Timeline II, Alternate Universe: Domino City, Japan

Jounouchi Katsuya rolled over in his bed, pulling the pillow under his head closer to him, snuggling into it. He shivered - it was cold in his room. Damn winter, he thought, smacking his lips. It was a school day, and his alarm clock would go off any minute; until he heard the loud buzzing sound, he was going to doze a little. The sound of breaking glass made him cringe and he pressed his head deeper into the pillow, as if to shut the noise out. I guess dad is up early this morning too. He groaned.

The second his alarm clock started buzzing, Jounouchi swatted at it, almost shoving it off the small nightstand. He hated getting up so early, but school was the only place where he could relatively be, or feel, at ease. There was nothing his father or his environment could offer him here but empty cupboards, no heating, a slap to the face or a beer bottle to his head…

Yawning, he threw the blankets off, shivering forcefully. Would there be warm water today? Jounouchi got out of bed, traipsing through his small bedroom to gather a towel and a bar of soap. It brought a small smile to his face - Shizuka had bought him the soap, as she would often buy small things for him. She didn't mind that he'd put up a show of not being willing to accept it, that she really didn't need to buy him things, but they both knew he needed it - his father didn't care about a thing, and his job as a paperboy wasn't very lucrative.

He opened the door of his bedroom and peeked through the opening; his father wasn't in the hallway. Probably not in the bathroom either - the man hadn't taken a proper shower since forever, and he didn't want to come across him in just his pajamas. Hell, he didn't want to come across his father fully clothed. He was an asshole, a drunken jerk. Jounouchi squelched the train of thought. He wasn't going to ruin his own day - it was a Wednesday, which meant that he got to see Shizuka later this afternoon!

He forced himself to whistle all through the icy cold shower - darling father probably hadn't paid any bills, as the lights weren't working either; he would have to take a look into it later - and brushed his teeth, squeezing out the very last bit of the toothpaste. Damn. Jounouchi tried to fix his messy blond hair, gave up on it and spend a few minutes getting dressed, grabbing his schoolbooks and leaving before his father noticed that he was up in the first place. He didn't feel like a confrontation, not today.

Jounouchi slung his book bag over his shoulder. With a bit of luck, he'd brought the right books for today; he always stuffed a few without giving it a second thought into his bag. For his schedule, he depended on his best friend Honda Hiroto - when he wasn't obsessing over Miho, the airhead of their class. Despite everything, Jounouchi smiled again. He may not be every teacher's pet, but he didn't loathe school. He liked the PE and the arts and craft lessons, he always liked working with his hands. The boring biology lectures, the monotonous history classes, not to mention linguistics and math…he shivered. Coming across a certain corner, Jounouchi slowed down, listening to the sounds. The Hirutani gang was notorious for hanging around here, and even though he was a member of the gang himself, he didn't feel like a confrontation with them either. He wasn't exactly proud of being a gang member, but found it difficult to leave - with most gangs, it was easier getting in than getting out. He usually kept away from the fights and the petty shoplifting, not wanting to build up a police record. After all, he did want a job later in life, unlike the other gang members. Jounouchi might be dumb sometimes, but he wasn't stupid. He knew the importance of a steady job…especially for his sister Shizuka. He was the one who was going to take care of her; that was the least he could do.

"Jounouchi! Wait up, man!"

He didn't cringe when recognizing the voice - it was Honda, not one of the gang members. Honda had always kept away from the gang, but he wasn't exactly 'innocent' either - they both picked on younger students, especially the shy ones, in their own class. Jounouchi hit him in a friendly manner on the shoulder, by way of greeting him.

"Hey man, what's up for today?"

"Bah, some chemistry test…Takahana-sensei really knows how to search out the most stupid assignments."

"Really?" Jounouchi couldn't remember what the last chapter was about, let alone the most recent assignments.

"Oh wait," Honda suddenly recalled, "there's supposed to be a transfer student coming in today."

