A/N: Well, she's back, I'm back, and these overly long A/Ns are back! I'm very happy to be here, at my first EVER sequel, to Amusing for Inspiration! I've kinda missed Azreal… Well, please excuse the INCREDIBLE lameness of this chapter. It's just the introductory bits, more indicating where we're at from last time then anything else. But bear with it- It's the Summer holidays, (Odd Chapter title, all things considered)and updates will be frequent! As in, everyday when I can, more likely every other day. I had incredible writer's block on this chapter (As certain people will tell you) so it's even worse then it would be without. Still, it should get better, because all the other chapters I know what I'm doing. Oh, and for those who don't know, in Japan the school year starts in April for some reasons that I don't understand. But I'm using that fact to my advantage, before anyone thinks it's weird.
Disclaimer: Same as with AfI- I OWN NOTHING! Except… Oh, I own Az! WAI! But, the inspiration for the original fic came from webcomic 9th Elsewhere, the link to which is on my bio, so all due credit there. Happy? Good. Let's go!
One: Back to School
"I don't think much of this uniform…" She sighed, tugging at the skirt in a vain attempt to make it stretch a few inches. "It feels like I'm wearing nothing but a belt…"
Seto said nothing, just raising an eyebrow and glancing at her. Then he turned back to his book, which he wasn't reading.
"Pervert."
He looked up sharply. "I didn't even say anything!" He protested.
"You don't have to." She grinned. "You're a guy, and so, I can tell by the way you look what you're thinking."
"I fail to see the logic." Seto shook his head. Who would dare talk to him like that? More to the point, who would get away with speaking to him like that? Only one person, and that was Azreal Kiyoko, the girl/muse he had somehow ended up with. She had only been back overnight, and she had only been there for two weeks before hand, but it felt like she had always been around. And now she was coming to his school. Heaven help them all. "Anymore of that," He said lightly. "And you can walk."
"Okay, fine…" She laughed softly. She would almost have rather walked, despite the April Rains chucking it down outside the slow moving car, making the road even more slippery. She was very uncomfortable in this car. It wasn't the car itself, which wasn't (to her initial disappointment, but then relief) the limo which she just knew Seto hid away somewhere, but just an ordinary, if expensive, car with a driver named Redge. It wasn't Seto either. She had only known him in person for almost three weeks, but she had been researching him for at least a month before that. No, the thing that made her uncomfortable was Mokuba, who was sitting oppisite her, openly eyeing her in suspicion. She had an undeniable feeling that he knew, or, at least, had a theory about exactly who and what she was. She quashed the nerves quickly. There was no way Mokuba could. Even if he had had memories of her before, they would have been wiped. His mind would be blank of her. So he couldn't know. He was just suspicious because of the… effect… she seemed to be having on Seto. She had to admit, Seto seemed a lot happier these days.
Little did she know, Mokuba knew a lot more then anyone realised. Even just from his chance meeting of his older brother's 'business associate' on the stairs had aroused his suspicions. And then, he had seen the same girl's body floating down the same stairs. And then he found Seto conked out at the bottom of the stairs, insisting, when he mentioned the girl's name, that he did not know her. And then he had seen him kissing her, blatantly, on the porch of their house.
So of course he was a little cautious. It wasn't that he didn't like Seto having a girlfriend- Geez, it was about time- and he liked to see Seto happy. And, unlike all the other girls that had chased Seto, he, naturally trusting, didn't think she was after his money. But she was defiantly odd, and so different to Seto, he couldn't see any reason why she should like him. There was something strange about her, and, if no-one would tell him, he intended to find out for himself.
Mokuba, in some ways, was right to be suspicious. Anna Mitsan, to use her human name, was not a human. At least, not completely. Born to a Muse mother, and a Human Father, she had long struggled to be accepted in the Musing World, trying desperately hard at her work and job. Unfortunately, she was a little too unorthodox for people's liking, meaning there was more ammo to throw at her. At the beginning of the Easter break, she had been sent down on what would, though she had not known it at the time, be her last job: To Inspire a flagging Webcomic artist.
Little did she know, the one she was sent to inspire- a certain Joey Wheeler- hated the one that the Muses had enlisted to help her- Seto Kaiba. And the feeling was Mutual. She suspected that they had done it deliberately to make her job difficult, but would never voice this opinion.
Either way, she had screwed up. Badly. With numerous extra mind wipes and a trip to hospital to boot. And had thusly been booted out of Wherever.
Little did she know, ever since she had accidentally returned her Father's memories, he and her mother had been planning her 'exile'. They knew that Azreal would be happier on Earth, even if she hadn't realised it- or even that she had a choice- yet.
