Though he didn't have Yugi's personal number, the game shop was easy to look up on his phone with an accompanying number. He sat with the phone in his lap for a solid ten minutes before finally pushing the call button. It was almost 9:00 pm but some game stores stayed open until midnight. After a few rings, the line connected.

"Kame Game Shop." The voice had deepened with age, but the timbre and cadence were the same.

"Yugi, it's Seto Kaiba…." He was cut off before he could continue

"You're not going to ask me to duel you, are you? Yugi asked in a tone that Kaiba could not discern whether or not he was joking.

"I haven't picked up my deck in years," Kaiba responded. "I was actually wondering if I could meet with you sometime in person. I'd like to talk about…" he had to search for the right words. "about something I know you'll understand."

This time there was a pause on the other end of the line before Yugi replied. "Is this a business talk or a personal talk?"

"Both," Kaiba replied honestly, "But more personal. I have some questions and I think you're probably the best person to ask. Listen, can I stop by the shop sometime, go out for a beer or whatever you drink? Just the two of us?"

The shop owner was taken aback by the desperation in the mogul's voice. "Of course, Kaiba. Anytime." He said, trying to sound reassuring.

"How about now?"

"Now?"

"You said any time."

"Right now?"

"Why not? I can be at the shop in half an hour."

"Um…sure," Yugi obliged. "I just closed and I have a little left to finish up before shutting everything down. I'll leave the light on for you."

"I'll be there," Seto confirmed. "And, thank you, Yugi. I need this."

Yugi couldn't remember if Kaiba had ever thanked him before. Whatever he was going through, it must be serious. "Like I said, Kaiba. Seriously, Anytime."

Kaiba put the phone down. Yugi always had a big heard: kind ot a fault, a concept he would never understand, but for the moment, deeply appreciated. He stood and exited the study.

"Butler," he called, "I'm going out. Could you bring my car around?"

"I take it you'll be going without an escort," the butler (ironically named Butler) said, appearing in the foyer. "What will you be driving this evening?"

"The mokubamobile. If it's not already in use." Seto had a menagerie of cars at his disposal, but at times, he preferred to be incognito. To avoid drawing attention, he'd held on to Mokuba's first car, a six-year-old mid-class coupe that would hardly be a target if left in a parking lot unattended. He considered re-painting the exterior to at least make it respectable, but Moki insisted the Mokubamobile remain in it's original "grandmother" white.

Butler fetched the car while another servant brought Kaiba his coat.

"If my brother asks where I am," he instructed as he took the keys from the man-servant, "tell him you don't know."

"Very good, sir," Butler nodded in acknowledgement "Are we at least able to know what time to expect you back?"

"Late," was his only estimation.

The game shop was empty but still well lit. Yugi was standing by the door to let him. He'd matured through the face since high school, his jaw and cheeks having lost their boyish softness. He was still short, and his hair was still unrealistically set atop his heat in the gravity defying spikes that all the Muoto men seemed to have.

"It's good to see you," Yugi greeted him while locking the door. "Make yourself comfortable in the breakroom while I get the lights."

"Sounds good," Kaiba replied making his way to the back rooms. The game-shop's breakroom was almost stereotypical: unkept, appliances and signs posted to not steal food from the fridge. An electric kettle was steaming on the counter next to two teacups. He took the liberty of pouring out the tea and placing the cups on the table. Yugi entered soon afterward to sit opposite him.

"The tea's alright?" he asked before sipping from his own cup.

"Yes," Kaiba replied, "I don't get to sit and enjoy a hot cup of tea much anymore."

The store-keeper shifted in his chair to make himself comfortable. "I take it KaibaCorp is busy as always with the latest and greatest tech."

"All day, every day." Kaiba looked out at the darkened shop, "Sometimes, I think it's be nice to just shut down and cool off for a few days, but we can't afford to turn the lights off ever," he admitted.

"I confess, I was a little shocked to see Mokuba at Tristan and Serenity's wedding with how busy you two always were. I half hope, half expected to see you there on your laptop during the reception."

