[SIX] ["UNEXPECTED DELIVERIES pt. 2"]

Nothing happened. Well, nothing physically, anyways. Although Yugi's body staggered, it didn't fall. For a moment his frame went jagged, until the twitch of one finger at a time, it began to move with unfamiliar movements. His knees buckled, but not to collapse. Instead, to fasten his new, secure stance. He squared against the millionaire's gaze.

It was only when looking below the surface did something seem off about Yugi. Color returned to his face in nearly an instant, and with it, his jaw clicked into place. "Get ready to lose, Pegasus." With one flawless movement, his fingers flipped open the deck box on his belt and set the Duel Monsters deck on the ground.

Now that almost could have sounded threatening. Pegasus's gleeful mask held firm against the surprise, yet the man leaned back in his chair slighty, instinct putting some distance between them. Somehow, the boy's words seemed much like the Shadow Realm, unfamiliar and unsettling. And his eyes. Yugi's eyes had housed the greatest key. Eyes previously filled with uncertainties, Pegasus searched them now and couldn't find an inkling of those emotions. "Now that's the face I like to see. Honestly, Yugi-Boy, I thought for sure you were going to keel over before we drew our first hand." Fear had been replaced in Yugi's eyes by wisps of something far fouler.

Anger. No matter how accurate the word seemed, it lacked the pure flavor of Yugi's mood. Sour, peeved, crossed, all accurate descriptions that were missing that something extra mixed into those cool, regal, purple irides. Furious undoubtedly wasn't right either. There was a beating in Yugi's chest, but it lacked a real hatred or righteous thump.

How to describe what he was feeling? Yugi's body picked up a handful of cards, fingers expertly weaving one after the next into his palm.

"Just start the clock and make your move."

Pegasus all but bowed at that. "With pleasure." He laid his first card down in the Spell and Trap zone, before gesturing to his opponent. "Well, have you figured it out yet?"

"Figured what?" Yugi pulled the top card from his deck, a purple beast titled 'Koumori Dragon.' According to its description, 'Koumori' was meant to be a fearsome dragon whose "wicked flames corrupt the souls of its victims," but from the picture, it looked like a lizard that just liked to scream a lot. Very intimidating. But with 1500 attack, it would do for now.

"How you're feeling. I can see right through that big bad mask of yours. You're not sure what to think about this place, about my game," he replied, "Oh! I know! Tell me if it feels like I'm getting close. Hm, I bet you're…" Pegasus extended the 'r' for the sheer pleasure of it, which finally popped after a few extra seconds in the spotlight, "nervous! That's it, isn't it? I'm right, aren't I? Don't worry. No one can blame you! You've never faced another duelist quite like me before."

"I'm sure you're good Pegasus -"

"I assure you I am."

"- but being nervous won't rescue my friends." Yugi readied to smack 'Koumori' onto the field until a flick of light crossed over.

And with it, Pegasus's voice, "For what it's worth, nor will playing that dragon card." It all happened in a moment. Pegasus flipped his face down to reveal the 'Dragon Capture Jar,' and before Yugi could digest the words, something somehow more impossible streamed out from the television. A stream of light was born with the 'Jar,' and on pure instinct alone did Yugi crouch as low as he could muster and shield his eyes with his forearm.

Only after being entirely consumed in that brightness did Yugi's brain lift from its moment of numbness. And all that came out of it was one word, "What?!"

The light faded, seemingly absorbed back into the television from whence it came. Yugi opened his eyes again, met only with a handful of thing grey spots. Pinching his eyelids and blinking several times cleared those dots until they finally revealed the hazy field. With each spot that disappeared a fresh question took its place.

Where did that come from?

How'd Pegasus do that?

How did he know I had a dragon card?

Had it been merely a lucky guess? Or was he cheating? Could cheating explain the beam of light that was so real it made his eyes sting? When Yugi's vision finally focused, his 'Koumori Dragon' was… floating above him? So close that, if it hadn't been surrounded by a purple smoke, he could have reached out and touched it. The smoke wrapped around the dragon's arms, legs, and torso until the beast was completely, hopelessly constricted. Then the dragon was gone, with one desperate growl, through the television, and into the jar.

