Shadow Play
Chapter two: An endless night
@@@@@@@@@@@
The bliss of our meeting
Is a gentle light
Our eventual parting
A pouring rain
The indigo that blooms
In a delicate shade
For you
I will be reborn
In your arms
I will be reborn
Yami slept in the next morning. Yugi looked at him before going downstairs and getting ready for school. Yami slept rather comically. His shirt had been practically wriggled off of his body and was draped over his eyes. His head was halfway off his pillow and the blankets were sprawled out all over. Yugi smiled to himself and headed downstairs. He left a note for Yami and was off to school.
The pharaoh woke around noon. He pulled the shirt off of his head and headed into the bathroom to take a shower. He cast a T-shirt and jeans on the floor and didn't notice the bandage flutter to the ground. Yami turned the water on before flicking the fan on. It hummed softly above the shower. Steam was rising above the curtain as Yami stepped in.
The hot water hit the cut and made it sting like fire.
Yami cried out in pain and nearly fell. He had totally forgotten about the little struggle last night. He decided to deal with it later---once he was out of the shower.
The boy inspected the unusually long cut. It was healing, to an extent. He took a q-tip and peroxide and dabbed the cut. It fizzed as a white layer of foam formed over it. Yami winced.
He slipped the T-shirt and jeans on and casually walked down stairs. He figured that Yugi was at school even before he read the note. Yami raided the kitchen cupboards looking for the Pop-tarts (he knew there were some left, he saw them yesterday). AHA! Yami was later seen sitting on the couch with one of the two Pop-tarts in his hand and the other in his mouth. He was reading through a RayEarth manga when A) the clock stuck two and B) the phone rang.
"Hello, Muto residence." Yami said.
"Hi Yami! It's Anthy."
"Where are you?"
"I'm at the concert hall, setting up for tonight."
"You have a show?"
"Yeah. Can you come around 6? You'll be able to get a good seat before it gets packed."
"How long is this show?"
"Dunno, depends on what you want me to sing."
"Everything, preferably."
"Okay. You coming?"
"Sure. What are you wearing?"
"You'll have to find out when you come."
"Anyone else gonna be there?"
"Kaylynn and Seto are coming. Ryou might but don't quote me on that."
"Okay."
"See you at six."
"Bye."
"Ja 'ne."
Yami's heart seemed to jump for joy as he hung up the phone. He wiped the breakfast crumbs off of his face and walked up stairs to select an outfit to wear. (Buckles were obvious.)
At six he was at the concert hall in his normal blue buckled attire and spotted Kaylynn and Seto. They were a few seats back from the stage. Kaylynn waved as Yami walked over. Ryou appeared in black jeans and a black T-shirt with "Do you know how many vegetables died for your stupid salad?" on it in green letters. Yami laughed and said that this was a great change for him. Ryou narrowed his eyes briefly before the lights dimmed and they scrambled into their seats as thousands of people flooded in. Every seat was filled as a spotlight hit the red curtain in the center. Anthy emerged from the surrounding darkness with a smile.
She had a strapless blue dress, tight and flashy above her waist (revealing a red rose tattoo above her heart) and loose down by her legs with a slit up the side. She had blue gloves that ended in a small wing-like cuff a few inches above her elbow. Her white hair (long and straightened with a curling iron) hung limply behind the most elaborate part of her costume. Mecha-like wings, like they were from Clover, curled towards her as she raised the microphone to her sapphire blue lipstick.
"Hi everybody! I thank you for being here tonight and I'm gonna start this with something cold. Cold as in Frozen." Anthy said. She cleared her throat as music started.
"You only see what
Your eyes want to see
How can life be
What you want it to be
You're frozen, when your heart's not open
You're so consumed with
How much you get
You waist your time
With hate and regret
You're frozen, when your heart's not open
If I could melt
Your heart
We'd never be
Apart
Give your soul
To me
You hold
The key
Now there's no point in
Placing the blame
And you should know
I suffer the same
You're frozen, when your heart's not open
Love is a bird
She needs to fly
Let all the hurt inside
Of you die
If I lose you, my heart will be broken
If I could melt
Your heart
We'd never be
Apart
Give your soul
To me
You hold
The key
If I could melt your heart........."
