Explanation for the late update is at the bottom of the page :3
I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!
Anzu stared at Kaiba in horror.
She had been expecting it, hell she had seen the damage with her own eyes but nothing could have stopped the painful constricting of her stomach or the unmistakable dread that engulfed her heart from hearing him say it.
"Marik." The name tasted vile on her tongue as she spoke" He did this didn't he? When Yu-"she stopped, correcting herself before continuing" when the pharaoh lost the duel, Marik took over the world ". Kaiba scoffed at her hesitation.
"No Mazaki. Marik didn't take over the world, he enslaved it. Every country, every nation, every last living thing became his. He destroyed everything he wanted to, killed whoever he wanted, did every sick thing a maniac in power can do when the world is under his foot"
"Didn't anyone try to stop him?" her voice was barely above a whisper, riddled with shame at how powerless she had been when Marik first took control of Malik. If she had realized his true intentions when he first met them, if any of them had seen through his disguise, if they had done something, anything to stop him than maybe…
She jumped slightly as Kaiba let out a brittle laugh
"Oh yes people tried to stop him, emphasis on tried. No one could stop him, he proved as much when the Americans tried to bomb his palace in Egypt and he retaliated by sending the entire country to the shadow realm"
Anzu stared at him in horror, her insides knotting.
The thought of all those innocent people, suffering for Marik's sick amusement was enough to make her want to vomit.
"My god…" the words fell from her mouth quietly and unintentionally but Kaiba still heard it, his mouth twisting into a parody of an almost sneering smile
"There is no God in this world Mazaki or if there is then he obviously doesn't give a fuck what Marik does to this world anymore" his voice was so hollow it scared her.
She had never heard Kaiba sound so bitter, so angry, so defeated.
"Did, Did you try to…?" she trailed off as Kaiba looked away from her, a pained expression on his face. She watched as Mokuba walked up to him and placed his hand on his brother's shoulder where his arm was missing. A tense silence filled the air.
A sense of guilt fell over Anzu as she stared at Kaiba's expression; his face was twisted in a mixture of anger, hate, shame and regret. Despite Mokuba's efforts to comfort his brother Kaiba's expression was unchanging.
"Kaiba" she started, waiting for him to look back at her. After a few moments of silence, Kaiba looked at her his expression softening ever so slightly.
"What?" he asked his voice so emotionless it made Anzu wonder if he was even alive and not just some robotic doll or hologram.
No,
No way could a doll or hologram create a look so full of pain.
"Kaiba I…"
She stopped, lost for words
What could she say?
She was sorry for him? She knew he didn't want her pity or even her comfort. He had always been so proud, even now he stood tall like a regal statue or a noble king, stone faced and un-willing to show his true emotions or any signs of weakness.
Should she thank him for trying? For going against Marik and fighting for good rather than his own ambitions? No. No doubt he would take it as an insult. A mockery of his failure.
She was sorry she wasn't there to help him? That she had done nothing to prevent this destruction? But then what could she have done if she had been with him? He would never want her help and she had no power to offer anyway.
So what could she say?
"Kaiba…"
She couldn't.
"Never mind" she whispered lowering her gaze to the floor, ashamed at her weakness.
The sound of the heavy rain fall that had been pattering against the paned glass window had previously been ignored but now the sound filled the room, only adding to the depressing and cold atmosphere that hung between the room's occupants. Kaiba continued to gaze at Anzu's downcast face. He had an idea of what she had wanted to say and knew exactly why she didn't. For that he was grateful.
Now though, it was time for her to answer his questions.
"How are you here Mazaki?" Anzu blinked at his question, her gaze still directed at her lap.
"I don't know" she answered quietly. Kaiba's brow furrowed
"What do you mean, you don't know?" She flinched as Kaiba's voice was tinted with irritation.
Anzu bit her lip, she felt so stupid under his gaze as she repeated her answer
"I, I don't know. The last thing I remember was being swallowed into the shadow realm and then a voice calling my name, there was a bright light and then I woke up on the beach nake- " Anzu stopped a small blush on her face as she decide she could leave that little bit of embarrassing information out
" I woke up on the beach alone. I have no idea how I got there."
When she finished speaking, she raised her head to see the brothers' reactions. Mokuba was looking at her with surprise clear on his face with a gleam of concern in his eyes but Kaiba was still staring at her with the same emotionless face as always. Behind his cool expression however Kaiba's mind was turning with questions and solutions. Anzu's story seemed so ridiculously farfetched you'd have to be a delusional idiot to believe it. Or at least that's how Kaiba would have thought had he not seen firsthand the down fall of man by an insane Egyptian with magical powers.
Outside the wind howled like a ferocious animal, the beat of the rain against the glass increasing to the point Anzu feared it would shatter against the force. Mokuba looked out at the ominous weather, a deep feeling of dread settling in the young boy's heart. Kaiba shut his eyes as for the first time in a very long time he was thinking.
Minutes passed without a word spoken. Anzu released a silent sigh as her eye's drooped. She was so tired. Her nerves were hay wire with the news of Marik's evil rule and her body was weak with muscle pain.
She wanted to sleep.
