Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Yugioh The College Years: The Different Story ❯ Chapter 3
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Yuugi Motoh 
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 11.01.2005 | Updated On: 11.01.2005 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 279 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Supernatural / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 11.01.2005 | Updated On: 11.01.2005 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 279 | Status: Work In Progress
CHAPTER 3
By the middle of October things had settled into a routine. Chores were divided up in rotation, though by unanimous agreement Joey was forever barred from even looking at a pot or pan unless he was washing it. ("Didn't they used to call food like that cruel and unusual punishment?" Tristan had quipped the morning after Joey's one and only attempt at dinner.) The living room had become the primary gathering point, with one or more of the kids gathered around either Dueling, reading/studying, playing video games or watching TV at any given point depending on the day's class schedule. There was a small deck out back, and Tèa had adopted that as her outdoor dance studio, at least until winter made it too cold to practice. The room assignments had settled down to Yugi and Joey in the bedroom farthest from the stairs; Tristan and Bakura in the next; and Tèa in the one at the top of the stairs. Since the upstairs bath was across the hall from her room, that gave her the first bathroom rights she'd called almost by default.
There was even a "family pet", though no one had exactly gone out looking for it. The others simply came home that Wednesday to find Yugi in the living room, brushing the coat of an enormous and extremely ragged-looking tom of indeterminate color and origin. One eye was permanently closed by a scar, a memento of an old fight, and as they walked in the cat had greeted them all with a loud, gravelly "MOW."
"Holy cow!" Tristan pretended to flinch. "Quick, somebody call the circus, there's a lion about to eat Yugi."
"Either dat or dere's a new Duel Monster in town," Joey shot back. "Jeez, Yuge, if ya wanted a throw rug we coulda bought one."
"Come on, you two, he's just a cat!" Yugi paused in brushing to pet the cat, who responded by standing up on his hind legs and butting his head against Yugi's cheek.
"Are you SURE about that, Yugi?" Tèa circled him cautiously, peering at the animal. "That's the biggest cat I've ever seen."
"Mm, looks like a Maine coon cat," Bakura observed, kneeling to have a closer look. "Here, puss puss..." he held out a hand. The cat walked over, gave it a desultory sniff, rubbed against it once, then returned to Yugi and flopped down in front of him. A low bass rumble, obviously meant to be a purr, filled the air. "They're not actually related to raccoons, you know, that's just the name of the breed. They're supposed to be descended from the wildcats that Viking explorers brought over with them in their visits to the Americas." He studied his hand with a touch of distaste. "Ugh, he's covered in grease... or oil... or something."
"I think he was hiding under the car of the people next door," Yugi said. "I asked around, but no one in the neighborhood seems to know anything about him. Can we keep him? Please, can we?"
"I dunno, Yugi," Tristan said, "a cat's a lot of work... hey, I didn't know you liked cats."
"Oh sure, but Grandpa's a little allergic to them. Nothing serious, they just make him sneeze. I thought I'd comb the mats and stuff out of his hair before I gave him a bath."
"OH yeah, YOU give him da bath." Joey folded his arms and shook his head. "Yuge, I'd pay t'see that. That cat's gonna eat you alive if you get him NEAR a tubful of water."
"No he won't. Horus understands I'm only trying to help him."
"Horace?" Tèa looked puzzled.
"No, HORUS. Like the Egyptian god. The Eye of Horus is a mystic symbol, and since he's only got one eye--"
"I get it, I get it." Planting her hands on her hips, Tèa shook her head. "Well, if you really want to give him a bath, I could try to help, since no one else is volunteering."
Tristan reached out, shook Tèa's hand. "Nice knowing you."
To everyone's surprise, Horus not only tolerated the bath, he appeared to enjoy the entire experience, including being wrapped in a towel afterwards and held in Yugi's arms while he dried. "That cat," Joey pronounced, "ain't natural."
"Well, that's Yugi for you, he makes friends with everyone. You're a good kitty, aren't you?" Tèa scratched Horus under the chin and giggled as he nibbled at her fingers. "He's kind of cute, in a scrappy kind of way."
"Don't expect we've got any cat food about, but hang on." Bakura ducked into the kitchen, emerged shortly with a small plate on which he dumped most of the contents of a can of tuna. "We can get him something more appropriate tomorrow, but this should tide him over nicely for tonight. --Good heavens, look at him wolf it down. Size notwithstanding, I don't think he's had a decent meal in several days. Poor old chap..." The young man shook his head. "You'd think someone would've put a tag on him or something."
"We'll have to find a vet, Yugi, and make sure he's got all his shots and stuff." Tèa smiled. "Want me to go with you tomorrow once we find one?"
"Sure!" Yugi looked down at his 'passenger'. "How about it, Horus? You, me and Tèa."
The cat purred, then paused, head swiveling and eye widening. Yugi glanced up to see Yami kneeling nearby, watching the cat. Pharoah... I think he can see you.
'Of course he can.' Yami smiled a bit. 'Do you not remember? Cats are sacred beasts. They are the children of the goddess Bast, and they share her wisdom and love of mystery.' He put out a hand, forgetting momentarily he wasn't in their shared body.
Horus responded, reaching out to bat at the fingers--
And for a moment, his paw rested atop Yami's knuckles, just as if the Spirit were solid.