There was an explosion of cheers and whistles and applause. Anthy bowed her head before clearing her throat for the second song.
"I'm gonna dedicate this song to Seto Kaiba and Kaylynn Pegasus. They're some of my best friends and were kind enough to escape and join us today. Stand up you two." Anthy pointed to the two as they stood up. Anthy's eyes glittered as they sat back down. The music started and thousands of screaming fans rose to their feet.
"Let's live our lives heroically
Let's live them with style
And even if the two of us are ever torn apart
(Let go of me)
Take my revolution
In the sunlit garden
We both joined our hands
Drawing close for comfort
We both swore
Never again would
We ever fall in love
See that photo
Of us smiling
Standing cheek to cheek
I look at it and
Loneliness
Starts to fill me
Even if I dream
Even If I cry
Even If I get hurt
Reality keeps coming on
Recklessly
I wanna find out
Where I am
The value of being me
Gonna take up
Who I've been until now
And find the strength
To throw it away
Strip down to nothing at all
Become like a rose petal
BLOWING FREE
(At this point rose petals rained from the ceiling)
And even if the two of us are ever torn apart
I swear that I
Will change the world."
The thousands of whistles of screams filled Yami's ears as he stood and applauded and cheered with everyone else. Several more songs were sung after, with rose petals raining down upon them. But right before the last song, Anthy wasn't smiling. The look on her face was now solemn and grim. She looked out at the crowd, who had settled down and was watching her. She raised the microphone to her lips.
"My last song is dedicated to one of my friends, who shall remain anonymous. This is my new song. Clover."
Soft and sad music filled their ears.
"I wish for happiness
I seek happiness
To find happiness with you
To be your happiness
So take me somewhere far away.
An unbreakable spell
A never-ending kiss
An endless dream
Eternal happiness
So take me somewhere far away
Birds sing a song
In a foreign tongue
A place where wings are not enough
A place not reachable alone
Retrace my broken future
Please take me there.
Birds in a cage
Birds without wings
Birds without voice
Lonely birds
So take me somewhere far away
Soaked feathers
Locked fingers
The warmth of skin
Two hearts
Take me away
I wish for happiness
I'm happy to be
I want to forget reality
To be in my dreams with you
Please take me far away
Pleases take me to happiness."
Of the thousands of people there, none said a word. Anthy's costume wings spread wide open and she seemed to be absorbing the tears and emotions in this room.
"Thank you everyone for being here. Good-night."
And Anthy disappeared behind the curtain of darkness. Ryou took Yami's hand and led him, Seto and Kaylynn back stage to see Anthy. Her eyes lit up with joy when she saw them. She immediately ran over and hugged Yami and Ryou.
"Hey Anthy, don't I get a hug?" Seto asked.
"If Kaylynn will let me."
Kaylynn nodded and Anthy gave Seto a light hug.
"Did you enjoy it?" Anthy asked.
"I loved it. The last song was so moving, I don't think that I've ever heard or seen so much emotion in a place like this." Ryou said.
"I like your shirt." Anthy said.
Yami glared at Ryou, who glared back. Anthy saw this.
"I love it when strong men fight, but let's settle this some other way instead. I'll be out front in a second, I have to change."
Anthy stepped onto the concrete in her casual jeans and Navy blue tank top that said "I can only please one person a day, today is not your day. (Tomorrow doesn't look promising either)" Her eyes scanned the crowd and she spotted her friends on the corner. She slipped out and appeared behind Yami. She clapped her hands over his eyes.
"Guess who!" Anthy said, giggling. Yami smiled as Kaylynn's laughing reached his ears.
"Some obscenely hot singer?"
"Hey! You peeked!" Anthy said, dropping her hands and wrapping her arms around his chest and swinging him around in a circle.
"Well then. Do you do this often?"
"Malik! Jess!"
Kaylynn's eyes lit up as Malik Ishtar and Jess Lee walked into the light and put his hand on Anthy's shoulder.
"I heard you sing, when's the CD coming out?" Jess asked.
