I haven't written much in the regards to author's notes for this story because I rushed to get the first three chapters up. Rather neglect author's notes than proofreading. The reason I decided to write this story is because I couldn't find many, if any, stories quite like this. Sure we have a female OC, we're starting at the very beginning of the series, she's somewhat friends with Yuugi at this point in the story (she gets along with him anyway), but a lot of the stories I found have the girl as a romantic interest with Yuugi or Yami or Kaiba, or she's Yuugi's older sister who looks out for him, and/or there's an eighth Millennium item/a connection to Ancient Egypt. You will not find an eighth Millennium item or a connection with the ancient past here and she will not be a love interest for the aforementioned three, and possibly not have a romantic relationship with any character. I wanted to explore different relationships with the characters, have an OC that has a different outlook of things, and one that has to deal with a different set of demons.
Mahou let out a sigh of relief as she turned her exam in to the teacher. The last few days had been tense with the fear of not being prepared for the exam, and to top it off, there was an escaped convict roaming around the city. It was the reason why Sugoroku insisted that she take the bus with Yuugi and wait for him after school.
Yuugi, thought Mahou pushing her hair over her shoulder and thought back to the morning.
Yuugi saw Mahou brushing her hair. "You should wear it down. It looks really nice."
Mahou was startled, turning to look at Yuugi in the doorway. She looked from him to the strands of hair she was holding.
Yuugi quick put his hands up. "Or you can wear it back! It's your hair!"
"O . . . kay . . ."
She waited in a hallway outside of the offices and took out her sketchbook. She began the outlines of her sketch before shading. A shadowy figure stood on top of a roof while watching giant eels feast on something in a canal. Mahou changed the features enough that people wouldn't be able to identify Yuugi or the school easily.
Ushio . . . I wonder what will happen to him, she thought, sharpening the eyes of the person on the roof. Yuugi said that they found him the next morning and had to have him committed.
She cleaned up some of the lines with an eraser.
Hmm . . . I almost want a red pen for the eyes.
"That's creepy."
Mahou jumped. She looked up to see Yuugi and a tall blonde with his bag over his shoulder. He looked like trouble. Other students were in the halls, leaving for the day.
I didn't notice school was over.
"Jounouchi-kun, don't make fun of Mahou," Yuugi told him. "Mahou, this is my friend, Jounouchi-kun."
Mahou quickly got up to bow. "Hello."
"Yo," said Jounouchi. He turned to Yuugi. "We need to hurry up or we'll lose them. Let's go!" He jerked Yuugi's arm.
"Waaah!"
Mahou grabbed her things and stuffed them into her bag.
The three of them left the school ground and walked down the street.
"What is going on?" Mahou asked quietly.
"Our friends are acting really weird," said Yuugi. "They've been going off somewhere after school."
"And today, we will find out where they are going," Jounouchi announced.
They stopped a corner and peered around. Mahou recognized one of the students as Anzu, but she didn't know who the other two were.
"So, Operation Trailing, commence!" Jounouchi said.
The three of them jogged after them. At one point, Jounouchi pushed the other two behind a shop display to keep from being spotted by Anzu.
"That was close!" squeaked Yuugi.
"She can be pretty smart! Okay, let's go."
The three of them got up and continued to follow.
"Maybe we should let Mahou go ahead of us," Jounouchi suggested.
Yuugi hummed a negative. "Anzu knows Mahou."
They followed Anzu and the others to a building where they walked in.
Yuugi gasped.
"This is . . . !" Jounouchi began.
The building had a giant cartoon burger with a face, a small chef's hat, and a pair of yellow gloved hands coming out the sides.
"Burger World!"
"Why?" Yuugi cried.
The three of them walked up to the door and were greeted by Anzu and the other two, now wearing the green employee uniforms. One was a tall boy with brown hair in a pointed pompadour and the other was a girl with long silvery blue hair in a ponytail.
"Welcome! Welcome to Burger World . . ." They trailed off when they realized who they were. They turned around.
"Y-you guys! What are you doing here?" Jounouchi demanded. He got no reply. "Hey, say something!"
