Hey, everyone! I'm taking a break from Brand New Breeze. I was inspired to write this because of two factors: The clarinet, a wonderful instrument I play in the top band in my high school, and Demented Insane Spirit. DIS has given me great advice on my fics, especially my Revolutionshipping ones. So, in order to show her my gratitude, I have thought of a story that will have all my improvements, and an instrument I love. Be sure to check out her Revolutionshipping fic The Notes of My Heart. It's really awesome! Now, enjoy this super long oneshot!
Title: The Four Octaves of the Heart
Rating: T
Pairing: Yami X Anzu
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. Credit goes to Kazuki Takahashi.
Summary: AU. Anzu is preparing for a dance recital, and the music, The Lord of the Dance, will feature four clarinetists. The four octaves of the clarinet reflect Anzu's heart. With the help from a good friend, Anzu will realize what she has been missing…
Octave one: Dark and gloomy…
Anzu sighed in despair as she trudged through the dark hallways of Domino High School. The dance room was her destination. Anzu had on her usual attire for dancing: a black tank top, a short, sweat pant material miniskirt, black leggings, and her ballet slippers. However, Anzu wasn't feeling as great as she looked.
"This is the worst timing ever for a dance rehearsal…" Anzu whispered tearfully.
Domino High is holding a dance recital in a month, so a quartet of clarinetists in the top band, Wind Symphony, volunteered to play the music Anzu is dancing to, The Lord of the Dance. Today was their first out of two rehearsals. Unfortunately, today was the worst day Anzu ever had.
Just that morning, she found that her own mother was going to have a job transfer to Europe. To most people, they would be ecstatic to hear the news. To Anzu's dismay, there was another side to the information…
Earlier this morning…
"Mom, why are you leaving me here?" Anzu cried. "Why can't I move with you?"
Mrs. Mazaki rubbed her temples, irritated. "Anzu, you are eighteen and in the middle of your last year at Domino High. It's time for you to go off on your own."
"You don't understand!" Anzu protested. "I want-!"
"That's enough, Anzu!" Mrs. Mazaki snapped. "Ever since your father died, life has been hard for me! I continued to take care of you! Now, I want to do something for myself now."
"I get it…" Anzu realized. "You're trying to run away from the past."
Angry, Mrs. Mazaki threw her purse at Anzu, and she barely missed getting hit in the face.
"If you keep up that insensitive attitude of yours, you'll always be alone!" she yelled.
With that, Mrs. Mazaki gathered her belongings and left, leaving Anzu to fend for herself from now on…
The present…
"Hello, Anzu! It's nice to finally meet you!" Brown-haired clarinetist and flautist Mana grinned.
Anzu snapped out of her dark thoughts.
Oh, I'm in the dance room already…
"It's nice to meet you too!" Anzu replied, a fake smile plastered to her face.
"As you probably know, we are the clarinet quartet. I am Mana, the principal clarinetist of the Wind Symphony. I will be playing first part clarinet and the flute solo for The Lord of the Dance."
Mana stepped back, and a black-haired senior stepped up.
"I am Isis Ishtar, the second chair clarinetist. I will be playing second part." Isis smiled.
The next one, a blond-haired junior, stepped up.
"I'm Marik Ishtar, and I am third chair, so of course I'll be playing first part." he teased.
"You wish!" Mana laughed.
"Anzu, my brother here will be playing third part." Isis reassured Anzu, chuckling at Marik.
Anzu wasn't in the mood to laugh. In fact, her usually bright eyes darkened at the sight of the happy clarinets.
The fourth and final clarinet stepped up and smiled shyly at Anzu. She was just a freshman, but managed to receive fourth chair in Wind Symphony.
"I'm Shizuka Kawai, Katsuya Jounouchi's sister. I'll be playing fourth part."
"It's nice to meet you all." Anzu replied, flatness in her voice.
"Now, as you know, The Lord of the Dance was originally a full orchestra piece. We had to transpose the orchestra parts into four even clarinet parts." Mana explained to Anzu. "So you can have an idea of what parts we're covering, I'll compare. My first part is the first and second violin part. Isis's clarinet two is covering first and second viola. Marik is covering the cello part, and Shizuka will be covering the bass. I know you've listened to this song, since you had to create your dance routine. Shall we start at the beginning?" Mana asked.
"Sure." Anzu said.
With a sad sigh, Anzu walked over to the other side of the music room as the clarinet quartet set up their music.
I feel so left out now. Anzu thought. There was a time where I was happy like the clarinet quartet, and had many friends. But, just like my mother, they moved on to other people and places. Yugi left Domino High to travel the world with his title as the King of Games. Jounouchi and Honda moved on to other people ever since Yugi left. I guess they didn't want to just have a female friend. I know Yugi's twin brother Yami is still here, but he talks to no one. He's always by himself, like I am now…
"Anzu, are you ready?" Mana called. "If so, give us the cue!"
Anzu quickly stood up straight. She lifted herself into her starting pose, and nodded at Mana. Mana cued Shizuka to start when Mana took a deep breath as if to blow into her clarinet. Shizuka started things off by blowing her lowest octave A. Then, Marik came in with eerie middle staff notes, which was enough to give Anzu shivers.
Anzu started her routine by stepping off and doing a slow triple pirouette. Anzu closed her eyes as she let the dark music consume her dancing. When it was Isis's turn to play, she took a breath and joined in with Marik and Shizuka, blending in, but not as much. Isis had a different rhythm from Marik and Shizuka. Anzu subconsciously frowned up. The bad memory of her mother began to revive itself. It was as if she was right there in front of her, screaming the one sentence that has bogged Anzu's mind…
"If you keep up that insensitive attitude of yours, you'll always be alone!"
