She noticed that something- or better yet, everything- was off as soon as her arms had fallen to her sides after a very big yawn.

Anzu was very much a morning person. As her eyes adjusted to the light seeping in through the open window, she realised things weren't right. At all. An 'eh?' escaped her mouth as she surveyed the surrounding area. This wasn't the bedroom she had fallen asleep in. In fact, Anzu could safely say that this wasn't her bedroom at all. Where were the cream walls? The bookshelf? The teddy bear Yami Yuugi had won at a carnival and given to her? She remained frozen on the too-soft-bed, legs concealed by a zebra print bedspread.

What little of the walls either side of her that weren't covered in posters of half-naked men and women with dyed hair were pink. Not a subtle pink, but a hot pink. On the far side of the room was a vanity that was far fancier than the one she could recall owning, its whiteness contrasting with the black wall it was by. Anzu, realising that sitting around gawping wasn't doing her any favours, swung her legs to the side and stood up. Hand on her mouth, she turned around and gasped.

On either side of the bed's headboard were white shelf units, the wall behind them matching the colour of the one opposite. Each shelf unit consisted of a stack of drawers and a few shelves, but what caught her attention were the large photographs stuck to the top of each unit. Anzu approached the one closest to her, staring into the monochrome eyes of herself. She tried to remember when this photograph had been taken but failed. Having photographs of herself with friends was not something new to her, but Anzu couldn't remember posing for one with Vivian Wong of all people. They were both pouting up at the camera, kneeling on what looked like a bed. Her bed. Wearing loose, revealing sweaters and leggings.

Now, Anzu didn't hate Vivian, but they weren't on good enough terms to go to each other's houses. Eyes lingering, Anzu walked around her bed to its other side to examine the other photograph.

Her heart nearly stopped.

There, in black, white and many shades of grey, was her and the Pharaoh. They were both staring at the camera, her sitting on his laps and him caging her in with his arms. His chin rested on her shoulder and his hands were tucked under her breasts. The two smiled, and Anzu barely noticed that she was caked in make up in the photograph. All that mattered was that it was her and he was the Pharaoh.

Her foot slid back on the white carpet. This didn't make sense. The whole makeover of her room was extremely improbable, but this... The photographs were some sort of sick joke. They had to be. She couldn't remember them happening... She couldn't imagine them happening...

Head spinning, Anzu ran out of the room and down the stairs.

"Anzu!" her mother called as Anzu reached the bottom. "You're up early!"

"Why? What time is it?" Anzu said, following the voice that was coming from the kitchen. The rest of her house seemed normal. Her mother didn't appear to be different. She was standing by the kitchen counter, preparing breakfast. Anzu hovered in the doorway, suspicious.

"Seven, but you usually spend ages getting ready in your room." Her mother laughed, turning around and holding up a knife. She gestured towards her hair. "You know, getting dolled up."

Anzu blinked. "For school?"

"Yes, you always fuss about it." Her mother tilted her head to one side. "Are you feeling alright, dear? You're not yourself."

"Really? How so?"

"You're downstairs a lot earlier and you haven't even put any makeup on." Her mother went back to buttering toast.

Anzu giggled. "Yes, well... I don't like to bother too much with it to be honest."

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" her mother exclaimed, shaking the knife in her hand. "Teenagers... I'll never understand them! They flip flop depending on what's considered cool."

Anzu's mother returned to buttering toast. Anzu was tempted to retort that she wasn't the one making no sense but decided to drop it. Whatever had happened had changed her mother and what she thought was 'normal', so expecting her to be able to explain anything was pointless. In fact, her mother wasn't acting like herself now that she thought about it. Never had Anzu heard her complain about her being too girly. It was always about her being too much of a tomboy and not hanging out with enough girls. Which was all true, but nothing to moan about.

Anzu returned to what was supposed to be her bedroom. Opening the wardrobe with more force than necessary, she spotted her school uniform immediately. The blue skirt stood out against the many pairs of jeans and leggings that seemed to dominate the interior, and the rest of her school uniform was a lot plainer than the sparkling tops they were sandwiched between. She allowed herself to browse through them for a bit, frowning. It wasn't that they were ugly or unattractive: she just couldn't imagine herself wearing them on a daily basis. They were clothes she'd wear at a disco or at a party, not casually.

Whoever had decorated her room must have restocked her wardrobe. Anzu had a good mind to complain to her mother, but she had the feeling that nothing would come out of it. She was stuck with these clothes. Sighing, Anzu made to take off her nightwear and get ready for school.
Her fingers made contact with unfamiliar silky material. Almost afraid, she stood in front of the mirror adjacent to the wardrobe.

It was a tight-fitting nightdress with a long slit down the side. Anzu whipped it off and put on her school uniform, which to her relief was the same as what she was used to. Only, when Anzu tugged down her skirt, she realised that it had been cut so it was even shorter. Anzu bent forward, blushing at how much of her underwear would be seen by someone behind her.

