Forgotten Friend (Part 1)

DIMENSION: MANGA (The One That Saves the Day)

Tomoyo Hanasake's Home

"Here. Why?" Yuugi looked up at the big house of Hanasake's. "Why would it be here?"

"Hey? I remember this place, I know I do." Jounouchi was trying to piece it together. "We, uh? Hanasake?" He looked back at Yuugi. "Hanasake. He's our friend. We haven't seen him in years. What happened to him? He was there in school. Up until your grandpa's incident right?"

"Tomoyo Hanasake, I remember him too," Atem said. "You had spent time with him."

"He was a friend," Anzu agreed. "He even invited us over. He loved zombire, his dad always picked it up for him. What? Why didn't we remember him until now?"

"Yes, that is strange. He was never at school again either."

"After Pegasus, things happened fast. Still, it doesn't make sense we all just . . . forgot him." Yuugi hated that this was where he felt it. The game. "The game is here though. We have to check it out."

"How do we do this?" Jounouchi asked. "Do we knock on the door and say how have you been, or do we sneak around and assume something bad is going on with Hanasake? Because I want to get in and get out."

Yuugi understood. Jounouchi wanted to stay with Mai, and get Shizuka from Kaiba. He was there though because of the Dark Magician with Atem. If things went bad, he knew he could help.

Someone came out of the front door, which made the option easy to see. He adjusted his glasses. "Yuugi? Jounouchi? Anzu? Wow." He smiled. "I haven't seen you in years. How have you been?"

He wasn't rippling any kind of an evil vibe. "We were just reminiscing and thought about you," Yuugi said. "Wondered if you still lived here or not."

"Oh yes, the house was left to me about six months ago," Hanasake said. "I'm staying here right now until I figure out what to do with it."

"Well, so, where'd you disappear to?" Jounouchi asked. "Haven't seen you in a long time."

"My dad," he said. "He stopped getting me Zombire and quit his job to give me attention." He smiled. "The extra time wasn't good for everyone though. My mom and him got divorced and I stayed with her. Sorry I didn't tell you. I? I don't like goodbyes," he said shyly.

///Yuugi: Definitely nothing unusual about him. He still feels the same. The game is in here though, I feel a strong presence./// Yuugi walked up closer. "Well I always appreciate hello's."

"Yeah, um? I'm not the only one who surprised you," Hanasake said. "I didn't know you and Anzu had twins. Or, really close brothers and sisters in age? You're almost identical."

"Sure, yeah, sorry about that," Yuugi faked. "Well, why don't we come in for a little while? It's been a long time since we've sat down and talked."

///Atem: Good idea, Yuugi. What you may be sensing might be something else, but it's strong like the Dragon Cards. We need to find out what it is./// Atem followed after him along with Anzu, Satiah and Jounouchi.

"Whoah." Yuugi didn't have to look far. "What's your line of work?"

"Translation and archaeology," Hanasake said. "When I went to live with my mom, I found a passion I didn't know I had because we started with my Aunt. She got me interested in it. It turns out, I had a talent for it."

"Oh?" Now that was interesting. "Translate anything good lately?"

"I'm working on translation for a Predynastic text. Speaking of which, I hate to dash?" he apologized. "If you sit and wait we can catch up, but I have a client back here who's been waiting."

///Atem: Maybe that's the culprit, Yuugi.///

"Sure, we don't mind." Satiah and Anzu stayed while Yuugi, Atem and Jounouchi all started to move behind Hanasake covertly. When they reached the room for the meeting, they saw it. The client was holding the Dragon Cards, with the seal on them.

They all went backward.

"Easy," Jounouchi said when they went back to the waiting room. "I'll ambush them right outside the house."

"He just murdered thousands if not millions of innocents," Atem said. "Yuugi. You stay with the others to keep Hanasake busy. Jounouchi. Come with me."

Yuugi sat down to wait with Anzu and Satiah.

"Maybe you should go too?" Anzu suggested to Satiah. "You have the Pharaoh's power."

"The what?" Hanasake came back in the room. "Did you say Pharaoh's power? That's a funny phrase." He sat down. "Hey, where'd Jounouchi and your brother go?"

Atem and Jounouchi. "They had to run, sorry," Yuugi apologized. "So do you enjoy your job? I do mine."

"Running the Game Shop and designing games, yes, I heard," Hanasake said. "I didn't know Anzu was there though. With a sister too. Neat."

"Where's your client?" Anzu asked. "I thought you'd sit down and talk after they left?"

"Oh yes, clients come in and leave through another door on the side." Hanasake gestured to Satiah. "So, your name is Satiah? You're rather quiet. No need to be shy."

"I prefer not to speak in every situation." Satiah looked toward Anzu.

"I see. You had a strict childhood didn't you? A certain set of rules. A certain time to speak. I was lucky, my parents both loved me. Rules against me were more hollow but I didn't cause trouble. I was a good kid." He smiled at her. "I used to be more like you though. I was so defenseless, even Yuugi could have beat me up if he wanted to."

Yuugi noticed Hanasake had become a lot more talkative. That was good. "You should come by the Game Shop some time again. We could catch up. Maybe play a game or two?"

"Oh, I love games," Hanasake announced. "Yep. Monster World is one of my favorites. I know a lot of people are into duel cards, but I love Monster World. I have a whole set up with it." He looked back toward Anzu and Satiah. "I still can't get over the fact you have a twin sister."

"Yes. It's neat," Anzu said. "Long story."