Hiya, fanfic readers! Welcome to Shippings A to Z! In charge of chapter 1 is I, Kristen(AnimeSnowflake). This is an idea that came into my head. To challenge me and my sister's fanfic writing abilities, we're going to go through all of the named Yu-Gi-Oh shippings, pick one for each letter, and do our best to write it out. We will be alternating, so if you prefer a certain writer, then you can go to a certain chapter to read a certain person's writing style as soon as we have enough chapters. For the A shipping, I decided to attempt writing an Azureshipping. I have picked this pairing for three reasons. One, I feel like I need to work on Seto Kaiba's character as far as the romance field goes. Two, I like this pairing and wanted to try it. And three, I felt like doing this for my good friend, NintendoQueen. Without further ado, enjoy some Azureshipping goodness!
Disclaimer: Neither of us own Yu-Gi-Oh! The rightful owner would be Kazuki Takahashi.
Anzu, now a mature woman 21 years old, shuffled in the seat of the taxi cab in anxiety. Tonight was going to be a very special night for her; she felt like the world would end if she couldn't pull off her dance tonight successfully. This night could very well determine whether or not she could achieve her dream.
A lot had happened since her last adventure with her friends in Egypt. She and her friends had all made it through high school and were now focused on their own paths. Honda went straight to a community college, mind set on trying to figure out which major he wanted to achieve; last Anzu checked, he was considering business. Jounouchi was the only friend of the group of four to go to college part-time instead of full-time, deciding to pick up a job straight away and try to settle home matters before worrying about a college degree. Yugi seemed the most secure in his college plans. He was already attending a university, working on earning an archeology major and spending his free time helping his grandfather run the game shop.
And as for Anzu, she went to a university, set on a dance major. Her spare time was used at odd jobs and dance practices. The four barely managed to see each other during their college life, but Anzu knew that they were still in each other's thoughts. They had all been through so much together, after all. The fact that Atem had left for the afterlife around 5 years ago didn't change their bond any. If anything, their bond became stronger.
At first, Atem's departure had upset them to some degree, and it had hurt for Anzu and Yugi especially: Anzu having had romantic feelings for the spirit in the past and Yugi having been the one closest to him. But eventually, they all managed to move on. In fact, for the past several months, Anzu had been getting romantic notes in her mail, making her forget completely about her sadness from those years ago. It started at the beginning of the semester in early fall. They started off as simply "Hi, how are you?" notes, and they eventually grew into heartfelt letters in which the writer would wish her luck in whatever it was she was doing. At first, Anzu was a little freaked out about the letters. Who wouldn't be? After all, the notes and letters never had a return address or gave a hint to who was writing them; for all she knew, the person sending her these letters could be some dangerous stalker trying to psych her out. However, as time passed, she felt a strange sort of relief in the letters. They always seemed to shake her of her worries whenever something stressed her out in her life.
For the third time that night, Anzu pulled out the most recent letter she got from who she dubbed her "secret admirer". On the letter, it read…
Hello, my little blossom. I hope things are going well for you.
I've heard that you will be taking part at a charity ball next week. The one that the Kaiba Corporation is holding, if I recall. Many people will be looking forward to the entertainment, I'm sure. It will be one of the moments where talent scouts can look for any upcoming talents.
Your dream is to someday be a dancer in New York, correct? I believe that your dream can come true at this ball. Anyone foolish enough to dismiss your talent has to be a blind fool. You have the grace of an angel and determination that can be matched with the best people throughout history.
I shall be coming to watch your greatest accomplishment to date. I know if anyone can pull it off, it's you. Good luck to you, my little blossom.
Sincerely,
Your guardian of the night
Anzu fingered the signature, a fond smile on her face. After getting the countless letters for months, she still had yet to figure out who this "guardian of the night" was. It couldn't be some creepy stalker; at least, that's what she thought. From what she read in his letters, he sounded like a kind gentleman: someone that truly cared for her well-being. Tonight, she was hoping that she'd meet her secret admirer. She was ready for the mystery to be solved once and for all.
