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"Keep away!" Jou yelled, swinging the chair leg at Yuyi. "I'm warnin' ya! I'm not afraid to hit you wit dis!"

Yuyi laughed and put her hands on her hips. "Simple human." she smirked. "You know not of whom you are dealing with, baka!"

Jou's eyes narrowed. "Eh I'm NOT scared of you! your last thing I'm worrying 'bout right now!"

"And what are you really worrying about, then?" Yuyi asked, giving her soon-to-be-victim a puzzled look.

Jou sighed. "Mai. . .I'm don't want 'er to get hurt! And I'm willin' to do anything to protect her!"

Mai's eyes trembled as Jou said this, she looked at him from behind and hugged herself. 'He's saying that. . .? Am I hearing things?'

"Tss." Yuyi sniffed. "All this sap is getting to me. . .now face my wrath lovesick human!" she ran at Jou, her clawed hands ready to stab him.

". . .sorry Mai. . ." Jou said, his shoulders falling limp as the vampire got closer. ". . .I failed you. Try to get away while you still can, k?"

Tears flowed down Mai's cheeks, she couldn't let this happen to him. . .she just couldn't. Her eyes were directed towards Yuyi, who was inches away from Jou. "JOU, NO!" she gave the boy a shove out of the way, more tears falling from her eyes, Yuyi dug her claws into Mai's chest and stomach, and Mai let out a blood curling scream, and her back arched.

"MAI! NO!" Jou yelled from where he sat around three feet from the scene, the sight of her blood made his stomach flip, and his heart almost stop, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "No!!!"

~ * ~ * ~

Anzu froze, and her hand slipped away from Yami's. Yami looked back at her and blinked. "What's wrong?"

"Something happened. . ." Anzu said, her face turning very pale. ". . .something. . .bad. . .to one of the others. . ."

Yami took Anzu's hands in his and looked at her in the eyes, Anzu felt her heart skip a beat at how he was looking at her. He shook his head. ". . .don't. . ." was all he said before he turned and started to walk on down the hall.

Anzu took a breath and walked behind him, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened. '. . .I hope I'm wrong. . .' she thought. 'But. . .what if I'm not. . .'

"Teena! You managed to shake death once again." Kasi's voice boomed as the vampire appeared in front of the two. She clapped her hands. "I'm pleased that you managed to keep your strength in that weak body you have reincarnated into. . ."

Anzu's eyes narrowed at Kasi. "Where are the others?"

Kasi smirked. "Probably dead by now. . ." she said crossing her arms.

"Liar. . ." Yami growled.

Anzu's breath caught in her throat and she pressed her hand against the wall, the feeling still lingered inside her that something was dead or seriously hurt.

"You know. . .I'm going to come back for you two later. . ." Kasi said with a thoughtful look on her face. "Yeah. . .yeah I'll take care of the rest of your friends and THEN I'll kill you two. . .the best for last, right?" she closed her eyes and shot her hands out, engulfing Anzu and Yami in total darkness.

"Ah!" Anzu screamed. "Yami! Yami I can't see you!"

"I'm here, Anzu. . ." Yami called softly.

"Where?! Yami, where?!?!?!?!?" Anzu squealed.

"Right here. . shh. . ." Yami gently took Anzu's shoulders and hauled her close to him. "Its OK."

Anzu wrapped her arms around him slowly. "Yami, I don't like this. . .not at all. . ." she trembled in his arms.

Yami sighed and touched her chin with his finger, making her face angle towards his. "Don't worry, everything will be OK in the end. . .you'll just see. . ."

"But Yami. . .what if she DOES kill the others. . ." Anzu said. "And. . .you. . ."

"Your not worried about yourself?"

"No."

Yami blinked and shifted himself closer to her. "Anzu. . ." he whispered, pressing his forehead against hers. ". . .you have always been worried about everyone else. . .not caring about what happened to you. . .and not wanting people to worry about you. . ." he tilted her chin up. "But. . . right now I am more worried about you than anything else. . .I can't stand the thought of losing you like this. . ." he took a small shaky breath and wrapped her lips in his in a warm kiss.

~ * ~ * ~

"Sutomi. . ." Ryou kneeled down next to the bleeding girl and held her up in his arms. "Sutomi. Speak to me. . .please."

"Mm. . .Ryou?" Sutomi's eyes opened slowly and she looked at him. "Sorry. . ."

"For what?"

"I haven't been all that truthful to you and your friends. . ." she whispered as Marik kneeled down next to Ryou.

"What do you mean?" Marik asked.

Sutomi bared her fangs at them slowly. "Kasi sent me down to lure you guys up here. . .but. . .I couldn't do it after I got to know you, Ryou. . ." she winced. "I couldn't bare to see you all get hurt. . .and when Jou made the remark about searching the mansion I didn't know what to say. . . so. . .before. . .before I go. . .I just have to tell you. . .I'm sorry. . ."

"Before you go? What do you mean?" Ryou asked, his voice getting shaky. "Sutomi??"

". . .I'm not going to make it through this, Ryou. . .you know that. . ." Sutomi tried to say more but her voice cut off and she flinched.

"Sutomi. . ."

Sutomi leaned up and kissed Ryou softly on the lips, she leaned back away from him and smiled weakly. ". . .again. . .I'm sorry. . ." her eyes closed, and she died with that small, happy smile on her face.

Ryou's eyes widened when her body went limp in his arms, all possible bodily functioning was stopped, and all he could manage to do was breathe.

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