Well, I'm back again! *everyone groans* Aw, come on!

Menardi: They're probably ticked off at the slowness of your updates.

Vyctori: Will you EVER leave me alone?

Menardi: ^_^ Nope.

Vyctori: *sighs* Anyway, I haven't anything much to say right now (for once), so I'll just move on to the reviews.

Shurimon: Well, I only mention the Paradox Brothers in passing this chapter. Thanks, by the way! ^_^

Shadow's Girl12: Helena, I think, is the embodiment of fluff. But unfortunately, I can't take credit for the "Evil Underpants" thing. Who can? Beats me. . . .

Flaming Tigress Mage: Computers . . . can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. I know what you mean about computer troubles, unfortunately. Sorry I didn't update too quickly.

Ssilence: Yup, she's my second most powerful card in terms of attack. Your review isn't late; just look when I updated this chapter! Hope you did well on your exam, by the way.

You must be seeing the subtitled version if you're into the DOOM season. I haven't seen it, but I've read some spoilers about it. And I don't particularly like what I'm hearing, but ah well.

Thanks for telling me which parts you enjoyed--it helps me out when I write things later.

Yoshimi Takahashi: You have a rare talent for reviewing JUST in time . . . .

Menardi: I'm certainly not telling anyone about where I get my Shadow Powers.

Vyctori: *pleading* Well, could you at least tell me SOMETHING so I can get Yoshimi out of the Shadow Realm? I'll end up losing him!

Menardi: I'll think about it.

Yeah, writing about a bloke with one eye can be hard at times. I have to keep on going back erasing the "s's" off the word "eye." That gets a little tedious after a bit.

Yeah, Joey and food. A match made in heaven, if he has anything to say about it.

Yes, many circus freaks. And much "Yugi-boy"-ing is fun! ^_^

Angst! *gasps* How did that get in there? Ooh, I'll have to be careful not to let any more sneak in, that's for sure!

Thanks for the very long review, Yoshimi! ^_~

*****

Well, that's them all! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! ^_^

This chapter's really short, but I don't think it could work otherwise. Enjoy, and happy Guy Fawkes Day, everyone! ^_~

~ * * * ~

The tournament seemed to be coming down to the very end. After Yugi and his friend beat two strange men named--and I am completely serious--Para and Dox, that left just Yugi Motou, Mai Kujaku, Joey Wheeler, and, to the pleasure of Helena and I, Keith Howard.  On the last day before the finals were to commence, Helena was "exploring" the castle with me when we happened upon a very interesting sight: Seto Kaiba and Yugi Motou were participating in a rematch on the very heights of my fortress. And they appeared to be utilizing Kaiba-boy's latest technology—the portable arena that Yugi and his friends had described.

So far, neither opponent had the clear advantage, but I knew that could easily change. Especially, I thought as I read both their minds to figure out their strategies, since Kaiba already has two Blue-Eyes in his hand.

Yugi--the more mature version, I noticed--was doing well, but there was no way for him to prepare for what I had seen in Kaiba's mind. The young genius was going to attempt something no person had ever done in the short history of the card game--perhaps even in its ancient Egyptian predecessor. He was going to merge his three Blue-Eyes White Dragons into something he called the "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon."

Once Kaiba had created his monstrosity, I felt the duel was over. The Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon was awe-inspiring, so much so that Helena his behind me in fear.

Yet, incredibly, Yugi managed to back Kaiba into a wall with a combination of Kuriboh, Multiply, Living Arrow, and Mammoth Graveyard. Helena, upon seeing dozens upon dozens of her favourite Duel Monster, rapidly overcame her trepidation concerning Kaiba's monster and started waving Weebo about, trying to "let him see his friends," as she put it. I was far more intrigued by the way Yugi was making an incredible come from behind victory. In just one turn, the champion of Duel Monsters would be defeated, which was nothing short of incredible, considering he had been toying with Yugi the whole time.

With an emotionless expression, Kaiba took his last turn, choosing to draw a card and do nothing. Once Kaiba had indicated he was finished, Yugi ordered his Celtic Guardian to attack the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. The creature, once with an attack that would defeat virtually any monster in the entire game, now had less than the Celtic Guardian's fourteen hundred Attack Points.