Suddenly, she was jerked out of her thoughts as the cab reached its destination. After thanking the driver and paying the fare, she stepped out into the early evening. Anzu's hair had gotten a few inches longer in the past 5 years, now going past her shoulders. She wore two clips in her hair, holding back her bangs, and at the moment, her clothes consisted of a sleeveless, lavender shirt, a brown jacket, and blue capris. The clothes she planned on wearing for her scheduled routine and the rest of the night were folded neatly in a bag that she was carrying; she'd change into them an hour before her dance routine.
For now, she decided to look around and get a feel for where the majority of the ball would be taking place. She stepped inside and made her way to the ballroom. Upon entering, Anzu was awed at what she saw. People were setting up circular tables, each covered with a white cloth, and the room was covered with gorgeous decorations: the people in charge decided to use blues and purples to compliment the simplicity of the white. The stage where Anzu and a few other students would be performing was elaborately decorated with flowers and silk, and there was plenty of space between the stage and tables for the people attending to dance later.
'Wow, Kaiba sure knows how to set things up. Everything looks so beautiful,' Anzu thought in amazement. Absentmindedly, she wandered over to one of the tables. A mini-bouquet of purple violets was placed in the middle of the table; this simple set-up seemed to make her feel warm inside. She could just imagine a couple announcing their love for each other at an event such as this; the setting certainly seemed perfect…
"Hm, didn't expect to see you here. You're two hours early."
Anzu jumped, startled by the sudden voice. After a while, she suddenly realized the owner of that voice and thought, 'Oh, please don't tell me it's who I think it is…'
However, when she turned around, her thoughts were confirmed. Beside her was Seto Kaiba, the man responsible for organizing this charity ball. A satisfied smirk was on his face, as if amused by her startled expression, and he was wearing a white tux with a pale blue undershirt and navy blue tie. Although she wouldn't admit, Anzu found this ensemble very attractive on the CEO.
Recovering from her surprise, Anzu said, "Well, I figured I could look around for a bit. I might even do some last minute checks on my dance routine before I go on."
Seto let out an arrogant smirk and said, "Shouldn't a real dancer not have to go over their routine? You've been working on it for a while, after all."
Anzu became annoyed with Seto belittling her, and with an angry glare in her eyes, she retorted, "Hey! Why don't you keep your comments to yourself? I've been working really hard, and later tonight, you'll see just how hard! And by the way, real dancers go over their routines all the time, so don't assume that I'm not a real dancer because I'm checking over my moves."
Seto's smirk came off of his face, his gaze becoming locked with hers for a moment. To Anzu, his gaze seemed to penetrate her being, and she couldn't look away as he said, "Well, a lot of important people will be here tonight; just make sure you don't blow it."
Then, he walked away to talk with some of the other people in charge of setting up. Anzu was left a little confused by Seto's actions. She guessed either his statement was meant to make her feel obligated to do well or that it was his way of wishing others good luck. Plus, it wasn't just what he said. For a moment, she thought she had seen something in his eyes: something that portrayed kindness…
But this thought didn't last long in her mind. How could it? He seemed to be the most arrogant person that she had ever met in her entire life! On more than one occasion, he had caused tension for her and her friends. And the fact that he never really talked to any one of them as a normal person didn't really help her views on him. With a huff, she left the ballroom to get ready for her routine, thinking, 'That pompous jerk! I won't blow it; he'll see!'
"Hey, Anzu. Are you ready?" One of the dancers asked, calling into her dressing room.
"Almost, Kaori," Anzu replied as she applied her blush. She was now wearing her hair up in a bun with a few strands of hair hanging on the side of her face. She wore a strapless, navy blue dress with the bottom of the dress in a ruffle design and ending at her knees. With matching dance shoes and make-up to compliment her complexion, she looked stunning. After she finished the last of the blush, she came out of the room and joined the other dancers who were applying their last touches. With a smile, Anzu said, "Okay, let's do this."
As everyone made their way to the stage, Anzu couldn't help but feel nervous. She really hoped that she'd do alright: both to try and get noticed by a talent scout and to please the other important figures in the audience that night. Thinking about it all was beginning to overwhelm her. She tried to calm down by taking deep breaths, and eventually, she thought back to the last letter from her secret admirer.
