"You sure you're alright?" Katsuya could not help but ask as he and Yugi reached the divergence point of their route.
"I'll be fine. It's just a meeting." Yugi's words were reassuring, but her slightly hesitant tone told him that she was more nervous than she was letting on.
"I can come with you."
"Jii-san needs you in the shop." Yugi shook her head. "We don't know if Namu…Marik is going to show. Besides, Kaiba won't hurt me, not anymore."
He could not deny she had a point. The CEO of Kaiba Corp was more interested in her title then her death nowadays, which was a huge improvement from the days of Death-T. "Alright, but give me a ring if you need me, okay?"
"I will."
He watched until she had turned the corner, heading towards the huge tower that dominated the Domino City skyline. Then he headed for the shop that had been his home since the first incident with Hirutani near the beginning of the year. It was weird to think that he had been resting his head there for months and that Christmas was not that far around the corner.
He could not help but wonder for a moment, what his father would be doing for the holidays and whether he would spend it drunk as usual.
Within moments of getting home, he was drawn into assisting in getting customers served and out of the store. Marik had actually shown up for work, which helped, but there was a level of busy that needed more than two sets of hands and he was more than happy to lend his to the cause.
Dungeon Dice Monsters was one of the bigger sellers, though they could not keep the projection fields out on the shop floor; they were too big and heavy to display more than one at a time. As such, it was not long before Katsuya had to head for the storeroom to bring one out for a customer, with Marik's assistance.
They were just coming back out with it, planning to run it out to the customer's car, when they heard shouting coming from the shop.
Katsuya halted, then dropped his end of the box before heading for the door. He paused right next to the slightly ajar entranceway and listened carefully, trying to work out if it was an angry customer or something else.
"I'm not signing any piece of bullshit you post under my door…"
Katsuya paled as he realized that the furious voice on the other side belonged to Jonouchi Goro.
His father.
"He's my kid and I'm not letting you steal him from me!"
"Stay here," he hissed as the yelling increased in volume. Marik looked concerned and curious but nodded. That settled, he strode into the shop, trying to hide his nervousness as he took in the sight of two overturned display cases and his huge, aggressive father, who reeked of alcohol and whose sclera were yellowing, suggesting that his liver no longer filtered the alcohol in his system properly, towering over Sugoroku, who was refusing to back down, but WAS reaching for the phone tucked away under the counter.
"I'm the one who raised the little bastard, you don't have a right to him!"
"Katsuya has been doing much better since he started staying here," the shop owner pointed out sharply, thankful that the customers had fled when Goro had entered, yelling and knocking stands over. "His grades have improved, he's out of gangs, and…"
"You don't…" Goro swung a fist at the elderly man, but Katsuya intercepted it, catching the fist in one of his own hands, refusing to let his father harm the man who had been helping him so much. "You little bastard, you should be coming home with me. I'm your Otosan, not this asshole."
"You've not been my Otosan for years. I've raised myself more than you have," the Dragon Duelist hissed out in response, finally having a valid target for all of the anger that Saturday morning's run-in with his mother had caused.
"Your Okaasan was the one who abandoned you! I…"
"Don't even try it, jerk," Katsuya cut his father off, releasing his grip on the meaty fist, but not moving from his position between Goro and Sugoroku. "I know now why Okaasan left me behind, and it's all your fault. You're the one who blackmailed her! Well, guess what, Shizuka's had her operation now. You can't stop it anymore!"
"What?" Goro looked shocked.
"I know she had to give me up to stop you spending all her money, so she could afford Shizuka's treatments!" The teen glowered, unaware that shadows were swirling at his feet, responding to his anger. "And that you kept me so you could dump your debt on me. That's not what family does. So you're NOT my Otosan and I won't let you…"
Goro was faster than Katsuya anticipated and he could not block the fist that collided with his face, sending him crashing into the old man behind him and knocking them both to the ground.
"That's enough!" Marik's voice rang in Katsuya's head as he got to his feet, the world spinning violently as he moved. Him getting up allowed Sugoroku to his feet in time to see Marik pull something from his pocket and break it. The moment the pieces hit the floor, Shadows flooded out from them and climbed the walls, trapping the occupants of the shop in the swirling purple-black mists that were dimly lit despite no visible light sources.
"What the fuck is this?" Goro demanded. "What did you do, you little freak?!"
