A/n: So the trial of the century begins. Anyway please review!

Forever in Darkness: The Trial part one

'.'...'.'...'.'...'.'

Bakura had to threaten to knock a few teeth out to get the reporters to leave Anzu alone as they climbed the stairs into the building.

Once inside she was becoming increasingly scared and finding Seto out in the hall didn't help any.

But as she passed he looked up at her, regret written in his eyes and her breath stopped as he mouthed the words 'I'm sorry' to her.

Then as he passed her table he slipped a piece of paper into Yugi's hand, who handed it to Anzu.

It was a short note and Anzu was confused as she read it.

'Apparently we've both been lied to. I'm sorry that I hurt you please forgive me. I was only acting on his behalf.'

She glanced over at him but he refused to look anywhere but straight ahead.

The trial began and the defense called Yugi to the stand.

''

"Yugi Mutou, How long have you known Miss Mazaki?"

"Since around the fifth grade. She used to stick up for me when I was bullied."

"And what is you're relationship with her?"

"We're very close friends."

"But you aren't dating anymore?"

"No sir."

"Why not?"

"Irreconcilable differences...she caught me cheating on her."

"Miss Mazaki seems like a very sensible woman."

"Yes sir, and very strong...I admire her very much."

"Based on your previous relationship with her, would you say that she's an honest woman as well?"

"Yes. Even after she found out about my other girlfriend she didn't find someone else. Not until we finally split up for good."

"And what was it that made you break up for good?"

"...I hit her...across the face...about a month ago. I'm very sorry...I let my anger get away with me."

"I see. In the years that you've known her, have you ever witnessed her lying for any reason?"

"When we were in tenth grade, she got a job after school to help pay for her books, but it's automatic expulsion if caught. She didn't really lie to me and our other friends, she just kind of said that she was too busy to hang out with us."

"Has Miss Mazaki ever shown any romantic interest in Mr. Kaiba?"

"No sir, Kaiba-kun has never liked my group of friends, and Anzu has always disliked him."

"Thank you, Prosecution's witness."

''

Yugi glanced up at Anzu as her lawyer approached him.

She looked pale and was visibly shaking.

Glancing at Seto made him angry.

He was calm and looked bored.

''

" On Saturday the fifteenth of March, you opened the game store that you and your grandfather own and found a video tape. Can you tell me what was on that tape?"

"First it was Kaiba-kun. He said that what I was about to see was very real. He was going to kidnap Anzu and that she was in danger of him. Then he kidnapped her and came back on and said that if I didn't duel him and give him my sennen puzzle within twenty four hours he would hurt Anzu in any way he could think of and deliver her beaten body on my doorstep."

"When you say that he kidnapped her, what did you mean? Did he make any advances on her that you thought were inappropriate? Please describe for the court what took place."

"Yes he did, several times. He greeted her and she asked him what he wanted. He pinned her against the door and took her key out of her hand."

"How did he 'pin' her to the door and what was his response?"

"He used his body, like he was laying on top of her and simply said 'You' in a lusty tone...like he really wanted to sleep with her."

"You said he made other advances on her, what were those times?"

Yugi glanced at Anzu who, though visibly scared, nodded.

"He slid his hands under her shirt and touched her neck...and other parts of her body in ways that made her uncomfortable. He also kissed her repeatedly."

"What about this drug that he used. How did he use it, what effect did it have on Miss Mazaki?"

"He used a small syringe that he gave her a shot with in the lower right side of her neck. It worked within a few seconds. It made her faint."

"And what happened to this tape?"

"It mysteriously disappeared last night."

"Do you think that Mr. Kaiba stole the tape so that you wouldn't have any evidence to convict him?"

"Not directly him, but I believe that whoever was filming them did."

"Was there anything else on this tape?"

"I don't know. I was with a friend of ours, Ryou Bakura who turned it off."

"Thank you. You may sit down."

''

Yugi sat back next to Anzu and took her hand.

"Are you going to be okay up there by yourself?"

She nodded.

"Just as long as he doesn't look at me I'll be fine."

They all looked up as the next witness was called, Seto himself.

''

"Mr. Kaiba, How long have you known Miss Mazaki? I mean personally known her?"

"Never. I first saw her when I entered the Duelist Kingdom tournament to rescue my brother from Pegasus J. Crawford."

"When you say you 'saw her' what do you mean by that?"

"She was with her friends. We exchanged a few...harsh words but we never actually met. I didn't even know her name until she began dating Yugi."

"And you were how old then?"

"Seventeen."

"And how old are you now?"

"Twenty-two."

"So you were eighteen the last time you saw her in person am I correct?"

"Yes sir, when I held my tournament, Battle City."

"What were your feelings towards her then?"

"I didn't have any. As I said, I didn't even know her name."

"In your statement to the police, you claimed that someone had hired you to kidnap and 'scare' Miss Mazaki, who was this person and why did they want you to do that?"

"I don't know who he is. He mailed a journal to me. We only made transactions over the phone. He used an untraceable phone line and no return address."

"How many conversations did you have with this third party?"

"Three. The first of which he told me that he was in love with her and that what would be happening was a fantasy of hers, detailed in the journal. I assumed that it was Yugi, however that was shortly before news got out of their break up."

"And the second?"

"Reminding me not to hurt her and gave me the name of the sedative I was to use to knock her out and gave me details of what he wanted me to do to her."

"What were those details?"

