Kyo was still out on the deck, gazing distantly at the sea, when Selia found him. She was out of breath, as if she had been running around trying to find him. When she saw him, she immediately rushed over to him, clearly relieved.

"Oh, thank goodness. I thought they were talking about you!" She cried out to him.

Caught completely off guard by this, Kyo nearly jumped out of his skin. "I thought I told you not to do that!" He scowled. Unsurprisingly, he didn't particularly enjoy being startled repeatedly by this one girl. Trying to regain some composure, he grumbled, "And what are you babbling about, anyway? Who's talking about me?"

If his attitude offended her, she didn't let it show. She just grinned. "No one, thankfully! You haven't heard?" A glance at his completely blank face encouraged her. "I'm amazed, then. Didn't you hear splashes and shouts a little while ago?"

"Come to think of it, yeah." He replied nonchalantly. "I just assumed some idiot fell overboard."

She laughed shortly, though it was obvious she didn't find it all that funny. "Well, sort of. A duelist's cards got tossed overboard, and I guess one of his friends jumped in after them."

"Serious?" This caught Kyo by surprise. "That's pathetic. Who'd toss a guy's deck overboard?"

"Oh, no, it wasn't his entire deck." Selia replied quickly. "Just five cards. But what a set of five cards they were!"

Glancing over at her, he frowned. "You don't mean..."

It was obvious by the look in her eyes that she did.

Even as removed from the dueling world as he had made himself, Kyo hadn't been completely isolated. He had indeed heard of the stunning defeat of the prodigal duelist, Seto Kaiba, at the hands of a complete unknown wielding the legendary Exodia. That guy was on this boat, and was stupid enough to let those five out of his hands for even a second? That was interesting, surely.

"Well, that was stupid of him." Kyo rolled his eyes, voicing his thoughts.

Again he was caught by surprise as Selia punched him lightly on the arm. "What are you talking about? Who's stupid?"

"The guy with Exodia. Yugi, or something? If you have cards that rare, you don't let just anyone hold 'em. He should've seen it coming."

She exhaled sharply, obviously frustrated with him. "Oh, well excuse him, that he's not as cynical as you. I think it's admirable that he's willing to trust others like that."

"Sure. And look at where it got him."

"Ooh!" She growled, stamping her foot. "You've developed some attitude since we last met!"

"That was three years ago." Kyo replied, turning his gaze from her face and back to the sea. "A lot has changed."

In a few short steps she was next to him at the railing. "I can tell." She said simply. "Doesn't mean I have to like it. I mean, the way I remember you was so... well, nice." Laughing, she brushed one of her pigtails back over her shoulder. "You were really sweet at that tournament. Really, if we had been doing superlative, like in a pageant or something, we would've made you Mr. Congeniality or something."

Kyo snorted. "I doubt that."

She shrugged. "Okay, so maybe more like Tournament Clown or something. But the point is, everyone liked you. You were easy to talk to, and even when you were bashing someone's strategy, you did it in a, I don't know, decent way. Not rude, like you are now, at the very least."

"I liked dueling back then. I was happy to be part of that world. Now I don't, and I'm not happy to be back in it. Simple enough for you?"

"But I don't get it!" She sighed. "What could have possibly made it so you all of a sudden turned your back on dueling? Any idiot could see you loved it last I saw you."

Abruptly, Kyo turned away from her. "Yeah, I loved it." He said softly. "I loved it until it ruined my life. And that is a story I am not getting into with a stranger."

With that, he walked away, not looking back. He didn't need this girl, a figment from a past he was trying to forget, rubbing salt in old wounds. After all, so long as he could forget parts of the night of his last duel, he could live with himself being at this tournament, but she kept asking all the wrong questions. If she kept asking them, he'd be on a boat back home before he could even blink. Not to mention her mere presence was beginning to be a problem, because she was forcing him to relive that last duel in his mind. He might not have remembered her in line, but he did now. He remembered how she dueled, how she talked, how she had smiled when she lost with no trace of resentment in her eyes, only the happiness that a duel well done could bring.

He didn't want to remember that expression. He didn't want to love the game again, or even like it again. He just wanted to use it as a means to an end, a necessary evil.

Selia was going to make that impossible.

--

She wasn't certain how long it had been since he left when she realized she was crying. How silly was that, she laughed at herself. How silly was she, to get so bent out of shape just because some guy she remembered from a tournament turned out to be such a jerk? It felt as if a part of her childhood had been destroyed with the fact that her memory of Kyono Yakura, the grinning warrior-type duelist who had dealt her one of her first true defeats, had been shattered by reality. He wasn't that kid anymore. Something had happened, and he had changed. The kid was lost.

Wiping her eyes, she shook her head. No, she thought. No, he isn't lost. He just needs someone to help him find himself again, that's all.

Selia needed to believe that kid was still somewhere inside the sad-eyed Kyo. She needed to see that kid again, just once.

"Duel him."

This time, it was Selia's turn to be startled. Looking over her shoulders, she blushed, seeing her classmate Sukia standing behind her. She quickly wiped her eyes, then smiled brightly.

"Sukia! I didn't hear you. What did you say?"

"Duel him." The girl's voice was impassive, her face emotionless. "I know you plan to. And I know you must. So, duel him. We arrive tomorrow. You need to duel him first, before anyone else."

