[FIVE] ["UNEXPECTED DELIVERIES pt. 1"]

It seems polite to ask this simple question: What kind of story are you looking for? Is it the kind with a fierce and fiery OC who's strong-willed? One that's not afraid to kick annoying [4filter] like Weevil Underwood in his family jewels and make Seto Kaiba's poker face shatter? One that's somehow innocent despite God's blessed her in both the front and the back. Perhaps an OC that's sweet when she falls in love with a mysterious and unnamed Pharaoh from thousands of years ago, who'll stroke her gently after they've done the Devil's Tango.

Or maybe a story with a shy OC who's courage is drawn out by the mysterious Pharaoh's gruff personality. Maybe she's got a dark side. Maybe she doesn't. But she's probably, definitely, someone from ancient Egypt who reincarnated into modern day. Who'll feel like a new and braver woman once this Pharaoh has courted her into Satan's Mumbo. Only to lose those feeling of confidence when Yugi also confesses his love to her and creates an elaborate, unnecessary love triangle. And - Oh! - the tragedy that she only sees him as a brother, now caught between the two boys she loves so dearly, causing them to feud.

What kind of story are you looking for?

This is a question I politely ask so I can answer it, of course. Which I'll do with one simple, loving, phrase: That's too damn bad.

That's not the story you're getting.

There will no mumboing or tangoing, with the Devil or otherwise. EVER. I promise. This story is rated T for "Teen," not M for "My God What a Weeb." We have no Badass Wifues or Sexy Underlings for your viewing pleasure. There are no Lady Macbeths or Manic Pixie Dream Girls, Adorable Clutzs or Mamma Bears, currently in stock. The Vanilla Action Girls and Real Dolls were mysteriously misplaced when Steve from Accounting received his pink slip. And we still mourn the loss of our Damsel in Distress when she was kidnapped last week.

All we have for you is Amy. A teenager, with bangs so long they have to be separated into clumps to see through, who can't seem to figure out how to line up the buttons on her shirt. Stubborn ol` Amy Merced, with her big mouth and even larger foot to insert in it. Amy - the myth, the legend, the Revisionizer, and the newly appointed Beautification Member.

"Hail Amy 'Clean Up Person' Merced. Last week The Revisionizer, this week a janitor." Joey grinned, his messy blond hair bobbing, "How the mighty have fallen."

Half erased, the chalkboard at the front of the class stood with foreign words and their pronunciations. The other half was being rapidly copied down by Tristan and Ryo. Amy stood next to the board, arms folded across her white dress shirt. She sneered at Joey's comment, picked up the second eraser, and banged the two in his face.

Thus came to life a vengeful, misty white cloud of dust. The blond to cough so hard he nearly fell off the desk. "You've been using the same one-liner for days. At least have the creativity to think up a better one, Dogbreath. Are you two done yet?"

"A-almost." Ryo muttered, shooting Amy an apologetic glance.

"You guys should have taken the notes in class," Téa interjected, wagging the Lecture Finger like it was no one's business.

Sitting in the classroom after school had become a regular ritual for the group. Since Chono appointed Amy the sole Beautification Member in 2-B, they no longer had the time to sneak off to Burger World. So they hung out at the school instead, which one would think was a touching gesture of friendship. Amy almost could have, maybe, been touched, until she noticed the note-taking skills of her cohorts had become suspiciously laxed. Joey was usually the biggest offender, but today he couldn't seem to sit still long enough.

While the others worked, Yugi looked out the window. Knees on the chair, the boy leaned into the glass, eyes fixed on that glorious gate that leads from academia to the real world. He too was eager to get out of here. For a good reason. Today was the day of the Duel Monsters Regional Championship. Based on the sun's creep towards the horizon, it was going to start sooner rather than later.

"I know… But to be honest, sometimes I have trouble keeping up. The teacher has such a thick accent when he talks." Ryo said, in his inappropriate British accent. The albino closed his notebook and starting packing. He gave Amy a small bow, causing her to flinch, "Thanks, I'm sorry I held you up."

It was then that Ryo came to a realization that his friends remained glued to their desks. "Are you guys also heading out?" with a glance back at the board in fear he had missed something.

Practically kicking Tristan's desk, Joey grumbled, "Once brainiac over here is done. We're hanging out tonight to watch the duels! Wanna join? You can take Amy's spot because she'll be too busy Beautifying." Bakura waved an apology, insisting he had other plans and dashed out of the classrooms.

Then there were five, Yugi clicking the chair's uneven legs back and forth. "Come on!" Amy rebutted, ready to take the erasers to Tristan's face. "At this rate, I'm going to be here all night. What is the malfunction? I before E, Meathead, except after C - unless sounding in A as in neighbor and weigh. Now finish up, dammit, before I kick you in the A."

