Orchisshipping (Ishizu x Anzu x Shizuka)

"Which one is this?"

"Those are the orchis family."

"Don't you mean an orchid?"

"Well, orchids come from the orchis family, so I suppose so, yes."

"Wow," Shizuka said, looking up at the taller women with admiration. "You know a lot about flowers, Ishizu-san!"

Ishizu smiled. Anzu nodded appreciatively and turned to look at a bunch of daffodils.

The flower shop was overflowing with color. Batches of flowers hung out of shelves, wrapped up in plastic like the ones you would give to actors. Anzu dreamed for a moment of receiving that particular bunch of roses and lilies after a show on Broadway. Above their heads, pots of hanging plants swung gently, the long stems and leaves trailing down over the sides like leafy waterfalls. Other pots of live flowers bobbed in the breeze coming through the open door.

It was amazing, Anzu thought. She had never imagined that Egypt could be home to so many beautiful flowers.

"Oh, this is beautiful!" Shizuka said, reaching out to touch a water filled pot with water lillies.

"Lotuses," Ishizu said, her eyes brightening. "Those grow on the Nile. They symbolize rebirth."

Anzu, too, turned to look at the watery dish. The flower floated there serenely, a white flower that bloomed outwards in layers of petals. The smile died on Anzu's face.

"R-rebirth, huh?" she said.

Ishizu seemed to realize what she had said, as her smile fell too. Shizuka didn't notice, she was too busy examining the lotus up close. Ishizu touched Anzu's arm gently. Anzu swallowed – she shook her head and smiled. This was not the time to be sad.

"How much are the lotuses?" she asked, looking for a price.

"Um...68 Egyptian pounds," Shizuka said. "Uh...how is that in yen?"

"About 961 yen," Ishizu said.

Anzu nodded thoughtfully. Then she picked up the pot. She looked down into the heart of the little water flower. It was so perfectly white, with just a hint of yellow in the inside. Gold at the heart, she thought. And gold made her think of other things, of something that glinted in the sunlight with an eye looking out at her, a little golden trinket that she and the others would never see again...

"I think Yugi will like this," she said.

"I'm sure he will," Ishizu said.

"Oh!" Shizuka said, eyes brightening. "Let's all get flowers. I think Jonouchi might like this blue lotus."

"Hm...I could use some more daffodils to brighten the apartment," Ishizu said.

Anzu grinned, hugging the lotus to her chest. In the middle of that island of flowers, with the brightness of Shizuka and the calmness of Ishizu, she couldn't believe that she could feel sad.

She was sure that somewhere, Atem was smiling at this little flower in her arms. She could see Yugi's smile at the flower, and at what it meant, when she gave it to him.

Her sadness fluttered away like petals on the wind.


A/N: Girl time! The poor Yu-Gi-Oh girls need some more of that. :) Next is Orchidshipping (actually Orchid this time, not Orchis) and it's Cyndia x Otogi.