Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh but I did create a number of the cards that appear in this story.

Ryu: Okay, I was watching an AMV that was supposed to be about Anzu and her affections for Atem. Now, even though I don't much care for Anzu at all, I got this idea for a fic. I decided to bill it as part of the Duel Chronicle Saga but it will be a full-length fic as opposed to the series of one-shots that the series has been. I image there will probably be a few duels throughout the fic, however long it may be, but they won't be the main focus of the story. I don't want to give away too much more so I'm going to get started. And, since I'm sure someone will notice, I'm going to borrow an idea from a friend and use the names of cards as my chapter titles. Okay, time to get going.

Chapter 1: Black Pendant

"Good night guys, I'll see you tomorrow."

Anzu Mazaki closed the door of her house and locked it behind her. She'd just come from a day of hanging out with her friends at Ryou's. It was the first time the group had truly gotten together in weeks. After the Pharaoh Atem had returned to the afterlife Anzu and her friends had returned to Domino, Japan in time to begin the weeks of grueling studying before senior finals. From there it was uncertain where they'd all end up. Anzu knew that, despite her deep love for her friends, she wasn't going to let anything get in the way of her dream of studying dance in New York. But, for now, she wanted to spend as much time as possible with them while she still could.

"Is anyone home?" she called into the house. Empty, as usual. Anzu's parents worked constantly so she was used to spending her time at home alone. It was always quiet and she could play loud music, dance in the living room, and really just about do anything she wanted. Her friends were sometimes jealous of her freedom and Jounouchi and Honda at times would tease her about being able to have boys over for anything she wanted at anytime; such perverts.

Anzu took off her shoes at the door and proceeded up the stairs to the bathroom where she turned on the a hot shower. Then she left across the hall to her bedroom, not bothering to close the door, and began to take off the Domino School uniform she hated. The top half was too girly and the bottom too skimpy. She undid the blue ribbon and then the buttons of the pink jacket and slipped them off. From there she unbuttoned her white blouse before sitting on her bed and removing her socks. She let the blouse fall off her shoulders before unzipping the blue skirt and standing back up so that it dropped to the floor. Now clad in only her white bra and panties she made her way back across the hall to bathroom.

Her modesty always took over when she got to her undergarments and she would never prance about the house in anything less, despite its emptiness. Once in the bathroom she reached back and undid the clasp of her bra, letting her breasts fall free of their prison. She then reached down and placed her thumbs in the sides of her panties so that she could slide them down her thighs that were fine-toned from all her dancing and leave them on the floor. Now fully nude she stepped into the shower ad drew the curtain shut.

She sighed deep in her throat at the nice feeling of the hot water cascading over her bare skin. Showers were always so intimate, alone or shared, Anzu had always thought. Of course she'd never shared one but she'd read novels of the sort. It was a place of relaxation where you could be nothing but yourself, exposed and washing away an lie or falsehood about you. It was a place where yo could get to know yourself and anyone you might share it with. If only Anzu could've shared it him.

It was often awkward for Anzu to have these thoughts. They were about her best friend whom she had no romantic feelings for, though she suspected he did her, and about the man whose voice she'd fallen in love with the moment she'd first heard that phrase:

"Let's play a game."

The two people were one in the same and yet they were complete different beings. They had been one and the same anyway. Now they were separate again and he was gone forever. That day was still etched into her mind.

(BACK THEN)

"Silent Magician, attack his LPs directly."

The female magician dressed in black and red robes with long, light aqua hair leapt up and fired a blast of blue light at the Pharaoh, delivering 3500 points of damage to him directly (0).

The magician vanished as the smoke cleared and the Pharaoh began to walk forward, his duel disk vanishing. He comes to a stop before the boy that could've been his twin, who had fallen to his knees crying. "I have been defeated, aibou."

The boy on his knees only continues to cry.

The Pharaoh, smiling kindly, knees down and places a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You've won but why are you crying?" he asked. "Get up. If I were you I wouldn't show my tears."

"Because I'm weak," the boy sobbed. "You were someone I wanted to reach. I've always thought that I would like to be strong like you."

The Pharaoh smiled at the boy. "You are not weak. You're also holding a strength that has never been defeated, aren't you? That is the strength of kindness. I learned this from you, aibou."

At this the smaller boy looked up into the violet-red eyes of the Pharaoh who put his other hand on the boy's other shoulder.

"Your courage to accept this ceremonial battle guides me to where I should be," the Pharaoh told him, helping him to his feet.

"Mou hitori no boku."

"I am no longer the 'other you'," the Pharaoh told him, taking his arms off the boy and causing him to gasp. "You are nobody else. Your true appearance is Yugi Mutou; the only one in this world."

As Yugi nodded at the Pharaoh's words the eye on the door behind them began to glow, drawing gasps from those present.

