A/N: So yes, I said I wasn't going to write anymore stories until Return of Shadows completed but I felt like writing something different. Since I lacking the motivation to continue writing The Room, I'm going to provide you guys with another type of story. It's a work in progress and things might be a little fuzzy. Anyway, I hope it makes sense to you guys. Reviews will be much appreciated.
Genres: Adventure/Angst/Drama/ a little horror and some Romance.
Pairings: Yami MarikxAnzuxYami Bakura, sort of. It's hard to explain... -_-
Summary: Ever since the pharaoh passed on, Anzu has been having trouble moving on. One day, she meets a old lady who sends her back into time to relive her life. However, there is a twist. She wasn't only tossed into the past, she was tossed into a parallel universe where Marik wins against Yami. She forced to play by his rules in order to survive this hellish nightmare.
Twisted
I
It was bright and sunny morning when Anzu sat in her homeroom class, waiting for the teacher to arrive. Most of the class was talking among themselves, chatting and gossiping. For Anzu, she sat alone with a hand pressed lazily along her cheek and a somber expression on her face. For those who knew Anzu, she normally wasn't a gloomy type of person. She was strong and cheerful, always the optimistic.
Yuugi Moto, one of her close friends approached her with a worried expression. "Anzu, are you alright?"
Her dull and lifeless blue eyes snapped to life at the sound of his voice. She looked at him, her hand dropping from her cheek. "Yes, I'm alright Yuugi." She stated quickly, trying to recover herself. Yuugi gave her a soft look of empathy, though he wasn't convinced by her. She had been this way for a long time, ever since the Pharaoh had left them. As much as he wanted to say something, Yuugi wasn't one to pry open anyone's problems. He respected Anzu's decision not to tell him anything, even if she did look so miserable.
He patted her hand softly, "Okay, but if you ever want to talk," With his sympathetic look, he smiled reassuringly, "You know where to find me."
Anzu forcefully smiled back at him, "Okay." Yuugi returned back to seat and took out his Duel Monster cards. Her eyes fell onto the cards, eyeing them. Anzu wanted to feel better, knowing that what she was feeling wasn't the end of the world. She wanted to speak with her friends about her problems but she found herself stopping. Her friends, especially Yuugi probably wouldn't be able to handle the truth. It would be weird and everyone would probably feel awkward around her. She didn't want that, feeling as if a rift would start happening between them. Though, with her choice to face her problems alone was already starting to separate her from her friends.
Still staring at the cards, Anzu felt her heart tumble into her stomach. It had been only a year since the Pharaoh had left them for the afterlife. Ever since then, Anzu felt herself pummel into disaster. At first, she had a handle on it. She could go places with her friends and act like everything was okay. It wasn't soon after that she stopped smiling, stopped dancing, and completely stopped letting her friends in.
Looking away, Anzu gulped down a heavy lump inside her throat. Besides the problems with her friends, something else had been eating away at her. After all of this time, Anzu was still in love with Atemu. She had missed him with the hole in her hear, she let his lack of existence control her. She pushed away her friends and forced herself to face it alone. All she wanted to do was be alone.
After school, everyone rushed out of the building. It was Friday and the students were relieved to have a short break before returning back. However, Anzu walked slowly out of the building. Her mood hadn't improved. She was still down and wasn't trying very hard to feel better. Her face was hit was fresh of warm air, refreshing to her darkened state.
Yuugi and Jounouchi were waiting along courtyard when they spotted her. Waving to her, Anzu wondered over to them, feeling obliged to do so. They both smiled at her, excited for the weekend. Yuugi looked up at her, "Anzu, Jounouchi was going to come over to my house. Would you like to come?"
Anzu stood there for a moment, guilt rising up from her stomach. "Oh, I'd love too but…" She trailed off, eyes glancing to the side. She searched for some excuse not to come, "I'm sorry Yuugi. I have some errands to run for my mom. Maybe we can hang out some other time?"
"If ya don't want to hang out with us, just say so Anzu," Jounouchi abruptly stated. He crossed his arms and stared at her annoyingly. Anzu was reluctantly avoiding them more and more. Anzu half expected him to say something by this point. She could tell that it was really starting to piss him off and he wasn't going to sugarcoat it like Yuugi always did.
