WARNING: If you hate fluffy stories , please skip to the next chapter , reread a previous one , or just stop reading.

Once Aki had run away from her parents, at the tender age of 14, "Divine" intervention didn't come straight away .Instead, she had wandered to various little places all over the city, never staying for more than a few days , avoiding people .avoiding duels.

But there was one place that was different.

A beach village. A village by the beach. Whatever she called it, it all amounted to the same thing .It was not even a place she intended to stay in for the night. Too friendly. But for some reason, she found herself drawn to a small shop at the end of the street. A music shop , owned by a friendly woman in her 50's , the type who wore big colourful jumpers , always had a plate of cookies or some other baked treat , and had a friendly , open face. That woman was called Haruna Mizuki, and when she noticed the sad-faced, ragged clothed girl with red hair staring through the window, she instantly invited her in , and made her sit on a stool by the piano , while she went to get some cookies.

Aki could only blink as the woman practically pushed her was not used to such grandma like friendliness. For one thing, she had never met her grandparents. Perhaps because her parents did not want them to have a heart attack knowing of the psychic powers that cursed her.

"Wait here, I'll get some cookies." The woman said, going into a back room and leaving Aki then that Aki realised she was sitting in front of a piano. From a young age, she had had a soft spot for piano music, she'd listen to the soft melodies at night –and was going to ask her parents for lessons-before she had become a monster. Instead, she taught herself, and it was the only thing that had brought her any comfort whatsoever .Carefully, she lifted up the top, and put her fingers on the keys …..And played a song.

The tune that was sad and happy at the same time brought Haruna rushing out with the plate in her hand. She watched the girl play, and did not interrupt until she stopped, and looked up with wide, scared eyes.

"I don't know who you are, I don't know why you have run away- and it isn't my problem either, but I'd like you to play that piano sometimes when customers are around. You know, to help business. You'd get a wage, a small one, but a wage all the same."

The girl smiled.

"My name is Ayaka Ishida "

Aki didn't really know why she had given a fake name. But it felt right. So she stayed with Haruna for the better part of a year, becoming a sort of granddaughter to this woman, playing the piano in the shop, and sometimes dragging it out to the beach .She played a variety of songs, from classics to popular –but the one she played the most was the one that she had first played when she was bustled into a small shop. Like her new life as Ayaka, it felt just right.

On the docks of Satellite, a young man by the name of Yusei Fudo often stood watching the sea. He was a happy person, despite his hard childhood and status as an orphan. But now he was experiencing trouble with his duel gangs, the friendships he had known for so long were ending, breaking, falling apart. So this was a place he came often. An escape place, where he cleared his mind.

He routinely filtered out the sounds in the background, but there were sounds that got to him. Specifically, piano melodies. Clearly coming from the beach of neo domino city. Played by a girl. It had to be a girl. Who else would write and play a song full of memories that you love to remember, yet cry to? He would never meet this girl, but he wanted to thank her someday.

That day came. One night in July, Aki decided to drag the piano out to the beach at sunset to play her song again. She did not really know why, but she thought it may be something to entertain these late-night beach wanderers. And herself. So she went ahead with the decision

Yusei was sitting in satellite watching the sea again when he heard the tune floating over the sea. Clearer this time, for everywhere else was unusually quiet. He stood up, straining his ears to hear it.

The melody filled both the player and the listeners' souls. Unknown to them, they were linked by a common melody that linked their secret feelings of despair.

When the song had finished, Yusei blinked, in amazement for a moment, then leaned out to sea and yelled out two simple words. Useless, really, but the only thing he could do.

When Aki heard a young male voices yell "Thank You!" across the sea. She thought she was going mad. Never the less, she kept the voice in her heart.

A few weeks later, Aki had left the village. Somehow, she had managed to get herself in a duel. The result, inevitable. So she ran away, before Haruna found out, not wanting her to remember her as a witch .Eventually she found Divine , and joined the arcadia movement

Team satisfaction split up, and a year after, Jack betrayed Yusei by stealing his stardust.

So they both ended up forgetting the circumstances surrounding that song.

But it didn't mean they forgot the song itself.

After the dark signers had been defeated, Yusei and Aki decided to take the twins to the beach. Or specifically, Yusei decided.

Aki hadn't been to any beach in 3 years, so, although she didn't really feel like it, she joined was a very sunny day , and so the place was crowded. They didn't do much , apart from buy a lot of icecream , sit on the sand and talk at first.

It was when they went to get their third ice-cream that Aki noticed the music shop.

"I want to go there." She pointed at the shop.

Yusei raised an eyebrow "You have a music interest?" "

"Yes, what of it?" Not bothering to see if they'd follow, she opened the door. The place was just how she remembered it.

"Haruna?"

As if summoned, the woman came out from the back and straight towards Aki , enveloping her in a hug

"Where have you been, Ayaka?"

"Ayaka?" The twins had come in.

Haruna let go of Aki and turned to the twins.

"Oh, you must be friends of hers!Yes, this one hear called herself Ayaka when she first came here as a lost and lonely runaway. Haruna narrowed her eyes at Aki , but smiled as well , suggesting she was not that annoyed.

"Her name is Aki." Ruka said.

"Such a pretty name!Why did you….oh it doesn't matter, I'm not surprised –having psychic powers must have been hard on such a little child….." Haruna's voice trailed off as she went to the back room.

Yusei entered the shop .

"You know her?"

Aki nodded a yes, too stunned at all the memories that were coming back.

"Why don't you play something for us?" Haruna called.

Aki's eyes widened." I haven't played, not since I left."

"Oh, you'll be fine. Go on; entertain your friends…and that handsome boyfriend of yours.

"Haruna!" Aki blushed furiously.

"I never knew you could pay the piano, Aki-san."

"Yeah, play for us, play for us!"

Aki didn't bother asking Yusei, she knew he'd be interested anyway, so she sat at the piano, opened the top and thought for a while. Then started playing.

Instantly, both were taken back to days of straining ears to a song across the sea, and sitting at a beach gaining simple happinesses.

Yusei's eyes widened as he connected the song he had heard all those years ago to the girl sitting at the piano in front of him.

It had to be her that time. Now he knew this shop-woman knew Aki somehow, and that Aki had enjoyed piano, it fitted. That, and the fact he had not been able to find the song anywhere on the internet-making it a self-composed one.

When Aki finished , she smiled at the twins , loudly applauding and then turned to Yusei .

"Are you ok?" He looked as though he had seen a ghost. A special , happy ghost.

Yusei nodded. He would tell her about that later , for now , all he wanted to do was drink the melody in .

"Yeah …. Can you play it again?"

Aki didn't need asking twice .

In case you are wondering…the song that I had in mind while writing this was the song "kimi iro no to " from the OST of the anime course , it doesn't necessarily have to be that song ….but it doesn't really matter.

But anyway , was this story TOO fluffy? Tell me what you think =D