TIME AFTER THE TONE: REBOOT

Hey.

You're probably surprised to see this, although not as surprised as I am to be here. This is completed, so don't expect it to build up to a crescendo and then just... end unfinished again. There's a lot I didn't like about the original, looking back on it after... what has it been? Ten years? But I also know that it was enjoyed by others as it was. So I've tried to be true to the me of ten years ago writing this. Please be patient with me. I can't promise my tenses will be any more reliable than they were the last time.

Continuity Notes: I wanted to rewrite this story with Dark Side of Dimensions in mind, but there are issues there in that DSoD directly follows the original manga, not the anime, so it was missing several arcs and had a few too many deaths to keep it entirely in line with what I originally wrote. So I guess you should consider this a kind-of-post DSoD Fix-It fic which includes the anime canon? (I mean, let's be real here, nobody knew what they were doing by the time they got to Waking the Dragons anyway. Fortunately, DSoD mostly works within the continuity of the anime.)

This story is now set approximately one year after the end of Dark Side of Dimensions.

Prologue.

Location: Karuta Boulevard, Domino City, Apartment No 124.

Time: 3:15 a.m.

It began the way the apocalypse always seemed to these days: with strange phone calls in the dead of night. And, also as usual, Mai kept her head firmly under the pillow until somebody else answered it.

'Ngh... f'ghit... yeah, what'

To his credit, Joey tried to whisper, but whoever was on the other end of the line was making enough noise to be heard the next apartment over anyway. Mai also thought she could hear... laughter? Yes, that was definitely laughter; the sort of sharp, tinny mirth you heard in rundown Haunted Houses. The kind with plastic skulls and badly made, yet still deeply unsettling, animatronics.

'W-wait what? Man, we've been through this, ya don't have to shout into a phone.'

Oh great. It was probably Yami, then. Mai pushed aside her pillow. At this point, they'd had the phone tree set up for a while, and in spite of Mai telling them it's be a lot easier if they went alphabetically, Wheeler had somehow ended up at the top of the list for "people the Motou's call when all hell is breaking loose".

Which hadn't been a problem for Mai at the time, but now...

'Wait, you're WHERE?! You gotta be kidding!'

Well. Now was now.

'Well how the hell are we supposed to... Urgh, okay never mind we'll figure it out, dude, just send Ryou the coord- Hello? You there? Yami? Aw, crap...'

Great. Definitely Yami. Mai loved them, really she did, but damn them to the Shadow Realm. Maybe then she'd be able to get a decent night's—

'Mai? Hey, Mai, wake up!'

Mai opened her eyes - reluctantly- and turned. Joey was on already the other side of the room, doing his screw-it-I'm-late dance and struggling with various articles of clothing. It was still kind of funny to watch, even if she did see it an average of once per month already.'What time is it?'

'Uh... 'bout three. Ach! Okay, that's not my shoe, like I need heels... Damn it, where are my pants? Mai!'

She sighed. 'M'not responsible for your laundry. Was that phone call from who I think it was?'

'Well it wasn't that creep from the Academy again that's for sure,' Joey snorted. At some point the clothes rack which at least half their stuff was hanging on fell over but Joey didn't seem to care. 'We've got -ach, nope those ain't my socks either- a Yugi situation.'

A scrunched up blink reminded Mai of her failure to remove her mascara last night. 'Which Yugi?'

'Both!'

'Right now?'

'Sure, why not? It's not like the end of the world cares about my beauty sleep!' Joey snorted

Joey was staggering around the dark bedroom in a manner resembling a monkey in his search for clothing. A growing headache was reminding her of last night's (or was it this morning?) drinks that she knew she shouldn't have touched in the first place. 'Great. Whereabouts in Japan are we going this time?'

'Yeeeah 'bout that...' Joey finally rescued his pants from under the clothes rack. 'They're not in Japan. They're in Europe.'

Mai paused. '...What?'

'Europe, somewhere called Austria?' Joey finally realised it would be a good idea to turn on the light, and Mai went blind for a moment.

'...Austria.'

'Yep. At least I think they were both there; the ol' King of Games seemed too busy to come to the phone himself, so Yami… '

Right. They knew how terrible Yami was with phones. In spite of being able to carry out conversations with people telepathically (something Mai would never get used to), he had no indoor voice. And despite having mastered everything modern from Kaiba Corporation's holographic duel disks to motorcycles, learning how to just use a telephone like a normal human being was somehow beyond him. Mai dragged herself into a sitting position with as much reluctance as possible. Damn ducklings getting her involved in their damn world ending problems on a damn monthly basis... 'Okay. Okay, fine. What's the problem this time?'