"What's that?" Honda asked.

"The eye on the gate…" Jou started but trailed off.

"The Wedjet Eye guarding the gate to the world of death has finished checking the truth from the ceremonial battle of the Pharaoh's spirit," Ishizu explained. "Now, it is time to open the gate and return the spirit of the Pharaoh that has existed in this world for more than 3000 years."

The Pharaoh walked to stand before the gate while his friends gasped.

"Spirit of the Pharaoh; express your name to the Wedjet Eye," Ishizu instructed.

The Pharaoh looked up into the eye and said to it, "My name is Atem."

The eye shined brightly and then sent a line of light down the center of the gate, cauisng it to part and open to him.

With a look of solemn determination the Pharaoh began to walk into the light.

"Yugi!"

He stopped at hearing the voices of his friends and their footsteps as they ran up the stairs to where the battle had taken place.

"Wait Yugi," Anzu cried.

"Are you really going to leave?" Honda asked. "You don't really have to go do you? Please don't go," he begged, covering his face to hide tears that were welling in his eyes.

"Another Yugi… Atem…" Anzu said through her tears. "I know there's a place you should return to beyond that light. But that light means you'll be separated from us. I don't understand this at all. You've been with us all this time. Now you're going to leave? I don't understand the meaning of your choice," she yelled before her sobs overtook her.

"Anzu," Jou said as strongly as he could.

Anzu looked up at him and saw the tears in his eyes as well.

"It's good that you don't understand," he told her. "That we don't understand will make us remember it. It'll make us not forget his story and the feeling that we have been together. So let's send him to his world… to his future."

The Pharaoh closed his eyes at the words.

'I won't forget you,' Anzu thought, placing her hand over her fast-beating heart.

"Yugi," Jou went on, trying to sound more cheerful. "It doesn't matter if you're the Pharaoh or Atem. You are Yugi."

The Pharaoh looked back up at these words.

"We'll always be friends, no matter how much time passes," Jou told him.

The Pharaoh looked back around at his friends with a wide smile that matched the ones they were all wearing now. "Right," he said simply.

"I definitely won't forget you," Yugi called.

Smiling, the Pharaoh turned back to the door. He stuck his thumb up to show them he wouldn't forget either as he started into the light. And as he walked his clothes changed from the blue school uniform Yugi always wore back into the silk white garb and blue cape of the Pharaoh, his head adorn with gold. Beyond the light his friends could make other the shapes of the people from the Pharaoh's past. Karim and Shada knelt in front of Isis who was standing next to Mana, the young girl waving happily. Next to her, with his hands respectfully behind his back, was Shimon. Behind him stood a younger, less cruel-looking version, of the Pharaoh's uncle Akunadin and also stood his father, King Akunumkanon. Beside them was the Pharaoh's cousin, rival, and friend Seto with the Pharaoh's closest friend and servant Mahaado kneeling in front of him.

He disappeared behind the light and the gates began to close. Anzu, suddenly overcome with a desire to not lose him, started forward but was stopped by a hand being placed on her shoulder. The light continued to fade as the doors moved until they shut completely.

"Yugi!" she cried. That was the last time she would see him.

(PRESENT)

That had been one of the hardest days of Anzu's life. Atem had been one of her closest friends, not to mention her savior on several occasions, for the past couple of years. Now he was forever gone from her, back to the world of the dead. She sometimes wondered; if he was in the world of the dead, then would she be able to see him again if she died? But it wasn't worth throwing her life away to find out. If it was true then she could live her life to the fullest before she died and then still see him in the end.

Finishing her shower and pushing suicide out of her mind, Anzu turned off the water an wrapped a towel around her chest. She picked up her undergarments from the floor as she left and tossed them into her room before going downstairs into the kitchen. She flicked on the light and walked to the refrigerator, getting a pop. She took a drink as she closed the door and looked over at the counter where a box and card caught her eye. Setting the can down she walked to the package and picked up the card. She opened it and read:

Anzu,
Sorry that we had to work. We know you're working hard studying for your finals so we wanted to get you something special. We hope you like it and we should be home tomorrow night.
-Mom and Dad

Anzu smiled a she read over the card once more before setting it down and looking at the bow. It was wrapped in pale yellow paper and topped with a lavender bow. She picked up and took off the lid, revealing a black gem set in gold and contented to a string of tiny, crimson beads. Anzu gasped at the jewel that seemed to glow on its own and took it from the box. She carefully fastened it around her neck, letting the gold come to rest on her skin at the top over her breasts.

"They are really great, even if they can't always be there," she told herself happily.

She took her drink and left the kitchen, climbed the stairs, and went into her bedroom, closing the door. She didn't feel like getting dressed and instead plopped down on the bed in her towel, setting the drink on the table. She curled up in the bed and felt sleep starting to claim her.

