Beneath dark eyeliner and mascara, those alluring blue eyes were no longer transparent, but solid, serious and professional. The happiness and joy for dancing, and the love and compassion she held for her classmates could be seen during her introduction and the coming performance, but otherwise, she had become withdrawn. Even Kaiba, who had always met with her in verbal squabbles of tooth and nail, had never broken the girl's spirit so completely to see her hide within herself, something that seemed like second-nature to her now. She had always been open, cheerful and encouraging - he'd admit it, despite how annoying it could be - and now she presented herself as a strong, level-headed woman with an impenetrable resolve to keep all un-wanteds out.

"So, on behalf of the senior class, thank you for coming to this event, and without further ado, please relax, remain seated and hold your applause until the performance has ended. Thank you." As she turned, her silky locks twirling around her, Seto could feel the unease growing in the pit of his stomach.

There was something wrong with Anzu Mazaki, and Seto Kaiba was determined to find out.

Chapter Two

"Remind me again, why I am here?" Seto hissed at his younger brother as the audience clapped for the arrival of the conductor.

Mokuba shot his brother a slightly annoyed look, but answered anyways.

"We are here," he hissed back, "because the President of Anderson Inc.'s daughter is performing here tonight, and I want to see Anzu."

The CEO returned his brother's glare and responded, "Well, we just saw her, so now, let's go."

"Seto. We're. Staying."

Those were the last words out of the younger Kaiba's mouth before he turned his attention back to the stage. His older brother was being childish and he didn't feel like dealing with it.

Seto growled to himself before relenting and looking up at the parting curtains.

Oh, how he missed the days when his little brother would follow him around and had treated his every word as divine law.

Yes, he knew he was acting a bit childish, but at the moment, Seto Kaiba really didn't care. He'd spent many years trying to forget about Anzu and her geeky friends, but living with Mokuba had made that practically impossible. The boy made friends for life of the group and often spent his free time, however little it was, with the annoying little band of misfits. Which, in turn, had forced Seto to also grace them with his presence.

Seto glanced at his younger brother and resisted the urge to sigh.

Those had been wonderful years, indeed.

"Alright, everyone! This is your night!" Cried the choreographer as she stood before the performing arts students, tears pricking the corners of her dark brown eyes. She looked as calm and put together as ever, her dirty-blond hair twisted and pinned up in a perfect bun on top of her head, but her entire being was practically glowing. These were her 'babies.' They had been wide-eyed and innocent when they came to her four years ago and now they stood before her with all the grace and elegance of professionals.

"You've all worked so hard to get to where you are and it has been such an honor getting to see each and every one of you grow. You are by far the most talented class I've had in all my years in this company and I couldn't be more proud of you. Tonight is the night you leave your mark on the world of ballet!"

Excited whispers passed through the seniors, their eyes bright with pride and passion for their trade. They loved dance and tonight was their night to reveal to the world what they were capable of. After today, many of them would go on to become professionals, to dance in some of the most renown troupes in the world. They'd go on and continue their dreams of becoming famous.

All except for one.

"Oh, Anzu, can you believe this night has finally come? I've never felt so excited before in my entire life!"

Anzu looked at her friend, Victoria, and smiled. It was amazing how positive the red-head could be, even now after having spent the past four years being trained to enter such a cutthroat industry. But Victoria was stronger than she let on. Anzu had seen her, watched her and practiced with her for years, and not once seen the girl falter. She was a brilliant dancer with a heart of gold and more love for dance than just about anyone Anzu knew.

"Yeah, it sure has been quite a journey." replied the brunette as she eyed the massive red curtains anxiously. The thick fabric was the only thing separating her from the audience, from him.

"Preach it, sister." The women turned to see one of the ballerinos approaching them, his long strides carrying him graceful through the crowd of other dancers.

"Rami!" cried Victoria as she bounded over to the man and threw herself into his surprised arms.

"Oh, come on, Vika. You're gonna make Anzu jealous if you keep pouncing on me like that!" complained the Egyptian as he lifted Victoria off the ground and spun her around.

"Oh please." Victoria replied as she rolled her eyes and shot their blue-eyed friend a knowing look. "We all know little Miss Popular over there already has herself a boy-toy."

