Chapter 2 The competition

Industrial Illusions Corporation has cordially invited you to the first Duel Monsters tournament in fifteen years. If you have received this letter Mr. Pegasus considers you a member of the dueling elite and your presents would be greatly appreciated. This will be very much like the Duelist Kingdom tournament in the past. In order for this gathering to achieve its full potential we would like everyone to attend.

Show this letter at the dock on December 17 at 6 am

There is no need to respond to this letter, simply show on the day,

Signed,

Maxamillion Pegasus

Smashing, Lovely, Fabulous and Delightful

December 17th, 5 o'clock AM.

"Really this is just an absolutely lovely idea, I mean we haven't seen some of these people in forever this is a simply grand solution, don't you think Seto?" He half smiled rolling his eyes under dark glasses. I don't think at all this early in the morning.

"Truly darling I have missed our days gallivanting about on adventures." Rebekah said cheerfully moving her 3 year old son onto the opposite hip. Seto stared at his now empty starbucks coffee cup longingly, he could barely deal with Mokuba and his wife at a normal hour of the day but at this time it was almost like trying to smile nicely as someone cut your leg off with a blunt blade.

"Oh god yeah, dashing amazing and great" He muttered, Duke slapped his arm, stop! He mouthed rolling highly made up green eyes.

"Can't we get through one day without you being so bitter to everyone that we know." He whined crossing his arms across the tight red top of his dress.

"Sure whatever." Mokuba laughed throwing his arm over his older brothers shoulder.

"It truly is a smashing day isn't bro?" He kissed him on the cheek in a highly perky way.

"We should check in wouldn't wanna get stuck in a line, oh wait were an hour early." He shot moving away from his brother's grip and walking to the booth in front of the boat. He flicked the letter at an young woman behind the glass.

"Welcome Seto Kaiba and Duke Devlin." She said with a smile handing a packet to Duke.

"Aren't you just a little excited?" Duke asked leaning against the wall as he watched Rebekah and Mokuba get their packet. He was, though he would never say it out loud, he missed them all so much all these years he hadn't been alone yet he still had felt like he was miles away from his own life.

"Sure thrilled." Duke threw his arms up and stalked away, not that this was new as if he wanted to spend time with him. Seto sunk onto the ground leaning his head against a stone wall, he massaged his temples digging his fingertips into his skin. In less then an hour he would be seeing people that he didn't think he would ever see again in his life, maybe today was delightful, lovely and fabulous, he thought with a smile.

Of rodents and cigarette smoke

December 17th, 5:45 AM

The clean white ferry was docked not far from the parking lot, for some reason it brought a jump of excitement run through his body. It was like being in high school all over again!

"Is it a bad sign that I love the idea of being 16 again?" Yugi whispered to his wife as he parked the car. She flicked cigarette ash out of the window.

"No I get it, this is gonna be so fucked to have everyone that we have been to lazy to keep in touch with all in one room." She said with a laugh twisting her long brown hair into a bun with silver chopsticks. "I know you'll enjoy yourself getting to see all your old friends that aren't my darling brother."

"I'm really not bugged by your brother Serenity." He said defensively, it wasn't fully true. He did still like them, but really he could use someone else to talk to on occasion, that was one thing he really missed about his dueling days was the constant flow of people in and out of his life.

"That makes one person in the world who can still stand them." Said Esme from her spot in the backseat.

"Stop they are related to you the least you could do is be nice." He said as they climbed out of the car and headed to the booth on the dock.

"It would be easier if they weren't overly perfect psychos who breed like rodents." Esme said snidely, Serenity chocked almost dropping the lighter she was using. Yugi couldn't help laughing, it was true in his mind the idea of having another child seemed like a lot, but five! And as his wife so kindly pointed out they seemed to have no intentions of stopping anytime soon. Yugi slide his invitation under the window.

"So nice of you to join us Mr. Mutou." the ticket girl said with a smile. Yugi looked at his red folder.

"We have assigned rooms" Said Yugi staring at the first paper in his folder.

"We do, were is yours." Joey and Tea had joined them and were looking through there things as well.

"170."

"Were close, I'm 172 who do you think I'm in a room with?" Joey said looking at the now crowded dock as though he expected someone to tell him.

"I don't know, but this is very Pegasus, knowing him its not a good thing that we don't get to chose who we spend a week with." Yugi said with a new found pessimism that he had developed over the last couple years. He looked over at the other man, they had been best friends for a very long time but yet...He was glad that he wouldn't be in a room with Joey.

"What room are you in Tea?" He asked crossing his fingers, he loved her, really, but ever since her first daughter was born she had become everyones mother.

"Oh I'm in 167, thats not to far from you guys. What about the kids Joey, do they stay in separate rooms, I wouldn't want them far from us..."

