Disclaimer: BEWARE! This story has mainly two Mary-Sues, Yuzuki and Yuko, that Tek-Tek owns! RAWR! O: … xD She doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh!GX or Corpse Bride! ;D

Duet IX:
The Magic Of A Piano

"It's just over here," Edo said, hands in his pockets as he walked up the steps of the pub. A timid Yuzuki followed, head bowed. For the last few minutes, the pinkette had wandered all over town, lost. She didn't know where she was going, didn't know up from down, or left from right! That is, until finally, Edo found her. "Here we are!" Edo's sudden cheerfulness caused Yuzuki to jump. She stared at the man with wide eyes, but he only smiled brightly at her. He opened the door and allowed Yuzuki to walk in first.

"Um… thank you." Yuzuki nodded her head to him, walking into the pub.

"You're welcome," Edo chuckled, following after her. The sound of a piano echoed in the empty place, touching Yuzuki's heart by the sound of it – and apparently Edo's, too, judging by the way he heaved a soft sigh. The melody was so soft and so sad, full of anguish and misery, that it couldn't help but to be beautiful.

"Edo, if you don't mind, I could use your help in the kitchen," Tome called from behind the counter, waving the gray-head over. Edo hummed and nodded his head, walking over towards the woman while waving to Yuzuki. The pinkette weakly returned it, having second thoughts about being alone with the one playing the piano: Yuko. Awkwardly, Yuzuki rubbed her arm and walked over to the ecruette.

"Hi…" Yuzuki mumbled once she was standing behind Yuko. Yuko closed her eyes, choosing not to reply. "Um… may I take a seat?" Yuko turned her head away from the pinkette, though one of her shoulder rose and fell in a shrug. Yuzuki sat down at the edge of the piano seat, watching as Yuko's hands moved gracefully across the keys at her end, creating her melody. "I'm sorry."

'What are you sorry for?' Yuko asked herself. Her 'heart' heaving as she sighed softly. 'I'm the one who should be sorry. I knew you were going back to the Land of the Living to see Judai, and just because I wanted Johan all to myself, I let him go with you. I was hoping he could catch you two in the act and come running back to me… I really am a selfish person…' Yuko felt guilty. She actually wanted Johan's plans to blow up in his face, so he could be Yuko's and only Yuko's. 'I risked Johan's happiness because I wanted him to be happy with me…'

"I'm sorry for appearing so suddenly and stealing away the man you love." Yuko almost scuffed a reply, but kept her mouth shut. "And I'm sorry that, because of me, you and Johan are at a disagreement. If I had things my way, I… I wouldn't be here," Yuzuki heaved a sigh, bowing her head as her shoulders slumped forward, "I would be with Judai, and you would be with Johan…"

'Is that what you think?' Anger slowly built inside the ecruette, 'Johan would still be waiting for someone else to ask him in marriage. I would be rotting away here, with… without him…'

"So, I'm sorry for ruining your plans… and your chances at happiness with Johan." Yuko hit a wrong key, sending her song off a bit, but it went completely unnoticed by Yuzuki, "As you can guess, things today haven't gone… according to plan."

'Do they ever?' A bittersweet smirk appeared on Yuko's face as she chuckled quietly. Of course not; plans are made to be changed, just as rules are meant to be broken and schedules were made to be altered. Things never go according to plan because everything has to change; nothing can ever stay as is. Hearing the chuckle, the pinkette turned to look at Yuko, who still didn't say a word. So, Yuzuki turned to look at the ecruette's hands. She watched the keys Yuko played, and when the corpse paused, Yuzuki would pick up where she left off. At her end of the piano, the pinkette played, matching Yuko's keys almost perfectly.

