Sunlight shone in through the window and rested on Fader's face as he lay
in bed. His eyes opened and he used his hand to block the light as his eys
adjusted. Throwing back the covers he got out of bed and threw on a pair of
pants from the dressor. He walked over to the french doors and pushed them
open, stepping onto the small balcony. He rested his arms on the ledge as
he took in the view of the small city. He was so caught up in the view
that he did not hear the figure approach from behind him. He was surprised
when a pair of hands reached around from behind him and grabbed him.
"Good morning," he said without looking back.
The hands spun him around and he was face to face with Serena. "I think it's afternoon now," she replied. "We slept through 'good morning'." The two embraced for a second and turned back to the scenery.
"It's going to be a beautiful day," Serena continued. She turned to look at Fader and noticed that he looked a little distracted. "Is something wrong?" she asked him.
He looked at her and his grimace turned into a smile, albiet a forced one. "I'll be fine," he told her.
"You had another of the nightmares didn't you?"
He shook his head.
"You're a terrible liar," she said. "You've been having them every night for the past three weeks."
"Ever since we left the Duelist's Tower in Battle City," he continued for her. At the mention of Battle City Serena flinched a little, and Fader could understand why. After claiming his prize from Evo he had gone back to level three and found Serena awake. She was awake nce again, but she was visibly shaken. There was a ook of terror in her eyes as if she had just come back from hell itself. Fader decided that it might be better for the next little while that she not be alone and so he had her brought back to his home with him.
The first few days had been a little shaky, but Serena had slowly recovered from whatever she had experienced in the Shadow Realm. Fader had stayed with her the entire time, and the two became closer as a result of it. Serena didn't talk about what had heppened to her and Fader completely understood that she hadn't wanted to. If it was how Evo had described it then Fader was pretty sure that he wouldn't talk about it either.
"We missed breakfast," Fader said with a grin.
Serena smiled back with a mischevous look. "I guess you'll just have to make us an extra large lunch then."
"I guess so," Fader replied. He brought her in close to him and the two locked lips in a passoinate kiss. It only lasted for a few seconds when there was a knock at the door. Dissappointed, they broke off. "Yes," Fader answered.
The door opened and in stepped the housekeeper, and elderly woman with a sweet face. Fader had never like the idea of servants, but when he left for Battle City he needed someone to watch over the house so he had hired her. She had done such a good job he had kept her on.
"Mr. Fader," she said. "There is a strange man here to see you. I told him that you weren't available but he wouldn't take no for an answer. He's in your study."
Fader came in from the balcony and pulled a shirt over his head. "It's alright. I'll meet with him," he told her. He turned back to Serena. "I shouldn't be too long."
"It's okay," she replied. "I have to check in with the Kaiba Corp board of directors. I kind of skipped the morning meeting to spend time with some guy."
Fader smiled. "I hope he was worth it."
"Depends how good the lunch he makes is," Serena called out as she stepped into the bathroom and shut the door. A few seconds later the sound of running water could be heard.
"Let's go meet this guest then."
* * *
Fader entered his study and saw his guest standing gazing out the window at the same scenery that he and Serena had just been enjoying. He was about as tall as Fader, but he wore all white. "What can I help you with?" Fader asked as he shut the door behind him.
The man turned his head from the window for a second to stare stocially at Fader before turning back out to the view. "You cannot actually help me," he said.
Fader moved around his desk and sat down. "Then why are we having this conversation?"
"Because it is you who are in need of my assistance," the man replied approaching the desk.
Fader looked at him inquisitively. "Really? You don't say? And what do I need help with?"
The man pointed to the desk and to the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle strewn about. "I can help you with that."
"I'm listening."
"You won't complete it."
"I know. I'm still three pieces short."
"That is true, but it is not the only reason. You will not complete it because you will not accept what you are being told."
"What do you mean?"
"I know that you have had the visions."
"Visions?"
"You probably mistake them for nitemares. But they are not dreams. They are memories. They are premonitions. They are the past, present and future combined."
"I don't understand."
"You will. After the Millennium Puzlle is completed."
"Like I said," Fader replied. "Three pieces short. Remember?"
The man in white reahced into his robe and pulled out his hand to reveal the final three pieces of the Millennium Puzzle resting in his palm. "Do you mean these? We will play a game for them."
"I had a feeling you were going to do something like that. So you expect me to duel you for them?" Fader aksed as he reached for his deck. "I'm game."
"But I am not. I have no desire to duel you. I know that I would not win. Not against the wielder of the Millennium Puzzle, or even against he who would be the one to comlete it."
"It seems that everyone knows more about the Millennium Puzzle than I do," Fader said. "Maybe you'd like to explain to me how it is exactly that you know so much about it?"
"Because of this," the man answered. He opened his robe, to expose a giant gold ahnk hanging around his neck.
"What is that?" Fader asked him.
"This is the Millennium Key. Like the Millennium Puzzle it is one of seven mystical items that grant its bearer special powers. My clan has been honored with the task of guarding the Millennium Items and keeping the balance of their power. I am the last of my clan."
"So what is this game that you want to play for the last three pieces?"
