Yugi came awake to the sound of voices. They were conversing very, very quietly, for which he was grateful, because there was a feeling in his head that suggested that it just might break open if he was forced to listen to anything louder than a whisper. He whimpered a little, tried to move, realized moving was probably a bad idea, and settled for moaning a bit more.
"Yep, he's coming around," said Jonouchi. "I thought he'd wake up soon."
"Thank goodness," Anzu said, sounding relieved. "I was starting to worry..."
Yugi wanted to say he didn't think he was out of the woods yet, but his brain and body didn't seem to be in sync yet. His mouth felt dry and sticky. The rest of him didn't feel so good, either.
"Eh, there ain't nothin' to worry about," said Jonouchi. "He's gonna feel like hell for a while, but he'll get over it."
Yugi heard movement near him, and he managed to pry his eyes open enough to look around. He seemed to be lying on a park bench in a garden of some sort, and his friends were hanging about watching him. It appeared to be very late at night - or early in the morning; it was hard to tell. Jonouchi hovered at his side.
"Hey, man," he said in his softest voice. "How are you feeling?"
"Can I die? Please?" Yugi replied.
"Not yet," Jonouchi said, "but I might be able to make you feel better. Can you sit up?"
Yugi attempted it and discovered that he almost could manage. His head was still splitting, and his body felt sluggish. Moving around also made him realize that his stomach was currently very unhappy about something. He worked through that conclusion just in time, and a moment later, he was rushing past Jonouchi to duck behind a conveniently located rosebush, where he was violently sick.
When he re-emerged a few minutes later, still shaking a little and wiping at his mouth, he was met by Anzu, who silently proffered him a glass of water. He had no idea where she'd found a glass of water in the middle of a rose garden, but he was grateful for it anyway. He rinsed his mouth out, spat a few times, and then drank the rest of the glass.
"Thanks," he said. "I needed that."
"We kind of figured you would," said Honda. He pointed at a tray that Yugi hadn't noticed before, containing a pair of pitchers and what appeared to be half the contents of a medicine chest. "What were you thinking, getting yourself into that shape? I mean, we know you're down right now, but geez..."
"Eh? What did I do?" asked Yugi. "Don't shout at me, Honda, my head hurts."
Honda looked sheepish. "Oops. Sorry."
"You shouldn't have drunk that stuff," Jonouchi said, rather more gently.
Yugi looked blankly at his empty glass.
"No, no, no! Not that," said Jonouchi. "At the party. Don't you remember? No offense, but you're a little young for wine, still."
"You're one to talk," Honda muttered.
"Shut up. I don't drink," Jonouchi snapped back. "After what it did to my old man, I'm never gonna touch the stuff as long as I live."
Yugi blinked. "Is that what it was? I thought it tasted funny."
"Oh, geez," said Honda. "Why did you drink it if you didn't even know what it was?"
"I don't know. Someone just told me to drink it, so I drank it!"
Jonouchi shook his head. "If someone ever took a notion to kidnap you... Well, congratulations, Yugi. You've got your first hangover. How do you feel?"
"Great," said Yugi dryly. He sat back down on the bench again and closed his eyes. "Wake me when it's over."
"Here, take this," said Jonouchi. "It will make you feel better."
"The last time someone said that to me," Yugi replied, "this happened."
"Trust me," said Jonouchi. "I know what's good for you. I've helped my dad through this enough times to know what works and what doesn't."
Yugi opened his eyes and accepted what he was being given, which turned out to be a handful of pills and a glass of some kind of juice. He took what he was offered without asking what it was, on the logic that not only did he trust Jonouchi, he figured he couldn't feel much worse than he already did. As he did so, something occurred to him.
"Where did you get all this stuff, anyway?" he said. "I know we didn't bring it with us."
Honda shrugged. "We asked someone. Anzu collared one of Pegasus's suits and yelled at him you were sick and needed help, and he brought everything we asked for."
Yugi chuckled weakly, imagining the scene. Anzu looked rather pleased with herself.
"They acted like they knew what to do," said Jonouchi. "The way they talk, it sounds like old Pegasus hits the bottle himself, once in a while."
"Pegasus," Yugi repeated softly. "This is all his fault... Where is he? What's going on? How long have I been out?"
"You've been unconscious most of the night," said Anzu. "We thought it was best just to let you sleep. It will be morning soon."
"Pegasus wandered off with that chick a few minutes after you conked out," Jonouchi added. He leered. "Betcha anything he's not going to be bothering us for a while."
"Then now is the time to do something," said Yugi. He attempted to stand up again, winced a little, and remained standing.
"What can we do?" asked Anzu. "The contest is over. Everyone is going to be sent home, soon."
"No," Yugi said. "I'm not leaving. I can't leave without the Puzzle - without him - not like this. At least - at least I've got to find him and apologize..." He swayed a little, and Honda caught him and propped him up.
"Definitely too young to drink," he muttered.
"I'm okay," Yugi insisted. "I just need a minute to get my balance. Really."
"So what are you going to do?" Anzu asked.
"I'm going to find the Puzzle," Yugi replied. "No matter how long it takes. Even if the boat has to leave without me, I'm not leaving this island until I've found my other self again and had a chance to talk to him. Otherwise, I'll never forgive myself."
"Well, if you're going to stay, then so am I!" Jonouchi said.
"We might be staying a long time," said Honda doubtfully. "Do we have any idea where the Puzzle even is?"
"It's got to be in the castle somewhere," said Yugi. "He hasn't had it long enough to move it very far away."
"Still, that's a pretty small thing to hide in a really big place," Honda replied.
Anzu was looking thoughtful, gazing up at the sky as if she expected to see a clue up there.
"If I had something that important," she said slowly, "I would hide it in the most inaccessible place I could find, wouldn't you?"
"I guess," Jonouchi allowed. "So, what's your point?"
Anzu displayed her point by pointing. Looming above them was a tall tower, standing high above all the others.
"Ohhhh," said Honda. "Huh. I guess that would be a place to start, come to think of it."
"Let's go look," said Yugi. He started forward, stumbled, and was caught by Jonouchi and Honda.
"Not without us, you don't," said Jonouchi.
Yugi shook his head. "Of course not."
They went inside. They moved cautiously, jumping every time they heard a noise, but eventually they realized they need not have bothered. Most of Pegasus's security staff was busy trying to keep the party in hand. They were not prowling the halls in search of stray teenagers. That was a good thing for Yugi and his friends, because even without hindrance, they weren't having a lot of luck.
"It ought to be right here," said Anzu, glaring at the wall. "Unless you shout up at Rapunzel to let down her hair so you can climb up, there's got to be a doorway right about here somewhere."
"Well, there isn't," said Jonouchi. "Maybe it's a fake. Maybe the tower is there just for looks."
"Maybe there's a secret door?" Honda suggested. "That's the kind of thing a kook like Pegasus would put in his castle. You see that kind of thing all the time in the movies!"
Yugi said nothing, but he nodded. It was the kind of thing you would expect to find in a strange place like this. He scanned the paneled walls, attempting to find something that would indicate a hidden door somewhere. Nothing stood out: everything was just panels of polished wood, occasionally punctuated by a painting or tapestry. Anzu began halfheartedly peeking behind the wall hangings. Yugi looked at the paintings. Some of them, he suspected, might have been just as much at home in an upscale art gallery or even a museum, but one or two were obviously Pegasus's own handiwork. One in particular drew his eye, a self-portrait of the great man himself, holding up a wineglass in a sort of a toast. The other was held up to his lips, as if cautioning someone to keep a secret. The knowing smile the picture wore gave Yugi an urge to smack it. Jonouchi saw him glaring at it and walked over to give it an examination of its own.
