CHANGE OF HEART

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. I do, however, own the plot.

A/N: HAH, I didn't forget about this story! This is me, attempting to overcome my writer's block. I tried doing songfics and one-shots but they really aren't up to par, I think. But I have had ideas on how to continue this story. Guess I just gotta run with it, right? I also did mention in my prologue (or chapter 1, as FFNet has indicated it) but will mention here again that I have edited the previous chapters. Just grammatical things, really. You might want to look back to the previous chapter, since I changed the introduction a bit. But it isn't crucial. You'll get by without it.

Ah, before we storm ahead with the chapter, I just want to thank the people who reviewed last time.

dancers of the night - Thank you for your compliments! I wish I updated faster but the ol' noggin' just wouldn't work for me. As for your remarks, well, Anzu will get her revenge. I'll make it extra juicy for ya ;) I wish I can comment back about the grandfather's origins. But that would just spoil things, haha. And we both have a long way to go in terms of writing. We just have to do the best we can, eh?

LadyZayriah - Thank you. They are cute, aren't they? *grins* Glad you like.

yourdarlingdawn - Thanks! I'm honored that this story has caught your interest! I've read your fics and I am most impressed with your writing skills!

ThexWhitexPhoenix - Thank you! I am quite interested in how their rivalry will play out also! These characters tend to run wild with me, haha. Already, this story has taken a different turn than I originally intended. Stay tuned!

Chapter 03: For Air. We shall rise up, together.

Humans are quite quick to adapt. During the days of hunter-gatherers, they required a way to cook their food, to keep warm, to illuminate a darkened path. Thus, fire was born. When the land broke apart into their separate continents, humans needed a way to travel to these distant countries. Planes, ships, and cars were developed.

Humans discovered radioactivity in 1896. Forty-nine years later, in 1945, they exploded an atomic bomb.

In 1903, the Wright brothers flew for the first time. Sixty-six years later, in 1969, Neil Armstrong landed on the moon.

Humans, with all their flaws and inconsistencies, rule planet Earth. They are slow, clumsy, weak, blind compared to most creatures, with mediocre senses. Yet, their minds, sense of reasoning, introspection, and will are the greatest of all.

Humans are quick to adapt. But this is not their greatest strength.

No. Their greatest strength lies in their faith in one another. Camaraderie. Have you noticed that not one discovery or human achievement was made alone?

There is strength in numbers.

Present day
Domino, Japan
11:39 pm

"--mu-kun!"

"--zaki!"

"--zu-chan!"

"--temu-kun!"

"Wake up! Oh, God!"

Atemu opened his eyes to be greeted by the worried faces of Jounouchi, Yuugi, and a few of Anzu's coworkers. Confused, he sat up and absorbed his surroundings.

"Whoa, Atemu-kun, easy," Jounouchi said, placing his hands on his shoulders.

What… happened..?" he asked, still a bit dazed. "The last thing I remember was a forest… Koryu, Kinyo… Mazaki!" Breaking free of the blonde's grip, he twisted to see Anzu, still unconscious, beside him.

"Koryu? Kinyo?" Jounouchi gazed at his friend, concern evident in his expression. "You sure you didn't hit your head too hard?"

"Atemu, take it easy," Yuugi said. "We just had an earthquake. You and Anzu-chan fell and you hit your head pretty hard. Paramedics are on the way. Honda is off, helping others out. What are you doing?!" Alarmed, Yuugi watched as Atemu suddenly lifted Anzu's shirt, revealing her abdomen.

"No wounds," he muttered to himself, as he examined the rest of her body. "Just a dream then?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Yuugi exclaimed.

"Ughhh…"

Yuugi looks down at Anzu, Atemu's previous actions forgotten. "Anzu-chan?" he said, softly, brushing away a lock of hair from her eyes. His brother, however, was not so gentle, as he grasped her shoulders and gave her a violent shake.

"Mazaki," he stared at her, intently, as if willing her to wake up just by glaring at her.

At the sound of his voice, she opened her eyes, only to meet his piercing amethyst eyes.

"What happened?" she asked, not breaking their gaze. "Last thing I remember was Koryu and Kinyo.. My daggers! Where are they?" She frantically searched the ground around her but they were nowhere to be seen.

"Oookay, as soon as the paramedics get here, you two are getting checked at the hospital," Jounouchi said, running his hand through his already tousled hair in frustration. Then, giving a lopsided smile, he added, "But I'm glad you two seem to be alright."

Anzu and Atemu glanced at each other and made an unspoken agreement not to talk about what had just happened. Not until they gathered more information. From where, Anzu did not know. However, Atemu was planning on speaking with his grandfather. "Your grandfather, Mutou Sugoroku, is more than what he seems," he remembered Kinyo's words. He frowned. He was going to find out what she meant, whether from grandfather himself or from Kinyo.

