We never really stopped to think about it, you know. I mean, we didn't have a lot of time to do the little things. It was like, this big event's happening and the world's gonna blow up if you don't duel, you know? One thing after the next. So next thing you know, we're standing at the finish line and we never really thought about what would happen once we crossed it. Back to normal, right?

I mean, what wasnormal for any of us? Normal before there was an us – normal was when me an' Honda would get our kicks out of … well, you know. And Anzu was being Anzu and protecting the kid or whatever, but that's just being nice, you know, not the real stuff that we started feeling along the way. Bonds of friendship or whatever.

So next thing you know, we're standing at the finish line. And Yugi says, "friends forever?" and of course we're all gonna say yeah, because really, we hadn't thought about it. Of course we're friends forever, after all we've been through. What else is there?

And we're standing there as the Puzzle loses its magic and becomes just a thingagain. Like … like we were before Yugi put us together. Yeah, I know, it's lame, but that's just how it was. And that's what I'm saying. It's the Puzzle he made the wish on, right? He told me about it once. I laughed at him and tried to noogie that crazy porcupine he's got nesting on his head. I think I said something like, you idiot, you don't need to make a freakin' wish to be our friend, 'cause you're the best kid ever and we're gonna like you. Whether you like it or not, that's what I said.

So the Puzzle loses its magic, loses its wish. That's what I'm getting to – the wish. Friends. Us.

And – the magic fades.

Dammit, Yuug, why'd you have to go and wish on something you coulda found yourself?

The Day after Tomorrow

(one: life goes on)

So we finally went back to high school. Our teachers were kinda surprised by the sudden climb in attendance – yeah, even me and Honda, we'd missed way too much to skip any more – but they weren't about to complain. I mean, sure, Yugi would go off sometimes. He was always being invited out to these high-class gaming things, and never had the heart to say no. Not that his heart was really in it, you know? I could just kinda tell. I think we all could, especially Anzu. She was always tryin' to make the kid smile like he used to, to really see us without looking through us. I guess it was weird for him, being all alone in his head for the first time since … yeah.

And we went through classes, and we were still pretty close, but really, it was weird for all of us. We'd kinda been stuck together with all of those world crises and all, feeling so crucial to the fate of the human race, and suddenly all of these normal things came crashing back down on us with no in-betweens. And then we graduated, and we all promised we'd call each other, we'd write, we'd meet up during vacations. And that happened, for a while.

But, man, it was hard. We all made new friends, people who hadn't heard of the dueling legends that we were way back when. People who didn't remind us, who let us be ourselves without seeing a … shadow, you know? People who didn't expect anything but what you showed them. Yeah, even Yugi. He followed Anzu to New York, can you believe it? I mean, sure, he denies it, says he woulda gone to that college even if she hadn't been – that it had the best programs for what he was interested in and all. Of course we all believed that.

Me, I mostly worked. There was a good sum of money left over from Sis's operation, enough to put either me or her through university, or half-and-half. And I figured, you know what? I'll take a few community courses here and there, but she's the one with a future. I'll work, and save up for her. So the money that wasn't going into my living – I got an apartment, small but comfortable, it was one of the happiest days I'd had in a long time – that money went into my savings. With me and my mom looking out for her, Shizuka was set to go.

Of course, then she had to go and get a scholarship or three, and I suddenly had this extra wad of cash sitting in an account, waiting for me. So I moved to a slightly nicer apartment, and kept working at Kame because it was a good job, and Gramps got a bit slower every year, and I didn't want to see the shop close. We'd had too many good times there. And life went on, same old, day after day. I went on a few dates, some with Mai, some not, but nothing ever really worked out. Didn't even really care, after a while. What's romance after saving the world, right?

Or maybe I lost you there. Anyway, life went on. Years went by. And if it'd been a story, you know that's when I would've gotten a phone call or an urgent e-mail or something, where Yugi's disappeared from a dig site in Egypt and we've all gotta get together to find him using our bonds of friendship, or Mokuba's been kidnapped by a new incarnation of the Big Five, or … something. Maybe both. In any case, it never happened.

What did happen was that Gramps died. Went in his sleep – no kidnappings, no soul-snatchings. It was sad, yeah, but inevitable. By the end, you could tell he was just waiting. And with Yugi having chosen to stay in America, and me the closest Gramps had, I found myself the official caretaker of Kame. Owner of the best game shop around at twenty-five, and me not even having gone to college. I guess I rolled a good one there, huh?

So we arranged a funeral. Small, quiet, with a few of his friends – like the old Professor – and us. Yugi and Anzu flew in, and Honda and I met them at the airport. There was this feeling hanging over us, a kind of combination of loss and nostalgia, that tinted everything we did. And when Yugi hugged me hello, I felt it even harder – the Puzzle was gone. I could actually hug the kid without getting jabbed in the stomach.

Well, to be fair, the upper stomach. Maybe it was something in the water over there – Yugi'd shot up a few good inches. I would've poked fun if he hadn't come for his grandpa's funeral.

The service was sweet, I guess. Didn't quite go as expected. We had a surprise guest, right near the end, as Yugi picked up the jar of Gramps' ashes. Who was it? Go on, guess.

Yeah, Kaiba showed. He strode in, stern as always – graying a bit now, ha – and stood over Yugi, who was looking surprised and awkward with that big jar. Didn't say a word. He just pulled out a card, set it face-down on the lid, and went right back out the way he'd come.

I was standing next to Yugi, so I was the one to pick up the card. I just stared at it, and Yugi looked over my shoulder to see and dammit, I'd been able to hold back my tears until that moment.

Yeah. It was a Blue-Eyes.

A Blue-Eyes, like the one he took from Gramps and ripped in half.

We went to the pier afterward, and Yugi poured the ashes over the side. He took the Blue-Eyes out and threw it over, I swear to God. One of the rarest cards in the game, just like that.

This time, neither of us jumped in. We watched it float away, and Yugi said something that echoed with loss and nostalgia.

He and Anzu spent the night in his old room above the shop. Honda and I visited for a while, and we all sat and talked. The old days, Gramps, college, what the hell ever happened to what's-his-face, Bakura. Honda's face went a bit funny at that, the way it always did when that name came up. I don't think he realized that I noticed, and I probably wouldn't have if I didn't know him so well. Sure, we didn't hang out very often any more, but we had still been best buds for most of our lives.

Funny thing: after all those years of magic and destiny, I had a hard time believing that we'd all just drifted apart on our own. I remembered being twenty and angry at Yugi for not calling on my birthday. There had to be something to blame, you know?

But it happens. We all changed a bit. So, leaning against Yugi's old bed and reminiscing, treating each other like the people we were back then, it was just … nice. I missed it.

Of course, then Yuug and Anzu took the morning flight out – they had 'prior commitments' and all. So, back to the everyday. Back to taking care of Kame and watching my weeks go by, all the same.

Still no disappearances or kidnappings.

After a few months of that, I hired a few more kids to help out around the store, and spent my spare time just walking through Domino. Past the dingy apartments – the old man moved after I left, don't know where but I could probably ask Mom – past the museum where Yugi had that run-in with what's-her-name – past the Black Crown that Otogi headed up.

On one of those days, I went into the Black Crown. Figured I'd see how my main competitor was doing, you know? I wonder if Gramps would've approved. He never did let go of his grudge against the place. It was kind of cute, in a way.

I walked in, and the bell above the door jingled. There were a few tables set up across the room, and a good-sized group of duelists trying out the latest release. A few looked up, but nobody recognized me. My oldster pride would've been hurt, if I hadn't cut my hair and picked up glasses (and boy, were they ever hard to get used to) a year or two back. I was practically a different guy, or at least that's what I reassured myself.

I made my way over to the displays and started perusing. As was expected, he had this huge section devoted to Dungeon Dice Monsters, which was still going pretty strong. Can't say I ever put a lot of effort into stocking them up at Kame – the kids who came in were more interested in the rare and old-school stuff, and there were always some just hoping for a glimpse of Yugi.

Then I found a case with these intricate little figures, and there was a Red-Eyes Black Dragon in it. I felt like a kid again, just drooling at it. I mean, it's not like it would've been useful to me in any way, but man! That Red-Eyes!

And that's how Otogi caught me.