A Random Act of Kindness

By:

Setalina Muro

Summary: Seto Kaiba is desperate to get copyright for Duel Monsters from Pegasus so he can launch one final project. Finding this all too entertaining, Pegasus makes a deal. "Find someone in desperate need. But you have to find them, approach them, and sincerely offer them your help. And I want to watch this. If I approve their need, and they accept the help, I will give them three million dollars, and you will have your plans." But Pegasus never expected to be won over by the simplicity of a girl on the verge of going blind… SxP

Short Summary: Seto Kaiba is desperate to get copyright from Pegasus. Pegasus makes a deal. Seto can have his papers if he helps someone. But Pegasus never expected to be won over by the simplicity of a girl on the verge of going blind... PxS Opticshipping

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any places, people and/or other things you are familiar with from the show or anything else. The initial idea of OpticShipping came to me through Yamiko Yakou (now Imperfect Paradise) I don't have a problem writing PegasusxShizuka and if you have a problem, don't read it! This plot, however, is mine.

A/N: Welcome back to a pairing I have grown fond of. Opticshipping! (Looks at the silent people who obviously don't care.)Heh heh. Okay, well, I find myself drifting back to this after several failed attempts at it (save for Constrained and the more than in progress, yet severely blocked, Unbound). Sadly, I find my other Opticshipping story heading for the trash, at least for the time being.

But on a happier note, this is coming to me, slowly, as much does, but surely. I hope you enjoy.

Happy New Year, dearies!

Notes on the Story:

Pegasus's POV this chapter.

Prelude

There's a difference between magic and technology. There's a difference between artificial love and that which you really feel. If I'd have known that before, things might have turned out differently…

Where I sit now is a grand mansion, if you will. Keenly decorated to my exact, and dare I admit, peculiar tastes. There is a balcony, wide and long, looking out over a beautiful sunlit beach and lapping waters. People run there, almost tiny dots to me as I sit here, overlooking their frolic. I'm trying to capture something from them, sitting here…there is something they have that I want; that I have always wanted…

Ah, yes. There it is. Happiness. That is a spark I have not had for many, many years. Not since the death of a lost love. My Cyndia.

Here is where I play the fool. Looking back on my previous exploits, I feel deep shame in them. What was I to accomplish? Now, I doubt that I could have brought her back, even if I had succeeded in my plan.

"Mr. Crawford?"

I turn at the voice, noticing my secretary (it's more accurate to say that Crocketts is a secretary then to say he's my body guard any more.) standing in the doorway. He's not what I would call a tall man. I am a tall man, but he's old. And here I sit, at a miserable thirty-two.

"What is it, Crocketts?" I ask softly.

I think he pities me. I dislike pity, just so you know. I despise watching people pity me. Little Yuugi-boy pitied me. I daresay the Spirit that protected him pitied me. And I'll be damned to admit it, but I spent a long time pitying myself.

"There's a phone call, sir," he says.

I blink, taking into account how silly his square mustache looks when he talks. This draws an out of place laugh from my throat. "I'll take it out here," I reply, and he hands me the phone, casting me an odd look from behind his mirrored sunglasses. I shoo him away with a sweep of my hand and focus on the phone. "Hello, Pegasus Crawford speaking."

"Are you going to make a deal with me yet, Pegasus?"

I hear the cruel, cold voice and I smile. Perfect timing, even I had to admit it. Just dipping into my memories again and along comes one of the few people who honestly hate me. I don't know why this seems to cheer me up. Perhaps it's because he doesn't pity me like all the others. He just plain hates me. Simple as that.

"Greetings, Kaiba-boy!" I say, all too enthused and I know he hates it when I get so peppy. "I'm so thrilled to hear from you! You never visit anymore! It makes me very sad, Kaiba-boy." I pout into the phone.

"I don't care," he replies bluntly. I smile. Even hundreds of miles cannot mask his disgust.

Oh, how Kaiba-like that is. Ah, I feel myself needing to explain. Seto Kaiba is an associate of mine from Domino, Japan, where he runs the all too infamous company of Kaiba Corporations, the main proprietor of dueling systems. For about a year and a half now, Mr. Kaiba has been attempting to get me to write over certain rights to a game I created nearly a decade ago. You see, I am Pegasus Crawford, creator of the Duel Monsters, a game many people know and love.

Years ago, not long after Cyndia's death, there came to me a rumor of ancient magic that could bring the dead back to life. Using money coming down to me through my father, I traveled far and wide, searching for a cure to this more than permanent infirmity. This brought me to Egypt, where I discovered a strange man. He gave to me the SenNen Eye, an object I used to create my monsters, drawing images from stone carvings of a shadow game played by the Ancient Egyptians. (I knew little of this actual world, and I still know little, though I am not entirely heartbroken because of this fact.)