As Kaiba's Life Points registered zero, he stared ahead, a blank look in his eyes. Then he shook his head, and walked off stiffly, ignoring Yugi's friends' jubilant celebration.

I frowned, pulling on my lower lip for a moment before deciding. "Flower, let's go talk to Mr. Kaiba, all right?"

"Why?" She looked up at me, wide eyed. "He's a bad man!"

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "'Lena! Be nice. He's just lost a tough match and he's probably feeling really upset. I want to go talk to him and ask him if he'd like to duel me instead."

Helena gave Weebo a look, but decided to come with me anyway. "All right, Daddy."

We caught up with Kaiba as he was leaving the castle and beginning the descent down the impossible stairs.

"What do you want?" he snapped at me angrily.

I raised an eyebrow. "And this is how you treat the man who bailed you out with Mokuba, hmm? I'm most unimpressed, Kaiba-boy."

"If you've come to mock me, then beat it. I don't have time for this--I've got a company to run." Kaiba turned his back.

I rolled my eye. "I know, I know. I just thought you'd be interested in a little exhibition match—the creator of Duel Monsters versus the World Champion."

"Ex-World Champion," Kaiba corrected me bitterly.

I shook my head. "Uh-uh. Yugi has never beaten you in an official match, so your title still stands. Don't you want to regain your position?"

Kaiba seemed torn. Then his old cocky attitude came back to him and he smirked at me. Obviously, he didn't think I was much of a duellist. "Fine. We can duel now."

"It's rather late for that" --I gazed upward at the pink sunset sky-- "so why don't we begin tomorrow? It will give you a chance to recoup and for Helena here to catch up on her sleep."

"You're postponing our match for a little girl?" Kaiba wore a look of disgust.

"I am not a little girl!" Helena protested, teetering on the tip of her toes. "I'm four years old!"

Kaiba snorted. When he saw I was serious, he bit out, "If you insist on being foolishly soppy about your daughter, then I'll wait for you the next day." He began walking down the stairs.

"Where are you going, Kaiba-boy?" I wanted to know.

"I'm going to sleep in my helicopter, that's where." Kaiba didn't even slow down.

"Oh, no you aren't. You're taking one of our guest rooms and that's final." I folded my suit-clad arms to show I was serious.

We had a little tussle over that, but I managed to out-stubborn Kaiba and soon my servants were seeing to him. I led Helena to her room and said my goodnights to both her and Weebo, leaving her with Laura. My arguments with Kaiba had left me tired and I was looking forward to a nice, relaxing bath.

* * *

As I settled into the steaming, scented water, I felt my taut, rigid muscles relax. There were few things I loved better than a boiling-hot soak at the end of a difficult day. I leaned back, stretching out and letting the water bathe every inch of me.

Without warning, my Millennium Eye gave an enormous throb, followed by a frightening feeling of incredible malice. With a yell, I slipped and slid so that my head was plunged underwater. Scrabbling, I yanked on the side of the tub and shot to the surface, hacking and spitting out water, gasping for breath.

Regaining my breath, I realized: something had happened, something evil. And it was connected with the Millennium Items. Trying to locate its source, I found nothing. Nothing at all. And that worried me even more than that burst of energy. Something was afoot, and I hadn't a clue as to what it was.

~ * * * ~

Vyctori: Oh no! More angst slipped in when I wasn't watching! What to do?

Menardi: . . . Okay, no more chocolate for you.

Vyctori: I haven't had any yet! But that's a good idea!

Menardi: Sorry, you can't. I ate all of it in honour of Guy Fawkes Day.

Vyctori: But Menardi, chocolate has absolutely nothing to do with Guy Fawkes Day!

Menardi: True, but setting fires does, and that's precisely what I'm going to do to our readers if they don't become reviewers.

Vyctori: *sighs* If you keep on incapacitating our readers, there won't be any left . . .

Menardi: So we'll just get new ones. If they didn't review, they deserved to burn anyway!

Vyctori: That might be just a tad harsh, you know.