"Guy sure does think a lot of himself," Jonouchi muttered. "I'd like to take this picture and chuck it out a window!"
Fitting action to words, he grabbed the frame and yanked. The picture stayed exactly where it was.
"It's stuck," he complained.
"Hmm. Maybe you're on to something," said Yugi.
He began prodding the picture's elaborately carved frame. It was a ridiculous looking thing, gilt all over and embellished with curlicues and carved flowers. Yugi put his thumb on a rosebud in the lower corner, and it sank right into the frame. The whole wall moved inward slightly, and when he pushed it, it swung on silent hinges to reveal a stone staircase, curving upwards.
"Wow," said Honda. "That was easy."
Of course, having found a secret stairway behind a secret door, there was nothing they could possibly do but climb it. It was very dark in the stairway, with only thin slits of windows to let in what little light there was, and the group stumbled and bumped into each other as they attempted to navigate the spiral stairs. They moved in a cluster, with Yugi taking the lead and the others pressing in close behind him. He was very aware of his heart pounding.
This is it. This has to be the right way. This is where my other self is, I know it...
After what seemed like an eternity of climbing up steps and more steps and yet more steps in the dark, they came to a door. It was a rather plain door, compared to some of what they'd seen on the lower floors, but the gilt on the handle was rubbing off, indicating that someone used it regularly. Yugi tried the handle, and was more than a little surprised to find that it opened easily. He shrugged; if someone was so determined to find this place that they found the secret door downstairs, he supposed it made sense to think they wouldn't be stopped by such a mundane thing as a lock. He went in.
There was what appeared to be a small study beyond the door. Yugi could see a desk and a shelf with some books on it. Other than that, the room was all but empty, save for yet another portrait of the golden-haired girl who seemed to be everywhere in this castle. He wasn't interested in any of that, though. He was looking only at what rested on the desk. There were some papers, a notebook, a tray full of writing utensils... and the Millennium Puzzle.
Yugi rushed forward and reached out to touch it, to hold it, to put it back into its rightful place. Something stopped him. A spark of light seemed to flare out from its gleaming golden surface, and forced him to recoil. Yugi blinked, feeling wounded. He'd been so happy to find it... was his other self still angry at him?
"What is it?" he said aloud. "What's wrong?"
Yugi... He was so relieved to hear that voice! It was only a whisper in his mind, but it was indisputably the voice of the Spirit of the Puzzle. Yugi, listen to me. You must not take the Puzzle.
"What? But why not?"
Because it is not allowed. By the ancient rules of the Shadow Games, Pegasus has won possession of the Millennium Puzzle. You can no longer claim it as your own. Touch it, at most, but to try to steal it back from him would result in your being... struck down. I am not sure what would happen to you, but it would be damaging, and irreversible. There was a pause. I am sorry.
"I'm the one who should be sorry," said Yugi. "If I had listened to you, we wouldn't be separated, now. I know I wouldn't have lost if I had let you help me, and then I'd still have the Puzzle, and everything would be okay."
It was I who gave you reasons to distrust me, the Spirit replied. I am afraid I am... unused to being disobeyed. It angered me that you would not listen, so I lashed out unfairly. I am sorry. I should have listened to you. We are partners.
"Yes," said Yugi. "I'm sorry. You were only trying to protect me, all those times... I guess we're not really acting much like partners, are we?"
We will have the chance to learn.
"But how? I mean, without the Puzzle..."
You will get the Puzzle back. You must challenge Pegasus to a rematch, and you must win.
"But I can't! Not without you."
You can, and you must. Challenge him to a duel and insist on receiving the Puzzle as your prize. Tell him he must have it with him when he duels you, to prove that he is its true master and not you. I believe you will prove otherwise. You will have to trust me. If you can do that, you will win. The voice turned gentle. Yugi. Pegasus may have won the Puzzle, but the Puzzle is not me. No matter who holds the Puzzle, my heart belongs to you.
Yugi found himself smiling. "Thank you. I promise, I won't let you down. You have my word!"
Nor will I fail you. You have my word. Go, now. You must not be here when he returns. He mustn't know we have spoken to each other.
"Right," Yugi agreed. "Don't worry. I'll put everything right."
I know. Now, no more delays! Find Pegasus and challenge him!
Yugi nodded. He wanted to say something more, something that would tell the Spirit just how relieved talking to him made him feel.
You don't have to. I know.
Yugi laughed. "Thanks."
He turned to his friends, who were listening to this one-sided conversation with expressions of vague puzzlement.
"It's okay now, I think," he told them. "My other self and I, we've worked everything out. I'm going to get the Puzzle back, but first there's something I've got to do."
"What's that?" Honda asked.
Yugi's face turned grim. "Beat Pegasus in a duel. Come on, we've got to get out of here."
He turned and began walking carefully down the stairs. He was going to find Pegasus, and he was going to show him a thing or two! He would teach him a lesson! He would... he would feel a whole lot better if his stomach would just stop churning, and these spiral stairs weren't helping any. How was he supposed to beat Pegasus all alone, without the help of his other half? Trust me, he had said. Yugi sighed. This wasn't going to be easy.
Somewhere out on the ocean was a small boat. It was a good boat, a top-of-the-line model with all the latest technology built into it, and so fully automated that in clear weather like this, it could be easily managed by a crew of three. That was good, because there were currently only three people on the boat. Isis had wondered, briefly, how her brother had managed to get it, and eventually decided she didn't really want to know.
She cast a glance at the prow of the boat, where her younger brother Malik stood, his eyes fixed at an invisible point far off in the distance, as if he could draw his destination closer by sheer force of will. He had a knife in his hands - a poor substitute for the Rod, he probably felt, but Isis suspected that it was far less dangerous. He juggled it from hand to hand, occasionally stroking the blade, and muttering quietly about vengeance.
Isis was keeping as far away from him as possible, which wasn't easy on such a small vessel. She would feel so much more relaxed if Rishid were nearby, but he was inside, manning the controls. He could usually keep Malik from doing anything too destructive. Looking now at the knife Malik was holding as the moonlight glittered off its blade, she felt a momentary spasm of unease. It took a lot to make her even mildly nervous, but Malik had a way of making her worry. She might have been able to catch glimpses of events that would happen to him today, or tomorrow, or a week from now, but his ultimate destiny remained clouded for her no matter how much she strained to see it. In that respect, she worried as much as any normal person would worry about the future. There were times when she was afraid for him, and also, there were times when...
I should not be afraid of my brother, no matter what has happened to him, she told herself. I should not, but the truth is that I think he would hurt me if he knew what I have done. If I were in his place, I might feel the same way.
The fact was, what she had done bothered her slightly, even now. She knew, or thought she knew, how all of this was going to turn out, but actually handing over the Millennium Items to someone who was not a Tombkeeper felt like a betrayal. With nothing else to do but stare out at the endless and unchanging ocean, she found herself looking back on the incident, wondering if there was anything she could have, or should have, done differently.
Isis had been safely secured in her office, sifting through a few papers that needed to be filed. Most of her work was done for the day, and she was looking forward to nothing more than getting these last few loose ends tied up, so she could go home and pursue some of her other interests. She leaned back in her chair a moment, resting her eyes, and a vision came unbidden to her.
...Her brother stormed into the tiny closet of a room, his expression a mask of frustration and fury.