She hadn't been too happy with them at first, but she had to admit that it had made life easier. Everything was ready for her, including a place at the local school. And so, not even an entire 24 hours after she had returned to Earth, she was moved in with her Father and his family, her boyfriend had his memories back, and she was starting at the beginning of a new school year. She supposed she could call him her boyfriend now. They had kissed, after all. More then once.
The car pulled over to the pavement, and her heart beat faster- but it was Mokuba's school, not hers. She sighed in relief as Mokuba gave a stony goodbye and left.
"I get the impression he doesn't like me…" She sighed unhappily. She was one of those people who wanted to be liked by everyone, but often wasn't.
"He'll come around." Seto shrugged. "He's just a bit wary of you."
"I guess that's understandable, considering most of the jerks he's met…"
Seto grunted non-committaly, and they sat in silence until they arrived.
"The Office is over there." He pointed, hair already sticking to his head in the wet.
"Right…" She swallowed.
"Nervous?" He teased "Whatever happened to 'I can handle anything'?"
"I can!" She protested. "It's just… I've been working since I was thirteen. It's just kinda… weird to be back in school! Nothing else!"
He snorted. "Whatever. I'll see you later."
"Bye." She replied, walking off, before breaking into a run to get out of the rain. Of course, it was pointless, they were already soaked from just that small conversation in the downpour. But she ran anyway, feet splashing in puddles, towards the office. Or away from her past life. She disappeared a moment later inside the building.
After a second, Seto turned and began to walk towards his form room. There was no rush. He was already soaked, and probably already late. He smiled slightly. Anna was joining the school.
Domino High didn't know what it had gotten itself into.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The room was full of noise and chaos. People were sitting in groups, chattering excitedly and catching up over the holidays, discussing places they'd been and things they'd done, and what they were going to do over the next academic year. And this group of friends was no exception.
"It was so strange…" Ryou said again, absently twirling a strand of hair in his hands in a vain attempt to get some of the rain water out of it. Although he did not know it, this had quite an effect on the girls, admiring him from across the room. "I have no idea who she was, but she knew my name…"
Ryou had never met Azreal, although he had seen the results of what she had started- a disastrous attempt to set him and Téa up. As such, when she had ambushed him and started screaming something about humanity, he had been understandably confused.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-Flashback-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Ryou was walking home, just as he did every day, (Except this time from the park) when he heard someone calling his name.
"Ryou!" The caller was short girl with a large amount of brown hair that grabbed his wrists and swung him round and round, laughing "I'm back! Isn't it great!" Ryou pulled away.
"Excuse me…" He said as politely as possible under the circumstances. "Do I know you?" The girl blinked, then started to laugh again.
"Oh, I forgot. No, you don't, but you soon will!" She started practically skipping down the street. "My name is Anna Mitsan and I am now ONE HUNDRED PERCENT HUMAN BEING!" She laughed in pure happiness and ran off.
Ryou blinked. "Strange girl…" He murmured.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-End Flashback-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"Are you sure you don't know her?" Yugi asked, cocking his head quizzically. "Did she tell you her name?"
Just then, the teacher entered. "Alright, calm down please!" He shouted. "Find a seat and sit down, if you please, ladies and gentlemen." Everyone went to do so, climbing down off desks, windowsills and radiators, and scrambling for seats. "I'll be your form tutor for this year, and if I've ever taught you before- I do see a few familiar faces- then you'll know I'm not that bad- and that there's only one thing I can't stand- dossers. So, if you don't waste my time, I won't waste yours." He eyed the class, in witch the noise level was rising again. "Quiet please!" He insisted. "I need to take the register. Just stick your hand up when you answer, so I can put some names to faces…"
"I'll tell you later…" Ryou muttered to Yugi, who was sitting to one side of him, and not a moment to soon, because his name was called just then. "Yes sir!" Ryou answered, raising a hand.
It was almost a shame that Ryou never told Yugi the girl's name, for it would have surely stirred some memories in the others minds, even if they had known her better as Azreal. But now their minds had been wiped, and they would not remember her.
Unless they just happened to bump into her somewhere.
"Now…" The form tutor said. "Our timetables haven't arrived yet… Can I have two volunteers to go and get them for me?"
Téa, on Yugi's other side, put her hand up enthusiastically, craftily poking Yugi in the armpit till he yelped in pain and inadvertedly raised his arm.
"Thank you, you two." He smiled, and Yugi climbed wearily to his feet, following Téa out of the room. "The rest of you, just talk quietly amongst yourselves for a while…"
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Seto heard voices coming down the corridor towards him. Voices he instantly recognised.
