So this one was supposed to be updated a month ago but...I totally procrastinated it and I got very involved in the June Prompt Challenge with the plan to work on this if I hit any blanks, but i didn't hit any blanks.
Totally not complaining!
This one was tricky to write though...
Now, this takes place during episode 54 of the anime also known as the Flaming Dance Battle episode, which was actually pretty important in the context of the story...when i went back and read the manga i realized rather than a filler it was the catalyst for battle city, and i really wanted to focus on its important parts...
Particularly Anzu's ;) Seriously 4kids chopped her up worse than Kaiba, but the manga made her one of my favorite characters so I really wanted to illustrate the role she played in helping Yugi and Yami here...or rather giving Yami the confidence to face his past and follow is heart ;)
Enjoy!
The Call of Memory
Who...am I...?
Where did I come from...?
And where should I go...?
I can feel it...
Something is coming...
Something is waiting for me in that museum. Something that knows the truth about my past...
The Millennium puzzle can feel it too...
But...
I don't need to know the truth. Things are fine the way they are. I'm happy this way...
Is that not enough?
It was the question he had been asking himself over and over again and yet the darkness for all its comforts had no answer.
I don't know who I am , where I came from or what path I should take...but that's fine. I like things the way they are now. I don't want things to change...
But...
Am I...
Am I even allowed to have a choice?
X X X
Yami was depressed.
Yugi could sense it though his Other Self did well to hide it. It was subtle things at first but ever since they'd come home from the hospital he began to notice the change and that had been over two months ago. Contentment it seemed didn't have the impact his Other Self was hoping it would . But beyond that Yugi knew, knew, it had less to do with what had happened and more to do with the fact despite all his Other Self's statements otherwise, he was just as curious about his loft past as Yugi was. They had not spoken about it since that day on the rooftop and Yugi knew the true reason his Dark was determined not to pursue it but Yugi knew eventually if he didn't it would only cause him greater sadness.
It hurt that Yami didn't want to talk about it though Yugi knew why. Despite everything Yami was happy with the way things were, he didn't want things to change and he was afraid searching for answers would do just that...change everything. The worst laser was he was right.
And yet...his misery was not a price Yugi was willing to pay.
"Hmmm...what looks good on me?" He pouted at his mirror self debating whether or not to keep the accessories. Had he always has so much black? It look good with all his bracelets, though. "This is hard."
Why are you getting dressed up so early? Yami asked almost tired. Wasn't it Sunday? And hadn't Yugi finished all of his exams? He watched Yugi have a staring contest with his reflection and from the disgruntled point it looked like the reflection was winning.
"I'm meeting with Anzu today," Yugi said smiling.
Oh,Yami drew out the word with a sky, half-lidded smirk. Like a date? What about your secret admirer? The spirit chuckled then winked and offered Yugi a thumbs up. I'm only teasing, good luck Aibou.
"Well..." to the Spirit's surprise Yugi had a smirk and a wink of his own. "It's not exactly my date."
He just hoped Anzu could help.
She always had the best advice.
X X X
Anzu was nervous.
She could not for the life of herself explain why but she was.
It wasn't like she hasn't hung out with Yugi and his Spirit self before (though that particular memory last summer brought back some desperate behavior she wasn't exactly proud of).
She sighed. It all happened so fast, and Yugi sounded so...so sad when he'd asked. So worried. It made her wonder just how bad the spirit was feeling for Yugi to ask for her help.
She sighed again.
The puzzle had a mind. Has a mind. She still couldn't believe she'd said that, let alone believed it, but it was true.
She'd figured it out that day in the hospital when she'd forced herself to come to terms with her own feelings.
It had been so much easier to believe that the spirit, the Other Yugi, has always existed, always been there, had been part of Yugi. A split personality that was much more confident and suave and, now that she really thought about it, incredibly reckless. Yugi would never have taken on the gunman who held her hostage with only a lighter and a bottle of alcohol and for very good reason.
Her friend had a front and a back, that's what she'd always thought.
Always believed.
But...was that just what she wanted to believe?
Yugi has always referred to his other self like he was a separate person, not an alter ego. Always referred to him as a friend rather than a part of himself.
The fact that she'd once had a crush on them both still made her blush.
When she had told Yugi at Duelist Kingdom he was fine just the way he was and she meant it. She still meant it.
But if the spirit was another person entirely, what did that mean for them? For him? For Yugi?
She sighed again, resolved herself. "You can do it Anzu! Get a grip!"
Then the spirit appeared.
X X X
"This is it." Marik told himself with unrelenting resolve. "I am finally going to introduce myself to my sweet Yugi." The thought made him giddy inside. He spotted Yugi racing by stopping just before his hiding spot.
Marik's heart almost stopped.
He swallowed and forced himself to breathe despite the overwhelming heat suddenly coursing through him. He couldn't stop grinning. "Okay, Marik get a grip, you can do this."
He was just about to step out when he saw a pretty shirt-haired brunette looking far more dressed up than what he suspected normal teenagers did. Marik stopped. He recognized her: saw her often with Yugi at their school, walking home. At the time he suspected nothing of it, but reading this woman's body language, the way Yugi was suddenly smiling.
Oh...
No...
Were they...
Was this...
Were they...
On...
A...
Date...!
Marik's entire universe shattered and the ground split open and swallowed him while until his entire universe was a black endless void of despair.
The fire of resolve resurrected him!
"No!" Marik declared. "I will not allow her to work her feminine wiles on my sweet angel's tender heart! I will not allow—"
"Huh!? Hey! Yugi! I'm not...you can't...this isn't a duel!"
Marik's bold declaration to universe was very rudely cut short by what sounded like someone very disgruntedly protesting their current position in the universe and mourning their inability to do something about it.
Marik whirled And was both relieved and horrified to find the Pharaoh standing in Yugi's place, shouting at the puzzle and looking panicked, and the dressed-up-for-a-date brunette suddenly looking flustered.
Marik's heart reanimated. Oh thank the gods, he all but collapsed in relief. She's the Pharaoh's woman.
It took all of one second to process that information. Marik became furious!
How dare that disposable parasitic leech use his sweet angel's innocent body so frivolously! He raged, fists clenched and cursing. He expelled all his angry emotions in one furious huff of air.
Damn it, there went all of his careful planning! He ran a hand through his hair, resolves himself. Alright, time to regroup.
Battle city would be starting soon, then he would have plenty of chances to Court his beloved and show him the true nature of the pest his puzzle contained.
Still...
Marik stomped back to base, more determined than ever to vanquish that foolish, frivolous, false king.
X X X
The spirit stood apprehensively outside the museum, hesitating going inside.
A clue to my past is in here. I want to know more about myself. I want to know where I should go...where I belong...he clenched the puzzle tightly between his fingers, hesitating to take that last step. But if I stay, I can stay inside my partner's heart forever...he squeezed tighter wondering if Yugi could hear him. Because that's what he wants to.
Anzu stood next to him, offered an encouraging smile and her earlier words returned to him giving him strength.
"I had to come here, but a part of me resisted that. I was afraid to find out." He flashed her a bright smile, his confidence returning. "But after seeing you today, I made up my mind."
Anzu smiled back and followed him into the museum.
X X X
"Well, it's about time you showed up," Bakura shook his head from the shadows. "Such a lazy King you are." He was just about to leave when the Millennium ring started glowing. It's two prongs pointing towards the museum, confirming what he'd suspected since Landlord and the brat first saw the article.
He grinned, his smile toothy with delight. "it won't be long now."
It is way too much fun writing Marik and Bakura XD
