Chaos Effect

Chapter 12

When Pharaoh Set had taken the throne he had commanded that the Millennium Items be sealed away and protected until such time as the Nameless Pharaoh returned. Though his predecessor desired to keep the Dark God Zorc forever locked away Set had held that evil could only be defeated, not contained, and thus one day the Pharaoh would return along with Zorc and it would take the power of the Millennium Items to aid the Nameless Pharaoh in this quest. To ensure that the sacred relics were protected the Pharaoh had declared that four families, servants of the Pharaoh, would be tasked with protecting the Millennium Items. The number was important, for four was the number of stability, justice, order, and mankind itself. To supplement these four families the Pharaoh had declared that ten lesser families would serve the four, aiding them, offering them daughters to continue their lines, and guarding them at the cost of their own lives.

To each of the four families had been given two of the sacred Millennium Items. The Clan of the Crocodile, Ishtar, scholars and most learned, were given the Millennium Rod and Necklace. The Clan of the Jackel, Shara, most noble and law-abiding of the families, were given the dark task of protecting the Eye and the Ring. Shadi's own clan, the Clan of the Serpent, the most loyal, known as the House of Hadad, was given the Scales and Key. And the Clan of the Lion, most honorable, Teshub, were given the Pendant and the Stone. They were commanded to hide the items away, to wait until the time that the Nameless Pharaoh's new honored servants would arise, and to teach them how to properly use the items and serve their Pharaoh in the final battle.

They failed nearly as soon as they were formed.

The Teshub were deceived by the False Pharaoh, the blasphemous 'Anubis', also known as Inpu, who claimed to be the son of the Nameless Pharaoh and had nearly destroyed the kingdom a second time until Pharaoh Set had sealed him away in his own False Item, the Pyramid of Light, with the power of the Quantum Cube, the Millennium Item That Never Was. They had fought for the False One, with their Head stealing the Pendant and hiding it away so that none could ever find it and nearly destroyed the Millennium Stone from which the items had first been forged, before he was stopped and slain. Though those that survived sought to redeem themselves for their error in the end they were never trusted by the other three great families or the ten lesser ones and they faded from memory. The task of protecting the Stone fell to the remaining three families.

For a thousand years things would settle into a quiet peace but this was merely an artificial dawn. Seven of the minor families rose up in revolt, attempting to seize power for themselves. The remaining three stood with the three great families. For nearly 100 years in the hidden tombs and under the desert night sky the Silent Wars were fought. In the end only the Clan of the Crocodile and the Clan of the Serpent survived with two of the minor houses surviving. But they were weakened greatly, with strong men having died and weak sons taking their place. Bloodlines were forced to intermingle and with it madness came. The Eye and the Ring were briefly lost and found and lost again as the two tainted items sought bearers. The strength and size of the Tomb Keepers dwindled. The keepers longed to become masters of the items and thus new battles were fought and the remaining clans hide themselves away from their brothers in honor and duty. Where once they had numbered 1000 by the coming of the 21st century their numbers could be easily counted on two hands.

And Zorc was awakening.

The Clan of the Crocodile fell into civil war, with Ishizu claiming the Millennium Necklace and her brother Marik the Millennium Rod. It was only Ishizu's quick thinking that saw her brother thwarted in his desire to claim the Eye as well, giving it to Shadi to protect. It was a noble and righteous act but it only showed to Shadi how far they had fallen. The Clan of the Crocodile had been reduced to two, brother and sister who warred against each other. And the Clan of the Serpent was now only him. The minor houses were gone. The Millennium Items guarded by one as the remaining two warred against each other. Shadi did all he could to protect the relics. Sometimes he succeeded; he found the Quantum Cube and added it to his growing collection. Sometimes he failed; he found the tomb where the Millennium Pendant had been hidden, called now the Puzzle by those not knowing the truth of it, but it had been emptied. And the dreaded Pyramid of Light was no where to be found.

Thus, in despair and desperation... Shadi made two grave mistakes.

The first had been selecting Maxamillion Pegasus to bear the Millennium Eye. He had thought that the man would be a strong bearer, one who merely wanted to bring joy to the world. But grief had darkened his soul and now he used the Eye for his own selfish desires. And the Ring... the Ring.

Shadi could still feel the agony of his death.

