Thank you for the reviews! I would just like to make it very clear though…I'M NOT MAKING A MARY SUE STORY!!!!! AND FOR THE LAST TIME I'M SORRY IF AMANE WAS RYOU'S BROTHER AND THIS IS CONFUSING, BUT IT'S A LITTLE TOO LATE TOO CHANGE HER NAME!

(go through sudden mood change) There. All better!

As for Nina's faults…she has quite a few of them, and they should be apparent in this chapter.

Bakura was in his soul room lazing about, pacing around…basically doing nothing. One of the biggest disadvantages to being "alive" again was that normal functions like sleep didn't come until later. Much later.

But then he heard a scream.

Bakura raised his eyebrows about to do some more pacing moodily/cursing-the Gods-for –his-being-here when…wait a second, he knew that voice. Nina. With nothing better to do, Bakura got up and went to Nina's soul door. It had a clear leave-me-alone vibe coming from it, but did Bakura care? Heck no, he was Bakura.

He pushed it open, and then he was in Nina's room. Whoa, this was definitely different than what he had expected. Not a bright girly pink with white lace or anything. This room was stark white on three walls and the third wall was painted a dark gloomy blue. The dark wall had a door. Bakura considered turning back, there was nothing interesting in here, but then he heard it again. Nina's scream. And this time it was pained.

Hmmmm…leave or go find Nina…
Tough decisions, tough decisions.

For any other brave (and foolish) person they would have gone to find Nina immediately, without a second thought…but this was Bakura.

Hmmmm…

Well, since there was nothing else to do…::sigh:: ah, he'd go.

So Bakura began the long, winding passageway of Nina's past. Firs he felt the bright innocence of babyhood, but then as Bakura began to get farther into Nina's mind, it got darker. And the screams go louder. Soon Bakura was almost able to make out what was being said.

"Daddy! Daddy, please no!" cried a young voice.

"You bitch…slut like yer Mom…don't deserve to live…" said a gruff, obviously drunk, slurred voice. And then Bakura heard a WHACK! Then nothing.

Bakura felt himself quicken his pace in anticipation. (a/n: but not in worry for those poor, naïve souls who actually thought he cared about Nina) This was getting interesting.

He heard the voices get louder as he passed another door. He felt all of Nina's mind barriers centered around this one door. It was clear that this was a memory she neither wanted herself nor anyone else to ever see. Bakura had a feeling even he wouldn't be able to go through it. He tried opening the locked door anyways. He immediately felt a memory that was not his own: a loud voice, a child's scream, and then…blood…everywhere. Bakura felt himself thrown back from the door. For a second Bakura stood there dazed as he could see the blood and the screams playing like a broken record he didn't want to hear.

Then he shook his head of the memories and moved on. He was disturbed but still curious

He finally meandered his way over to a dead end that had a final door. It represented the present. Bakura stood here a moment, hearing another pierced scream with unease, but not wanting to be a wimp, he opened it.

Whoa.

He was at a beach (Floridian perhaps?), but it was not a nice one. The winds were not gentle breezes: they were hurricane winds lashing out at Bakura's face. The sparse palm trees swayed dangerously in the wind, looking like they would all fall down and cause a massive earthquake. The murky blue water didn't look inviting at all; it seemed as if it were hiding dangerous secrets. Bakura didn't like this place one bit.

The sky was a dark blue with thunder booming overhead as a storm approached. Out of all the places to have in the goody-goody's present, this would not have been it.

"Nina?" Bakura asked. If he didn't here a response he was leaving; he wasn't that curious.

"Help! Someone please help me!" plead a voice that seemed to come from the sky. Bakura walked around looking for he source, but found none. Great, what a waste of time, thought Bakura, he'd thought he'd get to see some action.

And then he saw her.

Nina, but oh, it couldn't be Nina.

Nina was happy. Nina was cheery. Nina wasn't covered in blood.

Nina gave a cry of pain as she looked as if she'd been struck across her cheek. But Bakura couldn't see who slapped her.

But Nina sure could.

"Father, father no! Stop, please! I didn't mean to!" Nina sobbed. She gasped as it looked as if she'd been punched in the stomach.

Bakura opened his eyes in interest: why couldn't he see 'father'?

"Nina?" Bakura asked curious.

But it was as if Bakura wasn't even there. She held up an arm in defense, but it was no use: a nasty slash was made across of it.

Bakura couldn't stand this!…She was ignoring him! (a/n: heh, not what you expected, no?)

Bakura marched over to Nina and said right in her face loudly, "My, my what a rude little girl you are, don't even say hello-" Bakura paused in mid-sentence as he heard Nina whimper, "Stop." Even though Nina was looking right at him, it was like he was a ghost and she was looking past him at something else. Now, a tad of something resembling worry filled Bakura as he shook Nina roughly, "Snap out of it brat!"