"I couldn't come," Kaiba explained, "We were gearing up to do some hardware demonstrations that week and I just couldn't' make it." It had been over a year ago, but Seto still had a twinge of regret over not attending. "At least Moki got to go. He was the one Tristan had kept in touch with since school. I don't really keep up with people. I figured you and Tea would get married at some point eventually."

"Oh," Yugi put his cup down. "No, we aren't together."

"I'm sorry," Kaiba apologized, feeling awkward that he'd clearly brought up a touchy subject. "I just assumed. You two were always so close."

"It's fine," Yugi reassured him, "It was Yami she really loved, so when he left, she moved on to someone else."

"Don't tell me. Devlin?" Kaiba squinted in disgust.

"No," Yugi let out a short nervous laugh.

"Bakura?"

"None of us know where Bakura even is."

Kaiba was out of guesses at that point as he didn't recall any other people from school. There was only guess left. "Wheeler?" he half guessed half snorted. The silence that followed confirmed it.

"I thought he was going after that Valentine woman that was way too old for him."

"That was ten years ago. He was a teenager and he figured it out really quickly what she was really after."

"So Wheeler and the cheerleader," Kaiba muttered to himself. "That must have been awkward when you found out."

"It was the hardest day of my life," he admitted, "I had to watch the girl I'd waited years for marry my best friend and I had to stand as the best man and make a toast and wish them well and be happy for them and at the end of the day, I came home and had no one to talk to about it. And now they're gone."

"What do you mean, gone?" Kaiba seemed oddly curious about the welfare of people he used to consider beneath him.

"They moved back to New York so Tea could pursue her dance career. We keep in touch with social media, but its honestly easier than having them nearby and wanting to spend time like nothing happened."

It seemed unfair even to Kaiba who cared little for people that a good-hearted kid like Yugi would end up getting the shortest end of the stick. Losing his dream girl to his alter ego and then to his best friend. Fate seemed cruel indeed.

"So, if you didn't call to duel me, what can I do for you? You're not here to rob my grandpa are you? Unfortunately he's not here." Yugi said it in complete jest, but it was for the effect of moving the subject matter elsewhere.

"I'm not here for your grandpa's cards. Speaking of which, how is the old man?"

"He's doing well. He forgets a lot, but he still remembers people. At least he still knows who I am, even if he does forget he's already told me ALL the same stories over and over. Listen, Kaiba," he looked him square in the eyes, "You don't have to make small talk. Just tell me what's on your mind."

Seto shifted in his seat, trying to find the right words to explain himself. "Your grandpa and your parents spent their lives studying Egypt and the Shadow Games, right?"

"Yes, why?"

"How much did they know about reincarnation?"

Yugi seemed perplexed by the question. "None. At least, nothing from my grandfather's endless stories. I've never had access to any of their documented research."

Kaiba leaned forward in his chair, lowering his voice as if he didn't others to hear. "But I am a reincarnation, like Ishizu. Our souls were reborn to eventually aid and protect you."

"Yami," Yugi corrected.

"Yami," Kaiba grudgingly conceded. "I just don't understand the whole of it. Souls are reborn, but I'm not exactly like Set, so how much of me is me and how much is the priest?

"I don't think that's something so cut-and-dry. You and Priest Set had two entirely different lives and deaths. I suppose you are unique but his soul does influence who you are. Are you having some sort of existential crisis?"

"Yes, and no," Kaiba replied vaguely. The violet eyes of the man sitting across from him squinted in confusion.

"Moki and I just found out that Gozaburo Kaiba had a biological daughter in the US that's just now staking her claim to the Kaiba empire. We met with her this afternoon, and it's Kisara."

It all made sense now Muto let out an 'ah' of realization.

