Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
A/N: Okay, I think that I might have gone a little overboard on this chapter. .; It's the longest one that I've written in a LONG time. I hope no one gets bored from reading this, especially since it kinda sounds like rambling in some places.
For Shan's Mousey's question, Solitaire isn't an official Duel Monster. She's an original character that I made to be Yugi's friend and a general annoyance to everyone else in this fic. Solitaire is something of a miniature dragon, except she has webbed feet, can't fly, and is relatively weak when it comes to physical fighting. But she has her own strengths, which you'll see in later chapters.
Chapter 2: Denial and Regrets
Hearing from Solitaire how upset the Monsters had become, especially how the Kuriboh was reacting to whatever the cause was, certainly peaked Yugi's curiosity further. It was the first clear evidence that he had besides Yami's previous edginess that something was indeed going on in the palace. Something which, though he was unaware of that fact for the moment, would cause Yugi to later do something that was completely out of his nature. Soon, instead of just sitting around and playing with his puzzles as he normally did, Yugi was going to go straight to Yami himself for answers.
At the moment though, he was more focused on what his servant had to say. Solitaire might not know the entire story, but at least she had some firsthand information that she could give Yugi. That was more than he would get under normal circumstances at this point. Usually, he would have to wait until Yami had watered down what went on in the Meeting Hall to what he deemed suitable for hikaris or nothing at all. That is, if he heard anything at all.
Most of the time, except for the rare occasions when Yami took him there for one reason or another, he was kept totally unaware of what went on in the Meeting Hall. If he asked at all, Yami would just say that it was nothing serious and that he shouldn't worry about such things. That was an answer that could get Yugi a little miffed but one that he accepted most of the time without too much trouble. But other times, like now, when he was feeling a little too sheltered by his darkness on certain matters, Yugi wished to know more.
As he digested what he had heard and came to a very abrupt decision, Yugi replied," Hold on a second, okay, Solitaire? I'm gonna ask Yami about this."
"All right," Solitaire nodded.
Privately, she doubted that Yugi would get an answer out of his lover. Like everyone else, she knew how protective Yami was of Yugi's innocence and the lengths he went to protect it from harm. Unless it was something that his hikari absolutely needed to know, then no amount of pleading on Yugi's part would budge the dark spirit. He would remain as sealed as a Spellbinding Circle at full power.
Yami? Yugi prodded gently but firmly as he opened the link, Yami, I know that you can hear me. I really need to talk to you. It's important.
Yugi? What's wrong, little one? Yami answered in surprise.
I need to ask you about what's happening the Meeting Hall Yugi answered.
Oh, is that all? I told you before that what's happening here isn't anything that you need to be worried about, aibou. Go finish your puzzle. I'll join you when we're done here Yami ordered absently.
Under normal circumstances, Yugi might have relented and did as his yami told him. But this time his curiosity had been peaked enough where he was going to try something else. For once, he was going to try pressing the issue with Yami's meeting. It would probably going to get him scolded later on, but one way or another, he was going to find out what was happening.
If it's enough to get the Monsters upset, then I want to know what's going on Yugi said stubbornly.
Stunned silence greeted him from the other side of the link. For a brief second, Yugi thought that Yami had cut the link to tend to whatever was going on. But then he reconsidered that when he didn't feel the familiar void in the back of his mind that happened whenever Yami shut down his side of the link. It must have been that his words stunned Yami into temporary silence. A suspicion that was confirmed by Yami in the next instant.
Where did you hear about that? Yami demanded.
Um… Yugi started.
Now it was Yugi's turn to fall silent. As much as he wanted to know what was going on, he most certainly didn't want to get into trouble with Yami. Which was what would more than likely happen if he found out exactly what was the source of Yugi's questions. So for a moment, he was uncertain about how or if he should even answer Yami.
Yugi, where did you hear that? Yami scolded.
Solitaire told me Yugi reluctantly answered.
He could almost see Yami groaning at hearing that. It was no secret that Yami wasn't fond of Solitaire. In fact, he downright loathed her most of the time. The only reason he put up with her at all was because that was the way that Yugi wanted it and Yami could never deny his hikari something so small as tolerance for a nuisance. That didn't mean that he had to like her though or the things that she did when around Yugi, such as giving him bits of information like she had just done.