"Oh no, what a pity they can't smoother their kids all day and night what will they do!" Whispered Serenity as she lite another cigarette and leaned against the a wooden pillar.

"Serenity would you mind not smoking around my kids?" Her brother shot at her from where he was still standing with one of his children in his arms though for the life of him Yugi could neither remember the child's name, nor what sex it was, but considering that it was wearing blue he assumed it was a boy.

"What does it matter? Its not like I'm handing them a cigarette and saying hey kid come light up with me." She said with a smile, oh god it was to early for her and Joey to be doing this!

" You know perfectly well what I mean Serenity, please."

"No Joesph please explain it to me for the hundredth time maybe this time I will listen." She took a long drag on her cigarette and blew the smoke directly at her older brother. Oh god! Though Yugi miserably, he really did want to get on the boat, he missed everyone else that he used to know more then he ever thought but now that they were so close it seemed like torture to wait out here any longer, especially with them having another fight!

"I'll be right back."He said not to any of them in particular and walked down the pier through the crowd of people.

"Stop smoking, stop talking about what you do," Yugi muttered sliding through the crowd. "Stop trying to be anything other then a overly perfect psycho family! Maybe if they.."

"If they what?" Yugi jumped, there was a man in dark sunglasses sitting against the wall. "You were muttering about 'them' if they what?"

" I was gonna say if they didn't breed like rabbits they wouldn't have to worry about they're damn kids so often." Yugi said surprising even himself with the bitterness in his voice. The man laughed tapping his fingers against a coffee cup.

" Yeah well I hear kids are just a brilliant, fabulous, delightful blessing, oh why don't you want any children." The man said sarcastically.

"Someone you know?" Yugi asked sitting down on damp ground next the brown haired man.

" My little brother, I don't want kids and he thinks I'm just bitter which may or may not be true but still..."

"I have one kid, but my brother in law and his wife have five." The other man looked dumbfounded.

"At that point there practically walking out on there own aren't they!" Yugi nodded now laughing so hard he could barely breath. "Wheres your group?" Yugi pointed across the sea of people to where Serenity and Joey were visible yelling at each other.

"You?" The brown haired man pointed to a small group, there were two woman one with loosely tied up blond hair and the other with thick black. The only man in the group was very tall with black hair and grey eyes. "Thats your brother? But you..." Yugi looked back at the man in the business suit talking animatedly to the blond woman.

"Yeah I know, we don't look that much alike, not at first glance, but..."

"He looks just like you did when I knew you." Yugi said with a laugh, he didn't think he had ever been so happy to see this man in his life. He threw his arms around the other mans neck.

"Oh its so good to see you Seto." He said.

Lets just blow up the UK

December 17th, 6AM exactly.

"Were late Tristan." Ishizu said looking at the her watch for the thousandth time that morning.

"No actually were exactly on time."

"You know in some peoples world exactly on time is considered late." Bakura said shifting his sleeping 6 year old in his arms. " I'm not saying that it's your fault we were late or anything, but really we have been ready for hours." Ishizu smiled and walked directly past him. She was so glad that her younger brother was finally happy with someone, but there were days she wished it had been someone else.

"Come on Tristan lets get on the boat." She took her husband's hand and lead him on across the now almost deserted dock. " Would you mind checking us in sweety?" She asked with her most innocent smile. Tristan kissed her lightly on the lips and walked over to the booth. Ishizu waited patiently as her brother's followed him collecting their items as well.

"You really do have him eating out of the palm of your hand don't you?" M'hari said leaning in close to her sister in law. This in law Ishizu had to admit she really did like, M'hari Amir was an professor at the University of Cairo and in most things made even Ishizu with her vast knowledge feel stupid thats was what she would always respect about this woman. No matter how brillent she was she would never let on since she was far to modest. That was probably why her and Odeon seemed so perfect together.

"Your just jealous admit it." She said with a laugh. " Its a good thing to cause he is still really into having children, and I still don't know." That wasn't fully true, she knew perfectly well that she didn't want kids with Tristan but she would not say that.

"Whats wrong Ishizu?" Damn why could the other woman read her so well. Ishizu forced a smile, it was not worth talking about she loved Tristan but... No not even M'hari would understand.

"Just worried about a week on a island with Bakura, I wonder how many things can be not good enough in the first five minutes?"

"And how many of those things will Marik solve immediately?" The woman laughed, "But you know at least their happy." Yeah, just like you and your husband and your daughter. She looked at Marik re-braiding Lili's hair and Bakura still rocking their sleeping son. For all the crap she talked about her brother in law she envied him greatly.

