25. All We Know – Paramore

"Pharaoh, please, be careful." Anzu alternated between clinging to the rock face like a limpet and hopping awkwardly along, trying to keep up with him. People had often commented on how graceful she was, which she put down to years of ballet training, but right now she felt like a carthorse galumphing along in the wake of someone who wasn't even checking to see whether she was okay.

The figure in front of her looked so much like Yuugi, and any day but today she might have called him that. But this time she knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that this wasn't Yuugi. This was the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, the long-dead Nameless Pharaoh that Malik had gone to such lengths to uncover and destroy, only to later befriend. This was her friend, in a roundabout, very convoluted way.

The Pharaoh wasn't acting too friendly right now. Still, determinedly making his way along a narrow mountain trail was better than trying to kill unconscious boys or sitting dead-eyed on a train. This was progress, right?

Right?

Yuugi… Despair welled inside Anzu so sharply that it cut a fresh chunk out of her heart and dissolved it in her stomach acid. All her insides roiled at the thought of what had become of Yuugi, and what might be happening to him right now. His soul was gone – stolen away by a psychopath – and if even the Pharaoh couldn't stop it then what were the rest of them supposed to do? She'd always argued that they were more than just cheerleaders, but right now she felt more helpless than she ever had before in her entire life.

Then she shook her head. She couldn't think like that. She needed to be strong now, for Yuugi and the Pharaoh. She could tell he was nearing his breaking point, if he hadn't already passed it. His behaviour with Haga had frightened her. If she hadn't been there, if they hadn't crashed, if it'd been just the two of them with nobody to pull the Pharaoh back … the consequences didn't bear thinking about.

He needs me, even if he doesn't know it. He needs me to keep him from doing something stupid that could get himself or someone else killed.

Plus, for her own sake, getting distracted right now was a bad idea. One wrong move and she could slip and fall, and there was nothing between her and a very messy end on the rocks below but a hundred feet of empty air. If she died, who would save Yuugi?

Well, everybody was trying to save him, actually, so someone would step into the breach. Jounouchi and Honda, maybe, or Otogi and Rebecca. Still, given the choice, Anzu would really rather not go splat.

Nevertheless, she hurried to keep up with the Pharaoh. He was going faster and much more recklessly than her, as though he didn't care whether or not he fell. Anzu frowned. That was still Yuugi's body, and she refused to believe he wasn't coming back for it. That was the only thought keeping her from completely breaking down.

"Pharaoh, be careful," she urged again, finding a fresh handhold for herself.

He didn't even look back, his shoulders high and tense. He was some way ahead of her now, so it was possible he couldn't even hear her. He was too focussed on getting to … wherever they were going. She didn't know and he didn't care as long as it eventually led to Yuugi, or at least a means of avenging him. Everything else had taken a backseat to that desire. He wasn't the composed, righteous, slightly melodramatic personality she'd come to know, but a stew pot of regret and loathing, who burned with such conflicting impulses that Anzu half expected him to start throwing off sparks. If he wasn't careful he was going to hurt himself. In his misguided penance he might not care about himself anymore, but Anzu still did.

"Pharaoh, this trail is really dangerous. You have to be more -" Her words was cut off by a squeak, as her left handhold suddenly crumbled while her right hand was searching for a new one, and her balance shifted. Anzu's arms windmilled frantically, but it was no use. She felt her heels beginning to skid. "Pharaoh!"

Finally he looked back, scowling. However, when he saw what was happening his expression quickly morphed into alarm. He swivelled to come back to her, but it was too late. He was too far away and the trail was too narrow for him to turn in time.

Anzu toppled over the edge.

It wasn't until she was halfway down that her voice came back.

"YUUGI!"