This only got her shooed away, "Give me a sec, I'm almost done. Geez, dude. If you're so eager, why don't you wash the floor first?"

"Because, dude, all the chalk dust will make me have to rewash the floor. You've done this before, haven't you," she said through an eyeroll.

"I'm the king of Beautification if you must know."

"You sure don't act like it," Téa interjected. Amy thrust her arms out at the busty brunette's direction as if to say 'see.'

Finally, Tristan slammed his book closed, and Yugi nearly leaped out of his chair. "Fine. I'll just copy the rest off of Téa's notes. You guys make it seem like we're going to miss something important. It's not like soccer; there's no pre-game show."

Joey also bounced off the desk. His fist pounded hard into the air, "Awright! Let's head to Yugs!" Using his height as a powerful weapon, he placed a hand on Amy's grumpy head. There was a hilariously significant difference between them, "It's alright, Short Stuff. We'll save a spot for you in case you get done in time."

She merely blinked at first, processing what this was. It wasn't the hand that bothered her, patting her head like a kid, but the phrase 'Short Stuff.' And of course, Joey Wheeler knew just what he had done, because the moment he saw a dangerous flick in her eyes, he bolted from the class. She immediately threw the classroom window open, leaned her torso out, and yelled, "Screw you, Dogsbreath! I wasn't planning on going to your stupid party anyways!" the moment Joey appeared outside. All with a beautiful flip of the good ol' bird.

Téa and Tristan existed the room as Amy contemplated throwing the eraser out the window at Joey's head until she saw Yugi fiddling with his chair and his friend's chairs. So, she put the weapons down and rolled her eyes instead. "Just go, Sport, I've got to move them to wash the floor anyways." Amy practically pushed him out the door.

"We could help you out a little… maybe get it done faster."

"That's a bluff, and we both know it. Get outta here. You've been eyeballing the outside like a sad baby panda all afternoon."

Yugi adjusted his bag with a nod and wave, now freed of his conscience. "See you tonight?"

"Wouldn't bet on it."

Then there was one. All that remained was Amy and a sense of melancholy that engulfed the corners like shadows. As soon as Yugi pulled the door closed, any last semblance of color drained from the classroom. The room now spoke in hushed tones, no loud blondes, and dry brunes to bring it to life. So she took erasers to the chalkboard and watched sprinkles of dust fall float to the ground.

Raise your hand if you're old enough to remember that scene: the pointless battle that is erasing a chalkboard. What chalk doesn't dust infect the air remains stubbornly on the board itself, merely spreads across the surface. Not a single moment of actual cleaning. Keep those hands raised if you're flashing back to the darker days of the classic mop and bucket. Boy - do not get me started on mops.

At this point, Amy was plenty used to swirling the mop around in dirty water. Day one she was determined to empty and refill the bucket with clean water and fresh solution even couple of minutes. After much time and effort the floor had finally lightened up a whole other shade, and Amy finished the proudly. Then the 2-B baboons came charging in and mucked it all up again, without even a passing glance at her handiwork. Days two, three, four, and five didn't receive the same love and care.

Melancholy remained her companion as she lifted all the chairs to the desk and swept around them. Boredom eagerly joined the pair, accompanied by an overplayed J-Pop song she started to hum. Man J-Pop is dumb, but at least it brings some light to the room, she thought, hoping to justify the way she bobbed her head to the beat. God I need something, anything to happen. Entertain me universe. Summon a Kaiju, hurled a comet towards earth, make the school a subzero battleground for a superhero comic. I don't care.

Only when she finished closing the supply closet, was her wish granted. It wasn't in the form of a Kaiju or a Superhero in spandex. Instead, it was another student who passed the classroom. She caught just a glance of him, his brown hair and hard blue eyes. He wasn't in uniform either, but Amy didn't need a uniform to know he was a student here. Poking her head out behind him, she had to blink to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks. "Well, I'll be damned. If it isn't Seto Kaiba?" She locked the door and started to follow him. "I guess the Cho-Nator wasn't lying - you really do exist. What do we owe the pleasure of your company today?"

A comment that was wholly unreceived. Kaiba didn't even hesitate in his steps, focused solely on his destination as if he hadn't heard her. Which, of course, pinched at her nerves. "Hello? I'm trying to talk to you. I know I was being an [4filter], but ignoring me is making you a bigger one, Rich Boy."

Now that got his attention. "Don't tell me you're friends with that mutt."

"You don't need to be friends with Wheeler to hear him call you Rich Boy. It's like his battle cry."

"What do you want?"

Geez, what a bright, cheery guy.

"Isn't Duel Monsters kind of your millionaire quirk? So you can't be at school during school hours, but you come around when there's a tournament on television. That seems a bit backward, don't ya think." she muttered.