Counting himself all the items now had bearers. But they were far from perfect with only Ishizu coming closest to having proven herself worthy to hold the Necklace. Ryou Bakura simply was too passive of a soul to fight against the Spirit of the Ring. Marik Ishtar used the Rod as a weapon to assemble an army to battle the returned Pharaoh. Pegasus was too single minded and selfish. And no single person should bear two items yet Shadi found himself using the Key and the Scales because there was none worthier to carry them. And he was dead, meaning that he didn't truly bear them but used the power of the Scales to keep his spirit on Earth until the great battle was done.

And the boy, Yugi Moto, held the Puzzle.

Shadi knew he needed to test the boy, to weight the evil in his heart against the good and confirm that he could lead the Nameless Pharaoh upon the correct path to be the hero he truly was. But then he had encountered the convergence. The Chaos Lord. The one Pegasus called in his heart The Guardian Devil.

He knew that he had to peer into the mind of the man that had decided to interfere with the matters of the Tomb Keepers and discover what his desires were.

When he'd placed the Key against Edwin Chaos' head he'd been ready to explore his mindscape. It was something Shadi had done many times in the past, to learn about those around him and determine if they were worthy of aid... or in need of punishment. The mind took so many different forms and thus Shadi had been prepared for anything. With Pegasus the man's mind had been like an art gallery, filled with moving paintings that showed not merely his past but his dreams and desires. With Ishizu she ordered her mind like a tomb, each chamber a different point in her life; the more painful or dangerous the greater the defenses. Using the Millennium Key he had modeled his own mindscape to be filled with locked doors, some real, some fake, some filled with deadly traps for anyone that attempted to enter without his guidance.

But within Edwin Chaos' mind he found... darkness.

Endless darkness.

'This makes no sense,' Shadi thought to himself. 'His mind, it is as if it is a blank spot. Nothing at all. Only one far more powerful in the mind arts could hide like this from my gaze! How can this be?'

"Because it isn't his mind, Tomb Keeper," a feminine voice stated, causing Shadi to whip about seeking the source. For what was both seconds and thousands of years he found nothing, then he saw something flash in the corner of his eye and when he turned he saw a great crescent moon hanging in the darkness... and a woman sat within the curve, watching him. Her long golden hair fell like a waterfall against her back and her silver robes at once hid and revealed all about her form. She was looking at him with cold pale eyes and her smile was like a single star on the coldest and darkest night of the year, a single bare foot lazily swing back and forth. "It's mine."

Shadi swallowed, startled at what... and who... he'd stumbled upon.

"Selene," he whispered.

"So you know me, Tomb Keeper?" she asked.

"I do, Moon."

The Greek Titan Goddess of the Moon smiled at that but while she was pleased there was nothing joyful about her expression. She slid down from her perch like mercury, floating to the ground Shadi stood on. She towered over him, four times his size, but he knew that if she wished she could be so much larger. She leaned down close, a single finger pressed to her lips as she took him in.

"Why have you violated the mind of my love?" she demanded.

THAT made Shadi start. "Your love..." He swallowed. "Then he is E-"

"He is," Selene stated. "My love returned. From beyond death and beyond the veils of the world. I have done much to return him here-" Suddenly her face was so close to his that his eyes burned and watered from the light that glowed from her skin. "-and I do not appreciate the dead attempting to muddle through his mind."

Shadi took a slow, measured step back and bowed his head. It was the only safe thing to do. Even if Selene was not a Goddess of his people she was a Goddess all the same. A Titan Goddess. An Old One. Honor must be shown. "I apologize. Edwin Chaos had inserted himself into the battle between the Nameless Pharaoh-"

"You mean my sister Holactie and my brother, Zorc," Selene said, brokering no argument. "Though I understand that the true battle will be between Holactie's chosen one, the Nameless Pharaoh, and Zorc's patchwork Spirit of the Ring."

Shadi nodded. "And Edwin Chaos is your chosen one?" He made sure to keep his tone even more humble than normal, for it is only wise when facing a Goddess to be as polite as possible. Especially when he had intruded on one under her protection. And most of all if Edwin Chaos held the soul of who Shadi believed...

"He is far more than that. He is my love. But..." she considered him for a moment before nodding her head. "You may classify him as my chosen one for now. Until he takes his place beside me once again as my consort."

"I understand. I merely wished to see who he was, and what he is like, so that I might know if he were a danger to my Pharaoh. But I will not force the issue."

"No, you will not," Selene said... before suddenly letting out a tinkle of laughter that was like wind chimes. "Well... this is very interesting." She waved her hand and a door appeared before Shadi. "My Edwin is apparently curious what lies in his mind and how it would appear to you. I will allow you to continue your quest."