Underwear... all Anzu managed to find were frilly bras, thongs and boxer shorts with hearts and cartoon characters on them. She went with the plainest white bra available, pairing it with some lavender pink boxers with black hearts on them. There was no way in Hell that she would go to school in a thong.

Opening the drawer of the vanity, Anzu didn't give the obsessive amount of makeup at her disposal a second glance. She brushed her hair and threw the brush back, shutting the drawer before leaving her room. The bathroom was identical, but much to Anzu's displeasure, her toothbrush was pink. It had been pink before, but she was beginning to grow sick of the colour.

Her mother greeted her as she ran down the stairs. Anzu took a piece of toast and rushed out of the house. Was she supposed to meet anyone before school? Yuugi? It would be rude to stand him up, but she couldn't remember agreeing to-

"Anzu!"

Anzu skidded to a stop outside of her garden. The Pharaoh was leaning against some fencing wearing the Domino High School uniform. She stumbled and he caught her, pulling her into an embrace. He smelled strongly of aftershave and roses. Laughing softly, he cupped her chin in his hands and lifted her face, smiling. Anzu looked into his eyes. They were far redder than what she remembered, but Anzu decided that this was a minor detail. He was still the Pharaoh, and she could only hope that he hadn't been affected too badly by whatever had happened.

"Pharaoh!" she said. Her face was bright red. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Pharaoh!" He laughed and she nearly sighed. She couldn't remember his laugh being so mouthwateringly... Anzu stopped herself. "You haven't called me that before!"

"What do I usually call you?"

"Yami."

"Oh." Anzu laughed. "Okay then. Yami, I'm so sorry for-"

"You can still call me Pharaoh!" he said, the skin at the corners of his eyes crinkling.

"... Pharaoh." As nice as it felt being in his hands, time was ticking. Anzu moved back and started to walk to school, Yami beside her. His Sennen Puzzle beat against his white shirt, reminding her of his host. "Are you going to school?"

He rolled his eyes. "Duh! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, it's just that Yuugi usually goes to school."

"Please, Anzu." Yami held up his hand, face dark. Anzu stared at his sudden change of mood, unsure what to make of it. "I don't want to hear it."

"Hear what?"

He glared at her. Anzu was afraid. Yami lowered his voice. "We all know your stance on gay people."

"My stance?" Anzu repeated. She had never discussed it openly with anyone. It wasn't that she had a problem with homosexuality- it had just never come up in conversation. There was nothing wrong with it as far as she was concerned. One's sexual orientation didn't change how good or bad they were. Why did Yami feel the need to bring it up when she mentioned Yuugi?

The rest of the journey was in silence. Occasionally, Anzu would chance a look at him. There was something bothering him, and she really wanted to find out what, but she didn't want to intrude. He seemed annoyed with her as it was, so despite how desperately she wanted to reach out and help (which he always struggled to ask of people), she kept quiet.

They arrived at school and walked to their homeroom. Anzu smiled, breathing out in relief at the familiar gaggle of voices waiting for her. Yami lightened up and took hold of her hand. Squeezing it, they entered the room together.

After taking two steps, Anzu was tackled by Vivian.

"Anzu-chan!" Vivian gushed. Yami stepped to the side, peering at something on the other side of the classroom. Laughing, Vivian hugged her so tightly that Anzu could hear the air suddenly depart from her lungs. She looked sideways and saw that Vivian was wearing a Hello Kitty necklace and a hat with cat ears. "What's up, Bitch?"

"Excuse me?" Anzu broke free. Her face was bright red. "What did you call me?"

Vivian laughed. "Whoa, someone's tetchy today! It's not your time of the month, is it? Yours ended a week ago."

"I- What?" Anzu looked around in case anyone heard. Then she remembered that she and Vivian were supposed to be best friends. Then she remembered that Vivian didn't even go to their school. Then she remembered that nothing made sense anymore. "Right."

"You haven't even put on your makeup!" Vivian whipped out a makeup kit and began working on Anzu's face. Anzu waved her arms in protest but Vivian was a lot stronger than her. "How could you forget that, Anzu-chan? That's so unkawaii."

"Hey!"

Vivian brushed some eyeshadow onto Anzu and slipped her makeup kit into her red bag that was decorated with chibi dragons and pandas. Glowering, Anzu turned to Yami. He was still gazing at something across the room and when Anzu looked to see what had grabbed his attention, she gasped.

In the corner, by himself, was Yuugi. Only Yuugi's face was completely white and she was certain he was wearing thick eyeliner. He was listening to music on his large headphones while writing something in a black notebook. His uniform was black, which was completely against the school's code, but no one else seemed bothered by it. In fact, no one seemed concerned about him whatsoever.

"He's-!" Anzu looked between Yami and Yuugi. "You aren't in the same body!"

"Ichizu separated us, remember?" said Yami, still looking at Yuugi. "She and Marik performed a ritual that gave us two different bodies."

It sounded far too simple, but Anzu had now concluded that this was some sort of dream or alternative universe that she should just play along with for now. These were the only logical explanations she could come up with. She smiled and approached Yuugi, not seeing Yami's stunned expression. Her shadow fell upon Yuugi's desk and he clenched his fists, keeping his face downcast.