"She's Kisara, but she's also Sabrina Harrison. She's the spitting image of the Egyptian, but Kisara was so shy and sweet and innocent, and Sabrina is a heartless businesswoman. And I don't know what that implies about us. Why is she of all people the daughter of my adoptive father? Someone with whom I would eventually cross paths?" He began running his fingers through his hair nervously, "We were cousins in a past life, Yami and I, and Fate it seems brought us to the same lifetime and same school thousands of years after the fact. Your grandpa, me, Ishizu, Bakura, you as the holder of the pharaoh's soul, all of this was so that the pharaoh could fulfill his destiny. But this? Why would I meet her now? Is this fate too? Are we destined somehow to pick up where we left off or history supposed to repeat itself? Where is my choice in all this? Do I have one? I know how much Set loved Kisara, but I don't particularly find myself attracted to Sabrina, she's too much like Gozaburo. And what about her? Does she have a choice? Does she know who she once was? Do I tell her? Is that even my place?" He took a moment to breathe and finish his tea in order to regain control. "She's proven that she's a legitimate heir to my father's fortune. When all of the legal proceedings are done, she will be a share-holder in the company. I can't avoid her. What do I do?"

"Ummm…well first breath, man," Yugi said as he scrambled to think of an answer. "I don't know what to say. IF she really is Kisara, then it's no accident you tow were brought together again. Perhaps this is the beginning of a new story for you. One where you're the hero."

The business mogul frowned at this speculation. "And do what? Rescue the princess from the duel tower and slay some ancient Egyptian Dragon that's lain dormant for thousands of years until the prophecy is fulfilled? I'm not a white knight that battles the forces of evil type. That's more your scene."

"I'm not saying it's some larger than life thing like mine was, but you have to be willing to step up if the occasion calls for it."

"I don't want to be pushed into something I'm not," Kaiba protested.

"Were you pushed into anything when we were in Egypt ten years ago?" Yugi asked.

"No," Kaiba admitted.

"What about Battle City? Every choice was your own?"

"Yes."

"In fact, I recall you defying Ishizu's vision to beat her in the quarter finals. You threw her future back in her face."

A smirk danced at the corner of Kaiba's lips. He remembered that moment as one of his finest and could not suppress the feeling of satisfaction.

"You see?" Yugi continued. "Having a destiny doesn't mean you have no choice at all. It's like a card game; you might not get to choose your hand, but you can choose how to play your cards: something you've always been good at.

Kaiba sighed deeply. It was enough of a relief to share all of his thoughts in confidence, but his old rival had given him sound advice. "Again, Yugi, thank you. I needed to get this all out." He stood, stretching and looking for a place to put his cup.

"It's quite all right," Yugi extended his hand offering to take the cup, "Just out of curiosity, how did you react when you met her? Was she as beautiful as Kisara was?"

"It was a shock at first, but then it was like an ache," explaided Seto, "I knew she wasn't who I remembered, but the Set in me was yearning for what he perceived as Kisara. It was almost sad. I had to put on a façade so Mokuba wouldn't notice anything weird."

"Mokuba doesn't know?"

"I never told him about what happened in Egypt. No past lives or reliving memories. I came home and told him we won and that the pharaoh returned to his time. He know nothing else, not even about the part Bakura played."

"Perhaps you should tell him?"

"I'm going to have to at some point. I think he'll take it well. Its' not any more insane than anything else he's been through." As he spoke, his phone lit up with a text from Mokuba. "Speak of the devil." Seto removed his phone and read as Yugi put the tea cups in the dishwasher.

WHERE ARE YOU?! HAVE TO HAMMER OUR LEGAL SITUATION WITH SIS.

Seto typed in a response.

HAD TO GO BACK TO THE OFFICE. ALMOST DONE. BE HOME SOON.

"Business day never ends?" Yugi asked dryly.

"Sadly, today still isn't over yet," Kaiba responded as he returned his phone to his pocket. "I need to get back home."

The pair of them exited the building together, making small talk about current events and the cold weather. When they reached the door, they clasped hands in a hardy handshake, promising not to wait too long to visit again, though they both knew Kaiba would get too busy. Something drastic would have to come up again.