If Kaiba was insulted by the question, he certainly didn't show it. "Please. I have no interest in wasting my time watching monkeys throw cards at each other. The regionals are just a display of amateurs pretending to stumble into the big leagues."

I play 'Amy Merced' in defensive mode and end my turn. "There's a term for that, ya` know. It's called scouting new potential." It wasn't that she liked the event, but what she disliked Kaiba's arrogance more. God, it wasn't even the fun kind of arrogance. He could at least brag and monologue a little. At least then he looked like a complete [4filter] instead of half a one. Then her annoyance would be justified. "If you're so much better than them why didn't you enter the tournament, [4filter]. It's deciding the Number One Duelist in the country. Afraid every one night know you're a real boy if you show some semblance of emotion on tv?"

The pair reached the door to the Faculty Room, accompanied only by their increasing scowls. Well, Amy's increasing scowl. Apparently, Rich Boy couldn't bother to be offended by her insult. Even that would have been a waste of his precious time. "Becoming the top duelist in the country would be a downgrade. I've got more important things to do than take part in Amature Hour." He opened the door and stepped through. There, for the first time, over his shoulder, did he finally show any sign of humanity. A smug, condescending, glance followed by, "You should have joined the Regionals, Merced, it seems right up your alley."

He slid the door closed, leaving her mouth agape. For a few precious seconds, there were no words. Then they came, the shouting, stomping, tantrum, "You didn't even see my duel with Chono! How would you know?!"

She stood in stunned silence, fixated on the door. All the while unsure of whether to be angry or not. I mean, he's not wrong, she thought. But still, what an [4filter]! Sure her skills weren't winning her any prizes. And, sure, she had kind of asked for it, trying to talk to a guy who really didn't want to be talked to. And sure she was rude about it. But rude was the one card she had to play, what was his excuse?

Finally feeling the heat in her ears, Amy swung the door open. Chest filled with hot air, armed with nothing but her will and a witty retort, she slammed into Faculty Room, set her feet shoulder length apart, and inhaled for battle.

Then she saw Kaiba on the other side, marching towards the exist and deflated. A white package under his arm. The Vice Principal sat at his desk with a dab or two at his sweaty temple, unable to even crack a fake smile under the weight of Kaiba's crushing indifference. In fact, the poor old man seemed positively pale.

"...hat this is a school, not a post office. Next time, have any deliveries sent to your personal residen - " he said, desperately trying to get the sentence out before Kaiba rounded the corner. Too late, Rich Boy and his mysterious box were gone. The Vice Principal could merely sigh in defeat, drained of all fight.

He tried to recompose, taking in a haggard breath, crawling into his hands. A moment of groaning before he even saw Amy uncomfortably frozen by the entrance. "Ah… Ms Merced…" Vice Principal breathed wearily, "You're here as well. Very… good."

"What was that about?"

"It seems someone left a package with us addressed to Mr. Kaiba. Delivering it seemed like a rather urgent matter, so I called him here. That may have been a mistake." He finally stopped dabbing his face long enough to let loose that fake grin, "But never mind that. It appears something was dropped off for you as well."

The old man fumbled for a bit, reaching underneath his desk. Amy almost felt sorry for the guy. He seemed way too old to be dealing with a seductive power hungry succubus, rich snobs, and a student revolution. Finally, he rose, a backpack in hand.

This produced a plethora of questions, the most prominent one being, "H-eh?"

"In the future, try to refrain from forgetting your school things. I understand that you're in a unique situation, but being prepared for your classes is truly a must if you wish to succeed here. I can't imagine what you've been doing in class all day without your textbooks, or why it wasn't reported to me sooner that you were without them. Borrowing texts and notes from other students will disturb their learning, understand?" Amy glanced down blankly at the handles of the backpack. Not knowing what else to do, she awkwardly bowed in apology, the unfamiliar bag swung loosely over her shoulder.

Oh, I do not have a good feeling about this.

Exiting the Faculty Room, Amy swept her way towards the Advisor Room, her cheeks and lips lacking their usual palette. Her head buzzing too much even to take a breath. She flipped the lights, a dizzy skip in her step and illuminating the lifeless tables and chairs. So different than when she and Chono had discussed the rule petition a short time ago. Had it always been so glum? Her fuzzy brain couldn't recall.

After locking the door, Amy finally unzipped the backpack and sprawled its contents out on the table. The bag itself was new, not a rip or tear in the seams, no scratches on the side, no dirt wore into the fabrics. Carrying around the old school case felt like hauling a briefcase everywhere. She used to have to hold it over her shoulder to walk comfortably with its square frame and short strap. This should have been a welcome change - but what was this?