"Hi, Yuugi!" she said cheerfully. "What are you writing?"

"Nothing," Yuugi hissed, shielding his notebook with his arm. Anzu jumped at the harshness of his voice.

Vivian walked over and snatched the notebook out of his hands. Yuugi stood up and tried to grab it back. Cackling, Vivian stepped back and cleared her throat, holding it in front of her. Normally, Anzu would have got it back for Yuugi, but she was curious to know what he had written in a notebook that had a bleeding skull on its cover.

"Life is bleak
The end I seek
Each cut in my arm
Is meant to make me calm
But it just reminds me
Of the failure I see
Each time I look in the mirror
Or in my pool of self-inflicted blood
What is happiness
I couldn't care less
I'm used to feeling like this
Like mud."

Vivian threw her head back and laughed harshly. "Oh, wow. You really are gay, emo boy. Talk about sad and pathetic."

Anzu's cheeks burned. She reached out to grab the book so she could return it but before she could, Yami appeared by her side and took it. He tossed it onto Yuugi's desk. Yuugi blinked, breaking free of his angst to stare incredulously at the male in front of him. Yami sparkled and tossed back his head, fluttering his long eyelashes. His shirt was unbuttoned, a muscular chest peeking out of the gap in the tight material. Yuugi blushed.

"Hey, what was that for?" Vivian sneered. "He's filled that book full of crap. It's a goldmine!"

"Stop it!" Anzu yelled. "Can't you see that came from his heart? You shouldn't make fun of it."

The whole room fell silent. Yuugi hunched over and Anzu saw his tears splatter onto his desk. Anzu rounded on Vivian, who behind her smile was looking rather confused. Slapping one hand against her chest, Anzu pointed at Yuugi with the other.

"There is obviously something wrong with Yuugi and you making fun of him like that-"

"OH SURE!" Yuugi screamed, standing up. His purple pupils were frighteningly large and his eyeliner was running due to the tears pouring out of his eyes. "BEING GAY IS A PROBLEM!"

"What?" Anzu tried to formulate a response. "No, I never said that, it's just-"

Yuugi barged past her, arm over his face. Sobbing, he rushed out of the room. Anzu reached after him but dropped her arm to her side, trying not to cry. Everyone stared at her.

"That was awesome!" Vivian announced. She stuck out her tongue. "Did you see his face? Anzu-chan, that was radical! So kawaii, nyah! Desu desu. I'm a whore."

"I... I..." Anzu looked down.

"You went too far, Anzu," mumbled Yami. He gritted his teeth. "I know that this sort of behaviour isn't uncommon when it comes to you, but you pushed the wrong button."

"Me? What did I do?" demanded Anzu, rounding on him. "I told Vivian-"

"Anzu, we're all sick of your homophobia!" Yami shouted. "Everyone knows about it."

The teacher walked in before anything more could be said, demanding total silence. Seething, Anzu sat down at her desk. She could feel everyone staring at her. Doing her best to ignore them, she held her head high for the rest of the day. During recess and lunch, Vivian stuck by her side and talked to her as if they had always been close friends. Anzu struggled to keep up with what she was saying, both because Vivian talked about such trivial things and because Yuugi hadn't returned since the incident that morning.

Vivian's closeness was different, but it wasn't harmful. Yuugi's behaviour worried her and she wanted to go find him and try to patch things up.

"Anzu-chan!" Vivian waved her hand in front of Anzu's face. "You in there?"

"Hm? What?" Anzu turned to her. "What were you saying?"

Vivian moaned dramatically. "You're being really weird today."

"Mm," went Anzu, looking at who was sitting at their lunch table. Yami was sitting on the other side of her, nose buried in a book. Situated opposite her was Jonouchi, who was chewing noisily on a salami sandwich. Honda sat next to him and Otogi sat next to him, the two of them looking over at Shizuka. She was at another table with Mai, Mokuba, Kaiba and-

"Noah?" Anzu just managed to stay seated. "What's he doing here? And Mai?"

"Eatin' lunch?" Jonouchi suggested, spitting food at her face. She growled, wiping her face with the back of her hand. He turned around and glared at then. "Nyeh. Dat Kaiba is such a jerk. Why, if I 'adda chance, I'd unleash all of ma Brooklyn Rage and do 'im in big time."

Kaiba, whose table was a few metres away, laughed harshly. "We all know you want to do me, mutt, but beastality is illegal here!"

Jonouchi blushed, getting to his feet. Kaiba stood up and they met halfway between their tables. Jonouchi poked Kaiba's chest and broke his finger. Going 'nyeh', he sucked his finger. "Screw you, Kaiba!"

Kaiba smirked, a spark in his eyes. "In your dreams, Dog. You are nowhere near a position to screw, for I have lots of money and you do not, thus your lack of income means you are unable to illegally influence the social hierarchy in a way that suits you and so it stays unchanged by your challenge."

