A/N: Day 5: Post-Apocalyptic AU

Annnnd the late updates are starting. Sorry! It may take a bit more time to get these out due to my schedule and my brain making these AUs more elaborate than they really need to be. Thanks for your patience!

This chapter is dedicated to the wonderful and insanely talented Alecto, who has found my weakness and decides to toss challenges at me for everyone's amusement. I hope you are able to take a seat (heh) and enjoy the results of your challenge, friend!

Please note that the rating has increased on this fic. For reasons.

Why does everything hurt?

Yugi pulled his knees up towards his chest, causing fine gravel to skitter. Something irregular and hard dug into his cheek. With a sleepy grumble, Yugi opened his eyes and sat up.

Dammit. It happened again.

The lumpy motel bed had been replaced by even more lumpy pavement. The road was cracked and peaked, debris and chunks of asphalt littered its surface as far as the eye could see. Towering buildings made of broken glass and cracked concrete surrounded him in various states of disarray. The air was still, smelling of dust and rotting garbage. Beyond the sound of his own breathing, the world was silent. No people. No cars. Nothing.

It looks like a bomb went off here...

Yugi got to his feet and slung his backpack over his shoulder. Thankfully he had the wherewithal to sleep with it in his arms last night just in case this sort of thing were to happen. He never seemed to be in one place for more than a few of hours, so in a way, he had expected this sudden departure. Despite this, it still was jarring and frustrating. He rubbing at the kink in his neck while he debated his next move.

His eye was caught by a sign in a window across the street. Curiosity taking over, he crossed and stepped up onto the curb until he was face to face with the window. Using his shirtsleeve, he rubbed away a patch of dust to reveal the disconcerting words underneath.

Domino City Dry Cleaners: Open for you always! 24/7/365

Yugi shook his head at the irony. The cleaners were definitely closed. As he started his walk down the road, which he now recognized as once being a part of a bustling shop district filled to the bring with people hopping from restaurants to boutiques, dread seeped into his heart even more. The cleaners was not the only business closed. In fact, nothing along the street seemed to be open. What has gone on here?

He walked down familiar streets, met by the same sequelae of chaos wherever he went. Junk littered the streets while flyers advertising something called the WRGP hung haphazardly from light poles. Along his trek, he sidestepped several teddy bears and action figures. It was as if everyone had left in a hurry. Or vanished. Or… Yugi tried to shove the thought out of his mind but it dug its claws in. He tried to not look too hard into the shadows for fear of what he'd find.

About an hour in, Yugi found his first soul… and it nearly killed him.

As he passed by a dumpster reeking of rot and ruin, a dark brown blur darted out, nearly toppling him. Yugi's yell echoed through the eerie urban sprawl, but he quickly realized his folly. A chocolate lab paced excitedly in front of him, giving a small bark as excitable black eyes surveyed him. The dog seemed a bit gaunt, but otherwise healthy. After Yugi's heart settled, he bent down to give the dog the attention it was vying for.

"Well, aren't you great! Where is your owner?" Yugi murmured as he scratched behind an ear. The dog was not wearing a collar and he was unsure even if the dog was micro-chipped if that would help him right now. After a few minutes of scritches and rubs, Yugi said his goodbye to the dog and started making his way back down the street. Little did he expect that the dog would vehemently choose to follow him.

At least I'm no longer alone. Yugi thought. A pup was definitely one of the best companions Yugi could ever ask for in this post apocalyptic wasteland.

At least hours had passed and Yugi was none the wiser. He had not seen a single human soul or found anything that helped explain exactly what had happened here. The more he and the dog wandered, the more he started to hurt for Domino. The city where he had grown up laid in rubble before him. Even though this dimension was not his own, the emotions and pain this visage incited in him certainly were.

Storm clouds loomed over his mind and his city and the rain started to fall, dissuading him from exploring further. Yugi tried several doors in an attempt to get out of the downpour, but most of the buildings were locked or boarded up. As he jogged down the streets, the dog at his heels, he cursed the rainwater running off his bangs into his eyes. Why did he aways seem to get wet in these dimensions? Couldn't one of them be a nice, dry, warm place for once?

As he rounded a skyscraper, the sight of a slightly askew sliding door caught his eye. This was his chance! He pulled at the sliding glass door, but no matter how hard he torqued, the door would not budge. With an exasperated groan, he pounded the door with the heel of his fist. At least here there was a small awning over top of the doorway to shelter him from the rain, but he still could not stay here for long. The wind was kicking up, and soon the awning would not provide a reprieve from the rain.

