Disclaimer: All recognizable characters aren't mine. Plotbunnies are.

Chapter 3: Heart of the Cards

"Don't expect to visit DiZ-san again anytime soon."

Since he'd expected to walk in silence, the statement caught Kaito off guard. "You don't work together?"

"Our paths coincided for a while, but he has his own agenda that I'm not about to help him with. I took you to him so you could understand what you were getting into, not for marching orders."

"But what about the computer, and—"

"For your sanity. I can easily direct a corridor to a world I haven't visited before. Now that you know what to expect, we'll travel directly between worlds. I don't have a ho—a base, and I'm not about to start using his."

"I see."

Hardly a step further into the dark pathway, Kaito pulled up short as a group of white monsters emerged from the ground. He'd never have thought that faceless, elastic things could seem intimidating, but these managed. Maybe it was the rhythmic, boneless way in which they moved, weaving while standing still. Ansem dropped into a defensive posture, drawing the oddest-looking sword Kaito had ever seen from what had to be either a hidden sheath or thin air.

"I'm going to assume that these are those minions you guys told me about," Kaito volunteered.

"Yes. Now's your chance to see how good your bag of tricks is. I can handle this many without you, if necessary."

"You're on. Watch your back!"

Riding the adrenaline rush as he dodged through the small mob of creatures—Aoko and her mop were faster, but these had numbers on their side—Kaito tried to figure out what could possibly harm them. He spared a glance at Ansem, surprised to see the man's blade effortlessly cutting through the ranks.

Sharp edges, there's an idea…

Whipping out his card gun, he took aim and fired a straight flush into the undulating mass of white. The ten and king exploded on impact, and the rest sliced straight through their targets, stopping all five in their tracks. He blew away an imaginary curl of smoke, until the next loaded card caught his eye.

Well. That was different.

There was a silver energy flickering along the edge of the card. Warily keeping half an eye on the monsters, he poked tentatively at the faint glow. His finger connected with a small spark, but it didn't hurt.

"Any explanations for why my cards have turned magical on me?" He moved to stand back-to-back with Ansem, emptying a—yes, that was a full house—at the enemy. Pity, only twos high.

"Depending on the world, different methods of channeling power can be easier than others. A person of the light carries their magic with them between worlds, but DiZ-san thinks the shadows work differently. Your unconscious mind has always governed your power—from what I observed of you, probably as innate talent at whatever you did, an exceptional memory, maybe a few mistakes that miraculously worked out, the ability to be whoever you wanted to be. Here the easiest channel is raw energy. Other worlds, it would be anyone's guess. I'm not sure how your magic will respond."

"Good enough." Forced to acknowledge the accuracy of Ansem's assumptions, Kaito tried to focus on the matter at hand, postponing further consideration until he had the luxury to ponder the implications and how to turn them to his advantage.

"Let's experiment, shall we?" Kaito pulled a flash bomb out of a hidden pocket of his costume. "Don't turn around," he warned, a moment before the area filled with a blinding flash of light. When his vision returned, he smiled in satisfaction.

"Such a beautiful sight. Emptiness."

Ansem destroyed one last monster on his side, and his sword promptly vanished between one motion and the next. "About a dozen. Not bad."

"Hey, what's this?" Kaito stooped and picked up what looked like a crystal shard. "It's shiny." He held it up in a gloved hand to the nonexistent light source illuminating this place, grinning as it gleamed in his eyes.

"On rare occasions, a piece of a Nobody will crystallize rather than disintegrate completely. That's what's left."

"Fascinating." He tossed the shard in Ansem's direction, unsurprised when the black-robed man snatched it out of the air.

"Let's go."

Kaito squinted his eyes against the bright sunlight as he and Ansem emerged from the corridor onto a convenient roof. Automatically, he started looking around and making mental notes on his surroundings. Tall buildings, narrow streets, a bus going by, and loads of pedestrians…

"This city reminds me of home," he began. "Except for all the naturally unnatural hairstyles."

Insane lengths, spikes, and curls, multi-colorations that don't look possible, and that was a white-haired teenager that just ducked into an alley, there.

"Some worlds are more similar than others," Ansem agreed.

"So, given that we might run into more of those what-do-you-call-em's, Nobodies, how's a guy supposed to earn some cash around here? I need to replenish my stock of cards. And find some less noticeable clothing."