In fact, it wasn't uncommon for Solitaire to reveal a few things to Yugi that Yami would have rather he didn't know about, such as when there was a ruckus among the Monsters. When she did so, Solitaire was walking a very thin line. There were many times when what she told Yugi came close to going about Yami's strict orders about what his hikari should know about. The one thing that kept her from crossing the line was that Solitaire spoke only of her personal observations, instead of gossip.
If it was something that she knew for herself instead of mere speculation, then Yami couldn't fault her for anything. He had merely declared the very sensitive information be kept from Yugi to prevent damage, not the observations of an annoying servants. So by finding a loophole, Solitaire managed to keep herself from physical harm. Even so, this fact didn't lessen any of the annoyance that Yami was feeling right now towards the little Monster.
Hikari Yami sighed, It doesn't matter what your servant said. She's just babbling like she always does. As I said before, this is nothing that you need to worry about right now. So please, go back to your puzzle and let me finish here. I really don't have any time to discuss this anymore.
And with that, Yami cut his end of the link again. A touch of his irritation still buzzed in Yugi's mind, leaving him a little stunned that Yami had been so abrupt. It wasn't like his counterpart to be so cold towards him on anything, even when he was concerned about something. Normally, no matter how many times he had to do it, he would just tell Yugi in a calm tone that he wasn't able to talk and needed to get back to his work.
So when he acted the way that he had, Yugi couldn't help but feel a little hurt by Yami's actions. It just wasn't like the darkness to be so cold towards its light, even for an instant. Which, when he was able to push passed the hurt that he felt, made Yugi more than a little suspicious about Yami's abrupt ending. The only thing that would make Yami act out of character was if he was distracted by something important. And just what the something might be was information that Yugi was now determined to find out for himself, regardless of what his lover said.
"Come on, Solitaire. We're gonna get to the bottom of this," Yugi said as he jumped to his feet.
"Right," Solitaire nodded.
The two quickly strode over to the heavy doors that exited out into the palace corridors. It was no trouble to open them as one might think, since Yugi only had to send out a small wave of his light magic to push them open. He closed them in the same way, seeing no reason to leave the doors wide open when it would just take up room in the adjacent corridor.
After he had done so, Yugi and Solitaire began to walk towards the northern side of the palace. About halfway there, they would come to a corridor that would then take them to the Meeting Hall. It was a great stone chamber that was one of the more simplistically decorated in the palace, with only a few hangings with Yami's personal symbol, the Millenium Puzzle, hanging on the walls. The design in mind was mostly for the discussions held whenever Yami was holding Court with his closest Monster warriors and advisors. During times like that, there was no need for decoration when the concerns were for other matters.
These matters were the discussions that could range from palace upkeep to possible threats happening along the borders. How long these discussions went on were also something that could have a certain range to them. If it was nothing serious, then Court might only be held for an hour at most before everyone was dismissed. If it was something more serious however, the sessions could stretch on for the Earth equivalent of several weeks. Small concession breaks would be taken of course, to allow Yami and the others to recuperate, but the majority of their time during these periods was spent finding plans of action to follow.
That was not a problem that Yugi and Solitaire were going to have to face on their impromptu journey. For them, the plan of action was going to be simple. As Yugi had said, they were going to the Meeting Hall. Once there, they would get some answers to why everyone else was acting so jumpy. There was no guarantee that they would really get any, at least right away, but both could be stubborn when they wanted and this was something that they were determined to accomplish.
The journey itself wasn't as simple though. Its route took them by many of the other Monsters that also dwelled in the palace. Most were servants going about their assigned tasks, while a few were guards that had been set to protect the entrances and exits into the palace. It was a perfectly routine time for them, none expecting it to be otherwise. Until they spotted Yugi and Solitaire walking down the corridor. That was when the Monsters stopped their work and took notice.
It wasn't often that the Monsters would see Yugi outside the safety of his private chambers without Yami. Normally he kept to his and Yami's personal chambers, preferring to keep out of sight since he didn't like to interfere with the duties of others. The only times that he really ever came out was when they had guests or there was need for healers. Then Yugi would be out in full force, offering a gentle smile and a helping hand wherever it was needed.
As he went by now though, Yugi offered a few friendly smiles to the startled servants that they passed, but most were ignored. His mind was almost completely intent on getting to the Meeting Hall as quickly as possible. The part that wasn't was clouded with a million questions on what he should ask Yami and how he should even confront him on this matter. It certainly wouldn't do to make a huge fuss over things, as it would just make him seem childish.