'Uh!' Yami snatched back his hand, stared at the fingers. 'He--'
He touched you!
'Indeed.' Yami gave Horus another long, considering look. 'I believe, young one,' he said at last, 'we would do well to keep this cat.'
It's not like I intended to toss him back out. Yugi rubbed Horus's head. "You ARE special, aren't you?" he whispered in Horus's ear.
Horus only purred.
Across the room, Yami Bakura scowled. Of course he'd seen the Pharoah kneeling there, but the fact the CAT had, and had reacted to him... That was unexpected. I will have to be even more careful. That is no ordinary feline. Set take it! As if I needed anyone or anything about that can see spirits.
It is but a cat, though. I'm quite sure if it gets in my way, the creatures in my Deck can handle it
'No'
Yami Bakura paused. What...?
'Alone'
Who?!
'Leave it alone!'
Turning, the Spirit pressed his fingers to his temples, closed his eyes. You-! What are you doing awake? Go back to sleep, little fool. This doesn't concern you. I am in charge here. This is MY body now. You are but an former tenant, soon to be forgotten.
A glimmer of light in a vast darkness; a stir of motion that might've been a form standing in the shadows; a faint, faint voice from far away answered him.
'No I'm not. I'm still here. AND I WANT MY LIFE BACK!'
Yami Bakura winced, caught off-guard by the momentary strength of that cry. The sense of Bakura was already fading, but--
But he never should've spoken to begin with.
"Bakura, are you all right?" a light hand on his shoulder. Yami Bakura barely managed to remember to school his features into a gentler expression before he turned. "I'm fine, Tèa," he answered. "Just a little twinge of a headache. I probably need to eat something-- I'm sure we could ALL stand a good meal."
"Yeah, I'm starving. What's for dinner?" Tristan sauntered towards the kitchen. "Heck with that, what's for snacks right now?"
"Honestly, do you think with your stomach or something?" Tèa shot in his direction, then turned back to Bakura. "You look kind of pale... why don't you sit down? I'll get something started."
"But it's my night to cook--"
"Shush. We'll trade, you can cook tomorrow, okay?" Tèa pointed at a chair. "Sit, or else I'll sit ON you to hold you still."
Yami Bakura did as he was told. Under the placid facade his mind was racing. What is going on? Is... is the cat somehow responsible? Impossible. I sense nothing mystical about it.
But it did see the Pharoah...
Enough. I'll worry about it later.
Meanwhile, Joey had wandered out to pick up the mail. "Lessee here... junk, junk, junk-- man, they don't waste any time sendin' ya dis kinda thing... coupons... whoa, wait a sec, hold da phone." He waved a slim cream-colored envelope. "Check it, it's from KaibaCorp."
"KmmaCrp?" Tristan asked, mouth half-full.
"Swallow before ya talk, Tris, ain'tcha got no manners? But yeah, KaibaCorp. Addressed to... hey. It's addressed to Yugi AND me. See? 'Mr. Yugi Motoh, Mr. Joseph Wheeler'. Ha! MISTER Joseph Wheeler. Looks like I finally got some respect!"
"So open it, MISTER Wheeler," Tèa said.
"Oh. Yeah. *heh* Right." Joey tore open the envelope and opened the letter. "Ahem. 'Mr. Seto Kaiba and KaibaCorp respectfully request,' yeah right, you can tell Kaiba din't write dis, it's too polite..." he trailed off, starting to frown as he read further.
"What's it say, Joey?" Yugi bounded to his feet (sending Horus tumbling off with a disgruntled yowl) and stretched out a hand. "Lemme see!"
"It's an invitation to a tournament," Joey said slowly, still holding the letter up out of Yugi's reach.
"And, so?" Tristan waved a hand in the air. "Like you never expected Kaiba to hold another tournament? Or more to the point, you never expected him to invite Yugi to participate?"
"Shh, Tristan." Tèa was looking at the expression on Joey's face. "Joey, what is it?"
"It's an invite..." Joey looked up. "To Duelist Kingdom."
Silence.
"SAY WHAT?!" Tristan all but snatched the letter out of Joey's hand. "You're KIDDING me!"
"Nope." Joey's face hardened. "Looks like Kaiba's decided to re-do Pegasus's tournament."
"You ARE kidding... right?" Tèa anxiously scanned the letter Tristan was holding. "Oh my God... you're not kidding."
"Din't I just say dat? You think I'd kid around about something like dat?"
"I don't believe it." Tristan let his hand fall to his side, where Yugi could reach the letter. He promptly did, reading through it for himself. "Weekend of October 31st to November 2nd, Duelist Kingdom II, Destiny's Card... revisit the famous Duelist Kingdom for a Halloween tournament hosted by KaibaCorp..."
"We ain't going." Joey shook his head. "Nuh-uh, not playing that game. Dis is some kinda setup from the King of Rats. He's tryin' to get into your head, Yuge. Why else would he have a tournament on Pegasus's island? Let alone a re-do of dat particular tournament? I tell ya, dis stinks like last week's fish."
"Yeah, right," Tèa countered, "and you know what happens if you and Yugi don't show up, don't you? Kaiba gets to brag that you were too scared to attend his tournament, after you'd been personally invited."
"She's got a point, bro," Tristan agreed. "You know Kaiba will do it too."
"Think I ain't thought of dat? Like what Kaiba says makes any difference t'me? Listen, Yuge, yanno I'm right, don't'cha?"
"I hear you Joey," Yugi answered. "But..."
"Don't say it, don't say it--"
"But we have to go."
Joey groaned. "I TOLD ya not t'say it!"
"Kaiba won't give us any peace of mind until he knows for sure we'll be there. That's just the way he is. And if he has to chase us down, he will. That's ALSO the way he is." Yugi nodded once. "It's just better to go along. Besides, it might not be so bad. It isn't like we'll be facing Maximilian Pegasus and the Millenium Eye. This might actually be fun."
"Yeeesh." Joey ran a hand through his hair, then nodded. "Okay, pal, you got a point. (Lots of 'em, if you count your hair.) Hey, at least it's a free holiday weekend on an island. Says 'all expenses paid', so it's not like we gotta shell out for da trip."
"Speaking of Pegasus, I wonder if he'll be there." Tèa nibbled her lower lip. "I can't imagine him NOT being there, it's his island after all. His castle, too."
"If he is, we'll deal. He was okay last time we met up with him, though. Helped pull our butts out of the fire, remember? He had his act together better than Kaiba did." Tristan pounded a fist lightly into the opposite palm. "Man! I've got a bad feeling about this, but Yugi's right; there's no way to back out."
A tournament on Duelist Island... interesting. Yami Bakura smirked. This might be an opportunity to claim the Millenium Puzzle for myself, if I... play my cards right, so to speak. Even if I do not win the tournament itself, Yugi and the Pharoah will be exhausted after their Duels. It could be the perfect time to ambush them. I think I will accompany our happy group to the island, even if I'm not invited. "Yugi, that 'all expenses paid' thing... does it include just the two of you, or are you allowed to bring guests?"
Yugi re-read the invitation. "Let me see-- 'up to two guests apiece'. That means we can all go!"
"Suddenly I'm feeling better about Seto Kaiba," Tristan said. "Not a whole LOT better, but a little."
"Marvelous! It really WILL be just like the original Duelist Kingdom."
'Why do I fail to find that reassuring?'
Yugi closed his eyes, the world fading out around him as his consciousness turned inward. "You don't like this any more than Joey does."
'No, I do not.' Yami folded his arms. 'Kaiba, returning to the scene of his humiliation at the hands of Pegasus? Perhaps he wishes to turn back time and have it go his way, but he should know better. And it IS the only time--'
"The only time he beat us."
'Indeed. Though he cheated to do it.' The barest flicker of golden light on Yami's forehead as the Millenium Eye symbol flared there briefly. 'And almost drove us apart forever.'
'He was desperate. You can't blame him, he was only trying to save Mokuba's soul."
'And you were trying to save your grandfather. If Kaiba had simply told us what was going on, his brother still would've been saved. His arrogance, his pride and his desire to humiliate us drove him to that confrontation, nothing more.'
Yugi scowled. "I don't agree, but it's no use to argue about it now; the important part is, we DID go on to defeat Pegasus and save everyone. And... sorry, but it's not like you have a right to complain about arrogance or pride."
Yami stared across hard at Yugi, then lowered his head. 'You're right. Pride and overconfidence ARE something I must keep control of, just as Kaiba should control his. The point is moot in any event; we're going. That much is certain. But I think we should be on our guard.'
"You bet. No disagreement there." Yugi put out a hand, resting it on Yami's arm. "Just remember, we can face anything--"
'As long as we work together,' finished Yami.
****
"Brrr!" Tèa rubbed her arms through the sleeves of her jacket. "I don't remember it being this cold last time."
"We were here in the middle of summer last time," Tristan pointed out. "And we're right on the water too. It'll probably be a little warmer inland."
"I hope so, or I'm going to be a Tèa-sicle before tomorrow morning."
Yugi turned towards one of the personnel at the dock. "Excuse me, where do we go from here?"
"The tent at the end of the dock is registration," the man answered. "You'll be receiving your Star Chips and Dueling Glove there. Just as in the original Duelist Kingdom, you must win ten chips to unlock the castle and enter the final phase of the competition. In deference to the time of year, we do have shelters set up and clearly marked across the island. Those shelters are considered neutral territory and no challenges can be made within fifty yards of a shelter. You'll also need these." Carefully the KaibaCorp representative clasped a thin bracelet shut around the wrist of each person. "Those have tracking transponders so that in case of emergency you can be located. We have a full medical and rescue team on call around the clock. You'll find basic camping supplies and provisions cached at each shelter."
"Sounds like Kaiba thought of everything," Tristan muttered to Joey. "Anybody that tries to claim they were lost or hurt and couldn't compete is short on luck."
"Yeah," Joey whispered back. "Nice change from last time, ya remember? When Keith tried to trap us in dat cave?"
"I wouldn't be willing to bet there still won't be cheating going on."
"Me either. Keep ya eyes open."
"Got it."
As the group of friends walked towards the tent, a pair of figures emerged, stopped to look their way. "Well, well," one of the duo said, sneering, "look who we have here."