Anzu blinked at him, his harshness staining through her. She bit her lip, the last thing she wanted to do was hurt her friends. They were all she had. Anzu sighed sadly, lowering her head. It was true, she didn't want to hang out with them but she couldn't tell them the truth. The truth always hurts. "I'm sorry," She confessed softly and turned away from them. She half expected them to follow her and demand reasons. However, they didn't. They left her be.
With her head lowered, she felt the burning within her cheeks, the tightness in her throat. Anzu was a strong person, tears never came so easily. Since she was in public, she wanted to avoid crying. Get home. She thought while her pace quickened. Just make it home. She didn't understand why they didn't chase after her. She was kind of hoping on it. She knew that all of this grieving wasn't good for her, especially when it all was bottled up inside of her. Anzu clenched her school bag tightly, knowing that she was being selfish. She could have been better or even pretended to be okay if she willed it. Personally, she wanted to feel upset, wanted people to stop her, and ask what was wrong. It was unhealthy attention but she wanted it.
Anzu stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, the pressure had built up long enough. Her vision started to cloud, blurring with watery tears. Her breathing panicked, sharpening and shuddering. Anzu was on the brink of a break down and she was about to do it in the public eye. She covered her face, feeling her legs starting to give way. She couldn't go on, not without letting all of her bottled up emotions burst out of her. Tears rolled down, slipping through the cracks of her hands, and flooding her cheeks. Her shoulders heaved, breathing obnoxiously into her palms. Her thoughts screamed down her to calm down as she imagined the people around her. They probably gave her sideways glances but none of them stopped to see if she was okay. They only stared at her momentarily before continuing with their own lives. The realization at how cruel people were only made her more upset.
"Why are you crying, child?" A soft spoken voice of a woman echoed into her ears. It was stained with such tenderness that beckoning Anzu to pull away her hands and see who was bothering to notice her. Anzu sniffed and forced herself to look at the woman. She didn't look as fragile and tender as she sounded to be. The woman was an older lady with deep wrinkle trenches in her face. Her eyes were empty, a pale brown that burned into her soul. Anzu flinched at the sight of her, noticing how she was covered in heavy clothing. The woman's dress was a pale pink with mixtures of purple. Anzu continued to stare at the woman, reminding her of a gypsy.
Anzu didn't speak, she couldn't. She felt like if she said the wrong thing, she could have turned into dust and fade into the wind. The woman scared her, having such strong facial features. The old woman touched Anzu's arm, her soft spoken voice filling the air once more. "Come with me. I'll make you feel better." As if in a trance, Anzu followed the woman into a strange looking shop. The store burned with strong incents like the roses and orchid. The store was different than any other store Anzu had walked into. It was full of unique things, strange looking candles, clothing, books, and crystals.
The old woman didn't waste any time and led her into a back room. The room had potential to be large, but the piles of books, it felt like the walls were closing in. On a small desk, there were several candles that lit up the entire room, each flame trying hard to survive. The old woman pulled up a chair and guided Anzu to sit. Anzu plopped down on the chair, eyeing the room with nervous amazement. Her cheeks were stained with tears, making her looks like she had been through hell.
"Now my child," the old woman started, relaxing, "why were you crying?"
Anzu's eyes finally fell back onto the woman, her voice raspy. "I just…"
The woman eyed her closely, "My child, I am old. Please, speak up."
The young brunette found it hard to speak but she didn't want to deny this woman what she wanted. "I've just been having a hard time…that's all…"
"A hard time? My dear, please explain." The woman beckoned, issuing Anzu to continue with her woes.
From her seat, Anzu stared up at the woman. She shifted uncomfortably; she didn't even know the woman. Why was she so demanding in knowing her problems? "I…I really don't want to talk about it." She stated, trying to find a way to leave this woman. She just wanted to go home.
"Do you know who I am?" The woman stated harshly, the tone her voice changing rapidly. Anzu's head tilted in confusion, feeling a sense of looming darkness. Anzu shook her head, confusion spreading across her features. "I am the great Magdalene, one of the greatest gypsies of all time. I have powers, charms, and gifts from other great powers, my child. I was given my powers to help those in need." Magdalene shot Anzu another hopeful stare. "Now, tell me so I can help you."
Anzu blinked at the woman. She was doubtful of her but she spoke up once more. "I'm…just having a hard time because…" She started, gulping up the courage to talk about it. "…because the one I love is no long here. I know what I'm doing it selfish, I know I'm hurting my friends with my distant attitude but…I just don't feel like putting a smile on my face. This sounds bad but I just want to dwell on this awful life of mine. I don't feel like fixing it."