Joey shrugged. 'Phantoms, possessions, shadows comin' up outta the ground, creepy laughter in the back of your head, that kinda stuff... There might be undead, but Yami says they can't get close enough to be sure without nearly gettin' their limbs ripped off. It sounds bad, Mai.'

It always did. By now Mai was out of bed and scrambling for a skirt which covered enough to be reasonable in a Central European Climate. That place was cold. 'Threat of imminent death?'

'Mmm not as high as the threat of just bein' possessed.'

'Oh, is that all. End of the world?'

'Sounds like it... Maybe just the end of Europe?'

Well, okay. Mai bit back a yawn, vaguely wondering how she had gotten used to this. Just Europe, then. 'So how are we planning on getting there?'

'That's already handled. He called Kaiba first.'

That was another wake up call. Mai whistled. 'Wow, this is bad, isn't it?'

'Still not seeing my shirt.'

'Oh, find it yourself, Wheeler, do I look like your wife?'

Joey looked at her, eyes bright even with nerves on edge. 'Well you would, but you keep saying—'

'Just hurry up and find your damn keys, Joey. And a first aid kit, nobody ever remembers to bring a first aid kit.'

Kaiba didn't like to be kept waiting. Mai scoured the desk for makeup remover, found it, and made a beeline for the bathroom. Joey tripped over something on the floor trying to beat her to it.

In an internationally-extended family like this one, a good night's sleep was totally out of the question anyway.

'…Joey, where did you just throw my shoes?'

Location: Keidoro Boulevard, Apt 16, Domino City

Time: 3:21 a.m.

The phone rang, and Tristan answered before realising that his tongue tasted as if he'd swallowed a whole raccoon that had just climbed out of a garbage can. Or how he imagined that would taste, anyway.

'Maargh... H'lo? S'my Residence, I mean… Tristan speakin'... I… yeah. Me. Who the hell're you?'

'Tris? That's you, right?'

'O'course it's me, Joe… whatimemizzit?'

'You're sober, right, man? Tell me you're sober.'

'Uhh. Well, sober enough that I don't wanna confess my undying love to anyone but nooot so much that things aren't moving funny sooo… yeah, I'll do. What's up?'

'Yugi situation.'

Oh. The raccoon taste went away pretty quickly, replaced with a clawing sensation that implied it had made its way down his oesophagus and was tearing at his stomach instead. Oh gods, not again. 'What? Now?'

'Now. And it turns out Mai's ride is busted, so we need a lift to KC HQ.'

'Um, okay, but I'm probably not sober enough for that.'

Joey swore. 'We really need a hand here, man, are you sure you're over the limit?'

'Totally. S'late, man, there's been work party…'

'Okay, fine, we'll come to you. Where do you keep the keys?'

'What?'

'The keys, Tristan! For your motorcycle! I'll drive.'

'But... you can't drive a motorcycle. 'Sides there are three of us, right? You can't have three people on one Motorcycle... unless maybe the third person was Yug'... he's so tiny.'

'No shit? Look, we have to get to Kaiba Corp in the next hour or he'll fly without us.'

'Wait, Kaiba? Which one? Big Jerk Kaiba or… little, not-so-jerky-kinda-adorable-Kaiba?'

'Uh... Actually I don't know. Probably the second one, the point is we've gotta get there now. And then we have to get to Austria.'

'Whoa, whoa... hang on, lemme get a glass of water or something, what're you talking about, Joey?'

'Turn on the tv, bro! The weird flying people an' the moving buildings on the World News Channel? That's where Yugi an' Yami are right now.'

Well... Tristan sort of remembered seeing something weird on his television through the haze of too much alcohol and cocktail snacks. He'd figured it was just a horror movie marathon or something. 'That was real?'

'Of course it was real, it's on the news! Almost everything on the news is real!'

'Yeah, but… You're sure they're in—'

'Yep.'

'And you're positive we have to be—'

'Uhuh.'

Tristan blinked. The racoon seemed to be settling down for the long haul. '…Austria?'

'Yeah, there. Look, Mai an' me are coming to your place, so for God's sakes be decent.'

'Uh, sure. Decent,' Tristan glanced around his room. 'Yeah… there are gonna be issues there, man. Maybe better leave the lady outside.'

'…Tristan, I'm ashamed of ya.'

