"'Passengers, we are about to arrive to our destination."

'Great…' He sighed sharply, opening his eyes to see his own reflection in the train's window. '15 years. Jeez..' He closed his eyes again as the cart of the train shook over the rails.

Yu Narukami, once a great hero (unknown to the rest of the world) and wielder of the Wild Card Arcana. For the last 15 years he hadn't seen his one-year home while he stayed at the residence of his uncle, Ryotaro Dojima, and cousin, Nanako Dojima. He left when he was 17, and visited only once more after initially leaving to visit his…

He sighs, looking to the empty seat next to him where his backpack sat. He unzips the very front pocket, lazily sliding his hand in and pulling out that photo. The last photo he took with his friends.

"Passengers, our destination of Inaba has been reached." The kind robotic voice of the woman came over the train's intercom.

Yu shrugs, standing from his seat with a grunt.

'Damn.' He groans in his head. 'Only 32 and my knee hurts like a bitch…'

Maybe the time of entering the world beyond the T.V and battling monstrous shadows during that one year had finally caught up to him he thought.

'Yeah… my luck.'

"Man…" He stated wide eyed. "Very few things do change…" He trailed off again, the faintest hint of a smile cracking on his pale complexion.

He stood right in the middle of the small town of Inaba. He could see the small bookstore he and the young detective Naoto went to when they weren't working on the case. Souzai Daigaki still stood, the scent of freshly prepared steak making the man's stomach rumble. He half expected to see a certain hot headed skirt wearing girl there, yet again now she probably wasn't a girl but much more of a woman ready to kill anyone who got between her and her steak.

Tatsumi Textiles, which Yu remembered to be smaller those 15 years ago, looked larger. Possibly having bought the shop next door and expanding. Where the small hand made furry creatures was a mystery even to him.

Out of nowhere, the tune to Yu's favorite program began to hum out of his jacket pocket. He took the small touch screen phone and swiped the answer call button and brought the phone to his ear.

"Narukami speaking." He said in his normal dry voice.

"Four months…"

Then surprisingly, the call dropped.

"The hell…?" Yu said shocked, a slight curse escaping under his breath. "No number… what the…?"

"What the…?" He heard muttered behind him. "Yu? YU NARUKAMI?!"

Yep. That voice was one Yu knew to well, though it was deeper then the last time he heard it.

"Been awhile eh partner?" Said Yosuke Hanamura, the once most annoying human being to everyone who didn't know him.

Yu raised a brow at his old friend's appearance. Yosuke had certainly aged, now slightly taller and his brown hair much shorter than it was in his teens. He also sported, to Yu's surprise, a small goatee which went in a thin line from just uner his lip to under his chin.

"Well?" Yosuke asked, now standing in front of the lost in thought Yu.

"Indeed. Been quite awhile." Yu said in a slight chuckle.

"Still as stiff as a board eh partner? Huh." Yosuke shrugged, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets. "Swear this fall weather sucks. Shoulda went back to the city when I got outta college…"

"You actually went to college?" Yu asks.

"Long story…" Yosuke shrugs, before sighing and pulling out his phone from his jacket pocket. "Shit… sorry, the misses."

Mrs.? As in an actual MRS. HANAMURA?

"You're married?!" Yu spits, Yosuke blushing as he turned with his phone still in his ear.

"Yes dear… yeah… its…" He mutters as Yu heard screaming coming through the phone. "Fine, fine I'm bringing him over jeez!" He barks back through the phone. "God that woman gets on my nerves sometimes… and yes. Got hitched last year. Small ceremony with only the fam involved…"

Yu had to shake his head. Of all the things he'd think would've changed, to imagine.

"Just wait till she see's you again man." Yosuke shakes his head and turns around, motioning for Yu to follow.

"But… but I gotta…" Yu begins, before Yosuke grunts and pulls him by his arm.

"You're a grown man Narukami. I'm sure Dojima can wait for a bit." Yosuke chuckles as he drags Yu down the street.

"Babe!" Yosuke calls as he kicked off his shoes at the door of the Hanamura residence. "Home! And I brought another guest!"

'Another guest?' Yu wondered in his head as he placed his shoes beside Yosuke's before he did in fact notice 3 pairs of shoes next to Yosuke's, one belonging to the Mrs and the other guests.

"Narukami!?" A woman's voice calls from down the hall, with a slight squeal trailing off it.

"Now way…" Yu muttered, Yosuke grinning at Yu's realization.

"Yu Narukami. Been way to long!" Exclaimed Chie Saton… Hanamura.

Yu's eyes widened just as they had when he had encountered Yosuke for the first time. Chie had defiantly grown to be a beautiful woman. He hair had grown out and he would admit she wasn't as cute as she was in their school years. She looked still as fit as an ox though, able to possibly knock a full grown man out with just her index finger.

"Come here!" She exclaims, holding her arms wide and embracing the taller Yu with a hug.

"What am I, chopped liver?" Yosuke mutters, crossing his arms and pouting.

"Oh hush you big baby." Chie whips at her now husband.

"Wait a sec… how did you two… I mean…" Yu mutters, still dazed at this fact.

"We'll talk about it over dinner. Right this way." Chie motions, leading Yu down the hall.

Yosuke sighs, digging his hands into his pants pockets as he followed Yu down the hall.