"A shadow game. You have already proven your worthiness with your cards, but now I will test your resolve to see whether or not you are ready in mind and spirit for the burden that awaits."
Fader arose from his desk and walked around so that he was face to face with the man. "Just one more question then," he said. "Who are you anyway?"
"My name is Shadi."
"Good morning," he said without looking back.
The hands spun him around and he was face to face with Serena. "I think it's afternoon now," she replied. "We slept through 'good morning'." The two embraced for a second and turned back to the scenery.
"It's going to be a beautiful day," Serena continued. She turned to look at Fader and noticed that he looked a little distracted. "Is something wrong?" she asked him.
He looked at her and his grimace turned into a smile, albiet a forced one. "I'll be fine," he told her.
"You had another of the nightmares didn't you?"
He shook his head.
"You're a terrible liar," she said. "You've been having them every night for the past three weeks."
"Ever since we left the Duelist's Tower in Battle City," he continued for her. At the mention of Battle City Serena flinched a little, and Fader could understand why. After claiming his prize from Evo he had gone back to level three and found Serena awake. She was awake nce again, but she was visibly shaken. There was a ook of terror in her eyes as if she had just come back from hell itself. Fader decided that it might be better for the next little while that she not be alone and so he had her brought back to his home with him.
The first few days had been a little shaky, but Serena had slowly recovered from whatever she had experienced in the Shadow Realm. Fader had stayed with her the entire time, and the two became closer as a result of it. Serena didn't talk about what had heppened to her and Fader completely understood that she hadn't wanted to. If it was how Evo had described it then Fader was pretty sure that he wouldn't talk about it either.
"We missed breakfast," Fader said with a grin.
Serena smiled back with a mischevous look. "I guess you'll just have to make us an extra large lunch then."
"I guess so," Fader replied. He brought her in close to him and the two locked lips in a passoinate kiss. It only lasted for a few seconds when there was a knock at the door. Dissappointed, they broke off. "Yes," Fader answered.
The door opened and in stepped the housekeeper, and elderly woman with a sweet face. Fader had never like the idea of servants, but when he left for Battle City he needed someone to watch over the house so he had hired her. She had done such a good job he had kept her on.
"Mr. Fader," she said. "There is a strange man here to see you. I told him that you weren't available but he wouldn't take no for an answer. He's in your study."
Fader came in from the balcony and pulled a shirt over his head. "It's alright. I'll meet with him," he told her. He turned back to Serena. "I shouldn't be too long."
"It's okay," she replied. "I have to check in with the Kaiba Corp board of directors. I kind of skipped the morning meeting to spend time with some guy."
Fader smiled. "I hope he was worth it."
"Depends how good the lunch he makes is," Serena called out as she stepped into the bathroom and shut the door. A few seconds later the sound of running water could be heard.
"Let's go meet this guest then."
* * *
Fader entered his study and saw his guest standing gazing out the window at the same scenery that he and Serena had just been enjoying. He was about as tall as Fader, but he wore all white. "What can I help you with?" Fader asked as he shut the door behind him.
The man turned his head from the window for a second to stare stocially at Fader before turning back out to the view. "You cannot actually help me," he said.
Fader moved around his desk and sat down. "Then why are we having this conversation?"
"Because it is you who are in need of my assistance," the man replied approaching the desk.
Fader looked at him inquisitively. "Really? You don't say? And what do I need help with?"
The man pointed to the desk and to the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle strewn about. "I can help you with that."
"I'm listening."
"You won't complete it."
"I know. I'm still three pieces short."
"That is true, but it is not the only reason. You will not complete it because you will not accept what you are being told."
"What do you mean?"
"I know that you have had the visions."
"Visions?"
"You probably mistake them for nitemares. But they are not dreams. They are memories. They are premonitions. They are the past, present and future combined."
"I don't understand."
"You will. After the Millennium Puzlle is completed."
"Like I said," Fader replied. "Three pieces short. Remember?"
The man in white reahced into his robe and pulled out his hand to reveal the final three pieces of the Millennium Puzzle resting in his palm. "Do you mean these? We will play a game for them."
"I had a feeling you were going to do something like that. So you expect me to duel you for them?" Fader aksed as he reached for his deck. "I'm game."
"But I am not. I have no desire to duel you. I know that I would not win. Not against the wielder of the Millennium Puzzle, or even against he who would be the one to comlete it."
"It seems that everyone knows more about the Millennium Puzzle than I do," Fader said. "Maybe you'd like to explain to me how it is exactly that you know so much about it?"
"Because of this," the man answered. He opened his robe, to expose a giant gold ahnk hanging around his neck.
"What is that?" Fader asked him.
"This is the Millennium Key. Like the Millennium Puzzle it is one of seven mystical items that grant its bearer special powers. My clan has been honored with the task of guarding the Millennium Items and keeping the balance of their power. I am the last of my clan."
"So what is this game that you want to play for the last three pieces?"
"A shadow game. You have already proven your worthiness with your cards, but now I will test your resolve to see whether or not you are ready in mind and spirit for the burden that awaits."
Fader arose from his desk and walked around so that he was face to face with the man. "Just one more question then," he said. "Who are you anyway?"
"My name is Shadi."