Celebwen Telcontar: Here's a new chapter!

Balrog: Hope it's good…

Celebwen Telcontar: Mai goes overboard in this chapter! It's amusing!

Balrog: Mai Valentine? What does she do? Attack with shoes?

Celebwen Telcontar: Wait and see!

Serenity flipped through the mail. She found a letter with nothing more than a stylized image of a winged horse as the return address, and her own name and address in an elegant script. She set the rest of the mail down on the table, and slit the envelope open. There was a folded set of papers, including a picture of her birth mother holding a baby on her lap.

My Dearest Sonja,

I had no idea you were alive. If I had known, you would have grown up with me and your grandparents. I wish to get to know you better. What is your favorite color? What is your favorite food? Who are your friends? I know you have been raised as the sister of Joseph Wheeler, Semifinalist in my Tournament, and you are good friends with Yugi Motou, the Champion. I would like to meet you, and soon. If you do not mind, I will have my majordomo, Croquet, pick you up from your home in one week and we will have dinner at Monique's Restaurant. If you wish, you can invite your friend Yugi Motou and your brother, as well.

I have enclosed a picture I drew many years ago of your mother and what I believed you would look like. I have examined the papers you sent, and everything is perfectly legitimate.

I look forward to meeting with you,

Your loving father,

Maximillion Pegasus

Serenity rubbed her face. Oh, boy, she thought. Monique's?! That's the most expensive restaurant in town! How do I find a dress good enough? And bringing Yugi and Joey along might not be a bad idea… at least Yugi. He tends to keep people calm when they want to fly off the handle. Maybe not Joey, though. He can have a serious temper. I'll have to see if I have anything dressy enough for Monique's…but first, I have to reply to the letter… She dug out her stationary and wrote a quick letter that everything would be fine, thanking him for the opportunity to get to know her father and saying that she would be bringing Yugi.

Yugi Motou was sweeping the Game Shop when he heard the door open. He looked up to see Serenity there, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. She looked anxious about something.

"Yugi, can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure, Serenity! What do you need?" Serenity pulled the letter from Leah Wheeler out of her purse, as well as the one she had written to Pegasus and his reply.

"I… well, I found out that I was adopted. Mom had assured me that if I hadn't been adopted when I was, I would have gone to an orphanage. Mom said my birth mother had died in the birth, and had no family. Apparently, the nurse who had given me to my mom had been corrupt. My real mother did die in the birth, but I have family. My father and grandparents are alive. My father is… is Maximillion Pegasus." She handed him the three letters. "I sent him a letter, explaining what had happened, and he wants to meet me. He's taking me to Monique's. He said I can bring a friend along, and I thought of you."

"Serenity, whoa. This is… wow. So Pegasus is your father. Well, I'm sorta… going out with Tea now…" He read through each letter carefully, his brow furrowing when he came across the invitation for himself and Joey to accompany her to Monique's.

"Not as a date! As a friend, and for your calming influence on people! Er… that didn't come out right…" Yugi laughed.

"Alright! Monique's… I might be able to borrow one of Grandpa's suits…"

"Yeah. I don't know if I have anything appropriate either… Well, thanks so much!"

"It's no problem, Serenity!" He grinned. "Now I have to explain this to Tea…" Serenity's face slipped into a sympathetic grimace. Hopefully Tea wouldn't think she was stealing Yugi from her…

Serenity looked through the secondhand clothing store, finding various lovely gowns. None of them fit her, though. Each and every one had some flaw. Some of them were too big, others too small, and yet others had rips, tears, or stains on them.

"Hey, Serenity," a voice called. She looked out between a green dress with yellow embroidery and a blue dress with white embroidery and saw Mai Valentine.

"Mai?! What are you doing here?!"

"Yugi called me, and told me about your problem. Come with me, girl. We'll get you fixed up in no time!"

"Mai…"

"Don't worry, doll, I love doing this anyways!"

"Uhm…"

"Come on!" The buxom blonde dragged Serenity out of the store, pushing her into a red convertible. Mai got into the drivers seat, and started it up. She navigated the streets with ease, and pulled up next to a massive mall.

"Uh… Mai?"

"Come on, Serenity!"

"Uh… I… huh?" The red-head gave up all semblance of control then, and allowed herself to be dragged through the shopping center until they came to a store that was selling evening gowns. Mai picked out a lovely long green dress with no sleeves and a scoop neck.

"Here, try this on." She shooed Serenity to a dressing room, where the younger girl got dressed. The gown fit almost perfect, but she quickly switched it out for a less buxom dress with the same emerald coloring, but more iridescence, and an empire waist. Mai tossed a lacy black scarf over the top of the dressing room door, and Serenity pulled it on over the gown. She opened the door. "Uh-uh. Here, like this." Mai grabbed the scarf, pulling it down so it gently lay over her shoulders and the insides of her elbows. "Hmm… maybe… yes, that would work." The blonde girl told Serenity to get dressed in her original clothes again, then brought the dress and scarf up to the register and paid for them.

"Mai…"

"Hush, I'm doing this for Yugi and Joey. And you, too, of course." She grabbed the bag, and dragged Serenity to a shoe store, where the younger girl tried on shoe after shoe after shoe. Finally, she found a lovely pair of strap-on sandals with four-inch heels.

"Mai, I'm going to break my neck in these!"

"No you won't, Serenity. Besides, every woman needs a nice dress and a nice pair of shoes. And I know Monique's, you'll fit right in. And now we need to go to a stylist and a boutique…"

"Mai, he's my father, not some boy I need to im—"

"Yes, yes, but it's Monique's. You'll never be let in without looking your best! Let's see here, ah, yes, jewelry!"

"Mai!"

Celebwen Telcontar: Well, how was that?

Balrog: Shopping. I'm never going near a mall again.

Celebwen Telcontar: It's not that bad.

Balrog: Just keep telling yourself that...

Celebwen Telcontar: Please review, people!