"Man of the house and she prefers the guy we haven't seen…" He muttered in his joking tone which got a chuckle from Yu.

"Well looks like we have more company you guys!" Chie announces as she enter the small dining room to two individuals whom Yu recognized immediately.

"Senpai?" Breathed out the tall and somewhat husky man sitting cross legged at the far end of the table. A scar was over his left eye, slightly covered by his neatly combed jet black hair, and a few holes in his ear from past piercing and from what Yu could see from the man's short sleeved shirt a skull and bones tattoo on his left bicep. "IT IS YOU!" He exclaims in delight, jumping from where he sat and rushes Yu, putting the greyette into a headlock.

"Kanji… long time… no see…" Yu mutters as Kanji's bicep viced his neck. Kanji releases his hold, a large dumb faced grin on his face.

"Sorry Senpai." Kanji says sheepishly. "If I had known you were here I would've suggested we ate at my place. Got this new recipe I want to try."

"Better then Chie's cooking…" Yosuke mutters aloud, rolling his eyes to his wife in the kitchen to see if she heard him.

"Well Narukami. Good to see you again." Says a vaguely familiar female voice.

"Oh yeah, Yukiko's here to." Yosuke says sarcastically.

"Be nice Yosuke!" Chie yells into the room, the sound of cutting resuming.

"Yosuke's just jealous Chie spends her days shopping with me rather then hanging with him when he works at Junes." Yukiko giggles, standing from her spot at the table and walking to Yu. "Good to see you again." She says with a bright smile to Yu.

Yukiko had changed the least of the group to Yu. Her hair was in a braided pony-tail, which rested on her left shoulder with a small bird barrette in her hair. She was, compared to Chie who had aged somewhat gracefully, but Yukiko was prettier than every woman Yu himself (all 2 of them. ) Yu had been with over the last few years.

"You too." Yu say in a polite tone with a nod.

"Dinner is served!" Chie calls, carrying a few bowls into the dinning area. "Yosuke dear, could you get the rest and help me set a spot for Yu?" She asks, Yosuke rolling his eyes with a sheepish grin.

"I'll make my own spot. Its fine." Yu nods, beginning to walk to the kitchen with Yosuke.

"Nah bro, its fine." Yosuke objects, hunching his back and bowing before Yu. "Weak old work ridden Yosuke will do all the work and prepare Lord Narukami his set." He says in a voice that reminded Yu of an old man.

"Oh shut your mouth." Chie spits, walking to and smacking her husband over the head followed by pecking him on the cheek. "Go and fix your friend his set at the table, and I'll make your plate. Deal?"

Yosuke pouts, looking away from his wife. "I don't wanna." He says through the pout childishly.

"Well then…" Chie mutters, before grabbing Yosuke's shirt collar from behind and tossing him into the kitchen. "I'll make you wanna." She says, wiping her hand on her apron to the other laughing. "Now you all sit down and Narukami will proceed to tell us where and what he's been doing the last few years." She says, finishing with her trademark smile and nod.

"… then after I finished my teaching degree I took a job at this school. God what was the name of it… St. something…" Yu trails off, scratching his chin as the others listened.

"This food is amazing Chie!" Kanji declares, his face sprinkled with pieces of rice. For a man who was more clean cut, his attitude was not cleaned at all.

"I took a few cooking classes when I was in school for the police force." Chie says with a smirk.

"Yep. Captain Chie Satonaka after only 4 years as an officer." Yosuke adds on, placing his empty bowl on the table. "And if anyone cares," His eyes shift to Yu (who himself was trying to remember the first school he worked at) "I inherited the role of running Junes from my father."

"St. Hemlins. That was the place." Yu realizes, snapping his fingers.

"Well I'm sure Yu would like to hear that Yukiko took over the Amagi Inn after he convinced her to stay in town." Chie states, Yukiko snapping to her then looking yo Yu with a troubled look.

"That's good to hear." Yu says with a smile to Yukiko, who actually smiled herself.

"Guess I'm next huh?" Kanji says, stretching and looking to Yu. "After Ma passed I took over the textile shop. After about 4 years I was able to expand it and we're now a textile and small gifts shop." He finishes with a nod. "I also give knitting lessons on the side." He shrugs.

"Man it seems you guys have been busy to." Yu says looking to the four. "What about the others. I know Rise she's still making music but has she been back to Inaba?"

"She visits at least once a year; usually during the holidays." Yosuke answers before taking a sip of his drink.

"Naoto still works at the station. She's just so wrapped up in case right now she couldn't join us. Man she'll be happy to see you're back." Chie says to Yu, who instantly remembers the young "prince" detective (and on the inside laughing that Kanji still blushes slightly at the mention of her name).

"Teddie still works as the mascot for Junes." Yosuke partly moans as he facepalmed. "He's going to go nuts when he hears "Sensei" is back." He chuckles.

Yu chuckles as well, thinking to himself he was happy to be back in Inaba, a more normal Inaba at that.

"One, two,

Buckle my shoe…"

Stomp

"Three, four,

Open the door…"

"YOU GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME YOU CREEP!"

"Five, six,

Pick up the sticks…"

Shhing

"Seven, eight,

Lay them straight…"

"ALL OF THE DEAD"

"Nine, ten…

I'm back again… Hehe… Hehehehe… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA."