A/N: Please note for the upcoming duel, some of the card effects used may not necessarily reflect the actual text on the real life cards. Some anime-specific abilities will be in play.

Yugi and Kaiba's decks are based somewhere between the Battle City and Orichalcos arcs, despite the timeline of the story being post Grand Prix Tournament.

/Text/ Spirit to Host

/Text/ Host to Spirit

Chapter 25: Fight

"I'll start things off," said Yami, drawing his cards. "I summon Queen's Knight in defense mode; place two cards face down, and end my turn."

The holographic emitter whirred to life, and the art of Yami's opening monster appeared out on the field between the duelists as if she were an actual person. Kneeling down onto a larger-than-life image of her own card, she held her sword in front of her, keeping the tip of the blade angled towards the ground.

Hermione gasped. "It's so real! This is how you play back home?"

Ryou nodded.

Ron couldn't hide his amazement either. "I could see why you wouldn't want to go back to playing on a tabletop now."

"A predictable first move," Seto snapped, drawing his card. "I place four cards face down and summon Blade Knight in attack mode."

"Our monsters are evenly matched," said Yami. "Your knight's attack is equal to mine's defense."

Seto snorted. "That's where you're mistaken. Since I only have one card left in my hand, Blade Knight gains an additional 400 attack points, making it strong enough to take on Queen's Knight."

Yami glared across the field. "Well, then. If you're so confident that you can, go ahead."

Harry glanced over at Ron. "Seto's monster reminds me of one of McGonagall's giant chess pieces that we fought."

Ron nodded. "Yeah. I was thinking the same thing, though those hurt a lot more than that thing will, I bet."

"The holograms won't hurt you in these duels, unless they turn the safety mechanisms down," said Ryou, "It changes the intensity of the impact felt from attacks and such, but usually it stays at the default place in the center of the meter. I assume that's what they're playing on now, but I wouldn't put it past Kaiba to change the settings for his duels with Yugi."

"Unless it was a Shadow Game," said Bakura, and the others turned to see his ghostly silhouette next to Ryou. "The monsters could then be real, and so would any punishments suffered throughout the duel." He shrugged at the horrified looks Harry and his friends sent his way. "That, of course, depends on the terms of the Shadow Games. Some are quite tame."

"What are yours like?" asked Ron nervously.

"As you lose life points, your body slowly starts to submit to the Shadows, until there's nothing left of you. And when you lose, the price of failure is to be sent to the Shadow Realm, forever."

"Surely they're not…still there?" said Hermione. "That's a long time…."

Bakura grinned maliciously. "You might want to tell that to a few old friends of mine that I found in a graveyard once. Unless the Pharaoh swindled some deal I was unaware of, they should still be there."

Hermione swallowed nervously and turned back to the duel in time to see Blade Knight surge across the field to attack.

"I activate Magical Hats!"

Harry nearly jumped out of his seat as four huge top hats appeared overtop of Queen's Knight, and then shuffled around the field, coming very close to where they were sitting as they jumbled themselves back and forth.

"Now if you want to take out my knight, you'll have to choose the correct hat," said Yami smugly, "Of course, I have a few surprises in store if you choose the wrong one."

Seto rolled his eyes. "Oh please, you use that strategy in every duel."

Yami tilted his head, trying hard not to laugh. "That's rich coming from you, Kaiba. Have you gone one duel without summoning your Blue Eyes White Dragons?"

Seto narrowed his eyes. "Says the one just as reliant on his magicians. Blade Knight, attack the far left hat!"

Yami smirked and tapped a button on the side of his duel disk. "Too bad, Kaiba, you've triggered Spellbinding Circle!"

Seto scowled as the green rune appeared from out of the selected hat, and surrounded his knight, freezing it in place. He watched its attack drop down to 1300 points. "An early lead doesn't decide the match, Yugi. I end my turn."

"Very well, I draw!" Yami looked through his hand thoughtfully. "I place a facedown card, and summon King's Knight!"

Seto crossed his arms.

Ryou blinked. "Yugi's getting ahead quickly here. It's only his second turn, and Kaiba is going to be down almost half of his life points if Yugi can get all of his attacks to hit!"

Harry turned to him. "How do you figure?"

Ryou smiled. "Some monsters have special abilities, remember? Just watch…."

"…And as you know, when King's Knight is summoned with Queen's Knight already out on the field, I am allowed to special summon Jack's Knight!" Yami declared, splaying his arm out dramatically at the field as the third arcana warrior appeared. "Now all of my warriors can take out your monster with ease, and then some on your life points! Go – King's Knight, attack Blade Knight!"

Seto smirked, uncrossing his arms. "Predictable."

Yami watched as King's Knight crossed the field, but when it swung its sword to take out Kaiba's monster, it was met with a swirling storm that flew across the Quidditch Pitch to the holo image of his own trap card. Blade Knight swung back in retaliation, and then his own monster shattered into fading shards of light. "What!? How could that be? My monster had more attack points!"

"I told you, you need to work on your strategies," Seto sneered. "I activated Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying your Spellbinding Circle, bringing my monster's attack points back to its original boosted 2000. Your knight just went on a suicide mission."

Yami growled as his life points dropped to 3600.

"Looks like I have the strongest monster in play now," said Seto. "My draw."

/We walked into that one./

/Yeah/ Yugi frowned from his soul corridor. /Kaiba placed four facedown cards. They could have been anything./

/Yes…and now he still has a monster out on the field. If he starts sacrificing early, he'll have a clear run of the field. We don't have any monsters waiting in the wings if he decides to haul out his Blue Eyes White Dragons this soon into the duel./

/We'll just have to believe in the heart of the cards, Pharaoh! Even if we lose one of them, we'll still have one knight left over to use if we draw a more powerful card./

/That's true. We'll have to wait and see…./

Seto drummed his fingers against the edge of his duel disk. Now that he knew there was a second voice in Yugi's head, it was easy to see when he was talking with the Pharaoh through their link. It was hard to believe that hardly six months ago he would have chalked up Yugi's behavior to be overly-thoughtful with his turns, or just plain indecisive of what cards to play. It only took him getting a nagging mental roommate of his own to truly see the difference.

"If you two are done strategizing…" Seto sighed, "I summon Spear Dragon in attack mode!"