'Oh, bite me, Wheeler.'

Click.

Location: New York City, Carmen Street Apartment Block 3

Time: 1:00 a.m.

"You have fifteen new messages."

Téa Gardner hadn't been having the best of weeks.

That was to be expected when you were the understudy to a New York Broadway Star during the biggest flu epidemic the city had seen since the 50's, you were having to play three separate background roles for sick people because everyone thought you had nothing to do as an Understudy, as well as trying to remember lines for a performance you'd probably never have to give because, again - Understudy.

So Téa hadn't exactly been in the greatest of moods as she nudged her flat door open and dumped her bags. She took a deep breath before turning to the flashing light on the telephone, sitting on an upturned bottle crate her flatmates had painted blue. Someone had left a sticky note on the receiver.

YO Téa

Ppl keep calling

idk y

all talking Japanese so probs 4 u

- Manda xxx

...And then there were the messages.

Lots and lots of messages, which usually only happened when a) they hadn't been able to pay a bill and were avoiding the sales agent, b) Yugi or Yami had been in an unusually communicative mood. Or c) her Answering Machine was malfunctioning again.

Tonight it was none of those things.

'Hey, you're reached Carmen Street Apartments, Number Fifteen. Sorry we can't take your call right now but leave a message and provided you're not trying to sell us stuff, we'll be sure to get back to you. Thanks!'

Beep.

Click.

'Téa? Yeah, it's me. Um... Sorry about the time difference, I hope you're not asleep. How's America? Wait never mind, after all you can tell me all about the good ol' Big Apple when you get where we're going. Cause… well we're going there and Yugi's in trouble and we're all in a jam 'cause of it, which you probably already know about, if you've seen the news because—'

Téa blinked at the receiver. She was fairly sure that was Tristan's voice but she had absolutely no idea what he had been trying to say. Still, she was sure she heard the words 'Yugi' and 'trouble' somewhere, and that put her nerves on high alert.

Also, she knew Tristan's had-at-least-three-drinks-recently voice when she heard it.

Beep.

Click.

'Wow, that thing does not give you time to talk, huh? Sorry, let's start over. For one thing, when I said it was "me" before, what I meant what that it's Tristan over in Japan. See Yami called Joey an' then Joey called me an' we... both called everyone else. That phone tree was a good idea, by the way. Actually by the time you get this we might be halfway to America to pick you up, so don't be surprised if—'

Beep.

Wait... pick her up? Téa blinked.

Click.

'Uh yeah. Me again. Still Tristan. We're having a problem and it's not just with your answering machine. Yami and Yugi are in trouble and they're halfway round the world in Europe because... well just watch the news, man, you'll see. I know that you probably have a really busy schedule and loads of stuff to do but we figured you'd be pissed if we didn't tell you about all this again, so—'

Beep.

Click.

'Damn it, Téa how am I supposed to deliver an important message if that machine of yours keeps cutting me off in the middle of a—'

Beep.

Click.

... This was why you didn't get your phone serviced for cheap at the local Quick-Tech-Shop.

'Oh for crying out loud, this thing must be—'

Beep.

Click.

'Téa I need to tell—'

Beep.

Click.

'Gah! JFK International! Meet us! End of the world! Yugi's screwed! Probably Yami's fault! Get there—'

Beep.

Click.

'—by five am! Your five! Look for the plane with a stupid Blue Eyes White Dragon painted on the side, you'll know it—'

Beep.

Click.

'An' throw this freaking machine in the garbage while you're at it for cripes—'

Beep.

Click.

'—Sakes!'

Beep.

Whir.

Silence.

"There are no new messages."

'Oh my god, guys, I leave you alone for six months...'

Location: Domino University Residents Area, Apartment Three.

Time: 3:23 am.

Bakura briefly thought he's been transported to a tinny cello concert in Germany before realising it was just his phone ringing. In the middle of the night.

Well, it was more like early morning now, but he was still awake, eyes glued to the pages of a history text book that seemed to make less and less sense with each passing minute.

It wasn't... Him. It couldn't be. Bakura had changed that ringtone to something really loud and guttural by Beethoven so he'd know. But he couldn't remember who he had "Pachelbel's Canon in D Major" assigned to in his phone book.

Bakura waited patiently for the ringing to stop. It didn't.