The contents were hers. Both textbooks had the same chapter summary pages dog-eared that she did every class. There was history notebook with her handwriting and even her 80 point science quiz with the name . A few posters rolled on the floor, the worlds RULE REVISION peeking out from underneath layers of graffiti. Amy remained breathless.

Digging into the bag one last time, she pulled out a pink blazer, neatly folded into a nearly flawless shape.

Frozen, hovering over the untamed mess, Amy took in the scene. After what felt like several, long agonizing minutes, she took in a deep breath, ran her hands over her face, and between exhales muttered, "[4filter]."

Her attention honed on the blazer. Tristan's shoe mark could still be seen, if only faintly, along the edges of the fold. Just like when he handed it to her behind the dumpster. Amy pinched the bridge of her nose, now leaning over the table for support. "When I went back for my things the next morning, they were gone. Son of a -" She reached out, lifted the blazer by its collar and into the air to get a good look.

Something hit the ground when she did. It wasn't that the cloth was folded into a perfect rectangle, rather it had been covering a perfect rectangle. A VHS tape. She leaned down for, fingers picking at the lip of the tape.

"Great. No. Really. [4filter] great. Just what I [4filter] needed. A prize inside."

She glanced at the fat, clunky television mounted on the wall. "Well, Amy, what have you got to lose? Might as well go for it."

In any other situation, it would have been positively hysterical to see Amy on her toes, reaching up to the TV, trying to insert the tape into the VHS player. Relying on nothing but the touch of her fat little fingers. But the way the television fan hummed and the picture flickered on sobered up the mood right away.

A man appeared on the screen. Shot from the collar up, his face took up a good chunk of the picture. Well, not his face, so much as his hair. Long, flowing locks of silver exploded around the screen. Underneath were bits of what seemed to be a red suit. Only one of his eyes was visible, a brown orb looking intently into the camera as if he were looking into the room instead. Whatever he was looking at, it apparently amused him. The other eye remained safely hidden from view.

He was smiling when he said, "Greetings Amy Merced! I wanted to extend to you this very warm welcome. How are you doing? Hm?"

Amy groaned. The man in the video smiled even brighter. "Do you like the backpack? It's a brand from overseas! It looked like you needed a new one, so I was more than happy to help."

For a moment, a glint of light appeared on screen. When the man moved his head slightly, to place his chin on his hand, the hair covering his face shifted. Those few precious seconds revealed the hint of something gold beneath. "Don't worry, Amy-Dear, I won't take up too much of your time - I simply wanted to make sure you saw my new exhibit. It opens the day after next. You've heard of it, yes?"

There it was again. She tensed at the sight of the man tilting his head as if he was a pretty girl playing koi. Her jaw clicked into place, too tight to unleash any form of backlash to the comment. The picture glinted for another second before it was gone again. If she blinked at the wrong time, she would have missed it.

"Of course you have," he continued, "Relax, I'm only teasing~! You're so uptight for such a young girl, you know scowling so much will ruin your face."

She flinched, bringing her fingers to her mouth. Maybe out embarrassment. Maybe out of insecurity. Regardless of the reason Amy hid it, the fact remained that the man was right. She had been scowling.

"Consider this a personal invitation from me. I think you'll find the subject matter very interesting, maybe even a little exciting! The moment I laid eyes on it, I thought of you, my dear. That's why you should drop by, have a little fun, maybe bring a friend."

He gasped. It was a fake gasp, and Amy could feel her lips twitch at it. Throwing his pointer up, he perked as if he'd just remembered something. "Speaking of friends, you've made some interesting ones, haven't you? Like that Yugi-Boy. I've sent him a tape too, you know, to figure out what's quite so interesting about him. I wonder if it's there yet? I'm eager to put him to the test."

Then, with a wave of the hand, he pushed off the subject like a passing thought. "I'm so sorry, Amy-Dear, it's rude of me to talk about things you don't care for," and added, "Anyways! Exhibit. Invitation! I won't be there personally, but I'm sure you'll have a blast. Ta-ta."

The tape went dark, leaving behind a lonesome blue screen. After one, two mechanical clicks, the word REWIND appear on the monitor. Amy remained, perfectly still. She leaned on the table with one hand, the other still covering her mouth. For a long moment, nothing happened. The VHS Player wheezed as it rewound the tape. Only when STOP flashed on the screen, and the device quieted down, did she finally bite her bottom lip and utter the word, "Dammit."

"Good evenin` Duel fans and our ten million viewers at home! Welcome back to the Duel Monsters Duel Dome, where tonight, the Duel Monsters Regional Championship will finally be decided." The announcer on the television burst loudly.

