Yes, I am back with a new story. I have drafted out the whole thing, so apart from editing and possibly re-writing parts I am not happy with, I should post each chapter weekly. I am basing it in England - because I am English - and although it might seem post canon to begin with, it is alternative universe. You will see once we get into the plot, that some characters have very different roles than they did in canon.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.
Dance With The Devil
Prologue.
It was a slightly bumpy ride as the Airbus A380 descended through the thick layer of cloud towards the runway of Heathrow Airport. However, it did not bother Anzu; she was far too excited to let the murky conditions dampen her spirits.
So this was England. She had been warned about the unpredictable weather! Although it was mid March, she had advised to prepare for wind, rain, sunshine and even snow. Apparently, she could be in shorts and tee-shirt one day and a thick jumper the next! It was nothing like spring in Domino, where the Sakura were already beginning to show the first signs of buds opening.
The Airbus landed without any problems and taxied away from the runway and onto a stand.
Clutching her passport and small holdall, Anzu exited the aircraft and headed into the main terminal.
Once through immigration, she proceeded to baggage re-claim to collect her large suitcase.
As she waited to find out which baggage carousel her case would be on, her nerves started to jangle. What if no one was there to greet her? She would be all alone in a strange country, with no idea of how to get to where she was going!
Pull yourself together Mrs! She never tired of reminding herself of her title.
Oh, how she needed to hear Yugi's comforting voice right now. It would be the middle of the night in Japan, but he had told her to call him, no matter what time it was.
Pulling out her phone, she hit dial.
He sounded sleepy when he answered, which made her feel a bit guilty.
"Sorry if I woke you Yugi! I've arrived."
"That's okay," he yawned. "Where are you?"
"Still at the airport. I'm waiting for my suitcase." As she spoke the screen signalled that she had to go to baggage carousel 5. "Ooh! I better go! The bags are starting to come through! Love you."
"I love you more," he chuckled.
Rather than hang up, they kept talking as she walked through to the baggage retrieval area. "I will ring you again later. What time is your meeting?"
"It's at nine fifteen."
"Good luck.. I just know they will love your new game."
"I hope so," he muttered. "And good luck with your first day in England. What's the weather like?"
"Wet and windy," she laughed.
"Good job you bought that new rain coat then!"
"Oops! I had better go, the cases are starting to come round and I think I can see mine!"
"Okay! Bye.. love you."
Anzu giggled and repeated his words from a moment ago. "I love you more."
There was a brief pause as neither wanted to be first to hang up. Anzu was the first to finally hit end call, simultaneously lunging for the carousel, to retrieve her suitcase before it went round a second time.
::::::::::::
Anzu had waited a long time for this opportunity. Her determination had got her here and she was not going to let anything stop her now.
She steeled herself and stepped into the arrivals hall.
A sea of people confronted her view. She hastily scanned the crowd for her friend's husband, who, she was told, would be waiting with her name written on a large card.
At last, she spotted a man in a black Helly Hansen jacket. He was holding an A4 sized card with Anzu Mutou written on it on bold letters.
Heaving a sigh of relief, she made her way over and bowed. "Hello! I am Anzu," she said, in her best English.
"Good afternoon Anzu. I'm Patrick Feltham, Chrstinas's husband." Having been told of Japanese customs, he bowed, albeit, a little awkwardly. "I trust you had a good journey?"
"Yes, thank you." Anzu nodded.
"Let me take your bag. Follow me? It's pretty crowded so Chrissie is waiting over there." He took Anzu to where a tall, slender, immaculately dressed woman in her early forties was sitting. She stood with the grace and poise of a professional dancer.
"Ahh.. Anzu my dear! I must say, you are looking wonderful!" She exclaimed, in her French accent. "How is married life treating you?!" She embraced Anzu, kissing each of her cheeks in turn.
"Great, thank you. I can't believe it's already been six months since Yugi and I tied the knot!"
"It is good that your husband is so supportive of your career. I am so happy that you will be dancing with the Royal Ballet!"
"I can't believe that I am actually here! To be invited to dance with the Royal Ballet Company just seven months after I graduated Juilliard! It's a dream come true! I'm so grateful to you for giving me such a good reference."
"You are one of the most talented of your generation, you deserve it my dear."
::::::::::::
The drive from Heathrow to Wimbledon Park should have taken around thirty five minutes, but as usual, the M25 motorway was a car park and it ended up taking over an hour.
Anzu was feeling rather weary by the time they arrived at the Feltham's spacious, mock Tudor style home. Patrick carried her luggage up to the guest room.
The room looked out onto the garden, and beyond it, a field containing some horses and some allotments. It was like a small oasis of sanctuary in the middle of suburbia.