"Bloody hell!" Ron's jaw dropped as the emitters activated again with an array of colored lights, "That's the oddest dragon I've ever seen – and it's so…small, well, at least to the real ones that we're used to." Of course, the only dragons he had seen up close were the ones from the Tri-Wizard tournament, and he had been a good safe distance away…and baby Norbert. But his brother has worked with dragons for a while now, and even though he never let Ron get near any of them, Charlie had described enough in detail to know that many didn't have heads shaped like a spear.

"Speak for yourself," said Hermione, "To me, that dragon is huge!"

Ryou glanced over. With its long snout and the shape of its wings, the dragon could have passed for part-dinosaur. "Well…Spear Dragon isn't all that impressive of a dragon, if you compare it to some of the other ones in Kaiba's deck."

"So Seto's deck is based on dragons, and Yugi has sorcerers?" asked Hermione. She thought she heard Seto correctly when he taunted Yugi's alter ego for his deck archetype.

"Yugi has a mix of monsters in his deck, as does Kaiba, but they rely on their magicians and dragons the most."

They watched as the dragon flew across the way and took out one of the middle hats, but there was nothing underneath. Queen's Knight remained safe. Upon returning to Seto's side of the field, the blue dragon drew into its wings and sat on its card.

"I thought he was using it to attack," said Harry, "Why is it defending?"

"Spear Dragon's ability," Ryou explained, "After attacking, it is switched to defense mode until Kaiba's next turn where he can switch its battle position, assuming it survives. It doesn't have any defense points, so now it's an easy target."

"As is the Jack's Knight," said Harry, as it was taken out by Blade Knight, and Yugi's life points decreased by another hundred.

Seto smirked triumphantly. "What was it you were saying about an early lead?"

"You may have the upper hand now, Kaiba," said Yami, drawing his next card, "But we both know it only takes a single card to turn the tide of the duel."

"Then stop stalling and make your move."

.

.

San Francisco

"So let me get this straight," said Pegasus, after what seemed like an eternity of storytelling. "The next foe on dear Yugi-boy's docket isn't anyone related to the Millennium Items, just some nobody on a power grab?"

The dark shades long since removed, Roland reached up and rubbed at his eyes for what seemed like the twentieth time that day. "Essentially."

"And the only reason anyone is fretting over this, is because there is magic out there – real magic, and combining the two is a terrible idea."

"It sounds completely ludicrous, I agree," Roland reached for the briefcase (now discarded to the floor next to him), and retrieved several old copies of The Daily Prophet. "They're their own society, complete with a separate government, living alongside us common people. If the United Kingdom has it, I imagine there are other magical societies in almost every country around the globe."

Pegasus leaned back in his chair and tented his fingers together. "If I didn't spend several years wearing a magical artifact myself, I would have called you a lunatic. It seems our young friends are never going to catch a break at this rate. How did this even begin in the first place?"

"If you're referring to this Voldemort character learning about the Millennium Items, I haven't the slightest idea," said Roland, "But it seemed like quite a coincidence when Professor Dumbledore arrived the exact same day that Mr. Kaiba received the Millennium Rod."

"Coincidence or not, it seems the threat is very real, if there are people snooping through your affairs and trespassing on property they shouldn't even know exist." Pegasus gestured out the office windows to the cityscape behind him. "Although…I haven't been in the magical spotlight for quite some time. I don't see why these nefarious wizards would come after me."

Roland passed an article of The Daily Prophet across the desk. "Mr. Kaiba brought this back with him. It's a copy of one of their newspapers."

Pegasus took the offered page and raised an eyebrow. "Oooh, complete with moving photographs. How fancy!" His eye skimmed down the page. "An attack in Egypt? That's nothing new – tomb robbers have been making trouble in the desert for years."

Roland took the clipping back. "Cloaked men in masks – that follows the description of Voldemort followers – attacked and made off with a tomb guardian. The Ishtars confirmed that the abducted man not only knew about the Millennium Items, but he was one of the ones who guarded the Millennium Eye."

Pegasus stiffened. "…I see…" he said after a good moment's silence. "Even without the Eye, it seems it'll still cause me grief. I think I understand what would cause little Mokuba so much worry. He thinks I'm in danger just because I used to wield it."

"To be fair, we don't know how much information they already have," said Roland.

Pegasus frowned thoughtfully. "I would say, considering these people haven't lived here from…we'll say Duelist Kingdom onwards, any knowledge that they have to do with ownership of a Millennium Item is probably grossly outdated. There were quite a few men in the tomb where I was given the Eye, but I highly doubt any of them kept tabs on me since then to know that it was taken from me after my duel with Yugi-boy. That, in fact, isn't really known to much of anyone, come to think of it."

"Regardless, that puts anyone who has had anything to do with those items in Voldemort's radar," said Roland.

"So, I take it your little adventure across the globe was merely just to warn me? I'm surprised you bothered to come all this way for something we may have done over the phone – or even one of those fancy video-chats."

Roland paused. "I felt this was better done in person. How well do you really think this conversation would have gone over the phone?"

"Mmm," Pegasus mused, "I will give you that. Although we've all already experienced Millennium Item magic before so it's not like this is completely new. Magic is magic; this kind just doesn't hail from a collection of ancient artifacts."

Roland fidgeted uneasily in his seat before closing the briefcase. He could see his boss's livid explosion play out in his head. "There is more."

Pegasus laughed darkly. "Of course there is."

"It is not just these 'evil' wizards that we are on edge about," Roland's hands kept flexing in and out fists before he settled them against the arms of his chair. "It could also very well be the ones that Professor Dumbledore assigned for protection back home, or someone in their own government. Someone has been looking into Mr. Kaiba's background and holdings, and trespassing onto his various properties."

"You can't trust anyone, can you?" said Pegasus, "Is that why you were so uptight during our last meeting? Dear me – Kaiba-boy doesn't have a spy in his ranks does he?"

Roland rolled his eyes. "I doubt it, but neither of us are very trusting of any wizard right now."

"We all know how well Kaiba takes betrayal," said Pegasus, "The Big 5 are a perfect example – just how many years have they been missing now? But I'm surprised that little Mokuba hasn't made the glorious trek to be with his big brother. Surely he would want him close if he doesn't hold much faith in these wizards."

It was hard keeping his stone-cold poker face. "That is none of your concern".

"All right, all right," Pegasus held up his hands, "I can tell I toed into the wrong topic of discussion." He settled back against the back of his chair. "I imagine Kaiba hasn't taken this privacy violation of his well."

