My first song-fic. I thought about it during my week of vacationing in Niagara and in at least two parties. Bear with me here. It might be longer than most songfics that you see.
Song: "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins (Remix by Westlife and Mariah Carey)
WILL CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS OF YU-GI-OH S3 EVEN THOUGH THIS ISN'T A PART OF IT. I should be revealing most of the spoilers in the next chapter anyway.
DO NOT FLAME PLEASE. THE SONG IS GOING TO SHOW UP SOMEWHERE, AND IT DOES PLAY A PART.
--- DAY 0 ---
"Sooo…" Aira grinned. "Guess what next week is?"
Everyone stared at the bubbly redhead girl who was standing perfectly on the edge of the table like it was nothing. Anzu always was jealous on how perfectly balanced she always was.
"Aira…we are eating in a fast food restaurant." Jonouchi complained, drinking his soda. "Most people announce things over the phone or at least in the park or something up to that matter."
"Uh…I don't know the customs of announcing things where you live, but people do announcements in restaurants here in Japan." Airs shook her head. "Whatever. Anyway, next week, Domino High's gonna sponsor a talent show. And Tsubasa's in it!"
"Tsubasa can sing?" Honda blinked. "That's a new concept."
"He's Tsubasa. He can do anything." Aira laughed. "Anyway, his performance is pretty important to him, so I really hope that you guys can come."
"Of course we can come." Yugi said as usual. "He's our friend."
"Couldn't we come to rehearsals too?" Anzu asked.
"Nah. It's restricted only for people in the talent show." Aira sighed. "Besides, I think the effect's gonna be better if you hear it for the first time anyway."
"That's OK. I think it's better like that." Jonouchi said.
"That's new, coming out of your mouth." Honda grinned.
"Oh yeah? Well then, who's still hitting on my sister? Huh? HUH?!"
Everyone watched as the two of them began to fight each other, all arguing over some girl named Shizuka Kawai. Aira began cackling over herself as the other two were forced to watch helplessly.
"Woohoo! Drama catfight!" She cheered.
--- DAY 2 ---
Anzu hung out quietly in front of the Domino gate as the students inside began running around with random supplies, possibly for the talent show. Smiling, she began remembering the time she had as a student in Domino High, being as quick-footed and carefree as they were.
Good times… She thought. I wish I could go back to those times. When I was just a high school student without a care in the world, and when…
No. Don't even think about bringing him up again.
She bit her lip as she began walking away from the gate, holding back tears that threaten to pierce her eyelids. The memories of him began resurfacing in her mind. His smile, his posture, the way he would always make sure everyone was OK…she admired everything about him.
And now he was gone…
The night he moved on from this life, she cried all night. She can't even recall how hard she cried, or even if she even cried that hard beforehand. He was just that big of a piece in her heart. Knowing how close they were, the only person that was in a worse condition than her was Yugi. He was his best friend, maybe even a father figure to him, since his actual father was almost always never home. He shared all of his secrets with him, a trait that she always wished that she could have.
Come to think of it, she only talked alone with him twice, when she was on a "date" with him. She couldn't call them actual dates. The first one ended up her in risk of being blown up by a psychotic bomber, and the second one was only to make him feel better. He never saw her as more as a friend.
But…that was her own speculation. Her opinion, not the truth.
And now…she will never know the truth.
"Anzu? Are you OK?"
She looked up to see Yugi staring back at her, his eyes filled with concern. She wanted to nod and say yes, but something happened. Her eyes were blinded by the movement of the sun, and he was there. It was him that was looking at her, asking if she was OK, not Yugi.
"You don't look well. Did something happen?"
It was his voice. Her mind was torturing her again. She wanted desperately to see him again, and now those small fantasies were now playing out, and Yugi was the one suffering the consequences. Panicking, she ran away from him, not bothering to look back.
"Anzu!" Yugi called out.
This pain…this sensation…the feeling of her heart breaking…
Didn't this happen before?
--- DAY 5 ---
She was quiet for the past three days.
She was staring out into the sea, at the setting sun in front of her. The talent show was going to be in two days, where Tsubasa was going to sing his heart out. She had to get out of this funk beforehand, she vowed. She just had to.
Her friends were all worried about her sudden change of mood. She was cheery up until she revisited the school, and now she was all…mourning. After a few days, they decided to leave her alone, feeling that this was something that she had to work out on her own. It shocked her even more that it was Kaiba himself that told them to leave her alone. Maybe the mourning she was going under reminded him of his parents. She didn't feel like bringing it up to him. She didn't even want to talk about…
"There you are."
She darted her head up, only to see Tsubasa looking down at her. She always wondered how he was able to find her before everyone else. Was he really that good of tracking people down?
"Everyone was wondering where you were, so I decided to look for you." He leaned over her. "Mind if I join you?"
She was quiet, unable to speak. In the end, she only nodded, and he sat next to her, not looking at her, staring only at the sunset in front of them. The sun was starting to lose its orange color, becoming shades of purple.