Yugi pushed back his dripping hair from his eyes. He needed to come up with a plan and fast. He had to try some where else. There must be somewhere he could stay! With a small sigh, he turned around and was bathed in harsh light. Two headlights were fast approaching, ripping down the road right towards him. The dog at his side started to bark in warning.

"No. No! Stay! Don't!" But the dog took off like a streak towards the light. Not knowing what else to do Yugi yelled and ran.

"Stop! STOP!"

Tires slid on slick roads, the beams weaving slightly as the vehicle skidded. Yugi rushed out towards the dog, cursing aloud at both the animal and driver. Yugi was relieved to see that the vehicle had not actually collided with the dog, and had safely come to a stop a few meters away.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Yugi yelled. "You nearly killed the dog!"

As he neared the vehicle, he became aware that it was not a car, but rather, a black all terrain vehicle that had been modified to carry extra cargo, several enclosed cargo containers were fixed to its back. The vehicle's solitary driver slowly got off, face obscured by a large visored motorcycle helmet. His black jacket was fitted and clung to his form. As soon as he was off the vehicle, he reached back and grabbed an item that made Yugi's stomach drop.

"Hey, wait… what are you…" Yugi stammered, stopping his advance.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" The voice was muffled, but the threat in the low growl was unmistakable.

"My name is Yugi. I-I am just looking for shelter from the rain. That's it! For me and the dog." Yugi explained, but the gloved hand's grip on the baseball bat grew tighter.

"You cannot stay here."

A chill ran down his spine. As the person neared, Yugi became acutely aware of who was talking to him.

"I mean you no harm! I just need shelter!" Yugi protested, holding his hands up in surrender.

Atem was having none of it.

The bat was swung without warning, smacking into the ground just beyond Yugi's feet.

"Leave this place. Now. Or else I won't miss next time."

For the first time in his life, Yugi was scared of Atem. Sure, the man could be a bit grumpy if he did not have his coffee or if he found you unarmed in the middle of a dimension where dragons flew fancy free, but never in his life had Atem ever meant Yugi harm. This Atem was different. This whole dimension was different, and what ever had happened here clearly had affected him.

"Please, can we just talk? I will leave you be, but I need shelter." Yugi rambled, his adrenaline making his mouth run. "And I have to know, what happened here? What's going on?"

The bat was suspended above the man's shoulder. A muffled murmur of disbelief, and a hand reached up to flip the visor. Shocked crimson eyes met his own.

"How can you not know what happened here?" Atem asked, distrust quickly replacing his mystification. "How do you not know about the machines? Is this some sort of trick?"

"I'm not from here. I have no idea what is going on, but I… used to live in Domino City and I cannot believe what has happened here…" Yugi explained, hoping his open honesty would serve to diffuse the situation. Sure enough, something minute shifted in Atem. Then something not so minute shifted as well. The baseball bat was slowly lowered to the man's side, every inch of its descent providing a modicum of relief to seep into Yugi's tense muscles. Although, even once the bat was down against the ground, Yugi tension had not abated fully.

Atem reached up, undid the buckle and took off the helmet, his tricolour hair springing up despite gravity to a form Yugi knew all too well. Atem's face was filthy, streaked in dirt and grease as if he had not showered in days. The rain quickly started to make quick work of the grime. A gloved hand swiped at his eyes, pulling at his cheeks as they made their way down.

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Yugi suppressed a shiver and a few choice curse words at the rain.

Atem narrowed his eyes briefly. "I don't know why I'm doing this…"

Yugi waited with bated breath for the words he hoped would come.

"Alright, come inside. I don't need you dying of some illness because you are too foolish to wear a jacket."

It was not the warm welcome that Yugi had hoped for, but it would definitely do. At least now he could get out of the rain. Convincing Atem to listen to him and to not brandish the bat again on him would be a much easier task out of the downpour.

"You've got me there." Yugi admitted. "I can explain it all when —"

Atem huffed, the noise vaguely reminiscent of a growl. "You will explain everything ."

Yugi swallowed, but let the animosity roll off him. If he had been living in a post apocalyptic world, he would surely have trust issues too. He sucked in a slow, calming breath to quell his own less than friendly retort.

Atem took one last long look at him before turning to grab a container from the back of the ATV. "If you are going to make me regret my choices, at least help me carry this inside."

"Of course."

