DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yuugiou/Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters.

WARNING: NOT for revolutionshipping/Anzu/Mou hitori no Yuugi-haters (it's rather obvious). You still have the chance to go back and not read this fic. Otherwise, proceed.

I had this idea of rain revolutionshipping after writing Winning but I felt the drive to word it in paper just recently. Actually, the rainy season in my country began several weeks ago. Thunderstorms became quite common. And then one day, as I was walking back home during a thunderstorm, a flash of a workable concept came along with the strike of lightning. The outcome? This oneshot which, by the way, takes place after the Battle City arc but won't fit in with the rest of the following arcs. In other words, it won't follow the canonical events and therefore is some sort of a parallel time line.

I hope you'll enjoy! =)

LAST PICTURES

A lightning bolt struck.

At the resulting piercing clap of thunder, Yuugi winced.

Anzu, on the other hand, was barely reacting at all. She knew very well that the occurring noise would eventually follow the flash of branching light, therefore expecting it. And she knew her petite friend's reaction hadn't been out of fear. No, she had taken care of that fear many years ago. In truth, just like Yuugi, she used to be scared of thunderstorms, though she had been a young girl back then. Soon she'd learned how actually harmless thunderstorms were, but each time lightning struck, she would feel as though every bolt were aimed to hit her. But her mother had helped her conquer this fear with a saying, the same one she, in turn, had used on Yuugi. And with nothing to lose save for fear, she held on to this saying even up to now, especially at this moment when she and Yuugi were taking refuge under the tent-like roof of the entrance of a closed shop on a dark gray Sunday afternoon.

But this moment, a consequence of not bringing an umbrella with them due to the earlier bright weather, would be among the last that she would have.

"I can't believe there are only a few weeks left."

Yuugi's face grew somber. "It comes so soon, doesn't it? I can't believe it either. But it's not like we won't see you anymore. You'll come back to visit us, right?"

A sigh escaped Anzu first. Then, tired of standing too long, she smoothened her navy blue skirt to sit down properly on the highest dry step of the stairway. "I don't know."

He stared at her, taken aback. "What?"

"I'm not sure. It depends." The truth was, despite the promising future waiting for her in New York, it would put her in a lose-lose situation. To return home would mean failure that gave her no other place to go. To stay in New York would mean constant success, huge chances to further her goals in life, chances that she rarely had here in Japan. But then to maintain her career, she had to seek the rest of America and, perhaps later, the rest of the world. She wouldn't be able to look back again, to be with any of her friends again.

Yuugi fell silent in contemplation for a while, then sat down beside her. "I guess the future's unpredictable, isn't it? I mean, after we all graduate, even if that's still far away, we'll be taking our own paths. Yours just happened to be ahead of ours. We'll miss you, Anzu. But you don't have to be physically here to be with us. We can still send letters, emails and stuff, right?"

"Of course. And I'll miss you guys, too." Damn, this wasn't the way she had wanted. True, she wouldn't have a chance to officially say goodbye through a farewell party since she'd be too busy arranging documents for her departure. But she couldn't allow herself to be down because of that. Anzu wanted to bring to New York moments she'd never forget. Treasured moments, the very last she would have before she would leave.

But at the back of her mind, the brunette knew there was much more to the situation than just being unable to see her closest friends again. There was someone close to her who would soon be gone from her, someone who held her strong attraction and affection. Time was running out. Being stuck with Yuugi in the shade in the middle of a thunderstorm was her only chance, and she might never gain this opportunity a second time. So before she could lose her nerve, she took a deep breath. "Yuugi, this sounds sudden but I'd like to talk to Mou hitori no Yuugi. Right now. I hope you don't mind."

Yuugi blinked in surprise at the unexpected bold request but then nodded. "I understand." He slowly closed his eyes and the Millennium Puzzle glowed in response.

Then those violet eyes snapped open, sharper than before, just like the rest of the young man's features. The air around him suddenly felt intense as he angled his face to look directly at hers. "Anzu." The way he pronounced her name was low, almost smooth, almost hypnotic to her ears.

Anzu gazed at him, unable to break eye contact. "Yuugi, I…" Her mind drew a blank as the rest of her words died. Only the nameless pharaoh had such a natural powerful effect on her.

Before she knew it, lightning crossed down the air. The explosion of deep sound pierced through her silence, causing her to nearly jump.