Alone. Is that what I'm destined for? Loneliness? Anzu asked herself.
Then, Mana picked up her flute and entered the song with the solo. While Mana was playing the beautiful, yet ghostlike solo, more tears began to form in Anzu's eyes.
I remember…the first time I heard this song. It was my twelfth birthday. My mom, dad, and friends went to go see a full orchestra play. Yami didn't want to come, which hurt my feelings. At that time, I was unsure of what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew it had to be performing arts. The music was so beautiful, and Yugi, Jou, and Honda were impressed as well. But…the big finale, The Lord of the Dance, was what sparked my passion for dance. Just by listening to the music, I could think of a dance routine. Unfortunately, that wonderful past with my family and friends is nothing but a gloomy memory…
Mana's flute solo abruptly stopped, and she looked at Anzu to go on to the tempo and key change. Anzu nodded and immediately went into the next part of her routine with a side leap. The Lord of the Dance is a Celtic song, so the tempo went a little faster, but not as much as the next part. After a few more measures, Mana's flute solo ended, and she quickly picked up her clarinet, ready to play in measure 39.
Unknown to Anzu or the quartet, a familiar figure was watching Anzu's rehearsal through the door windows. The unexpected spectator could sense the shadows inside Anzu's heart. He could tell by the way she was dancing.
The dark octave in Anzu's heart began to really cloud her already chaotic mind. The tone inside rang low, and before Anzu knew it, the clarinet quartet stopped at measure 63 of The Lord of the Dance. That part was where the tempo got really aggressive.
"Anzu, you did some wonderful dancing today." Mana complimented Anzu.
"Yeah, it was if the music was leading you." Isis added.
Anzu smiled that false smile. "Thanks. And thanks for your hard work as well."
"No problem." Marik replied. "So, we'll rehearse next Friday?"
"Yes," Anzu replied. "Until then."
The visitor hid behind the wall as the talking and laughing quartet left the dance room. Anzu began to turn lights off and lock up. The figure then walked inside the dance room.
"Anzu." he called.
Anzu yelped, looking up to see Yami Mutou standing in front of her.
"H-how long have you been watching me?" Anzu asked.
The spike haired duelist shifted his weight onto his left leg. "Ever since you started dancing."
Anzu's face turned red as she turned away from him. "It's rude to spy on other people when you aren't invited."
Yami was taken aback. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I didn't think I needed an invitation to see my friends, do I?"
Anzu gasped and turned around.
"You consider me a friend?" Anzu asked, not believing it. "At school, you never say a word to me. I just sit alone…"
Yami stepped closer to Anzu. "I could say the same about you."
"What do you know?" Anzu muttered.
"I know that there is a darkness in your heart, which is why you feel alone."
A spark of anger suddenly welled up inside Anzu.
"What the hell do you know?" she cried. "Your entire family didn't leave you! Your mother didn't go to Europe and leave you by yourself forever! I have no one!"
Yami sighed.
"If you keep up that insensitive attitude of yours, you'll always be alone." he told her.
Anzu's eyes widened as she took a step back in shock.
"You aren't the only person in the world with problems." Yami told her. "Especially with family problems. In case you have forgotten, Yugi and my grandpa left to travel the world. I have been left all alone too. Before you start treating other people like dust, you should take a look inside their hearts."
With that, Yami left the dance room. Anzu stared into space, thinking hard about what Yami had told her…and how close he walked up to her.
Octave two: The middle of the road
The next day, Saturday, Anzu woke to the sound of birds outside the Mazaki residence. Yawning, she turned over and looked at her alarm clock.
Man, what time did I fall asleep last night? Anzu wondered, seeing that the numbers read 11:30am.
Anzu barely got a wink of sleep last night. All she could think about were Yami's words.
"I know that there is a darkness in your heart, which is why you feel alone."
Anzu shook the thoughts from her head and got out of bed. She quickly put on her robe and walked downstairs, hoping to see her mom cooking Saturday morning brunch. Then, Anzu remembered that her mother left her.
I miss my mother. What happened between us? Why did she become so distant? Where did I go wrong?
With a sad sigh, Anzu continued down the stairs, having no answers to her own questions. As she sat down to hot cereal and toast, Anzu tried to suppress her feelings of abandonment and focus on something else.
What am I going to do today? Anzu asked herself. Usually mother and I do something…
Going to visit Jounouchi and Honda was out, and calling Yugi was out of the question. She didn't even know what country he was in. That only left one option: go see Yami at the Kame Game Shop. Anzu went back upstairs and quickly put on a purple T-shirt and a denim skirt. After tying up the laces of her black Converse, she brushed her hair and headed out.
It was at that moment when a thought crossed her mind.
Since did I want to go see Yami?
That thought continued to boggle her mind until she almost ran into a streetlight pole.
"Man, I need to get my head out of the clouds." she muttered, glaring at the pole.
Anzu continued her trip to the Kame Game Shop, but another distraction stopped her. And this distraction was Mana and Marik.
"Hey, Anzu-chan!" Mana called cheerily. "What brings you out on a Saturday morning?"
"Yeah, we thought that you'd be at home practicing for the recital." Marik laughed.
"Well, you thought wrong." Anzu replied in an almost icy tone.