Unfazed, Ansem reached into his robe and tossed over a small pouch. Pulling out one of the crystals inside, Kaito beamed. "Ooh, the shinies."

"I'm sure you can find a jeweler around here somewhere. Sell one or two and buy your supplies."

"Ah-ah-ah," Kaito admonished, wagging a finger. "You stick out like a black eye. Learn to blend." He pointed to where a pedestrian with equally silver hair was crossing the street below. "Your appearance isn't going to be particularly conspicuous in a place like this; you get a new wardrobe too."

"I wear these clothes for a reason."

"I'm sure you do. But you go down there right now, and you'll look like you're either a role-playing geek or you belong to a cult. People like that rarely get the answers they want."

A silence, and then a long-suffering sigh. "Fine. You lead."

Aaaaaand, chalk up another success for the cheerfully overbearing personality.

He grinned. "I hope you have good taste. I'm usually surrounded by fashion Neanderthals."

"Says the man dressed in a white suit with a blue shirt and red tie. You look like a flag."

Huh. For someone who tries to act taciturn, he falls into banter patterns really easily.

"Oi! Let's go. Just… try and look unobtrusive for a while, ne?"

He spent an hour selling one of the higher quality crystals, and another hour finding decent outfits for both of them while Ansem waited safely out of sight. Ansem had insisted on all black, but to Kaito's satisfaction he had traded his robe for a more normal-looking long overcoat without a hood.

Now, dressed in conveniently anonymous fashion (Kaito was particularly happy with his new black sweater), they had agreed to split up. Ansem left to seek information, and Kaito to restock his bag of tricks while keeping an ear tuned for the local gossip.

The individually harmless ingredients for his flash bombs where acquired easily enough, leaving him with only high-quality cards left to find. After drifting through the city for a while Kaito found a game shop with—of all things—a turtle on the sign. He entered, causing a bell to jingle, and browsed his way through the empty store towards the cashier's counter.

"Can I help you, young man?"

Make that mostly empty. A door to a back room swung closed behind the newcomer as he stepped behind the counter.

Tiny, old, and spiked grey hair you could cut yourself on, but definitely not stupid, Kaito noted. Probably beats a lot of people who don't look past his height to see the card shark lurking behind his eyes. And he moved without a sound; he could've been a butler in a past life.

"Good afternoon, grandfather, I'm looking for some cards."

"Oh! You mean Duel Monsters?"

"Er… no." Kaito eyed the man's sudden enthusiasm apprehensively, not caring if it showed on his face. When free of the costume, the Kid's poker face became optional. "Just solitaire cards. High quality."

"Hrm, pity. Those there are our best normal cards," he said, waving at a display, "but if you're looking for high quality, we specialize in Duel Monsters."

"I've never heard of it," Kaito admitted.

"What? Never heard of it? What rock have you been under these past months? Come now, we'll have to educate you. Pull up that stool there, and pay attention."

Bemused, and with nothing better to do, Kaito listened as the old man pulled out a deck of oddly decorated cards and launched into a detailed explanation full of monsters, life points, spells, traps, and what sounded like extremely complicated strategies. He thought he was starting to get a grasp of the rules when the bell jingled again.

"Grandpa, I'm home!"

Kaito glanced up. And blinked.

Innocent purple eyes watched him through familiar tri-colored spikes. Even odder was how for a moment he seemed to silently assess Kaito, hand moving unconsciously to rest on a large gold pendant shaped like an inverted pyramid, before he approached with a congenial smile. Despite the black leather shirt and buckles accessorizing his school uniform, the boy looked even younger in person than on DiZ's screen, failing to stand even as tall as Kaito's shoulders.

I guess power really is attracted to similar power, Kaito thought grimly behind a reciprocating smile. I refuse to believe in coincidences this big.

"Ah, Yugi! I was just introducing this young man to Duel Monsters. Why don't you come show him your deck?"

Ansem had said he'd find him again in a few hours, something about Kaito standing out from the rest of the world. He'd refrained from asking what made his traveling companion's senses so unique. Grasping at any excuse to stay in the vicinity of the game shop, he bowed in a friendly greeting.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Kuroba Kaito. This game looks pretty interesting. Maybe you can help me assemble my own deck, too."

He could have used a pseudonym, but on a world where he technically didn't exist it would provide no extra security. Better to allow himself and Ansem some consistency and just stick with the truth. It was easier to remember.