Mou hitori no Yuugi regarded her quite seriously, apparently unaffected by the recent occurrence. "You're afraid of lightning and thunder?"

"No, I was just startled, that's all." Just then Anzu remembered what her mother had told her before. "They say that when lightning flashes, heaven takes pictures of certain moments. You know, just like how a camera would capture a current moment to preserve it."

He nodded. "So, what is it that you want to tell me? Aibou said it's very important."

"Well, yeah. But before that…" How she had longed and hated this presented golden opportunity at the same time. Longed, for she would be able to reveal her feelings for him at last. Hated, because before she could seal the end of this last day she might ever see him again by baring her heart, she had to say to him her goodbye first. It was less painful that way. "Yuugi, I'll be studying dance in New York. In two weeks' time, I'll be leaving Japan."

If Mou hitori no Yuugi was shocked, he made no point of showing it. All that was displayed was mild surprise. "Aibou never mentioned any news about this before."

"That's because I told him to keep it a secret for now. I don't want people to find out yet until I'm ready. You're the second one outside my family to know about it. I'll tell Jounouchi and Honda tomorrow. You see, I've been sending application videos to dance schools in New York as early as this year to make sure I'll be studying at one of them after I graduate from high school." She tried to smile at this. "I guess I wasn't counting on them to respond so soon, let alone take me in as a rare and special case."

The seriousness on his face cleared. "That's great news."

Anzu's smile froze. "It is?"

Again he nodded. "Finally you'll be able to fulfill your dream. Congratulations, Anzu. I'm happy for you."

Her heart dropped. "…Thanks." It was all she could say. The dancer waited for him to further his words, to stop her, to do anything else but he did nothing more, making her cast her gaze of disappointment at the wet pavement. That was it? Didn't he realize that her situation would mean they wouldn't see each other anymore? Why didn't he seem worried about that? Unless Anzu suddenly changed her mind about going to New York, there was no way she could stay with him. And while it still might be possible to see her friends again or at the very least maintain contact with them, she knew that, by that time, Mou hitori no Yuugi wouldn't be with them anymore. The moment he recovered his lost memories, he would leave. Even helping him regain them was something she wouldn't be able to do anymore. Yet he wasn't even the least bit bothered by all these. What the hell was she thinking, planning to make herself vulnerable before him with her confession later on? Anzu should have known that this would happen.

That he didn't care.

It was the first time.

Mou hitori no Yuugi knew where to draw the line of his limit of control over Yuugi's body, never the one to interfere with his partner's life unless for a duel, or danger or other extreme circumstances threatened the latter and their friends. They must be aware of this by now. So for Anzu to now ask for him to come out, her reason must be heavy with importance, even without Yuugi informing him.

But now, slightly puzzled by the way Anzu had responded to his congratulation, Mou hitori no Yuugi tilted his head to his side to study her. Her blue eyes were downcast, her usual spirit gone from her. He didn't understand. Dancing was Anzu's passion, the goal she had longed to reach. He was very aware of this, after every moment he had spent with her during their "date". Now her dream was becoming reality, and he couldn't be any gladder for her. So why didn't Anzu herself seem happy? He mentally frowned. "Anzu, what's wrong?"

She continued to stare at the ground. "Nothing. Why would there be anything wrong?"

"You seem out of yourself."

"No, I'm not. I'm perfectly fine," Anzu answered while turning to him and then plastered a smile but it didn't even reach her eyes.

This time the corners of his mouth tugged slightly downward, and he watched the girl cast her gaze again on the same empty spot of the wet ground. He leaned over so that he might see her face. "Are you sure?"

Anzu bowed her head instead. "Yeah," she replied, sounding forced.

"Then why doesn't it seem that way?" What was it that really bothered Anzu? When he received no response from her, Mou hitori no Yuugi inched a little to her side, peering at her face. But she lowered her head even more, her shoulder-length hair dropping to conceal her expression. "Anzu, something is bothering you. What is it so that I may help you?" He allowed his fingers to remove those chocolate tresses blocking his view to assess her expression, his skin brushing lightly against her ear.

Suddenly Anzu froze at the accidental contact. But just as the nameless pharaoh's face was only a few more inches apart from her cheek, her forehead creased as her eyes closed, refusing to open to his actions no matter what they were.

