Chapter 4

Playing Games

The next couple of weeks went by quickly. Yugi and his friends would meet up with Anna in the mornings and again after school. Sometimes they would go out to eat, sometimes they would just hang out. Anna's workload seemed to grow exponentially. The first day they met Anna she had a satchel with a laptop in it. Eventually it grew to a satchel and a bag, then a satchel, a bag, and a stack of files and binders.

"I thought you worked on computers, what's with all the paperwork?" Joey inquired as he toted some of Anna's heavy files to work for her.

"Apparently, my Uncle considers me a free slave. Once I straightened up the I.T. department, he put me to work in accounting and marketing. His company downsized last year, and he's got lots of work to be done and no one to do it."

"If he treats you so badly, why do you continue to work for him? Can't you get a job somewhere else?" Anzu asked.

"No can do. According to my parents' will I have to do as he says or I don't inherit. And that includes being a good girl, doing exactly what I'm told, and marrying Yugi. Then when I turn eighteen, it's all mine."

"What exactly are you inheriting?" Puzzled Yugi.

"My father's oil company. Currently it's in trust to my Uncle. Seeing the way he runs his computer company, I'm surprised he hasn't bankrupted it. I'd hate to see my father's hard work and money go to waste."

"How much money are we talkin' about here?" Joey was seeing dollar signs.

"Umm, a few...hundred...million."

"Yen?"

"U.S. Dollars."

Yugi's heart stopped for a minute, and it wasn't from the weight of the books he carried. He suddenly realized that not only would his future wife have millions of dollars, but that her inheritance depended on their marriage.

"Holly cow! You're going to be richer than Kaiba!" Joey exclaimed. "You should buy out Kaiba Corp just to teach that guy a lesson. Teach him to insult us."

"He didn't insult us, I think he only insulted you, Joey." Honda had to add. If both boys hadn't been loaded down with files, they would have instantly started into another one of their infamous battles.

'Kaiba' was name that Anna hadn't heard before. They hadn't mentioned him in any conversation they had over the past two weeks. She might have inquired more but just then they arrived at the school as the first warning bells were sounding.

"Quick give me those files. You all need to get going." Anna collected the miscellaneous paperwork from each boy and shooed him off to class. Calling after them, "And thanks again for helping me carry all this stuff!" They waved as they ran off, and Anna trudged with her load down the street.

That afternoon, Anna sat in the courtyard of the school awaiting the arrival of the others. She had her headphones on and was typing on her laptop. The music drowned out the sound of the last bell, but the instant flood of students leaving the building, told her that classes had ended. She looked up periodically from her work to spy the foursome, she knew from which direction they would be coming. After a few moments she spotted Yugi as he approached her position.

"Hey there," Anna smiled as she clicked off the CD player and dropped her headphones around her neck.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Aren't we going to wait for the others?"

"I asked them to give us some private time."

"Any particular reason? Is it our anniversary or something?"

"No, I just wanted to spend some time with you."

The pair left the schoolyard and began walking down the street. It was in the opposite direction from her apartment, an area Anna wasn't familiar with.

"So where are we going?" Anna's curiosity always got the better of her.

"I want to take you somewhere special."

Anna hated to not know something. Normally she would have asked a million questions until she figured out his secret or annoyed him enough that he would have given up and told her. But today, she thought it prudent to hold her tongue. She was still finding her way around Yugi, and on many subjects she was still tentative to talk to him.

"You don't have as much paperwork this afternoon."

"It's all due to a great thing called Micro-management! I realized today that I'm considered a supervisor. So, I spread the wealth. I kicked some butts, got some departments organized, and still had time for lunch. Bossing people around is so much fun! You should really try it sometime." Anna's mischievous smile was playful.

They walked another couple of blocks in silence. Anna was taking in her surroundings. "ya know, I've been here over two weeks and I've not seen half this city."

"Then we'll make it a point to take you someplace new each day."

"That sounds like a plan."

"We're here!" Yugi pronounced with a triumphant smile on his face.

Anna looked over to see the entrance to a large city park. The sign over the entryway said, "Domino Gardens".

"You have a park?" Anna grinned from ear to ear.

"It's not my park exactly, but I like it."

Anna didn't wait for Yugi as she quickened her pace. Entering she found herself surrounded by subtle dashes of flowers, rock gardens, and benches. Yugi didn't mind trailing behind her. He enjoyed seeing her amazement and appreciate the beauty of the landscape.

Suddenly realizing she had left Yugi behind, Anna doubled back to where he was standing. "This is a great surprise. I love it."

"You are always talking about all the wonderful places you've been, I thought you'd like to see Japan. Or at least the Japan that is within walking distance. Let me show you around."

The pair walked through the gardens and Yugi made sure to point out the cultural significances of each floral arrangement, rock formation, even the pieces of paper posted on the tiny Shinto Shrine. They traveled across a footbridge that spanned part of the lake. "See over there?" Yugi pointed to the small buildings on the edge of the lake. "Those are where they hold the Tea Ceremonies."

"They still perform Tea Ceremonies? I thought that tradition died out."

