Author's Notes:

Hey there minna-san! I'm making pretty good progress with my stories, and distributing my time nicely between my Pern club and my anime fanfiction! As you all know, most of my fics are centered around Yugi/Tea (Yuugi/Anzu) romances and Sesshoumaru/Rin romances, of course. I hope to get started on some Sesshoumaru/Rin fics soon, as I have some interesting plot ideas running around in my head. And, of course, I'll publish chapters whether you review or not, but your input not only makes those chapters appear faster, it also gives me ideas and pointers for more fics! Reviews, of course, are always much appreciated! Arigato gozaimasu to all the people who sent me reviews! Keep 'em coming!

'italics' -signifies thoughts
(...) -signifies Yami Yugi speaking to Yugi
:...: -signifies Yugi speaking to Yami Yugi

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its subsequent plots and characters. All of these wonderful things belong to Kazuki Takahashi.

Quick Reference:

In cheerleading, there are two primary positions a cheerleader can have in relation to stunts. (Firstly, a stunt is known as any maneuver that involves the squad being in a certain formation and completing a series of actions that can involve lifting people into the air in a certain position or to perform a certain action.) The two positions are knows as flyers and bases. Bases are often the strongest, sturdiest people on the squad, and serve as the "base" for which other team members are lifted or tossed into the air. Fliers are the team members who are the ones being lifted or tossed into the air, and are usually the lighter and more agile people on the team, since they are often required to do a number of actions midair, such as holding a pose or performing a jump.

The stunt I reference below, called the Liberty, is one of the prettiest poses in cheerleading that demonstrates not only the flexibility and discipline of the fliers, but the strength and endurance of the bases, as this stunt usually requires only one or two bases holding up one flier each. From any midair stunt, there are several ways to come down, one of which is known as a "cradle". Just as it sounds, the bases bend down at a certain count, and throw the flier up in what is called a "pop". Then, just as quickly, the bases form a cradle with their arms to catch their flier, who usually performs a toe-touch or some such other feat before allowing herself to fall safely into the arms of her bases. As it sounds, being a flier is not without risks. It can be dangerous to be held up in the air by only one or two people, and even more so to be tossed up even higher and trusting to be caught. Without proper guidance and direction, cheerleaders, both fliers and bases, can suffer injuries ranging from bumped foreheads and chins to broken legs, arms, and even necks. Don't try this at home! (You'd hit the ceiling on your way up.)

Here's translations of the Japanese I use in my fics:
Iie- no

Nani? -What?
Aa,Un -Yes,yeah (first is men only, second women only)
Ja ne – See you later

Ne – equivalent of 'no?' meaning, "Don't you agree?" or "Don't you think?"

Oe - hey
Urusai -shut up
Minna-san -everyone
Arigato gozaimasu -thank you very much

Enjoy!

-Pharaohess Yami Anzu

From Whence We Came

Chapter 1-Summer Jam Session Comes To An End

"READY! OKAY! 5, 6, 7, 8 and UP 2, 3, 4, and HOLD!"

Against the cloudless blue skies smiling over Naniyori Kokusai High School, seven lithe forms, clad in various types of skin-tight designer sportswear, held their arms skyward in tight, almost identical configurations as they balanced precariously on the balls of their left feet, their right legs held up by their right hands next to their heads. It was a classical cheerleading stunt known as the "Liberty". It was supposed to evoke a feeling of freedom and flight, but clearly the supposed weightlessness of it all was not being felt at all as the bases on the ground started to protest.

"Someone's slacking! Hold up your end!"

"Okay, the hell, do I look like a milkmaid, because someone feels like a cow!"(1)

The ruckus continued as the forms in the air wavered, earning a number of squeals and protests as the possibility of slamming into the ground below became all the more real for the flyers struggling to maintain their posture mid-air. A sudden, authoritative yell sounded across the open expanse of mats on the grass, silencing everyone.