"This late in the semester?" He groaned.

Honda shrugged. "Yeah, obviously. The name's Bakura or something. I heard Sukimoto-sensei talk about it."

Jounouchi huffed. "School's boring."

"Hey, are you going to see your sister this afternoon?"

"Of course!"

Honda fell silent after that, and Jounouchi shot him an impatient glare. He was very protective of his sister, and he didn't need his best friend to go after her. Besides, didn't he have Miho to make calf eyes at? It was tough enough already to keep the local playboy, Otogi Ryuuji, away from Shizuka. He all but gasped when Honda elbowed him.

"Hey, it's Mazaki."

Jounouchi groaned again. He didn't dislike the girl, but to say that he did like her was an exaggeration - she was a bit pushy, that was all…and she'd been best friends with that Mutou kid. He snorted in remembrance. Mutou Yuugi had been one wimpy, whiny boy, with his constant babbling about puzzles and games. He'd been the perfect victim for bullying, though - he always kept to himself, he was small and had the freakiest looking hair Jounouchi had ever seen. Yes, a perfect and easy victim…too perfect, as he'd left school permanently a few weeks ago, and Jounouchi was very certain their constant bullying had something to do with it. Not that he cared much; he cared only for himself and Shizuka.

"Jounouchi, Honda," the girl greeted them when she caught up with them, her uniform prim and proper, book bag slung over her shoulder as well.

"Morning, Mazaki," Honda grumbled, but she wasn't one to be deterred.

"I trust you two to have studied extensively for Takahana-sensei's test, hmm?" she all but sing-songed, both their disastrous grades a public secret.

"Chemistry's stupid," Jounouchi answered intelligently, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"There's supposed to be a transfer student coming in today," Anzu said. "In our class!"

"It's not that big of a deal," he said, kicking a pebble away. "What's with the enthusiasm? There are more exciting things I know of."

"Yes, like hanging out with your gang friends," Anzu snorted, shaking her head. "Or spending all your time picking on younger students. You leave this new student alone, do you hear me?"

"Who died and made you class president?" Honda asked as they walked through the large gates, entering school property. Anzu glared at him, but didn't answer and suddenly waved. Honda blushed furiously; Nosaka Miho returned the wave and Jounouchi chuckled, knowing that Honda imagined she was waving especially to him.

He stifled a yawn. School was so boring; he'd welcome any distraction by now, even the much-anticipated arrival of the transfer student. He knew he failed the chemistry test already, so there was no use of pretending to be interested in the rest of the chapters. Finally, just as he was about to start whistling out loud or annoying the rest of his classmates by tapping against his chair, the door opened and Nagobana-sensei entered, followed by a young, effeminate looking boy. At least, Jounouchi thought it was a boy, though his long, flowing hair was telling him otherwise at first sight. He was wearing the boy's school uniform and not a skirt, so…

"Class, please welcome Bakura Ryou," Nagobana said, and the class rose obediently to bow before their new fellow student. The class president, Jounouchi always forgot his name, delivered a short welcoming speech to the white-haired boy who didn't seem to be nervous, but not exactly at ease either. He grinned to himself. Yes, this Bakura Ryou was the perfect next victim to pick on.

"Tell us about yourself, Bakura-san," the class president said, smiling pleasantly. That startled the young man a bit, but he returned the smile quickly, if a little flatly.

"My father works in the archaeological field," he said, his voice soft. "He travels all around the world, but mostly to Africa, and Egypt in particular. He even brought me a pendant from one of his travels. Because he's so often away, I live on my own."

A faint blush colored his cheeks, as if he was embarrassed to talk about himself.

"Welcome, Bakura-san," the teacher said again. "Now…let's see where you can sit. Ah, there's a desk free next to Jounouchi," he pointed out.

It raised a storm of protest from the girls, who already had set their sights on the polite and friendly new classmate, but he simply walked forward and took his seat next to Jounouchi.