"Dunno, I'm still recording." Anthy replied.
The faint sound of sirens came closer and closer. Everyone watched as a few fire engines flew past and turned down the street opposite to them.
"Hey Yami, don't you live on that street?" Seto asked.
"Let's check this out."
The seven took off down the street, after the fleeting sirens. The soft glow of flames came into view.........at Yami's house. Everyone looked around for Yugi. No one had seen him. He was still inside the fearsome blaze. Yami threw his jacket onto the ground and asked Seto for a boost. Seto cupped his hands together and Yami put his foot into the "platform" and Seto tossed him through the second story window.
"Yami!" Malik and Kaylynn held Anthy back as Yami vanished into the fire.
Yami peered through the smoke and stepped forwards, tripping over a chair in the process. He called for Yugi, no reply. He headed downstairs. Nothing. He raced back upstairs and looked again. He could see Yugi backed into a corner, flames inching closer by the second. Yugi saw Yami standing there, but he couldn't move. The smoke (although it wasn't too hard to avoid it in Yugi's case) was limiting Yami's visibility. He decided to take a chance. Yami took a step back before leaping over the blaze and grabbing Yugi. The fire was closer and boards were falling from the ceiling. A beam was blocking Yami's entrance.
"Shit." He hissed. He tightened his grip on Yugi and charged over the beam, through his entrance.
He landed on the soft grass and stumbled. Kaylynn, Seto and Malik let go of Anthy and she shot off like a rocket towards them. Yami lay on his back, breathing heavily. Yugi stood next to him and was nearly plowed over by the Anthy rocket.
"Yami! Are you dead?"
"Yes I am. That's why I'm speaking to you."
"You're funny. And your house is soon gonna be ashes."
"Shut up."
"You've got no place to go. So you're welcome to stay with me for a while."
"I appreciate it. Now, let's leave before those losers with cameras find us."
In a heartbeat, Seto Kaiba, Yami Yugi, Yugi Muto, Kaylynn Pegasus, Malik Ishtar and Anthy Kilik disappeared into the shadows.
Chapter two: An endless night
@@@@@@@@@@@
The bliss of our meeting
Is a gentle light
Our eventual parting
A pouring rain
The indigo that blooms
In a delicate shade
For you
I will be reborn
In your arms
I will be reborn
Yami slept in the next morning. Yugi looked at him before going downstairs and getting ready for school. Yami slept rather comically. His shirt had been practically wriggled off of his body and was draped over his eyes. His head was halfway off his pillow and the blankets were sprawled out all over. Yugi smiled to himself and headed downstairs. He left a note for Yami and was off to school.
The pharaoh woke around noon. He pulled the shirt off of his head and headed into the bathroom to take a shower. He cast a T-shirt and jeans on the floor and didn't notice the bandage flutter to the ground. Yami turned the water on before flicking the fan on. It hummed softly above the shower. Steam was rising above the curtain as Yami stepped in.
The hot water hit the cut and made it sting like fire.
Yami cried out in pain and nearly fell. He had totally forgotten about the little struggle last night. He decided to deal with it later---once he was out of the shower.
The boy inspected the unusually long cut. It was healing, to an extent. He took a q-tip and peroxide and dabbed the cut. It fizzed as a white layer of foam formed over it. Yami winced.
He slipped the T-shirt and jeans on and casually walked down stairs. He figured that Yugi was at school even before he read the note. Yami raided the kitchen cupboards looking for the Pop-tarts (he knew there were some left, he saw them yesterday). AHA! Yami was later seen sitting on the couch with one of the two Pop-tarts in his hand and the other in his mouth. He was reading through a RayEarth manga when A) the clock stuck two and B) the phone rang.
"Hello, Muto residence." Yami said.
"Hi Yami! It's Anthy."
"Where are you?"
"I'm at the concert hall, setting up for tonight."
"You have a show?"
"Yeah. Can you come around 6? You'll be able to get a good seat before it gets packed."
"How long is this show?"
"Dunno, depends on what you want me to sing."
"Everything, preferably."
"Okay. You coming?"
"Sure. What are you wearing?"