If Kinyo was even real.

"Guys!" Honda's voice interrupted his thoughts. Despite that, he was glad to see his friend was alright. "Glad you're awake," he said, as he approached the group. He was accompanied by two paramedics who were making way to examine Atemu and Anzu. They had no external injuries but they were to be taken to Domino Hospital, just in case.

A storm was brewing inside Mutou Sugoroku, as gazed out at the night sky from his bedroom window. He closed his eyes.

The time has come, he thought. I must prepare. My grandson will soon be introduced to a darkness no one should ever have to face. Along with Mazaki Anzu. Those two will have to grow up very fast. At the thought of her, his storm raged further in his heart. He trekked downstairs, to the living room, towards Tsubasa, the sword that, not too long ago, Atemu was inquiring about. Taking it down from its mount, Sugoroku wondered if he should have told him the complete story.

No, he answered himself. He must discover it for himself. He felt the sword's anticipation as he lightly touched the hilt. Again, closing his eyes, he let his mind drift. The storm within him broke free as tears fell from his eyes.

For the name of Mutou Sugoroku's storm was grief.

Anzu and Atemu were released from the hospital after it was determined that they held no sustaining injuries, internal or external.

"It's weird," Honda said, breaking the silence, as they slowly trudge home. "The rest of the city looks unaffected for an earthquake of that magnitude."

"I agree," Yuugi responded. "BurgerWorld is totally destroyed. But the surrounding structures are in tact, as if that earthquake was just meant for BurgerWorld."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Jounouchi countered. "How can a whole city not be affected by what had to be at least a 6.0 on the Richter scale? Maybe it wasn't an earthquake. Underlying volcano that suddenly erupted?"

"But the effects of that still have to go beyond a mere block, right?"

They continued debating and hypothesizing about what could have happened. Anzu and Atemu remained silent, lost in their own thoughts. Fortunately, the others didn't inquire. They reached Anzu's house first, as she lived closest to BurgerWorld. Seeing that her house was still intact, she quickly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Anzu-chan," Yuugi said, softly, "will you be alright?" Anzu met his concerned gaze. She had known him as long as she had known Atemu - since childhood. Once again, she marveled at the difference between the two fraternal twins. She had always thought Yuugi to be more soft-spoken, kind, and easygoing, while Atemu to be aggressive, hard, and extremely competitive. However, this recent incident, real or not, had shed Atemu in a whole new light. He had displayed kindness, concern, and a slight softening of his otherwise sharp expression.

Mentally shaking off her thoughts, she answered, "I'll be fine." She flashes him her, hopefully, reassuring smile. "Thank you, Yuugi-kun," she said, fumbling inside her purse for her keys.

"Mazaki, wait." Atemu stepped forward towards her and held out his hand. "Give me your cell." She obliged, her smooth skin grazing over his. He felt a tingle of electricity emanate from the contact and it took all she had not to blush. Ignoring the surprised expressions of their friends, Atemu punched his own cell phone number into hers.

"There," he said. "Now you have my number and I," he pressed the "call" button, "have yours." He handed it back to her, taking care to avoid touching her. He looked her, pointedly. He didn't have to say it. He would call her later to discuss, in private, what had happened.

Escaping his penetrating gaze, she hurriedly unlocked her door, shut it behind her, and slumped down to the ground, for once, finding comfort in the dark, empty house.

The rest of the gang continued their trek home in a contemplative silence. Something had gone on at BurgerWorld and while they were not avid believers in the supernatural, it did not take a genius to figure out that whatever did happen was extremely out of the ordinary. The boys separated at their respective houses, promising that they would inform each other of any developments. Jounouchi stated that he would keep an eye on the news, while Honda said that the would research any similar incidents on the internet. Atemu and Yuugi would peruse their large collection of history books.

The Mutou brothers were greeted with a firm embrace from their grandfather. After a brief recount of what had happened, he retired to his bedroom, proclaiming about having an early day tomorrow to set up for his newest promotion at the Kame Game Shop. Atemu and Yuugi browsed through their books for a couple of hours but found nothing. With a yawn, Yuugi slammed a book shut and sleepily went to his room. Chuckling, Atemu replaced the books they had opened and followed suit.

Laying in his bed, Atemu flipped open his cell phone and scrolled to Anzu's number. His thumb hovered over the "call" button. What if she's asleep? he wondered. I wouldn't want to disturb her. But he did want to check up on her and see if she was alright. So he brought up the SMS text option and typed.

"Hey, you up? I apologize for the late hour. Are you ok?" He flipped his phone shut. After all, he did not expect a reply. But, to his astonishment, his phone lit up and beeped, signaling the arrival of a new message. He opened his phone and read it.