So he would have to take a page from his lover's book and do things a bit more discreetly while still in plain sight. That meant instead of asking Yami verbally, he was just going to have to use their mind link. It was the most private method he could think of without letting anyone else know just what they were talking about. The drawback though, was that he had to make sure that Yami would actually open his end enough to listen. It was always possible that he might keep his end closed while he scolded Yugi verbally and told him to leave the Meeting Hall.
Still, it was the risk to best solution that Yugi could think of as they finally came to the huge iron doors that led to the Meeting Hall. He was willing to deal with that if that was what it took to get some answers. Keeping that in mind as he steeled himself for what they were about to face, Yugi used his light magic to push the doors open as he had done earlier.
The great doors groaned in protest as they slowly swung open to reveal the Meeting Hall and its inhabitants. The gathered Monsters consisted of the Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, Gaia, Celtic Guardian and many others, all deep in discussion around a large stone table that sat at the center of the room. At the head of this table sat Yami in plain stone chair, with him listening to whatever information his Monsters were passing along to him.
All heads turned when they heard the doors opened. For a brief instant, they had all tensed as if something were wrong. But then all eyes widened at the sight of Yugi standing in the open doorway with Solitaire crouched at his feet. Hikari and servant Monster looked back the yami and general Monsters with a mixture of nervousness and defiance.
Yugi! What are you doing here? I told you to wait for me Yami demanded as he got to his feet.
I came to see why the Monsters are upset for myself. I asked you before, but you didn't answer me Yugi answered simply.
Yami was dumbfounded by this answer. It was the last thing that he had been expecting to hear from his normally shy and obedient hikari. For a moment, he had thought that Yugi had left their chambers out of boredom rather than curiosity. The problem with that theory was that Yugi never did something like that when he was bored. Regardless of what was happening, he always found something to do with his time.
So with that option out of the way, that left another solution for the current situation. It was an even stranger conclusion than the one that Yugi had come to the Meeting Hall out of boredom. He thought to earlier, when Yugi had tapped into the link and contacted him an hour or so after first meal was supposed to have ended. When he started asking about what his servant had told him, Yami had dismissed it as misplaced curiosity. Now as he sat there, looking at his impatient hikari, Yami was realizing just how wrong he had been.
Yugi, hikari mine Yami sighed, I didn't answer you for a reason. We're very busy here discussing an upcoming trip that I need to take. So please, just go…
Journey? Yugi echoed.
Yes, a journey, little one Yami answered.
It wasn't too much of a slip, but Yami inwardly berated himself for letting Yugi know about that now. He had intended to tell his hikari about it later when they were alone. But he was so surprised by Yugi's sudden appearance and the reason for his visit that for once, he had told more than he had intended. Now he would be stuck trying convince his hikari to stop questioning him and to be patient until the right time.
If you're going on a journey, then I…I could go with you. I know that I would be able to help if something's wrong Yugi suggested.
He had no idea where that idea came from. The words left him even before he had a chance to think about them. All that he knew was that some little part of him knew it would be best if he went wherever Yami did right now. It was something that might prevent something nasty from happening later on.
Yami's answer was an instant, Out of the question. You're going nowhere but back to our chambers where you'll stay until I come for you. I keep telling you that this is nothing that you need to worry about. Why won't you just listen to that?
But Yami Yugi started to protest.
The answer is still no, Yugi. You will not ask anymore about this matter and you will most certainly remain here while I am gone. This something that requires no distraction and must be handled by those that understand its depths, which does not include Hikaris Yami growled.
It was not the first time that Yami had spoken sharply to his hikari, but it was the first time that it had been so harsh or come so close to outright insulting him. And it was more than enough to cause Yugi to step back a pace or two in surprise at Yami's tone. He looked at his counterpart with hurt and disbelief shining in his violet orbs. Tears clouded his vision after a moment, but Yugi refused to allow them to fall.
He would not make a bigger scene in front of Yami and the rest of the court. He would not lose any more dignity than he already had. Not this time. This time, things were going to go differently. Now was the time to show everyone that there was another side to him that none of them had ever suspected existed. It was time for them to realize just how deep the mind and soul of a hikari could run beyond the boundaries of innocence.
His face going strangely stoic, Yugi faced down his yami. The latter looked back at him with a hint of surprise reflecting in his crimson orbs. It was obvious enough to Yugi at least that Yami wasn't used to seeing his hikari having such an expression on his face. Well, he was just going to have to get used to getting a few surprises from his hikari, especially in the next few moments.