Yugi's hands kept sliding on his handle of the heavy crate, but they made it up the stairs to the building without further calamity. Once Atem had unlocked the door and they both stepped inside, Yugi set down his end and breathed a sigh of relief. The building was cool and dark, but at least it was mercifully dry. What he would give for a hot shower, although he suspected that those were rare in this dimension. The dog, who had stayed by his side as he entered the building, could use a good hosing down too. The smell of wet, dirty dog was enough to make Yugi's nose crinkle.

"Ok, please elaborate." Atem started none too kindly, crossing his arms against his waterlogged coat, not looking to care at all about his sopping state. "Who are you and what is your business here?"

What he did in this moment was pivotal. Atem had shown that he was not against using force to defend himself and this place. What was so special about this building? It was run down and had clearly been stripped bare by something or someone. The expansive lobby where they stood at one point would have been ornate and lavish, but the toll of the times had not spared this place. The front desk was littered with junk and debris, yellowed and dusty papers strewn about. What was of value here worthy of protecting?

"I asked you a question…" the utterance was low and warning.

He took a step towards Atem in an effort to broach the gap. "I really want to tell you, I really do but I don't think you'll believe me even if I tried."

Atem shook his head. "Is that all you have to say for yourself? Domino City was attacked by machines sent to destroy humanity for their reckless use of power and you expect me to not believe your tale?"

"What did you just say?"

"How do you not know of this?" Atem was agast. "Unless you're from…"

Atem never had a chance to finish his sentence. A voice called out from across the room, startling Yugi.

"Atem, who the hell are you talking to?" The voice exuded a pompous self-assurance that Yugi would know in any dimension.

Seto Kaiba.

From a darkened doorway across the room, the man in question entered into the foyer. Gone was the usual business suit that Yugi was accustomed to see Kaiba wearing, and instead, he was garbed in a tight black turtleneck, form fitting black pants and a silver dog tag resting against his chest. Although he was not one of the men standing in sopping puddles, he definitely looked the most irked.

"What little rodent did you pick up off the street this time?"

"Believe me, I'd like to kick him and his dog out, but who knows who he works for? He knows where our hideout is and I don't want him to tell his superiors where we are."

So that's it. Atem did not trust him because of who he might know and what trouble he might bring. In a way, Yugi did not blame him. In a city torn apart and thrust into anarchy, you could never be too safe. It was times like these though that Yugi wished that Atem was not this stubborn, but then again, Yugi had not done much to help his situation. Withholding information was not working to his advantage.

"So you decide to bring him inside then? You're a real genius." Kaiba snipped. "Now he has the chance to rob or attack us in our own base."

"Kaiba if you would just shut up and let me handle this…"

"Yeah, and let you continue to do such an exemplary job? Ok, please. Enact your brilliant plan." Kaiba said haughtily, words dripping in sarcasm and coated in sneer.

Atem rolled his eyes and disengaged from Kaiba. The contempt was palpable between these two, and Yugi could not help but wonder how they ended up working on the same side. It did not take long to figure that one out.

Steps rang out on the staircase and a man with a messy head of blond hair appeared behind Kaiba. "What are ya yelling about? You're gonna scare the… oh, who are you?"

Once again, Yugi was met by a set of eyes that stared at him without recognition, but at least these eyes were less accusatory and more curious.

"My name is Yugi. I'm new around here and I'm honestly just looking for shelter. I do not mean any of you any harm. When the rain is done, I will leave and you will never see or hear of me again. I promise."

Joey's shot him a grin and grabbed Kaiba roughly by the shoulder. "Aww look at him, Seto! He couldn't hurt a fly. You've gotta loosen up."

Kaiba let out a grunt, but to Yugi's surprise he did not snipe back. The Kaiba he knew back in his own world would not have stood for that sort of comment tossed his way, especially coming from Joey Wheeler. The only person who was teased more mercilessly than Yugi by the eldest Kaiba was Joey. There were several times during high school where teachers had to intervene between these two stubborn forces of nature to avoid an all out war in the classroom. However, the tension seemed to be much more subdued here.

Yugi took a moment to choose his response carefully. He hated it when people underestimated him because of his size and amicable demeanour. He could more than hold his own in a multitude of situations, but now was not the time to argue. He had an in with what Joey had said, so it was time to seize his opportunity.

"Ahh, yeah. Thanks." Yugi played up the innocence in his voice and purposefully avoided using Joey's name. The last thing he needed was to raise their suspicions again. "Could I please stay here for a few hours?"