Cheating couldn't explain that, could it?

"There we go. Now your dragon is safely locked away, never to be used against me."

Not a wince, not a flinch on Pegasus's face indicated even the slightest shock at the creature's appearance and disappearance. In fact, he seemed perfectly content. "Tell me what's going on! Where did that illusion come from?" Yugi demanded.

"I don't think I like that tone, Little Yugi." the millionaire swiped a few tedious strands of hair from his shoulder before drawing another card from his deck. "Try asking me nicely."

If Pegasus thought Yugi was snappy before, oh boy, he had no idea the tantrum he had just raised. The boy's voice what now venomous, annoyed, and impatient. For someone who lived and breathed a game shop, Yugi apparently had no time for games today. "Pegasus!" Sweat beat down the boy's face, tracing around the edges of his brow.

In response, his opponent whistled like a child, "Alright, alright, geez. Calm down. I was only teasing. A little sensitive, are we?"

Then, opening his arms wide, Pegasus gestured to the stale world around them, inviting Yugi to take in the muggy gloom of the Shadow Realm once more. "It wasn't an Illusion. Your 'Koumori Dragon' was very real. As is everything in this place."

There's just no way. No way. Yugi found himself clenching his teeth. "I won't buy that garbage! That's impossible, and you know it."

"How many times must I go over this with you? The Shadow Realm is a place of dark magic where the impossible is possible, and the possible is like you've never seen it before. This game we're playing isn't just Duel Monsters; it's a Shadow Game, played for greater stakes than just winning and losing."

From the field rose a queer little piper, who's long hands and large gloves wrapped around its flute in glee. The monster wasn't fully humanized, appear to be more like a giant purple pot with an eye. Still on the base of the pot engraved a broad, toothy smiling face that looked as if it wanted nothing more than to dance with the whistle of the flute.

As 'Dragon Piper' played its song, a mist began to again release from the 'Dragon Capture Jar.' Floating into the dark void of the sky, the mist struggled to take shape until it finally grew arms, wings, and claws. 'Koumori Dragon's face appeared, and through its teeth let out a roar. Bigger, nastier, and more fearsome was the dragon than it first appeared on the card, now that Yugi was face to face with it.

He could see 'Koumori's intake of oxygen as it readied to let out a deadly stream of flammable fuel. It's not real. It's not real. The dragon lurched forward a bright light arising quickly from its abdomen. It's not real. It's not real. Yugi pulled a monster from his hand. It's not real.

Fire twirled out from the dragon's mouth. Yugi didn't close his eyes. He didn't look away. It's not real. It's not - those flames hurled towards him until they seemed to be just a few feet from his face. Until he could feel the hot, forceful air that the preceded the flames gusting towards him.

Dammit. In one swift motion, Yugi slammed his card onto the field and ducked to the ground. A wolf, 'Silver Fang,' as he was known, appeared with a brief, protective snarl, before being engulfed by the brunt of the flames. What wasn't blocked by 'Silver Fang's furry body reached around the wolf and passed Yugi's face. It stung, the heat emanating from the roaring fire make his skin and eyes pickle with pain. He once again closed his eyes and covered his face in retreat. Light. Fire.

Finally, the heat was gone. As was 'Silver Fang,' and a handful of his life points. All that remained was the millionaire's delighted expression. "Well? Still have your doubts?"

The look he received in return was so fierce it made Pegasus's smile flinch slightly. Sweat now poured all the way down Yugi's temple; only after it dripped off his chin did the boy finally decided to wipe it away. "Oh come now - don't be like that. You look as if I just ran over your adorable little puppy."

Nothing changed in Yugi's demeanor. Becoming increasingly uncomfortable, while rolling his hair between his fingers, Pegasus hummed in thought. "What to do… what to do… Oh! I know what'll cheer you up. Why don't we make a little deal? If you can figure out a way around my little 'advantage,' I'll promise that even if you lose, all your little friends will come out of here safe and sound. Scouts honor!"

Yugi grunted. What advantage? He couldn't mean that bit about the 'Shadow Realm'? There's nothing Yugi could do to about that, real or otherwise. Looking at his hand, 'Beaver Warrior,' 'Book of Secret Arts,' and 'Breath of Life' all stood out, but each was passed over for a little-used zombie between them.