"As well as to be expected."

Pegasus noticed that his guest had stopped drumming his fingers against the arm of the chair and was back to fidgeting again. During the entire meeting thus far, he had watched the man settle into this tic each time he went into something personal or relatively uncomfortable about either of the Kaiba brothers. He already knew that Roland didn't want to be here – the man showed clear contempt for him at every opportunity.

But something brought him here other to warn him of a thinly veiled threat, even for Mokuba's sake. And the elder Kaiba wasn't even aware this little gathering was taking place, so something drastic must have happened for his most loyal employee to go behind his back like this. Ooh, he couldn't wait to find out what it was.

"…But whatever has transpired has not been severe enough that you need to keep Mokuba on a close leash, or he would be here with you. Although, you're sneaking around Seto's ever-watchful eye, so perhaps I'm mistaken."

Pegasus tilted his head. "There is more to tell, clearly. More coffee? Or tea perhaps? The little café downstairs does wonders for the taste buds."

Roland shook his head.

Pegasus clasped his hands together on his desk and watched the other man's fists flex in and out again. It was so close to the tip of his tongue, he could almost sense words ready to burst from Roland's mouth, but the man was at odds with himself. Whatever was to come out had to be worth risking Kaiba's wrath. He couldn't wait to hold it over the young businessman's head later and to even see Kaiba-boy's face – Christmas might even come early!

After a minute, Pegasus turned to Croquet standing dutifully behind him. "Alright, Croquet. Could you leave us? I'm sure there are some interns downstairs that could use rescuing for a little while." He peered across his desk to the time on the office phone. "Ooo! Better yet, place the usual reservation for lunch. With the lovely weather, I'm sure they'll be packed, and we both know how patient I am when famished."

"Yes, sir," came the older man's raspy voice.

Pegasus didn't turn back to Roland until the door had clicked shut. "Alright. I've conceded to your initial request. I am so piqued to know what the absolute secret is about that you won't speak of it in my own right hand's presence."

"I didn't want him to hear any of it – quite frankly it's not his business. Or your own, but since both of you have lived or dealt with magic before, I doubt he's going to run into the streets and let the world know how Yugi Muto and Mr. Kaiba are essentially wizards."

Pegasus chuckled. "Hardly. His voice wouldn't be able to handle it."

Roland huffed, but finally stopped fidgeting against the chair and crossed his arms, choosing to drum his fingers against his elbow instead. He took a deep breath before looking Pegasus dead in the eye. "As I said, Mr. Kaiba is not very trusting of these wizards. From what he's seen and experienced abroad, he doesn't put much stock in their government."

"As you've said," Pegasus agreed. "But if I know Kaiba, he's already a step ahead of things, isn't he?"

"…Yes," Roland said. "Because he doesn't believe in the ability of these people to keep Mokuba safe while he's away…he has instructed the creation of a contingency."

"…In case things go south," said Pegasus nodding. "Of course, and now everything fits perfectly into place. Let me guess. Despite the danger to anyone who has ever breathed near a Millennium Item, Kaiba-boy could care less what happens to me, and that's why you're here, placating the whims of poor Mokuba with his heart of gold."

Roland scowled at him. "Not quite. It's true that I would rather be anywhere but here, and that Mokuba did share concern for you, but I am under no orders to keep the information from you." He paused, closed his eyes and took another deep breath. He had been at odds with himself the entire flight over. Would this really be the best course of action? Scenarios had played in his head, weighing the possible consequences of going this route to complete the task Mr. Kaiba set upon him. But in the end, it always came back to this. Now that he had already begun to tell his story, there was no going back.

Roland knew he was going to regret his next words the moment they left his mouth. "I'm here because I need your help."

.

.

Seto raised an arm to block his face from the shockwave impact as Dark Magician Girl, with The Book of Secret Arts in hand, used her staff to obliterate Blade Knight in a small explosion, putting a dent in his life points for the very first time. When the meter stopped at 3300 and the artificial blast faded, he straightened up. "It's about time you mounted a weak comeback."

"I'd watch what you say, Kaiba," Yami taunted, "This duel is still far from over. It may have taken a few turns to finally hit your life points, but I'm far from done."

"Could have fooled me," Seto jabbed back. He looked at the card he pulled from the top of his deck and grinned. "I hope you didn't plan on keeping your little magician out for too long. I summon Lord of Dragons!"

Ron pulled a face as the new warrior's stats appeared briefly above its head. "Wait. Is he nuts? Yugi's girly magician has so many more points than that thing. It's toast!"

Yami took a small step back, watching with anticipation as Seto shuffled through the remaining cards in his hand. "I know where this is going…"

Seto raised an eyebrow. "Do you?"

Yami gestured to the field. "You called me predictable. We both know you wouldn't summon that particular monster unless you had one of your flutes waiting in the wings."

Seto laughed. "That's where you're wrong. I place one card facedown, an end my turn."

Yami paused and surveyed the field. Dark Magician Girl could wipe out the Lord of Dragons with ease, but there was something about his rival's line of facedown cards that unnerved him. One of them had been there since the very first turn. /What would he be planning from the very start?/

/Perhaps it's one of his virus cards. They always struck us at the worst possible times in the past./

Memories of their duel in the original Duel Dome came to mind, and Yami shuddered. He had nearly decked out trying to keep himself afloat in that match, and that was without Anubis draining his life force away. It was the most intense Shadow Game he had played in a long time, and both he and Kaiba had come close to losing everything that day.

Yami drew his next card. Kaiba had placed his monster in attack mode, and hadn't even used The Flute of Summoning Dragon to bring out his arsenal. It seemed a rather odd time to summon it, with no dragons on the field to benefit from Lord of Dragons' ability.

/It looks like he's baiting us to attack it. If we do, and it is truly a trap, we could lose Dark Magician Girl, leaving us wide open for a counter attack next turn. But if we don't, and his monster stays out on the field, that will give him a chance to either sacrifice it for something stronger, or draw one of his flutes./

/But do we spring the trap? Or play on the defensive?/

Seto cleared his throat loudly. "I'd like to defeat you before the sun sets today, Yugi."

"Good moves take time, Kaiba," Yami shot back. He looked to his hand. A few magic cards, but only one monster. If he played this right, he could have something to defend against Kaiba's dragons before they made it back onto the field. "I summon Skilled White Magician in defense mode, and then play Pot of Greed to draw two more cards, and that will do it for me this turn." He looked back down at his hand to his new additions: Polymerization and Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts.

