middleofsomewhere | Conclusion

Thank you.

For those inside the system the voices of the Great-Seasons ring out around them once the red mass has vanished and the blue plinth it was smothering is freed once more. They don't have all that much time to reflect on that before they find themselves waking up once more in their bodies around the tree trunks.

Or at least, around the tube that is the Great-Season they entered through. All illusions have vanished now, all that is left are pipes and metal.

The Great-Seasons allow them passage out from the centre, no sentries or pipes attack them this time. Everything seems to have been put to rights, the walls in the Autumn sector have stopped moving, there is no strange weather effects in the Summer Sector, no engineering problems in Winter and all the camaloid creatures in Spring are calm. Any Helpmates they come across are doing their jobs and no longer malfunctioning.

After a small amount of time, enough to check that all is well, their SCA's light up. All Passengers are to return to the Voidtrecker Express.

Considering the vast distances involved it is probably best that they use the evacuation function to return to the Luggage carriage.

Once all Voidtreckers have returned the train returns to the Void once more.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's not quite the reaction he expects. Kaiba sits back a little, giving Snapper room to burrow in the crook of his arm if she likes.

But she's a bold little dragon, so she'll trot over to set a clawed foot on Jonouchi's knee. As high as she can reach, anyway.

"So that's...your past life's identity. And that virtual world was able to tap into your true essence too."

Alright. That's the relevant information to him, anyway. "Doesn't surprise me that he's into that."

"Yeah, I got stuck in th' costume durin' Noa's virtual mess so..." Wait, hold on- "O-Oii, wait did I seriously look the whole deal? Hair, skin, eyes, what have you..?"

Ahh...it's finally sinking in. "I-It seriously went tha' far..!?" aaaaaaaaaaaa.

"When Noa had his claws in, he even admitted th' class change wasn't him- something funky goin' on with my memories, even had t' make a program t' sort 'm all out. It was why I got stuck w'th th' coat an' robes look though, can say tha' much."

He frowns. "...still can't r'member th' old name though...maybe tha's f'r th' best..."

At his feet, Red Eyes is poking their head out to blink at Snapper. "RrrRrruuuunnrr..?"

Snapper is undoubtedly smaller than Red Eyes' head.

Snapper is undeterred! She gently headbutts against the bigger dragon's neck.

As for Kaiba...he nods grimly. "If that code could tap into your memories, I wonder if there'd be a way for it to help you remember, if you wanted to...but I wouldn't feel qualified to risk it. I'm wary of machines tapping into our brains, given...everything."

He just lets it stand, watching Snapper like a hawk to make sure she's not getting herself into trouble. She seems to like Red Eyes, judging by the croaking.

"Nyhhh...given all th' crap tha' comes playin' aroun' w'th names, maybe it's better t' not..."

Ah, that aside. Red Eyes chuffs back, and lowers his head down to Snapper Level. Much better for headbutts. "Heh, looks like they're gettin' along..."

"Right. Atem sealed his name to maintain the seal..."

Kaiba shifts, tugging the towel a little tighter around himself. He gives Jonouchi a considering look. He seems satisfied that the dragons are getting along, and that brings a smile to his face.

"But other than that, the mission went well?"

Big shrug from Katsuya suffice to say. "Yeah, no one r'members tha' guy. Er. Mostly..? I get th' feelin' timin' works in my favor there, I knew when he was like..."

He gestures- an infant. That doesn't super count. "...Tha's abou' it though. So who knows what th' deal is in my case..."

Somewhere, a thief sneezes.

"Oh! Yeah, went great!~ Made it t' th' trunk, started clearin' things up...weird how all tha' was happenin' th' way it was t' begin with but eh."

"...you had an interesting life, that's for certain."

Kaiba sometimes wonders what it would be like to have two lifetimes inside him like that. He considers himself lucky the priest doesn't haunt him. But would it be that different.

"Though...I have a question, if you might have an answer. About reincarnation and memory."

"Nyh? Question?" Ah, well-

"Uhh, shoot. I dunno that it'll really be a great answer, but I can try. Jus' keep 'n mind th's is kinda still 'newish' f'r me, by like...a few months."

"Do you think...there's a reason you have a connection to your past life? After everything, I started to wonder why that priest wasn't trying to take over me. Not that I wanted him to be, but...that tablet and Atem's memories were all the proof I had."

There was a certain dragon who haunted him more, of course, but...hm.

"Mnh, a reason..?" Huh.

Well. He crosses his arms. "...Good question. I mean...it sure ain't anythin' triggered by stuff in th' museum, I started havin' those issues wwwwaaaay before tha'!" Though he does frown. "...'course tha' could jus' mean th' whole visions thing is unrelated I guess..."

Shrugging, he seems to pass it from mind. "I always jus' figured it was b'cause of th' whole seein' stuff in dreams thing, that sorta deal. Thing is though...when we're talkin' Yugi an' Atem, th' two weren't th' same person, righ'? Heck, I don' ev'n think they're like...one or th' other reborn, they're jus' connected. So...f'r th' Priest, an' yerself, 'f course y' weren't gettin' possessed or anythin'. ...he's jus' You. How would y' get possessed by you?"

The blond grins. "Hell, ev'n with all my crap, I'm def'nitely still me! I jus' get t' cheat an' pull from more memories now, heheheeee..." How handy in school, right? No.

"With my ego, I'd find a way," Kaiba joked, shaking his head. "Though sometimes I wondered about the woman. Kisara. Her and her dragon...if I was haunted by anyone, it was her memory."

He grins back at Jonouchi. "You've mastered a few more things. Farming and herding...which are surprisingly important here, actually."

"Hah!" Ah- Oh. "Oh...Kisara..?" Katsuya blinks, glancing to the side. "...Righ'...I guess she wouldn' have been much older..." Ahem. "I guess it makes sense- if y' had such a thing f'r th' cards, there was probably some kinda connection..."

It's still weird to think about that when he remembers her as a tiny little waif he looked after for a year though...

Well. "Heh! T' be honest, I picked most 'f th' farming from Alola! Helped out a bunch over my time there! Kinda weird tha' it's comin' up so much here though..."

Kaiba snorted. "I'm never going to make sense of it. But that's fine."

He had Jou to make sense of it. So he'd just enjoy the ride.

"But everything's good now? No weird after effects?"

"Hn? Nothin' I c'n see anyway. I mean...nothin' b'yond what normally goes on w'th me, y'know?"

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