Lego: It's been a while since I wrote something I felt was appropriate for posting, but I've been feeling I wanted to do something like this for a little while now, so here we are. This is a oneshot collection for all my snapshots of my various personal YuGiOh AUs. All of them are OC heavy, but I won't be posting any of those. Just canon stuff. You're welcome to ask for more of one AU or another if you'd like to, but I can't guarantee that I'll be in the mood to write it. I'm a slave to the whims of my motivation. Sorry I don't have clever titles for these. They'll just be ship + the name of the AU they're from. Sorry if that spoils things, but I hope you enjoy!

First up is my LotR AU. I'm sure you can easily figure out who is meant to be who.

Disclaimer: The YuGiOh franchise belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. Lord of the Rings belongs to JRR Tolkien (and I guess New Line Cinema for the movies, which this is based on). I only own the actual writing of the story.

Peach—Lord of the Rings AU

Yugi pressed his walking stick into the soft ground beneath his bare feet. He didn't really need the piece of wood, nearly as tall as he was, but it was comforting. All around him, he could hear the gentle sounds of home: the rustling of wind in the long grass, the twittering of birds in the nearby trees, the babbling of the brook just beyond the meadow. The Shire. Home.

Hobbits were not meant to go on adventures. They cared for their gardens and smoked their pipes and drank their ale, and after they went to bed, they rose the next morning and did it all over again. Sometimes the young ones would pretend to go on long, perilous journeys to discover the hidden things of this world, like in the great stories. Even Yugi had done so as a boy, as had his grandfather, the only hobbit he knew of who had ever gone on an adventure in faraway lands.

Each step forward was another away from home. In all his years of living, Yugi had never left the Shire, but now his feet took him far away, so far he worried that he'd forget what home smelled like, what it tasted like. Maybe he'd even forget what it felt like.

All at once, he realized he could only hear one set of footsteps. Yugi turned to look behind him and found his traveling companion several feet back. She frowned, deep blue eyes fixed on the ground in front of her.

"Anzu?" he asked. "Something wrong?"

The brunette pursed her lips, still for a moment, and then she shook her head. When she met his eyes, a smile had replaced the frown, brightening her face as it always did.

"Not at all." She perked up and hurried to his side. The pots on her pack clanged together with each movement. Yugi chose not to prod. Anzu always spoke her mind when it was important.

They resumed their journey forward. He breathed in the fresh air and soaked in the warm rays of the sun and put from his mind the weight of their purpose.

—

Anzu burst out of her hiding place and into the ring of people. Elves and men towered over her, but she didn't stop until her feet led her to Yugi's side.

"I'm coming, too," she said, breathless. Her heart pounded in her chest from exertion—and maybe something else, something like fear that she would dare show her face in a secret meeting she had not been invited to, that she would volunteer to go on a dangerous quest. But as she stood next to Yugi, met his wide eyes and saw the relief soften his face into his gentle smile, Anzu could say with confidence that she'd made the right choice.

Joey and Tristan soon followed her lead. Though they had not hidden with her, she figured they'd be nearby, listening as she had to the proceedings that the taller ones had deemed none of the hobbits' business. Of course it was their business. They lived in this world, too, didn't they? Even if the Shire was tucked away in a small corner and didn't interact with the outside much.

Lord Roland looked upon the gathered travelers and declared them the Fellowship of the Ring. Yugi nudged her arm with his, and she shared a grin with him. Maybe it was folly to view their coming journey with excitement, not when the fate of the entire world rested in their hands, not when the danger of what they planned to do really sunk in, but Anzu couldn't help it. As long as she could stay by Yugi's side, anything was worth it.

—

Yugi made his way through the empty camp, gathering any supplies he could think of whose absence wouldn't impede the rest of his companions. He dumped them into one of the silver boats and shoved with all his might. Once free of the shore, it began to drift away in the river's current. The hobbit climbed inside. He fetched the oars and rowed, rowed, rowed. Each movement took him farther and farther from safety.