Refusing to answer phones in the middle of the night was a habit he'd never been able to grow out of (probably something to do with the tendency of certain spirits to use them as a channel through his subconscious to whisper evil messages). The first hint of a ring always sent chills down his spine. Phones were bad. No doubt somebody like Kaiba invented them and never thought to include "off" buttons. Which meant Bakura was reduced to taking a deep breath and scrambling for the thing for several seconds. Fortunately whoever was making the call was a patient individual…

Which actually narrowed the list of possible callers down to two.

'Hello?'

Someone answered, and Bakura learned that not only was the call at a ridiculous hour of the night, it was also being put on reverse-charge. Typical.

Apologies followed.

Mm. No. No, s'quite alright, Yugi, really. I… what?'

He heard a word that sounded disturbingly like "Australia," and then another which sounded rather like Yugi was talking about stick insects.

'...Insects? Hang on, Yugi, what?'

Bakura listened, blinking several times to convince himself that what he was hearing had nothing to do with the fact he was half asleep. 'Oh, right, you said poltergeists… bad connection, I'm afraid. Wait, go back to the bit about Austria. What was that about a phantom epidemic?'

'…'

'Oh, I… of course. Well I…'

Bakura was pulling himself out of his chair by now and a flatmate was banging on the walls. Ah well. He could apologise later.

'No, I'll be there... Yes, I know I don't have to be but… It's tomorrow. No, no, it's just a practise exam I really don't have to be there.'

'…'

'Yugi there's no point in arguing with me I… Oh, hello, Yami! How's Europe? As I was saying to Yugi, I am definitely coming out there. We're meeting at Kaiba's place, right? Don't feel guilty, really, there's no need, I mean, I was after Téa in the Phone Tree and she probably hasn't even seen her phone yet, it's two in the morning there, you know. I'm awake and it's entirely my decision. See? Independent thought and everything. The... Other Bakura isn't even in town.

'...'

'No I won't be telling him about this.'

'…'

'I'm very glad to hear you're proud of me, Yami. Oh, and Yami…?'

'…'

'You know, I really would be much better off as a coward. Yes. I'll see you in a few hours, I hope.'

Click.

Location: Kaiba Corporation Central HQ, Domino City

Time: 3:29 am.

Kaiba Corporation's HQ in downtown Domino was a 24 hour wellspring of activity, and Seto Kaiba was not known for sensible business hours at the best of times. So seeing him storm through reception into one of the private conference rooms at three thirty in the morning wasn't that unusual a sight for the employees present.

What was unusual was the bunch of slightly awkward looking young adults he left in the foyer behind him.

'Hi there! This is Yugi Mutou's mobile line! If you need to talk and I'm not here… which I guess I'm not, then you can leave a message after the beep and I'll get back to you at the— Grandpa, please be careful with that stack of—!

KKKKRRRRKKKK crik…'

Beep.

'Listen. Very. Closely. Mutou... Whichever of you gets this. I am not a Receptionist. I have enough of those. So if you have an explanation as to why I arrived at HQ to find a dozen answering machine messages requesting permission to use a long distance aircraft, then... Actually, You know what, you can keep that explanation to yourselves, I don't care. I also don't care for having your idiot of a third rate duellist -the blond, male one to be specific- standing in Kaiba Corp Reception with Mai Valentine, your adopted British expat, and a not even sober college dropout, acting like they can use an international organisation worth literally billions as a Taxi service. At three in the morning.

'I don't care if there are duel monsters running rampant in the streets of Paris or something. Not every end-of-the-world crisis is something we –I have the time or the energy to deal with. I am not in the business of carrying your precious idiots halfway around the globe so that you can deal with another apocalypse. Tell them to get their own transportation next time. Particularly Gardner.'

Beep.

...Well, Kaiba thought, at least Mutou had invested in a better phone provider. The last time Kaiba had to make a call like that he'd had so little recording time that it had taken three separate messages to get his point across. And that was when he was being concise, not when he had to fit in an entire account of Yugi's friends inanity.

Really, he had no idea why he kept getting roped into this.

Kaiba took a deep breath before stepping back out into the main reception hall. He ignored the fact that Wheeler was already smirking because damn if he didn't know the flight crew was already setting up.

'The craft's in the hanger,' Kaiba snapped at the ensemble before him. 'So you had better get the hell in there. And wipe that look off your face, Valentine. I'm not doing this for any of you. It's not like I can duel him if he gets swallowed up by the Shadow Realm on the other side of the planet. Fucking heroics…'

Location: Cairo International Airport

Time: 8:00 p.m.

