There's a long, interesting story behind this fiction. It's probably more interesting than the fiction itself, in fact. Here we go.
First I want to ask, do you have a muse? As in, a little voice in your head who guides and inspires you? And a lot of times it's in the guise of your favorite characters? A lot of you know what I mean, don't you. Do you have one? I do. His name is Mahaado, and he annoys the hell out of me. He first showed up when I was in high school, and he was an immense comfort to a screwy blonde, I tell you. Even helped me through some tough homework assignments. Then I entered college, and he was quiet for a very long time. And now he's back, and he won't shut up.
I resent that.
Hush. This is my intro. You can't have it.
Anyway, one day I was listening to Trace Atkin's Honky Tonk Badonkadonk, and I thought, wouldn't that make a fun fiction about Mana and Mahaado? So I sat down to write it, and I heard this little voice telling me, not that song. Please don't use that song. That song will offend people. Use this song instead. Everyone loves Megumi. So I started typing out Give a Reason, courtesy of the nagging little voice.
I only encouraged a change in songs. I never told you to use this particular Megumi Hayashibara piece.
I'm still blaming you. Now hush!
So I started typing out Give a Reason, and the hell? It was from Mahaado's point of view? It was supposed to be from Kalim's! Oh, well. I kept writing, and posted my fan fiction. And wouldn't you know, it was pulled. The song got my fiction pulled. I couldn't use it. I was very pissy. After all, the song was crucial to the fiction, I couldn't just remove it. What could I do?
And then my muse spoke up. All you really need is the translation, he said. Just remove the Japanese lyrics.
But what about the translation itself, I cried. I copied and pasted it from animelyrics dot com! They'll bite me for it! I know they will! It's not fair! I was pretty whiny by this time, and I think that must've annoyed Mahaado, because his response was just a little scornful. You're an authoress, aren't you? Re-write them.
So I did.
Except I wasn't that rude about it.
You're determined to butt into this intro, aren't you. Anyway, I sat down and re-wrote the translation in my own words, making it mine, and thus Give A Reason became legal by all fanfiction dot net standards. And now I give you Give A Reason Remix!
Ahem.
Yes, Mahaado?
Disclaimer.
Oh, fine. I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any related characters, nor do I own Give A Reason, sung by Megumi Hayashibara, Slayers, which the song was used for, or anything else I might mention. The stereo, for example, belongs to Neo.
You're still just a little bit of a smart-ass, aren't you?
Yeah, well, you're a lot bossier than I remember you being.
Not really. You're just noticing it more now that you're older.
Mm-hmm. ANYWAY! I now give you, for your reading pleasure, Give A Reason Remix!
There's not a lot to do in the Shadow Realm.
It's not that there's nothing to see. There's plenty to see, if you like people-watching. Monster-watching. Mahaado always has to remind himself that they aren't human, not any more. They left that part of themselves behind long ago. And with the humanity went other bits as well, until some of them were hardly even recognizable. It made life interesting.
But there still isn't a hell of a lot to do.
And that's okay. Mahaado doesn't mind having a break between duels. It gives him a chance to sit and think a while, reflect on his purpose and the meaning of his existence. Or sometimes he sits and ponders over when Kalim will realize that the females do not think that his habit of casually swiping at their skirts is endearing. That's fun, too. It amuses Mahaado how, while he maintained his air of dignity, his fellow priest became such a comic creature as the sword-wielding elf he now is.
Now, as it should happen, Mahaado was having one of his bouts of thinking on the day our story begins. There he sat, minding his own business, plotting the next humiliating defeat of one Seto Kaiba, when his thoughts were disturbed by squeals from a group of female monsters. He looked up, and sure enough, Neo had arrived. The dimensional drifter was a favorite among the ladies because he always brought them goodies from the mortal world. Today was no exception.
"It's a stereo," he told the girls. "And CDs. You listen to music with them."
And when there is music, female monsters will invariably do one thing.
They dance.
Which wouldn't have bothered Mahaado had Neo not looked straight at Kalim and winked. Mahaado turned away. Whatever they were planning, he wanted no part in it. He started to head the other way as Neo put a CD in and hit play.
Something about the beat made him stop. But it was the words that made him turn around.
The crowd of this fast-moving age is running through this savanna of a city. Surreal news happens all around, but when tomorrow dawns, everybody forgets.
Over with the other girls, Mahaado saw his apprentice, Mana, dancing her heart away. Her eyes were sparkling and her hair was flying in all directions as she moved along with the music.
I'm alive; I live right now, seeking something more out of life. When I wriggle and slip out of myself, I'm only testing my own strength.
Mana was always so carefree, living her life to the fullest. Mahaado always liked that about her. She wasn't afraid to go out and live her life, take her chances, have a little fun. He'd always envied her that.
Somewhere there must be an 'answer,' the answer to why we are born. Everyone goes out seeking for that, towards the helpless dreams he can't set free.
