A Rose to Show My Love
Shaina- Don't kill me! holds up hands and blinks as nothing flies at her Good. . .me dead. . .not good thing. Well I stupidly forgot that it was my two year anniversary. . .well never mind. And no I'm not going to say April Fools or anything like that. . .though I am tempted to. Bakura did die.
Nen- Yeah. . .so I guess. . .no wedding. brushes tears out of his eyes as he glares at Shaina Why? Why did you kill him?
Shaina- Because. sits on a table swinging her legs back and forth This chapter is interesting. . .specially cause of Keora and Marik! Nen blinks
Nen- Uh. . .ok. . .Keora and Marik? What do Keora and Marik do? Shaina smirks as Nen sighs to himself Just great. Again Shaina does not own Yu-Gi-Oh so please don't sue. . .I hope she doesn't kill anyone else off.
Chapter 23: Kaibas, Yami's and. . .Sake?
" Ryou," whispers Yami as he sits next to the albino boy. " I'm sorry. . .so sorry. . .I know. . .I didn't really like Bakura. . .but that's not to say I wanted him. . .to die." Ryou nods as he sits next to Yami and Yugi in the Kaiba Mansion living room.
" Have any of you seen Keora?" asks Mokuba as he descends the stairs with Nen following closely after. Yami, Yugi and Ryou shake their heads as Nen shrugs helplessly to himself. " How about Marik. . .Malik. . .Mariku. . .Seto. . .or. . .Noa?" They shake their heads again as Mokuba walks over and plops down on the couch next to Yugi. " I'm worried. . .I mean. . .I know we didn't have a funeral or anything. . .but I swear. . .Keora and Marik took it harder then you Ryou."
" Cause Keora feels responsible," says Ryou quietly as he looks at the ceiling. " I still wish. . .that I hadn't waited."
" You made the right choice Ryou," says Yugi quietly. Ryou blinks as the smaller teen nods slightly as his hair falls into his eyes. " You followed what you believed. . .no one can condemn you for following your heart." Ryou nods sadly as he hears a sound from outside. " I think they're back." The door swings open as Seto and Malik walk in dragging Marik and Keora after them. Mariku drags Noa in after her as she holds her nose with one hand, the teens collar with the other hand. " What happened!"
" They got drunk," says Malik as he throws Marik's half awake form on the floor in front of Yami. " How much sake can you down!"
" Oh. . .une morie minutie momom," slurs Marik from his place on the ground. Yami stares at the other with disgust and a bit of a smile written on his face at the same time. Noa tries to grab for stuff in midair as Mariku walks over and deposits the drunk Kaiba in a chair.
" Don't move him. . .it'll go straight to his head," says Mariku and sighs. " I swear. . .if you think Marik can drink Malik. . .then you sure wasn't watching Keora." Ryou blinks as Mariku mixes up her speech. Ryou eyes the yami warily as Seto shrugs as she walks over to an empty couch and falls over it.
" How much did she drink?" asks Mokuba. Malik sighs as he looks at the boy.
" A lot?"
" She drank. . .a couple," says Malik and shrugs slightly to himself. " Seto and I are the only two sober people out of all six of us. . .and Keora over there. . .I'm surprised she didn't flat out die."
" How much did she drink?" asks Ryou. Malik shrugs as Seto starts counting in his head and shrugs. " You don't know!"
" Somewhere in the range of five and sixteen," says Seto. Ryou's eyes bug out as Seto nods slightly and sighs to himself. " Of course. . .it's sake. . .and it was in really little glasses, but she downed it pretty fast."
" Did you drink?" asks Mokuba as he looks at Seto. Seto shakes his head as Mokuba sighs in relief. " Good. . .but why did you let Noa drink?"
" He didn't," says Malik. Mokuba blinks as Seto nods as Malik nods toward the boy half-dazed in his chair. " He didn't drink. . .the smells got him sick. . .that boy has the lowest tolerance to alcohol I've ever seen."
" No. . .I think I do," says Noa. Seto sighs as he walks over to his boyfriend. " I think I need to lie down." Seto picks Noa up and puts him back in the chair. " Thanks. . .Seto."
" I need a drink," mutters Keora from her position splayed across a big pillow. Seto and Ryou blink as Keora rubs her head and smiles drunkenly. " Yeah. . .drink. . .drink. . .be merry and drink." Seto shakes his head as Keora falls back off into unconsciousness.
" She is most certainly under the drinking age," says Ryou. Seto nods as he watches Noa with concern written plainly on his face. " They'll be okay. . .right?"