"A seriously rich and sexy boy-toy to be exact." Teased Rami as he set Victoria back down on the ground.

Anzu felt her face heat up, but she quickly swallowed her embarrassment and shot the duo a sharp glare.

"How many times do I have to tell you guys that there's nothing between us?"

"Oh? Then why did you come back all red-faced and flustered, huh?" Prodded Victoria, her hazel eyes glimmering with amusement as their friend squirmed uncomfortably.

"He kissed me after the first date! Of course I'd be flustered!" Anzu hissed, trying weakly to defend herself as a sly grin spread across Rami's lips.

"Uh huh, whatever you say, Anzu." He drawled, turning as if to walk away before speaking again. "But just remember, Vika and I are psychic, and you know you've got the hots for the strapping CEO in the front row."

And with that, Anzu watched her dance partner walk away grinning like an idiot, while Victoria stood beside her doing the same.

"Ooh, a CEO? Could it be who I think it is? Did he really come all the way here to see you?" She giggled excitedly, her eyes growing larger with every word.

"It's been ten years, Vika. He's not here for me! If anything, he's probably here on business and got dragged here."

"Uh huh, you just keep telling yourself that, Sweetie. Whatever makes you feel better."

Anzu glared at her friend before sighing.

She loved Victoria and Rami with all her heart. They knew just about everything about her and, unfortunately, her love life. Despite their constant teasing, they were good people and they had been there for her when she needed them the most, when her friends back home hadn't had the time to come to her aid.

They had been her rock for the past few years. They had been the ones to pick up the phone at three in the morning and spend hours listening to her cry, even when one, if not both, of them had intense rehearsals the next morning. They had been there to pick her up when she was down, when the world felt it was collapsing all around her after her mother died.

She was going to miss them both so much. Rami, once he graduated, planned on returning to Egypt to continue his professional career there alongside his parents. Meanwhile, Victoria had been offered a spot in the Royal Ballet Troupe in London and would be leaving for the airport soon after the show. They were both moving on to live out their dreams and Anzu honestly couldn't have felt more proud of all their hard work and was beyond happy to see her best friends being given the opportunity to live out their dreams.

"I promise I'll come and visit you, Anzu." Victoria suddenly whispered, as if she had read Anzu's mind, her hazel eyes soft and reassuring.

"You'd better, or else I'll have to hunt you down." Anzu said with a small laugh as both happiness and sorrow bubbled in her chest and she pulled the red-head into a tight hug.

Victoria opened her mouth to respond when the sound of the orchestra danced through the room and the choreographer clapped her hands together and jumped in front of the students once more.

"Alright, everyone, places! It's showtime!"

For the umpteenth time, Seto forced down a yawn as he gazed up at the performance occurring on stage. The ballet had barely even started and he was already falling asleep. He knew, however, Mokuba would have his head if he dared to close his eyes for even a moment during the performance, lest it was to blink.

Chancing a glance at the aforementioned younger brother, Kaiba found his brother was already completely enthralled by the opening scene before theme, leaving the CEO with nothing left to do but sigh and redirected his attention towards the stage.

'At least the artwork is decent.' Seto thought to himself as he examined the set.

Dark skies and gray mountains filled the backdrop, towering ominously over the tiny beige huts of what appeared to be a small farming town.

The ballet began as the silhouette of a man appeared from behind one of the homes. The dancer carefully made his way forward, around a small fence and into the spotlight on the stage.

Seto bite his tongue and had to force down the urge to laugh as the man came into view. He supposed the man was supposed to be dressed as though he had come back from a hunting trip judging by the rifle and fake pheasants hanging over his shoulder, but his green tunic and cap gave him the appearance of Peter Pan.

A glance to his left told him that Mokuba had made the same connection, but the younger brother simply shrugged it off and continued to watch as the man entered one of the houses and quickly returned holding one of the birds by its feet. They watched as the man crossed the stage and hung the bird from the roof of the opposing house before placing a flower on the doorstep before walking off the stage.