Magdalene had walked over to a candle, suffocating the fire with the touch of her fingertips. Her features seemed to of twisted violently; the innocent facade she was performing was gone. She smiled helplessly, "I know."
"You know?"
"Yes, I know. The first thing to do is to admit it to yourself. Hearing the truth is the key to the healing process." The door to the office shut and locked abruptly, making Anzu jump out of her chair. The old woman started to smile wickedly, "I deal with people like you all the time, Anzu." Anzu headed for the door, trying to pry it open. How does she know my name?
Magdalene continued, pinching out another candle. "All of you have the same fault – you choose not to see the goodness that life has to offer. Instead, you dwell on your situation and let it consume you. All of you choose this fate, none of you like to brush off the negativity and move forward. People like you disgust me." From Anzu still trying to escape her, Magdalene placed a hand on her hip. "What do you think your doing? Your not going to open that door."
Anzu kicked the door before turning to the woman in failure. Her eyes screamed with passionate fire, burning the fiery cerulean eyes. "Let me go! I have nothing of worth to you! Please…" The fire in her eyes started to die quickly, fading as she weighed the situation. She had gotten herself into something terrible and escape seemed inevitable.
Magdalene scoffed, "Girl, this is what is best for you. I'm going to help you see the goodness in your situation. You may not like it but then again, no one does."
An eerie sound suddenly echoed within Anzu's ears, burning deep into her skull. Her hands lifted to her forehead to somehow ease the pain. "What…is this…?" Anzu asked, feeling the unbearable pain echo throughout her body. She fell to the floor, legs tucked in, and her knees hit the floor. The world was shrouding in darkness, her vision on the crazy old woman was fading. She saw her smile coolly at her fallen form before the darkness isolated her vision, allowing nothing but emptiness to follow.
Magdalene laughed lightly, "Whoever knew that the lost shadows from the beyond could be so persuasive." She opened a drawer in her desk, reaching inside the space to grab an old book. The sides were torn, burnt and ripped. The paper had a crispy, yellowish tint to it. Magdalene placed the book along the top of the desk, flipping it open. She glanced back over at Anzu, still smiling, "Perhaps you'll be the one to survive my trial." She snickered under her breath, "And if you do, you'll thank me later."
Magdalene started to read from the massive, old book. She spoke words that would strange and unfamiliar to any language. Her tongue twisted with each syllable, a hint of thickness in her throat, and a distorted sound within her voice.
What I do, I do to save. All I do these children is to make them see, make them see thee. Goodbye little Anzu…surely you can survive in the world where everything that had gone right has goes wrong. Surely you'll be able to do it. I won't stop until one child can prove to me that this isn't all they see.
A whirl of wind filled the room, silencing the flames of the candles, and shrouding them in a blanket of darkness. From the continuation of the rambling of the spell, light began to emerge from the corners of the darkness. The light swirled around the body of Anzu Masaki, wrapping around her flesh, and coating her. With the final burst of bright energy, Magdalene had completed her ritual. The soul, the spirit of Anzu had left her body and was coaxed somewhere dark and desolate, never to return to the world in which she knew.
Anzu woke up in a cold sweat, watery beads rolling down her face. The pupils in her cerulean blue eyes were dilated, the blackness absorbing the sea. She brought her hand to her face, her body trembling. She wanted to cry, the memory of the old woman trapping her inside that room and talking nonsense to her. Anzu dropped her hand, feeling a sudden jerk of her insides. With a hand pressed against her stomach, Anzu cringed at the feeling. My insides…it feels like they were being ripped apart… Her eyes drifted to her new surroundings, she was no longer within the custody of the crazy woman. She was somewhere else, somewhere familiar…
Anzu's eyes widened at the pale colored walls, the dull and lifeless metal floors, and her sleeping friend. She may have been on the ground but she remembered this place instantly. It was the Battle City blimp. She rose from the ground in horror, her thoughts screaming at her wildly. All of this happened a year ago! What is going on?
She was in Jounouchi's room, her chosen sleeping quarters on the cold body suddenly grew heated as she stared at the walls. As if thinking this all was a horrible illusion, Anzu glanced down at her own clothing. It was the exact outfit she picked out, sky blue button up sleeveless shirt with dark shorts and high stockings. Anzu backed away from the empty bed, inching closer to the door. "No…" She whispered to herself, "This all must be a dream! Yes, a very bad dream!"
