Yu-Gi-Oh Original Series
Parallel
Chapter 004
Originally Written: Monday, April 4th, 2022 at 752AM to 846AM
Yugi couldn't hold off forever, because that would be really rude, and he didn't want to. Joey and Tristan followed him everywhere possible like two lost puppies. With bated breath and nervousness, he entered the Kame Game Shop. Tea stood next to him, and Joey and Tristan behind him. There was no leash, but he could feel it all the same. He wondered who was actually wearing the collar.
Old Man Solomon greeted Yugi and Tea as normal, and gave Joey and Tristan the same treatment he would customers. He couldn't help the knowing smile he gave Yugi as he introduced them as two "two stubborn lug heads".
He stayed in the store today, because there were few customers, and he hadn't wanted to bring Joey and Tristan up to Solomon's home.
"You alright, old man?" Joey looked at Solomon skewed.
Solomon raised his hands in a placating manner and smiled." Ah, just a bit of old age kicking in. I'll be fine."
Yugi didn't see what Joey did, and neither did Tea when he asked. However Joey picked up one of the boxes that Solomon idly said he needed to move like it was nothing.
"Where do ya want this?"
Yugi frowned, because no way would he be able to do that in a million years. Neither could Solomon. Delivery companies always packed boxes such that only taller, stronger people could lift them.
"Ah, I can just take them out of the packages and put them where they need to. You don't need to do all that." Solomon protested.
"It's fine, old man. I do this for my pops all the time." Joey shifted the box.
That is how Yugi finally got to help Solomon around the shop. Solomon gave them a safe place to temporarily store their book bags and other belongings. They spent a few hours helping around the store while Solomon pointed out and explained many games around in the most bare boned fashion.
Solomon had many games that Yugi never heard of, and could never afford. The list that Joey and Tristan never heard of was much larger however.
"We're playing that one day." Joey said pointing to a random capsule type game.
"You two don't play games, huh?" Tea folded her arms.
"Nah, not much. Too busy being men." Tristan sounded quite smug. "Doing manly things."
Tea kept her mouth shut, but Yugi was never one for doing so. "Jerking off doesn't make you a man." That earned him a noogie from Joey, which then led to a conversation about the softness of Yugi's hair.
"Why would you think it was gelled!? Who gels their hair like this!?" Yugi swung at Joey's hands, which were still caressing his hair. "Who likes being asked 'is your hair real' every time they meet someone new?"
Solomon shooed them off so they could start their homework. Since Yugi didn't want to go up to Solomon's home, that sent them out of the store. Yugi didn't mind too much. He got to see the Old Man like he wanted.
Joey immediately said his place was no good, and Tristan said they could hang out at his place if they felt like dealing with his nagging sister and her son. No one did. Tea's place was too far. Yugi held in a sigh, and invited them over to his empty house. It wasn't empty today however.
In fact, he tripped over a package his mother said was for him via a note. It was a relatively tiny cardboard box.
"Maximillion Pegasus?" Yugi stared at the box in surprise. "Are they sure this is for me?"
"What's the owner of Industrial Illusions doing contacting you?" Tea leaned over the box.
"Feel like I just saw that name?" Joey scratched his temple.
"It's on all the Duel Monsters cards we had to put away, ya doof! Duel Monsters and the Duel Monsters franchise are copyrighted and owned by Industrial Illusions." Tristan flicked him in the head with a light hand Joey waved away.
"I don't even play." Yugi shook his head. He held the box over his head to check for anything weird.
He was going to throw it out, but the others goaded him into opening it. It was highly unlikely, but maybe there was money? Some kind of reward for a contest? Inside was a tape that he immediately regretted watching. At least with the others.
"How the fuck even...?" He looked around at Tea, Tristan and Joey. All three seemed to be frozen, stuck seated on the couch next to him. "Did I step into one of Mitsura's fantasy books? This is your doing, right? Nothing happened until I put the tape in."
"Little Yugi. Didn't your parents ever teach you to not accept packages from people you don't know?" Maximillion Pegasus was a shady looking man with long white hair that covered an eye. The brightest thing in the area was his gaudy red suit.
"Good point. Gonna go pretend this never happened. Bye." Yugi pressed the power button on his VCR remote. That didn't do anything. Pegasus looked at him amused from his TV screen.
'I don't think that is going to work.' The voice in his head was strong, yet calm. Deep with a vibrato Yugi couldn't hope to replicate with his own throat.
Yugi grew still, acting as though he were confused that someone was controlling his VCR and TV through a VCR tape, instead of being surprised at the voice in his head. "Am I being pranked right now?"
"No, little Yugi." Pegasus laughed a haughty laugh that made Yugi question his sanity.
'You are being attacked.'
"Indeed, you are." Pegasus leaned forward and rested his chin on folded hands. "You have something I want." His eye directed downwards towards the puzzle hanging from Yugi's neck. Then he looked back up to meet Yugi's gaze.
Yugi wondered just what was so important about this puzzle.
"You can hand it over the easy way, or the hard way."
Yugi gave him the middle finger. "You know where to shove this, right?"
"You are quite a rude boy." Pegasus narrowed his eyes, scowling. He looked nothing like the calm man shown on television in interviews. "For that, I won't even give you another chance."
His puzzle glowed as a beam of golden light shot out from the tv screen. Yugi knew no more. He woke up a few hours later, tucked away in his bed. Tea, Joey and Tristan sat around him on the floor, scribbling away in notebooks and reading. Someone ordered pepperoni and sausage pizza while he was out. He could smell its distinct aroma. He nursed his headache by remaining still and keeping his eyes closed.
"Uh, it's like 9PM. Where's...you know?" Joey asked, sounding concerned. "I mean, my pops don't care how late I come back, but like...you know?"
"Dude, don't ask that, man." Tristan groaned.
"Yugi's parents are busy people." Tea spoke with a strained voice.
"Went to get milk and never came back busy or..."
"That is none of your business, is it?" Tea snapped. "So, shut up and work on your homework. Yugi said he had a headache. Let him rest, and be glad he's not kicked us out yet."
Now he was extremely upset. At least he still had his puzzle. The item felt heavy resting against his stomach. 'Wait a minute...! I never said that!'
