Spoiler Alert!

It goes without saying that I don't own rights to either YuGiOh! or the animated series "Gargoyles".

. . . .

Halloween 2021 FanFic Yu-Gi-Oh! X Gargoyles


When a Gargoyle Falls

Chapter 10:

Sally's Song

Yugi took a deep breath as he landed upon one of the many light pole, careful to void the power lines that Anzu had pointed out. This had to be the fourth time he's searched this block alone but he had yet to hear or see if the other two had found anything. Lilac eyes curiously followed a small group of humans who were dressed within black clothing and chains, narrowing when one of the members cornered a female human against one of the nearby alley walls. A breeze came out of nowhere, catching upon his wings and carrying him silently until he was above the group.

Anzu's warning filled his ears as the young female cowered before the multitude of shady figures who made his wings itch: "I won't lie, there are humans out there who are like the one who hurt me. They prey on those who seem weak and helpless just so that they themselves can feel superior. Those kinds of people are the ones to be weary of most because they may be carrying weapons or worse."

Even so, he couldn't ignore when someone needed help and judging from the blonde girl's short stature, she was going to need it. That's what he thought. The lavender hued gargoyle was left speechless when the intimidating group of males were laid flat across the concrete not even a minute later. He quickly retreated when blue and red flashing lights started to gather around the scene. "What is with the humans in this era being so-"

"Badass?"

"Feisty?"

Lilac narrowed as a familiar pair appeared beside him. "Have you found anything that would even be a possible lead to where our leader is or were you two just busy ogling at the humans all night?"

"You wound us, Yugi!" Joey fake wept into his comrade's wing once they had landed within a heavily vegetated area that would conceal their presence and still remain close by of the vicinity of the park.

The lavender hued gargoyle regarded the pair for a moment, waiting for any other indication that they had more to say, and sighed when they regrettably informed him that they'd seen nothing. Anzu had been right about the city being too large to search in one night. They may have to return again tomorrow night. A yelp from nearby caught the trio's attention and they stalked forward until they found themselves within the same tree that Solomon was perched within.

He shook his head when they made to ask what was happening and directed their gazes below. "Anzu has found herself among friends, it appears," he said slowly, "though from what I have heard thus far it has been quite some time since they had last met or spoken." They watched in silence as the human female they had come to accept spoke lowly to the males sitting on either side of her, one clad in leather while the other spoke with an odd accent, but what was being said was not lost despite their distance.

"I can't tell you who but they've treated me very well in the last several days." She glanced upwards as if she could feel them watching, revealing cerulean eyes that looked as though they were about to spill tears any second. "Their all special in their own way; one is so unbelievably smart he's gotta be the next Einstein, a pair of jokers that mean well but can make someone smile, an elder who is wiser than any book in a dusty old library or museum guide…"

The gargoyles waited with anticipation. Anzu had yet to mention their leader but it was what she had to say about him that held their attention. They weren't the only ones who were curious of what she was hiding. The one she called "Duke" asked several questions but she evaded each and every one of them. Had they been wrong about the bond between Atem and the young woman? Yugi shook his head. No, there was no mistaking the fondness their violet leader held for her.

"And this fellow that you have yet to mention? Is he the one who has caused your eyes to regain their light?" The white haired male's question caused their breaths to catch and her cheeks to tint pink when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, their protective instincts rising when his hand tilted her chin upwards so that she was looking up at him instead of the canopy above their heads. "Anzu, Duke and I, how do you feel about us? We were friends back in high school, surely you knew that we cared for you in a different way than most would." His voice dipped lower. "Or are you using your new friends as simply a shield to protect yourself?"

Three pairs of hands lathed themselves to the young lavender hued gargoyle as he growled lowly, as if they were expecting him to lash out or attack the speaker. They were complete strangers but Yugi couldn't shake the growing dislike he was holding for the white haired man. How dare he insinuate that Anzu was using them! His anger simmered when he realized that it was only Solomon and Atem who had been told of what had happened to her. That was none of his business, he was sure that she would sometime tell him about it, but it didn't help it sting any less. This man, supposedly her friend, had no clue of what was really going on. All they have to do is show themselves to him and he would possibly run away screaming like a banshee. The thought of such a sight was almost tempting yet he held fast Anzu had not asked for her life to be disrupted like it was, she hadn't asked for the world she knew to be shattered by the one who attacked her, and yet she treated them with fairness. Not once had she treated them like the monsters that those before her had. Even if it was just to repay her for that kindness he would gladly defend her from all accusations.

