Hello, Internet! So I'm really nostalgic right now and am visiting alllll the pastime shows from when I was a kid and saw this on my old watch list. I looked back and holy crap, it was better than I remembered. So here I am, a teenage girl, writing about my childhood obsession and digging out my old deck because holy shit the sentiment and involvement is real. So hey, first Yu-Gi-Oh fic, hope you like it, please review, I'll have a (hopefully) really pretty cover image soon, and oh, by the way, following English dub just because I'm more familiar and would make a million (more) mistakes if I tried sub. So after that long schpiel, enjoy the story!

It was a calm day at Domino High School, the students on break between classes. Two students were playing Duel Monsters among their classmates.

The short boy with spiked hair and blonde bangs around his hair asked his opponent, "Joey? Earth to Joey. You in there?"

His tall blonde opponent looked up from his cards as the shorter urged, "It's your move."

The blonde considered his cards and another person joined them, throwing an arm around Joey's neck. "Aw, isn't he cute when he's thinking?"

The blonde greeted coolly, "Hey, Tristin. Yugi here's teaching me how to play Duel Monsters."

Tristin blankly repeated, "Drooling monsters?"

Joey shoved him off. "Duel Monsters, ya nimrod!"

Tristin frowned, standing next to a brunette in a pink uniform. The girl informed, "They've been at it for hours. Joey's starting to get the hang of the game, but Yugi's like an expert!"

"Okay Yugi, it's time to duel!" Joey placed a monster on the field, the girl explaining the game mechanics to Tristin while Joey bragged, "Pretty good move, huh Yugi?"

Yugi smiled, nodding. "Yep! Pretty good move, but not-" he placed a much stronger monster "-good enough."

Joey stood up in surprise, flinging his cards around. "What?! Thanks a lot! A card that powerful totally wipes me out!"

Tristin chuckled, "Whoa, you totally stink at this game, Joey."

Across the room, away from the crowd, a brown-haired boy kept his focus on his book, a girl in front of him.

Her black hair pulled back in a lazy ponytail with a gold band, most of it was still wild around her face. Tattoos gave her eyes the impression of the Eye of Horus symbol, her eyes themselves a cold and laughing green. She'd tossed her pink jacket away, only a slightly provocative white tank top on, clinging to her curves. Her sandy tan arms sported a gold cuff bracelet on her right wrist, several bands of gold on her neck, matching gold triangle earrings hanging down an inch, and two gold auricle piercings on her right ear.

As the boy set down his book to glance across the room, her voice sardonic and smug, the girl asked, "What, thinking you'd be social for the first time? Careful, you might actually turn out to be a nice person, Seto."

Seto glared at her. "I might try and be social someday, but as long as there are annoying people like you, I'm fine."

The girl smirked, rolling her eyes. "Please, if I was really as annoying as you say, you'd have ditched me long before now."

Seto muttered, "No time like the present."

"Wow, not half as good of insults as usual. What, forgot to take your bitching vitamins today?"

Seto gave her the best glare in his arsenal, yet the girl didn't even flinch. "Back off, Hikaru. I'm not in the mood for your nonsense."

Hikaru dryly commented, "No, you didn't forget. You just doubled the dose. Ya know, just being a bit less-"

"Shut up, for one second."

"-super rare card he's got!"

Hikaru let out an annoyed breath, closing her eyes as Seto's eyes lit up. She could tell he was already full steam ahead on the same crazy path as always. "Kaiba, I know what you're thinking, but out of all the leads you've followed, have you ever found the last Blue Eyes? No, because you're not going to find it."

Seto asked in the same tone, "So you should give up your search because you haven't found anything yet?"

Hikaru's eyes were suddenly narrowed. "Watch yourself, Kaiba. You've got money, but I've got drive."

Seto smirked ever so slightly. "Please, if I was really as annoying as you say, you've have ditched me long before now."

Hikaru huffed slightly, not especially amused. "Fine, chase the damn card to Antarctica for all I care, just don't drag me along again. That kid's shop is Solomon Muto's, and that old codger's a hardass about cards."

Seto's smirk grew. "Oh, I'm bringing you in."

Hikaru scowled. "Not this time, Kaiba."

"Actually, I am. One, you know because you went looking for the cards once, correct? They'll appreciate seeing your face more than mine. Second, you ticked me off again."

Hikaru insisted, "I'm not doing a damn thing!"

Seto threatened, "Oh, so you want to pay your own way to search every break?"

Hikaru scowled and looked away, glaring at the ground as if waiting for it to burst into flames from her gaze, Kaiba knowing he'd won. "Fine, but you've got a hell of a death wish today, Kaiba."

"Hello, can I help- oh, hello again, Hikaru."

Hikaru stood in the doorway, carrying a briefcase. She'd already changed out of her school uniform, now in a plain black tank top, ripped blue jeans, and hiking boots. Joey was already goggling at her low-cut shirt as the girl greeted, "Hey, Muto. Any word?"