Anzu looked down and almost scowled. Mana and Marik were holding hands.
I need to snap out of it. Anzu thought. Just because I don't have luck with guys doesn't mean I have to be envious.
"Well, we have to get going. Wherever you're heading, have fun!" Mana smiled.
Yeah, as if fun is a luxury for me anymore.
"I'll try, thanks." Anzu replied, forcing a smile.
The assumed couple walked on, laughing about something they saw on TV. Anzu pressed on, now feeling a bit self-conscious.
"I need to stop my moping." Anzu said softly. "I mean, there's a reason all of this happened to me, right?"
"Ever since your father died, life has been hard for me! I continued to take care of you! Now, I want to do something for myself now."
"If you keep up that insensitive attitude of yours, you'll always be alone!"
"I know that there is a darkness in your heart, which is why you feel alone."
Anzu found herself in front of the Kame Game Shop, tears begining to form again. Unaware of those tears, Anzu walked inside the game shop. Yami was leaning on the counter, looking bored. The bell on the front door jingled, and Yami looked up. He was surprised to Anzu standing there, with a small smile on her face and tears running down her face.
"Hey…Yami…" Anzu greeted, choking back an unexpected sob. "I thought I'd…drop by to say hi."
Yami hopped over the counter and hurried over to the crying Anzu.
"Anzu, what's wrong?" Yami asked.
"What are you talking about? I'm just fine…" Anzu sniffled.
"Then why are you crying?" Yami countered, wiping her tears away.
Anzu was silent, refusing to look at him.
"Anzu?" Yami called to her.
"What am I supposed to do?" Anzu whispered.
"What are you talking about?" Yami questioned.
"I've been thinking about what you told me, about how there's a darkness in my heart, which is why I feel alone. But…that's not it." Anzu told him. "My friends are all gone. Your brother is God knows where, and Jou and Honda moved on to others. My mother left me for Europe, saying that I'll always be alone. And you…you don't even look at me, let alone talk to me. I'm so confused, trying to figure out where I stand. I have no support, and when I try to push out these feelings of abandonment, the memories keep coming back."
Yami was quiet for a moment, but then he began to set Anzu straight.
"Suppression," he said. "Consciously and intentionally pushing unpleasant feelings out of one's mind. Regression," he continued. "Returning to behaviors characteristic of a younger age, rather than dealing with problems in a mature manner. Projection, attributing your own feelings or faults to another person or group. And denial, unconscious lack of recognition of something that is obvious to others."
Anzu's eyes widened, but left her focus on the floor.
"Why are you telling me these terms?" she asked.
"You are using these four defense mechanisms to make your problem seem unreal." Yami explained to her.
"I am not making this unreal!" Anzu cried, looking up at Yami.
Yami grabbed Anzu's shoulders, forcing her attention on him.
"You just used one of the mechanisms: denial." he told her.
Anzu fell silent again.
"Unless you realize what you're doing, then you'll never realize in your heart what you're missing." Yami said.
"So tell me, what am I doing?" Anzu asked softly.
"You are suppressing your feelings and trying to lock them away so you won't have to deal with them. Instead of thinking of the mature way to handle things, you're regressing to the behavior of a child, complaining and sulking about the problem. And finally, instead of dealing with your issues of abandonment, you project your problems onto me, your friends, and your mother."
"You know Yami…it seems that you know me better than I do myself." Anzu sighed. "I just need a healthy way to deal with my emotions, I guess."
Yami perked up, and a slow smile etched his way onto his face.
"Anzu, come with me." Yami told her. "I can think of a place that can help set you free."
"What place?" Anzu asked, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
Yami grabbed his leather jacket and looked at her. "You'll just have to follow me and find out."
X
Yami and Anzu headed towards Downtown Domino. The streets were noisy and crowded that afternoon.
I wonder where he's taking me… Anzu wondered.
Anzu gasped when a gruff man bumped into her.
"Watch where you're going, wench!" the man shouted.
Yami grabbed Anzu's hand and pulled her close, away from the sinister looking man. After glaring at the guy, Yami dragged a confused Anzu away, his eyes furious.
"You need to be more careful." Yami told her, trying not to go back to that man and fight him.
"I'm sorry…" Anzu replied, shocked that Yami had pulled her so close. She could even feel the warmth from his jacket on her.
Yami released Anzu from his protective hold, but there hands remained intertwined. The closer they got to their destination, the larger Yami's smirk grew. Anzu looked up and saw that they were standing in line at the DCPAC (Domino City Performing Arts Center), home of the greatest orchestras, bands, and choirs in Japan. Anzu hasn't been there since she was twelve. And that was to see that DCO (Domino City Orchestra) perform.
"Yami…what are we doing here?" Anzu asked, getting excited.
Yami used his free hand to dig in his jacket pocket and pull out two tickets.
"To see the full orchestra play, of course." he replied.
Anzu was about to raise her left hand cover her gasp, but she realized that Yami was still holding it.
"Ahh! I'm so sorry!" Anzu cried, about to drop her hand.
To Anzu's surprise, Yami tightened his grip on her hand.
Anzu looked up to see Yami smiling at her.
What…was that? Anzu asked herself, feeling a blush come up.
"So…how did you magically know that I would love to see the DCO play?" Anzu asked quickly, trying to let the awkward moment pass.
Yami's smile faltered slightly, and Anzu took notice to this.