She shook him off, rising to stand and took several steps away from them. "I thought I made myself clear about how I felt about you both. You are like my brothers. And who are you to say something like that, Ryuo? Wasn't I the one you went to when your father dropped you off at the high school then never returned from his dig in Cairo? Who did you attach yourself to when the other students came after you because of your different appearance?" Cerulean met emerald. "What about you, huh? Do you feel the same? Are you still holding it against me that I didn't bring the footage of what I saw to you instead of the authorities? Or are you more upset that I did it all under your nose without you having a clue?" Anzu's arms wrapped around herself as silence reigned as she rubbed her eyes, unknowing that the clan of gargoyles silently watching tensed as the men also stood. "I guess that about sums-"

Her sentence was cutoff as the entirety of their noses were teased by the scent of sandalwood as there, in the distance, came the sound caused each of the watching gargoyle's gazes to flash crimson. Yugi waited until the one called Duke had disappeared up one of the other staircases and she had wrestled herself free of the remaining "friend" who was left to guard her to begin his descent. They each released their own answering growl as they leapt into action when she sprinted to the top of the nearby concrete staircase, her newfound cry ringing loudly within their ears as they took to the air.

. . . .

"Why did you let her go?!" Emerald blazed with anger as they met hesitant onyx, his hands grasping Ryuo's shoulders and shaking him. The had come back to find the white haired man alone after sprinting to follow that hair raising scream he'd heard. It was as if someone had taken an audio recording from the hottest horror film then amplified and altered it to the point where even the bone marrow within any who heard from from sheer terror. "Anzu wasn't herself, couldn't you see that?! She was distracted and in distress!"

He wrestled free, his features twisting into disgust. "You're the blind one, Duke!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"She was desperate and sad! Something has been taken away from her that she wants to retrieve but for some reason we only stalled her!" Onyx, for just a moment appeared topaz, as his countenance became shadowed. "Whatever she is searching for means a great deal to her. I'm sure she will return with answers once the object of her search is found."

Both blinked as a spotlight illuminated them from the top of the surrounding staircases. "Officer Devlin, there's no sign of the girl!"

"She couldn't have disappeared into thin air, keep searching!"

"Devlin, leave her be for now. I'm exhausted from the flight and stress so let's just wait for her to come back to us."

The officers holding the powerful flashlights looked to each other in mild discomfort as the pair below began to bicker.

. . . .

She didn't get four paces from the office when the shout of her to come back filled the air, lips raising into a satisfied smirk just before she turned back around to enter the room once more. Valentine's pheromones increased nearly tenfold when her mauve eyes fell upon the weathered and aged tome that now sat upon the desk. They rose to meet sapphire, finding them calm and narrowed as she crossed the space to hover her hand over its ancient cover. "So I was right that you were hiding within this man's collections," she whispered, taking a deep inhale through her nose and suppressed a shiver as her senses were filled by the scent of charcoal. "Ah, how I have missed you." A hiss slipped up her throat when he placed a clear box on top of the book before she could gather it safely within her arms. "How dare you!"

"The girl for the book." He steeled himself as she roared in his face, her claws lashing out at him, but he remained rooted. They came to a halt mere centimeters from contacting his skin. "You now know that I possess the book, so you have been given initiative. Bring me the girl and the book shall be returned to you."

"You are not the one I take orders from, human!"

His palm met the desk surface with a loud smack just before he marched forward, the other hand rising to latch around her throat and effectively pinning her to the nearby wall with a shove as the suit he wore shifted from cloth to reinforced steel. "You will do as I say if you value that precious book," he growled, tightening his hold when she attempted to break his grip. "Give it up, Valentine, I had this suit specially made so I could wield strength greater than your own and force you to obey when I require it."

