A/n: So we get to see a bit of a softer side to Shadi and later we'll find out the secret he's been keeping for twenty two years. LOL everyone was Shadi is in love with Anzu in this fic. I'm so bad about that. It's just that Azureshipping is my main pairing so it's hard to not make Seto be in love with her. So who would kill me if I turned this triangle into a square?
Forever in Light: The Future is in Her Hands
''
A loud crack of thunder ripped into the silence and Anzu opened her eyes to find herself sitting next to Ryou on the couch.
Papers and books were strewn everywhere in the living room.
She and Ryou had been studying for hours and somehow she'd managed to doze off.
Pharaoh was asleep upstairs and Ryou looked so tired.
"Hey Ryou, what time is it?"
He glanced at his watch with a sigh.
"Oh dear, it's almost midnight, I'd best get going before it rains on me."
But no sooner had he said that than it began to pour outside and Anzu turned to him.
"You can crash here tonight. The couch is all yours."
He smiled gratefully and closed his book, laying it on the floor next to the others.
She stood and he stretched out.
"Thank you so much Anzu, you don't know what this means to me."
They stared into each other's eyes for a moment until they heard a very angry voice from the stairs.
"I thought you were going home Ryou."
Anzu looked up at Pharaoh and glared.
"He's falling asleep anyway and I'm not going to make a friend of ours walk three miles in the rain!"
Ryou sat up with a sigh and began to gather his things.
"It's okay Anzu, I'll just wait on your porch until it lets up a bit. It was presumptuous of me to accept your offer, I'm sorry."
This made her feel guilty and she looked away from Pharaoh.
"What is wrong with you! How can you honestly make Ryou feel that bad for wanting to crash at a friends! I hope he'd extend the same politeness to me if I was stuck at his place!"
Pharaoh growled.
"Is sleeping with him included in this offer of yours?"
Ryou flushed bright red.
"That was never mentioned!"
Anzu was shocked.
"It's not like you have room to talk! I know about that girl Pharaoh! I've known for almost a year!"
Pharaoh was silent for a moment.
"You're right Anzu. I'm sleeping with another woman. One who actually cares about me and doesn't go around screwing my supposed friends while I'm asleep!"
Ryou suddenly grew angry.
"You know, what is your problem Pharaoh? Are you that insecure?"
Anzu stared at him in shock.
"Ryou what are you doing?"
He put a hand up to silence her.
"Nothing that's not long overdue. If I was sleeping with her, you'd know it."
Anzu stepped back from him.
"Ryou don't talk like that!"
Pharaoh turned on her.
"So if it's not true than why stop him? You found out about my new girlfriend and got jealous so you're getting back at me."
She shook her head frantically.
To her horror, Ryou wasn't finished with his banter on the Pharaoh.
"Not that I'd mind, but you know what. If I was sleeping with her, she'd have the shape of a scarab scratched into her skin somewhere."
Pharaoh took a step, glairing daggers at Anzu.
"Take off your clothes! I don't believe you!"
She began to shake as he took another step closer.
"I will not! GET OUT! Right now just take your things and leave!"
He looked down with an evil smirk.
"Fine. I'll go live with her. She's...better on so many levels. You're worthless to me now. But still..."
He grabbed her wrist tightly.
"If you don't show me that you're clean I'll see for myself!"
She wrenched free from him and fell to her knees, bragging her bangs in anguished panting.
"I hate you! Stop this right now and leave!"
Ryou knew this wasn't good.
"Bakura! Take over and help me! Please Bakura! I'll do anything!"
He could only watch as Pharaoh grabbed Anzu, pulling her to her feet, and backhanded her so hard it knocked her out.
Ryou caught her as she flew back.
"Anzu. Anzu!"
He glared up at Pharaoh as he rested her softly on the floor.
"You're going to pay for this!"
Ryou began to fight him and Pharaoh seemed to put up little resistance.
When both had fallen to their knees out of breath, Ryou backhanded him.
"Get your things and get out of this house! If I ever see you around her again I swear I'll kill you!"
Pharaoh slowly climbed to his feet, wiping away the blood from his nose and left.
''
A cloud crack of thunder sliced into the silence and Anzu opened her eyes to find herself sitting by Ryou on the couch.
He looked up at her.
"Why not make it true?"
She blinked.
"What? No way! I...I couldn't do that to him!"
Ryou growled low in his throat, startling her.
"After what he put you through why not?"
She closed her eyes with a sigh.
"It wouldn't be revenge Ryou, it would just make things worse. We're breaking up as it is and if he comes down stairs and catches us it'll be much worse than being backhanded."
Ryou gently took her face into his hand and kissed her.
"Will you settle for kissing than?"
She smiled softly.
"Yeah, that's good."
He kissed her again, and then moved to her neck, tenderly biting at it before kissing away the pain.
Ryou noticed Pharaoh standing right over them and pushed Anzu into bliss as his hand trailed up to the other side of her neck and she gasped out his name.
"Ryou...not...not right now."
He slid closer to her, kissing her lips roughly and beginning to wonder if Pharaoh was going to stop him.
As his hand slid up under her shirt, Pharaoh's booming voice was head.
"Stop this right now!"
Anzu screamed, but Ryou didn't move.
He just stared coldly at Pharaoh.
"Get off of her."
Ryou bared his teeth and growled like a wild animal.
"Not until you step away!"
Anzu stared up at Ryou.
"Ryou...calm down."
He eased up a bit when Pharaoh took a startled step back.
His shock mellowed his anger and now he was curious as to what was going on with Ryou.
"What on earth has gotten into you? I'd expect this from Bakura but not you."
Ryou stood, forcing Pharaoh back another step.
"I'm pissed because I found out something that Anzu as been living with for almost a year now."
There was immediate guilt in his eyes and he glanced at a hurt Anzu.
"You...you knew all along?"
She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath and stood.
"Did you honestly think I wouldn't find out? I called that number Yami. While you were there and she said you were sleeping."
Ryou backed off as Pharaoh fell to his knees.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
She vainly wiped away her tears, only for more to form.
"I was so in love with you and I was so afraid that you'd gotten bored with me. I didn't want you to be seeing another woman but you were still paying attention to me so I thought that if I said anything you'd leave me!"
He started to speak but she stopped him.
"I have to confess something to you too. For the last two months I've been sleeping with Ryou. Mostly to get back at you but now...well I've really fallen in love with him and I want you to leave. I don't know if you love her, or even if you love me still, but I think it's only for the best if we break up now. All we'd do by staying together is hurt each other more."
Pharaoh broke down into sobs as he stared up at her.
"I love you Anzu. So much! Please take me back! I'll break up with her I swear!"
She shook her head.
"Part of me will always love you Pharaoh, no matter what you do to me. But I really feel that it's time for us to move on. You're not ready to get married and that's what I was hoping would come of this. I'm sorry we had to hurt each other to figure out we weren't meant to be. Please Pharaoh...go to her. Stay with her and leave me."
He stood slowly and took her hand.
"Are you sure there is no way around this?"
She nodded.
"You don't really want to stay with me any more, you just don't want to hurt me. But the truth is, you already have and now in order to be friends again, you need to leave. Don't let this affair be for nothing. I promise that in a while you'll understand."
He nodded and released her hand, walking over to the phone.
Ryou walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her tightly.
He could feel her shaking as she tried to hold in her emotions.
"It's Pharaoh...I just broke up with Anzu and I need a place to stay."
Anzu stood silently in Ryou's arms as Pharaoh packed his things and with a sad glance behind was gone.
''
Seto and Bakura were standing on opposite sides of the room when Anzu opened her eyes.
She stood there silently for a moment, thinking about all the emotions running through her.
She was hurt, she still felt like she loved Pharaoh, she was sorry she'd lied to him, she loved Bakura and Ryou, she was afraid of Seto...everything caught up to her at that moment and she realized she wanted a plain friend to talk to.
Someone who didn't have feelings for her.
She stopped Ryou from walking up to her.
"I...really want to be alone right now."
Ryou glanced at her, then at Shadi who seemed to be staring at her.
"Anzu..."
She shook her head.
"I just realized that I don't have a friend who's just a friend. Am I incorrect to say that not one of you doesn't have feelings for me? Can any of you comfort me and just be a friend?"
Shadi suddenly stepped forward.
"You are incorrect...I have watched over the four of you for six years in this life alone. I can comfort you and be just your friend. I also know what is going through your mind at this very moment."
She looked up at him, brushing away a new set of tears.
"Can you make it stop?"
He looked down.
"Not until after the last trip. But I can try to help you sort out your thoughts. I'm intrigued by you Teanna; I'd very much like to have a long talk with you."
She looked at him oddly.
"Why do I interest you?"
He smiled softly.
"You most certainly caught my attention. Had you concentrated just a little harder you may very well have been able to enter my house. Thus far you are the only human, not possessing a Sennen item, that was able to send mental ripples into time and space in such a way."
Bakura stepped forward.
"Anzu, what's he talking about?"
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I'm not sure if I understand what happened, but when I came here to find Shadi after that dream, I concentrated all my energy and tried to enter his house. In doing so he noticed me and came to me instead. I was hoping he'd know how I was able to do that."
She then turned to Ryou.
"I want the three of you to go home. There are some things I must ask him now."
Bakura began to protest by Ryou stopped him.
"She'll be okay Bakura. I know you can't trust him, but I do. Let's go."