Title: Her Best Welcome
Characters: Asuka, Fubuki||Ships: N/A
Chapters: 1-1||Words: 2,000
Genre: Family||Rated: G
Challenges: Diversity Writing: YGO GX canon: E24, near past tense; Word Count Set Boot Camp, GX, #17, 2,000; One Sibling Boot Camp, Asuka & Fubuki, #46, like; Gx Month 2021, day #3, Swing of Memories
Notes: This takes place just after they return from Sand World.
Summary: They've returned from the world of endless sand – and there's someone waiting for Asuka.


Asuka drew in a steadying breath, trying to get herself settled. Warm sunlight brushed against her skin and when she breathed in, instead of the stench of unwashed bodies having baked in the sun for days there came the aroma of the ocean and the trees brought by the wind. She wondered if she could get away from here long enough to get to Obelisk Blue and get a shower. She didn't envy the Red and Yellow students, who would likely have very long lines to get cleaned up. She didn't want to live in Obelisk Blue right now but she still had access to it for certain things like getting washed up.

She'd barely taken three steps away from Juudai, who didn't seem interested in anything outside of his own thoughts right now, before a voice cried out her name and a pair of arms wrapped around her, hugging her hard. Asuka sighed and for once, didn't step away from her brother as he hugged her, at least not right away.

"Hello, big brother," she said, trying to get a little farther away. She really wanted that shower. Bu Fubuki kept his arms around her.

"You're back!" He squealed. "You're safe!"

"Yes, I know." Asuka wouldn't mind talking to him about this once she'd had that shower and maybe something to eat. But the shower first. "Everyone's safe." Well, almost. She tried not to think too much about Johan and what had happened there. She didn't even know what happened, but he wasn't there. They'd figure out something about that later.

Fubuki hugged harder. "I knew you'd be all right. What happened?" He turned her around so they could look at each other, and she was surprised to see the worry in his eyes, no matter what he said.

"It's a really long story," Asuka told him. "And I don't' want to tell it right now." She didn't even know all of it. She thought Juudai might know more but he wasn't in any condition to tell anyone the time of day, let alone anything else.

Fubuki nodded, but she knew that he still wanted to know. Maybe she'd be able to tell him later. Her stomach rumbled and she frowned, still wanting that shower before she ate. Fubuki sniffed lightly.

"Come on," he said, still with one arm around her, and guided her towards the Red dorm. Her first thought was that everyone else there would need the showers before she could get to them. Then she remembered; Manjoume had set up that magnificent bath. That would definitely do.

She could see Shou making his way over to Ryou as the two of them headed away. She wouldn't mind having a talk with him herself. She'd heard about what he'd done the previous year, but she'd never yet had the chance to talk to him about it. Once she'd no longer been part of the Society of Light, she'd been more interested in learning what she'd missed around school than anything else. After getting that sorted out, she'd tried to e-mail him but he hadn't responded. Maybe I can talk to Fubuki about it? Ryou was his best friend, after all. If he knew anything, then he'd let her know. But whatever Ryou's problems the year before were, clearly they didn't prevent him from helping now.

Fubuki guided her to the Red dorm. She could still feel the grit of the desert on her skin and if she hadn't wanted that shower so badly she would have demanded to get something to eat first and foremost. Priorities first.

"You go on," he said, nudging her towards the blessed clean and unlimited water. "I'll get you something to eat." She caught sight of the grin when she looked up at him. "If you don't eat something soon, you're going to start chewing on me and I'm not that kind of delicious."

He paused for a second, mouth opening, and Asuka shook her head. She had a good idea of what he wanted to say, and she didn't really want to hear it. She waved one hand, wanting him out of there, and once he headed out, she closed and locked the door to the bathing area, sagging against it for a few moments.

Home. They were really home. Fubuki was really there, and being his usual pain in her side self. She'd never been so glad that he was there and bothering her. She'd missed him during the last few days, far more than she'd been willing to admit.

It's probably for the best. He might've become a duel zombie. She trusted in his dueling talents, but she also knew him. The first moment he'd seen Manjoume as one of those creatures, he would have rushed out to try to help him, and it would have been all over for him.

Would she have tried to save him? As much as she wanted to think she would have known better, a tiny part of her suspected otherwise. She'd lost him once already. If it had happened again, and he'd still been there in front of her, she suspected she would have done exactly like he would for Manjoume. That would not have been good for anyone in the long run.

At least it hadn't happened like that. They were home. They were safe. That thought glowed warm and secure in the very center of her heart.

Getting the dust and dirt and sweat off didn't take all that long. But Asuka couldn't stop herself from just soaking in the water once she'd cleaned up, at least not until a knock came on the door.

"Little sister?" Fubuki's voice drifted through. "I brought you your favorites! It's unagi and Hatakosen Raspberry!"