'That's right,' Anzu thought as they walked out onto the stage. 'He'll be watching, too. He believes in me. I have to do well: for him.'
And so, she and the rest of her classmates went through their dance routine. Each dancer performed their moves flawlessly, and everyone in the audience seemed enraptured by their grace. As she went through fluent motions, Anzu felt as if her mind was in a state of calm. She spared stray glances to the crowd, their eyes on her. They all seemed to be entertained, but sadly, looking out at the faces, she couldn't tell if any of them had been the "guardian of the night" that had been sending the letters to her. Sadly, she thought, 'Oh well, perhaps we'll see each other after my performance. I certainly hope so…'
It was an hour after the performance, and Anzu, at the moment, was drinking a glass of punch and sitting at a table, alone. Her eyes lingered on the centerpiece: a mini-bouquet of blue violets as opposed to the purple violets that she had seen earlier on that day. Quietly, she sighed, thinking, 'I wonder where this 'guardian of the night' is hiding. I thought we would meet each other tonight.'
Anzu let out another soft sigh. She hadn't felt this way about anyone since… well, since the time when Atem was still with them. And she didn't even know who this person was! If she at least knew this person's name, she'd feel at least a little bit better about this whole situation.
"Anzu, are you okay?" one of her dancing friends asked. The girl was a year younger than her with dark blond hair styled in a bun and hazel eyes. She wore a dress similar to the type that Anzu wore; only hers was deep lavender instead of navy blue.
"Don't worry, Kaori. I'm fine," Anzu said, getting rid of her stressful thoughts. Truth be told, she wasn't feeling 100% fine, but it wasn't something that Anzu felt she needed to talk about. Plus, even if she had wanted to talk about it, she wasn't close friends with this girl yet, only having met her this year. Feeling a little bit warm in the stuffy ballroom, she told her friend, "Hey, I'm feeling a little warm. I think I'm going to step out for a little bit, okay?"
"All right then," another dancer replied. "When you're done, come back over here, and we can hook you up with your own boyfriend."
Anzu let out a light-hearted laugh; the coincidence of someone saying that when she had been hoping to meet her secret admirer just amused her. Soon, she was outside of the building. She walked a ways away from the entrance before she decided to lean against the building, taking in the fresh air. She looked out at the night sky and was awed by the sight of the many stars. She smiled, now thinking, 'Wow, there are so many stars. You know, I don't mind if I don't meet my admirer tonight; just being able to see this sight is enough to make me feel happy.'
A few more seconds passed before she felt someone roughly grab her arm and pull her to the side. Anzu let out a surprised yelp and shouted, "Hey!"
She turned to see who was treating her so roughly and saw a middle-aged man that clearly looked like he needed several showers. And a shave. He revealed a dirty grin and said, "Hey, you're a pretty little thing. Why don't we have some fun?"
Then, he tried to pull her towards him, reaching for her other arm. Anzu wasn't a helpless girl, however; she had fight in her. She began trying to pull her arm out of his grip and angrily shouted, "Get off of me, you creep!"
"Aw, now don't be that way, baby," the man said, trying to smooth talk. But this act didn't fool her. Furiously, Anzu stomped on the man's foot, causing him to cry out in pain and let her go. Anzu immediately stepped back and turned around. Before she got far, however, she heard the man shuffle around in his pockets, then a click, and then, he said, "You're not going anywhere."
Anzu froze and turned her head towards the man. In his hand was a revolver, pointed straight at her. With a mixture of a scowl and a smirk on the man's face, he stepped closer towards her and said, "Now, you come over here like a good little whore."
Anzu looked backed at the deranged man, a look of absolute fear on her face. Having lost her voice and all logical thought from fear, she thought, 'Oh no, what do I do? Where is everyone? Someone, please help me!'
Suddenly, the man got a panicked look on his face and cocked his gun. Terrified, Anzu closed her eyes tightly, as if thinking that would make the man disappear. She heard the man scream, "Who the hell are you? You'd better back off if you know what's good for you!"