Anzu's hand pressed against the steel door, the solid and cold touch of metal made this even more vivid to her. "This can't be happening to me." Anzu shook her head and persisted to step out of the room. At the moment that her eyes met the brightly lit hallway, she ran down the hall, tears burning within her eyes. This isn't happening…There's no way I could have slipped back into time! That's impossible…
Anzu didn't know why she ran or where she was going exactly. She wanted to keep running, hoping to find a magical door that would allow her to leave this nightmare. It was one thing to remember the past but it was another to relive it. All of a year's hard work was gone, wasted as she drifted back to the same spot. Though, as she slowed her pace down the endless hallway, she wondered why it was this place that she returned to. The days and nights here were crazy thanks to one dark alter ego who purposely wanted to scare them. Whatever he wanted to accomplish with them, it worked. Anzu was terrified, especially to experience it all again.
The thought of it repeating it all brought fresh tears to her eyes, trailing endlessly down her face. She couldn't control the emotions; they were going to come regardless if she banged her head against the wall to keep them from coming. Her hand pressed against the wall, her body collapsing into her. Anzu's face dug into her arm, crying in confusion, sadness, and worry. Everything is so screwed up. What did I do? Was it because of that old Magdalene lady? Why did she do this to me?
"Why are you crying such tears, my dear?"
As if the situation couldn't get any worse for her, he had to appear. Anzu stopped instantly stopped crying, thought of his presence brought complete and utter fear to her. Her head slowly lifted from her arm, eyes glowing in surprise. Anzu shuddered, knowing that there was no one around to save him from her. She was completely at his disposal and her exposure of her weakness surely fueled him. Biting her lip, she slowly turned around. Alright, Anzu pull it together. If you don't see him then it proves that all of this is some kind of freakish nightmare.
Her heart spun out of control, rapidly beating in her chest. Her dead heart had suddenly sprang back to life at the sudden tease of false hope. She didn't know why she had teased herself like that, she knew he would be there. What more proof did she need? She was back here, the familiar smell of fresh and untouched metal returned to her, the sight of her old friends were exactly where they used to be. Besides for the very vivid and surreal surroundings, she could feel his presence, and feel his cold yet heated stare. He was waiting for her, waiting to prove her wrong.
She turned around completely, facing the sickening form Malik Ishtar. Though, as much as she wished it was him, it wasn't. He had chosen to go by the name of Marik instead continuing to walk the path of Malik. Malik probably wasn't any better than his counterpart but at least he wasn't completely crazy. From the look in his eyes, nothing but the cruelness lingered. He definitely was a force to be reckoned with.
Anzu's heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. She didn't miss his coolly placed smirk. Marik was leaning against the wall with his bronzed arms crossed, eyeing her with such cruel indifference. The smirk on his face was her only key to what he was thinking, her only hint to what he might do to her. His eyes flickered as soon as she turned to face him. "You're alone."
Anzu wrapped her arms around her, as if to protect herself from him. She wanted to slip away from him and crawl back to Jounouchi's room where it was mildly safe. Though, in this time of crisis, Anzu needed to keep her wits about her. Spazzing out now would not help her. She nodded, such determination blistered on her face suddenly. Marik didn't look phased. "Yes, I am alone."
"Surely you know that there is a monster lurking throughout these halls. Walking without your so-called friends is bad. There is no one here to protect you." Marik stated, his voice nearly purring with malice. Anzu raised an eyebrow, is he referring to himself as the monster? I wouldn't doubt that.
Anzu gulped but remained strong. She had to be strong, especially in order to survive Marik's presence. Even by himself, the air about him to of intensified, trembling with heaviness. He was growing stronger, the impressions of the veins on his face tended to linger. "I'm fine." She stated, though her tone was wavering. She was already starting to lose confidence. She didn't know how much longer she could hold this fascade. Slightly panicking, Anzu started to walk past him when an unknown force gripped her arm tightly. Her eyes quickly trailed to the source, catching his strong hand grabbing her arm. She suddenly looked up at him in confusion. What is he doing?