"Do you think this really has ten million viewers right now?" Tristan mumbled, elbows propped on his knees. It was the only way to sit comfortably on the ottoman for someone as lanky as him. These seats were made for Mutos with short legs, not the broad backed Taylors.

A smell of cozy scented candle filled the air, creating the allure of rustic backwoods. Yugi's living room was set up in a quiet little corner house. Just beyond lived the dining room table, where Ms. Muto was piling the last of the dishes onto her arms. She opened the kitchen door with a thrust of her hip, and the smell of curry leaked in, mixing with the fresh forest and fighting for dominance.

The television featured a stadium, packed with people from all over the country. Many of them were waving their arms, some jumping out of their seats. All prepared for the final duel. The duelists in Yugi's living room were no less excited, but instead of sitting in uncomfortable stadium seats, they took up the sofa set.

"Honestly, I wouldn't doubt it," Téa said, "dueling is the in thing right now. Everyone in the country must be watching."

"Yeah, but still, ten million?"

Yugi sat on the end of the couch, leaning as far forward as he could without falling off. His feet still hovered a few inches off the floor, despite sitting as close to the edge as possible. "It's kind of cool, don't you think? Like we're a part of something so much bigger than us."

"For those of you just arriving, let me get you up to speed." the announcer continued without hesitation, "we just finished the semifinals, and have narrowed down the best of the best. Now our two finalists will face off to see who will be crowned the champion." God, did this guy even breath? At the speed he was talking you'd think he was an auctioneer.

"You know them, you love them, but let's reintroduce them as not just competitors - but champions!" The screen honed in on the side of the arena, opening up a panel and swinging out a dueling podium. On it a fifteen-year-old rocking last season's ugly green trench coat. A close up further revealed an ugly pair of coke bottle glasses, an unironic bowtie, and a smile lacking any modesty. All underneath a patch of turquoise, I'm not joking, turquoise hair that was cut to look like a beetle. The audience cheered as the duelist's name was announced, "Our first competitor the Bug Brawler, Weevil Underwood!"

"And his opponent, the number-one-ranked Dino Duelist, Rex Raptor." Unlike Weevil, Rex's appearance seemed rather plain. Ordinary even. His beanie wasn't in the shape of a dinosaur (thank god), and his clothes didn't have anything on it remotely resembling the extinct beasts. If not for the purple wisps of bangs in his face, Rex would have appeared reasonably normal.

To Joey, this was a competition of no contest, "Bug-Boy verses Dinosaur-Breath? What kind of match is that? That shoulda' been me in there."

Considering Joey Wheeler had yet to win any duel in the history of ever, his friends could only let out a smile. "I know you're training hard, but those guys are in another league. You're just not ready yet." Téa interjected, being the kindly cheerleader that she was, "It'll be your turn soon, okay Joey?"

This encouragement was met with no response. The blond just sat there, arms folded and eyes closed. Tristan leaned back and gave him a nudge, causing Joey to begin falling over until he snorted awake.

This time they laughed at Joey, not with him. "And on top of that," Yugi added, "You're so tired you can't keep your eyes open. I think grandpa's lessons have been a bit too tough for him." Tough. That was an understatement if I'd ever there was one. From an hour of learning how to properly shuffle a deck, to days of memorizing the effects of various spell and trap cards, the lessons hadn't been so much tough as they were inhuman.

Leaning on the door to swing it open, Grandpa Muto lumbered inside. If not for its cliche nature, there's an idiom that could be used here. "Speak of the devil," which means that the subject of a conversation has suddenly appeared. And while that's true, what's even appropriate is that Solomon Muto - the hardass, possibly sadistic, definitely brutal Duel Monsters Coach - is figuratively the devil in both the saying and this conversation. None of the teens gathered around the television seemed to notice that when they spoke of the devil, he did appear, holding a white box.

Embarrassment crept up the blonde's face, but he held strong in the face of adversity, "No way! I ain't sleeping. I'm focusing." He closed his eyes again, this time holding his head high. If not for the subtle wheeze, one might think Joey really was honing his inner monk and focusing his fighting spirit. Lucky, the group knew better.

"I would hope you're focusing, Joseph. That's one skill of yours that could certainly use practice." Grandpa interjected. The blond shot up from his spot like a frightened cat.

"G-Gramps! I didn't see you there!" he cracked a guilty smile. Tristan chuckled and continued to do so even after the glare sent his way.

"You'll need that focus for our lesson after the championship finishes."

"W-Wha? You mean we're not done?"

"Not by a longshot, you slacker."

Yugi had his eyes focused on the screen, barely listening to his friend and grandfather. Though they were right next to him, the moment Yugi heard one of Weevil's monsters getting destroyed everyone else faded far away. Like tunnel vision, all Yugi could do was focus on the screen.