The boy spoke up, but didn't turn around. "What are you saying? Can't you tell? It's a part time job!" He turned around. "Look as we sweat beautifully at work."
Mahou blinked at his comment.
"Hey, you, part time work is forbidden by the school rules, right?" asked Jounouchi. "And you're the one that always acts so high and mighty, too."
"Don't speak of it, Jounouchi!" the boy said. "I also, I also was troubled . . . I thought of the meaning however."
The girl with the silvery blue hair jumped in. "But Miho wants so many things."
"Hey, hey, you guys." They turned to see a man in the same uniform. "They're customers, right? Hurry and lead them to their seats."
Anzu showed them to a booth.
Jounouchi sat on one side by himself and Yuugi and Mahou sat on the other. They quickly ordered and the girl hurried off to get their order.
Yuugi watched the teens as they went about their shift. "Hey, Jounouchi-kun, I thinking coming here embarrassed them. Anzu seems mad."
"Serves her right," Jounouchi said. "Their fault for keeping this secret."
"So, those are your other friends?" Mahou ventured.
"Yes," Yuugi replied. "You've already met Anzu. The others are Honda-kun and Miho-chan."
"They seem nice."
"They usually are much nicer than this," Yuugi assured.
Mahou nodded. "I understand."
Anzu returned. "Thanks for waiting," she clipped bitterly.
"Anzu," Yuugi tried to placate.
Anzu had the ketchup bottle in her hand. "At this restaurant, let me put plenty of ketchup on your burger." She quickly wrote out on the burgers 'I won't forgive you if you blab.'
"Anzu."
"Anzu, hey you!" Jounouchi yelled as she started to walk away.
"Well, now that you know about my job, I won't keep this hidden anymore," said Anzu. "I'm saving money, when I graduate, I'm going to America."
"America?" the three repeated.
"I'm going to study dance in New York," said Anzu. "It's my dream. You better not laugh."
"I won't laugh!" Yuugi cried. "Right, Jounouchi-kun?"
"Yeah! Relax, Anzu. We're not going to blab. If I do blab, I'll buy you ten thousand of these burgers. But you know, how can this shop sell hamburgers with nothing but ketchup? What a cruel shop."
Anzu smiled and walked away. "Relax, it's on me."
She came back after a few minutes with a fresh order. They ate quietly.
Jounouchi leaned over and looked at the doors. "Hey. Look, Yuugi! Something appears to be happening."
Yuugi and Mahou turned in their seats, Mahou leaning over Yuugi. There was a man in a gray suit speaking to the manager and employees before they all disappeared to the back.
"Let's find out," said Jounouchi, getting up and heading for the back.
"Jounouchi-kun!" Yuugi called after him. He got up and followed him with Mahou behind him.
"There was a report this morning," the policeman was saying. "This seems to be the focal point of the break-ins."
The three of them looked around the doorway to see the manager, Honda, Anzu, and Miho listening to the policeman.
"So I'm searching this area," the policeman added.
"What does the culprit look like?" the manager inquired.
The policeman held up a photo of a man with spikey blonde hair and narrow eyes. They all peeked out into the dining room.
"Seems he's not here," said Jounouchi.
"He's a master of disguise," said the policeman. "It's rare to see him out of disguise."
"We'll just have to check each one," Jounouchi said.
"No, that would be bad," said the policeman. "He has a pistol it seems."
"Does the criminal have any other characteristics?" the manager asked.
"Three days ago, when stealing the jewels, it seems he had a struggle with the guard," the policeman explained. "The fallen guard was able to hit the fleeing culprit in the right calf with his baton that might have left a mark."
"Excuse me," Mahou spoke up. "May I see that photo again?"
The policeman handed it to her. "Like I said, it is rare to see him out of disguise."
"Disguise or no, there are some things you can't change with makeup," said Mahou. "The distance between the eyes for starters. Height and weight can be cheated, but it takes work. I can spot differences and similarities. I think I can find your culprit if he's in this restaurant."
"You can?" asked Jounouchi.
Mahou nodded.
"That's amazing, Mahou-chan!" Yuugi cried.