It had been his choice to leave the Fellowship. He could not trust that his companions would resist the temptations of the Ring, not when even he felt its influence growing as the days passed. No, it was best that he carried on in the quest alone.

A voice in the distance called his name. It echoed among the trees behind him, reaching out across the water to send his heart into a panicked frenzy.

"No, Anzu," he whispered even though he ached for her presence. They'd been friends for a long time, so long that he barely remembered that fateful day when she'd joined him in exploring the woods outside his childhood home. He'd always been small, even for a hobbit, but that didn't seem to bother her. She considered him a friend anyway, and she would stand up to anyone who said she wasn't worthy of a Mutou's friendship or who said that a runt his size wasn't worth her time. She'd stood by his side longer than anyone else in his life.

"Yugi!"

He heard a splash behind him, much louder than the river's low rumbling. He turned to see Anzu already up to her chest in water. Her face was pinched in a determined frown.

"I must go alone," he called, but his voice cracked, and his heart faltered.

"Not without me, you're not!" Anzu swam, straining against the light current and her water-logged pack.

It hurt his heart to watch. Before he could stop himself, Yugi altered his rowing, turned the boat back toward her. She reached the edge, and he helped her out of the river. But rather than catch her breath like he expected, Anzu immediately surged forward to pull him into a tight embrace.

"You can't go without me," she whispered. "I won't let you." He heard the same cracking that had afflicted his own voice.

Yugi let his weight drop and buried his face in her shoulder. His muscles lost their tension save for the arms he'd wrapped around her. He breathed in humid air that smelled very faintly of lavender, let it fill his lungs, his senses.

Anzu finally pushed away and insisted they make their way to the opposite shore before the rest of their company returned and found them idling in the middle of the river. He took one oar; she took the other; together, they directed the boat across the water.

—

Anzu leaned against the nearest stone wall. She stared out across the ruins of Osgiliath, across the sky dark with black clouds. The distant sound of men fighting orcs echoed in her ears. Beside her, Yugi sat where he'd collapsed, exhausted. Behind them, Marik breathed loudly, still bound with cords from the men who'd captured them in the wilderness.

When she had agreed to follow Yugi out of the Shire, this was not the adventure she'd imagined. The stories she grew up on recounted the glory of battle and victory in war, but somehow they missed out on the horrors and terrors that accompanied such great endeavors. If she'd known this future awaited her, would she have taken that step forward? Would she have volunteered to come?

"I'm not sure I can do this." Yugi's voice was haggard, quiet. His eyes, fixed on the broken stone at his feet, had lost their shine, their warmth.

Anzu knelt beside him, well aware of Marik's attention on them. "We did not know what this quest would ask of us, but it should never have led us here."

His jaw tightened, but he didn't look up.

"The stories mother read to me as a child could never have prepared me for the darkness of the world." She shuddered at the memory of the Nazgul at Weathertop, of the cave troll and Balrog in Moria.

"But even still," she continued, voice firm despite the rapid beating of her heart. "They did teach me one thing."

Silence fell between them for a moment, but then Yugi swallowed. "What's that?"

"That no matter what we may go through or what we may have to face, there is hope. Darkness cannot last forever; the sun will rise again." Anzu pushed herself to her feet and held out a hand.

Yugi stared at the proffered appendage, then raised his eyes to her face. She gave him her best smile, though her lips were cracked and her eyes were tired, as tired as each limb and muscle in her entire body.

Slowly, life returned to his plum orbs. He gripped her hand, his own shaking, but he let her pull him to his feet.

"There is hope," he repeated quietly, almost as though reaffirming the truth of it to himself, then he smiled. "What would I do without you, Anzu?"

She answered him with a warm embrace that she felt all the way down to her bones.

—

The Ring's power grew stronger with every step they took toward Mordor. Even back in the Shire, Yugi had felt its influence, however faint. That focus had seeped into his mind, gripped his soul with an iron vice. It pulled on his heart and clouded his mind. Walking became difficult; sleep was impossible.

