A/N: Welcome, welcome, to 'Time Flies' Phase One! Called Phase One because 'tis too short to be a chapter, but I thought this fic would work better split into three parts then as a one-shot. Yeah. But this is called 'The Past', so no prizes in guessing what the next two parts will be called. Oh, before we start, this is my first time attempting to use the Japanese names. So please don't hurt me if I get them wrong! (Cowers)

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. I do not have enough money to buy it either, so please assume that this disclaimer is the only inevitability beside death and income tax.

Now then. To Phase One! Hope you enjoy!

Time Flies

Phase One: The Past

"Look!" He screamed, pointing up to the furthest corner of the sky. "It's over there! We don't have much time!"

"Ryou, I-"

"Yugi!" He replied, sharply. "Now is not the time for arguments! It's coming!"

"I don't think-" Anzu started, cautiously.

"This is one thing I know about!" Ryou insisted, pointing back at the ominous entity in the sky. "That is a rain cloud!" He smiled happily, before adding in a terrible accent, "There's a storm a' brewing!"

"I hope not." Anzu sighed in reply as the three continued along the road home from school, Ryou throwing occasional glances at his alleged cloud. "I hate thunderstorms."

"I doubt it, Anzu." Yugi reassured her. "Look at the sky. It's not going to thunder."

She looked up at the roof above them, the sun beating down, blissfully warm, on her face. It was an almost undisturbed blue, stretching out as far as the eye could see, like an inverted ocean. A single white cloud, the focus of Ryou's statement, drifted on it's lonely way across the deep blue, seemingly becoming stationary somewhere over the Kaiba Corp building. How very appropriate.

"I guess you're right!" Anzu relaxed. She hated the noise of thunder, the way lightning cast ugly shadows across the room when it came. "It's been gorgeous weather for days now, Ryou. And it won't be the rainy season for a while yet."

"Hmm…" Ryou grumbled, disappointed. "It's been so hot. We're about due a thunderstorm." He to looked hopefully up at the sky. "I can't wait for the rain." He commented.

Yugi and Anzu looked at him like he was mad. Ryou just shrugged.

"…I like rain."

"Yes, but…" Yugi said, bewildered. "How can you like the rainy season? It just rains and rains and rains for weeks, it never stops…"

"That's it exactly." Ryou grinned. "Doesn't it make you appreciate the sun more when it's over?"

"Yeah, I guess it does." Anzu laughed, as they stopped on the corner of her street. "You certainly have a… unique way of looking at things, Ryou."

"Or strange." Yugi whispered. She laughed more.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow." She gave a wave and began heading off, but unable to resist a parting shot. "Enjoy your storm, Ryou!"

Yugi laughed, but Ryou just waved it away, smiling slightly himself.

"You mark my words, Anzu Mazaki, it will pour before the end of this fortnight!"

"Oh, I'm sure…"

Things couldn't get much better, Anzu thought, as she sailed along under the cloudless sky towards her house. It was beautiful weather, even for spring, she had great friends, she had no homework that night, and best of all, the cherry blossom festival was coming up. That was always good fun… Their exams were also coming up, but Anzu put it out of her mind. She didn't want to loose her good mood.

Of course, when things can't get better, they have no choice other then to get worse. Anzu entered her house to find that, while neither of her parents were home yet, the post was. She scooped it up from the porch floor, where it had been pushed through the letter box, and stepped inside her house, flicking through the pile.

Naturally, beside a postcard from her aunt, all the post was for one or the other of her parents. Except a simple, folded piece of paper with 'To the Resident' printed on it.

Anzu unfolded it. She was a resident to, right? Her eyes flicked down the single, typed page.

"What!" She demanded shrilly of the empty hall. The Hall, however, did not give an answer, maintaining its stony silence.

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"…It's a lot of money." Anzu's mom said, hesitantly.

"But it's our house!" Anzu protested. "I've lived here my whole life! I don't want to move!"