Finally feeling the duel's rhythm get back into place, Pegasus relaxed. There's the strategic, determined opponent he expected to find. He had been prepared to meet a squishy, meek little boy. He hadn't prepared to have daggers thrown at him. Had his intel been wrong? This was the boy with Millennium Puzzle, as he had been so graciously hinted, but Yugi certainly didn't seem like the pushover Pegasus was lead to believe he was.

Now that Yugi's focus was back on his cards, Pegasus danced his fingers the long chunk of hair. A twitch in Yugi's hand got his attention. Then, he finally did it. Pegasus reached over and lifted the silver locks away, revealing something amazing. Where an organic eye once lived, a golden eye now sat. Handsomely crafted, with no flaws to speak of either on the surface or within its carvings, the eye matched that of the other Millenium Items. A spark, a gleam, bounced off it, just as it always did when Pegasus provoked the eye. From it, the blurred image of a bony skeleton. "Although, if I may make a suggestion, you may not want to go with that 'Zombie Warrior.'"

It all clicked into place. Yugi was pulling the card from his hand when he suddenly froze. Just like 'Koumori,' Pegasus somehow knew about 'Zombie Warrior.' That was the advantage. Pegasus could see the cards in his hand, which meant not only was 'Zombie Warrior' compromised, but every card was. Nothing here was safe.

Could he only see the cards in his hand, or his deck too? When Yugi drew, it took all the control he had not to flip the card. Instead, he placed it right on the field. It was a risk, but so was any of his other available options.

"Why not 'Zombie Warrior' you ask? Well, that's simple Yugi-Boy, because I've got a trap that'll make him roll in his grave."

For the first time all duel, the boy felt like he could let out a smile. "Not this time Pegasus." Pegasus's trap sat useless as Yugi turned over his card to reveal a magician, draped head to toe purple like it was the last color on earth. There were perhaps some blues woven into his color scheme, although those were so close to the purple it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began. "My next card is the 'Dark Magician' (2500/2100)."

While 'Dark Magician' had no sense of color balance, he wasn't without his own flair. The monster rose with a [magical] whirlwind, unwinding as his body reached the air. Immediately snapping to an offensive stance, he held his staff out threateningly towards Pegasus. Meanwhile, the millionaire recovered from his moment of shock, composing himself with a raised eyebrow. "Oooh, a big scary 'Dark Magician.' I'm positively quaking."

'Dark Magician' himself was especially unamused by this. If he could have gone straight to Pegasus, he would have. But there are vague and convoluted rules to this game, dammit, and we at Yu-Gi-Oh! follow those rules to the letter. A.L.W.A.Y.S. So Barney the Sorcerer was just going to have to settle for 'Koumori Dragon' instead.

"Mock me all you like, but my magician will destroy that dragon."

"By all means. For your sake, I hope it's soon. The time is ticking." Pegasus tapped at his wrist. He didn't have a watch, but Yugi got the point anyway. There were only about seven minutes left on the clock, and he was down a few Life Points.

'Dark Magician' and Yugi seemed to nod to each other, leaving Yugi to declare an attack. With a wave of his hand, the sorcerer shattered 'Koumori' into pieces. The force of the explosion caused Pegasus to flinch back defensively as his points dropped to 1200.

But when he reemerged, there wasn't a hint of distraught or concern. In fact, he seemed positively glowing. "Well done Yugi-Boy! You wasted no time meeting my challenge. You have no idea just how happy that makes me," he raved with a deep laugh. "Unfortunately, by playing that monster you've just assured my victory."

The next card was met excited with Ooohs and Ahhhs. "Would you look at that. Just what I needed! A very rare card. Would you like to see?"

Yugi grunted, but held his ground, now eyeing the seconds pass on the clock.

The monster Pegasus's showed was the thing of nightmares. It wasn't frightening, per say, like a dragon or mythical beast. There was no power in its features, no speed its pose. One thing this monster definitely was not going to do was rip you in half. No hint of rage in its expression or movements. Nor was the monster inherently dark, like Amy's fearsome Archfiend. It wasn't stacked for war and didn't have the eyes of a thousand battles.

