyard, hopefully never to re-emerge.

The duel was over. Now I could actually do something. Once again concentrating, I swept myself, Yugi, and his friends out of the Shadow Realm and back into a forested grove I guessed the players had been before things went haywire.

"Is everyone all right?" I asked once they all seemed to have recovered somewhat.

"Yes, sir," Yugi, who had been seated on the ground, jumped to his feet and rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly. "How were you able to enter that spooky place, anyway?"

I blinked. Did Yugi know nothing of Shadow Games or the Millennium Items? Bending over, I pulled the hair away from the left side of my face to reveal the Millennium Eye. Yugi, startled, stepped back a pace.

"This is the Millennium Eye, made at the same time as your Millennium Puzzle. It has a few interesting powers that I'll let you find out on your own." I gave him a mischievous smile. "But all those who possess Millennium Items have the potential to play Shadow Games in the Shadow Realm. You just need to learn how. By the way, who was the second version of you playing that Shadow Game?"

Yugi's face blanked. "Who?"

I sighed. I suppose the strain of the duel had gotten to him--either that or the surrealistic nature of the whole affair. "Never mind."

"Daddy!" Helena's distant voice was drawn out into something close to a whine. "Are you done yet?"

"Whoops. Sorry, Flower! I'll be right there," I called out. To Yugi and his friends, I smiled. "Better go, before Helena loses her temper. Goodbye!"

"Goodbye, Maximillion," everyone save Bakura chorused as I walked off to meet up with Helena.

* * *

". . .and den dat Panik tried ta kill Yoog, if ya can believe it!" Joey paused in his story to stuff his face with one of the fancy cakes a servant had brought. "But ol' Yoog used da Millennium Puzzle ta stop da fire! How's dat for cool?"

I scowled at the glass of wine in my hand. I would have to disqualify Panik from the tournament--if he had been an official entrant at all--and if Yugi decided to press charges, the whole thing could evolve into a legal snarl that could last for months. Forcing myself to look pleasant, I agreed, "Yes, that is quite an amazing story. Yugi, are you sure you're all right?"

The small teenager nodded. "Yes, Maximillion."

"Have you seen Panik since?" I asked the group in general.

Téa shook her head. "No, sir. He just split."

Drat the luck, I thought. Oh well. I would send someone after Panik as soon as I could. Although with a description as vague as "he looks like an escaped circus freak" courtesy of Tristan, things were going to be difficult.

I took a sip of my wine. "Anything else new?"

"Well, Joey tried to duel Kaiba before he left," Tristan mentioned as Joey flushed in shame.

"And?" I raised one silver eyebrow.

"Aw, I lost." Joey seemed to be still seething. "He wiped da floor wit' me, but only 'cause he used dese new Duel Disks. Dey really messed me up!"

"Duel Disks?" I inquired, intrigued.

"Kaiba seems to have invented a portable duelling arena," Yugi clarified. "It was difficult for Joey to adjust and so he had a few. . .problems. Anyway, we had better go, Maximillion. We don't want to be bothering you for any longer and we have some duels to attend to."

I rose as they did and smiled. "You weren't bothering me. I enjoy getting visits from the duellists, and I was at a bit of a loose end, anyway."

"All right. Where's Helena, anyway?" Téa wanted to know.

"Having a nap. She's been staying up so late to watch the action that she's been missing out on her sleep," I explained.

"Oh, all right." Yugi nodded his spiky-haired head. "Thanks for letting us visit. We were kind of at a loose end."

"Any time, Yugi-boy, any time."

The next day, there came a pleasant surprise. I was in the middle of reading through a list of complaints Croquet had compiled after surveying the competitors in Duellist's Kingdom.

"This kid doesn't like my little cave of horror?" A frown crossed my face. "Hated the skeletons, the balloon-boulder, everything? Obviously, the child has no sense of humour." I crumpled up the paper and tossed it over my shoulder in disgust.

A laugh accompanied my action.

"More pranks, Max?" a voice queried, amused. "Just like you, isn't it?"

I rose from my seat and rapidly turned around. "Band--Keith! How good to see you again! I invited you to the tournament, but I wasn't actually sure you had come."

"Yup. I'm here." The American draped himself over a chair, crossing his legs. "What's up?"

"Lots of paperwork, that's what." I grinned in spite of myself. "I should go get Helena--she'd be delighted to see you."

"Wait, Max. Before you do, there's something I'd like to say." Keith removed his sunglasses. For once, his blue eyes were serious. "Hope has agreed to marry me. The wedding's in five months."

"She has?" I beamed. Hope was the name of Keith's current girlfriend and they had seemed very much in love. "Congratulations! Is she at the competition?"

"Nah. She and her sister were too busy planning the wedding. Which reminds me--she said to give you this." Keith stood and reached into his back pocket. He withdrew a very crumpled invitation that had probably been very fancy before it had vanished into the depths of Keith's jeans.

Taking it from his hand, I could just barely make out the words. "Why, thank you very much."

"Actually, I'd like you to be the best man." Keith seemed slightly embarrassed. "Since. . .you know. . ."

I was flattered. "Why, Keith! Thank you so much! This calls for a celebration!"

I rang for a servant. When she arrived, I requested, "Please bring us a bottle of champagne. Keith Howard here is getting married!"