"Hey, if it isn't Weevil Underpants," Joey said, waving. "How ya dooin'."
"That's UnderWOOD, you cretin!" Weevil snarled, shaking a fist.
"Whatever." Joey smirked. "An' here I thought you and Rex Rafter had enough of us last time we metcha."
"RAPTOR, it's RAPTOR," Rex corrected with a scowl. "But I suppose I couldn't hope a moron like you would remember that."
"Watch it, Raptor, you ain't gained dat much height on me. I can still whip ya in or out of a Duel."
"Guys, please," Yugi said, interposing himself. "We're here for a tournament."
"Why, yes, Yugi, you're right, and may the best man win." Weevil held out his hand to shake Yugi's, then snatched it back at the last second. "Which of course will be ME."
"Same old Weevil. Won't you EVER grow up?" Tèa gave him a little frown.
"Don' worry, Tèa, by da time Yuge an' I are through with these guys, they'll be runnin' all the way back ta kindergarten where they belong." Joey clapped Yugi on the back. "C'mon, Yuge, let's get registered. --Catch ya later, Dumb an' Dumber."
"You'll be eating those words before this is over, Wheeler!" Weevil shouted after them fiercely.
"Yeah? Good thing I brought plenty of ketchup."
By the time all the registration forms were filled out, it was dark. Another of the KaibaCorp personnel directed them to a shelter up one of the forest paths and told them to expect the tournament proper to begin in the morning, once the last-minute arrivals were on the island and checked in.
The shelter wasn't much--barely more than a pre-fab shack--but it had a heater and lights, and the cots promised at least a modicum of comfort. Everyone picked out a place to sleep and sttled in, eventually drifting off.
All but one.
Yugi lay awake, staring up at the ceiling. From one side of the room he could hear Joey snoring as usual. You'd think that would help me sleep, I'm so used to it, he thought. Finally unable to lie still any more, he sat up and pulled on his sneakers silently, scribbling a hasty note that he pinned to his pillow: 'Gone for a little walk. Couldn't sleep' and noted the time at the bottom so anyone that woke up and looked for him would know when he left and not think he'd been gone for hours.
It wasn't as if he was wandering off all by himself, of course. And he fully expected that just as soon as a particular someone noticed he wasn't asleep any more, he'd have more than just his shadow along on his midnight ramblings.
He'd barely entered the woods before he heard the voice. 'Yugi?'
"Hi."
'What are you doing awake? It must be very early...' the semi-transparent form walking beside him turned to study the stars. 'About... two or three in the morning early.'
"Wow..."
'Wow what?'
"You. I mean, telling time by the stars?"
'The constellations haven't shifted that much, even in five thousand years. True, these aren't the ones I'm used to, but it must have been a part of my studies to be familiar with the skies as we knew them. I do recognize a few of these, and I know the hours they stand at certain positions in the sky. From there it's just a matter of adjusting for being in different places.' Yami gestured at Yugi's wrist. 'I can't be accurate to the exact hour and minute, as you can, but I can feel sure of the general ti--.' The Spirit stopped. 'Yugi... someone is watching us.'
"What? Where?" Yugi turned, glancing around. "Somebody there?"
The brush rustled slightly and a form stepped out. "Uh, hiya," a husky, nasal voice said. "Sorry, I was taking a walk, got a little lost... can you tell me where Shelter #2 is?"
"Sorry, I'm not sure. I think we're staying in Shelter #1, though, so #2 can't be far away."
"Thanks. Heyyyyy... wait a sec, you're Yugi Motoh, aren't you?"
Yugi tried not to cringe. "Yeah..."
"Too wild!" The stranger grabbed Yugi's hand and pumped it heartily. "My name's Buzz, Buzz Berkley. Actually it's 'Busby', but who wants to get saddled with a name like that? What can I say, blame it on my dad." The young man let go and thrust a thumb at the bill of his baseball cap, letting the moonlight reveal a happy-go-lucky grin and bright green eyes with a single lock of deep purple hair falling across his forehead. "You know you're my hero, right? I figured, 'hey, if a kid as young as Yugi Motoh can be a champion, why can't I?' Right?"
"Uh, sure..." Yugi fidgeted, hoping the other boy wasn't about to ask for an autograph.
"That's the spirit." Buzz gave him a double thumbs-up and a wink. "Well, listen, you really need your sleep, big day tomorrow, me too. Good luck. Oh, and listen, there are some pretty wild guys on the island, I saw a few of 'em earlier when I was getting signed in, three in particular. Better keep your guard up. And don't let those God Cards outta your hand, no matter what, m'kay?"
Not knowing what else to say, Yugi simply nodded once. With a wave Buzz plunged off into the woods, a cheery whistle fading in the dark to mark his passage.
"What was THAT about?"
'Too obvious was what it was.' Yami's eyes narrowed. 'There is something... no. I can't be sure.' He shook his head. The advice is sound, though. For that perhaps we will thank this 'Buzz' later. Now.' Yami folded his arms and did his very best to look stern, though he found it inordinately difficult when he was looking into Yugi's face. 'You need your rest to think clearly. Must I carry you back to camp and stuff you into your bedding by force, or will you submit with grace?'