"Yeah well their gonna be the only ones when he's done with this place." M'hari laughed as she lead Zara their 13 year old to the boat. See nothing is wrong, your life is so perfectly why do you want so badly to destroy that? She asked herself miserably and walked slowly after them.

If you can't drive get off the road!

December 17th 6:05 AM

Alister slammed down on the brake pedal again as the traffic on the offramp of the highway slowed abruptly.

"Must everything in the world take so long!" She shouted at the mini-van in front of her.

"Yeah thats most certainly going to make it go faster mom good job." Cordelia said in her overly level headed manner, she pulled down the mirror brushing out her long blond curls into a low ponytail. She shot her daughter a glare, at some point in her life she had been able to keep that calm about everything, but somehow being a single mom at twenty had life a lot more stressful. Cordelia had changed everything in her life actually, she had given her mother something to live for again, this meant more to her then Cordelia would probably ever know. "You know I'm sure there are other people running a little late." The other cars lurched forward as the light turned green, Alister sped forward changing lanes so that she was in the less populated one.

"Thats the turn off." Cordelia said looking down at the directions, the car swung fast around the corner.

At the very same moment a motorcycle sped up cutting quickly over into the right lane of traffic, and directly into the sports car turning the corner. Valon could feel the bike slide out from under him and slam into the nearest guard rail. He pushed himself up feeling to his up most amazement, that he seemed to be relatively unaffected. It was true he had been much worst accidents over the years this was really nothing, and even more surprising the car had pulled over, its the rare car that didn't wish all motorcyclist would just go flying off the road. A woman, oh that explains it, he thought. She was tall and very thin with shoulder length crimson hair which was falling over the thick rimmed black glasses which obscured her eyes from his view.

"Holy shit I am so damn sorry!" She said, Valon nodded taking in the strangeness of her clothing, a linen skirt with patched jeans, tan sandals and a wool sweater, this girl is driving a sports car? I'm surprised shes not out on her bike going to the food co-op and protests. He stretched now he really was going to be late.

Alister moved closer to the man offering him a hand, the least she could do was help him she knew what it was like to be in the same situation he probably thinks I'm nuts to care at all.

"I'm just so sorry, I'm running late to get to the dock and I..."

"Are you going to the Duelist Kingdom thing?" Valon asked trying to the keep the shock out of his voice.

" Yeah are you?" Alister surveyed this man, "Do you need a ride, I mean I could pay for your bike later, but you do... Sorry rambling, do you wanna a ride there?" Valon smiled well she was nice and kinda pretty and going the same place as him all good things.

"Sure thanks, don't worry about it I have three and I don't care about that one lets just get there,kay?"

Alister nodded, walking back over to the car.

"Would you get in the back Cori he's going the same place as us so I'm giving him a ride." Her daughter raised an eyebrow knowingly.

"I guess hes alright looking mom, but really picking up random men on the road is generally frowned upon."

"Get the back wench." She said playfully swatting at her daughter. Cordelia climbed in between the seats as the man got in the other side.

Alister pulled into traffic speeding around the corner. It didn't take them long to reach the dock.

"Thanks so much." Valon said as she pulled off the road into a large parking lot, well theres still a boat there which means were not to late he thought.

"Wheres your accent from?" The girl in the back asked. He turned to face her while her mother looked for a place to park.

"Perth, Australia." He wasn't particularly found of children, though this girl was really more of a teenager and he knew that at that age he wanted adults to treat him with respect.

"What's your name?"

"Cordelia don't ask so many questions." Her mother snapped.

"Its okay really, I don't mind, my names Valon Prince it's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Cordelia, pretty name by the way, good job mom." he said with a smile, and looked back at the woman. The car was pulled into a spot, she was giving him a strange look.

"Oh my god..." She muttered as she opened the car door quickly stepping out. Valon looked back at Cordelia who looked just as confused by her mother's actions.

"Did I do something?" The girl looked out at her mom, then back at Valon. Then her gray eyes widened.

"You were riding a...Oh! By some wild chance were you ever part an organization ran by some crazy guy that had you steal souls so he could bring to life this monster that was supposed to help him like take over the world or something along those lines?" Valon stared at this child for a moment before realizing why her mom had reacted like that to his name. He jumped out of the car and ran to catch up with her at the ticket booth.

"Alister!" She turned around, there wasn't even words at that moment Valon could think of only one thing to do. He threw his arms around her shoulders, Alister went ridged but quickly loosened up wrapping her arms around him. "It's been a far to long." He said trying to keep the quiver out of his voice, she smiled something he could not recall ever having seen her do before.

"Surprisingly I missed you." She laughed. " We should get on the boat."

The three of them hurried up the ramp as the crew prepared for there ship to finally head out to Duelist Kingdom.