This caused Yuko to twitch. The ecruette looked at Yuzuki from the corner of her eye, trying not to sneer. When Yuzuki paused, Yuko picked up and continued her song. When Yuzuki got the keys, she followed. Yuko's eyebrow twitched again as she started to her serious. Her hands flew across her side of the piano, nearly slamming them down when she realized how easily Yuzuki was keeping up. The ecruette's anger went completely unnoticed by the pinkette, who smiled innocently at Yuko. The corpse smirked as the two continued to out-due the other. It probably would have gone on all night, if it weren't for Yuko's slip-up. The song was nearly done, but the corpse's hand unfortunately slipped. Yuzuki took the chance to finish the song herself, giggling softly as she smirked triumphantly.

"It appears I am victorious." Yuko growled at the slight cockiness in Yuzuki's voice, eyes narrowing in a challenging manner.

"I demand a re-match." It may have sounded immature, but Yuko wasn't play around. Yuzuki nodded her head and decided to start off. Yuko smirked when she recognized the song and swiftly took over to gain the upper hand. Edo and Tome walked out of the kitchen and into the room, watching the two without amusement. They saw the look of pure frustration and hate on Yuko's face and grimaced slightly.

To them, it was obvious this little battle of the pianos meant something more than just what Yuzuki thought.

-x- -x- -x-

"Enough!" Yuko's sudden cry of frustration as she stood up and slammed her hands on the piano keys scared Yuzuki. The pinkette jumped up as well, stumbling away from the ecruette. She wasn't so sure why she jumped, though. Was it because of Yuko shouting or because of the ugly, devastating sound she decided to make?

'What did I do?' Yuzuki shivered as Yuko turned her cobalt eyes on her, glaring viciously.

"I get it already, dammit!" Yuko spun around to face Yuzuki, who was holding herself up by her hands on the ground. The ecruette gritted her teeth as her hands clenched to shaking fists. "You can play the piano! You can keep up with me on it – hell, you can play better than me! Why not? Let's give you that damn little piece of information! Is there anything else you wish to prove that you are better at me: singing? Or hey, maybe even dancing!"

'Maybe I'm not as special as I think I am.' It wasn't that Yuko was angry at Yuzuki; she was angry at herself. 'Maybe, all this time, I've been fooling myself into thinking I was any good. Yuzu's an expert at the piano, like I thought I was! Maybe Yuzu can dance better than me – and sing better, too! No wonder Johan likes Yuzu so much more than he does me!'

Yuko felt it again; her chest seemed to churn uneasily at the thought. Yuzuki slowly stood up, watching as Yuko's angry expression melted away to a pained one. The ecruette's hands unclenched as her sighed softly, turning back to the piano. The pinkette's heart panged sadly when she thought she saw Yuko's eyes glisten. Was she going to cry? Yuko's fingers curled back into a fist as she slammed it against the side of the piano, beside the keys. Yuzuki flinched softly, frowning.

'I have to accept it,' Yuko tried to coax herself, heaving a sigh. 'Johan doesn't want me – he doesn't need me. He… no longer cares about me. No matter how much it hurts to lose the one I love, I have to get use to being alone.' It's reality: once Johan and Yuzuki were properly married, they'd both disappear from Yuko's life because Johan's dying promise would be fulfilled, while Yuko's one would never be. She would be stuck in Limbo, forever.

And forever was a long time…

If Yuko thought a lifetime without Johan was bad, how about an eternity without him? An eternity of nothing but those around her, an afterlife without Johan… Maybe, in the long 'future' awaiting her, Yuko could move on. After all, she still had Jim, who she once upon a time ago loved, or maybe even Edo, who seemed to be a lot of fun to be around.

'But neither boy could ever fill the gap in my heart that only belongs to Johan…' Yuko was foolish to give her heart to someone who was able to break it so easily, she was foolish to make Johan her everything, because once he left, Yuko would have nothing. Nothing but the painful memories of what she and Johan once had.

Yuzuki backed away from Yuko, noticing how the ecruette wasn't listening to her. The pinkette had apologized, even though she had no idea as to why she was apologizing. Edo and Tome both frowned, watching as Yuko's shoulders shook softly and her hands trembled.