To sleep and wake up, away from this ridiculously dark nightmare world and it's malevolent ruler.
Hey maybe she was already asleep, that all this chaos was just a messed up dream she was having.
A small painful smile settled on Anzu's lips, even she didn't believe her own delusions.
Mokuba turned his attention from the window to the melancholy girl sitting before him and his brother.
He had often thought of her as an older sister. Her caring nature towards him and her courage at talking back to his older brother only re-enforced this image. Even now, despite being separated for so long, the young boy felt an un-spoken connection to her. He noticed her drowsy gaze and turned to his other sibling.
"I think that's enough questions for now, right Seto?" Kaiba turned to him, seeing the deep concern in the younger brother's eyes. Kaiba turned back to Anzu, catching her attention as they stared at one another. Kaiba studied her face a moment before indicating a room with his right (and only) thumb
"Get some sleep Mazaki, you look like hell"
A small genuine smile tugged at the side of his mouth at her insulted expression "and considering how bad the hellish state of the world looks …well I'm sure you can figure it out".
Anzu slowly stood glaring at him, unsure if she should be angry or embarrassed or both. She settled on anger as she stomped towards the room but stopped as she reached the door. She turned her head over her shoulder, still glaring at him as she spoke
"You, Seto Kaiba are the biggest ass I have ever met" her eyes softened as a smile crept along her mouth "And I honestly couldn't be happier to see you again" With that said she stepped through the door into the other room, closing in firmly behind her.
The smile stayed on Anzu's lips for a moment. It just felt so good to know she wasn't alone.
But soon the smile fell as she remembered the original reason she was afraid she was alone.
'Marik rules the world' the thought or rather the fact made her want to cry. She didn't however because she was far too tired to do anything but notice she was in a bed room of some sort and that the messy bed in the centre of the room looked like the most inviting bed in the world. Dragging herself a few more steps, Anzu collapsed onto the mattress, not bothering to get under the blanket she snuggled her head into the soft material, grateful for how quickly sleep took over.
"…Anzu…"
A voice, so familiar yet so hard to remember
"…wake up Anzu…"
'Wake up? But I just fell asleep. Please I'm so tired'
"I'm sorry Anzu, but we have to talk"
'Can't it wait?'
"We have no time to waste. Wake up"
Anzu groaned as she forced her weary eyes to open. Sun shine shone down on her, basking her in a warm comfortable light. 'Is it morning already?' Her eyelids fluttered, clearing her blurry vision. She saw sky. A beautiful clear blue sky 'What the? How did I get outside again?'
Pushing herself up Anzu noticed something strange about the sky, for one there was an open window floating in mid air and two the sunlight shinning on her was coming only from the open window.
She sat up, realizing she was in a room of some sort similar to a dance studio. Every wall was lined with mirrors and the floor gleamed like freshly polished wood; she was no longer on a bed but instead she was sitting on an old elegant divan; behind her an tree grew in full bloom carrying with it the scent of ripe apricots; a painting hung suspended in mid air depicting the statue of liberty holding a fast food cup and a ballet shoe draped over its torch.
Anzu wasn't sure how to explain it, she was in a strange unknown room and yet she never felt more comfortable, so peaceful and safe.
"Where?" she asked as a warm feeling filled her heart
"Your soul room" a voice answered the same voice from before.
"Soul room?" Anzu questioned as her eyes scanned the room for the owner of the voice.
"Yes. This is the only place I could speak to you." The voce seemed to come from all directions.
"Where are you?" Anzu could see no one else in the room "Why can't I see you?"
'or remember your face?'
"You can't see me because I don't want you to see me"
"Why not?"
"It doesn't matter. We have more important things to talk about"
"It matters to me! I want to know who you are"
"No. You don't"
Anzu's fist clenched in anger "Look pal either you tell me who you are or I start tearing this room apart until I find you"
"That would be a very bad idea"
"Yeah well I've been having a pretty crap day and you interrupting my sleep so I can talk to thin air really isn't helping"
"This isn't important-"
"THE HELL IT ISN'T!"
Anzu's scream reverberated off the mirrors, echoing throughout the room. The sense of peace had been lost and now once more she felt like she was on the verge of tears. Silence filled the room as the echoes faded. Anzu let out a shaky breath as she fought back a sob
"Please" she whispered, her voice weary and cracking "Just tell me who you are"
Once more silence filled the room. She sat there for what felt like an eternity even if it was only seconds, trying to control her breathing as she so desperately wanted to cry in frustration.
"Don't say I didn't warn you" the voice said at last.
Anzu held her breath and waited. Moments later she heard the clacking sound of footsteps on the hard wood floor behind her. The footsteps stopped and the presence of another stood facing her back. Swallowing slowly Anzu turned her head.
Aaaaaaaaand CLIFFHANGER! (Muhahahahaha!) Ah I feel especially evil for this :3
Sorry it took me forever to update this, I had exams back near the start of June that went on till about the 22nd, then I went on a holiday with my sister but had no computer to type on for about a week or so. And finally I had a bit of a writer's block for a little bit. But now I'm back and hope to have my stories updated as soon as possible (also working on a couple of new stories as well ^^)