Black and White Roses

Yami to Hikari: (( ))

Hikari to Yami: ( )

I don't own!



Let's suppose that there are black and white roses. Now, I know that there are white roses, but for now that doesn't matter. That'll come in later.

If you breed white roses and black roses together, logically you'll get gray roses, right? At least, you're supposed to. Sometimes you just get more black roses and white roses. And sometimes you get roses that are neither black nor white, but are somehow a mix. Both colors present, but not one. Half of the petals black, half of them white. Conjoined, but not combined.

Kind of like me.

I'm half light, half dark.

No, that's not right. I am light. He is dark. It's his name, after all. Yami. At least, that what I call him. He tends to call himself by Bakura: my name. It's not odd that he stole my name. I mean, he's a thief. What was I to expect? Something that is odd, however, is that everyone else I know calls me Bakura. Well, I guess that's not too weird. They don't know me very well. I'm only called Ryou, my first name, by my father and....

And Bakura. I don't know why he does that. We're not even that close. Not like Yuugi and his Yami. But I'm getting off track.

Where was I? Ah, yes. Roses.

As I said, there are white roses. That's why it's such a perfect example. I am a white rose. I am real. He is a black rose. He does not exist, at least not anymore. He is dead. A mere shadow of the past. A vampire, in a sense. Down to the blood-red eyes and alabaster skin.

I am real. He is not.

Or is he?

Sometimes I wonder, if it's not the other way around. If it's me that's an illusion, not him. These thoughts make me wonder if I am truly light. Surely not light would cry and cry in the night, waiting and begging for the end. Surely no light would feel guilt like I do.

((That's not true.))

(Yami? Y-You've been listening?) I mentally gulp and let out a small squeak.

((It's my mind too. And don't squeak, damn it! It drives me crazy!))

(Umm... Okay? But what did you mean, when you said that wasn't true?) I hear a mental sigh.

((Look, anyone who was any light in them feels guilt, guilt for what they've done, guilt for those forgotten, guilt for those that they want save but can't, and guilt for those that can be saved but don't want to be saved.))

(Umm... Yami?) I have to ask. I have to know.

((Yeah, what?))

(This is going to sound weird, but.... Are you real?)

He quirks an eyebrow ((.... What in Ra's name do you mean?))

(What I mean is, are you real? You're dead! You have been for three thousand years! What if I'm just hallucinating? What if...) I stop, fighting off sobs. It's a good thing I'm in the park. There are some questions I don't want to answer.

((If what?))

(What if... What if I've gone crazy? I have all the symptoms, hearing voices, memory lapses, all of the symptoms of schizophrenia....) I can't fight them back any more. I can feel tears running down my face.

((Hikari, I am real. And so are you, for that mater. Like you said, we're a black and white rose, bonded yet not one. And trust me, you are sane. Well, more sane than most in this Ra-forsaken era...))

I relax a bit. (Yami?)

((What now?))

(You called me Hikari... What if I'm not truly light? Like Yuugi, I mean.)

I hear another mental sigh ((No one is fully light, or fully dark. Everyone is their own shade of gray. Some are just lighter than others.))

(Everyone is gray... Even you?)

((...))

(Yami?)

((No.))

(You said everyone. Everyone includes you.)

((Just shut up, okay? I'm not in the mood for your philosophical ramblings.))

I sigh and look around. I had zoned out, and I don't want to find my self in the middle of a busy street. It's happened before. Ah good, I'm still in the park. No embarrassing near-accidents today.

((No more, you mean.))

(Shush)

I concentrate for a moment. A sound suspiciously like snickering falls into my mind.

(I thought I told you to shush!)

((What?))

(What am I going to do with you?)

((Let me become a world famous thief who steals from the poor to give the rich, and accumulates so much wealth that I'm practically rolling in cash?))

In his dreams, maybe.

(You mean an American Politician?)

A pause.

((YUCK! Yeesh, even I have more honor than that!))

I chuckle slightly. Once I find a good seat, I turn my thoughts inwards again. Well, at least Yami is in a good mood now.

((It's a good thing it's summer, Yadonushi. Otherwise you'd get detention for spacing out.))

(Whatever)

I turn back to my thoughts, not caring if Yami is listening. If no one is fully light, or dark, and thus good or evil, what about people like Yami no Malik, or even my Yami? Where do they fit into this? Yami no Malik was a psychopath who nearly destroyed the world and my Yami... Well, he was a murderer, blasphemer, and a thief.

((Was? More like is.))

Whatever. If they aren't dark, then who is? But, according to Yami, they must have some light in them. But what did he mean by that? I don't understand him sometimes. Wait, scratch that. I never understand him. But maybe I'm not supposed to. He must have his reasons. He must have some light in him. It's like Ying and Yang; Light and Dark are always in balance. But each contains a piece of the other.

Just like a Black and White Rose.



Review Responses(As of 7/5/04):

Yamisaris: Thank You! I'll try to get more stories out (I'm working on what, five?) soon.

Yume Yumi: Yeah, there aren't many deep, non-Yaoi fics. Oh well. Glad you liked it!

arrow: Thanks!

Aura Black Chan: Yay! People like my stories!

Millennium: 10/10? THANK YOU!!!!

Rishai Bakura: Thanks! Glad you liked the part with the American Politicians. I was laughing as I wrote that.

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