Then he moved away from her. "It was wrong of me to pressure you like that," he apologized. Still, he wasn't about to leave her all alone in her dismal mood. He wanted to be there for her, just as she had been for him before. He didn't know how long, but he would wait until she opened up or at least felt better.

"Yuugi."

The duelist turned to see Anzu finally slowly opening her eyes, yet they concentrated their focus on the rapidly shooting drops of water instead of him. "What is it?"

"The rain… When the sky is gray and it's raining outside, all the people I know stay inside their houses or in the shade," she said, sounding nearly lifeless. "They hate to get wet. They never think that it could do them some good."

"Anzu."

"But you know what? I like the rain." A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. "I like being in the rain, especially at times like these. I didn't realize it until the next rain after we… went out."

He slowly nodded to show he was listening yet not quite sure what Anzu was getting at. With the way their conversation was going, he didn't understand what exactly she wanted to talk to him about. "Anzu, back to what you said earlier, there's something you wanted to say after breaking the news about the dance school in New York. What is it then? I'll listen, especially if it's very important to you."

The only trace of her smile vanished and she fell silent for a while. "Nothing." When he angled his head a little in concern, she looked away from him. "It's just nothing."

Anzu…

Then suddenly Anzu got up, chocolate bangs hooding over her eyes, before she stepped out of the shade into the pouring rain.

"Anzu, what are you doing?" Mou hitori no Yuugi called out, frowning. "You're going to get wet by the rain."

But she only walked away.

He got on his feet as well. "Anzu, come back here!"

Anzu continued to walk like she wasn't hearing him.

"Anzu!" And he was getting bothered already. Why wasn't she listening to him? Anzu would definitely get sick if she continued to soak herself in the strong rain pelting her like this. For a second he hesitated to leave his place, also worrying about the health of Yuugi's body, but then decided at the last minute to apologize to him later. At the very least, his partner would understand what he was doing. Reassured with this, Mou hitori no Yuugi rushed out of the roof, cold drops of moisture striking bare skin. Eyes trained on Anzu, he went after her. "Anzu, wait!"

For a moment, Anzu went rigid before her steps quickened.

Mou hitori no Yuugi increased his pace to keep up with her, but this only resulted to her brisk walk nearly breaking into a run. "Anzu!"

All of a sudden Anzu stopped at her tracks but didn't turn around, still remaining silent.

This made him halt as well, apart from her by only a few meters.

Her back was still on him. "Do you know why I like the rain, Yuugi?"

He stared at her, silent.

"I like it because…"

He was caught off guard when the last word came out cracked, when she slowly turned her head over her shoulder to face him with a smile that bordered between light yet forced and bitter. Limp bangs stuck to her forehead and brows, branching streams of rainwater cascading down her eyelids, her nose, her cheeks, her lips, her chin. Perhaps he had just imagined it but he could have sworn he saw her azure eyes glassy beneath the droplets that hung at the tip of her eyelashes.

Anzu, are you crying?

A flash of lightning.

With the rain masking Anzu's true expression, Mou hitori no Yuugi couldn't tell.

But the girl never responded to his silent question, turning her face away from his instead as thunder echoed deeply at the same moment.

There was something wrong, something even deeper than what was just seen on the surface. The uneasiness settling in his gut grew. This girl was not the Anzu he knew, or at least the Anzu he normally saw. What could he do to help her? "You're my friend, Anzu," he stated, then wondered when he saw Anzu flinch at his words. "I'm here." It was the only way he could offer at the moment. "For you. You know that."

"You can't be here for me anymore, Yuugi." Her voice was a monotone as the rain weakened just a little. "Just like I can't be here anymore for you, too."

A frown marked his features. "What are you talking about?" He was getting a message of some sort yet it was a blur to him. Anzu never talked to him like this, instead always speaking out her mind. Unless…

Again she made no response, her soaked feet resuming to lead her away from him again.

But he wouldn't allow it. He took hold of her bare arm to stop her and felt the muscles beneath her cold skin stiffen at the contact.

Lightning struck.

"Tell me." He tried to sound as controlled as possible. "What did I do wrong?"

Heavy silence. "Nothing."

"Then why wouldn't you look at me?"

"You did nothing wrong." Her head lowered. "I did."

