Chapter 1- Normal P.O.V.

"What! He's bringing my brother into this? That's it. He's going down. Fast and hard. No one gets away with trying to use my brother."

"I completely agree, Kaiba. Pegasus Crawford should go down, but now is not the time to act. If you'll listen to me just a bit longer."

"Well, tick-tock."

"Pegasus is supposedly hosting a Duel Monsters competition. It is in a couple of weeks. Your brother will be perfectly safe until the tournament is over. Pegasus can do nothing until you are out of the way, Kaiba. The best way to avoid his goons chasing you about the island is for you to fake your death the first time they come after you. That will give you unbridled freedom about the island.

"Another thing is that since it is a Duel Monsters competition, many renowned duelists will be there. I believe Pegasus will have made sure Yugi Mutou is there. A set up I expect, but it may just give you a chance to reclaim your title as the best."

"Indeed, it does sound almost staged, but if he plans on using Mutou to get to me that won't work, he has to have something else planned."

"I think so. And from what my sources have gathered, Pegasus is actually after the up-side-down pyramid that hangs from Mutou's neck. My sources say that Pegasus wants it for the gaming spirit and the magic it hold within."

"Gaming spirit? Magic? No such things, but it would offer a reasonable explanation for the sudden differences between how he normally acts and hid personality when he duels."

"Yes, well, if that is the only reason he could possibly beat you; then utilize the information. Just force his weaker side to take control and you should undoubtedly win. But Kaiba, if you think Pegasus will be beaten easily you are wrong. When you do duel him, you must close your mind. Keep it completely and utterly blank."

"Keep my mind blank? And exactly what is that supposed to mean?"

"Look, Kaiba, I don't know how to explain this but…Pegasus is said to be able to read minds."

"Read minds. So that's how he did it."

"Did what?"

The Dueling tournament he held about a year and a half ago. He seemed to know exactly what his opponent was going to play. And, Sha, exactly how far does this telepathy power of his go?"

"I don't rightly know."

"So your information is not limitless then?"

"Unfortunately no. Kaiba, I do wish you the best of luck." They both stood up.

"Perhaps, Kashadra…"

"I thought I told you to call me Sha? "

"Sha, then. When this tournament begins, where will you be?"

"I should be on the boat to the tournament. But, I'm not all that positive. Listen, Kaiba, there will be things so obvious along the way to Pegasus' island. Don't ignore them." Her watch began to go off. She looked at the time.

Shaking her head, she hit the button on the side of the watch and spoke, "I'm really sorry, but I can't stay a minute longer." Kaiba led her to the door. "Good-bye and good luck Seto Kaiba."

"May we not meet upon such dire matters again." They parted jovially, with his last saying, and she disappeared into the mist rising from the ground. As she left, Kaiba heard the clock in the hall strike twelve.


Kashadra was sitting in a local coffee shop, sipping on a mocha latte, when the group of teenagers she'd been waiting for came in.

"Yugi, cheer up. I'm sure you'll get your grandpa's soul back from Pegasus. But, you really need to eat something."

"Thanks Téa, but I'm not really that hungry."

"C'mon Yuug, ya can't mope 'round all day. We'll smash Pegasus, now tha' Joey Wheeler is here."

Kashadra just eyed them, and turned her head away. 'If that's Yugi Mutou's normal self, then I have to believe about the gaming spirit. And not to mention the idiots he hangs around with. Why it's preposterous.'

"As much as I hate to admit it, but Joey's right. And don't forget, Téa and I will also be there. We are you're friends after all. Ah, the good corner booth is open let's grab it." They made their way to the booth right behind Kashadra's. She just loved spying on people. Not on the matter dealing with Kaiba though, she'd planned that alone.

'I can't believe father wants me to spy on this little wuss. There is no possible way he could be such a big threat to him, nor could that little puzzle be any more than anything else but gold. Still, I might be able to make this work for me. My father is a complete moron, sending me on this kind of thing. So step one: make contact.' Kashadra stood up and walked to the group of four.

"Yugi Mutou?"

"Yeah, I'm him. May I help you miss?"

"It's not miss or anything else, just Michiko. I'm Michiko Mezoona. I've been invited to the Duelist Kingdom tournament. I was wondering if you were too."