"I'm sick of this!" he snarled. "I can't find him anywhere! I've searched the length and breadth of this city, and he's not anywhere. Is the great and mighty Pharaoh hiding from the likes of me?" His voice dripped sarcasm.
Rishid stepped through the door after him. "Calm yourself. I understand your frustration, but there's no need for this."
"Don't tell me to be calm! I'm fed up," Malik snapped. He brandished the Rod. "What's the use of this thing if I can't find the one I want to use it on? It would be more valuable if it was melted down! If someone asked me for it this instant, I'd give it to them and be glad of it!"
In a furious gesture, he flung the artifact across the room. It hit the wall and clattered to the floor.
"Argh! I don't know what to do next," said Malik, his shoulders slumping in defeat.
"Perhaps you should rest," Rishid told him. "You haven't slept in days... and when was your last meal?"
"I can't remember..." It seemed Malik had used up his burst of energy. "Perhaps you're right. Maybe I will think more clearly if I rest a bit..."
In gradual stages, Rishid was able to lead his adopted brother away. The Rod lay where it had fallen, gleaming softly...
Isis shook herself, pulling away from the waking dream. She seldom looked into the future of her own initiative, but from time to time, she felt the Necklace itself chose to show her things. Judging by the view she had caught through the room's tiny window, she could guess that the scene she had just witnessed had either just happened, or was going to happen very shortly. Either way, the vision was more than a little intriguing.
At least I know he's safe, she thought. It had been a few days since her last encounter with her brother, and she worried about what kind of mischief he was getting into in his quest to find the Nameless Pharaoh. Now she knew roughly where Malik was, and also what he had been doing. It was a relief to see he hadn't managed to do anything especially damaging... yet. This is interesting, though. He hardly ever lets the Rod out of his grasp, much less out of his sight...
She was interrupted by a knock on her door.
"Come in, Mr. Crawford," she said.
Pegasus stepped into the room, his one good eye narrowed thoughtfully - as well it might. Not only was her back to the door, but there was no window in it.
"So it's true," he said. "I had understood you to be... shall we say, a woman of vision."
"Something similar might be said of you, as well," she answered.
She turned, and the two held each other's gaze for a moment. His golden eye glittered faintly in a way that had nothing to do with reflected light, and Isis felt the necklace she wore react to its presence... No, it was more than that - he was trying to read her mind, and her own Item was trying to protect her from his intrusive gaze. As its powers were triggered, her mind was opened, and a flash of the future came unbidden. Images reeled across her mind's eye: she saw two pale-haired figures standing on a moonlit wall; then, a glimpse of a woman weeping while a blue-eyed, white-robed man watched dispassionately; then there were waves lapping against a set of jagged rocks, to which a scrap of fabric clung, darkened by blood. All this and more went by in the space of an instant, and she smiled slightly, like the self-satisfied look of someone who has just guessed how a book is going to end.
"You are the one, then," said Pegasus, sounding rather pleased, himself. "I had a feeling you would be. You have one of the Millennium Items."
"Yes," she admitted. "The Millennium Necklace is mine. It allows me to see many things in the past, the present, and sometimes the future. Just now, I saw part of yours."
His smug expression flickered faintly. "You did?"
"Yes," she said. "It was quite a momentous future."
"Then... can you tell me...?"
"Ordinarily, I would not," she replied, "but this once, I will make an exception. I have seen a future where the seven Millennium Items will be in your possession."
An expression of shock crossed his face, followed quickly by one of wild, insane hope - and desire. This was replaced by a look of creeping skepticism.
"How do I know you're not just saying that because you think it's what I want to hear?" he asked.
"Because it would serve no useful purpose," said Isis. "It is not my way to fight destiny. If you are indeed destined to collect the seven Items, then I will not try to stop you. In fact..." She reached up and removed her necklace. "I will give this to you, as a gesture of good faith."
Pegasus hesitated a fraction of a second, and then snatched up the proffered Item, holding it triumphantly in the air. The Eye gleamed faintly, and the eye on the Necklace flashed briefly in response. Then he made his newly acquired Item vanish into a pocket with a speed that was almost magical.
"I always knew you were an intelligent woman," he said. "It's been lovely chatting with you. We really must get together and talk more informally someday, but for now..."
"For now, I'm sure you have other things you wish to take care of," she finished.
"Precisely. Thank you ever so much, but I must run. Ta-ta."
He began to leave. Isis hesitated a moment, weighing her options. Just as he was leaving the room, she made up her mind.
"Wait! There is something else I want to tell you," she said.
"Make it good," he replied.
"The Millennium Rod is also in this city," she said. "You should take it while you can. It is lying unguarded in a room not far from here." She took out a piece of paper and drew out directions. "It may not stay there long, so I would hurry, if I were you."
"You are being most amazingly helpful." He looked at her narrowly again, as if suspecting her of being entirely too helpful. "Perhaps I should be giving you something in return."
"The only thing I truly want is beyond your abilities," she answered carefully. "You will reward me someday. I have foreseen it. Until then, I will await the correct time."
"Ah," he said. It was hard to tell if he was convinced or not. Isis concentrated on keeping her mind blank. She was worried that he might be suspicious enough to start picking through her mind to see what secrets she was harboring, but he seemed convinced by her confident demeanor - or else he felt secure enough in his own intelligence and power not to care. "Then this is where I leave. Goodbye."
He swept out of the room. Isis watched him go with a faint sigh. Her life was quite difficult enough without people like him getting mixed up in it. Still, forewarned was forearmed, and it took a lot to catch Isis unprepared. She was ready for this... she just wasn't going to enjoy it very much.
Without her necklace, she couldn't see plainly how the rest of her day was going to fall out, but she was clever enough to guess anyway. She was back at her apartment, wrapping up a few small matters and throwing out everything perishable in the fridge, when she heard an impatient pounding at her door. It was less the kind of sound that meant someone wanted to let her know he was there, and more the kind of sound that made her think someone was doing his utmost to batter her door down.
"It's unlocked," she called.
The pounding stopped, and instead, there was a single slam as the door was flung open. Malik burst into the room, wild eyed.
"It's gone!" he shouted. "The Millennium Rod is gone!"
"If it upsets you so much, you should not have been so careless with it," she replied calmly. "You can't leave something of that nature unattended and not expect someone to take advantage of it. Besides, you did say you wanted someone to take it from you. You should have known that's as good as giving permission. If you had been a bit more respectful and more careful of your speech, no one could have laid a hand on it."
"I didn't come to you for a lecture," Malik snapped. "I came because I knew you could help me find it. I don't care if you're on my side or not - you know you can't let someone just walk off with an object of power like that. And if you know how it was stolen, then you also know who stole it, don't you?"
"I do," said Isis. "It was the same person who took my Necklace."
That was enough to shock Malik out of his rage for a few seconds.
"Someone took it, too?" he said incredulously. "How could you let that happen?"
"I gave it to him."
"You ... you gave... Have you lost your mind?"
"No. I had my reasons. Everything will end well... for us, anyway," she added thoughtfully.
"That's fine for you to say! What am I supposed to do now?"
"If I were you," she said, "I would start making travel arrangements. I am. We'll be leaving soon to reclaim our Items, and I want to leave my affairs in order."
Malik gave her a confounded look. "And where exactly are we going?"
"To a place that does not, as of yet, properly exist," she replied, "but when we get there, it will be called Duelist Kingdom..."