"But there's a problem," said the manager. "I think he might become suspicious if he sees someone just walking around the dining room."
Anzu looked over at the front counter. "Let's use that." There was a basket of battery toy cars for kids. She picked up the basket and tipped it so all the cars would roll out into the dining room. Honda, Anzu, and Jounouchi went chasing after them. Mahou walked out after them, scanning the dining room. While the others check people's legs, she was looking at faces.
"Hey, what are you doing, you bitch?"
Mahou turned to see an overweight customer with his feet on the table. Anzu had confronted him and tried to check his leg.
"Sorry, sir!" the manager said, coming to Anzu's rescue. "We have a situation."
"Don't give me that! Messing with a man's resting time, what are you thinking?" the customer shouted.
Mahou didn't pay much attention to him, having ruled him out as his eyes were too wide.
The policeman came over to the table and flashed his badge. "Excuse me, everyone. It's probably that an escaped convict is in this shop. We have to check your legs. The culprit should have a bruise on his calf where a guard hit him."
There were cries of outrage and disbelief as well as some panic. Mahou observed everyone while their attention was on the policeman.
No. No. Not them. No. Wait a minute. Blonde guy in hat and sunglasses. The chin and cheeks are right. The hair is different, but that's probably a wig.
Mahou tapped the policeman on the shoulder. "Two rows over, corner booth."
"Are you sure?" the policeman asked.
Mahou nodded.
The policeman walked around to the customer in the booth Mahou had pointed out. "Sir, may I see your leg."
"Sure," said the man. He pulled up his pant leg. It was free from any bruise. "Now, can I finish my lunch?"
Mahou frowned. She was certain she had the right person.
"One more thing," said the policeman. "Could you take off your sunglasses?"
The man stiffened.
Feeling brave, Mahou said, "The policeman asked you to take off your sunglasses."
The man snarled and jumped out of his seat. "Shut up! Move!"
The policeman grabbed him as he tried to run and knocked off the man's sunglasses and hat, which was attached to the wig he was wearing, revealing the spikey hair underneath.
"Tasaki Tetsu, you are under arrest!" the policeman yelled.
"How did you know it was me?" Tetsu yelled. "I thought my disguise was perfect! No one suspected me! How?"
"A wig and sunglasses aren't enough to fool me," Mahou said with a victorious smirk.
"What?" Tetsu shouted. "Why you bitch!"
He lunged for Mahou, but the policeman held firm. Both went sprawling on the floor, taking Honda, Jounouchi, and the manager with them. Mahou quickly stepped back and Anzu jumped to one side.
Tetsu looked at the manager's calf. There was a large dark bruise on it. "I'm not the culprit!" he shouted. "He must be the culprit!" He went to turn over the manager.
The policeman grabbed Tetsu and pulled him away, but Tetsu grabbed the back of the manager's shirt and tore it. On the manager's back was a tattoo of a large spider.
"This tattoo," Tetsu gasped. "The Yellow Spider, Jirou!"
The manager jumped up and grabbed the pistol under Tetsu's jacket. He grabbed Anzu and tried to pull her back.
"No!" Mahou screamed. She dashed forward and grabbed his arm.
"You bitch!" Jirou threw his arm back and sent Mahou sprawling on the floor. He held the pistol to Anzu's head. "If you move, she's dead!"
"You're the Yellow Spider Jirou?" the policeman questioned.
"Yeah. I changed my face with surgery and blended into this town. Tetsu the Hedgehog, I never thought you'd come to this restaurant. Even in disguise, I could recognize you at a glance. I was able to tell what places you were going to rob. I'm different form before. Right. I was the one who robbed Ushijima bank and stole the jewels!"
Tetsu moaned in defeat.
"Everybody, get down!" Jirou ordered.
Everyone got on the floor, ducking under tables.
Miho and Yuugi lay on the floor, watching in horror.
"Anzu-chan, Mahou," Yuugi whispered.
Jirou took off Anzu's hair scarf and tied it around her eyes. "Humans, when they lose their sight, become so scared they can't even scream. Look." He pulled Anzu back to a booth away from everyone. He had to step over Mahou. He pointed the pistol at her. "You. Get up!"