Yet, somehow, the monster's appearance created an unsettling chill in the air. It appeared to be mostly humanoid, a head, shoulders, knees, and toes. Arms with five accurate fingers. The works were there. But something was missing in its details.

The monster had no face of its own.

The only thing upon its shiny bald head was a smile whose red lip stretched all the from one side its chin to the next. Happy. Loose. This dip into the uncanny valley made the playful reach of the monster's hands uneasy and disturbing. Though it had no weapons, though it had no claws, there was bloodlust on its gleeful palms.

Or, at least, that's what the two other heads warned off. Yes, sitting on each shoulder was another head, wooden like a puppet with drawstring mouths. One a girl with a large bow, and one a boy, both collected by the mage in its journey to find its own face. When the female head saw her opponent, her wooden jaw clicked together, chattering in an indecipherable excitement.

It was one Yugi had never seen before. When his sight drifted from the countdown to 'Illusionist Faceless Mage,' his face couldn't help but widen. It shouldn't come as a surprise that a monster in Pegasus's deck was foreign to him, he didn't seem to be the type to restrain his creator privileges. The corporate giant probably had decks full of rare and powerful cards - yet, 'Dragon Capture Jar' and 'Dragon Piper' were fairly common. Pegasus was toying with him. The only reason Yugi had any life point advantage was that Pegasus spent the last ten minutes dipping his toe into the waters. If his goal was really to beat Yugi, then why bring any mediocre cards at all?

"Fearsome, isn't it?"

This surfaced the one question Yugi should have been asking all along. It should have occurred to him the moment he popped in the videotape. Or the moment they entered the Shadow Realm.

"My 'Dark Magician' is still one of the most powerful monsters in the game. And with 1200 attack and 2200 defense, your mage still pales in comparison."

Why was Pegasus really here?

"Oh, naive Yugi-Boy. You should know better than that. A monster's power isn't everything. Let's see how well your magician fares when I combine 'Faceless Mage' with my 'Eye of Illusions'." The 'Faceless Mage' shot onto the field with a coarse laugh and an even bigger goof to its grin. In fact, it's snicker felt almost in sync with Pegasus's own distant chuckle.

Yugi counter quickly, ordering his magician to attack. Somehow though, when the smoke cleared, 'Faceless Mage' still stood tall. With only five minutes left on the clock.

Five minutes to figure out just what the hell was really going on.

"Tell me something, Pegasus."

That phrase was received with a raised eyebrow. It was the first calm thing Yugi said since they began. "Asking another question? Aren't you a curious kid." Then Pegasus's smiled folded back into play, "Don't tell me, let me guess. Let's see… you want to know where I got such dueling skills," he replied lightheartedly, taking in a deep breath as he prepared for a list. "Oh - no - wait! You want to know what line of cards my company will release next. Naughty, naughty, Yugi-Boy, you know that's private. Or better, you'd like to know my deepest personal secret. You should know I keep the skeletons in my closet locked up tight - tight - tight~"

Then he stopped, all the koi gone. His golden eye gleamed, and with a serious, business-like tone, Pegasus folded his hands together and said, "No Yugi-Boy, what you want to know is my motivations. Make your move, and maybe, just maybe, I'll tell you."

Yugi looked back at his cards. If he did play, it would be playing right into Pegasus's hands. If he didn't he may never know the truth. No matter what choice he made, something was at stake. So Yugi summoned another monster to the field. "Fine then! I attack your combo with my 'Celtic Guardian.' This mighty warrior will cut your mage down to size."

"True, your guardian is mighty, as are you Yugi-Boy, but you've once again underestimated the incredible power of my 'Eye of Illusion'. Dark Magic Attack." A too familiar ball of dark energy exploded across the field and into 'Celtic Guardian,' dissipating a chunk of Yugi's life points along with the warrior. The tri-colored teen could only grit his teeth.

Stepping forward from the enemy field's shadows came 'Dark Magician,' his eyes void of sense and will. On his chest, a bright 'Eye of Illusion,' rendering the magician nothing but a puppet on a string. "You see, it's that might of yours I just had to come see for myself. I wanted to know if you were really just as impressive as I was told you were before inviting you to Duelist Kingdom. And - congratulations - you're everything and more!"