"Domino High remind you of something?" He asked finally. "Bad memories come up after years of repressing them?"
She looked at him with a blank face, wondering how he was so accurate with what he said. He merely laughed, not looking at her.
"Don't look so shocked. I should know the symptoms of heartbreak. I've had it before." He looked at her. "Why do you think I'm performing in the talent show?"
Anzu stared at him with shock all over her face. He turned back to the ocean.
"I had a younger twin brother." He sighed. "We were close, maybe even closer than we were to our parents. I was always watching over him, since he was always so clumsy and falls over his feet almost every single day."
"A twin?" She finally muttered.
"Yeah." He closed his eyes. "A few years ago…we got into a car accident. My mother ended up paralyzed from the waist down. My father was the least hurt of the four of us, since all he got was a broken arm. I ended up losing sight in my right eye, and…my brother disappeared. They said that the car accident spanned so far a radius that he must've flown right out of the car and died on impact. No one was able to find his body, so they counted him as dead. My dad's still looking for him."
"I'm sorry…" Anzu bit her lip.
"It's OK. We'll be able to find him again." He turned to Anzu. "And what about you? Who's the person you're mourning about?"
"…" She looked at her hands. "It's a close friend of mine. We all knew of him."
"We all? Oh, you mean Yugi and the bumbling maniacs."
"Yeah…all of us." She smiled. "He was such a perfect figure. Everyone loved him. He had enemies, and they would always target us, but…in the end…everything would work out. He was the bright light in our lives…"
"What happened?" He asked.
"He…moved on."
"…I'm sorry." He sighed. "I guess life's been cruel to all of us. Then again, maybe we're going to be blessed."
"What do you mean?" Anzu looked up.
"Think about it." He smiled. "I lost my brother, and you lost a close friend. In the end, we ended up meeting each other, and became friends. Maybe they both collaborated in heaven and made a deal with God to make us meet."
"That…sounds weird enough to actually work." Anzu laughed.
"Well, the world works in odd ways." Tsubasa smiled. "In fact, I wonder if that's all they bargained for."
--- DAY 7 ---
The talent show was finally here. It was oddly crowded in the stadium that the school was able to rent (somehow, Anzu thought, Aira was part of how the stadium was rented), but fortunately, the four of them were able to get seats close enough to see the stage.
"When do you think Tsubasa's gonna perform?" Honda asked.
"Honda…they mention it in the program." Jonouchi lifted the paper up to his face. "He's the last performance."
"Well…that's just gay." Honda grumbled.
"Don't say that." Yugi defended. "All the other performers practiced their very hardest for this very day."
"Yeah, Honda." Anzu said. "Like you had any talent."
There was supposed to be a major blow up of arguments right here, but the performances were starting, so they had to watch. And like Yugi said, all of the performers did their best to make the night as perfect as they could. Then again, someone had to question the skill of the guy who claimed to be a fire dancer. Poor Yugi's gonna have to protect his hair around him…
Anyway, fast forward for a few minutes and Tsubasa's performance was finally up. Everyone watched with shock as Tsubasa stepped up to the microphone, his three friends nearby. Rune sat down on a huge piano, Aira went to the keyboards and plugged in what looked like to be a lot of wires, and Sora went to drums. Tsubasa turned on the microphone and smiled.
"I want to dedicate this performance to my brother, who I have lost in a car accident a long time ago." He caught eye contact with Anzu and smiled. "I also want to dedicate this performance to a special friend, who had been taken away from our lives too fast. He was loved among many, and he will surely be missed, especially among those that were close to him."
The four friends paused in shock. Was he talking about…?
Rune began to play the piano, catching everyone off guard. The microphone made the confirming sound that it was working, and Tsubasa began.
How can I just let you walk away,
Just let you leave without a trace?
When I stand here taking every breath…with you…Oooh…
You're the only one…who really knew me at all.
Anzu was having flashbacks about him. She didn't know why, but the song was bringing her past back into her mind. The first time they met…when was it? Was it when he was dueling Weevil Underwood in Pegasus's tournament? Or when she was the Magician of Faith dueling for him?
How can you just walk away from me?
When all I can do is watch you leave?
Cause we shared the laughter and the pain…and even shared the tears.
You're the only one…who really knew me at all.
She turned to her friends, all touched by the song. Yugi looked as if he was close to tears. This song was directed close to him, of course. He was the only person who truly knew him.
Just take a look at me now.
There's just an empty space…
There's nothing left here to remind me,
Just the memory of your face.
So take a look at me now…
There's just an empty space…
And you coming back to me, is against all odds,
And that's what I got to face.
Sora suddenly began the drums, bringing the lights up to a bright orange. To the other students here, this was just another performance. They had no clue on how close the true meaning of this song was.
I wish I could just make you turn around.
Turn around and see me cry.
There's so much I need to say to you.
So many reasons why.
You're the only one…who really knew me at all.