The younger boy giggled, imagining the spectacle of the others waking up to find him stuffed head-first under his blanket with an invisible force sitting atop him, holding him down. "Ok, ok! I'll be good."
'Mm." Yami nodded once.
By the middle of October things had settled into a routine. Chores were divided up in rotation, though by unanimous agreement Joey was forever barred from even looking at a pot or pan unless he was washing it. ("Didn't they used to call food like that cruel and unusual punishment?" Tristan had quipped the morning after Joey's one and only attempt at dinner.) The living room had become the primary gathering point, with one or more of the kids gathered around either Dueling, reading/studying, playing video games or watching TV at any given point depending on the day's class schedule. There was a small deck out back, and Tèa had adopted that as her outdoor dance studio, at least until winter made it too cold to practice. The room assignments had settled down to Yugi and Joey in the bedroom farthest from the stairs; Tristan and Bakura in the next; and Tèa in the one at the top of the stairs. Since the upstairs bath was across the hall from her room, that gave her the first bathroom rights she'd called almost by default.
There was even a "family pet", though no one had exactly gone out looking for it. The others simply came home that Wednesday to find Yugi in the living room, brushing the coat of an enormous and extremely ragged-looking tom of indeterminate color and origin. One eye was permanently closed by a scar, a memento of an old fight, and as they walked in the cat had greeted them all with a loud, gravelly "MOW."
"Holy cow!" Tristan pretended to flinch. "Quick, somebody call the circus, there's a lion about to eat Yugi."
"Either dat or dere's a new Duel Monster in town," Joey shot back. "Jeez, Yuge, if ya wanted a throw rug we coulda bought one."
"Come on, you two, he's just a cat!" Yugi paused in brushing to pet the cat, who responded by standing up on his hind legs and butting his head against Yugi's cheek.
"Are you SURE about that, Yugi?" Tèa circled him cautiously, peering at the animal. "That's the biggest cat I've ever seen."
"Mm, looks like a Maine coon cat," Bakura observed, kneeling to have a closer look. "Here, puss puss..." he held out a hand. The cat walked over, gave it a desultory sniff, rubbed against it once, then returned to Yugi and flopped down in front of him. A low bass rumble, obviously meant to be a purr, filled the air. "They're not actually related to raccoons, you know, that's just the name of the breed. They're supposed to be descended from the wildcats that Viking explorers brought over with them in their visits to the Americas." He studied his hand with a touch of distaste. "Ugh, he's covered in grease... or oil... or something."
"I think he was hiding under the car of the people next door," Yugi said. "I asked around, but no one in the neighborhood seems to know anything about him. Can we keep him? Please, can we?"
"I dunno, Yugi," Tristan said, "a cat's a lot of work... hey, I didn't know you liked cats."
"Oh sure, but Grandpa's a little allergic to them. Nothing serious, they just make him sneeze. I thought I'd comb the mats and stuff out of his hair before I gave him a bath."
"OH yeah, YOU give him da bath." Joey folded his arms and shook his head. "Yuge, I'd pay t'see that. That cat's gonna eat you alive if you get him NEAR a tubful of water."
"No he won't. Horus understands I'm only trying to help him."
"Horace?" Tèa looked puzzled.
"No, HORUS. Like the Egyptian god. The Eye of Horus is a mystic symbol, and since he's only got one eye--"
"I get it, I get it." Planting her hands on her hips, Tèa shook her head. "Well, if you really want to give him a bath, I could try to help, since no one else is volunteering."
Tristan reached out, shook Tèa's hand. "Nice knowing you."
To everyone's surprise, Horus not only tolerated the bath, he appeared to enjoy the entire experience, including being wrapped in a towel afterwards and held in Yugi's arms while he dried. "That cat," Joey pronounced, "ain't natural."
"Well, that's Yugi for you, he makes friends with everyone. You're a good kitty, aren't you?" Tèa scratched Horus under the chin and giggled as he nibbled at her fingers. "He's kind of cute, in a scrappy kind of way."
"Don't expect we've got any cat food about, but hang on." Bakura ducked into the kitchen, emerged shortly with a small plate on which he dumped most of the contents of a can of tuna. "We can get him something more appropriate tomorrow, but this should tide him over nicely for tonight. --Good heavens, look at him wolf it down. Size notwithstanding, I don't think he's had a decent meal in several days. Poor old chap..." The young man shook his head. "You'd think someone would've put a tag on him or something."
"We'll have to find a vet, Yugi, and make sure he's got all his shots and stuff." Tèa smiled. "Want me to go with you tomorrow once we find one?"
"Sure!" Yugi looked down at his 'passenger'. "How about it, Horus? You, me and Tèa."
The cat purred, then paused, head swiveling and eye widening. Yugi glanced up to see Yami kneeling nearby, watching the cat. Pharoah... I think he can see you.
'Of course he can.' Yami smiled a bit. 'Do you not remember? Cats are sacred beasts. They are the children of the goddess Bast, and they share her wisdom and love of mystery.' He put out a hand, forgetting momentarily he wasn't in their shared body.
Horus responded, reaching out to bat at the fingers--
And for a moment, his paw rested atop Yami's knuckles, just as if the Spirit were solid.
'Uh!' Yami snatched back his hand, stared at the fingers. 'He--'
He touched you!