Solomon shook his head. "No, I'm afraid I still haven't heard or seen the cards you were looking for."

Hikaru didn't seem surprised, yet her face still fell slightly. "Well, at least that's not my only business here today."

Solomon smiled. "Good to hear. We have some new packs in-"

Hikaru was at the desk in seconds, her stride long and quick. Her eyes caught on the Blue Eyes White Dragon and immediately grew. "Damn it... Seto got me on this one." Her thoughts strayed for a second, going to her own search. If Seto's search is actually bearing fruit, maybe my search isn't completely pointless. She quickly reset her thoughts to the present.

Solomon didn't feel threatened by Hikaru's interest, leaving the card out. "Yes, it's my prized possession. It was a gift from a friend, years ago. Now, how can I help you, child?"

Hikaru's eyes betrayed her for a moment, sympathy and hesitation disappearing in the blink of an eye. "I think it's the other way around." She lifted the case, setting it on the table and clicking it open to reveal stacks upon stacks of rare Duel Monsters cards. "Blue Eyes White Dragon for all these. Fair enough trade, though I still think you're getting the better end of the deal."

Hikaru's classmates marveled at the cards, awed by their sheer numbers and rarity.

Solomon admired, "Ah, nice. But no thanks."

Yugi and his friends exclaimed their surprise as Hikaru shrugged. "Then name your price. Money isn't a problem for Kaiba."

Yugi asked, "Wait, you work for Kaiba?"

Tea agreed, "I thought you just hung out together."

Hikaru snorted. "As if. No, I'm just doing him a favor. He gets excited about certain cards and when he does, it's a bit overwhelming." Looking back to Solomon, she asked, "Well?"

The shopkeeper answered, "I'm sure you could pay anything I could ask, but I'm afraid I can't bring myself to part with the Blue Eyes. I'm afraid parting with it is completely out of the question."

Hikaru nodded, not upset in the slightest. "I actually expected as much. Still, I'm warning you that Kaiba won't like that answer." The warning in her voice made the others worry: what would Kaiba, millionaire powerhouse, do to get what he wanted?

Solomon assured, "My decision is final. I'm sorry to send you back without it, but I could never give this away for anything."

Hikaru smiled a bit, closing the case. "And there's a real duelist's answer." She turned toward the door, pausing. "Sorry we had to see each other on these terms. Hopefully, next time you'll have heard about the cards?"

Solomon smiled. "Yes, until then."

Hikaru waved slightly as she slipped out the door.

Yugi turned to his Grandpa, asking, "What cards were you talking about?"

Solomon answered, "Hikaru came in a few weeks ago, asking about three cards she claimed not to know the name of, but she gave me sketches and asked me to watch for them. She said they were extremely precious to her and wanted to track them down."

Yugi looked out the door as Joey wondered, "What's a girl like that doin' hanging around Kaiba? He's such a stiff, that gorgeous girl's gotta be dying around his nasty attitude."

Tea teased, "I think you forgot the fact that Hikaru isn't the most friendly either."

But Yugi didn't hear any of it. He'd caught a glimpse of her bracelet: a faint outline of two curved lines around a circle to make a line. The same image on the Millennium Puzzle.

"He what?!"

Hikaru stood in front of Kaiba in his penthouse office of Kaiba Corp. Hikaru had her arms crossed, looking quite impatient for Kaiba's tantrum to end. "He refused to sell. You need hearing aids or something?"

Kaiba scowled. "How? How did you screw it up?!"

Hikaru's scowl matched his. "The old man loves the card. How would you react if someone offered you several lockets for the one you wear?" There, you hit me where I live, I'll strike back the same. Threaten my trips again and it'll be your last.

Kaiba had been angry enough without her comment, but with it, he was fuming and ready to boil over. "Shut it. I'm done with you messing up all the time and questioning my actions."

Hikaru rolled her eyes. "Then do it yourself, if I'm so horrible."

Kaiba's eyes suddenly glinted. "I will, in fact."

Hikaru narrowed her eyes, watching as Kaiba turned to his guards. "Gentlemen, there's a little something I like you to pick up for me at the Game Shop."

Hikaru rolled her eyes. His methods are so unrefined. If you're going to steal the card or kidnap the man, then you don't send your own men and you damn sure don't let someone who's pissed off at you hear about it.

"Gladly, Mr. Kaiba."

Seto looked at Hikaru. "Well? Aren't you going to make some annoying comment?"

Hikaru obliged, "I'm be leaving your cracking glass tower now."

Kaiba hadn't forgotten her stab at his only possession from his parents. "Yes, go back to your cardboard box in an alley. Don't worry, it shouldn't rain tonight."

Hikaru glared daggers at him, growling, "One of these days, I won't need help chasing my cards. When I have them, you'd better start sleeping with your precious guards on all sides."

With that, she walked out the door, hair swaying down to her hips in jagged spikes like shatter black glass.