"Anzu…" Her father pleaded. "Let us think about this…"

The entire Mazaki family was now gathered in the bright kitchen, the walls matching the colour of the sky outside, the white cabinets and appliances looking almost like gathering clouds. Anzu, however, was feeling anything but serene. The piece of paper her parents were now reading was the sole cause of the bother, of course. A 'Local business' wanted to build another factory, the problem being that they wanted to build it here. Over their street. And they were offering a very handsome price for the house, and all the others on the street to, if they would move away. It was a lot of money. More then their house, and all it's contents, could possibly be worth.

"We could buy another house with this." Her mom mused. "A nicer, bigger house." She looked up at Anzu. "We could finally pay for you to have those dance lessons. You wouldn't need that job."

Anzu glared at her. She couldn't believe her own mother was even considering it! Her mom, however, seemed oblivious, a smile slowly creeping up her face.

"Mom!" Anzu protested. "You can't sell out to these… these… corporate freaks! I thought you were happy here!"

"We are." Her dad confirmed. "But, Anzu, you have to realise… Well, you've lived here all your life, you don't know… A house is just a building. A building filled with possessions. You have to trust your mother and I to take the right course of action."

Her mom began to move over to the corner of the kitchen- in the direction of the phone.

"Mom!" Anzu cried, desperate. "What are you doing!"

"The right course of action." Her mom echoed, pushing the offer into the paper shredder at her feet. She slapped her hands together as Anzu sighed in relief. "Right." She said. "How long till your dance lesson, Anzu?"

"Half an hour."

"Good." She nodded. "Well, come on then."

"Where are we going?" Anzu asked, curiously, following her parents out into the hall and slipping her shoes on.

"To rally the neighbours." Her father told her. "You're not going to stand for this, right?"

"Of course not!" Anzu yelled. "Our home is worth more then they could ever offer!"

And so, they took opposite sides of the street, and went to make sure the neighbours all felt the same way. As Anzu headed up the path to the front door of the house next door, number 6, she could smell the scent of mown grass. With each step, she felt herself transported further back into her childhood, all those times at the age of three when she'd stumbled up that path, before her dad had put the gate in the garden fence, going to visit him, the best friend she'd ever had…

But nowadays, she could reach the bell, and she rang. He did not answer the door. He wouldn't. He'd moved away… almost twelve years ago now, as the leaves had fallen from the trees. The house belonged to the University now, was let out to students. And she couldn't even remember his name…

"Don't worry." Eria said, the second she'd opened the door and seen Anzu there. "The decision lies with the University, and, money-grabbers they are, they may well want to accept this offer-" She waved the wrinkled notice, looking as if it had been screwed up and then unfolded again. "But you can bet we're not going to just sit around and let them!"

Well, Anzu thought dully as she headed to the next house. I think I can consider them 'rallied'… One down, a lot more to go.

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"Here." Yugi tutted, leaning over and freeing the small blossom out of her hair, as Anzu had been trying to do for some minutes. It was far harder to do when it was caught so far around the back of her head.

"Thanks."

Ryou's drab prediction for the change in the weather had yet to reveal itself as the day of the cherry blossom festival had dawned warm, with scuttling candyfloss clouds racing across it, surfing joyfully on the breeze. There was quite a wind, but it was warm and pleasant, quite refreshing compared to the unusual humidity of the last few days. The group had met at the festival, setting up a picnic blanket underneath one of the blooming cherry trees. They had all eaten to their full capacity, and, as the wind made the branches swirl around like they were swimming in the air, shoals of sakura petals fell down to earth, landing indifferently on people and food products alike. Yugi flicked the one that had been caught in Anzu's hair carelessly away, looking more relaxed then he had done in a long time, sitting among the swirling pink flowers. He'd grown a lot since finishing that Puzzle. Anzu just wished she could say the same for herself.

Ryou watched the pair of them carefully, taking no precautions to conceal his stare. Thoughts raced through his head, sometimes flickering briefly into his eyes, but he voiced none of them. Instead, he asked if 'anyone would care to go and see the koi pond'.