"Sure!" The boy eagerly perched on a third stool and pulled out a deck from a case on his belt. "I'm Moto Yugi, by the way, and that's my grandfather, Solomon. Let's get you some cards, and I can give you tips for some good combinations. We could even have a duel if you want. The best way to learn is to play."

"Well, I'll leave you to it," the old man chuckled. "There are still stock accounts to look over."

"Okay, I'll watch the store."

Solomon disappeared into the back room, and the next hour became a whirlwind of Duel cards, deck strategies, and a friendly duel. Kaito was impressed by Yugi's gaming abilities; the boy possessed an unusual combination of strong instincts, amazing luck, and a master tactician's ability to anticipate and react to situations. He also enjoyed talking about himself and his friends, and soon the two were swapping stories as well as turns, laughing over Hakuba's obsession with time and Joey's shameless ego while they dueled.

Yugi had just managed to destroy Kaito's current favorite card, the White Magical Hat, when Ansem ducked through the doorway. He raised an eyebrow at the game, but made no comment on it.

"Hey, Ansem-san, this is Yugi-kun. Yugi-kun, Ansem-san."

Ansem gave a perfunctory nod. "There's a crowd growing outside a place called Kaibaland. Something's peculiar about the atmosphere there."

"Kaiba-kun's game park?" Yugi's expression grew worried. "Why?"

Ansem shrugged.

"I need to see if Kaiba-kun and Mokuba-kun are okay!" He paused, glancing back down at the cards. "Um, sorry about the game. This is really important."

Making an executive decision, Kaito swept both sets of cards into neat piles, pocketing his extra cards and deck and handing over the other. "You know the owner, and someone whom I'm assuming is a relative? I'll go with you. You could probably use some brute force to get through a crowd."

"I'm not that short…"

"You look like you're twelve."

"I'm sixteen! Mokuba-kun's the twelve-year-old." Yugi paused, head cocked as if listening to someone out of sight. "Thanks for the offer, though. I guess it's fine. Grandpa!" he called at the closed door. "I have to go out again for a while, I'll be back soon!"

He led the way out of the shop, breaking into a run once he hit the sidewalk. Kaito jogged easily alongside, and Ansem followed at a brisk walk. The unmistakable skyscraper was no more than a mile away, and the trio quickly reached the scene. Ansem strode confidently into the small crowd, shouldering the people in their way aside with ease; Kaito and Yugi followed in his wake until they reached the front.

"Mokuba-kun!" Yugi cried in dismay, taking an extra step forward. Ansem immediately grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back into the crowd.

"Anonymity is safety. You do not draw individual attention to yourself," he snarled. Something in Yugi's eyes flared momentarily, then he gulped and nodded. Kaito ignored them both, staring at the scene playing out before them. They stood on the left side of the plaza, and had a perfect view of the unfolding tableau.

The front plaza of the building was dominated by a giant statue of a rearing Blue Eyes White Dragon, the very image of the taped-together card Solomon had shown Kaito while saying something about cards with heart. Behind it, a masked man held a boy with long black hair pinned against his chest, a pistol—probably a modified Airsoft gun—at the boy's temple. Closer to the crowd, two bodyguards in black suits lay unmoving on the ground.

"Kaiba! I'm waiting for you! I know you can hear me; if you're not down here in two minutes, I swear I'll break an arm!"

"Nii-sama!" Mokuba squirmed, only to be cuffed heavily by the butt of the man's gun. Immediately, Yugi's stance changed.

"That's it. Crowd or no crowd… let's play a game."

Kaito shivered, feeling invisible power gathering to charge the air. Shadows swirled around Yugi's form and he ducked under Ansem's arm, striding confidently across the plaza. Neither Ansem nor Kaito were able to grab him, but the gunman didn't seem to notice the younger teen's approach. Before Yugi reached the statue, however, the front doors of Kaibaland opened.

"Don't bother, Yugi. I have first claim."

White trench coat, clipped movements and speech, grace that looks potentially deadly, and a glare that could freeze nitrogen. Hellooo, powerhouse #2.

Kaiba stopped at the top of the steps leading to the entrance. "Speak quickly. You're a dead man."

"You bastard! You and your damn business made me lose everything that ever mattered. I want you to feel that same pain, and then die," the man finished with a hiss.