Seto raised his eyebrow curiously as the stage before him was filled with people dressed in an assortment of outfits to reflect their roles. There were children, girls and boys dressed in old fashion skirts and trousers, skipping across the stage and dancing in circles. There were adults representing all ages dressed in similar fashion with long dresses and overcoats, wearing bonnets and carrying baskets, corralling the children as they all paired up and left the stage behind the huts.

Growing bored already, Seto turned his attention to the playbook he'd received upon entering the theatre. If his memory served him right, the ballet took place in the Rhineland during the Middle Ages.

Yes, he had seen this ballet before, when he was a child and had Gozaburu brought him along to several social events at theatres and soirees. On some occasions, Kaiba had been grateful for the experience because he was often allowed to completely ignore performances, having already seen them. This time, however, having seen this ballet before was a curse because, while Seto could have easily paid no attention to the performance and still be able to reflect on certain scenes, he knew Mokuba would have somehow known.

Thus, the older Kaiba relented and sat back in his seat, his eyes gliding over the pamphlet absentmindedly. Seto flipped another page when his eyes caught sight of a familiar name under the biographies. Seto raised an eyebrow and was about to read further when he felt Mokuba elbow roughly.

Seto looked up and was met with a sharp glare from Mokuba before the younger man discreetly nodded his head towards the stage. Sighing, Seto set the pamphlet down in his lap and lifted his gaze back to the stage.

What the young CEO saw on stage made him pause. Before him was Anzu Mizaki, the annoying, friendship-preaching cheerleader that had driven him up the wall so many years ago, dancing with all the gracefulness and elegance of a professional as she performed ballons and battements all around the stage. A small smile graced her lips as she pranced around the stage by herself and then with another male dancer playing the part of Duke Albrecht.

If Seto were being honest, he never understood the appeal some people saw in ballet, especially the ballerinos. In fact, male ballet dancers had never impressed him much, something about watching full grown men dancing around in leotards made even him less masculine. He could appreciate the time and practice they put into their craft, though. It was like the hours upon hours he spent designing, programming and beta-testing his games, working tirelessly until every last detail was nothing less than perfect.

Movement on stage caught Seto attention and he watched as Albrecht fled the stage and several other dancers dressed in fanciful dresses and tailcoats appeared on stage. His eyes, though, were glued to Anzu as she twirled around the stage, the cheerful chirps of the flutes accompanying her as she bounced out. She was enjoying herself, it was the happiest he'd ever seen her, actually.

"I'm happiest when I'm dancing," is what she had told him that night ten years ago. "It's what I want to do for the rest of my life."

"She's amazing, Seto. I never knew she was this good." Mokuba whispered to his brother, his violet gaze also glued to the spinning brunette.

Seto only nodded quietly, watching Anzu carefully as the final scene of Act I began. He had to admit the ex-cheerleader was very talented; and, though he'd never say it aloud, he felt that she was born for the part of Giselle. Her parents disapproved of her decision to become a professional dancer and she had grown-up wearing her heart on her sleeve. She'd fallen in love with a man she couldn't have, the so-called Pharaoh that lived within her best friend's Millennium Puzzle, and it was that same best friend whose heart she broke. And despite all of the shortcomings she had experienced, the girl had a love for life and a passion for dance.

A very small part of Seto was proud of her; she had surprised him, after all. He had honestly doubted her, doubted that someone so cheerful and positive would ever make it very far in such a cutthroat profession. Ballet, he had realized, was much like business; it was survival of the fittest.

Ruthlessness was strength. That is what he was taught as a child.

In his eyes, Anzu Gardner was weak and too friendly to be able to withstand the viciousness he'd heard existed in the world of showbiz. He'd actually seen the verbal lashings some actresses inflicted upon those they thought were beneath them. Hell, he did it to just about everyone, and now he was the king of the business world.

"You can't deny talent, Seto." She had scolded him over her third appletini. "When you're the best on stage, no one can take that away from you."

He supposed she was right; after all, here she was performing on one of the biggest stages in the world.

"Wow. Seto, this may just spoil any future ballets I see. And it's only half over!" Mokuba exclaimed softly as the curtains closed on the first Act and the audience was provided a fifteen-minute intermission.

Seto glanced at his brother. "You plan on willingly going to more of these?"

Despite the dimmed lights, Seto caught the small blush that covered his brother's cheeks, which made the older Kaiba even more curious.

