Chapter 4: The Awakening

^_^ Well, everyone seems to like me (or at least they don't hate me, which amounts to the same thing), so I'm going to continue! But don't expect me to update that often... gah, school's a pain.

A.N. - This is written from Hikari Anzu's point of view. So all opinions/dissing is what SHE thinks. So don't flame me for dissing Anzu a little; I'm just doing my best. ^_^ Thanks.

A.N. II - Just so you know, Shaadi actually possesses the Millennium Scales; however, I don't think he's the keeper of the Scales (though he is the keeper of the Ankh). Here's a list of the Items and their keepers, for those of you who don't know:

Millennium/Sennen Ring: Bakura
Millennium/Sennen Puzzle: Yuugi/Yugi
Millennium/Sennen Eye: Pegasus, Bakura (end of Duelist Kingdom)
Millennium/Sennen Ankh/Key: Shaadi/Shadi
Millennium/Sennen Scales: Shaadi/Shadi
Millennium/Sennen Rod: Kaiba (In Ancient Egypt), Malik/Marik/Terrance? (Battle City)
Millennium/Sennen Tauk: Isis Ishtar

*blushes in embarrassment* I don't know Malik's American name... I heard it was going to be changed to Marik, then later I heard it was Terrance. (I wish they'd just leave the names alone!) If anyone knows for SURE what his name will be, please tell me! Thanks, I hate feeling stupid. ^_^

A.N. III - In general, I use the Japanese names for things (as Yu-Gi-Oh! was created in Japan, not the USA), but I will call the Sennen Items the Millennium Items, since that's what most people call them. It just makes life easier for most people (though is a heck of a lot easier to spell than ).

Disclaimer: The theme of the lawyers must be, Present-day mortals are so much fun to torture. (-- Yami Bakura) How many Ra-darned times do I have to say I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!!? Kami-sama, I can understand putting it in the first chapter, maybe. But by this point in time you should get the blasted message! I DO NOT OWN YU-GI-OH!!!!!!!!!!! So there. Happy?



**********



I could hear my voice echoing through my mind, as I spoke words alien to me. That is, I understood the words, but what did they mean? So strange, yet so familiar...

I closed my eyes, content to listen. It's kind of like a dream, when you're awake. I knew I wasn't speaking - or thinking - the words, but I was talking. I should know my own voice by now!

Pictures came to mind - pictures that went with the words that I spoke without moving my lips. Surprisingly, the pictures were as vivid and clear as if I had seen them with my own eyes. It was almost like déjà vu and nostalgia at the same time. Bizarre.

...when fate intervened... Slowly, a sense of knowing, remembering crept over me. I wasn't sure, until I heard myself say, It matters not. Go home.

My eyes opened wide. I knew those words from somewhere! But I had not spoken them... ... ...no, it had been... ... ...who? A robed figure. A strange man, shrouded in mystery. A man whom I had followed into the depths of the earth...

I shook my head. What was this? It seemed so familiar...

My footsteps lead me... They lead me. That's right... I had followed the robed man, and the silver-haired man in the hat. The one with a broken heart, who had spoken softly of magic... The man who had withstood the test of the... Millennium Eye.

In my mind, I watched the man endure again. Again, I wanted to scream with him. Again, I felt his fear, his pain. But this time... I could see. I could see the light, because I could see through his eyes.

It was a woman - a very pretty woman at that. So she's the true love of this man! I thought. Now... now, I understand...

As the image faded, so did the vision. I heard my voice continuing - some sappy poetry about how the hat-man couldn't wait to see Cecilia again - but I didn't need any more pictures. For in that moment, I remembered everything. Everything that that robed man had made me forget. And I knew that it wasn't me that was talking. It was my happy-go-lucky yami.

I searched my - or rather, my yami's - memory. I was now fifteen years old. I was popular. Ugh. What has that monster done to me? I wondered.

I think Yami Anzu could sense something had changed. I quickly closed my eyes and feigned unconsciousness, clearing my mind (I may have been out-of-it for ten years, but something like simple meditation was something no one could forget) of thoughts. My yami, content that I was still not awake, left.