The rose hued gargoyle quickly found his words to be true. No matter how hard she attempted her claws were unable to make even a scratch upon the man as she thrashed. Brief satisfaction filled her when her tail snaked around his left arm and forced it to bend enough so that it's grip slackened. "Never think you have the upper hand when dealing with one of us gargoyles," she growled, "especially when its me!" Her right leg rose too fast for him to dodge, a sickening crack sounding as it made contact with his elbow that resulted in him releasing her fully to cradle his limp arm as she smirked. "I'll be taking back my property, thank you very much, but to show my appreciation I shall uphold my end of the deal." A shrill scream pierced the air as the second her hands made contact with the near invisible box caused an electrical charge to send her flying across the room to crumble in a heap.

"And my advice to you is to never let your guard down." Kaiba stared down his nose at her while assistants hurried to examine his arm. "The deal still stands: the book for the girl!"

And the double doors slammed closed as mauve darkened to fuchsia.

. . . .

Anzu adjusted her hold upon the young gargoyle, grateful that their clan wielded strength enough to carry her with ease as they hurried to follow the fading echoes of the roar they had heard. The fact that they had been close enough to pick her up within seconds of the call being heard meant that they were also within earshot of the Sunken Gardens. How much had they heard?

"Those friends of yours are interesting."

She flinched at the cold tone within his voice, not missing the overly enunciated title. "I deserved every bit of their hesitancy and jabs after what I've done to the friendship we once held."

"You don't have to listen to my opinion, being as we ourselves are still no more than acquaintances," lilac eyes narrowed in warning when the trio ahead of him made to interrupt or stop him, "but I think you deserve better. Friends or allies are meant to be there when you need them, regardless of the time that passes they would still treasure the time spent with you no matter how things turn out. Fate has a weird way of bringing people together when they least expect it. Look at yourself and the clan: you are a well of gargoyle knowledge with a passion for dancing who just happened to stumble across our courtyard and perform a dance that we ourselves haven't seen since our original time bak in Egypt. The fact that you knew of such a dance and performed it with such grace made this unknown city feel a bit more like home. It was an accident that had sent you over the palace wall, I'm sure Atem will never forgive himself for that, but if he had not gone after you I'm sure he would still be a brooding gargoyle only focused upon protecting our now empty home and agonizing over how he could have allowed such a heinous crime between the humans and our clan to occur." He avoided her gaze when she looked up at him with a gasp. "I'm sure he has nightmares about it every night but because of our stone slumber he can never awake from them until dusk's light." The woman he was carrying elicited a sound of surprise from his throat as her arms wound just a bit tighter around his neck, bringing his forehead to rest against her shoulder for a fraction of a second. "Anzu?"

"If you ever want to talk about it, I'll listen," she whispered into his ear, slowly releasing him so that he could regain the altitude that they had lost from her embrace. "And I appreciate the patience you have shown me. I don't mean to single you out or anything, it's just…"

His hand rose to pet the top of her head. "It wouldn't be right for one to judge simply because you told someone else and not the person asking, that is solely up to your decision." He shook his head when her lips parted. "Take as much time as you need. You have no obligation to tell me or anyone else, only those you trust fully should know-"

"I hate tights."

Lilac blinked.

"I'm a dancer who hates wearing tights." The heat from her cheeks was enough for him to feel as she attempted to face the wind head on so it would hide the burning embarrassment within her cheeks. "Go ahead, laugh or ridicule me like everyone else does. Honestly though," her finger appeared inches from his nose, "how do people expect us to perform with those things on?! They suffocate us and the chaffing they cause makes no sense since while you're wearing them its as if you're wearing nothing at all then end up with a cold the next morning because the material is so thin!"

"You're talking about those panty hose things, right?" He grimaced. "Yeah, I wouldn't blame you. Those things never seemed that appealing but that could also be because I'm a gargoyle and as I'm sure you've notices we aren't very particularly fond of confining clothing." Yugi could have laughed as her gaze flashed downwards. "Curious?"

Steam could have been coming out of her ears as she hid her face within his shoulder. "S-shut up!" She suddenly righted, spine stiff as she took note of the district they were in. Panic filled each of them as the sky grew light. Dawn was fast approaching and though they had bypassed all of the traffic by gliding it still hadn't been fast enough to outpace the coming sunrise. Cerulean combed over every inch of the deserted buildings that looked to be on the verge of collapsing on themselves. In the dream she'd had, Atem was in a tight space surrounded by stone and everything was wet. Could it be that he was in a water storage container on the dock? She dismissed it with a shake of her head. There was soil beneath her feet. Anzu's hand lashed out, finger pointing at one of the farthest buildings along the riverbed. "Yugi, land over there! You guys will turn into stone soon and we're nowhere near the KC Building!"