That had been months ago. It had taken time to set all her affairs in order, for them to find a way to get out of Egypt without drawing attention to themselves. It was a bit difficult to come up with passports for people like Malik and Rishid who had been raised in shadows, and according to the government didn't even properly exist. Neither of them had so much as a birth certificate. It had taken all of Malik's wiles and Isis's diplomatic skills to get them this far. Now they were very near the end of their journey, and Isis was looking forward to it with equal parts anticipation and regret. She had an obligation to see that the Items were kept in safe hands, and she knew they wouldn't be safe with Pegasus for very long. On the other hand, for this short amount of time, she and Malik had been a sort of team. She would miss that when this was all over, and he didn't need her any longer.
This has been fated. I cannot change it. There is no point in worrying about anything I cannot change. I will simply do what I must do, and then I will leave. She sighed. I don't think anyone is going to enjoy this very much.
She was drawn out of her musings by the sound of a door opening. Rishid had stepped away from the controls for a moment, and had come out to join them.
"Shouldn't you be steering?" Malik asked him.
Rishid shook his head solemnly. "Not for the moment. We're holding a steady course. We should reach land within the next hour or so, at this rate."
"Good!" said Malik. He fingered his knife significantly. "I can't wait to meet this Pegasus."
"You aren't the only one," Isis murmured. She expected it would never occur to Malik that she wasn't talking about herself.
Crocketts was not in the best of moods. He was, in fact, quite worried about his master, which was a fairly common occurrence, since Pegasus tended to be erratic at the best of times, but that didn't make him enjoy the experience any more. First he had disappeared into his rooms for a couple of hours with no explanation, then he reappeared demanding all kinds of crazy things and insisting on throwing a party. Once the party was thrown, he had been strangely reluctant to attend it, and now appeared to have escaped it and wandered off on his own again. It made no sense, and normally even Pegasus wasn't quite that irrational.
I hope he's not getting sick, Crocketts thought, a little desperately. That was the last thing he needed. Pegasus had never liked doctors even when he was a child, and ever since Cyndia had passed away, he had hated them with a passion. They had not been able to save her, and it seemed he blamed them for their perceived failure, and never quite trusted them not to do the same thing to him as they had to her. After she had died, he had worked himself into such a state that his parents had tried to have a doctor come and look after him a while to make sure he didn't harm himself, but Pegasus had screamed at the doctor and after that there were no more doctors. It was at that point when Crocketts had started guarding him full time. Pegasus trusted Crocketts, and Crocketts had done his best to nudge him back to some semblance of conventional sanity. Even now, he was the only one who had much influence over what the man did, and it naturally fell to him to bully him into making his yearly checkups. As for getting him to seek medical attention at any other time... well, it was just lucky that Pegasus rarely ever got sick.
Having failed to find Pegasus anywhere at the party, Crocketts had taken to searching the rest of the castle, and thus far, he was not having much success. No one had seen him. Of course they hadn't - nearly all of the castle staff was busy trying to keep the party under control, leaving only a skeleton crew to watch over the rest of the island. It was lucky the report had made it to Crocketts at all, and now that he had it, he would be even luckier if he could get the message to Pegasus and get some kind of coherent order about what to do about it now that he had it. After some unfruitful searching and a moment of consideration, he decided to check Pegasus's bedroom. If he really wasn't feeling well, that was where he would be, and where he would stay for the next few days, until he felt well enough to do anything other than hide in bed with the blankets pulled up over his head.
With that idea in mind, he made his way to Pegasus's rooms and prepared to knock on the door. He stopped in mid-motion as a sound caught his attention. He lowered his hand. Judging by what he was hearing, Pegasus was in there. He was also not alone.
Many years ago, when Pegasus and Cyndia were exiting the puppy-love stage of their lives and entering the stage where their parents had begun to grow concerned about their children spending great amounts of time unsupervised, the parents had decided that the young lovers needed a chaperone to keep them out of mischief. Crocketts had been the obvious man for the job. He was sent to keep an unobtrusive eye on the twosome when they went out on their little jaunts. He would usually follow them to whatever their destination happened to be, and then Pegasus would part with a portion of his allowance, and Crocketts would take the money and go into town and have a cup of coffee and a sandwich and leave his young charges to look after themselves. He had always thought that the young master was quite clever enough not to do something that would get him in trouble, and he had always been right. However, Crocketts' timing had not always been perfect, and sometimes he came back before they were through with whatever they were doing. It had happened often enough that he knew exactly what the sound he was hearing meant.
"Well, I'll be damned," he murmured. "The old devil finally pulled it off."
That put a new complexion on things. After all, it was one thing to be told that Pegasus was planning on bringing the dead back to life, and another to find out he had actually done it. Crocketts took a moment to absorb the facts. They seemed to be that Pegasus was in perfect health and had known what he was doing all along, which was a relief. However, it also seemed true that he was not going to be taking any messages for a while, and would in fact not notice or care if a whole fleet of flying saucers full of detergent people from planet Hooplah touched down on the castle roof.
"It seems I'm going to have to take over as second-in-command," Crocketts decided. Pegasus was in no shape to make decisions right now, anyway. Maybe tomorrow morning. Then again, maybe not.
"Why am I the only one on this island who knows how to take responsibility for anything?" Crocketts complained. With a sigh, he marched off to deal with his master's business.
Under ordinary circumstances, Seto Kaiba was a good decision maker. His instincts were finely honed by years of training, and he could usually choose the best course of action for any situation with a minimum of thought, quite often while under a good deal of pressure as well. Usually. Seto grumbled to himself as he stalked through the halls of Pegasus's castle.
What is wrong with me? I should have challenged him! I had the perfect opportunity, and I did nothing!
He shook his head, infuriated by his own folly. His whole purpose for coming to this island, the only thing he'd been working toward this whole time, was to have a shot at defeating Yugi. No, not just to have a shot, but to actually do it, preferably in front of an audience. Well, he'd had his chance. When he had seen Yugi at that party, he had fully meant to go up, challenge him, and not back down until he'd had his duel and won it. It should have been easy. Pegasus had promised him that his announcing the end of the dueling would be the signal that Yugi had been stripped of whatever it was that allowed him to pull off those miraculous victories...
Yeah, right, like I really trust Pegasus.
That much was true - he had learned a bit about the man from this little jaunt, and the primary thing he had learned was that Pegasus was not a man to be trusted. Kaiba thought briefly of what he'd seen at the party, with the mysterious woman who looked so much like the dead Cyndia. Something strange was definitely happening on this island, and Kaiba didn't like things that he did not understand. He had the nasty feeling he'd been used for some purpose beyond his understanding, and if there was anything he liked less than not understanding something, it was being used without his knowing about it. Or even with his knowing about it.
Still, that had nothing to do with his strange reluctance to duel with Yugi. He didn't need assurance from anyone to tell him that if he and Yugi had dueled right then, Kaiba would have been the winner hands-down. He could see it written on the boy's face... and that, he realized with sudden certainty, was exactly what he didn't like. There was something in Yugi's expression and posture that said that he had not just been brought down, but thoroughly beaten, robbed of his fighting spirit. He would be no more challenge now than any of the other ordinary duelists Kaiba had picked off on this island. Probably less. At least some of those had fought with whatever pride they possessed. Yugi looked as if he had already given up.
I don't know what you did to him, Pegasus, but you've as good as killed him.
For a moment, Kaiba felt almost remorseful. Then he felt angry. Yugi was meant to be his one great rival, the one he would prove himself against. If Kaiba couldn't duel Yugi, he could never again claim he was the greatest duelist alive. Somehow, when Yugi had defeated Kaiba that first time, the two of them had formed a bond. If something happened to Yugi now, a piece of Kaiba would be destroyed along with him, and he would lose any chance he had to regain his pride.
