Chapter Five
It turned out that Dark Magician was a great asset to have along on a Duel Monsters-based RPG adventure. It also turned out that the Duel Monster would probably rank rather well as a duelist, if he were able to enter tournaments – though it didn't hurt that Mokuba had given him Yugi's deck for the adventure – minus his own card, of course – the ability and power of which deck he knew intimately well. All in all, Kaiba found himself admiring the companion Mokuba forced on him – especially when Dark Magician was able to use one of the new cards they'd found along the way to turn himself into the never-before-seen Dark Magic Dragon. As a dragon, Dark Magician was predictably purple in color, and his ability to combine his dark-attribute attack with Seto's Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's most powerful light-attribute attack did the trick to defeat the Mythic Dragon. Kaiba wasn't so sure this combination of powers should be enough to take the beast down, but decided not to point that out, as it meant they successfully completed Mokuba's adventure.
The VR effect blinded him again. When the dazzle passed, he wasn't surprised to find that he and Dark Magician had been transported to the front porch of the VR haunted house.
"Uhm, did you have fun, Big Brother?" Unlike before, Mokuba's disembodied voice sounded completely normal.
"Yes, Mokuba, I did. A lot." Kaiba responded carefully. He wondered why Mokuba hadn't pulled him out of the VR simulator yet. "You aren't – uhm – still mad at me, are you?" he dared to ask.
"I wasn't mad at you at all, Seto!" Mokuba protested. "I sort of pretended I was, so that you might be a little bit frightened, to make the adventure more fun. I understand why you wanted to watch Jeremy a little bit closer. You didn't do anything to upset me."
"From your emphasis, I'm guessing that I did?" Dark Magician asked.
"Yes, you did! Bad enough to force Seto be that parrot when you took over the program, but then what you did to him with your magic tricks was just mean!" It warmed Kaiba's heart that his brother defended him so staunchly. "What should I do to him, Seto? Just tell me – I'm sure I can program it."
"I'm sure you could, Mokuba." The truly scary thing was he knew Mokuba could program some awful VR effects on the fly – nearly as well as he could. Kaiba glanced at Dark Magician, who appeared as though he might consider panicking as he still couldn't return to the Shadow Realm. From the looks of it, Kaiba suspected that's exactly what Dark Magician was trying – and failing – to do. Impressive, really, just as the Duel Monster noted before, that his brother could do that. Kaiba though it served the smug Dark Magician right to sweat just a little. He lifted his head and projected his voice 'up' so that Mokuba could hear him clearly. "I don't know, Mokuba. He was very effective helping me to solve your adventure. I couldn't have succeeded without his help. So, he has his uses."
"But, Seto..."
"And," Kaiba interrupted him. "As much as it – startled – me at the time, when he took control of the Halloween Event away from me, it all turned out for the best. The children really enjoyed the Duel Monsters' company – even though they think they was just VR simulations of their favorite monsters."
"Yeah, but..."
"And," Kaiba dared to interrupt a final time. "It really wasn't so bad, being that parrot. Even when Dark Magician decided to use me as a prop for his magic tricks."
At that, Dark Magician turned and faced him. "Oh, really?"
Kaiba was trying so hard to placate his little brother so that Mokuba wouldn't do anything horrendous to the currently helpless Duel Monster, that he had forgotten Dark Magician was listening. Caught out admitting something openly, Kaiba clarified his statement. "The children enjoyed it, right? And it's not like you were unduly rough or trying to hurt me. Just my dignity got a bit rumpled, that's all, and you're the only one who knows it was me in the first place. As long as it stays that way – and Yugi never finds out..."
"I know, Big Brother. Just say the word and I'll smite 'im!"
Kaiba smiled at that. Mokuba had his back, even when there was no real need. "No, Mokuba. We'll let the Magician get away with it – this time."
"Are you sure?"
Kaiba gave Dark Magician a narrowed-eye, sour look, but responded, "Yes, Mokuba. I'm sure. Go ahead and release your program, so he can go back to the Shadow Realm, and..."
He had no chance to continue as the VR street suddenly filled with at least a dozen Duel Monsters. All three of his Blue-Eyes bugled greetings from the air. He guessed Mokuba had obeyed. A moment later, his little brother's arms wrapped around his waist. Mokuba was quivering.
"I didn't do anything, Seto! I was just keying in the return command for you when I suddenly appeared here, again!" Mokuba shivered again and stared up at him in shock. Kaiba knelt and wrapped his arms around his brother to comfort him, before picking him up and simply holding him. Normally he didn't anymore, as Mokuba told him once that being picked up like a child made him feel weak and small, but when his little brother's arms wrapped around his neck he knew he'd guessed right. "How are we going to get out, Seto? No one is at the controls! We're trapped here!"
Dark Magician nodded at the questioning look on Kaiba's face, and smirked.
"Everything is okay, Mokuba. I think a certain – someone – wasn't quite ready to go home just yet."