Without knowing what to do next, the Egyptian king loosened his hold on her arm and it smoothly slipped away from his hand. Amethyst orbs remained trained on her as she was now crossing the street ahead, the distance between them growing. There was nothing he could do to stop or help her anymore. Perhaps it would be best to just let her be for the moment. She would come back to him when she was ready, and he would still be there, as he had reassured her earlier.

But just as Anzu was nearly out of his sight, his ears picked up a loud and continuous sound of water splashing away from concrete. By racing tires. Startled, he whipped his head around to the far right side to spot a car wildly coursing through the street. Toward Anzu. His senses went on full alert with the sudden realization of danger. "Anzu, watch out!"

Anzu snapped out of her mood and whirled. But it was too late. Everything happened so fast. The car zoomed through as her body disappeared from view…

"Anzu!" Seized by cold dread, the duelist rushed to reach her spot. And froze.

Anzu's motionless body was lying on her side, her slender arms and legs slightly bent before her, locks of chocolate hair messily scattered on her cheeks and shut eyes. With this way she looked, the way her skirt was carelessly draped over her thighs and the way murky water gathered around her still frame, never had Mou hitori no Yuugi witnessed or even imagined her as this fragile.

"Anzu!" Quickly he knelt down on one knee and momentarily shot a fierce angry glare at the speeding vehicle and its unrepentant driver leading it away. It was useless, though. So he focused his attention on Anzu instead, shaking her by the arm. "Anzu, are you all right?"

Anzu didn't stir.

The uneasiness he had felt earlier now spread like wildfire, and he shook her harder. "Anzu, do you hear me? Answer me."

Still nothing.

No. His hold on her arm tightened. The pharaoh picked her up by her shoulders, still shaking her to rouse her into consciousness, then wrapped one arm around her waist with the other to support her back. "Anzu, wake up. Open your eyes." Urgency and worry strained his tone, yet they did nothing to revive the limp frame in his hands. Instead her arms fell limply on her sides, shoulders drooped, her head thrown back with her back arched by his hold. He stared at her form in alarm and shook her again. "Anzu, wake up! Anzu! Anzu!"

Nothing happened.

Why wasn't she waking up? It was getting more and more difficult to maintain his cool. He sat her in a slanting position, her entire weight on his propped leg, and then scanned every inch of her frame for any wounds, bruises, blood. Pulling her body close to his face, he examined her head for concussions, her face for any signs of injury. At the same time, he inwardly struggled to defy resorting to calling the hospital.

Anzu, if anything happened to you…

Lightning struck above.

The now lighter yet still cold rain continued to pelt every inch of Anzu's still body. She could feel rivulets of almost icy water stream down from her chin to her cheeks and temples, from her shoulders to her fingers, from her knees to her soles. If she didn't get to a warm dry place and have a change of clothes, no doubt she would become ill. But she didn't wish to open her eyes and stir. Not now.

Although in her preoccupied dismal state she had reacted in delay to the sound of the speeding car about to meet her, her dancer's reflexes had managed to save her with a leap by a hair's breadth. But just as her foot had landed on the wet sidewalk, it had slipped that she had landed on her right side. Fortunately she hadn't sprained or broken anything. A sore right arm and leg but otherwise all right.

But just as she had been about to pick herself up, she had heard Mou hitori no Yuugi calling her and rushing to her spot. Normally she would have gotten up on her own and reassured him that there was nothing to worry about her. But after the way he had been so oblivious to her inner self and to the real situation behind her departure, she hadn't been able to help but wonder how he would react now. So she had chosen to stay lying on the hard slippery ground.

Now she was lifted off the pavement, in Mou hitori no Yuugi's hold, allowing herself to lose conscious control over her arms so that they became limp, with his own ones supporting her by her waist and her back. His skin felt so warm next to hers just separated by her drenched white blouse. He was shaking her nonstop, as though refusing to give up on her consciousness. His low voice held urgency and, unmistakably, worry. For her.

"Anzu, wake up! Anzu! Anzu!"

She knew she should open her eyes. She knew she should stop making him worry. But she couldn't. No, she didn't want to.

Then she felt his strong hands carefully shift her so that she sat on the ground, then his bent knee and leg supporting her back, and her head swayed to her right side. It wasn't a mistake that she had momentarily surrendered the control over her body to the pharaoh without memories; he was handling her so safely in her "unconsciousness", even as he slightly turned her once in a while. And how she loved it. She couldn't remember the last time he held her like this, if he ever did. It was a rare chance for her to be so warm, so comfortable and thrilled, so right in his hands as he was fighting back alarm for her sake.

