S/N: Sorry it's late! Things... Happened.
D/N: It's late because I broke my arm but everything if fine so enjoy
He stared at the shape in front of him. It had called out, a definite questioning hello, in that voice.
"You guys aren't playing tricks on me, are you?" he muttered.
Yet the shadows shifted around this creature with well-concealed unease. They weren't sure what to do.
Then a soft mew, what had called him in the first place, that the shadows never dared imitate. The distinctive, voice-like call of Ruu the cat.
Still, he approached warily, till he saw it.
There was Ruu the cat, known for befriending, even tolerating but one person. And here he was, cuddling up to Anzu.
She looks up, scared.
"You're not real..."
Atem was thinking the same thing to himself. But that was Ruu...
"In a way, I guess. But there are few rules to this realm. I'm Atem, Anzu."
She hugged Ruu tighter, refusing to look at him. Atem stood there, waiting for her mind to sort through it all. Stepping near her just might convince her he was fake, something he desperately didn't want.
Ever since he'd left, he'd been alone. Even in the afterlife, he'd been alone, separated by experiences, thoughts, memories keeping him from the people he'd grown up with.
"I don't know you."
"You've changed so much."
"Who ARE you?"
At least in the shadow realm, it didn't matter so much. The creatures couldn't speak, few bothered to care, most hated or avoided him.
It was why he banished himself here.
She seemed to finally get it, that he was real. Ruu stepped delicately out of her arms.
"Mew." he commented to Atem.
Atem barely even nodded, watching Anzu because she looked like she was about to faint. Ruu jumped into his arms. He smiled.
"Well you sure get around." Atem said as he petted the cats head.
"But … that's ….. how" Anzu shuddered still looking at him like he was a trick.
"Tell me you found food..." Hondas voice sounded behind Atem. He turned to see Honda and Jounochi clutching their stomachs.
"How are you guys still worried about food?" Anzu yelled at them.
"We're starved! And something back there chased us!"
Atem looked at them.
"You don't need to eat here. The hunger is a body reflex. Little more than an illusion."
"N-Atem?"
"It's fake man. He wouldn't be here." Jounochi whispers.
Atem sighed. Though glad his friends knew to be suspicious, this was a bit much.
"Look. I know you don't believe me. I know I went to the afterlife. Believe me when I say that I came here, and I'm Atem."
"Why?" Anzu stared at him with a piercing gaze. He kept his eyes on Ruu.
"Guilt."
Jounochi and Honda joined the contest.
"If he's fake, he's either really good or doesn't know anything."
Atem sighed. "You don't believe me, do you?"
"Guilty over what?"
Atem sat. It made it easier to not glance at their faces.
"Kul Elna. People died for the sake of a few shiny objects. And then I mistreated the puzzle, throwing it around, breaking it, letting other steal it and just general abuse. It's hard to NOT feel responsible."
"A-" There was a voice.
Yugi. If one person could tell he was real, it was Yugi.
He'd grown, definitely grown. The innocent look was waning, leaving an adult behind.
"Atem."
Yugi started crying.
"Wa- Yug, you ok?"
Ruu shot over, the new resident therapy cat.
"I can't believe you're here," Yugi said, voice muffled in cat fur. "You went to the afterlife. I thought..." He gives a shuddering breath. "I know you leaving meant I was ready to move on by myself, but it's so hard to give up a friend like that."
There was nodding, and eye avoidance.
Standing, Atem walked over to Yugi. They could nearly see eye to eye.
"I know."
Ruu jumped down as a group hug ensued.
Almost a group hug. Anzu had herself outcast.
"I can't," she whispered. "I can't get attached. He'll just leave again."
Immediately Atem noticed Anzu not in the hug; he turned to her extending an arm asking her to join. Anzu took a step back as everyone looked at her. Atem looked like he had just been punched in the gut, when she rejected this offer. Atem let go of everyone and stepped closer to her.
"Please don't." Anzu whispered, taking a few steps back.
"Don't what?" Atem asked as he started walking to her.
To everyone's shock, she ran. Atem was the first to react as he ran after her. But for the others, even Ruu, it took a little longer.
"Anzu!"
"Anzu!"
They called her name, racing through the dark.
Atem thought he saw her, but the shadows were too gleeful. He looked elsewhere.
There she was. Collapsed on the ground, so scared and alone and tearful...
He sat next to her, hugging her.
"Anzu, what's wrong?"
She pushed him away. "Leave already. You're going to anyway."
Atem was silent. This could go either way anyway. She could leave the shadow realm by some miracle and that be true or be stuck here, which she probably would. But she would think the second one was a lie.
He hugged her again.
"You can't leave here Anzu. It's a one way entrance." He whispered. Truth is always-
She slapped him. She slapped him!
He stared at her.
"Liar. We've left before, after shadow games. If there's a way in, there's a way out. How else do these creatures terrify children?"
She panted as she spoke, anger in every breath.
He flinched at the child part.
"You don't know what it was like, watching you walk away like that. You chose willingly to leave us. Doors are choices, you could've refused. So you know, if you were so attached to the people who treated you distantly than the people who opened their hearts for you to pick apart, they you should've STAYED THERE! I don't care how noble you were trying to be coming here. You...You...YOU FUCKING HEART-BREAKER!"
She started crying again. Atem froze, not sure what to do.
Limbs shaking, he eased up next to her, slowly pulling her into her chest. She latched onto his linen shirt, letting it catch her tears.
"Shhh... Just cry it out. Just cry it out..."
She spoke in-between sobs, whispers of her dreams and hopes. If she was stuck here, they would never happen.
"I wanted to dance."
"See New York."
"Watch sunrises."
And one that him feel sick, though he couldn't tell why, at first: "Raise a family..."
Eventually, she fell asleep. Atem held her, wishing he could banish the sick feeling in his stomach. Did she have a boyfriend? Someone she cared for enough to want his children?
What if it was Yugi?
S/N: Heh heh heh...
D/N: Don't yell at me she thought of it!