"Apparently, lots of the old traditions still exist, including arranged marriages." Anna giggled at him.

After making a complete lap of the park they sat on a bench to admire the sunset. "This was a great idea, thank you for bringing me here, Yugi."

"I'm glad you liked it."

"Liked? Nah, I loved it."

They sat there and watched as the sun made the sky turn twenty shades of red and orange. Anna could have given him a long speech about how the atmosphere refracted light and caused the color change, but she knew Yugi well enough to know that he didn't care how things happened, but he appreciated that they did happen. That was the one thing she had really hoped for, that Yugi would be her intellectual equal. It was her one secret desire. She knew she couldn't choose her husband, or mold him into what she wanted, but in her heart, she wanted him to be someone she could talk to. And Yugi, for all his sweetness and charity, wasn't that. The science wasn't there. She had to learn to do without. And from that day forward, the sunset was going to her perpetual reminder of that fact.

"Anna?" Yugi's words interrupted Anna's thoughts. "Do you believe in reincarnation?"

"That's a strange question."

"We were talking about in school today, and I was just wondering what you thought." Yugi had lied. It wasn't something he heard in school, it was his attempt to tell her about his other self. The nameless pharaoh that lived in his puzzle.

"I think it's possible. And in many ways, science supports it. Newton's first law states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be changed from one form to another. A human being is made up of energy. They have actually done studies where they measured the amount of energy released from a body when it dies. And they were able to account for most of the energy, but there was some that just disappeared. They had no idea where it went. Which leads a lot of religious people to say that that is your soul leaving your body."

"Do you think the lost energy is a soul?"

"Well, not exactly. I have a different theory. I believe when you die that that lost energy splits apart and becomes part of other things. And not just humans, but plants and animals, anything that's alive. And when that thing dies, the energy is dispersed again. And it happens over and over again. But what if hundreds, or thousands of years later, enough of the original energy from one of those creatures comes back together. Then you would get an almost carbon copy of the original person. And maybe even the memories that were stored in that energy."

"Do you think that it's possible for all of someone's energy to stay together, like if they were trapped?"

"Like a ghost? Trapped in a building, or attached to an object? Absolutely." Yugi nodded in agreement. "Why? Have you seen a ghost?" Anna smirked at him.

"No, not really. Just curious."

The sun had completely set and the darkness had surrounded them.

"Hey, it's getting late, we should be going." Anna suggested.

They stood up and proceeded to leave the park by way of the lighted path.

"So, what do you want to do this weekend? I could show you more of the city, or we could go to that restaurant you like."

"Could you teach me how to play Duel Monsters? I've heard nothing else out of Joey's mouth, and you seem to have a passion for it. And if it's important to you, I want to learn."

Nothing Anna said could have made Yugi happier. He practically glowed, "Yeah, I'd love to teach you. It's a great game. It is really simple to play, but you have to use strategy and just the right card set to win."

"How about I come over tomorrow morning and you can teach me?"

"That sounds great!"

The next morning, Yugi found himself fretting in front of the mirror. He just couldn't seem to find something to wear. He wanted to look nice, but he was afraid that no matter what he wore, it wouldn't please Anna. She always had nice clothes, designer brands or so Anzu told him. And every week she looked better and better. He only had these old clothes.

"You need to relax," came the voice from behind him. Yugi turned to see his alter self sitting in the desk chair. "Anna won't care what you look like. She likes you for who you are."

"I don't know what girls were like back in your time, but now a day; girls notice what you wear."

"Just be yourself."

Yugi sighed and took the advice from his disembodied friend. He dressed in his standard black garb.

"Partner...."

"What is it, other me?"

"I know I told you that I was going to stay out of things between you..."

Yugi glanced over at his other self.

"I would like to meet her."

Yugi was surprised at what he had asked. "You want to meet her?"

"I would like to talk to her. Actually, I would like to be the one to teach her to play Duel Monsters."

Yugi didn't know exactly how to take his request. Did his other self think he wasn't able to teach her properly, or perhaps he wanted to get closer to Anna?

The Pharaoh could see Yugi was in a dilemma. And because of their special bond, he could almost hear what Yugi was thinking. "I'm sorry, I've over stepped my bounds. I shouldn't have asked." Pharaoh's spirit began to fade away from Yugi's sight, but Yugi stopped him.

"No, don't go."

Pharaoh's spirit rematerialized.

"It's just..." Yugi paused for a moment. "I haven't told her about you. I don't know how she is going to re-act."

"Then let's find out."

Anna made excellent time walking to the game shop that morning. She couldn't wait until she got her car, all this walking, although good for her health, was becoming tedious. But she didn't turn sixteen for another couple of months, and she was just going have to wait. Her mind always wandered when she walked alone. First about work and projects to be done. Then about how she was glad to have friends to hang out with after work. Each of them was unique and had their own qualities. Honda was quiet and sensible, he didn't always know the right thing to do, but he wasn't afraid to protect his friends and put his life on the line if necessary. Although she and Anzu had started off on very rough ground, they eventually found a bond. Anna couldn't have asked for a better person to talk about art and theater with. They had seen all the same plays, musicals, and operas; they even had the same eclectic taste in music. Anna couldn't wait for the new theater season to start; she was going to drag Anzu to every performance. Joey.... Well what could she say about Joey. The plain and simple fact is...Joey's an idiot. But he's a happy idiot. And he's Yugi's best friend. And then there was Yugi. She stopped herself. 'No, I can't make any opinions about him. I can't start judging him. I'll be dooming things before they start." The sound of a cell phone broke her thought. She stopped and dug through her satchel and answered it.