'Indeed.' Yami gave Horus another long, considering look. 'I believe, young one,' he said at last, 'we would do well to keep this cat.'
It's not like I intended to toss him back out. Yugi rubbed Horus's head. "You ARE special, aren't you?" he whispered in Horus's ear.
Horus only purred.
Across the room, Yami Bakura scowled. Of course he'd seen the Pharoah kneeling there, but the fact the CAT had, and had reacted to him... That was unexpected. I will have to be even more careful. That is no ordinary feline. Set take it! As if I needed anyone or anything about that can see spirits.
It is but a cat, though. I'm quite sure if it gets in my way, the creatures in my Deck can handle it
'No'
Yami Bakura paused. What...?
'Alone'
Who?!
'Leave it alone!'
Turning, the Spirit pressed his fingers to his temples, closed his eyes. You-! What are you doing awake? Go back to sleep, little fool. This doesn't concern you. I am in charge here. This is MY body now. You are but an former tenant, soon to be forgotten.
A glimmer of light in a vast darkness; a stir of motion that might've been a form standing in the shadows; a faint, faint voice from far away answered him.
'No I'm not. I'm still here. AND I WANT MY LIFE BACK!'
Yami Bakura winced, caught off-guard by the momentary strength of that cry. The sense of Bakura was already fading, but--
But he never should've spoken to begin with.
"Bakura, are you all right?" a light hand on his shoulder. Yami Bakura barely managed to remember to school his features into a gentler expression before he turned. "I'm fine, Tèa," he answered. "Just a little twinge of a headache. I probably need to eat something-- I'm sure we could ALL stand a good meal."
"Yeah, I'm starving. What's for dinner?" Tristan sauntered towards the kitchen. "Heck with that, what's for snacks right now?"
"Honestly, do you think with your stomach or something?" Tèa shot in his direction, then turned back to Bakura. "You look kind of pale... why don't you sit down? I'll get something started."
"But it's my night to cook--"
"Shush. We'll trade, you can cook tomorrow, okay?" Tèa pointed at a chair. "Sit, or else I'll sit ON you to hold you still."
Yami Bakura did as he was told. Under the placid facade his mind was racing. What is going on? Is... is the cat somehow responsible? Impossible. I sense nothing mystical about it.
But it did see the Pharoah...
Enough. I'll worry about it later.
Meanwhile, Joey had wandered out to pick up the mail. "Lessee here... junk, junk, junk-- man, they don't waste any time sendin' ya dis kinda thing... coupons... whoa, wait a sec, hold da phone." He waved a slim cream-colored envelope. "Check it, it's from KaibaCorp."
"KmmaCrp?" Tristan asked, mouth half-full.
"Swallow before ya talk, Tris, ain'tcha got no manners? But yeah, KaibaCorp. Addressed to... hey. It's addressed to Yugi AND me. See? 'Mr. Yugi Motoh, Mr. Joseph Wheeler'. Ha! MISTER Joseph Wheeler. Looks like I finally got some respect!"
"So open it, MISTER Wheeler," Tèa said.
"Oh. Yeah. *heh* Right." Joey tore open the envelope and opened the letter. "Ahem. 'Mr. Seto Kaiba and KaibaCorp respectfully request,' yeah right, you can tell Kaiba din't write dis, it's too polite..." he trailed off, starting to frown as he read further.
"What's it say, Joey?" Yugi bounded to his feet (sending Horus tumbling off with a disgruntled yowl) and stretched out a hand. "Lemme see!"
"It's an invitation to a tournament," Joey said slowly, still holding the letter up out of Yugi's reach.
"And, so?" Tristan waved a hand in the air. "Like you never expected Kaiba to hold another tournament? Or more to the point, you never expected him to invite Yugi to participate?"
"Shh, Tristan." Tèa was looking at the expression on Joey's face. "Joey, what is it?"
"It's an invite..." Joey looked up. "To Duelist Kingdom."
Silence.
"SAY WHAT?!" Tristan all but snatched the letter out of Joey's hand. "You're KIDDING me!"
"Nope." Joey's face hardened. "Looks like Kaiba's decided to re-do Pegasus's tournament."
"You ARE kidding... right?" Tèa anxiously scanned the letter Tristan was holding. "Oh my God... you're not kidding."
"Din't I just say dat? You think I'd kid around about something like dat?"
"I don't believe it." Tristan let his hand fall to his side, where Yugi could reach the letter. He promptly did, reading through it for himself. "Weekend of October 31st to November 2nd, Duelist Kingdom II, Destiny's Card... revisit the famous Duelist Kingdom for a Halloween tournament hosted by KaibaCorp..."
"We ain't going." Joey shook his head. "Nuh-uh, not playing that game. Dis is some kinda setup from the King of Rats. He's tryin' to get into your head, Yuge. Why else would he have a tournament on Pegasus's island? Let alone a re-do of dat particular tournament? I tell ya, dis stinks like last week's fish."
"Yeah, right," Tèa countered, "and you know what happens if you and Yugi don't show up, don't you? Kaiba gets to brag that you were too scared to attend his tournament, after you'd been personally invited."
"She's got a point, bro," Tristan agreed. "You know Kaiba will do it too."