"Ya, I'm up. I'm ok. You? What happened, Mutou? It seemed too real to be just a dream." He had to agree. Before he had a chance to reply, another message from Anzu appeared.

"I found the daggers… They looked exactly like the ones from… our 'dream.' Don't laugh, but I tried talking to them. I tried to call out to them, calling them 'Koryu' and 'Kinyo.' Nothing." He frowned at this new development. He paused for moment, choosing his words carefully. Then, he typed his response.

"Keep them with you. I don't think that what happened was a dream either. But until we know more, we should keep this to ourselves. I will ask my grandfather about our family heirloom, Tsubasa, in the morning." On the other end, Anzu read his words with care. She was relieved to know that he also believed what happened was real, to some extent. She eyed the twin daggers on her nightstand. She began to type.

"Ok. I'm going to try to get some sleep. Think school will be cancelled tomorrow? Haha."

"I doubt it, as it was unaffected in the quake. What, are you scared I'll whoop your ass in that physics exam?" She huffed at his latest message and quickly typed her reply.

"HAH! You wish! It'll take more than an earthquake to stop me from beating you!" He grinned, in spite of himself. Deep down, he was relieved she seemed okay.

"We shall see, Mazaki. Good night." She smiled and wondered if he knew he had made her feel better.

"Good night. And thanks." With that, she placed her phone on her nightstand, next to her daggers, and abandoned herself to sleep.

He could not sleep.

He dozed but, for the life of him, he just couldn't fall asleep. With a frustrated sigh, Atemu threw his blanket aside and went downstairs. Rubbing his eyes, he strode into the living room. Immediately, his gaze was drawn towards the sword. Like a moth to a lighted window, he found himself walking towards it, with his arm outstretched.

"Are you really one of them?" he murmured, gingerly brushing his fingers against the hilt. "Am I meant to wield you? Is this even real?" A soft glow emanated from the sword, as if responding to his inquiries. Spellbound, Atemu dismounted it from the wall and cradled it, gazing at it in wonder and fascination. It seemed to call to him, wrapping him in warmth, seeping into his mind and reaching out to his soul. He felt complete.

"Atemu?" Startled, he turned around to find his grandfather looking solemnly as him. And suddenly, the warmth dissipated. He was himself again. He nearly cried out at the sudden emptiness. The connection was so intimate that, without it, he felt alone and desolate. He could almost feel his heart breaking, as if he had lost a part of himself. Dropping the sword, Atemu fell to his knees. Everything around him became blurry. He looked to his grandfather still standing there, a few feet away from him. He did not move to help him but kept his gaze locked onto him, a grief-stricken look on his face.

The last thing Atemu heard before darkness claimed him was, "I am so sorry, my grandson."

When he came to, he was surrounded by complete darkness. Total, irrevocable blackness. He even failed to see the hand he was waving in front of his face. He shakily stood up, straining his eyes for any slight indication to where he was.

All he "saw" was darkness.

He called out for his friends, his grandfather, even Koryu and Kinyo but it was no use. He was alone. Suddenly, a strong wind nearly rocked him off his feet.

ARE YOU AFRAID? A commanding voice that seemed to come from everywhere all at once reverberated around Atemu.

"Who's there?" he demanded.

I EXIST ALL AROUND YOU, OUTSIDE YOUR BODY AND INSIDE YOUR VERY CELLS. I AM HEARD AND FELT BUT NOT SEEN. I ASK YOU AGAIN: ARE YOU AFRAID, YOUNG MUTOU ATEMU, THE ONE WHO HAS HEEDED MY CALL?

"No," he answered, trying to sound braver than he felt. "I do not fear anyone who cowers in the dark. Now I will ask you again: Who are you?"

DEFIANT FOOL. BUT YOU INTRIGUE ME. A gust of wind softly blew around Atemu. BUT SOMETIMES THE THINGS YOU FEAR MOST ARE THE THINGS YOU CANNOT SEE. The winds blew harder now, whistling around his ears. He closed his eyes, shielding his eyes from the wind. When the air turned still once more, he opened his yes to find himself at the edge of a forest, the sun shining high above him, the skies a clear blue. He cringed his eyes as they got used to the light.

I CAN MAKE THE TREETOPS DANCE ON A CLEAR, SUNNY DAY. I CAN CARESS YOUR SKIN AS YOU FROLICK IN THE LIGHT. A bald eagle cried out from one of the trees and flew away, flapping its majestic winds. I MAKE FLIGHT POSSIBLE. Atemu blinked. When he opened them, he found himself in the middle of a plain. The skies were dark and overcast. Mesmerized, he watched a cumulonimbus cloud swirl and rotate itself into a funnel. The winds kicked up and, again, Atemu was nearly knocked off balance.

