A/n: I'm updating four chapters tonight because I won't be able to update again until Monday. Please review!

Forever in Light: Into the Past Part two

''

Anzu opened her eyes to find herself sitting at her desk in class.

Just as she looked at the clock the bell rang.

She and Ryou glanced at each other for a moment but she left first.

It had been such a long day.

She'd gotten into a fight with Jonouchi at lunch and now she had the headache of the century.

She completely ignored the fact that the new boy was following her.

At this moment she really didn't care.

She turned to see him standing at the bus stop on the corner about two feet from her front door.

He smiled at her for a moment as she went in.

She made sure to lock her door.

He seemed nice enough but she didn't entirely trust him after the strange game they'd played at his apartment.

She wasn't sure what it was about him that she didn't trust but she knew there was something there that didn't fit right with him.

She closed her eyes as she climbed the stairs to her room and flopped down on her bed.

After a moment she grabbed her journal and a pen.

She decided to write about the one good thing that had happened today.

She'd seen him again.

She thought carefully as she wrote.

'The shadow Master saved me again today. Before he came along I had such a boring life. It happened so much like my dream but he didn't stick around...left me in Yugi's arms. I was really disappointed because he's so mysterious and I know he's handsome. I want to see him for real next time. I wish everything would happen like I've written down. Like a princess in a fairytale I want my prince to come to my rescue. That's pretty much all I have to say for today. Except that Jonouchi is a pain and sometimes I really hate him!'

She closed the book and laid the pen beside it.

She grabbed a towel out of the closet and locked herself in the bathroom after grabbing a change of clothes.

After this day she deserved a nice hot shower.

She tossed her uncomfortable uniform in the laundry basket, happy that it was at least Friday.

She thought she heard something fall in her room as she stepped under the hot water, but as she listened there were no more sounds.

In her room Ryou stood silently and absolutely still, praying she didn't decide to come back out.

It wasn't hard to pick the lock on her front door.

That's something his father had taught him when he was younger.

After a moment more of nothing but the sound of the shower running, he sat on the bed and looked around.

He was pretty sure he'd be moving again soon thanks to his Yami's latest stunt.

'I really think I'm in love with her...I really want something of hers so I'll never forget her.'

But her room was full of trinkets and things that he knew she'd really miss if he took them.

And then he noticed the journal lying right beside him and smiled.

'I know these things are pretty special to girls but...well one day I'll give it back to her anyway.'

So he took it and quickly left.

Moment's later Anzu entered her room in her nightgown and stopped as she saw that her journal was missing.

She glanced outside her window just in time to see the bus pull away.

Whoever it was, was gone.

''

Now she found herself standing in her shower, shampoo bubbles running into her eyes.

'Perfect timing Shadi thanks a lot. You better not be watching this.'

She heard another sound.

This time of the door to her room opening.

She rinsed her hair and turned off the water, wrapping her towel around herself tightly.

She opened the door to find Ryou with a lighter.

"Now?"

She shook her head.

"In the fire place."

She picked it up and he followed her down the stairs and into the living room.

She watched as he lit the fireplace, waiting to throw the book in.

"Ryou...just how did you get in here anyway?"

He was silent for a moment but then pulled out a wire and a mini screwdriver.

"An old trick my father taught me about twelve years ago."

Anzu giggled.

"So a three year old knew how to pick locks?"

He looked at her oddly for a moment.

"I'm twenty-one...oh, okay..."

She began to laugh as he started to count backward from twenty-one on his fingers.

"Okay, when I was ten."

Suddenly she stopped as they both heard a loud noise from upstairs.

They looked at each other and she shook her head.

"I was still in the shower."

He threw the book into the flames quickly and started up the stairs.

Anzu followed closely behind Ryou as he tiptoed up to her bedroom door.

His eyes grew wide as he looked in.

"Anzu it's..."

Ryou didn't get a chance to finish his sentence for at that second the door flung open.

Anzu crossed her arms and glared at the tall figure.

"KATSUYA! What are you doing breaking into my room!"

He blinked for a moment and Ryou nearly fell down the stairs.

"I uh...well it's like this..."

Anzu resisted the urge to slap him as he seemed to refuse to look in her face but she knew his cleavage ogling was more like being too afraid to look up at her.

"Spit it out Jonouchi or get out of my way so I can at least put some clothes on."

He stepped aside and to Ryou's horror she went in her room and shut the door.

'He's so going to ask what I'm doing here, I can't tell him I picked the lock on her front door to burn her journal! She left me alone with him!'

He was too busy being scared to notice that said figure was staring at him.

Ryou was more than happy when Anzu immerged again.

"So Jonouchi?"

He looked at her then back at Ryou.

"He followed you home and broke in. When he didn't come out I got worried, I know you live here by yourself."

She wasn't sure what to make of that.

How had she missed the loud thump the first time?

She knew she had to make him leave soon though.

Ryou was going to miss his buss and that book had to be burned up soon.

"He didn't exactly follow me. I asked him to come over but I forgot."

This answer didn't seem to please him and even Ryou was wondering how she thought that would work.

"Anzu...please don't cover for me. I did a bad thing and I'm sorry. I may be leaving town again next week...my father has found out where I am and I have to keep a head of him."

He got down on one knee and took her hands, looking up into her eyes.

"I love you Anzu. I just wanted to tell you before I had to go so I was going to write a note to you but then you caught me. Please forgive me Anzu."

She got a strange look on her face and turned to Jonouchi.

"I...really need to talk to him alone. Can I talk to you another day Jonouchi?"

Before he had time to answer she was pushing him out the door.

Once he was outside she smiled a little too widely.

"Thanks for caring but I'm fine. Ja!"

Ryou was just coming down the stairs when she closed and locked the door.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed her ear.

"That was just a little too close."

She nodded and closed her eyes.

"It's sort of odd to be fifteen again. I'm about a foot taller so I feel short."

He laughed.

"Yeah, how about going from muscles and six foot three to scrawny five two?"

She smiled for a moment but then turned to him.

"The book should be burned by now. Why are we still here?"

Both turned to the fireplace to find that the fire had gone out and the book relatively unharmed.

She picked it up, grabbed a match and opened it to the stupid fantasy that had caused her so much trouble.

She struck the match and tears of relief came to her eyes as she set the pages on fire.

''

Suddenly they found themselves in front of Shadi, back in the museum.

He closed his eyes tightly.

"I was afraid of that."

Anzu stared at him.

"What are you talking about?"

Shadi looked up at Anzu.

"I need to talk to you alone."

Anzu and Shadi stepped out into the hall away from the others and she somehow knew what he had to say wasn't going to be good.

"I think I know what you're going to say Shadi."

He shook his head.

"I'm afraid you really don't."

Anzu took a step back.

"What do we have to do?"

He stared into her eyes for a moment but was unable to keep his eyes there as he began to explain.

He didn't want to see the hurt that would soon show in them.

"This all started because of Pharaoh's guilt for cheating on you. There are two steps to this. First you must relive the night he left you, but change it so that you admit to having an affair with Ryou. I know it's not true but if he thinks it is you'll simply break up and none of this will happen."

She smiled slightly.

"That's not so bad. I could do without being slapped across the face. What about Bakura and I and Ryou though?"

He frowned and stepped closer to her, resting his hand gently on her shoulder as he looked deeply into her eyes.

She was struck by the compassion in them.

"I have seen only one way that is to work out. You're fears that he only came to love you through your rescue were true. Without you he will continue to be his evil uncaring self and eventually be killed by Pharaoh."

She felt dizzy as she thought about that statement.

"Seto...he's going to have to..."

She sank to her knees, unable to finish her own sentence.

Shadi stared down at her, fighting back the sudden urge to cry.

He had hoped truly that he would be able to spare her that.

Couldn't it work if that didn't happen?

Of course not, if he didn't, their relationship would cease to exist.

No, for her own sake that's how it had to happen or the whole reason for her coming to him would be in vein.

"Sometimes we must make great sacrifices for love Anzu. As a result of this, Pharaoh will be his usual self and you, Ryou, and Bakura will live a happy life. Now that you've come this far there is no other way."

She looked up at him.

"Will I have to suffer through the trial again too?"

He shook his head.

"Once you set the wheel of change spinning, you need only to adjust it's pace. You must prepare yourself mentally for this, however I must give you no more than two days."

He motioned for Ryou as Anzu began to cry.

Bakura and Seto soon followed.

As she looked into the stoic CEO's eyes, flashes of all that she'd been put through with him ran before her eyes and the knowledge that she would have to live it all over again seemed too much.

She buried her face in Ryou's shoulder and clung to him.

"Please make him go away."

Bakura looked up at Seto.

"I think that's a good idea."

He then turned his cold eyes on Shadi.

"What exactly is it that you said to her anyway?"

Then Anzu's words made sense to Seto.

"No."

Shadi stared at him.

"What do you mean no. I've been over every other possible solution and unfortunately that inhumane monster standing there doesn't have the capacity to fall in love with her on his own!"

Bakura growled at him.

"And just where are you getting these things from! How do we know your not just playing with all of us!"

Shadi wasted no time in replying.

"She came to me for help and that is all I've tried to do! I have unlocked all the secrets to both the Scale and Ankh. With the Ankh I can see into the future, much like the Taulk, only far more reliably. With the Scale I can then measure the events that have taken place with events that should have taken place and am able to tell you what you need to fix. And don't think that there are no consequences for my own actions. Every time I send one of you into the past I risk screwing everything up! In the future you might want to be a little more grateful."

He paused and stared into Bakura's stunned eyes.

"So Bakura...king of thieves and lies, can you prove to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that you would eventually fall in love with her? If you can look me in the eyes right now and tell me you know for a fact that if she wasn't dating Pharaoh you would go after her...I'll only make her break up with him."

Anzu turned to stare at Bakura.

He looked back at her and couldn't find the words.

When she said his name it was like a knife had been stabbed into his heart.

"Bakura?"

He closed his eyes tightly and began to walk away.

"Bakura!"

He stopped and turned back to her.

"I can't. I love you so much now. You changed the way I think and behave and...I'm a better person now and it's all because of you. I don't want to screw it up for you if I'm wrong. So I can't say it because before that bastard kidnapped you I had no feelings for you at all. The first time I felt something for you was when I watched you sleeping in my arms that first night. I don't know why, maybe it was because I was able to save you. I let her down, I can't let you down too."

And he was gone leaving Anzu in Ryou's arms to wonder what he meant.