Jonouchi pointed at Kaiba with his finger that was no longer broken. "Dat's it, Rich Boy. We're gonna duke it out in da skatepark after school. Den we'll see who's da best."

"The skatepark? You're not going to duel each other?" said Anzu.

Kaiba and Jonouchi broke out of their eye battle to stare at her.

"Duel?" they said.

"With cards," said Anzu. "That's usually how you solve your problems."

"Nah," said Jonouchi. "We're gonna 'ave a Skate Off aftah school." He raised his voice. "Everyone is invited ta watch me kick Kaiba's ass!"

"Oh, please, Wheeler," said Kaiba, rolling his eyes. Anzu guessed that 'Wheeler' was Jonouchi's skatepark nickname. Maybe instead of Duel Monsters, everyone went skateboarding. "Very well. Everyone is invited to watch us. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to return to my table where my younger brother and the girls with large breasts that I have no interest in because I do not like breasts are seated."

Everybody in the surrounding area started to whoop and cheer, making bets within their friendship groups. Flicking his head, Kaiba swaggered back to his table where he was greeted by his fanclub. Anzu watched Kaiba sit next to Mokuba, who was sitting next to Noah. Noah grinned and leaned behind Mokuba to whisper something to Kaiba, who moved his head behind his brother to listen. While Noah said whatever he was saying, he placed his hand onto Mokuba's thigh and stroked it. Mokuba shifted, holding onto Noah's hand and leading it to a more private area. Anzu turned away, trying to remove that scene from her mind.

Returning her attention to her rather Western lunch, she picked up a french fry and made to eat it. A blue and red shape moved across the edge of her vision and she looked up, forgetting her meal. It was Yuugi, and he seemed to have changed into a white dress and removed his makeup. Yes, it was still odd, but it was a start. Smiling, she nearly stood up. He passed by without looking their way, sitting at a table with what looked like Mana and Mahado.

"What are you doing?" Vivian sneered. "We don't want Heba at our table."

"Heba?" said Anzu. "That's Yuugi, isn't it?"

Vivian snorted. "They look the same, but no."

"Heba is Yuugi's Egyptian Counterpart," explained Yami, turning the page of his book. "Yuugi's his present day reincarnation."

Anzu held up a finger. "Yuugi is your reincarnation, and why is this Heba here? Shouldn't he be in Egypt? And why are the others here?"

"Whoa, dudette," said Otogi. "I know you're xenophobic, but you don't need to like diss them. Egyptians are sexy."

"No! I meant why are they here now?"

"Oh look," said Vivian under her breath. "Here comes Slutty McSlut."

Rebecca sat down at their table, wiggling her bottom on her seat and preening. Her skirt was incredibly short and she had keyrings of bug-eyed anime characters all over her backpack.

"Hi!" chirruped Vivian, poising her lipsticked mouth into a smile. "I like your outfit."

It was just like what all the other female students in the school wore.

Rebecca sucked her thumb. "T'ank oo. Have oo seed Yuugi-muffin anywhere?"

Vivian chuckled. "Did we ever. Weevil and Rex saw him when they went to the bathroom to snog. He was slitting his wrists. We read some of his emo songs and he ran out like a baby. I don't know what you see in him."

"Slitting his wrists?" repeated Anzu, pale.

"I like him 'cause he's cute and good at Yu-Gi-Oh! cards," Rebecca said. "He's really nice like a girl."

"They aren't emo songs!" Yami snapped, closing his book. "Yuugi's writing was very deep! Excuse me but I've got to go get ready for gym."

Anzu stood up at the same time as him. She touched Yami's arm. He flinched. "Yami, if you see Yuugi..."

"You can't control who I talk to!" Yami snarled. Anzu bit her lip. "Anzu, your possessiveness is getting on my nerves."

"No, I don't mean that at all!" Anzu's nostrils flared. "Why won't you just listen to what I say?"

Yami muttered something before kissing her on the lips. Anzu felt no emotion. It felt like her arm had gone numb and her hand had fallen onto her mouth. He pulled away and averted his gaze.

"I'll see you at the skatepark," he said emotionlessly, walking away. The lunch hall began to empty until Anzu and Vivian were the only ones left. Vivian got out her phone and flipped it open, texting someone. Anzu cleared away her lunch as slowly as possible. One of the canteen ladies began to sweep up food with a brush on the other side of the room.

"Vivian," Anzu said, head bowed as she dumped the remains of her lunch in the bin.

"What?" Vivian didn't look up, her fingers tapping away.

Anzu sighed. "Nothing. Let's go."

-ygo-

The skatepark was quite full, with lots of students situated outside the fencing surrounding it. Anzu, who had left school with Vivian, entered the skatepark. They spotted their friends immediately on a patch of grass by the coping of the skatepark's largest pool. Jonouchi was clutching his red wheeled black skateboard to his chest, legs shaking as Honda and Otogi gave him some advice.

"Maybe 'e won't show up?" said Jonouchi. "'e might be busy doin' rich thin's."