"Duelist Kingdom…?" Yugi responded with a gasp, the cogs in his brain slowly clicking into place, "I'm not a tournament duelist. Why would you invite some unknown from the city? How could you know it invite me? Who told you about me?"

"The answer to all your questions lie in that pendant hanging from your neck Yugi-Boy. You could say I have a keen interest it in. You're going to come to my tournament so I can take it from you."

Yugi slowly looked down his torso at the puzzle. His wish granting charm. Eyes narrowed in frustration, an uncanny sneer on his face, the words were bitter "Why not just take it from me today? Why drag me all the way out to Duelist Kingdom?"

Pegasus had only one answer to that. He ran his fingers through his hair once again, his golden eye meeting Yugi's. "There are unbelievable secrets within that Puzzle you have yet to unlock. And with them, powers. That is what I need. That is what you must surface before it's ready to be of use to me."

The one who solves me shall gain the powers and knowledge of darkness.

Thirty seconds. Twenty-nine. The clock ticked down one number at a time. It finally hit Yugi what this feeling bubbling up inside him was. It wasn't nervousness like Pegasus had suggested, but it still wasn't rage. Yugi was riled. Riled like a dog facing a new scent. He looked at his hand once more.

If 'Eye of Illusion' was controlling his 'Dark Magician,' it meant one thing. Pegasus left a gaping hole in his defenses. 'Faceless Mage' was vulnerable - no spell to defend him and hardly any attack points to his name. Ten seconds. Nine. Yugi thrust his 'Summoned Skull' into the field. "I won't be a part of your game, Pegasus. You won't be using me or my puzzle for whatever scheme you have in mind! 'Summoned Skull,' attack!"

The skull monster and his claws arose onto the field and pounced instantly, thrusting his murderous rage towards 'Faceless Mage.' And as it swung, centimeters from the target's blank expression, a beeping noise rang through the Shadow Realm. Four zeros flashed on the VHS.

Both monsters evaporated into the darkness. The field as barren as the husk of shock that Yugi's body became, shrinking to the ground. His life points remaining at 400. Pegasus's at 1200. With an exaggerated wave, Pegasus wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Phew, now that was a close one. If 'Summon Skull' had completed his attack, I would have actually lost. Can you imagine?" An unsure softness returned back to Yugi's eyes. His shoulders slumped, and he looked up with unsteady fear. Once again, with pale lips and strained cheeks. "You will come to Duelist Kingdom, Yugi-Boy. You will unlock your puzzle's power, because you'll need every bit of it to beat me."

The boy looked up at Pegasus, an unawareness in his eyes. "I've found with the right incentive, anyone can be made to play my game." The Shadow Realm began to fade away around them, but Yugi looked at none of it. He followed Pegasus's gaze back to where his friends and grandfather remained frozen. A beam of light shot from that [4filter] eye, straight towards Solomon Muto. Yugi saw it swing past his head, but couldn't feel it. No sound, no wind, no density, pure magic. Grandpa's body was surrounded by this gold until something repelled out of it.

His soul. The exact likeness of Solomon, with every ounce of self that brought life to the old man, was lifted from his body and sucked towards the television. Towards Pegasus. Yugi reached out desperately to grab it as it passed him, but his fingers only ran through air.

Solomon appeared on the television one last time, looking desperate and confused, calling out only one name in slurred distress, pleading for help.

Yuuggi.

Yugi crawled towards the television. "Grand...pa…?" He put his hands along the side, pressing himself a close to the barrier between him and his grandfather as he possibly could. The last of Solomon's image faded away the Shadow Realm.

Color returned to everything in the room. Curry and pine lingered in the air. The squeak that came with Tristan's nasal breathing once again came to life. So did the humming of the old TV's fan. And the sound of something - someone - plummeting to the ground.

Panic bubbled over Yugi as he slowly realized he was staring at nothing but static. "Grand...pa?" Nothing. "Grandpa?" Just the crinkle white and black. "GranDPA!" Yugi's hands gripped the edges so hard his knuckles paled, and he used that to shake the screen once. Twice. As many times as his arms could muster. The thrust of his desperation getting more powerful with each time he called out his grandfather's name, getting nothing back in return.