She blinked, and the stage was gone. She was in the tomb of the pharaoh. His tomb. The door was open, and he was standing in front of it, ready to walk through, and leave her life forever. He turned to her and gave her a thumbs-up, the same gesture that he gave Yugi and Jonouchi when he left.
So take a look at me now…
There's just an empty space…
There's nothing left here to remind me.
Just the memory of your face.
He looked directly at Anzu's face, and she blinked. She didn't remember him doing this before. He smiled, and mouthed three small words before he turned and left her life forever. She gasped at what he said, tears coming back to her.
"Do…do you really?" She asked him.
"I really do…" He responded.
So take a look at me now…
There's just an empty space…
But to wait for you…is all I can do, when that's what I got to face.
She blinked, and she was back at the concert. Her three friends were near tears, the memory of him coming back to their minds after two years of suppression. Tsubasa took a glance at them and smiled as he continued. It was then that everyone realized that Rune, Sora and Aira had been singing as well.
Take a good look at me now!
Cause I'll be standing here.
And you coming back to me is against all odds
And that's the chance I've got to take.
She didn't know what happened after, but she was back in the pharaoh's tomb. The door in front of her was closed, and suddenly, before her eyes, they opened, and a figure was walking through, a smile on his face. She gasped at who it was.
Take a look at me now…
The music suddenly stopped, and she found herself back in the concert hall again. The girls were screaming their hearts out, loving the song that he was just singing. She turned to her friends, and they were all crying hard. They loved it.
------
Everyone was hugging Tsubasa as the four of them were walking in the lobby. There was an encore of one of the performances back in the stadium, so all of them were alone.
"That was awesome, Tsubasa." Honda said. "I never knew you could sing."
"Well, you'd be surprised of all the talent I have." He said with a smile.
"Hey, we were good too…" Sora whined.
"Yeah, you were." Jonouchi said. "Since when did you play drums?"
"I just know. Get off my back." Sora laughed.
Rune turned toward Anzu, who was still somewhat crying. She patted her back with a reassuring smile, a gesture that made Anzu smile. Soon, all of the audience members began to exit the stadium, and everyone was applauding the four members of the small band. Somewhere during the applause, Anzu's hair began to stand up on the back of her neck. She looked around and saw that the rest of her friends had the same expression on their faces.
That's when she heard it. A small-paced clap, steady, but getting increasingly loud.
She turned to Tsubasa, who was smiling. He knew of whatever's coming. She turned to the source of the clap, and found herself shaking. Yugi's eyes were wider than what they were usually, and the other two were too shocked to speak.
"I liked the performance." The figure smiled. "But I think Aira was a little too pitchy."
"Since when do five-thousand-year-old pharaohs become music critics?" Tsubasa countered.
"When we began listening to your music." He answered.
"Hey!" Aira growled. "I was NOT pitchy!"
"Uh…Aira?" Rune looked at her. "You knew of this too?"
"Huh? Knew of what?"
She looked to Rune, only to notice Yugi next to her. She turned to the figure and back at him. This occurred for a few seconds before her eyes became wider than Yugi's, suddenly realizing what was going on.
"Wow, you're an idiot." Tsubasa muttered with a smile.
"S-shut up! I was just confused, that's all!" She argued.
Meanwhile, the girls around them all had the same thought in their minds: since when did Yugi Motou have a hot brother?!
"A-Atemu?" Anzu stammered out.
"In the flesh." He responded.
"Huh wha who?" Aira blinked. "What's goin' on?"
As everyone was trying to explain to Aira who this person was, the four of them slowly approached him, wondering if they were all dreaming. Yugi was the first one to risk it, reaching out to touch his arm. Atemu didn't hesitate, instead resorting to merely watching him as he held his arm. After a few strokes, his existance was confirmed, and everyone bear-hugged him.
Well, everyone except Anzu, who was still in shock.
Atemu looked up from where he was and locked eye contact with her. They both stared at each other, somehow lost in each other's eyes. Slowly, he walked toward her, which made her flinch.
"What's wrong?" He asked. "You seem pale."
She was staring at him, unable to speak or even breathe, making weird squeaks with each attempt. Smiling, he raised his arm and stroked her cheek, making her cheeks blush a beautiful red. Her arms lost all function and dropped to her side.
"I know what you're thinking." He smiled. "I'm real. You're not dreaming."
"But…how?" She finally asked.
"Let's just say…wishes do come true for those who wait."
Before she knew it, he had leaned in to kiss her, in front of thousands of high school students. She would've been shy any other time, but this was the best moment of her life. The love of her life had come back for her, and that he was going to stay for her. She closed her eyes and accepted it, allowing all of the nerves in her body to rejoice in his blissful return.
Meanwhile, all the girls in the stadium cursed out their luck.
------
Holy geez that was long! Well, actually, I really liked how it ended up! Sure, it's the longest one-shot that I ever wrote, but it's also my first song-fic. I hope you don't mind the really long of it.
NO FLAMING. IT'S MY FIRST TIME.