"Welcome to the Shadows." Marik glared at the man opposite him, too angry about what had just happened to have any fear. "Here you face judgement for your crimes. Fail in my judgement, and you will no longer be able to harm anyone who lives in this place. Plus you will do what Doctor Mutou needs you to do. Whatever that is. Without resistance."
Goro tried to launch himself forward and swing for Marik, wanting to knock him down the same way he had his son. Marik had been expecting it, though, and Goro's fury took on an edge of fear as he realized that he could not lift his feet out of the darkness that lapped over them like a wave. "What the…?"
"I'm not stupid enough to let you attack me," his opponent hissed out. "No one will be able to move from their spot until the game is over. Not you, not me, and not the spectators."
He gestured with a hand to Sugoroku and Katsuya.
"What game? I swear, when I get loose…"
"Shut up," Marik snapped out, cutting off his adversary. "Either you can listen or you can forfeit. Forfeit, and the consequences are up to me."
Goro stared at the ash-blonde-haired gaijin in front of him, trying to work out if he could reach the little git. When he realized he could not, he let out a furious snarl. "Fine, I'll play, but when I pass your little test, I'm going to tear you limb from limb and Katsuya is coming home with me. For good."
"You won't. The Shadows reveal the truth of the soul. Someone as disgusting as you will never pass judgement." With a wave of his hand the darkness shifted around them. The blackened walls turned into stone blocks, upon which oil lamps burned, providing light, and the floor fell away from around the feet of both Marik and Goro, leaving just a stack of stone bricks between them and a drop into oblivion.
Sugoroku's eyes widened as he recognized the game Marik had set up as the same jenga game that he and the teen had been playing just last week.
In front of both players, upon a stone dais, appeared a stack of much smaller sandstone bricks in the exact same set up as the ones below them.
"We will take turns choosing bricks from our towers," Marik explained, reaching out and touching one of the central pieces. When he tapped it, the one in front of him dissolved into sand which blew away. Beneath him the corresponding brick vanished in the same way. "The first one to fall loses."
"That's too easy!" Goro snorted, taking out his own first piece quickly and with much less concern than he should have had.
"Maybe, but I warn you. Interfere in my game or try to harm me, and you will lose, automatically." Purple eyes narrowed at his opposition before turning to the tower before him. He considered for just a moment, before taking out his second block.
Katsuya watched with shock as the game progressed, trying to process what exactly was going on and why he was more concerned for Marik than for his father. Sugoroku was worried, too. He could see the way Marik was shaking and how pale the boy had gone. He had no Millennium Item to protect him from the strain of the darkness, and the elderly man could see that holding the game surrounding them together was taking its toll. "Katsuya, when the game breaks, you need to catch Marik."
"Huh?" His words broke the teen's shock and made him look at the other boy carefully. "Oh shi…"
Marik's hand shook as he chose his next piece. His sister had warned him not to use the Memento unless there was a dire need. Now he understood why. Breathing was difficult and everything hurt. In his mind it was worth it, though.
Katsuya had been a friend to him before the reveal, and while Marik was certain that was burned now, he was not going to tolerate him being trapped by a father who cared so little for him. Not after what Marik had been through with his own father.
Not only that but Sugoroku had taken him in without question and even after Marik had been proved to be a liar who had been spying on his granddaughter, he had offered him a sanctuary if the Tomb Keepers tried to drag him back to the catacombs.
Both had been threatened, and Marik was NOT going to let the man walk away.
His shaking hand hit the wrong game piece and he let out a yelp as the tower shook beneath him as the corresponding block disappeared. Thankfully it settled down, but the angle his feet were at suggested that one more wrong move would send him tumbling into the pit.
Goro grinned as he watched his adversary nearly fall. All that was needed was one more nudge, and he would win and get everything he wanted.
He considered the tower in front of him and then looked down at the hole beneath him. All of the central blocks were gone from his tower. The next block he picked could make him fall into the abyss. He glanced down at his feet nervously and saw half of a toy motorcycle resting on the ground, somehow untouched by the swirling darkness.
And a thought occurred to him.
If he launched the broken toy at his opponent's tower, he could knock it over and send the little punk tumbling into the darkness.
Yes, it was cheating, but the little asshole was going to lose anyway, so it did not matter.
When Marik took a moment to lean on the stone dais in front of him, clearly struggling with his nerves, Goro scooped up the broken toy and took aim.
"Hey. Brat." At the smug tone, Marik's head snapped up. "You lose."
With that he launched the toy. It flew across the gap and slammed into Marik's tower.
And bounced off.
"You cheated." The teen's tone turned cruel and vicious, an amused and vindictive smirk appearing on his features as Goro felt his own tower shaking underneath him. "And for that you'll feed the darkness."
As the tower in front of him dissolved into sand, Goro felt the vice grip on his feet vanish. He launched himself forward, trying to wring the neck of the smug little bastard in front of him, only for the blocks below him to dissolve, too, causing him to drop without ever laying a hand on Marik.
As his soulless body hit the floor, the darkness vanished. Katsuya, released from the grip of the shadows, darted forward and managed to catch Marik, who had started to fall backwards, though his eyes did not leave the figure who lay, barely breathing, on the ground.
"Is…is he?"
"The Shadows… claimed his soul," Marik admitted, completely exhausted and struggling to stay awake.
"I'll call an ambulance." Sugoroku stepped in, his face pale. "Katsuya, get Marik upstairs. Marik, can I have your Oneesan's phone number please?"
As Marik rattled it off, Katsuya still could not take his eyes off his father.
Yugi was not looking forward to her meeting with Kaiba as she approached the huge skyscraper that was the Kaiba Corp building.
Not that she was ungrateful to him for having his lawyers check over the contracts that Industrial Illusions had written for her. She just was not sure what he had found or how he was going to react to her after the defeat Meisa had handed him over the weekend. Plus the last time she had been in the building had been Death-T, which was not an event with good memories for her.
When she stepped through the double doors and entered the foyer, she was surprised to find Mokuba directing the setup of a display involving the tablets that she had seen in Tokyo. When he saw her, he headed straight over with a wave of his hand. "Hey, Yugi, I'm to take you straight up."
"Th…thanks." She followed him, waiting until the elevator doors had closed behind them to ask, "You're keeping the tablets here?"
"Only as a favour to Industrial Illusions until Domino Museum can take them. There's a bunch of archaeologists who want to do things like carbon dating and things to test their age and legitimacy, but the museum can't take them right now. By the time Battle City starts they'll be over there, and they won't creep me out quite so much."
Yugi could not help but agree the tablets were a little creepy. Knowing about their ties to her ancient past and how important they were to her twin's future did not help the discomfort of knowing that the image carved into the stone was meant to be her. Literally.
If she believed Mahad, she held the Khat, the part of the soul that was the physical body, of the Pharaoh from all those millennia ago. That meant the form on the tablet was her. At least her as she had once been. There was a level of uneasiness to knowing that an entire tribe of Tomb Keepers had been honouring her image since her first death. Even if, like many of her classmates until around a year ago, they had thought she was a man.
"Hey, Yugi?" At Mokuba's concerned tone, she looked to him. "Are you okay with all of this? Really?"
Her first instinct was to lie and say she was unbothered by everything she had found out over the weekend. After all, there had been so much more to it than Mokuba knew. Wednesday night's meeting with Ishtar Ishizu where they had found out about the things she and her brothers had been through. Then Thursday they had found out that they might still save Ba-Khu-Ra's soul and got into a fight with Zorc over the Thief Queen.
When you added the mess that had been Friday's meeting with Crawford's children and Saturday's meeting with Azra and Karim, as well as a re-emergence of Crawford, no, she was not okay with all of this. In fact she was rather glad that there was time between now and Battle City for her to get her head around everything and start practising with the Shadows.
Just in case.
A set of spectral hands resting on her shoulders reminded her that she was not alone, and she had the support of her twin and the other half of her soul.
"I will be." She decided on her answer. "What about you and Kaiba?"
"We're fine." Mokuba shrugged off her question, well aware that his brother had barely slept over the last few days and was hyper fixating on Battle City, the Duel Disks, and the God Cards. However, he was also mindful that it was not unusual for his brother, and once one or another of the projects was completed, his brother would get back to normal. Or what passed for normal when Seto was concerned.
He just needed to make sure that his brother remembered to eat and drink in the meantime.
"Seto's in his office, waiting for you," Kaiba Corp's Vice-CEO advised her. "He's pushed back all his other meetings for this."
"He didn't have to…" She trailed off when Mokuba raised his eyebrow and his lips twisted into a grimace.
"You really don't understand my brother, do you?" The younger Kaiba brother let out a frustrated huff.
"I'd like to get the chance to, but he won't let me in," the Queen of Games pointed out with a slight purse of her lips.