"You'll have to find out when you come."
"Anyone else gonna be there?"
"Kaylynn and Seto are coming. Ryou might but don't quote me on that."
"Okay."
"See you at six."
"Bye."
"Ja 'ne."
Yami's heart seemed to jump for joy as he hung up the phone. He wiped the breakfast crumbs off of his face and walked up stairs to select an outfit to wear. (Buckles were obvious.)
At six he was at the concert hall in his normal blue buckled attire and spotted Kaylynn and Seto. They were a few seats back from the stage. Kaylynn waved as Yami walked over. Ryou appeared in black jeans and a black T-shirt with "Do you know how many vegetables died for your stupid salad?" on it in green letters. Yami laughed and said that this was a great change for him. Ryou narrowed his eyes briefly before the lights dimmed and they scrambled into their seats as thousands of people flooded in. Every seat was filled as a spotlight hit the red curtain in the center. Anthy emerged from the surrounding darkness with a smile.
She had a strapless blue dress, tight and flashy above her waist (revealing a red rose tattoo above her heart) and loose down by her legs with a slit up the side. She had blue gloves that ended in a small wing-like cuff a few inches above her elbow. Her white hair (long and straightened with a curling iron) hung limply behind the most elaborate part of her costume. Mecha-like wings, like they were from Clover, curled towards her as she raised the microphone to her sapphire blue lipstick.
"Hi everybody! I thank you for being here tonight and I'm gonna start this with something cold. Cold as in Frozen." Anthy said. She cleared her throat as music started.
"You only see what
Your eyes want to see
How can life be
What you want it to be
You're frozen, when your heart's not open
You're so consumed with
How much you get
You waist your time
With hate and regret
You're frozen, when your heart's not open
If I could melt
Your heart
We'd never be
Apart
Give your soul
To me
You hold
The key
Now there's no point in
Placing the blame
And you should know
I suffer the same
You're frozen, when your heart's not open
Love is a bird
She needs to fly
Let all the hurt inside
Of you die
If I lose you, my heart will be broken
If I could melt
Your heart
We'd never be
Apart
Give your soul
To me
You hold
The key
If I could melt your heart........."
There was an explosion of cheers and whistles and applause. Anthy bowed her head before clearing her throat for the second song.
"I'm gonna dedicate this song to Seto Kaiba and Kaylynn Pegasus. They're some of my best friends and were kind enough to escape and join us today. Stand up you two." Anthy pointed to the two as they stood up. Anthy's eyes glittered as they sat back down. The music started and thousands of screaming fans rose to their feet.
"Let's live our lives heroically
Let's live them with style
And even if the two of us are ever torn apart
(Let go of me)
Take my revolution
In the sunlit garden
We both joined our hands
Drawing close for comfort
We both swore
Never again would
We ever fall in love
See that photo
Of us smiling
Standing cheek to cheek
I look at it and
Loneliness
Starts to fill me
Even if I dream
Even If I cry
Even If I get hurt
Reality keeps coming on
Recklessly
I wanna find out
Where I am
The value of being me
Gonna take up
Who I've been until now
And find the strength
To throw it away
Strip down to nothing at all
Become like a rose petal
BLOWING FREE
(At this point rose petals rained from the ceiling)
And even if the two of us are ever torn apart
I swear that I
Will change the world."
The thousands of whistles of screams filled Yami's ears as he stood and applauded and cheered with everyone else. Several more songs were sung after, with rose petals raining down upon them. But right before the last song, Anthy wasn't smiling. The look on her face was now solemn and grim. She looked out at the crowd, who had settled down and was watching her. She raised the microphone to her lips.
"My last song is dedicated to one of my friends, who shall remain anonymous. This is my new song. Clover."
Soft and sad music filled their ears.
"I wish for happiness
I seek happiness
To find happiness with you
To be your happiness
So take me somewhere far away.
An unbreakable spell
A never-ending kiss
An endless dream
Eternal happiness
So take me somewhere far away
Birds sing a song
In a foreign tongue
A place where wings are not enough
A place not reachable alone
Retrace my broken future
Please take me there.
