Author's Note: Here it is everyone! The newest chapter and the final one in the "Mauling" story arc! Woot! The story has reached forty pages, and the Mauling chapters make up almost fifteen of them! Crazy shit, huh?

Well, I hope you enjoy this, to me it was sort of a means to an end (so I could get onto the rest of the story).

This chapter is dedicated to Sarah, Sam and Kate.

Chapter 7.666: Mauling Part III

"Well, I guess anything to keep things interesting. At least the apocalyptic drama has cooled down, now we're all living real lives now. I guess it stands to reason we'd have real drama. You know what I mean?"

Seto just blinked at the other boy. No one ever spoke to him like this, this often or openly. He thought the feeling could be likened to regaining feeling in your foot after it has been asleep for a long time, it's uncomfortable, tingly, but you know it needs to happen. "I-" He shook his head. "No, but I see Mokuba going through it. School, friends, crushes. He makes it seem easy."

"Well, for him it is. For a lot of people it isn't. Tahnya has a hard time with it. All of the dark halves have trouble; they aren't even from the same time period as us. Ryou is painfully shy, but getting better. And Yugi's gullible, he knows it though…The real world doesn't come easy to everyone."

"Hn." Seto crunched into a bite of ice cream cone, looking both interested and peeved at the lecture. "And what makes social intercourse so difficult for you?"

"I never said it wasn't easy for me." Joey looked a bit flustered.

Seto smirked, having finally gotten the conversation to take a turn he'd wanted it to. "But I know it is. If it weren't you'd have someone like your friends do, you wouldn't have to throw all this time and energy into the DCPA, you'd have grown outwards and inwards as well as up."

Joey nearly growled at him, but caught himself. "You want to know what makes things hard for me?"

"Would I have asked otherwise?"

"Suppose not. But I don't really feel like talking about it."

Seto blanched. He'd never known Joey to turn down a challenge, though maybe he hadn't turned him down, maybe he'd just found another way to win. It sure felt as though Seto had lost.

"No offense to you."

"Right. No offense."

"I don't mean it sarcastically. But you have to admit that insulting me isn't the best way to get me to divulge my secrets."

"And what is, inviting you to a sleepover, telling stories and having pillow fights?"

"It's more likely than the insult thing. It's hard for me to trust people, and I'm still not ready to trust you."

Seto gave a grunt in reply. There was a pause before he initiated a much needed change in subject matter. "So when did the geek squad start inbreeding?"

"Only without the breeding part…" Joey smiled, which made Seto smile back (though he would argue to the death that it was the comment that made him smile and not the blonde's grin). "Ok, so after all the apocalyptic hoo-ha, Yami went back to ancient Egypt. He thought that it was where he belonged, that he'd be happy and live out his life and play his part in history, then die. Not many people noticed the change in Yugi then. I was worried about him. He was so thin, so tired, so sad. I don't know how people missed it, but he pulled off a decent act in school. I guess Yami felt the same though, because he came back, and with his memories he can use all the powers of the millennium puzzle. He formed his own body with it, and not long later, Yugi swept him off his feet."

"What?"

"Yeah, weird, huh? Yugi made the first move. Then a month or so later, Ryou came to the game shop looking for Yugi. He was crying, it was the most awful thing I've ever seen." Joey shivered. "It was like watching someone sob off pieces of themselves until there would be nothing left. He begged Yugi to bring Bakura back. We were all surprised at that one, but it turns out that Bakura was never bad to Ryou, a little careless with their shared body, but Bakura is stupid like that. Anyway, I guess the ring isn't as strong as the puzzle, so Yami had to bring Bakura back." Joey took as deep breath, "Tristin and Duke were the most normal. Duke asked Tristin out, Tris said yes, and now they bicker like an old married couple."

"They're always like that?"

"Most of the time."

"And the others? Always that….?"

"Sappy? Oh yeah. Leaves a bad taste in the back of your mouth sometimes."

"I can see why."

"Seto! Look what Yugi won me!" Mokuba waved a hideous stuffed animal (it was either a pig or a cat). Possibly the love child of the two.

Yugi just smiled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, he knew how ugly the thing was.

"Seto, Joey, I especially need your opinions on something." Mokuba babbled, clueless as to having interrupted any sort of conversation. "If the Blue Eyes White Dragon and the Red Eyes Black Dragon had a baby, would it be the Purple Eyes Gray Dragon?"

Seto made a face of disgust.

Joey however, looked thoughtful, then replied. "Maybe if you found nicer words. Purple…it's just sort of gross. But you know, with genetics you might end up with a Red Eyes White Dragon, or a Blue Eyes Black Dragon."

Seto made an even worse face.

"Would you draw them Seto? A big family? Please?" Mokuba begged.

"No Mokuba, I am not breeding duel monsters."

The younger boy slumped his shoulders, but didn't whine.

"Mokie, we should get home. I have work to get done tonight, and unless you want to be doing it all tomorrow, you'd better start on your homework."

"Yeah, Yeah…" Mokuba rolled his eyes. "Joey, did you still want me to film Tahnya and your practice tomorrow?"

"Only if you're finished with your homework. Otherwise we can do it on Monday. Tahnya and I will just rehearse dance steps if you can't make it."

"You're so-" Mokuba started.

"I know, I'm harsh-ing your mellow. You know the rules, homework first gayness second, it's a part of our identity, not all of it."

"Hmph. You two are so...the same!" The younger Kaiba spat before stomping away.

"He looks so much older, but he really isn't."

"No, not really." Seto agreed.

"Bye Mokie!" Yugi called at the boy's retreating back.

"See you at school Kaiba." Joey offered.

"Hn." Kaiba grunted, walking after his little brother.

"So…we're back to that then." Joey snorted once he was out of earshot.

"You're so hot for him." Yugi grinned.

"Yeah."

"You chose your song for him."

"Yeah."

"Buy me a latte?"

"Nice try, but no."

"Hn."

"Will everyone stop making that noise?"

"Hn." Yugi said again. "So what are you two doing while you sing?"

"We're dancing a slow sort of tango."

"No offense Joey, but can you tango?"

"Yes." He frowned.

"Well…I mean- it's just that you're sort of…grace challenged."

"I'm only a clutz when it comes to standing and walking, but I can dance, I've taken lessons and everything."

"Really?"

"Yes Yug, really. No one ever believes that I have any sort of talent. Why don't you come over and watch Tahnya and I practice? We wont know until tomorrow afternoon which day it's going to be, but it'll be our first dress rehearsal."

"Ok, just give me a few hours warning and I'll be there."

"Can- could just you come? No offense to Yami, but we want as few people to see it before hand as possible. With you, Mokuba and Jim the lighting guy it will be five."

"I don't have to come if you don't want me to."

"No! I want your opinion, I just don't want a ton of people there…I want to keep the shock value."

"Hn." Yugi replied, thinking deeply.

::End Chapter::