"Think I ain't thought of dat? Like what Kaiba says makes any difference t'me? Listen, Yuge, yanno I'm right, don't'cha?"
"I hear you Joey," Yugi answered. "But..."
"Don't say it, don't say it--"
"But we have to go."
Joey groaned. "I TOLD ya not t'say it!"
"Kaiba won't give us any peace of mind until he knows for sure we'll be there. That's just the way he is. And if he has to chase us down, he will. That's ALSO the way he is." Yugi nodded once. "It's just better to go along. Besides, it might not be so bad. It isn't like we'll be facing Maximilian Pegasus and the Millenium Eye. This might actually be fun."
"Yeeesh." Joey ran a hand through his hair, then nodded. "Okay, pal, you got a point. (Lots of 'em, if you count your hair.) Hey, at least it's a free holiday weekend on an island. Says 'all expenses paid', so it's not like we gotta shell out for da trip."
"Speaking of Pegasus, I wonder if he'll be there." Tèa nibbled her lower lip. "I can't imagine him NOT being there, it's his island after all. His castle, too."
"If he is, we'll deal. He was okay last time we met up with him, though. Helped pull our butts out of the fire, remember? He had his act together better than Kaiba did." Tristan pounded a fist lightly into the opposite palm. "Man! I've got a bad feeling about this, but Yugi's right; there's no way to back out."
A tournament on Duelist Island... interesting. Yami Bakura smirked. This might be an opportunity to claim the Millenium Puzzle for myself, if I... play my cards right, so to speak. Even if I do not win the tournament itself, Yugi and the Pharoah will be exhausted after their Duels. It could be the perfect time to ambush them. I think I will accompany our happy group to the island, even if I'm not invited. "Yugi, that 'all expenses paid' thing... does it include just the two of you, or are you allowed to bring guests?"
Yugi re-read the invitation. "Let me see-- 'up to two guests apiece'. That means we can all go!"
"Suddenly I'm feeling better about Seto Kaiba," Tristan said. "Not a whole LOT better, but a little."
"Marvelous! It really WILL be just like the original Duelist Kingdom."
'Why do I fail to find that reassuring?'
Yugi closed his eyes, the world fading out around him as his consciousness turned inward. "You don't like this any more than Joey does."
'No, I do not.' Yami folded his arms. 'Kaiba, returning to the scene of his humiliation at the hands of Pegasus? Perhaps he wishes to turn back time and have it go his way, but he should know better. And it IS the only time--'
"The only time he beat us."
'Indeed. Though he cheated to do it.' The barest flicker of golden light on Yami's forehead as the Millenium Eye symbol flared there briefly. 'And almost drove us apart forever.'
'He was desperate. You can't blame him, he was only trying to save Mokuba's soul."
'And you were trying to save your grandfather. If Kaiba had simply told us what was going on, his brother still would've been saved. His arrogance, his pride and his desire to humiliate us drove him to that confrontation, nothing more.'
Yugi scowled. "I don't agree, but it's no use to argue about it now; the important part is, we DID go on to defeat Pegasus and save everyone. And... sorry, but it's not like you have a right to complain about arrogance or pride."
Yami stared across hard at Yugi, then lowered his head. 'You're right. Pride and overconfidence ARE something I must keep control of, just as Kaiba should control his. The point is moot in any event; we're going. That much is certain. But I think we should be on our guard.'
"You bet. No disagreement there." Yugi put out a hand, resting it on Yami's arm. "Just remember, we can face anything--"
'As long as we work together,' finished Yami.
****
"Brrr!" Tèa rubbed her arms through the sleeves of her jacket. "I don't remember it being this cold last time."
"We were here in the middle of summer last time," Tristan pointed out. "And we're right on the water too. It'll probably be a little warmer inland."
"I hope so, or I'm going to be a Tèa-sicle before tomorrow morning."
Yugi turned towards one of the personnel at the dock. "Excuse me, where do we go from here?"
"The tent at the end of the dock is registration," the man answered. "You'll be receiving your Star Chips and Dueling Glove there. Just as in the original Duelist Kingdom, you must win ten chips to unlock the castle and enter the final phase of the competition. In deference to the time of year, we do have shelters set up and clearly marked across the island. Those shelters are considered neutral territory and no challenges can be made within fifty yards of a shelter. You'll also need these." Carefully the KaibaCorp representative clasped a thin bracelet shut around the wrist of each person. "Those have tracking transponders so that in case of emergency you can be located. We have a full medical and rescue team on call around the clock. You'll find basic camping supplies and provisions cached at each shelter."
"Sounds like Kaiba thought of everything," Tristan muttered to Joey. "Anybody that tries to claim they were lost or hurt and couldn't compete is short on luck."
"Yeah," Joey whispered back. "Nice change from last time, ya remember? When Keith tried to trap us in dat cave?"
"I wouldn't be willing to bet there still won't be cheating going on."
"Me either. Keep ya eyes open."
"Got it."
As the group of friends walked towards the tent, a pair of figures emerged, stopped to look their way. "Well, well," one of the duo said, sneering, "look who we have here."
"Hey, if it isn't Weevil Underpants," Joey said, waving. "How ya dooin'."
"That's UnderWOOD, you cretin!" Weevil snarled, shaking a fist.