"Hello, Jounouchi-kun," he said.

"Welcome, Bakura-kun," Jounouchi answered, showing him a lopsided grin. The teacher called for the girls to stop their indignant chattering and tried to bring the attention of the class back to the new chapter from the chemistry textbook. Bakura opened his book, using his pencil to take notes, each and every movement calm and composed. What a nerd. Jounouchi didn't stop to wonder why the new student wasn't seated at the spot where Yuugi used to sit.

"Class, class, that's enough," the teacher said out loud again and turned around to write something on the chalkboard. Jounouchi exchanged looks with Honda, who was very amused that Bakura had been seated next to his best friend. It wouldn't do Jounouchi's social status much good if such a sissy would be associated with him. He almost rubbed his hands in anticipated glee, mentally going over their bullying methods.

After lunch, Jounouchi skipped the rest of his classes, even though the prospect of cornering and bullying Bakura tempted him to stay. It was still Wednesday, and Wednesday afternoons were holy to him. Jounouchi took the bus downtown; he was saving his money for driving lessons, but his job didn't enable him to save much. He usually bought something small for Shizuka as well; she was his sister, she deserved to be spoiled a little. Life was hard enough for her already. Jounouchi bit his lip. The disease that had taken away her eyesight had been so rare and difficult that only a very expensive operation had been the resolution - money that no one of the Jounouchi family had. Their parents had divorced when they were still little kids, and Jounouchi would never forget the moment that they'd been separated. The car driving off with his little sister crying on the backseat was a reoccurring nightmare. It had only been a year since they'd re-established contact; mostly because Shizuka had managed to reach Jounouchi without their mother knowing. Even though their parents didn't want to talk to each other anymore, that didn't mean their children wanted to cease all communication too.

He got off at the right stop; from here it would only take him ten minutes to the gates of the institute where Shizuka would be waiting. Jounouchi hated the word 'institute'. It was a school for disabled children, not for the mentally ill. Shizuka never used the word 'institute' either, simply referring to it as 'school'. She'd wait for him every Wednesday afternoon at the gates so they could spend some sibling time together. Jounouchi suddenly halted, and turned around.

Behind him walked an elderly couple, too engrossed in their own conversation to even notice him. He frowned. He had the feeling he was being followed. Could it be that someone from Domino High was skulking after him to keep track of his whereabouts? The school could expel him if he cut too many classes… but the guidance counselor he recently talked to about his behavior in class - the man hadn't a clue what he was talking about, with his morals and family values - hadn't mentioned anything about him skipping school. Great. If you end up being paranoid, who's going to look after your sister, huh?

Jounouchi eliminated that train of thought and quickly resumed walking - he wouldn't want to keep Shizuka waiting. Ah, there she was; standing outside the gate as she did every Wednesday afternoon.

"Shizuka!"

"Onii-chan!" Her face lit up like a Christmas tree, a wonderful wide smile gracing her lips.

Jounouchi hugged her firmly, lifting her up from the ground in his enthusiasm. "Onii-chan! Put me down!" She giggled, wrapping her arms around him to return the hug. "You're so strong! Have you been working out?"

"Hard work only," Jounouchi teased her back. He hated gyms with a passion - he got exercise enough from his job and running around at school. Besides, he had a fast metabolism; he wouldn't get fat anytime soon.

"What did you have in mind for today?" He looked at her face as usual, and got hit by grief and sadness, as he did every time he saw her. Shizuka's eyes were so vibrant, so lively, such a beautiful color of hazelnut brown…they were sparkling with enthusiasm and excitement, and yet they saw nothing. It's not fair! Her eyes simply stared into nothingness, and she'd seen the colors of the sky, of the ground, of his hair, of her own hair, of everything before…and he hadn't been able to do a thing to stop the regressive disease from taking her eyesight. Shizuka never complained, never blamed him for anything. If only they had money…he would've sold his soul to pay for the operation.