Suddenly, she heard someone from behind dash towards them. Then, she heard a gunshot and the man in front of her hit the ground and let out a yell. Shortly after that, she felt someone place a firm arm around her shoulder. Anzu knew the person could very well be another pervert, but at the moment, she felt safer with this person than with the other man. Suddenly, she heard the person next to her say, "You stay away from Anzu, you scum, or you will regret it."
It wasn't the cold, sinister tone of the voice that caused Anzu to be surprised. It was the fact that she knew that voice. She knew who it was. Still, that didn't stop her from thinking, 'Please don't tell me that's who I think it is.'
This time, the thought wasn't because she didn't want to see him; it was because she felt guilty about someone she knew sticking their neck out for her. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw the man from before scrambling to his feet and running away with a fearful expression on his face. The gun lay motionless on the ground; next to it was an average-sized object, and after a closer inspection, she realized it was one of the centerpieces from the ballroom.
Anzu was a little scared to look to the side. There was a gunshot; what if he had been hurt? She wouldn't forgive herself if he had gotten injured for her sake. She cautiously turned her head to the side and confirmed her thoughts once again. Beside her was Seto Kaiba, looking almost protective of her in a certain light. With the creep from earlier gone, his cobalt eyes turned to her, his eyes changing from cold and threatening to serious and concerned. Looking her over, he asked, "Are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?"
She shook her head absentmindedly and looked over Seto, hoping that she wouldn't find any sign of a bullet wound. After seeing nothing, she muttered, "Oh, thank goodness…"
With the strength in her legs finally giving out, she sank to her knees, and tears of relief automatically fell from her sapphire eyes. She covered her face with her right hand, ashamed to be crying in front of him; would he find something to pick on her for if he saw her crying? And over him? After a minute or two, Anzu felt her felt his hand grab hers gently. Slowly, he pulled it away from her face, allowing Anzu to look back at him. To her surprise, Seto didn't have a cocky expression on his face or one of his stoic faces. In fact, he looked relieved and exhausted. Seeing this caused Anzu to realize something, and she asked, "But, Kaiba, why are you… out here?"
He paused for a while, as if trying to look for the right words to say. Finally, after a while, Seto did something that few others got to see; he smiled softly. Then, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand, he replied, "I heard from your dance friends that you were out here. I wanted to make sure you were alright."
He paused and let out a breath that neither he nor Anzu knew he was keeping in. The next thing he said surprised her; hanging his head low, he said in a quiet voice, "I'm glad you're safe, my little blossom…"
Anzu barely caught the last three words, and they sent her mind reeling. The only time she was called that was in the letters that she had been getting from her admirer. It didn't take long for her to put two and two together. With surprise, she gasped as she realized who her "guardian of the night" really was. Now smiling, she ran a hand through his hair and simply said, "Thank you, Seto. So much…"
He looked up into her face, and Anzu gave him her best smile. He had helped her a lot, and she wasn't just thinking about tonight. All of those letters had helped her get through college. He had secretly been watching over her this whole time. Overcome with emotions, she leaned in closer to Seto, their eyes locked with each other. Then, in an instant, their lips connected. Anzu never felt more passionate in her entire life then she did in that one moment. As fast as it began, however, it ended. The two pulled away from each other, a silence going between the two of them. Then, after a while, they both stood up. Finally, Anzu broke the silence by letting out a small giggle and saying, "You can never make things easy, can you? You could've just come up to me and told me your feelings instead of dragging things on with those letters."
Seto simply smirked, not having a snide comeback for once. Placing an arm around her shoulder, he and Anzu walked back into the building towards the ballroom. As they walked together, Anzu leaned into him and thought, 'Wow, I never would have expected this to happen. I didn't know Kaiba could be so nice. I kind of want to know more about him now; maybe there's more to him than I think…'
Well, there's the "A" chapter! I hope you all have enjoyed it. Although I'm not sure if I kept the two in character (particularly Kaiba), I feel very proud with this one shot. Stay tuned for chapter two! Next chapter will be a "B" shipping written by my partner in crime! Have a great night!