You've taken him away from me, Pegasus. You've robbed me of my victory. I don't know what you've done to him, but somehow, I am going to make you pay for it.
Someone else arrived on the island. He did not come by boat, or by plane, or by any of the usual methods. He had his own ways of moving from place to place.
Ever since he had lost his Items, Shadi had been waiting, watching, and biding his time. He'd had his doubts about the strange foreigner who had claimed the Millennium Eye, and had secretly suspected that he was only being used as a vessel to carry it to whoever its rightful owner ought to be. He had certainly not believed that Pegasus was capable of claiming any other Items besides that one.
That was my great mistake, he decided. If I had not underestimated him, perhaps this would not have happened...
He had begun that day without any inkling that something terrible was going to happen. He had been going through his daily routine, faithfully keeping the ancient rituals, as he had all of his life. He threw a handful of incense into a burner and watched as the smoke rose up, filling the air with scent. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, centering himself. For a few moments, he could relax and open his mind without anyone bothering him...
"Hellooooo!"
Shadi opened his eyes and glared. Nobody ought to be allowed to sound that silly while he was trying to be serious. He looked up and saw someone standing at the top of the steps, grinning jauntily at him. Ignoring the glare he was getting, the newcomer sauntered down the steps as if he thought he were on television; he appeared to be on the verge of waving to a camera. He waved to Shadi instead.
"I'm back!" Pegasus caroled. "Did you miss me?"
"What are you doing here?" asked Shadi.
"Oh, come now," said Pegasus, "I thought your memory was longer than that. Didn't I promise I'd come back someday? I keep my promises, you know. I'm here to finish what I started the day we met."
"And what promise would that be?" Shadi asked.
Pegasus's foolish expression twisted into something more sinister. "The promise to challenge you to a Shadow Game and take your Millennium Items."
Shadi simply stared at him a moment. He was beginning to feel more than a little annoyed, and not just at the interruption in his daily routine.
The arrogance of this man! He thinks he can defeat me in a Shadow Game? He has barely held his Item for five years. He could not possibly have learned all of its secrets in such a short amount of time...
Pegasus reached the bottom of the stairs and stood before Shadi. The two of them faced each other, cold blue eyes facing one brown and one gold.
"You truly believe you can defeat me?" asked Shadi. "I am of the bloodline that has guarded these Items and their secrets for centuries. I will not be easy to overcome."
"You might find me more challenging than you think," Pegasus replied. "Be that as it may, I want my game."
I am beginning to get annoyed with this man, Shadi thought. Very well - he shall have it his way! We will have a Shadow Game, and I will finish him off in one stroke!
"If that is what you want," said Shadi. "As the challenged party, I reserve the right to choose the manner of game we play."
"Fair enough," Pegasus answered unconcernedly. Shadi gritted his teeth.
"Then we shall play this game mind to mind," he said. "You shall test the power of your mind and spirit, and of your Millennium Item, against me and my own powers. If you win, you may take the Key and Scales from me. If you lose, you will abandon this insane scheme of yours and never return to this place again."
"Agreed," said Pegasus.
"Then let us begin."
Energy crackled between the two men as their Items activated, filling the air with electric tension as their wills clashed. Shadi was surprised at the amount of resistance he was meeting. Despite his irritation with this conceited man, he did not really plan on killing him, only stunning him enough that he would be forced to back down. He was not yet using his full strength, but still, he had expected this level of assault would be enough to take Pegasus down easily. Yet, there he stood, sweat beading his pale skin, but still meeting the barrage with an equal level of resistance. Time was ticking by, and Shadi was starting to sweat a little, himself. He had expected to be done with this by now!
"I am impressed," he admitted. "I did not believe you would hold out for so long. You have earned my grudging respect. However, I am through being gentle with you. Now you will feel the full power of both my Items!"
Pegasus did something then that Shadi completely did not expect: he smiled.
"Funny you should bring that up," he said. "You see, I don't have just one Millennium Item anymore. I have three!"
He opened his jacket, showing the Necklace and Rod gleaming at his side. Shadi stared.
What? Impossible! How did...?
The next thing he felt was a wave of force hitting him, much worse than a physical blow, because it struck to his very soul. In that moment of distraction, he had let his guard down, and now Pegasus was bearing down on him with the magic of all three Items, plus his own fanatical energy. Too late did Shadi realize what he was dealing with: not just a man, or even a man who carried a mystical treasure, but a man who was ruled by an insane, burning obsession that pushed him beyond the limits of what a normal human should have been capable of. He had time to think of all this in the instant he was thrown off his feet and against the wall.
"Well, would you look at that!" said Pegasus. He was panting a little, flushed with victory. "I seem to have won, after all! What a simply astounding development. Who would have guessed?"
Shadi made a low sound of anger and began trying to regain his footing, momentarily letting fury overcome his good sense.
"Ah, ah, don't bother to get up," said Pegasus. "You look tired; you should rest a bit. Here - allow me to relieve you of some of your burdens."
He stooped to retrieve the Scales from where Shadi had dropped them when he fell. The he reached out and took the Key that hung from a cord around Shadi's neck. Shadi reached up in an effort to stop him that ended almost as soon as it began. It was no use - he had wagered his Items and lost the battle, and that, he knew better than anyone, was that. They were no longer his.
"You have no idea how grateful I am for these," said Pegasus. "Really, I am truly sorry I had to do this to you... oh, wait, I forgot, you're the one who said I was a fool for even trying. My mistake. But you really have been immensely useful to me. I will have to send you a very nice gift basket when I get home. ...Well, it's been just lovely playing with you, but I have work to do. Perhaps now you can spend a little more time getting out and learning how the real world lives. So long!"
He turned and sauntered off. Shadi watched him go, and watched the Items he had guarded all his life go away with him, and he was angrier than he had been in a long, long time...
That anger had stayed with him, but he had reined it in. He knew his duty and stuck by it, however painful, and if fate decreed that this outsider was to hold those Millennium Items for a time, who was he to say no? Surely he would fail in the end, and the Items would go on to a worthier holder. He had swallowed his pride and stayed silent, moving on with his daily life as best he could. Then had come the moment when he'd felt a stirring in the aether which could only mean one thing: someone had brought together all seven of the Millennium Items. When he had realized this, and pinpointed the source of the disturbance, he had been deeply shocked - and then angered. The seven Items were for the Pharaoh alone to claim, and anyone else could only be a thief and a usurper. Shadi had trusted in fate, and fate had failed him. Now he was going to take matters into his own hands, and he would punish the man who had made him look like a fool.
Pegasus was normally an early riser. This was not because there was anything in his nature that made him feel particularly strongly about rising with the sun and going to work, but simply because of his innate love of annoying people. No matter how much trouble it was to get up with the birds, he was always rewarded by the reactions he got from being bright and chipper while everyone else around him was still yawning and grumbling into their second cups of coffee.
This morning, Pegasus slept in.
Actually, he wasn't quite asleep right now, but he wasn't quite awake yet, either. For the moment, he was just awake enough to be conscious of the fact that for once, he had not awakened alone. She was with him, nestled against his side, with her head pillowed on his shoulder. He wanted to think of nothing but how pleasant it was to be lying there next to her, to feel her warmth, her soft hair spilling across his chest, the caress of her breathing against his skin. For the first time in years, he felt completely relaxed and happy. He had no intention of getting up, and was also not entirely convinced he could. After all, it had been a busy night, and he was a few years out of practice. Yes, for now, it was very nice just to lie here and think of nothing in particular...
Eventually, he decided it would be much nicer if people would quit beating on his door.
"Sir?" called Crocketts from the hallway. "Sir, are you awake yet? Are you even in there?"
"No," said Pegasus. "Go away."
"Sir, it's past ten o'clock. People are starting to wonder about you."
"Can't I lie in just one day? I didn't sleep well last night." Actually, that was a lie. He'd slept better than he had in years - just not long enough.
"I understand, but the fact remains that there are people who are expecting you to put in an appearance today." There was a pause, and then Crocketts said in an undertone, "If you like, sir, I believe I can arrange for breakfast for two to be delivered here without stirring any suspicions."
Pegasus came awake in an instant as the significance of that remark sank in.
He knows! he thought. And then, I never could keep anything from him. He sighed. He had meant to tell Crocketts sooner or later, but was it too much to ask that he keep Cyndia to himself for just a little while?
"Just a minute; I'm getting up."
He climbed carefully out of bed, partly because he still didn't really feel like moving, and partly to avoid disturbing Cyndia. She stirred a little without opening her eyes.
"Don't get up; I'll be right back," he told her.
He found his robe and pulled it on, and then went to answer the door.
"All right," he said quietly. "Congratulations. You found out my secret. If I find out you've been telling anyone about it..."
"I haven't said a word," Crocketts replied. "However, I feel I should advise you that if you don't want to arouse suspicions, breaking your routine is not the best way to go about it. And the fact remains that you cannot hide her in your room forever."
"I don't intend to," Pegasus replied. "There isn't anyone on this island besides you and me who remembers who she is, so it doesn't matter if anyone here sees her. You may talk to her, if you wish," he added magnanimously. He supposed it didn't matter, since Crocketts had already figured out she was there, and it might make her feel more at home to have another familiar face around. He wanted for her to feel as comfortable here as possible. "Just don't say anything that might upset her. She doesn't remember anything has happened to her. She thinks she's been sick, and I want to keep it that way."
There was a brief pause. "As you wish, sir. And when you have a moment to spare, I have something to report."
Pegasus waved a dismissive hand. "It can wait until I'm dressed. And fed. You did say something about breakfast, didn't you?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, see to it! It's getting late, you know. Have something delivered for Cyndia. I'll come get something for myself in a minute."
"Yes, sir, as you wish."
Crocketts left, and Pegasus closed the door and went back to stand next to the still-dozing Cyndia. He hated to do it, but there was nothing else he could do. He ran a hand through her hair and quietly called her name.
"Is it morning?" she murmured.
"It's coming up on afternoon, actually," he replied. "It's all right, you can stay where you are. I just didn't want you to wake up and find me gone. I'm going to go take care of a few business things, but I should have everything finished today. After that, we'll have all the time we need."
"I know, I know, we've been over it," she said with a tolerant smile. "You go do whatever it is you need to do. I won't mind. Just hurry back, all right?"
"If you want to find me, for any reason, just ask someone. Anyone here ought to be able to find me for you. Likewise, if you need anything at all, talk to me or Crocketts, and you'll have it before the day is over."
She laughed. "I really can take care of myself for a few hours, Pegasus!"
"I know, but I like taking care of you."
"Yes, yes, I know," said Cyndia. She yawned. "If you don't mind, I think I may nap for a little while longer."
"Of course. I'll catch up to you as soon as I can."
He left her to her sleep, wishing wholeheartedly that he could do the same... but that was for later. Crocketts was right; he needed to take care of everything now, so he wouldn't have it hanging over his head when he had so many other things he wanted to do. His future stretched ahead of him, bright and full of possibilities. He intended to enjoy every minute of it.
It was impossible for anyone to spend a great deal of time around Pegasus without having some kind of emotional reaction to him. It was not surprising that a good many people found themselves disliking him intensely, particularly in these recent days when one of his greatest joys in life was to annoy people just because he could get away with it. There were a fair few who knew him only by his reputation as one of the greatest gamers on earth, and who idolized him for his talent and were charmed by his flamboyant manner, but it was possible they would have become disillusioned with him if they had actually had the chance to get to know him. There was really only one person who had known him all his life, both before and after Cyndia had died, and had stood by him through all the tumult that had caused. Despite all he knew about him, Crocketts couldn't help but feel a little attached to Pegasus anyway.
Crocketts had known Pegasus for about half his own life and nearly all of Pegasus's. He had first come to serve the Crawford family when he was still a young man, fresh out of college and looking for work. Being a security guard for a wealthy Las Vegas businessman sounded interesting, and anyway the pay was better than what you got from waiting tables or bagging groceries, and there was free room and board involved. However, his youth and inexperience had proven troublesome, and the job he was eventually given was to eternally stand watch over a seldom-used side door that led out into the gardens. Any joy he might have had at being paid reasonably well to simply stand around all day and look menacing was quickly squashed by the fact that doing nothing all day was mind-bogglingly boring.
It was a tremendous relief when young Pegasus's parents had deemed him old enough to toddle about on his own, and had turned him loose in the safety of the gardens to amuse himself. No one else ever went out there but a few anti-social gardeners who cared more for the health of their flowers and vegetables than for human beings. Pegasus was the only interesting thing out there, and so it was unavoidable that Crocketts should begin to take an interest in him. He kept a watchful eye as the boy wandered about getting into things, often things he wasn't supposed to get into. Even at that age, he showed a remarkable intelligence and a propensity for mischief. He tied the gardener's watering hoses in knots, reset the timers for the sprinklers, and rearranged the stakes for the vegetables. As he grew older, his pranks grew more complicated and subtle. Very few people ever realized that these little aggravations that could have been nothing more than accidents and could be traced to nobody were the fault of a pale-haired child giggling behind the rosebushes.
At first, Pegasus had naturally not trusted this silent, austere adult, and had tried to hide what he was doing from him. Then he had worked out that Crocketts was going to see whatever he did anyway. However, when it became obvious that not only was Crocketts aware of all his pranks, but he was purposefully keeping silent about them, he opened up to him. The two of them were allies in the war against stuffiness and boredom, and they looked out for each other. Crocketts had decided for himself that his place in this picture was not so much to keep Pegasus from causing trouble as to prevent him from getting into trouble - to keep him from doing anything so egregious that his parents would have no choice but to punish him. He was to be protected, not controlled. Not that it was a particularly difficult job. Pegasus had been spoiled from the cradle, and as he was intelligent, charming, and his father's only son, he could get away with a great deal.
Naturally, the Crawfords had noticed that there was an inexplicable but obvious camaraderie between their son and their security guard. They had chalked it up to Crocketts being the youngest, and therefore most approachable, of the guards, and when Pegasus was old enough for schooling, it had fallen to Crocketts to keep watch over him there, as well. It had been he who had defended him against the slings and arrows of outrageous grade-schoolers who were endlessly amused by a boy named Pegasus. He was the one who had endured endless monologues about the wonder that was lady Cyndia, and had accepted small bribes so that the young lovebirds could have some precious time alone, and who had patiently guarded Pegasus after Cyndia's death to ensure he didn't harm himself. It was only natural that when Samson Crawford's taste for the high life had finally done him in and Pegasus had inherited the family fortune, Crocketts should enjoy a swift promotion. He had always felt that his efforts to look after Pegasus had been worthwhile, and while he was not an affectionate man by nature, he did harbor an avuncular attachment for him.
That didn't necessarily make it easy to work for him.
Morning routine dictated that at this time of day, Crocketts was supposed to deliver a report to Pegasus, concerning updates on various projects and any incidents that might have happened the night before. The schedule was a bit off today, owing to Pegasus sleeping in, but Crocketts wasn't about to let that stop him when he actually had something important to report. Pegasus, on the other hand, seemed primarily interested in staring off into space. True, he nodded and made encouraging noises at appropriate intervals, but the fact that he was continuing to smile dreamily as Crocketts described an incident involving trespassers on the island gave him an inkling that it was just barely possible that he might not be paying strict attention. Crocketts forged on doggedly.
"...and we attempted to apprehend them, but they disappeared into the forest, and we lost their trail. Then a Blue-Eyes White Dragon stepped out from behind a tree and asked to borrow a cup of sugar, and we gave it directions to the nearest convenience store."
"Mm-hm."
"You haven't listened to a word I said, have you?"
Pegasus seemed to wake up a bit. "Hm? I'm sorry, you'll have to repeat that last bit. I wasn't listening."
Crocketts sighed. "Sir, with all due respect... what you have accomplished here is nothing short of a miracle, and I am really quite impressed, but I don't think now is the time to be getting complacent."
"Nonsense. Now is exactly the time to be getting complacent," Pegasus replied. "Don't you understand? It's over. I've won. Anyone who might have possibly stood up to me has already been defeated. What else have I got to worry about?"
"Has it crossed your mind at all that some of these people you've been dealing with might possibly not been feeling too kindly towards you right now?"
"Do you really think anyone is going to come for revenge against me?" asked Pegasus. "Don't be absurd! Even if someone were foolish enough to try, how far do you think they are going to get? There is no one on earth who is a match for my brilliance, wealth, or power. You forget that I have the power of the Millennium Items behind me, now. No one else can stand against that."
"Not if you pay attention," said Crocketts. "If you allow yourself to grow careless and drop your guard, there is still a chance that you could make a grave error. That is why I am telling you to be careful."
"I refuse to let myself be bogged down by such remote possibilities," said Pegasus, waving a hand dismissively. "I do not have to worry. That is what I pay people like you for. That is what I have been doing, and nothing has happened so far, has it?"
"Except for the fact that a ship docked on the island last night, and three strangers disembarked and fled into the woods."
"...Oh," said Pegasus. He took a moment to absorb the fact. "What kind of strangers were these?"
"I didn't get a good look at them myself. My men report they all had dark skin and spoke a language they didn't understand. There was a female and two males, all of them aged between their late teens and early twenties. We attempted to apprehend them, but they eluded us. They managed to arrive while most of the security staff was busy with the party. An unfortunate coincidence, that. If I didn't know better, I'd say they planned it ahead of time, but as they had no way of knowing you would throw a party that night..."
"Oh, I don't think they'd let that stop them," said Pegasus darkly.
"You know who they are?" asked Crocketts.
"I think I recognize the style," Pegasus replied. "So nice of you to wait and tell me all this now that they've had all the time they need to find themselves a nice place to hide. Why didn't you say something about all this when it was a little more relevant?"
Crocketts gave him a pointed look over the rims of his sunglasses. "I made an attempt, but it seemed to me you were otherwise occupied and would not appreciate being disturbed."
"Ah. Yes. I suppose so," said Pegasus. "Still, security is your job so it's still your fault."
Crocketts realized there was no way out of this argument. He bowed his head.
"Yes, sir. A thousand apologies."
"One of these days, I am going to make you write out those thousand apologies of yours. And have them signed and notarized, while you're at it," said Pegasus. "In the meantime, do your job. Have the island searched; they can't have gone too far. There isn't far to go! As long as they don't get into the castle, they can't cause any problems. In a few more days, it won't matter anyway."
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't it obvious? I should have thought you would realize it," said Pegasus. "I'm leaving."
"Leaving, sir?"
"Yes, of course! Taking a vacation. Probably quite a long one, and there is a distinct possibility that I may decide never to come back."
Crocketts felt something he normally didn't feel - namely, surprise.
"You can't be serious."
"Oh, come now. I know I don't do it very often, but I would think you of all people should know I can be serious when I want to. There was that time back in '92, remember?"
"This is no laughing matter! Are you honestly saying you plan to just turn around and walk away from everything?"
"I don't know what you mean by that," said Pegasus. "Of course I'm not going to walk away from everything. I'm taking her with me."
"That isn't what I meant and you know it. I'm talking about your responsibilities."
"My first priority is Cyndia. Everything I have done, I have done for her sake. Now that I have her again, I don't need anything else," said Pegasus. "I thought you understood that, Crocketts. The company, the games, the research - it was all the means to an end. You do not simply keep retracing your steps once you have accomplished a goal. I am finished, and I intend to enjoy the rewards of my hard labor."
Crocketts bristled slightly. "Sir, I hate to tell you this, but you aren't a teenager anymore. You don't have your parents to look out for you anymore and catch you if you fall. You have a worldwide reputation, and a company that's practically an empire to run. If you turn around and walk away, your actions will have results. Who is going to run the company after you're gone? Do you understand what will happen if it folds? Are you even concerned at all by the people who will lose their livelihood because of your carelessness?"
"Their problems are not my concern. I didn't do any of this for them."
"I realize that. What I am saying is that your actions are going to have repercussions. You are not above this. You may be able to get away with a few eccentricities, but there are lines you can't cross without putting yourself at risk. If you close the company doors, it won't be just a handful of people to silence, it will be hundreds - or thousands. You say there is no one who can stand against you, but it won't be just one. It will be all your employees. It will be your investors. It will be the tens and thousands of people who play your game. Do you think you're a match for everyone all at once?" Crocketts took a deep breath. "Pegasus, I have guarded you your entire life. When have I ever misguided you?"
"I can't honestly say you have, but..."
"No buts. Listen to me now. My priority is to protect you, and I will do it to the limit of my ability, but I can't protect you from everything. You are going to have to take some responsibility for yourself - and for Cyndia. I don't want to see anything happen to you, or to her, either."
A wild light crept into Pegasus's eyes. "Nothing will happen to her! Nothing! There is nothing I cannot protect her from, not even death itself!"
"As you will, then," said Crocketts. "I have nothing more to report. Good day, sir."
He stood up and walked out of the room. Pegasus did not look particularly sorry to see him go.
I suppose I should have known it would come to this, Crocketts thought. It had to happen, sooner or later, if you gave a man everything he ever wanted - sooner or later he would demand the moon and be unable to comprehend why he could not have it. And I suppose I am as much to blame as anyone.
Still, there was no point in thinking that way. Pegasus would do what he wanted to do, and Crocketts had chosen to go along with him. He had known all along that some of the things Pegasus had asked him to do were wrong, and he had done them anyway.
Maybe that's why we are drawn to each other. We're much alike, that way. Whatever we do doesn't matter, as long as the one we want to protect is protected...
HR>
After he had finished talking to Crocketts, it took some time for Pegasus to recapture his earlier good mood. Who did Crocketts think he was, talking down to him as if he were a little boy who had forgotten to do his homework? It was not the servant's place to lecture his master! There were reasons why Pegasus was in charge here! Ah, well. He would put him in his place. And to think he had been thinking of giving him a raise!