"Too afraid to attack? Pathetic," Seto sneered, and drew his next card.

"Wait," Harry held up a hand and pointed to the field. "What's that thing above Skilled White Magician's head?"

"A counter," said Bakura, bored. "It gets one each time a spell card is played. Once it gets three, the Pharaoh can sacrifice the monster and summon a very powerful card. It may be one of the few things that can stand up to Kaiba's Blue Eyes White Dragons."

"Those dragons aren't out yet though, so he still has time," said Ron.

"Don't be so sure," the tomb robber snapped, "With that look on Kaiba's face, something big is coming, and soon."

"You should have made your move when you had the chance, because it'll soon be game over, Yugi!" Seto activated one of the facedown cards on his side of the field.

Yami's eyes widened. /That wasn't nearly the card I was expecting./

/He set that on the first turn? But why?/

/If I had to guess…it was just to raise the attack of his Blade Knight./

/This isn't good…./

"I activate White Dragon Ritual," said Seto, as the second circle appeared over Skilled White Magician's head. "By discarding Vampire Lord to my graveyard, I can summon Paladin of White Dragon!"

"That dragon is a lot smaller than I thought it would be," said Hermione, gazing up at it, and it's white-armored paladin rider, "It's smaller than the Spear Dragon!"

"Yeah, but just wait," said Ryou, "I hope Yugi has a plan to turn this duel around, and soon!"

"Paladin of White Dragon, attack Skilled White Magician!" Seto smirked, watching as the paladin's lance shattered the magician into shards of light. "You won't be summoning your Buster Blader that easily."

/I'm surprised he didn't just sacrifice it to summon one of his Blue Eyes White Dragons…/

/Yes…although, if he did that, and we managed to get Buster Blader out next turn, the Blue Eyes on the field, plus the two dragons already in his graveyard would make our monster stronger than his./

"You may have stalled out that way, Kaiba, but there is more than one way to summon him," said Yami. Although having him – or my Dark Magician would certainly help… "But don't think I will let you summon your dragon just as easily. Your paladin's attack still pales under that of my Dark Magician Girl!"

Seto shrugged. "Then attack it."

Yami frowned. Dark Magician Girl could take out Paladin of White Dragon, therefore keeping Kaiba from easily pulling out a Blue Eyes the next turn…but if he does that, there was still the chance of one of his rival's two Flute of Summoning Dragon cards being drawn. But those only summoned from his hand. There was no guarantee of any of those cards being in his hand right now.

And then there were those two face-down cards still on the field….

"I think you're just itching to activate one of those facedown cards," said Yami.

"And I think you're too chicken to take a chance. Has nearly being beaten by a child during my last tournament softened you, Yugi?"

"What!?"

"Face it; you've been playing safe this entire time. Where's the Pharaoh fighting for his dueling title with everything he's got? Just because we're not battling for the God cards doesn't mean you get to slack off."

"I can assure you, Kaiba, that I am not slacking," Yami said. "I summon Skilled Dark Magician, and place one card facedown. Now, Dark Magician Girl, attack his Paladin of White Dragon! Dark burning attack!"

"Activate trap card!"

Yami glowered. Of course….

"Ring of Destruction allows me to destroy one face up monster, and then you take damage equal to its attack, and I choose your Skilled Dark Magician."

Yami frowned. "You take damage as well, unless…"

"That's right, Yugi. I also activate Ring of Defense. My life points are safe."

"Urgh…." Yami watched as his life points plummeted down to 2650. "Very well, but that didn't stop Dark Magician Girl's attack. Your paladin is still gone, and you will take damage from that."

Seto glanced to his disk as the life points recalculated down to 2900. "Are you done?"

"I think so. Your move, Kaiba."

Harry turned to look at the other side of the field in time to see Seto draw his card and then start laughing. "Uh oh…that doesn't look good for Yugi if he's cackling like that."

Ryou shook his head. "Nope."

Bakura threw his hands up in the air. "Finally. Something interesting is going to happen."

"Well? Are you going to laugh at your cards or play them?" said Yami.

"You'll regret those words, Yugi. First I switch Lord of Dragons to defense mode. Then, I play Silent Doom to raise my Paladin of White Dragon back from the graveyard. But he won't be back for long. I now sacrifice him to summon my Blue Eyes White Dragon from my deck!"

No matter how large or small Harry and his friends thought the previous two dragons to be, nothing so far compared to the size of Seto's new monster. It flew down from the sky and landed behind her master. Lifting its head towards Yami, it let out a roar with enough force to shake the foundation of the Quidditch Pitch.

.

.

"You need my help?" Pegasus said, flabbergasted. "With that calculating mind of his, Kaiba-boy stays two steps ahead of everyone. What could possibly have happened that he has to turn to me for assistance?" He tilted his head thoughtfully. "What sort of contingency are we talking about?"

"At the very least – an escape for Mokuba. We both know that Mr. Kaiba and Mr. Muto's affinity for getting themselves into some sort of magical danger is exceptionally high. Mr. Kaiba needs assurance that if these Death Eaters came to call while he was abroad, that his brother would not be in danger. That safety net has also extended to include Yugi Muto's friends."

Pegasus nodded. "Not that I can see Kaiba-boy eagerly springing up for young Joseph Wheeler, but the idea is sound. Yugi-boy's friends are his strength, and also his greatest weakness. The same for little Mokuba." He eyed Roland curiously. "But…no matter the circumstance, I cannot see that invitation offered to me. No matter how far I've returned to the side of good."

"Mr. Kaiba isn't offering. I am."

Pegasus blinked. "You? Despite your precise disdain for me, that also comes as a surprise. Be honest, my friend – are you really doing this out of the goodness of your heart?"

"Not particularly," Roland grumbled, "But if all of the Millennium wielders, both past and present, are in danger, you are a liability should something happen. From what Mr. Kaiba has heard and relayed back to me, these wizards don't necessarily play fair. We are better off united."

"Hmm…" Pegasus mulled the words over. "I ask again – what kind of contingency plan do you have? Even if it only included little Mokuba, taking the boy and fleeing will only go so far. The brothers are household names and faces for any duelist, and not just in Japan and America. And with Yugi-boy's little pep squad in tow, it'll be harder to smuggle a bunch of teenagers around." He drummed his fingers against the edge of his desk. "…or is that why you're coming to me for help?"