Mahou stood up.
"Move," Jirou ordered, waved his gun at the booth.
Mahou walked over to the booth and sat in the corner. Jirou and Anzu sat across from her.
"Hands on the table. Put your head down and close your eyes," Jirou told her.
Mahou put her hands on the table and put her head on them. Her hair came down and she could see through it a little.
"You move from that spot and I'll shoot you. You make a sound, I'll shoot you."
Mahou shut her eyes, fighting tears.
"So, someone bring me what I demand," Jirou said. He spotted Yuugi by the doors. "You, the gutless looking kid, you do it. The rest of you close your eyes and don't move. Anyone moves gets this." He fired the pistol into the ceiling.
Mahou flinched at the sound, but didn't scream.
"First, bring alcohol and tobacco. I had to quit all my old hobbies. I had quit drinking and smoking. However, now, in reverse I suddenly feel free!"
"Gutless looking kid?" Yuugi?
Mahou heard footsteps.
"Yuugi, it's you, isn't it?" Anzu cried. She jumped up. "Stay away!"
"Shut up!" Jirou struck Anzu across the face.
The sound of the strike brought back memories of Takamine and Mahou started to panic.
The next moment, a bottle was set down hard and someone sat down next to Mahou.
"Hey, you, who said you could stay?" Jirou demanded.
"What? I just thought you'd want a game partner. It's game time."
He's here! Mahou thought.
Anzu was listening closely. That voice just now? Yuugi? No . . . it's close, but different. It's a small thing, but that voice is brimming with confidence. It can't be Yuugi's.
"Oh, game?" Jirou asked. He put a cigarette in his mouth. "I guess I'm interested in it for a bit. In the past I used to gamble nonstop."
"However, it will be no ordinary game," Yuugi said. "It's a Yami Game, a game where your life is at stake."
"Sounds like fun! What's the rules?"
"First, I need to switch seats with Mahou-san," Yuugi said.
Switch seats? Mahou wondered.
Jirou frowned. "And let her escape?"
"Hardly," said Yuugi. "It will be much easier to play our game if I am directly across from you."
"Fine. Move, girl," Jirou ordered. "You run, you die."
Mahou slowly got up and began to shift herself over. A pair of hands took her waist and Yuugi slid behind her, guiding her to where he had vacated. She kept her head down, her hair covering her face.
In the rest of the dining room, everyone was still on the floor with their eyes closed. Jounouchi was under one of the tables.
What a strange silence . . . he thought. He opened his eyes, but his view was blocked by a large customer in front of him. There hadn't been a sound since Anzu had screamed at someone to get away. What's going on?
"Rule . . . just one," said Yuugi. "And that is, of these ten fingers, all are not to move except the one that you pick. We both choose our own. And only that finger can be used. So, which finger do you choose?"
"If that's the case, then of course it's the pointing finger," said Jirou. "The finger used to pull the gun's trigger."
"Okay," said Yuugi. "Then I choose this finger." He held up his right thumb.
Jirou began to pour his alcohol into his glass. What can he do with do with one thumb? I'll send you to the other world in a second.
Mahou carefully arranged her hands in her lap, fingers tensed into place. I didn't agree to the game, but . . .
"After the game starts, you can do as you like, even pull the trigger," said Yuugi. "So . . . let's go! Game start!"
Jirou laughed. "One second and it's game over!"
Yuugi flicked open a lighter with his right thumb.
"That's right, it hasn't been lit yet," said Jirou.
Yuugi leaned across the table and lit the cigarette.
Jirou took a drag off the cigarette.
"This lighter," said Yuugi. "You can have it." He placed it on Jirou's hand that was pouring the alcohol, the flame still flickering. "I'll leave it there."
Jirou gasped.
"That alcohol is Russian Senowolf," Yuugi informed him. "Ninety percent alcohol."
Jirou's eyes widened in horror, alcohol now running over the cup and onto the table and his legs. I can't move! If the lighter falls, the alcohol will light, then my body would . . .