"Well," Yami began. "Originally, these weren't my tickets. I'm sure you know how hard and expensive it is to buy tickets for DCO performances, so Yugi bought these tickets a year in advance. Well…before Yugi left Domino City, he actually wanted to go with you to see the DCO play. Then…he wanted to ask you to be his girlfriend."
"What?" Anzu gasped. "You mean…I was a romantic interest for him?"
Yami nodded, feeling his heart begin to break away. "You were."
"So…what stopped him from asking me?" Anzu asked.
Yami looked at Anzu sadly, knowing that his answer would break Anzu's heart even more than it already was.
"…he met the teenage prodigy, Rebecca Hawkins."
Anzu stood still. Yami saw the sadness in Anzu's eyes, and he regretted telling her.
"So…that explains the phone call he gave me." Anzu whispered.
"What phone call?" Yami asked, alarmed.
"It was a few months before Yugi left…
Six months ago…
Anzu's cell phone rang early in the evening. Anzu smiled when she saw that it was Yugi.
"Hey, Yugi! What's up?" Anzu asked cheerily.
There was silence on the other line.
"Yugi?" Anzu called, a bit concerned.
"I'm leaving Domino City." he told her seriously.
"What!" Anzu cried. "Why?"
"I'll be travelling the world with my grandpa, competing in Duel Monster tournaments. I am the King of Games, after all. Also…there's a girl I fell in love with that will be competing too."
Anzu felt her heart break into a million pieces. "Oh…I see. Well, wherever you go, don't forget us back home!" she replied, trying to be resilient.
Anzu felt the air between them relax when Yugi answered with, "Don't worry, I won't. In fact, I'll probably come visit you all in some months. I would come back sooner, but I have to compete in at least three tournaments in order to keep my sponsors happy, heh. Well, have a nice evening, Anzu."
Anzu flipped her phone off and slumped on her bed, her face downcast.
"So…Yugi never had an ounce of interest in me, huh?" Anzu whispered, tears free falling down her cheeks. "I guess that what you see isn't always what you get…"
That moment of heartbreak was the beginning of Anzu's downfall into the state of where she is today; frightened and alone…
Yami's eyes hardened as Anzu finished her story.
"So, after that," Anzu continued. "I began the process of getting over myself, but then as you know, more bad things started to happen to me. You know…now I understand what my mother meant by "if I keep up my insensitive attitude, then I'll always be alone". Ever since that day, I had been acting differently towards my mother and friends. Maybe that's why…they all left. I knew that I needed to get over Yugi, and I'm on the verge of it. Sure, it has already taken me six months, but I just need a little push to get me over the mountain of a broken heart…"
"Like this?" Yami whispered.
Yami tilted Anzu's face upward and crushed his lips against hers. Shock was written all over Anzu's face. The feel of his soft lips on hers felt foreign, but at the same time, it felt right. Yami gently pulled away. After seeing Anzu's lidded expression, he realized that he just overstepped his boundaries.
"I…"
"Don't worry about it." Anzu interrupted him. "At least that made me forget Yugi…for the moment."
"Anzu, that wasn't just for a distra-"
"Tickets, please." a bored looking woman said.
Yami and Anzu just realized that they were in front of the ticket booth.
"Oh, sorry miss." Yami apologized, handing the woman the two tickets.
"And next time young people, use your eyes instead of your mouth." she added.
Embarrassed, Yami and Anzu rushed inside the DCPAC.
"That lady sure is suggestive." Anzu commented, blushing. "Well, the booth said the show doesn't start until two. It's only 1:30, so I'll be back."
With that. Anzu walked rather quickly into the ladies' restrooms with Yami looking wistfully after her.
Why can't Anzu see that she isn't abandoned? Why can't she see that I'm not really ignoring her at school? There's more to this than what meets the eye…
Meanwhile, Anzu was staring at herself in the mirror. Her hand went to her lips.
What was Yami thinking? Is he just playing around with my emotions? Was he just distracting me? Or…was there more to that kiss than what he put on?
Shaking her head, Anzu turned on some cold water and splashed her face.
It shouldn't matter. It's not like I'm interested in him…am I?
Sure, Anzu has admired Yami from afar. She found that he was serious yet kind, but she never really got to know him. On the other hand, Yami has gotten to know Anzu…
X
Anzu walked out of the restroom fifteen minutes later.
"Are you okay? You were in there for quite some time…" Yami told her, concerned.
Anzu waved his worry away. "I'm fine. I was just thinking about some things, that's all."
Yami nodded, understanding completely. There are many times where Yami just needed to be alone. That's why he's never sitting with anyone. At the same time, Yami gets to know others by observing them.
"So, let's go inside." Anzu said.
Yami nodded, looking at the tickets. "We are in row M, seats twelve and thirteen."
Anzu's eyes brightened. "I know where that is! Those were the same seats Yugi and I sat in on my birthday! We all were in row M, which is right in the middle of the auditorium!"
"Oh…how special." Yami replied wistfully.
"That reminds me…why didn't you come here with everyone else to celebrate my birthday?" Anzu asked.
Yami stiffened. "I'll tell you when the time is right." he replied.
"When the time is right?" Anzu repeated. "Is it a secret that you can't tell a friend."
"Not just a friend," Yami told her. "A close friend."
Anzu pouted slightly as they entered the auditorium. A program was given to them by an usher as he led the two to their paid seats.
"Wow! I don't believe it!" Anzu cried. "For the DCO's last song, they're playing The Lord of the Dance!"
"That means I get to hear what you'll be dancing to." Yami smiled.