"Yes, sir...yes, sir...yes, sir...yes, sir" were the only words she spoke, and the only answers she could give to her Uncle's demands. Once he had finished speaking, he hung up, leaving her dangling on the other end. Anna flipped the phone closed and placed it back in her bag. Her hand rubbed the back of her neck, massaging it. She just wanted to scream every time that phone rang. He was impossible. Looking up she could see the Game shop at the end of the block. She straighten up and made sure her hair was neat, then marched down the street. She was damned if he was going to ruin her weekend.

Anna pushed the door open and heard the familiar bell ring. "Good morning, Grandpa!" She chimed in tune to the bell.

"Oh, good morning, Anna" Grandpa waved. "So, what are you two lovebirds up to today?"

"Yugi promised to teach me how to play Duel Monsters."

"Ooooo," Grandpa's eyes got very big. "You know, if you really want to learn to play, I will teach you. I taught Yugi, and look, he's world champion. I could make you a first class competitor too."

"No thank you, Grandpa. I don't want to play professionally. I have enough on my plate already. I just want to know how to play so I can support Yugi at the tournaments."

"Oh, all right then. But you could have been great!"

Anna couldn't help but laugh under her breath. He was a crazy old man, and she knew it. From the back of the store she heard footsteps. They were Yugi's; she would know the clack of his boots anywhere. But something was different. The footsteps were heavier, wider in stride, and in a way, more assured. She pivoted and caught sight of Yugi. 'Does he not own any other clothes?' she asked herself. 'I mean, you can only do so much with chains and black leather. But then again, chains and black leather do have their uses...' Anna shook her head slightly to clear her impure thoughts. Where did that come from? She had never thought that way about Yugi before. What was wrong with her?

Yugi placed a barstool next to Anna and then went on the other side of the counter so he was facing her.

"Are you ready?"

Anna took a serious look at Yugi, pulled up the chair, and said, "Let's do this."

Yugi spread out his deck face up on the counter. He began by explaining the types of cards and their effects. Battle, fusion, traps, and even some basic moves. Yugi continued on until he could not think of anything else to tell her.

"So, it's a game of strategy? Plays, and counter plays, and the trick is predicting and manipulating your opponent. I bet you are very good at this game. I would even go as far as to bet that you could beat Yugi."

Yugi gave her a very puzzled face.

Anna leaned on the counter and propped her chin up with her fist. Looking him square in the eyes she said. "You're not Yugi, are you?"

Yugi smirked at her, "I told him you would figure it out."

"So, if you are not Yugi, who are you? Split personality? Evil twin?" Anna pushed the subject, she wanted to know.

"I am the spirit that lives in Yugi's puzzle;" he held the puzzle up for her to see it. "When Yugi solved the puzzle, he freed me."

"Do you two share the same body?"

"We take turns. Yugi has been very generous in allowing me some freedom."

"Oh," Anna tugged at her lip. "Can you see and hear everything that he does, and vice versa?"

"Sometimes. If he doesn't want me to interfere, I can retreat to my puzzle so he can be alone. But most of the time we share experiences."

"So, you've been watching me for the past two weeks?"

"I've been a distant observer. You have spent the past two weeks with Yugi."

"What should I call you?"

"Our friends call me Yugi."

"But that's his name, don't you have one?"

"I can't remember. I've lost my memories."

"Do you remember anything?"

"Yes, three thousand years ago I was a Pharaoh in Egypt. Something happened to me, and I was trapped inside the millennium puzzle. That is all I know."

"Can you two switch back at any time?"

Yugi nodded.

"Could I speak to Yugi, please?"

Yugi shut his intense violet eyes, and when they opened Anna once again saw the gentle purples ones she knew.

"I'm sorry Anna, I tried to tell you, but I didn't know how."

"I can see where that sort of thing would be hard to explain."

"He's a great guy; he's helped us out of a lot of jams. I know you'll like him if you give him a chance."

Anna was still disturbed with the notion that this other person inhabited her fiancee, and that they would never be alone.

"He's my friend," Yugi pleaded.

Those light purple eyes stared at her, begged her. How could she resist such sorrowful eyes?

"What's he like to eat? I'll take him to lunch. That is, if my fiancée doesn't mind." Anna had decided not to fight the unseen enemy, not yet at least.

Yugi grinned; "He likes to go to the place around the corner. They have the best sushi."

"Around the corner it is then." Anna stood up and collected herself and her belongings. 'Sushi again?' Anna pondered in her head. 'Maybe I'll luck out and this place will be next to a Neiman Marcus, and I can get Yugi some decent clothes.'