"Well, I mean, if the lead is as good as Anzu is, then maybe, yeah." Mokuba looked away and nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"You know, if you asked, she could probably get Duke Albrecht's number for you." Seto replied knowingly, examining his fingernails briefly before lifting his intense blue eyes to look at his littler brother. The poor man had gone beet-red and if it hadn't been for the other businessmen and spectators, Seto would have outwardly laughed at his blushing brother.

"Seto! This isn't funny!" Mokuba complained, unable to look at his brother in an attempt to calm down. "I actually am enjoying the show."

"Sure you are. Lots of men prancing around in tights with their–"

"Seto!" This time, Seto did laugh at Mokuba, albeit quietly.

Contrary to common belief, Seto had no problem with the fact that his younger brother was gay. The tabloids were actually much more upset about it – in the beginning at least. It was the unfortunate result of being famous. Your life was never private, never your own. It's why Seto, himself, had been branded a serial womanizer from the time he was seventeen. Sure, he had dated a model or actress here and there, but he didn't sleep with every pretty woman with big breasts and fluttering eyelashes he'd met either. In fact, the blue-eyed CEO could count the number of one-night stands he'd had on one hand, the media had blown his image largely out of proportion.

For some reason, the paparazzi had long-since assumed that any woman, business partner or otherwise, who had ever gotten out of one his cars was his newest squeeze. In reality, though, he didn't have the time to fool around and chase designer skirts and expensive heels.

Seto Kaiba was a businessman and a damn good one.

Sure, his good looks had paid off over the years, and had certainly helped him charm his way into good deals and profitable negotiations, but he didn't enjoy playing with women's hearts.

Which is exactly why she had always struck his fancy.

Silently, Seto stood and calmly walked towards the end of their row before entering the long isles that separated the seating sections. Long, practiced strides quickly carried him up the carpeted floor and into the elegantly decorated lobby. As he entered the common space, he noticed several pairs of eyes fall on him. He had grown quite used to it in Japan, because it happened everywhere he went, but having it occur in other countries was still something he was getting used to.

Nevertheless, Seto ignored the curious stares and continued on towards the men's room. He wanted to check-in with Roland, and if it weren't for Mokuba, he wouldn't be resorting to such drastic measures to do so. On his way, Seto turned on the smartphone and growled quietly as he waited for the device to boot-up. Just as he was about to climb the steps towards the top floor to get more privacy, Seto felt something small collide with his leg midstride and he was effectively thrown off balance.

Gripping his phone tightly to prevent it from flying out of his hands, the dualist hit the ground with a grunt and several pounds of extra weight laying on top of him. Seto pulled himself into a sitting position and looked down to find a small child sitting on top of his right leg.

"Owwie…" mumbled a soft, girly voice and Seto quickly looked the child over for any injuries. After practically raising his brother on his own, Seto had learned very quickly that young children were notorious for running into things and falling down, so it was only customary for him to make sure the little girl was alright. After all, he wasn't so heartless as to leave a small child all by their lonesome, especially in such as large place.

"Are you alright?" he asked calmly as he looked the girl up and down. She looked oddly familiar with her chin-length chestnut brown hair and her bright blue-green eyes.

The little girl blinked a few times before speaking, her eyes wide as stared at the CEO.

"You have mommy's eyes," she said in awe, her big eyes twinkling with fascination as she crawled closer to the older Kaiba. "They are sad like hers, too."

Seto's eyes widened at the child's observation, but he quickly regained his composure and carefully lifted the girl off of his person. It was unsettling how easily some children could read adults; Mokuba had done it to him many times in the early years following Gozaburu's death.

"What is wrong, Mister? Why are you sad?" Asked the little girl again, her large eyes so soft and understanding that Seto was briefly reminded of the time that Anzu had convinced him, after about three rounds of drinks, to tell her about his relationship with Mokuba, about Gozaburu.

Chuckling softly, Seto knelt down before the child and gently patted her on the head before speaking.

"When you get old, life makes you weary. And I have seen a lot in my life." He said quietly. He unsure why he was saying such an impressionable thing to a child barely six years old, but he felt that he needed to be honest. Maybe this child reminded him a little too much of her.