"He told you this?"

The Goddess though shook her head. "His soul is open to me, as is his mind, but he did not say so out loud. He does not know of my existence yet, Tomb Keeper. No in this form, at least. You would be wise not to speak of me to him."

"Of course," Shadi said politely, keeping his eyes on the ground. There was a flare of light and then Selene was gone.

Shadi, taking a breath to steady himself... walked to the door and stepped through it.

Entering into what he now knew was Edwin's actual mind put him on more solid footing. The mindscape was far more formed and developed than the darkness of Selene's. Not that he thought the goddess had a weaker mind... the opposite. Her mind was so complex he simply couldn't comprehend it so his vision was merely of darkness.

Edwin Chaos' mind was at once nothing like his name would suggest and everything like it at the same time; the perfect blend of the impossible. The structure itself took the form of a massive ornate library, created by an eccentric madman. A tower as wide as a stadium that seemed to reach to the heavens with staircases that snaked about the rows and rows of books. Deep dark oaks mixed with white ivory and gold. Tomes of countless colors filled every shelf, begging to be opened. A large elevator sat near the back center of the library, the glass doors shut tight but ready to open for their master. The bottom floor was sunk down into the ground with a walkway ringing it and there were well worn and well loved tables in the pit waiting for eager readers to come and sit upon them. Great bay windows sat at the back of the library, each displaying a different landscape during a different season. A white winter night, utterly peaceful and beautiful. A bright spring day that saw rain all the same, wondrous in its dichotomy. A beach where in the distant waves great beasts of legend rose up from the depths. A city filled with angels and demons that went about their lives without a care, the hideous and the beautiful walking hand in hand. Looking around he saw that the library was filled with different sections, some bright and inviting, others filled with darkness and wisp-like phantoms that spoke of pain and suffering. And it wasn't merely one section that was like that, but rather many different ones, littered all around him and rising above him, spotting the mindscape with darkness and light. All around him played a gentle quiet tune that Shadi couldn't quite place, filled with brass that built stronger and stronger, proving the magnitude of the mindscape before him.

And then, the moment he thought it he saw words appear before him: A JOURNEY IN THE DARK.

"The title of the song, though not fitting," Edwin Chaos said, appearing beside Shadi. Rather than wearing the jeans and gray shirt Shadi had found him in Edwin was dressed in black slacks and a matching jacket, a pale mute green dress shirt without a tie that had the top few buttons undone to reveal a matching undershirt, and perfectly shined black shoes. He was older, in his thirties, with a thick circle beard around his mouth. Over all of this was a long thin black jacket that brushed his ankles. Just as the mindscape represented his mind this version of the man was his vision of power, confidence, and control. "I prefer 'The City of Dwarrowdelf" myself." The moment he said the words the music reached its peak, drums and strings joining with the horns to welcome Shadi to Edwin's mind. "Welcome... to The Citadel."

"You aren't surprised to see me," Shadi stated.

"I'm not. Well, I was when you pressed the key to my head, wasn't honestly expecting that, but the moment you did I knew what was going to happen."

"And how did you know what the Millennium Key would do?"

"The same way I know that Zorc killed you and you are now a ghost driven to aid the Pharaoh. The same way I know the Nameless Pharaoh's name." He held up a hand before Shadi could cry out. "I won't say it. Even here. I understand that it is the seal that binds Zorc and only in the right hands can it also be used to banish him from our realm. Even you remembering it is dangerous... I am taking a risk holding onto the name myself but I'll be careful."

"H-how?"

"Because I'm not of this world, Shadi," Edwin admitted. "I am from another plane of existence, one where your life... it is a story." He motioned for Shadi to follow him and they made their way towards the stairs on the right side of the library. Edwin stepped on them and the moment Shadi did the world seemed to roll and sway around them so that only a few short steps saw them hundreds of feet in the air, headed to a section called 'Yu-Gi-Oh!', the kanji behind the words forming the phrase 'King Of Games'. "I'm not bothering to hide things from you because I know you can be trusted. You are a good man Shadi and I'm sorry that my arrival here couldn't save your life." The sadness in the man's voice was so thick it was nearly visible. "This is how I know all I do." He gestured for Shadi to walk forward and as he did so he heard the music suddenly change to a strange, darkly magically song. "You'll forgive me if they aren't as fancy as they could be... I watched the dub, didn't get into the original manga."