Kaito had already started running, desperately dredging up that extra edge of speed he usually only called on to escape Akako or the Task Force before his smoke screens dissipated. There wasn't time for sneaking. The already-summoned shadows—he didn't have time to think about how Yugi had somehow called them—danced along his limbs and torso as he raced toward the statue, and he could only hope they were concealing him from notice the way they had apparently done for Yugi.

As the man stopped speaking, three things happened simultaneously: the gunman shifted in preparation to fire, Yugi and Kaiba both lifted cards into the air, and Kaito reached the statue.

"Swords of Revealing Light!"

"Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

"Oof! Run, kid!"

Mokuba didn't need to be told twice, sneakers squeaking on marble as he darted to the safety of his brother's side. Kaito sprawled on top of the startled gunman, winded from impact. He grabbed the Airsoft gun—frozen mid-trigger, which he didn't want to think too closely about—from where he'd knocked the man's hand skyward, switched the safety on and kicked it towards the steps.

"White lightning."

He barely heard the soft command, steel-edged thought it was, but the gun vaporized in a burst of light that left the smell of ozone in its wake.

:A wise decision, young master.:

The words seemed to enter Kaito's brain without bothering to consult his ears along the way. He raised his gaze from the bottom of the steps, where a scorch mark now outlined the shape of a gun, and his eyes widened. A full-color twin of the dragon statue gazed down at him unblinkingly, a mountain of silvery scales looming on the steps between him and the brothers.

I think we found how this world channels power, Kaito thought groggily. His head was still spinning from trying to reach Mokuba in time.

"Don't move if you want to keep your skin intact," he murmured to the gunman, who wisely seemed to be playing dead. Or maybe he had passed out.

Yugi stepped into his field of vision. "Hold back your dragon, Kaiba. The danger has passed." He watched Kaito for several moments, purple eyes holding a flash of red in them as he narrowed them contemplatively. "Why?"

Why bother? Kaito heard the unsaid word, and it sounded strange coming from Yugi. Everything about Yugi felt a little off, in fact. Yugi had never looked so careful and deliberate in his movements, never talked so formally. Kaito coughed, sitting up and brushing dirt off his sweater.

"No one gets hurt," he managed.

A draconic chuckle, like the brush of scales against scales, filled Kaito's mind.

:Only when they take a rope and hang themselves, shadows' child. We seek to protect, not destroy, but while yours is an admirable sentiment, we will use any means necessary to keep our charges safe.:

Kaito gazed up at unfathomable sapphire eyes and tried to think up a coherent response, but he couldn't get past that first tenet of his personal philosophy before they were interrupted by enthusiastic applause, and he became sharply aware of their audience. Snatches of exclamations reached his ear, about the realism of both the gunman and the dragon—what amazing acting and holograms—and the details—just look at the burn mark—but wasn't using his little brother a bit much for a publicity stunt?

He looked up at Yugi, if he in fact was Yugi and not someone—something? That was a dragon over there—else, with an expression he hoped conveyed his utter disbelief and contempt for humanity's tendency to rationalize the inexplicable into the realm of 'normal'.

"They think this was a stunt?" he demanded.

"Kaiba's corporation is famous for it's realistic holograms of Duel Monsters," maybe-Yugi began.

"Hologram, nothing!" Kaito insisted, voice rising an octave, though the crowd still almost drowned it out. "I heard it call someone young master! And then it talked to me!"

"You heard—"

Ansem finally reappeared on the scene, interrupting the teen's response with a hand on his shoulder and giving Kaito a thoroughly disapproving look. "This is no place for a conversation. The crowd may realize that this was not, in fact, a stunt, and that's probably not something Kaiba-san wants publicly known."

Maybe-Yugi nodded. As Kaito watched the odd pendant gleamed, his pose changed again, and the teen bowed quickly to them before running up the steps towards where Kaiba was calmly issuing commands into a cell phone. A handful of black suits swiftly exited the lobby, cleared the two bodyguards and unconscious gunman from the plaza, and dispersed the crowd to their previous activities. Meanwhile the brothers and the white dragon (inexplicably now only a fraction of its initial size) disappeared into the building, the dragon still required to stoop to fit through the entryway, and Yugi followed, beckoning for them to follow as well.

Kaito and Ansem entered and approached the strange quartet standing beyond the game park's entryway in time to hear Yugi say, "No, I only met him today, but Kaiba-kun, he heard your dragon before it even addressed him, and then again while no one else in the crowd did!"