"Give her time, dear," Tome mumbled, resting a hand on Yuzuki's shoulder, "Yuko is still coming to terms about Johan…"

Edo nodded his head, "It's going to be hard for her to fully get over him," he sighed, closing his eyes, "After all, how do you forget your first and only love?"

Yuzuki blinked, staring at Edo questioningly.

-x- -x- -x-

Johan stepped into the pub, rubbing the back of his neck. He couldn't say he was surprised to see Yuko there, playing the piano. It was where she always was whenever she wasn't with Johan. Though, he was surprised to hear her singing. Curiously, he stepped closer to the ecruette, listening as she sang softly.

[Yuko:]
Make my wish come true, let darkness slip aside
Hiding all my hope, mocking what we treasured
Battles we can win if we believed ourselves
Hang in for the light, waiting for that dawn
Fate will not leave you, hate will not heal you
If I pray, then maybe peace shall come…

Johan flinched when he heard the sadness impeded in Yuko's voice. He stood behind her now, watching as she played with a frown. From the corner of her eye, Yuko saw the blunet. Her chest heaved again, filling the corpse with an uneasy feeling, but she pretended not to notice him. Yuko concentrated solely on her music, closing her eyes.

'Your wish…?' Johan tiled his head in wonder. What was Yuko's wish? Imagine, all Johan wanted to do was apologize for his behavior, because he realized how much he really needed her now, more than ever. After all, whenever Johan needed some kind of support, Yuko was always there. And when Johan needed advice, Yuko was the one giving it to him. Yuko was like Johan's other half; he needed her to keep him strong and standing on his two feet. But still, despite all that, it was the guilt that was eating the blunet up. He had to set things right between himself and Yuko, because if he didn't, it would continue to kill him (no pun intended).

Still, Johan's feelings for Yuko stirred deep within him. He sighed softly, taking a seat beside her. Yuko lifted her head a bit higher, eyes still closed. Johan opened his mouth to speak, though stopped himself when Yuko inhaled softly. She started to sing.

[Yuko:]
Make my wish come true, let darkness fade to light
Show me there's still hope; show me it's not over
Battles we can win since struggles lie within
Tell me we can change, I still need you dearly
Love will not leave you, hate will not heal you

"Stop…" Johan whispered softly, grabbing Yuko's wrist. Yuko blinked open her eyes, turning to look at him. Johan's eyes showed his sadness and pain, "Your voice… It's beautiful, as always, but… it hurts too much to listen to…"

"… Is that supposed to help me?" Yuko asked bitterly, stealing her hand back. "What do you need me for? I'm nothing but… a selfish devil." The ecruette stood up and walked away from the piano, heading towards the door. She felt hollow and empty, yet her hand felt different; it was tingling from where Johan had touched her. Yuko rubbed her wrist, closing her eyes and savoring the feeling. It was light and warm… kind of how she felt right now.

"That's not true." Yuko's eyes slowly opened as she lowered her head. She saw Johan's arms around her stomach, holding her to him tightly. No wonder this feeling felt so familiar; it was that feeling she'd been yearning for. "I do need you – now more than ever…"

"But you said…" Yuko whispered softly, turning her head to face the blunet. He was hiding his face in her shoulder, whispering in her ear.

"I didn't mean any of it. I'm sorry for snapping at you." Johan frowned, lifting his head to look at her, "I was just so angry and frustrated. I was lying when I said I didn't need you in my life, and that I was sick of you." Yuko turned her head, eyes losing the gleam they had only a few seconds earlier. "I really do need you, Yuu. I need you here, beside me. You're… my best friend, and you've always been there to help me. I need you now more than ever, Yuu…"

A bittersweet smile appeared on Yuko's face as she closed her eyes. She rested a hand on her shoulder, the one opposite of Johan's head was on, and sighed. Johan lifted his head an inch, raising his hand and laying it on top of hers. "… You need me, do you?" Yuko mumbled lowly, "As your best friend?"

'Funny… Your actions say otherwise…'

"Yes…" Johan scolded himself for acting on instinct rather than listening to what his brain told him. He was probably sending Yuko mixed messages, something he didn't want to do.