The lights in the auditorium dimmed until the only lights on were the ones on the stage. Then, one by one, the DCO filed out on the left wing. The audience began to applaud for the orchestra members. Strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion got their music ready and sat in their seats, waiting for Akane Izumi, their conductor.
"That's Izumi-san!" Anzu hissed excitedly to Yami. "She's the greatest conductor Domino City has ever seen!"
Akane got up on the podium, her baton ready to conduct. The first piece they played was Nimrod, composed by Edward Elgar.
"…this song is so romantic and beautiful…" Anzu whispered, her blue eyes brightening.
Yami blushed and looked away from Anzu's dreamlike expression at the orchestra. Anzu admired the way the orchestra moved with the music. It was if…the music was leading them and telling them how to play. Before Anzu knew it, she was moving her upper torso along with the orchestra, almost like a dance…
Octave three: Confident and dominant
After Nimrod ended, Anzu was squirming in her chair, anticipating The Lord of the Dance.
"Anzu, you look like you need to be excused to the little girl's room." Yami smirked.
"No!" Anzu hissed. "The Lord of the Dance is after this piece! After hearing only a recording to create my dance routine, it would be nice to hear the authentic performance so I can improve and give suggestions to my quartet."
"Sounds like you have this all figured out." Yami replied, smiling softly.
"Oh, yes I do!" Anzu grinned. "I heard that there will be representatives from the Dance Division of The Julliard School attending the recital In fact, the reps are from Domino City! This could be my chance to impress their department! I've already sent my college application in. Now all I need to do now is my audition, which is what the dance recital will be."
The DCO ended their piece, and it was time for The Lord of the Dance.
"Shhhh! They're about to play The Lord of the Dance!" Anzu whispered to Yami.
Yami chuckled. This is the Anzu I know and fell in love with…
The piece started off with two soft strikes from the chimes in the percussion section. Then, the cellos, basses, low woodwinds and low brass came in on their note. After two measures, the violins and violas joined in with quarter and half notes. Not long after that, the principal flautist stood up with her Irish flute. The tone was low, and the sound and vibratos were just beautiful. She gave a Celtic style to her solo. Then, the second chair flautist stood up, and played the next solo with his piccolo. The solo was similar to the Irish flute's, but the tone was in a completely different octave, which rang throughout the auditorium.
"Simply beautiful…" Anzu whispered.
After the piccolo solo, the time signature went into 9/8 time, and the tempo changed to Moderato. The clarinets joined in with the flutes on changing notes three beats per measure. After that, all he flutes dominated the orchestra with their triplets while the strings played harmoniously. Later, the clarinets had the same rhythm as the flutes, and they together in perfect melody.
A few measures later, the tone to the piece changed. It began to sound more dark and serious as the violins began to dominate the song. All of a sudden, the tempo changed to Vivace, and the tome signature changed to four beats per measure. The timpanist in the percussion section played it's rhythms with ferocity for four measures. Then, the torch of dominance was passed to the drum set, low brass, and strings. The violins and violas came in on really fast eighth and sixteenth notes. The cellos, basses, and low brass played their quarter notes and eighth notes with power. The audience began to cheer and clap along to beat. Laughing, Anzu and Yami joined in.
Later in the piece, the ferocity ended, and the flutes, clarinets and drum set played light and almost feathery eighth attached to sixteenth notes, which was a nice contrast. Then, the strings and low brass came back in on a ferocious note, and the trumpets were just as powerful as the trombones. Then, the entire orchestra did an unexpected subito. They suddenly got soft, and with the woodwind trills and string vibratos, they slowly got louder and louder until the volume reached forte.
The violins, violas, and high woodwinds stood up and played more crazy eighth and sixteenth notes. In the midst of that wonderful chaos, you could hear the Irish flute playing ghostlike quarter notes to add to the overall effect.
Then, the trumpets and French horns played the same contrasting rhythm the flutes and clarinets played earlier, but instead of it being feathery, it was more powerful yet not ferocious.
After that, it was time for more crazy rhythms. The violins were really into their piece. The tempo went even faster for the last eight measures. The woodwinds had whole notes, and half notes. The cellos, basses, and low brass and woodwinds had whole notes. The violins and violas finished everything off with their eighth and sixteenth notes. In the last measure of the song, every instrument on stage ended with a power two eighth notes and a quarter note.
The entire auditorium roared with cheers as they gave the DCO a standing ovation. Anzu had tears in her eyes as she applauded the loudest she could. Yami was deeply impressed, glad that he was able to see this orchestra with Anzu.
X
"And do you remember when the violins and violas stood up with their crazy notes? That was awesome!" Anzu was saying.
Yami was walking Anzu home, and the whole trip there, Anzu blabbed about The Lord of the Dance.
"Yes, Anzu. I remember." Yami chuckled.
Yami looked to his left to see Anzu's house in sight.
"We're here." he informed Anzu.
To Yami's surprise, Anzu was disappointed that she got home so fast. It was six pm, so it was for the best.
"Thanks for today, Yami. I had a wonderful time." Anzu told him, getting a bit shy.
"No, thank you." Yami replied. "If you didn't come over to the game shop when you did, I would have stayed at home. And I wouldn't have been able to see why you love the performing arts so much."
Anzu smiled, a real smile. Yami could sense the darkness dissipating in Anzu's heart.
"Bye." she whispered, about to unlock the front door.
Before she could, Yami grasped Anzu in a gentle, yet firm, hug.
"Yami…" Anzu whispered, hugging him back.