"That's it! Everyone be quiet, and hold your positions until I count us into a cradle! 5, 6, 7, 8, and POP!" In the center of the formation, her pink-and-brown hair gathered into a tight braid on the right side of her head, cheerleading captain Jade, along with six other flyers, soared about ten feet into the air, their fingertips touching their toes, before they spread their bodies into a perfectly straight lines to be caught by their bases on the ground below.

As the first to land on the ground, Jade watched, with varying degrees of worry and irritation, as the other flyers cradled haphazardly into the arms of their bases. There was a great deal of muttering and complaining that broke out once all the flyers were safely on the ground, which Jade effectively cut off with a sharp whistle.

"Okay, minna-san, what the HELL was that flying circus up there!" Jade demanded, her chocolate eyes narrowed in irritation. "That's a basic liberty stunt, one level of flyers, popping out into a cradle! Basic! That's something we expect everyone to be able to perform PERFECTLY if they were even trying out for this team."

Several of the flyers broke out into chatter, citing a number of complaints that was immediately refuted by their indignant bases. Another sharp whistle cut that short too. Of the seven flyers on the ground, only the brown-haired, blue-eyed Téa and the black-haired, sky-blue-eyed Rasma were the only ones not citing complaints or venting their frustration. Both knew that the pink-and-brown-haired cheerleading captain was already worrying about the upcoming cheerleading competition in November, three months away. It was Téa who put a calming hand on Jade's shoulder.

"Not everyone has been working out all summer, you know," she added softly, allowing a smile at the taller girl's softening features. "School's not even in session yet, and you're already worrying about the Tokyo Finals. We'll be ready, and we'll be the best. We always are."

"Yeah!" Rasma piped up, always the cheerful, hyperactive one. "You're like the mall preparing for Christmastime…earlier every year you start getting psycho on us! Loosen up, we'll be fine!"

Jade let out a small grunt, an answer that was acknowledging the truth in her friends' words. She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Alright…I hadn't considered that I'm the sole health lunatic and hypochondriac on this team…and all things taken into account, for a Liberty stunt right out of summer vacation…it wasn't bad at all…pretty good, actually. A little rough around the edges, and it can get better, but it wasn't bad."

The tension in the air decreased dramatically, and the flyers and bases managed relieved smiles at the praise they had been given. Jade managed a wry smile. "Okay…all of you…call it a day…go home, soak in a hot bath or shower…eat some good food, and relax…be here tomorrow afternoon, 1 PM sharp…our coaches will be here to see what kind of shape we're in…I recommend you get a workout tonight, start getting yourselves back into competition mode…tomorrow we'll set team workout schedules before the basketball and football teams hog the workout rooms. Okay…that's all. Have a safe trip to wherever you're headed to. Ja ne."

A chorus of "Ja ne"s was the response, and the rest of the team dispersed, grabbing their bags and cell phones as they departed in various directions. Téa and Rasma followed as Jade hoisted up her sports bag, stuffed with a laptop, cell phone, energy drinks, wrist wraps, and pom-poms, and headed for the locker rooms.

Téa chuckled as she picked up her bag, and tossed Rasma her own. "Irritated?" she teased, grinning as the vibrant pair followed Jade at a languid pace, ignoring the pink-and-brown-haired girl's harrumphing noises as she made a beeline for the showers inside the gym locker rooms.

Plunking her gym bag down on a wooden bench within the privacy of the locker rooms, Jade said nothing until she snatched up a towel and turned on the blistering hot water, and started shedding her shoes and socks.

"I know I worry too much…and I know we're the best…but every year there's always some crackpot team that thinks it's going to whip our butts, and I want to make sure we don't get lazy resting on our laurels."

Rasma blinked, undoing the heavy, calf-length braid hanging off her head. "Why does everyone keep saying that?" she protested, sky-blue eyes almost indignant. :Maybe our laurels are a good place to rest!"(1)

Téa tilted her head as she deftly removed her sweaty sportswear underneath her securely-tied terrycloth robe. "You DO know what laurels are, right Ras?"