Shadi reached out and selected a book from the shelf at random, opening it up to reveal a moving image of Yugi Moto, the bearer of the Millennium Puzzle, battling against Marik Ishtar. Only... only there was something wrong with Marik. He looked fouler that he normally did. Twisted and corrupted, if that was possible. And he was wielding-

"The Winged Dragon of Ra," SHadi said in shock.

"Yeah, that's a thing," Edwin admitted with a sigh. "Honestly they annoy the hell out of me because everything devolves for a while into 'Summon the God Cards as quick as you can!' But hey, what do I know?"

Shadi continued to look at the books, though he didn't actually comprehend what he was saying. Rather he used it as a way to hide his face from Edwin, so that he might not risk the horror he was slowly feeling. 'I was concerned about what this man might be when it was merely being around the bearer of the Millennium Puzzle. The Dark God Zorc remains trapped within the Puzzle and I fear that his interaction with the boy could unleash the dark one upon the world... if it hasn't already. But to know that he is from another world, brought here by another God, and he has the forbidden knowledge? I must ensure that he is on the side of light and not darkness. I must comb his mind and determine if he is a threat.' Shadi swallowed. 'And if I have the strength to strike down a dark one who is championed by a God.'

"So, is this the part where you explore my mind to determine what kind of person I might be?" Edwin asked.

"Yes," Shadi said, seeing no reason to hide the truth.

"So do you want to wander around or do you just want me to show you each section of my mind?" Edwin gave a small shrug. "Doesn't matter to me... to be honest I don't know what you are going to find other than my greatest despair and my greatest regret, since those two are linked." He paused. "It might be best if I actually took you to them... I imagine my mental defenses will activate without me even realizing it and those two are the most powerful."

Before Shadi could even answer a bridge formed from the section of the library they were standing on and to one covered in darkness, an isolated rain storm pounding down on the shelves that lined that section of the citadel. Edwin was already moving that way and Shadi followed him, curious what Edwin would show him. To understand regret and despair were grand achievements, as there were many in the world that would refuse to face their mistakes and their most bitter moments. The path they took was well worn, meaning that Edwin had visited these moments often.

As they crossed the elevated bridge the music changed.

"I... I wish I could swim," a soft, sad voice sang, voice wavering with heartbreak. "Like dolphins... like dolphins can swim. "

Edwin let out a quiet sigh and gestured towards the books, one flying out into Shadi's hands. Opening it he found the image of Edwin... on a phone by an elevator.

"Confused?" Edwin asked softly, eyes shut. "Second time my mom had to go to the hospital. I didn't realize at the time that the bone marrow transplant... her body was rejecting it. She fell asleep during the visit and my dad said I could go."

"Though nothing, nothing will keep us together. We can beat them, for ever and ever."

"But when I got down to the lobby he called. She was awake and he said if I wanted to come up and let her know I was leaving I could. I said that was fine, said goodbye on the phone. That... that was the last chance I could have had to talk to her, person to person, before she died. She slipped into a coma right after that and I never got to talk to her again. Never got to hear her voice. Tell her so much I wish I had... I wish-" Tears managed to leak from his eyes despite how hard he was clenching his eyelids shut. "Which leads to the worst moment of my life."

The music continued as a new book replaced the one in Shadi's hands.

"And we could be heroes... just for one day."

"The death of my mother."

"Oh we could be heroes... just for one day."

Shadi did not open the book. Instead he quietly placed it back on the shelf and turned to Edwin. "I will not force you to relive that moment."

"Thank you."

"But I do wish to explore your mind, all the same."

"Go ahead," he said, his voice gasping and trembling. "The Citadel will protect my mind though... if I'm not guiding you I won't let you get through easily my mind." With that he walked down the bridge, clearly still shaken. "See me on the ground floor when you're done."

What followed was the strangest stroll through a mind that Shadi have ever experienced. And he couldn't help but wonder if it was because Edwin was from another world... or if his mind merely functioned differently from everyone else. Perhaps both. Were all people in Edwin's world like him, with such strange mindscapes? Or was he the only one, a rare creature of his world, all alone in how he functioned and thought? It didn't matter. All the mattered was for the next hour Shadi went from walking through the strange citadel looking about the fantastic worlds that lived in the man's brain... to fleeing for his life.

The section for his rage had only offered him glimpses of his fury before blades forged from the darkest depths of Tartarus rocketed out of the crackling miasma that filled that part of the library, a deep bellowing voice raging at the gods as Shadi flung himself over the railing and landed on a bridge just in time.