Compassion was not Bakura's strong point.

Nina continued to look frightened as she tried to back away. "No father, not that, anything but that!"

Bakura had had enough of watching this bizarre fight between Nina and her 'father'.

"THIS IS NOT REAL NINA! WAKE UP!" he bellowed with all his might, shaking her back and forth like a doll.

And somehow, in that peculiar way of his, Bakura woke Nina up. Neither Bakura nor Nina saw the Ring glow with a white light.

Nina's eyes glazed eyes focused on Bakura.

"Why hello Bakura." She said calmly, not at all perky. Or afraid. Weird.

"Nina?" Bakura asked confused.

"What is it Bakura?" Nina asked in a world-weary voice, "Have you come to finally do the deed and kill me? Because if you have, I'm sorry to say, it's already been done." Nina then did the scariest thing: she threw back her head and began laughing crazily. Bakura looked at Nina's deliriously glazed eyes thinking: she's mad! But she did look sort of pretty with her hair out of her face, looking so free…ewwwww, Did I just think that? Bakura shuddered, and that brief moment of beauty passed and Nina was back to looking like a lunatic. Ah, much better.

"Nina…you're not dead though," Bakura said putting it simply. He was amazed that his hikari showed no reserve, no fear at him…by Ra, she was stupid! Or insane. A little bit of both, Bakura thought. Nina abruptly stopped laughing. Her face grew somber,

"Ah but it is Bakura. Or I soon will be…isn't it remarkable how fragile human beings are…all it takes is one slit on your wrists…" Nina said softly gazing at her own wrists. Bakura looked at her in shock: sweet, little Nina…suicidal?! It just didn't seem possible.

"I can see by the look on your face that your wondering oh how could sweet little 'ol me: the tyrannical-let's-save-the-environment/animals/whatever…(she gave a hollow chuckle)…Ah what a façade! But as you can see he's always going to be here…(Nina's voice drops to a scared whisper: she looked up at Bakura in despair)…I can never escape him: nightmares, thoughts, and actions. He's had a part in all of it whether I wanted him to or not…But perhaps in death…I can be free." Bakura felt something deep inside him crack as he saw Nina's look of hope on her bleak face. It was painful to look at this raw, blunt side of Nina. Something needed to be done. Hmmm…it wouldn't do if Nina killed herself…I'd die…again.

"Nina…ummm…don't kill yourself: you have to live out your life…(he trails off, not used to giving motivational speeches. Perhaps it would be good if he stuck to what he knew best: bluntness)…Nina you can't die. First off, killing yourself doesn't earn you an easy ticket to heaven. Second, it's a really stupid way to die: I mean if you have to go, go with a bang like I did…Anyways, the point is brat that death won't set you free, you have to be the one to-"

"You don't think I haven't tried that! It works sometimes like when I'm with my adopted brother and adopted Dad…but it doesn't take long until he returns-" Nina cut in only to be interrupted by Bakura,

"Ah, ah, ah though. Because now, you have me. I'll make sure no evil fathers, you're adopted right? (Nina nods)…get you, 'kay brat?"

"'Kay." Nina smiled softly, not the usual life-is-beautiful smile, but, hey, it was a start. Nina winced though as she got up from the sand. Bakura frowned as he just noticed the whole blood-stained, bruised Nina for the first time (a/n: well he IS used to seeing it). Bakura wasn't sure what compelled him to do it, but he roughly grabbed Nina, and muttered an ancient healing spell. A cool, soothing sensation filled Nina, and when she looked down at herself, she was back to normal. She looked up at Bakura in both gratitude and amazement.

Did he just do something…nice?!

"Bakura…" Nina said softly, about to thank him, possibly hug him. As if reading her thoughts…

"Don't get all mushy on me brat." Bakura said. Nina simply smiled then and said, "Thanks." While they were walking back to the door, Bakura remembered something. Nina now had blackmail information that she could use against him: Bakura actually being…good. Bakura knew his red aura had just acquired some blue sparks to it. Damnit.

"Unless you want everyone to know about little Ms. Suicide, I suggest that this whole "incident" never leaves the two of us." Bakura said as he stared at his hikari. Nina looked up at him, surprised at how easily he could trap her.

That sneaky little—Nina then thought something not so innocent. —He was good. Nina had a feeling it would take all of her wit to keep up with him. Strangely, she looked forward to it. She could be sneaky too.

"Deal."

Let the games begin.

Whew! Surprisingly that didn't take long! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to do my history on Coca-Cola speech (did you know that 7,000 Cokes are consumed each second!)

Next chapter: the point of view will switch to our other hikari girl, Carla (Yami's hikari). As she's cramming for exams…she won't be in a good mood. And for those who read the first story, you know what happens when she's mad…fun.

Question to readers: would you mind if the next chapter also included a prophetic dream…or would you all just be sick of them?

R & R!

-Starlet36