"You can tell me, Mister. Mommy says that talking about the things that make us feel sad can make us feel better."

Seto raised an eyebrow at the child. "Your mother sounds like a very considerate woman."

The little girl beamed at the sound of praise for her mother. "She's amazing. And she's smart too! And–" before the girl could finish her sentence, another much more frantic voice pierced the air.

"Hana? Hana!"

"It sounds like your mother is looking for you." Seto told the girl, but she shook her head.

"That's not mommy, that's Auntie Marie. Mommy is a dancer." She replied, as the sound of footsteps came closer and closer.

"Hn." Was all Seto said as a red-haired woman came dashing around the corner, her green eyes darting in every direction until they fell upon Hana.

"Hana! How many times have I told you not to go running off like that! I swear, if your mother found out, she'd–" Marie paused when she spotted Seto, her gaze sharpening slightly at the sight of the CEO.

"But Auntie Marie, I got bored." Pouted the small girl, her cheeks puffing up stubbornly.

"That doesn't matter, Hana. What if you got lost? Your mother would be absolutely devastated." Scolded the woman as she walked over and took the little girl's hand. Marie spared Seto one last harsh glance before gently tugging on Hana's hand. "Now, come, we need to get back to our seats before the second Act starts."

"Goodbye, Mister Pretty Eyes!" called the girl as she trotted away beside her aunt, looking back and waving to him as she disappeared behind the corner.

Once the little girl was gone, Seto check his watch and scowled. He didn't have time to call Roland if he wanted to make it back in time for the beginning of the second Act, and he knew Mokuba would have his head if he showed up late.

Sighing, Seto begrudgingly turned around and went back the way he came. When he got back to his seat, his brother gave him a curious look, to which the older Kaiba simply responded. "There was a line."

He felt no need to tell Mokuba about the little girl, not when there were still too many missing pieces. Something about the little girl had intrigued him. Whether it was her bright blue eyes or her gentle temperament, he wasn't sure, but something about the child had him rattled. Her mother was one of the dancers, that much he knew, and given the girl's age, her mother must haven been one of the older dancers, unless she was the product of a teenage pregnancy.

"Hey, Seto?" Seto glanced at his brother, who was awkwardly twiddling his thumbs.

"What is it, Mokuba?"

"Is it alright if we see Anzu after the show? I'd like to congratulate her, but if it makes you uncomfortable…"

Seto smiled slightly at his brother's consideration, he really was a sweet kid. The boy was the only one besides Roland who knew what had happened between the CEO and the dancer ten years ago, despite Seto's best efforts to hide it.

"If it will make you happy, yes." Seto watched his brother's eyes light up and the corner of his mouth twitched up into a smile.

"Thank you, Seto." Replied the twenty-three-year-old as he sat back in his seat. "I really appreciate it. It's been such a long time since we've seen her. I don't think she's even been home once since she moved here. You don't think she's forgotten about us, do you?"

"She's probably just been busy, Mokuba."

"Yeah, but it's Anzu. She loves her friends and her family, and even professional dancers take breaks." Mokuba argued quietly as the rest of the audience began to file in and reclaim their seats. "You'd think that she'd come to visit at least once in ten years."

As much as Seto hated to admit it, Mokuba had a point. There was something wrong with this picture.

As the lights dimmed once again and the conductor appeared, Seto Kaiba's mind was elsewhere. And, as the curtains opened, the young CEO gazed up at the stage, his eyes fixed upon the newest puzzle that was Anzu Gardner.

Hello, my loves! I am still alive and I thought that I'd treat you all to extra long chapter that I has taken forever to write and rewrite and finish. Admittedly, this has been sitting on my laptop for god knows how long, I am finally getting around to posting it. I hope you all haven't abandoned me!

Anywho, please drop me a review about your opinions of this chapter. Also, I am accepting any and all theories and speculations about Kaiba and Anzu's relationship, as well as about Hana.

And yes, I made Kaiba and Mokuba much closer in age in this fic, so deal with it.

Well then, that all aside...

Thank you so much for continuing or starting to read this story. I cannot guarantee any regular updates, but I will do my best!

Much Love,

~Smash41KMF