"What are you doing, Little Rose?" The voice called, but Akiza ignored it, walking past it and spying the can of black paint left over from Yusei having to repaint parts of his duel runner after a nasty crash.
"Little Rose?" It called again, and Akiza turned her head to face the woman, rolling her eyes at the girl's mundane expression.
"Don't call me that." she said, turning from the image.
"Little Rose, don't be like that!" She cried, watching with a quiet glee as Akiza returned to face her and her mouth twists into a scowl. "You know, if you let me back, I'll forgive you for what you have done. I'll protect you, take the pain away. Just let me back, Little Rose. That's all I ask."
The woman almost looked like she was begging, something never seen from the sadistic egotist. She pulled from her hair a single black rose, handing it out towards the woman in a single act of peace, an offering. Akiza looked at the flower with a saddened expression, trying to resist as it called to her. It knew of the pain she struggled through every single day, how she had suffered and how she is still suffering every single day. One of the world's most promising student doctors, and yet she couldn't even diagnose herself? MPD? Bi-polar? Skitzopherenia? They had all trialed these, and yet they all seemed impossible.
She had returned to Neo Domino City with blood on her hands, almost giving in to the Black Rose's wishes. She had turned to her old friends in desperation, for these were the people that could help her when she had not been able to help herself, and it was here that she had escaped the images of the Black Rose and her wicked past. Running into Yusei's arms, she had embraced the feeling of safety and home radiate her and calm her, deluding her into the sense of wellbeing. Unfortunately, the feeling was ultimately short lived, and as they broke apart, the neausating feeling returned. However, with even the sight of Yusei and the others, she had, over time, been able to convince herself that she was safe from the thorns. Or so she thought.
It had been only Yusei and herself at home at the time when Yusei had decided to start repainting his duel runner, after Jack and Crow had a big night out celebrating Jack winning another tournament and had a hard time driving home on their runner, making it into Yusei's garage before crashing straight into Yusei's duel runner. No serious damage had been done, but the paint had been scratched almost completely off the runner. Akiza watched him patiently with interest as he smiled over his work, taking such detail and precision, taking so much pride in his work. He had gone to dip the brush in the red paint for the upteenth time, when he had realised it had all disappeared.
"Is it okay if I duck out and get some more red paint?" He had asked, worried about leaving her alone after seeing her so vulnerable. She had waved him off, telling him to not let her stop him and she'll be fine. After declining his offer to join him, he had given her a warm smile and a quick hug and had walked out the door.
She had attended to her work diligently, until the she felt her stomach rumble, and she couldn't wait any longer. Not wanting to bother Yusei, Akiza had just gotten up and walked to the kitchen, made and ate her lunch, then left. It was only on her walk back did she spot the floor length mirror lying innocently in Yusei's garage, but where her demise, the Black Rose, had spotted her.
"Come now, Little Rose, there's no reason to hide from me." She said, trying to reach towards Akiza, who shied away from the contact.
"You're a bad person." Akiza whispered, stepping back gently towards the duel runners. "And I'm a good person. Therefore, we can never be the same entity."
"Thinking of running away on that duel runner?" The Rose mocked her, laughing as her face contorted. "As if your precious Yusei would allow that!"
"If I explained it to him then he would understand completely." Akiza demanded, stepping past The Blood Rose and pusshed closer towards Yusei's. "Besides, wilted flower, I have a runner of my own. What I need is not a runner anyway." She reached down and picked up the bucket of paint in her arms, shaking and almost spilling the black paint everywhere. Getting a hold of herself, she steadied the bucket and started to return to the mirror.
"You need me, that's what we need." The Rose cooed softly, stroking the black rose in her hands.
"You aren't what I need." Akiza whispered as she creeped closer, hoping that she had the power to do what she had to to get out of here, out of this position she had unwillingly put herself in. "And besides, I know he won't mind when I explain to him what I'm going to do with this."
"What are you doing?" She cried, feeling threatened.
"I'll show you, how about that?" Akiza smirked, raising the bucket to her cheek. The Black Rose caught on almost instantly, taking a step back as she realised what she was going to do.
"Wait, Akiza!" She called, but Akiza had already gotten her shaky hands together and chucked the black paint at the mirror, soaking it and tarnishing the reflection. The paint dripped and dribbled down the mirror, taking the last of the Black Rose with it. Akiza couldn't get her hands to stop shaking, realising just how close she had bee to becoming the Black Rose again.
"Hey, I'm back!" A voice called out, and Akiza turned to see the back of Yusei locking the door behind him. He turned, raising an eyebrow at Akiza's shaken and desolute expression. "Are you okay Akiza?" He spotted the empty bucket of paint in her shaking hands. Placing the buckets in his hands on the ground, he moved past Crow's bike, stopping as he saw the tarnished mirror. Putting two and two together almost immediately, he looked over at the tear stained beauty.
"I...I..." Akiza stuttered, but he shook his head, not saying a word.
"Oh, Akiza..." he sighed, opening his arms. She dropped the paint and threw herself into his arms, knowing that now he was here, she was finally safe again.