"No, man, I saw him drive up in his Dragon Van," Otogi said.

Jonouchi's bottom lip trembled.

"It's only Kaibaman," said Otogi before taking a long drag of his joint. "You gotta like relax. Let yourself go."

"Yeah!" Honda's voice made her jump. It sounded like Barney the Dinosaur. He nodded, patting Jonouchi on the back and nearly knocking him over. Jonouchi's face was stark white. "It's Kaibaman, King of Skateboarding. No one's expecting you to win."

"Yah." Otogi wrapped his arm around Jonouchi, moving his other one in an arch shape. He looked up at something only he could see, twisting his mouth into some form of smile. "You like totally can't degrade yourself any more."

Honda glowered at Otogi's hand and pulled Jonouchi from his grasp, hugging him to his side and placing a hand on Jonouchi's chest. He looked at Otogi with a raised eyebrow, rubbing Jonouchi's back. "You'll always be our friend no matter what," he put his mouth against Jonouchi's ear and whispered, "but closer."

Otogi pulled Jonouchi away. "You've given him enough moral support, man."

Honda pulled Jonouchi back. "My voice gives people super strength! Back off, witch!"

The exchange carried on for a while, their voices blending into a mess. Anzu did nothing but watch, reminded of how things used to be. It was comforting, even if they were bickering and would have already been stopped by her in any other situation.

Vivian hid her mouth behind her hand and whispered in Anzu's ear, "I'm surprised they haven't asked each other out yet."

"Really? But I thought they had a crush on Shizuka," said Anzu.

"Seriously? Shizuka's gay."

"She is?" said Anzu.

Vivian rolled her eyes. "Duh! If she wasn't, then she wouldn't be going out with Mai."

"Mai! But... But..."

"I know. Gay." Vivian scrunched up her face.

"No, not that, but their ages, aren't they-?"

"Oh, look." Vivian pointed. "It's emo boy!"

"Emo boy?" Anzu spun around. She saw her friend by the skatepark's entrance. Yuugi stopped at the sounds of their voices, terrified. It broke Anzu's heart. He was supposed to be her friend, not one of her bully victims. She only took a few steps towards him when Yami stepped out from behind a tree and blocked her route.

"Leave him, Anzu," Yami instructed.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Vivian put her hands on her hips and pouted. "You've been sticking up for emo boy a lot recently. What, have you got a crush on him?"

Yami widened his eyes. A gently pink spread over Yuugi's cheeks and it didn't go unnoticed by Anzu. She didn't say anything, observing. Yuugi and Yami kept their attention on Vivian, who was squinting one eye at them and leaning towards them.

"I didn't want to tell Anzu, Yami, but I know you're bi," said Vivian. "You used to go out with Atemu before he died in that car crash. Then you moved to this school to try and start over."

"Atem?" said Anzu.

"Atemu," corrected Yami.

"Atem."

"Atemu."

"Whatever. Why would he go to the same school as Yami?" Anzu nearly laughed. "This is just getting silly now."

"Yeah," agreed Vivian. "We don't care about your old love dying."

"What?" Anzu shook her head. "No, I didn't mean-"

"ATTENTION!"

Everyone turned to the source of the voice. Mokuba was talking into a megaphone, Kaiba standing beside him with a smirk on his face. He stood tall, wearing a helmet that resembled the head of a Blue Eyes White Dragon greatly. What was even stranger was that it had some fake hair attached to the back, ending at his hips. Kaiba lifted a black gloved hand, inviting a round of applause.

When everyone was silent, Mokuba carried on.

"TODAY, MY BIG BROTHER SETO-"

"Call me by my skatepark name!" hissed Kaiba. "And shut up, Mokuba."

Mokuba shut up. Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Just continue."

"KAIBAMAN IS GOING TO HAVE A SKATE OFF AGAINST WHEELER! THEY WILL SKATE FOR FIVE MINUTES AND THEN THE CROWD WILL DECIDE WHO IS THE BEST! CAN THE CONTESTANTS PLEASE GET INTO THE ARENA."

Kaiba strode to the top of a ramp, dropping his blue wheeled white skateboard next to his feet. He smirked as Jonouchi dragged himself to the top of a different ramp, placing his skateboard on the ground. Still trembling, Jonouchi put one foot onto the skateboard and closed his eyes.

"Stop being a coward!" Anzu shouted. "You can do it, Jonouchi! You just have to believe in yourself."

"Anzu, stop being so insensitive!" Honda scolded. "We should be cheering him on."

"Yeah, dudette." Otogi exhaled, smoke billowing out of his mouth. "He needs us to support him." He did a double take. "Whoa, far out... Everything's tripping the hell out again."

Anzu opened her mouth and then closed it. Shaking her head, she gestured towards Jonouchi. "I am supporting him! He needs to stop acting like a little kid."

"ARE YOU READY?" screamed Mokuba.

"YES!" screamed everyone except Anzu and Jonouchi, who had turned a very sickly shade of green.