Anzu glanced around the spacious room, painted in pale pastel yellow and blue, with floral blue curtains and dark blue carpet. There was a double bed and built in, mirrored wardrobes. There was even a television mounted on the wall. It was far better than Anzu expected.
"This is lovely! Thank you so much for letting me stay Christina," Anzu smiled gratefully.
"It will be a pleasure having you. The cost of renting is extortionate in London; it will save you a fortune. There is a small en-suite bathroom so that you may enjoy your privacy." She opened a door next to the wardrobe, to reveal a small bathroom containing a half size bath with an overhead shower, a sink and toilet.
"I don't know how to thank you enough! How can I repay you?!"
"Just knock em dead with your dancing! As your choreographer, that will be reward enough for me!"
"Please let me contribute to the bills though?!"
"We will discuss it later," Christina said dismissively. Anzu knew she would have trouble getting these kind people to accept any rent!
"I will put the kettle on," Patrick told them. "Do you like English style tea?"
"Yes, I had it when I was in New York. Not too much milk though and no sugar."
"Okay, we will let you sort yourself out and see you downstairs." They left Anzu on her own in the room.
As soon as they had gone, Anzu opened the wardrobe doors to peer inside. There was plenty of space. Smiling, she then flopped onto the bed to test it for comfort.
Happy with her new surroundings, Anzu hung her coat on the back of the door and went to the bathroom before trotting downstairs.
Following the sound of voices, she made her way into the open plan kitchen/dining area for tea and home made shortbread.
::::::::::::
Anzu spent the time between afternoon tea and the evening meal, unpacking. She then took a nice hot shower and pulled on her dressing gown, before laying down on the bed with her tablet to research travelling around London.
She soon grew tired of reading and found herself dozing off.
She was woken by the sound of knocking on the door. "Anzu?! Are you awake? Dinner is in ten minutes."
"Huh!" She felt a bit woozy and disorientated. It took her a second to remember that she was not at home in her own bed. "I must have dozed off! I will be down in a minute," she called out.
She scurried to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on her face in an attempt to wake herself up.
Hanging her dressing gown on the bathroom door, she pulled on some black leggings, a tee shirt and a soft, knitted sweater.
Checking herself in the mirror, she tried to brush her hair, but having fallen asleep with it damp, it would not sit right. She had no choice but to wet it and comb it out again. There was no time to dry it.
Once downstairs, she could hear the laughter of Christina's two children: Twelve year old Zoe and ten year old Nathan. Anzu smiled as she heard them squabbling over who was the better duelist.
She heard Patrick telling them to 'stop squabbling over a silly game'.
"But Dad!" Nathan whined. "She's married to the bestest ever player!"
"Do you even know what that means?!" Zoe added, her voice irritated by her father's lack of interest in the latest game from Japan to become popular among school kids.
"Yes, it means you both behave yourselves, is that clear?"
Anzu heard both of the children groan, so she chose that moment to walk into the room.
The children immediately looked at her with awe and she could see that they were desperate to ask about Yugi. It made her heart tingle with pride for her husband.
She and Yugi had recently talked about having children of their own one day. Yugi had disliked being an only child; he had been lonely. He had told Anzu that he was keen to have more than one child and he wanted to have them as close together in age as possible. Seeing these two children – close in age, showed Anzu that it made sense.
But Anzu was not ready for pregnancy just yet. Maybe in a few years. But right now she was in her prime and feared a career break might end the dream.
However, even though she was career minded and liked to think of herself as independent, she was still torn between her traditional upbringing and wanted to fulfil her duty as a wife and mother. She loved Yugi and she did not wish to go against his wishes, but it was her womb, her body and her career that would be at risk.
Snapping out of her thoughts, she smiled at them. Remembering their names, she addressed each child in turn. "Hello Zoe, hello Nathan."
Curiosity soon got the better of Nathan. "Yugi Mutou is the King of Games!" He blurted, "Will he be coming to stay?"
"Nathan!" His father barked. "What did I tell you about harassing our guest the moment she walks in the room?"
"Sorry," he cowed and looked abashed.
"I don't mind at all!" Anzu spoke. "I love talking about Yugi. And in answer to your question: yes, he is planning to come in about three weeks. He wants to see me dance."
"Wow! Will I get to meet him?" Nathan asked, eyes wide with excitement.
"You most certainly will," Anzu laughed.
"Do you think he will duel me?! I cant wait to show him my cards!"
"Your deck's rubbish!" Zoe teased. "My deck's better. I always beat you."
"That's because you cheat!"
"I do not!"
"If you both promise not to argue," Anzu raised an amused eyebrow at them both, "Then I am sure Yugi will be happy to look at your cards and duel both of you. He loves giving advice and teaching children how to get the best out of their decks."