The door swung open, where Amy stood, hunched over and huffing. Sweat stained her clothes shinned her nose, gushing out more with every wheeze. The backpack slide dejected off her arm and onto the floor. Her look of strained defeat met only with the other's blank, confused stares.

"God...[4filter]...dammit..."

Seto - "Rich Boy" - Kaiba finally hung up the phone from his last conference call of the night. The same handful of executives complaining about the same [4filter]. If not for the fact that the grainy line cut at least two of them out at different points during the meeting, nothing of any interest would have happened in the last hour.

The door to his office cracked open. If the mucky sly was any indication, it was far too late for any of the day shift to still be at the offices, and none of the cleaning staff had the code to this room. Kaiba didn't stop typing or look up from his computer. There was only one person it could be.

Sure enough, a wad of messy black hair popped out from the other side. "Hey bro!" it said, with a big grin, "Are you all done with your call?"

"Mh."

Excitedly the kid thrust the door wide open and carelessly slammed it, running towards the center of the office where a sectional lived. He could have been more than thirteen years old, if judged by his size and the amount of energy he used to jump on the couch. However, the unruly wad of black hair, dripping over his eyes and down his back, made him appear even younger. "Nice! Who was it this time, bro? By the look on your face I bet it was Leichter again." he used his knees to lean over the top of the couch, eyes beaming somewhere that rat's nest. "When are those guys gonna learn! If they don't like the way you run your company, they should go find a new boss! Right?"

Mokuba said this with such pride, that it was all the more crushing when Kaiba snapped back, "That's enough." The boy sunk into the couch. Not minutes earlier, Seto had said something very similar. Something along the lines of "Look Leichter, we're a gaming company now. If you and your cronies want to keep your jobs, you'll just have to come to accept that." But since then the moment had passed, and it was no longer amusing. There were bigger, more important things to take care of now.

Like finding that 'Blue Eyes White Dragon.'

Never had Kaiba faced such a daunting task. Not even rising to the head of the company was as frustrating an effort. 'Blue Eyes' was last seen publicly in the United States, but that was years ago. Several years ago, when Seto was still a snotty brat. Then it disappeared into private [4filter] ownership. Never sold in any auction, above ground or otherwise. Never used in any tournament. Never displayed at any event. This 'Blue Eyes' had all but disappeared from the face of the earth.

After years of painstaking research, late nights, and dead ends, finally came a beacon of hope. The name of the card's previous owner, one Professor Arthur Hawkins, surfaced. But - alas! Just when he seemed as if he was finally taking strides, Professor Hawkins threw another wrench in the machine, causing the cogs to smoke, strip, and fill the entire factory up with smoke. He refused to comment, saying only that he gifted it to a good friend and no more. Not another [4filter] word.

Seto clicked through his database, ignoring his brother's disheartened glances around the room. What could he do now? Seto "[4filter]" Kaiba did not quit. Everything he had was gained through his persistence and resourcefulness. If Hawkins wanted to play this game, Kaiba would play. And if this report of everyone Arthur Hawkins may have ever known - coworkers, family, distant family, citizens of his hometown, of his family's hometowns, of his university's town - said anything, he was going to win.

Domino's nightlife lit up the grand window behind Seto's desk. It sprinkled its various colors through the dimly lit office. Streetlights from far below danced glimmers across the bottom edges and offices that were almost as big, but not quite, as Kaiba Corp. shined their overnight staffers like a nightlight. Mokuba slid down the couch until his head hit a cushion, and something else. Something pointy.

After yelping for a brief second, the boy spun around to see that the culprit was a box, tossed carelessly to the inner corner of the sectional. "You got a package Seto? What's inside?" He spun the box around. The tape seal was broken and with it distortions in the cardboard that Seto's security was famous for when they checked the edges of packages.

"Don't know. Don't care. I haven't had time to mess around with it."

"Aw come on, bro! Can I open it then?"

"Sure, kid," Kaiba added another entry into his schedule.