Asuka jerked up; she hadn't thought she'd been in here long enough for him to get food. Especially not her favorite food. Fubuki didn't make up stories about food, though. She quickly dried and found one of the uniforms she'd kept in here before heading out.

In the main room, where most of them gathered during quieter and happier times, Fubuki set up two places. At least her meal was set out there and there were two chairs, one across from the other. He settled into one, staring at her as if he thought she might not be real. Asuka settled down into her own chair and quickly started eating, satisfying the first surge of hunger before she looked up at him again.

"What happened here while we were gone?" She asked. She could guess a few things; she knew that Edo and Ryou were involved, as well as that strange Professor that Misawa seemed to know. But most of the details had escaped her.

Fubuki trailed his fingers over his side of the table. "Well - once Principal Samejima knew what happened, he counted up who was still here and who wasn't. Then he started calling for help from KaibaCorp. Kaiba-san sent President Pegasus." His lips twitched a little. "I heard him talking to Principal Samejima about it. Something about "He's the one who designed the cards. Let him worry about a world where they're real.""

Asuka held back a small giggle. From what she knew about Kaiba, that was a lot like him. As she kept on eating, Fubuki told her more - about how they'd finally found Johan's Rainbow Dragon and started to make arrangements to make it a card.

"Something did happen there, but I'm not sure of what." Fubuki shook his head. "We already knew then we were going to need a strong duelist, and Edo suggested we find Ryou."

She sipped at her drink, listening. It sounded somewhat bland compared to what they'd been going through, and bland was exactly what she wanted right now.

"He wasn't there when I showed up at his apartment," he continued, "but he got back pretty quick. I told him what was going on and then we headed over here."

Asuka raised one eyebrow. "Is that all?" She'd seen somewhat how Ryou was these days. She doubted that just telling him of what was going on would have been enough to persuade him to come and help.

Fubuki shrugged. "More or less. I kinda of did have to explain it a bit more, though. Anyway, Edo brought us back here on his boat. Do you know how fast that thing can go?" He shook his head, eyes wide and gleaming with delight now. "I have got to get him to take me out on that again!"

Asuka drew in a breath and smiled. Even if Fubuki had been a duel zombie, he wouldn't have changed a great deal. She wondered if he would have been going "Surf! Surf! Surf!" instead of "Duel! Duel! Duel!"

He picked up the tale again, though there wasn't much left to it. "Once Pegasus finished the card, we got it ready to go to you guys, and got Ryou ready to duel Johan." He leaned his head back and sighed a deep sigh. "I saw it. Ryou's gotten so much better than he used to be and I didn't think that was possible." Again his fingers danced over the table. "It's weird, but I think being Hell Kaiser has really been good for him."

Asuka wasn't ready to go that far just yet, but she'd not talked to Ryou enough to be sure. She made a noncommittal noise and listened as Fubuki told the tale of the duel from what he'd seen. She'd been too busy trying to survive in that world to notice if he'd been in sight or not, and it was good to know that he'd been safe regardless.

She rubbed her wrist as he talked, still trying to get adjusted to the fact her Dis-belt wasn't there anymore. She'd worn it for so long - over a month - that it seemed strange for it not to be there. She glanced over to Fubuki

"Do you still have your Dis-belt?" She'd noticed that everyone who'd been in that world had lost theirs . But those who wore it and hadn't been taken along?

Fubuki raised his wrist. "Nope. It fell off just after you guys got back here. What were they for, anyway?"

"As far as I can tell, gathering duel energy. It helped create those zombies." She wasn't sure of what else it had done. She wondered how much she'd missed, being half unconscious after the charge to get Juudai to the duel against Martin. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to find the others and have a talk. She didn't think Juudai would be helpful, not unless Johan had suddenly turned back up in the last hour or so.

"I wish I'd been there for you," Fubuki said, a little more serious than he usually sounded. "You were in danger and I wasn't there. What kind of a brother am I?"

"The kind who was safe where I didn't have to worry about you!" Asuka snapped back without a breath of thought. Fubuki stared at her in surprise, before he softened and smiled.

"You worried about me?"

Asuka closed her eyes. "All the time you were gone. And I'd rather not do it again. Stay safe. You've been gone long enough."

Fubuki leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling. She wasn't sure what he thought about but she had her own thoughts to consider. Slowly she pulled herself to her feet.

"I'm going to go find the others." She thought by now they'd probably also cleaned up and might be feeling better. They needed to figure out how to help Juudai and maybe get Johan back - if there was a way to do that. She wasn't even certain of what had happened to him.

Fubuki nodded, getting up as well, clearly going with her. Together they headed out, and Asuka couldn't help but smile. It was true. They were home.


The End

Notes: Of course they won't stay for long. But Fubuki should have shown up sooner in season three. I have done my best to repair that in a little way.