Winter was still a few weeks away but by Sunday morning, it seemed more than ready to begin.
White sheets had been put up over every golden window of Pegasus late Friday night and still continued to hide the interior. This tactic had only severed to fuel the population's curiosity and eagerness over the past thirty-six hours and now, people huddled together in both anticipation and warm outfits from the front doors all the way down along the sidewalk. Advertisements had declared that business would open at nine a.m.
It was eight fifty-seven.
Anzu ran her hands up and down her arms. The thin yellow sweater and leggings she had chosen to wear weren't doing much to keep the cold at bay. Beside her, Honda swayed back and forth with half-glazed eyes. She watched him for a bit, amused, until his head suddenly lowered and he tipped forward.
Anzu snatched his tan coat and pulled him upright again before he could fall onto the gray-haired couple in front of him. The move woke Honda right up, and he took a moment to regain his bearings before he said, "Tell me again why we're up this early on a Sunday."
"Checking up on this Maximilian Pegasus," was the reply as she released the coat.
"I know, but…can't we come back later? Say, after four more hours of sleep?"
Anzu growled and bumped into him. "What are you talking about? YOU were the one who wanted to beat the guy up! What did you call him again? The Perverted Stranger?"
The old couple turned bespectacled eyes in Honda's direction, and he flushed. Trust Anzu to embarrass him with his own words. He waited until they looked away before he leaned closer to her and whispered, "Okay, yeah, I did. So…what do you want to do? Corner the guy and just start asking questions?"
Dark hair swished back and forth. "Let's just keep an eye on him first. You can tell a lot about a person by the way he interacts with people."
Interesting word choice. Honda hid a grin. "So if this Mr. Pegasus is goofy and scared of mummies and likes to talk tough, then he's okay by you?"
She tried to shove him off the sidewalk and was disappointed when he only made it to the curb. But before she could try again music started from the building, and a hush swept over the crowd as Maximilian Pegasus stepped outside.
He smiled as he looked about the crowd, more than satisfied with the turnout. Then after a moment, he caught sight of Honda and Anzu.
Both were unaware of his attention. "He's just like Ryou described," Anzu whispered. "Tall, long hair, covered eye…"
"And pretty pink suit," Honda finished with a snort. "But Ryou forgot to mention the frilly white apron."
Mr. Pegasus's smile faltered for a moment before he announced, "Good morning everyone! Welcome to Pegasus!"
"Hi!" a small voice cried in return, prompting the crowd into warm chuckles.
Mr. Pegasus gave the child a wave and then continued. "My name is Maximilian. For months, I tried to find the perfect place to build my business, and when I discovered Domino City last September I had this undeniable feeling of…duty, I supposed you could say. As if this were the place that I simply must be. In fact, I daresay that it was…destined."
The crowd stirred and mumbled to themselves.
"Oh, I know what you're thinking," Mr. Pegasus went on, "but you needn't believe me. Conviction isn't what you are here for. Yet before I invite all of you inside, allow me these last words."
He paused to make sure that he had everyone's attention. "Pegasus is a shop filled with fun, mystery and beauty. Though it may seem to be only fit for the young, it is also very fit for the young at heart and everyone in between. And I personally guarantee the people of Domino that when they set foot inside, not a one of them will leave disappointed or empty-handed."
The speech was met by silence. Undaunted, Pegasus stepped aside. "Please see for yourselves."
"What a weirdo," Honda remarked as the line started into the building. "Pink and aprons and a sissy voice. Is this guy for real?"
Anzu wasn't ready to form an opinion yet. "There's more to him than that if he convinced Ryou to work with him after the scare he went through." She paused and then glared. "And stop making fun of him. You're embarrassing me."
The old couple looked back at Honda again. He just rolled his eyes and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Anzu may've had a point with Ryou, but she had a lot of nerve telling Honda not to embarrass her when she had done it to him twice in less than three minutes.
The line continued forward past the horses, and the two friends soon found themselves just outside the golden threshold of the double doors. The line halted then, and it caused a small pile-up of bodies behind them. There were a few impatient pushes, and it was Anzu's turn to roll her eyes. She and Honda weren't above petty pushes with each other, but even they knew when it was considered rude.
And the moment they stepped onto the red-wine carpet of the interior, both discovered that they also weren't above total shock and admiration.
Soft lights ran along the circumference of the vast room and down in between the windows. It gave the merchandise a wonderful glow, as if it had all been sprinkled with fairy dust. Cars, games, stuffed animals, dolls and all other sorts of toys were arranged on dark wood shelves. Some of these shelves were spiral shaped and hung from the marble ceiling; others were built right into the circular walls or the floor in tall, ovular and rectangle shape. All were trimmed in gold.
"Oh…wow," Anzu finally managed as her eyes darted everywhere.
Honda had to agree. "Yeah. This place is a kid's fairy tale come true."
The line vanished as people split up, and the two of them continued inside. Right away, they noticed that the carpet only led from the doors to the middle of the room. Bare marble covered the rest of the floor in aisles between tall shelves, where excited kids and older shoppers exchanged comments and items.
"Look at this!"
"Wow! A penny racer!"
"Pick-up-Sticks!"
"A Jack in the Box! I haven't played with one of these in fifty years!"
"They seem happier," Honda remarked as he and Anzu passed.