The slight tilt of the child's head as he thought about what he wanted to say made Yugi realise she may have completely misread the situation with the elder Kaiba.
"You know what? It's not my place to explain, but if he really wanted you to keep away, he wouldn't have had our lawyers spend their time going over those contracts on Kaiba Corp's money. Nor would he have helped you with the hospital costs or the attempted buyout of the land the Kame Game Shop is on," the boy pointed out, "so maybe consider that before you judge him."
Outwardly Yugi did not show her surprise at this point, but internally she could not help but wonder why she had not thought about that before now.
'In our defence, and I say our because I didn't consider it either, this has been the weekend from Duat,' Meisa reassured her as something dinged and the elevator doors slid open. 'We haven't really had time to consider his words versus his actions overall.'
'True, but we need to start considering it before we say anything to him.' Yugi could sense her twin's agreement as Mokuba knocked on the door to his brother's office and then pushed it open, allowing them access.
The office on the other side of the door was a very sterile white with very little to show that this office was occupied, except for the desk and computer in the middle of the room. Sat at it was a rather irritable Kaiba Seto, who looked like he thought he had better things to be doing as he nodded to Mokuba. "Thank you, Mokuba, you can go."
"Yes, Niisama." The younger Kaiba did not hesitate as the elder gestured for Yugi to take a seat in the chair opposite him. When she did so, he slid a file across the desk to her. She picked it up and looked within to find the Sponsorship contract and Non-Disclosure Agreement that she had been handed by Tenma Gekko.
While she was reading them carefully, aided by the post-it notes that had been attached that explained certain terms to her in more normal Japanese, Kaiba turned back to his work. She risked glancing up from her paperwork to examine him.
The bags under his eyes and the slight drop of his shoulders told her how tired he was far too easily. She held back from commenting, though. Kaiba's pride matched, if not outweighed, Meisa's. If she brought up his current state, he would consider it her bringing up a weakness and clam up. That was the opposite of what she wanted.
Instead, she finished reading the contracts, including the fine print, becoming surprised when it was all as above board as it could be considering the reasons behind it. Her sponsorship would ensure that Industrial Illusions would assist in legal matters, publicity issues, and event planning regarding her title, provide security for her at all events she attended for the company, cover educational fees from the moment of signing onwards, pay for her travel and accommodation at and to events Industrial Illusions had sent her to and provide a stipend for food while she was travelling and attending those events.
In exchange she would need to keep her reputation as clean as possible, stick to the terms of her Non-Disclosure Agreement and attend one event per calendar quarter. Yes, she could decline certain ones for educational reasons, but she would HAVE to attend one event once every three months. She had to promote Industrial Illusions and Duel Monsters in interviews and when asked, and finally she needed to ensure that she maintained a position amongst the top duellists in the world. Specifically, the top twenty.
'Not an easy position to maintain, but we can do it.' The confidence in her twin's tone made Yugi smile softly as she turned to the Non-Disclosure Agreement, in which she was expected to refrain from mentioning anything magical that happened regarding Industrial Illusions and Kaiba Corp. There was a note at that point that someone had screwed up the wording by saying 'and' rather than 'or', which meant any incident involving magic that did not also involve Kaiba Corp could be discussed. Not that the lawyer recommended it.
Once she was done reading, she let out a soft cough to get the CEO's attention and, when he looked away from his computer, gave him a smile. "Guess they don't want any more trouble."
"You still have the option to reject it," Kaiba pointed out, storm-blue eyes narrowed as he watched her carefully. "They have nothing on you."
She and Meisa had been considering that on the train back from Tokyo. The blackmail material Tenma Yakko had claimed to have had been shown to be embarrassingly null and void. If they wanted to reject the contracts, they had the ability and they would be well within their rights.
However, Crawford had been correct in that they were in a position where they could not only share their love of games with the world, something that would be easier if they were able to travel to tournaments and events, but also they would have their own voice, instead of someone trying to put words in their mouth. Plus, the contract was incredibly reasonable. If they wanted to get a contract in the future with someone else, they could not guarantee that anyone else would offer anything as good.
"What would you do?" she asked with a tilt of her head, watching as his eyes momentarily widened. "You're more experienced with this than I am, and I trust you to give it to me straight."
There was a moment where he stared at her without expression, and she almost wished she could read minds and figure out what was going on inside his head. Then he let out a snort.