Dark Magician's smirk deepened and he walked over. He placed one hand in a comforting gesture on Mokuba's back, looked up into Kaiba's eyes, and the smirk on his face changed into a far more friendly smile. "I'd say all the tricks have been played, each of us upon the other, so all that's left are the treats – wouldn't you?"
"Treats?" Mokuba asked.
"Yes, treats." After a mystical hand wave Mokuba was again garbed in his VR Seto Kaiba costume. Mokuba squirmed, and Kaiba let him down. He couldn't help but tweak the drape of the trench coat and adjust the lapels to their proper angle before straightening up, though. "What should your brother's Halloween costume be?" Mokuba grinned up at the Dark Magician, and crooked his finger. Obediently, the tall Duel Monster leaned down so that the child could whisper in his ear. Kaiba wasn't surprised at all that the Dark Magician's mystical gesture in his direction clad him in the Blue-Eyes White Dragon Warrior armor. "And myself, young master Kaiba?"
Mokuba grinned up at him. "I'm sure you know."
"I'm sure I don't." Dark Magician winked at the boy.
Mokuba looked at the Duel Disk strapped to his arm as part of his costume. Kaiba belatedly remembered he'd programmed the thing to actually function. "I wonder if my Heart of the Cards works here." Kaiba sighed. Of course, Mokuba had been thoroughly indoctrinated into the 'Heart of the Cards' malarkey by Yugi and his gang before this, but having a Duel Monster confirm it didn't help any.
"Either VR or the Shadow Realm there's no reason to think it won't," Dark Magician replied.
"Well, then, I know which card I want to pull from my deck."
Kaiba admired the arrogant little flourish Mokuba added to his deck drawn. Of course, as his little brother was pretending to be him – and Kaiba as he was dueling, no less – it had to be dramatic. Mokuba was dramatic slipping the card into the active magic card slot, too. Kaiba watched in expectation as a localized effect swirled around Dark Magician transforming him into the massive, purple Dark Magic Dragon that Mokuba had created for Kaiba's VR adventure.
Just like in that adventure, even though he was in dragon form, Dark Magician retained his power of speech. He crouched low and dipped a wing. "Care for a flight, young master Kaiba?"
Mokuba evidently did, because he whooped and climbed up to the dragon's back. Kaiba looked down from watching the Magician Dragon spiral up into the sky to find one of his Blue-Eyes White Dragons offering the same courtesy. He lost himself for a long moment staring into the fierce and warm regard in the dragon's nearest eye.
It had been the best Halloween, he reflected. Using his skills to the utmost, to give those fifteen children a Halloween they would never forget, had been so very satisfying. Watching his brother enjoy himself, knowing that Mokuba was not only happy, but safe, temporarily lifted a burden he'd carried for so long he barely recognized it as a burden any more. That the Duel Monster he most disliked seeing in a duel had been part of it all, and was the immediate reason he knew his brother was safe, amused him. Kaiba had developed a sophisticated and subtle palate for irony. That Dark Magician had gone out of his way to interfere, and help out with the Halloween event – evidently without his duelist knowing – surprised him, but not in a bad way. He'd still cringe internally whenever Dark Magician appeared on a field – especially as one of Yugi's Duel Monsters. But, Kaiba thought, perhaps this Halloween he'd somehow made a friend he never expected. One who'd always present a challenge, and be hard to deal with sometimes, but one who would also never irritate him with tedious and ridiculous friendship speeches. One he'd trust with his little brother's safety at times – like now, as the Magician Dragon folded his wings and swooped toward the ground, to Mokuba's ear-piercing delight. As Kaiba watched the purple dragon bearing his brother on his back bank away from the ground and easily climb back into the sky he thought, Who needs roller-coasters when one has mostly-tame dragons – and magicians – for friends? Lucky kid.
The Blue-Eyes White Dragon blinked, breaking Kaiba's reverie, then turned his head and nudged Kaiba gently. Gently – for a dragon – but still nearly forceful enough to almost knock Kaiba off his feet. The gleaming white wing quivered, and dipped again, as if impatiently. Kaiba grinned, and accepted the offer.
As his dragon spiraled up to join the others in the air, Kaiba commented, to no one in particular, "Trick-or-treat, indeed."
-end-
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Author's note –
Yeah, yeah, I know I should actually write the adventure Mokuba forced Seto and Dark Magician to play, and not gloss over it. I realized that with the set-up I had in place, Mokuba hadn't planned for Dark Magician to help Seto – so he had to be altering and programming parts of the VR adventure on the fly. If I come up with something interesting enough, I'll be sure to post it. *has a sneaking suspicion she hasn't seen the last of Seto's VR worlds*
I hope you enjoyed reading my little Halloween submission for this year, and that everyone has a safe and happy Halloween – even if a kindly magician-dragon isn't involved – at least as far as we are able to tell! ^_~