"I want to do a little shopping," she said in return, her hand lifting up the tell-tale white cane with the red stripes. "And eat a little bit; I didn't have lunch yet."

"I'll buy you a sandwich," he immediately said. He loathed the sight of the cane, but there was nothing he could do about it. Maybe, in the not so far future, if he had a job and enough money saved, he could look into the possibilities by then. Technology and medical science moved so fast nowadays, it could be very well possible that in five or ten years from now, there was an operation technique available that could give his sister back her eyesight. Until then, he was simply going to be the best brother he…

"What, onii-chan?" Shizuka asked, startled as he suddenly pulled her to the right.

"Sorry," he muttered. Jounouchi looked over his shoulder. A woman was walking behind him, dressed in a dark blue business suit, juggling a cell phone, her purse and a notebook she was scrawling something into. For a moment, he thought she'd been a younger girl with chestnut hair, dressed in a dark cloak, walking far closer to him. That's it. No more video games or watching horror movies before I go to bed.

"Onii-chan?"

"Let's go," Jounouchi said, cheerful. "We can't keep the sandwiches waiting!"

"You and your food," she giggled happily. "I keep telling everyone that you're a bottomless pit, and no one wants to believe me."

"You're establishing quite the reputation for me…" he said, though he chuckled as well. Shizuka moved her cane, her other arm hooked into Jounouchi's, the ticking telling her where to walk.

"I really could go for a nice sandwich right about now," she said. "We worked so hard this morning that we all forgot about lunch."

"What did you do?"

"Mostly computer work," she said, lifting up her hand briefly to brush a wayward strand of hair out of her face. Out of school, she usually freed it from the simple ponytail or loose braid, enjoying her hair flowing freely around her face. "The new speech recognition software we received is quite difficult, but really handy once you get the hang of it."

"I'm sure you'll do great," Jounouchi answered, almost absent-mindedly. He realized that Shizuka was learning a profession besides the practical skills she needed to live her life with her handicap, and he didn't want her to sit at home and feel unwanted in this society…but his natural protectiveness for her always acted up, even more so when they were together.

"You know I'm going to take care of you, later," he said.

"Onii-chan," she tilted her head, "I know that…but you do know that I can take care of myself, that I can make my own decisions? I may be blind, onii-chan, but I'm not completely disabled or incapable of living my life the way I want to."

She halted as he didn't give an answer to that. "Onii-chan?"

"It's all my fault," he said.

"No it's not," her voice floated towards him. "Onii-chan…it's no one's fault. If you really want to place the blame, place it on me. I was the one to contract this disease."

"Don't you ever talk like that," he growled. "You couldn't help that…"

"And you couldn't help it either," she cut him off. "Onii-chan, stop beating yourself up so much over it. I'm in a very good school that teaches me everything I need to know, prepares me for a profession, and once I've graduated, I'm going to look for a job and live together in a house with you."

Jounouchi snorted, but not disdainfully. Buying a house together was one of their favorite topics of conversation.

"That is, if Ryuuji wants to…"

"Ryuuji?"

"He asked me to be his girlfriend," Shizuka said, throwing her hair back and smiling at her brother. Her smile turned even wider, if that was possible - she showed her white teeth, her face all but glowing.

"What did you say to that?" Jounouchi asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Yes, of course!"

"And he's going to keep us from living together after we graduated?"

"Of course not," she said, still smiling. "Ryuuji knows how much we mean to each other. I would never give up my onii-chan for my boyfriend! We're going to be one big family!"

Jounouchi refrained from groaning out loud, to not dampen her spirits. She was on a first-name basis with Otogi, so it was serious, then…he would've to have a talk with the inventor of the Dungeon Dice Monsters game, and investigate for himself about Otogi's intentions with his sister. If they were anything but honorable, he would let his fists do the talking. Shizuka chattered next to him, telling anecdotes about her school week, and he listened to her, wondering how her voice could be so cheerful and happy even though her life was so hard. She was strong…and here he was, moping about trivial things - though he wouldn't call his potential brother-in-law a trivial thing.

