A/N: So it's been a while, huh? I won't reveal the details of my absence, it just involved a lot of things and the death of someone very close to me. But in the last year I've gained and lost great friends, so here's to another, huh?

I've got a Tumblr over at 'emotionallyunavailableunicorn' (props if you get the reference), and feel free to drop into my askbox over there.

Since January I've been cleaning up a few of the earlier chapters, grammatically and story-wise. No really major changes, just making things flow smoothly.

~Ava

~XxX~

I bit down on the inside of my cheek to stop myself from shrieking curses as a Baby Dragon set fire to my schoolbag and I dropped it in shock.

"It'd take more than one busted Duel Disk to do this to the whole city." Came a voice from my left, Tristan being the voice of reason I surmised, shooing the orange hellion away from my unfortunately flammable bag. Teá helped me stomp out a few of the lingering flames as she answered him.

"We're going to have to check on Kaiba. It's the only place where the Duel Monsters data is housed."

I snorted and looked over my shoulder at Joey as I spoke, an Elf Warrior skittering past on the back of some sort of giant millipede behind me.

"I could have sworn he was in America right now, hmm?" Joey rolled his eyes before speaking.

"Stupid dragon jet 'n all, Soph, but it can't hurt to check."

I gingerly picked up my bag by the strap, it held a moment before disintegrating and I sighed heavily as Teá grasped my hand and pulled me along after the rest of the gang, who were already running in the direction of the KaibaCorp tower. We exchanged somewhat withering glances as we ran.

"This happens often, doesn't it?"

"You have no idea."

~XxX~

The tower had been a dead end, with the swarm of frantic reporters and the rushed bodyguard-cum-spokesperson, we might as well have not gone. But there had been a strange occurrence on the way there, however. Two boys that my friends seemed to know had been standing and staring gormlessly at the sky and the dragons flying there. They had mentioned it was a sign of the end of the world.

Given that it was now evening, I was back home, and there was a small army of giggling dolls with armour on in the back garden, I was inclined to agree.

I drew the curtains as a Time Wizard flew past my window and decided to go downstairs to speak to my Mother, bracing myself for an awkward conversation. For once, I was thankful that Sandra and the children had decided to call it a night earlier than usual, thanks to the sudden Monster invasion.

She beat me to the punch and handed me a cup of tea over the counter, her mouth a grim line as she spoke.

"Sophie. We need to talk." I nodded and took a sip of the Lady Grey, feeling some of the tension in my shoulders loosen up.

"There are Duel Monsters rampaging all over the world, Mother." I exhaled heavily and set my cup down, lacing my fingers around it and staring into its depths. "I have no idea why, but…" I hesitated, feeling her eyes on me. "But these kinds of things are…Ugh." I pressed two fingers from each hand against the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes. I felt a hand on my shoulder after a few minutes has passed in silence.

"You came back different, Sophie." She said simply. I felt myself freeze in place, hoping against hope that she didn't think I had fallen in with the wrong crowd. "You went off with your friends and you came back…" She trailed off. "You've always been so mature in some things. Speaking, your manner, your schoolwork. But when you came back from whatever it was that happened, I felt you had actually grown up for once."

I barked a rough laugh and opened my eyes, looking at my Mother wearily. I hadn't told her about the near-death experiences, had hid my healing stitches from her and even now, made sure my scars were never on show.

"Mum. I don't want you to know everything." I hurriedly amended that sentence. "Not- Not because of anything mean, just…I'm seventeen. If I could tell you everything and know for a fact that you wouldn't have an aneurism, I would. Really. I love you, Mum. But this-" I waved my hand at the Kitchen window as a Thousand Dragon slept calmly in someone's driveway. "This kind of thing is…something that I've seen before." The 'And that probably relies on the Unnamed Egyptian Pharaoh's spirit that lives inside one of my closest friend's head and/or Puzzle' remained unspoken.

"Your grades will slip." Mum said, raising an eyebrow at me in mild amusement. I frowned in confusion.

"What?"

"Your absences from school."

I paused a moment as my mind ground its gears, trying to compute what she meant.

"You went away and you came back having grown up, Sophie. So long as you are safe-" She stressed the word with a squeeze on the shoulder. "I am willing to look past a little slippage." She pursed her lips. "You have to make it up to me with private sittings of the exams though, if you do leave the school."

Oh. I thought.

"Oh." I said.

My phone trilled its way through the first crystal clear bars of Beethoven's Fifth and a picture of Teá flashed on its outer screen.

I excused myself and took the call.

Five minutes later I'd gotten changed into a green shirt, jeans and-

I had hesitated with my hand over my shoes, opting instead for a loved pair of pumps.

I remembered what had happened last time I'd received a call like this.

I would probably need the practical footwear.