"Still," she yawned, "it would be nice if someone was around all the time. Someone to spent these quiet nights with. Someone… to…" sleep overtook her. The light from above glinted off the pendant she wore and darkness quickly encircled her.

For some reason her sleep was comfortable. Not to say that it usually wasn't, but tonight it was very pleasant. But how could she know that if she was asleep. She guessed that she was still awake and opened her eyes. To her surprise her room was gone. Instead of laying in her bed she was sitting in a small bed over pink, yellow, blue, and purple flowers that were soft to the touch. Trees surrounded her and it was quickly obvious that she was in a forest.

"Am I dreaming?" she wondered. She looked down at herself and found that she was still wearing only the white towel from the bathroom and the pendant she'd found in the kitchen. "Well if I am I'm not being very creative," she said indignantly, getting up from her spot.

She looked around again, taking in everything. It was definitely a forest. She looked up to the sky and saw that it was gold and orange, meaning the sun was setting. If it was going to be night soon she didn't want to stuck here and have her dream become a nightmare.

A rustling from behind her caught her attention and she turned around quickly. "Is anyone there?" she asked.

A spot in the flowerbed was shifting and she backed away from it. Not wanting to risk it turn out to be something malevolent she turned and began to run through the woods, clasping the towel close around her so that it would not fall. It didn't take long to outrun the sound and she stopped to lean against a tree and take a breather.

"I wonder what that was," she panted. "But I'm glad I didn't find out."

"Why is that?"

"Because it could've been dangerous," she replied, as if it were so obvious.

"If you think the woods are dangerous you shouldn't wander into them."

"Well I didn't have a lot of choice in the matter," she said indignantly. She wondered then who she was talking to. "Um… where are you?"

"You're leaning on me."

Anzu stiffened at the statement. She slowly turned her head to the tree and saw a face smiling at her from the blue-gray bark. She screamed and jumped back from the creature.

"You shouldn't scream like that in someone's face," the tree told her. "Not to mention it'll probably attract them."

"I'm sorry," she said, trying to regain some composure. "I was just surprised that you were talking to me."

"You can lean on me but you can't talk to me?" the tree asked sadly.

Anzu blushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that," she apologized. "I'm just not used to trees talking is all."

"Well why not?" the tree asked. "If you're in the woods then you must be from the village. And the village is close enough to talk with the trees."

"I'm not really from around here," she admitted. "By the way, my name's Anzu."

"That's a strange name," the tree said. "It sounds Minabian."

"Minabian?" Anzu asked,

"You know, from Minabi, the land to the north across the sea," the tree explained.

Anzu only stared at the plant blankly.

It sighed. "I guess you really aren't from around here."

"No, I'm from Domino," Anzu said.

"Never heard of it," the tree admitted. "But then I'm a tree, stuck forever here in this forest, so I guess I wouldn't know much about what goes on in the outside world."

"That must be so lonely," Anzu said sadly. "Don't you wish you had friends?"

"My friends are all around me," the tree told her. "They're not all like me but I can feel their emotions and communicate with them. Oh, look at me. I haven't introduced myself. My name is Trent."

"It's nice to meet you," Anzu said. She offered a hand instinctively but then withdrew it quickly. "So, when you said screaming might attract them, who did you mean?"

"Oh, a terrible bunch," Trent said, though he kept up his friendly tone. "They get hungry and enjoy meat. It's not a good idea to come into these woods if you don't now what you're getting into. In fact, they're probably on their way here now. Odds are they're gobble you up."

"What?" Anzu squeaked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was just so nice to talk to someone other than trees," Trent said happily. "Not many wander in this deep because of them and when they do it's not for long. I didn't want you to leave."

"But now I'm gonna get eaten and you'll never talk to me again," she shouted.

"Don't yell, it'll be easier for them to find you," the tree teased.

"Who is them?" No sooner than she'd asked did a loud howl pierce through the air.

"There they are now," Trent sighed sadly. "Oh well. It was nice meeting you Anzu."

Anzu was already gone, running off into the woods. The howl had sounded like a wolf's so she wanted gone before she knew for sure. Above her head she heard a familiar rustling sound like the one from the flowerbed. Looking back that rustling seemed like it might have been the lesser of two evils and she wished she'd stayed there.

If that weren't bad enough her towel was coming loose and she had to clasp it against her chest. Doing so, however, took her attention away and she tripped just as she heard the sound of something jumping from the bushes ad landing behind her. She turned and her eyes met the sight a wolf covered with silver hair. It had red claws and yellow eyes and Anzu could swear she recognized it. Then it struck her.

"Silver Fang?" she gasped. It looked just like the hologram silver wolf she'd seen Yugi play time and again during Duelist Kingdom. Of course back then it had never been trying to eat her and so never looked o scary. Now she could see the saliva dripping from its fangs and she backed away.