Joy had been a safer route and one that spoke of the man that had the Goddess of the Moon as his patron. The thing that brought him the greatest pleasure was when he created something that was loved by others. He saw countless stories with raving reviews and could almost feel the excitement and happiness Edwin had felt in those moments warming his skin like the rays of a summer sun. It was nearly child-like in its excitement.

Fear brought him nearly falling from the tower while attacked by all manner of strange creatures that had no name or true form, for they constantly shifted and mutated. But as he had pushed past it he had found that at the core of it all was Edwin as an old man, lying in an hospital bed... and then only a question mark as he took his last breath. Despite feeling within his bones that this was the mindscape of a religious man, who held the faith that only came from a deep connection with Heaven and the Lord of Christian belief... he still feared Death and the question of what truly happened when it was his time to die.

Lust... Shadi would not dwell on that. The man had a broad palette when it came to such things, from the gentle to the wild. A deep, chiding voice called out to him as he left, "It's wondrous...with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross; but it's not for the timid."

And through it all he encountered guardians that protected the mind. Delving into Edwin's emotions brought forth alien figures that glowed in the colors of the rainbow and created constructs out of colorful light, from noble men in green to red beasts of rage to a man in yellow who whispered that Shadi didn't understand fear. Edwin's memories sprung to life every time Shadi glanced at them, creating warriors from medieval times battling dragons and beings of ice, of heroes fighting to redeem their parents with beams of light, of metal warriors that wanted to protect their home from their robotic brethren. He saw the dinosaurs of the past chasing down flying machines from the far future and nebulous shapes that could become fully formed heroes or be forgotten with the blink of an eye.

"The Could-Have-Been King and his army of Meanwhiles and Never-Weres." That phrase was declared as he leapt away from one such force.

It was all there... and suddenly it wasn't. Suddenly Shadi was standing in front of Edwin again, the man rising from his chair and regarding him with casual interest.

"Find what you were looking for?"

"I did."

When he returned to the true world Shadi found Edwin Chaos glowered at him in annoyance. "You could have just asked, you know?" He rubbed his forehead like he expected there to be an injury.

The Tomb Keeper merely stared him right down, betraying nothing. "How was I to know that you would allow me into your mind? After all, your thoughts are the most secure items in the entire world. Your mind is the one place you can truly be yourself. Where you know you are safe from threats and lies. To invite another in so willing requires one to be rather bold."

Edwin though laughed at that. "You think your mind if a safe place? Heh. People lie to themselves all the time. Tell themselves that the bad things that happen to them aren't their fault, that the world is out to get them, that they were the innocent parties. And the reverse is true too... the mind can take an innocent comment that someone made, that they never gave another thought to, and twist it into a dagger that pierces your soul over and over again. It came make the tiniest event into a burr that refuses to leave, choosing to just keep scratching at your mind." He brought his hand up to Shadi's forehead and flicked it several times. "Skritch, skritch, skritch. And that should prove that the mind isn't a safe place either. How many people have decided they'd rather not live a day more because their brain wouldn't stop whispering every negative, horrible thing it could." He shook his head. "You have no idea how the mind works if you think it is a safe place. My Citadel? It's just as much to protect myself from internal threats as it is to protect me from external ones."

"I suppose so, but I did not know you felt as such."

"And you still felt it was perfectly fine to enter my mind without permission." He held up a hand, face screwed up in disgust. "And don't you dare tell me it was 'for the greater good'. I hate it when Dumbledore says it and I'll hate you if you say it. There is no greater good, only your good. And for how you feel things should play out you decided that invading my mind was perfectly fine." Edwin sneered. "The Millennium Items. This world would have been a far better place if they'd never been forged."

"Some of the items are tainted by darkness, I agree," Shadi stated, remaining calm in the face of Edwin's scorn. "The Eye, the Rod, and the Ring were all touched by darkness during the dark god Zorc's first attempt to take over our world and as such it takes a strong will to resist the urge to use them for wicked deeds. But three of the items remain pure: the Millennium Necklace and these." He held up the Key and the Scales. "Just like these. And only one of the items, the Millennium Puzzle, could fall to either side. The light... or the dark. Depending on the soul of the one who holds it."

Edwin though wasn't convinced. "The Millennium Items are all foul and should have been destroyed ages ago."

"And why do you say that?"