:Of course he did,: the dragon said, as if it were perfectly natural to be included in a conversation. :His is a heart born of the shadows and hidden places. He could learn our ways, if he cares to be taught.: Kaito eeped quietly as a silver-white head lowered to eye level. :Hello, young one. My name is Kochi.:

"Kaito… Um, what exactly are you?" He extended a tentative hand, which the dragon's nose nudged gently. Deciding that one more impossible thing wasn't so hard to accept in the face of the past 18 hours—or was it 12? 24? How long had it been, and when had he last slept?—he offered a smile and began scratching along the smooth snout, earning a pleased rumble.

:I am what some call a Monster, from the Shadow Realm.: Kaito could practically hear the capitals drop into place. :Those with the power and will can summon us here for a time.:

"We call the magic that bridges our world, and our decks, with the Shadow Realm, the Heart of the Cards," Yugi added. "All the good duelists can sense that connection through their cards, even if they're not strong enough to call the cards into reality."

:You have some potential,: Kochi continued. :Among your gifts, should you call to our kind, one would answer .:

"What sort of other things?" Mokuba piped up suddenly, fiddling with the blue bandanna around his neck. Kaito was relieved to see that except for dirtied jeans and a rip in his striped shirtsleeve, the boy looked no worse for wear.

:It is not my place to say,: the dragon demurred.

Acutely aware that Yugi and Kaiba were watching his actions from within their mutual silence, Kaito stepped closer and pulled out his new duel deck.

"I don't know about shadows, but I can do this..." He began a sleight-of-hand routine, gratified when Mokuba laughed as cards and roses appeared and disappeared in patterns faster than the average eye could follow.

Poor kid probably wants any kind of distraction he can get, Kaito though with sympathy. The shock hasn't hit yet, but once it's just him and Kaiba-san, I really hope his brother can be more than ice and steel.

The feel of cards in his fingers was soothing, and he added a few extra flourishes to extend the performance a little longer than normal. In the end, however, he was forced to bow, cards fanned perfectly in both hands, and vanish them into his pockets for the last time.

"So you fool the eye," Kaiba said coolly, face betraying nothing. "How much is speed, and how much is something more?"

"It's all speed," Kaito said proudly. "Anyone could do it, if they bothered to try. But," he added in what he thought was Kaiba's baritone sans the usual frost, "I've been told my vocal range is unusually diverse."

Between the wide-eyed looks on Yugi and Mokuba's faces, and the lowering temperature of Kaiba's glare, he decided he was probably better off not tempting fate any more. He turned to Yugi.

"My turn. Who's the other sharing your head?"

Silence. Then:

"You saw him?" Yugi asked meekly. "No one else has noticed until they recognized the behavior differences first, and that takes a while, if ever."

"Most people still can't, at least not very well," Mokuba added.

:Such is his talent,: Kochi rumbled.

"It's complicated." Yugi rubbed a coat sleeve against his pendant, organizing his thoughts. "The simple version starts three thousand years ago, in Egypt, when Shadow Games were played for wealth, power, and protection against darkness. Some terrible things happened, and a pharaoh sacrificed himself to seal away the great darkness and the need for the games. We don't know any details. He gave up his name, and with it his chance for the afterlife; his memory; and half his soul. He's my other self, and I'm his other self. We're just… not a single consciousness right now."

"Um… wow. Thanks." Kaito scratched the back of his neck. After another short silence, he continued: "So now what?"

"Do what you want," Kaiba sneered. "Just keep in mind if you're tempted to call a news station that I can, and I will, find you. And Yugi…" he exhaled slowly, the faintest of acknowledgments to frustration. "I owe you one, again. Don't make a habit of it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a business to run and a security force to gut and rebuild."

He swept away to what Kaito assumed was an elevator leading to Kaiba's office, Kochi blurring into nothingness with a flash of silver wings. Mokuba hung back, scuffing a shoe against tile.

"I don't know if you could tell, but Nii-sama really is grateful," he offered. "He's just got a lot on his mind right now."

"Don't worry, I could," Kaito assured him. "Anyone could see how protective he is, and how much he cares for you."

It was the right thing to say. He received a brilliant smile in return, and the boy gave him a quick, impulsive hug. "Thanks for everything."

Mokuba gave Yugi a hug as well and ran after his brother, leaving the three standing in the otherwise empty building. By unspoken agreement, they walked in silence back to the game shop, pausing in from of the turtle sign.

