Chapter four: Play Time.

Tamara had stormed off into her room, only to regret not asking Akefia about her bag.

She walked back out, a scowl on her face, but knocked on his office door.

"Come in." He called from inside, and she opened the door to reveal him sitting at his desk, looking down at paperwork with glasses. He half smiled at the sight of her, thoughts running through his head of the past female.

The Phoenix hadn't chose the last one. Maybe that was the spark he saw in this one. Nonetheless, he leaned back, and raised his eyebrows expectant.

"I thought you 'got the gist' of it."

"That's not what I'm here for." She hissed, and sighed, crossing her arms.

"Oh? Then what are you here for?" He pressed his fingertips together and gave a small smile at her brashness.

"When the town beat the shit out of me, what happened to my bag? With my stuff?"

"They took the money, but your other few belongings are right here." He said, tossing the bag near the cabinet in his office. She nodded, and turned.

"Thanks." She said, and he smiled, a bit surprised.

"That's new of you."

"Yeah, well don't get used to it." She said, not turning and leaving the room. She heard his light laughter from the other side, and looked down.

Stepping into the hallway, she ran into Marik head on and they both fell down.

"OW!" They both called out, and looked at each other.

"Sorry." Marik said, quickly sitting up and helping her pick up some of the things. His hand ran across a picture of a boy, and he picked it up, studying it for a minute. She snatched it away, and quickly stuffed it into her bag.

"Hey, who was that?" He asked, and she turned away from him.

"Someone who's dead to me now." Marik sighed, and looked at her walking away in wonder.

Something was up, and maybe he just didn't know her enough to be told who it was.

He walked to Ryou's room and knocked on the door lightly.

"Yes?" Ryou called from inside.

"Hey..."

"Hello. How are you today?" Ryou smiled, and Marik laughed.

"You don't have to be that way with me, Ryou. You're to nice..." Marik laughed, and Ryou gave him a look.

"What?"

"Nothing...Hey...Do you think you can find out something for me...?"

Tamara rushed to her room in a hurry. She didn't think anyone would have to see the picture anymore, not even her. How did it get in her bag? She hadn't remembered putting it in there...

But that one time when she wasn't alone rang in her mind. No, that was the past, she was always alone, and she hated people. Nothing was of that time anymore, she was in the present now. There was no one, nothing in her past...

But she couldn't ignore that lie much longer, she knew inside her that there's one reason for one person. One reason, and things just went wrong with that one person...Which is why she wouldn't think of it any longer.

She took one last look at the picture growing angry at the very sight of him, and the markings around her wrist lit up, her temperature turning to high numbers. The picture started to catch flame as her wrists turned to real fire. She looked on in shock as the picture fell to ashes, and smirked at the thought of him burning.

There was a knock on the door, and she turned to open it just as Ryou looked down to her and smiled.

"Hey, Tamara."

"Ryou?" She asked, quizzical.

"I...I wanted to ask you..."

"Ryou, can I speak to Tamara for a minute?" Melvin asked, looking over Ryou and down at her. She Scowled up at him, and he half smiled as Ryou stepped aside.

"S-Sure..." Ryou looked back to her, but she paid no attention to him and focused her attention on Melvin.

"What?" She asked, annoyed with his appearance.

"I came to talk to you about controlling your Phoenix..."

"I don't want to hear it. I didn't even want to be a Phoenix." She spat, and he sighed.

"It saved your life, but now you're a part of it, you have to be taught whether you like me or not."

She opened her mouth to speak, but Akefia stepped in and smiled.

"You owe us, Tamara. You must be taught to join the group." She scowled and glared at them, but followed them to outside.

She looked up at the sky, looking all around. The sky wasn't blue, no, it was purple. There were clouds, but they were gray, and the trees were orange.

"What happened?" She asked, shocked.

"The Dark Side of the Moon. You're actually in another world, Tamra." Melvin said, voice bored as usual. She gaped, jaw dropped, at everything.

"The sun's green, the grass is orange, everything is opposite." Melvin said again, shrugging. She took a breath, and shook it off.

"Now, you must learn how to work with the Phoenix. Melvin has a gargoyle/demon inside him, and he's the only other one this transaction has worked on, so he can teach you." She turned to Melvin, and waited, impatiently.