His violet eyes flickered once more, hinting something more at her. His actions spun her in a world of more confusion, sparking her curiousity. "That sudden spark of fire in you, don't let it burn out Anzu. Your little friend Mai's fire was extinguished…" His threatening fingers found their way to her cheek, grazing along it slowly. Anzu retreated but Marik's forceful grip made her stay in her place. "Let's hope it doesn't fade so easily." He chuckled, the sound of his voice echoing in her ear. He released her and started to walk away, his cape flowing behind him. The light touch of his fingers gave Anzu her full attention. She fell to the ground, hand tracing the imprint of his fingertips. She stared at him, her eyes screaming wildly, though none of it ever made any sense. What…?
As soon as Marik disappeared from sight, Jounouchi came up from behind her. He pressed a hand on her shoulder, his face beaten and exhausted. "Anzu, are you okay? Everyone's been looking for you. The duel between Kaiba and Yuugi is about to start."
Anzu snapped out of her trance, looking up at her friend. He looked like he had just gone through hell, his clothes were covered in sweat as his face looked tired and rough. She instantly remembered Jounouchi's duel with Marik. He had fallen unconscious during their duel, deeming Marik the winner. She remembered how she felt back then, she was scared to death that no one was going to stop Marik. He was picking off their friends carelessly, first Mai, then Ryou, and now Jounouchi. Though, her blonde friend was lucky. He had survived and slipped out of his coma.
Though, staring at his poor state brought her on the verge of tears again. His words danced in her head, knowing that everything was indeed, not fine. Through the endless worry that she felt, she pushed forward and forced herself to respond positively to Jounouchi. Back then, Anzu wasn't a nervous wreck like she was now. Drifting back into time, she almost felt obliged to repeat the same footsteps as she did previously. In fact, now that she was back in the past, she felt almost relieved. The pharaoh was still attached to Yuugi. She would be able to speak to him again. Anzu nodded quickly, shoving everything down into her pit less stomach.
"No, I'm okay." She nodded again, wiping away the remaining tears, and reassured herself. "I'm fine." She stood up and eagerly followed Jounouchi off of the blimp and into the large tower.
Marik stood behind a wall quietly, listening to the conversation between the blonde and little Anzu. He had hated how he survived the Shadow Realm and overcame his mind games. He growled to himself, his weaker half couldn't complete the mission that they had solely twisted and planned to perfection. If Malik couldn't control the mutt, surely he thought he could. He was stronger than his other half; surely containing someone like Jounouchi shouldn't have been a problem. He had the won the duel; therefore Jounouchi should have lost his soul to the shadows.
Besides for that failure, his encounter with Anzu sparked his interest. He had met her before, behind the eyes of his weaker half, but the same nonetheless. Even when he was placed in control of the body, he had felt up their presences, no one of complete interest to him besides for the pharaoh. All of his friends were humans that were stained with the essence of teenage life, nothing truly of interest to him. However, after meeting her again to face to face, something about her startled him. The air about her was no longer of the same air he felt days before. He could sense how lost she was, reminding him of lost spirits that loose their way after death. Anzu indeed was not dead; she was still in the prime of her youth. So then, why was she lost?
Marik remembered from when his weaker half controlled her mind, his power seeping into the hidden corners of her brain. From just peeking into her memories alone, he could tell that Anzu was a strong woman who always knew what to do. She had a strong sense of determination as well, something that Malik actually found hard to mess with. Anzu could actually contain the strength that Jounouchi displayed; she could have forced Malik out if she wanted to enough. So now, her fiery spirit was tossed into turmoil, complete and utter turmoil.
Marik continued to walk down the empty hallways, pondering his remaining thoughts. Lifting his Millennium Rod up to his face, he caressed his own skin with the golden metal. Something about the lost spirit of Anzu Masaki interested him, curious to how such a strong and fiery woman could have lost her own way. There was no one on this blimp that could shatter her spirit so quickly; he was the only one with such power that could turn her world upside down. From his recollection, he didn't touch her. The only spirit he truly broke was pretty, little Mai. Oh, and she was too easy for him.
Though, the more he walked down the dark hallway, the more he realized that Anzu's spirit wasn't broken at all. It was ripped and replaced with the same type of essence but not exactly the same Anzu. He chuckled to himself; the thought of the entire thing sort of excited him. Though he wasn't the one to distribute such turmoil, it amused him to think that someone like Anzu was being manipulated. "Once I win this tournament, I'll tear you apart so I can see with my own eyes what is behind the flesh."
A/N: Review and tell me what you think so far.