Birds in a cage
Birds without wings
Birds without voice
Lonely birds
So take me somewhere far away
Soaked feathers
Locked fingers
The warmth of skin
Two hearts
Take me away
I wish for happiness
I'm happy to be
I want to forget reality
To be in my dreams with you
Please take me far away
Pleases take me to happiness."
Of the thousands of people there, none said a word. Anthy's costume wings spread wide open and she seemed to be absorbing the tears and emotions in this room.
"Thank you everyone for being here. Good-night."
And Anthy disappeared behind the curtain of darkness. Ryou took Yami's hand and led him, Seto and Kaylynn back stage to see Anthy. Her eyes lit up with joy when she saw them. She immediately ran over and hugged Yami and Ryou.
"Hey Anthy, don't I get a hug?" Seto asked.
"If Kaylynn will let me."
Kaylynn nodded and Anthy gave Seto a light hug.
"Did you enjoy it?" Anthy asked.
"I loved it. The last song was so moving, I don't think that I've ever heard or seen so much emotion in a place like this." Ryou said.
"I like your shirt." Anthy said.
Yami glared at Ryou, who glared back. Anthy saw this.
"I love it when strong men fight, but let's settle this some other way instead. I'll be out front in a second, I have to change."
Anthy stepped onto the concrete in her casual jeans and Navy blue tank top that said "I can only please one person a day, today is not your day. (Tomorrow doesn't look promising either)" Her eyes scanned the crowd and she spotted her friends on the corner. She slipped out and appeared behind Yami. She clapped her hands over his eyes.
"Guess who!" Anthy said, giggling. Yami smiled as Kaylynn's laughing reached his ears.
"Some obscenely hot singer?"
"Hey! You peeked!" Anthy said, dropping her hands and wrapping her arms around his chest and swinging him around in a circle.
"Well then. Do you do this often?"
"Malik! Jess!"
Kaylynn's eyes lit up as Malik Ishtar and Jess Lee walked into the light and put his hand on Anthy's shoulder.
"I heard you sing, when's the CD coming out?" Jess asked.
"Dunno, I'm still recording." Anthy replied.
The faint sound of sirens came closer and closer. Everyone watched as a few fire engines flew past and turned down the street opposite to them.
"Hey Yami, don't you live on that street?" Seto asked.
"Let's check this out."
The seven took off down the street, after the fleeting sirens. The soft glow of flames came into view.........at Yami's house. Everyone looked around for Yugi. No one had seen him. He was still inside the fearsome blaze. Yami threw his jacket onto the ground and asked Seto for a boost. Seto cupped his hands together and Yami put his foot into the "platform" and Seto tossed him through the second story window.
"Yami!" Malik and Kaylynn held Anthy back as Yami vanished into the fire.
Yami peered through the smoke and stepped forwards, tripping over a chair in the process. He called for Yugi, no reply. He headed downstairs. Nothing. He raced back upstairs and looked again. He could see Yugi backed into a corner, flames inching closer by the second. Yugi saw Yami standing there, but he couldn't move. The smoke (although it wasn't too hard to avoid it in Yugi's case) was limiting Yami's visibility. He decided to take a chance. Yami took a step back before leaping over the blaze and grabbing Yugi. The fire was closer and boards were falling from the ceiling. A beam was blocking Yami's entrance.
"Shit." He hissed. He tightened his grip on Yugi and charged over the beam, through his entrance.
He landed on the soft grass and stumbled. Kaylynn, Seto and Malik let go of Anthy and she shot off like a rocket towards them. Yami lay on his back, breathing heavily. Yugi stood next to him and was nearly plowed over by the Anthy rocket.
"Yami! Are you dead?"
"Yes I am. That's why I'm speaking to you."
"You're funny. And your house is soon gonna be ashes."
"Shut up."
"You've got no place to go. So you're welcome to stay with me for a while."
"I appreciate it. Now, let's leave before those losers with cameras find us."
In a heartbeat, Seto Kaiba, Yami Yugi, Yugi Muto, Kaylynn Pegasus, Malik Ishtar and Anthy Kilik disappeared into the shadows.