"…wish you wouldn't do that…" Yugi was sighing.
"Hey, we get out of class." Téa's voice sounded. Seto smirked. He wondered if the teachers, the ones that idolised the girl, heard her talk like that. They still hadn't noticed him, travelling down the hallway towards them.
"First, it's not class, it's form, pointless at the best of times." Yugi pointed out. "And, second, everyone else is just mucking about while we- Oh!" Seto had finally been spotted. "Good morning, Kaiba."
"'Morning!" Téa echoed. It was obvious that, just like every morning, they were not expecting a response. Seto grinned mentally. Maybe he'd just surprise them.
"Good morning." He replied, smiling. Yes, he smiled. And it broadened in slight amusement at Yugi and Téa's shocked faces.
Yugi, realising they were staring, began to stammer something.
Seto raised an eyebrow.
Yugi, now go slightly red, continued to stammer. Seto waited patiently.
"K-Kaiba!" Yugi spat eventually. "Did you… have a nice holiday?"
"The work was less mindless at work then it is here." Seto shrugged.
Silence fell, but somehow Seto just knew that they would not be willing to end what was perhaps their first ever proper conversation just like that. (A/N: Although, of course, in the series they never dubbed, he would have talked to them a lot whilst pretending to be their friend… But I divulge.) And Téa, true to Friendship-Freak-Form, was not.
"Are you running late?" She asked, stupidly. That was just begging for sarcasm. Seto bit it back. He was trying to creep them out by being friendly for his own amusement, not, for once, insulting them for his own amusement.
"More so since I stopped to talk to you." He shrugged again. "And yourselves?"
"We've got to go and get the timetables." Téa explained.
"I see." Seto replied. "Well, see you in a moment."
He walked away down the corridor, listening. And, sure enough, when they thought he was out of ear shot, he heard their reaction.
"How paranormal was that?" Yugi asked in bewilderment. "If I didn't know better, I would swear that we just had a perfectly polite, ordinary, conversation with Kaiba!"
"Yugi!" Téa scolded. "Perhaps he's just finally decided to be nice to people…" But she didn't seem to believe it.
"Maybe…" Yugi said doubtfully. "But I wouldn't put it past him to be up to something…"
Seto held back a laugh. Excellent, now they were freaked out and paranoid that he was up to something. It wasn't often he had the time or energy to wind people up, other then reminding them how much better he was then them. It was just the kind of thing Az would find funny. He'd have to tell her later. She's a bad influence on me… Seto thought wryly. Then something occurred to him, and his lips curled again in slight amusement.
Yugi would have had his memories of Azreal wiped, and Téa had never met her. But now they were all going to be at the office at once…
This should be interesting.
Seto had reached his form room now, and entered, ready to defend his lateness. Just watch them try to give him detention for it. To do an after school detention, you needed your parent or guardian's permission.
He was Mokuba's guardian, and he looked after himself. So therefore, he'd have to give himself permission to go to detention.
How he loved loopholes.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
When Yugi and Téa arrived at the office, someone was already there, talking to the receptionist, who nodded before disappearing into a back room.
The girl sighed a little, rubbing her forehead, before turning around and seeing them. She looked a little surprised for a second, before regaining composure and smiling.
"Hi there." She said. Yugi did not return the greeting. He wasn't deliberately being rude, but something about this girl was really bugging him.
"Good morning." Téa replied, nudging Yugi until he distractedly echoed her words. "Excuse me, but are you new here? I don't think I've seen you around before…"
"That's right." She nodded. "It's my first day here." She laughed nervously. "I hope people can get used to me!"
"We get used to a lot around here." Téa smiled. "I'm Téa, and this is Yugi. Stick with us, and you'll be fine!"
"Thank you." She grinned back. "I'm Anna Mitsan." She introduced herself, with a definite look at Yugi. Would he remember? Not likely. He hadn't been all that close to her, and the name wasn't one he knew her by…
But he did. Yugi's eyes widened in shock, and he broke into a huge grin. And she knew that he knew.
"I don't believe it." Yugi laughed. "You actually wiped our memories…"
"Evidently it doesn't work that well." Azreal laughed, hugging him. "The Muses really need to work on their mind-wiping techniques. People are remembering everywhere!"
"Maybe it's just you." Yugi replied. "What are you doing here!"
Téa looked back and forth in confusion between the two, wondering if she was missing something…
The secretary returned, and Azreal and Yugi hastily ended their conversation, pulling away from each other. The receptionist smiled.
"I take it you two know each other?" She asked.
"Sort of…" Anna replied vaguely. "We met a few weeks ago…"
Téa was even more confused, but, knowing that some things were better left unsaid in public when Yugi was around, made a note of asking him about it later.