"Mr. Kaiba left considerable means to put something together. However…" Roland sighed. "My life and accounts have been probed as well. Despite the 'friendly' wizard presence in Domino, I feel my moves are also being monitored."

"Ahh," said Pegasus, "You need me to do your work for you, because I'm not on someone's bully list."

"Whatever the cost, you would be fully compensated. I, unfortunately, cannot appear to have hands in whatever is decided upon."

Crossing his arms, Pegasus leaned back in his chair. "Why should I, hmm? The Kaiba brothers hold no love for me, and even Yugi's cheeriest cheerleaders have their doubts. I'm sure they would much happier off if I butted out of their business."

Roland blinked. Was Pegasus trying to play off his doubts about coming here in the first place? Perhaps everyone would be happier if the Duel Monsters creator was left out of their plot, but from a security standpoint, happiness was far from a priority.

He glared across the desk. If Pegasus was going to give him a hard time, he would push right back. It seemed too long that his past actions were glossed over and unaccounted for, and he was tired of it.

Roland got to his feet, planted his palms on the desk, and leaned over it. "I would think," he growled, "that after all this time, if you were truly the changed man you claim to be, you would see this as an opportunity to mend the bridges you've burned. Even indirectly, you've helped throw those kids' lives into absolute chaos on more than one occasion."

"I've also given the assistance necessary to overcome almost all of it," Pegasus snapped. "Forget Duelist Kingdom – who was it that gave Kaiba-boy that one dragon he needed to overcome that Anubis character?"

Roland gave him a look of utter disbelief, and gestured wildly to the framed sketches of various card designs on the office walls. "Where do you think he even got that Pyramid of Light card in the first place!?"

Pegasus shot to his feet, just as angered as the man across his desk. "Ooooh no, don't pin that disaster on me! I didn't give him that card. We bartered over dragons. Anubis must have planted the card himself, because I sure as hell didn't create it. Let's not forget that it was I that also helped pull Yugi's friends – and Mokuba – from the wreckage of Kaiba's shiny new stadium when their duel tore the place apart. And it was I that helped keep the roof stable over all their heads while Yugi and Kaiba were standing off against Anubis himself."

Before Roland could retort back, Pegasus continued, "And let's not forget something more recent, hmm? When I realized just who we were up against during the Paradius crisis, it was I that shared that information with Yugi, and created the Legend of Heart card so they would have some leverage against Dartz and his crew. But I suppose Kaiba-boy also lays blame on me for initiating Kaiba Corp's buyout during that little episode? Even though my soul was already gone at that point. Everyone is so quick to forget that I was just as much a victim there as all of you!"

The two men continued to glare at each other, not speaking, as the hour chimed from the ornate grandfather clock in Pegasus's office. It was a good several minutes later that, after sizing each other up, Pegasus sighed, shook his head sadly, and sank back down. "But I suppose it doesn't much matter does it," he said softly. "First impressions are always the most important, isn't that what they always say? And despite my good-faith attempts to help since then, it will always come back to Duelist Kingdom, won't it?"

Roland merely stood, arms clasped behind him.

Pegasus slouched lower in his chair and rubbed at his temples. He spoke again, and his voice sounded quiet and tired, to Roland it was more so like his own employer's after a three day stint without a proper night's rest. "You are Kaiba-boy's confidant. I understand your bias against me, and I don't hold it against you. I had been making plans with the Big 5 well before Duelist Kingdom, not long after Kaiba's state-of-the-art holographic technology was first unveiled. I know exactly what the Big 5 did to you during that entire time…."

Roland narrowed his eyes further and scowled.

"…and if I were the man I was then, I would have called it a necessary evil in order to grasp hold of Kaiba Corp."

Pegasus lowered his hand and glanced back up. Roland was sill staring at him, stone-faced. "But I'm not that man anymore. You don't have to believe me, I honestly don't expect you to, but those Millennium Items…they change people. I was not the power-hungry king, lording over the common duelist up in my castle, eager to smite the losers of my beloved games before I took on the Millennium Eye. It wasn't even something I inherited by choice. I was fresh from a tragedy, drunk with love and wanting, and following a dream. Duel Monsters hadn't even been created yet!

"Tell me, Roland, if someone had appeared before you, just after losing a loved one, and told you that you would be able to see that person again, would you follow them, for the chance of it being true?"

Roland raised his eyebrows. "As much as I would probably want to believe it, there is no coming back from death."

Pegasus smiled slightly and let out a heavy sigh. "A realist, like dear Kaiba. I suppose the dreamer in me was just gullible all those years ago."

They were silent again for another minute before Pegasus pointed to Roland's briefcase where the photograph of Kaiba holding the Rod had been kept. "I wasn't joking when I asked if Kaiba-boy had gotten possessed or turned to the dark side. We both know how damaged a soul he is – you were there the entire time, and, well, I saw through him with the Eye. He's toned down his hate and anger quite a bit these days. But if he ever succumbed to the dark whispers from a Millennium Item, I daresay we may all be doomed."

Roland paused a moment. "I assure you, Mr. Kaiba has a handle on his Millennium Item."

"That's good. I'm sure his extreme stubbornness is a virtue here. But it's quite scary to think…however these Millennium Items were created, it wasn't done lightly. There is a great dark magic at work, I can tell the difference in myself now that I'm rid of the thing. I can assure you, that if I knew just what would happen by following that man into that tomb, I can say with certainty I would have run the other way."

"That's rather easy to say now, isn't it?"

Pegasus shrugged. "I suppose. The Eye was forced on me, for seeing too much. Reflecting on it now, I don't think I was meant to wear it. Do I regret the pain I've caused others just by using the Eye? Absolutely. There are even times I wish I never discovered the origins of my card game, seeing how much devastation it's caused over the years. But then, at the same time, I think of all the fun and joy it has brought to so many…"

"I've made peace with what I've done," said Pegasus, "But I suppose my apologies came a little too late, at least to the brothers. Yugi-boy has always been a little more of an open-minded fellow. Despite the constant teasing – it is so easy with Kaiba – I have been trying to make amends."

"Then why not take this as a peace offering? You want to be redeemed, even a shred in Mr. Kaiba's eyes? Help me."

Pegasus shifted in his seat and regarded Roland closely. "You're not going to guilt trip me into this, are you?"