Do whatever you need to do, Yami. It's your business and I won't interfere with it Yugi said rigidly through their link.
For a second time, Yami felt a bit of surprise as he raised an eyebrow at his hikari's mental tones. As with Yugi, there were just certain behaviors that he wasn't used to receiving from his counterpart. In his case, he was more accustomed to having his aibou acting quiet and gentle, since that was normal hikari nature. So to have him sounding so cold and harsh as Yami normally did, well, it was a slight shock to say the least.
It didn't take much for Yami to guess why Yugi was acting like, though not how he managed to pull the attitude off. Well, Yami supposed he should have expected his much. His light was such a delicate little creature, with a mind that could be just as fragile if mistreated. And now that he had given it some thought, he knew that his tone was sharper than it had to be.
He had only spoken that way because his natural protective instincts had taken over at the thought of Yugi leaving the palace. It was the same way that any sensible yami would react, as those were instincts that were deeply ingrained into their minds. It was what drove yamis to be so sensitive to the threats to their hikaris and the needs of the fragile lights.
Even so, that was no reason to cause Yugi to shed tears. Hurting one's own hikari in even the slightest way was just as bad as failing to protect the light against an outside attack. It was a sign, no matter how minute, that something was wrong within the relationship. Never wanting to think that such a thing could happen with his bond with Yugi, Yami decided that it would be best to smooth the matter over before it got out of hand.
There's no reason for you to worry about coming with me anyhow, aibou. I'm not going to be gone for that long to begin with. I promise we'll back as soon as possible and while I'm gone, you can contact me any time through the link. I'm just a thought away Yami promised more gently.
Hopefully, it would be enough to appease Yugi until Yami felt that it was possible to explain this more easily. Just one mental check and he knew that his hikari was hiding what he really felt behind a well-built mental wall. Even for someone who was supposed to be so innocent, he was good at concealing his emotions when he wanted to, even from Yami, though that last part took a lot of effort thanks to the link.
Unfortunately for Yami, Yugi was in no mood to be placated by a single promise as he had in the past. He had been seriously offended by his yami's words and was going to show it. Not openly, as that would draw more attention than Yugi wanted taken away from other important matters. But he would do it enough that Yami at least would get the message loud and clear that this time, regardless of Yugi's forgiving nature, he was not going to be forgiven as easily as before. If Yami wanted to be forgiven, then he was going to earn everything back.
I will do no such thing, Yami Yugi said.
What? Yami practically yelped in his mind.
Yugi replied coolly I said that I'm not going to contact you while you're gone. You said that you couldn't be distracted by anything while you're dealing with this and that would happen if I talked to you through the link. It's better to keep it closed until long AFTER your return, Yami.
These words were enough that severe shock actually broke through Yami's carefully guarded expression for once. As before, it wasn't like Yugi to speak so harshly to him, even during the rare times when he was upset with Yami. When that occurred, his voice would go soft and then he would just refuse to speak to Yami altogether if the darkness offended him.
This silence might last anywhere from a few hours to as long as the equivalent of a week. During those times, Yugi would find some place to hide while Yami tried to figure out a way to earn his hikari's forgiveness. Forgiveness that would come eventually, as the nature of a hikari was to seek harmony with the yami and that was found through forgiving of past wrongs. When that inevitable feeling took over, then everything would go on as before.
Unfortunately for Yami, forgiveness was not going to be found so easily this time. After his last response, Yugi turned and exited the chamber. After shooting Yami a dirty look, Solitaire scampered after her Master. The entire court watched them go with a mixture of silent misgiving and saddened understanding. None of them had heard the silent exchange that had gone between their masters, but they were able to sense that what was discussed had not gone well.
Wisely, none of the Monsters present chose to comment about the situation, even to those nearest to them. As was the unwritten law of the Shadow Realm, it was not their place to interfere or judge with the affairs of the yamis who ruled them and their hikaris. The two were forces that none of them could really ever understand, despite the fact that many of the Monsters were devout followers of the powers descended from light and dark.
As for Yami himself, he had watched his light's departure with a sense of deep regret and shame that none of the Monsters were aware of. He hadn't meant to upset Yugi so much, truly he didn't. The one thing that mattered most to him was seeing a smile upon the little one's face. It was what brightened his own dark world and helped to ease the shadows of his heart. That was why he always went to such lengths to please his light whenever he could.