"Can you all sit up now, please?" Christina came into the dining room, carrying a large casserole dish. "Patrick! Can you and Zoe bring the vegetables in please?"
The pair hurried out to the kitchen and came back carrying a dish with new potatoes and another containing broccoli and carrots.
"I hope you like beef bourguignon, Anzu?"
"Yes! Thank you." Anzu had never heard of it but it sounded nice. And after clearing her plate, she decided it tasted lovely. It was just what she needed on a cold, wet day, and after hours of travelling.
::::::::::::
It was starting to rain again. Anzu snuggled down in bed and listened to the rain pattering against the window and the wind rustling in the trees outside. She thought it might lull her to sleep but she felt restless and was finding it difficult to relax in a strange bed without Yugi's warm body beside her. She was missing him already.
Anzu glanced at the clock; it would be ten past eight in the morning in Japan. Yugi would probably be finishing his breakfast about now. She hoped he was going to eat properly and would not be inviting Jonouchi over to play games every night, while consuming vast quantities of burgers, pastries and fizzy drinks and beer while she was away! She had left Yugi a list of instructions and healthy food ideas.
Would he remember her instructions on how to use the cooker and the washing machine?
The bins! It was Thursday morning in Japan. Did he remember to put the bins out last night?!
Her mind was working overtime now. Unless she spoke to him, she would not sleep.
She reached for her phone.
::::::::::::
Whilst he was happy that Anzu was pursuing her own successful career, a small part of Yugi still wished she was here with him. He had been brought up with traditional Japanese values, and had been taught that a woman should be at home looking after her family. But he would never dare voice that to Anzu! After all, she was a modern woman, who was of the opinion that men who expected their wives to stay at home and be subservient, were selfish chauvinists. Yugi did not wish to be considered a chauvinist and was happy to embrace their marriage as an equal partnership.
But he was already struggling. Firstly, he had overslept. He had set his alarm for seven but had dozed back off and woken again with a sudden start when he heard the bin lorry pull up outside, at ten to eight.
The bin! He had forgotten to put it out!
Leaping out of bed he ran outside, still in his pyjamas and yelled to the bin men not to forget their bin.
Out of breath, he staggered back indoors, feeling dizzy from leaping out of be too fast. He needed to get his skates on if he was to make the eight fifteen train to Tokyo, for his meeting with the game distributors.
He was brushing his teeth when the phone rang. "Kuso! Kuso!" At first, he was not going to answer it. But a sudden thought that it might be Anzu made him reach for the phone.
"Yugi! Is everything alright? You sound flustered. You didn't oversleep, did you?"
"No...! Of course I didn't," he laughed. "I'm just about to leave now." He knew he would not make the eight fifteen but the eight thirty was still possible.
"You are late," she smirked knowingly to herself. "I won't keep you talking then. I can tell you're in a hurry. Did you remember the bin?"
"Yes, of course I did! I'm not a complete idiot," he said, indignantly.
"I know you're not," she chuckled. "I'm missing you and feeling homesick already. I just wanted to hear your voice."
"I am missing you too, but you have to follow your dreams. You are amazing and you are going to be the most beautiful dancer ever. I'm really proud of what you are doing, so don't start doubting yourself now, promise me?!" He said with conviction and encouragement.
"Thanks Yugi. I love your pep talks when I feel nervous."
"That's what I'm here for!" He said, positively.
Anzu giggled. "I will let you go. You knock em dead with your new game at your meeting. I love you. Night..." she yawned, sleepily.
::::::::::::
Anzu hoped that now she had spoken to Yugi, she might be able to get to sleep. She had a busy day tomorrow and needed to be as fresh as possible.
Outside, the wind was still howling and the rain still lashing down. Did it rain all the time here? Shaking her head, she trotted to the bathroom.
Before getting back into bed, she wandered over to the window to peer outside.
Pulling the curtain aside, she startled for a moment when she thought she saw something, or someone.
She blinked and looked again. It must have just been the reflection from the street lamp in the lane that linked the main road to the allotment. With the rain falling in large droplets it cast a strange shadows on the trees and bushes that lined the lane! Bare branches, with buds still waiting to burst, mingled with evergreens, swaying in the wind. And for one ghastly moment, she thought she could see eyes, looking at her.
"Ugh! Quit with the over active mind!" She ordered herself to calm down, pulled the curtains shut and hopped back into bed.
::::::::::::
After a restless night, full of weird dreams about falling off the stage, ripping her costume and then forgetting how to dance, Anzu woke up.
She felt more than a little groggy. Her eyes were heavy and there was a dull thud in the back of her head, making her feel not quite with it. She figured it must be jet lag.
Thankfully, her hosts had left her to sleep in and she had not heard Patrick go out to work or the kids go to school.
A cool shower helped, but she still felt a bit strange and light-headed.