Roland shook his head. "No. But the way I see it, whether you were supposed to wear that Eye or not, it now made you a target, and you're enough of a flamboyant figure that these people will probably find you with relative ease if they so wished. I'm not here to leech your resources. If you don't wish to be a part of this, then I'll leave and this meeting will have never happened."

"I won't be signing your death warrant should Kaiba-boy find out about this, will I? Despite my good-naturedness, he still can't stand me."

"By the time he would find out about this, if he found out, it will hopefully be too late to do anything about it. He specifically didn't want to be told on the specifics of the plan, and I don't intend to disobey that. So unless you tell him…"

Pegasus nodded slowly. "I see…give me the afternoon to think. Enjoy San Francisco, Roland. I'll have an answer for you by the end of the day.

.

.

"…and I think crystal chandeliers in the Great Hall instead of the traditional candles will look lovely, don't you Filius?"

Upon hearing his name, Professor Flitwick snapped to attention. "Oh, yes," he squeaked, "Crystal is fine!"

Professor Umbridge had assembled members of the staff together into what she called the 'Christmas Ball committee'. He wasn't sure why she even bothered. Sitting around the large table with Professors Sprout, Vector, Sinistra, Madame Pince, and Madame Pomfrey, Umbridge was spearheading the discussion. Even if any one of them got a word in edgewise, their opinions were bulldozed in favor of Umbridge's designs for the upcoming event.

At least she hadn't decided to tint the Great Hall in shades of pink. Thank goodness this was taking place right before the end of the first term and not at Valentine's Day.

It was as Professor McGonagall was passing the staffroom that Umbridge stopped rambling about table patterns. "Ah – Minerva! You must come and hear what we've come up with for the winter formal!"

Professor Sprout turned to Madame Pince. "I don't think we've said a word in this entire time."

Madame Pince rolled her eyes once Umbridge's back was turned. "I'm not sure where the 'we' came from. All these ideas are hers, and they're not even original. Most of the décor she mentioned was used during the Tri-Wizard Tournament."

Professor Flitwick sighed, bored, and tapped his wand against one of the sheets of parchment that they were supposed to be taking notes with, and turned it into a paper bird that began to flutter around the room.

Umbridge was halfway back into the room, attempting to pull Professor McGonagall in to go over what was already decided upon, when a loud roar was heard over the grounds, shaking the windows in their frames.

"What was that?" asked Madame Pomfrey once the slight tremor had passed.

"That half-giant again, I bet," Umbridge snapped, "Just what manner of dangerous creature has he brought to the grounds this time!?" Reaching for her wand, she rushed for the door.

Professor Sprout grinned. "Does this mean the meeting is over? Thank goodness."

"I agree," Professor Flitwick sighed, "I was more looking forward to grading essays this weekend."

"I feel for Minerva though," said Professor Sinistra, pointing down the hall. Despite the extreme height disparity, Umbridge was doing a fairly good job at dragging her down the corridor towards the entrance hall.

"Do you think we should rescue her?" asked Professor Vector.

"I'm sure she will be fine on her own," said Professor Flitwick. "If Hagrid was bringing in something new for his classes though, I feel sorry for him. Unless, of course, it eats Umbridge."

"Then I'd feel sorry for the animal," muttered Madame Pince.

The roar sounded again as Umbridge made her way down the steps just outside the main doors to the castle. "What on earth – that couldn't have been an approved monster for the Care of Magical Creatures curriculum. Just what sort of contraband has he smuggled to the castle?"

"Now, Dolores," said McGonagall, annoyed, "I'm sure there is a perfectly good explanation."

"Hmph," said Umbridge, trotting off towards Hagrid's hut.

Professor McGonagall paused and listened to what sounded like a small explosion. "Ah – I do believe it is coming from this way."

"Don't be ridiculous," said Umbridge, "Only the Quidditch Pitch is out that way, and there are no matches today. Team practice wouldn't even make those noises."

"That is true. Perhaps someone has signed out use of the Pitch today." She turned and headed off towards the courtyard and Madame Hooch's office.

Sighing, Umbridge set off after her, and didn't hesitate to snatch the sign-out-clipboard from its hook just outside the flying instructor's door.

"…Why has Seto Kaiba booked the stadium for the entire day?" she said loudly. "I don't remember him joining the Gryffindor team!"

Another blast sounded off from the direction of the Pitch.

"There had better be a good reason for this," she muttered, stalking off again, with the head of Gryffindor House in tow.

Umbridge was huffing and puffing as she entered the team locker room area, now remembering why she despised going to the school matches in the previous year. Too much energy to stalk up and down the hilly grounds just to watch a cluster of misfits on broomsticks!

The closer they got to the entrance to the field itself, they could hear the clinking of weapons and angry shouts.

"What on earth is going on in there?"

"Go, Dark Magician – attack Lord of Dragons! Dark magic attack!"

Umbridge stopped short. "Professor Dumbledore? What are you doing?"

Dumbledore turned from his spot at the entrance to the field. "Ah, good morning, Minerva, Dolores. I was just watching the game. It is quite fascinating, the wonders of Muggle technology."

"Game? What game?" Umbridge peered around him in time to see the large purple-clad magician take out the warrior in dragon armor across the playing field. "Did that man just die?"

"Lord of Dragons may be gone, but you still have my Blue Eyes to contend with, and neither of your magicians have enough firepower to take it down, Yugi!" Seto said, gloatingly. To add emphasis to his intimidation, the dragon hovering behind him opened its jaws and let out another roar.

Umbridge staggered back and nearly trampled over McGonagall's robes. "What is a dragon doing here?! The closest free roam dragons were supposed to be in Romania!"

"I switch Dark Magician Girl to defense mode, and end my turn."

McGonagall blinked. "So that's what those devices were used for?"

Umbridge rounded on her. "You knew about these dangerous things?"

"Mr. Kaiba did explain what they were for, but at the start of term, they were inoperable and returned to him without incident."

"Well that one," Umbridge gestured wildly to the arena, "In the weird purple dress just exploded a man! Those weird things on their arms are dangerous!"

She crossed her arms over her chest and watched the next few turns pass by without much incident. A few counter moves from each side seemed to keep both Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba's creatures from obliterating each other. If it weren't for the fact that Dumbledore had been watching this for some undetermined amount of time and hadn't felt the need to intervene, she would have. And at this point, seeing Harry Potter and his friends hanging around as if this was some grand spectator sport didn't surprise her in the slightest. Potter brought trouble anywhere and everywhere he went.