"Of course I do!" Rasma snapped, yanking a comb savagely through the curly mass of hair. "But there's no reason NOT to be proud of our winning the national and international championships for several years running now."

Jade stood in the shower, letting the hot water pour over her, relaxing her muscles, smiling as she felt her tension ebbing. As she started to shampoo her hair, she jumped into the conversation. "Pride is one of the seven deadly sins, you know. Vanity never did anyone any good...only ends up making one look like a complete fool in the end…speaking of which, you guys DID make time to go try on our new school and sports uniforms, right?"

Rasma nodded, a grin on her face. "I wonder what design they picked for the uniforms this year! The skirts we had last year were nice, but they were rather plain…not to mention that the triple-pleat look is totally out. And the tapered arms on the jackets were totally tacky." She gave a happy squeal of joy as she finally managed to tame her mass of ink-black hair.

Téa nodded assent, gathering up some shampoo and body wash. "The uniforms the year before last weren't bad, though. Fully-pleated skirts always look nice with knee-socks. I hope we go back to that this year."

Jade giggled, and wrapped herself in a bright pink towel before stepping carefully onto the tile floor. "You would like those pleated skirts Téa…especially when you had yours cut longer than the rest of us. It's okay to show off your cute legs, you know." Téa mumbled something underneath her breath, causing Jade to laugh again as she crossed to the mirror and started parting her pink-and-brown locks elaborately.

"Actually…I was thinking I might ask to have my skirt cut just a little shorter this year…"

"Seriously?" Jade asked, a twinkle in her golden-brown eyes as she surveyed Téa's blushing face in the mirror. "And what's inspired this sudden change in your aesthetic attitude?"

Téa opened her mouth to answer, but before she could do so, the door to the locker room burst open, and Kaiba strode in, calling out Rasma's name, the longing plain on his face as he stopped short in surprise at seeing the three girls in various stages of undress right before him.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Jade yelled, dropping her comb and whipping around to stare at the multi-millionaire. "THIS IS A GIRLS' LOCKER ROOM YOU BRAIN-DEAD MORON! ARE YOU BLIND?" Rasma's reaction to her boyfriend was far more positive, though far less dramatic, and included nothing less than a series of squeals and a sudden explosion of happy jumps as she danced toward her significant other. Gravity, it seemed, had other plans for her, and within three bounces of her feet against the floor, her sky-blue towel had slipped off her body, leaving her utterly and completely naked to the entire locker room and to Kaiba's wide-open, shamelessly staring eyes.

Téa turned as red as a Santa hat and clapped her hands over her eyes, and Jade started to shriek at the top of her voice, exclaiming over Rasma's nudity, before she turned around, thrust her head into the sink, and turned on the tap to start scrubbing furiously at her violated eyes. Kaiba however, could only stare, open-mouthed, at his girlfriend's entirely nude form, before he fell backwards, blood spurting out of his nose, and tumbled back out of the locker room, the door snapping firmly shut behind him.

A positively wicked smile gracing her face, Rasma quickly snatched her fallen towel, flung it over one shoulder like a jacket, and strutted to the shower, whipping the curtain closed behind her. Téa heard the shower curtain whoosh shut, and removed her hands from her eyes. "It's okay, Jade, she's in the shower."

Hair dripping and mouth spitting water onto the floor, Jade shut off the tap and withdrew her head from the sink, throwing a furious look in the shower stall that Rasma was bathing in, before she snatched up her comb again and started parting her hair once more.

"Thank the gods that Rasma's brash enough not to care that her boyfriend sees her utterly naked," Jade muttered, casting another dark glance at the steam pouring copiously from behind the plastic shower curtain. "I certainly can't say that for the rest of us. Ricky would have kittens and then turn Kaiba into an interesting-looking stain on the locker room floor if he saw either one of us even baring half our bodies. And Yugi would totally be aggravated enough to wipe the floor with him in a Duel Monsters match."