Despite Rex's powerhouse Dinosaur monsters, which often came as strong, bulky creatures, there was something he lacked. Strategizing. Rex Raptor too often only saw his strategies, failing to hone in on the opponent's aces. Meanwhile, this was something Weevil Underwood excelled in. With an army of often weak bugs, he had to.

Hardly blinking, Yugi pushed most of his weight on his arms in anticipation. He had a feeling who was going to come out victorious. Even when Rex summoned his strong 'Two-Headed King Rex' (1600/1200), that gut feeling didn't waver. Everything went quiet, save for the announcer blaring on the television. Weevil could only muster up his tiny 'Basic Insect' (500/700) - an ant as green as Weevil's coat - as a counter.

Looking back and forth between Yugi and the television, Téa crossed her legs, "Well that's it, isn't it Yugi? That's a pretty big point gap."

"The place'll be covered in bug guts." Joey leaned back in his seat with a yawn.

Yugi shrugged. Never did his focused eyes waver from the screen.

"...You don't seem convinced." the female looked at her friend's expression, from his scrunched nose to his frown lines.

"I wouldn't underestimate Weevil... he probably has a trap."

Sure enough, he did. He always does. The moment 'King Rex' attacked, Weevil's calculated trump activated.

...Alright, "calculated" is definitely not the right word. It's more like his "blunt and obvious" trap card. Rest assured, if Amy were here she'd point out how moronic Rex was to even think for a second that Weevil would just drop a weak, defenseless bug in attack mode. In the Regional Championship no less. The finals of said Championship.

With 'Two-Headed King Rex' trapped, Weevil attached an equip spell to his bug. A cannon adorned with spikes appeared around 'Basic Insect,' wrapping itself around the little ant's body. After a few moments it, and Weevil, fired gleefully at the dinosaur.

Rex slammed his fist on the Duel Ring as his life points dropped to 0. He couldn't believe what had happened. Neither could Joey, apparently, seeing as his eyes were bugging out of his head (Get it? Ehhhh?). "Man! 'King Rex' squashed by an insect? There's no way!"

With the match ended, both players descended the Duel Ring. And in the living room, everyone could finally descend back onto the sofas. In retrospect, one could say that they were way too into the program. Edging off of their seats, holding their breaths until the final moments. All for the outcome of a children's card game that would in no way affect their personal lives. I now fire those shots back at you, sports fans.

"And now, a very special honor for our new champion," the announcer proclaimed. Weevil walked across the stage as fans cheered his name. They were met with one, two particularly arrogant waves. The cheers only got louder when a tall man rose up from below the field. First, his head, revealing long silver hair, then a suit as crimson as blood, accented with extra ruffles in case you couldn't tell how extra he was. More prominent than that was the prize resting in his hands. "Here to present the Duel Monsters Championship Trophy: the creator of Duel Monsters and president of Industrial Illusions. Ladies, gentlemen, and fellow Duelists, I give you Mister Maximillion Pegasus!"

"Congratulation." Pegasus's voice was confident and flamboyant, one word was all it took for Weevil to turn beet red. "And as Regional Champion, I invited you to compete in a bold new tournament I'm hosting," Pegasus turned from Weevil and to the crowd as if to announce to the world his intentions, "at Duelist Kingdom!"

Duelist Kingdom. Was words, filled with grandeur. No one had been expecting another tournament so soon, nevermind one held by someone of such stature in the Duel Monsters world. There was a new, fresh buzz among the audience. Weevils fifteen minutes of fame evaporated under this news. Not that he and his turquoise hair seemed to mind, too busy being stunted by bliss, expression full of stars.

The scene from the television reflected in Yugi's wide eyes as he blinked. The thread connecting him to reality reeled back. "Wow... I bet it's going to be incredible if Industrial Illusions is hosting it."

"Probably really extravagant." Téa added.

Tristan was the only member of the group to groan, "Doesn't this game ever take an off season?"

"I bet you and I could rock that competition, Yug."

As soon as he said that, Joey knew he'd make a mistake. Intensity flamed up from behind him, and the blond turned rigidly to meet it in the eye. What he saw was Grandpa's fierce fires of passion, "Oh no you don't, Joseph! If you want to join a tournament that high scale, we'll need to upgrade our lessons. Do you think you can handle it?"

Mercy. God have mercy on his poor soul. Too late to take it back, Joey desperately looked around the room for anything that could save him from the inevitable. "H-Hey! B-But!" Finally, his attention landed on the package, which was still sitting snug under Grandpa's arm. "The box! What's in the box, Gramps?"

"Oh, right." Just like that, the fires flickered off. His inner duelist was gone, replaced by the Solomon's more modest grandfatherly side, "in all the excitement I nearly forgot. This was left for you, Yugi."

