Like I said before, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!
Light. Blinding. Intense. Pure white. Pure light.
Slowly it faded, leaving her cold. Anzu gasped; the cold breaking her body from its numb shocked state. She blinked. The light was gone, replaced by a softer light. She blinked again. Her senses slowly coming alive. She pushed against the ground, it shifted with her. It covered her hand. Grain. No not grain, something finer 'Sand?' She moved again, feeing it move under her. Cold. She shivered, her teeth chattering. She could taste salt. A sound came from near by. Like a quiet roar and then a splash. 'Water?' Her eyelids fluttered. She looked up. The light was soft, her eyes adjusting gently. She saw orange and red. Mixed, blended. Dotted with pale white lumps.
Her eyes fluttered again. She moved. Pain elopes her being. She groans but it came out low and weak. Another quiet roar. Turning her head to the noise she saw blue. Deep blue, sparkling. 'The sea?' Cold. She shivered. Why was she so cold? Pushing against the ground more pain shot through her body but she ignored it. Her back lifts off the ground but she could still feel the sand as she sits up. Another groan. Her head feels heavy letting it fall forward, her eyes down cast. Looking down, she saw her body. Her skin was bare. Her mind became alert.
"W, What?" her voice was groggy. It hurts. She tried to swallow but her mouth and throat are dry. Her tongue darts out to lick her lips but she tastes more salt mixed with grains of sand. She bent her knees, causing more pain and dragged her feet into the ground, leaving grooves. She pushed herself up, her feet taking her weight. She stood, wobbling slightly and almost lost her balance but shifts her feet through the sand and corrected herself. Standing to her full height, her body aches all over, stiff and painful to move. Staying still, her head throbbed, her skin numb in the cold. 'Where?' Her eyes scan the area. She's alone but she knows this place. A beach. It's familiar; she recognises the street signs on the pier, even if they do look a little more worn out than normal. She had come here with her friends before.
Her eyes widen her mouth opening as a noise escapes her lips- a strangled cry. She raises a hand; her fingers covering her mouth while hot streams of tears fall from her eyes. Her friends. She remembered; the sound of laughter, of screams and the familiar but distant voice calling to her in the darkness. The darkness that took them and the monster that caused it all.
Marik Ishtar.
The insane darkness that lived in Malik Ishtar. That took control of the teen's body and made him so much more terrifying than he already was. That won the duel against the pharaoh. That destroyed her love. A sob shook her body. She could feel the cold again.
She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. She could feel her bare breasts against her arms reminding her that she's naked. She's completely nude, grains of sand sticking to the back of her legs and bottom. Embarrassment and confusion filled her mind. Her body feels strange. It's definitely hers but it feels different. She covers herself as best as she could, trying to save some modesty. Her hair falls forward and she was shocked by its length. Her chestnut strands which used to reach her shoulders now flows down to her hips in thick full locks, covering her back with a curtain of brown. She runs her fingers through it curiously, dislodging specks of sand and unravelling knots as she goes. 'How?' she wondered but a cool wind cuts her thoughts short. She needs clothes.
Searching the beach she saw nothing she could use as cover. Slowly walking, stumbling slightly with an arm across her chest and her hand covering her private area, she feels a sense of dread at the eerie quiet. She takes slow careful steps, her body strangely tired and eyes darting around for any sign of life but finding none. She reaches the pier and was given a full view of the isolated road. The only noise was the low howl of the wind and the now distant sound of crashing waves. She thinks, trying to remember the area layout 'There's a gas station a bit up a head. And there are some outlets a bit further'. She couldn't remember what kind of shops they were but she silently prayed one had clothes. She continued walking; wondering if she should chance running but decided it would be too risky. Not only for the chance that her legs would give out but also the chance she would find someone and they would see her not so modest state.
Reaching the gas station there's still no sign of life. Her eyes widen at the sight of the station. Destruction. Broken glass and smashed gas pumps lay scattered across the pavement. She takes a step towards the station. Pain. Stabbing pain in her feet. She hisses and winces. Stepping back, the sole of her foot stings in pain. She had forgotten she's barefoot; the splinter of glass lodged in the bottom of her heel reminds her, lifting it up to see the damage. Her body was weak but well balanced due to her years of dance training. She could see the shard of glass, dyed red by her own blood.
She cringes, knowing the pain she would feel removing it. Slowly her nimble fingers pinch the tip extruding out from her skin. She clenches her jaw and pulled. Pain. Another hiss of pain, it came out smoothly, her fingertips crimson, small tears in the corner of her eyes. She blinked them away, the pain starting to subside. Carefully she lowered her foot back down and returned to the clear road, eyes open for anymore obstacles. She limped slightly, each time her heel made contact with the gravel of the road a shot of pain ran up her leg but she kept moving.
The outlets finally came into view; she stopped 'My God...' The small town looks similar to the gas station. Destroyed and void of any signs of life. Her eyes darted between the shops, the windows smashed, and the doors missing or unhinged. Her heart jumps in joy and constricts in sadness at the sight of a familiar store. A clothes store she went to with Mai and Serenity. She remembers the innocent Serenity blushing in embarrassment at the revealing outfits the sultry Mai would suggest and her own happy laughter. She swallowed, forcing the tears back 'I'll never see them again...' She pushed down the feelings of regret and made her way to the shop. Carefully she dodged the shattered glass and random pieces of trash spread throughout the road and pavement as she walked through the door frame. The inside of the shop was slightly less chaotic, mannequins lay in pieces, mirrors are cracked but there was still a lot of intact clothing hung on railings and thrown across the floor.
She moved quickly, not really caring for fashion or colours at the moment but simply finding something to cover her. She searched the rail for something in her size. She found a white summer dress, without hesitation she pulled it over her head but it doesn't go down. She blinks in confusion and pulled on the fabric but it refused to go past her chest. 'But it's in my size...' confused she pulled it off and checked the label. It's definitely in her size. She caught her reflection in a mirror and froze, shocked at the stranger staring back.
It's her, same colour hair, same shinning sapphire eyes and the same face but...older. She looks older, not much but definitely more mature. The childishness of her face replaced with the elegant look of a woman. Her body has changed too. Her legs and arms longer, the curves of her body more defined, her breasts are larger and well rounded. She had been pretty before, now she looked beautiful. 'But how? What's going on?' Blinking she remembered she's still naked and returned her attention to the rail. She found a simple white t-shirt with long sleeves and a pair of dark blue denim jeans. Dressing quickly she searched the store for under garments, her mind racing with questions.
As she stepped from the store back onto the isolated street fully clothed she felt a little more confident. She had added a pair of thick black boots and a long denim jacket to her outfit. She was shocked when she found out she had gone up a cup size while searching for a bra. It only re-enforced the fact that she was not sixteen anymore and it terrified her. Now that she had gotten her clothes and was sufficiently protected from the cold she allowed herself to ask the question her mind had been pondering since she had first woken up naked on the beach. 'Wasn't I in the Shadow Realm? Who's voice that called me and why?'
Obviously the answer wasn't going to magically appear in front of her, meaning she would have to go looking for it. Without further ado she headed down the road without any real destination in search of an answer she wasn't sure she wanted to find.
Ta-da! Anyone figure out what happened yet? Let me know if you want more!