"I see." She replied. "Well, we'd better put you in their form, hadn't we? I think there's a space…"
There was. Azreal smiled. So, she would be in Seto's class for at least some of the subjects. That should be interesting. She'd always wanted to see him in school…
"Now all you have to do is choose your classes and we're all set!" She told Anna happily. "There won't be much choice, I'm afraid, seeing as everyone else picked last year, but I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks." Anna smiled, standing there for quite some time, dully picking one class or another, as the receptionist compiled a time table for her and added her name to class lists.
"Now, this is the complicated bit- languages." She said, turning to her. "Basically, everyone has two hours on a Friday dedicated to languages. You have to do one lesson of English, being as it's our second language, but you can choose from French, Russian, Spanish or German for the second hour. We used to offer double English, but it was an administration nightmare, so they dropped it. Anyhoo, the other option is to take English and then take PSHE instead of another language. So, what will it be?"
"Actually," Azreal answered. "I already speak it."
"Which language?" The secretary asked. "English? French? Spanish? German? Russian?"
"Um…" She shifted uncomfortably. "All of them…"
There was no way she could pretend not to know a language she spoke fluently. The thing was, as soon as she visited a place, she picked up the language in a matter of moments. She'd just get there and find she knew how to speak it. It was, evidently, a characteristic she'd picked up from her mother's side. All Muses had the knack, but she was the only one that found it strange.
"All of them?" The secretary blinked. "How? If you don't mind my asking? You don't sound foreign…"
"Oh, well…" Azreal was panicking now. One thing she was not was a good lair. "What it is…"
"Her mom works for Kaiba Corp." Yugi said, jumping into save her. "Helps to set up branches abroad."
The receptionist smiled. "I see. Master Kaiba isn't much of a linguist, from what I hear. So," She turned to Anna. "You've travelled a lot with your mother?"
"That's right." Azreal replied in relief. "But now I'm living with my dad."
"Well," The receptionist became business like again, tapping a few more keys. A moment later, a sheet of paper, with the time table on it, scrolled out, and she handed it to Anna. "You're all ready to go! I hope you like it here."
"Thanks, I will."
"And what can I do for you two?"
Téa stepped forward, and a second later, the time tables were secure between her and Yugi. The three headed down the deserted corridors to form, Azreal twisting nervously.
"Don't worry." Téa smiled. "I have no idea who you are, or how you know Yugi, or why you seem a little… different… to most other people, but I like you. And I just know everyone else will!"
Azreal laughed. "How can you say that, when we haven't even had a proper conversation?"
"Sometimes I can just tell." Téa responded mysteriously. "Besides, you can bet Yugi will tell me everything later!"
"Speaking of telling people things…" Yugi put in sheepishly. "You might maybe want to tell Seto that your mom works for him…"
"Good luck in explaining that one." Téa snorted.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The class stared openly at the new girl, some with whispering recognition, others in curiosity, Seto with a very strange look like he couldn't decide whether to be pleased or worried, and Ryou in open surprise as the one who had ambushed him walked into his classroom.
"Would you care to tell us something about yourself, Anna…?" The form tutor prompted.
"Um…" She hesitated. What was she supposed to say? She didn't have any interests or anything yet! What could she say to do with Earth when she had only been there one night! "Sure." She smiled weakly, turning to the class. "Hi. Well, as he said, I'm Anna, and some of you…" She glanced at the area of the room in witch Yugi and the others sat. "May have seen me around recently, but you probably didn't realise it- I just moved in with my dad here." She really wanted Joey and the others to remember her, but she couldn't tell them openly, not here. She'd have to be sneaky. "And, well, I'm a bit of a nerd, really. I spend a lot of time online, I like to read webcomics… My favourite has to be 'Angels with Broken Wings', I was scared when I thought it was fini-"
That had done it. They remembered her now.
"Azreal!" Joey, Tristan and Duke all yelled as one, slightly surprised that they had forgotten her and that she was here, of all places.
"Um…" She tried her best to look surprised at the interruption as the class laughed and the three covered their mouths, embarrassed. "I guess that's it."
"Well, thanks, Anna." The form tutor said, glaring at Joey and the others. "I hope you'll like it here; I'm sure you'll fit in just fine."
"I'm sure I will." Azreal couldn't help smiling.
She was back, and this time, no-one would be able to forget her.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
A/N: Well, Chapter one FINALLY done and dusted, however bad it is. I have deliberately not read through this chapter, because I know, like the other umpteenth attempts, I'll delete it all in a fit of artistic fury. So I will very carefully post it and never look at it again.