A while later, after she had the gist of control and calling to it, he sighed.

"Now, we fly."

"Fly?"

"Yes, I want you to take a running start, and transform. You should change, and it should take over the basics of flying..."

"SHOULD?" She exclaimed, and he urged her to go on. She took a breath, and started running, her feet beating against the ground faster and faster, and she jumped up hovering in the sky. She breathed a breath of excitement and disbelief, but then saw a demon like creature flying after her. She scrambled in the air, but then suddenly was flying fast.

The wind blew in her face, but she didn't really feel it, and twirled straight up in the air, spreading her wings of fire wide.

She was now in full Phoenix form, on fire and all. She dived back down over the over looker Akefia, and the others who had their noses pressed to the glass inside. She let out a cry of joy, and fell through the wind almost hitting the ground, but flew back up.

The sensation of such flight ran through all of her, and she never felt this before, this emotion.

She wanted to jump for joy, wanted to scream out in a voice that wasn't pain or anger. She wanted to cry, but she wasn't sad. What was this?

A thought crept into her head, and dived boomed for Akefia, stopping inches from his face.

"Having fun?" He said, and half smiled, raising an eyebrow.

"Entirely too much." Melvin said, transforming back into his human form, and looked up at her.

"Time to come in now, you've learned how to fly."

"Come and cathc me!" She exclaimed, and before she could soar back up, A hand grabbed her ankle, keeping her from the vast sky she wished to adventure.

"Come inside now Tamara, change back." Akefia spoke loud in his Alpha voice, and she sighed, changing back once Akefia let go.

She looked up once more at the purple sky, and sighed.

"You'll get to fly another time." Melvin nodded in agreement to Akefia's comment, and she followed them inside.

"WHOA! YOU JUST FLEW!" Marik and Ryou came running to them, in excitement and surprise at Tamara, She flashed a brilliant smile, and Akefia pulled her to his office.

"You'll get time to gloat later. We still have something to discuss." She laughed as she heard the other two's excitement be trampled, and went into the office, Melvin behind her.

"Yes?" She asked, patient.

"It might of come to your attention...As it has ours, that you didn't bring much with you from your home."

"No, I didn't think I'd be getting into anything near this." She sighed, annoyed with the topic.

"Exactly...That's why we're taking you to town."

"Town?" She gave Akefia a questioning look, and he nodded.

"You need clothing and items of your own." He looked over her dirty clothes, that were ripped and nearly falling apart. She looked over herself, and sighed, she hated shopping.

"By myself? You're stupid enough to trust me?" She asked, laughing to herself, she knew there would be a catch. Akefia smiled, and shook his head.

"Nope. Since you are female, we thought it befitting to send a female shopping with you, instead of a male." She glared at him, and he stood up, walking past her and tapping her chin up with his index finger. She scrunched her face up and moved her head away, and Akefia kept his smile, lowering his eyelids at her, the turned to Melvin.

"Did you call her?"

"Yes, she should be here soon."

"Who?" Tamara asked, and Akefia looked back to her, tilting his head.

"Isis. She's Marik and Melvin's sister. She was a testing subject, but never really made the group. Besides, she's got other things running for her."Akefia shrugged, and forced himself to look away from Tamara, wanting so badly to have her close. He shook it from his head. This wasn't the last one...And Isis wasn't either...The last one...Was something to be locked away, and once again, he shook it away.

"You're kidding." Tamara exclaimed as Akefia sat back down.

"No. She's going to take you into town, and...Melvin, would you mind accompanying them? Don't want our little bird to think she can run, now do we?" He said, holding a pen at each end and spinning it like a tiny log in his fingers.

She glared at him, and looked to the floor, sighing.

"Yes sir, I will go." Melvin nodded, and left the room. Akefia looked to Tamara, and stood up, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She quickly looked up at him, full glare directed at him. He sighed, and took his hand away, looking ot something else before she would notice-

"What was that?" She scuffed, and he laughed once.

"Nothing."

"Look, I'm not sick, or sad. Nothings wrong with me, now stop touching me." She hissed, and he smiled, laughing to himself.

"You will respect me." He said, suddenly close to her face, inches away. He smirked, all his teeth barred. She lowered her eyelids to slits, and glared right back,

"And you will respect me." She hissed, and he threw his head back in laughter, looking back to her, eyes amused.

