After a long, long wait I'm finally presenting the first chapter to the next story in my series. This takes places after and coincides with Recovery. After graduating high school and with their whole lives ahead of them Yugi, Tristan and Joey celebrate by joining Ryo Bakura in his annual summer trip to his family's summer house in France. But their desire for freedom and the return of a dark foe will place their lives in jeopardy as well as a hint to a secret evil plot.

I admit studying French for so long I do have some people speaking french, but I'll give a translation in the paragraph if it's not blatant enough to figure out. Otherwise free translator will tell you what they're saying. Hope everyone enjoys!

Disclaimer: Yugioh belong to Kazuki Takahashi and the respective companies who bought to use the rights.

To Marseille

"Now you have a good trip, Yugi."

"Thanks, Grandpa, are you sure you won't come? Ryo said it was perfectly fine."

"No offense, but having the shop all to myself is vacation enough. Besides, these bones are too old for such traveling." Outside they heard a car's horn blaring loudly, "That must be the others you better get going."

"Right," Yugi told Grandpa to take care of himself and ran out the door. Tristan grabbed his suitcases and placed them in the back of the silver car. It was given to him as a graduation present. After this trip Tristan was to start as an intern at the airport to be a pilot.

"Maybe if you ask, the pilot will let you drive." Yugi said since the subject was brought up.

"Don't give him ideas Yuge," Joey butted in, "I wanna make it there in one piece." The two argued and Tristan nearly got into an accident. "See what I mean?"

"Shut up, Joey!" Tristan snapped.

Those two didn't let up on the plane or during the flight. Finally a stewardess came and told them to be quiet or get their first lesson in skydiving. They whispered how much a bitch the lady was, the agreement made a truce and the two watched a movie. Yugi had fallen asleep while they fought and had such a strange dream.

Or more like a memory.

"Who's there?" Yugi quickly turned to find no one behind him. He thought he better get home soon, it was way too dark to be out here alone. Yugi started to walk and distinctly heard footsteps behind him. "I don't have anything you want!" he broke into a run and someone ran just as fast until a shadow was upon him.

"Little do you realize you do have something I want." a familiar voice replied with malice. Yugi remembered being choked and the sensation of sinking into something. The only thing he knew of his assailant was the person's eyes glowed a demonic red.

"Yuge, wake up!" The teen jolted awake and looked at Joey, "Time to go buddy." The three exited the plane and inside the airport to claim their bags.

"Ah man this could be a problem." Tristan muttered and the other two glanced at him.

"What do you mean, Tristan?" Yugi asked.

"Everything's in French and last I checked none of us know how to speak French."

"Well Ryo speaks the language very well, so that shouldn't be a problem." Yugi pointed out.

Joey agreed, "Yeah and what took ya so long ta figure dat out? We all knew dat four months ago."

"I know and I've been practicing to speak French unlike you two, but now we're hear I can't remember anything." His friends assured him everything would be fine. When they went down on the escalators they immediately spotted Ryo holding a sign in his hands. "Le Roi de Jeux et ses amis"

"What the heck does that say?" Joey took the sign and squinted at it from all angles as if it would reveal the secret to him. While he was figuring that out Yugi, Tristan and Ryo shook hands and practiced their 'bonjours'. "I don't get it!"

"The King of Games and his friends, Joey," Ryo finally translated, the blond pointed at the sign.

"I think I would recognize my name even in French." The three had to laugh at his expense until Yugi felt a small tug on his coat.

"Yugee Mutou?" Yugi turned to see a little girl bashfully holding a plus Dark Magician Girl, "Est-ce que je peux votre autographe?"

"Uh…?" The girl spoke so quickly he didn't understand her at all and it deterred the girl to back away.

"She wants you to sign her doll, Yugi." Ryo quickly intercepted and told the girl in her tongue to come closer. They survived the encounter as Ryo translated everything Yugi said and he did the same for the girl who's name was Cecile.

She gave a huge smile when she got her doll back, "Merci Monsieur!" and the little girl ran to her mother a few feet away. The little fan brightened the boys' moods and they were ready to have a good time in Southern France.

It ended when someone with a much deeper voice yelled out his name and they were blocked by a group of duelists.

"Well," Joey cracked his knuckles, "it's time ta kick some French butt!"

Instead of Joey's plan the other three dragged him away and ran to the car as fast as possible. They managed to escape in one piece and were greeted by Mr. Bakura who drove them.

"Already you boys are being chased by a mob." Mr. Bakura smiled as he sped up to escape, "It's good to see kids getting their exercise." The boys made faces, but sighed in relief. From this little welcoming they all had a feeling they were going to be running a lot.

By the time they reached the Bakura summer house the sun was fading behind the horizon and the group fell asleep during the ride.

"Do not get carried away, Thief King."

"That is Zorc." Dark Bakura corrected to the shadows.

There was a slight bulge of red, "You are only the remnants of the human form you once took. Only from my power are you even close to the evil entity that you were."

"Yes, yes, when you found me, but know this, Master. My powers work just like this body that you were so kind to give me." The dragon in Bakura's hand stretched into long curves up his arm and his skin blackened. "Just a little power and it'll grow until I'm invincible!" Bakura proceeded to cackle loudly and turned to leave, "Well as they say…it is time."

As he disappeared into the shadows his master sat there fretting over the Dark Bakura's ulterior motives.

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