The entire display in front of her had an air of ridiculousness about it. Where could she possibly start? On one part of the Pitch, Yugi was wearing an unhealthy amount of leather and buckles, with his strange golden pyramid showing off proudly around his neck. A navy jacket was draped over his shoulders like a cape, and he wore one of those funny devices on his arm. She certainly didn't remember his bangs standing straight up like that. In front of him were the oddest people she had ever seen. One was a scantily-clad blonde in a ridiculous hat kneeling down on what looked to be a mega-sized version of one of their cards. Its companion was a tall man in purple robes, holding a large green staff menacingly at the white dragon opposite him.

Not that Kaiba looked any less odd over there. His slim-fitting black turtleneck and slacks made him seem even taller, and forget the jacket/cape that Yugi wore – the white-studded coat over the taller teen's shoulders must have been altered with magic for it to flare out like that. And while he didn't have the same affinity for buckles and chains that Yugi did, he had his own strange accessories, plus another of those weird disks that they placed their cards upon. Long metal bracers were on each wrist…and…were those belts on each arm and leg?

Muggles sure dressed funny.

Her eyes were suddenly drawn to the smaller devices on the ground beside the two students. What on earth were those things? They seemed to come to life every time either of the two students played one of their little cards. Another of his strange electronics? How in Merlin's name was he getting all these trinkets to work on the grounds?

"It looks like this duel is going to be over sooner than you think," Seto snapped, looking at his newest card.

/That's your third dragon…/

Seto hesitated from playing the magic card in his hand. Set had been quiet the entire time, and he had been so wrapped up in the duel that he forgot the spirit was even there.

/It is./ He had drawn the second Blue Eyes White Dragon several turns ago, but all of his other monsters, save for his first dragon already out on the field, had been picked off by Yugi's magicians.

Set frowned. /I don't wish to distract you from your match…/

/Yet, that is exactly what you are doing. Does this have a conclusion, or can I go back to trouncing Yugi?/

/You keep calling him Yugi…you are dueling the Pharaoh, Seto. By now, after seeing them side-by-side in the castle, you should know the differences between the two./

/Whatever. Listen, make your point or I'm going to go back to ignoring you./

Set rolled his eyes. /Do you not feel it?/

/Feel what?/

/The pull, the tug at your heart each time you draw or play one of your White Dragons./

Seto sighed. /No. I don't. I don't feel any supernatural nonsense when I play it, not now or even before you started renting headspace. It's a playing card. Yugi -/

/Pharaoh./

/…The Pharaoh doesn't make any mention of emotional turmoil when he summons his Dark Magicians, and he's just as connected to those. It's all in your head. Now if you don't mind…/

"And you harassed me for taking too long to play a card," Yami teased. "What are you doing over there?"

Seto glared across the field. "Setting up my victory, what else would I be doing?" He jammed the magic card into the slot with way more force than he intended, and felt the card bend. Hm – that one is going to have to be replaced out with the spare in his briefcase.

"I play Polymerization!"

Yami staggered back. Oh no….

"And you know what that means," Seto gloated. "I hope you've made your last move wisely!"

As the magic card activated, the other two dragons in his hand appeared in the sky above the one already standing on the ground. The first one beat its wings to join the others, and in a swirl of light, they began to fuse together.

"What's going on?" asked Ron, "Where did the other dragons come from – they were all the same!"

Ryou looked around. "I think we're too close to the field."

"Too close?" said Harry, "We're already by the wall!"

Ryou grimaced. "He's fusing his dragons together, to make a new one. It's going to be big."

"The other one was big," Ron countered, "And I've seen some dragons, let me tell you."

Ryou suddenly felt Bakura disappear from beside him. /We have company. Dumbledore, Umbridge, and McGonagall, at the entrance to the Pitch./

/Huh? …Oh dear./

"Guys, we're not alone," Ryou said, "And I have a feeling something bad is going to happen…."

"What are you talking- BLOODY HELL!" Ron scrambled backwards off his seat, the others following suit, as Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon materialized, hovering behind her master. The beat of her wings created wind gusts strong enough to move some of the sand covering the grounds of the field, and Harry and the others had to throw up arms to shield their faces from the spray.

Hermione's jaw dropped. "That's….enormous!"

"That is a marvelous creature," said Dumbledore, awestruck, from the other side of the Pitch.

"I've never seen a dragon that large – and with…three heads? What sort of mutant is that thing?" said Umbridge, "Who are these students that can summon people and monsters to fight for them?"

With no more cards in his hand, Seto crossed his arms and stared Yami down smugly. "I hope you've said you're prayers, because in leaving your Dark Magician in attack mode, you're going to need a miracle to survive this turn."

A spark from his right drew his attention, and he frowned down at the emitter on the ground. Did he just see it start to smoke and spark? Great…

Seto gritted his teeth. He tested these as thoroughly as he could, and while it was the first time summoning his Ultimate Dragon on the school's grounds, it didn't have a problem with the God cards back home, and those creatures were much stronger. Perhaps one emitter wasn't strong enough to combat the magic trying to shut it down while keeping his monster on the field. Well…there wasn't a whole lot that could be done now. At least the match was almost over.

Yami watched as Seto pulled his wand from his trench coat pocket and cast something down at it. The sparking ceased immediately. "Everything all right?"

"Fine," Seto snapped, "This duel is going to end anyway. Now, Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, annihilate Yugi's Dark Magician and end this duel. Neutron Blast!"

/This is it, Pharaoh…./

/I know./

Yami braced himself as the three heads charged up their attack while moving his hand to hover over his last facedown card's activation button. I'm not done just yet, Kaiba….

"Well!? Aren't any of you going to do something?" Umbridge looked haughtily to the two people beside her. "You're just going to let him obliterate Yugi Muto with that three-headed demon?"

Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes. "Dolores…" she began, but it was futile. The toad-faced woman was already marching out across the field, pulling her wand from her robes and aimed for the whirring device on the ground. Sighing, she threw her hands up in the air and stalked after her, Dumbledore casually following in tow.

"STOP THIS AT ONCE!"

Yami turned, eyes wide, just in time to see the jet of light leave her wand. "Kaiba – look out!"