"What was that you mention about a wedding?"

Timeline III, known universe: Domino City, Japan

Pain. Excruciating pain. Moaning low in his throat, he tried to open his eyes. His head pounded, he couldn't hear or see, and his limbs felt like they'd been broken…dead weight. He took a sharp breath as he turned his head a little; the sting of pain almost made him want to cry out loud. Better stay still and not move too hastily, he thought to himself. Where was he? It was dark, but not impossible to see. There was a little light, far in the distance…he moaned.

All right, calm down. Think. What happened? Where am I? Can I get up? Shifting, every little movement agonizing painful, he tried to get up, but his body finally gave way and he fell down again, the world around him spinning. Not a very good idea. It wasn't cold or warm, it wasn't raining nor was the sun shining - where the hell was he? He wasn't in immediate danger, so he decided to bide his time and wait until at least the headache had subsided. He waited and waited…until it dawned to him that he didn't know why he was here, wherever 'here' was; that he didn't know where he'd come from, or how he had ended up here. That he didn't know who he was, what he looked like, what was going on, and this time he cried out in pain and fear, voice shrill and hoarse. Panic enveloped him and he cried out loud again and again until even the movement of opening his mouth to cry was too exerting for him, and he felt himself slipping away again.

"No…. no…."

"Yuugi! Anzu's here for you!"

"Coming!"

Mutou Yuugi snatched up his Sennen Puzzle, a golden pendant shaped like an upside-down pyramid, and put the metal chain over his head. Satisfied, he looked into the mirror, checking the way the Puzzle was secured - he used to wear it on a rope, but recent events had proven that a chain would be far more effective.

"I can't believe it," Yuugi muttered.

"What, aibou?" A voice floated through the room, only audible to the young teen.

"That so many people are after the Puzzle, mou hitori no boku," Yuugi answered, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to speak to a spitting image of oneself in spirit form.

"I am really glad that you have chosen for a more…ah, sturdier solution," the spirit said, his crimson eyes resting upon his home - the Sennen Puzzle. Ever since Yuugi had managed to solve this mysterious puzzle, his spirit and soul had been reawakened. For what purpose or reason still eluded the both of them, but he had faith enough that someday it would become all clear to them. For now, they had their hands full on finding his memories; as he didn't recall anything from his past, and that was the most logical thing to look for first.

"Mou hitori no boku..."

"Yes, aibou?"

"You're daydreaming. We have to go to school!"

"Ah, yes, you are right," he chuckled briefly and the next second he was gone, retreating back into the Puzzle. Yuugi smiled to himself. One day, we'll find your memories, mou hitori no boku, and then you'll know all about yourself and why you're here. Until then, we'll be friends and help each other. Slinging the book bag over his shoulder and storming out of his room, Yuugi almost ran over his mother.

"Sorry about that, kaa-san!"

"Were you talking to yourself again?" the woman asked, throwing him a suspicious look.

"S-sorry." Yuugi blushed.

"You're growing up to be exactly like your grandfather," she said, shaking her head though she didn't sound too sad about it. "Now, hurry up, don't keep poor Anzu waiting!"

"No, kaa-san," Yuugi answered and threw her a smile before turning around and thundering down the stairs. He really should've gotten up earlier - there was no time for breakfast now. Yuugi opened the door, squinting his eyes at the bright sun.

"Yuugi, over here," Anzu waved, her voice clearly indicating that she wanted to be saved from his grandfather. Mutou Sugoroku was the proprietor of the Kame Game shop for decades on end, and besides his love for games he was pretty much renowned for his appreciation of the female bust size. Anzu was too polite to tell him to knock it off with glaring at her upper body and she heaved an audible sigh when Yuugi grabbed her hand and dragged her off to school.