Kaito glanced sidelong at Yugi. "Any other advice for us?"

Yugi looked thoughtful. "Kochi said you had some ability, but I wouldn't try summoning anything for a while. If you get to really know your deck, when you can feel the flow of the game before you even draw, that's when I would start thinking about calling on the shadows for real. Just keep in mind that it takes a lot from you, especially when you're not used to it." He turned to Ansem then, determined curiosity making an appearance—as well as what might have been a flash of red in his eyes. "I know you had to have been in the building the whole time, but I don't think Kaiba-kun and Mokuba-kun even noticed you. How?"

Ansem hesitated, then sighed. "When you've walked through darkness, it's easier to fade into the deep shadows. You need not fear for your friends' safety, however." A grim chuckle at Yugi's sudden and fiercely protective expression. "There are precious few who are able to hide that way, and I bear none of your group ill-will. Protect Kaiba-san from himself, instead."

Yugi smiled, somewhat sadly. "We're trying. He… hurts. But I won't give up on him, even if it takes us the rest of his life."

To Kaito's amazement, Ansem's dark face bore a similar smile, but with a bitter edge. "You remind me of someone else I know. He traveled through the darkness in search of a friend who was overtaken and lost within it, and still never lost hold of his own light."

"What happened to them?" Yugi asked, voice slightly awed.

Ansem looked away from Yugi's wide-eyed innocence. "He saved his friend, but they got separated again. He's still looking, but I don't know how their story will end."

"I hope they find each other! I'd hate to lose any of my friends, and it'd be even worse to not know what happened to them…"

Ansem grunted. "Anything is possible. But we should be going."

"Well, will I see you again? It was nice meeting you, and I still owe you a game, Kaito-kun, don't forget." Yugi brightened at the thought.

Kaito observed Ansem's body language and reluctantly shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'd like to play another game, but we're doing a lot of traveling. We might not be able to come back for a while."

"Well, that's okay. Here, so that you remember us while you're traveling." Yugi shyly held out a card: the emerald Luster Dragon. "Maybe next time I can introduce you to my other friends, too."

"Hey, this looks useful. Thanks. And yeah, maybe next time." Kaito grinned. "Here's something in return." A pon! and a puff of smoke left Yugi holding a pair of lockpicks, startled and confused. "For when Kaiba-san locks himself in his office, and needs someone to drag him into the real world," Kaito explained with a wink. "Take care until then."

Yugi smiled back happily. "You too!" He entered to the shop, waving goodbye through the glass door.

Kaito waved back and hurried to catch up with Ansem, who had immediately turned and started walking away, shoulders hunched in a moody posture.

"You shouldn't have said you'd come back."

"I liked the guy! I meant it when I said I'd have fun playing another game."

"But we have no reason to return here."

"No enemies, but good people. I'll figure out a way to make it back, with or without you. Just you watch."

A disbelieving bark of laughter. "Suit yourself. But next world try and avoid contact. It's easier to simply observe and be gone, if nothing is happening."

"I wasn't trying this time, either!"

In the privacy if his own head, he continued: Besides, you're the one who made contact with me. I think you're unconsciously desperate for someone to talk to, or just be around.

And don't think I didn't notice how much that person you mentioned sounded like Sora-san. Why do you know so much about him? Why do you try to help him? And that friend of his you mentioned…

Who are you?

Still silent, Kaito followed Ansem to a nearby alley. Together, they ducked through the dark portal.

Here we go again…

Terms:
Nii-sama: Older brother (respectful)

Kaito meshes really well with the Shadow Realm, so it was fun to play with both at once. Kochi the BEWD belongs to Ellen Brand, as does this permutation of the YGO universe. These events could take place in the few days between her fics Ankoku Wa Osore Nai and The Only Constant.

The white-haired teenager ducking into the alley might have been Bakura, but he declined to reveal what he was up to down there. ::shrug::

I don't know if all following chapters will have much in the way of transitions, or be similar in length. Also, potentially, Kaito might try revisiting some of his favorite worlds after a while. As Kaito would say, Ah, the possibilities…

6/06

Addendum 3/07: If you've read through this story before, parts of this chapter might seem different. Kaito's abilities have been modified slightly to better fit his character. For the sake of consistency, this chapter has been modified to accurately reflect all further revelations about the nature of the shadows and Kaito's own connection to them.