"ALL RIGHT. GET SET, GET DECKED AND SKATE TO THE EXTREME!"

A horn sounded and Kaiba kicked off the ramp, sailing down it. Jonouchi tripped and sobbed hysterically as he zoomed down the ramp, flapping his arms in order to keep balance. Everyone began cheering and clapping, whooping whenever either of them did any tricks.

"THIS IS AWESOME!" Mokuba bellowed as Kaiba jumped onto a rail. "CHECK OUT KAIBAMAN'S BACKSIDE 50-50!" Kaiba reached the end of the rail, leaping off and making his way towards a ramp. "HE PERFORMS IT PERFECTLY!"

"YES!" chimed in Noah, who also had a megaphone. "WHEELER DOESN'T STAND A CHANCE AGAINST SETO!"

"Kaibaman!" roared Kaiba as he went up another ramp, his white coat billowing. Instead of flying into the air once he reached the top, he stopped mid-turn for a moment. He descended down the ramp amongst whoops, holding his arms up in acknowledgement.

"WHAT A STUNNING AXLE STALL!" Noah boomed. "CAN WHEELER TOP THIS?"

Anzu glanced at her watch and sighed. Looking up, she caught Jonouchi travelling in a circle. Even though she knew next to nothing about skateboarding, she knew that even she could do what Jonouchi was doing. He had to step up his game if he wanted to beat Kaiba.

"Jonouchi, you're going to lose if you don't do anything!" Anzu shouted. "This isn't like you at all. The Jonouchi I know wouldn't let Kaiba win without giving it his everything."

"I think I know what's wrong with him," said Yuugi quietly.

Anzu turned. She hadn't noticed Yuugi leave the entrance of the skatepark, and seeing him so willingly close to her was a breath of fresh air. His eyes followed Jonouchi, who was beginning to speed up.

"Really?" said Anzu. "What's the matter with him?"

"He's nervous. He wants to impress Kaiba but he is afraid he will mess up. His hostility towards Kaiba is just a mask. Jonouchi just wants Kaiba to be proud of him." Yuugi's eyelids drooped. "I can understand."

"Really?" Anzu watched Jonouchi ride up a ramp and perform a 180. "Hm, I never thought of it like that."

Yami held up his fist. "We must cheer for Jonouchi! He needs our support."

Anzu nodded. "Yes! We, as his friends, will be riding there with him."

"Wheeler!" Yami shouted. Jonouchi stopped, peering up at him. "You can do it! Put all of your heart into this battle and you will not regret anything. We're riding there with you."

"T'anks, Yami!" Jonouchi said, pushing off and heading towards a ramp. He performed a 360 in the air before shooting down the ramp, gritting his teeth as he made his way towards two ledges. Riding up one, he performed an Ollie 360 in the gap and landed on the other side.

Kaiba looked at Jonouchi, who basked in the cheers now all directed at him. Kaiba's mouth twitched. He couldn't let Jonouchi win. He had to prove to Jonouchi that there was more to him than a rich, handsome, intelligent virgin. He had to...

Going up a ramp and performing a Backside Air, he pulled back his sleeve after its completion. Kaiba waited until the audience was distracted by Jonouchi's Impossible before bringing his wrist to his mouth.

"The mutt might win," Kaiba said into his watch. "You need to come in. Now."

Then, out of nowhere, four masked skateboarders entered the main pool. Two of them were wearing blue masks with pointed ears, reminding Anzu of an elf. Their blue masks wrapped around all of their head, hiding their hair and giving the impression that they were bald. These two were wearing blue spandex as well as purple boots and purple chest plates. The other two masked skateboarders were dressed in gold, with paper mache wings and tails. Their masks resembled both a dragon and a chicken, large fake feathers hanging from the bottom of their masks.

Anzu narrowed her eyes.

"IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE SOME NEW CHALLENGERS!" Mokuba announced. "HOW WILL WHEELER DEAL WITH THIS?"

"Who are they?" asked Yuugi, leaning forward.

Anzu slowly turned to him, eyes still slits.

"Whoever they are, they're messing things up!" Honda pointed. The four masked skateboarders were following Jonouchi, performing ollies dangerously close to him. Jonouchi came to a halt, trying to find an opening as they closed in on him.

"There's no way Jonouchi can win with them blocking his path," Yuugi said. Somewhere behind them, Otogi was chatting up a tree. "We have to help him or Kaiba will win."

Yuugi removed his backpack and pulled out a purple skateboard. He jumped over the railing and hopped onto his skateboard, entering the pool and heading towards Jonouchi and his assailants. Yami admired him as he passed by, leaning over the railing as Yuugi drew closer to the masked skateboarders. Anzu's heart pounded against her chest. She was tempted to go after him, but she knew that Yuugi wouldn't want her to put herself in danger as well.

At least... the Yuugi she knew wouldn't want her to do that.

"Go, Yuugi!" howled Vivian, pumping the air with her fists. "Get yourself killed!"

