Yu-Gi-Oh!

In the Midst of Yesterday

By Lucky_Ladybug

Notes: The characters are not mine and the story is! This is a highly belated Christmas gift for Azalea542. Some time back, I'd thought about writing a fic of how the YGO Classic characters handled the aftermath of Zero Reverse. This brings in some of my ideas on that. Maybe someday I'll make a multichapter of it as I'd originally considered. Polarshipping is highly implied here, and Azureshipping is lightly implied.

Zero Reverse had been hard on all of them.

Being forewarned, they had really hoped to prevent it altogether. They had certainly tried their hardest—even Seto, who had refused to fund a reactor powered by the energy from people dueling. But that hadn't stopped it either; another company had been hired. In the end, the horrible disaster had still occurred just as it had, right down to the exact day and hour.

At least all of them had made it out safe and they had saved many lives who wouldn't have made it otherwise. They were trying to rebuild their lives in New Domino City, and some of them, such as Téa and Serenity, found ways to sneak over to the Satellite and try to help the people stranded there. Every month saw them bringing clothes, food, and whatever else they could. Duke usually accompanied them for safety reasons.

Most of the others tried to go on as before. Solomon still ran his game shop, with Yugi's assistance. Tristan was working in his father's factory, much to his distaste. But it was better than the Satellite, so he tried not to complain. Bakura had a woodworking business and repaired computers on the side. The Big Five had Penguin World, and Crump especially worked hard to comfort all the penguins who had been highly disturbed by the explosions and seismic activity of Zero Reverse.

Joey had changed a lot. He was brooding and angry much of the time now. Tristan was as well, but while he tried to hide his feelings, Joey often exploded about them. Sometimes he took Mai's motorcycle and rode around the City to let off steam.

"I just don't know what to do with him," Mai said in worried frustration to Yugi during one such ride. "He just can't accept that we weren't able to stop Zero Reverse!"

Yugi sighed and looked down at the glass counter of his grandfather's shop. "It affected all of us in different ways," he said softly. "We've been dreading it for so long, so many years, and there was that hope in all of our minds that we could stop it this time around. But I think deep down, we all really knew it was a vain hope. Zero Reverse had to happen because our friends still knew about it. The future wasn't changed."

"I think some of us still hoped maybe they were from a different dimension and not ours." Mai wearily leaned back against the case and folded her arms.

"Joey probably did," Yugi agreed. "It's been almost impossible for him to accept the truth. I'm worried too, Mai. But as long as he doesn't do anything reckless or irresponsible, I think he'll be okay. He just needs time. We all do. At least we also know that eventually the City and Satellite are reunited again."

"Yeah, years from now," Mai said in discouragement. "Who is this Rex Goodwin guy?! Why was he able to take over so completely? Not even Kaiba can find out anything about him or get close to him beyond the business contracts they've set up!"

"I know," Yugi nodded. "And we know our friends are out there somewhere in the Satellite, just kids now." He frowned. "I wish we could find them and help them."

"Only we can't, because that Crimson Dragon said we have to let them grow up as they're 'destined' to in order to mold them into the heroes the world will need later." Mai rolled her eyes. "If I know Joey, that's one of the main things frustrating him right now."

"It upsets me too," Yugi admitted.

"And Radley. . . . This is him, right?" Mai held up a magazine with a full-page article on the Ramon wineries. A sweet child of around nine smiled at the camera in one of the pictures, an adorable Eevee in his arms.

Yugi looked. "I think so."

"At least he's escaped all of this madness," Mai sighed.

"But we know his life's miserable too," Yugi said sadly.

The bell over the door jingled and they looked up. Joey trudged in, discouraged, angry, and resigned. "Hey, Yug. Hey, Mai." He leaned against the opposite counter. "What's shaking?"

"You know, I didn't hear my motorcycle pull up," Mai frowned. "You didn't crash, did you?"

"Nah, it's fine," Joey said. "I parked it a couple of blocks back and just walked."

Yugi hesitated. "Mai was worried about you taking off like that," he said at last.

Joey gave a noncommittal shrug. "Mai knows I'm careful."

"I also know you're angry, Joey, and that's dangerous on a motorcycle!" Mai marched over to him. "There has to be another way to get your feelings out!"

"Oh yeah, there sure is," Joey said. "But if I go barging into that Rex Goodwin's office and punch him in the nose, I'll get dragged off to that Facility place and be marked for life. That wouldn't help anything."

Mai gave a dark smirk. "At least you realize that."

Joey pushed away from the counter and started to pace. "I just hate being so useless! We always used to stop the world from falling apart, but we couldn't do anything about this! Now our home's broke up in two pieces and Goodwin's spreading this prejudicial propaganda that's making everybody hate Satellites for no real reason!"

". . . I'm surprised you can even say 'prejudicial propaganda,'" Mai dryly remarked, but she swiftly sobered. "It's a mess and we all know it."

"Maybe you could go with Téa and Serenity when they sneak over there the next time," Yugi suggested. "I know it doesn't solve everything, but they really do help. . . ."

Joey shook his head. "My mug's too well-known, Yug," he said with a rueful smile. "It's the downside of being a pro. I'd only get the girls in trouble by being there. It's better for Duke to go. He's a businessman and all, but he's not as well-known as Kaiba or me or you."