"Oh, you're funny." She held her tongue, and glared, knowing she had said wrong, almost thankful he didn't do anything to discipline her. He pulled his face away, and looked to the door, walking toawrds it and turning back to Tamara.

"Are you coming?"

"Where?" She spat.

"Just come." He sighed, and she got up, following him.

After waving Tamara, Melvin and Isis off to the city, Akefia turned to the building, sighing.

He went to his room, laying down in the darkness.

Thoughts of the last one crept into his head, and for once, he didn't shake them away this time.

He drifted off with the sound of her voice ringing in her ears, and welcomed sleep, awaiting it, and the sweet dreams he's hoped it would bring.

He awoke, and walked to the kitchen, finding Tamara standing there in a mint green waitress dress, her hair tied up in one of those old 1950's lace headbands.

She turned her head for a minute and smiled, as Akefia smiled back, walking towards the table.

She smiled, eyes looking up into his, playful and hypnotizing. They shone with a purple knowing, holding his soul in them, keeping and air of mystery.

He looked her up and down as she turned around with a plate of eggs, bacon, sausage and toast, setting it on an already set table for one with a glass of orange juice, and the news paper next to it. He smiled, and looked up from her hands to her face, a slight blush emerging on her cheek bones. He took a step towards her, an arm finding it's way to her quicker then the rest of his body, and wrapping around her waist, her skin just beneath the clothes.

He smiled down at her, his hand holding hers in midair, and his fingers fitting perfectly into the spaces between her own.

"Aren't you eating with me?" He asked, a smile that was both lips and teeth, not a smirk, and not weary. She looked up to him, through her eyelashes, and tilted her head, a whisper on her lips.

"Akefia..." She said, and he lightly touched his lips to her own, causing her to pull back in shock, blinking her eye innocently then giggling with an air of happiness. Akefia smiled back, this time going back for a more meaningful kiss, feeling her kiss back.

She pulled away once again, and sighed, repeating his name, motioning to the breakfast she made, and as he turned, she said his name again making him look back to quickly, and he sat up quickly, looking around in to his room.

He shook his head, which was now in his hands as he leaned forward, and sighed. He shouldn't be dreaming like that, it couldn't happen.

He breathed a few times, and looked at the time. It was eight in the morning, and just about time for him to get up. He sighed, swinging his legs to the ground, and padded off to the kitchen, not bothering with a shirt.

He yawned, stretching and blinking his eyes to reveal Tamara standing at the stove in a pair of jeans, a red tank top , and her hair pulled back to reveal marks in the shape of wings on her shoulder blades.

"Didn't notice those..."Akefia said, gently touching the marks as Tamara looked behind her, taking out the head phones she had in.

"What?" She asked, and noticed him looking down at her shoulders.

"You have wings..." He mumbled, and the thoughts of his dream making him look to Tamara carefully.

"I do?"She asked, and turned, walking away from him down the hall, and gasping when she came back to the scrambled eggs she was making.

"So I do.."She said, fixing the eggs onto a plate. Akefia breathed, trying to shake the dream off, but it didn't work as her body lingered closer to his, moving around him to the fridge to grab butter for her toast.

"Have fun in town yesterday?" Akefia asked, and almost slapped himself as her head whipped around in shock.

"I suppose..."Her voice sounded surprised and strained as she answered. He looked down to his news paper on the table, ignoring eye contact. He almost felt every heart beat she had, and was very aware of her presence as he sat at the table across from her.

She started eating, and Akefia sighed, getting up and making himself a plate, listening to her every breath.

As he sat down, she stretched and her feet gently brushed Akefia's making him look at her, just as her eyes looked up to him, and she quickly got up in a hurry, looking fearful that he wold get angry.

He sighed as he felt the room lighten up, the weight of the dream lifting off his brain, and he sighed. Breathing carefully, he looked around the room, and ran to Melvin's room, stopping at the door for a second, and turned around. He couldn't tell Melvin, he was Melvin's boss! Something like this would make it look like Melvin was in charge instead of him, when really, only he and Melvin understood and remembered the most from when the last test female was here.

Before he could take a step away from the door, it opened, and Melvin leaned against the door frame.

"Yes?" He said, crossing his arms in a sleepy way, yawning.