" I hope so," says Malik as he looks at Marik and sighs. " Yami. . .didn't he go on a drinking spree in the past?"
" Yeah. . .him and Bakura. . .and I was slightly drunk too. . .that was not to nice. . .specially cause we woke Seth and Ka up," says Yami. Seto blinks as the aforementioned boy walks down the stairs and to Keora and tips his head to the side. " I'd advise not to touch. . ." Kanji pokes Keora gently as the girl opens up her two-toned eyes and blinks at him.
" Aunty Keora. . .are you ok?" asks Kanji. Keora smiles and nods her head as he smiles slightly. " Sad. . .?" Keora nods as Seto and the others stare in amazement as the half-drunk girl responds to the boy. " About. . .Bakura-san?" Keora nods again as Kanji looks at her sadly and nods. " It'll be okay. . .Keora. . .you really shouldn't drown your pain in sake." Keora nods as Kanji again pokes her and she falls back off to sleep. " Maybe. . .someday she'll learn. . .that drowning pain in alcohol won't help."
" Kanji," whispers Yami as he stares at the young reincarnation of the general. A strange silver light shimmers around him as Yami smiles. Kanji nods and then the strange light that Yami had noticed disappears as Kanji returns to normal. " Ka. . .Kanji Velvet Kaiba. . .you will carry on the tradition. . .I have faith in you." Kanji walks over and plops down next to Seto as the sound of a motorcycle makes everyone blink. " Who?" A knock comes from the door as Seto stands up and starts to walk towards the door. " Wait!" Seto blinks as everyone falls silent as Keora's eyes suddenly pop open. " Thought as much." Keora whirls around as she looks at Kanji and Nen as they nod and run toward the basement followed by Mokuba. " What is it?"
" We've got trouble," growls Keora as her hair falls into her eyes. " And I'm not exaggerating one little bit. . .it seemed that Keo has found me." Keora's eyes turn blood red as she nods slightly. " You all. . .cept for you Ryou. . .the basement." They nod as they drag Noa and Marik with them to the basement. " Now Ryou. . .turn off the lights." Ryou nods and turns off the lights as the door flies open. Everything around them falls silent as Keora's eyes glow light as she draws something from her side. " Now!" All the lights turn on to reveal a dark haired woman with blood colored eyes. " Hello Keo." The girl smirks as she launches herself at Keora as the gun in Keora's hand shimmers as she pulls the trigger. " GO!" Ryou disappears to the basement as Keo falls before Keora in a heap.
" No!" screams Ryou as he snaps awake as his eyes fly wide. " Oh. . .gods it was just a dream." Bakura blinks as he turns over on his side and looks at Ryou in confusion. " It's nothing Bakura. . .just a dream." Bakura nods as he pulls Ryou to his chest as the hikari starts to sob. " If you died. . .oh gods. . .I don't want to even think about it." Bakura just rubs his hikari's back as he nods.
" I understand Ryou. . .I understand," whispers Bakura as he holds onto his hikari. " If you died. . .I would never be able to forgive myself. . .never in a million years." Ryou nods as he dozes back off to sleep as Bakura smiles. " Never."
" I HATE DREAMS!" shouts Keora, running around the Kaiba mansion, the others watching her in disbelief. " I HATE THEM!"
" Do I even want to know?" asks Bakura, watching the female Kaiba running around with
a scythe. " Or is it one of those things that would be better left unasked?"
" Oh. . .she had a nightmare that Anzu was kissing Otogi,"says Mokuba as he grins. " And now she's in a fit of rage. . .though running around with Marik's scythe isn't going to help much. . ."
" Well. . .he was the one that messed with her dreams that last time," whispers Noa. Mokuba nods as he laughs slightly in memory. " That was. . .interesting to say the least. . ."
" No. . .mainly it was just scary," murmurs Yugi as Noa and Mokuba nod.
" Yeah. . .especially the little hypnotizing thing with Mariku," whispers Ryou. Yugi nods to his friend as Ryou smiles slightly. " I had a weird dream last night. . .a really weird dream. . ."
Yugi nods slightly as Ryou sighs. " I dreamed that Bakura had died. . ."
" Perhaps. . .in an alternate reality," whispers Yami as he smiles slightly at Ryou. " Perhaps. . .what would have happened if. . .you perhaps hadn't stood up for yourself. . ."
" But. . .we were in love. . .and everything," whispers Ryou. " It was really weird. . .you all were there. . .and well. . .yeah. . .so. . .I don't know what to think of it. . .weird dream. . ."
" Very weird dream," whispers Yugi as he shrugs. " Just a dream, nothing that important.