Eventually, though, he turned his mind to more pleasant matters - namely, his plans for the future. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he came that going away would be a good idea. It would be easier for Cyndia to adjust to a world that had aged a bit while she had not if they went to a place where she could deal with things at her own pace. Aside from that, it would be easier for him to cope if they went to a place where no one had ever heard of him or her, and would ask no questions about where she had come from and why she looked so hauntingly familiar. They could go to Las Vegas for a while. He still had connections in Las Vegas, people his father had worked with, who could easily find someone who would marry him off without worrying too much about where he had found the bride. He had quite liked Las Vegas; poker wasn't nearly as much fun as Duel Monsters, but you got more money from it, and it was ridiculously easy when you always knew what everyone else had in their hand. Besides, you could get away with almost anything there.
And then, once they were married, they could just... leave. Go away on vacation and forget to come back. No matter what Crocketts said, there was no reason he needed to work anymore. When he was young, he had spent his father's money with the carelessness of one who knew someone else was looking after him. These days, he spent it with the abandon of one who knew no matter how much he spent, there was still enough to see him through the rest of his days, and probably have enough left over to build a nice museum with his name on it when he died. There was certainly enough to support him and his beloved even if his expensive tastes were figured in.
Thinking about this revived his spirits, and he hummed to himself as he strolled down the hallway. There was no one else around to hear him, so he sang a few bars, just because he felt like it. He had always been a bit vain about the sound of his voice.
"I'm getting married in the morning... Ding, dong, the bells are going to chime..."
"Very nice," said a voice. "Are you planning to try out for a musical next?"
Pegasus glanced around and found someone lurking in the shadows of an intersecting hallway.
"Oh, Kaiba-boy! How nice to see you," he said. "Where have you been hiding yourself? I expected you to turn up at my little party last night. Didn't you get the invitation?"
"I was there," said Kaiba dryly. "I didn't stay long, but then, neither did you."
"I didn't want to steal your spotlight. Didn't you challenge your friend Yugi-boy?"
"No," Kaiba replied. "He wasn't exactly in fighting form."
"Well, of course not! That was the whole point, wasn't it?" Pegasus replied.
"It was not the point! The point was to have a fair fight. I don't want to fight someone who isn't even capable of fighting back anymore. What did you do to him?"
"I have no idea what you're rambling on about," said Pegasus. "Really, Kaiba-boy, I think you need to make up your mind. I was under the impression that what you wanted was an overwhelming victory. Now that you have it within your grasp, you say you want competition. If you would just decide on something once and for all, I'd be happy to arrange it."
"Don't try to fast-talk your way out of this, Pegasus," Kaiba snapped. "You've done something to him. I thought you were just going to take some kind of an item from him, but you've done something else! One minute he's at the top of his game, and the next, he's moping around like a three-year-old who's dropped his ice cream cone! My little brother could put up more of a fight than he could, now, and Mokuba barely knows how to play Duel Monsters! You've done something to Yugi, and I want to know what it is."
Pegasus spread his hands wide in a gesture of innocent incomprehension. "My dear boy, I have done nothing but what I said I would do! I challenged him to a duel, beat him fairly, and took the item as ante. I believe that is what we agreed I would do. How was I to know he would take losing it so badly? Really, you ought to be thanking me for giving you such an easy victory!"
"You don't really understand anything, do you?" Kaiba said slowly. "I can't believe this... How could the man who invented the game not know what it's all about?"
"You haven't picked up that 'Heart of the Cards' nonsense Yugi-boy has been reciting, have you?"
"No. I don't believe in that. I believe in my own pride, and I believe in taking on strong opponents. There is nothing to be gained from challenging someone so weak that I could beat him with my eyes closed!"
Pegasus laughed. "I could beat anyone on this island with my eyes closed. We had a deal, Kaiba-boy. I've delivered what I promised. It isn't my fault you don't like it now that you've got it. This contest is over. Either go deliver your challenge while there are still people around to see you, or give up and go home."
"You're wrong, Pegasus," said a new voice.
Pegasus and Kaiba both looked around. Yugi had come up behind them while they were talking. He looked rather pale, and there were dark rings under his eyes, but the eyes themselves were bright and alert. His mouth was set in a grim line.
"So," said Kaiba quietly, "you have a little fight left in you, after all."
"I'm not here to deal with you, Kaiba," Yugi answered quietly. "It's him I want."
"Oh, this is getting entirely too amusing," said Pegasus. "Little Yugi wants to challenge me! Again! Wasn't the first time enough?"
Yugi shook his head. "I want a rematch."
Pegasus took a moment to size him up. He hadn't thought of this possibility, and he wasn't sure what to make of it now. Just what was going on in that boy's head? He bent his will toward having a look inside Yugi's mind, but encountered only a mild pain, as if he had gone from dim light to bright sunshine too quickly and strained his eyes. He knew that feeling. It had happened more than once, while he was learning to harness the Eye's power, and usually meant that he had overextended himself. Perhaps he had used up a bit too much magic when he'd brought Cyndia back? Such problems were usually cured by a meal and a bit of rest, to replenish his strength, but sleeping hadn't really been on his mind last night.
"Well, you're just going to go on wanting, aren't you? You have nothing else I want, Yugi-boy. I already have the Millennium Puzzle, and your cards are worth nothing to me. There's nothing in your deck that I couldn't print up a thousand more and have them here before dinnertime."
"I want to challenge you for ownership of the Millennium Puzzle," Yugi replied. "If I win, I take it back. If I lose..." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "If I lose, I give you my life."
Kaiba watched the exchange with an approving look in his eyes. A smile tinted with something that was almost avaricious crossed his face.
"Interesting..." he murmured.
Pegasus glanced from Yugi to Kaiba and back again.
"I don't really want your life," he said, "but I can think of someone who might. All right, assuming that there is even the remotest chance of you winning against me, I will agree to return your Puzzle. If I win, I will turn you over to Kaiba-boy here and let him decide your fate. Does that suit everyone?"
"I'll accept that," said Kaiba.
"I have one more condition," said Yugi. "I don't trust you. When we duel, I want the Puzzle where I can see it. Bring it with you."
"Fine, fine," Pegasus replied. "I'll have to go dig it up. It's been put in storage, you see. What say we meet again in an hour or so in the dueling arena? This is hardly an appropriate place for a battle, and I'm afraid I've forgotten my deck."
Yugi nodded. "One hour. Don't be late, and bring the Puzzle."
"Whatever you say. You certainly are a stubborn one, but if this is what will make everyone happy... well, I live to please! I'll see you in an hour."
He made a bow and an elaborate wave and wandered off down the hallway, presumably in search of his deck. Yugi and Kaiba remained where they were.
"And what brought that on?" Kaiba asked. "You weren't nearly this courageous last night."
"I know," said Yugi. "I still don't feel very courageous. I just know I have to try."
Kaiba smirked. "Well, have fun. I may even decide to come watch."
"Are you going to be cheering for me, or for him?"
"Neither," said Kaiba. "I just want to see you fight. If you win, then we'll have a rematch of our own. If he wins, then I'll challenge him. Beating someone who's beaten you twice is twice as good as beating you."
Yugi took a moment to digest that remark. Oddly enough, it seemed to make him feel calmer.
"Good," he said. "If I lose, you'll beat him for me."
"Not for you. Not for anyone but me," Kaiba corrected. "I'll see you at the arena."
"I'll see you too, Kaiba."
The two of them parted company, one walking off in one direction, one in another.
A few minutes later, a pale-haired, dark-skinned boy wandered by.
"Damn it, I thought you said he'd be here," said Malik.
His sister shrugged. "It appears my timing must be a bit off," she said serenely.
Malik snarled in frustration and stalked off again, followed by the rest of his little family. Then there was no one there at all.