"Nothing, just wanted to make sure you were awake." Akefia said, and started a step away from the room. A hand fell on his shoulder, pulling him into the room, and Melvin shut the door behind him.

"I know you well enough Akefia. We grew up together-"

"I know, I know. I just feel a little ridiculous asking you for help when I'm 'in charge'."

"Well suck it up, we all have to swallow our pride sometimes. We all have problems. What's the matter?" Akefia smiled at Melvin, both of them knowing no one could hear them. Being childhood friends, they knew each other better then anyone else, so things like Melvin's rashness was allowed when they were alone.

"A dream..." Akefia said, sitting down on Melvin's bed.

"A dream? Akefia, you of all people should not be so shaken-"

"I'm not shaken by it..."Akefia sighed, and Melvin looked him up and down.

"I've never seen you like this before...What kind of dream?"

Tamara ran into the living room, praying she hadn't pissed Akefia off.

But there, sitting on the couch, was Marik and Bakura. Marik turned to her and she half smiled, walking over.

"What are you watching?"The TV clicked off, and Bakura looked to her.

"Right now? We're going to ask you to fly." She gave them a surprised look, and Marik sighed.

"I told you she wouldn't do it..."He mumbled, and Bakura shot him a glare.

"She didn't say anything..."

"And that means no."

"No it doesn't, it just means..."He turned back to Tamara, ignoring his friend, and stood up.

"You...Want me to fly?"

"In your Phoenix form, yes. I didn't get to see it, and Melvin rarely ever flies...So we never get to see. And as you know, we don't have anyone else who's mixed DNA with anything. So, could you show me you flying?" She laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Right, no." She said, and Bakura's shoulders sank, while Marik sighed.

"I told you-"

"Shut up!" Bakura yelled, and Ryou came into the room, spotting Tamara and smiling down at her.

"Hey...Uhm...Could you come here for a moment?" He asked, walking into the hallway and outside. Tamara carefully followed, and stayed close to the door as Ryou turned to her, looking down nervously.

"What?" Tamara asked, and cleaned her nails, waiting.

"I kind of got interrupted the other day...I never got to ask..."

"Ask about what?"

"Well...About your past..." She lowered her eyelids, an almost glare, that pierced Ryou's soul.

"What about my past?" She said in a deathly quiet tone, one that Akefia sometimes got when he was really angry, but Tamara just seemed cautious.

"Well...Did...uh...did you have anyone in your past?"

"Anyone?"

"Yeah, like family, friends...Boyfriends..."Ryou bit his lip and looked down at her carefully, and she glared up at him.

"Pathetic." She scuffed and turned on her heels, going back in the building and running into Akefia.

"OOF!" She exclaimed, falling down, but she was caught by Akefia, who quickly then stopped touching her, and continued on his way.

"Well excuse you!" It slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it, and he turned, eyes ablaze with anger. She gulped as he walked back to her, and muttered two words.

"My. Office." She sighed, and hung her head as she followed Akefia, slowly turning her head to Marik and Bakura.

"You didn't even do anything to get her in trouble..."Marik exclaimed in surprised and Bakura laughed.

"Cause I told you, she does it all by herself. She's got that bad way with him." He laughed, shooting her a glare as the door closed behind her, and she walked to Akefia's desk, sitting before it.

He looked to her, and she looked to him, a stare down between boss and employee. He sighed, closing his eyes, and finally leaned forward, looking to her eyes directly, striking immediate fear.

"Tamara..."He said, something in his voice had a hint of sweetness, something sounding like honey tasted, and it spun Tamara's head. What was different? Wasn't he mad at her for being 'disrespectful'?

She gulped, but looked back to his eyes, waiting.

"Yes?" She said finally, and he stood up, walking behind her. She didn't look to him, and sat there, feeling his very presence so close, her breath quickening. She finally looked to him, but his face wasn't turned to her, and instead, looked to the wall, something she'd never seen Akefia do.

"Look, I'm sorry, it slipped out." She took the time he didn't speak to slip in an apology. He half smiled, a noise coming from his lips that Tamara didn't catch. He then looked to her, eyes calm and soft, looking at her in an almost caring way it seemed, admiration.