Mahou felt a nudge and quickly got up from the table. She saw the dangerous position Jirou was in.
Yuugi stood up with her and stood to the side. "I'd like to see you fire your gun. The recoil would drop the lighter. Anzu, Mahou-san, let's go." He reached over and pulled Anzu out of the booth, using the hand that had held the lighter, fingers still in position and perfectly fit around Anzu's forearm without having to move.
Jirou panicked. At this rate . . . shit! He looked at the gun in his hand. That's right, if I do this . . .
Mahou watched him put the gun on the table and take the lighter off his hand with a victorious smirk.
"I knew you wouldn't be able to obey the rules," said Yuugi. "The Yami Game reveals the true nature of humans. For rule breakers, it's destined to be a punishment game."
Jirou threw the cigarette out of his mouth, grabbed the gun, and jumped up. "You brat, how dare you feed me that crap!" He aimed at Yuugi.
"The Door of Darkness opens," Yuugi declared.
Jirou covered his eyes and yelled. The gun went off, firing up at the ceiling. Green fire ran up Jirou's arm and consumed him. He screamed in agony.
"Someone! Someone! Hurry! Put this fire out!"
But he stood in the dining, flailing and begging, looking like a madman. There was no fire.
"Anzu! Mahou! You're okay!"
It took Mahou a second to realize it was the shy and sweet Yuugi that was talking to her. She nodded and watched Jounouchi and Honda restrain Jirou, Jounouchi getting a few solid punches in before they wrestled him to the ground.
Miho ran over to Yuugi, Mahou, and Anzu. "Anzu, Mahou! Miho was so frightened!"
Anzu looked around. Who was it that saved us? "Mahou? Did you see who that man was?"
"Man?" asked Yuugi.
"The one who saved us," clarified Anzu.
Mahou shook her head. "I kept my head down. I didn't dare look . . ."
In the middle of the night, now safely back at Kame Game Shop, Mahou sat at her desk, hands shaking. She struggled with the cap of a small glass bottle. Next to her was her opened sketchbook. She had just finished the picture of a flailing man engulfed in green fire, two female forms huddled away from him in the corner, and a shadow with red eyes guarding them, staring at the burning man.
Calm down, Mahou, you can do this. Just get the bottle open and then you can go back to bed.
The bottle slipped from her hands and broke on the desktop. Sweet flowery oil made a puddle. Mahou was quick to push everything away from the mess, sketchbook and pencils falling on the floor.
"No!" she hissed. "That was the last . . ."
She put her finger in the puddle and dabbed it under her nose.
Breathe. In and out . . . in and out . . .
The shaking subsided.
"Mahou?"
Mahou jumped and whipped around. Yuugi was standing in the doorway dressed in blue pajamas with white clouds. The Millennium Puzzle was around his neck.
"I heard a noise," he said.
They both looked at the mess on the desk and the floor.
"It broke," Mahou said, finding her voice hollow. "I dropped it."
". . . I'll help clean it up . . ." Yuugi offered.
Mahou's head started throbbing and her chest tightened up. She began to wheeze and shake worse than before. No, not now!
"Mahou? Are you okay?" Yuugi asked, coming into the room.
She forced herself to speak. "I'm . . . h-having . . . a panic att-attack . . ."
"Wh-what do I do? How do I help?" Yuugi asked frantically. "Should I get Grandpa?"
Mahou shook her head. "I just . . . have to . . ." She let herself trail off. "Just . . . today . . . Too much . . ."
She worked on getting herself under control. Mahou got a few even breaths before it went erratic again. Her vision went blurry.
Yuugi watched her, helpless. Mahou . . . I don't know what to do. There's got to be something I can do to help.
The Puzzle flashed.
Huh? Mahou found she was on her side in the bed. The lights were out now. How did I get here?
She saw Yuugi over by the desk cleaning up the mess.
Did I faint? How long was I out?
Yuugi turned around and pulled the blanket over her. "Now sleep, Mahou-san."
Mahou closed her eyes again. Sleep sounds good . . .
So what do you think of Mahou so far?