Only Anzu's encouraging smile and fierce determination kept him climbing the stairs Marik had led them to, higher and higher until he dared not look down lest he lose what little he had in his stomach.

Yugi slipped once. The rocks beneath his hand crumbled, and he slid backward down the way he'd come. Something both soft and solid stopped him from tumbling off the edge.

"I've got you," Anzu grunted. He took comfort in the feel of her body pressed against his as he tried to calm his racing heart.

"Thanks," he breathed.

Marik watched solemnly from above them, his normally large eyes narrow. As soon as Yugi made eye contact with him, though, his expression brightened.

"Careful, master," the creature said. "Almost there, now." He scrambled farther up the path.

Yugi stabilized himself and assured Anzu he was fine. Then he trudged after their guide, making sure to be doubly careful about what he put his weight on.

When they finally reached the top of the steps, Yugi allowed himself a moment to rest. Every muscle ached, and his breaths came short. They'd come so far, but he'd lost track of the days. It seemed like so long ago that he and the rest of the Shire had celebrated his grandfather's birthday. Even setting out with the Fellowship from Rivendell felt like a lifetime ago. How much longer before he accomplished his mission? How much longer must he suffer?

"This way, precious."

He turned to see Marik crouched in front of a gaping hole in the rock of the mountain. A cave? Light from the moon broke past the ever-present dark clouds in the sky, illuminating the opening. No, a tunnel.

Yugi's stomach churned at the sight. He couldn't muster the energy to rise, simply sat, staring.

"Come on." Marik motioned toward the hole. "Must go quickly."

A hand entered his vision, and Yugi took it without hesitation. Its owner pulled him to his feet and smiled at him. Warmth spread from his chest to his extremities.

Anzu squeezed his hand, still gently nestled in hers, and then she led him toward the cave. Though his tired legs begged him not to follow, Yugi took a deep breath and reassured himself that as long as she stayed with him, he could do anything.

—

Curse that foul creature.

For weeks, Marik had tried to drive a rift between Yugi and Anzu. He'd thrown anything and everything he could think of at the two hobbits, but she refused to allow him the satisfaction. Yugi was her dearest friend. She would not abandon him now.

She'd known for a long time what Marik really wanted. She knew.

And yet she'd still allowed him to lead them.

She'd still fallen into his trap.

The spider surged forward, mouth agape. Anzu ripped Yugi's sword from its sheath and swung it. The monster retreated, scrambling sideways, but then it came at her again. The vial of starlight gifted to Yugi by the elf Ishizu shone brightly in her other hand. She raised it high. The spider shrieked and shrank away. Anzu chased after it with a war cry and beat it back until it withdrew into its tunnel.

When she was sure it wouldn't return, the hobbit turned to locate her companion. Yugi had collapsed beside a boulder opposite the tunnel's exit. He leaned weakly against it, tired eyes out of focus. Behind him, a shadow rose.

With a snarl, Anzu launched herself forward and tackled Marik, knocking them both to the ground. He fought against her with a ferocity that rivaled the fiercest wolf, but this time she would not hold back. She clawed at him, rolling and tumbling, until she finally managed to throw him off. Shrieking, he slid down a sharp incline, disappearing into the darkness below.

She breathed for a moment then forced herself up. She collected the sword and vial she'd dropped, stowing both away, and hurried to Yugi's side. The other hobbit slowly lifted his head.

"Anzu," he rasped. She clasped his outstretched hand, which seemed to bring him some measure of comfort.

"We need to get moving," she said. Yugi nodded and let her help him to his feet.

Together, they made their way down the path toward Mordor.

—

Yugi collapsed onto the harsh, hot ground. His legs had given out, lacking any and all energy required to maintain his pace. His throat was raw, as dry as the earth around them. His entire frame shook, malnourished and utterly exhausted.

So close. They were so close, but he couldn't imagine taking one more step. All this effort, and for what? He may as well die here.

He heard his name, heard the shuffle of gravel and the scrape of rocks pressed together. Then Anzu's face appeared above him, cracked and filthy and just as tired but still the brightest thing he'd ever seen.