"Did you already forget that I'm from another world? I know how the Items were forged, Shadi." He leaned in and snarled, "The Thief Bakura had every right to hate the Pharaoh."

"You see him as in the right?"

"I didn't say that. I said he had every right to be angry. There is a difference. In life you get used to people doing the right thing for the wrong reasons... and the wrong thing for the right reasons. What the Nameless Pharaoh's father did, along with the rest of his advisers? He is forever damned."

Shadi remained impassive. He couldn't show emotion, let Edwin know what he thought about that. Not just because of his duty... but because death had shown him that sometimes emotions blinded people to the truth. "There is a saying... the sins of the father. You don't believe that the faults of one should pass onto another, do you?"

"No, of course not. But this is different, Shadi. The Millennium Items? The Power they hold? It is too much for any man."

"Then you wouldn't desire one yourself?"

"Fudge no," Edwin snapped. "I have another saying: I would wish to use its power for good. But through me..." he shook his head. "No. I don't trust myself with that kind of power."

"Perhaps," Shadi said, reaching out and rubbing his thumb along the key Edwin wore around his neck. "And perhaps such fear makes you the perfect bearer."

And then, before the American could respond, Shadi slipped out of the world of the living, returning to the shadows and the realm where ghost walked free.

~MC~MC~MC~

One minute I was pretty sure Shadi was coming on to me, the way he was leaning in close, the next he was gone. Which was an utter relief because the spooky bastard gave me the creeps. Yes, there was nothing about him that let me know he was dead but that didn't mean my mind wasn't filling in the blanks. 'Like I told him,' I thought as I grabbed the key to my duel box so I could tuck it back under my shirt, 'the mind is a dangerous-'

I froze as I realized that the key was far heavier than it should have been.

Slowly, like I was moving through quicksand, I pulled that cord that ran around my neck off and opened my hand, staring down at what I held. What had once been silver and small was now much larger and pure gold. And buzzing with power.

'Fuck,' I thought to myself as I stared at the Millennium Key. 'Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!!!!!' I clenched by jaw, nearly screaming out the curse word before remembering that the damn censors wouldn't let me. That didn't mean my utter rage wasn't real. "You gosh darn ectoplasmic bassplayer!" I snarled as I stared at the Key. "I said I didn't want it! Does the word 'No' not exist in your vocabulary?"

I hear the ocean waves lapping against the pier and I spun around ready to toss the Key away only to pause. The Spirit of the Ring ('I need to give him a nickname...') had managed to return the ring back to himself despite Tristan hurling it into the forest below Pegasus' castle. And despite what everyone might have thought I didn't believe that the Spirit was in the Ring when that happened and willed himself back.

'No... he was in Bakura, just like the Pharaoh is in Yugi's head. He just called the Ring back to him.' I looked down at the Key and turned, tossing it into the grass that stood just where the pier began, before thrusting out my hand. "Alright, is this a Thor situation or-"

Rather than flying to my hand the Key blinked out of existence just as I felt a weight settle around my neck. I looked down and nodded as I saw the damn thing was hanging off me once more.

"So not quite Thor," I grumped as I pulled the stupid thing off once more and stared at it. "And that means I'm most likely stuck with you, as I have a feeling you will keep popping up." I rubbed my head in frustration. "Perfect, just perfect." I looked down at the key and scowled. "I can't even lock you away!"

It was a minor relief that the Key didn't begin speaking to me. I think I would have really begun freaking out if I'd discovered that I was not just stuck in Yu-Gi-Oh! but a bad fanfic where the main character magically got their own Yami. Of course that made me wonder if me popping into this world meant I was technically the Yami to this Edwin Chaos, I just had him locked up somewhere and wasn't letting him out.

"Okay, don't think about that," I muttered to myself as I began to walk away from the pier. Shadi had been longer in my mind than I'd thought and I could see that the sun was beginning to set. Which meant that Yugi and Seto should have been finishing their duel at that moment and Tea was getting ready to challenge Mai to try and earn Yugi back the Star Chips he needed to get into the castle. "If I time this right I should be able to arrive at the castle a touch too late to get into the Finals but early enough that Pegasus lets me stick around. And considering he'll want to know what happened to Mokuba I can hopefully battleship long enough that he doesn't turn his Eye on me." I looked down at the Key after saying that, brow furrowing. "Though... can this thing protect me?"