Dance with her. You know she likes that…

Should Johan continue to that little voice in the back of his head? Johan took a step back, gripping Yuko's hand with his tighter and spinning her around. Yuko's eyes blinked opened at the unexpected action, losing her balance. Johan chuckled softly, pulling the ecruette close and wrapping an arm around her waist. More on instinct than anything else, Yuko raised a hand to lay on Johan's shoulder and rested her head against his chest. Slowly, Johan moved to a song only he could hear, swaying Yuko with him.

"Do you remember how we first met?" Johan asked, closing his eyes. Yuko hummed a quiet laugh.

"Which one? There was that time I threw a chicken at you, the time Amber Mammoth chased me up a tree, before uprooting it, the time I shoved poison ivy down your pants –"

"Wait a minute, that was you?" Johan exclaimed, halting in his steps to send Yuko a glare. The ecruette made a face that clearly said "oops"; she bit her bottom lip and looked off to the side innocently.

"Um… No?"

"I thought Judai did that! I shoved him into a lake full of crocodiles as vengeance!"

"And I told him to throw a bee hive at you, making you jump into that same lake~"

"Thank the heavens it was winter! I nearly had frostbite!" Yuko moved her hand from Johan's shoulder to her mouth, trying not to laugh out loud. Johan continued to glare at Yuko, before bursting out laughing. For some reason, Yuko started laughing, too. Her sides were hurting as she backed away from Johan, clutching them as she doubled over. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes as she nearly fell to the ground. Johan quickly grabbed her up in his arms, holding her close.

The laughter stopped then, though a smile was still on her face. She felt perfectly at ease in his arms, as she always did. The tears slowly fell down her face, quietly and peacefully. Johan sighed out softly, clearing his throat.

"You were always so crazy…"

"You, too…" Yuko lifted her head to look into Johan's eyes, seeing the smile on his face as well. Johan pulled them both upright, reaching up and whipping Yuko's tears away. His hand cradled her cheek, his thumb sweeping across it.

"I really am sorry for yelling at you," Johan whispered, tilting his head to the side an inch as his smile took an apologetic hint to it. Yuko had to look away. It was almost too painful and unbearing to look at.

"I know… And I'm also sorry for yelling at you, as well."

"So you forgive me?" Her 'heart' ached as she closed her eyes, feeling Johan's hand drop and wrap around her waist. She had to let go, no matter how hard it was or how much it hurt.

'Am I a fool, Johan, for loving you so dearly?' Yuko chuckled quietly, 'I don't need anything else, because all I need is you. Why, Johan? Why can't you just stay with me…?'

Still, Yuko did say she wanted to be held by Johan one more time… Maybe this was a sign?

"Yuu?" There was no choice in the matter; Yuko had to let him go. Johan's mind was already made up, and once it was, it was hard to change. Never once in Yuko's mind did she actually think he could move on, and it breaks her 'heart' because Johan seems much more happier with Yuzuki.

"Of course, Johan." Yuko looked up at Johan, slipping out of his arms and holding his hands in hers. She closed her eyes, feeling the tears behind them building up. "I forgive you."

Yuzuki watched from behind the counter, frowning. She could see it; Edo could see it, Tome could see it… why couldn't Johan? Yuko was almost desperately in love with him.

-x-

D: Poor Yuko…
Oh, that song of Yuko's? It's "Serah's Theme" from Final Fantasy XIII – course, I changed the lyrics around a bit… xD Yosh, Tek-Tek fails, we all know this :b
She also just finished watching Season 4 of YGO!GX ;~; After watching it, she's learned to love Cronos a lot – he's actually an awesome teacher! xD
IDK if it's Cronos or Chronos; everyone says one, YGO!Wikia says something else… and since YGO!Wikia is FTW (and is where she gets all her other info from), Tek-Tek went with Cronos xD
Mkay, well, that's all for now, folks! :D Baibai~