"I would be telling them to stick their contracts in the folder it came from." He sat back in his chair. "But I'm in a different position to you. I have money, power, and influence already. I don't need the boost the contracts would provide."
Yugi nodded, confirming that she agreed with his point.
"However, you are a young, relatively new, female Duelist, who has attained a position of authority in the Duelling world but has no way to spread your own ideals. It is far too easy to assign a personality to a celebrity that no one ever hears from except on rare occasion. Taking this contract will allow Industrial Illusions to assist you in having a voice and putting your own spin on your words and actions," he continued, making Yugi realise he had been considering this carefully.
"So, you recommend I sign?"
"Not yet. My first recommendation is that you consider your brand carefully before you start putting out anything in the public eye. You have one chance to make the correct impact on the world. You started well with your appearance and duelling in Tokyo, though your behaviour nearly caused a stir."
"What do you…" Yugi trailed off, eyes wide, as Kaiba slid a photo of her kissing Katsuya across the desk.
"I ensured this photo was pulled from the publicity event records for both Kaiba Corp and Industrial Illusions and ensured that the photographer no longer has a copy," Seto informed her coldly, "but this is exactly what I mean. If this photo had gotten around, it would have impacted the schooling of yourself and the Mutt and changed how people see you. You would no longer be the innocent Queen who just wants people to enjoy the game. You would be someone who slept with your opponents to get an easy victory. That's how cut-throat the media world is. You need to be more careful. And you need someone who can help shape your brand the way you want it and can cover your slip ups."
"Thank you, Kaiba." Yugi's gratitude was clear as her hand clutched the chain of her Millennium Puzzle, internally shaken up at how something as innocent as her first willing kiss could have been misconstrued and able to sense her sister's anger on her behalf.
"As regards to signing, the Industrial Illusions contract is good, but if you're serious about stepping onto the world stage, Kaiba Corp would offer you a better deal." He slid her a second package, this one in an ice-blue folder.
She picked it up and checked the contents. Inside was only one contract, a sponsorship from Kaiba Corp.
It offered everything Industrial Illusions was offering, except that it also gave her assistance from Kaiba Corp's Promotions and Marketing department for development of her brand and included free upgrades on any equipment required for Dueling or promotional material. Plus, it covered all justifiable educational costs, including accommodation for higher education and required equipment, and gave her a monthly stipend of one hundred and fifty thousand yen, just above a minimum wage, if she had been working a full-time position, to purchase cards required for deck maintenance and upgrades, as well as anything she would require in her continued development as a gamer.
In exchange, though, while she did not have to abide by a Non-Disclosure Agreement, there was the addition of her having to be available to duel whenever the company required her to, barring educational or severe family problems, plus making Kaiba Corp aware of any travel plans when she made them, keeping her handler aware of any magical issues when they arose, AND needing to stay within the top fifteen in the world, rather than the top twenty.
"Who would be my handler?" Yugi asked, thinking the terms over.
"Mokuba is the Head of Promotions and Marketing and the primary point of contact for sponsored Duelists," Kaiba informed her sharply. "You would be in contact with him."
'Imoto…'
Meisa did not even have to ask. Yugi mentally stepped back and the Pharaoh stepped forward, taking control of the body and leaning forward as she asked, "Why would you offer us this contract?"
"Are you declining?" The ice in Kaiba's tone made his displeasure obvious.
"Not yet. It depends on your answer."
"Kaiba Corp prides itself on being one of the foremost experts in the world of Duel Monsters. In order to maintain that standing, we require access to the best Duelists in the world. As the current World Champion…" Meisa could not help the amused huff that escaped at the word 'current'. "You are considered by many to be the best."
"So, it's entirely to assist Kaiba Corp's image?"
Seto internally grimaced. That was how he would be able to justify it to the company's investors. However, there was so much more to it than that. Of the several reasons why, he would need to pick the ones that 'Meisa' would want to hear, though, or she would direct her twin away from Kaiba Corp and he would lose this chance.
"Not entirely," he allowed carefully. "Your twin's safety is also being considered."
"Oh?" The Pharaoh's eyes narrowed.
"You've met what Industrial Illusions considers security. You know they would not hesitate to shoot a child."
"Kaiba Corp goons kidnapped us, so your company's record isn't clean either."
"True, but at least with me, you knew what you were walking into. I never hid what my plans were and I never tried to bias the final game of Death-T against you. The rules were the rules. Crawford tried to add a rule into his final match that broke his previous rules."
