Deciding to post this story one scene at a time was supposed to let me post things faster. That was the concept behind it. What it's actually done, though, is force me to really consider what's vital to this narrative. I've had a few scenes that I could have posted, but didn't, because they were just too short, and didn't add enough to the overarching plot to justify taking up an update.

Now that summer's here, I'm actively working toward improving my methods. Usually after a semester, I take a while to just coast. And in certain ways I'm still doing that. I'm watching YouTube and playing games and all that. But I'm also riding my bike, and doing some studying of my own.

I've also decided to resurrect my FictionPress account. Currently, I have one scene for my first story posted there. The link to my new account is on my profile, for anyone interested in seeing what I do when all bets are off. If you're liking this story, and its focus on family relationships, then I'm reasonably sure you'll find something to like in my original story, "Max Doesn't Believe in Jesus."

s/3125294/1/Max-Doesn-t-Believe-in-Jesus

I'd really appreciate it if you gave this project a shot. It's very special to me, not only because it's extremely personal, but because it's the first piece of original fiction that ever really spoke to me.

The titular character, Max, is the narrator for a novel I'm currently redrafting.

Anyway, let's get down to business, shall we? Let's check back in with the Kaibas and the Yagamis.

And . . . those other people.


"We weren't sure anything was happening at first," Yuki said, sipping at the mug of tea in her hands. "It all seemed like happenstance. But there are only so many coincidences you can accept before it becomes a pattern, and…well…"

"What kinds of coincidences?" Yugi asked.

"At first…just little things. Ko would get harassed at work by customers. But, that happens." Yuki put an arm around her son's thin shoulders. "Seto-chan told us he was being bullied at school again, but that didn't seem entirely out of the ordinary, either."

The look on Mokuba's face at the name "Seto-chan" was priceless.

Kaiba didn't bat an eyelash.

"Random debris falling from buildings, inches from our heads," Kohaku said. "We've stopped using elevators, escalators; I'm not sure I trust automatic doors anymore. It feels like every business in this city is owned by the Kaiba Corporation or one of its contractors."

"We would be taking a walk," Yuki said, "and a car would come barreling down the street and cut the corner. The last time, it was only because of Solomon Mutou that I wasn't flattened."

Kaiba blinked. "..Solomon Mutou."

"Yes," Yuki said. "He's the one who…who brought us here. With a kind of…ancient ritual."

"None of this garbage makes any sense." Kohaku poured a shot of whiskey, stared at it for a moment, and slammed it back. He set the glass down, poured another, but let it sit on the table. "Rituals and blood magic and death threats…and now whatever this is." He gestured all around him.

"Someone left a message on our answering machine," Yuki said, eyeing her husband a bit oddly. "It said, 'Deliver him to me.' I didn't know who sent it, or who he was supposed to be, until…until…"

Seto Yagami lowered his eyes, grabbed at his mug of chocolate like it was a lifeline, and drank. He did not speak. Yuki gave the boy a one-armed hug, and Kohaku ruffled his hair.

Yugi's face went blank; his eyes rolled back in his head. He said, "…Kaiba. Check your cell phone."

Kaiba blinked. "What?"

"Your voicemail. Check it."

Kaiba scowled, shook his head, and pulled a cellular phone out of an inside pocket of his suit jacket. He looked at it, scrutinizing it, before hitting a few buttons. A voice came from the tiny device, and perhaps the most striking part about it was that it didn't sound the slightest bit sinister; rather, it sounded bored: "…Deliver him to me."

Kaiba went stiff; Mokuba let out a gasp.

They spoke at the same time, seemingly without thought: "Otousama."

The longest two minutes in history passed in silence, then Kaiba closed his eyes and set his phone on the table.

His right eyebrow was twitching. "Mutou."

"Kaiba?"

"I would like you…to explain something to me."

"O…kay?"

"You expect, for some reason, that I will assist in fixing this problem of yours. You expect that I will protect a seven-year-old boy—who by all means should not exist because he has since grown into me, according to your belief systemfrom a man five years in the grave. I further suspect that you expect me to protect the lives of two other people I saw lowered into the ground more than eight years ago. Does this all sound accurate to you?"

He opened his eyes and set them on Yugi, who fidgeted in his chair.

"Well…when you put it like that…"

"Is that not what this is about? Is that not why you dragged Mokuba into this? So that he could convince me to throw my hat into this circus act? Surely you knew that coming to me directly would do no good whatsoever."

"…I did."

"So…can you remind me why you're still breathing? I'm having a hard time with that part. You've insulted me before, any number of times without realizing it, but this holds down a record. So enlighten me. Give me the answer. Please."