I knew that the Millennium Key allowed Shadi to enter Yugi's mind but there had to be more to it than that. The Millennium Rod alone could control someone and turn them into a puppet, allow the wielder to telepathically talk to others, knock people out, look at memories, and I was pretty sure Marik had at minimum been able to Force Push people about. The Millennium Items were powerful dark relics... the Key had to have more powers than just letting me see into people's minds. At minimum it had to be able to shoot off ancient Egyptian laser beams.

"Okay, think this through," I muttered to myself. "The items are related to the soul and the mind. Eye, Key, and Rod are the mind. Ring and Scales are the soul. Puzzle probably counts as Soul too. The Necklace is... okay, its just psychic bull. So at minimum it must have mind powers. But what?" I began to finger the Key, a touch worried that I was accepting that I was its new Bearer so quickly, when a new thought occurred to me. Like many of my best ideas it came from a chain of thoughts, one link connecting with another until I reached an entirely different point than where I had begun. In this case I had been thinking about how the Key was supposed to be one of the Pure Items, untouched by Darkness and thus not corrupted. And that got me thinking about other ways to group the Items. Those then the ones that were sacred objects... and ones those shapes and those powers were connected. The Eye granted you sight. The Scales would weigh the soul. "So... what about you?" I said quietly, holding up the Key. "What if your powers are literal? To lock and unlock? Master of doors?" It gave me some ideas that had definite potential but nothing I could test at the moment

Except...

"Hmm," I murmured, pulling out my phone but not clicking it on. Instead I held the key to it, lightly pressing the screen and turning it... and then there was a flash of light and the screen popped on.

"Okay, that was-"

The Legend of Zelda 'You found an item' theme played... all around me.

"Did... did I just jailbreak my phone to turn on the anime's soundtrack?" I looked around and then muttered, "Walking music."

The theme to The Andy Griffin Show began to play as soon as I began moving.

"Okay, so I did. Lock and unlock things, huh?" Like pocketed my phone and looked at the key again, a new thought entering my brain. "Oh, this is going to end badly," I muttered to myself nervously as I lifted up the key and pressed it to my own forehead. Just as it began to touch my skin I felt something... nudge... my brain. The oddest feeling in the world. And then, sucking in a tension-filled breath, I envisioned a heavy door that would protect my mind from any other invasions, like from Pegasus or Marik... and turned the key.

Something clicked in my brain.

"Fudge me," I whispered to myself as I removed the key and let it hang around my neck once more. Somehow I just knew that I'd 'locked' my brain, so that Pegasus and Marik and anyone else wouldn't be able to look inside. All they'd see was that heavy door.

I grinned.

"Yeah... think I'll keep you," I muttered to myself before continuing my trek to Pegasus' Castle. "Though it would be nice if you weren't so-" I felt a slight tingle and looked down the see the Key sink into my clothing and chest, just like Bakura had done with his ring, "-obvious. Huh. That... is a neat trick." And helpful as I had a bad feeling that if I began advertising I had an Item all I'd get from Yugi and his friends would be scorn and accusations that I was some evil monster. No... the Key was going to remain a secret, especially until I learned all its powers. Because if it could do one of the things I was pretty sure was in its wheelhouse then things were going to get VERY interesting for me.

Though I also made a note to myself to be VERY careful playing around with the item made from blood magic. Last thing I needed was to end up bald in a loin cloth whispering riddles in the dark.

I arrived as the castle steps just as the edge of the sun dipped below the horizon, turning the night sky into a purplish blue with only a tint of orange on the end of the world. And yet there was still one of Pegasus' servants waiting at castle's gate, staring impassionately as I made my way up to him with my suitcase.

'Wonder if they have cameras to see someone approaching or if he's like those guys that twirl the signs outside the Cash for Gold places?' I looked down at myself and realized I must have created quite a conflicting sight: a guy in a hoodie and blue jeans walking up to a castle. Of course Yugi and his friends were in school uniforms... but this was Japan so that was rather normal. I held up my wrist as I approached and politely said, "My name is Edwin Chaos. This dueling glove and these 10 star ships show I've earned the right to enter the castle."

The servant merely nodded. "Congratulation, Duelist. I will take you now to meet with Mister Pegasus in the main arena."

"Thank you," I said politely. "Am I okay to take my suitcase with me?"

"I will have one of the maids take it to your room."

I nodded and handed my suitcase off; there wasn't anything there I was worried about losing if Pegasus decided to have his servants dig through my stuff.