I sighed inwardly. I would need to do some heavy thinking. I wanted my body back - and, Kami-sama be my witness, I was going to get it. My yami had tangled with the wrong girl...

I spent the next hour or so looking through my yami's memories - the air head didn't even notice. Let me tell you, I was horrified with what she had done to me and my reputation. She had made me into a happy, friendship-loving ditz. I was a cheerleader. Any doubts on my thoughts of her presence instantly evaporated. I was a loner, a fighter, a smart kid who liked to read. End of discussion.

I gathered, too, that I was not the only one with a yami. Yuugi - I still remembered him! - had a spirit, too - but his was from his Millennium Puzzle (and it seemed my yami had a crush on his yami). The silver-haired keeper of the Millennium Eye - Pegasus - didn't have a yami; neither did Bakura, the keeper of the Millennium Ring (though my yami did have reoccurring nightmares of Bakura going psycho). I wondered briefly if the robed man had a yami - but then, I decided I didn't really want to know, as I never wanted to meet up with HIM again.

I sighed and stood up, stretching my legs for the first time in a decade - literally. I did a quick warm-up on my punching bag, cracked my knuckles, and prepared to meet Yami Anzu.



~~~~~~~~~~



Y-y-y-you're awake! Yami Anzu cried.

Brilliant observation. I commented dryly as I stepped into my fighter's stance. I've BEEN awake for the last hour. And I want my body back.

She pouted. But I don't wanna... and besides, you couldn't stop me last time. What makes you think you can this time?

I rolled my eyes. I was defeated by the man in the robes, not you. It was his magic. Not yours. And I know from your memory... you don't have the Millennium Scales with you. You're helpless, and we both know it.

I had struck a nerve, and I knew it; my yami looked more and more nervous every second. To my dismay, however, her voice still remained cheerful and peppy as she answered, Well... yes... ... ...but I don't need the Scales. My soul was transferred into your body from them. And while I can't harness that power - not directly - you still can't hurt me.

I lowered my fists, maybe an inch or so. What do you mean...? I asked her cautiously.

Her silky - and in my opinion, evil - smile returned, and she answered, It's illegal to kill people! You'll go to jail!

I glared at her, and raised my fists again. You really are dumb. I replied. It's called self defense'. If I'm in danger, I can defend myself. I can't be sent to jail for that.

Yami Anzu laughed, But it wouldn't be self defense, my hikari. Like you said yourself, I pose no threat to you.

I couldn't think of a response for that one; seeing this, she laughed again.

In that moment, something inside me snapped. Maybe I can't kill you... I began, my voice an deadly calm, but I can put you out of commission until I can find a way to get rid of you! And believe you me, yami... I will find a way!

With that, I unleashed all of my pent-up fury upon Yami Anzu. I charged, then broke off my attack at the last second, taking her by surprise as I dodged to one side, then sweeped her legs from underneath her with a lower roundhouse kick. She screamed, of course. And well she should. I was mad.

As she fell, I delivered a sharp blow to her stomach with my fist. Yami Anzu gasped in pain, and she fell to the floor with a sickening thud. She rolled over, trying to get away; I let her get halfway to her feet before I delivered an uppercut to her jaw. She fell forward, dazed. I seized the opportunity: I checked my aim and steady my two fingers; then, with lightning speed, I delivered a lightning-quick (but not especially painful) blow to the back of her neck.

The effect was exactly as I had intended - Yami Anzu fell into a heap on the ground, unconscious. I smiled inwardly. My aim and skill had not decreased through the years. I still remembered how to render a person unconscious without causing them to loose too much blood. After all, I had no interest in torturing people when I didn't have to. All it took was one blow. Sleep well, yami... I whispered...



**********



Well? I hope it was good... ^_^ I already have an idea for the next chapter. Please R&R! Oh, and don't be afraid to flame me if I suck. Like I said, you just need to make a point about something, rather than just dissing me and/or my writing. I actually like debates, so don't be afraid to insult me, as long as you have a good argument. ^_^ Oh yeah, and if I say something that is inaccurate, then PLEASE correct me - I don't want to go around thinking that I know something when I don't. Then I end up making a big fool of myself, and I look like a total idiot. ^_^ Thanks.