"Bye." Yami whispered in Anzu's ear.
With that, Yami pulled away and began to walk home, feeling an emotion called love invade his heart completely. Sighing in content, Anzu unlocked the front door and walked inside her home.
"Hey, mom! I'm home! You'll never believe-!" Anzu cut herself off, remembering that her mother was in Europe by now.
That's right, I'm still alone… Anzu sighed.
Anzu went upstairs to her room and flopped on her bed. As she began to reflect on her day, her face became red when she remembered the kiss Yami gave her.
I just can't stop thinking about that. What did it mean to him? Anzu wondered.
As Anzu continued to reflect, a smiled etched its way onto her face. The fact that Yami kissed her wasn't what made Anzu happy again. It was the fact that she was able to spend time with him.
"I am no longer alone." Anzu realized. "I do have someone. His name is Yami Mutou…"
X
Six days later, it was time for another recital rehearsal. Anzu suggested to Mana that she should play the Irish flute solo on The Lord of the Dance, and Isis should play the piccolo on the intended flute solo.
"That would be cool. It would make the piece more Celtic than it already is." Mana replied.
"Yeah. Besides, I play flute on the side, so I can pick up a piccolo and play." Isis added.
"Does that mean I get to play alto flute?" Marik piped up.
"No." Isis rolled her eyes.
While the two were fighting with Shizuka sweat dropping, Mana took Anzu to the side.
"So, you two finally got together?" she whispered.
"What?" Anzu asked, confused.
"You and Yami, duh!" Mana rolled her eyes. "Yami has been looking at you for months, but never said a word. So, when Marik and I were walking back from an ice cream shop, we saw the both of you holding hands on your way downtown."
"Wait, hold on!" Anzu protested. "Let's rewind. Yami never looks at me! He never acknowledges my presence at school."
"That's what you think." Mana grinned. "I could see him gazing at you like a piece of meat."
"…that's not a pleasant sounding comparison." Anzu said, looking at Mana warily.
"Whatever!" Mana sighed. "The point is, when you don't think Yami is looking at you, he is. He has observed your every move and the way you act. I should know. Yami and I have been friends since we were kids. We just branched off in different directions when we started high school."
With that, Mana walked over to the still feuding siblings to break up the argument. Anzu couldn't believe what she had just been told.
So, all those times where I felt ignored by him, I really wasn't? Wow, Yami is a hard guy to figure out.
Octave four: Loud and proud
Three weeks later on Thursday, Anzu confidently walked into the cafeteria with her lunchbox. It was her lunch hour, and she spotted Shizuka sitting alone again. Jounouchi doesn't have her lunch period, so she always sits by herself. Determined, Anzu sat at Shizuka's table.
"A-Anzu-chan?" Shizuka said, surprised.
"Good afternoon, Shizuka." Anzu grinned. "I hope you don't mind that a friend is sitting at your table."
Shizuka's eyes brightened at the word "friend".
"No, I don't mind at all." Shizuka smiled.
"Good. How about we have one more friend sit here? He's a friend of mine."
"Um, sure." Shizuka replied.
"Great!" Anzu grinned.
Anzu hopped up and went to find Yami. He was sitting outside the cafeteria with a small salad, reading a book.
"Yami!" Anzu called to him.
Yami looked up. He was glad to see her, but the smirk on her face made him fear for his life.
"Bring your book and pansy lunch over to Shizuka's table. She's Jou's sister, as you probably know."
"Pansy lunch?" Yami repeated, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Anzu laughed and pulled Yami by the arm. "Get up! Let's go!"
Sighing, Yami complied and brought his stuff to Shizuka's table.
When they sat down, Anzu introduced Yami. "Shizuka, this is Yami Mutou. He's also a friend of Jou's."
"It's nice to meet you." Yami told her warmly.
A bit embarrassed, Shizuka stared down at her lunch. "Nice to meet you, too."
Anzu smiled at the shy freshman. There was no need to feel alone. Anzu already learned that lesson, thanks to Yami.
X
After school, it was time for the dress rehearsal for the dance recital. Anzu and the clarinet quartet got permission to use the stage. Anzu asked Yami not to peep in this time, wanting the whole recital to be a surprise.
When the bell rang, ending class for the day, Anzu went to her locker and grabbed her costume. It was a traditional Celtic dancing dress. The dress was long-sleeved, but the bottom half flared and ended above the knees. That would make it easier for Anzu to move her legs for some of her ballet moves. The dress was a forest green color, and in the middle of the top and bottom halves was a grey section with gold flower patterns inside. To top it off, Anzu wore white knee socks, black dancing shoes, and a small green crown with gold flower designs in her hair.
The quartet had on similar costumes, on Marik had on forest green pants.
"Anzu, you look so pretty!" Mana gushed.
"Thanks! And the same goes for all four of you." Anzu grinned.
"I'd rather be called "handsome", but pretty will work. Chicks love it when I wear white tights." Marik smirked playfully.
"Even I disagree, and I'm your girlfriend." Mana giggled.
"Alright, let's get this final rehearsal started! The recital is this Saturday." Anzu told them.
"And we'll be prepared." Isis smiled gently.
Anzu got into her starting pose, and nodded slightly at Mana. When Shizuka played her first note, Anzu was ready…
The recital…
Anzu was pacing back and forth backstage before the recital started.
"Anzu, please chill." Mana sighed. "Getting nervous now won't help you."
"I know, I know." Anzu sighed. "But this is the recital that will make or break my chances of getting into Julliard."