Thank goodness they did not have to be at the Royal Opera House until early afternoon – it would give her time to pull herself together.
She sighed when she saw that she had a missed call from Yugi. He had left a voice mail; telling her that the meeting had been a success and that he had signed a deal with a gaming manufacturer for his game to be distributed in Asia, America and Europe.
Looking at the time, it would be eleven at night in Japan. He would probably be asleep by now and she didn't wish to disturb him, so she went downstairs to get a late breakfast.
The house was calm and quiet, apart from the radio playing quietly in the kitchen.
She found Christina sitting at the table in front of her laptop, sipping a mug of coffee.
"Good morning Anzu. Would you like some tea or coffee? You look like you might need it!"
"Tea please..." Anzu yawned. "Sorry! I think I must be suffering with jet lag! I don't usually get it this bad!"
"We can delay showing you round until tomorrow if you would rather rest? I can call the director."
"No! I will be fine. I can't wait to see the Royal Opera House and get to work."
"Okay, we will leave whenever you are ready."
After a mug of tea and some toast, Anzu felt much better. They left just after eleven fifteen and made their way to the nearest underground station which was Southfields. Anzu purchased a visitors Oyster card so that she could travel about freely and cheaply in London. They then took the tube train to Earls Court, where they changed to the Piccadilly line and took another tube train to Covent Garden. It took just over forty minutes.
Anzu memorised the journey for when she had to do it on her own.
They exited the underground and Anzu found herself in the heart of London, surrounded by the noise and bustle of the city. She could not wait to explore, but her first priority was to get acquainted with where she would be working.
It was a short walk to the Royal Opera House. As they walked Christina told her about some of the attractions she should not miss.
"What is that building?" Anzu pointed to a tall, glass structure on the opposite side of the River Thames.
"That is the Shard. You can pay to go all the way to the top. You get a glass of champagne to drink while you look onto the city. I highly recommend it – although, I have not been myself," she chuckled.
"Maybe when Yugi comes, we can visit some of the attractions," Anzu decided.
::::::::::::
After being introduced to some of the other dancers, Anzu got changed into a leotard and ballet slippers.
Christina told her to warm up and said she would be back to start work on the dancing as soon as she located the male lead, who Anzu would be dancing with.
As Prima Ballerina, Anzu had a lot to master before the opening show in three and a half weeks time.
Plugging her phone into the sound system, Anzu set her favourite warm up music playing.
Standing at the bar, Anzu started with some gentle bends and stretches to loosen up her muscles. She ran through some basic positions and then ran round the room, gradually bringing in some jumps and twirls.
All of her earlier tiredness was fading away as she lost herself in her dancing.
She slowed and came to an abrupt halt when she suddenly heard a voice and hand clapping.
"Bravo! Bravo! My angel..."
She looked over to where a tall, strong looking man, with fair hair and blue eyes was leaning on the door frame looking at her. He was wearing black leggings, black ballet shoes and a white vest. She noted that he was very fair skinned.
"And you are?" She smirked, with a raised eyebrow.
The man pushed himself off the door frame and walked with grace and poise, towards her. When he reached her, he stopped and bowed.
"Alexi Petchikov. We will be dancing together," he said, in his Russian accent. He took her hand and kissed it.
"I'm Anzu Mutou. It is nice to meet you Alexi. Miss Christina is looking for you."
"We practice pas de deux..."
"I guess." She giggled, a little nervously.
They started dancing. He was one of the best male dancers of their generation and Anzu was slightly awed by him.
There was a fair bit of aerial work and Anzu was putting her faith in a man she had never danced with before, to catch her.
"You trust me... It is good we build trust, no?" He said, in his Russian accent, executing a perfect catch as she spun in the air.
They came to a rest, with Anzu laying in his arms.
"You are beautiful dancer," he praised her, flirtatiously.
Anzu stood up and tapped her fingers lightly on his chest. "I'm a married dancer, so no flirting, okay?" She winked.
"Shame..." he pouted. "I like flirt with everyone, even your husband," he winked at her.
It was at that moment that Anzu realised he was gay and started laughing. He started laughing as well.
"I think we are going to get on well," he grinned.
"Yup! I think we are."
At that moment, they both noticed that Christina was watching them from the doorway. "Ah.. I see you two have found each other! From what I see so far, my work will be easy," she smiled.
The rest of the afternoon went really well.
Feeling elated and full of positivity, they went to the cafe for light refreshments before taking the tube train home.
Anzu couldn't wait to call Yugi and tell him all about her day.
Okay, so that is the first chapter. What do you think? Please let me know by reviewing.
Next chapter - things will start to take some unexpected turns.
For some reason, when I introduced Alexi, I found myself picturing Victor from Yuri on Ice!