In the middle of the room, a stunning three-tiered crystal chandelier hung from a thick patch of glass in the ceiling. Charms and ornaments of the now very familiar flying horse dangled between the bulbs. Below it sat an old-fashioned wood candy counter several feet around in size. Two older-model, brass marble cash registers sat on the top beneath doilies. Around them, an almost endless array of treats rested in jars, boxes and display cases. A rough estimate of hundreds more lined shelves all around the bottom outside of the counter.
Honda dropped to his knees and crawled from shelf to shelf in sheer bliss. "Chocolate! Pocky! Sour squares! And all kinds of stuff I don't even know!"
He babbled on as he crawled out of sight to the other side of the counter. Anzu growled at his idiocy. Sometimes he and Jounouchi were so much alike that it frightened her.
She left Honda to his sugar trove and continued on the same strip of carpet to the second half of the room. It led her past more aisles and shelves; only here they were stocked with books, movies, art supplies and, to her surprised delight, costumes and accessories. She admired a violet dance leotard before moving on.
Soon, the carpeted path led her to the back of the store, where it continued up a wide, marble staircase that wound its way up to the second floor. Beside the golden banister, a glittery sign on a stand read, 'Children under fourteen please be accompanied by an adult. Thank you.'
Must be where all the expensive stuff is, Anzu figured.
"You're welcome to go up."
The unusual high voice probably would have scared her if she hadn't recognized it. However, it did startle her and she spun on her heel to face Mr. Pegasus.
He stood with a bundle of white sheets in his arms and an indescribable twinkle in his eye. Almost immediately Anzu realized that her plan of just 'keeping an eye on him' wasn't going to work because right then, she was the one right up close and available for scrutiny.
The thought stuttered her reply. "Uh, I-I…"
"You-you what?" Mr. Pegasus teased. "Didn't come here to shop? Well, I'm sorry to say that Ryou isn't here. His father is leaving today, so he won't start working until tomorrow."
That kicked the stutter right out of her and annoyance balled up her fists. "I know that. I'm one of his best friends."
That one eye examined her up and down before it lit up. "OH! Then you must be Miss Mazaki." He bowed low and then used his head to gesture to the left. "And that charming young man drooling on my counter must be Honda. Welcome to Pegasus."
A couple of sheets fell to the floor, and Anzu automatically bent to retrieve them. When she handed them back, the spark of annoyance at being mistaken for one of Ryou's cling-ons melted away at the look of utter gratefulness and approval on Mr. Pegasus' handsome face.
"Thank you," he told her. "I can see why Ryou thinks so highly of you."
A warm sensation tickled her cheeks. "Just because I picked up sheets?"
He chuckled. "That among other things. Now, can I be of some assistance? Or have I already passed your test?"
"My…what? Test?"
Unabashed, Mr. Pegasus shook his head and clicked his tongue at the attempted cover-up. "My dear Anzu, we both know that you and Honda came here to check up on me. I was merely asking if you found me satisfactory."
The power of his perception astounded her almost to the point of uneasiness. She was sure he could see it too, from the way his lips trembled in an effort hide his amusement. It made it hard for her to respond.
Mr. Pegasus didn't give her the chance. He lowered his voice and then filled it with sincerity. "You needn't worry about Ryou. I've spoken with his father and even he agrees that this will be good for his son. So please fear not, Miss Mazaki. Your friend will be taken care of."
Anzu wasn't too assured. She knew that Mr. Bakura had approved of everything but…Ryou was a typical teenager. He didn't tell his father what he only told his friends. How much about this Mr. Pegasus did Mr. Bakura know? How much did any of them really know?
"So protective," Pegasus mused as he noted Anzu's dubious expression. "I assure you, it isn't necessary. Ryou is quite capable of knowing what's best for him."
She knew that, too, and at last the knot in her doubt slowly untied. Ryou was the most grounded fifteen-year-old boy she'd ever met. He excelled at school and was both polite and charming. Months out of the year were spent without a parent, yet he still managed to stay happy and responsible despite their hard past.
Yet sometimes…sometimes Anzu could see the faintest glimpse of uncertainty and sadness in those big brown eyes, and it always concerned her into protective mode.
"Have I convinced you?" Mr. Pegasus inquired.
Her voice finally returned. "It's just…he's been through so much."
Silence. Then, Mr. Pegasus pulled open a full-length mirror next to the staircase to reveal a storage room. This caused a few more sheets to fall again, but he stopped her before she could reach for them and said, "I know. Please tell your friend Honda that I will be right there to ring up his purchase."
The abrupt change in topic flustered her. "I…yes, I will. Thank you."
He nudged the fallen sheets inside the room with his foot and then stepped inside. The mirror closed just as a familiar voice said, "What did he say?"
Still a little unsure about the man, she faced Honda and answered, "Lots of things. Come on, he's going to be back to help you…" Her voice trailed off as she finally noticed the gaggle of candy resting in his crooked right arm.
He laughed and then shifted the arm a bit. "Guess I got a little carried away. Couldn't really help it."
Two months earlier she would have knocked the goodies to the ground, called him a pig and then accused him of caring more about himself than the friend they had come here to help. Now though, with Ryou's voice planted firmly in her conscience, she just gave a frustrated sigh and snitched a soap bar-sized caramel.
Honda tried to grab it back with his free hand. "Hey!"
"It's the least you can do after leaving me to face Ryou's boss all by myself."
"Oh, yeah. Okay, you can have it." He dug a coin from his pocket and handed it to her.
"Thanks, Honda."
"You're welcome." A moment. "I guess that Pegasus guy was right."
Anzu peeled back the caramel's cellophane. "About what?"
He pointed to their candy. "Neither of us is going to leave empty-handed."