There were no takers.

"Or," He continued, evenly. "We could go and check out the ice-cream stall next to the koi pond…"

There were several enthusiastic volunteers.

As the group went to put shoes back on, find wallets and purses and all the rest, Yugi managed to catch Ryou's eye, trying to transmit a message of gratefulness. Apparently, he was not the only one who had noticed Anzu seemed a little blue, and now the Brit was giving him the opportunity to talk to her without everyone there. But Ryou just gave his customary gentle smile; leaving Yugi in utter confusion as to whether he'd got the message or, indeed, if Ryou just wanted an ice-cream after all. Or possibly both. Who knew?

"Anzu…" He said, slowly, as the others disappeared behind a hedgerow. She turned to face him, brushing a petal off her arm as another gust of wind sent the branches careering around. "…Is something wrong?" He looked at her in concern. She hadn't eaten nearly as much as she normally did, nor had she talked much, and she hadn't even laughed so hard she sprayed her drink around in that endearing, but terribly unladylike way. There had to be something wrong…

Anzu sighed deeply, resting her head in her hands. "Sorry…" She muttered. "Am I that obvious?"

"Yes. To me, at least." Yugi said, pulling her hands away so he could see her face. "I've known you since we were kids. I know these things. Now, what happened?"

"They've upped the offer." She didn't have to explain what she was talking about. They all knew about the current commercial war being fought over her street.

"Oh…" It was all he could think to say. "But… No-one's going to accept it, right?"

A slightly evil grin snuck its way onto Anzu's usually amiable face. "Not if I have anything to do with it."

Yugi smiled to. That's the Anzu he knew. "Hmmph. That'll be the end of that then. If you can deal with all the stuff we've dealt with, you'll have no problem dealing with some fusty office-workers." He paused. "And you have all of us, to. That's practically an army! We'll help however we can!"

"Yugi," Anzu replied, honestly. "You already have."

And they sat silently amongst the falling flowers until the others returned with ices of various varieties. Ryou pushed a simple strawberry cone into her hands. Her favourite.

"Ryou!" She protested. "You didn't have to buy me one! I didn't want one!"

"But now you do." He pointed out easily, as she had, despite herself, already licked it.

"I said I didn't want one…"Anzu pouted, liking it again. "You shouldn't have got me one."

"Oh, I didn't." Ryou denied. "I got an extra one, purely accidentally. A total mistake on my some what scatterbrained part. So by eating it, you're doing me a favour."

Anzu couldn't help but laugh. "You are mad." She told him.

"I prefer the word eccentric." Ryou smiled, catching Yugi's eye again and laughing at him with his eyes. Well done, they seemed to say, for cheering her up. Yugi nodded back gratefully, although inside he couldn't help but be a little disappointed that he hadn't been brought one to…

"Yugi." Jonouchi interrupted. "If you don't take this off me, I'm gonna eat it."

Yugi turned his head sharply, and saw the second chocolate cone that was being pushed towards him. He'd assumed the boy was going to eat both himself. Probably Jou had thought so to, but his good heart had been bigger then his stomach. A miracle.

Yugi accepted the cone quickly, watching as Anzu pulled a fallen petal from hers.

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"You know…" Mai said, slyly, over the noise of the hand-dryer Shizuka was using. "I didn't fail to notice that you and Yugi seemed awfully close when we got back with those ices…"

Anzu reddened, she could see the blush creeping up her face even in the tiny, distorted reflection the tap offered. But she also couldn't help smiling as she scrubbed her hands. Yes, she and Yugi were close, but she suspected not in the same way Mai had been implying. She should have known this was coming when the two had decided to escort her to the park's facilities. Luckily, beside them, the room was deserted- all the cubicles empty, no-one using the sinks but them. However, it was also slightly smelly, of chemicals and of waste, and she had no intention of staying here longer then necessary. Time to evade, Anzu.