"Trust me, you will make it." Isis reassured her.
"Yeah! You have support from many people." Shizuka added.
Something caught the attention of Marik, and when he looked to his left, he smirked.
"Oh Anzu darling, it looks like you have some visitors." he called.
"What?" Anzu asked, turning around.
In front of her stood Yami, Honda, Jounouchi, and…Yugi? They were all dressed in Celtic Guardian costumes.
"But…what…how?" Anzu stammered.
"Yami knocked some sense into all of us," Jou explained. "We are sorry for abandoning you, Anzu. We wouldn't miss this recital for the world."
"And Yami told us that the song you're dancing to, The Lord of the Dance, is Celtic, so we decided to show our support by dressing up as the Celtic Guardian." Honda added, smiling.
"I came home from Europe," Yugi explained. "I have decided that if they want the King of Games near, they'll have to come here! I'll be staying in Domino City to finish up high school and graduate. And Anzu…that one day six months ago, I am so sorry for breaking your heart. I'm a complete jerk. And ironically, Rebecca told me the same thing."
Yami peered at Anzu closely, wondering how she'll react.
Anzu slowly smiled. "I forgive you, Yugi. In fact, I forgave you some time ago. I just didn't know how to deal with it…until Yami came into my life."
Anzu looked at Yami with an angelic expression. He blushed and looked down.
"AWWW!" Mana and Marik squealed from the background.
"Well, we'll all be in the audience." Yugi said.
"Knock 'em dead, Anzu!" Jou grinned.
Yami walked up to Anzu and whispered in her ear.
"The reason why I didn't come to celebrate your birthday was because I wanted you to be happy with Yugi. But…I can see that you are happy without him. Good luck Anzu."
With that, Yami joined his other friends and left to go sit in the audience.
"Yami…" Anzu whispered, a blush appearing on her face. "You sacrificed your happiness for mine. No one has ever done that for me. Thank you…"
"Anzu, the recital is starting. Get back." Mana hissed, pulling Anzu out of the way of the rising curtain.
While the introductions and other performances were going on, Anzu and the quartet were having a small pep session.
"We worked hard for this day. This is our time to shine!" Mana said.
"We are a team! All for one, and one for all!" Marik put it.
"So, when we get out there, let's bring the house down." Anzu grinned.
"And no matter what other people say, don't break a leg." Isis piped up.
Everyone giggled at Isis's "pep talk".
"And thanks to this recital, I have made new friends that I never thought I'd make." Shizuka said, looking at the group. "Let's show how our friendship destined us for greatness."
"Well put, Shizuka." Anzu grinned.
"Anzu! You're up next!" the performing arts chairman Isamu-sensei informed her.
"Thank you." Anzu replied, bowing slightly.
"Alright! Let's do this!" Marik grinned.
The quartet gathered their music and instruments and waited with Anzu for the dancer before her to finish. When he did finish, Anzu strode out onto the stage confidently.
"Woo! Go Anzu!" she could hear Jou and Honda cry.
Anzu waited patiently for the quartet to finish setting up. When they did, Anzu got into her starting pose and nodded at Mana.
Shizuka played her first note. Anzu closed her eyes and let the music take her away. Anzu divided the piece into four sections; dark and gloomy, the middle road, confident and dominant, and loud and proud. It was those four parts that Anzu changed the way she danced in order to fit the tone. Mana played the Irish flute beautifully, and when Isis came in on her piccolo solo, Anzu moved with the music along with her dancing.
Soon, the piece transitioned to "the middle road", where the music was somewhat brighter, and it had a light touch to it. Instead of moving slowly, Anzu began using the tip of her toes a lot in an Irish manner.
Then, the most aggressive section of the song arrived; "confident and dominant".
Anzu's feet became heavier in her steps, and she began moving her arms a lot to emphasize the new idea in the piece. Yami's breath was taken away at that part. The way Anzu gracefully moved, and yet look so powerful was amazing. In fact, the entire auditorium began to clap along to the rhythm, including the Julliard representatives.
When Anzu heard Mana's Irish flute in the background playing quarter notes, she smiled, knowing that it was the "loud and proud" piece, the final part of the song. As the tempo sped up, Anzu opened her eyes to see the crowd struck with awe as they continued to clap to the rhythm. On the final notes of the song, the two eighth notes and a quarter note, Anzu did a quadruple pirouette and ended with her arms outstretched on either side of her in her ending pose.
The auditorium was silent for one second before the place erupted into cheers. Anzu and the quartet received a standing ovation.
"Way to go!" Yugi cried.
Anzu smiled at her friends as she bowed. When she made eye contact with Yami, she could see silent tears trailing down his face as he applauded his loudest.
Yami…is crying for me? Anzu thought, feeling her heart beat faster.
Mana, Isis, Marik, and Shizuka joined Anzu at the front of the stage for the final bow before walking offstage.
X
Anzu was walking through the crowd outside the auditorium with Mana, Isis, Marik, and Shizuka, trying to locate their friends. Along the way, many people congratulated them on an outstanding performance. But, a woman stopped Anzu and the quartet.
"Hello, all of you." she greeted. " I am Eri Harumi, one of the representatives of Julliard." She stuck out her hand,
"H-h-hi Harumi-san." Anzu stammered, shaking her hand.
"Please, call me Eri." the representative replied, smiling. "That was a wonderful performance you had today. I happened to have looked over your application for Julliard, and we saw your dedication to dance. The director Lawrence Rhodes said the same thing. We were streaming your recital to his office in New York, and he absolutely loved your performance."
