My entire perspective on the Kaibas' biological family has kind of changed in the years since I started this project. As a result of this, I find myself massaging things to make things fit my current ideas. For anyone reading this all the way through, please understand that I'm trying the best I can to make everything seamless.
But there's no use denying that there was … what, five years? Where I didn't touch this one.
I'm not proud of it. But that's what happens sometimes when you're living through a plague.
.
Yugi sat, cross-legged, in the center of the Kaibas' ground-floor kitchen. He'd surrounded himself with any number of seemingly random items. Food, trinkets of specific materials, swatches of cloth, and—of course—a multitude of Magic & Wizards cards fanned out in a circle surrounding him. There was no rhyme or reason to any of it, as far as the Yagamis could tell. Sotaro seemed to want to puzzle out the ritual, but he joined his parents when asked.
While Yugi murmured under his breath and made vague gestures in the air, three would-be travelers prepared for their journey.
Sotaro now had one of Mokuba's old school backpacks—kept by Seto as a matter of course—strapped to himself; it was filled near to bursting with trail food, art supplies, notebooks, and a variety of Mokuba's clothes which stood no chance of fitting his tiny frame.
Yuki and Kohaku, meanwhile, were kitted with more somber equipment, kept in storage for the security team and house staff in case of emergencies. They weren't nearly as excited, nor enchanted, by the prospect of this experiment, as their son was. The heavy weight of the packs hanging from their shoulders, however, seemed to reassure them at least a little.
Kohaku kept his head on a swivel, watching anything and everything and generally looking like a nervous wreck. It was Yuki, however, who kept a hand wrapped tightly around the grip of the survival knife she'd belted to her waist.
"Kinda wish I was going with you guys," said Mokuba, as he inspected his guests with the eye of a field general. "But I need to be here when Niisama wakes up. There's no telling when that will be, and anyway who knows how long it'll take you guys to do what you have to do." He frowned in Yugi's direction. "He never suggested I should come, which prob'ly means it wouldn't be a good idea. I don't know why, and I don't like it, but I'm used to being in situations where I've got no choice but to trust him."
Kohaku was frowning; he scratched at his chin. "You turned around on this plan pretty fast."
"This dragon," said Yuki, "is important. Isn't it—er, I mean. She."
Mokuba nodded. Firmly. "Maybe we'll have time, when all this is over, to tell you the stories. For the moment, just . . . yeah. Yeah, she is. If Niisama's ever had anything like a guardian angel, it's her. I'll have to show you his jet when you get back."
"You keep calling this dragon she," Kohaku noted. "I've seen those cards. Not of the dragon, but . . . a whole mess of other ones. They don't really make any pointed references to gender. Some of them are obviously women, I suppose, but. Not that one." He gestured to the little Kaiba-Con poster, which was sitting in pride of place in front of Yugi. "How do you know the Blue-Eyes White Dragon is female?"
Mokuba smiled. "It's just known. I dunno. Instinct or something. The Blue-Eyes is a girl. Niisama is sure of it, so I am too."
"Yugi said something about the monsters being awakened when the cards were made," Yuki said. "Maybe that has something to do with it?" Mokuba shrugged. She sighed. "I really hope this works. If we come back empty-handed, I don't know how I'm going to look your brother in the eye."
"Don't worry," Mokuba said. "He'll know it's Yugi's fault if things go wrong. Even if it isn't, that's who he'll blame. He's basically strong-arming you into this plan. Just because I understand it's a good idea—assuming it works, anyway—doesn't mean I intend to give him any credit for it."
"You don't seem very fond of Yugi," Kohaku said.
"I like Yugi just fine," Mokuba said. He gestured. "He's not Yugi."
"Okay, fair, but. You know what I meant."
"I guess I did." Mokuba frowned. "Look. There's a lot of stuff you don't know about. A lot of stuff I want to tell you, a lot of stuff I think it'd be good for you to know, but I can't. They aren't my stories to tell. It's up to Niisama." He glanced at Kohaku. "Remember when you accused Niisama of refusing to do his part?"
Kohaku flinched. "He told you about that?"
Mokuba smirked. "He warned me against kicking you out for it. I'm not gonna pretend I didn't think about it. But that's kinda my whole point. I know things you don't. We all do. And I guess I wish I could bring you up to speed so you'd understand. It'd be easier for everybody. But. I can't."
"Hey, um," Kohaku scratched the back of his neck. "Look. That . . . that was a mistake. I shouldn't have said it, and I had every intention of apologizing to your brother the next time I got a moment alone with him. Except . . . well. I haven't had that moment yet."
"I get it," Mokuba said. "You're scared. You should be. That man isn't easy to get rid of; he never has been. It took Niisama years to do it the first time. And he still came back. So, what's that tell you? You want to make sure your son is safe, as safe as he can be. That's your job. You're his dad. It's just. Niisama's never been very good at . . . he's always had pretty bad luck with people. So he has this tendency to keep everybody at a distance. Keeping you angry means he's in control of the situation, and he knows what to expect. He said he would make my safety a priority over your son's, but . . . honestly? I think he was just posturing. I don't think he could hang Sotaro out to dry any more than he could me. He just said that to sound like a tough guy."
Kohaku sniffed. Rubbed at his eyes. Pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah. Yeah, I get that."
Yuki had a sad little smile on her face; her hand was still on her knife.
Yugi opened his eyes. "I have made contact," he said, quietly. Almost gently. "The High Court is prepared to receive us." He gestured. "When you are ready, please step into the circle." As he said this, he rose to his feet.
Kohaku drew in a breath. "Guess that's our cue."
Yuki smiled. "Hopefully," she said, "we'll have a dragon with us when we get back. I'm sure that will cheer everyone up." She didn't quite sound like she believed what she was saying, but she didn't look nearly as anxious as before.
"Good luck," Mokuba said, offering a little salute. "Come back safe."
He watched the three Yagamis approach Yugi, then turned and walked out of the room so no one would see the tears welling up.