Frowning, Selia looked at the pale creature. In the moonlight her skin seemed to glow, while the rest of her was dark as shadow. She shuddered, a slight chill creeping down her spine. "I planned on it. But, Sukia, why is it so important I duel him first?"

"His mind is so battered, so hurt. His soul is almost defeated, and if his soul is defeated there will be no more hope for him."

Something in her eyes forced Selia to realize that Sukia was completely serious. "Sukia," she said quietly, "do you know him?"

She shrugged in reply. "I know him as I know you. It is hard to explain." With a nod, Sukia turned around as if to leave, but didn't move. "You were his first love, too, you know."

Her body felt as if it had froze even as her face felt as if it were on fire. "W-what do you mean?" She stammered, not believing what she had heard.

Looking over her shoulder at her, the girl smiled faintly. "The link between you and Kyono is particularly strong, that is all. As it is, you are the only one who can help him."

"You're not answering me," Selia protested.

With a faint laugh, Sukia merely walked away, blending back in with the shadows.

--

For her part, Tama's feelings of success had practically evaporated. What was the point in convincing her brother to come if he was just going to be an insufferable mess for the entire thing? She had felt terrible when Selia came back into the common room, trying to act as if she hadn't just had a shouting match with the surly duelist.

But they all knew, even Toshiro, who could barely read girls as it was.

"Forget him, Selia. He's not worth it." Yumi offered, coming over to her friend and draping an arm around her comfortingly. "I mean, if he's willing to make a girl cry, he really can't be worth anything more than trash."

While her cheeks flared at this insult to her family, Tama kept her composure. She even reluctantly had to mentally agree with the singer, for right now, her cousin really was being worthless. Besides, she knew if she said something, then she'd get into an argument, too. She had just met Selia, but Tama could tell that they could get to be friends- if Tama didn't lose her cool against her.

Stepping in, Toshiro said calmly, "Well, you can't truly say that, considering you don't know what drives him, but it is true that his actions aren't all that commendable right now."

"Is that some pathetic attempt at excusing a fellow male for inherent stupidity?" Yumi asked dryly.

With a shrug and a grin, Toshiro replied, "Maybe. Or maybe I'm trying to tell you you're harping on an emotionally scarred youth. Who can say?"

Selia's eyes snapped up to Toshiro. "What do you mean?"

"It isn't my place to say." He replied diplomatically.

Her gaze turned to Tama, and Tama frowned. "If he wouldn't tell you, I shouldn't either." But there was some desperation in her eyes that made Tama want to say more. "All I'll say," she amended, "is that he lost at least three people close to him due to dueling- or, at least that's how he sees it. If you want the full story, you'll have to get it out of him."

"Psht. How is she going to do that?" Yumi drawled. "Personally, I'm still for the forget about him plan."

"I know how." Selia stated quietly. "I just have to duel him."

--

"So, you've seen them all now, have you?" There was that deplorable voice again, refined and haughty and despicable. "What a lot they are, with you the queen of them all."

"I do not know what you are talking about." Sukia said into the emptiness of her room, looking at the wall.

"Oh, don't play coy, Miss Oonishi. You know what I am talking about. You don't need what I have to see it." His voice took on an almost reverent tone as he described that curious spark she herself had observed earlier. "That gift. It's brightest in you, of course, but it's there in the rest of them. The pretty little brunette duelist, the collector, the pop star and, of course, our Kyo-boy and his cousin. And to think, those are only some! True, for the moment I'm more interesting in someone else with that spark, because he also has a toy for me, but don't you fret. I won't forget about you and yours." He sighed, as if thinking of his heart's dearest wish. "That beautiful little spark. It means something, and I think I will find it most useful."

"I have no intention of helping you exploit anyone."

If there was anything more deplorable that his voice, it was his laugh. "Oh, what makes you think you've a choice? I have the upper hand in this little duel of wills, Miss Oonishi. We both know whatever I wish, you will do. But, don't you fret- the boy will soon be in the same fix as you. At least then you'll have a friend to commiserate with."

She hated herself for it, but her eyes snapped to the speaker from which the voice issued from. "You have something of his. Something precious."

"Oh, perhaps I do."

"Is she in your hand as well?"

"I haven't had to resort to that just yet, but in the end she will be, I am ever so certain." There was that chuckle again. "She'll make an adorable little card."

"You are disgusting."

"I'm touched, Miss Oonishi, but tragically our lovely chat must end. You should get some rest for tomorrow, you know. I've such plans in store for my favorite little toy- you're going to do me such a wonderful service!"

The speaker clicked. The conversation was done with.

Grabbing whatever was closest- a pillow from an absurdly ornate armchair –she flung it at the speaker. Sukia Oonishi was no plaything. If Pegasus thought she was, he would be in for a rude awakening, and she would be only too glad to deal it to him.

Author's Comments- If anyone was wondering: YES, I am having far too much fun with Sukia and Pegasus' little squabbles. This was sort of an emotional backdrop for the upcoming chapter (as well as a little nod to the actual canon verse- 'some kid with Exodia', perhaps? XD). Yes, there's actually going to be ACTION next time! The epic battle between the forces of optimism against the legion of negativity!

Also known as a Selia vs. Kyo duel royale.

Dunno when that will be up, but look forward to it! (And apologies: I've a cold, so I'm on cold medicine, which makes me PARTICULARLY loopy.)