Téa turned bright red again, her breath catching in her chest as she stared at the girl parting her hair in the mirror. Jade yanked the comb through a particularly stubborn pink snag, and rubbed some leave-in treatment into it before pinning it up. She beckoned to the staring blue-eyed girl, who was still too numb with shock to heed the invitation. Sighing, Jade slopped a dollop of the heavy white lotion onto her hands, crossed the tiled floor, and began rubbing it into the other girl's hair, ignoring her stiff posture and stricken glance.

"Oh, come on, Téa, it's not like you can pretend not to have noticed Yugi's crush on you," she said. Téa choked a startled denial, but a knowing smile from her best friend silenced her. "Seriously, I think you guys were meant to be, in all honesty. You're a cute item."

"Item?"

"Duh. I've seen the way you two look at each other. If he doesn't ask you out soon, I'm going to have to start interfering."

Téa shot Jade a half-furious, half-embarrassed look. "Why wouldn't he?" she asked, fearing a fearful knot well up inside her chest.

Jade grimaced as she dragged a wet comb through Téa's silky brown strands. "Because," she muttered, in a voice of great anxiety that carried just a hint of sarcasm and exasperation, "if we don't get things get going between you two, Yugi'll just keep getting shyer and shyer, and then you'll be an old woman before he screws up the courage to try to ask you out. Not happening. Not on my watch."

"So why the rush?"

"Because," Jade added sarcastically, "I want no less than ten kids out of Ricky, and we'll need you and Yugi to baby-sit. No, baka, it's because we know that you two are perfect for each other. We're best friends. We're supposed to be nosy, and intervene where we see fit. Right, Ras?"

The raven-haired teenager was dancing about the tile floor to a music that only she seemed to hear, as stark naked as she had been entering the shower, dripping splotches of water everywhere. The sky blue towel was being whipped around like some lethal metronome, snapping out a beat every time Rasma thrashed it around. Counting down, Jade estimated it would be ten seconds or less before the sky-blue-eyed teen would slip and fall flat on her butt.

Sure enough, eight seconds later, Rasma had hit the floor with a loud, wet splat, her face a sheepish red as she hastily stood, wrapped the towel around herself again, and without so much as a squeal of warning, pounced on the two other towel-clad girls, sending the entire trio tumbling to the floor.

"Right!" she proclaimed, hugging both girls gleefully. Téa grinned, letting her fears and worries dissolve into laughter bouncing off the tiled walls and floor. Jade's eyes stirred a faint gold widening on her expanses of brown, and with a murderous expression on her face, turned her head so that she could glare at the cause for the sudden change in her vertical orientation.

"Shall we go try on our uniforms, then?" Rasma asked, as perky as ever.

"Get the hell off me before I kill you," Jade snarled.

"Okie dokie!" Still squealing at the top of her voice, Rasma seized Téa by both hands and hauled her off the positively furious third girl, and the two danced in ever-widening circles as Jade lifted herself off the floor, eyeing the two spinning girls with an expression akin to resignation. With a sigh, Jade picked up the hairdryer as started blow-drying her hair, smirking into the mirror as she watched Téa and Rasma spin past, and then in one of her abrupt changes of mood, smiled contentedly as the two smashed into a tile wall several seconds later. 'Things rather do have a way of coming 'round and hopping up to bite you in the butt…'

Author's Note:

(1) Okay, for those of you who aren't big into cheerleading, these are several lines I took directly out of Bring It On, a favorite movie of mine about cheerleading and such.

Okay, minna-san! Yes, I'm starting another fic! Remember how I made allusions to past adventures in Imagine My Heart Was Yours? Well, this is that story, and trust me, were only seeing the tip of the iceberg! Reviews, of course, are much appreciated! P.S. if anyone has any funny ideas for some comic relief moments (as this will be a very serious and action/danger-packed fic in lots of places), please let me know! I'm always up for putting in a particularly funny or interesting gag! Arigato gozaimasu, minna-san!