The gargoyles shared a nod. It wasn't ideal but it was better than being out in the open and quickly descended, each nearly losing their footing as they slid several inches when they came into contact with the watery soil. She ignored their bickering and loud complaints though while slipping from Yugi's hold, her gaze searching for any security cameras or signs that anyone was nearby and directed their attention to one of the secluded sheds hidden within one of the taller buildings; the sun's path would ensure that it would remain hidden in the shadows until nightfall so it was a perfect place for them to hide. This should be good enough.

Solomon must have caught on to what she was planning and placed a hand upon her shoulder. "Will you be alright on your own, Anzu?"

"So long as I have my phone, I'll be just fine." A wide yawn caused her jaw to pop loudly "Just wish I had a pillow or blanket. This should work, at least until sundown tonight, so don't you worry about me." She offered a smile as the gargoyles began to take positions along the lip of the platform they were standing upon. This was well out of reach for anyone to climb without proper gear but that also meant she would be stuck up here until nightfall. Oh, well, it's not as if she couldn't pass the time with some naps or ordering something; watching over Atem upon that rooftop had proven that much. Anzu watched with fascination as the first few rays of sunshine peeked over the horizon, causing the nocturnal beings of myth to grow an eternal shell of stone. "Sleep well, you guys," she whispered, moving to settle herself between Solomon and Yugi. "Thankfully the weather called for sunshine and a warm breeze from the south or else I would surely freeze to death up here."

. . . .

Sapphire narrowed as Valentine's skin and clothing became stone. No fascination could be found within his gaze, only disappointment. "So boastful about your abilities and yet you can't deliver one simple little girl." He turned on his heel, a hand rising to rub his temples with weariness as he took his seat behind his desk. How many nights has he gone without sleep? Four? Surely that number was wrong.

The double doors opened, revealing a figure with messy black hair. "Seto, I thought you would have been in bed still but you are my older brother." Mokuba crossed his arms. "Have you eaten yet?"

"Not now," he growled, opening a drawer and tossing back a handful of different colored supplements that would hopefully keep him sane for the day. "I have a busy schedule-"

"I'm sure you'll want to hear about the interesting night I've had."

He froze, slowly turning his chair away from the window. A smirk raised his lips when he took note of how the chief of police admired the statue beside his desk. "Exquisite, isn't she?"

Mokuba, the intuitive person that he was, caught onto his older brother's tone. "Is she one of them?"

"Indeed."

His eyes lit up like a firecracker. "I can't believe they actually exist!" He suddenly grew stern and serious. "That would explain a lot of things. My decorated officer was with the girl last night but she disappeared into thin air before we could take her into custody." He crossed the space to sit upon the desk's corner. "You said you had no idea that the clan was within the palace ruins but something tells me that this one here is the reason you spent a fortune upon moving such an ancient landmark that would normally be protected by the government to the top of your own skyscraper."

The eldest Kaiba sibling allowed his lips to rise into a knowing smirk. "Wave enough money and even a fool will walk barefoot through hell." He rose to stand, moving to stand in front of the youngest. "So tell me about your adventure last night. I want to hear every little detail."

. . . .

"Where did chief go?!"

"You need to calm down before I force you to!" The secretary, a woman who wore makeup so thick that it was more like cake glared up at him from over her pair of cat-eye shaped glasses that were the same color as her bright red lipstick. Every person within earshot who heard her honey sweet tone knew that he had two seconds to back away from her desk before she forced him to retreat like a dog with its tail between its legs. That didn't mean they couldn't stop to watch the show as the decorated enforcer remained where he was. A hand rose to toss her head of golden hair that glittered from the expensive hair products that she used to keep it in the same pristine condition that had earned her the attention of several known celebrities. "Officer Devlin, you are not the head of this police department so I have no obligation to answer your earlier stated question." Chono's gaze narrowed when he bent so that his face was closer to her own. "You are pushing boundaries that you shouldn't, Devlin, I suggest you back off."

"You are the one keeping secrets here, doll face, so why don't you join me for a cup of coffee and you can tell me all about it?"