If he wasn't able to accomplish this and Yugi became displeased with him, then Yami felt empty. A void would form in his heart and he would begin to realize that he had failed tremendously in his duties of life. Those feelings of failure would remain, continuously eating away at Yami until he managed to find some way to appease his offended light. When Yugi forgave him and welcomed Yami back into his arms, then the void would vanish entirely.
The entire mess was something that Yami preferred to avoid if he could, but this time, it was necessary. Even if he was upset, it was for Yugi's own good that he remain here while Yami and the others were gone. There was just too much of a chance that something might happen to him with this new threat running around. And that just wasn't something that Yami was willing to risk a second time.
He had nearly lost Yugi once before when his light had wandered out of the safety of the palace because of Yami's own incompetence. It had been shortly after they had been created and were just starting to establish themselves in the Shadow Realm. At the time, most of Yami's time had been preoccupied with proving his dominance to the Monsters and keeping a balance with the other emerging yamis. He rarely had a chance to spend time alone with his hikari, who was left to amuse himself within their personal chambers.
For a while, Yugi managed to do just that. There had been so many things for him to experience in the toys and trinkets of their chambers that he never thought to go anywhere else when left alone. After a time though, as eventually happens in many cases, even the treasures he had were not enough to keep Yugi's attention. He longed more and more for the company of his darkness, who tended to disappear for longer periods of time as the 'days' of the Shadow Realm went by.
When he had brought the matter up through their link, Yami only scolded him and then told Yugi that he just needed to be patient. Once things were more settled in the Shadow Realm, then they would be able to spend as much time together as they wanted. Until then, there were just more important matters for him to be attending to than playing with his hikari.
As hurt as he had been, Yugi heeded his lover's words for a time. He returned to his games, trying his hardest to be patient while Yami continued to sort out the problems that constantly arose. Yet, as time passed, doing this became more difficult. Yami continued to be absent from his company so often that finally, he was not there at all. Yugi had been left alone completely, save for the Monsters who were assigned to see to his basic needs and comfort.
He had tried to ignore the hurt he felt at his darkness's neglect and absence, telling himself that it was for the best. That Yami had more important things to do than being with him. But the time finally came when Yugi could take it no longer and decided that maybe it was time for a change. He would show Yami that it wasn't fair to make him stay in one place while the darkness got to do everything, even if it meant striking out on his own.
That was what he finally did one day when he snuck out of the palace after he had excused all the servants from their duties. From the palace border, he had set out across Yami's still expanding and ever defining territory into the Shadow Realm. It was frightening for him at first being in places where he was literally the only light was himself. Many times he was tempted to call across the link that had basically been shut and scream for Yami to come find him before something else did.
But then he forced himself to stop and remember that Yami was too busy for trivial things like that. In fact, he would probably be furious that his work had been interrupted because of an erring hikari. He would track Yugi down of course, since no yami would ever leave their hikari on their own in the Shadow Realm. Once he found Yugi though, Yami would probably yell at him for hours for being so stupid.
The thought of his yami being disappointed in him was more than a deterrent for Yugi to keep from calling for help. So regardless of the fear he felt and the possible dangers, he had kept going. Farther and farther he went from the palace, into one of the deepest corners of the Shadow Realm. Once there, Yugi had finally collapsed from exhaustion and fear. He fell into a deep, fitful sleep that brought darkened dreams to Yugi's mind. Ones where he was forever separated from Yami by unseen forces, while in others his darkness had willingly abandoned him.
It was something that haunted Yugi until a strange voice woke him from his slumber. That voice had belonged to Solitaire, a little Monster that had come upon Yugi while she searching for a place to hide. She was a criminal who had escaped from several clans of Soul Tigers, Curse of Dragons, and Beaver Warriors for ruining their food supplies and stealing many artifacts that she later traded off for different things. If she were found, it would either mean permanent enslavement or be killed. So in order to keep her head, she had been forced to constantly keep on the move.
If she stopped to worry about anyone else, it would leave her open to capture by her pursuers. So when she came upon a shivering Yugi, she was surprised but more than willing to pass him by. When she saw the deep tear tracks that ran down his cheeks and heard the fevered whimpers caused by his dreams, Solitaire felt her heart melt. She could easily sense the innocent aura that surrounded him and knew full well what would happen to the hikari if someone less friendly than she found him.