"Oh?" She asked, innocently. "I don't know what you're driving at, Mai, but if you want another ice-cream, then you'll have to-"

"Nice try." Mai tutted. "You know what I mean. Anzu, honey, the boy likes you!"

"He does?" Anzu cried, though perhaps she wasn't quite as surprised as she acted. She'd thought about what might happen if he maybe… But she hadn't ever thought he actually would… "As… as not-a-friend?" She checked.

"He's head over heels!" Mai insisted. "How could you not notice…?"

"Oh…" Anzu didn't really know what else to say.

"I think he's going to ask you out sometime soon." Shizuka piped up, moving out of the way so Anzu could distractedly use the hand dryer. "Are you going to say yes?"

"He won't ask me." Anzu replied, awkwardly.

"You're trying to avoid the question again." Mai accused. Anzu sighed in defeat.

"I'm not sure what I'd do." She admitted. "I love Yugi to bits, he's my best friend, he's always been there, and I can tell him anything… but…"

"But?"

"It's just…" Anzu trailed off, secretly enjoying drawing out the moment despite her extreme embarrassment.

"There's not someone else, is there!" Mai gasped.

"Not exactly." Anzu answered vaguely, stepping away from the dryer and leaning up against the sink. "It's just, there was this boy who lived next door…"

Mai and Shizuka squealed, Anzu covering her ears at the sound, before taking them away to try and stop the torrent of questions threatening to drown her.

"Hold up there. He moved away, like, twelve years ago." Anzu told them. They deflated slightly. She looked down at the floor, wet from water running off the sinks, embarrassed now. "I can't even remember his name, now… But we were best friends. We were inseparable." She laughed slightly. "My dad even had to put a gate in between his garden and mine so we could see each other without having to go all the way around the outside! But then… He had to move. I don't know why, he just had to go. We cried a lot, and I remember my mom saying he was moving far away…" She sighed. "On my birthday, he'd given one of these 'best friends' things." She fingered her half, hidden in her pocket. "And he said that I was his best friend and we'd meet again one day. He promised. And, sometimes, when I'm feeling down, I can't help but fantasize that…" She trailed off, too embarrassed to continue.

"That he'll return, and sweep you off your feet." Mai finished, flatly.

"Yeah." Anzu admitted, blushing again. She knew it was silly. That's why she'd never told anyone about those particular daydreams…

"You're going to turn down Yugi for some guy you last saw when you were three!" Mai demanded.

"No!" Anzu denied. "Well… I… I don't know, okay! But Yugi would never ask me now, anyway! We have exams coming up! And… and all the stuff with my house! I don't need to decide now anyway!" She slipped out of the toilets, desperately embarrassed.

"We have to find her a childhood sweetheart." Mai decided.

"Uh…How?" Shizuka asked. "Anzu said he moved 'Far away', twelve years ago! He could be anywhere in the world right now! And what if he doesn't remember her? Or already has a girl friend? Or is just a-"

"I never said it had to be her childhood sweetheart." Mai pointed out, grinning deviously. "As long as she thinks it's him."

"Mai…" Shizuka said, uncomfortably. "Isn't that kinda… lying?"

Mai shrugged. "What she doesn't know can't hurt her…"

"At least let's look for the real guy first…" Shizuka pleaded.

"Oh, alright." Mai agreed. "We'll call it… Operation: Lost Love!" She left the toilets to, Shizuka following behind muttering something about terrible names and worse ideas. Mai was certain she had no idea what the girl was talking about.

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A/N: END OF PHASE ONE! Dun dun dun! So… How about some rhetorical questions? I think so. Will Anzu's house be okay? Will Shizuka and Mai discover the identity of her old sweetheart? Will Yugi pluck up the courage to ask her? Will it rain? And when will this update? Well, actually, this one isn't rhetorical; I will update as soon as I have Phase Two done, which will either be tomorrow or Monday. Until then, please watch this space!