A twitch caused one of her slender brows to rise. Flattery was something she required more than oxygen, it was common knowledge that she may be more vain than any of the so called queens on television, but that did not mean she was desperate. "Get out of my face or I shall file a complaint."

"If that's the case, then why don't we all join her in the HR office?" Emerald shone brightly with amusement and victory as those who had stopped to watch hurried to continue about their duties. "That's what I thought, you pack of hypocrites," he growled, turning his attention back to the woman in front of him, his eyes sweeping the black tight fitting dress that a jewel decorated waistline. "Come on now, Miss Chono, why not join me for a little stroll? We don't even have to talk about the chief, we could talk about that lovely dress you're wearing today. It's new, right? I'm going to take a wild guess and say that it's a Carolina Herrera?" He took a quick sniff, making a showcase that he enjoyed whatever it was that was surrounding her like a cloud when in all honesty it was repulsing him to stay far away. "Ah, and I see you're wearing Channel No. 7."

Those still within earshot had to admit that he knew how to work someone over for information and their eyes widened when she finally abandoned her post to wrap an arm around the decorated officer's. Whispers quickly filled the air as the odd pair exited the building, some more curious than others about them than the fact that their head of staff was currently missing. Chief Mokuba had a habit sometimes of showing to work late but none blamed him since he was the younger brother of the infamous Seto Kaiba of Kaiba Corporation. They hurried to work as the door to the office opened, a familiar shaggy head of hair poking out with a wide smile.

"Talk about expecting the unexpected!" Mokuba, though the staff were well aware of his antics to sneak off, had been dropped off by a company helicopter upon the clock tower roof and had snuck into his office through one of the side windows. A glance at the wall clock revealed that he was a little over an hour late. He whistled shrilly as he noted the pile of paperwork already several inches high within his inbox. "Ah, man, this much already? Guess it's not going to do itself."

. . . .

Several hours later, along with too many to count naps that had been interrupted by the loud boat horns from the passing vessels, Anzu was digging through a bag that she had smartly ordered along with some more supplies that she would eventually need, and revealed a new wireless speaker that was similar to the one she'd had previously. It was a bit on the pricy side but she was happy to pay for the extra shock and weather proof build if she were to have it for longer than a month with all the excitement. The clothing she had purchased this time were a bit more modest; a peach hued sweater one piece that was tucked within the high rise waistline of boot cut blue jeans, thin decorated belt the color of cedar wood, and regular black tennis that matched the light layered zip up jacket she tied around her shoulders. Being a dancer had developed a liking for clothing which left her limbs open and free range but there were a few times that it was put off to the side if there was the possibility that she could rock an outfit. She was a woman, after all, and it was important to establish and showcase a personal sense of style. A glance up at the sky revealed that it was still a few hours to sunset but there was no longer the need for munchies or naps. "Alright," she rose upon her tiptoes with a mighty stretch. "Guess now is as good as any to get a little practice in."

Her finger swiped through the music playlists she had painstakingly organized and kept updated with each passing month, cerulean eyes scanning each in turn until it fell upon one that she hadn't used since last year. The movie themed playlist was selected before she could stop herself and through the speaker came the first few notes that danced across her being. No inspiration came to her though but no matter how hard she tried Anzu could not bring herself to halt the music as she leaned against the neighboring concrete wall.

"…I sense there's something in the wind…that feels like tragedy's at hand…"

Cerulean drifted closed as the lyrics took root within her chest, unknowing that her own lips were forming the words as they filled the air. She sniffled, eyes cracking open and studied the statues before her then widened as the surface she sat upon caved, causing her to fall with a shriek that was cutoff by the impact of flesh against soft soil. "Ah, damn, that really hurt!" Anzu sat upright, quickly standing when the cold and wetness beneath threatened to seep into her clothes. The platform above her head had to be at least one story high, much too far for her to climb bare handedly, which meant that she was stuck down here until sundown. Only a few hours to go, right?

"…What will become of my dear friend…where will his actions lead us then…"

Momentary relief filled her as by some miracle the bag of her minimal belongings fell from the vibrations of the speaker still up there, she'd seen the reviews that the tiny electronic had a surprisingly good bass, and was grateful for her purchase while hugging the bag to her chest. The breeze couldn't reach her here, neither could the sun, so the jacket was quickly donned as she shivered. Anzu's breath caught as the song faded to silence not because it was done but it was her ears that were no longer capable of hearing it as she caught sight of something that nearly made her weep.