So she had awakened him, startling Yugi completely when he realized that there was a stranger next to him. His fear eased though once he realized that Solitaire meant him no harm. She was there to help him, as she promised to do if he was willing to come with her. Yugi was reluctant at first but since he no longer wanted to be alone at that point, he followed after Solitaire.
They were together for awhile after that, with Yugi following behind Solitaire while she kept the two of them one step ahead of capture. It wasn't an easy time to be sure, but it was how they existed until their luck finally ran out. A group of Beaver Warriors eventually caught their trail and then cornered the two in a dark corner of the Shadow Realm. Their main intention was to destroy Solitaire but a few had the idea that they could have some fun with Yugi before destroying him as well. It was a plan that never came to fruition.
Just as the Beaver Warriors were about to strike, an enraged Yami pounced on the lot with a vengeance. Though a few managed to escape with minor wounds, most suffered a horrible experience at the hands of the berserk darkness. None of them were killed. Yami had enough sense not to do that when they could be of use to him later. But he had shown the Beaver Warriors the nastiest side an irritated yami was capable of revealing when the hikari was threatened.
After he had dealt with the Beaver Warriors, Yami's anger had cooled considerably when he turned his attention a quivering Yugi and a startled Solitaire. The Monster he ignored as he gathered Yugi into his arms and literally hugged his hikari half to death. The entire time, Yami kept muttering how worried he had been, that he was sorry for ignoring Yugi, and that he never wanted the hikari to leave him again.
Apparently, Yami had gone searching for Yugi not long after he had gone missing from their chambers. The Mystical Elf who had been assigned to bring him his meals had discovered him missing and reported his disappearance to Yami. As soon as he heard, Yami dropped everything and set out to find Yugi for himself. It had taken him a long time and he had practically left everything in control of his Dark Magician, but Yami didn't care. All that mattered to him was finding Yugi again.
When he had found his hikari, Yami took both him and strangely enough Solitaire back to the palace. Though she was a criminal, Yami had decided to spare Solitaire's life for protecting Yugi while they were together. Instead, he gave the little wretch to his hikari as a personal servant and bodyguard. It was her punishment to serve Yugi throughout eternity for the crimes that she had committed, obeying his every whim to the letter. If she disobeyed in even the slightest way, then her fate would be left up to her Master.
As of yet, there really hadn't been any problems between the two. Though she was a nuisance at times, Solitaire had proven to be a good servant and friend to Yugi. She was there for him when Yami could not be, knew how to make him feel better, and performed her duties towards him without fail. The only real problem that she really ever caused was irritating the hell out of almost everyone else living in the palace.
Though it was a pain to do so, Yami had learned to deal this fact and the complaints that were often lodged against Solitaire by many of the other Monsters. It could be a disruption, but it was never really anything serious. Especially in comparison into how her services had been acquired in the first place.
Even if an annoying servant was gained from the experience, almost losing Yugi that one time had opened Yami's eyes to the importance that his hikari held in his life and that he shouldn't be taken for granted. So from that time on, he had made it a point to spend almost every spare moment open to him with his love. It was both to apologize to Yugi for how he had been treated during those hectic times and to ensure that he remained under Yami's personal guard as much as possible.
When he wasn't able to be with Yugi, then he would be left under the heaviest guard possible within the palace walls. Unless they were personally approved of by Yami, no one but his most trusted Monsters were allowed to set foot down the hallway that led to the lovers' personal chambers. Anyone who dared to try, unless it was one of the youngsters who had made a mistake, then Yami's temper would take its toll on them.
So after that one occurrence, it should be no surprise that Yami had actually denied his hikari the chance to accompany him. It was for the best after all. Besides, he was sure that Yugi would understand everything in time. He always had before, so why shouldn't he now?
A/N: Wow. I can't believe that I'm done with this monster. I do hope that it provided the story bits that everyone was looking for. I know that maybe it seems a little out of character for Yugi to get so bold when he's supposed to be so innocent and Yami to be such a jerk, but I kinda needed that as a catalyst for the plot. Don't worry though, I'll fix the spat later. Also, Solitaire's origin story was just something I threw in to show how she ended up there. I hope that it didn't make the chapter sound too boring. Also, I'm working on the next chapter, but it won't be out for a while since it's only half done. It will be out before June though, I can promise that.