"For me?"

"Don't keep up on suspense, open it pal!"

There was a green stripe on the side of the box, liked you'd see on an express package. Strong tape lines the edges, which Téa immediately conquered by taking out her sewing scissors. Further inspection revealed a packing label, no personal name in the sender's label. Rather, two words. Industrial Illusions. This was met with an understanding pause.

Yugi's disbelief was shared by his grandfather, as he cautiously put it on the floor. "Why would the Duel Monsters company be sending something to me?"

"What if it's something for Duelist Kingdom? I bet you got invited!" Joey's imagination knew no bounds.

Neither did Téa's puzzlement, "That doesn't make much sense. You're definitely the best duelist around, but how would they know that?"

The center of his stomach churned to the side. Yugi could feel his palms getting sweaty, fixated on a single thought. And, of course, this was represented by his sucking his lips in, "I don't really want to enter a competition…"

But the others urged him to open, noting that Joey was stupid and crazy, so Yugi did. One by one he unpacked the contents and placed them on the coffee table centering the furniture. There was a glove of some sort, satin, red, and fingerless. While that's horrible out of style, it wasn't the strangest part. Attached to the bottom glove was a thick metal cuff, unsurprisingly hefty, with a cluster of star-shaped hole lining the circumference.

Didn't take a rocket scientist (or even a Joey) to figure out what went into those holes. Placed next to the glove were two tiny metal stars, gold ones lovingly crafted as if they rare valuables. Tristan was the first to pop them into the glove, then with the help of his fingernails dig them out. It was a perfect fit. He shrugged at his friends.

Finally, and the top sat a lone video tape.

Yugi reached out for the tape and heald it up to the light, desperate for a label. "I guess this will tell us what's going on." The VHS player ungratefully hissed as it devoured the video.

First, there was static. The VHS counter ticked up the seconds; eventually, a face faded into view. No one was ready for that face. Maybe they were ready for an advertisement, a promotion, or maybe even the profile of some low-level intern to explain this. But Maximillion Pegasus himself? It seemed unreal.

Even more unreal when Pegasus began to talk. "Greetings, little Yugi." He introduced himself, though it was wholly unnecessary. "I'm sure this must seem strange to you, but I assure you, you are as equally strange to me as I you.

"You see, I've heard there are some rather interesting things about you, and I just had to sort them out for myself. Rumors are nasty things to take at face value. Your grandfather is a former archaeologist, was he not?"

Everyone was thrown off by this, Yugi most of all, "How could he know that."

"Calm down, Yugi," Grandpa was surprisingly calm about this, although his face was hard, "I've worked closely with Domino University before. I'm sure they've got plenty of records with me listed."

Pegasus waited a moment, before clapping his hands gleefully, "Should I take that as a yes? Splendid! I was worried for a moment I really did have the wrong household! Boy, would that have been awkward."

"D-did the tape just talk back to you?" Joey said, only to have Téa wave the Lecture Finger around for a few moments and have Tristan groan.

"Don't be stupid, that's impossible."

"She's right, dude."

"Be quiet you three," Grandpa barked. They all closed their yappers.

Pegasus continued, "I've also heard that you're quite skilled at Duel Monsters. Good enough to beat the world champion if need be! What do you say we put that to the test, hm?"

"To the… test?"

"Right here, right now. We duel for a strict fifteen-minute time limit, and the player with the most life points at the end wins."

The Lecture Finger went right down and Tristan sucked in his groan. Then nearly coughed it back out, "He wants you to duel against a videotape."

"Who's crazy now, ya jerk?"

Téa whispered, "It's… impossible…"

And Pegasus laughed at that. He laughed at it all, actually. The confused expressions, the melted confidences, the bickering, the gasps in disbelief. It was all really funny. Made even funnier by the growing discomfort created by his laughter. "It's not impossible, dear girl…"

The temperature in the room shifted, leaking out a cold draft. The table, curtains, sofas, everything darkened, as if they were turned to stone and suddenly faded away. Next were the wall and carpet, rotting away all the life in their colors. Everything was consumed by this black, including Yugi and his friends, and all they could hear as it grasped around them was the laughter, "It's magic!"

The chill was nearly unbearable. Black slowly faded to purple, and the stretch of darkness began no longer looking like unformed shadows. Rather, it faded into a smog of clouds. Those clouds created a thick wall, like early morning fog, preventing the world outside from getting in. Preventing those inside from getting out.

With it a feeling of voiceless isolation. A heavy weight of dread. No longer did the room smell like a fresh rustic forest and spicy curry. Bright splashes of furniture had disappeared entirely. All warmth from the Muto home seemed to be devoured. The once tender atmosphere, wholesome as a mother rocking a bab with a lullaby, now was as tense and constricting like metal chains.