" Never just shrug off a dream," murmurs Keora, stopping as she looks over toward Bakura, eyes dark, coal black as a smirk trails over her lips. " You should have learned that lesson, a long, long time ago Bakura, never shrug off a dream."
" Thanks for the advice Nayama," mutters Bakura as he turns away from the other, shaking his head as his eyes drift shut. " But. . .I neither need your advice, nor do I want it. . ." Keora blinks, returning to herself as she mutters curses under her breathe as a smile pulls at the corners of Bakura's lips. " You really don't like her. . .do you?"
" I hate her guts," snarls Keora, eyes sparking as Bakura just nods his agreement as Ryou watches them. " Well then. . .are you ready to return to your own reality?" Bakura and Ryou blink as they look at Keora, a sad smile trailing over the girls lips. " I'm sorry. . .but this is just a dream. . .it's not real. . .I'm sorry. . .Bakura. . .Ryou. . .none of this is real. . .none of it at all. . .it's all just been a dream. . .and you'll soon wake up. . ."
" But! Keora. . .if this. . .all of this has just been a dream. . .then. . .then that means that. . .Bakura. . .Bakura hasn't come back. . ." murmurs Ryou, a tear sliding down his cheek as Keora nods sadly. Bakura looks off to the left, head bowed as he takes in a sharp breathe of air, holding it for a moment and then letting it out. " Bakura-chan?" Bakura blinks, turning his head to look at Ryou as a sad light shimmers in the depths of the other boys eyes. " Even if this is all just a dream. . .all of it. . .you returning. . .our engagement. . .everything. . .I'd rather stay here with you. . .forever. . .then wake up. . .but. . .I guess. . .that's not how it's going to work. . .is it?" Bakura just shakes his head, head bowed as he bites his lip. " So. . .what Yami said about an alternate reality. . .is that all true?"
" It matters what path you now take Ryou," murmurs Keora, eyes drifting shut for a moment and then back open as a smile trails over her lips. " You need to follow your heart my friend. . .that's all I can tell you. . .will you make the same decisions you made in your dreams. . .or will they be different. . .the same goes for you Bakura. . .once you leave this dream. . .you will remember nothing of what you have seen. . .you will return. . .to that day. . .long ago. . .when the first decision of many set your journey. . .do you remember that decision?" Ryou nods as Bakura does the same as Keora smiles slightly. " What was that decision?"
" To stand up for myself. . ." murmurs Ryou, looking at Keora as the girl nods slightly. " To say what I felt. . .to help myself. . .instead of always hiding behind Yugi and the others. . ."
" Very good," murmurs Keora, eyes trailing over to Bakura as the yami fidgets with the hem of his shirt. " And your decision Bakura?"
" To do as he told me to. . .to leave," murmurs Bakura, head bowed as he just stares down at the ground. " To. . .to not bother him or hurt him anymore. . .to leave him be. . .my decision was to do as he said. . .to obey him."
" Certainly," murmurs Keora, hair falling into her eyes for a moment as she nods. " Yes. . .those were your decisions. . .well. . .now. . .we must part ways. . .it is now time to return you to the present. . .you have dreamed long enough. . .now it is time for you to live the dream. . .if that is what you want, if not. . .then it is your choice." Ryou and Bakura nod as their eyes drift shut, the world going black around them, the last words they hear being from Keora. " If your love in this dream was as pure as I believe it to be, then the tale should be the same. . .if not. . .then. . .well. . .it won't be the same. . .good luck."
Kanji: Wow! Shaina, you really tied that up really good! Is that the end!
Shaina: Well. . .chuckles Nope! This is the end of this part of the story though! I hope you enjoyed the first part of A Rose to Show My Love! I'm going to start writing the next part very soon! Thanks to all of my wonderful reviewers! It's thanks to all of you that this story has come so far! Well. . .I know that it got a bit confusing in the end. . .but. . .the main jest of it is. . .that the night before the first chapter of the book. . .where Ryou stands up to Bakura. . .they both dream. . .about how their lives would be after what happens. . .they dream a VERY STRANGE DREAM indeed! giggles I think it ended rather well! So, now you all know. . .everything was a dream. . .the next part will start out on that day so long ago and we'll all get to see if they make the same decisions or not. . .grins If they don't. . .well. . .I'll really be writing more. . .and if they do. . .then all I'll have to do is skip ahead a bunch.
Nen: Well! Thanks again for reading 'A Rose to Show My Love' and stay tuned for part two ' Of Roses, Diamonds and Love'.