He was met by three very different responses. Joey's grin widened and he affirmed that he was happy to have Yugi stay for a bit. Kaiba, on the other end of the spectrum narrowed his eyes further and reiterated his displeasure of letting a person he did not know into his base. Yugi turned towards Atem. He was initially apprehensive of what he was going to find, but he was pleased to see that Atem's features had softened and his gaze was no longer openly hostile. He was still very suspicious, but at least Yugi was sure that he was not going to kick him out of the building forcefully.

"Alright." Atem muttered. "Do not make me regret this decision."

As soon as Atem was a few paces away, Yugi let out his breath he had been holding and turned to follow him up the stairs.

Yugi finished off his tin of beans in a room with walls halfway to rubble. It had been a couple of hours since he had joined Atem, Joey and Kaiba To his surprise and delight, there were several other familiar faces upstairs. This dimension's Ryou Bakura and Tea Gardner were sitting around around an open fire burning in the middle of a large room which looked like it had once been an office space. The carpet had been ripped up to bare concrete, and deposited in a messy mound along the south wall. There were several sleeping bags and makeshift mattresses scattered around the room's periphery in various states of disarray. One along the north wall was occupied, a head of brown hair poking up from beneath the stained comforter pulled up to cover him. Despite the conversations, the man remained asleep.

The truce between Joey and Kaiba seemed to dissipate as soon as people stared heating up their rations over the fire. A hushed argument quickly devolved, only the mention of supplies was registered before the shouting started. The people gathered around the fire did not seem to pay it all much mind. They seemed like they were used to this sort of thing. In fact, Yugi caught Tea chuckling at a particularly snide comment unleashed by the silver tongue of Seto Kaiba. After a while, Kaiba left the room with Joey hot on his heels.

Joey's disgruntled yelling from down the hall eventually quieted down somewhat and Yugi could finally focus on his thoughts. This outburst was fairly representative of how Joey and Kaiba interacted in his own dimension. They both were bull headed and strong willed, focused on different goals and ideals. They had totally different priorities. From what he could gather, Joey here seemed to be all about going out of their way to take risks for food, shelter, and supplies. Kaiba, on the other hand, was definitely a lot more finessed about his resource allocation. Knowing Kaiba, he would not be too tolerant of people who had priorities that interfered with his own.

Over the course of their canned dinner, the less prickly members of this haphazard crew were more than willing to fill in Yugi on the details of how they had all found each other. After a while, even Atem seemed to loosen up and joined in the conversation. According to Atem, their group had been together for about two months, and had formed in the weeks after the machines attacked. It initially started out as a safety issue, as people were looting the city and often solitary people were made as prime targets. But after a while, they seemed to come together in more ways than one.

His gaze fell onto Atem, who was sitting on the other side of the make-shift fire pit. He was chatting amicably with Tea about some topic of which Yugi could not quite hear. The hardened look he had seen earlier had softened, and Atem almost looked like he was enjoying himself. He averted his eyes before he was caught staring.

Only recently had he become aware of his feelings, but now he could not seem to get them out of his mind. Despite the layers of soot and barbs this Atem bore, he still reminded him of his Atem. There were glimpses of that heart he had started to know that shone through. Even though he seemed less than trusting, he had still taken the risk to bring him into his group. He may not understand this Atem all that well, but there was still some sort of bond they both shared. How is that even possible?

"Yugi?"

Yugi snapped out of his thoughts abruptly. "Oh, sorry. What did you say?"

"Atem had mentioned that he found you outside, but beyond that, he does not know much about you." Tea reiterated. "I was just wondering what you've been up to ever since the… you know."

Yugi swallowed hard. He knew that these questions were bound to come up at some point, and he was very hesitant to tell the truth. He already seemed odd and out of place enough. But then again, in a dimension where everything had fallen apart at the hands of something truly terrifying and beyond imagination, these were the people who would surely be able to handle one more strange tale. He took a risk.

"I actually wasn't here for it." Yugi started.

"Oh? Were you living somewhere else? And why would you come to Domino?"

"I didn't have much choice." Yugi's fingertips grazed the smooth surface of the Kaiba Corp. device. "You see, I'm not even from this dimension."

"Not from this dimension?" Atem echoed, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Yeah." Yugi's confirmation held a bitter note. He knew it was futile to get angry about his current circumstances, but he could not help it. Being yanked around across dimensions, tossed into life-or-death situations, being nearly killed by mythical beasts and having everything you ever thought to be true thrown into question made it difficult to remain calm. He shook his head as he looked up at Atem.

