Chapter Text
In Cairo, a man stands between two parked cars. He’s bleeding.
In Santiago, a man wakes up on a mountain. He walks down the mountain in gold accented sandals.
In São Paulo, a model takes off her shoes. She’s wearing her wedding dress.
In Bangkok, a thief steals a car. He drives north.
A girl wakes up in a warehouse. Another girl wakes up next to her.
A boy narrowly avoids getting hit by a car.
An old man wanders Domino.
An Ishtar slips in the shower.
A Pharaoh walks into a 7-11.
A man wakes up in Athens. He knows where he is, for though many things have changed since the last time he was here, so much has stayed the same.
A mother wakes up in Biobío. She doesn't know what has come of her children.
Another mother wakes up in a desert.
A magician wakes up in Whales, only to immediately have his soul summoned to Tokyo.
And the world wakes up with a little of what it had been missing.
#
“Look, all I’m saying is, that this is 100% not our responsibility.”
Yugi looked out restaurant window. There wasn’t anyone who looked glaringly out of place. Not at the moment. “But--”
“No, Yugi, listen,” Joey said. “It is not our responsibility,” waving his french fries in a circle, gesturing to all of them “And it’s not our fault, neither. The millenium items are gone. We’re all out of magic--”
“Except in our decks,” Tristan said, “Aren’t they all literally monster spirits?”
“Let me make a Point , Tristan,” Joey responded, flinging the fries in his hands across the table at Tristan. Tristan tried to dodge and bumped into Bakura, who only clutched his drink more firmly.
“We saved the world already. Multiple times. And unlike the time it was a bunch of monster spirits on the loose, all these people coming out of time are just living their lives.” Joey gestured to the group.“And we’re just living our lives. Our wonderful post-high-school lives.”
Joey smiled really big, reaching across the table to steal some of Tristan’s fries. “And as post-high-schoolers who aren’t lugging around magical artifacts, we don’t have to get involved in whatever the heck is causing people to show up wherever.”
“Give me back my fries,” Tristan demands, bending low over the table.
“I already gave you fries,” Joey said through a mouthful of mush. “You just dropped them.”
“I’m not sure it’s going to be a decision we make.”
Everyone turned to Bakura, who was looking intensely at his cup. He was frowning. “Usually magic just. Happens.” He adjusted his straw and looked at the group. ”We don’t get a choice to get involved or not.”
“You good, Bakura?”
“So far,” Bakura said. “But I never get a lot of warning before I got involved in,” he shrugs, “Things.”
“Let us know if anything’s...wrong, ok?” Yugi said. “If and however anyone gets involved in this, nobody has to do it alone.
Bakura smiled. “Right.”
“Uh, Yugi?” Tristan said.
Yugi turned towards Tristan and the window. “Yeah?” he said before freezing.
“What is your grandpa wearing ?”
Outside the window, an old man who certainly looked like Solomon Motou, if Solomon Motou was inclined to wear a large blue hat, decorated with a gold cobra and eye. While the restaurant window hid a lot of the rest of his outfit, the whole table could see the white and dark blue fabric that made up much of the rest. It ruffled with the winter wind.
He was squinting through the window at them.
Joey was the first to comment.
“Is that a millenium hat?”
The ghost of a memory flickered through Yugi’s mind. “That’s, that’s not Grandpa, but…” Yugi kicked his legs over Joey to slide out of the booth and ran to the restaurant’s entrace. The old man turned towards him as the door chimed open.
“Aren’t you cold?!” Yugi called out.
The old man didn’t reply immediately, but continued looking at Yugi.
“Entuten ax?”
Well, that just made too much sense.
Yugi sighed. He gestured for the man to come towards him, and, when the man got close enough, for him to go into the restaurant. The man obliged, though he didn’t stop looking at everything like he didn’t trust it.
As they approached the table, Joey asked, “Not your Grandpa?”
Yugi shook his head. “Definitely, not, no.”
“Well, then I guess some introductions are in order.” Joey swung his legs around so he was facing Not-Grandpa directly, plastering on a big grin. He held his hand to his chest. “ I’m Joey.”
Tristan leaned out over the table and held his hand up. “I’m Tristan.”
“Uhh,” Bakura said. “Ryou.”
Not-Grandpa grunted and took a small step forward. He pointed to Joey.
“Joey.”
“Yeah! Not-Grandpa gets it!” Joey yelled quietly.
“Tristan,” Not-Grandpa said, pointing to Tristan.
“Yep, Tristan,” Tristan said, throwing Not-Grandpa a thumbs up.
Not-Grandpa pointed to himself. “Shiamun.”
“Shiamun!” Tristan and Joey both chime, pointing at Shiamun, who laughs.
“Man, communication is great.” Joey said. “We don’t know a thing about his guy, but at least we’ve got his name.”
“The news said the new people were from all sorts of places and times. I wonder what--,”
“Bakura.”
Shaimun was pointing at Bakura, who’s face rapidly went through 10 different emotions, including but not limited to shock, shame, and discomfort. It settled on pained, and he slid his cup out of the way so he could bang his head on the table. Around his arms, the rest of the table could hear a muffled, “Yep, that’s correct.”
Tristan gently reached over and patted Bakura on the shoulder. “It is your name.”
“Yeah, but he shouldn’t know that!” Bakura said through gritted teeth. He pulled his head back up off the table, only to keep it bowed and to clasp his hands in front of him. “Which means he knew the other one, and,” Bakura took a breath. “Man, I just really hope…”
Shiamun’s stomach growled. Everyone but Bakura turned to him. Shiamun’s face scrunched up a bit, and he grabbed the table in front of him, swaying a little.
Bakura sighed and stood up. “I’m gonna get him some food.”
Everyone watched as Bakura headed over to the counter. Shiamun, after a moment, turned to Yugi.
“Pharaoh.”
Yugi smiled sadly. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “He’s not here.”
Shiamun was silent for a moment, looking Yugi over with a critical eye. “Entuten ax?”
Yugi met his eyes.
“I’m Yugi.”