The wolf growled and it padded closer to her, slowly stalking and sizing her before making its strike. Even for a dream it was terrifying. That's right, it was a dream. She'd had dreams where things like this would happen. Someone would attack her or she'd be falling but then wake up just before they got to her or she hit the ground. This would be the same. The last ting she'd see would be the wolf coming at her face and then she'd sit up in her bed, covered in cold sweat, and be safe. Yes, this would be just the same.

The wolf crouched back on its legs. This was it, wake up time. She leaned back braced herself on her arms anyway as the creature leapt at her. The fear was welling up but before it could reach its peak something leapt from the trees and tackled the beast to the ground. Anzu blinked with confusion. Wasn't she supposed to wake up? But she couldn't if that thing was wresting with the wolf. What was it anyway?

It was moving quickly in it battle but one thing was certain, it was green and only about the size of a house cat. It appeared to walk on its hind legs and she could see that it had a tail and wings, and looked to be covered in fur. It also had huge ears and she could see pink claws on its hands and feet, as well as a little pink horn on its head. The creature's face was fierce right now but Anzu wasn't afraid of it. It was protecting her after all but there was more than that. She just felt safe with the little imp.

The imp wasn't so safe though. The wolf, sounding angry, managed to hit it with its paw and knock it back toward Anzu. She ran to her little protector and picked it into her arms. There was a bleeding wound on its stomach and its face had gone from intense to pained and adorable. It was another creature she recognized, another that Yugi had used on numerous occasions.

"It's Gremlin," she gasped. And it had tried to save her. But now it was hurt because of her and the wolf was closing in on her again.

It crouched back like before and leapt directly at Anzu.

"No!" she cried. This was where she was supposed to wake up but for some reason she didn't want to leave the little creature behind.

There was a bright light suddenly; its source the pendant at Anzu's neck, and the wolf was pushed back from her. It skidded across the forest floor and collided with a tree trunk.

Anzu blinked at the creature laying, seemingly, unconscious and wondered how she had done that. More importantly she wondered why she still hadn't woken up. She looked down at the bundle in her arms. It was still hurt and if she was going to be stuck in this dream for a while longer she felt she had to help it since t had helped her. But what could she do?

"Trent said there was a village," she remembered. "But I have no way of knowing which way I need to go to get there. And there's no way I'm going back to ask that senile old tree anything." She looked back down at the creature she held. "Still, I need to help Gremlin out."

She got up from the ground and started to head back the way she'd come when the sound of more howling met her ears. Trent had said they so of course there would be more. Then the sound of growling came to her too and she noticed the fallen wolf starting to stir again. Decided going toward the wolves would be a bad idea she turned and look off in the other direction.

The creature she held began to breath irregularly and behind her she could hear footfalls. Either the other wolves were catching up or the one she'd beaten already was after her again; or worse, both.

'Will I die here?' she wondered as she ran. 'Of course I won't die. It's only a dream. If I did I would just wake up. But then why do I have this feeling of genuine fear? Why do I feel so attached to this little thing in my arms? If I'm aware I'm dreaming then why can't I get rid of these feelings?' Something struck her and she stopped suddenly. 'What if this isn't a dream?' she wondered. 'I've learned over the past few years that things like this can happen but they only happened at that time… when he was around…'

Was it possible that this was real? That she had, somehow, gotten sent into another world. So what if the Pharaoh was dead and the Sennen Items had vanished into the earth. Magic was supposed to have existed all over the world in many different eras; the Sennen Items couldn't be the only ties. There was Atlantis so long ago, and the Duel Monsters world Yugi had told them about, and also the Capsule Monster World they'd been trapped in not long ago. Was this some kind of different dimension like those had been? But how'd she get here. And why had she?

The sound of her attackers was getting closer but she didn't hear it. She was too busy trying to figure out everything to notice what else was happening. She did look down though. She saw the little creature, looking pained and desperate but that wasn't what she was looking at. It was the pendant that she stared so intently at.

"Look out!"

She heard the words but nothing more as she passed out into darkness, falling to the ground.

Ryu: Well, I must say that turned out quite well. Okay, I wrote this one a little different. When I write fanfics I use a laid back style of writing but I want to be a novelist one day so when I work on my original pieces that I intend to publish I use a more refined style. That's the style I intend to use for this fic and so when (if) you review please tell me not just what you think of the story but also what you think of my writing style. I want to know if I'm at a good enough level to even think about publishing something.

As to the story itself, I hope you liked it. I know, it's a cliché of girl falls into mystical world and has to fight her way out but I have never done a story like this before so I wanted a short. Besides, every version of the same cliché is still different and I hope I can make mine stand out. So, if you bothered to get this far, please leave me a review so I can feel encouraged to write more. Right now I'm tired though so good night.