"Congratulations, sir." The woman bowed.

"Aw, don't bring me any of that girly stuff," Keith complained, referring to the champagne. "Gimme a beer, all right?"

I shook my head, amused. Though I had tried numerous times to introduce Keith to finer drinks, he still stubbornly insisted on his beer. "All right. Make that a champagne and, if there is any, a beer."

"Yes, sir." The servant hurried away, returning quickly with the items for which I called. I thanked her and Keith and I sat down to talk.

I suppose we made quite an unusual picture. There was me with my suit, frilly shirt, and string tie, sipping a fluted glass of champagne. . .and then there was Keith, in his red shirt, bandana, jeans, and boots. He had his feet up on an elegant table and was swigging the beer directly from the can. Most people would not be able to imagine what we had in common and how we possibly could be friends, but I guessed it was our differences that allowed us to keep our relationship healthy.

"How are things going for you in the tournament?" I asked once we had properly toasted the engagement.

Keith gave me a cocky grin. "Just great, Max. Take a look at this!" He rotated his wrist to show me eight starchips.

"Impressive," I complimented him. "I don't think there's a duellist on the island with that many yet--not that I know of, anyway."

"Bandit!" a young, chipper voice cried out in joy. Suddenly, a blond-haired rocket launched through the room and tackled Keith, who promptly crashed to the ground--he had been leaning back on the back two legs of one of my fine chairs and had overbalanced.

"Hey there, short stuff!" Keith ruffled Helena's hair as he got to his feet and fixed the chair. "How's it going?"

"Good!" Helena giggled. "Where's Hope?"

"She and I are getting married, so she's home planning the wedding," Keith explained. "I don't go in for ribbons and flowers and junk like that, so I decided to come to your competition instead."

"Ooh, Bandit, you're getting married?" Helena's brown eyes were round. "So you'll be Bandit and she'll be Mrs. Bandit?"

"Not. . .quite. . ." I tried my hardest to laugh. "She'll be Mrs. Howard. Wives don't usually take on their husband's nicknames."

"Oh, okay." Helena digested this information. "Hey, Bandit, wanna see the cave Daddy made? It's really scary!"

"Sure thing, little one. Just let me talk to your pa for a while longer and then you can show me. Why don't you go get ready and then we'll go explore it, all right?"

"All right!" Helena skipped out of the room.

Keith watched her with an indulgent smile on his face before turning and facing me once again. His expression settled into graveness. "Max. . .I just want to say thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to be experiencing any of this."

I pulled my head back, not wanting to go where he was leading. One night, I had been working late at Industrial Illusions. Fed up with my responsibilities, I had left my office and started walking on the streets of Domino. At one point, it had started to rain, but instead of returning for the dry blandness of my office, for some reason, I had pressed on. I had ended up in one of the worse areas of town before I realized it. I had prepared to leave when I saw a figure stumble out of a nearby bar. I ordinarily wouldn't have paid the man any attention, but a warning flare from my Millennium Eye made me pause. The man had been gripping a gun, and as I watched, he had pointed it at his own head. Lightning fast, I had shot a spurt of energy out of the Millennium Eye, which had knocked the gun away before the man could pull the trigger. Then I had sprinted over and had picked up the gun before the man could do himself any harm. Before he could gather his intellect, I had ushered him away from the bar and was halfway back to Industrial Illusions before he had begun to react. I had silenced his belligerence with a royal stare and instead had begun to ask him just what did he think he was doing. The man had replied that his name was Keith Howard. His family had died in a car crash and a random troublemaker had recently torched his apartment. Everything he had owned was gone, and, since he no longer had any money, his current girlfriend had left him. So Keith had taken the last of his money, bought a gun, and used the remainder to get himself as drunk as possible. He had just been ready to blow his brains out when I had stopped him.

I shook my head, coming back to the present. "Keith. . ." I had set him back on his feet as best as I could. He fought my charity as much as possible, but I was equally stubborn as he. "Don't say thank you. I gained a friend out of that, which is much more valuable than all the money in the world."

Keith shrugged, embarrassed. "Yeah. . .well, I had better go let Helena show me that cave. I've already been, but I didn't want to spoil her excitement. I hope that my wife-to-be and I are lucky enough to have a kid half as sweet as her. You're really lucky, Max."

I flushed slightly. "Thank you. You're a great friend to her, Keith."

"Yeah, yeah. . . . See ya." Keith left, cheeks bright red, ready to submit himself to the massive energy that is my daughter.

~ * * * ~

Vyctori: And that's all for now. I hope somebody found the YSRMB hint.

Menardi: Enough already! Sheesh, you're getting annoying.

Vyctori: *too sweet smile* And when am I not annoying, my dear muse?

Menardi: # You're doing that on purpose, aren't you?

Vyctori: *big grin* Yupperz!

Menardi: *covers face with hands* ARGH! *looks up* Anyway, getting only two reviews this chapter was not good. It reflects poorly on my abilities as a muse.

Vyctori: But it didn't show up on the "Just In" section, since all I did was edit last chapter's content!

Menardi: Doesn't matter. Review NOW or I'll send you to the Shadow Realm!

Vyctori: How can you possibly do that? You don't have a Millennium Item!

Menardi: *mysteriously* Don't I?

Vyctori: *groans* I just don't want to get involved. . .