Anzu ignored her. She knew who the masked skateboarders were. Who else would dress up as those Duel Monsters? How could the others not realise who they were? They were dangerous... or at least three of them were, and Yuugi was headed right towards them.

"Leave my friend alone!" Yuugi demanded. The four masked skateboarders stopped, looking at him. Jonouchi escaped, going up a ramp and pulling off an Airwalk.

One of the blue masked skateboarders backhanded Yuugi, sending him sprawling to the floor. Anzu screamed as everyone booed. Yami clenched his fists, eyes murderous.

The masked skateboarders removed their masks and everyone gasped.

"It's Marik! And Malik! And Bakura! And Ryou!" shouted Yami. "But... how?"

"How indeed," said Anzu. "Why do they each have a separate body? Why is Marik's alter ego here? Why everything that has happened today?"

"I need to help him!" Yami said, jumping over the railing and running over to Yuugi. He fell to his knees at Yuugi's side, grabbing his hands and pulling them to his chest. Coughing, Yuugi opened his eyes and smiled feebly. Yami smiled back.

"... Yami..." rasped Yuugi. "You... came for me."

"Always, Aibou," said Yami, squeezing his hands. "I could never leave you."

"Yami, I need to tell you something." Yuugi's eyes filled with tears. "I lo-"

Yami placed a finger onto Yuugi's lips. He hushed him, their faces inches apart. Yuugi smiled faintly, taking hold of Yami's finger with one hand and squeezing it. The two remained where they were, conversing with their eyes.

"This is so gay," Vivian said, crossing her arms.

Anzu glowered. "It is not! Showing their love for each other isn't gay."

"They love each other." Vivian stuck up her nose. "Gay."

"There are many kinds of love," Anzu explained. "Is it because you think being brave enough to openly show such love makes someone homosexual? Is it meant to be an insult? Doesn't it occur to you that there is more than one type of love?"

"You're just scared that they're going to get together," Vivian said airily, flapping her hand.

Anzu flushed. "I'm not scared! If that makes them happy, then I am happy. I just think that basing your assumptions on things you don't know fully about is stupid. You should be more open-minded."

"... You're totally scared."

She didn't want to admit it, but Vivian may have been onto something for once. Anzu was scared, but she wouldn't change a thing if it denied them happiness.

Yami took Yuugi's skateboard and placed it on the ground, parking his foot onto it. He held up a fist and shook it. "You four must be punished for your behaviour!"

Bakura stepped forward, his white hair shimmering in the light of the sun. Ryou stayed by his side, holding onto Bakura. Anzu didn't understand why Ryou was joining in on such bullying. He was strong and was willing to stand up this his Yami when his friends were in danger. Why was he a part of this as well? In something so petty and cruel?

"Yami, you should have stayed out of this." Bakura wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "I will now defeat you once and for all and take your Sennen Puzzle."

"Never!" Yami's Puzzle began to glow, enveloping his entire body in a purple light. When the glowing faded away, Yami was wearing an outfit not unlike the Dark Magician's. He held up his staff and boomed, "Prepare to face the Shadow Realm."

"Shadow Realm?" Anzu repeated blankly.

Guffawing, Bakura embraced Ryou and pulled him into his chest. Ryou stared at Yami with blank eyes, tears falling down his cheeks. They were smothered in a blue light, and when the light died down, they were one being- the Illusionist Faceless Mage. The body had three heads, with Bakura's and Ryou's heads being on the sides. The middle head was that of the Thief King's, who stared hungrily at Yami.

"This is just ridiculous," said Anzu. "What, are Marik and his alter ego going to fuse?"

The Mariks locked lips, yellow light spreading over their bodies. They emerged as a single entity- a ten foot tall replica of their costume with a skateboard under each foot.

"The battle begins now, Yami," boomed the Mariks, their tail hitting the ground and making a crater.

Yami pushed off on his skateboard, going up a ramp before going back down. He went up another ramp, performing a Gay Twist. When he came back down, he held out his staff. Three purple energy balls erupted out of his staff's end, hitting the Bakuras. They screamed, smoke coming out of their skin. Yami skateboarded towards them, stopping and watching them stumble, head in hands. He glared, holding out one of his hands and directing it towards them.

"MIND CRUSH!" Yami bellowed and the Bakuras fell to their knees, the pupils in their eyes black dots. Then, gasping, they fell on their faces.

"Ryou... Thief King..." Bakura gritted his teeth. He was determined not to cry. "I... love you both."

"I love you too, dear chaps," Ryou whimpered. "I must say I do wish... I could jolly well be like you... but now... I wish... to be with you and drink tea..." He chuckled. "And I guess... in the shadow realm... we will be. Cheerio."

They said no more.

"Nyeh!" went Jonouchi, thrashing his arms in random directions. "I bettah be careful or else dat'll happen ta me."

He turned red, transforming into the Red Eyes Black Dragon. The crowd went wild, hollering his name. Jonouchi flapped his wings, boosting himself into the air and starting to perform a 1260. The Mariks laughed evilly, inhaling. They spat out fire that slowly traveled towards Jonouchi, who was unaware of what was happening.