Soon, I released my game to the world, watching people violently and passionately collect the cards. None, in fact, knew of their origins, but the game was consumed by the masses. I was only too pleased with this, for I had alternate motives for crafting it. In Egypt, I was amazed to discover a magic that could raise the dead, but to do this I must collect seven magical items. I began a tournament to gather these, but failed miserably in the end, my selfish intentions bringing a shadow over my heart, inevitably leading to my downfall. Soon after, my Eye was stolen from me.

I'll tell you right now, I should have died from the grievous wound handed to me by the possessed youth named Ryou Bakura, but fate would not allow it and I lived in much pain and slight insanity. It has dwindled now on both accounts and the pain is almost completely gone. I am sad to admit, however, I have no left eye, but I am glad for the absence of the golden Egyptian one, though it leaves the left side of my face horribly disfigured.

Now, Seto Kaiba has been seeking for me to allow him to create several prototype microchips that would allow for the generation of holographic Duel Monsters cards. He insists that this will be a large hit with the many fans of my game, and frankly, I agree, but he's a fun person to toy with, and my game's popularity has not faded one bit, but it has seemed to increase over the years with the masses of people wishing to take the title of 'King of Games'. I figure I have my time to mess with his head and to release several more decks before I give into his demands.

"Pegasus," he growls.

"Oh! Yes, Kaiba-boy, what was it you were calling for?" I ask happily. I sometimes wonder how I keep up this pleasant facade.

"You know very well what I want. It's only the same thing I've been asking for nearly two years now."

He sounds very bitter.

"Oh, Kaiba-boy!" I coo. "I apologize! I keep sitting down to think on it, but every time without fail, my show comes on! So sorry."

I can almost see him stiffen with the anger portrayed in his voice. "How many times do you have to watch the same forty episodes of that stupid cartoon?" he spits.

I ponder that for a moment. I have to say that he's right on that account. I'm still rather fond of cartoons. A sad weakness of mine, but what is the point of life if you can't enjoy a childish animation or picture book every once in a while? Where's the joy if you can't fall off a chair laughing every time you see a pink bunny drop an anvil on his unsuspecting nemesis's head? And one tends to forget such things if they are not frequently refreshed in the brain.

"Funny," I murmur. "I thought there were at least forty-one episodes!" I say this just to aggravate him. There are only forty episodes.

"Isn't there anything I could offer you that would convince you to give me those copyrights?"

I almost feel bad. He sounds so desperate. "Hmmm….."

I lean back in the chair considering this. I don't want money. I have fame. At the moment, I don't feel like humiliating dear Kaiba-boy. Then it hits me, like one of those anvils.

"I have a proposition for you, Kaiba," I say.

I hear shock in the silence. "You do?" He pauses, collecting his wits. "You do?" he repeats, almost like he doubts my sincerity. "What is it?" he says almost dryly, in his business tone. "And it had better not be anything stupid, Pegasus, or you can forget it."

"I want you…" I say slowly. "To find someone for me."

"Okay…"

"This person must be…in need. Loosing something they can't live without. Not a house, no, or any other form of property. Something emotionally crippling. Something really important to them. A loved one. A sister, brother, parent, something of the sort. Some one suffering from a disability."

"Alright…what's the catch?" Ah, always looking for alternate motives.

"You must find the person yourself, and I want you to sincerely offer them your aid. When you do, I want to see it. If they accept your help, you're set. I will give them somewhere from half a million dollars to three million American dollars. Then you can have your contract."

"Wait…you want me to help someone?" He sounds so confused.

"Yes…" I say thoughtfully. "That's exactly what I want you to do."

"Done," he says before I can utter another word. I suppose he found this too good to be true. Even I have to wonder at this.

What in the world are you thinking, Pegasus…what are you hoping to accomplish with this?

I can only ask myself the question. The deal is made. I softly remind Kaiba that he has to find the person himself, and then I hang up. Slowly, I set the phone down on the railing. I gaze out over the beach.

"What are you planning?" I whisper to no one in particular, because of course, there's no one there. The golden sun bids the shore farewell with splendid colors, mauve, crimson, tangerine, reflecting off the turquoise water. I feel an unfamiliar confusion.

"What's the point?" I say, speaking out loud again. I lean my head down on the railing, staring into the blazing sun. "What is the point of a random act of kindness?"

To Be Continued…

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the beginning! I believe that the story will find itself in a constant first person POV (which will be a first for me), but we'll see. Please R&R. (I thrive on reviews in my miserable life, trust me.) Again, have a Happy New Year!

Lina