But it was too late – Seto barely had time to shield his eyes and turn away as the spell hit its target, exploding the emitter at his feet in a shower of sparks and metal parts at the exact moment the triple blast left the dragons' mouths. The attack only made it halfway across the field before they fizzled out and disappeared. A few seconds later, Seto's duel disk began sparking as well and Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon also vanished. Once the dragon had completely disappeared, the sparking ceased.

Seto whirled angrily in just enough time to grab his wand and deflect Umbridge's next spell at the last amplifier before it blew up in Yugi's face. Glaring at what remained of his technology at his feet, he stormed across the field.

"Uh oh," said Hermione. As the last to get up, she hurried to catch up with Harry, Ron, and Ryou as they crossed the ground. She turned back and vanished the seats she created as they made their way to Yugi's side as Umbridge fast approached, already red-faced.

"What do you think you're doing?" Umbridge sputtered.

"We were minding our own business," Seto snapped. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione approach to stand between him and Ron, and Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore making their way across the Pitch.

"You nearly killed your friend with that demon monster of yours," Umbridge shouted, "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"Professor, none of this was dangerous," said Yugi, quickly taking control back from Yami, "We were playing Duel Monsters, it's a card game."

"And you want to tell me that the three-headed dragon wasn't real? Or that your underdressed fairy and her purple-clad friend didn't kill that armored man from earlier?"

"You're kidding," said Ryou, slapping a hand to his forehead. "Professor, they're telling the truth – it's just a game. Yugi and Kaiba weren't in danger…or a danger to each other."

"The monsters aren't real either," said Yugi. "They're holograms."

"The three-headed dragon seemed quite real," said Dumbledore, without any trace of ill in his voice. In fact, it sounded almost amused.

"It's part of the holographic technology, to add as much realism as possible," said Seto, glaring icily down at Umbridge, "It creates the illusion of realism. But that dragon was no more real than you are tall."

Umbridge matched his glare. "Hmph! But those strange devices are clearly unsafe. Anything that can summon demonic creatures such as those should be thoroughly examined. As it stands, the thing you're wearing set off enough sparks that could have lit you ablaze."

Hermione could feel the anger rolling off of the duelist next to her in droves. If he wasn't careful, Seto was going to wind up back in Umbridge's office for another round of lines until dawn, unless she stopped him before he said something stupid. He had his arms crossed, and his hands were gripping his arms tightly enough that his knuckles were white.

When he began to retort something back, she lightly smacked his arm, and held her ground as his dark glare turned on her long enough to see her shake her head slightly at him. Hopefully he would see reason and not explode like Harry did during last year's Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons.

When Seto turned back to the professors, he held back a sigh. It was a good thing he was closing off the circulation in his arms. If his hands were free, he likely would have throttled someone. "It was sparking because someone destroyed the amplifier to its power source."

"Well," Umbridge huffed, and aimed her wand, "What's left of these items must be taken and examined by the Ministry of Magic. Anything that has the ability to summon these monstrous creatures can have the capacity to be altered for ulterior motives. Accio."

The last amplifier emitter zoomed up from the ground, but a hand shot out and caught it before it could reach her arms. "No."

"We are not doing this again," Umbridge snapped. "Surely you have learned your lesson the last time."

"No, you will not," said Professor McGonagall before any of the other students could get a word in edgewise. "Dolores. You already tried this once, so let me remind you something. You were told to let your fight with Kaiba and his technology go, and that is what Professor Dumbledore and I expect you to do. You are not to confiscate, and certainly not to destroy this property as if it were a cursed artifact."

"And if you need more proof," said Ryou – or was it Bakura, Harry mused, for the voice sounded gruff enough to be the darker spirit in control of Ryou's body. The white-haired teen reached down, picked up a large stone from the ground, and hurled it through the air. They watched it sail through both of Yugi's magicians to settle on the ground. "They're. Not. Real."

"Well, I for one found this game to be quite a fascinating thrill," said Dumbledore, "I'm sorry that we will be unable to see its conclusion." He turned to the still-seething Kaiba. "I hope your curious device has not been damaged beyond repair."

Seto pulled his cards from his duel disk and pocketed them back in his trench coat. He looked down at his disk. "I won't know until I go back home again. As for that," he gestured back to where he had stood dueling. "I doubt there are enough remains to even bother. Dueling emitters are a dime a dozen back at the development labs."

"Shame," said Ron, "You were about to win too."

Ryou winced. Oh, he shouldn't have said that.

Seto fixed Ron the same deadly gaze he had leveled on Umbridge before aiming his wand behind him to summon his discarded briefcase. Sliding his disk and spare emitter back away, he stormed off the Pitch without a word.

.

.

"Ah – there you are," said Pegasus, smiling slightly. "I thought I was going to have to have Croquet go off looking for you."

Roland sighed. "I take it you have an answer for me."

Pegasus nodded. "I do. I have thought long and hard over this…and despite what Yugi or Kaiba-boy may think, I will help you."

Roland clasped his hands behind him. "I see. I take it details will have to be decided, more likely during regular business hours?"

Pegasus gestured back to the empty chair in front of his desk. "Oh, no, my friend. We can at least cover the basics now. After waiting this long, I doubt this sort of project should be delayed any further."

Roland nodded slowly. "All right…." There was something off about the man's expression. He had worked alongside Seto Kaiba for years now. The man had a perfect poker face. Pegasus? Not so much. "What aren't you telling me?"

Pegasus smirked. "I said I would help you, but it won't come without my own set of conditions."

Roland groaned. I knew it. "And what are these conditions?"

Pegasus merely grinned.

.

.

A/N:

The bits with Pegasus and Roland were my favorite, yet some of the hardest sections I've written thus far. Considering those two characters never interacted in canon, and one is shown primarily just to arbitrate duels, it took quite a bit to keep them both sounding relatively in character.

We are now heading into 25 chapters, and this story is really only just getting started. I've officially outlined up to Chapter 40, but the basic plans beyond that could flesh this out into multiple segments, but I currently don't have plans to split this into multiple stories.

This is going to be a behemoth of a tale. The next 16 outlined chapters wouldn't even complete the first 'act'. Knowing the ultimate endgame for this story, this has the potential to reach 100 chapters. Crazy!

I hope you all are ready for the long-haul!

Also…writing a duel out of your head from scratch is a lot harder than I initially thought. I'm kicking myself for planning two for this story.

…Hm. Was that a tease?