"Bye, jii-chan! See you later!"

"Really, Yuugi, your grandfather…" Anzu started when they were well out of sight. Yuugi was now the one to heave a sigh.

"I know, Anzu…he doesn't mean it like that, really."

"He's a pervert," she whispered furiously. Yuugi blushed again, trying to find a way not to belittle his grandfather's actions…but he couldn't find any, because Anzu was right.

"He really doesn't mean it that bad," he repeated, willing his blush away. Anzu was far too optimistic and cheerful to let it ruin her day, and started talking about an upcoming school performance. She loved to dance, and this year the students of their class had chosen to incorporate dance in their annual performance. Yuugi wasn't really looking forward to it and hoped he could avoid all the dancing by simply volunteering to help with the costumes and the stage settings. Mentally going over their classes for today, he listened to Anzu talking as she was describing her costume and the dance she was studying.

"I think red would fit you splendidly," Yuugi said, blushing at the thought of Anzu in a form-fitting, long red dress. They halted in front of the traffic lights. Anzu was very excited about the performance, as her greatest dream was to go study modern dance in New York. Only her best and closest friends knew of her ambition - Anzu wasn't the kind of girl to flaunt it in everybody's face, but she sure loved this opportunity, no matter if it was only a mere school performance, to demonstrate her skills.

The traffic light went green and Yuugi already took a step forward, still listening attentively to Anzu describing the costumes for the dance. His feet had barely touched the asphalt when he heard the girl screaming his name.

"Yuugi!"

"Pharaoh!"

"Wha…?" Yuugi looked up, realizing in a split second that a car was approaching him, fast. No doubt someone who had ignored all the red lights and was speeding up in the hope to win maybe a few seconds to arrive faster at his destination, oblivious to the pedestrians. Fear nailed him immediately to the spot, and he opened his mouth - to scream, to…what, actually? He was going to die - the car didn't stop, wasn't able to stop in time, it was only a matter of time before he would be hit, and pain would crush his body and the only thing he could do was staring at the headlights, stare at the lights coming at him.

A flurry of dark brown and something akin to gold latched onto him, and instead of the expected pain he was all but lifted up and thrown to the ground, still painful, but anything was better than being run over. Yuugi felt his skin bruise and scrape, hearing the fabric of his school uniform tear and in the briefest of moments, he imagined his mother being really angry with him for ruining his clothes.

"Ouch! Ow ow ow!" He was undoubtedly bleeding, and his hands hurt - when Yuugi caught a glimpse of them, he saw nothing but blood and raw, red skin. Instinctively, he had put his hands forward to catch his fall; painful, but he'd survive. It took him a moment to realize that Anzu was still screaming his name, and that someone…someone was holding him at the waist. He tried to struggle, pain flaring through his body.

"Easy, easy, my Pharaoh…! You are safe now…"

Yuugi was flabbergasted. "What? Who's talking? Anzu...?"

An arm slipped around his shoulders, and he was turned around, eased down on his back on the ground, but he didn't feel either asphalt or concrete…it was as if he was floating, being cradled like a baby. He looked up, though his vision was a little distorted, the shock of the near-death-accident still fresh.

Dark eyes, chocolate brown with golden specks, stared intently down at him.

"Pharaoh…Pharaoh, we finally found you!"

That wasn't Anzu's voice. It was a female voice, but lower pitched and not panicked like Anzu's had sounded just a moment ago. What happened? The approaching car…

"It is going to be all right. You are safe now."

A male voice, distinctive, soothing, friendly yet distant. Respectful…in awe. Yuugi didn't understand; why did they keep referring to him as "Pharaoh"? He wasn't one…what was going on?

"Ouch," was the only thing he could mutter.