Within the shadow of the wall, almost camouflaged by the towering brick surrounding her, sat a chained statue whose wrists, throat, and ankles looked rubbed raw by the metal cuffs linking them to the wall.

"Atem!" Her hands carefully cupped his face while kneeling, nearly sliding as the wet soil caused her footing to nearly cave, but the mud beneath was forgotten even as it seeped into her brand new jeans. Cerulean were wide and filled with tears as she took in the expression upon his face. He was stone, of course he couldn't hear her, but that didn't stop her from sobbing his name with relief. "You said you'd never disappear and leave me alone, you jerk," she whimpered, rested her forehead against his own. "I was so worried about you…"

The softest breaths of wind caused the chains to clank, causing her attention to rise to the junctions in the wall where they were secured. Someone had compelled him to leave her and Solomon against his own will then proceeded to chain him up in a place like this? The question of who would be the one she wanted answered first as she swallowed the lump in her throat as she studied the chains. Whoever did this knew of a gargoyle's strength, it was clear that he had been trying his upmost to break free, but the thickness would have prevented any means of escape. She doubted that even blow torch could get through these.

"…can't shake this feeling that I have…the worst is just around the bend…"

Victory was within her sights as she took a step backwards to better survey the bricks which the anchor points were embedded within. There were telltale cracks within each and it made her all the more confident when she noticed how far the bolts were sticking out. Those looked to be thinner than the chains themselves. A piece of pipe was buried within the mud but it would be just enough to do what was needed to free the gargoyle. It took a while but she managed to ninja her way up the wall until the piece of pipe wedged itself within the loophole and gave a tug with all of her might. Centimeter by centimeter the little stubborn piece slowly came out from the brick until it sent her reeling and gasping for breath upon the dirty floor. Four times she had been sent to the ground in a heap but that just meant an equal number of the bolts had fallen with her.

"…although I'd like to join the crowd…"

"T-that's four down," she wheezed, forcing herself to stand while locking her gaze upon the last one remaining. "One to go." This one appeared farther buried, the reason she had saved it for last and the fact it was closest to the ground, but it was also the one that if Anzu wasn't careful she could possibly knock into the stone gargoyle and possibly shatter him to pieces.

"…try as I may, it doesn't last…"

The song was stuck on repeat, at least giving her something to listen to besides her struggles, but even she had her limits. If only she had set it up to shuffle the playlist instead of repeating the same song. Why couldn't she have chosen something not as depressing? The trembling of her hands and fingers that were beginning to develop callouses were too much that it was difficult for her to grasp onto the pipe. She had to find a way to calm herself down from the anxiety high.

"A break…just a small one…" she reasoned with herself, leaning against the stone gargoyle's side as she had once upon a rooftop. "If only I wasn't a weak human…if I was a gargoyle, I could have freed you by now…" From between her lashes trickled a tear that slid down her cheek to splatter across the back of his hand.

"…and will he see how much he means to me…"

She found herself softly singing along to the music after completing a series of breathing exercises to help the hammering heart within her chest to find its normal rhythm once more. "Upon the midnight wind there is a chill..," she softly sang, moving to the last remaining bolt, "…the stars above twinkle from a bed of black velvet as they glide upon twilight wings…" Her weight pushed against the pole once it was at the correct angle, the metal's straining whine filling the air for several seconds until she leaned back once more, the words coming from between her lips altering themselves without conscious thought as she sang. "…Although I'd like to join the clan… try as I may, it may not last…this friendship that we have…" Anzu gave a testing push with her hip, causing it to bounce slightly but the bolt to budge. The tears increased though her tone remained the same as she suppressed a sob. "…their claws and wings mean naught to me…loyalty and trust they deem higher in value than gold…" Her weight fell upon the pole as she slipped, falling to her knees in the mud as the pole snapped. It has gotten so dark that she didn't have a prayer of trying again, the batter on her cell phone so low that it would barely light up the screen enough for her to see, but luck was still on her side. Arms rose to shield her face as she backed up several steps when low growls filled the air, ducking into a small ball as stone fragments exploded from behind her with a near deafening roar that was the embodiment of life as the stone statue woke from its slumber.


See you next time!