Yugi sighed. "I guess that's true. . . ."

Joey kicked the bottom of the wall. "Man, I feel like we're living in one of them post-apocalyptic films Tristan and I used to watch. Or some country stuck in a war. It's just not right! It's wrong! It's all wrong!"

Mai marched up to him. "Yeah, we all hate it!" she exclaimed. "But we're trying to deal with it and live our lives as best as we can! What I hate even more than seeing everything that's happened to Domino City is seeing what's happened to you!" She blinked back helpless, angry tears, but they still stood in her eyes. "You're so angry all the time now!"

"Well, I'm sorry I can't be all happy about everything crumbling around us!" Joey shot back.

"No one's asking you to," Mai said. "We can't be happy about it; it's impossible. But if we lose each other too, then we really have nothing left! I can't lose you, Joey. Not after everything we've been through together! Not after you saved me more than once! I just wish . . ." She looked down. "I wish for once, I could save you."

The fire died from Joey's heart and he stared at her in stunned surprise. "Mai . . ."

She looked up again. "Please, just let me be by your side through all of this! We can talk whenever you need to get something off your chest! And when you need to go off riding to blow off steam, we can do it together!" She smirked a bit. "We can even get you your own motorcycle."

". . . I'd like that," Joey admitted. "Mai, Yug . . . I'm sorry." His shoulders slumped. "I've been so angry and upset, I didn't even think about how you guys might be feeling when I go off like that. I guess I just figured . . . you guys have things you do to get out your feelings too."

"We do," Yugi said. "I work on designing my games."

"And I go on shopping sprees and max out my credit cards," Mai said with a wry smirk. "But we want to help you, Joey. Ever since the City fell apart, I've felt like getting through to you is almost impossible. It's a miserable, cold, helpless feeling and I hate it!" She clenched her fists. "Maybe I deserve to know how it feels after everything I put you through. But you don't deserve to suffer, and especially you don't deserve to suffer alone!"

Joey looked stricken. "You don't deserve to know how it feels, Mai," he insisted. "You were hurting back then. You didn't know what you were getting into with Dartz until it was too late!"

"And you're hurting now, Joey," Mai said. "We all are, but this has hit you particularly hard. Please, let me in again. Maybe I can't take the pain away, but I can be here to support you while you try to find your way."

Joey finally nodded. "I want you with me," he said humbly. "Mai, Yugi . . . I'm real sorry about all this. I never wanted you guys to feel helpless like I've been feeling, but I guess you have."

"It's okay, Joey," Yugi said quietly. "We understand."

"I don't know if we can really fix any of this, but it's good that at least we know Yusei and those guys will put things back together later." Joey sighed. "I think if I didn't at least know that, I might start drinking like my father."

"It's good to have hope," Yugi agreed. "We've all given hope to each other time and time again when things were bleak."

"Or you and Joey have," Mai said. "I've usually caused your miseries when I get involved."

"That's not true, Mai!" Joey immediately cried. "If it hadn't been for you, I never could have got as far as I did at Duelist Kingdom in the finals! I would've been disqualified when Bandit Keith stole my card!"

"I'm sure Yugi still would have given you the prize money," Mai said.

"And I would've taken it for Serenity's sake," Joey said. "But I wouldn't have felt worthy of it. Being able to fight for it to the end . . . I knew I'd done my best in every way possible. You gave me the chance to do that, Mai."

"You helped me too, Mai," Yugi said. "When I was lost in my head after my duel with Kaiba, it was your duel with Téa that brought me out of it. And you helped me and Atem both during our next duel."

"I still wonder what was up with you after you lost that duel with Kaiba," Mai said. "At the time, I thought it was just about the loss. But now that I know you better, that just doesn't sound like you. There was something else going on, wasn't there?"

Yugi nodded. "Yes, there was. I don't really want to talk about it right now, especially since it involves Kaiba too. But maybe someday."

Mai nodded too. "Whenever you're ready. I've gotten a lot better at this listening ear thing."

"And for now, we'll face the present together," Yugi said. "I know it looks bleak now, but there's going to be better days ahead. We know that."

"And we're all together," Joey added. "As much as I hate that we couldn't stop Zero Reverse, I'm grateful we all pulled through it. Kalin did us a big favor by letting us know what was coming."

"He did," Yugi agreed. "And I hope he knows that."

"Well, he doesn't right now," Mai mused. "It's weird to think that in the present day he's a little kid, but we know him from the future when he's an adult. And that Kalin met us when we were around his age."

"Time-travel is really trippy," Joey groaned.

"To say the least," Mai said.

Yugi smiled. "Well, what do you say we round up all the others and have dinner together tonight, like old times?"

"Hey, that's always great with me," Joey said. "I never pass up free food! Do you think Téa can get Kaiba to host it?"

Mai smirked. "Probably."

"Alright!" Joey grinned.

Yugi chuckled. Their problems certainly weren't over, and Joey was likely to continue to struggle and become angry the longer the separation between New Domino City and the Satellite persisted. But at least they were all alive and facing it together. That was a blessing they would always be thankful for.