"This wasn't meant to insult you, Kaiba. I didn't know what Yami was doing until he'd already done it. All I know is what he told me: he was paying a debt. I guess he's trying to protect them. Maybe he thought you would help…you know. Because…because…"

"Because forcing my brother into a blood sacrifice and scaring him half to death is the perfect way to ask me for a favor. That's what 'blood magic' means, doesn't it? That's what Mokuba meant when he said you stabbed him. This 'Yami' of yours needed his blood to complete this 'ritual.' Correct?"

"…Yes."

"Let me ask you this: the last time someone hurt my brother and forced him into a bind with the intent of convincing me to do something, what favor did I offer them? Did I wash Amelda's car? Did I buy Malik Ishtar a new pair of shoes? Did I file Pegasus Crawford's taxes?" Yugi hung his head low, flinching with each sentence.

"Answer me, Mutou!" Kaiba shouted. Yugi jumped.

None of the others said a word, nor did they move.

Mokuba squeezed Kaiba's hand. "Niisama," he whispered.

It was a warning, but Kaiba wasn't of a mind to hear it, much less heed it. "Give your disorder a message from me," he snapped. "Let him know that if he thought this was actually going to work, then he's gotten slow, and suicidal.I'm not going to ask how this happened, because I don't really care." He stood up, all but dragging Mokuba with him. "We're going home," he told the boy, who understood that enough was, quite clearly, enough. The man's patience had run out.

At the doorway, Kaiba turned. "I'd thought better of you, Yugi Mutou. I thought you were loyal, I thought you were trustworthy, but most of all I thought you were smart. Seems I was wrong on three counts. I hold out one last hope that you're smart enough to keep your distance from my brother. Make sure your family has enough money to cover a funeral, if you get it into your head to prove me wrong again."

And he was gone.

Yugi slumped back down in his chair, looking ready to cry. He sat miserably at the head of the folding table, staring down at his lap. He did not speak. Kohaku downed his second shot of whiskey, fell back in his chair and brooded.

Yuki and little Seto Yagami let their own drinks alone, lost in thought.

The silence was suffocating. Téa was fidgeting, and Tristan looked like he was grinding his teeth. Joey pushed against the table, balancing his own seat on two legs, and stared up at the ceiling for a while.

There was an almost audible click.

"…Well, this is depressing as fuck," the blond muttered, hopping to his feet. He looked at the Yagamis. "What year's it, back where you came from?" he asked.

Yuki stared at him. "…1994?"

The blond cracked a smile. "Awesome. This'll be great."

He walked over to the front counter, where various displays of trading card booster packs were situated in a line beside the cash register, and began picking them out at random. "C'mon, Yug. You're still the expert, here. Get over here and help me."

Yugi looked over at his friend, looking dazed. "…Huh?"

Joey lifted a handful of about seven or eight packs and said, "When'd it first get released? '96? '97" Yugi blinked and nodded blearily. "Then get movin', help me fuck up the space-time continuum or what the hell. We're gonna liven this place up a bit, show mini-Kaiba over there what he's got t' look forward to." He leveled a suspicious look at Seto Yagami, who blinked and frowned at him. "You like games, don'tcha, kid?"

"…Yes? Sir?"

Joey blinked, then burst out laughing. Seto flinched. "Oh, get that recorded, somebody! That was ridiculous. Sir, he says. Oi. Yugi! I'm serious, get up. M'I gonna have to come over there and drag your ass? I'll do it. Don't think I won't."

"What…what's this about?" Yuki asked.

"What are you doing?" added Kohaku.

Joey quirked an eyebrow. "I'm sick o' the depressed-ass looks on everybody's faces. Téa's stuck in pity-party mode, Tristan looks catatonic, Yugi's frickin' contemplatin' suicide over there, and God only knows what you folks're thinkin' about. He looks bored. Bored I can do. Yugi! Here! Now!"

Yugi finally stood up and shuffled over to the counter.

Joey smacked him upside the head. "Fuckin' stupid. What the hell'd you expect him to do? Spin you around the room and kiss you? Mokuba'll calm him down. Oi! Yami! If you're listenin', quit bein' a douche." This seemed to settle the matter for Joey, who then proceeded to ask Yugi what packs would be best. "We got Avatar, that's the new one, but what's the deal with this Up Your Game stuff?"

"It's kind of like an all-stars line," Yugi said, slowly. "I2 basically took the most iconic cards from the older sets and put them into this one. For people who missed out on them the first time."

"Sweet. Okay, so we'll grab some o' those…"

And so it went on. The Yagamis—and Tristan and Téa—watched as Joey and Yugi began sifting through packs and discussing strategies that only made sense to them. Every once in a while the blond would steal a glance back at Seto, who was sipping at his hot chocolate and staring at them.

Joey could spy a spark of interest in those creepily familiar eyes.

A part of him wondered why he was so suddenly giddy about this, but he figured later that there was no use fighting it: it was hard to be pissed off at a guy who was two feet shorter than he should've been, and technically hadn't even done anything that warranted being pissed off at him in the first place.