"I won't let you give up. Not now." Her voice was firm, determined. He felt her hands maneuver his body, and then he was lifted into the air.

Onto her back.

Yugi didn't even have the energy to hold on, but that didn't seem to deter her. Slowly, Anzu made her way up the mountainside, one step after another.

Thin, bony fingers grabbed his shirt from behind, jabbing into his spine, and then he was falling. He hit the ground hard, so hard his lungs expelled all their air. Marik crushed his chest, hands searching for the Ring. The hobbit fought back with every bit of strength that flooded his system. Anzu slammed into the creature, freeing Yugi.

"Run!" she screamed.

He scrambled to his feet, scrambled up the rocks, scrambled to the top. Heat washed over him, burning hotter than anything he'd ever felt in his life, hotter than even the Balrog in Moria. He pressed forward, pounding his feet into the stone slab until he finally reached the edge. The volcano's inferno filled his ears with a loud roar.

Yugi knew what he must do. He grabbed the chain, slipped it over his head. He held the Ring above the chasm.

It swayed back and forth, mesmerizing. Something dark pulled at his heart. The cloud in his mind grew thicker, like a marsh fog but blazing hot. It lulled his soul into a strange sense of security.

"Yugi!"

The sudden voice broke his trance. He glanced back at Anzu, brave, gentle, strong Anzu. She continued her pace toward him, shouting words he couldn't hear, but he read them on her lips.

Let it go.

Yugi filled his thoughts with the Fellowship. The Shire. Anzu.

And he let go.

—

The mountain screamed. Its roar filled the air, rumbling and cracking. Lava burst upward, engulfing the stone walkway.

Anzu pulled Yugi through the exit, her grip on him like a vice. The fight with Marik inside the volcano had stolen what was left of his energy, so it was up to her to get them to safety. She found an outcropping of rock untouched by the lava pouring out of every crack in the mountainside. They collapsed onto it, gasping for breath.

"It's over." Yugi's voice was barely audible, but the relief in it relaxed Anzu in ways little else had been able to since they'd first left Rivendell.

"You did it." She smiled even though her dry lips protested the movement.

He met her gaze, plum orbs soft. "We did it."

If she had any moisture left, she would've cried. Since she couldn't, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. He slipped an arm around her waist and laid his cheek on her shoulder. Searing heat bore down all around them, oppressive and final, but his warmth beside her comforted her weary soul.

"I'm glad you came with me," Yugi said.

Anzu tightened her hold. "Always."

They sat there together, surrounded by lava and the roaring mountain, until exhaustion claimed them both.

—

Several hours after waking in the healing house of Gondor, Yugi finally managed a moment alone with Anzu. They sat on the bed together, side-by-side but facing one another. He reached out to gently scoop one of her hands into both of his, tracing her soft skin with his thumb.

He had something important he wanted to tell her, but the words refused to form. The emotion sat in his chest, growing more intense the longer it remained hidden.

With a deep breath, he gathered his courage and opened his mouth. "Anzu—"

Before he could get more than her name out, her lips crashed against his. They were still cracked and dry, like his own, not fully recovered from their arduous journey, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was the feel of her against him, of the knowledge that she said with an action what he couldn't with mere words. Yugi pulled her closer and vowed to never let her go.

—

Anzu stepped into her husband's study just as Yugi lowered his quill. She stood behind him, one hand on his shoulder, the other on her swollen belly.

"The Lord of the Rings by Yugi Mutou," she read. She squeezed his shoulder. "Finished?"

He gently closed the leather-bound book and grinned up at her. A smile crinkled her eyes.

Though it had only been a few years, their journey across Middle Earth seemed like a lifetime ago, to her, at least. Yugi still had nightmares, but no matter how terrifying, he always held her and calmed down, and everything was right with the world.

Her husband stood and wrapped her in a warm embrace, lips gently brushing hers.

"I love you, Anzu Mutou."

She kissed him again.