"Tamara..." Her name escaped her lips and she blinked, feeling something she hadn't noticed or felt before. It felt like she wanted to hold him, but yet, she knew that was wrong, considering her was her boss. What was it, caring? She didn't know...

She found herself standing, and Akefia turned her so he could look at her shoulders.

"These are Phoenix marks..."He said, gently touching them.

"There are some other marks I found as well...Under my hair line..." She said, and as Akefia moved hi hands to her hair to brush it aside just as she did, their hands touched.

A shook rang through them, leaving their skin with a buzzing feeling that ran trough their bodies. She quickly moved her hands away, and he swept the rest of her hair over her shoulder, carefully examining the mark.

"Interesting..."He murmured, lightly tracing it. Every time he touched her body gave her this surge that wanted to reach out for him, an aching feeling, but Tamara knew better then to listen to it, and as Akefia's hands moved her hair back, he turned her around, and smiled.

The attraction buzzed through the small space between them, and Akefia stepped closer, bending his head down slowly, looking from her eyes to her lips, and gently kissing her like the way he did in his dream. His eyes drifted shut slowly, enjoying the soft touch and feel of her skin, the slight contact with their lips.

A feeling of satisfaction and excitement rang in her veins, as Akefia's hands gently touched each side of her face, his fingertips running down her cheek bones to under her jaw, lightly touching her skin and tilting her head up. He pulled away, lightly breathing, but looked to her eyes, that lazily opened to meet his.

Both their eyes flew open, and they stepped away from each other, both looking away, Tamara blushing a bit and Akefia clearing his throat.

"So...Uh...don't...You...Mind your manners." He said quickly, his voice rushed to fill the silence and quickly bring something other then the feeling between them to the air.

"Right." She said, brushing past him, gently bumping his arm as it extended to her hand, lightly catching hers. She quickly turned to him, and his eyes pleaded.

"Don't..."

"I know..."She said, pulled her hand away, feeling the burn it brought where he touched her. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and Akefia turned back to his desk, shaking the daze off.

Tamara quickly went to her room, and laid down, her heart beating so fast.

"Get sent to your room?" Bakura's voice called from the shadows, and he stepped out in the light.

"Get out of my room." She hissed, hyped up on the adrenaline that was running through her. He laughed, and raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't even get you in trouble that time."

"I told you to-" She said, and he cut her off, suddenly both of them pushed against the wall.

"I know..."He sighed, studying the marks on her neck.

"BACK. AWAY." She warned, and he chuckled, not listening.

She felt her skin start to heat up, and brought a hand to his neck, her marks practically ripping open with fire.

"I TOLD YOU TO BACK AWAY." She spat acidic, and he nodded, his neck feeling the heat, and he tired not to touch her skin, afraid he'd be burning even worse.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry.." He begged, and she dropped him just in time for Melvin to come in and catch him, throwing him against the wall into the hall.

"YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER AGAIN." Melvin growled, and Bakura's body faded into a gremlins. Tamara stepped back, and watched as the gremlin was devoured by Melvin, who had the same eye as before out. He turned to her, and changed back to his normal form.

"Gremlins...They enjoy female blood better then males." He said, and bowed his head, looking ashamed.

"Thank you..."She murmured, in shock.

"You seemed to have it under control..."

"What do gremlins do exactly?" She asked, her brain out of whack. Melvin smiled, chuckled quietly, but looked to Tamara's eyes, and spoke.

"They live in forests and wreak havoc on people for fun and food. It's been a while since they've been near here, and they are almost extinct. They serve no purpose." His voice rang true, and almost something next to care for Tamara.

"Oh..."She looked down, and a hand gently touched her arm, calling her attention, then dropped back down to Melvin's body.

"Don't...Don't feel like that...Alright?"

"What?" She asked in shock, and he half smiled, turning away with his yellow eyes, saying so much more then he could with words. He disappeared into his room, and she stood there, her heart beating faster then ever.

She quickly went to lay down before she could fall to the floor, and closed her eyes. She needed to think, to clear her head. And sleep was a struggled with her troubled mind.

A/N: Scandal! Well, not really. New points to some characters, and a little deeper look to some of their pasts.

And perhaps, a few stretched truths?

You all now you love my cliffhangers, but don't be afraid to read and review!

Yu-gi-oh characters belong to their creators, but I own Tamara and the Dark Side of the Moon world.