Ishizu is not surprised by his dramatics when he picks up the phone. She remembers Joey well from Battle City. He always was… enthusiastic. Even on the brink of death.

'Téa? Téa, is that you? A text or somethin' would be nice! I've been lookin' at this phone for hours, we're halfway to JFK! They're starting to shut down the airlines, and if we don't get you on a plane soon—'

'Ah… my apologies, Joseph.'

'What? Wait, Ishizu? Ishizu Ishtar? Aw, damn it, I thought you were Téa!'

They stood in the middle of a crowd of worried onlookers, most of whom had their eyes glued to the departures and arrival boards and had no interest in the group of Tomb Keepers standing in the middle of the airport. Marik was bouncing on his toes, the way he did when they were children and stood staring at the trapdoors that led to the brightly lit surface world. Odion said and did nothing. He never did unless necessary.

'Sorry to disappoint but I thought it best I called someone and Yugi's line has become rather... unstable in the last few minutes.'

'Right, right, not that I'm not glad to hear from ya, but aren't you in Egypt? How the hell did you know to call?'

'I watch the International News, Joey. It's getting...' she tried to think of a word he's appreciate. '...Crazy out there.'

'Yeah, I've been stuck in flight for a while but I caught the start, what's happenin' now?'

Ishizu suppressed a sigh. 'Well, there are stories of people driving en masse into the Black Sea.'

'There are, huh?'

'As well as leaping from tall buildings and gaining supernatural flight over on the Slovakian border; reports are plastered all over the broadcasts. Also, the incidents are penetrated by multiple storms of what witnesses have described as "black swirling energy" over the horizon. I made the connection to Yugi fairly quickly.'

'Uh… right. Sooooo can you help? You know what's going on here, right?'

'I don't have the foggiest.'

There's a sound of something fairly soft hitting something harder. If Ishizu had to guess, she'd say it was a forehead hitting an aeroplane seat-tray. 'Great. Even the ancient mystic lady is stumped. Now I know we're all screwed.'

'I am far from ancient.'

'No offence... You're going there too aren't you? To Austria?'

Ishizu looked around at the quietly contained panic of the airport. 'In... theory, yes. Unlike you, however, we don't have immediate access to a guaranteed flight. We're doing our best, Joey, but...'

'Yeah. Sorry just... it was hard enough to get Kaiba to agree to pit stop once in New York...'

'New York?'

'Téa's there,' Joey sounded awkward, as if he knew this wasn't a detour any of them had the time to take, but also one they couldn't afford not to. Ishizu found herself wondering what on earth they were hoping to accomplish. 'I mean... we can't go without her, she'd kill us. Besides, Yugi's... they'll need her, yeah? They'll need all of us.'

Glancing at her brothers as they muttered to each other over ancient books on the Shadow Games they hauled out of the tomb, Ishizu couldn't help but understand. 'I see.'

'So... look we get it if you can't actually make it to Vienna, I mean it's a long way from Egypt, and this is...' the words "not your problem" hover on Joey's tongue, and Ishizu hears them even though he doesn't actually speak. 'You know... you don't have'ta come is what I'm saying.'

Ishizu stayed quiet for a moment, deep in thought.

The thing about being a destined wielder of a Millennium item was that certain... senses never truly went away. It wasn't just the news reports that had drawn her and both of her brothers to this airport.

'Joey Wheeler, my brothers and I will be getting on a plane as soon as possible.'

'You sure? I mean, we could use your help...' he sounded a little relieved, although Ishizu only barely understand why. They had always had so much faith in one another, these one-time children with no destiny to bind them, no supernatural force to lend them strength -only the power of a bond that only children could truly grasp. Ishizu was someone else's family. They had never needed her before, Millennium Item or no Millennium Item.

But perhaps, somewhere in this rising chaos, someone did.

'Yes... however I wouldn't count on expecting us.'

'...Huh?'

'I mean that... destiny might have other plans for our location tonight. The Millennium Items...' she reached a hand up to her throat. 'Might have other plans.'

'That stuff again, huh? So what? You're getting some kinda sixth sense thing telling ya where to go?'

'In a way.'

'Aaaand that's not to Austria?'

Ishizu had been present for the Ceremonial Battle. She had felt the tremble crossing the world as Yugi dealt the final blow to the all-but-god who had shared his body and mind. She had seen the great stone doors open to welcome the Pharaoh into his destined -if not entirely just- afterlife. She had not been present when he Returned. But she had known it was happening, all the same. Just as she knew now that destiny would take she and her brothers where they needed to go. She had relied on that destiny before. She hoped she still could.