At least, that's how he rationalized it. Anybody else would've just said that he had a soft spot for kids.

"How long're you guys gonna be here?" Joey wondered.

Yuki blinked. "I…don't really know."

Kohaku shrugged.

Yugi frowned. "…If the stories I've heard about Gozaburo Kaiba are true, they'll be here a while. It took Kaiba years to take him down." Yuki frowned, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "…Not that it'll take that long this time, I'm sure. He's got resources now. Should be able to make quick work of everything…if we can convince him to help."

"And if not?" Yuki pressed.

"…Then we fight magic with magic."

"A'right, everybody, shut up," Joey snarled. "We get it. He's big and scary and we gotta take him down. Whether they believe it or not, you really think Mokuba's gonna ignore people in danger? He'll calm Kaiba down and convince him. There's no use worryin' about it yet."

"What makes you so sure?" Kohaku asked.

Joey smirked. "I'm enlightened. Cool off, man. We're good. Even if I'm wrong, which I'm not, we saved the world, like, four times. Ain't you heard? Now! C'mon over here, Chief. This ain't a game where we can just pick things out for ya. Gotta build a deck yourself."

"But—" Kohaku started.

Yuki put a hand on her husband's shoulder, cutting him short. She looked at her son, who seemed to be waiting for permission before getting up. "Go ahead, baby," she said, gentle as a summer breeze, and ruffled the boy's hair. Little Seto hopped out of his chair and rushed over the counter, where he started looking at the various packs of cards scattered there with obvious hunger.

Joey chuckled. "…That's just adorable." He looked at the others. "Oi! Sleepy, Mopey! Shape up! What kinda impression you givin' these guys? Act like big damn heroes!"

Yugi handed the boy a pack. "It's not the same if you don't open them yourself."

Seto frowned suddenly. "…How much do these cost?" he asked, clearly suspicious.

Joey frowned for a moment before saying, "We got a little program goin' on around the shop right now. Way it goes is, first deck is free. So we'll help you make up somethin' good, and you can go ahead 'n keep it. But here's whatcha gotta do in exchange. You gotta beat either me or Yugi here in a game. If ya challenge us 'n lose, you gotta pay for the cards. Win, they're yours forever. Sweet deal, huh?"

Yugi raised an eyebrow at him.

Joey winked.

"But if you help me build it," Seto said, "you're going to know what's in it."

"True," Joey said, picking up a few packs. "But that's why we can only help ya a little. Gotta spice things up a bit on yer own. Here's what we'll do. You tell us what kinda deck you want, what kinda monsters 'n stuff you like, and we'll build up a starter for ya. Then, you take a few packs extra 'n add 'em in. Keep us on our toes. Sound good?"

"…Okay."

"Here," Yugi said, handing the boy a little booklet. "These are the current tournament rules. Take a look at them before you make any decisions, okay? It'll help you pick out the right deck. With this game, you really have to pick the cards that speak to you. Y'know? Trust your instincts."

Seto Yagami took the booklet and went back over to his seat in between his parents, flipping pages so quickly that Joey thought at first he was just glancing over them, like any kid does with the instructions to a new game. But there was something about the way his eyes were moving that told the blond Seto wasn't just skimming for colorful pictures.

He was…absorbing.

"So…what is this, exactly?" Yuki asked, glancing at the rulebook in her son's hands.

"Card game," Joey said. "New set comes out every coupl'a months. Called Magic & Wizards. You fight your opponent with monsters," he picked up a monster card and showed it to her, "and ya back up yer monsters with spells 'n stuff, set traps for the enemy. Real strategic-like. Tournament players're called duelists."

"And are you two duelists?" For a wonder, she didn't sound condescending; she sounded honestly intrigued. But…worried.

"Yeah," Joey said. "Yugi 'n me, we've won a few. Hey, how 'bout we make this interesting, Yug? We take up some packs, build the best stuff we can in about five minutes, and we'll use those, huh?"

Yugi mulled this over. "…Okay. That sounds fair."

"You're not going to go easy on me, are you?" Seto asked. His tone of voice was entirely too familiar, and Joey laughed. Yugi smirked. Their eyes held the same competitive gleam, and when they spoke, it was in precise unison:

"Wouldn't dream of it."


The tone of this chapter shifts rather dramatically somewhere in the middle. I'm sure it was noticeable. If not, then clearly I haven't done my job. But the reason for that is that this was originally split into three scenes, ergo three chapters, and that's just no fun.

It works thematically, too, though, since the catalyst to the change in mood is Joey. He has that effect on people, and that's something that I've been exploring for quite a while now.

Hope you had fun with this little spin on events. The plot has been thickened, a theme revealed, and we also had some fun with time travel. Also, little Seto has always been fascinating for me, and I hope it's the same for you.

I'll see you next time.