"Whatever." Joey smirked. "An' here I thought you and Rex Rafter had enough of us last time we metcha."
"RAPTOR, it's RAPTOR," Rex corrected with a scowl. "But I suppose I couldn't hope a moron like you would remember that."
"Watch it, Raptor, you ain't gained dat much height on me. I can still whip ya in or out of a Duel."
"Guys, please," Yugi said, interposing himself. "We're here for a tournament."
"Why, yes, Yugi, you're right, and may the best man win." Weevil held out his hand to shake Yugi's, then snatched it back at the last second. "Which of course will be ME."
"Same old Weevil. Won't you EVER grow up?" Tèa gave him a little frown.
"Don' worry, Tèa, by da time Yuge an' I are through with these guys, they'll be runnin' all the way back ta kindergarten where they belong." Joey clapped Yugi on the back. "C'mon, Yuge, let's get registered. --Catch ya later, Dumb an' Dumber."
"You'll be eating those words before this is over, Wheeler!" Weevil shouted after them fiercely.
"Yeah? Good thing I brought plenty of ketchup."
By the time all the registration forms were filled out, it was dark. Another of the KaibaCorp personnel directed them to a shelter up one of the forest paths and told them to expect the tournament proper to begin in the morning, once the last-minute arrivals were on the island and checked in.
The shelter wasn't much--barely more than a pre-fab shack--but it had a heater and lights, and the cots promised at least a modicum of comfort. Everyone picked out a place to sleep and sttled in, eventually drifting off.
All but one.
Yugi lay awake, staring up at the ceiling. From one side of the room he could hear Joey snoring as usual. You'd think that would help me sleep, I'm so used to it, he thought. Finally unable to lie still any more, he sat up and pulled on his sneakers silently, scribbling a hasty note that he pinned to his pillow: 'Gone for a little walk. Couldn't sleep' and noted the time at the bottom so anyone that woke up and looked for him would know when he left and not think he'd been gone for hours.
It wasn't as if he was wandering off all by himself, of course. And he fully expected that just as soon as a particular someone noticed he wasn't asleep any more, he'd have more than just his shadow along on his midnight ramblings.
He'd barely entered the woods before he heard the voice. 'Yugi?'
"Hi."
'What are you doing awake? It must be very early...' the semi-transparent form walking beside him turned to study the stars. 'About... two or three in the morning early.'
"Wow..."
'Wow what?'
"You. I mean, telling time by the stars?"
'The constellations haven't shifted that much, even in five thousand years. True, these aren't the ones I'm used to, but it must have been a part of my studies to be familiar with the skies as we knew them. I do recognize a few of these, and I know the hours they stand at certain positions in the sky. From there it's just a matter of adjusting for being in different places.' Yami gestured at Yugi's wrist. 'I can't be accurate to the exact hour and minute, as you can, but I can feel sure of the general ti--.' The Spirit stopped. 'Yugi... someone is watching us.'
"What? Where?" Yugi turned, glancing around. "Somebody there?"
The brush rustled slightly and a form stepped out. "Uh, hiya," a husky, nasal voice said. "Sorry, I was taking a walk, got a little lost... can you tell me where Shelter #2 is?"
"Sorry, I'm not sure. I think we're staying in Shelter #1, though, so #2 can't be far away."
"Thanks. Heyyyyy... wait a sec, you're Yugi Motoh, aren't you?"
Yugi tried not to cringe. "Yeah..."
"Too wild!" The stranger grabbed Yugi's hand and pumped it heartily. "My name's Buzz, Buzz Berkley. Actually it's 'Busby', but who wants to get saddled with a name like that? What can I say, blame it on my dad." The young man let go and thrust a thumb at the bill of his baseball cap, letting the moonlight reveal a happy-go-lucky grin and bright green eyes with a single lock of deep purple hair falling across his forehead. "You know you're my hero, right? I figured, 'hey, if a kid as young as Yugi Motoh can be a champion, why can't I?' Right?"
"Uh, sure..." Yugi fidgeted, hoping the other boy wasn't about to ask for an autograph.
"That's the spirit." Buzz gave him a double thumbs-up and a wink. "Well, listen, you really need your sleep, big day tomorrow, me too. Good luck. Oh, and listen, there are some pretty wild guys on the island, I saw a few of 'em earlier when I was getting signed in, three in particular. Better keep your guard up. And don't let those God Cards outta your hand, no matter what, m'kay?"
Not knowing what else to say, Yugi simply nodded once. With a wave Buzz plunged off into the woods, a cheery whistle fading in the dark to mark his passage.
"What was THAT about?"
'Too obvious was what it was.' Yami's eyes narrowed. 'There is something... no. I can't be sure.' He shook his head. The advice is sound, though. For that perhaps we will thank this 'Buzz' later. Now.' Yami folded his arms and did his very best to look stern, though he found it inordinately difficult when he was looking into Yugi's face. 'You need your rest to think clearly. Must I carry you back to camp and stuff you into your bedding by force, or will you submit with grace?'
The younger boy giggled, imagining the spectacle of the others waking up to find him stuffed head-first under his blanket with an invisible force sitting atop him, holding him down. "Ok, ok! I'll be good."
'Mm." Yami nodded once.