"Jonouchi!" howled Kaiba, turning blue. He turned into a Blue Eyes White Dragon and swooped over to Jonouchi. He hung in the air in front of his opponent, taking the full blast of the fire. When he turned around, Jonouchi saw Kaiba fall to the ground. He fell to Kaiba's side, hooking his neck around Kaiba's and lifting it.

"Kaiba!" Jonouchi rocked Kaiba's head like it was his child. "Why didya do dat? Ya woulda won if I'd got hit."

"Wheeler, I love you," said Kaiba bluntly.

"NYEH! I love you too," Jonouchi said and the dragons locked lips, Kaiba's eyes slowly closing.

"Aw," went the Mariks. "That's kind of sweet. And this is coming from totally straight guys."

Yami pointed at them. "MIND CRUSH!"

The Mariks choked, collapsing onto the ground. The radiance of their golden body left them until they were but a dull bronze. Using the last of their strength, they looked up to see Yami's murderous gaze on them, the shining eye on his forehead gleaming. It was the last thing they saw before blackness consumed their consciousness.

Yami lowered his hand, panting heavily. The crowd were at their loudest, thinking that all this had been done on purpose. Not knowing what to do, Yami searched the area for someone to tell him what he needed to accomplish next. All the noise was overwhelming, but he managed to pick out one particular voice.

"You did it!" Anzu clapped. "Yami, you did it!"

He looked at her and Anzu felt all the relief and joy in her vanish. She had seen that look in his eyes before- it was the one his enemies were bestowed before their hearts were purged of the evil inside them. Anzu looked away after Yami did, a lump in her throat.

Yuugi coughed and Yami rushed to his side. Yami held him in his arms, cradling him. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, Yuugi smiled at his hero.

"You did it," he whispered. "I knew you could do it, mou hitori no boku."

"I had to do it for you," Yami said, stroking Yuugi's cheek. "There was no other option, Aibou. Now, what is it that you wanted to tell me before?"

Yami frowned. Yuugi tensed, opening his eyes.

"There is something on your mind, Yami. You go first."

This was nothing like Yami had ever faced before. He pulled himself together. Yuugi had to hear this. It was now or never. "I wanted to keep this a secret, but I've always felt... there was something between us." Yami paused. Yuugi could only stare back, heart in his throat. Anzu said nothing, barely aware of the tears falling down her cheeks. Vivian was saying, 'I told you so' repeatedly but she paid it no heed. Anzu leaned forward, straining her ears.

"Oh, Yami!" Yuugi reached up, clinging onto Yami's neck like a sloth. "I have always loved you, but I didn't want to say anything because you were dating Anzu."

Yami snorted. "I was only dating her so she'd stop bothering me about it. She drives me absolutely mad with her constant friendship speeches and homophobic views and general bitchiness."

Anzu clenched her fists on the railing.

"I was foolish," said Yami. "I only want to be with you, Aibou. Will you be the hikari to my yami?"

Yuugi smiled. "That would be super special awesome."

Yami lifted Yuugi's chin, using his other hand to brush his bangs away from his tear stained face. Then, together, they moved towards each other and kissed. As they made out, Yami pushing Yuugi onto his back, white light exploded and spread out across the area. Kaiba and Jonouchi became humans once more, lying naked in a tangled mess. The Mariks and Bakuras opened their eyes and laughed, separated once more, holding each other's hands. Honda, hit by the light, rushed over to Otogi and kissed him. Otogi kissed back soon after, throwing away his joint and pulling himself and his newfound lover to the floor. Noah discarded his megaphone and hooked his arm through Mokuba's, who gave his stepbrother a sideways glance. Then, Mokuba grabbed the back of Noah's head and pushed him towards his mouth. Noah slid his hands beneath Mokuba's top, giving him a massage as they kissed.

But, when the light went through Anzu, she only felt emptier. Vivian held a finger to her mouth and mimed puking.

Yuugi and Yami broke apart for air, but their eyes stayed on each other. Anzu's hands shook, rattling the railing.

Yami reluctantly let go of Yuugi's hands and stood up. He looked over at Anzu. "Anzu, I need to tell you something."

"I know what it is you are going to say," said Anzu. "And you know what? I don't care."

Yami blinked. "What?"

Anzu knew she was crying but it was irrelevant. She proudly showed off her wet face. "You heard me! I don't care. I... I don't deserve this. I don't deserve any of this."

Her skin prickled and she was lifted off her feet. Floating, Anzu held her hands out in front of her face. Everything about her was a glittering apricot colour, from her hands to her hair to her clothes. She waited for herself to turn into a Duel Monster- the Dark Magician Girl, perhaps- but she continued sparkling and rising higher and higher off the ground. Everyone stared up at her, their mouths large and round. She peered down at them.

She should have been angry with them, but she wasn't. Anzu pitied them.

"If this is how your world is going to be," she said, her voice carrying for miles, "then please don't include me in it."

Then, giving them all a final look and wishing them happiness, she vanished.