Seto did not even look around when Seth entered. Seth didn't bother waiting for an acknowledgement. He swept across the room and sat gracefully in a chair across from Kaiba's desk. There was a long silence.

"Haven't you done enough?" Seto said finally. His voice was cold.

"It seems that I have done everything except what I intended," Seth replied.

"What do you want?"

I want to help you. "I want my spell ingredients."

Now Seto did swivel around, his eyes narrowed. "You honestly expect me to help you?"

"I expect you to keep your word," Seth said. "Beyond that, you are free to mope in here for as long as you will."

"Mope?" Seto's voice shook with anger. He half rose from his chair.

"What else would you call it?" At least it's an emotion. "The living are too precious to act like the dead."

Seto jerked and his face whitened with rage. Seth felt a faint stirring of fear, but he didn't move. "Keep your self-righteous judgments to yourself, priest," Kaiba spat, each word trembling with emotion. "You have NO idea what I've gone through."

Forgive me for this. "What happened with Gozaboro Kaiba had nothing to do with me," Seth said quietly.

Seto was frozen for a moment with shock. His fists clenched as though he was longing to strangle the man before him.

"You. Raided. My. Memories."

Seth sighed. "I…apologize. I had no right to do so. But your anger at your adopted father is never far from the surface of your mind." He stopped, stunned at the words coming out of his mouth.

"My thoughts are private!" Seto snarled. "I'm not some toy for your own amusement." Beneath the anger, he felt a strange feeling of relief that somebody finally knew. Knew everything.

"Is it so bad that I know of your past?" Seth prodded. He could sense Kaiba's confusion. "I can offer you understanding that no one else can, Seto. Because no one else knows you quite so well."

"You don't know me." Seto said, sinking back in his chair.

Seth was getting impatient. "How long can you continue to deny the truth? If you cannot acknowledge the proof of your own eyes, then you are a fool." He stared directly into Kaiba's eyes. "I judged you stronger than this, Seto," he said. "It's an insult to your character for you to sit brooding over the past."

Seto sat up just a little straighter at the challenge in Seth's voice. "You think you can barge in here, insult me, and still hope to get something from me?" he asked scornfully. Seth was relieved to hear emotion returning to Seto's voice and see color in his face.

"I only ask for what has been promised," Seth said mildly. There was a long pause where both doubles stared intensely at each other.

"Fine." The word was terse, but the blue eyes were once more alert and unclouded.

"Thank you," Seth said, rising to his feet.

"I'll have Roland take the ingredients to the game shop when they have arrived." Seto's voice was once more that of a business man. Seth just barely restrained himself from dancing a jig as he left the office.

As he left the grounds, he caught a glimpse of Mokuba staring at him warily from the shadows of the gate.

For a moment he was tempted to leave without speaking. This entire episode was, after all, Mokuba's fault. But then he saw the boy's reddened eyes and disconsolate expression and changed his mind. "Mokuba," he called. "Go in to your brother."

Mokuba let out a whoop of joy and ran towards the house.


Yugi looked up hopefully as Seth entered, cheeks flushed from the long walk. The High Priest was smiling. Yugi felt his heart soar. Joey also glanced up, but his gaze was a little more wary. He had never been more aware of Seth's uncanny resemblance to Kaiba: the same regal and haughty bearing, the same piercing blue eyes.

"Well, how did it go?" Yugi asked.

"He's back," Seth replied, his smile widening.

Joey just groaned. "That's what I was afraid of."

Seth glared at him, and Joey gulped. Seth's eyes ticked back to the Pharaoh.

"Mokuba is with him now. Seto has promised to send the spell ingredients here as soon as possible. I will prepare as much as I may before then."

"Thank you." The Pharaoh's voice was warm.

He's not just happy about the spell components, Seth thought. He actually cares for Seto. He cares for his rivals. But speaking of rivals…

"In the meantime…I hear that you have styled yourself the King of Games," he said almost casually.

Yami's eyes narrowed. "That's right."

Seth shrugged. "Seems a little over-the-top to me. You can't be much better than I remember." He used to beat me, but no need to tell him that.

Yami stood. He was far shorter than his priest, but he was, Seth reflected, one of those people to whom height is simply unnecessary. He was formidable enough. The Pharaoh's voice, when he spoke, was challenging.

"I have never lost a game," he said.

Save once. But that was no game. "How do you know?" Seth sneered. Joey was looking from one to the other, his eyes wide. "You can't even remember the last time you dueled me."

"I have beaten better men than you," Yami said. Seth could see the king's amusement; he knew what Seth was doing. "Kaiba, for instance."

"Kaiba? A better man?" Seth raised an eyebrow. "Clearly you need some experience with better men."

"If you meet one," Yami said with mock boredom, "let me know." But his eyes betrayed him; they were glowing with excitement.

Joey took a step in between, hands out to his sides. "Hey guys, calm down."

"Oh, I'm calm," Seth said, shoving him aside. He doesn't get it. This is just banter. Posturing. He quickly smothered a grin, keeping his face serious. And I missed it. "I challenge you, Pharaoh. Let's see if you have improved enough yet to make a duel worth my time."

"Just don't feel too upset when I beat you," Yami replied dismissively.

"As long as we play with real monsters and not with cards." Seth snorted and eyed the duel disk on Yugi's arm with regal disdain. "Only weaklings cannot summon their own monsters."

"Done." Yami unfastened the duel disk and laid it on the table. He smiled. "Though it will be awkward to summon monsters in Yugi's kitchen."

"Let me prepare the field." Seth raised the Millennium Rod, accessing its power. The kitchen faded away, and the blackness of the Shadow Realm replaced it. It was bitterly cold, and each breath felt like a knife in Seth's lungs. Joey shouted in alarm. The familiar dark energy swirled around them, and the shadows grew more solid until it felt like you would be forced to push against them to move. Despite the discomfort, Seth breathed in deeply. The Shadow Realm felt like pain, it felt like anguish, it felt like rage.

It felt like home.

Seth could feel his powers growing stronger as the Millennium Rod drank in the shadows around it and began to glow with an eerie light. He glanced across to the Pharaoh, whose Puzzle was blazing bright gold, and was staggered by rage in those crimson eyes.

"What is the meaning of this!" the Pharaoh yelled. "Why have you brought us here?"

Seth stared at him, stunned. The shadows, sensing an opening, howled in delight and rushed at him, but the Rod glowed more brightly still, driving them back.

"What do you mean?" he asked, feeling as though they were playing by rules he no longer understood.

Yami took a menacing step forward. "This is the Shadow Realm, Seth," as though it should be obvious. "Now explain exactly what we're doing here."

"I thought we were going to duel," Seth said, desperately confused now.

The Pharaoh glared. "I will not duel here." He sounded as though his mouth was choked with blood, or with shadows. A power far stronger than Seth's rose up suddenly, and Seth gasped in pain. The shadows swirled around the Pharaoh, carrying with them a wave of anger so terrifying that Seth actually winced. His grip on the Shadow Realm loosened, and with a snap, he found himself standing in the Mutou's kitchen. He staggered and nearly fell.

The Pharaoh was still staring at him, eyes narrowed. Joey was also pale and gasping; he looked terrified. Without another word, the Pharaoh turned and stalked from the room. As he turned, Seth caught sight of the Pharaoh's crimson eyes. He shivered. Never before had they reminded him so much of blood.

"What is wrong?" he asked. Joey just scrambled out after the Pharaoh without answering. Seth was left alone in the kitchen, staring in utter confusion at the door where his king had disappeared.

Yami fled up the stairs to Yugi's room, angry and a little frightened. He slammed the door with more force than was necessary and slumped down against it. The Puzzle glowed and he found himself in his soul room. Yugi crouched near him, his face white.

"He took us to the Shadow Realm," he said. Yami's anger redoubled at the fear in Yugi's voice.

The Pharaoh nodded once, his mind racing. "How can we trust him now?"

Yugi shook his head helplessly and hugged his darker half close. "I don't have any answers for you."

They remained like that for a long time, leaving the body empty and crumpled on the floor of Yugi's room. Consequently, they did not hear the footsteps outside the door. They did not hear Seth's knocking or his voice, calling for the Pharaoh. And they did not hear his heavy sigh nor hear his footsteps recede.