Pegasus' castle was rather nice, all things considered. I knew that down below it was like a standard castle, with stone walls and dripping ceilings and suits of armor and such, but in this main area, which I assumed was his public living area, it was more like Downton Abbey. Hardwood floors with some areas featuring low ply carpet, portraits on the wall from different artists, the occasional table with a vase or some other knickknack on it... all rather lovely and homey. I could see why Pegasus liked living there and despite the fact that I knew, thanks to Early Series Weirdness, Pegasus had mystical rituals down in the basement it was a rather pleasant place to spend a few days.

I just really, really hoped I got to stay on the top part and not visit Mokuba's cell.

'Though if I do... I have an idea on how I'll get out,' I thought, trying hard not to pat where the Millennium Key had sunk into my chest. 'The Mind's The Limit,' I repeated to myself several times, hearing Mr. Nobody echoing the words along with me. Outloud a I said, "Can I ask your name? Or would that be impolite?"

"It's is Frum, sir," the servant stated. "Why would it be impolite?"

"Some rich people want their servants to be nameless background figures, never interacting with anyone unless it is to quietly pour or serve."

"Mr. Pegasus isn't like that," Frum stated. "He expects us to do our jobs but he welcomes questions and conversation... so long as done in the proper way."

"Yeah, I can believe that. Good." I folded one arm behind my back, something a lot of people made fun of but it was just damn comfortable to not be swinging my arms about like crazy. "So Frum, did I miss anything interesting while coming up here?"

"No sir," the servant said.

"Really?" I teased. "No big battles on the battlements... which I guess might have been the first time that's happened in centuries here, assuming this castle is as old as it looks? No rivals confronting each other and last minute entries?"

Tello stayed silent.

"Okay, leaving Pegasus to break the bad news to me," I said even as I wondered if I'd messed things up and Yugi and Seto hadn't had their duel. It was entirely possible that Seto had already had his soul sucked away and placed in the card. If so it would mean I'd have to figure out how to hint to Yugi about the Toon cards so that he was prepared for them. The other option was that Seto and Yugi hadn't dueled at all... Seto could have gotten the final Star Chips he needed from someone else and was already dueling Pegasus when Yugi and his friends arrived. The only issue there would be that the Pharaoh might be more aggressive in the duel against Mai... that could screw things up if Yugi went into his funk later than in canon. I'd have to see about talking to him and getting him to work out his problems if that was the case.

Or it was entirely possible that it had all happened and Frum was just being a dick.

Pausing at a door Frum motioned for me to enter and I took a breath, ready for anything. Pegasus to be dueling Kaiba. Yugi having gotten there first and ending the entire tournament right there. Bandit Keith having read the rule book this time and actually having his rematch with Pegasus (that would really mess things up but would also be hilarious to watch).

But I didn't expect was trumpet fanfare.

I jumped a bit and looked around wildly only to find that there was no one else in the room save for Pegasus, who was clapping with a smile on his face as the music blared around me. He was exactly as he always appeared in the anime, kind and warm but with that dark sinister edge threatening to burst out at any moment. It was like entering the lair of some charming scorpion and knowing that at any moment he might stop offering cookies and milk and get on with jabbing at me with his tail. And to make matters worse he'd obviously sent everyone to dinner... I wondered if Yugi and his friends even knew I was here. Probably not. The urge to grab the Millennium Key and flee filled me and I was cursing my curiosity because in this case not only did it kill the cat but it was going to kill me-

"Welcome, Edwin Chaos!" Pegasus said as the music finally lowered in volume enough for me to actually hear him without him needing to shout. He could project his voice and as someone who had performed on stage I knew what that sounded like vs. yelling and could tell that Pegasus was the kind of person who would consider even projecting to be a bit too loud and boisterous for his tastes. "You know, of the many different outcomes I considered for the preliminary rounds of Duelist Kingdom I never expected this. There were so many that caught my eye... Weevil Underwood, Rex Raptor, Mai Valentine-" he said that one with a more cutting smirk and I forced myself not to twitch at that, "-and of course our mutual friend Yugi Moto. But you? Your uncle was merely to report on this tournament, have a few matches, then join me here. But I find I much prefer this outcome."

"Thanks?" I finally said.

Pegasus chuckled and thrust his arms out wide. "So allow me to congratulate you, Edwin Chaos... on being the first person to reach the Finals of Duelist Kingdom and earn the automatic prizes of 3 Million Dollars and the opportunity to face me in a duel!"

"...oh motherfudger."