Mahaado remembered what it was to dream, back when he was human. But in the end, he'd let his dreams go in favor of serving his Pharaoh. He took it as his duty in life, his reason for living. Mana, too, had served her Pharaoh. But now, as she danced, as she laughed, he saw that she'd never given up her dreams. And then she turned, and saw him.
I'm not afraid of getting hurt! But I still might not be strong enough. I'll simply keep doing things, I don't want to have any regrets! Here we go! go! I'll keep running, I won't let anyone stop me! I wanna get along... Give a reason for life ...to the me of the future!
Before Mahaado could react, Mana had lunged, grabbing him by the hand, and started pulling him towards the music.
Even if a great darkness comes speeding towards me, dreadfully loud a noise, tomorrow will come, and after seeing my someone, my heart's despair will be gone.
Now, one thing any of the other monsters can tell you is, Mahaado doesn't dance. Not ever. Not even Mahaado could tell you the last time Mahaado danced. So when Mana took him by the hand, it took him a moment to realize that yes, she really expected him to dance with her. And then he panicked. But Mana just laughed as he jerked his hand away, and reached out to grab his other hand instead. "Come on, Mahaado-sensei! It's fun!" And so help him, when she smiled like that, he wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe her so much it made his heart hurt. He wanted to believe that he could put all his worries behind him, just like she could.
Could it hurt to try?
Imagining myself stronger than ever, I cannot help but smile... I believe in what I feel, and it moves me towards unreachable dreams more than anything else, anybody else.
At first, he wasn't sure what to do, so he watched Mana. It didn't work very well. Dancing was hard! Behind him, he could hear voices, laughter. Neo and Kalim were enjoying his attempts more than he was. He started to turn to confront them, but Mana caught his hand again and looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Not today? Please?" Mahaado felt his heart skip a beat. How could she be getting to him this way? What was it about those big green eyes that had such a hold on him? Mana looked up at him hopefully, and he couldn't help but smile at her. "Very well, then."
I won't rely on my goal after I find my way to it. Because there's always a new dream to push my back again! Here we go! Go! I'll keep running, I won't let anyone stop me! I wanna get along... Give a reason for life ...to the me of the future!
It was easy, it really was. Once he focused on her smile, her laugh, Mahaado found that his feet moved on his own. And then he wanted to surprise her, so he reached out and grabbed Mana by the hands, spinning her with him. Her laughter went right to his head, like bubbles in champagne, dizzying and sweet, and he wondered, would it be okay to dream a little from time to time? What could it hurt to have a few hopes for the future if it meant, just maybe, a few more dances with Mana? His Pharaoh needed him, yes, but perhaps, just perhaps there was room for another in his heart.
Somewhere there must be an 'answer,' the answer to why we are born. Everyone goes out seeking for that, towards the helpless dreams he can't set free.
And then, for the first time in years, Mahaado found himself laughing. Not just laughing, laughing with her. With Mana. Hand in hand, they danced, letting everything go but the music and each other. And Mahaado found that he didn't care who watched, either, because dancing with her, he was happy. Really, truly happy. And happiness was a dream he'd let go of long ago.
I'm not afraid of getting hurt! But I still might not be strong enough. I'll simply keep doing things; I don't want to have any regrets! Here we go! Go! I'll keep running, I won't let anyone stop me! I wanna get along... Give a reason for life ...to the me of the future!
She didn't thank him when the song ended, not with words. But she did throw her arms around his waist and give him a hug that he most certainly had not seen coming. And while he felt his face turn red, he also felt a sort of peace in his soul. So Mahaado did one more thing that day that was out of character for him. He hugged Mana back. He hugged her, and he whispered, "Thank you." And then he turned and walked away, and she turned back to her friends, like nothing at all had happened. But something had. Something had changed between them, and they both knew it. And things were never quite the same because of it.
There's still not a hell of a lot to do in the Shadow Realm. And that's just fine with Mahaado. He's content to sit off by himself and just think. But what he really enjoys is when Mana comes to sit with him, and they talk about the future, their hopes and dreams, and the black eye Kalim's been sporting that five different females are claiming credit for. And then Mana laughs, and leans against him, and he casually drapes an arm across her shoulder, and they sit there in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company. He still hasn't asked her to dance again, but that's okay, because he knows he will someday. And he knows she'll say yes.
There we go! I hope you all enjoyed it! Now ya'all review and tell me what you think!
You're going to scare them with that 'ya'all' business.
You know, back in high school, you used to compliment me and boost my ego. Whatever happened to that?
That was back when you were little and insecure. You were cute, but you didn't know it because your parents came down on you so hard. Now you know it all too well. Your ego doesn't need boosting any more. It's big enough.
Did you just tell me I have a big head? ... ... ... Anyway! Review, tell me what you think, and if you have them, throw in a muse or two in so I know I'm not alone, okay? Oh, and if you don't like the fic by any chance... blame Mahaado. It's all his fault.