"What is this?!" he exclaimed.

I CAN ALSO FUEL DESTRUCTION AND MAKE ALL FORMS OF LIFE QUIVER IN FEAR. I CAN KNOCK OVER THE TALLEST TREES AND CALL FORTH THE VERY OCEANS. Horrified now, he watched as the funnel touched the ground and made its ways towards him, destroying everything in its path. He saw animals, bushes, and other debris get swallowed up by the tornado. He wanted to run away but he legs failed to move. The tornado progressed towards him. He closed his eyes and braced himself.

Suddenly, he was back again at the edge of the forest. He opened his eyes and let out a breath he did not realize he had been holding.

I ASK YOU AGAIN. MUTOU ATEMU, ARE YOU AFRAID? He let out another shaky breath and put his hand against his chest, feeling his erratic heartbeat.

"Yes," he whispered.

Suddenly, the air shimmered in front of him and seemed to open. There was no logical way to explain it, though Atemu tried to, within his mind. A silver dragon appeared before him, hovering, though it had no wings. Its body was long and slim, resembling some sort of mythical sea serpent. Two long, silver horns stood straight up from the top of its head. A nasty and fierce set of teeth adorned its mouth and a snake-like tongue quickly flitted out from it. The dragon lacked any claws or feet but it didn't seem like it would need them -- the dragon could fly and Atemu doubted anything can get past those sharp teeth. Its silver scales glimmered in the sun, giving it a dignified look. In length, it was more or less ten feet long but it exuberated a dangerous and almost regal aura.

Without realizing it, Atemu had stepped back.

I SEE NOW YOU HAVE BEGUN TO UNDERSTAND. YOU WANTED TO KNOW WHO I AM. I TOLD YOU THAT I CAN EXIST EVERYWHERE. MY NAME IS TSUBASA. The air shimmered again and a sword appeared in between the dragon and Atemu. Upon further inspection, he saw that it was his grandfather's sword.

MY NAME IS TSUBASA, the dragon repeated. AND I AM THE DRAGON THAT INHABITS THIS SWORD. I HAVE SENSED THAT MY BRETHREN, KORYU AND KINYO, HAVE BEEN REUNITED WITH THEIR RIGHTFUL MASTER. DO YOU KNOW WHAT ELEMENT I COMMAND?

Gingerly, Atemu touched the sword and immediately felt that same warmth flow through him. The dragon was his, he knew it just as he knew his own name. His heart felt full, his being felt complete.

"Air," he finally replied. "You are Tsubasa, the dragon of air."

AND WILL YOU JOIN ME IN OUR QUEST TO FIND THE REST OF MY FAMILY AND FIGHT AGAINST THE ABOMINATION WHO NOW THREATENS OUR WORLD?

How could he say no? To deny this powerful deity felt like a crime. Is this how Mazaki felt? he idly wondered. For most of his life, Atemu had always felt a bit detached from everyone else. Actually, it was not until he had met Anzu in junior high school that he had started to make friends. Prior to that, he had only talked to his brother. To everyone else, he had always been "too smart," "too quiet," and "too dark." Even now, he knew people still thought that way about him. Jounouchi, Honda, and even Miho and Anzu were all friends with Atemu. But honestly, they had been Yuugi's friends long before they were his. Now, he felt like he can be apart of something with someone who can accept him for who he was. He felt like he could hold nothing back from the dragon, despite just meeting him for the first time.

It was an odd feeling for the young adolescent, to not know someone yet know them as if they had been together all their lives.

Reveling at the prospect that this magnificent being was to be his partner, Mutou Atemu answered, "Yes." The dragon's eyes seemed to smile at him, satisfied with the answer. The air shimmered once more and Tsubasa disappeared. Hit with a sudden drowsiness, Atemu fell to his knees. His eyes were closed before he even hit the ground. Before darkness claimed him once again, however, he faintly heard, in his mind, Tsubasa's reassurance.

WE HAVE CONNECTED AGAIN. AND YOU WILL NEVER BE ALONE.

When Atemu came to, he was in his bed, safely tucked underneath the sheets.

"Was it all a dream then?" he muttered. He looked at the clock. 5:09am. With a groan, Atemu pulled the covers over his head. As he did, he heard a clunk at the foot of his bed, as if something was dropped there. With eager eyes, he peered over the side of his bed and saw Tsubasa the sword, glinting up at him in all its glory. He picked it up and held it, marveling at the same warmth that flowed through him, that same feeling of completion. Setting it down, gently, he smiled and slept.

Thanks for reading and bearing with me. I didn't think I would be stumped so much. . This goes out to all my faithful readers! Let's hope my brain can keep functioning so I can spew out quicker updates. Later, all! =3