"True." The Pharaoh nodded her acknowledgement.
"By working with Kaiba Corp over Industrial Illusions, you would be working directly with someone you know, at a branch that is local to your home location, and should an issue arise, security can be to your location within minutes."
"And you'd be able to call us up for a duel at any time." Meisa tapped the ice blue folder. "Don't think I missed that. Or that you want to be able to track if we leave the country."
"By giving Kaiba Corp notice that you're travelling, it will allow us to adjust event schedules and ensure that there is no conflict of timing." He ignored the jab about being able to call them for a duel. "The pair of you are no use to me missing or dead. I cannot trust that Industrial Illusions will keep the pair of you alive, and hence I am making this offer."
Meisa sat back in her seat to consider his words. "Battle City…"
"Mokuba already informed me of the warning. The mutt told him about the threat while the photographer was wasting our time." He cut her off. "Kaiba Corp will do everything it can to ensure your safety during Battle City, but if you throw yourself into danger, that is out of our hands."
'That's fair,' Imoto allowed, making Meisa mentally sigh. 'I will admit, I would rather work with the Kaibas then Industrial Illusions, but we might not have a choice. There's the title contract to consider.'
"What about the Queen of Games contract?" the Pharaoh asked. "Industrial Illusions would still hold that."
"A title contract is not a sponsorship contract. What belongs to Industrial Illusions is your title, not the Duelist it belongs to. They can lay down rules about how you must behave to maintain the title, but they cannot control anything outside of that." Kaiba snorted. "I have already made I2 aware that I am making you a counteroffer. If they are serious about taking you on, they will make a bigger offer than I have."
"Am I to assume that you're not expecting an answer from us today then?"
"I am expecting you two to consider your options carefully before you accept anything." He shrugged. "If that takes until the end of the week, I can open up another meeting on Friday evening."
Meisa nodded, then let Yugi back out into the body. She scooped up the two folders and put them in her satchel. "We'll have an answer for you by Friday evening. Promise."
"Good."
"Kaiba?" Yugi hesitated for a moment before giving him an honest smile. "Thank you."
"It's just business." He huffed, hiding that the acknowledgement improved his mood. "Before you go, I am working on the 3d models of the Egyptian God Monsters for the Duel Disk system, and I need to see Osiris."
He watched the girl carefully pull the God monster from her deck holster and noticed the slight flinch as she touched the card in question. Meisa slipped back into control and, notably, had no issues holding the card out for him to take.
After his experience with Obelisk, he was hesitant to touch it, but he refused to show weakness in front of Meisa. He took it, noting a similar static shock as he had received from Obelisk when he took it. Taking photos of the card allowed him to have access to the image upon it and return the Divine Beast to its owner, who put it back where it belonged.
"I will see you at seven-thirty pm on Friday," Seto informed her, giving the Pharaoh no option to argue the time and date. "I'll send a car to pick you up, since I believe that's after your store closes?"
"The Kame Game Shop closes at seven on a weekday, yes." The Pharaoh nodded, a little distracted by the way her God card had objected to Yugi touching it. "We'll see you then."
Just as she stepped through the door, Kaiba's voice made her pause.
"Sponsorship or not, Mutou, if you let this Egyptian nonsense distract you, I'm going to crush you in Battle City, so don't let yourself get killed before I can take your throne again."
She turned to ask what he meant by 'again', but the door slammed shut in her face, cutting her off and preventing her from asking.
'Maybe Azra showed him something of his ancient past, too?' Yugi suggested as she slipped into control and headed for the elevator.
'Possibly…' the Pharaoh allowed, thinking. 'What do you think about Kaiba's offer?'
'It looks good, but I really want to read it again and consider everything carefully. He had some good advice, even if I have no idea what we would even want to do for our 'brand'.'
'Guess we have a lot to think about tonight.'
'And to talk about with the others,' Yugi agreed with an audible sigh as she stepped out of Kaiba Corp and into the cold evening air. 'We should check our e-mail, too, and see if Industrial Illusions has responded to Kaiba's warning yet. Plus, we were supposed to work on the pieces for your…our ancient family for the shrine tonight'
'That can…'
'No, it can't.' She cut her twin off. 'They're important, too, and I know how much this matters to you.'
She could feel the gratitude pulsing across the bond as the first stars emerged into the night sky and they headed for home.
'Thank you, Imoto.'