And she damned herself for her selfishness.

Guilt slapped her back to her senses. She shouldn't be doing this to him. To begin with, it was her own fault that she expected too much from Mou hitori no Yuugi. Yes, he had bared before a part of himself to her that couldn't have been exposed to anyone else besides Yuugi. Yes, she was close to him. But that wasn't enough nor would it ever be. In addition, he now existed for only one purpose: to retrieve his lost memories, and with this priority in life, he didn't and wouldn't have the time and chance to grow to regard her in the light that she viewed him. He being happy for her and her dream and outright expressing it to her should be enough and just be treasured instead.

Then she felt being pulled forward, a male hand pushing her sticking bangs away from her forehead. Warm breath touched her eyelids, then her left cheek, before something almost pointed like a lock of hair made contact with her cheekbone. Her heart slammed back and forth. Was his face just so close to hers? Anzu, stop it right now. You are literally in no position to continue treating him like this! So she stirred enough to make him put some distance from her, then slowly opened her eyes as though just waking up. The moment she did, rainwater seeped through her vision that it stung her a little, and she blinked hard to clear it away.

"Anzu." There was an unusual look shading Mou hitori no Yuugi's eyes as he regarded her.

She had to come clean. It was the least she could do after what she put him through. "Yuugi, I'm so sor—" Her apology was cut off, however, when she was suddenly pulled right into his embrace that she silently gasped.

A strike of lightning.

Anzu was greatly taken aback. "Y-Yuugi?"

"I thought I…" Silence. "You had me worried back then."

Blue eyes widened, then watered. Had he seriously thought that she had been nearly killed? Or that she had been seriously injured in some way? "Sorry," she whispered. Her body stirred in his tight hold, then started to grow shaky as hot tears began draping over the corners of her blurry eyes. Yet she made no sob or anything to hold herself back.

"Are you cold or hurt somewhere?" The touch of warmth in his voice was unmistakable. "You shouldn't be out here right now."

"Let's not leave for a while." Anzu smiled through the countless drops of water from the gray sky washing away the tears from her face. Indeed she liked the rain. In the rain, no one could see her cry helplessly. In the rain, her spirit, when tired of fighting, could fly freely in invisibility. And in the rain, she could break down at the edge of emotions regardless of what they were, without having to answer to anyone. "Let's just be here. In this rain."

"Anzu." He could have questioned her. He could have released her right there, right now, especially if he was against it. But he didn't.

And so her forehead rested on his broad shoulder, and the more she allowed herself to rock violently like she would never stop at the height of bordering emotions. Happiness at the sudden realization of truth, sadness born out of the reality of leaving valuable things behind—just like the burning tears mixing with the nearly icy water from above. Yet even as she uttered none of these things that only the rain could understand, Mou hitori no Yuugi was still there with her. For her. Just as he had reassured her earlier.

As her trembling subsided, she chose to keep her feelings to herself. It was for the best of everyone, especially Mou hitori no Yuugi. Anzu didn't want him to worry about how to reject those feelings without rejecting her. Nor did she wish that whether or not he might hurt her with it, those unrequited feelings would strain their already precious friendship. And worrying that he might hurt her was the last thing he needed when he should be focusing on finding the lost fragments of himself. No, she wouldn't make things more difficult for him anymore as they would go on in their separate ways; she was through with her selfishness.

"Anzu."

Anzu slowly lifted her head from his black-clad shoulder. "What is it?"

"Before we all l… Before I lose you here, never forget…"

Glassy eyes widened. Lose. He finally had realized it already. And he knew it would happen.

"Someday you'll be the greatest dancer. Conquer the world. Whether or not I'm still here, I believe you can."

Anzu closed her eyes, her weight on the Egyptian's hold. Thank you, Mou hitori no Yuugi. For respecting her and the significance she held for the rain. For sharing her happiness to reach a lifetime dream. For worrying and caring about her—not in the way she had wished nor as how she did him, but he cared. For letting her know that he would miss her and… She reveled in the strong way he held her, supported her, not yet letting her go, all in this shower of cold rain. And for giving her this rare moment to show that she was, in a way, an extremely important person in his life.

A lightning bolt struck one last time.

The End

Feedback is highly appreciated. So are reviews. Thank you very much.