Those eyes were still narrowed, but the stiff posture had relaxed slightly. Atem remained silent for a moment, but when he spoke, the harsh tone that clipped his voice was gone. "So you've been through some difficult times too…"

"Ah, no where near as bad as you guys have gone through. Although, the dragon thing was pretty terrifying."

"Dragon?" Atem and Tea said in unison.

Yugi told his abbreviated tale of dragons and demons, focusing more on the events and less on the people he had shared them with. He decided to forgo telling them about his soulmate, as the only thing that would come out of this would surely be confusion. It would do more harm than good to tell a man you just met that you are apparently his soulmate…

When he had finished his tale, he was met by silence and awestruck stares. The two collected their thoughts for a moment before they finally found their words.

"Why is this happening to you?" Atem inquired.

"I don't know. This device was given to me, but I don't know who or why or…" Yugi trailed off. "And now I guess you know."

"Well, if there's anything we can do to help just let us know." Tea offered with a smile. "Do you know what? In celebration of our newest member, how about we grab some of the good stuff!"

The raised eyebrows at Atem prompted the tricolour haired man to chuckle. "We might as well. Who knows how long Yugi will be around? We might as well show him some proper hospitality."

Atem got up. He motioned to Yugi to get up as well. "I'm going to need some help carrying it all back here, if you don't mind."

Yugi smiled at Atem. "Of course!"

They walked side by side out of the room and down the barren hallway. Despite Atem's demeanor softening somewhat, Yugi still felt somewhat uneasy in the man's presence. Moments later, the silence was broken.

"I'm sorry for how I initially greeted you." Atem started, his gaze still on the hallway ahead of him. "There are few people still alive, many of which are not above looting or killing to survive. It was a merely matter of self preservation."

"I get it, Atem. I would have also been wary of anyone new here given everything that has happened." Yugi reassured. "I would have been the same way if I were you."

For the first time since he had entered into this dimension, Yugi saw Atem smile at him and heard that deep chuckle. His heart was set aflutter. "I'm glad to hear that. I was worried that you thought I was some sort of asshole or something."

"You? Never." Yugi answered implicitly and much too fondly.

Atem stopped in his tracks. Yugi only made it one more step before he too was frozen in place. A spike of adrenaline surged through him as he realized what he had said. How he had said it. During his recounting of his adventures, Yugi had purposefully left out the identities of everyone whom he had encountered, using generics in substitute for specifics. He had never once mentioned that he kept finding Atem seemingly where ever he went. And even if he was not right there, he was at the forefront of his conversations. Dammit. He took a moment before turning around to see how this Atem would react.

"What is it, Atem?" Yugi addressed him, keeping his tone as light as he could.

"Do you know me? From other dimensions?" His eyes were unreadable in the dark hallway.

Silence. Yugi could never deny that, but he knew he had to choose his words carefully. He could not tell this Atem everything he wanted to say.

"Yeah. I do know you. You're one of my… close friends in my dimension." Yugi admitted. "We live together. We're roommates."

"It all makes sense now."

"Huh?"

"You seemed like you knew me when we first met. You looked so… betrayed when I pulled that bat on you. It was strange, but now I understand."

Yugi chuckled lightly. "Yeah, seeing you threatening to bludgeon me was a real shock."

"I can only imagine." Atem murmured pensively as he resumed his pace. With a start, Yugi moved to catch up.

"Do you miss him? Your… me?"

"Yeah." Yugi confessed quietly. The word, although hardly damning in itself, was said in in such a way that prompted Atem to nod as a gentle smile was turned his way.

"Well, I hope you can find your way back to him. I'm sure he misses you too."

He must be so worried. Yugi realized. He had been on this journey for what felt like days. He hoped desperately for his Atem's sanity that time passed differently in these dimensions than in their own.

Atem led Yugi towards a set of double doors near the end of the hallway. "This is where we keep our supplies for the most part. When we initially set up in this building, this was one of the only locked rooms that we could find keys to."

Atem reached into a pocket and dug out a basic silver key on a chain. He fiddled with the lock as he continued to explain how they went about distributing resources and ensuring that everyone had enough to eat.

"So, we tend to save the alcohol for… oh." Atem's words died on his tongue as the door swung open.