At best, this place was uncomfortable. At worst painfully crippling. Yugi could feel it overtake his body. He slumped his way to the ground, unable to move even the smallest bone. Although that was just as well, his vision spun so rapidly nausea wasn't far behind. Trying to move anything would have resulted in an explosion of inners.

Yugi closed his eyes, hoping to identify this unknown pressure. His heart, his spirit, had shrunken, with the wave of nausea came lethargy. That much he could tell. But why? Where had it come from? Finally, the boy felt his tiny hand twitch, which he used to place over his mouth in fear of spew. After a few moment moments, feeling returned to his other arm, then spread down his body. The spinning finally stopped, and Yugi was able to breathe, blinking through this haze.

He pushed himself up from the ground with a struggle, fighting not to be pushed down again, and crawled over to his friends. They seemed so distant, with every move forward were pulled twice as far. With much effort, Yugi finally caught up to them. Joey first. The blonde sat straight up, face still in surprise. Never changing from surprise. In fact, no part of him moved, not his arms up in the air, not his eyes, not his legs. Yugi reached up, trying desperately to shake him. Nothing changed.

He had just as much luck with Tristan, who looked as if he was stuck in the process of getting up from the ottoman. Yugi called for his grandfather, only to be greeted with the same stony expression. He got off his knees, marching with unsteady lead feet towards Téa. "Please… please move…! Come on, Téa, what's going on? What happened to you…? Téa… please answer me...!" He grabbed onto her arm as hard as he could. Her body refused to budge. Giving one, hard desperate pull, Yugi hands slid off her arms and was thrown back onto the ground. He hit the ground, glued to her empty, lifeless eyes.

Yugi rolled onto his knees as fast as he could muster, desperate to break away from her gaze. Something brewed in his chest. A knot. A knot that was being pulled at, made tighter by the second. Yugi clenched his jaw as hard as he could and looked back up. But this time, not at his friends. Rather at only other person who didn't seem to be affected by this. "Pegasus! What… What have you done to them?!" There was no panic on Pegasus's face; there were no horror or wonder. If there was any way to describe Pegasus's face, as he watched Yugi hobble grovel at the husks, it would be a strange, nearly unrecognizable pity.

"I told you," he replied, "magic. There's nothing wrong with your friends; the problem is us. I've taken us to a different world, one just for you and me, Yugi-Boy. You could call it a realm. A Shadow Realm even. A little tacky, I know, but the name grows on you after a while."

The statement was hilariously preposterous. Yet somehow… Yugi knew the that his unbalanced equilibrium was real. The goosebumps on his arms from the cold were real. The way his stomach had lurched was utterly, undoubtedly, real. "Bring… bring us back! Change my friends back to normal. Please!" Yugi tried to bark between his clenched teeth, not as hard or commanding as intended. It came out as a desperate squeak.

"In time, dear boy. But before that, you and I have a game to play, remember?"

That was a joke, right? For god sakes, someone laugh! This was no time for games. They needed to be away from this… whatever this was... right [4filter] now. Yugi opened his mouth to argue, but nothing came. One look at Pegasus's eye had the boy shrinking back. This was Pegasus's did this. Pegasus brought them here. He wouldn't bring them back until he had his way. Yugi swallowed. "You promise you'll bring us back if we do?"

"On my word."

Yugi closed his eyes, "Fine then," took in a haggard breath, "I guess," and rose back up to his feet, "it's time to duel." Then, the moment those words left his lips, Yugi Muto's step faltered. The chill disappeared from his sense, and in its place, a hazy danced over his vision. With it came a new darkness, somehow deeper than the Shadow Realm around him, but also far, far warmer.

Narrator's Note: I didn't intend this to run for two chapters but I feared it would running too long as a single chapter. That and I wanted to prioritize creating a mood for the sensation that is Yami taking over and Yugi's disconnect with it. Among other things. But don't worry about those things, thats peaking behind the curtain. So this ended up being a two parter - as of right now. I may make other adjustments in the future. I may not. At this point I've given up on notion that releasing a chapter means it's the final form. I have to go back and update MEMOIRS 1 again.

[[GUYS. ALSO. GEMINILADY21 UPDATED A MANGA INTO REALITY WITH A ONESHOT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. I'M SO HYPED. Seriously, find your way over to there. It's a Yu-Gi-Oh Insert story with two Ocs, but don't let that derail you. Its worth the read at least once. The writing is pretty solid and Brooke and Dena never came off as mary sue to me (not that I've got that credibility to criticize sues *cough IknowAmyisaSueitsokayyoudon'thavetolie*), and if focused around the Kaibas and Ryo so far, prioritizing them over Yugi]]