And that, she thought, may not be the same location as Yugi and the Pharaoh.

'We'll be getting on a plane, Joey,' Ishizu said. Her brothers were looking at her from nearby- understanding; knowing. 'But we might not be going to Vienna. When I can contact you again, I will.'

'Uh, right... okay? Well, here's hoping for all of us,' Joey sounded confused. Ishizu would've thought he figured it out by now. But then, breaking destiny was, from what she could gather, Joey's "thing".

'Stay safe, my friend.'

Click.

She hung up without waiting for a further response and left the phone booth, returning to her brothers who, it seems, had just discovered the delicacy that was airport coffee in her absence.

Ishizu knew it was going to be a long few days. She took a deep breath, accepted the cup of extremely strong tea her elder brother was offering, and waited for the Sign.

Location: Austria, Vienna,

Time: 3:00 a.m.

Yami's face was dirty when he returned to the hotel room, slamming the door shut behind him and sealing all the locks -physical and magical alike. There was blood, but Yugi couldn't tell where from, or even if any of the blood was Yami's. 'Are you-'

'Fine,' Yami said, in a tone that implied that he was absolutely not fine at all but Ra be damned if he was going to admit it. There was a brush -a sensation of comfort in the back of Yugi's mind that was more reassuring than a spoken word. 'One of them broke a mirror.'

'They... can't get in, right?'

'Quite sure,' Yami sat down beside him. Which was good, because Yugi was about to make him take a seat anyway. 'They don't give me command of dark elements via my name for nothing. I have seals up all over the place but it's hard to tell where they're even coming from. The manager…' he hesitated, and Yugi tensed. 'I'm sorry. I wasn't fast enough.'

His fist clenched tight around the puzzle at his neck and Yugi reached out to touch Yami's shoulder, unsure which of them was providing the most comfort. 'I checked the rooms in the left upper floor while you were gone. I don't know if it's possible to get into any other buildings, and even if people are still there...'

Yami nodded in grim understanding. If people were still there, then they probably weren't people anymore.

'Yugi?'

'…Yeah?'

'You alright?'

'As much as I can be. We're… we'll be okay. All we need is... you know. Even the slightest idea what's going on.' He squeezed Yami's shoulder a little tighter and a part of them both wished they were still the same body. Reassurance seemed easier then; more real. 'I've solved worse puzzles than this, haven't I?'

Yugi realised he was still clutching his phone in a death grip and placed it back on the table, trying to focus on the map of Vienna spread on the table before then -stained at its corners with a substance that was not quite blood. In just a few minutes the phone was going to start ringing again. He knew they would get back to him. One of them. Any of them.

But before that... they had to plan ahead. They couldn't stay here, trapped in the upper floors, and Yugi refused to let their friends come charging in like their own personal cavalry without giving them all a decent chance of actually surviving when they got there. A part of him was still screaming regret, asking why he thought calling them here would ever be a good idea. Even knowing what was happening, and the strength of their bond, it was hard to believe...

'Don't you dare say we shouldn't have called them,' Yami said.

'I wasn't going to.'

'Don't think it either,' Yami said. 'If nobody else, Ryou should be here to help with sealing, and-'

Somewhere outside, a chilling scream burst through an otherwise eerily quiet Austrian evening.

'...It's a long way,' Yugi says, evenly. 'All the way from Japan to Europe. It'll take hours, and that's not including Téa.'

'Ah but they have Kaiba, remember?' Yami's wink would be more reassuring if it wasn't for all the blood and dirt, and the heavy darkness underneath his eyes. 'And he would never be satisfied with economic travel speed. I know for a fact that concord is still illegal and yet...' Yami looked up and gave Yugi another small smile. 'They'll be here, partner.'

Yugi believed him.

He just worried it was going to get the lot of them killed.

Not gonna lie. There's parts of this looking back after all these years that I really hate. I changed a lot of it before reposting it here but... blimey. What was I thinking twelve years ago, I wonder?

You'e probably wondering why this is even here at all, given that the old story was basically dead. I guess it's something that's always hovered in the back of my mind, and after DSoD came out, I was enthused to try and finish it. This story meant something to me, a long time ago... and I know it means something to others because I've literally received reviews on it in the last two years alone hoping for an update. To those people: thank you sincerely for your enthusiasm on something I created so long ago.

To everyone else... um... Sorry for the late update? ^_^