"Mana, tend to his wounds," the man said, the unspoken 'please' hanging in the air. Yuugi tried to make out a face, to see who was talking, but for some reason his vision was blurred. Concussion? But he hadn't hit his head, had he? It had all happened so fast…

"Yuugi, Yuugi!"

"Anzu…"

"Yuugi!"

He tilted his head towards the direction the sound was coming from, and he heard footsteps as well; Anzu was coming for him. She would know what to do. He felt light-headed, and he didn't know if it was from the shock or if he really had hit his head. He barely felt any pain though, just a slight stinging sensation, barely anything compared to just a minute ago - he felt so at ease all of a sudden that he wanted to fall asleep.

"Yuugi! You scared me to death! Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for saving him!"

Anzu's voice was still panicked and excited at the same time, and he heard the thud of her book bag being dropped to the floor.

Finally, she appeared into view - a blur of blue eyes and brown hair, and her mouth moved, but he could barely hear her.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Anzu held up three fingers, ignoring the man and woman next to Yuugi, as well as the curious bystanders. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest; she'd been so scared that the car was going to hit her best friend and she couldn't have done anything to stop it. Feeling guilty and relieved at the same time, she focused her attention on the small boy, wanting to know if he hadn't hurt himself too much.

"Yuugi, answer me. How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Fifteen," Yuugi said and suppressed a groan.

"My Pharaoh, do you not recognize me?" The male voice again, and Yuugi made a slightly irritated noise. He wasn't a Pharaoh, and he wanted nothing but to close his eyes and sleep.

"I'm not…"

"Master, I don't think he's our Pharaoh…"

Finally, someone who understood the situation. Master? She had a nice voice, that girl: determined, yet friendly and warm…a little like Anzu, but more…mature. He smiled as he closed his eyes, giving into the strange darkness that clawed at his mind, trusting his friend, and somehow those strange voices as well, that everything would be all right.

"Yuugi...?"

Soft, cool pillows supporting his head. The silent rustle of a blanket, a damp cloth on his brow, and someone calling his name. Yuugi blinked a few times, trying to focus.

"Hmmm...kaa-san?"

"No, try again."

"Anzu...!"

"Yuugi, you had me worried so much! Take it easy – no, no, no, don't try to get up, stay down."

"Anzu...what happened?" He rested back, reveling in the cool pillows, blinking a few more times.

"That jerk," the girl growled, keeping her voice low. "He didn't even stop to see if you were all right. He probably wouldn't have cared if he had hit you anyway, too occupied with how fast he was driving…" She shivered.

"I'm sorry," Yuugi said meekly.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for!" Anzu stared dumbfounded at him. "You had every right crossing the road, our light was green! The other guy scared the life out of me - he drove so fast I couldn't even see what kind of car it was."

"Too bad." He heaved a small sigh, knowing that it wouldn't be of any use anyway - the police wouldn't be interested in a near-accident like this. Yuugi felt bad. He could still see the shock and the worry in her eyes, though she tried very hard to cover it up by tending to the damp cloth on his brow.

"I'm really sorry for scaring you."

"It wasn't your fault," she said. "I'm glad you're safe, Yuugi."

"Who pulled me out of the way?" He asked, faintly remembering someone talking to him, calling him "Pharaoh" and telling him that he was safe…Yuugi tried to sit upright, but groaned as a jolt of pain shot through his body. He fell back into the pillows again.

"Lie down," Anzu repeated, shifting the cloth on his forehead around. She bit her lower lip.

"I saw that car coming and I could only think of how it was going to hit you," she said, her voice wavering. "I should've pushed you out of the way; I should've done something to save you!"

Yuugi shook his head briefly out of habit, holding back another groan when the movement made his vision spin again.

"Please don't, Anzu. Don't feel sorry, it wasn't your fault!"

The idea of Anzu pushing him out of the way and getting hit by the car herself was too horrible to imagine. She wanted to be a professional dancer – if she were hit and injured her leg, all her dreams would've been shattered.