It took a moment for Yugi to figure out what Atem was looking at, but when he saw it, Yugi felt himself flush. Nestled amongst the stacks of boxes and cans were two men in a sordid embrace. Scruffy blond hair bobbed slightly as he gyrated against the man seated underneath him. Yugi knew that hair anywhere; it had to be Joey. A hand came around to grasp the man's ass, slender fingers dimpling the cream skin underneath. The man atop let out a moan at the touch and increased his speed, his hands fumbling against the arms of the chair beneath him to steady himself. The chair, however, was anything but steady.

They had chosen a collapsible outdoor folding chair, and no matter how hard Joey's hands grasped at the fabric arms, he still seemed to be teetering. He stared at the chair as the thrusts continued and made a mental note that folding chairs definitely lacked the structural stability for this sort of thing. However, the man underneath Joey did not seem to mind their rickety situation. A hand snaked up a sweat soaked back to bunch up in Joey's hair as the vocalizations became louder and more intelligible.

"Like you mean it." Came the guttural growl of Kaiba.

"You're always so bossy, Kaiba."

"You like it." The confident proclamation was followed by a swift slap on Joey's ass. Joey definitely liked it.

Yugi realized that he had been staring much too long at the intimate moment and turned implicitly towards Atem. In almost the same instance, Atem's eyes caught his own. His heart rate increased as he stared at the faint flush across the man's bronzed cheeks. He found himself wondering what Atem would look like if they were to be deep in the deed like this. Mouth parted, breath hot against his face. Eyes filled with salacious need. Firm muscle beneath him and…

"Alright, that is enough." Atem made their presence known to the two men. "Did you two really need to make up in the supply closet? There are plenty of other rooms in this building."

The movement stalled suddenly, and a none too pleased groan filled the room. "Not many of which have a locking door." Kaiba looked around Joey to shoot daggers at Atem. "You really should knock first."

"I should not have to knock to come in here." Atem pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "Just make it quick. We will come back later. And please… clean up after yourselves."

A hand firmly grasped Yugi's shoulder and spun him around before he could insert a word in edgewise. The door was closed abruptly and Atem hefted a sigh in Yugi's direction.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. They are both rather… volatile with their relationship."

"Relationship?"

"Yeah, they've been together for as long as I've known them, and they seem to fight as much as they…" Atem made a face. Yugi could not help but laugh.

"I noticed!"

The remainder of the evening was uneventful in comparison. As soon the sun had set, people started making their way off to their bed rolls, and soon, it was just Atem and Yugi seated next to the now subdued fire.

"That sounds like a great idea for a game, Yugi." Atem praised.

"Thanks." Yugi said as he suppressed a yawn. "I hope that some day you all can get back to some sort of normal so you can enjoy games again."

"I hope so too. Although a little late, the Emperor Mekklord machines were defeated by the chosen few. It may take some time, but I believe we can rebuild. I've heard inklings that the machines were stopped before they could target any other countries and that even here, there are cities that were not affected. There is still hope for a brighter future."

Yugi smiled at Atem, and something about it prompted the other man to chuckle.

"You look so tired. You really should get some rest. My bed roll is over there and you are free to use it."

"No, no I can't! Where are you going to sleep?"

"We need someone up to tend the fire and make sure the looters do not get the jump on us. I will stay up until someone else wakes up."

"Atem, no."

"I insist." Atem gestured towards the sleeping bag. "And don't you even think of protesting any further."

Yugi shook his head, but Atem was right. He was nearly nodding off where he sat, and who knows when the next snap was going to occur. He might as well get some rest.

"Thanks Atem."

"It's my pleasure." Atem said with a smile. "Good night."

Yugi did not even bother to take off his shoes before curling up in Atem's sleeping bag. His backpack was nestled safely in his arms as he regarded the form silhouetted by the subdued fire flickering just beyond his eyes. Sleep came.

The next morning the inevitable happened. Half way through his breakfast, which was a tin of maple and bacon baked beans, the blue light started emanating from his wrist. He placed down his tin and called out to Atem. Atem rushed by his side, and nodded upon seeing the blue light. Yugi had explained what was going to happen with the device last night by the fire.

"Alright, I'm about to go, but there's one last final thing I need to say: go find Yugi." Yugi urged Atem. "He's got to be around here somewhere, I know he is. Try Kame Game Shop. It should be about a twenty minute drive to the south from here."

Atem nodded. "Alright."

The world tilted off its axis. "Take care of the dog too and stay safe. I really hope you can find that brighter future."

"I will."

Pale blue light filled his vision, blotting out Atem once again. Yugi sighed.

Snap.