"Yeah, but I'm being forced to go. Pegasus stole my grandfather's soul." Kashadra, A.K.A. Michiko, sat down beside Yugi.

"That's awful, but if I were you, I'd worry about an old acquaintance making a sudden appearance."

"Huh, like who?" he looked over at his friends, "Can any of you guys think of any one?"

"Not a single one, Yugi."

"Nope. I've come up blank Yuug, how 'bout you Tristan?"

"I can only think of one. Kaiba."

"Oooh, you got it right. What I'd heard was that Seto Kaiba would make an uninvited guest appearance. Not at all acceptable for a gentleman, you know." Her watch went off. "Oops, I've got to go. See you at the tournament, Yugi. I hope we can duel."

"Yeah, me too." A waitress came up to take their orders as Kashadra slipped off. She made her way to the nearest payphone. She pulled a pocket planner out of her purse.

"Let's see. I know I put his cell in here some where." She flipped through the book, muttering to herself. "It's not under K, and neither is it under S. My father would think to look there, especially with my thoughts being so open as of late. Oh yeah, I put it under Z. Hmm," she pushed in the numbers, looking down occasionally, "964-8395" it began to ring. 'C'mon, pick up.'

"Yes, what do you want and how did you get this number?"

"Kaiba, it's me Sha. If you don't want any of our plans ruined then I suggest you listen to me."

"O.K. you've got my undivided attention. And another thing, why are you using a payphone?"

"I'm using a payphone so my call can't be traced to you. Now Kaiba, during the tournament, I will probably be around Yugi Mutou. But the thing is, he thinks my name is Michiko Mezoona. I am her, so that's okay. And another thing is, I found out why Pegasus wants Mutou's puzzle."

"So what's the reason, and why does he need my company for it?"

"Pegasus wants all seven of the Millennium Items. They're ancient Egyptian items of power. There's the eye, the puzzle, the rod, the ankh, the scales, the ring, and the tauk. Each has its own singular power, and common ones to the others. The power can only be brought out by the owner of the item. Pegasus has the eye. That's where his telepathic powers come from."

"Okay, but what does that have to do with my company?"

"I'm getting there Kaiba. What my sources tell me is that Pegasus wants the puzzle to gain power over life and death. He wishes to bring his dead wife back. I don't think it's possible, but if he gets a hold of the puzzle and your company, then he might actually be able to pull it off."

"Power over life and death using KaibaCorp product? That's absolutely ridiculous! KaibaCorp works in medical supplies, medical advancement, gaming, and 3-D simulators. None of those can make a complete carbon copy of a living or dead object. It's impossible to create a copy of a soul either. No matter how close you got, you couldn't do it. Trying to create something purely upon memory of it is impossible. Whatever you created would have its own personality

"You could only get an exact copy it you had the complete DNA and RNA code, and even then, unless brought up in the exact same manner, with the exact same stimuli, it would have a different personality. Besides, you can't just create an exactly aged copy; it would have to be brought up and then pass through all the stages of life again."

"I completely agree Kaiba, but Pegasus is not like normal people. I know how people like him are. If they get an idea in their head, they won't let it go as long as they think it's possible to achieve it. But, I have to go; I think I'm being followed. Pegasus can't be allowed to complete what he's trying to do. No matter what. I'll see you in about a week or two. That's when the tournament starts. Good-bye Kaiba."

"Good-bye Sha." She hung up the receiver and put the pocket planner back in her purse. She glanced around, careful that her fathers' guards had not seen her.

'My father is serious. But, I never knew lying through my teeth could be so hard. My father will go down.' She stepped out of the phone booth and began walking at a leisurely pace to her car. Not to alert those she saw skirting her as she passed; she pulled out her car keys. 'Either way my father is going down. By Yugi Mutou's hand or Seto Kaiba's I do not care.' She got in the car and started off.

'Then, I'll be free of his overbearing rule in my life.' She turned on the radio and drove around. Singing occasionally and just looking, she spotted a small shop. 'Kame Game Shop, maybe they might have something to busy me with.' She stopped and got out. Still wary of being followed, she went on acting as she thought most people her age should. "Closed?" she'd stepped up the front door. "And I thought this place was doing so well." She walked over to the nameplate by the door. "The Mutou's. That would explain things." She shook her head and left.