"He told me to kiss her as if I was blindly in love with her, and I was to touch her softly...but again this had a condition."

"What condition was that?"

"If I went anywhere near her breasts he would personally see me into my jail cell. Obviously he didn't want to hurt her or he wouldn't have threatened to send me to jail so many times."

"Would you have done so if he hadn't told you not to?"

"No, At this moment in my life I am uninterested in women and again, I don't know her...that's not contact two total strangers generally have with each other."

And the third phone call?"

"After she'd been taken away by him, He called me again and told me I'd better get it right this time and make sure it was Yugi who came for her or again, I'd go to jail."

"At any point did you question who this man was?"

"Yes. All he would give me was an anagram for 'the duel master'."

"At any time did he ask you to assault or physically harm her?"

"No, in fact he made it very clear that if I was to even bruise her he would exclude himself and have me arrested."

"And you knew that if he was wrong you could go to jail?"

"If I thought that he had been wrong yes."

"What was in the journal?"

"Various things that a typical woman would have. It was already dog-eared to the pages which contained the vaguely detailed fantasy."

"Did you at any time assume that the journal might have been stolen?"

"No. Couples often share secrets with each other. It was my understanding that she showed him the book and he decided to act on it."

"I would like the defendant to read from the journal."

''

Anzu shuddered as she watched them carry out a book that had indeed been stolen from her shortly before Duelist Kingdom.

Seto took it and flipped to the pages, beginning to read.

''

"I have a strange idea. I know it's silly and maybe even wrong but...I always wanted to be kidnapped and then saved by my crush. I want a dark and powerful man to take me away at night and tell me that he wants me. I want him to take me back to his home where he'll tie me up. He'll kiss me tenderly and we'll wait together for my crush to come. They'll duel and my crush will win and save me. I hope that one day I'll meet him. While I'm in his grasp I want him to frighten me so that when my crush comes I'll faint right into his loving arms."

"That's quite intense."

"Yes it is...however that's why they're called fantasies."

"Do you have fantasies Mr. Kaiba?"

"Sometimes yes. I'm a human, however down to business I may be."

"Are they, or have they ever involved Miss Mazaki?"

"No. I have no attraction towards her what so ever and until I got the strange phone call I had forgotten about her completely."

"Why not? Isn't she attractive?"

"Yes, she does look nice, however I don't know her well enough to care."

"Defense rests."

''

For a few seconds his eyes met hers but he quickly looked away as her lawyer approached.

''

"Where did you acquire the sedative that subsequently knocked her out so quickly?"

"I own several businesses and many of the managers owe me. I picked it up from a doctor who assured me that it wouldn't hurt her."

"At any time while she was in your hands did you think that she might really be frightened?"

"Yes...according to the man that was the point. I was to scare her and Yugi would come and rescue her. At no time was I aware however that she didn't even know this man. Had I known that I never would have agreed."

"And what did this man offer as payment?"

"He told me that Yugi had agreed to give up his title as game king. It's something I've wanted since my down fall four years ago."

"And what about this sennen puzzle?"

"He and his little group of friends believe that these ancient artifacts have magical powers. I was instructed to request that and he would give it back to him when everything was over. I was to put it in a locker at the airport two days after she was 'rescued'."

"Had you at any time suspected that this might be a stalker whom you were aiding?"

"No, as I said before I was under the impression that this man was either Yugi himself, or working on behalf of him."

"Why is it that you are on a first name bases with Mr. Mutou and yet didn't even know my client's name?"

"I do know him personally. I have for many years. Several times he's attempted to gain my friendship."

"Apparently you have a history of kidnapping. Why was it again that you kidnapped his grandfather Suguroku Mutou?"

"I didn't exactly kidnap him. I was a seventeen-year-old boy pushed to the head of a very large and powerful weapons company. My only release from that world was Duel Monsters. Maybe I went crazy for a short time. Being a teenager without any parents and raising a brother five years younger than myself was hard enough. Add to that an abusive man and then his sudden death leaving me his company...it's a little too much to take all in one night."

"Please answer the question directly Mr. Kaiba."

"He had something I wanted. He wouldn't sell it, he wouldn't trade it, and I was a new business owner beginning to be spoiled by the ways of the rich."

"So you sent your associates to do what?"

"Give him one more chance to sell. He didn't take the offer so I had them bring him to me to duel for it. At anytime he could have left but he insisted on playing until the end, he still wanted that card."

"So this was before your younger brother was kidnapped?"

"Yes sir."

"Than the actual first time that you saw Miss Mazaki was when she came to help take Mr. Mutou's grandfather to the hospital?"

"I don't recall seeing her, no."

"Thank you."

''

Seto sat down next to his lawyer and Anzu watched them whisper back and forth for a moment before the other man spoke.

"We'd like permission to break for fifteen minutes before we call the accuser to the stand."

The judge nodded and Anzu couldn't be any happier to get out of that room.

Bakura stood in the hall with her for a long moment, just holding her closely.

Anzu held closely to him as Yugi suddenly spoke and Bakura glared as he watched the CEO approach.

"Kaiba-kun..."

Anzu watched him carefully as the lawyer handed the book to Yugi.

"I'm sorry this came up...I believe it truly belongs to..."

He looked at her fearful blue eyes and found he couldn't say her name.

The sound that she made when he continued to stare at her startled him.

He'd never seen her so scared.

He turned away and walked back into the room, Anzu's lawyer and company following momentarily.