Excitedly, Mokuba peeled the box open, and his eyes lit up when he saw when he saw the contents. A few metal stars, a red gauntlet, and a videotape tucked into the corner. Nothing was in the exact spot it should be, the gauntlet was turned slightly on its side which caused it to stick out, and the stars were a bit crooked in their indents, but in all not bad after being manhandled by the bodyguards. Underneath the tape were a few cards detailing an invitation to Duelist Kingdom. "Awesome!" he laughed, excitedly picking up a Star Chip.

Mokuba held up the star, to the window and the backdrop of Domino's black sky. "It looks like everything you're going to need for the tournament."

No answer. The boy hesitated. "You are going to this one, aren't you?"

"I don't have the time to play Pegasus's silly game. When I'm through with my work, I'll just hold my own tournament. It'll have much competent competitors than this little island adventure Pegasus has thrown together."

You really should get out of the office more, is what Mokuba wanted to say, but he swallowed his words. Instead, he picked up the tape. "I bet there's something cool on here. I'm gonna play it."

"Knock yourself out."

Mokuba stuffed his hands between the couch cushions, eventually coming up with a small remote. One click of it retracted the doors what appeared to be ordinary cabinets into an entertainment center. First a large screened television, then a set of speakers, and of course a VHS player and a handful of video game consoles.

Popping the VHS revealed Pegasus on screen. Immediately, Industrial Illusions's CEO waved cheerily at the brothers. "Hello, Kaibas. Long time no see! I hope you're doing well."

"Forgive me if I'm not my cheery self, it's been a long day getting ready for Duelist Kingdom. Which is exactly what I'm here to talk about! I noticed you weren't at the Regionals this year. Awful shame. So I made sure to have this personally delivered so you wouldn't miss out."

"You are coming to my tournament, aren't you Kaiba-Boy? It just wouldn't be Duel Monsters without the world champ."

"See Seto." Mokuba gestured towards the television. "Even Pegasus wants you to go." Kaiba's only acknowledgment to either of them was a grunt.

"I'll be crowning the winner not just the top Duelist, but the almighty King of Games! Intimidating title, is it not?" Pegasus frowned at the crickets he received in response. Then he perked up. "But of course, what's another silly title to someone who's already transcended such an impressive resume like yourself. So I come bearing a little piece of information to catch your interest. You're on a hunt for something special aren't you?"

Finally, the clicks of Kaiba's keyboard stopped. An unfinished word left hanging on the screen, as his fingers froze in place above the keys. Everything else stopped. Mokuba, sensing the disturbance, froze in place. Kaiba didn't blink, he didn't breath.

"I know where the last 'Blue Eyes' has been hiding, and guess what! The owner will be there, at Duelist Kingdom. I've outdone myself, I know." No one else was going to give him the round of applause, so Pegasus did it himself. "Who knows, you may even get to see it in action. Wouldn't that be something? I promise you, you'll find out where your precious dragon is, even if I have to tell you myself. But only if you come join in the fun! And remember, this is an invitation for one, so no stragglers, you hear? Apologies in advance to little Moki, but I'm sure he'll understand."

"I hope to see you soon Kaiba-Boy. Until then, Ta-ta."

The video faded to cringing static, but the only noise Seto could hear was the sound of his own irregular heartbeat.

[[A/N: Guysguysguysguys. I READ MY FIRST 5DS FIC. You see Time Thief over there in the reviews? One little clicky clicky on that profile and you too can read Acid Rain and the other misadventures of the protagonist Rain. I love what Tee has on over there. I mean, I'm not totally objective because I'm still is fangirly gaga mode over the cast of 5Ds, but GODS DOES ACID RAIN HAS SOME CUTE AF MOMENTS. And some not cute moments. Some soul crushing. If you go over to Acid Rain's prequel fic, Shadow and Flame, it's got some Dru. [4filter] Dru. I hate that guy so much. I'm just really hyped over Rain right now. I want to talk more about it but I can't because idk where spoilers start and end I'm SO bad at judging that. I mean, it's OcxKalin if that helps motivate you. RainxEdgy Boi. I know thats not a spoiler because thats written on the box. You pickin' up what I'm putting down?

Okay.

Phew.

I'm done.

Calm thoughts.

Oh look, its rainin-

[4filter]

]]