"Wow…I can't believe it!" Anzu said, her eyes widening.
Eri grinned. "We looked over everything, and due to today's performance, you are eligible for a full ride scholarship."
Anzu felt like she was about to faint. She couldn't believe her ears. While Anzu was freaking out, Eri turned to the clarinet quartet.
"By the way, Akane Izumi attended this recital, since she graduated from Domino High. We spoke for a little bit, and she said that if you four auditioned for the DCO, you would have a high chance of making it."
"Wow, she really said that? That's awesome!" Mana cried.
"But for now," Eri continued. "Why don't you four have a look at Julliard, if you haven't already."
"We have!" Marik grinned. "All four of us applied."
"You have a really good chance of getting in, too." Eri finished.
Anzu found Yami, Yugi, Honda, and Jounouchi in the throngs of people.
"Hey!" Anzu called to them, tears flowing down.
Anzu jumped onto Yami, catching him by surprise. He quickly wrapped his arms around her, leaning his face on top of her head.
"You were just awesome!" Jou cried.
"You really did knock 'em dead!" Honda added.
Yami released a laughing Anzu.
"You were wonderful out there, Anzu." Yugi grinned.
"Thank you all for coming. And Yami…" Anzu faced Yami again. "Thank you for everything you've done."
Anzu wrapped her arms around Yami again. As she hugged her knight in white tights, Yami smiled.
The darkness that once nested in her heart is finally gone. Anzu is free from the chain to abandonment, which means…I'm ready to finally stop looking and start doing…
Four months later…
Anzu walked downstairs from her room around noon. The mail had been delivered. Unbeknownst to Anzu, she was about to get two letters that would change her life forever. One letter was stamped from Julliard, and the other had an unfamiliar address on it. Anzu opened the Julliard letter first. After reading the first sentence, Anzu's screamed in happiness. She was accepted into Julliard…on a full ride scholarship!
Anzu had Yami's number on speed dial, and she quickly called him.
"Hello?" came Yami's voice.
"Yami! I got my acceptance letter from Julliard today! And it's a full ride!" Anzu cried.
"That's great! I'll be right over!" Yami grinned.
Anzu hung up excitedly as she bounced around her house. Then, Anzu remembered the second letter. She opened it, curious.
Dear Anzu,
I have heard so many good things about you. I saw your recital on YouTube. It was absolutely beautiful. I also discovered that you have been accepted into Julliard…on a full ride nonetheless. I am so proud of you. I missed all of these important events in your life because I was selfish. I am disgusted with myself for leaving you here all alone. I am ready to move on from your father's death and live my life with you again. I understand if you'd rather be alone, but you're my daughter. I can't imagine another day without you. I promise you that I'll be in Domino City before you gradate from Domino High. I love you Anzu.
Mom
"Oh mother…" Anzu whispered, tears forming again. "I'm so happy you're coming home."
There was a knock on the door.
"I need to stop crying so much." Anzu sniffled, wiping her tear away.
Anzu opened the door to see Yami standing in front of her, holding a bouquet of wisterias, Anzu's favorite flower.
"Congratulations." Yami smiled, holding out the bouquet.
"Yami, they're beautiful!" Anzu gasped, taking them.
With Anzu distracted, Yami dipped his head and captured her lips with his. Anzu was caught off guard, so a small gasp escaped her lips. Yami snuck his tongue in between Anzu's slightly pursed lips, making the passionate embrace deeper. Anzu, with her perfect aim, tossed the bouquet onto the coffee table near them and tangled her fingers in his wild hair. Yami placed his hands on Anzu's hips as he pressed himself closer to her.
A few moments later, Yami's lungs begged for air, so he released the kiss. Anzu was panting slightly.
"What…was that for…?" she asked, dazed.
Smirking, Yami pressed his forehead against hers. "The same reason why I wore a green Celtic dress and white tights for your recital: because I love you."
Anzu smiled. "I've had the same feelings for quite some time, but I was in denial about all my feelings before the recital. Thanks to you, I came to a realization about many things."
Yami's expression brightened even more. "Oh, and by the way," he said. "Marik called me, and the DCO is having a side-by-side concert for high school students. Guess who's participating?"
"I have a pretty good idea." Anzu smiled. "If they're playing The Lord of the Dance, then I'm in."
"Trust me, they are. The concert starts in a few hours, and it's a free concert. Let's go."
Yami took Anzu by the hand, and like they did four months ago, they walked downtown to the DCPAC, but this time, Anzu had something that she didn't have before; love.
Finis
Dedicated to RiverTear980, Demented Insane Spirit, Fire Ice and snowcones, MissYennon, and Angel the Neko. Thanks for all your help and support for my stories.
This is the longest oneshot I've ever written! My computer says 21 pages! Woot, woot! I have played The Lord of the Dance in eighth grade, but that was two years ago, so I needed a refresher. Along with my original clarinet part, I went onto YouTube and found a wonderful orchestra that played it. If you want to check it out, just type in CBYO Lord of the Dance Royal Albert Hall in the YouTube search engine. It's epic, let me tell you! I was proud to even play that piece in eighth grade. :D
Akane Izumi belongs to RiverTear980. Love ya!
Also, Lawrence Rhodes is a real person. So...yeah. :P
Please review before you abandon this fic for another one! The review button has a wife and three kids to feed. Ja ne, minasan! :3
PRK