It had been a long and grueling ten years since one regional champion had sentenced herself to training in the Héng Shān mountains. Ever since the Grand Prix, the results, and the fall out that came with all of it, she knew she had to get stronger. There was no way as she had been that her husband-to-be would ever glance at her. She'd cut herself off from that group and from the world so that she could concentrate all her energies into becoming the strongest duelist. Beating him was the only way to make him see that she was worth his time. And if that didn't work, she'd bind him by consequence of ante rules regardless.
She was not the same woman she was when she'd left. Her mind was much sharper, her skills much more dangerous; both physically and mentally she was greater than she had ever realized she could be. He would bow down to her. He would recognize all the work she'd done, not just for her, but for them. And when he did, they would finally become one. They would finally see eye to eye and he would treat her like the queen she deserved to be.
Trying to find everyone again after ten years of lost contact was a rough task in and of itself, but one that she was up to. Lead by lead she found herself getting closer and closer to her ultimate goal. There just seemed to be one hitch in her plan. Ten years of her absent had sent her lover wandering. That was okay, she'd forgive him. But it left her with a problem. She had to get rid of the other woman. It wouldn't be a problem, surely. Either with violence or through humiliation by dueling she would oust this woman. A woman she remembered quite well telling her off during those days in the Grand Prix. She was of no consequence.
Finally she had tracked down that woman, sitting all alone in a restaurant. Her back was turned. It would be the perfect opportunity to sneak up and just do away with her. That was not honorable, however. And if she had learned anything it was that you had to face your opponents and bend them to your heel. She would do this and then go find her lover.
"Mazaki!" She shrieked, gathering much of the attention of the other night-goers. No one seemed to be ready to stop her in her rage though she used it to her benefit. One arm was outstretched, finger pointing at said woman. "Mazaki Anzu!" She called again, this time the brunet with those bright blue eyes turning just slightly in her seat to get a look at her.
Those eyes widened before she smiled with a small wave. "Vivian! It's been such a long time! Yuugi told me he had been sending letters but you never answered..."
"Letters? Husband was..." Sending her letters? Worried about her? Looking for her? The mere thought had her cheeks flushing and a warm feeling erupting in her heart.
Anzu immediately set that temper on. "Watch it with the husband stuff! He doesn't belong to you!"
Vivian sneered, hands on her hips. "He does, he just doesn't know it yet."
The girl smiled. "Ten years and you haven't changed a bit have you?"
The sudden shift in the mood from angry to reminiscent had the older woman unsure of what to do next. After one weak moment of thought she growled again and pointed. "Stand and fight me for him!"
Anzu's expression drew flat. "Come on now, Vivian. Aren't we a little old for this nonsense? We're not teenagers anymore..." She sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"At least stand and acknowledge me as your opponent!" The fact that the brunette wouldn't even do that was grating. Did she think she was better? How rude!
The other girl seemed disappointed, saddened even. Her right arm draped over the back of her chair but she still did not get up. "Why not sit down? We can talk. Catch up. It's been a long time. I'm sure Yuugi wouldn't even mind."
"I spent ten years in waiting for this moment and you will not stand in my way!" Vivian seemed serious for a moment before clasping her hands together. "Every night I dreamed! Yuugi and I would be together. He would be my love slave- willingly! We would cuddle up underneath the stars and drink in each other's love. It will be wonderful!"
"How delusional can you be? Do you even know what's going on right now?" For all her patience, Anzu was wearing a little thin. Surely it was Vivian's own fault that she had become so unattached from the real world and its events; this was a little too much.
The woman scoffed, hand going to her hip as she pointed yet again. "Come on now stop wasting my time!"
Anzu sighed very heavily. "I'm tired, you know?" After saying so her arm moved from the chair, bracing it with her palm as she seemed to have to hoist herself to her feet.
Vivian saw it then, and the realization caused her to pale. She staggered back a few paces even, unsure of what she was doing and why in that one moment. Just the look Anzu was giving her was enough to deter all that focus and training. Ten years. Wasted. In one move.
"You- ...you're pregnant..."
The brunette's arm went around her very large belly with a warm smile. "It's going to be a boy." She said in a warm tone. "Come and sit down. I'd really like to catch up after all this time."
She felt her eyes sting with water but she refused to wipe at them just yet. "I-it's his, isn't it. Husband's."
"My husband's, yes." She countered, but in such a friendly way, her left hand moving to show a rather beautiful wedding band around the ring finger.
The tears came then, dripping down her face as she raised her arm dramatically to cover her eyes. She felt so ashamed. Was she really going to attack a pregnant woman with no remorse? Of course not. And she was Yuugi's wife now- her dreams were gone. All that training had been for nothing. All the sacrifices. She just couldn't believe it. By sentencing herself to such a distance, she'd lost out on the chase. Anzu had clearly won this battle- no. The war, even. There was no coming back from this.
Suddenly she felt herself embraced. It startled her, and she tried to push away, but Anzu refused to let go. "I know it's shocking, but I'm sure he'd really love to catch up- I would, too." She tried, reaching a hand to wipe away some of the woman's tears. Vivian stared at her sadly with muted shock. "Come on. Sit with me." She tried to nudge the duelist over towards her table.
Eventually Vivian's legs started working again and she allowed herself to be pushed. She didn't know what else to do anymore. She definitely hadn't made contingency plans for this.
Once they had both sat, Anzu ordered some tea, thinking something warm would help the other to come out of the shock she seemed to be so far in. Her hand reached over the table to cover Vivian's. "Hey,"
"Don't ... don't you hey me!" She tried, but didn't pull her hand away.
Anzu grinned. "It's really terrible, you know?" Vivian looked curious at this. "The baby is very restless all the time. Pregnancy has been one sort of special hell I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy." She joked.
Vivian couldn't help a small smile. Somehow. ...somehow in all of this, Anzu was still trying to comfort her. It had taken her ten years to realize this. Maybe it had taken ten years for the both of them to grow up. Or at least in Vivian's case, one day of shock. But-
Anzu was a good woman.
Yuugi had picked well, after all.